(Easter)
This devotion is for Easter Sunday, the day when Christians around the globe celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is also the final day of our 90-day reading journey. Hopefully, you have gained new insight into the story arc of redemptive history. As we close our devotional series, we will look at the last words of the Bible. (Rev. 22:20-21) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. The closing words of Scripture are essentially a prayer. A prayer for Jesus to return. In his first advent (birth and life) he lived a righteous life and died the death that we deserve. Those who are united to him by faith participate in his death and resurrection. The resurrection power of the Spirit is at work in us now. But we still live in a fallen world. The effects of sin and corruption darken God’s good created world. The worldly power of human rebellion continues to cause pain and suffering. The remaining power of sin casts a shadow across our own heart and twists our desires. So, we long for Jesus to return. We long for his second advent (2nd coming), in which he will defeat the enemies of sin, Satan, and death and make all things new. We are living in the story of God’s redemption. WE… are in the midst of redemptive history. On the other side of creation, the fall, and redemption, we are looking forward to full restoration when Jesus returns. In this present life, there are good gifts that we receive from God and joy can be found in our spiritual journey. But life is often quite hard. We have been given a glimpse of the future glory of the New Heavens and the New Earth which shows only an outline of what that will be like. While we don’t know the details, and see only the broad outline of what that future restoration will be like, we know enough to look forward to that day. The rest of the Bible repeatedly urges us to direct our attention to this future victory. We are not people defined by our past, or the present struggles. Instead, we are people who are defined by a redemptive future that is ours in Christ. The more we face disappointment in our present life, the more we learn to look forward to the hope of eternal life. This is not escapism. This is basic Christianity. “Come, Lord Jesus.” Connect and Reflect: Peter urges us to set our minds on the future hope of the return of Christ. He calls the second coming of Christ “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” He is not referring to the book of Revelation, but to the concept found in the closing chapters of that book. At the end of time, Jesus will return. We are meant to look forward to that day with urgency. Though we don’t know when, we know that this is always just over the horizon. Jesus is coming soon. Set your hope fully on this grace. I Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [Note: an early version of the outline had a mistake that indicates the last verse is “25”, this should read 22:5 as the end of the reading for today.]
Throughout our sermon series on the story of scripture, we have often used the words “Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration” to summarize the story arc. The final word “restoration” refers to the way that God restores things through Jesus, but it finds its focus in the closing chapters of Revelation. In these two closing chapters we will get a glimpse of eternity after the final judgment, after evil is purged, and after death itself is destroyed. It is only a glimpse, but the hope of this future restoration in completion is a major Biblical theme. In these closing chapters of the entire bible, the threads of redemption are brought together in a compelling picture of restoration. Let’s look at some of the ways that this is done as we reflect back on our journey through the history of the Bible.
I hope that you can see from these examples (and there are many more), the way in which the story of the entire Bible finds its completion in Revelation 21-22. The point of these images is not for us to try to form a picture in our heads of a literal city of the dimensions listed (it would be absurdly structured), or to try to determine if gold is really a good material for the surface of a road (sounds slippery.) Rather, the point of these prophetic images is to convey a sense of the grandeur and to show the links to the rest of the Bible. Finally, we need to point out that the images are all linked to physical things. If we use the term “heaven” to refer to the spiritual rest our souls have in Christ after our death (see Rev. 6:9), we should recognize that heaven is not the end goal. The story arc of the Bible turns our attention to the return of Christ, the resurrection of the body and the physical reality of our perfected world in the “New Heavens and the New Earth.” Our glorious future is a physical reality, not just a spiritual one. The entirety of God's good creation, including humanity will be restored in the renewed earth. In summary, we see that God will “make all things new.” Reflect and Connect: Christian burial is designed to celebrate the hope of the resurrection. The reason that we bury bodies is that this symbolizes the certainty that the body will be raised and renewed. The words of committal traditionally read at the graveside celebrate this future victory over death. How do these words shape your perspective on each day? I Cor. 15:51-52 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (Good Friday)
Today is the day that Christians remember the death of Christ. “Good Friday” may seem like a strange name to commemorate the death of the Messiah. Certainly, his first century followers did not see it as “good” when it was happening. The actual event was horrible. Jesus was beaten, rejected, abandoned, and crucified. Unlike modern forms of capital punishment, which seek to be as painless as possible, crucifixion was intended to be the most painful and humiliating death imaginable so as to be an effective deterrent. But, the day is good because we understand that Jesus was judged in our place. Though he was innocent of sin against God or against his fellow man, he stood in our place and received the just judgment of God on our behalf. That is why we can read the closing chapters of the book of Revelation without being crushed by them. Chapters 18-20 show the judgment of God against the whole earth. First we see the destruction of Babylon (Rev 18), the quintessential “city of man.”[1] Then we have an invitation to the wedding supper of the lamb – beautiful for those who are waiting for Jesus, but terrible for those who oppose him, becoming the feast for the vultures. Jesus arrives as the rider on a white horse and soundly defeats his enemies and they are thrown into the lake of fire. In chapter 20, we see the story of Satan’s defeat which culminates in a great battle and the complete victory of Jesus.[2] At this point, all of the enemies of Jesus have been put under his feet (I Cor. 15:24-25.) Then the story shifts to the end of history. The dead are raised and every person stands before God in judgment. They give account for their deeds and words. Then judgment is enacted on all humans, and death itself is destroyed. In all of these things, we see the just judgment of God against evil. Removing evil from the earth is a good thing. But, how do we know that this judgment will not fall on us as well? The good news in the final judgment is that for some people, their name is recorded in “the book of life” (Rev. 20:12.) The phrase “book of life” is used by Paul (Phil. 4:3), and was referenced earlier in Revelation in connection with the salvation of Jesus. Christians are those whose names have been “written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” The reason that we have hope in the final judgment is because of Good Friday. If we were to stand before God on our own, and if the only record of our life was our own actions and words, then we would surely perish. But the salvation of God is extended to those who are connected to Jesus by faith. Their sins are forgiven, because their sins were already judged in Jesus. The gates of paradise are opened to the humble through the mercy of God. It is a “good” Friday. Reflect: In one of the great songs of the church we sing, “It was my sin that held him there.” It is a powerful activity to personalize the cross and own this for ourselves. Connect: This theme is central to our understanding of the gospel. II Cor. 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [1] There is considerable debate about the identity of “Babylon” in Revelation 18. Everyone agrees that it is used metaphorically to describe a wicked city. Those who hold a preterist view (see Excursus) would link this city to Rome or Jerusalem. Amillennial interpreters understand this to represent humanity in its assembled rebellion against God and not one particular city. It is therefore the counterpart to the “City of God”, which is present in partial form as the church gathers, but only fully realized at the end of history (Rev. 21). [2] Returning to the topic of “when” this happens, the sequencing of chapters 18, 19, and 20 is particularly hard. One way of reading the text is to see the prophetic images of Revelation 18,19 and 20 as separate sequential events, following one after another. Preterist interpreters might see them as a sequence of events largely in the past, while Premillennial interpreters would see them as largely a future sequence of events. However, another way of reading the text is to see them NOT as things that happen one after another, in sequence. Instead, they can be viewed as different pictures of essentially the same thing. In that reading (Amillennial), the binding of Satan is a picture of something that happens at the beginning of the church age and is linked to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, this is not meant to be read in sequence as if it happens after the great battle with the rider in white. Instead, it may be intended to show the same great and final battle from a different perspective. In this reading, the rider in white who slays his enemies with a sword, and the fire from heaven which wipe out the enemies of God are different ways of looking at the same thing. All of this may connect to the “battle of Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16.) Either way, there is agreement that we expect final judgment to be proceeded by a great battle in which Jesus is victorious over his enemies. What that battle would actually look like in time and space… no one can know. MK
In the daily blog post I summarized the ways in which faithful Christian scholars interpret the middle section of the book differently. In regard to the section between the opening of the sealed scroll and the final defeat of Satan (Rev 6:1-20:6) I wrote, “Some say it all happened in the past, some say that it will all happen in the future, and some say that it is a picture of the judgment that is generally happening in the church age.” I will give more explanation of those various views here. This is not intended to have scholarly precision, but to try to introduce the reader to the interpretive disagreements.[1] The material under discussion is a series of judgments that are given in sets of seven. There are seven seals on the scroll, seven trumpets and seven bowls of wrath. All of these are pictures of judgment. In the middle of this are several pictures about the church wrestling with their spiritual enemies. Some scholars think that there are meant to be seven pictures, but they are not numbered in the text. These pictures include things like “The Woman and the Dragon”, and “The Beast.” Again, the question is when are these things are supposed to happen. (1.) The first view, which we will label the preterist view, is that these events primarily describe a judgment that happened in the past. This view has been important in history, but is not as mainstream today. The preterist view of Revelation says that the sequences of judgment are meant to describe the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. (Others could hold this view and focus on another type of judgment which was experienced by the early church, such as the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire.) This view would still affirm that the closing section of Revelation remains in the future, but would place the primary emphasis on something that affected John’s original audience. It has the advantage of making sense of the admonition Jesus gave to those historic churches in chapters 2-3, “Behold, I am coming soon.” In summary, this first view places the focus on past events in history, and deemphasizes the connections to the final judgment. Personally, I think that this view has some real merit. I am convinced that other NT prophecies function in this way, such as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. This prophecy of Jesus is directly related to the destruction of the temple in the context of the Gospel of Matthew. At the same time, Jesus directs his disciples to turn their attention forward to “the end of the age” when he will return. However, I think that linking the judgments of Revelation too much to the destruction of Jerusalem also misses the historic context (churches in Asia Minor) and diminishes the conceptual link to the final judgment. (2.) The second view, which we will label the premillennial view, is that these events primarily describe a judgment that has not yet happen and will happen at the end of history. This view was made famous in books like, “Left Behind” and it is probably what most people think about when they read Revelation. The premillennial view takes its name from the reference to a 1,000 year period in which Satan is bound and the church flourishes. They believe that this represents a future period of time which is after the return of Christ, but before the final judgment. During this time, some of the promises to Israel will be fulfilled in literal ways. This view is associated with a way of reading Scripture that tends to diminish the connection between Israel and the church and looks for a way for God to literally fulfill all OT promises about the land, the temple, the people, etc. By contrast, some Reformed Scholars take a modified approach (Historical Premillennial), but many favor the first of third options. Personally, I think that this view misses the historic context of the letter and also strives too much to make Biblical prophecy have a literal fulfillment when that is not the purpose. By placing this book almost entirely in the future, it robs us from the comfort and challenge that it is meant to bring for us now. Instead, it tends to promote an unhealthy speculation about when Jesus will return as it looks to map the scrolls, trumpets, and bowls of wrath onto modern day events. Jesus, himself, said that no one knows the hour or the day, thus discouraging this sort of speculation. (3.) The third view, which we will label the amillennial view holds that the scrolls, trumpets, picture stories, and bowls are not meant to map onto a single event in history, but are general descriptions of how God works throughout the church age. In this view, the beginning of the sequence (opening the first seal) is conceptually linked to the experience of the early church. They were living in a time in which the judgment activities of seals, trumpets, etc., had begun. God was shaking his church (Hebrews 12:28.) But, this will continue through various cycles of renewal throughout the entire age of the church and will culminate in the final defeat of Satan, some day in the future. The name “amillennial” comes also from the interpretation of Rev. 20:2 in which Satan is said to be bound for a 1,000 years. Instead, of looking for a 1,000-year period which will happen after Jesus returns, this view understands the number to be symbolic. That is, 1,000 years represents the entire age of the church. In this understanding, Satan is bound right now, therefore the church is able to grow and expand. But we anticipate some great climactic battle in which Satan attacks the church with full fury before being finally defeated. Personally, I hold this view to be the most attractive. It allows us to use the judgments of chapters 6-20 as an interpretive grid that can fit any conflict in which the church finds herself engaged. In this sense, it really did apply to the early church and the original context as they wrestled with Roman persecutions. So, it is not surprising to see ways in which the various prophecies seem to relate to aspects of the Roman Empire. (See Greg Beale’s massive tome, The Book of Revelation, for more details.) However, the meaning of the text is not exhausted by the first century context. It continues to apply in every cycle of opposition and persecution that the church experiences. In this sense, we are not looking for one single, particular beast (though this may take particular from as we move toward the end of history). Rather, we are taught to recognize that there are always beastly and demonic powers at work in the midst of human persecution. There is more to the struggles of the church than meets the eye. Just as Jesus is present in the midst of his church (Rev 1:12), so too, Satan stands behind the dark sweep of human history. And yet, we can be assured of his certain and ultimate defeat. Therefore, we are encouraged to stand fast. “Blessed are those who overcome.” [1] There are a whole lot of nuances to these views, I will try to be general. Furthermore, there are important distinctions within these views. For example, there are huge differences between the Historic Premillennial view and Dispensational Premillennial view. But I am trying to write a blog post, not a book. So, forgive me if I miss some things when I generalize this. MK
Beginning in chapter four, the perspective of Revelation shifts from earth to heaven. John makes this clear with the transition, “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!” This turns our attention from the correction of real-world churches to a different set of concerns. A voice from heaven tells John that he will be shown in this vision, “what must take place after this” (v.4:1) Which leads us to the challenging question about the timing of the events in revelation. When is "after." When do we think these things were supposed to have occurred. This is an essential part of our understanding of church history, but it is offers a very difficult interpretive challenge. As you might imagine, there are a bunch of different ways of reading this next section. I will try to write more about this in another post for those that are interested. But there are a few really important things that we can see which are not controversial to interpret and can be seen in the text without too much trouble. First, Jesus is the one who opens the scroll. In Revelation chapter 4 we are invited into a visionary depiction of the throne room of heaven. It is full of worship and God is central. But, chapter five introduces a problem. There is a very important scroll and no one can be found to open it. The picture of a scroll is a common prophetic device to show “divine revelation associated with judgment”[1] The fact that it is sealed shows that this revelation is concealed. But, it also seems to show that the events are prevented from happening. If the sealed scroll represents God’s redemptive plan for the world, it is not only concealed, but we seem to be waiting for something to trigger them and bring them into effect. (Notice how the breaking of each seal seems to cause something to happen.) The good news in all of this is that Jesus is worthy to open the scroll. The lamb who was slain is worthy and God’s plan of redemption will roll forward with Jesus as the center of the plan! Second, this is about justice. This can be confusing for us, because we think of judgment mostly as negative. But the world is a messed up and broken place. Every time we say, “why did God let that happen?” we are essentially saying that we want God’s judgment to break in. Notice how the souls of the martyrs (v.6:9) are asking for this justice, “How long before you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Because Jesus died for the sins of his people, we can be spared from that judgment. But events which unfold in chapters 6-20 are essentially about justice being enacted on the earth. That is a warning to those who oppose God, but it is good news for his people, and for those who are oppressed and downtrodden. Third, we can all agree that the end of Revelation is about the final judgment and the end of history. The broad middle section of Revelation (6-20) is about God’s judgment in history. There is vast disagreement about when this judgment occurs. Some say it all happened in the past, some say that it will all happen in the future, some say that it is a picture of the judgment that is generally happening in the church age. (I hold that view, personally.) But one thing that everyone can agree on is that chapter twenty shows a final battle (v.20:7-10) in which Satan is defeated and Jesus gets the final victory. Then, the dead are raised and stand before God in a final judgment (v.20:11-15.) Then God renews everything! (chaps 21-22) We will explore those themes more in coming posts, and for those who want the details about the interpretations of Rev 6:1-20:6 look for a separate blog post titled “Excurses on Revelation and History.” Reflect: One day we will all give account for what we have said and done. Though God often allows evil people to do evil things, they will be accountable in the end. This is both an encouragement to us and a warning. Connect: Paul spoke of the final judgment to the Greek Philosophers on Mars Hill. Acts 17:30-31 "[God] commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” [1] Greg Beale, The Book of Revelation (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). See Ezekiel 2:10, and especially Isaiah 29:11 and Daniel 12:4 for scrolls that are sealed. MK
Well, we are starting into our final book in the 90-day series through church history. This final book will be the most unusual and the most difficult to understand. The book of Revelation is notoriously challenging, but it plays an essential role in understanding the flow of Biblical history. Part of what makes it hard to understand is that it covers history that has not yet happened. We get to see the arc of the Biblical story from God’s perspective because he reveals it to us. It is unlike any other history that we ever talk about – because it is history that has not yet happened. Only God can reveal it, because only God has the capacity to know future events. In the next post we will go into greater depth, but we want to begin by thinking about the original audience. We will ask, who was the book of Revelation written to and what was the original purpose? (While all of the Bible is for all of God’s people, each book or letter had an original audience. For the letter of Ephesians, it was the church in Ephesus. For I & II Chronicles it was the Jewish people after exile. For Titus it was… Titus as he ministered to the church. Keeping the original audience in mind, helps us to ground our interpretation.) The book of Revelation describes a series of visions that John saw while on the Isle of Patmos. Traditionally, this was understood to be the Apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of John I, II, & III. The letter doesn’t say this explicitly, but this was affirmed from the earliest periods of church history. The first vision is from Jesus Christ himself, who is (v.17) “the first and the last… the living one, [who] died and behold is alive forever more.” What we need to see about the vision is that Jesus is “in the midst of the lampstands” (v.13), which represent the church of Asia Minor. Jesus is standing in the middle of the church and he is working to build his kingdom even when the world opposes the gospel. Like the book of Acts, Revelation is a book about the continuing work of Jesus, in and through the church. (Again, the whole time frame thing, is going to get tricky, more on that tomorrow. But we need to build this insight as the foundation.) Jesus brings an address for seven churches in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. These cities are all real places that existed in the first century and everything about the letter indicates that this is intended to be a prophetic word of correction and rebuke for each of these churches. The number seven is a biblical number of completion and is used figuratively throughout the book. It may be that John chose to list seven churches because they are representative of other churches and this was a way to show the totality of Jesus' interactions with the first century church. But, we can ground our interpretation in recognizing that the letter is addressed to actual people and interacts with their specific situation. From here, we will be given a scope of Biblical history that can apply to all of us, but it starts with a word that is personal and specific for particular people. And what does Jesus say to the churches in Asia Minor? He brings encouragement and correction. This is not a surprise, because nearly every prophetic word in the Bible includes some combination of encouragement and correction. Jesus is speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15,19) to the church for their good and for their growth. We see a pattern for all seven churches in that Jesus acknowledges something specific about how they are doing. Then he gives a promise (“to the one who overcomes”) and in many cases he offers a warning, (“I have this against you”, and “if you don’t stop then there will be consequences.”) For the purpose of our study, we will have to draw back from looking at the details, but they are very interesting. When our reading program slows down, I would suggest going back and looking at each church – What does Jesus get concerned about here? What are his priorities? How can I learn from these rebukes and be encouraged by these promises? Reflect: When we see that Jesus is offering a prophetic word of correction and encouragement to the people of God, we can understand that this book is fundamentally similar to the rest of the Bible. Just as the prophets came to bring encouragement and correction to the people of Israel, and just as the apostles wrote letters to encourage and correct the early church, John offers a prophetic word straight from Jesus to accomplish these purposes. The principle holds true for us. Every church needs to be reformed or it will go astray. We all need a cycle of renewal if we are going to stay spiritually vital. Connect: The book of Hebrews shows that discipline and correction are an act of love from God toward his people. Hebrews 12:5-7 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. MK
[Note: At this point, our survey of Biblical history will again pick up speed as we move quickly through the second half of the Book of Acts. Beginning in Acts 16, the rest of the book will focus on the missionary work of Paul. I have to admit that I regret skimming this entire section in one post, but I believe that many people are more familiar with these stories and we have (fairly recently) preached through the books of Acts as a congregation. At the least, I hope that this survey will not only help to give us a big picture of biblical history, but also stimulate interest to return and read some of these books more fully.] After the early church settles the matter of Gentiles inclusion and the ceremonial law at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, the rest of the book focuses on Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Chapters 16-17 cover Paul’s second missionary journey (the first was before the Jerusalem council in Acts 13-14.) Chapters 18-20 will cover his third missionary journey. In chapter 21 Paul is arrested in Jerusalem and the remainder of the book follows his ministry while imprisoned. The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome, but “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:31.)” What we can learn from these chapters is that Jesus is continuing to build his church as he empowers his followers to be witnesses “to the ends of the earth”. (Remember Acts 1:8.) As this happens, we see these two principle truths emerge. First, it is happening by the power of God. Second, Jesus is using people to do it. Sometimes, the power of God shows up in such unexpected ways that we are reminded that this could never happen without him. In chapter 16 he calls Paul supernaturally to change direction, then a demon is cast out which causes opposition, then a church is planted after divine intervention in prison. At the close of the book, we pick up the story in chapter 28 after Paul is miraculously spared from a shipwreck and then he gains a hearing among the island people when God protects him from a snakebite. In all of these things, we can see God working through both blessing and suffering to build his church. The large pattern of the story is completely out of Paul’s control, but God is working none the less. But, in the midst of it we see something else. Paul also makes plans and takes initiative. He develops strategies for his missionary journeys, he raises funds, and he sends reports to the churches. We should not think that Paul simply wakes up each day and “goes with the flow.” He has a plan and a strategy. When in doubt, he tries to go to places where the gospel is not yet known, and seems to target larger urban centers. He intentionally goes to synagogues and looks for Jewish people to reason with (17:2,10; 18:4,19.) He also goes to the Areopagus, where the Greek philosophers meet, and reasons with them (17:22.) In each case, he reasons with people in ways that they can understand. This is part of a clear missions strategy. So, what do we make of this? We can clearly see that the mission that Jesus gives to his church is always accomplished in his power, but always through his people. We never see Jesus act without using a member of his church. On the other hand, we never see the church grow in fruitfulness without being empowered by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, the activity is through human initiative. That is, Paul makes plans and carries them out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Other times, it is completely a God thing. For example, we know that Paul wanted to go to Rome, but the way he reached Rome was as an imperial prisoner who appealed his case to Caesar. Furthermore, no one could have thought up the strategy of starting the Philippian church by getting arrested, then refusing to leave after an earthquake. Faithfulness in ministry means both human planning and dependence upon God’s power and leading. The gospel advances by any means necessary. Reflect: What plans are you making in your personal life to minister to the people that God has put in your sphere of influence? Are you praying and seeking God’s power to accomplish this? Connect: In his letter to the Philippian Church, Paul reminds them that they have a responsibility to act, but that they must rely on the power of God to do everything. Phil. 2:13 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” MK
Jesus had told his disciples that they would be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8.) Reaching the ends of the earth would fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham (Gen 15) to bless all nations through his descendent. Fulfilling this mission would mean that they had to cross geographical barriers like mountains and rivers as they went to the end of the earth. But it also meant crossing cultural barriers. All humans struggle to relate across cultural barriers, but the Law of Moses had erected cultural fences around the nation of Israel. The ceremonial laws restricted the way Jewish people could interact with the outside world. The foods they were allowed to eat and how they could eat them placed a particular barrier between them and outsiders. But especially, the practice of circumcision created a visible separation between Jewish people and the other people around them. The word “gentiles” means the nations beyond Israel. Originally, these ceremonial laws were meant for the protection of Israel because the gentiles around them were knee-deep in idolatry and sin, and associating with them led to spiritual compromise. But now, after Pentecost, the situation is reversed. God is on the move with “infectious power.” Now, the spiritual cure is crossing the barriers that had previously been erected to prevent the infection of idolatry. (This is what is happening when Peter sees a vision which declares all animals unclean. It undoes the restrictions of the ceremonial law.) As a result, God removes the barriers provided by the ceremonial law. In doing this, he opens the door for gospel transmission and begins to form a church of all nations. God testified that this was his work by giving Peter a vision, then pouring out the Spirit on the gentile believers in the household of Cornelius. The early church interprets this as a sign from God that places both Jewish and Gentile Christians on the same footing in the church. Notice how they make the connection: “The Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15.) But, old habits die hard and forming a new community out of people who had always been separated is not easy. No sooner had Peter been directed to welcome Cornelius than he was opposed by “the circumcision party.” (That does not sound like a party that I want to go to.) Then, the diverse church in Antioch is troubled by those people who push circumcision on the new Gentile Christians (Acts 15:1-2). This requires the first church council to be called and the church gathered in Jerusalem to settle the matter. Their formal ruling (15:19-20) is to not apply the ceremonial laws to Gentile believers, but they do underscore the importance of avoid idols and sexual immorality for everyone (long recognized as a gentile problem.) They do seem to ask the Gentiles to also avoid meat that was straggled and blood – either because this was so closely associated with idolatry, or because it helped the Jewish people feel more at ease. Reflect: What we learn in this passage is that God is deeply concerned about unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians. He goes out of his way to bring the gentiles in through a display of miraculous power, then the early church devoted an entire council to the issue. Our unity is important to God, it is grounded in our common experience of Christ, but it also requires our effort to live into it. Connect: In Ephesians Paul rehearses the issue of church unity and tells us that Jewish and Gentile Christians share a lot in common, including their experience of the Holy Spirit. This is demonstrated in Acts 10-11. However, he also urges the church to invest effort in pursuing this unity. This is demonstrated in Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council. How is God calling you to live into the unity that you have with other Christians? Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Rev. Matthew Koerber
Today is Palm Sunday. A reminder of how quickly Jesus would rise and fall in public opinion. On Sunday, he entered Jerusalem to a hero’s welcome and the fanfare of celebration. By Thursday, he was betrayed, abandoned, condemned. By Friday the crowds call out – “Crucify him!” And they did. When Jesus did not turn out to be the king they expected, their opinion changed in a hurry. For Paul, the same sort of startling transformation happens in reverse. When we first meet Paul (“Saul” as he is called by his own people), he is observing the murder of Stephen, approving of the execution. But on the road to Damascus things change quickly. He set off on the journey to capture and persecute the church, but when Jesus revealed himself to Paul – he is knocked to the ground, stunned by the revelation of Jesus as the risen Lord. He had to change his mind in a hurry. Jesus was not the sort of king that Paul had been expecting. He didn’t expect the savior of the Jewish people to endure suffering and crucifixion. He didn’t expect a king who was willing to serve others sacrificially – at the cost of his own life. When Paul reoriented his understanding of the Messiah around the risen Lord Jesus his life would also change dramatically. In conclusion, these three chapters are full of great confusion about the identity of Jesus. The crowd in Jerusalem rejects Christ’s messenger (Stephen) as the generations before them had rejected the other prophets. Simon the magician thinks Jesus is someone he can use to advance his own personal agenda. The Ethiopian eunuch can’t figure out how to interpret the suffering servant themes of Isaiah 53. And Paul (Saul) needs a heavenly correction to grasp the identity of Jesus. Notice, the role that the Holy Spirit plays in highlighting the identity of Jesus. (v.55) “[Stephen] full of the Holy spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” The Bible does not tell us that this is literally how every person will be filled with the Spirit, but the difference in our experience from Stephen’s is only in degree. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “glorify me” (v. 16:14). Like a spotlight that shines on the theater stage, the Holy Spirit works to magnify Jesus, the main character in God’s redemptive drama. Reflect: Do you see Jesus as both the risen Lord and the suffering savior? Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to see the glory of Christ! Connect: Jesus explained the role of the Holy Spirit on his last night with the disciples. John 16:14-15 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Rev. Matthew Koerber
In Acts 1-2 the church metaphorically “explodes” into existence. Three thousand people were converted on Pentecost, and the thriving church had “favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). And then God shakes things up some more. We might desire nice slow growth in the same positive direction, but that is not how kingdom expansion works. The world, the flesh and the devil resist God and the mission of the Church always faces opposition, eventually. The swift early growth of the church leads to swift opposition. When Peter and John heal a lame beggar, it creates an amazing opportunity for witness to Jesus Christ in Solomon’s Portico – the very outside wall of the temple. But the religious leaders are not excited about this new religious trend. So, Peter and John are hauled before the authorities and muzzled (or there is an “attempt” to muzzle them.) Here is where the story gets challenging. Peter and John face a crisis in their ministry. Either they submit to the religious powers, or they complete their mission for Christ – they cannot do both. They express radical commitment to Christ with these words, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). When the apostles are released they join with others in prayer to God. They request boldness to speak with confidence when facing opposition, and God grants their request with thunderous power. Notice, the request however: they request boldness to keep doing the thing that gets them into trouble. God does not promise that we can complete the mission without opposition. Instead, he promises to give us strength to endure, while facing opposition. This trend continues into chapter 5 when the apostles are rearrested and beaten for speaking about Jesus. After being released, they “rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Their prayers had been answered – not a protection from suffering, but endurance to be faithful in suffering. Reflect: It is not wrong to pray for deliverance from the evil one, after all Jesus directs that sort of prayer when he taught his disciples. But, the apostles model a perspective on ministry that emphasizes endurance in trials, rather than exclusion from trials. Where do you need endurance in trials? Connect: Like the other apostles, Paul understood that the Christian life is not free from suffering, particularly if we are committed to the mission of our cross-carrying savior. What Paul saw as encouragement was that suffering as a Christian aligns us with the life experience of Jesus as we share in the fellowship of his suffering. Suffering “with Jesus” transforms our understanding of what it means to suffer. Phil 3:10 (NIV) I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, Acts 1-2
The Gospel of Matthew ended with a commission for the Church. Jesus charged his church (through the apostles) to go to the ends of the earth, making disciples of all nations. The Greek word that we translate into English as “nations” is “ethne”, which is related to our word “ethnic.” This can help us to see that Jesus is not primarily thinking of political boundaries when he sends them to the nations, but ethnic boundaries. At other places in the Bible, the words “tribe, and people, and language, and nation” (Rev 13:7) are used roughly as synonyms to show that all sorts of people groups are being brought into the kingdom. Practically speaking, for the early church this meant that even when they stayed within the boundaries of the Roman Empire, they had to cross social and language barriers to accomplish their mission. In the Book of Acts, we begin with another reference to the final words of Jesus. This is another way of looking at the same mission. The Church will be sent as witnesses for the risen Lord Jesus, to "Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In many ways, these four geographic labels represent an outward expansion of the church across increasingly high cultural barriers. This outward expansion will also serve as a summary of the flow of action in the book of Acts. The books starts in Jerusalem, then persecution forces the church to scatter “throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). But doing this means that a social/religious barrier needs to be crossed in ministry to the Samaritans. Paul will be particularly active in taking the Gospel to the “ends of the earth” in his various missionary travels. As we shall see, this provides all sorts of difficult ministry challenges as Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) enter the church together. Then book of Acts ends with Paul doing ministry in Rome (albeit under house arrest). He is located at the center of the Roman Empire which is the hub of travel in the known world. Here, he is well positioned to carry out this ministry to every group of people that come through the capital city. But how will this infant church complete this mission? Without money, influence or political power, how will they make disciples of all nations? The answer is that Jesus will do it, through the power of the Holy Spirit. He promised to be with his church in their ministry (Matt 28:20), and while is not physically present after his ascension into heaven, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit on the Church, who acts as his agent. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus will be with the church, and we will be empowered to complete the task of discipling the nations. This is the particular emphasis that we see when the Holy Spirit is first poured out on the church. The Apostles are supernaturally empowered to preach the gospel in a way that crosses language boundaries. Although all of the first converts were Jewish, they had been drawn to Jerusalem for the Pentecost festival, and had come from their homes across the Roman Empire. When the Holy Spirit descended, the apostles were empowered to speak in such a way that each person heard the sermon “in his own native language” (v. 2:8). This was to fulfill the words of the prophet Joel that old prophecies were being fulfilled, that the last era of world history (“the last days”) had begun and that the doors of salvation were to be flung open to every group of people on earth – “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (v.2:21.) The gospel promises to Abraham – that every family on earth would be blessed through the descendant of Abraham had found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Reflect: God gives the Holy Spirit to empower us for the great task of disciple-making. Do we see that as our “great task?” Do we see God’s power available to help us in this? Connect: Notice how the sermons of the apostles are grounded so much in the Old Testament Scriptures. (Of course, at this time, they didn’t yet think of this as the “Old” Testament, since the New Testament was in process of being produced. They simply thought of this as the “Scriptures.”) In this first sermon, Peter cites Joel 2, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110. In particular, they saw the pattern of Christ on many OT stories and saw Jesus as the fulfillment of many psalms and prophecies. From their point of view, the work of redemption in Jesus was continuous with the work of redemption that God had been doing ever since he first clothed Adam and Even in the garden. They certainly picked up this pattern from Jesus himself who showed how all of the Scriptures pointed to him and his work of salvation. Consider the words of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:25-27 And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Matthew 28
He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Jesus said He would be resurrected from the dead, and it actually came to pass! I’m not sure how many people historians would say lived previously to Jesus…estimates would probably vary widely. But I’m pretty sure they would all agree that death had claimed each and every one of them (minus Enoch and Elijah), and that none had returned. But the grave could not hold Jesus. The resurrected Jesus met His disciples, and they most appropriately fell down at His feet and worshipped Him! And upon the 11 disciples meeting Him in Galilee, Jesus, with all authority, commissioned them with the familiar words of The Great Commission. Go. Make disciples. Baptize. Teach them to observe my commandments. It’s no small task, but thankfully, they wouldn’t be alone as they did it. Jesus assured them that He would always be with them, and He is, to this very day, with His disciples as they take His Good News to the nations! Reflect Matthew makes sure to point out that even some of Jesus’ 11 disciples, upon seeing Him in the flesh, still doubted (28:16). What doubts do you have about the Christian faith? Jesus commanded “doubting” Thomas to literally press his fingers into Jesus’ nail-scarred hands and pierced side, encouraging Thomas to “not disbelieve, but believe (John 20:27).” Press into Jesus with those doubts, praying as you do, “I believe; help my unbelief (Mark 9:24),” and confessing Jesus as “my LORD and my God! (John 20:28).” Connect When you think about the Resurrected Christ, and that one day you’ll see Him with your very own eyes, what thoughts run through your mind? This wonderful knowledge was enough to make Job’s heart faint within him. How about yours? For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! Job 19:25-27 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 26 - 27
Matthew’s Gospel moves briskly up until the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. At that point, it slows down considerably, giving us more and more detail as we move closer to Jesus’ death. Due to these intentional narrative choices, we get much more than we would have otherwise with regard to the thickening plot to take Jesus’ life. We see up close and personal Jesus’ strong desire to take the Passover one last time with His disciples, where He transforms it into the LORD’s Supper. We learn of a woman’s costly devotion to her LORD in anointing Him with extremely expensive perfume oil (John 12:3 identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha). We see Judas’ betrayal with a kiss (and later the tragic taking of His own life). We learn of Peter’s denials, of Jesus’ closest disciples too sleepy for the most intense prayer meeting ever held, and of Jesus’ disciples writ-large fleeing upon His arrest. We learn significant proceedings of the most unjust trial ever conducted, wherein Jesus was condemned to die. So, He did just that, in the most excruciating fashion. Jesus went to the cross willingly, was abandoned by His Father, died a disgraceful criminal’s death, and was laid in an empty tomb. Reflect: Have you ever wondered why Jesus was abandoned by His Father? Why there was no response when Jesus cried out to the Father with those famous words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus was abandoned by the Father in our place, because it’s what we deserve. And because He was abandoned for us when He cried out, when we cry out, despite what it might feel like at times, the Father will never abandon us. He hears your cries, and the Father will never turn His back on you. Connect: Clearly the words of Psalm 22 were on Jesus mind at His crucifixion. Take a few moments to meditate on Psalm 22, thanking God that Jesus was abandoned in your place, so that you might never be abandoned by the Father. Psalm 22 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 24 - 25
Jesus said the unthinkable. The temple, God’s dwelling place among His people, would be destroyed once again. The disciples, in disbelief, come to Jesus as he’s seated on the Mount of Olives (hence the name “Olivet Discourse”), asking when. So, Jesus begins to tell them. Some of His words seem to be clearly describing the destruction of the temple, which history tells us took place at the hands of the Romans in 70 AD. Others, however, seem to be describing events that have yet to take place. Biblical scholars have shed volumes of ink on this passage, seeking to understand which texts fall into which category. What we can probably say safely is that not everything in Matthew 24-25 took place at the destruction of Jerusalem, and avoid the extreme of seeing these as entirely past events. What we can also probably say safely is that some of these events did occur in 70 AD, and avoid the extreme of seeing these as entirely future events, yet to be fulfilled. In light of Matthew 24:34, where Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” I find it hard to argue literarily that the preceding verses in chapter 24 are not describing the destruction of Jerusalem, as that’s the direct question Jesus was answering. At some point beyond this, however, Jesus seems to transition into talking about His 2nd Coming. I find it very hard to argue that Jesus’ 2nd Coming is not the subject of the last portion of chapter 25 (verses 31-46). As for what’s in between, it’s often harder to tell with a high degree of certainty, so scholars seem to go one way or another. As an alternative to trying to fit everything neatly into one of these two categories, some scholars have seen these chapters as describing primarily the judgment of Jerusalem in 70 AD, yet that judgment being a type or forerunner of the final judgment upon Jesus’ return. By this line of thinking, it’s only fitting that the language often goes beyond what would take place just 40 years later, to describe the events of Jesus’ return at His 2nd Coming. Confused? It’s a lot, I know. Thankfully, Pastor Matt can answer all of your questions about it after service this Sunday! Reflect: Despite the challenging nature of this passage with respect to timing, the parables Jesus teaches here nonetheless seem to give us significant lessons about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus would have His followers ready and waiting for His return; Jesus would have His disciples putting to use the gracious talents they’ve been entrusted with; and Jesus would have His servants loving their neighbors, especially those society so often overlooks. How might the Lord be calling you to engage more wholeheartedly in one or all of these areas? Ask the LORD, by His grace, to help you to walk more faithfully in that regard . Connect: Although we most certainly glean something of Jesus’ 2nd Coming in the Olivet Discourse, the clearest teaching about the judgment that will occur on that last Day is found in the book of Revelation. Praise the LORD that each and every one of His children’s names are written in the book of life, and they thus have nothing to fear in the judgment that awaits. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 19:11-15 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 21 - 23
Today’s reading begins and ends with significant events centered on Jesus in Jerusalem. To start, Jesus enters into Jerusalem via His Triumphal Entry, riding on a donkey and fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. By the end of chapter 23, Jesus is lamenting over the city of Jerusalem, for their refusal to come to Him. Many often wonder, how could things have started off so well, yet ended up so poorly? The answer is perhaps they didn’t start off as well as they appear. Why exactly were the crowds so excited as Jesus entered into Jerusalem? Was it because they knew Jesus came to die for their sins, or did they still expect Him to fulfill their long-awaited desire for an anointed king to overthrow the oppressive Roman government? It appears to be the latter, as many in this crowd would not only abandon Jesus as the week progressed, but outright ask for His crucifixion. Much of Jesus’ last week of earthly ministry is thus filled with great conflict, from His cleansing of the temple, to the teaching of many challenging parables, to Jesus pronouncing seven woes on the Jewish religious leaders. But it’s also filled with great grace, as we see Jesus continue to shepherd His flock, healing the blind and the lame. Reflect: Many have said there are only two things that are certain in this life: death & taxes. Jesus had much to say about both. When asked about paying taxes to Caesar (22:15-22), Jesus, using a Roman coin to make His point, asked the simplest of questions: “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” The answer was obvious, so Jesus said give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He went on to challenge His hearers to also give “to God the things that are God’s.” If Caesar is the owner of things made in his image, and we should give those to Caesar, then an argument from the lesser to the greater implies that God is the owner of things made in His image, and we should give those to Him. So, what is made in God’s image? You are. Take a moment to reflect on the ways you may not be giving God what rightfully belongs to Him. Confess, thank God for His mercy, and ask God for the grace to help you more fully give yourself to Him. Connect: The Bible, from beginning to end, declares that we are made in God’s image. Although the Fall marred that image, it did not destroy it altogether. And God, by His grace, is renewing that image as He remakes us after the image and likeness of Jesus Christ the LORD. Take a moment to meditate on some of the passages below, and praise God for how He is renewing you after His own image. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:49 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. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 19 - 20
As we enter into today’s passage, we see Jesus and His followers departing the northernmost region of Israel (Galilee), and slowly making their way south towards Jerusalem. With large crowds still following Jesus, He continues to teach. Prompted by the Pharisees to discuss the topics of marriage and divorce, Jesus, reflecting on Genesis 2:18-25, reveals the Father’s heart for the relationship between a husband and wife. Oh, that our hearts were as tender as God’s in this regard! It seems a large majority of teaching in this small section of Matthew’s Gospel is Jesus responding to questions or situations that are posed to Him (with a variety of motives from the questioners). The topics Jesus instructs on are therefore a bit random, and in addition to marriage & divorce, include children and their relationship to the kingdom of God, eternal life and its relationship to the things that are often most important to us, and places of honor in the kingdom of heaven (& how our kingdoms here on earth often operate with the very opposite values). Jesus continues using parables to illustrate kingdom truths, and He continues to heal as well. Praise the LORD for Jesus, our True Teacher & our Great Physician—may He be pleased to teach & heal us in similar ways! Reflect: In what ways might our LORD be instructing you as you read these passages? In what ways do you need the healing that only Jesus can provide? Spend a few moments humbling yourself before Him, asking Him to do the work that only He can. Connect: In our text, Jesus and His disciples are approaching Jerusalem. In Old Testament times, when Jewish pilgrims approached Jerusalem for annual feasts and festivals of worship, they sang what are known as the “Songs of Ascent,” which are Psalms 120-134. If you have extra time this LORD’s Day to spend in God’s Word, might I suggest reading through them in their entirety? If you don’t find yourself with that much time, allow me to suggest Psalm 121, or feel free to pick one of your favorites. Psalm 121 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 16:13 - 18:35
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:16).” Christ is of course not Jesus’ last name, but rather a title; He is Jesus the Christ. Christ means “Anointed One,” and it’s the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term “Messiah” from the Old Testament. As the Father has now revealed (to Peter) Jesus’ identity as the long-awaited Messiah (16:17), so now Jesus begins to reveal to His disciples what He as the Messiah came to do. And nothing could have been more unexpected to many of their 1st century Jewish minds. Jesus came not to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin and death, and He would do this by suffering at the hands of His own people (aided by the Romans), dying, and rising again from the dead (see 16:21, 17:9, 17:12, & 17:22-23). Consistent with this teaching, Jesus went on to declare that those who are following Him must of course walk in the ways in which He walked. The Christian, if he (or she, of course) is truly following his LORD, must also “deny himself and take his cross…for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (16:24-25).” Are there ways in which your understanding of the Christian life needs to be challenged by these words of Christ? Reflect: One of the ways in which most of us (if not all) need to be challenged to walk in the ways of our LORD is in the area of forgiveness. If you haven’t read it yet, spend a few moments reading the last section of today’s text, Matthew 18:21-35. God has been infinitely rich in mercy towards us; how can you be richer in mercy towards others? Is there perhaps a specific person that the LORD is asking you to move towards in forgiveness? Connect: The Servant Songs of Isaiah had much to say about the coming Suffering Servant. Perhaps you’re quite familiar with the well-known verses of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. If not, take some time to meditate upon them now, and what they can teach you about Jesus’ suffering as our Messiah. If you are familiar with them, try reading one of the less familiar Servant Songs from Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-7, and 50:4-9. For those interested in further study, here’s a helpful TableTalk article on “The Servant Songs of Isaiah:” https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/10/the-servant-songs-of-isaiah/ - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 14 - 16:12
Upon learning of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus “withdrew…in a boat to a desolate place by Himself (14:13).” Yet Jesus couldn’t escape for long, and soon found Himself before a large crowd yet again. Despite mourning, Jesus’ compassion (14:14; cf. 9:36, 15:32) moves Him to continue His pattern of teaching (see Mark 6:34), healing, and for the first time in Matthew’s Gospel, miraculous feedings. Interspersed between these events are some pivotal encounters regarding the nature of faith. First, in the face of Jesus literally walking on water, we see Peter’s “little faith” (14:34; cf. 16:8), a faith that seemed to have a hard time keeping its eyes on Jesus. Secondly, we see the unlikely “great faith” (15:28) of a persistent Canaanite woman, whose faith would not leave Jesus alone until He healed her daughter. Sandwiched between these stories of faith is some biting criticism of those who exhibited no faith, that being a group of Pharisees and scribes that came to Jesus from Jerusalem (15:1). Their eyes, as religious as they appeared, were not really on Jesus, but rather on themselves, and their traditions. Legalism, as opposed to faith, looks to man to do what only God can do, and is thus proven to be no faith at all. Reflect: Faith can doubt. Our faith is often times weak and small. But above all, faith keeps its eye on Jesus, and in the end, faith gets the victory. Listen to how our Westminster Confession of Faith puts it in Chapter 14, “Of Saving Faith” (translation by Dave Snoke, December 2018): 1. The grace of faith, by which God’s chosen are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. It is ordinarily worked by the ministry of the Word, by which, along [with] the administration of the sacraments and prayer, the grace of faith is also increased and strengthened. 2. By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatever is revealed in the Word, on the basis of the authority of God himself speaking in it, and acts differently based on what each particular passage in it contains. A Christian yields obedience to the commands, trembles at the threats, and embraces the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting on Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace. 3. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; it may be assailed often and in many ways weakened, but it gets the victory, growing up in many Christians to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and the finisher of our faith. Connect: Is your faith looking to the LORD Jesus to feed you? To teach you? To heal you? As the old hymnwriter said, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 11 - 13
As Jesus continues to teach and preach in various cities, Matthew introduces a new theme: opposition to Jesus’ public ministry. We’re told earlier in Matthew’s Gospel that “from that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (4:17).” It appears the LORD Jesus takes repentance quite seriously, much more so than many He encountered. The Pharisees at first manifested their lack of repentance with probing statements (12:2) and disingenuous questions (12:10). Having received what they found to be unsatisfactory answers, their lack of faith and repentance eventually results in blasphemous statements against Jesus (12:24), the audacious demanding of a sign (12:38), and ultimately their plotting Jesus’ destruction (12:14). Opposition to Jesus is not limited to only religious leaders, however. Jesus strongly denounces many of the citizens of the towns where he performed miracles, “because they did not repent (11:20).” With the ever-increasing masses coming to see Jesus, our LORD intentionally begins to teach in parables, with the express purpose of continuing to feed the repentant, yet at the same time hardening the hearts of those who did not truly desire to learn from Him (13:11-17). Reflect: Are you burdened in sin and/or unbelief? Repenting and believing is more than a one-time thing; it’s an everyday thing. Jesus bids you once again: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (11:28-30).” Connect: So often we find ourselves restless and weary, with our spiritual tanks on empty. There’s only one place to fill up. Will you repent anew, and run to Jesus? He’s ready and waiting. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord… Acts 3:19-20a - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 8 - 10
This section of Matthew’s Gospel might best be summarized by the words we read in 9:35, that “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and affliction.” We see Jesus cleansing lepers, casting out demons, bringing the dead back to life, and healing paralytics, the blind, the mute, and even a mother-in-law! As the ESV Study Bible intimates, “Jesus has shown Himself to be the Messiah in word through His teaching (chs. 5-7) and now shows Himself to be the Messiah in deed through the performance of many miracles, demonstrating that the kingdom of God truly has arrived.” Jesus then sends out His disciples with not only this same authoritative message, but also with the same “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction (10:1).” Well did Isaiah prophesy of this Suffering Servant, that “Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (this is what Matthew is quoting in 8:17 when he recounts Isaiah 53:4 as “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases”). Reflect: How exciting it must have been to see the Word go out with such power, and accompanied by physical healing…and even better, to participate in it, as the disciples did! What we see in Jesus’ earthly ministry, in particular the miraculous healings, were foretastes of what is to come; they were small tastes of life in the new heavens and the new earth, breaking into our world, testifying to what Jesus will one day do on a cosmic scale. Although God doesn’t often seem to accompany His Word with such signs and wonders today, His Word is nonetheless still going forth in power, calling people from death to new life in Christ. Connect: In the midst of a world fraught with disease and illness, you carry a message of Good News, the glorious message of Christ Jesus, who will one day bring full and final healing to our fallen and broken world. As we share this Good News, and as we await the glory that is to come, we have no need to fear anything that can kill only the body, but cannot kill the soul (10:28). We are Christ’s until that day, and He’s got us! He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:4-5 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 5 - 7
Well, you’ve just read the world greatest sermon (at least excerpts from it), from the world’s greatest Preacher. What thoughts are running through your mind right now? How is God’s Word tugging at your heart? Are you still in awe of the Beatitudes, this pronouncement of blessings, that opened the Sermon on the Mount? Are you stunned that Jesus said that “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (5:18)?” Are you wondering how your righteousness could ever exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20; the disciples most certainly were!)? Are you feeling guilty over sins of anger, lust, and more? Are you convicted over the ways you’ve laid up treasures here on earth (6:19), and have not sought first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (6:33)? Are you taking great comfort in knowing that our Father in heaven gives good things to those who ask Him (7:11)? Are you trembling at the thought of God saying to some, on “that day,” “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (7:23)?” Are you recommitting yourself to build your house on the rock (7:24)? Are you, above all else, “astonished at [Jesus] teaching,” because He teaches as One who has authority (7:28-29)? I am. I trust you are too. Reflect: Take a few moments to journal about your thoughts, and what’s going on in your heart right now. Just you, before the Lord, responding to Jesus’ words. May the Lord bless you as you do so. Connect: If you’re feeling the weight of Jesus’ words, and wondering how you’ll ever live up to this standard of ethical teaching, take comfort in knowing that although you won’t (at least in this life), Christ has lived up to it for you! Christ Jesus has earned every spiritual blessing, and graciously shares these blessings with all of God’s children. Know also that He does this for a purpose, that we should one day be “holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4).” You will one day live up to this standard of teaching, Christian, and just because you won’t get there in this life, does not mean this is not your trajectory. Ask the Father to help you to live more fully, by His grace, and by the power of His Spirit at work in you, this kingdom life you read about in the Sermon on the Mount! Do you really think He’ll turn you down? (Mediate on 7:7-11 a bit more if you do.) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. Ephesians 1:3-4 - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 3 - 4
In Matthew Chs. 1-2, we saw, among other things, the birth of Jesus and His flight to Egypt. What did God’s Old Covenant son, Israel, do after their departure from Egypt? They were baptized in the Red Sea and were tempted in the wilderness (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-5). So too, in Matthew we read of Jesus’ baptism and His temptation in the wilderness. Yet with this Son (unlike Israel), God is well pleased (3:17). Where Israel failed in the wilderness temptation by grumbling and complaining against God, Jesus, the new Son, succeeds, relying on God’s Word (4:4), not putting the LORD to the test (4:7), and worshiping and serving God alone (4:10). Having succeeded in all the ways Israel failed, this Son is indeed prepared for the ministry for which the Father sent Him. So He commences that ministry, calling people to repent, announcing that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand (4:17),” and recruiting a few fishermen to join Him (4:19). So the ministry of Jesus is off and running, and it’s one of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, as well as healing diseases and affliction (4:23). It is, in the most literal sense of the words, a “truly life-giving ministry.” Reflect: As those who are no different than God’s Old Covenant son, Israel, failing again and again to be righteous in our own strength, what are we to do when God calls us to trust in His new beginning, but to repent and follow Him? Nothing but a life of repentance and following Jesus can prepare you for the ministry He has called you to—so follow hard after Christ, and invite others to follow Him as well. Connect: Andrew, to whom Jesus said the famous words, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (4:19),” had apparently already met Jesus. The opening chapter of the Gospel of John tells us that Andrew, upon meeting Jesus, went and told his brother Peter that he had met the Messiah. He then brought Peter to Jesus, that Peter might know this Messiah for himself. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus… John 1:40-42a - Rev. John McCombs Matthew 1 - 2
If you just finished Matthew 1-2, you’re well aware that you’ve read “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (v. 1).” What you may not know is that the Greek work translated genealogy in verse 1 is genesis, often rendered simply “beginning.” This beginning in Jesus represents a new beginning for mankind, and a much needed one. God’s son in the Old Testament, Israel, failed to live up to the terms of God’s gracious covenant with them. But this Son will not. Where Israel failed, Jesus will succeed. The parallels Matthew draws are striking, and they’re intentional. In Genesis, we saw fledgling Israel ended up in Egypt. In Matthew, we read of newborn Jesus’ journey to Egypt. Hosea 11:1 (quoted in 2:15) tells us “when Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” So too does God call this Son out of Egypt. We learn of Pharaoh’s murdering of infant Hebrew males in Exodus; in Matthew it’s King Herod committing infanticide. Jesus is in many ways re-living the story of Israel, yet doing so faithfully; and He’s not doing it for Himself alone, but on behalf of Israel, God’s people. Reflect: Do you find yourself often yearning for a new beginning in life? Even when seemingly granted, we don’t often take advantage of so-called “new beginnings,” and frequently end up with the same result. In Jesus, we have a new beginning, but it’s more than just that…it’s a new beginning, middle, and end. What Jesus has done for us (our new beginning), radically changes the journey we are on (our middle), as well as our eternal destiny (our end). That is nothing less than a life-changing new beginning! Connect: Christ’s new beginning truly makes us new. Because He died, we too have died. Because He lives, we too have new life. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Rev. John McCombs Nehemiah 1 - 3
Just in case the events in Ezra didn’t convince you that “God works sovereignly through responsible human agents to accomplish His redemptive purposes” (from the Reformation Study Bible, Introduction to Nehemiah), here comes Nehemiah, with much the same story as Ezra. Yet another unlikely king is not only sending leadership back to Judea to rebuild Jerusalem (this time the walls), but he’s again funding it from royal revenues. So, Nehemiah, deeply troubled by the physical and spiritual condition of God’s people, and burdened in prayer, returns and gets to work. Much like in Ezra, not all were happy about this, as we read in 2:10 that “it displeased [Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite] greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.” But in the face of this opposition, Nehemiah proclaimed “the God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build… (2:20).” God having declared victory through Nehemiah’s words, God’s people followed the proclamation by faith, as they accomplished the work He gave them to do. Reflect: Do you often doubt that God is still in the business of working through often unlikely leaders to accomplish His holy will? Might the story of Nehemiah’s burden for God’s people lead you to be more prayerful, that God will work for His glory and our good, and that you’ll trust He’s doing so, even when you can’t see it? Connect: God has indeed declared victory for His people, by virtue of our union with the Victorious One, the Lord Jesus Christ! Although it doesn’t often come according to our preferred timeline, rest assured, God is building His house, and if you are in Christ, and Christ in you, then you are part of that house! "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5 - Rev. John McCombs Ezra 5 -7
If you guessed that the LORD would see to it that His house was rebuilt in Jerusalem, you guessed right! With the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work resumed, despite ongoing attempts to undermine its progress. The original decree of King Cyrus to rebuild the temple would be found, giving legitimacy to the undertaking, as well as financial backing. Within a few short years, the temple work is complete, and “the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy (6:16).” With the worship of God reinstituted, the exiles are able to partake of God’s Old Covenant meal, the Passover, feasting once again in the house of Zion! Some years after the LORD saw fit to feed them in this way, He sent Ezra the priest to instruct them according to His Word, that they might live according to His ways, and be blessed in the good land He so graciously provided for His people. Reflect: In what ways do you see the LORD building His house (the church), even in the face of significant challenges? How is the LORD continuing to feed His flock, the household of faith? And in what ways Has the LORD been teaching His people, according to His Word, that they might know Him, and the power of His resurrection? Connect: The LORD is always at work, calling people into the body of Christ, feeding & nourishing them, and teaching them to better live according to His ways. Meditate for a few moments on how the LORD Jesus did this in the Feeding of the Five Thousand, from Mark Chapter 6. Mark 6:30-43 - Rev. John McCombs |
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April 2021
CategoriesAuthorThis blog is part of the ministry of City Reformed Presbyterian Church. Unless otherwise noted, the entries are written by Matt Koerber. This is part of a project that our church is doing as we read through the narrative sections of Scripture between early January and Easter 2020. New entries will be scheduled to drop automatically at 5:00 am on the scheduled day. |