Will The Real High Priest Please Stand

Matthew 26:1-5 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Matthew begins his passion narrative in chapter 26 of his gospel, and we are faced with some comparisons. We see the comparison of Jesus willingly going to the cross while the Chief Priests and Elders secretly meet to plot his death. We see the comparison of a woman who spares no expense in her affection for Jesus with the disciples who see her gesture as a waste. One other comparison we see is not so noticeable but can be considered nonetheless. We see a man who has taken on the role of a High Priest when he possibly shouldn’t with the One who is the true High Priest and the fulfillment of everything that this role means.

Caiaphas, the High priest of the time, was High Priest from 18-36AD. Caiaphas was the son-in-law to Annas who was the previous High Priest but not yet dead. Were there two High Priests? In short answer, “kind of, yes.” In Luke 3:2 and Acts 4:6, Luke mentions both Caiaphas and Annas as the High Priests and in connection with the high priestly family. The problem with this is that the role of a High Priest was to be a role for life succeeded only be death. Annas was out of favor with the Romans, and so while many Jews would still consider him the High Priest, Caiaphas his son-in-law was the officially appointed High Priest accepted by Rome. As this was never meant to be the proper appointment for a High Priest, perhaps this was why Jesus was first taken to Annas before standing before Caiaphas when he was arrested (John 18).

In the first five verses of Matthew 26, Matthew describes two separate meetings. There is a meeting outside Jerusalem between Jesus and his disciples, and there is a meeting that takes place at Caiaphas’ palace in Jerusalem. In one meeting Jesus describes his death that will end the Old Covenant role of the High Priest forever. In the other meeting, the High Priest seems to be plotting the death of Jesus with the Jewish leadership. By killing Jesus, Caiaphas will unwittingly end a role that he should never have been in to start with. By killing Jesus in just a few days, Jesus will fulfill the role of the Old Covenant Priesthood by taking on himself the sin of humanity. Through his sacrifice he will bear the punishment for sin as the One True Mediator between God and man. Through Christ only and forever, God’s wrath upon sin will be appeased and forgiveness bestowed to all who trust in Jesus.

The comparison between the pre-ordained Great High Priest who truly deals with sin and the wrongly appointed High Priest who plots in his own sin is extraordinary. In one meeting the doubtful High Priest is more worried about the safety of his own position and not causing an uproar. In the other meeting the Great High Priest is selflessly describing his upcoming death for the salvation of his people.

As we consider this comparison, it reminds us of the stunning passages in Hebrews that direct us toward the wonder of Christ’s pre-eminence in his fulfillment of the high priestly role. Hebrews 9:11-15  But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Why I Use the Term "Ordinance" Rather than "Sacrament."

Sometimes when we discuss theological issues, it can sound more like semantics than a true difference in meaning. Normally Baptists prefer to use the word ‘ordinance’ while Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans (and some others) prefer the term ‘sacrament’. Is this just a semantic argument or is there really a dividing line? If one considers the history of sacraments, there is good reason to consider its use.

 Sacramentum is a Latin word, and it was used in the pagan religion of Rome prior to Rome becoming a “Christian” empire at the time of Constantine. Sacramentum was a Latin translation of the Greek word Mysterion (also translated in Latin to Mysterium). Every Roman citizen knew what it meant as they would come to sacrifice animals to their gods and then partake of the sacrificial victim. In the time of Decius (Roman Emperor, mid third century), each house holder was to make a declaration that they were keeping the religion of Rome by partaking in the sacrament. The declaration reads as follows: “I (name), have always sacrificed to the gods and now in your presence I have, in keeping with the directive, sacrificed…. And have tasted of the sacrificial victim; and I request that you, a public servant, certify the same.”

There was an oath associated with the sacrament, and it disclosed that in partaking of the sacrificial victim the declarer was expressing solidarity in the state religion and allegiance to the emperor. Many Christians who were unwilling to declare such a thing suffered the consequences that included death. It even seems that Paul was warning the church in Corinth not to be intimidated into partaking of the pagan ritual. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Paul was saying that the pagan sacrament and the Lord’s table cannot go together. 

It is not uncommon in the general use of language to find Christian terminology repurposed from contemporary society. The fact that there was a sacramental aspect to Roman pagan religion does not mean calling the Lord’s table a sacrament is essentially wrong. The problem comes in the confusion of the meaning behind it. By the time we get to Emperor Constantine who embraced Christianity, we find that the pagan sacrifice was to be banned and replaced with a new sacrament. The sacramental flavor of the Lord’s supper eventually made way for the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. This is the belief that the Priest called Christ into the elements that actually become the body and blood of Christ. The participants in the mass took in the new “sacrificial victim” given to them by the priest laying a morsel on their tongue. Anyone not willing to participate was not seen in solidarity with the state religion (the now Roman Catholic Church) and suffered the consequences of a heretic (even unto death).

Even though many evangelicals today still discuss a “mysterious/sacramental” aspect in the elements of the bread and wine of the Lord’s supper, evangelicals do not hold to the ideology of the sacramental transubstantiation as it still remains in the Roman Catholic Church. Baptists have tended to stray from the baggage that the word “sacrament” holds and have stood on two biblical ordinances for the church – The Lord’s Supper (the love feast), and believer’s baptism.

The word ‘ordinance’ simply means that the church has commands to carry out as it gathers. The Lord’s Supper is something that Jesus has told us to do in remembrance of him. It is where those regenerate in Christ remember what he has done for us in the work of the cross. Baptism is where a believer makes declaration that he or she is a part of the body of Christ through faith in Jesus alone. By calling them ordinances, Baptists have been careful to show that they have no element of saving grace. Saving grace can be attributed to God alone in and through faith in Christ alone. By restricting the ordinances to those who truly profess saving faith in Jesus, we also declare the purity and distinctiveness of the church from the world. It is not a sacrament for the solidarity of a governed people. It is also not entrance into God’s covenant grace. It is an ordinance restricted to the elect of God who are the light of the world as we reflect his grace that has already been given to us in Christ. I believe these distinctives matter.  

The True Power of Persuasion

A number of times in Paul’s letters he talks about being sure of what he is saying. He is persuaded in the truth that he is proclaiming to the churches. Each time Paul speaks of being persuaded about something, we see that his persuasion comes from the same source. It is the most powerful source imaginable. He is persuaded by the person of Christ.

Gal 5:10 I have confidence (persuasion) in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. When Paul is writing to the Galatians, he is writing to churches who have come under the influence of people pushing a false gospel. He carefully and methodically deals with all the false claims and accusations. Why is he so confident that the believers in this church will reject a false gospel? Paul is confident in the Lord that they will hold firm. His confidence in the believers of the churches of Galatia is in the fact that they have been saved by the grace of God in and through Jesus. If God has saved them, Christ has died for them, and Paul can be persuaded by God’s saving power.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure (persuaded) of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Paul is persuaded that the Philippian church will continue to mature in Christ, and they will hold strong in the faith until the day they stand before him. His confidence in this is not in their fallible ability to live in Christ but in God’s purpose for them in Christ. It is God’s work from beginning to end.

2 Timothy 1:12…which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced (persuaded) that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Paul is willing to go to prison and even death for the sake of Christ. His persuasion for doing so without any shame is that he is in God’s hands from beginning to end.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure (persuaded) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul is completely persuaded that there is nothing in this universe that can take any believer out of God’s loving hold. His confidence for this comes in the fact that the person and work of Christ is more powerful than any other power. Everyone in Christ will stand before Christ in glory on the last day. There is nothing that can stop it.

 Humans can be persuaded in any number of ideologies, but Paul puts forward an argument that absolute confident persuasion can only come from unlimited power and a completed work of redemption in Christ. Christ is Paul’s power of persuasion. Christ is every Christian’s power of persuasion.

Glory Past, Present and Future

Often when Christians think of God’s glory we think of the shining brilliance of his majesty and splendor that encompasses God’s throne.  We think of the visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John and can only imagine the wonder of what they saw. We await the day when we will see Christ in all his glory forevermore. Even more than this, we await the day when we too will be glorified for all eternity. Perhaps this is why it is a little difficult for us to read Scriptures that place our glorification in a past tense.  One such text is found in what is famously known as the “Golden Chain” in Romans 8:28-30.

At the end of a list of connecting words describing the work of God’s grace in the life of the Christian, we read in Romans 8:30 that “those whom he justified, he also glorified.”  It is not too uncomfortable for us to accept “justification” in a past tense. In coming to Christ, we have already entered into a right-standing relationship with God because of the cross. In and through Christ we have certainly been justified. It is much harder to fathom that we have been glorified.  When we think of glorification, we think of the wonder of our promotion into glory on the last day yet to come.

There is no doubt that Paul does indeed want us to think about our glorification on the last day. In an earlier statement (vs. 18) he had already said that he considers that the sufferings of this time are not worth comparing to the glory that is yet to be revealed. Paul is definitely looking forward to future glory, but in Romans 8:30 he phrases it in a past tense to show us why we can have absolute confidence in the glory yet to come. The reason is found in looking at every word in the golden chain. Those whom God foreknew, he predestined, he called, he justified, and he glorified. This is to say that God determined our glorification even before the day we actually came to know Jesus as our Savior. The glory yet to be revealed is secure because it was always planned for us in God’s eternally certain will.

While this seems to be Paul’s main point, we should also remind ourselves that we are even now participating in God’s glory as we live in Christ in this world. Through God’s work of sanctification in our lives, we are being conformed to the image of Christ as we live for him in the here and now.  We are experiencing an ever-increasing sense of his glory as we know him more and become more like him and as we live in anticipation of his final return. Paul made this clear in a statement he wrote to the church in Corinth. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The stunning reality that every Christian can hold on to is that in Christ, we are not only justified, but glorified, and as we live in growing sanctification, we look forward to that day in which his glory in us will be complete.  It will happen because God has eternally willed it.

Look up, raise your hands unto the Lord, and praise him for a work in us beyond our comprehension and infinitely opposite to what we deserve. Thank God for the glorifying work of his grace.

I Love Jesus, But I Don't Love The Church

How often have Christians heard people say that they love Jesus, or believe in Jesus, but they don’t go to church. Are these statements possible for sincere believers? As we read through the Scriptures, we get no indication that loving God can be separated from loving God’s people.

In the Old Testament, there are many references to the beauty of the people of God gathering together. Even the pagan prophet, Balaam, was forced to see the beauty of God’s people as they dwelt together. Numbers 24:5-7 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! 6 Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. Psalm 133 is also dedicated to celebrating the gathering of God’s people. Psalm 133A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

In the New Testament, the writer of the Hebrews understands that it is both a blessing and obedience to God to gather together as his saints. Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

While we read verses that encourage us to be together as God’s people, we also find texts in the bible that tell us that those who do not love the church come under the punishment of God. James tells us that when we criticize the church, we are criticizing God. James 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 

When the martyrs of the church cry out to God in the book of Revelation, God brings swift answer. Revelation 6:15-17 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" When we read texts like this we are reminded that God loves his church and those that come against his people come against God himself.

We only have to read the New Testament letters to find that the Apostles pray for the church, care for the church, call the church to gather and edify each other and love and care for each other. Bottom line, there is no way to declare your love for Jesus without declaring your love and care for his people.  The Shepherd loves his sheep and if you don’t then you will have to deal with the Shepherd.

The Legalist's Absence of Delight

You know you’ve been influenced by legalism when your burden to avoid what is wrong robs you of your delight in serving Christ. I propose that this delight is primarily missing not simply because of the burdensome drudgery of keeping law but because of a mischaracterization of God.

A prime example of this is found in a parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 25 about three servants who were given responsibility over their master’s assets. Two of them went about their duty with diligence and returned an increased portion to the master while the other dug a hole and hid the master’s property in the ground for safe keeping. The telling detail in this parable is that this particular servant had a particular view of his master. He viewed his master as a harsh man exacting excessive punishment on those who don’t meet his expectation. He believed his master took advantage of others by expecting others to do all his work while he reaped the reward. This negative view of the master has this servant unwilling to risk anything in his life for the betterment of his master’s estate.

This may seem to us that this servant has a particularly horrid view of his master or that his master is some type of unjust tyrant. The parable allows no such negative view of the master and shows this servant as the one who is evil and lazy in his reluctance to serve his master who greatly rewards faithfulness. The parable has us considering that there must be something amazing and beyond explanation as to why we would risk our very lives to serve this master. The expectation is that those who do serve the master well go on to serve with greater responsibility as they experience the master’s joy in them. 

Ultimately this parable does indeed give us a great view of the legalistic heart. The legalist views God as a tyrant out to keep score and bring recompense. It only strives to live through life by not avoiding anything to make God unhappy. The legalist lives life in fear and without delight and is motivated only by avoiding judgment.

When we are motivated by grace, our view of God is that he is as holy, just, and righteous as he is merciful, gracious, and loving. We see the glory of his Divine humility in the cross and the incomprehensible gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We look at Jesus and see a glory that is irresistible. We want to serve him and love him and see the glory of his kingdom increase. We are motivated by delight and obedience is not a chore.   

Bottom line: Our view of God matters.

An Open Letter to My Church as We Face 2022

Dear Family,

By God’s providence this year we are starting our preaching schedule in Matthew 25. In this chapter of the first gospel, Jesus is preparing the hearts of his disciples to prepare for his return. He does it by teaching a series of parables and the startling reality of these parables is that being prepared for the return of Jesus is a crucial part of our Christian lives. The way each of us prepare for Jesus says something about the authenticity of our faith in him. We see this in the first parable of Matthew 25 where five unprepared, foolish virgins are shut out from the wedding celebrations of the groom and told that they are not even known to him. Matthew 25:11-12 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

As we look into a new year ahead, it’s a great time to think about our priorities.  What is at the top of our most desired outcomes for 2022? There are so many wonderful goals we could have as a church body. We might desire to grow. We might want to send missionaries.  We might want to expand ministry. We might want to have closer unity and fellowship with one another.  All of these are wonderful goals for a church to have on their list, but in contemplating the words of the groom in Jesus’ parable there is a priority goal above all others.  We must all be ready in a way that we are known by Jesus on the day of his return.

There are two types of people in this world.  The people who will hear, “enter into my rest,” and the people who will hear, “I do not know you.” The difference between the two is having faith in Christ as we live in union with Christ, and it is lived out as we wait for Christ. We wait with Jesus as our hope, our joy and our satisfaction and there is no other priority relationship above him. He is our Savior, our Lord, and our King.  He is our God. We long for his return and we live for his return because he has already covered our debt for the day of judgment. We know him and love him because he first loved us. We know him and love him because there is nothing else that matters more on that final day than him identifying us as being known by him. Our focus is and must be the person and work of Christ.

Once again, like a broken record, I put it to you my dear family that our priority goal this year is to know and love Jesus more. To point each other to him. To elevate and exalt the person of Christ. And while I know that comes with preaching accurate theological truth and conforming our words and actions to the truth of his word, it must first come through a trust in and affection for him as our Savior and Lord. We will do what we do this year because Jesus is our heart’s focus.  We must point each other to him as the foundation of our faith, the object of our faith and the vision of our hope. If whatever we are doing or saying doesn’t help us to exalt and love him more, then let’s not do it or say it.

Why? Because the only important thing in life is being known by him. We live for him - right up to the day we see him coming in the clouds.  And then we live with and for him eternally.

2022 – It really is all about Jesus. Let’s help each other live that reality every day. 

With all sincerity,

Steve.

Simeon and Anna: Examples To Help Us Wait For The Second Coming

As Christians think about the second coming of Jesus, we are often confronted not only with the reality of his return but with the question of how we should prepare for it. Every Christian should consider how to wait for Jesus. As we approach Christmas, we are given two wonderful examples of saints who were waiting the Messiah – Simeon and Anna. They, like us, were waiting in expectancy for Jesus but they were anticipating the birth of their King while we are anticipating his return in final consummation. Even though we are waiting for different advents of Jesus, Simeon and Anna stand in history as examples to the church for how to wait well.

 Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Luke 2:36-38 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

1.     They were faithful.

Luke describes Simeon as a righteous and devout man and Anna as a woman who did not depart from the temple, worshipping and fasting and praying night and day. Both Simeon and Anna are now known in all of history as two people who were faithful in their life before God.  The fact that they were so fervent in their faithfulness in waiting for Jesus indicates that they were aware of the promises of Scripture. They had great conviction in their waiting, and they did not seem to waste that conviction on frivolous debates. They prayed, they worshipped, they obviously studied, they fasted, and they were consistent in worshipping their God who would give them their King. If we are asked how we should wait for Jesus, the primary answer is….in faithfulness.

2.     They were longing for comfort and redemption for God’s people.

While Luke says that Simeon was looking for the “consolation of Israel,” he also notes that Anna was looking for the “redemption of Israel.” Both of these phrases say the same thing. The consolation for Simeon would come in the Messiah bringing about the redemption of his people. In verse 30 Simeon says that his eyes have seen God’s salvation. Surely both Simeon and Anna knew the harsh life of living under the law. As they frequented the temple day in and day out, they knew the reality of their need for a sacrifice to end all sacrifice. They were acutely aware of their need for the Messianic hope as the Savior of the world. Simeon also knew that this great coming would sort out those who would believe and those who would not. Perhaps he knew from the prophets that this Messiah would be despised and rejected by many. Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

Like Anna and Simeon, we await with a longing for the redemption of God’s people, but we await the final consummation on the day of salvation that has already been won for us in Jesus’ first coming and work on the cross.

3.     They waited in the grace of God.

The description we are given about Simeon is that the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was by God’s grace that Simeon had such faithfulness in his wait and such wisdom in his expectation. Also by the grace of God, Anna was described as a prophetess. It seems that she was given a good sense of wisdom about the prophecies concerning the Messiah and would tell people of her expectations. When she saw Jesus, she abounded in gratitude having tasted God’s great grace in new measure. Either way, it seems that Simeon and Anna were waiting in the grace of God relying on his truth and the faithfulness of his promises.

 It is also worth noting that Anna declared to all what she had seen. For us, when Jesus returns in his second coming, we will have no further opportunity to tell others about him. Our opportunity for that is right now.

Regardless of the differences of advents, Simeon and Anna instruct us unto faithfulness, expectancy, a desire to see the full consummation of salvation for the church, and a reliance on God’s grace. We should be thankful for their example and allow this Christmas season to drive our eagerness of Christ’s final return.

Correcting Our Misconceptions About The Second Coming

In Matthew 24, Jesus taught his disciples about the events leading up to his second coming and also a description of that very event. A short time later, those same disciples (ex – Judas) saw him ascend into heaven with a declaration that he would return in the same way. With the church then being established through this apostolic witness, you can imagine that the hope of this return taught by the apostles would be of great intrigue to new believers in Jesus. You can also imagine how easy it would be for early Christians to consider various dilemmas associated with Christ’s return and open a door for confusion and false teaching.

In the New Testament letters, we find that these very dilemmas and provocations from false teachers provide even more context for us to understand the nature of the second coming of Christ. They enable us correct misunderstanding in our own time.  We find this most specifically in the letters of Paul, Peter and John.

Misconception 1. There is a disadvantage to dying prior to the return of Christ.

In a section spanning from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, Paul is assuring the Thessalonian church that their brothers and sisters in Christ who have already died are not disadvantaged by dying before Christ’s return. 1Th 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. Paul goes on to assure these believers by speaking specifically about the second coming of Christ. He assures them that because of the resurrection of Christ, there will be a resurrection for Christians who have died.  In verse 15 Paul specifically declares that those who are left alive until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who are dead but will be resurrected with them in the air with the dead even rising first. The context of the dilemma about Jesus return clearly sets out the principle that at the second coming of Christ there will be great eternal advantage for both those who have died and those who are still alive. In the early part of chapter 5 Paul also emphasizes (within the same context of the second coming question) that those who are not believers will be surprised by a sudden judgment that they are not prepared for.

Misconception 2. Our persecutors get away with injustice toward us.

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul starts by assuring the Thessalonians that the current persecution they are going through will not be in vain. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5-12, Paul assures this church that the worthiness of their suffering is absolutely assured in the fact that those who afflict them will be brought to eternal justice, “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” and do not obey the gospel of Christ (vs 7-8).  If we think that evil is winning and injustice is being left unpunished in the world, a right view of the second coming means that this is not true and we can continue to count the cost of the gospel knowing there is greater reward in eternity.

Misconception 3. Jesus is taking too long. Did we miss him?

In 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Paul tells the church not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. While in his first letter to this church they were worried about their dead brothers and sisters missing out on Christ’s return, it now seems that false teachers are telling them that they have missed out on Christ’s return. He then goes on to teach the church that Jesus has indeed not yet returned. He tells them that before he does return there will be continued lawlessness and even a great exponent of lawlessness that will first be revealed. They need not worry that they have missed the second coming. 

In his first letter, the Apostle John says much the same thing.  1John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. John, in the same way as Paul (and Jesus in Matthew 24), tells his readers that false Christs are around and leading up to a great exponent of a false Christ. This helps them know that they are in the last hour.  They are living toward the second coming of Christ.  They therefore need to be ready. 1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. Believers are not like the antichrists, we are like Jesus, and at his return we will be like he is – 1 John 3:5.

Misconception 4: The world just goes on, Christ is not coming at all.

Peter was writing to a group of churches and warned them of the harassment of scoffers who will taunt them about the second coming of Christ. These scoffers would suggest that the operation of this world will continue in the present just as in the past.  In 2 Peter 3:3-13 he tells the church these scoffers easily forget that God has previously judged this world through the great flood of Noah and would one day bring final judgment with the same universal and sudden wrath upon the world. Just because Jesus has not yet come and the time has gone beyond your expectation does not mean he is dragging his feet or that he is not coming at all. Peter then makes the very famous statement that Christians often recite, “with the Lord, one day is as 1000 years and 1000 years is as a day.” The Lord has not forgotten his church and his patience is working so that all of his elect will see the full fruition of repentance. The warning for us is to therefore be ready for the suddenness of his return which is the same type of suddenness as a thief in the night.

These statements in Paul, Peter and John’s writings are just a few of the great testimonies of about Jesus’ return in the New Testament. As we see the context of each of their statements we learn to put away our misconceptions about Jesus’ return and long for the day in which he will judge this world and put all things right. To know the answers to these misconceptions is to live our lives in anticipation of his return. Correcting these misconceptions removes indifference from our life and replaces it with intentional, persevering preparation.

The Second Coming Is Not a Second Rate Doctrine

Too often the consideration of last things has been relegated to the too-hard basket. That’s possibly because over the years we have found reason to debate about the minutiae of the doctrine of Christ’s return rather than encouraging each other in it. Our concerns for times and seasons and sequences of events formed through commitments to systems have somewhat dimmed our unity on matters of the end that are meant to solidify and unify Christ’s Church.

If I were to attempt a list of matters pertaining to the second coming of Christ that Christians must hold simply to maintain the unity of the church, I would suggest the following:

·      Christ is personally and physically yet to return.

·      There will be a resurrection for both the righteous and unrighteous.

·      There is a coming judgment for the wicked that will initiate eternal punishment.

·      There is a coming gathering of the saints for all eternity.

·      There is a final day that will bring the end of death and sin.

·      There will be a destruction (not necessarily annihilation) of the current physical creation.

·      There will be a new heavens and earth.

·      There will be a dwelling of God with his people in sinless perfection forever.

No doubt, even while reading through this list, there are some who may sequence some of these events in accord with their theological systems and millennial views.  I, however, am asking that we step back for a moment and think about the ramifications of the general nature of this list. If we deny these points, we demolish hope. If we deny these points, we weaken our strength of conviction to stand in persevering faith. If we deny these points, we lose all confidence as we inevitably face our own death.

The basic reality of the doctrine of the second coming is that this doctrine (and real expectation) is at the very heart of motivation for the church to continue in this present age. I am in no way undermining the importance of other doctrines. The doctrine of Creation helps us to understand what this world SHOULD be. The doctrine of sin and judgment helps us to understand why this world is currently the way it is. The glorious doctrine of the cross and resurrection is the assurance of atonement for sin and appeasement of God’s wrath. It also makes certain every promise of God. The doctrine of the second coming tells me that there is a final completion of it all that initiates a complete reconciliation of creation, the glorification of the saints, and the final vindication of God’s righteousness. Without the doctrine of the second coming, I am left weak and wanting, wondering if we will ever see an end to sin and suffering.

Well, take heart. Because of the resurrection, even though we have spiritually been raised to new life in Christ, we too will be physically raised on the last day with a great and glorious resurrection body.

Jesus is coming, and this doctrine completes my hope. It’s time for the church to unite and reclaim the precious essential truths of the second coming of Christ.

When Context Defeats Our Theological System

Matthew 24 is one of the most contested chapters in all of Scripture. The reason for this is not terribly surprising considering that the whole chapter deals with the disciple’s question to Jesus about future times and events. It is one of those chapters that is almost impossible to read without bias. So many of us have been brought up developing a bias toward certain positions and systems about end times and when we read chapters like Matthew 24 it is almost impossible to let the biblical authors speak for themselves. The weight of importance increases when we also remind ourselves that these biblical authors wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Who are we to import our own ideas into God’s word?

A great example of our systematic biases comes right at the beginning of Matthew 24 in verse three. The disciples approach Jesus privately with questions. Matthew 24:3 – “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’”  The debates many love to have about Matthew 24 start in this verse and carry on through the entire chapter.  How many questions are the disciples asking and how do those questions help us to divide up the entire chapter into neat time frames that fit into our own eschatological systems.

Some people believe that the disciples came asking Jesus three questions. One was about the destruction of Jerusalem, one was about the signs of his coming, and the last was about what might happen at the very end. People who see it this way divide the chapter up according to separate eschatological events. This is essential for one particular type of eschatological system that does not fit into the text any other way. 

Likewise, others see only two questions. One was about the destruction of Jerusalem and one about the second coming and the end of the age. These two questions are then used to find only two events in the text with one singular coming of Christ at the end of time.

I am not explaining the theological systems behind this because my intention is to make a greater point. In fact, I used to hold strongly to the two-question view until I was asked to consider the context. The verse says that the disciples approach Jesus privately to ask these questions. They have just heard Jesus tell the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem that their house (the temple) will become desolate and that they will not see him again. As he left Jerusalem, the disciples pointed out the temple and buildings and Jesus essentially told them that it would all be destroyed. Now the disciples privately ask him what we read in Matthew 24:3.

The disciples have no way of knowing whether they are even asking separate questions. They had not yet lived through the Romans sieging Jerusalem in 70 AD. They had not heard of any different eschatological systems that may or may not place a “rapture” before a final coming of Christ. They had no indication that there would even be another 2000 years of history (and you and I have no indication that there will not yet be another 2000 years of history). They could just as easily have been asking these questions thinking that everything was going to happen at once at some near or far point in the future.

A second important note to make about this is that when you seek to harmonize the questions in Matthew 24 with the same accounts in Luke 21 and Mark 13, there is no confirmation that the questions must be divided a particular way. If these divisions were so important for understanding the future, would they not also be important for the same accounts in the other gospels?

The bottom line here is simply this – the context does not have us looking for our neat divisions by dictating that the disciples could know more than they could possibly know. They are just confused about what to expect as they live toward the return of Christ. That’s really no different to you and me. If you keep this in mind and allow the text to then simply speak for itself without importing events that are not outlined in the text of Matthew 24, you get a simple message about persevering in Christ and waiting in obedience for his unmistakable return. It allows us to put away our division debates and long for our returning King as we proclaim his gospel to the world around us. Context, not our systems, makes light of God’s text.

Taking Cover Under The Hen's Wings

This past week I was on the end of recovering from covid while keeping up with three other brothers in Christ who were also fighting it. One of my brothers ended up in a real battle as the virus attacked his lungs, and he developed pneumonia. I felt anguish rise in my heart as I pleaded with the Lord to both restore him to health and calm his heart. At the same time, by God’s providence, I happened to be preparing a sermon starting with Matthew 23:27.  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

In the middle of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, our Savior reveals the nature of his heart. His great desire was to gather Jerusalem to himself like a hen gathers its chicks under the protection of its wings. The sad reality of Matthew 23 is that Jerusalem was not willing, but for the one who knows the saving grace of God in Christ, they have this protection and love. This beautiful image of chicks taking shelter under the wings of a hen is not some baseless platitude from Jesus to a disobedient people. Jesus is revealing the unchanging heart of God for his people.

As Israel was to move into the promised land, God affirms how much he loves those he chose to be his people. Deuteronomy 32:9-11 “But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions.”

In Ruth, a Moabite woman leaves her people to live with her Hebrew mother-in-law and trusts in the one true living God of Israel. As the Israelite, Boaz, receives Ruth, he says, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" (Ruth 2:11-12).

In the Psalms, David sings of the providential care of God. Psalm 36:7 “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Isaiah calls a floundering Israel to put their trust in God while other nations seek to bring their destruction. “Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5).

This week my brother was struggling to breath, seeking any type of medical help available, and living in the uncertainty of human outcomes. Yet, he was also securely under the shadow of the all-protecting wings of our God who covers his children like a hen covers its chicks. To be in Christ is to have a confident reality of life that unbelievers can never know. My brother knew that no matter the outcome of his struggle, there is an eternal, all-powerful wing covering his every breath. We can be confident about this because this providential care that comes from God is something God desires to give to his children. It’s a yearning desire. 

Listen to Jesus say it one more time: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem…How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…”  This sounds like it’s something Jesus truly wants to do.

Well, if you are in Christ, it’s what he is willingly doing for you right now. He’s doing it for my brother right now. Under Christ’s wings…There is no more secure place to be.

A Certain Future Because of the Past

When Christians are in the midst of suffering or anxiety, we often find another brother or sister in Christ ready to come alongside us with the comforting words that Jesus is in control.  They may even remind us that Jesus is on the throne and returning soon. The future is in his hands. While it is sometimes possible for us to use such words of comfort frivolously, we should also acknowledge that these words are true and are not in the category of false hope. We can remind each other of Christ’s control over the future because we have a concrete basis for our faith in such a comment.

In Revelation 5, John recounts the vision of the great scroll with seven seals that no-one is authorized to open. This scroll containing the sovereign victory plan of God has no eligible or worthy recipient to open or implement its content. John was distraught that there was no-one eligible to break the seals of this scroll until an elder from this great throne room scene identified the only possible candidate.

Revelation 5:1-5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

In Revelation 5:5 we hear a description that makes sense.  A great Lion, and the prophesied descendant of the great king, David, is able to open this scroll. This is exactly who we expect to see opening such a scroll in this vision. We understand something about the intimidating roar of the king of the jungle.  We have seen enough movies to see the great and powerful good king riding into battle to save his people. But…this is not where this description ends. After hearing this description from the elder, John looks and does not see a lion or a great and powerful king – at least not in the normal sense of such a description. Revelation 5:6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

If we imagined this scene in our mind and didn’t know any better, we might be tempted to lose confidence in the future. We were told of a great lion and king and yet we see a Lamb. Just picture a lamb in your mind for a moment. It’s not ferocious. It’s not what we would call powerful. In fact, most of us would think of this creature as defenseless and helpless. Not only that, but this Lamb is standing as though it had been slain. For a Christian, this picture becomes one of greater certainty than this world could possibly imagine.

This Lamb, described with seven horns and eyes, is the Second in the Trinity who has all power and knowledge and Who’s Spirit is present everywhere. A Lamb is the true and conquering Lion King because of his sacrificial work of atonement and his complete defeat of death and sin having risen from the dead. To die in the appeasement of human sin and to rise from that death is to show the greatest display of limitless Divine power.

John’s confidence is not in knowing exactly what is in the scroll, but in knowing who has authority and power to open it and carry it out. That authority, while described in terms of a powerful Lion and a descendant King, is seen in a Lamb who has brought the complete assurance of a victory already won.  John’s confidence in the future was sealed in Christ’s cross of the past. For John, this was an event he had already witnessed with his own eyes.

When we seek to give people comfort in their distress and we point to Christ’s authority over the future, this confidence is more than a platitude. It is a confidence that has already been determined in the death and resurrection of the Lamb. If the person you are comforting is to take any comfort at all from hearing that Christ is a reigning King, it must first come because they have faith in a slain Lamb who has risen with absolute authority over the future. Without the victory of the past, there is no certainty about the end.

We have a certain future because of the past.

Motivation for Mission: Guilt or Glory?

Is it wrong to have a negative motivation for the most important tasks in life? If we were honest, we would accept that some of our most important considerations are motivated by the potential of negative consequences. In our concern for human life, we prioritize safety. We wear seatbelts and buy cars with airbags because of what might happen if we didn’t have them. We check the ‘used by’ dates on food because we don’t want to get sick. We get lawyers to form legal wording that protects us from financial loss. We are creatures who constantly manage life because of the negative consequences of our Genesis 3 world.

For Christians, we know that the most significant consequence of a fallen world is being separated from God and under the condemnation of his righteous wrath. We know that this is the situation for all mankind outside of Christ and we know that if people do not hear and respond to the gospel, they remain under an eternal condemnation that they have no ability to change. If it were wrong to motivate by a negative consequence, then we should ask ourselves why the Apostle Paul does it. Rom 10:13-14 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? What Paul is saying here is that if we do not go out with the gospel, the people who do not hear it cannot call upon the Lord and be saved. How will they believe if they have never heard?

We don’t point the finger at Paul because he is putting some guilt trip on us. In fact, we know that for the great missionary Apostle there was so much more to mission than the negative consequences of human sin. As Paul continues in Romans 10, he makes us aware that Jews have indeed heard that gospel. They have had it all along and rejected it. Romans 11 shows us that God has all along purposed to graft into one tree both Jews and Gentiles who repent of sin and trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God is truly in charge of his gospel that goes out to all nations even though originally rooted in one nation. There is one tree of life representing one people of God in Jesus Christ. In Romans 9-11, Paul leaves no doubt that this tree is planted, grown, grafted, and brought to full maturity by God. At the end of Romans 11, Paul makes this clear in one of the most powerful statements in all of Scripture. Rom 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Even when Paul calls us to consider that people will not be able to find salvation if nobody goes to them with the gospel, Paul also shows us that his ultimate motivation for all of it is because every aspect of God’s mission is for God’s glory. Paul may use a negative consequence to move our feet, but he ultimately wants to move our heart because a Christian should be most concerned about what God is most concerned about – His glory. It’s not wrong to say that we need to go to the nations because people need to be saved. It’s just not the highest motivation a Christian can grasp. When it comes to gospel mission, our heart and our feet move best when God’s glory is our greatest motivation. If you feel the guilt of the importance of mission, why not try grasping the glory? God saves for his own glory, and nothing could be more glorious.

Self-Confidence Results in Mission Reluctance

How many times do we hear that we need to have great confidence in ourselves to complete big tasks? Most of us grow up with a message, at least from our culture, that we need to believe in ourselves and step out into the world with confidence. If you don’t believe you can do it, you won’t do it. To achieve big things, you need to believe you can achieve big things. When it comes to the biggest task that any Christian can perform, we are told not to have any confidence in ourselves. In fact, an elevated confidence in self is more likely to see us fail.

Our Big Task:

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave his disciples that great commission. They and all disciples after them are to go out in the authority of Christ with the task of making disciples of all nations. This is a monumental task and the barriers to it are beyond human ability. The task of bringing another human being to deny themselves, turn from their whole paradigm of belief and hope, and put all reliance, hope, and trust in Christ is an impossible mission.

Someone might object to that being an impossible task. Why would Jesus ever call us to an impossible task? We just need lots of training. We need to become experts in apologetics so that we can dismantle the worldviews of our opponents and persuade them with biblical logic. We need to know methods and questioning techniques that guide the lost down a path that is too good to refuse. In short, we need to have lots of training and intense practice. We need strategic goals and cleverly thought-out programs that bring people into our doors.

As we have applied the great commission, especially in the modern context, most Christians have experienced some degree of evangelistic strategies that are purposed to give us more confidence in our mission. While some of this training and even some programs can be helpful, I’ve never seen any of this overcome the general lack of confidence that Christians often exhibit when it comes to our great mission. The more confidence we put in human persuasions, ideas, and strategies, the more we realize that we are inept and even incompetent for the job. Even when there is a seeming show of success and mass attendance, we are still left with the question… “Are these people really disciples?”

There is no amount of confidence we can put in a human being to obtain what can only be a super-human result. The transformation of any single human being from death to life can only be accomplished by One who has all power over human life. When we put confidence in humans or in human schemes for mission, it actually works against our confidence in mission. We find confidence for our evangelistic mission in one place alone – GOD.  That’s why we never see the apostle Paul thanking any human for the work of salvation being wrought in another human. We have confidence because we serve a God who saves.

 Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Human Frailty Helps You Worship

One of my favorite accounts of Jesus’ miracles in the gospels is John’s account of raising Lazarus from the dead. It grabs our attention because death is death, and no human can defeat it. When Jesus raises a man from the dead we marvel at the impossible and grasp the true hope that Christ really can defeat death and give eternal life. Besides the life-giving power of the Messiah, we also see Jesus in complete sovereign control of the whole situation without any stress or anxiety about what he is doing or where he is going. The same cannot be said for us.

In John’s account (John 11:1-16) our focus is turned toward the conversation that Jesus has with his disciples. While the glory of Christ will be magnified beyond understanding in his resurrection miracle, the disciples exemplify human frailty for us all.

1.     We get ill and die.

This is obvious! We all know that the frailty of humanity is seen in illness and death, but while we rely on medicines and treatments, we all know that we face something in our life in this world that is ultimately incurable and will be our demise. That’s a fact of human frailty.

2.     We are finite in power and knowledge.

In verse 4, Jesus says that Lazarus would go through this so that Jesus’ glory might be manifested. Surely the disciples could not possibly understand how Jesus would know the outcome of this situation or how he would reverse it by his power. Our lives are limited in that we live only in the present and have no real power or absolute knowledge over the future. We are finite creatures bound by time and space and cannot control it.

3.     We are pressured by the urgent.

Jesus knew his friend was going to die. In fact, by the time Jesus arrived at the tomb in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. When Jesus found out that his friend was ill, he waited two more days before doing anything (vs. 6). When we read of this two day delay, we want to ask, “why?” We want Jesus to ride in on a galloping horse doing all he can to get there in time to stop death occurring in the first place. The reason we are pressured by the urgent is because we are subjects of our circumstances. Jesus is able to reverse the consequences of any and every circumstance whether past, present or future.

4.     We are fearful.

The disciples were well aware that Jesus had previous troubles in Judea. The Jews wanted to stone Jesus (vs. 8), but Jesus knew it was not yet his time. Sometimes even in fear we are willing to go to our death for those we love.  It seems that this may have even been the case for Thomas (vs. 16). We are so often at the mercy of others, and it can be a scary thing. Jesus only came under the brutality of men when it was his sovereign will for them to crucify him.

5.     We see a vast difference between illness and death.

To us, even when sick, the difference between illness and death is the difference between life and death. To Jesus, death is every bit as curable as influenza. Jesus described to the disciples that he was simply going to awaken Lazarus. The disciples believed that Lazarus must still simply be sick and sleeping. Jesus had to tell the disciples that Lazarus was indeed dead. For the disciples, to go to a dead man is simply to mourn his death. The opportunity for help had passed. Jesus faces death with the omnipotence due only to God.

When we read accounts like this in the gospels, we should look both at the wonder of Christ and the frailty of humanity. When we see our frailty for what it really is, the glory of Christ shines brighter. Our hope in Christ is strengthened. Our need for Christ is heightened. Our love of Christ is intensified. Our worship of Christ is authenticated.

We have all the need, and he has all the glory.

Following Faithful Christians

In Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus addresses a crowd and his own disciples in the temple courts and basically tells them not to follow the Scribes and Pharisees.  He explicitly tells them not to do what they do and not to seek what they seek. They preach what they do not practice, so do not follow the unfaithful. Surely then, the opposite would be to truly follow the faithful.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.”  This is a beautiful statement from Paul.  He doesn’t simply say for the Corinthian church to simply imitate him, but only on the basis of him imitating Christ.  Imitate faithfulness.  Another beautiful example of this is found in Paul’s letter to Timothy and this time the example is Timothy’s mother and grandmother.

2 Timothy 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. Paul doesn’t say that Timothy believes the same dogma.  He doesn’t say that Timothy has merely had the same intellectual ascent and worldview as his mother and grandmother. He says that Timothy has a sincere faith that first dwelt in Lois and Eunice.  I can only imagine the beautiful examples that these wonderful women were to this young man. This was not a case of hypocritical Pharisees teaching excessive rules and not keeping them themselves.  This was the case of two women committed to the truth of Scripture and lovingly living it out as Timothy watched and listened. Timothy experienced the beauty of faithfulness and with his own sincere faith in Jesus became to Paul, a true child in the faith.

Often, especially if you are a parent, it’s easy to forget that the example of faith is the powerful communication of the authenticity of the faith we proclaim. Timothy witnessed this in his mother and grandmother and Paul reminds him of this, twice.  2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

It is not Lois and Eunice who can take credit for Timothy becoming wise unto salvation. That was a work of God’s sovereign grace. Even so, Paul reminds Timothy of the vehicle of God’s grace that he used to bring him into the faith and equip him with the beautiful truth of the gospel and the entire Scriptures as he pastored a church to train them in every good work.

This is the rallying point for every Christian as we seek to honor God as faithful witnesses - To be the faithful servant of the Lord.  We pray that we might follow the faithfulness of the example of these two ladies.  We pray that people may be able to say what we say and do what we do as we proclaim Christ and imitate him.

The Questioning Child

Guest Blog from Ryan Liebert

Matthew 18:1-3

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

When I think back to being a child, one thing I remember is how much I longed for the time when I would no longer be a child! There was an anticipation of turning 16 and being able to drive a car. There was a desire for the freedom that would come with turning 18 and legally being considered an adult. And of course, there was a distant hope of a career and the autonomy that seems to follow “growing up.” I thought, “When I’m older, I’ll have freedom, authority, and I’ll be able to do what I want!” However, when Jesus instructed His disciples on greatness, He directed their attention away from self-exaltation and toward the example of a little child. He told them, “Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” It is this child-like humility that God is seeking to cultivate in His people and is a true mark of greatness. Here are three characteristics of this child-like humility that we should cultivate.

First, child-like humility leads to an accurate view of who we really are before God. When we’re blind to the Lord and His gospel, the result is a pride that grows into deluded self-exaltation. John calls it the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16), where the motivation to make a name for ourselves and be esteemed by others turns our focus to personal achievement and advancement. The reality is that our self-exaltation does not achieve the righteousness of God and isn’t even a real representation of who we are! Just as Paul says, “For if anyone thinks that He is something when He is nothing, He deceives Himself” (Gal. 6:3). But when God shines the light of the gospel into our hearts, we see the greatness of God. He is the one who breathed the universe into existence, He is the one who is rightly called The Almighty. Under such revelation, we find our rightful place of child-like humility. A child has no pretension of his position in the world. While God’s power is limitless and His greatness unmatched, I am actually very small and insignificant. At the same time, I can look up to such a great God and exalt in Him. Such revelation should stir in us a child-like humility that says with David, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psa. 8:4).

Second, child-like humility turns our mind toward the instruction of God’s Word. We can all think back to the stretch of our lives where we were ignorant of God and of the hope of the gospel. But at the right time, God revealed His Son and His gospel in us. After that, we finally could start to see the boundless mines of wisdom and knowledge that are available to us in Jesus Christ. While pride fools us into thinking that we know better than most or we have little to learn, God’s converting grace changes us into little children who admit they know little but are hungry to learn. Accordingly, we plant at the feet of Jesus and desire to hear any word of instruction from Him. As the Hymn goes, “Blessed Jesus, at thy word, we are gathered all to hear thee.”

And finally, child-like humility leads us to ask sincere questions about God and His gospel. Asking sincere questions has the ability to grow us up in our salvation. Asking questions sometimes makes us feel vulnerable because it reveals the limitations of our own understanding. We typically want to be the smartest person in the room (and often times think we are!). But when the reality of God and His gospel dawns on us, we are met with a Subject of study that can never be mastered. Asking questions about God and the gospel, is a lovely characteristic of child-like humility. A child freely asks questions with no consideration of what it reveals about how he compares to others. What is more, God tells us that He loves to hear our voice (Song. 2:14) and that if we lack wisdom we should ask through prayer (James 1:5). God gives us a church family where, as iron sharpens iron so two church family members can sharpen each other (Prov. 27:17). And God gives us pastors and teachers that are approachable and able to answer our questions if we would simply ask (Eph. 4:11-13).

May God help each one of us to cultivate a child-like humility that makes us great in God’s sight.

Let's Not Reduce Heaven to Sentimentality

Some time ago I wrote a poem that conveyed my thoughts about a husband’s love for his wife along side his longing for heaven. So often when we think about heaven, we can reduce it merely to the sentimentality of seeing loved ones and miss that God himself is our prize and is giving us a glorious reward in Christ beyond our imagination. When we understand the glory of the resurrection, we will still desire that our loved ones will be with us, but we will also anticipate that there is something so much greater. I hope my words somehow inspire some thought. It’s ok to have a loving caring sentiment, but let’s watch out so that we do not reduce God’s glorious eternity to sentimentality. Words inspired by Matthew 22:30.

You’ll Be There As Well.

With tender kiss and warm embrace, contentment filled my heart

I looked upon your restful face, God’s gift of finest art

And as I lay in moonlight’s rule, succumb to heavy eyes

I fell as slumber ruled my mind and dreamt beyond the skies.

I dreamt I stood before my God, with guilt laid bare to see

But Christ stood as my substitute, and He perfected me

I stood beside a cloud of saints, and on my knees I fell

The Lamb was roaring from His throne, and you were there as well.

I sat before the King of Kings, where tables filled His hall

A royal heir at every seat, to hear the Bridegroom’s call

Choirs of angels filled the room as heaven’s wedding bell

The consummation feast had come, and you were there as well.

I walked the garden of The Lord, with not a single care

The river flowed so fresh and clear, and praises filled my prayer

This new creation bares His name, new earth for God to dwell

With all the saints I worshipped Him, and you were there as well.

A ray of light in glory shone, in warmth of life and love

Illuminating from The Son, no need for sun above

I leapt in His great light of joy, with inner blissful swell

Christ is my everlasting light, and you were there as well.

The wolves were playing with the lambs and serpents had no bite

This Kingdom’s wealth is in The Lord, no need for widow’s mite

No sickness fear or sorrow found, no death to bid farewell

For Eden was redeemed at last, and you were there as well.

My heart was bathed in Jesus Christ, and to The Father’s praise

Perfected in The Spirit’s love, to live eternal days

And though my eyes were full on Him, I saw you in His house

And I remembered back on earth, that you were once my spouse

I woke from sleep and rested there, and dwelt upon my dream

The dwelling presence of My God is this celestial theme

For faith in Christ is now my life, His Kingdom my reward

In Him alone I have my home when all will be restored

I looked at you again my love, and knew my final vow

The most I can achieve for you is in the here and now

The best a human can obtain is given all of grace

To love you most comes my desire to point you to His face

My love for you in truth is this, the object of my search

That I will love you just as Christ has loved His blood bought church

And joy in me has overflowed to heights I cannot tell

To think today that when I’m home, that you’ll be there as well.

You Might Be a Zealot if......

First century zealots were a group of people who were intense Jewish nationalists and outraged at Roman rule. There were various conflicts and uprisings led by one main family of Zealots and they all ended in tragedy. Whether the zealots liked it or not, Rome was the power of the day and Caesar was in charge. Zealots were deeply religious and even associated with one of the rabbinical schools of the day. One of the two biggest differences between the two Jewish rabbinical schools of the time was that one school (Hillel) was intensely focused on Jewish worship while the other (Shammai) were intense nationalists and as such focused on the recovery of Jewish national identity. While Jews for the most part were not in favor of Roman rule, zealots were distinct. 

In his famous work, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim states how Jesus was completely opposite to the zealots. “Only the Kingdom of which Jesus was the King was, as he himself said, not of this world, and of far different conception from that for which the Nationalists longed.” There in a nutshell Edersheim has described the difference between Christ and not only Jewish zealots but every kind of zealot in history. The difference is one of longing. You might be a zealot if your longing for a particular national identity and geo-political entity trumps your longing for the Kingdom of Christ that is not of this world.

The fact that Jesus consistently avoids a nationalistic pursuit should not be lost on Christians when we read the gospels. It should not be lost on us when we see an absence of this pursuit in the proceeding New Testament epistles. We simply do not see this thrust in the New Testament. Most of all, we don’t see it in Jesus.

Jesus denied Satan’s temptation to give him all the kingdoms of the world. If his desire was to reform a Jewish nationalistic identity, surely it would be easier to take Satan’s offer and avoid the cross. After the display of Jesus’ power in feeding the 5000, the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him their king. Surely, if Jesus desired to reclaim and protect the Jewish way of life, he could have used that supernatural power to go with the crowd and stir the world to overthrow Rome. He is the One who can feed the whole world. Who wouldn’t want him on the throne? If Jesus could but speak so to cause a whole band of soldiers to fall over, surely he would have no real opposition to eradicating Roman rule in Jerusalem. Instead, Jesus rebuked Peter for the use of the sword, healed the ear of one of his captors, and went peaceably to his trial. 

Probably the most explicit statement from Jesus is heard as he faced the Roman Governor Pilate. John 18:35-36 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." If we read this carefully, in verse 35 Pilate describes Israel as Jesus’ own nation. Pilate is talking about the geo-political entity and its religious leaders. In verse 36 Jesus corrects Pilate stating that HIS Kingdom is not of this world. If Jesus was here to restore, reclaim, or reform a geo-political or earthly religious entity, his disciples would right now be fighting to free him. One of Jesus’ disciples, Simon, was a former zealot, and even he did nothing of the sort. The Kingdom of Christ, to which everyone in Christ belongs, is not of this world. For Christ, the way of his Kingdom was the cross, and he made the cross the entry point of his Kingdom for all mankind.

We who are in Christ share Christ’s purpose, and our longing is for his Kingdom which is not of this world. Jesus has led us by showing us a pin-point focus on purpose and destination that all of his disciples must follow. That is not the way of zealous nationalism, but a zealous mission of the cross. If the church loses our way on this, we lose the hope of the gospel. We lose everything. We need to protect ourselves from being zealots and the way to do that is to follow Christ.

You might be a zealot if the name of Jesus is being used for nationalistic reform rather than gospel proclamation. Even so, a Christian is zealous. It’s a missionary zeal for a Kingdom not of this world. John 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."