The Crowning of Jesus

"While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven" (Luke 24:51).

Perhaps the most glorious event in the life of Christ was His ascension into heaven. We read that Jesus took the disciples out to the Mount of Olives and blessed them, As He blessed them. He ascended into the air.

We might expect the disciples to be sad at Jesus’ departure, but we read that they “worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (v. 52). Were they happy to see Him go? Yes, because they now knew why He had to leave. It meant He was going to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. It meant that shortly He, as His first act of rule, would send the Holy Spirit to empower them to take the Good News everywhere. They knew these things because Jesus had “opened their minds so they could understand the Scripture” (v. 45).

Jesus said, “No man ascends into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13). The word ascend simply means “go up,” and in that sense people ascended to Jerusalem when they went up to the holy city for the feasts and other occasions. And, to be sure, other people had ascended into heaven, such as Enoch and Elijah in the Old Testament. But when Jesus says, “No one ascends.” in a very technical way, He is speaking of ascension to the right hand of God as ruler of the world. And so the church today exists to obey the mandates of One who is seated as the Lord of glory.

Though the ascension was the glorious climax of Jesus’ first coming, there is a more glorious event yet to come. Luke tells us at the beginning of the second part of his two-volume work, that “this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). On that day, His kingship will become fully visible to all men, even to those who denied it.

Ephesians 4:7–13 teaches that when Jesus ascended He gave gifts to His people, indicating primarily the Holy Spirit. By that Spirit we are drawn up to Him and empowered to live in a manner that honors and “lifts Him up” before the watching world. Consider how you in the next year can more consistently lift Him up with your life.

New Year, New Devotion to the Incomparable Christ

We have a certain natural inclination to “some new thing” (Acts 17:21). We live in time, and that makes the expectation of change inevitable. New beginnings (such as a new year) can open fresh opportunities for transformation.  But it becomes unhealthy when we value things simply because they are new rather than using a more enduring standard. An addiction to novelty creates destructive rootlessness and distraction. It afflicts the world and the Church. Adhering to things simply because they are old rather than because they are true is also lethal, however. How do we develop a healthy approach to new beginnings that don’t discard everything in the pursuit of novelty?

We need new and old brought together in an enduring way. We need to consider time in the context of eternity. Hugh Binning explains how Christ is the unchanging but also the ever new; how He is eternal but entered time. These thoughts (drawn from 1 John 1:1-2) take us into the mystery of Christ’s person. “That which was from the beginning” could be seen, heard and touched.  As Binning says, this combines antiquity and novelty together in one, and that makes it all the more excellent and wonderful. This is the glorious way in which the “Word of life” is brought within our reach. We can expect new and fresh blessings from the unchanging Word of life but they are of eternal benefit.

Considering the Unbegun Beginning

Christ is that which was from the beginning, which was with the Father before all antiquity from eternity.  He is not only from the beginning of time but before all time, before all imaginable beginnings. Christ Jesus, the Father’s Word, was with the Father from the beginning. He was with the Ancient of days who infinitely and unmeasurably antedates all antiquity. Compared to His endurance all we regard as antiquity is a mere novelty. The infinite, beginningless, immeasurable endurance of God before this world can never be unraveled by the imaginations of men and angels. Even if they had all eternity they could never unravel it.

There is nothing so old, He is infinitely before the oldest and most ancient creatures. The age of this Word is like a labyrinth with innumerable turnings and windings. Those who make the most progress and the longest search will be just where they were, always beginning, and never coming nearer the beginning of His duration. This is because it is the beginning of all things that have had a beginning but has no beginning itself.

This is what makes religion the richest and most transcendent subject in the world. It presents us with a twofold eternity. It surrounds the soul with a “past” eternity without beginning and a “future” eternity without end. “That which was from the beginning”, before all beginning, either real or imagined. How much there is in that to settle a soul in view of all the false, painted appearances of the world.

Consider the Incomparable Christ

Such a Saviour is held out to us. We are to come to and lean on the Rock of ages. He is the one on whose word the whole universe is established and stands firm. He infinitely exceeds and precedes all things visible or invisible and all their changes. From eternity the Father and Son took delight in the thoughts of peace and goodwill they had towards us, which would be revealed in time. If they delighted in planning it how much more in accomplishing the whole plan.

Think what an incomparably excellent Saviour we have who is one with God and equal to Him: one with Him from all eternity. What a strong foundation this is for faith and confidence, what a Rock on which to establish a floundering soul. Man’s misery and curse being liable to endure for all eternity, there is One to deliver them from that, who was Himself from all eternity. Who could purchase for us such absolute blessedness throughout all eternity, except one who was Himself from all eternity? What marvelous proportion and beauty there is in the ways of God. Everything is devised by infinite wisdom so that that we may have strong consolation.  

Consider how the Word of life is held out to you and yet you do not allow your hearts to be moved, or stirred after Him. This is to forsake a great mercy, the eternal Word of life as the infinite Wisdom of the Father. Will we let this offer run past us every day and never find pause from the multitude of business, thoughts, and lusts of the world? Will we never look beyond this world, to God, and His Son Jesus Christ? Will we never take seriously either the one that was before all things or our own souls, that must survive and outlive all visible things. 

Considering the Ever New Christ

But there is also a newness in this subject, which increases admiration and may engage our affections all the more. The “life was manifested” (verse 2). He is such a Word of life that though He was invisible and untouchable from the beginning, yet He was recently clothed with flesh that made him both visible and capable of being handled. These are the two poles on which the mystery, glory, and wonder of Christianity turns. The antiquity of His real existence as God and the newness of His appearance in the flesh as man.

He who was so blessed from everlasting begins to be manifested in the fullness of time. To make Himself visible, He takes on our flesh. It was only for this purpose, that He who was Life itself and the eternal life might become life to poor dead sinners and give them eternal life. In taking on our flesh, the Word is more wonderfully manifested and made visible than in the creation. In creation the Creator made creatures come out of nothing at His command. But in this, the Creator is made a creature. He once gave a beginning of being to things that had no being. Being before all beginning Himself, He now takes a beginning and becomes flesh, which He was not before.

How wisely and wonderfully it is planned that for the good of lost man, the Son of God should be made of a woman.  The lower the nature in which He appears, the higher the mystery is and the richer the comfort is. The glory of the only begotten Son of God was more visibly manifested in that He appeared in such a low form. It is for power to show itself in weakness and such glorious rays to break out from under such a dark cloud. This was greater glory, and more majesty, than if He had only showed Himself in the most perfect creatures.

Consider Our Need of His New Blessings

When we see the ancientness of our Saviour and the newness of His appearance in the flesh brought together, it ought to endear Him to us. He has come so near us and brought his own Majesty within our sphere so that we can lay hold of it. He did this for no other purpose except to make life and immortality shine as beams from Him to bring dead souls to life.

Let us open our hearts to Him, and then welcome such fresh news with new delight. Though it is many centuries old, this news is still recent to a believing heart. There is an everlasting fountain in it that sends out fresh comfort to souls every day. It is as refreshing as the first day this fountain was opened. This is the new wine that never grows old, indeed it is renewed in every generation with some new manifestation of the love of God. Christ’s incarnation was the first manifestation of the Son, the very morning of light and life, the dayspring visiting the world that was buried in the darkness of idolatry.

The Sun of righteousness first appeared up above the horizon at that time. But it is still now the same “day”. He has been appearing by greater degrees, shining more and more to the noonday (2 Peter 1:19). This Sun has never set since but gone round about the world in the preaching of the gospel. It has brought life and light from one nation to another, and one generation to another. We ought to welcome His kindly and affectionate love to mankind (Titus 3:4). This is what shines so brightly. The beams of grace and love to men are the rays that come from this Sun of righteousness.

Conclusion

A new year offers new opportunities for fresh appreciations of the glory of Christ. We need to take regular time out from the treadmill of demands and the constant feed of new content to seek this. As we do this we will be brought into contact with eternal realities. Are we trading things these opportunities and only gaining things that are new but immediately grow old? The promise of the new that the world constantly offers soon proves empty. There are new blessings to lay hold on in fellowship with Christ, the Word of life as we seek to live out this glorious gospel. These blessings are of eternal significance.

The Gospel of Luke in Retrospect

Although there is nothing sacrosanct about the end of the year, it is as good a time as any for a year-end reflection. Since the end of the calendar year also coincides with the conclusion of this year's study in Luke here on the blog, it seems doubly good to reflect with that study in mind. This weekend, consider the following thoughts.

• As Jesus opened the disciples’ minds on the Emmaus road bringing an understanding of the Scripture (Luke 24:13–35), so His Spirit does for us today. How much have you sought to understand more of His Word through the enlightening of the Holy Spirit this past year? In what way can you enhance your study next year?
• Jesus appeared to the disciples in the flesh (Luke 24:36–44). He appears to us through the written Word and the powerful Spirit He has given us. How much have you appreciated that presence in 2018? Contemplate how in 2019 you can more fully encounter the Savior through His Word and Spirit. 
• He gave the disciples the Gospel to preach—repentance and forgiveness for sins (Luke 24:45–49). He has given us that same Gospel to preach. Are you helping to spread His Good News? Is there repentance from sin as people respond to the Gospel? Are you seeing people experience the healing of forgiveness? 
• What personal difference has your faith made this year? Is your life more pleasing to God as a result of your Christian faith in 2018? How great has been your growth in grace? And just as importantly, to what extent have your relationships reflected your faith? What about next year? While we cannot presume upon God’s sovereignty, as a servant of the Lord of Glory what things can you see lying ahead to be accomplished? Seek to live the whole of your life before the presence of God. Consider this weekend that you live your life under the gaze of God’s scrutiny, in His presence, and for His glory.

PreacherCast Episode 17 - "The Life and Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Part 2)"

This is episode 17 of THE PREACHER CAST, and today we'll be looking at a number of items of great importance...

Act 1) Americans' trust in honesty, ethics of clergy hits an all-time low in Gallup ranking of professions

Act 2) Planned Parenthood head says killing unborn babies is a 'basic human right'

Act 3) Witchcraft moves to the mainstream in America as Christianity declines

Act 4) 4 attitudes killing church attendance

Act 5) Academic journal to feature convicted pedophile's case for relationships with children

Act 6) Lauren Daigle on the Spot: Why We All Should Be Prepared for Homosexuality question

I will have a number of book recommendations for ministers courtesy of the 9Marks ministry

And then lastly in the PreacherCast's FINALE, we'll continue our discussion about "The Life and Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Part 2)

The Great Commission

“And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:47–48).

Luke tells us that the two people with whom Jesus spoke on the road to Emmaus rushed back to Jerusalem and found the rest of the disciples assembled together. As they were telling them about their experience, suddenly Jesus was standing in the midst of them all.

The disciples thought He was a ghost. They had not yet absorbed the implication of the empty tomb, the fact of the physical resurrection. So Jesus gave them proofs. First, He told them to touch Him. Second, He ate the fish they gave Him, again showing that His resurrection body was indeed a physical body.

Jesus’ resurrection body was a glorified body, unlike that of Lazarus, who was only resuscitated from the grave and later died again. There are changes that take place at the resurrection that transform the physical body into a deathless and glorified condition, with new abilities that we can not yet comprehend. But the resurrection body is still a physical body. Unlike the counterfeit religions of this world, Christianity affirms the goodness of the physical world and teaches that a new physical cosmos (a new heaven and earth) will be ushered in.

The resurrection body affirms that God’s plan of salvation extends to the physical world. The Good News of the Gospel is not merely the salvation of our souls but includes the redemption and responsibility for this world. Thus, the resurrected Jesus did not tell His disciples to live a hidden life, waiting for heaven, but He commissioned them to be His witnesses in all the world. He told them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness unto all nations and peoples. He told them that they would be given the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to make disciples of every nation under heaven. That would be their task, and is ours, until He returns.

Christianity is the only world-affirming religion because it alone teaches that a good God created the world and has redeemed it. All other religions renounce the world through false asceticism or seek to escape from it. What are some of the ways Christ impels us back into a fallen world? Consider what you have been sent to do.

Jesus' New Message

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

When sometimes I ask what the greatest sermon in the Bible is, usually I am told that the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest, though some have called attention to Peter’s post-resurrection sermon in Acts 2. Overlooked is a sermon I’m sure we all wish we could have heard: Jesus’ talk with the two people on the road to Emmaus.

On the day of the resurrection, two of Jesus’ followers were returning from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It is usually assumed that these were two men, but possibly the other person was Cleopas’s wife. Others have proposed that since only Luke records this event, the other person was Luke himself.

As they walked along, Jesus joined them. They were talking about the events of the weekend, and Jesus asked them to elaborate. They were astonished that anyone in Jerusalem those last few days had not known about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had hoped would be the Messiah. They explained that some of the other disciples had found Jesus’ tomb empty that very morning, and now they did not know what to think.

Jesus gently rebuked them for not believing all that the prophets had spoken. Notice that He did not rebuke them for failing to believe the women and the other disciples. The issue for Jesus was the testimony of Holy Scripture. Then we read that Jesus showed them what the Old Testament prophecied regarding Him.

As the evening drew on, they asked Jesus to stay with them. While they were having dinner, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly God opened their eyes and they recognized Him, but He disappeared from their sight. They said to one another, “How could we fail to recognize Him? Did not our hearts burn within us as He opened the Scriptures to us?”

As New Testament Christians, it startles us to realize that when Jesus explained all the Scriptures concerning Himself, He was drawing only from the Old Testament. Too often believers are found lacking in their understanding of Christ in the Old Testament. Commit now to studying with me next year as we survey the Old Testament.

Jesus' Resurrection

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be … crucified and on the third day be raised again’ ” (Luke 24:6).

The earliest creed of the church was very simple: “He is risen.” There is a sense in which the entire impact of Christianity stands or falls with this truth. There are two aspects of Jesus’ resurrection stressed in the Gospels. One is the empty tomb, and the second is Jesus’ appearances during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension.

By itself, an empty tomb is an empty message. Perhaps the disciples stole the body. Perhaps the Romans or the Jews removed it. Perhaps the women were insane with grief and did not see the body. At the same time, appearances by Jesus to people after His crucifixion do not prove a resurrection. Perhaps He was a ghost and His body was still in the tomb. The Gospels stress both truths, in order to demonstrate the historical fact that Jesus’ physical body was raised from the dead, and that it was in that resurrected body that He appeared to people.

Early Sunday morning, the women took spices to finish anointing Jesus’ body for burial. When they arrived, they discovered the tomb wide open and the body missing. They were perplexed. “Who has done this?” they wondered. Suddenly, two angels appeared and told them that Jesus had risen, according to His promise.

Throughout his gospel, Luke calls attention to women. Here we see that it was women who first heard the glad tidings from the angels. It was these women who had stood by Jesus at His crucifixion after all the men had fled. Their devotion to Christ was uniquely honored.

The women returned to the rest of the disciples and told them what had happened, but the disciples thought they were crazy. Peter, however, ran to the tomb and there he saw the strips of linen in which Jesus had been wrapped, lying by themselves. Clearly, the body had not been moved by someone. Rather, the body had simply departed and left the graveclothes behind.

Much speculation has arisen from artifacts such as the mysterious Shroud of Turin. Even if proven genuine, it is doubtful many would come to faith by it (Luke 16:19–31). Seek to ground your defense of the Resurrection in the many historical eyewitness accounts recorded in Scripture.

For Whom Did Jesus Die?

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9).

The question of whether Jesus died for all humanity or only for His elect has often raised controversy in the church. The first important debate over this question occurred in the early fifth century between the followers of Augustine and those of Pelagius. The Augustinians said that Christ’s death was truly effective and definitely secured salvation for those He intended to save. His death had merit for His sheep alone. The followers of Pelagius believed that Christ’s death was designed to make possible the salvation of all men on the condition that they believe through the free exercise of their own wills. Thus, the Pelagians denied the total depravity of the human will and the full efficacy of the atonement of Christ.

This question does not simply concern those who adhere to the Reformed tradition. It has been debated in other traditions as well. In seventeenth-century France, for instance, within the Roman Catholic Church, the Jansenists held to a definite, limited atonement, while the Jesuits argued for a universal atonement.

All classical Christian theology agrees that the atoning work of Jesus Christ was sufficient for all men, and all agree that it is going to be efficient for those who are saved. The crucial question is: For whom was it designed? Was the Atonement designed for people who are not going to be saved?

Clearly not. The Bible in numerous places and ways indicates that God intended Jesus’ sufferings to pay for only the sins of His people. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus made it very clear that He was praying for the elect, not for those who were not going to be saved. This is the prayer Jesus prayed just before He went to the cross, and it reveals to us His mind as He paid for our sins. Isaiah 53:11 says that Jesus would see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. If Jesus suffered for men who spurn His atoning work, how could He be satisfied?

Christ accomplished all that is necessary for salvation. Jesus’ death cry, “It is finished!”, expressed the completeness of His atoning work. As you reflect upon this, consider what this means for your assurance of salvation.

Applying the Most Popular Promise of 2018

According to the YouVersion Bible App, Isaiah 41:10 “was shared, bookmarked and highlighted more than any other this year” on their platform. It’s one of the many “fear not” verses of the Bible and some find that significant. No doubt the focus on bible verses addressing fear may be facilitated by the emoji-based search on YouVersion’s Bible App. This allows users to tap images corresponding to various emotions which in turn locate related Bible verses. Apparently, individuals conducted more than 18 million searches to find what the Bible might say to them in the midst of their emotional highs and lows. Apparently, the app is used by 350 million devices worldwide. Bible promises are meant to be treasured and to be used in times of trouble and need; they are meant to strengthen our faith. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we are to use the Bible like a pick and mix counter of sweets where we select only positive thoughts. It’s one thing to appreciate, highlight and share a promise and another thing to meditate on it and live according to it. Before we consider how to apply Isaiah 41:10 perhaps we need to think about what God’s promises are and how we should use them.

Understanding the promises is vital for prayer, meditating on the Word, encouraging others and living by faith. An old method of making use of the promises is that where we find a command or precept in the Bible we should look for a promise that is directly connected to the precept. Then we should pray the promise and seek to live in obedience by depending on it. Edward Leigh (who was a member of the Westminster Assembly) speaks of how the promises strengthen faith, quicken hope, inflame zeal, reinforce patience, and foster all the graces of God’s Spirit. They help us in all troubles whether inward or outward. But we need to understand them better in order to apply them. Here are some principles in an updated extract from Leigh’s large book on the subject.

1. Understanding the Bible’s Promises

(a) What is a Promise?

The promises are outward declarations of God’s will concerning good to be received, and evil to be removed.

(b) What is the Most Important Promise?

The main promise is Jesus Christ. All promises for outward blessings, such as food, clothing, health, peace, freedom, deliverance in temptations, safety in danger depend on the main promise of Christ. All God’s promise are sure and certain to God’s children in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). True Faith first of all directly fastens itself on the main promise of God in Christ. After and with this it exercises faith in all other promises that concern either soul or body. Abraham by the same faith by which he was justified believed God’s promise of a son (Romans 4:18).

(c) What Makes the Promises Precious?

The promises of God are a rich mine of spiritual and heavenly treasures. They are the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8). The apostle Peter says that they are exceedingly great in quantity and precious in quality (2 Peter 1:4).

The giver is precious. God is said in Scripture to be the giver of them (Rom 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:2).

The price for them is precious.  Jesus Christ for whose sake we obtain them and the price He paid to purchase them (1 Peter 1:19).

The way they are given is precious. They are given freely out of the precious loving-kindness of God (Psalm 36:7).

The way they are received is precious. The precious grace of faith lays hold of them (2 Peter 1:1).

The benefit of them is precious.  Being made partakers of the divine nature that is, of the graces of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:4).

The things promised are precious. If the promise is so sweet how much more sweet are the things promised: life and godliness or glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3).

2. Applying the Bible’s Promises

The right use of the promises helps to sweeten all our afflictions, strengthen our faith, spur us on to well-doing and to breed contentment in all circumstances whatever.   But how can we use them in the right way?

(a) Know the Promises

If we have a remedy to hand that would ease our pain but we do not know it what good will that do us? If we do not know the promises even though they are in the book how will that make things better for us?

(b) Remember the Promises

We should strive to remember the promises. What we do not remember, we do not know. David hid God’s promises in his heart and they upheld him in his trouble (Psalm 119:111). God’s promises gave him great comfort (Psalm 119:50). The promises of God are the Christian’s title deeds for heaven. The Hebrew Christians were fainting in their minds because they had forgotten their comfort and strength (Hebrews 12:3, 5). They had forgotten promises of God made for strengthening their faith in the fiery trial. As an oil lamp will soon be out unless it has a supply of oil, so faith will soon fail unless it is nourished with continual meditation on God’s promises.

(c) Apply the Promises

We should believe the promises and apply them to ourselves. Faith not only believes the promises to be true but applies them. Promises are never believed unless they are trusted (Matthew 9:29; Mark 9:23). There are two ways of applying the promises:

Meditation, we should take note of and ponder the promises well.

Prayer. We should have fervent prayer that God would by His Spirit reveal to us the precious promises He has made to His people in His holy Word and give us the wisdom to assess and apply them aright. All our prayers must be based on God’s promises (Genesis 32:9,12; 2 Samuel 7:27-29).

Special promises made to individuals can apply more widely. The promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5-6) is applied to all believers in Hebrews 13:5. The promise to Peter (Luke 22:32) is applied to all believers in John 17:15.

We should also notice the conditions in a promise and what they depend on. God promises grace and glory (Psalm 84:11) but notice it is grace first then glory. Godliness has the promises of this life and of that which is to come. We must note the order that the Saviour uses, first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). When God has called us to the knowledge of Christ we must not look for the immediate accomplishment of God’s promise of salvation or perseverance by God’s sole power while in the meantime omitting all concern about holiness in our life. God does not only fulfill His promises in us but also by us. The promises also relate to His commands and our duties.

3. Applying the Promises of Isaiah 41:10

(a) Promises of God’s Special and Gracious Presence

This is the sweetest comfort which God used to sustain His children in the Old Testament. Those such as Isaac (Genesis 26:3, 24) and Moses (Exodus 3:12 and 4:12) as well as others (Joshua 1:5, 9. and 3:7; Ezekiel 3; Jeremiah 1:8, 19). David encouraged his son Solomon with this (1 Chronicles 28:20).

It applies to the whole Church in general (Isaiah 41:10 and 43:2). Christ is spiritually present with His Church (Revelation 1:13 and 2:1). Christ left this comfort in His farewell to His disciples and their successors: “Lo I am with you…to the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

(b) Promises of Growth and Increase in Grace.

God has promised to give grace abundantly, not only to drop but pour it (Isaiah 44:3-4). Their soul shall be as a watered garden (Isaiah 58:11 and Jeremiah 31:12). God promises to make His people fruitful. He says He will give strength to His people to walk in the ways of the Lord (Isaiah 45:24; Isaiah 40:29, 31; Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 26:4, 12; Isaiah 41:10; Zechariah 10:12; Philippians 4:13). They go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7). The righteous will hold on his way and be stronger and stronger (Job 17:9). His path is as the shining light shining more and more (Proverbs 4:18). If we are rich in the work of the Lord, our labor will not be in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

(c) Promises for Those that Suffer as Well-doers

The promise of “fear not” in Isaiah 41:10 relates to fear of those who oppose them (Isaiah 41:11-12). Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10; 1 Peter 3:14).  There are promises for those who suffer either for truth or goodness and also those who suffer for both together (2 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Peter 4:13; Romans 8:35-37).  God will subdue all their enemies (see Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 30.7; Jeremiah 12:14; Psalm 37:14-15, 17; Job 8:22; Isaiah 41:11-12; Isaiah 54:15; 59.19; Proverbs 22:23 and 21:1).

Conclusion

When we apply the promises within the overall context of Scripture and of God’s priorities for His glory (which includes our good but also our obedience) we are more likely to apply them in the right way. All God’s promises are sure and certain in Christ and the promises should lead us back to Him in faith (2 Corinthians 1:20). God’s promises relate to our growth in holiness as well as our blessing and protection. The Bible is full of precious promises, do we know, value and apply them?

The Obscenity of the Cross

When asked to provide a definition of obscene, one individual replied: “I can’t. But I know it when I see it.” So do we! Words may be hard to come by, but when confronted with something obscene we know intuitively what it is. Our sense of dignity is offended. Decency is besmirched. Revulsion rises in the pit of our stomach.

In our day the word obscene is virtually a synonym for sexual impropriety, perversion, or deviance. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines obscene as “disgusting to the senses; repulsive, abhorrent to morality,” and then adds, “designed to incite to lust or depravity.” If you ask the average citizen to identify something obscene, he would probably point to online pornography. I doubt that he would refer you to the cross atop the steeple of a church! The fact is, though, the cross was at one time the embodiment of obscenity in its worst possible form.

In the almost 2,000 years since Jesus was impaled on one, the cross has been progressively domesticated. We have sanitized and tamed what in the ancient world was both hideous and loathsome. It seems strangely ironic that the old rugged cross, “the emblem of suffering and shame,” is now universally displayed as an object of decorative beauty.

Most of us would be shocked to see a miniature electric chair dangling from a necklace or a golden locket with a tiny guillotine inside! But the cross, often studded with diamonds or inscribed with words from a lover, has become our most widely sold item of jewelry.

More important still, the cross in the ancient world was not merely an instrument of capital punishment. It symbolized personal reproach and public indecency. Crucifixion did more than kill a man; it humiliated him. The cross was designed not only to break a man’s body but to crush his spirit. Death on the tree was certainly agonizing. It was also, and perhaps more so, aesthetically repugnant.

Knowing this adds new meaning to the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18, 22–24:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.… Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Paul was not persecuted simply for preaching Jesus as the Christ. Rather, he was vilified and mocked because he preached “Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” To affirm that Jesus was God incarnate was one thing. But to insist that He died a criminal’s death on this ignominious instrument, and by that death procured eternal redemption, was, to the ancient mind, sheer madness and inexcusable folly.

In perhaps his most glorious hymn of praise to the risen Savior, Paul labors to describe how He who is “in very nature God” humbled Himself “and became obedient to death” (Philippians 2:6, 8). But not just any death. Taking the very nature of a servant he died a death reserved for slaves and the scum of the world. “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross” (v. 8). Jesus, explains Martin Hengel, “did not die a gentle death like Socrates, with his cup of hemlock, much less passing on ‘old and full of years’ like the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Rather, He died like a slave or a common criminal, in torment, on the tree of shame. Paul’s Jesus did not die just any death; He was ‘given up for us all’ on the cross, in a cruel and contemptible way” (Crucifixion, p. 90).

Thus Paul’s Gospel was a scandalous paradox. To suggest that Messiah must die was bad enough. To proclaim that He died on a cross was an obscene joke, an offense to reason and a violation of moral sanity. “Salvation through a crucified Christ? Nonsense!” Ah, but “the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” Melito, bishop of Sardis, put it as best he could:

He who hung the earth [in its place] hangs there, He who fixed the heavens is fixed there, He who made all things fast is made fast upon the tree, the Master has been insulted, God has been murdered, the King of Israel has been slain by an lsraelitish hand. O strange murder, strange crime! The Master has been treated in unseemly fashion, His body naked, and not even deemed worthy of a covering, that [His nakedness] might not be seen. Therefore the lights [of heaven] turned away, and the day darkened, that it might hide Him who was stripped upon the cross” (Homily on the Passion).

The cross … obscene, degrading, despicable. But “to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). 

Jesus was the Curse-Bearer

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

Whenever God made a covenant with His people, He would explain the curses and blessings of the covenant. If they obeyed, they would receive blessings, but if they disobeyed, they would receive curses. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 list these in great detail. The greatest expression of God’s blessing was for His face to shine upon someone (Numbers 6:24–26). Thus, the greatest curse would be for God to look malevolently on that person.

Paul tells us that Jesus took upon Himself the curse that we deserve. Several of the details of Jesus’ suffering and death fulfill explicit curses of the Old Testament law. For instance, Deuteronomy 21:23 states that everyone who is hung upon a tree is cursed. Paul cites this verse to show that in His crucifixion, Jesus was cursed for us.

One of the major emphases of Deuteronomy 28 is that when the people disobey, God will turn them over to the Gentiles for judgment. Throughout the book of Judges, we see this curse fulfilled repeatedly. The judgment realized its zenith with the Babylonian captivity and exile. Jesus took this curse for His people in that the Jews were not allowed to put anyone to death. Therefore they turned Him over to the Gentile ruler Pontius Pilate for sentencing and crucifixion.

Again, where was the site of the crucifixion? Outside of Jerusalem, the holy city. Like the scapegoat in the old covenant (Leviticus 16), Jesus was driven outside the camp, bearing the sins of the people. Moreover, just as the blessing was to bask in God’s light, so darkness descended upon the land during Jesus’ three hours on the cross. During those dark hours, Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). To face the unrestrained fury of God is to be in hell.

In order to better appreciate our salvation, we must first recognize the severity of that from which we are saved. Contemplate the hell we faced and justly deserved. Praise Christ for taking its full measure and for providing our redemption.

The Need for Atonement

"As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

We need atonement because we are sinners, but just how grave is our sin? The traditional Reformed doctrine of sin uses the phrase total depravity. People have a tendency to wince at this term because there is confusion between the concepts of total depravity and utter depravity. Utter depravity means that man is as corrupt as he could possibly be, but this is not the case. The grace of God restrains the sinful tendency of the human heart and prevents men from becoming as wicked as they can be.

Sinfulness is something that matures over time, and the full maturation of human depravity has not yet taken place. As many sins as we commit, it is possible to contemplate worse ones. Instead of murdering only one person, we might murder ten; and instead of ten, twenty; and so forth. Thus, man is not utterly corrupt.

What the Reformation tradition means by total depravity is that sin’s power and influence affects the whole man. Paul expresses this in Romans 3:12 when he writes, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” What Paul says here seems to fly in the face of our experience, because we see acts of self-sacrificial heroism and kindness on the part of people who are not Christians.

The reason we have this problem is that when the Bible describes goodness and evil, it does so from two perspectives. First of all, we have the Law, which measures the external performance of human beings. In terms of this measure, many people do good things. But secondly, there is the measurement of the heart: the internal motivation of our behavior. From a biblical perspective, for a deed to be good in the fullest sense of the word, it must not only conform to the Law, but it must also proceed from a heart that loves God totally. Has anyone ever loved God with all of his or her heart, soul, mind, and strength, even for five minutes? Except for Jesus, the answer is no. Thus, in terms of this second measurement, no one does good.

There is a difference between growth in sin and growth in awareness of sin. It was the latter that provoked Paul to say he was the “chief of sinners.” Consider what this distinction means for your habits, personal traits, and desires.

Anger and Atonement

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Before the fall man enjoyed fellowship with God, but in Adam we broke that fellowship and rebelled against God. God is the wronged party in this relationship, and Christ is the mediator whose job it is to reconcile God to us. Because we suffer in this life, we find it easy to slip into thinking that we are the injured party.

Reconciliation between God and His fallen creation is necessary because the two are estranged. This raises a debated question in theology: Who is angry at whom? Everyone agrees that we are angry at God. We are estranged from Him. But is it proper to speak of God being estranged from us? Is God angry with us? The Bible frequently speaks of God’s wrath and makes it clear He is sorely displeased with humanity. And because God is the offended party and is angry with our sin, it is God who must be satisfied.

Yet, the Bible also tells us that God the Father is willing to be satisfied with Jesus’ mediatorial work. One of the gravest distortions of biblical faith is the notion that God the Father is a God of wrath, while God the Son is the God of love. Some people believe that the Father is only angry with us, but that the Son identifies so much with us that He goes to the Father and pleads for us. Thus there is a tension in the Godhead itself, as if the Father has one agenda, and the Son has another.

Not so. The plan of salvation is portrayed as authored by the Father because of His love for us. It is true that our sins have provoked God to anger and enmity against us, but God has vented His anger on Christ at the cross and so can love His elect. Thus David writes that “His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Although made in God’s image, people are often guilty of remaking God into an image of their own liking, contrary to God’s own self-disclosure in Scripture. This action, conscious or not, transgresses the first two commandments. Seek to recognize God as He is—even with those attributes “objectionable” to many.

The Kingdom of Jesus

"Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”

(Luke 23:42).

As Jesus was hanging between the two criminals, one of them hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t You supposed to be the Messiah? Why don’t You save Yourself!” This is what everyone was saying. The people were saying it (Luke 23:35), the Roman soldiers were saying it (v. 36), and Pilate had a notice put on the cross saying, “This is the King of the Jews.” The criminal added, of course, “And save us, too!”

But the other criminal rebuked him, and said, “Aren’t you afraid of God? We deserve what we are getting, but this man has done nothing wrong.” This is an amazing testimony to the grace of God. My experience in prison work has shown me that our prisons are filled with guilty men who claim innocence. Sadly, this means that the few truly innocent men in prison cannot get a decent hearing. At any rate, it is a very rare thing in this world for a guilty person to admit his guilt and to admit that his punishment was deserved.

Beyond this, consider the agonizing pain that this man was experiencing at this moment. When we are in pain our instinct is to lash out at others and at God. But this man confessed his sin and the justice of his punishment, in the midst of a torturous death.

The penitent thief asked Jesus to remember him when He entered His kingdom. Jesus assured him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43). This text proves that at the point of death, the believer goes to heaven to be with Jesus. Contrary to what some groups maintain, there is no such thing as “soul sleep.” We do not sleep until the resurrection. We go to heaven, and there we are conscious in the presence of God while we wait for the resurrection of the body and the new world to come.

The three crosses on Calvary portray the three kinds of human beings. Jesus had sin on Himself, but not in Himself. The penitent thief had sin in himself, but thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, did not have sin on himself. The impenitent thief had sin both in and on himself. As a criminal deserving of death, consider which cross you carry.

Jesus' Final Trials

"Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man” (Luke 23:4).

Jesus had been tried and found guilty of a capital offense (blasphemy) by the Sanhedrin. Because the Jews did not have the right to put anyone to death, they took Him to Pontius Pilate to issue Jesus’ death warrant. They accused Jesus of claiming to be king of the Jews. Pilate asked if this were true, and Jesus answered yes. Pilate was not interested in internal Jewish affairs and told the crowd that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death.

The Jews responded by falsely stating that this Galilean had been seditious. Pilate pounced on the fact that Jesus came from Galilee, because that gave him a way out of this thorny situation. As a Galilean, Jesus was under the jurisdiction of Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for the feast. Pilate sent Him to Herod.

When Jesus refused his request to perform a miracle, Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus, and put a royal robe on Him. They then sent Him back to Pilate who apparently thought this was a great joke. On that day, Pilate and Herod became friends.

Pilate told the Jews that neither he nor Herod had found anything dangerous about Jesus. He declared that Jesus would be beaten and released. The Romans had a policy of beating those who were found innocent simply as a warning for others.

The Jews, however, insisted that Jesus be crucified and Barabbas released. The Romans had a custom of releasing a criminal at the time of Passover. Pilate wanted to free the innocent Jesus, but the Jews wanted the murderous and incendiary Barabbas. Pilate was very reluctant, but the shouts of the crowd overwhelmed him and he did as they asked. Jesus was sentenced to die.

Luke makes it clear that it was the Jews, especially the religious leaders, who were responsible for the death of Jesus. This has nothing to do with the Jewish race and nation today. It means that the religious establishment was primarily responsible for Jesus’ death. Keep yourself current regarding the continuing misunderstandings and battles within the church concerning the nature of Christ.

Jesus' Claims of Divinity

"They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am” (Luke 22:70).

Under Jewish law, the Sanhedrin could not hold a trial at night. Thus, Jesus was kept in abusive custody until the Sanhedrin met to try Him the next day. The chief priests and teachers of the law were also there.

Their first formal question to Jesus was whether or not He was the Messiah. Jesus replied that they would not believe Him if He told them. The reason for this somewhat evasive answer is that Jesus knew they had a defective idea of Messiah. Thus, Jesus could not give them a simple yes or no answer.

Jesus, however, went on to explain of what His Messiahship consisted. He told them that, from that time on, the Son of Man would be seated at the right hand of God. They knew Jesus had called Himself the Son of Man, and now they were hearing Him claim to be the coming King.

Their next question was very important. They asked if He was the Son of God. The Jews understood that all believers are children of God, and they spoke of themselves as sons of God in that sense. But by using the definite article, they were asking Jesus if He was claiming to be divine. This question was crucial to the trial.

Jesus said they were right to say so. The court immediately determined that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, which according to the Law God gave to Moses, was a capital offense. The Sanhedrin had a problem, however, because as a captive people, the Jews could not implement the death penalty. They had to persuade the Roman authorities that Jesus was worthy of death.

Taking Jesus before Pilate, they attempted to translate their charge against Him into terms a Roman could understand. They accused Jesus of claiming to be a king and of opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar (which was a lie). By means of these charges, they hoped to stir the Roman government to execute Jesus.

Our culture still has a distorted view of Messiah. Non-believers see Christ as a wise teacher, a great man. To them it is scandalous to declare that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Find ways to combat the image of Christ as a Jewish Confucius and present Him as the only begotten of God.

SBG - Episode 34 - "The Radical Depravity of Man (Sin - Part 1)"

Our host, Matthew Dowling, discusses man's radical depravity and begins a wider discussion of what sin is."

PreacherCast Episode 16 - 12/7/18 - "The Life and Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Part 1)"

This is episode 16 of THE PREACHER CAST, and today we'll be looking at several items of great importance...

Act 1) Was Murdered Missionary John Chau An Arrogant Fool?

Act 2) As scientist claims first babies have been born using gene-editing technology CRISPR, the ethical implications are massive

Act 3) Biblical truths behind the state funeral for George H.W. Bush

I will have a book recommendation for you today: "The Privilege, Promise, Power, and Peril of Doctrinal Preaching" by Thomas J. Nettles

And then lastly in the PreacherCast's FINALE, we'll talk about "The Life and Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Part 1)"

Three Denials Before Dawn

"The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter" (Luke 22:61a).

As Jesus was led away, Peter followed at a distance. He wanted to be near Jesus, but he was afraid to come too close. While Jesus was kept in the house of the High Priest, Peter sat down with some other people by a fire in the courtyard. Some of these people had been in the crowd that had arrested Jesus. Like any excited group of people in the aftermath of a major event, they are sitting around talking about it.

A servant girl looked carefully at Peter and told the people around the fire that Peter had been with Jesus. Peter immediately denied it. Consider: Jesus had been arrested and stood before the High Priest of Israel. He was to stand before King Herod and Pontius Pilate on trial for His life. Yet He did not falter. Peter, on the other hand, was not arrested. He was not charged with anything wrong. A young girl said that Peter had been with Jesus, not charging him with any wrongdoing, and yet Peter denied his association with Jesus.

Later, another person noticed him and said, “You are one of them.” Peter again denied it. A comparison of the other Gospels indicates there were other people involved in these conversations, but Luke finishes his summary by telling us that about an hour later, another person asserted that because of Peter’s Galilean accent, he was most certainly a follower of Jesus. Peter again denied it, and the other Gospels tell us that he did so swearing an oath.

While he was still speaking, the cock crowed, just as Jesus had predicted. At that moment Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction, and went out and wept bitterly.

At the same time Peter was denying Him, Jesus was being mocked and beaten by the men guarding Him. They blindfolded Him and took turns striking Him, challenging Him to identify them, since He was a prophet.

Which do you think was more painful for Jesus: being beaten by thugs or being disowned by His friend? You and I have never assaulted Jesus, but how often we have denied Him by our words and actions. Ask God to show you how you can stand for Him more faithfully.

Betrayed with a Kiss

"But Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).

While Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a company of people showed up, led by Judas. Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss. Jesus asked him, “Do you betray Me with a kiss?” It is as if Jesus looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look, Judas, there were plenty of ways to betray Me. But you chose to use the very symbol of friendship as a way of marking Me out.”

When the disciples saw what was happening, they assumed Jesus wanted them to fight. He had, after all, told them to carry swords (Luke 22:36) and they had brought two along with them (v. 38). Peter swung his sword and struck a glancing blow against the head of the High Priest’s servant, slicing his right ear off. Jesus told His disciples not to fight, however, and then He healed the servant’s ear.

Then Jesus rebuked those who came to arrest Him. The crowd included chief priests, elders, and officers of the temple guard. These were not minor officials; the conspiracy reached all the way to the top. Jesus asked them why they had come out against Him with swords and clubs. “Have I been leading a rebellion?” He asked. “You saw Me every day in the temple. Why didn’t you arrest Me then?” Jesus was calling attention to their cowardice. They did not have the courage to arrest Him in public.

Jesus continued, “But this is your hour, when darkness reigns” (v. 53). God was going to let them have their way for a time, and Jesus identified them with Satan and the powers of darkness. Jesus was warning them that their time would be short, because evening always gives way to morning, and the darkness to dawn. The Day of the Lord would come, and then how would they stand?

Even in His time of greatest trial, the Savior of the world gave His enemies new opportunities to repent by rebuking them, healing them, and warning them to flee the wrath to come.

Look up Luke 6:27–31. How did Jesus fulfill these admonitions in the Garden of Gethsemane? How about you? How do you deal with your “enemies”?

SBG - Episode 33 - "The Fall of Man"

Our host, Matthew Dowling, discusses the Fall of Adam and Eve and its effects upon all mankind.

The Agony of Jesus

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

After the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives. There Jesus knelt to pray. It would be easy for us as twentieth-century Christians to pass over this fact. However, in the ancient world, the usual posture for prayer was standing. Jesus broke with that tradition when He knelt. Why? I think the reason is obvious: The burden of His prayer was so heavy upon Him that the only possible posture for Him to assume was kneeling—the posture of the helpless supplicant.

He asked the Father to spare Him the cup that was coming, the cup of God’s wrath that He was to drink. From the moment of His birth, Jesus lived in the shadow of the Cross. Our Lord knew all along that He was destined for a horrible death, a death under the wrath of God. Now the hour had come, and Jesus naturally shrank from the utter horror of it. Nevertheless, He was willing to do whatever the Father required. Jesus greatly desired to evade the cup of God’s wrath, but there was something He desired even more, and that was to please His Father by doing His will.

After this prayer, an angel came from heaven and strengthened Jesus. The book of Hebrews says that angels are God’s messengers to minister to His elect (Hebrews 1:14). In answering Jesus’ prayer, the Father sent an angel, as if to say, “I’m sorry, Son, but You must drink the cup; however, here is an angel to give You strength for the task.”

Jesus prayed more earnestly, committing Himself anew to the Father’s will, and His sweat was like drops of blood. Many artists have painted this scene showing drops of blood dripping from Jesus’ forehead, but that is not in fact what is stated. Jesus’ struggle was so intense and He was perspiring so greatly that drops of sweat dripped from Him like blood from a wound.

Due to our societal conditioning, we, like Jesus, experience dread at the prospect of doing what is right when we know the personal consequences will be severe. Although conditioned by our society to avoid pain, strive to follow the model of Christ in doing right regardless of the cost.

SBG - Episode 32 - "The Covenant of Works"

Our host, Matthew Dowling, discusses the Covenant of Works, the covenant between God and humanity that was broken by Adam's sin at the Fall.

Peter's Betrayal and Denial

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:34).

Judas betrayed Jesus, and Peter denied Him; but Peter repented and was saved, while Judas hung himself and was lost. How do we account for the difference? Satan attacked both men, but in the case of Judas, he found no resistance (Luke 22:3), while in Peter’s case Satan had to ask permission to put him to the test (v. 31).

The difference between the two was that Judas never was truly converted. He was with Jesus for all the wrong reasons, and when things did not work out as he wanted, he betrayed Jesus. Peter, on the other hand, was a true child of God, and though he stumbled in a time of weakness, he did not fall completely.

Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (v. 32). Can a Christian lose his salvation? No, but not because of anything in ourselves. Left to ourselves we would surely wander away permanently. Rather it is because Jesus prays for us that we come back after we have sinned. The Son of Man intercedes to preserve for all eternity the souls of His people. Jesus knew that Peter would repent, so He said, “when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (v. 32).

Having promised to pray for Peter, Jesus ended the Last Supper by telling the disciples they were going to enter a new phase of the kingdom. Formerly, when He sent them out to preach, He told them not to take money or extra clothing. Wherever they went, they were warmly received and provided for, because the people wanted to hear what great things were happening. However, from then on, they were to take along money and extra clothing, and also a sword for protection, because the persecution that was about to be measured out against Jesus was going to be measured out against His disciples as well.

Paul tells us that godly sorrow brings repentance, but worldly sorrow leads to regret and death (2 Corinthians 7:9–11). Peter experienced godly sorrow while the regret Judas felt was worldly, not because he had betrayed the Son of God, but because his plans had failed. Search your heart today and measure your level of godly sorrow.

SBG - Episode 31 - "The Creation of Man with Soul and Body"

Our host, Matthew Dowling, discusses the creation of mankind with the constitution of body and soul.

Who is the Greatest?

"Also, a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest" (Luke 22:24).

One of the most painful things a manager must face is having those working for him vying for positions in the sun instead of acting like a team. Depressing as such behavior is, imagine how Jesus felt when, during His last hours before the agony of the cross, the disciples began to wrangle among themselves over who was the greatest. Surely their behavior reveals the depth of human corruption.

Jesus told them that the Gentile kings lord it over their people, while demanding to be called gracious names like “Benefactor.” Jesus’ disciples were not to be like that. Instead, the greatest should be as the least, and the ruler should be as a servant. Jesus pointed out that He had assumed the posture of a servant among them. In John’s Gospel, we read that He even washed the disciples’ feet (John 13).

Jesus continued with His gentle rebuke by reminding them that He was conferring on them a kingdom just as the one the Father had conferred on Him. In other words, it was not their kingdom, it was the Father’s; it was not their glory, it was Jesus’. The Lord reminded them that they would share in His glory, thus, there was no need to compete when the amount of glory is infinite.

After David became king, he wanted to know if there was anyone left of his friend Jonathan’s household. Messengers searched the land, and finally found one man, a cripple named Mephibosheth. David brought him to the palace and had him eat from the king’s table from then on (2 Samuel 9). Was this because Mephibosheth was a wonderful person? No, it was because of David’s love for Jonathan. Just so, because of Jesus’ love for us, God lets us, cripples like Mephibosheth, eat at the King’s table. It has nothing to do with our vying for glory and status. Rather, it is a gracious gift of God.

How unfortunate that we still witness people vying for positions of glory and honor within the church. Serving and thinking of others as more important than oneself are often foreign ideas among Christians. Honor Christ today by your zeal for love and good works, even though they be unnoticed by your peers or associates.

Ordinary Means of Extraordinary Grace

Every so often we hear a new methodology or approach to ministry being championed. It will transform the Church’s appeal, we are told, by transforming what the Church does. These approaches have been proven “to work” and therefore they must be the right way. Usually, however,  they explicitly require trading the historic Christian view of how the Church worships and functions for the new way. These things must be tested by Scripture. It also becomes a practical question for the individual believer. How can we best grow spiritually? What sort of church should we attach ourselves to? Is it right to be discontent with a way of worshipping that just seems…ordinary?

We tend to despise the ordinary as customary, commonly practiced, fixed and regular and unexceptional. We prefer what is novel. The ordinary isn’t high-octane, it just doesn’t seem to excite. We are naturally attracted by what pleases our senses and what fits with the assumptions that we draw from the culture of the world around us. The ordinary also represents order and naturally we do not want to be restrained by boundaries.

The Westminster Standards and historic Christianity represent an altogether different perspective. They speak of ordinances that have been ordained and ordered by God in His Word. They are ordinary because that is God’s purpose. He wants us to use them because He has appointed them for ordinarily communicating His grace. God’s grace is not an ordinary thing of course and therefore we can expect extraordinary things to happen spiritually by God’s grace and Spirit.

After reading about an extraordinary work of God’s Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 we discover that the Church did not try to invent new things to whip up an excitement that comes from the flesh. Instead, it moved to the ordinary means of prayer, fellowship and the Word (Acts 2:41-42). When Christ gave a mission to the Church through the apostles He sent the apostles to use specific means: preaching and baptizing.

There is a common notion currently that because so much has changed in the world around us, we must, therefore, change our methods. Why do we think that we need to invent new means of mission for a sovereign God? Surely our duty is simply to follow what He tells us in His Word. How much have things really changed in terms of the needs of the human heart and God’s appointed ways of addressing them? Faith still comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Christ’s sheep still hear His voice in His Word. If we despise God’s ordinary means as common, boring and irrelevant it says nothing about the means themselves. Instead, it says volumes about us and our confidence in God and His Word.

Means used to convey vital and important things may often be unassuming and appear ordinary but that does not reduce their importance. Rather it draws more attention to what is conveyed. God uses the things that the world despises in order to bring greater glory to Himself (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Naaman despised the idea of washing in the Jordan but if some great thing was asked of him he would have done it (2 Kings 5:13).

It’s striking how often the Westminster Standards speak of that which is ordinary as positive, not negative. They speak of God’s ordinary work and the ordinary means He has appointed to convey His extraordinary grace. Both the Larger and Shorter Catechisms ask questions concerning “the outward means” by which Christ communicates to us “the benefits of redemption” (Shorter Catechism, Q88).

This does not happen automatically, these means cannot save or communicate grace by themselves. We need to make use of these means by faith. “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts; and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word: by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened” (Westminster Confession 14:1). The Larger Catechism gives, it tells us a lot about the ordinary means:

The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances; especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation (Q154)

1. The Ordinary Means are Outward

Why outward? This distinguishes them from the inward work of the Spirit by which we are born again, sanctified etc. The Spirit uses outward means ordinarily as part of this work, although He is free to work without them in extraordinary cases. He makes the outward means effectual by His inward work.

These outward means include the Word read and preached as well as prayer in the name of Christ (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1, 8). It may also be the Word sung (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). It is striking that the Shorter Catechism states that the “Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation” (Q89). The means also include the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper which are meant to bring increase and growth in grace as we use them by faith (Matthew 28:19; Matthew 26:26–28).

2. The Ordinary Means are Christ’s Gift

God has given us not just the message to proclaim but also the means by which it should be proclaimed. These outward and ordinary means are ordinances which have been given to the Church. Sometimes it seems as though they are unwanted gifts because many wish to diminish their role or substitute other things instead. These are the means by which Christ wants His Church to grow and flourish spiritually.

3. The Ordinary Means are for the Church’s Wellbeing

Christ has not just given us the spiritual life we need but also the means to gather and grow the Church; to nourish and edify that spiritual life. Christ has given to the Church “the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world” (Westminster Confession 25:3).

Christ has also given us the means to preserve the peace and order of the Church. Disorder comes from fallen man, order comes from following God’s appointed way. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”. Therefore, let “all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). On the other hand, new methods invented by our own mere wisdom tend to divide and unsettle the Church.

4. The Ordinary Means Connect us to Christ

If these are the ordinary means by which Christ communicates the benefits of His redemption then they have been given to connect us to Christ. Christ is communicating His benefits to His Church through these means. They are where we meet Christ and have communion with Him. As Samuel Rutherford put it, “Lord’s way of coming to us, and our way of coming to Him” is through His appointed means (Isaiah 64:5).

5. The Ordinary Means Communicate Grace

The Scriptures are spoken of as the word of God’s grace (Acts 20:32). This is their purpose. The same verse goes on to speak of how they build us up. In prayer, we come to the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

6. The Ordinary Means Are to Be Used Diligently

We are to use these means patiently and consistently (Proverbs 2:1-5; 8:33). They are not instant nor a quick fix. God has the sovereign liberty to bestow His spiritual influences when and how He chooses according to His own secret will and purpose. But He has promised such spiritual influences and grace in His appointed means. We use them prayerfully depending on God’s promised grace. We are to work and expect that God will work within us (Philippians 2:12–13).

7. The Ordinary Means are Not Just Those Effectual for Salvation

Notice that the Catechism lists the three means that are made effectual to salvation. There is one other outward and ordinary means. This fourth means is the fellowship of the Church (Acts 2:42). It means all that is shared in the mutual, active functioning of the Church together and what keeps them together. The Sum of Saving Knowledge therefore highlights Church government as a means of grace. By means of this, Christ “will have them hedged in, and helped forward unto the keeping of the covenant.”

This aspect is generally forgotten. The order and governing of the Church is a manifestation of concern for the spiritual welfare and edification of those within it. It ensures that the other ordinary means are maintained in an orderly way in the public gatherings of the Church. It also ensures that Christ’s Word is followed out in practice and seeks to keep His people within the way of His commandments. This requires the loving exercise of Church discipline (Matthew 16:18). The purpose is to edify and bring to repentance (2 Cor. 10:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:14). This is how it is a means of grace. It is the Word of God practically applied with instruction, exhortation, and rebuke.

Conclusion

We ought therefore to have confidence that God in His own extraordinary way is able to make use of ordinary means for the spiritual benefit of ordinary people. He has promised He will do this. May we all experience that (in His sovereign will) on the Lord’s Day.