The Lord is Coming

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The LORD sends forth from Zion
    your mighty scepter.
    Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
    on the day of your power,
    in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
    the dew of your youth will be yours.
4 The LORD has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
    filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
    over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
    therefore he will lift up his head. – Psalm 110:1-7 ESV

This is a somewhat confusing psalm. It was written by David, but he appears to be talking about someone else. In the opening line, David writes, “The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) says to my Lord ('āḏôn),” using two different Hebrew words that are translated in English as “Lord.” But who is David referring to, and what is the context of this somewhat cryptic psalm? Some scholars speculate that David is speaking of his own son, Solomon, who crowned David's successor while David was still alive. 

When it appears in all caps, the term LORD is a designation for Jehovah, the name of God. Adon is the Hebrew word for an owner, lord, master, or king. LORD is used three times in the passage, while Lord is used twice. But who is David referring to? Is he talking about himself or someone else? Are all the statements in this passage referring to him or another person? In the Hebrew culture, the term, The Lord, was understood to be a reference to the Messiah, the coming Savior of Israel. So in the psalm, David is referring not to himself, but to the future Messiah, God’s divinely appointed ruler over Israel.

Perhaps David believed his son Solomon would serve in that role. Like any father, David had high hopes for his son and longed for him to be the future deliverer of Israel. But what David didn't know was that this Spirit-inspired psalm was a prophetic vision concerning one of his future descendants who would rule in righteousness for eternity.

It is easy to see how David could have had his son Solomon in mind when writing this psalm. Years earlier, the prophet Nathan conveyed a message to him from Jehovah (the LORD).

“…the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) declares to you that the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESV

David's son Solomon did build a house for God. He carried out his father's wishes and constructed the Temple in Jerusalem. But this grand accomplishment did not solidify his kingdom or prevent him from becoming unfaithful to the One for whom the Temple was built. Solomon was wise, wealthy, and powerful, but he also had an unbridled love affair with women. At one point, his harem included 300 wives and 700 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). This obsession with the opposite sex was in direct violation of God's decree. 

“The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.” – Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT

Solomon accumulated great wealth and many wives. 

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done. – 1 Kings 11:1-6 NLT

So it is clear that the “Lord” referred to in Psalm 110 cannot be Solomon. He kingdom was not eternal. It came to an end because of his unfaithfulness. In fact, because of Solomon's idolatry and apostasy, the LORD split his kingdom in half. 

“Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.” – 1 Kings 12:11-13 NLT

So, who is David referring to when he writes the following?:

The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
    you will rule over your enemies.
When you go to war,
    your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
    and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. – Psalm 110:2-3 NLT

This psalm is a prophecy concerning Jesus and His future role as the conquering Messiah. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David prophesied about the Millennial reign of Jesus, which would take place at His second coming. David knew there was a day coming when all the enemies of Israel and God would be completely destroyed by the King of kings and LORD of Lords, but he had no way of knowing it would be Jesus, the incarnate Son of God.

The book of Matthew records an incident between Jesus and the Pharisees, where Jesus used this very passage to point to himself.

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
    until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.  – Matthew 22:41-46 NLT

Jesus knew this Psalm predicted a future event that had not yet occurred. But there was no doubt in Jesus’ mind that Psalm 110 spoke of Himself. This Old Testament passage serves as a reminder to us that there is a day coming when Jesus, as the Christ (the Greek word for Messiah), will return to the earth to complete the plan of God for Israel and all mankind. Jesus’ work is not yet done. He currently sits at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1), but when God is ready, He will send Jesus to finish what He began with His death and resurrection.

He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
He will punish the nations
    and fill their lands with corpses;
    he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
    He will be victorious. – Psalm 110:5-7 NLT

As a king, David saw this as a wonderful picture of victory over his enemies. He knew that someday God would give Israel complete victory over every one of their foes. David lived in a time when battle was a daily ordeal. He was surrounded by enemies and regularly confronted by war. There was never a day when someone didn’t want to destroy him or the nation over which he ruled. So the idea of final victory and perfect peace was appealing to him. And it should be to us as well.

Like David, we are surrounded by enemies who oppose God and His ways. They live for this world and are influenced by the Prince of this world, Satan himself. Every day, we do battle with our flesh, the world, and the devil. We are under constant attack. There is never a time when we can take a day off or remove our armor. We must be constantly prepared to defend ourselves because the war and the casualties are real. We see them in the form of broken marriages, rebellious children, addictions, depression, anxiety, and disease.

This psalm assures us that a day is coming when God will set all things right. His plan will be finalized. His Son, the Messiah, will complete what He came to do. In His first advent, Jesus came to provide a means of salvation for mankind. He made it possible for sinful humanity to be restored to a right relationship with God. Through the sacrifice of His life, He offered men and women a means by which they could escape the coming wrath of God against all who refuse Him.

But there is a day coming when Christ will return a second time, but not as Savior, but as a conquering King. He will do battle with all those who stand opposed to God and He will be victorious. The enemy will be defeated once and for all, and Christ will set up His kingdom on earth and rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem. There will be peace in the world for the first time since the creation of the world. Order will be restored, and shalom (peace) will be present again. 

The apostle John was given a vision of this fulfillment of the scene that David tried to describe.

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. – Revelation 22:3-5 NLT

Jesus will return someday. He will complete the assignment given to Him by God the Father, and the glorious future David envisioned will come to pass. David did not live long enough to see it. Neither did Solomon. But the promise remains, and its fulfillment is assured because God is faithful and all-powerful. 

This is a Messianic Psalm. It predicts the coming return and reign of Christ on earth. It is short and sweet, painting the future rule of Christ in just a few lines. It establishes Jesus as a descendant of David and his Lord and Master. He is the Messiah.

This psalm should comfort all who call themselves Christ-followers. It is a reminder of how the story ends. Even though we see a lot of suffering in the world and even question how this whole mess will sort itself out, David reminds us that Christ still reigns and rules in heaven, and one day He will return and put all things right.

Jesus may have come as an innocent baby the first time, but He isn’t going to return that way. He will be the conquering king and warrior who defeats all the enemies of God and sets up His righteous rule on earth. That is not just a hope; it is a certainty. It will happen, and we can count on it. It is all part of God’s divine plan. When Jesus returns, He will judge the nations justly and righteously. He will make all things right. And that future hope should bring us present peace.

Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity. – Matthew Bridges, “Crown Him With Many Crowns” (1851)

Father, in the midst of the daily battles of life it is so easy to get defeated by what appears to be a hopeless cause. It can be so easy to want to give up and give in. Our efforts seem to make no difference. The battles we fight don’t seem to be winning the war. But in the Psalm You remind us that the ultimate victory is Yours, not ours. David had to fight his battles, but he rested in the knowledge that You will one day bring about complete victory. Never let me forget that. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Primer on Praise

1 Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
    or declare all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice,
    who do righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
    help me when you save them,
5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
    that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 Both we and our fathers have sinned;
    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
    did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
    that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe
    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 And the waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words;
    they sang his praise.

13 But they soon forgot his works;
    they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
    and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked,
    but sent a wasting disease among them.

16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses
    and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
    and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
    the flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb
    and worshiped a metal image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
    for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
    to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised the pleasant land,
    having no faith in his promise.
25 They murmured in their tents,
    and did not obey the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
    scattering them among the lands.

28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
    and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
    from generation to generation forever.

32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
    and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33 for they made his spirit bitter,
    and he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples,
    as the LORD commanded them,
35 but they mixed with the nations
    and learned to do as they did.
36 They served their idols,
    which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons;
38 they poured out innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they became unclean by their acts,
    and played the whore in their deeds.

40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,
    and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations,
    so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
    and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
    but they were rebellious in their purposes
    and were brought low through their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
    when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant,
    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
    by all those who held them captive.

47 Save us, O LORD our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.

48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
    Praise the LORD!  – Psalm 106:1-48 ESV

They say hindsight is 20/20. This euphemistic idiom expresses the insight one receives after coming out on the other side of a difficult circumstance. Looking back at a situation, it seems obvious what should have been done, but it was not apparent in the moment. The author of the 106th Psalm appears to have hindsight bias as he chronicles events from the history of the nation of Israel. 

This psalm provides a sweeping overview of Israel's less-than-flattering relationship with Yahweh. It painstakingly outlines their track record of apostasy and disobedience while reminding them of God's patient display of love, grace, and mercy. 

The psalmist declares his own culpability and responsibility for their strained relationship with Yahweh.  

Like our ancestors, we have sinned.
    We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!
Our ancestors in Egypt
    were not impressed by the LORD’s miraculous deeds. – Psalm 106:6-7 NLT

This psalm appears to have been written late in Israel's history, long after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians and Judah's subsequent fall to the Babylonians. So, the author is writing retrospectively, looking back on centuries of disobedience and rebellion against God that culminated in the defeat and captivity of His chosen people. 

The books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles recap the history of Israel and are aimed at an audience that had just returned from 70 years in captivity in Babylon. This remant of former captives might have had reason to question the goodness of God and His faithfulness to them. After all, He had allowed Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian troops to destroy Jerusalem, desecrate the Temple, and deport them into a seven-decade-long period of slavery and oppression. Why had Yahwen allowed that to happen? How could a good and loving God allow His children to suffer for so long?

Considering the context, this Psalm takes on a whole new light. In it, the psalmist is calling on the people of Israel to praise Yahweh.

Praise the LORD!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD?
    Who can ever praise him enough? – Psalm 106:1-2 NLT

He encourages them to give Yahwen thanks for His goodness and lovingkindness. He challenges them to remember all that God has done for them. Just in case their memory is spotty and they have difficulty recalling what God has done on their behalf, he tells them. In not-so-subtle fashion, he outlines the not-so-pretty history of the people of Israel and their interactions with God.

He begins his epic recounting of their sin-filled saga all the way back to Egypt. From the very beginning, they had questioned God and rebelled against His plans for them. Even after He miraculously released them from captivity in Egypt, they rebelled against His leadership when they found themselves at the Red Sea with no way across and the enemy bearing down on them. They questioned His lovingkindness and doubted His power. Yet, He still provided a way of escape. During their days in the wilderness, they repeatedly complained against His leadership, ability to provide, and the integrity of His plan for their lives. The Psalmist reminds his readers, "In the wilderness, their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry land" (Psalms 106:14 NLT).

Driven by their physical desires, and not just for food, the people continually rebelled against God. The list goes on and on, and their track record was not a good one. They forgot God, worshiped idols, and complained continually. They even rejected the idea of the promised land, demanding that Moses allow them to return to Egypt. They seemingly forgot the fact of their 400 years of captivity and suffering, or decided that they would rather be slaves in Egypt than servants of the one true God in the land of promise.

The psalmist reminds them how God repeatedly punished them for their rebellion. He sent nations against them, using these foreign invaders to subjugate and oppress them. Then, God would miraculously deliver them, only to see them fall back into the same sin and rebellion. This cycle of sin, suffering, and salvation is the story of the period of the Judges.

Again and again he rescued them,
    but they chose to rebel against him,
    and they were finally destroyed by their sin.

Even so, he pitied them in their distress
    and listened to their cries. – Psalm 106:43-44 NLT

Even so. Nevertheless. Yet. Still.

Various translations render verse 44 differently, yet it provides the key to understanding this entire psalm. Despite all they had done to alienate God and rebel against Him, He responded in love, kindness, mercy, and grace. He looked down. He heard their cry. He remembered His covenant with them. He relented. Even when they found themselves in captivity in Babylon, God caused their captors to show them mercy, to the point that they allowed the people of God to return to their own land.

God cared for His rebellious people even though they had rejected Him. That is why He is worthy of their praise. He had saved them and gathered them from among the nations. So, their response should be to glorify His name and bless Him for who He is and all that He has done. The psalmist strongly encourages them to thank God for His undeserved grace and mercy. This message should have resonated with the people of Israel because He had been good to them. He had graciously orchestrated their return to the land and allowed them to rebuild their destroyed capital and desecrated Temple. Yahweh had kept His promise and restored their broken relationship with Him. 

But what about us? Do we fully understand all that God has done for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son? Do we comprehend the magnitude of our own sin and rebellion, our alienation from God due to our inherited and inherent sin natures? We, too, were separated from God by a gulf that was too wide for us to cross. We were condemned by sin and were worthy of God's righteous and just punishment. We were dead in our sinfulness and yet, nevertheless, even so, still – God sent His Son.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:6-8 NASB

We couldn't save ourselves, so God did it for us by sending His Son to die in our place. He showed us mercy when we deserved wrath. He extended grace that was unwarranted and undeserved. Now we stand before Him as forgiven, righteous, redeemed, restored, and with full access to His throne as His children. So why wouldn't we praise Him? Why wouldn't we constantly thank Him for all that He has done? Why would we waste a single second complaining about our lot in life? Why would we even think about whining when He has saved us from captivity to sin and the penalty of eternal death?

And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
Praise the Lord! – Psalms 106:48 NASB

Father, I have so much to praise You for, but I need nothing more than the fact that You have saved me in spite of me. You took me when I was at my worst and provided a way of salvation I couldn't have come up with on my own. I was dead and You made me alive. I was captive to a life of sin and You set me free. I was condemned to death and You pardoned me. You paid the price for my sin that I could never have afforded to pay. I stand before You restored, redeemed, and fully forgiven by You. So You are more than worthy of my praise! Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Good Shepherd

A Psalm for giving thanks.

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2  Serve the LORD with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations. – Psalm 100:1-5 ESV

This anonymous psalm closes out this section of the psalter that celebrates Yahweh's rule and reign. It provides a succinct yet triumphant statement regarding the Almighty's worthiness of worship and adoration, and repeats a phrase found in an earlier psalm.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises! – Psalm 98:4 ESV

This call for God's people to respond to His majesty and might with joy-filled voices is meant to be a command, not a suggestion. The psalmist can't imagine any other acceptable response to all that God has done. He is a great and good God who not only formed man out of the dust of the ground, but also created the nation of Israel from an elderly man and his equally old and barren wife. The Israelites existed because God had done the impossible. He took a pagan idol worshiper and commissioned him for an impossible mission.

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” – Genesis 12:1 NLT

Abram had to abandon his false gods and follow Yahweh, leaving behind his homeland and family to travel to a distant land that God promised to give his descendants as their inheritance. If Abram obeyed, God assured Abram that his future descendants would be great in number and a blessing to the nations.

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:2-3 NLT

And God had kept that promise. That is why the psalmist calls on the people of Israel to acknowledge the miracle God had done for them.

Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. – Psalm 100:4 NLT

The Israelites had been richly blessed by God, but they had responded with disobedience, unfaithfulness, and ingratitude. For generations, they had chosen to worship the gods of the pagan nations around them. Their kings had proven to be poor leaders, and their priests had exposed themselves as unreliable shepherds.

Yet, the psalmist knew that God still deserved their adoration and praise. That is why he called them to reverse their trend of infidelity and return to the One who created them and called them His own.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name. – Psalm 100:4 NLT

The people of Israel had proven to be unreliable, unfaithful, and undeserving of Yahweh's grace and mercy, but they remained His chosen people. Yahweh's faithfulness was unshakeable, and His love was unfailing.

For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation. – Psalm 100:5 NLT

There is no indication of when this psalm was written, but it could have been at any time in Israel's less-than-flattering history. Their very existence as a nation was due to God's unmerited love and favor, and He deserved their undivided adoration and appreciation.

Over the centuries, this moving psalm has inspired other authors to pick up the pen and “ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” (Psalm 29:2 ESV). In 1561, William Kethe used Psalm 100 as the inspiration for his hymn: “All People That On Earth Do Dwell.”

All people that on Earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forthtell;
Come ye before him and rejoice.

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

For why? The Lord our God is good;
His mercy is forever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure. – William Kethe (1561)

But this engaging imagery of Yahweh as the good and gracious shepherd must be balanced by the weight of His holiness and justice. God could not turn a blind eye to the disobedience of His chosen people or the poor leadership of those appointed to serve as His undershepherds. The Book of Ezekiel records God's less-than-pleased response to the shoddy shepherding of Israel’s kings and priests.

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.” – Ezekiel 34:2-6 NLT

They had dropped the ball, and Yahweh was not pleased.

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.” – Ezekiel 34:8-10 NLT

Despite the failed leadership of Israel's royal and religious castes, Yahweh was going to restore the fortunes of His abandoned flock. He would step in and remedy the problem by rescuing His sheep

“I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!” – Ezekiel 34:11-16 NLT

God will accomplish this divine rescue by appointing a shepherd who will replicate the leadership of David, the great shepherd-king of Israel.

“So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 34:22-24 NLT

And centuries later, Jesus would claim to be the fulfillment of this divine promise of restoration and redemption.

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” – John 10:7-16  NLT

The psalmist had no way of knowing about Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. He was equally oblivious to the Second Coming of Christ and His role as the Shepherd-King who would reign in righteousness from David's throne in Jerusalem for a thousand years. But the psalmist knew enough about Yahweh's faithfulness and unfailing love to understand that He could be trusted and was worthy of worship and praise. How much more should we be willing to acknowledge the greatness of our God when we know how the story ends?

“His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:5 NLT). Jesus is the proof of that statement, and should be all the motivation we need to sing Yahweh's praises.

Father, I don't praise You enough, and I certainly don't thank you enough for all that You have done for me. I am blessed beyond belief. That You, the God of the universe, chose to have a relationship with me and made it possible through the gracious gift of Your Son's sinless life should blow me away and leave me with no other response that to shout Your praises. Forgive me for my ingratitude. I am sorry that I treat Your grace so cheaply and your love as if I somehow deserve it. I know nothing could be further from the truth. So, I stop right now to say, “the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, nand his faithfulness continues to each generation. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

My God, In Whom I Trust

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.” – Psalm 91:1-16 ESV

The author of this psalm remains unknown, but his message is a familiar one that encourages trust in a trustworthy God. He opens his psalm with a reminder of Yahweh’s sovereignty (Most High) and power (Almighty), two divine attributes that should promote confidence and peace among the children of God.

His word choice is intentional and carefully designed to create an aura of calm and quiet contentment.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.” – Pssalm 91:1-2 ESV

dwells – yāšaḇ – to remain, to sit, abide

shelter – sēṯer – secret place, protection, hiding place

abide – lûn – to stay permanently, to lodge (all night)

shadow – ṣēl – shade, protection, defense

refuge – maḥăsê – shelter from danger or storm, place of hope

fortress – māṣûḏ – stronghold, castle

Each word is intended to support the psalmist's message concerning Yahweh's trustworthiness. They are meant to be confidence-inducing and peace-promoting statements that flow from his own experience with God. He has found Yahweh to be a reliable source of strength, security, shelter, and protection, and he wants all those who hear the lyrics of his song to be reminded that they can expect God to deliver in their times of need.

For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection. – Psalm 91:3-4 NLT

The psalmist describes Yahweh as aggressively proactive, rescuing His children from every harmful circumstance and situation. Using the imagery of a mother bird protecting her young, he conveys God's instinctive inclination to shelter His children from harm. But God's response to His children's needs is more than mechanical or instinctual. It is based on His faithful promises.

The Hebrew word rendered as “faithfulness” in verse 4 is ĕmeṯ, and it conveys the idea of spoken truth. God had made a covenant commitment to protect and provide for the people of Israel for generations, and He was a promise-keeping God.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? – Numbers 23:19 NLT

Since the days when Moses led the people of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt and guided them to the land of promise, he had reminded them of God’s promise to provide for and protect them.

“For the people of Israel belong to the LORD;
    Jacob is his special possession.
He found them in a desert land,
    in an empty, howling wasteland.
He surrounded them and watched over them;
    he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.
Like an eagle that rouses her chicks
    and hovers over her young,
so he spread his wings to take them up
    and carried them safely on his pinions.” – Deuteronomy 32:9-11 NLT

“How blessed you are, O Israel!
    Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord?
He is your protecting shield
    and your triumphant sword!
Your enemies will cringe before you,
    and you will stomp on their backs!” – Deuteronomy 33:29 NLT

The psalmist picked up on that theme and reiterated its powerful message to the Israelites of his day. While their circumstances had changed, their God remained the same. He was still powerful and reliable. He was trustworthy and true. His strength had not diminished, and despite their disobedience, His promises remained fully intact. He would do what He said He would do.

That is why the psalmist calls his people to replace their fear with faith.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished. – Psalm 91:5-8 NLT

They had no reason to doubt God's word, so there was no cause for concern. No matter what trial or difficulty came their way, they could trust in the promises of God. He would show up at just the right time and deliver His children in ways that defied logic and displayed His power and sovereignty.

The psalmist makes a promise of his own that almost comes across as hyperbolic or exaggerated in nature.

If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! – Psalm 91:9-13 NLT

It's doubtful that he was speaking from personal experience. These fantastic claims are not meant to be actual evidence of God's past actions; they are intended to convey the miraculous and sometimes inexplicable nature of His power. His point seems to be that, with God on their side, the Israelites were virtually invincible. They could look back on their storied past and recall times when God protected them from plagues, as He had done during their stay in Egypt. They could also recount the stories of their ancestors' trek through the wilderness and how God had provided for all their needs along the way.

“For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the Lord your God.” – Deuteronomy 29:5-6 NLT

The psalmist goes out of his way to paint a glowing picture of God's power and trustworthiness. The Almighty has a proven track record of delivering on His promises and providing His people with all they need to succeed in a hostile and sometimes deadly world.

And to strengthen his argument, the psalmist closes with a personal word from God Himself.

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.” – Psalm 91:14-16 NLT

This psalm is not intended to offer the promise of a trouble-free life. He does not guarantee a heaven-on-earth experience devoid of sorrow, suffering, trials, or pain. Jesus Himself said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT). 

The apostle John wrote, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 ESV). John’s emphasis on overcoming is not a promise of a victory-filled life free from obstacles or opposition. John himself was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the gospel. The victory he promises is not an earthly one that manifests itself in triumph over every enemy and success at every turn. He isn't offering your best life now. No, he is focusing our attention on the final victory that Christ will bring when He returns to earth a final time and completes the plan of redemption He began at His crucifixion and resurrection.

As Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” But God has a plan in place that will ensure a future free from pain, suffering, sorrow, sin, disease, and death. It will come to fruition when His Son returns and it will bring the ultimate victory and fulfill every promise that God has made to His people.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:1-4 NLT

Father, You are trustworthy and true. You have proven it time and time again. The Scriptures are filled with stories of Your faithfulness. Our lives are living evidence of Your goodness and greatness. But sometimes we fail to see Your handiwork because we are looking for the wrong thing. We seek a different outcome from our trials than the one You have planned. We desire a trouble-free life when You are calling us to live a trust-filled life. You are always encouraging us to place our hope in You and not our circumstances. We are to judge Your faithfulness based on Your character, not the lack of trials in our lives. The truth is, You display Your strength through our weakness. You use difficulties to make us dependent upon You. Our trust tends to grow best when our need for You becomes greatest. Thank You for showing up when the times get tough. Thank You for displaying Your power in tangible ways. But more than anything else, thank You for being a promise-keeping God who will one day make all things right. You are not done but, because You are faithful, You will do what You promised. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The True Temple of God

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2     the LORD loves the gates of Zion
    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
    O city of God. Selah

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
    “This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her”;
    for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 The LORD records as he registers the peoples,
    “This one was born there.” Selah

7 Singers and dancers alike say,
    “All my springs are in you.” – Psalm 87:1-7 ESV

In another psalm attributed to the sons of Korah, the author praises the glory of Zion, the mountain upon which Jerusalem sits. In this royal city of David was located the majestic Temple, the dwelling place of Israel’s God. That this psalm was written by one of the sons of Korah makes it all the more striking. Their ancestor was a man who took part in an open rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. He was motivated by discontentment with his clan's role in the service of the Temple. Numbers 16 records God’s punishment of Korah and his co-conspirators, but it also chronicles His sparing of Korah's sons. They were graciously allowed to live and continue their work in God’s house.

So, this unnamed son of Korah chose to express his admiration for the Temple and its impact on the nation of Israel. He displays joy at the privilege of serving in the place where God chose to make His presence known. Yahweh had given His seal of approval for the Temple that Solomon built by taking up residence in it.

When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying,

“He is good!
    His faithful love endures forever!” – 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NLT

Years later, the psalmist reminds his fellow Israelites of their good fortune at having the Temple in their midst.

On the holy mountain
    stands the city founded by the LORD.
He loves the city of Jerusalem
    more than any other city in Israel.
O city of God,
    what glorious things are said of you! – Psalm 87:1-3 NLT

It was not the building itself that set Israel apart from all the other nations on earth. It was a magnificent structure that filled every Israelite with pride, but its true grandeur came from the glory of Yahweh that filled the Holy of Holies. At the dedication of the Temple, God declared His acceptance of the structure Solomon had constructed and His intention to bless His chosen people by dwelling among them.

“I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.” – 2 Chronicles 7:16 NLT

But the psalmist points out that Jerusalem, the city of God, would be home to more than just the people of Israel. He adds what appears to be a quote from Yahweh that expresses the Temple's international influence and the countless people from all the nations of the world who chose to make Yahweh their God.

I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—
    also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.
    They have all become citizens of Jerusalem! – Psalm 87:4 NLT

While Yahweh had set apart the Israelites as His own, He had not turned His back on the other nations. His presence and power had manifested from His holy Temple in Jerusalem and drawn others to choose Him as their God. Yahweh was an equal-opportunity deity who welcomed all to worship Him.

“Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.” – Psalm 87:5 NLT

Jerusalem was to be a light on a hill, shining forth the glory of God to the nations cloaked in darkness. The prophet Isaiah carried this idea further when he wrote of a “servant” who would bring light to the world.

“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
    as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.” – Isaiah 42:6 NLT

And now the Lord speaks—
    the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
    who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
    and my God has given me strength.
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
    I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
    and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” – Isaiah 59:5-6 NLT

Centuries later, the apostle John linked this “servant” role to Jesus.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5 NLT

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. – John 1:9 NLT

Jesus would later say of Himself, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12 NLT). Jesus was the Son of God who took on human flesh and, according to John, “made his home among us” (John 1:14 NLT). The Greek word John used to describe Jesus’ incarnation is skēnoō, which comes from the root word skēnos, which can be translated as “tabernacle” or “tent.” John is suggesting that Jesus “tabernacled” among us, just as the earthly Tabernacle dwelt among the people of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness.

John goes on to say, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son” (John 1:14 NLT). As the glory of God existed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, so Jesus displayed the glory of God in His human life.

For in Christ all the fulness of the  Deity dwells in bodily form.” – Colossians 2:9  BSB

Even Jesus utilized the metaphor of the Temple when referring to His life. He told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19 NLT). John went on to explain the meaning behind Jesus’ rather cryptic saying.

But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. – John 2:21-22 NLT

Jesus represented the true temple of God. In Him, divinity and humanity were joined together. He was the new locus of God's presence on earth. Four decades after His death and resurrection, the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. To this day, the peak of Mount Zion is void of any memory of the Temple’s once grand presence, except for the stones of its former foundation.

According to Paul, the Temple and everything associated with it were mere shadows of something greater to come (Colossians 2:17). They pointed to Christ, and the author of Hebrews explains how they provided a glimpse into the reality of Jesus’ role as the final manifestation of God’s glory on earth.

That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now. – Hebrew 9:1-5 NLT

All the furniture that filled the earthly Tabernacle was meant to illustrate Christ.

The golden lampstand – “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)

Table of shewbread – “I am the bread of life.” –(John 6:35)

The altar of incense – Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ…a fragrance from death to death…a fragrance from life to life. (2  Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT)

The Ark of the Covenant – Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation [hilastērion: Mercy Seat] by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:24-25)

Jesus became the means by which sinful men could receive permanent atonement for their sins. He became the true Temple of God, offering access into the Father's presence through His own shed blood. His sacrifice made atonement available to all who were willing to accept the gracious gift of His righteousness in exchange for their wickedness. And the Book of Revelation reveals that the day will come when Jesus, “the more perfect tent [skēnē}” will permantly replace any need for an earthy Temple.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. – Revelation 21:22-27 NLT

Jesus, the light of the world, will become the light of all eternity. The living temple will make access to God available to all, with no further need for repentance, redemption, or reconciliation with God.

And all who enjoy eternal life in the New Jerusalem will sing the song written by the son of Korah.

The people will play flutes and sing,
    “The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!” – Psalm 87:7 ESV

Father, the Temple no longer exists but that is not a problem for you. You have never needed a physical house in which to live. Yet You sent Your Son to take on an “earthly tent” and live among us so that He might die on behalf of us. He sacrificed that “tabernacle” so that You might restore it and provide a means for our future resurrection and glorification. Thank You for sending Jesus as Your earthly dwelling place and making access to Your presence possible. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Promise-Keeping God

Of Solomon.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the children of the needy,
    and crush the oppressor!

5 May they fear you while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
    and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
    the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live;
    may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
    and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
    all nations call him blessed!

18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!

20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. – Psalm 72:1-19 ESV

It is unclear whether this psalm was written for or by Solomon. The preposition in the title could be translated either way, leaving room for both interpretations. But what makes this psalm even more confusing is the final verse, which seems to indicate that David was its author. However, most scholars believe this verse was a later addition and was intended to serve as a point of separation between Books 1 and 2 of the Psalter and Psalms 73-83, which are all attributed to Asaph.

If this psalm was written by Solomon, it seems odd that he would communicate his prayer in the third person. The entire psalm is a petition for God to bless the king with wisdom and discernment so that he might rule justly and fairly.

O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions.
Grant the king’s son the ability to make fair decisions.
Then he will judge your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones equitably. – Psalm 72:1-2 NLT

What purpose would it serve for Solomon to pray anonymously and from the perspective of a loyal subject of the king? It makes more sense to see this as a prayer written on behalf of the king, asking the LORD to pour out His favor in the form of prosperity for the nation and justice for its people.

The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice.
He will defend the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver the children of the poor
and crush the oppressor. – Psalm 72:3-4 NLT

According to Nathan, the prophet, Solomon was God’s appointed replacement for David. God had promised to bless David with a descendant who would rule in his place and provide him with an unending dynasty.

“The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.  Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 NLT

In his old age, David faced a potential coup from one of his own sons that threatened to disrupt God’s plans for Solomon.

Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, “I will be king!” He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.  (Now his father had never corrected him by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.) He collaborated with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him. – 1 Kings 1:5-7 NLT

David ended Adonijah’s ambitions by declaring Solomon his rightful heir and replacement.

King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, and he told them, “Take your master’s servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” – 1 Kings 1:32-35 NLT

In Psalm 72, the author petitions God to pour out His blessings on Solomon so that the kingdom of Israel might prosper under his leadership.

During his days the godly will flourish;
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. – Psalm 72:7-8 NLT

He describes a divinely blessed reign marked by peace, justice, and righteousness. This idealic vision of a God-ordained dynasty under the leadership of Solomon points to an even greater ruler to come. Many scholars believe Psalm 72 contains Messianic references, pointing to Jesus’ millennial reign. What the psalmist describes is a virtual utopia in which Israel is free from the threats of war and the king is treated with honor and respect by all the nations of the earth.

While Solomon’s reign was marked by peace and prosperity, and the kingdom enjoyed unprecedented expansion, it did not end well. Because of his disobedience, Solomon’s kingdom was divided after his death. As punishment for Solomon’s idolatry, God split Israel into two kingdoms, leaving Solomon’s heir with authority over two of the 12 tribes. The kingdom would remain in this divided state for centuries, with the two nations warring against one another. The northern kingdom of Israel would even set up their own worship sites where they bowed down to their false gods.

Yet, God had promised to establish a dynasty and an everlasting kingdom for David. That promise will be fulfilled in the second coming of Jesus, when He sets up His millennial kingdom in Jerusalem and rules as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Book of Revelation describes this future fulfullment of God’s promise.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. – Revelation 20:1-4 NLT

The prayer of Psalm 72 will be fulfilled, but not until Jesus returns. As a descendant of David, He will rule from the throne of His ancestor in the city of Jerusalem and mete out justice and righteousness on the nations of the earth. The promise God made to David will be fulfilled, and the prayers of the psalmist will be answered in full because God is faithful.

Father, You are faithful and Your promises never fall short. You do what You say You will do – each and every time. Help me to trust You more. Give me the strength to believe even when things don't appear to be going the way I think they should go. You have a plan and You are working that plan to perfection. I have no reason to fear or doubt because Your promises always come to fruition. You will fulfill every promise You made to David because You are trusworthy. Thank You for that reminder today. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Dark and Light

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise. – Psalm 36:1-12 ESV

In this Psalm, David compares the wicked with God. Both are realities in his life. As the king of the nation of Israel, David is surrounded by enemies – both within and without. He could witness and experience firsthand the attitudes and actions of the wicked as they interacted with him daily. Of course, David seems to be using the literary device of hyperbole to make his point about the wicked  – but only slightly. He speaks of their hearts being filled with wickedness. He describes them as being so blinded by pride that they are oblivious to their sinfulness.

In their blind conceit,
    they cannot see how wicked they really are. – Psalm 36:2 NLT

They display no fear of God, and everything they say and do is perverted by their own sin so that they are incapable of doing anything good or wise. Their wickedness is so pervasive that it inhibits their sleep and produces a non-stop obsession with wickedness. 

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
    Their actions are never good. – Psalm 36:4 NLT

David imagines them lying awake at night, dreaming up evil things to do the next day. From his perspective, it’s as if they couldn’t stop doing evil even if they wanted to. While much of this is exaggerated, there is a certain degree to which it is true. Those who do not know Christ and have a relationship with God through Him are controlled by sin. They are slaves to sin (Romans 6:19). They are incapable of doing what is right or righteous in God’s eyes. This doesn’t mean they are incapable of doing anything good, but that the good they do will never earn them favor or merit in God’s eyes. Isaiah put it this way: 

We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
    and our sins sweep us away like the wind. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

So, in a way, David was right. The wicked – those who do not believe in God – are incapable of doing anything good. They are controlled by and enslaved to sin.

But then, David addresses the other reality in his life: God. While the wicked were always present in David’s life, so was God. Yahweh was a constant and consistent source of strength, encouragement, hope, and help. David describes God’s unfailing love and mercy, His unbelievable steadfastness or faithfulness, His justice and righteous judgments, and His ever-present salvation, care, provision, and protection. David describes God as the “fountain of life, the light by which we see” (Psalm 36:9 NLT). God not only gave us life, but He graciously maintains and sustains it. He makes every breath we take and every second we live on this earth possible, which is true for the righteous and the wicked.

God provides us with light so that we can see. In Hebrew, verse nine literally translates as, “In thy light we see light.” David is saying that it is only in the illuminating presence of God’s glory that we gain the capacity to see things as they really are. The wicked can’t see their own wickedness. But when we stand in the light of God’s glory, our sinfulness is exposed by His glory. The prophet Isaiah had just such an experience. 

I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:1-5 NLT

Peter had a similar experience when he first witnessed Jesus performing a miracle. He and his companions had fished all night and caught nothing. But Jesus commanded them to go back out and cast their nets one more time. Unused to taking fishing advice from a Rabbi, Peter reluctantly obeyed, and what happened next would be a life-changing experience for him.

…this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. – Luke 5:6-7 NLT

Stunned by the results and convinced that Jesus was more than just a Rabbi, Peter “fell to his knees before Jesus and said, ‘Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man’” (Luke 5:8 NLT). In the light of Jesus’ glorious presence, Peter saw the depth of his own depravity. He experienced the truth of John’s words, which opened up his gospel account.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5 NLT

John goes on to say, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him” (John 1:10 NLT). The Light of the world came into the world to dispel the darkness, but those who lived in the world rejected Him. They didn’t want their darkness exposed. They didn’t want the Light to illuminate and eliminate the wickedness they had grown to love. Yet John writes, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13 NLT).

David was intimately familiar with the wickedness of man. He had experienced its pervasive presence in his own life. But he also knew that God was righteous and just. His ways were pure and free from any hint of wickedness. He could be trusted because He was always trustworthy. David had discovered God's faithfulness to be immeasurable and inexhaustible. God’s love was unfailing, and His mercy was unwavering. David would not allow the presence of the wicked to diminish his trust in God because he knew the Light would conquer the darkness. The wicked were no match for “the light by which we see” (Psalm 36:9 NLT).

With David, we can say, “Pour out your unfailing love on those who love (know) you; give justice to those with honest (righteous) hearts” (Psalm 36:10 NLT). We have had our darkness exposed, our sins forgiven, and our hearts transformed by the Light of the world. We were once just like those David describes in the opening verses of this Psalm. But because of the grace, mercy, and goodness of God, we have been given a second chance. We have experienced the truth of the prophecy first spoken by Isaiah and recorded by Matthew in his gospel account.

“…the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” – Matthew 4:16 NLT

We have drunk from the river of delights, sheltered in the shadow of His wings, and fed from the abundance of His house. We have been enlightened and transformed by the life-changing power of God’s glorious presence, and while the wicked may prosper, they will never prevail. 

Father, we are surrounded by those who love darkness more than light and wickedness more than righteousness. But we used to be the same way. And we would still be that way if it were not for the gracious gift of Your Son. May we learn to love the Light and increasingly appreciate how it exposes our own sin. You are always transforming us into the likeness of Christ and that takes the exposure of our sin nature. It isn’t always fun to see, but it’s a necessary part of the transformative process. Thank You for Your patient, loving care for us. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Maskil of David.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:1-11 ESV

This is a didactic psalm, one that is intended to share a hard-learned life lesson with others. In this psalm, David uses his personal experience with sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness to encourage others to follow his example. He describes the joy that comes with living openly and honestly with God.

“…what joy for those
    whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty! – Psalm 32:2 NLT

At the same time, David shares the far more painful experience of refusing to admit his guilt. Failure to repent results in the easily avoidable discipline of God.

When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. – Psalm 32:2-4 NLT

David provides only two alternatives when it comes to dealing with sin: Confess and receive God’s gracious forgiveness or stubbornly refuse God’s conviction and bear the consequences. For David, the choice was a simple one.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5 NLT

David used his life experiences as a teaching tool, hoping to spare others the painful lesson of trying to deny their sin and ignore their guilt. That way of life was unproductive and painful. Yet, the unpleasant consequences of unrepentance could be avoided by heeding David’s gracious advice. In a prayerful aside to God, David offers his desire that all men could discover the joy of confession and forgiveness. 

…let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. – Psalm 32:6 NLT

Turning back to his human audience, David begs them to heed his words.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control. – Psalm 32:9 NLT

Stubbornness is not a virtue. An unwillingness to admit guilt is not the same thing as innocence. Denying one’s sin does not make it go away. Refusing to accept God’s conviction does nothing to avoid condemnation. David offers the choice between sorrow and joy, suffering and blessing, denial and divine forgiveness.

One of the sad realities of human life is sinfulness. It is unavoidable and inevitable. We have inherited a sin nature, and it shows up uninvited and without warning on a regular basis in all of our lives. Sometimes, our sins are small and appear relatively harmless. Other times, even we are appalled at the extent of our own capability to commit sins that are offensive to most men, let alone God. Our sinful natures are constantly doing battle within us, fighting with the indwelling influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul put it this way:

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

The battle within us is real, and the presence of our sinful nature is easy to recognize. We see it in the sins we commit daily, both sins of commission and omission. We don’t do the things we should do, and we do those things God has forbidden us to do. But here is the good news: God is fully aware of our sinful nature. He knows that we are sinners, so He sent His Son to serve as our sin substitute.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

God has set us free from slavery to sin. We no longer HAVE to sin, because we have been given a new nature. He has provided His Spirit to indwell us, fill us, and empower us to live a life that is no longer sin-saturated, but Christ-centered. We now have the capacity to NOT sin. We can say no to sin.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. – Romans 6:6-7 NLT

But the truth is, we still sin because we still have three things contending against us: Satan, the world, and our own sinful natures. John reminds us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8 NLT). So sin is still inevitable but avoidable. When we do sin, there is hope. We have forgiveness available to us. We need only confess or admit our sin to God, and He offers complete forgiveness. Confession is not telling God something He doesn’t already know about us. He knows everything. He sees all our sins. Confession is agreeing with God on the presence of that sin in our lives and acknowledging our need for His forgiveness. David said, “I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt” (Psalms 32:5 NLT). The Hebrew word for “confessed” is yada, and it carries the idea of both knowing something and making it known. As God makes us aware of our sin, we are encouraged to agree with HIs assessment and acknowledge our guilt to Him. That is confession.

Attempting to hide or deny our sin is ridiculous because God already knows all about it. When we refuse to confess, we miss out on His forgiveness. As part of His sanctifying process in our lives, God is always exposing our. He shines the flashlight of His divine omniscience into the dark recesses of our lives to point out the unconfessed sins that reside there. When He reveals our sins to us, all He asks is that we acknowledge or confess their presence to Him and ask for His forgiveness. The good news is that is exactly what we receive. David says, “what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalms 32:2 NLT).

David loved the forgiveness of God because he knew how much he needed it. He was a sinner just like you and me. He didn’t always do what God wanted him to do, and he sometimes did those things God didn’t want him to do. But David knew the reality and blessing of confession and forgiveness. So, he reminds us to live a life of confession as well.

David knew that God guides and directs His children on how to live. Part of that process requires the exposure of the sin in our lives so that we might be made aware of it and then confess it to Him. It is for our own good. To refuse to see it, acknowledge it, and admit it would make us like a senseless horse or mule that needs the pain of a bridle and bit to make it do what it is supposed to do. Confession is meant to be comforting because it leads to forgiveness. It frees us from guilt, restores our relationship with the Father, and brings us joy. So why wouldn’t we confess our sins readily and regularly?

Father, I confess to You that I do not confess often enough. I sometimes try to ignore my sins as if they are not that great. But I know that I need to see them and confess them to You. They are a constant reminder to me of my need for You. I cannot cleanse myself. I cannot sanctify myself. I cannot get rid of my sin by myself. Only You can remove the sin that remains within me. Only You can conquer the sin nature that still does battle with me daily. So I want to learn to confess more regularly and readily, so that I might enjoy the blessing of Your forgiveness.. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah – Psalm 24:1-10 ESV

Ultimately, this Psalm is about God. It speaks of His holiness, power, glory, and transcendence. God is not like us. He is transcendent and wholly righteous in all that He does. He is the creator of everything and operates outside the limits of time and space. God is eternal and omnipresent. He sees all, knows all, and is obligated by His holiness to mete out justice to all those who fail to live up to His rigorous and unbending moral standards. Sinful men can’t just come into His presence any time they want – flippantly or arrogantly. They must recognize His holiness and acknowledge their unrighteousness.

David understood and revered the otherness of God. He begins his Psalm with a declaration of God’s status as the maker of the heavens and the earth. He is the uncreated, ever-existent one who exists outside His creation and rules over it from “his holy place” (Psalm 24:3 ESV). From his limited, earth-bound perspective, David envisions God’s abode as a mountain. He is inaccessible and unapproachable. David may be referring to Mount Sinai in the wilderness, where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments. Moses described God’s glorious presence on Mount Sinai in startling and intimidating terms.

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. – Exodus 19:16-20 NLT

Not only was this manifestation of God’s glory frightening to the people of Israel, but they had been warned about the danger of coming anywhere near His presence. In preparation for Yahweh’s appearance on the mountaintop, the people were commanded to purify themselves.

“Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’” – Exodus 19:10-13 NLT

God was holy and they were not. They could not just barge into His presence unprepared and with an attitude of entitlement. David seems to have this incident in mind when he asks, “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3 NLT). And he answers his own questions. 

Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies. – Psalm 24:4 NLT

God’s holiness demands that His people be righteous and faithfully keep His commands. David seems to truncate God’s law into two simple imperatives. The first is God-directed, demanding that men worship Yahweh alone, which is in keeping with the first of the Ten Commandments. David’s second injunction is man-oriented, prohibiting the speaking of falsehoods. His simplification of God's moral code is in keeping with what Jesus said when He was asked what the greatest commandment was.

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40 NLT

Love God and love others. That was the core issue behind the Mosaic Law, and David seems to have understood that long before Jesus explained it to the Pharisees. Only those who love God and others well “will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior” (Psalm 24:5 NLT). According to David, only those kinds of people can seek God and worship in His presence.

This high view of God runs counter to the current trend of seeing God as our friend or the kindly old grandfather in the sky. Far too many treat God like He’s their personal valet, life coach, or personal trainer. David reminds us that God is not someone who is to be treated lightly or with disdain. Those who seek God and enjoy the benefits of a relationship with Him are those whose deeds are blameless, whose hearts are pure and innocent, and whose lives are not marked by worthless, vain conduct. They recognize that their behavior plays a big part in their ability to enjoy God’s blessings.

God is the King of Glory. He deserves our praise, adoration, worship, wonder, awe, reverence, fear, and respect. He is strong and mighty. He is holy and righteous. He is set apart. He is above all and deserving of all glory and honor. It is God’s separateness and our own sinfulness that makes the cross of Jesus Christ so amazing and life-changing. It is Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross that allows sinful men and women to have access to the very throne room of God. It is what He has done that enables us to share in His righteousness and be viewed by God as holy. We have access to His presence not because WE are blameless and pure in and of ourselves but because Jesus Christ was blameless and pure. Because He took all our sinfulness on Himself at the cross, we were imputed His righteousness. We are seen by God as blameless, innocent, clean, pure, holy, and righteous.

And as if that was not enough, God gave us His Holy Spirit to indwell us and empower us to live holy lives. We can live righteously and rightly – despite the presence of our sinful natures. We can live by the Spirit, or we can live according to the flesh (our sinful nature). We can live in obedience or disobedience. The choice is up to us. Each day we must recognize God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. We must remember what Christ has done for us on the cross. We must rest in the fact that we have the same power that raised Christ from the dead living within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. We can live holy lives. We can say no to sin and yes to God’s transformative power in our lives.

Our daily desire should be to come into God’s presence – recognizing His holiness and our responsibility to treat Him with dignity, honor, and respect. Paul put it this way,

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. – Romans 12:1 NLT

We belong to Him. He paid for us with His own Son’s life. We are to give our lives to Him and allow Him to transform us into the likeness of His Son – and in so doing, honor Him for who He is – the King of Glory.

The final three verses of this Psalm provide a prophetic vision of the second coming of Jesus Christ when He appears as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will be Jehovah-Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts, who returns to earth to complete God’s grand plan of redemption that includes the restoration of all things. David describes the gates of Jerusalem being opened wide so that the LORD of Hosts can enter and rule in righteousness from the throne of David.

These closing verses present a stark contrast to David's opening questions: “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” Rather than a man attempting to enter God’s presence based on his own righteousness, this closing scene pictures the King of Glory coming to dwell with men on earth. The righteous one will make His home with us. 

Father, never let me treat You with anything but respect, glory, and honor. Never let me get so casual with You that I lose sight of your holiness. Never let me take for granted that I have access into Your presence because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. You are the King of glory and You deserve my respect, honor, and awe. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Unbelievability of Divine Accessibility

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved. – Psalm 15:1-5 ESV

Who can be a welcome guest in God’s house or become a permanent resident in the place where He lives?

Those are the questions David asks to open Psalm 15, and they are a bit sobering and scary if you stop to think about them. What kind of person has the right to come into God’s presence? What qualifies them to live their lives as God’s neighbor – so to speak? David answers his own questions by describing someone who lives a life of integrity. They “lead blameless lives and do what is right” (Psalm 15:2 NLT). That word “blameless” makes us uncomfortable because it seems to convey the idea of sinless perfection. But the Hebrew phrase David uses is hālaḵ tāmîm and it means “to walk uprightly.” It does not describe a life free from sin or unrighteousness but a way of life that is pleasing to God. It is the same calling Abraham received from God at the ripe old age of 90.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” – Genesis 17:1 ESV

David would have been familiar with this passage and known that God was not expecting Abraham to live a sin-free life. The Hebrew word hālaḵ means to live one’s life openly, without compartmentalization. Abraham was expected to conduct himself with an awareness that God saw all he did. There was to be no sacred/secular split in the patriarch’s life. Nothing was to be hidden or considered off-limits to God. Abraham’s conduct was to be tāmîm, which conveys the idea of wholeness or completeness. In other words, Abraham was to live a life of integrity. 

David picks up on this theme of living an integral, uncompartmentalized life and uses it to describe the kind of person who can enter into God's presence. They are the kind of person whose actions are right and whose speech is marked by truth and not lies. They don’t use words to hurt others or take advantage of them. They have a strong dislike for anyone whose life is marked by a love for sin. But they recognize the value of those who love the Lord. They are promise keepers, not promise breakers. They share their money with others without demanding payment in return (plus a little something extra for their efforts). And they would never think of selling out someone just to pad their own wallet.

David says the person whose life is characterized by this kind of behavior is the one who will be left standing in the end. He or she will be welcomed as God’s guest and given a place in His presence. David covers virtually every aspect of an individual’s life: character, speech, conduct, values, integrity—even finances. This is a person who shares God’s heart. It’s a portrait of someone whose life pleases God.

But wait. How are we expected to pull this off? According to the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV). In the previous Psalm, David clearly stated, “There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1 ESV).
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No one always does what is right. No one always speaks the truth from a sincere heart. Everyone gossips and occasionally speaks evil of their friends. There isn’t one thing on David’s list of godly characteristics that any human being can hope to fulfill perfectly or entirely. So, what hope does humanity have of entering God’s presence? If these are the criteria for acceptance, how can anyone measure up?

In Psalm 14, David said, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Psalm 14:2-3 NLT). Paul takes up that same theme in his letter to the believers in Rome. “No one is righteous — not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). So what are we supposed to do?

Paul goes on to tell us, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:20-22 NLT).

But David didn’t know about Jesus. While he had a vague conception about the coming Messiah, it did not include an understanding of Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. David had no way of knowing that Jesus would fulfill the Law and provide a way for sinful men to be restored to a right relationship with God the Father through faith in His sacrificial death on the cross. 

David was ignorant of the Gospel, but he understood the love of God. David knew that God placed high expectations on His children, but he was confident that God’s holiness and righteousness was balanced by His grace and mercy. David longed to be the kind of man who could access the presence of God but he knew he would need God’s help to do so. In the very next Psalm, David explains his confident belief that God would assist him in his quest to be a man “who walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Psalm 15:2 ESV).

I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:7-11 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Inner Change Versus Outward Compliance

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. – Colossians 2:16-23 ESV

Far too often, well-meaning but misguided individuals attempt to turn faith in Christ into a lengthy list of dos and don’ts intended to regulate behavior. They take James’ simple premise that faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:17) and twist it into a legalistic and guilt-inducing set of rules and regulations designed to determine righteousness. Unable or unwilling to accept that a believer’s right standing with God is based on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, these purveyors of self-righteousness attempt to earn favor with God through rituals, rites, and fervent religious rule-keeping.

Entire denominations have been formed based on a doctrine that teaches that righteousness must be achieved the old-fashioned way: through hard work and merit. Essentially, their teaching is based on the old maxim. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Some seem to have founded their works-based concept of salvation on the oft-quoted but non-biblical statement, “God helps those who help themselves.”

Humanity’s pervasive pride problem lies at the core of this brand of false teaching and has been around since the fall. Ever since Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, mankind has been attempting to assuage its guilt and amend its broken relationship with God through human effort. Over the centuries, countless religions have sprung up, each promoting its own unique set of rules and rituals for keeping its particular deity pleased and in a generous mood. While diverse in their doctrines and dogma, each of these religions shares one thing in common: a works-based form of righteousness. The adherents to these religions live under the repressive pressure of a performance-based system that demands constant and unwavering compliance to a set of rigid and unrelenting standards.

Paul and his fellow apostles had to constantly deal with the problem of legalism infiltrating the churches they had helped found. It was only natural for those who had converted to Christianity from pagan religions to carry the baggage of their former faith system into their relationship with Christ. They were used to practicing a religion based on rule-keeping and rife with prohibitions of all kinds. So, they were attracted to any form of teaching that gave them a list of rules to follow and activities to avoid. This made them particularly susceptible to the teachings of a group that later became known as the Judaizers.

The word, Judaizer, first appeared in Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia. Paul describes an encounter with his fellow apostle, Peter, who had been freely associating with Gentile believers in Antioch until a group of Jewish believers from Jerusalem showed up. Paul states that “when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party” (Galatians 2:12 ESV). The presence of these Jewish Christians from Jerusalem caused Peter to avoid the Gentile converts because they were uncircumcised and, therefore, ceremonially unclean. The Jewish Christians were demanding that all converts to Christianity submit to the requirements of the Mosaic Law, including circumcision. Essentially, they were teaching that the Gentiles were not truly saved because they were living in violation of the law. But Paul, a Jew and a former Pharisee, would have none of it.

…when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” – Galatians 2:14 ESV

The Greek word translated as “to live like Jews” is ioudaikōs, meaning “after the manner of the Jews.” Paul was appalled that Peter was demanding that Gentile Christians be required to “Judaize” or live according to Jewish commands and customs. The doctrine of the Judaizers was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). The Jews who had shown up in Antioch were teaching, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1 ESV). This forced Paul and Barnabas to return to Jerusalem to appear before the apostles and the elders, where the topic of discussion was the teaching of the Judaizers. Paul pulled no punches in confronting this dangerous heresy.

“Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” – Acts 15:7-11 NLT

According to verse 16 of Colossians 2, this was the same teaching that had infiltrated the church in Colossae. Paul lists a variety of different topics that have a decidedly Jewish feel to them: Teachings about the consumption of food and drink, rules concerning feasts and new moon celebrations, and the keeping of the Sabbath. Someone had obviously been teaching the Gentile members of the local congregation that there was more to their newfound faith in Christ than just belief. They would have to alter their behavior to accommodate a litany of prescribed religious rules and rituals.

But Paul strongly refuted the idea of adding anything to their faith in Christ alone.

…these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. – Colossians 2:17 NLT

As a Jew, Paul knew that God had designed these things to serve a vital but temporary purpose. Paul assured the believers in Galatia that the law had been given by God but that it had fulfilled its primary purpose. Now that Jesus had come, adherence to the law was no longer required to attain a right standing with God.

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. – Galatians 3:23-25 NLT

Paul wanted the believers in Colossae to understand that they were not subject to anyone’s teaching regarding additional requirements or rules concerning salvation.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. – Colossians 2:18 NLT

Their right standing with God was not based on what they did or didn’t do. It was based on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Upon placing their faith in Christ, they had been imputed His righteousness. What was true for Paul was also true for them.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. – Philippians 3:9 NLT

Paul was a staunch defender of the faith who was willing to hold all those who taught a different gospel or a different Jesus accountable for their actions. He declared that those who attempted to mislead the believers in Colossae were “puffed up without reason” (Colossians 2:18 ESV). He accused them of allowing their “sensuous” minds to determine their theology. These men were obsessed with the physical rather than the spiritual, which led Paul to assert, “They are not connected to Christ, the head of the body” (Colossians 2:19 NLT).

Their errant teaching separated them from Christ and His church. Their false doctrines concerning salvation actually made them enemies of the gospel, doing more harm than good and diminishing the unity of the body that Christ’s death had made possible.

Paul reminded his brothers and sisters in Christ, “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world?” (Colossians 2:20 NLT). They were becoming distracted by rules that declared, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!” (Colossians 2:21 NLT). But these kinds of prohibitions were man-made and destined to fail. Laws can regulate human behavior but are incapable of changing the heart.

These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. – Colossians 2:23 NLT

For Paul, the law was never about behavior modification. He revealed its true purpose to the believers in Galatia.

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. – Galatians 3:19 NLT

Paul also pointed out that the law was never meant to provide salvation. It declared the kind of righteousness God required and revealed mankind’s incapacity to live up to God’s holy standards. Paul makes it painfully clear that rule-keeping was never intended to bring salvation.

If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. – Galatians 3:21-22 NLT

Self-denial and forced compliance with a list of moral codes may promote a semblance of sanctification, but they can never change the heart. Jesus addressed this issue with His disciples. When answering a question about which foods defile the body, He responded, “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you” (Matthew 15:17-20 NLT).

Jesus came to bring about heart transformation, not behavior modification. Yes, Jesus expects our behavior to change, but that change must come from the inside out. Only a transformed heart can produce a changed life. Paul warned the Galatians that a law-based and flesh-focused religion would produce the wrong kind of fruit. Only a heart submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit could produce life-altering, behavior-modifying fruit that made the law unnecessary.

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. – Galatians 5:17-18 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Marvelous Mystery of Spiritual Maturity

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. – Colossians 1:24-29 ESV

As a faithful minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul often found his calling to be difficult and, at times, dangerous. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul described in excruciating detail some of the treatment he had received as a servant of Jesus.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT

Yet, Paul was pleased to suffer for His Lord and Savior. He viewed the trials and tribulations that accompanied his mission to be in keeping with the suffering experienced by Christ as He carried out His own earthly mission. Paul was well-acquainted with the darker side of ministry life. In fact, he wrote his letter to the Colossians while under house arrest in Rome, where he awaited trial before the Emperor.

But when Paul penned his far-from-exhaustive list of trials to the Corinthians, he wasn’t complaining about his lot in life. He defended his right to be treated as a legitimate spokesman for Jesus Christ. Like His Savior, Paul had faced a barrage of persecutions and personal attacks, and, on top of all that, he had been forced to carry “the daily burden of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28 NLT). He was a faithful shepherd and caretaker for the flock of Jesus Christ who took his role seriously and faced persecution joyfully.

“I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…” – Colossians 1:24 ESV

Paul saw his sufferings as an opportunity to experience in some small measure “Christ’s afflictions” (Colossians 1:24 ESV). He was eternally grateful for the pain that Jesus endured on his behalf so that he might be freed “from this life that is dominated by sin and death” (Romans 7:24 NLT). And Paul was more than willing to suffer “for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24 ESV). It was the least he could do.

Paul understood that he had been made a gospel minister and was responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the Gentile world. His job, while far from easy, was accompanied by great joy because he was able to witness firsthand the transformative nature of the message of salvation. Paul states that his message to the Gentiles was a mystery to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Their concept of the long-awaited Messiah did not include anyone outside the Jewish community unless they had converted to Judaism. They believed themselves to be God’s treasured possession because that is exactly how He had described them.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NLT

Even Jesus’ 12 disciples found it difficult to watch Him minister to Samaritans, Syrophoenicians, and Romans. They had no category in their concept of the Messiah that accommodated a ministry to the Gentiles, and yet, Jesus told them, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:14-16 NLT).

This mystery of Gentile inclusion had remained hidden for generations and had not been revealed until after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they began ministering to those who had gathered in Jerusalem for the annual feast. The crowd was made up of  “Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5 ESV). Luke goes on to describe them as “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9-11 ESV).

The crowd consisted of native Jews and converts to Judaism from a wide range of nations and ethnic groups. When they heard Peter's gospel message, they responded en masse.

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. – Acts 2:41 ESV

Many who had made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost would return to their native countries, carrying the gospel message with them. The apostle Paul would later join their forces and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the Gentile world. On his missionary journeys, he would encounter converts to Christianity who had heard the message of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone from their converted friends and neighbors. As Paul later told the believers in Ephesus, the mystery of Gentiles being grafted into the family tree of Abraham had been revealed and was making an impact on the world.

God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. – Ephesians 3:2-5 NLT

God had always intended to redeem people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. His Son was the Messiah of Israel, but as God had promised Abraham, His offspring would bless the “nations.”

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 12:2-3 ESV

Jesus, a son of Abraham, fulfilled that promise. Although He was a Jew, Jesus came to offer salvation to all men, a fact that Paul expressed to the Gentile believers in Galatia.

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Galatians 3:9-11 ESV

It was through Jesus, a Jew, that the blessing of Abraham came to the Gentiles, so that they might receive the promised Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14 ESV). Paul proudly declared that message of hope to the Gentile world and gladly endured suffering as he did so. He considered it his privilege and honor. Jesus had died to make salvation possible, so the least Paul could do was suffer to make it available and accessible.

He wanted the Colossian believers to know that their hope was based on the reality of the Spirit’s presence within them. Jesus had died, been raised to life, and was seated at the right hand of God the Father. But following His ascension, Jesus sent the Spirit of God to indwell His followers. In that sense, Jesus would not only be with them but in them.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” – John 14:16-17 NLT

Paul’s mission was to proclaim this life-altering mystery of  “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:28 ESV), and he did so, “struggling with all his energy,” knowing that “he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29 ESV). His ministry and message were comprised of both warnings and teachings. There were dangers to be avoided and lessons to be learned. False teachers would attempt to undermine the hope of the gospel and diminish the witness of God’s people. Paul’s goal for the Colossian believers was nothing less than spiritual maturity. He would not settle for mediocrity or partial transformation. Since glorification was the ultimate goal of salvation, Paul remained committed to the ongoing sanctification of all those under his care. His lifelong objective was to one day be able to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28 ESV). That lofty goal will not be achieved in the believer’s lifetime, but God has promised it will occur.

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. – 1 John 3:2-3 NLT

According to Paul, it is inevitable and unavoidable because it is the work of God.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. – Philippians 1:6 NLT

Salvation was for Jews and Gentiles alike. This marvelous mystery was proclaimed gladly by Paul, who willingly endured suffering to do so. But for Paul, salvation was to be followed by the believer’s sanctification, their growth in Christlikeness. This was a non-optional requirement for all who believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. It would not be easy, but it would be well worth the effort because the God-ordained result was their future glorification. That is why Paul worked hard and suffered well. One day, he would have the joy of presenting believers as “perfect in their relationship to Christ” (Colossians 1:28 NLT). They would stand before God in sinless perfection, having been transformed into the likeness of Jesus and accepted into the Father’s presence, “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 BSB).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Receive the Kingdom of God Like a Child

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. – Mark 10:13-16 ESV

There are times when it appears as if the 12 disciples of Jesus are a few bricks short of a full load, and this is one of them. After reading this passage, it’s difficult not to draw one of two conclusions: Either the disciples are stubborn or simply stupid. They just don’t seem to get it. No matter how often Jesus addresses an issue with them, the disciples fail to grasp His meaning. Even all His after-class, one-on-twelve tutoring sessions don’t seem to help.

Before looking at the scene recorded in today’s passage, it’s important to visit a few earlier exchanges between Jesus and His disciples that are closely related. First, while they were back in Galilee, Jesus had overheard the disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest. This debate came fast on the heels of Jesus’ announcement that He would soon be delivered into the hands of men and be killed (Mark 9:31). So, immediately after hearing Jesus announce that He was going to lay down His life, they had gotten into a heated argument over which of them was the greatest. This led Jesus to give them an object lesson.

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” – Mark 9:36-37 ESV

Jesus used this small, seemingly insignificant child to make an important point. With the pride-filled disciples gathered around Him, Jesus stood in the midst of them holding this unidentified child in His arms. He placed the one with the least significance in the place of greatest prominence. The child had done nothing to earn this special favor extended to Him by Jesus. He was not powerful, impressive, gifted, or even capable of repaying Jesus for His kindness. But the child was trusting and willing to place his full confidence in Jesus.

Yet, immediately after witnessing this living object lesson, John had chosen to bring up what he believed to be a more pressing matter. He reported that there was an unnamed individual who had been casting out demons in Jesus’ name. The discovery of this unidentified competitor had bothered the disciples enough that they had repeatedly tried to issue him cease-and-desist orders. But their efforts had failed. And much to John’s dismay, rather than seeking to reprimand this rogue exorcist, Jesus rebuked His own disciples.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” – Mark 9:42 ESV

The Greek word Mark used is mikros, which means “small” or “least.” Jesus seems to be referring to this unknown exorcist as one of His children. This man, while not one of the 12 disciples, was casting out demons in the name of Jesus. He performed the same good deed that Jesus had commissioned His disciples to do. That’s why Jesus told John, “Don’t stop him!…No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:39 NLT). This man was on their side. 

Yet Jesus refers to him as one of the “least.” He was so insignificant that the disciples didn’t even know his name. Yet, he was important to Jesus. 

This brings us back to the scene taking place in chapter 10. Jesus and His disciples are back in the region of Perea, just east of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. Mark opened this chapter by indicating that Jesus’ arrival in the region had attracted the usual large crowds. While many hoped to see Jesus perform a miracle, others had come out of curiosity because He was a 1st-Century celebrity. But Mark indicates that some “were bringing children to him that he might touch them” (Mark 10:13 ESV). Evidently, parents were bringing their young children to Jesus so that He might bless them. But Mark states that “the disciples rebuked them” (Mark 9:13 ESV). These men took it upon themselves to restrict access to Jesus. They wrongly assumed that they had the authority to determine who was worthy to come into Jesus’ presence. This whole scene makes even more sense when you consider Luke’s account. He provides some essential details that make the disciples' actions even more egregious.

Luke records a parable that Jesus told “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9 ESV). In this parable, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector” (Luke 18:10 ESV). The Pharisee stood before God and, in a blatant display of self-promotion, bragged about his superior righteousness, as evidenced by his unparalleled fasting and tithing. But the other man stood before God, eyes lowered, declaring his abject state of sinfulness and desperate need for mercy. Commenting on His own parable, Jesus said, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14 ESV).

Superiority and inferiority. Pride and humility. Greatness and weakness. This parable set up the arrival of the parents and their children. It explains why Jesus became so indignant with His disciples and demanded, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14 ESV). These little ones were being brought to Jesus by their parents. Too young to come on their own, they were completely at the mercy of others and displayed complete dependency and trust. There was not an ounce of self-righteousness or moral superiority within them. But the disciples had decided that they were unworthy to come into Jesus’ presence. Had these men so quickly forgotten the scene of Jesus holding the young boy in His arms? Had the words Jesus had spoken to them simply gone in one ear and out the other?

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” – Mark9:37 ESV

Yet here was Jesus having to rebuke His disciples for their arrogant display of moral superiority. They didn’t get it. They were still harboring their own false conceptions about status in the Kingdom. In their eyes, these children were non-contributors. They had nothing to offer. They were takers, not givers. But Jesus had a completely different perspective. To the shock and dismay of the disciples, Jesus “took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them” (Mark 10:16 NLT).

The disciples had been right. These “little ones” had nothing to offer Jesus. But Jesus had something to give them: His divine blessing. They came before Jesus as helpless and hopeless children, most likely carried in the arms of their parents. Some were probably too young to walk or talk. But each one, regardless of their age, intellect, family background, or future prospects of success, received the same undeserved gift from the hand of Jesus. Each was touched and blessed by the Son of God.

The Kingdom of God will not be comprised of the successful, gifted, morally exceptional, intellectually superior, or socially acceptable. In fact, Paul reminds every Christ-follower that their adoption into the family of God had nothing to do with them. They brought nothing to the table. They had done nothing to deserve the grace and mercy shown to them by God.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT

Jesus repeatedly showed His disciples that He had come to minister to the weak, helpless, and hopeless. He went out of His way to heal the sick and to minister to outcasts and the socially unacceptable. He exposed the hypocrisy of the self-righteous religious leaders of Israel. He willingly associated with tax collectors and prostitutes. And yet, His disciples still struggled with thoughts of their own superiority and harbored hopes of earning a place of honor and distinction in His coming Kingdom. But the lessons would continue, right up until the end. Even in the upper room on the night Jesus was betrayed, He gave them yet another illustration of humility and service by washing their feet. And ultimately, Jesus performed the greatest act of humility by offering His life as a ransom for many. The greatest of all would become the least of all so that the foolish, powerless, despised, and unimportant might become children of God.

The disciples struggled with pride and prejudice. They saw these children as nothing more than unnecessary distractions. From their perspective, Jesus had better things to do than bless children. But Jesus wanted them to know that He was never too busy to reach out to those who came to Him in humility. As Jesus would later teach them, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 ESV). Each of the disciples was dominated by a self-serving attitude. They were in it for themselves. They had chosen to follow Jesus because they expected to get something out of it. And blessing children was not high on their list of personal priorities. But Jesus was teaching them that life in His kingdom was going to be different. Leaders would be servants. The first would be last. The meek would inherit the earth. The humble would be recognized. The hopeless would find hope.

Matthew records that immediately after this encounter with the children, a young man approached Jesus, asking Him, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:15 ESV). Matthew opens this scene with the word, “behold.” In essence, he is telling the reader to look carefully at what is about to happen. These two scenarios are closely linked together for a reason.

Notice the wording of the young man’s question. He asks, “What good deed must I do…?” The emphasis is on himself and his own self-effort. He exhibits the antithesis of childlike, humble faith. His goal was eternal life, but he wanted to know what steps he needed to take to earn it. He was looking for a to-do list to follow, a set of rules to keep.

Rather than assigning the man a task to perform, Jesus focused on his use of the word “good.”  He asked him, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Like every other Jew, this man knew God's revealed will. He was familiar with God’s law and its non-negotiable requirements concerning obedience. But he was looking for the magic ticket—the one thing he could do that would guarantee eternal life. 

But Jesus turned the young man’s attention to the source of all that is good: God Himself. He reminded the young man, “There is only one who is good” (Matthew 19:17 ESV). And that good God had given His good, holy, and righteous law. If the young man wanted to have eternal life, he would need to keep each and every one of the commandments. God had already given His standard for righteousness or goodness.

But the young man, looking for specifics, asked, “Which ones?” This man’s question reflects a common perception held by even the religious leaders. There was constant debate among them over which of the commandments of God was the most important and, therefore, more binding.

For the young man, it was a matter of priority. He wanted to know which commandment he needed to focus on to receive the reward he sought. Accommodating the young man’s request, Jesus provided him with a shortlist of commandments. Notice that the list Jesus provided comprises laws concerning human relationships. They are horizontal in nature, dealing with how to relate to others. Jesus lists the prohibitions against murder, adultery, stealing, and bearing false witness. But He also lists the laws requiring the honoring of parents and displaying love for others. Without batting an eye, the young man boldly and pridefully declared that he had kept them all. So, he wanted to know what was missing. What other law did he need to keep to guarantee himself eternal life?

Then, Jesus dropped a bombshell. He simply stated, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21 ESV).

The Greek word translated as “perfect” is teleios, and it refers to completeness or wholeness. The man was asking Jesus what it was that he lacked. He felt incomplete. He knew that something was missing from his life and wrestled with the fear of not measuring up. He had no assurance that his efforts would earn him the eternal reward he longed for. So, Jesus informed him that he would need to give up everything he owned in this life and follow Him. Jesus was not telling this man that his salvation could be earned through some kind of philanthropic act of selfless sacrifice. He was revealing that this man’s heart was focused on the things of this world. Matthew reveals that the young man was very wealthy and the thought of giving away all his possessions caused him to walk away. It was a sacrifice he was unwilling to make.

Selling all his possessions and following Jesus would have required great faith and humility. He was what he owned, and his reputation was tied up in his possessions. He was respected because of his great wealth. He enjoyed the comfort and conveniences that money can buy, and the thought of leaving all that behind was more than he could bear. Sacrificing present comfort for future reward was too much for him.

What a marked difference between this self-made man and the little children whom Jesus had just blessed. They brought nothing to the equation other than their innocence. They could not brag about their good deeds. They had kept no laws. And yet, Jesus had blessed them.

This whole exchange is not about what we need to do to earn eternal life. It is about the one to whom we need to come. The children were brought to Jesus and were blessed. Jesus told the young man that in order to have eternal life, he would need to follow Him. It wasn’t about doing, it was about faith in Jesus.

This is all reminiscent of another exchange that Jesus had with a crowd that had followed him after He had miraculously fed them. They were looking for another free meal. So, He told them, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (John 6:27 ESV). And they responded, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (John 6:28 ESV). Then, look closely at what Jesus said to them.

“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” – John 6:29 ESV

Faith in Jesus was the point. Jesus was calling this man to release his grip on his earthly possessions and position and place his hope in Him. Faith in Jesus requires that we place our full dependence upon Him and what He alone can do. Like the rich young man, we are incapable of doing anything good that might earn us favor with God. But if we will simply follow Jesus in childlike, humble faith, we will receive eternal life.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Believe!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:1-14 ESV

The immediate context of these verses is the upper room in Jerusalem, where Jesus had just celebrated His last Passover Feast with His disciples. During the meal, Jesus shocked the disciples by washing their feet, a task reserved for household servants. In a display of mock humility, Peter tried to prevent Jesus from washing his feet, but Jesus informed Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me” (John 13:8 ESV). This prompted Peter to demand that Jesus wash his head and hands as well.

This strange exchange was followed by Jesus’ announcement that one of them would betray Him and that Peter would deny Him three times before the morning dawned. All of this troubling news was accompanied by Jesus’ confusing and disturbing pronouncement, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’” (John 13:33 ESV). Yet, the very next words out of His mouth seem out of place and contradictory.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” – John 14:1 ESV

Everyone in the room that night was troubled, including Jesus (John 13:21). Jesus’ mind was filled with knowledge about all that would occur in the hours ahead. He had been aware of Judas’ betrayal. He knew that Peter, one of the members of His inner circle, would end up denying any knowledge of Him. He knew His disciples would all desert Him in His hour of greatest need. The crowds that had eagerly flocked to watch Him perform signs and wonders would abandon Him. And He was fully aware that the hours ahead would be filled with humiliation, insufferable pain, and the agony of the cross.

But what about the disciples? They were unaware of most of these details, but they were still reeling from all that Jesus had just told them. They were disturbed by the news that one of them would betray Him. But even when Judas left the upper room, they remained unsure as to what he was about to do. Yet their hearts were troubled because they knew something ominous was about to happen. They just couldn’t put their finger on what it was.

When Jesus announced His imminent departure, He added the disconcerting news that they would not be joining Him. After three years of constant companionship with them, He would abandon them. Yet He told them, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.”

Peter must have taken this statement particularly hard. He had just been outed as the one who would deny Jesus. How was he supposed to be untroubled by this news? And was Jesus’ statement about belief aimed at him? Was Jesus insinuating that Peter lacked faith?

In His compassionate and caring way, Jesus attempted to encourage His dismayed and discouraged disciples. He knew they were struggling and, as the Good Shepherd, He cared deeply about their physical and spiritual well-being. His love for them was a primary factor behind His pending death for them.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 NLT

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13 NLT

But in their greatest moment of confusion and consternation, Jesus encouraged them to believe. The darkness was closing in, but He remained the light of the world. While everything around them looked bleak and foreboding, He remained the same. He was still “the Christ, the Son of the living God” just as Peter had confessed Him to be (Matthew 16:16). He was still “the Messiah,” just as Andrew had announced to Peter three years earlier (John 1:43). And He was still “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel” as Nathanael had proclaimed (John 1:49).

But now, they were beginning to get a glimpse into His true mission. He had not come to set them free from Roman rule. His advent as the Son of God was not to set up His Kingdom on earth. He had come to offer His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), and the time had come for Him to fulfill His God-ordained mission.

There was so much they didn’t know or understand. But it is not as if Jesus had kept them in the dark about His future. In fact, Matthew records that immediately after Peter made His public confession that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 NLT), Jesus “began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead” (Matthew 16:21 NLT).

And yet, the very same man who had boldly confessed Jesus to be the Messiah pulled Him aside and rebuked Him.

“Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” – Matthew 16:22 NLT

Jesus’ plain words concerning His death left Peter stunned and appalled. It was not what he expected or wanted. It didn’t fit into his concept of the Messiah, so he simply rejected it. This was not the last time Jesus shared news of what would happen. Even as they had made their way to Jerusalem before His triumphal entry into the city, Jesus reiterated to His disciples all that was about to happen.

“Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” – Matthew 20:18-19 NLT

He couldn’t have made it clearer. But they refused to accept what He had to say because His words were not what they wanted to hear. It is interesting to note that, immediately after Jesus made this announcement to His disciples, John’s own mother approached Jesus with a rather presumptuous request on behalf of John and his brother, James.

“In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Matthew 20:21 NLT

She obviously expected Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom and was hoping to convince Him to award her two sons with places of prominence in His administration. But Jesus informed her and her two sons who were standing right beside her, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” (Matthew 20:22 NLT). 

They had the timeline all wrong. They had been expecting a Messiah who would come as a conquering King. But Jesus had come to play the part of the suffering servant. Once again, Jesus made this aspect of His earthly ministry quite clear.

When the other 10 disciples had gotten wind of what the mother of James and John had done, they were furious. They all shared an expectation that they would play major roles in Jesus’ coming kingdom. But Jesus had news for them.

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:25-28 NLT

Jesus had come to earth so that He could hang on a cross, not sit on a throne. He had taken on human flesh so that He might bear a crown of thorns, not one made of gold and precious stones. His incarnation had been so that He might suffer the humiliation of crucifixion, not the joy of His own inauguration as king. That time would come, but it would not be now.

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that they could still trust Him. Despite all that was happening around them, they could take Him at His word as the Son of God. And while much of what they had heard Him say had been less-than-encouraging, He wanted them to know there was good news. This dark cloud had a silver lining.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:2-3 ESV

Yes, Jesus would be leaving them, but for a very good reason. He would return to His Father’s side where He would begin preparations for the day when they would each join Him. When the time was right, He would return for His own.

Like so many of Jesus’ other statements, this one flew right over the heads of His disciples. It would only be after Jesus had died, resurrected, and returned to heaven, that the disciples would put all the pieces together and understand the significance of His words. With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, John and the other 10 disciples received a divine capacity to comprehend all that Jesus had said and done in their three years with Him. For the first time, it all began to make sense.

But on that night in the upper room, when Jesus insinuated that they knew where He was going, Thomas confessed, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5 ESV). He was confused and concerned. How would they find Jesus if they didn’t know where He was going?

Then Jesus dropped the bombshell that destroyed all their preconceived notions concerning righteousness, salvation, forgiveness, and justification before God.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 ESV

He boldly and unequivocally proclaimed Himself to be the one and only source of access to God. And the pathway to the Father would pass through the shadow of the cross. Jesus assured His disciples that it was their ongoing belief in Him that would provide them with a permanent relationship with God. Verse seven might better be translated, “If you have known me, you will know my Father too” (John 14:7 NET). Since they have known Jesus, they most certainly have known and seen God. It was their belief in Jesus as the Son of God that made possible their access to and relationship with God. So, when Thomas had said they didn’t know the way, Jesus assured them He was wrong. They knew Him, and that was all they needed to know.

Continuing to believe in Jesus when they could no longer see Him would be essential to their ongoing faith journey. Once Jesus returned to the Father, their world would look markedly different. Their Rabbi, mentor, and friend would be gone, and their long-awaited Messiah would no longer be there to instruct and encourage them. The Kingdom they had expected would be spiritual rather than physical. There would be no victory over Rome. Instead, they would witness the unveiling of Jesus’ victory over sin and death as they spread the good news to the four corners of the earth.

After His resurrection, Jesus made many appearances to His disciples, but Thomas was never around when these events took place. So, he remained doubtful and even said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25 ESV). Despite the testimonies of his friends, Thomas remained doubtful about Jesus’ resurrection. So, when Thomas was given the privilege of seeing Jesus alive and well for the first time, he was shocked by what he saw. But he was equally stunned by what Jesus said.

“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” – John 20:27 ESV

Blown away by this experience, Thomas could only say, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 ESV). He believed and expressed that belief by declaring Jesus’ divinity. Suddenly, all that Jesus had said about Himself made sense to Thomas. Seeing his dead friend alive and well produced a renewed sense of belief and a revitalized faith in the future. Yet, Jesus responded to Thomas’ declaration with a gentle rebuke.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” – John 20:29 ESV

Once Jesus returned to His Father’s side in heaven, there would be no more happy reunions and physical displays of His presence. That is why Jesus said, “Where I am going you cannot come” (John 13:33 ESV). But He added the promise of His return and the restoration of their relationship with Him.

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:3 NLT

Belief in His promised return is vital to living faithfully in His absence. That is why the apostle Peter stressed the need to focus on the future and to fix our eyes on the day when Jesus will return, and we will see Him face to face.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Render Unto Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. –  Matthew 22:15-22 ESV

It’s probably safe to say that none of us actually enjoy paying our taxes. We see it as a necessary evil and a burdensome obligation. We do it because it’s required by law and carries stiff penalties for those who fail to comply. Throughout history, taxation has had a long and less-than-popular reputation. Even in Jesus’ day, the topic of taxes was a hot topic among the population of ancient Palestine.

The Romans levied heavy taxes on the Jews, and the Jewish tax collectors added their own exorbitant fees. Then there was the Temple tax that every Jew had to pay, which, in actuality, was used to support the lavish lifestyles of the priests themselves. These men lived in luxury while the average Jew struggled to make ends meet.

In his book, The Message and the Kingdom, Richard Horsley describes the elegant lifestyles enjoyed by these government-appointed tax collectors.

“…impressive archeological remains of their Jerusalem residences show how elegant their lifestyle had become. In spacious structures unhesitantly dubbed ‘mansions’ by the archeologists who uncovered them in the 1970’s, we can get a glimpse of a lavish life in mosaic floored reception rooms and dining rooms with elaborate painted and carved stucco wall decorations and with a wealth of fine tableware, glassware, carved stone table tops, and other interior furnishings and elegant peristyles.” – Richard Horsley, The Message and the Kingdom

This staggering combination of tax obligations was overwhelming to the Jewish people, making everyday life unbearable and the very mention of taxes intolerable. Palestine was a veritable powder keg waiting to ignite, and, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Romans' refusal to lessen the tax burdens was the eventual cause of the Jewish War and the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The Roman taxation of Palestine was a hot-button topic among the Jews, the religious leaders used it in an attempt to put Jesus on the spot. They were always looking for an opportunity to incite Jesus into saying something that might violate their own laws or portray Him as a political threat to the Roman occupiers. They were certain that it was only a matter of time before He said something that got Him into trouble with the people or with the Roman authorities. If they could get Him to say something the people would disagree with, He would lose His popularity and His growing following. If they could trick Him into saying something that could be taken as divisive or revolutionary by the Romans, then they could enlist the government's aid in getting rid of Him. So they sent some “spies pretending to be honest men” (Luke 20:20 NLT).

In other words, they didn’t come dressed as priests, Pharisees, or religious leaders. They disguised themselves as average Jews, hoping to blend in with the crowd and catch Jesus off-guard and unprepared. Their question was well-planned and had a clear motivation behind it. “They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus” (Luke 20:20 NLT). After attempting to butter Him up with false flattery, they asked their question: “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:17 ESV).

But Matthew makes it clear that Jesus saw through their ruse. He knew they were trying to trick Him and even accused them of hypocrisy. But despite His awareness of their less-than-sincere motives, He chose to answer their question. He asked for a Roman coin, which would have carried the image of Caesar, a fact that He got them to verify. Then He told them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21 ESV).

The simple interpretation of this passage would be that Jesus was encouraging civil obedience. The people of God must be good citizens and set the right example, even in the case of a corrupt and oppressive government. But there appears to be a much more significant point to Jesus’ statement.

Interestingly, he emphasized Caesar's image on the coin. The Roman emperor was considered a god by his own people. So, Jesus told them to give back to Caesar the coin bearing his image. It was stamped with his likeness and, therefore, belonged to him. But Jesus also stated that they were to give to God what belonged to God. Don’t miss Jesus’ logic.

In the book of Genesis, we read, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NLT). Every good Jew would have known this story and understood what Jesus was saying. Men and women are made in the image of God. In a sense, they are stamped with His likeness, therefore, they belong to Him.

Jesus taught that people should give themselves to God and His kingdom instead of worrying about the temporal things of this world, like money and taxes. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT). For the average Jew, paying taxes to Caesar was a burden because it made it difficult to afford the necessities of life, like food and clothing. Yet, Jesus told them not to worry about those kinds of things because their Heavenly Father was fully capable of providing all that they needed. He had done it for their ancestors as they wandered in the wilderness, providing them with water from a rock, quail they could easily catch with their hands, and Manna that miraculously appeared each day with the morning dew. 

The Romans and high taxes weren’t the problem. It was the people’s failure to honor and revere God. They saw themselves as victims rather than as citizens of the Kingdom of God. The Romans could levy taxes on the Jew’s property and possessions, but they could not touch their identity as the image-bearers of God and His chosen people. They had been handpicked by God and redeemed out of slavery in Egypt. They were His people – His prized possession. He had told them, “For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure” (Deuteronomy 7:6 NLT).

These people had been oppressed and burdened before, and God had rescued them. And while, in Jesus’ day, they were suffering oppression under Roman rule, it had far less to do with taxes than it did with sin. God wanted to rescue and redeem them from slavery to sin and death, which is why He had sent His Son. But their minds were elsewhere. They saw their burdens as earthly, not spiritual. They wanted a Messiah to rescue them from the taxes and tyranny of the Romans. But Jesus had come to rescue them from a life enslaved to sin and the death sentence that came with it.

Jesus wanted these people to give God what was rightfully His – their lives. He wanted them to turn over their lives to the very one who could save them. Jesus stood before them as the Son of God and their Messiah. He was the solution to their problem, but they failed to recognize Him as such. Jesus had not come to foment insurrection, but to provide salvation. He had not come to lead a revolt against Rome, but to provide restoration with God. His was a spiritual revolution, not an earthly one. And He subtly reminded His listeners that God, in whose image they were made, required what was due Him. Just as Caesar would punish any and all who refused to pay his mandatory tax, God would punish all those who refused to give Him what rightfully belonged to Him.

God had warned the people of Israel what would happen if they failed to render unto Him what was rightfully His. “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him” (Deuteronomy 7:9-10 NLT).

The last part of verse 21 reflects what Jesus had been trying to convey.

“…give to God what belongs to God.” – Matthew 22:21 NLTIf

If Caesar wanted his coins back, return them to him. But it was God alone who deserved man’s respect and honor. Because we bear His image, we belong to Him. And Jesus was demanding that the people of Israel give God what was rightfully His: Their lives and their unwavering devotion.

At the heart of this entire exchange is man’s love affair with money and materialism. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned about the dangers of a divided love.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

He knew that the people were inordinately tied to the treasures of this world and, as a result, they had a divided allegiance. So, He warned them:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” – Matthew 6:24 NLT

The religious leaders of Israel were enslaved to money, materialism, power, and prestige. They may have faithfully worshiped at the altar of Yahweh, but the real focus of their devotion and desire was earthly treasures. They did not love the Roman government but were willing to do business with the enemy because they benefited greatly from the relationship. Their greatest fear was that Jesus would disrupt their symbiotic and self-serving relationship with the Romans. They had a bird’s nest on the ground, and this upstart Rabbi from Nazareth threatened to destroy it all. That’s why Caiaphas, the high priest, would later tell his fellow members of the Sanhedrin that Jesus’ death was preferable to the nation’s demise at the hands of the Romans.

“You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” – John 11:50 NLT

Caiaphas was out to preserve the status quo, and if it required the death of one man, then it would be well worth it. But what Caiaphas failed to realize was that his words were really prophetic.

He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world. – John 11:51-52 NLT

As “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), Jesus would eventually give back to God what was rightfully His. He would sacrifice His own life on behalf of sinful mankind and satisfy the just demands of a holy God by offering His body as the ultimate tribute. Through the willing sacrifice of His life, Jesus would render unto God what was rightfully His.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Colossians 1:19-20 NLT

Jesus’ command to “render unto Caesar” is accompanied by an even more important imperative: “Give to God what belongs to God.” That is the heart of His answer and the message He desires every true disciple to hear. Those who place their faith in Jesus become God’s treasured possession. Not only were they made in His image but they were redeemed out of slavery to death and sin.

God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

God sacrificed His Son so that sinners could receive forgiveness, redemption, and righteousness. But this gracious gift comes with a “tax” or obligation to render unto God what is rightfully His: Our allegiance and willing obedience to bear His image to the world. Paul provided Titus with a powerful reminder of what it means to give to God what is rightfully His.

…we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. – Titus 2:12-15 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Listen to Me

15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matthew 11:15 ESV

9 “He who has ears, let him hear.” – Matthew 13:9 ESV

43 “He who has ears, let him hear.” – Matthew 13:43 ESV

22 “For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” – Mark 4:22-25 ESV

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand…” – Mark 7:14 ESV

8 As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Luke 8:8 ESV

18 “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” – Luke 8:18 ESV

35 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Luke 14:35 ESV

Listening seemed to be a high-priority topic for Jesus because He brought it up regularly. He expected His disciples to hear what He had to say and to treat His words as authoritative. But Jesus didn’t suffer from an overinflated sense of self-worth or a desperate desire for the spotlight. Jesus wasn’t out to garner attention or impress others with his linguistic skills. He was simply delivering the message He received from His Heavenly Father.

“My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.” – John 7:16-18 NLT

“I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father.” – John 8:38 NLT

“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.” – John 12:49 NLT

“The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” – John 14:10 NLT

“…for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.” – John 17:8 NLT

In a sense, Jesus only spoke when spoken to. He delivered what He received from His Father and expected all those who heard His words to listen carefully and consider the full import of the message. This expectation of attentiveness on the part of His people was something God displayed throughout the Old Testament. He was constantly calling the people of Israel to hear and heed His words.

“Listen to me, O Jacob,
    and Israel, whom I called!
I am he; I am the first,
    and I am the last.
My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I call to them,
    they stand forth together.

“Assemble, all of you, and listen!” – Isaiah 48:12-14 ESV

“And so, my children, listen to me,
    for all who follow my ways are joyful.
Listen to my instruction and be wise.
    Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me,
    watching for me daily at my gates,
    waiting for me outside my home!” – Proverbs 8:32-34 NLT

“Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention.” – Isaiah 28:23 NLT

When God speaks, He expects His people to hear and obey. His words carry weight because He is holy and righteous in all that He says and does. His words are truth and deserving of man’s full attention and complete obedience. So, when Jesus spoke on behalf of His Father, He always added the command to listen. He wanted His audience to take in what they heard as if it had come from God on high. His words were not the rambling rhetoric of an itinerant Rabbi from Nazareth; they were divine teachings from the throne room of God in heaven.

In Mark’s gospel account, he records an occasion when Jesus addressed a large crowd sitting on the seashore while he sat in a boat just offshore.

And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen!” – Mark 4:2-3 ESV

Jesus prefaced His talk with the command to listen, and throughout His parable-infused lecture, He continued to remind them to hear what He had to say.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Mark 4:9 ESV

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” – Mark 4:23-24 ESV

Inferred in thes statements is the fact that one can hear and not really listen. Anyone with small children can attest to the reality of that fact. And yet Jesus seems to be demanding much more than listening ears. His real point of emphasis is understanding or comprehension. When talking about the mystery of the Kingdom of God, He told His disciples that they had been given permission to understand what He was saying.

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.” – Matthew 13:10-16 NLT

That is why He took time to explain to them more fully the meaning behind His parables. Jesus knew that most of those who heard His words would not understand or obey them because the prophets had said that would be the case. God knew that His words would fall on deaf ears. The people would hear and even listen intently, but they would fail to understand, and as a result, they would fail to believe.

One of the parables Jesus told the crowd that day was about the sower and the soils. In this metaphor-rich story, Jesus painted the picture of a sower sowing seeds that fell on a variety of different soils. As He later explained, the seed was the message of the gospel, and the soil was the hearts of those who were exposed to that message. In each case, the soils represent individuals who hear the same message but whose responses are directly influenced by the condition of their hearts. The spiritual state of their hearts has a direct impact on the viability and success of the seed. For some, their hearts are like hardened footpaths where there is no place for the Word of God to take root. They hear, but the Word simply sits on the surface, where it soon disappears. Others hear the message gladly and it seems to make a difference, but their problem is that their hearts are shallow, and there is no way for the Word of God to establish a firm hold on their lives. At the first sign of problems or persecution, they give up. And there are those who hear, but their hearts are filled with the cares and worries of this life. They are enamored by materialism, wealth, and the things of this world, so the message is slowly crowded out and, eventually, forgotten. But there will be those few who hear, listen, and understand. Their hearts provide a fertile soil in which the message can take root, grow, and produce fruit in their lives.

Jesus implores His audience to “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:24-25 NET). He is telling them to judge what they are hearing Him say carefully. They must not measure or judge His message by the old standard of the Law. He is warning them to listen intently because He is presenting them with new information regarding the Kingdom of God and how they might have a place in it. The old message of inclusion based on inheritance is no longer valid. Just being born a Jew was not enough. Being a descendant of Abraham was not a guarantee of a place in God’s Kingdom. If they would listen to what He was saying and discard their preconceived notions of what it means to be included in the Kingdom of God, they would be given even more understanding. They would receive even more insight into the mysteries or secrets of the Kingdom. But for all those, like the Pharisees, who refuse to listen and understand because they’re using the wrong standard of measurement, “even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them” (Mark 4:25 NLT).

From our vantage point this side of the resurrection, so much of this makes sense to us. But we have to remember that this was all new information to the disciples. It was radical and revolutionary and did not align with their understanding of God, His Kingdom, or the coming of the Messiah. It wasn’t what they had been taught growing up as young Hebrew boys. Everything Jesus said seemed to be controversial and contradictory to what they had been taught to believe. But He encouraged them to listen. He told them to give up their old standard of measurement for belief, to hear what He was saying, and to understand the truth for the first time in their lives.

While much of this made no sense to them, Jesus told them that His Kingdom would grow. Like a farmer who plants his seed and then waits for harvest, the disciples would learn that the message they heard would take root in the lives of others and grow – all because of the work and power of God.

But it all begins with listening, hearing, and understanding. The more intently they listened, the more they understood. The more eager they were to understand, the more carefully Jesus explained everything to them. This begs the question, how well are we listening to His words and understanding what He is trying to teach us? Are we willing to hear but not obey? As His disciples, do we fail to believe that His words come from the Father and carry weight that is worthy of our attention and obedience?

James would have us remember that hearing without obeying is the characteristic of a fool, not a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. – James 1:19-26 NLT

Hearing can be difficult. There are so many distractions and so much noise that make it almost impossible to hear what Jesus is saying. Yet, there are also times when we hear but fail to listen. He speaks, but I we’re too busy listening to other voices. Even in those times when we do listen to Him, we can easily fail to understand because what He says does not fit in with what we want to believe. We use the wrong standard of measurement and end up judging His words by the world’s standards. We desire pleasure and happiness when His desire is for our holiness.

Jesus still calls His disciples to listen and hear. Our prayer should be that the Spirit would give us ears to hear, listen, understand, and obey. We should constantly ask the  Spirit to soften our hearts so that God’s Word, as delivered by His Son, would always find fertile ground in which to take root, grow, and produce fruit in our lives.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Do Unto Others

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12  “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:7-12 ESV

Verse 12 contains what has come to be known as “The Golden Rule.” It is most commonly recited as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This moral principle is sometimes referred to as the ethics of reciprocity. But Jesus’ original statement is contained within the context of His Sermon on the Mount and is addressed to a large gathering of Jews who have been attracted to His messages and miracles. So, it is essential to keep verse 12 within the context of Jesus's message. It is not intended to be an isolated principle or a moral maxim for regulating behavior. This “rule” is intended to describe the lifestyle of the true disciple of Jesus.

Sitting in the crowd that day were His 12 disciples, the men who would spend three years sitting under His tutelage and absorbing all He had to say. The sermon He preached on the hillside was intended primarily for them. It was a primer on all that was to come due to His earthly ministry, eventual death, and resurrection. They believed Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah and expected Him to set up His earthly Kingdom. They did not yet understand that He had not come to rule and reign but to suffer and die. And His death would pave the way for them to carry out every aspect of His sermon and fulfill every command it contained.

In His message, Jesus addressed all those who desired to be blessed or approved by God, which would have included every person in His audience. He wanted His predominantly Jewish audience to understand that their relationship with God was based on something other than their adherence to the Mosaic Law. Jesus was not discounting the law but simply exposing its inability to make anyone truly righteous in God’s eyes. 

Yet, Jesus told His eager listeners, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 NLT). To them, this must have sounded like a list of obligations or duties they must perform. But Jesus described an intimate relationship with God the Father that provides His children with constant access to His presence. With three simple words: ask, seek, and knock, He was letting them know that all who are approved by God will enjoy a special relationship with Him that will be far greater than any earthly relationship they have known.

Some try to interpret these verses as evangelistic, turning them into an invitation to salvation. But if kept in their context, it is clear that these verses are not inviting anyone into a saving relationship with Jesus. Instead, they encourage those who have already been approved by God because of their faith in Christ to take advantage of their newfound relationship with Him.

“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:9 NLT

We can ask of God and receive from Him, seek Him and find Him, and knock, and He will open the door to us. Gone are the days of trying to gain access to God’s presence through vain attempts to keep the law. There is no longer any need to try to win God’s approval and get His attention through human effort or achievement.

These verses tie directly back to the opening lines of Jesus’ sermon. Those who are approved by God, even the poor in spirit, will be citizens of God’s kingdom. Though they will experience days of mourning in this life, they will receive comfort from God. And their willing submission to the will of God for their lives will garner them the earth as their inheritance. When they hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, they will be completely satisfied. When they choose to show mercy to others, they will continue to receive mercy from God. And their purity of heart will allow them to see God in their lives. When they seek to be at peace with men and introduce them to the means to have peace with God, they will be recognized as the sons of God. And finally, any persecution they face in this life because of their faith will be well worth it, because they have been guaranteed a place in God’s kingdom.

All of this helps to provide context for Jesus’ recitation of “The Golden Rule.” He wasn’t giving behavioral advice or a principle for improving human relationships. Verse 12 is essentially a summation of all that Jesus has said, and acts as a bookend to verse 17 of chapter five:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

These two verses comprise what is known as an inclusio, bracketing all that is contained between them and forming a single unit of thought. The over-arching theme has been Jesus’ treatment of the Law and the Prophets or the Old Testament revelation. Here, in verse 12, Jesus brings His thoughts to a conclusion, summarizing all that He has said in one succinct and simple statement: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. This is the law of love, and it supersedes and fully expresses all that was written in the law. Paul summarizes it well:

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. – Romans 13:8-10 ESV

He simplified it, even more, when he wrote to the believers in Galatia:

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14 NLT

And not long before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 NLT).

In our sinful, self-centered state, it would be easy to draw a faulty conclusion from His words that allows us to focus on what we want from others. In other words, if we want our back scratched, we will reluctantly scratch someone else’s back, expecting them to do the same to us in return. Our seemingly gracious actions would be selfishly motivated. The Book of James contains a powerful warning against this interpretation of verse 12.

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. – James 2:8-10

James specifically mentions one law in particular: The royal law. Then, to ensure they understood what he meant, he quoted the law for them.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself…” – James 2:8 ESV

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus affirmed this “royal law” when He stated, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12 NLT). Jesus was not recommending the practice of preferential treatment to get a preferred response. He was promoting the practice of equity and selfless love. We are not to love based on what we get out of it. Christlike love is not a form of quid pro quo where our love becomes reciprocal in nature. It is not a you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-your-back kind of equation. Yet the practice of partiality is almost always selfish and self-centered. 

But that is not the kind of love Jesus is talking about. He refers to a selfless kind of love that expects and demands nothing in return. It is focused on giving, not getting. The apostle Paul warned against turning the law of love into a self-centered mechanism to get what you want.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:1-4 ESV

No one enjoys being hated, so why would we choose to hate others? There is no joy in being taken advantage of, so why would we treat someone else that way? If the idea of someone having an affair with your spouse offends you, it should also prevent you from ever considering doing the same thing to someone else. Jesus’ statement is intended to be other-focused, not self-centered. He was telling the Jews in His audience that the law was essentially about loving God and loving others, not themselves. Those who end up as citizens of His Kingdom will love as He loves. They will do as Jesus did, which Paul sums up in his letter to the Philippians:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8 ESV

Jesus knew that the life of love and self-sacrifice to which He called His audience would not be easy. He was fully aware that His words were difficult to hear and that what He had been commanding them to do was impossible to pull off. The crowds who followed Jesus to the hillside in Galilee had been attracted by His miracles. They were enamored by His ability to heal the sick and cast out demons. There was something attractive about this man who could do the impossible. But now, they were hearing that He expected the impossible of them.

If they wanted to be part of God’s Kingdom, they would have to live radically different lives. Their status as descendants of Abraham was not going to be enough. Their adherence to man-made laws and religious rules could not win them favor with God. But faith in Jesus as their Saviour would radically alter their behavior and restore their relationship with God. It would allow them to ”do unto others” with a selflessness that mirrors that of Jesus. Jesus was not calling His disciples to practice partiality or to live with a what’s-in-it-for-me mentality. He was commanding them to love as they had been loved. The Golden Rule is nothing more than a summation of the law. Jesus put it this way: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34 ESV).

Love is the ultimate expression of all the Law of Moses. To not commit adultery requires love for the other person and their spouse. It is difficult, if not impossible, to murder another person if you love them as Christ loved you. To steal something that belongs to someone else reveals a hatred and disdain for that person, but we are called to love them. Love sacrifices and gives rather than takes. Love protects and defends rather than hurts. Love is the driving force behind all of the law. Paul reminds us that all of the laws are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does NO wrong to others. So one who loves as God intended, fulfills the law of God.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fear Not

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 10:26-33 ESV

This passage is part of an extended monologue by Jesus that was meant to serve as the preface for the disciples’ first missionary journey. He was attempting to prepare them for what lay ahead. His words, up to this point, have been far from encouraging or inspiring. He has told them to expect persecution and rejection, warned of floggings to come, and informed them that they would be dragged into court for their efforts on His behalf. Not exactly what one would describe as a motivational speech.

Now Jesus adds a bit of cryptic content that sounds more like He’s speaking in riddles than providing helpful advice. But knowing that His 12 disciples were filled with confusion and apprehension, He tried to let them know that their fear of man was misplaced. All His talk of persecution and rejection had left these men fearful for their own physical well-being. Their little excursion to perform miracles and work wonders began sounding like a nightmare, and Jesus sensed their reticence.

The prospect of being sent out with power to heal the sick and cast out demons must have thrilled these men beyond belief. They were about to become celebrities. But Jesus had also given them an even more important assignment. He had commanded to “proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 10:10 ESV). This would not be a miracle-working roadshow but a preaching mission aimed at the Jewish population of Galilee and designed to inform them that their Messiah had arrived. The miracles were only meant to draw crowds and validate the disciples' message.

Jesus wanted these men to proclaim the kingdom's arrival boldly, loudly, and fearlessly. That is why He told them, “What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!” (Matthew 10:26 NLT). So much of what Jesus said to these men was prophetic in nature. He speaks of future events and the day when He would no longer be with them. He was well aware of the divine plan that included His own persecution, trials, flogging, and death. But He also knew that His death would be followed by His resurrection and ascension. When the inevitable happened, the disciples would be tasked with carrying the good news of salvation to the nations, beginning in Jerusalem and then extending to Judea, Samaria, and the farthest reaches of the earth.

In the brief time Jesus spent with His disciples on this earth, He continued to tell them truths concerning the kingdom that would escape their understanding. But the day would come when all that He had taught them would be revealed. What was secret would become known. What had been whispered in the dark would be shouted in the light of day.

“For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.” – Matthew 10:26 NLT

But what did any of this mean to His confused and frightened disciples? What were they supposed to do with this information? Jesus’ words of encouragement must have come across as anything but that to the disciples.

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you.” – Matthew 10:26 NLT

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul.” – Matthew 10:28 NLT

The admonition to “fear not” when the future held the prospect of threats and even death, was not exactly comforting. Jesus intensified the conversation by adding, “Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 NLT). 

Again, was this meant to encourage the disciples? Were they supposed to find comfort in these words? It would seem that Jesus only added to their fear by placing God as a greater threat to their well-being than mere human beings. Men could take their lives, but God had control over their eternal destinies. But this was not meant as a threat to the disciples. Jesus was not painting God as some vindictive, trigger-happy deity who would send the disciples to hell if they failed to accomplish their mission.

No, He was trying to get them to understand that there was an eternal destiny for each and every human being. While men can threaten and even take life, only God controls the final fate of humanity. Jesus’ message was eternal in nature. When He spoke of the kingdom, He was not talking about a temporal, earthly one; but of an eternal kingdom where He would rule forever in righteousness. Citizenship in that kingdom would be based on acceptance of God’s free gift of salvation made possible through the death of His Son.

The disciples would need boldness to proclaim the gospel message, even in the face of life-threatening opposition because that message had eternal implications. Yes, men could kill them, but if they allowed fear of death to stifle their message of hope, then thousands of others would face the destruction of “both soul and body in hell.”

The apostle Paul later explained the importance of faithful messengers, who boldly proclaim the gospel in the face of opposition, rejection, and even persecution.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” – Romans 10:14-15 NLT

The disciples did not yet understand the full importance of who Jesus was and what He had come to do. Their comprehension of Jesus and His ministry was incomplete and had been filtered through the cloudy lens of their expectations concerning the Messiah. At this point, they had no clue that He would eventually suffer and die. Even when Jesus began to share that aspect of His mission, they would reject it as unacceptable and illogical. Later on in his gospel, Matthew records an encounter between Jesus and a well-meaning but misinformed Peter.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” – Matthew 16:21-22 NLT

For Peter, the Messiah’s death was inconceivable and unacceptable. It didn’t fit into the narrative he held in his head and conflicted with his own expectations of serving alongside Jesus in His new administration.

At this stage in their relationship with Jesus, all His talk of suffering, rejection, and threats of death sounded strange and extremely unpleasant. But Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that their fears were unwarranted. Why? Because the God of the universe cared for them. Jesus illustrated God’s compassion and concern for them by pointing them to nature.

Sparrows were commonplace in Israel and of very little perceived value. They could be purchased for next to nothing – two for a penny. But in God’s eyes, they had value. In His sovereignty and omniscience, He knew when even one sparrow lost its life. If God knows and cares about the fate of a common bird, how much more so does He care about the fate of man? Rather than fear abandonment or death, Jesus encouraged His disciples to focus on God’s sovereign love for them.

“So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” – Matthew 10:31 NLT

God was so intimately aware of their fate that He even knew the exact number of the hairs on their heads. He knew and cared about every aspect of their lives, so they could trust Him.

Rather than fear men, they were to place all their hope and trust in a sovereign God who loved them and held their eternal destiny in His hands. Jesus called on these men to boldly declare their allegiance to His calling and cause. As long as they lived on this earth, they were expected to proclaim His name and preach His message of salvation to all who would listen. Jesus assured them that, one day, their faithfulness would be rewarded.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” – Matthew 10:32-33 NLT

At this point in His ministry, Jesus had attracted a large number of followers, but few of them were true believers. In time, many would begin to abandon Him. At His trials, most would turn their backs on Him, replacing their shouts of “Hosannah” with cries of “Crucify him!” After His death, most of them would simply walk away, returning to their former ways of life.

But there would also be those who claimed to be His followers whose lives would fail to reveal the fruit of true discipleship. Jesus described them in stark terms in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” – Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

Jesus will deny these people before His Father. Their professions of faith will prove to be false, and their good works will be nothing more than filthy rags. These people would have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in Jesus’ name; all three of which Jesus commissioned His 12 disciples to do on their first missionary journey. But if they did these things without faith in Him and a fear of the One who sent Him, their efforts would be fruitless and futile. Their faith would be false, and their fates would be sealed.

The Proverbs state, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” ªProverbs 29:25 ESV). Peter, the very disciple who rebuked Jesus when He spoke of His pending death, would later be transformed when the Spirit of God came to dwell in him, just as Jesus had promised. This former fear-filled doubter would become a bold proclaimer of the good news who feared God rather than man, and he would teach his own disciples to share his confidence in the Almighty and his passion for carrying out the mission of Christ.

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. – 2 Timothy 1:7-8 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Repent

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:13-17 ESV

Every step Jesus took and every word He spoke was in fulfillment of prophecy. His actions were premeditated and always in keeping with the plan His Father had established for Him “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV). Jesus boldly stated that He had come to fulfill every statement made about the Messiah in the Old Testament Scriptures. This is what He meant when He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17 ESV). After His resurrection, He gave two of His disciples a crash course in Old Testament Studies, revealing how He had fulfilled all that was written about Him in the Scriptures.

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:25-27 ESV

Matthew 4 records that Jesus’ relocation from Nazareth to Zebulun and Naphtali was in fulfillment of the writings of the prophet Isaiah. This was not a knee-jerk reaction or spur-of-the-moment decision on His part; He was following the will of His Heavenly Father. Isaiah referred to this region as “Galilee of the Gentiles” and in Jesus’ day, the Gentile population in Zebulen and Napthali was significant. His move from Jerusalem to Nazareth and then to this region was meant to foreshadow His intentions to reach all people with His message of salvation, not just the Jews.

Isaiah states that the Messiah will appear to those “dwelling in darkness” who dwell “in the region and shadow of death.” The “light” will shine and illuminate the darkness of their lives with the truth of God’s offer of salvation. The apostle John spoke of Jesus’ illuminating presence as the light that gives life to the world.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5 ESV

But John also states that Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11 ESV). Most of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries failed to accept Him as their long-awaited Messiah. Initially, they were attracted to His miracles and message but, in time, they grew disenchanted and impatient when He failed to manifest the Messianic characteristics they were expecting. 

That is why Jesus’ call to repentance is so important. After His relocation to Capernaum, Jesus “began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17 ESV).  This was the same message John the Baptist had proclaimed before Jesus appeared at the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:1-2 ESV

But what did Jesus and John mean when they called people to repentance? What were they expecting those dwelling in darkness in the region and the shadow of death to do? The common understanding of repentance is to show remorse or regret for sin. Some have described it as turning from sin to Christ. They view it as a willing rejection of a sinful lifestyle and embracing the new life that Jesus came to offer. While these views are not inaccurate, they are incomplete.

Jesus and John had something far more radical in mind when they called people to repent. When John the Baptist first appeared on the scene, he seemed to have come out of nowhere. He was the same age as his cousin, Jesus. But for 30 years, John remained silent until he suddenly appeared in the wilderness preaching a message of repentance and offering baptism as a sign of that repentance, Everything about John was strange, from his choice of attire and lifestyle to the content of his message. But he attracted a crowd. Matthew tells us:

Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Matthew 3:5-6 ESV

John was calling the people of Israel to repent and it is essential to understand the meaning behind his message. His call to repentance involved a change in mind, a radical realignment of their understanding of God and His ways. The Greek word is metanoeo and it means “to change one’s mind or purpose.” It is far more than sorrow or regret for sin. It involves a radical change of attitude towards God, involving one’s spiritual and moral perspective. John was calling the people of Israel to rethink their attitude about everything, including their relationship with God, the nature of their own sin, and the reality of their so-called status as God’s chosen people. The Jews had been living under the delusion that, as descendants of Abraham, they were somehow a protected class. They were far from perfect, but they believed themselves to have some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card that allowed them to sin and always receive forgiveness. After all, they had the sacrificial system that provided them with atonement for any and all sins.

Despite the literally hundreds of years their ancestors had spent in open rebellion against God and their suffering defeat and eventual exile at the hands of God, they had never fully returned to Him. Yet God had repeatedly rescued them and restored them to the land of their inheritance.

Even at the time John began his ministry, Israel was a place of spiritual darkness. The spiritual climate of Israel was dark and John came to call the people of God back to a right relationship with God. But they were going to have to change their minds about everything. Their long-awaited Messiah was coming and they were not ready for His arrival. Their hearts were full of sin, yet they continued to view themselves as the chosen people of God. They placed a high value on their status as Israelites and on the presence of the Temple because they believed it to house God’s holy presence. They were overly confident in the forgiveness made available through the sacrificial system. But John was letting them know that all that was about to change. This was a new day. There was going to be a new plan of salvation made available that was no longer tied to the law or was not dependent upon men attempting to live in perfect obedience to that law.

John’s words were attracting huge crowds made up of all kinds of people from all walks of life, including the religious leaders of his day. But when these Pharisees and Sadducees showed up, John confronted them, saying, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV). These two groups of individuals, the Pharisees and Sadducees, represent the hypocritical religious leadership of John’s day. The Pharisees were the religious rule-keepers, the experts in the law who prided themselves on their knowledge of the law and adherence to it. The Sadducees were the liberals of their day, who denied the supernatural and rejected everything from the existence of angels to the future resurrection of the body. These two groups showing up to be baptized was nothing more than a public display meant to enhance their credibility and feed their sense of spiritual superiority.

They had no intention of changing their minds about anything. They were marked by arrogance and pride and John demanded that they bear fruit that demonstrated true repentance. In other words, he called them out for their unwillingness to see themselves for what they really were: Religious hypocrites.

Their status as descendants of Abraham would not be enough to save them from the wrath of God, and John the Baptist makes that point painfully clear.

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” – Matthew 3:9 ESV

Their current relationship with God, which was based on obedience to the law, could not produce the kind of righteousness that was required. The apostle Paul, a former Pharisee, put it bluntly and succinctly.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

But while this message carried a negative connotation, Paul also provided the good news.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  – Romans 3:21-22 NLT

So, when John the Baptist called the Jews to repent, he was informing their Jewish heritage was not going to keep them from suffering the consequences of God’s wrath against sin. God was looking for fruit in keeping with true repentance. No more hypocrisy and play-acting. No more lip service and false professions of sorrow over sin. God was about to introduce a new way for men to be justified, or made right with Him. Self-righteousness had never worked. Religious law-keeping had never earned anyone a right standing with God, because no one could keep the law perfectly.

With the coming of the Messiah, God changed all that. While John baptized with water all those willing to come with an attitude of true repentance, he made it clear that the baptism they would receive from Jesus would be radically different. His baptism would involve the Holy Spirit and fire. It would be supernatural in scope and cleansing in nature. It would be a baptism of purification and radical transformation. It would be far more than a ritualistic act meant to symbolize a change of attitude. No, the baptism of Jesus would be completely transformational in nature, leaving the one baptized radically changed forever.

But what does the call to repentance have to do with those who are already in Christ? Once someone has placed their faith in Christ as the sole means of being made right with God, do they need to continue “changing their mind?” The answer is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 ESV

The Greek word for “transformed” is metamorphoō which means “to transform” or “to transfigure.” It is the source for the English word “metamorphosis.” Paul states that this transformation is accomplished by the renewal of the mind. The Greek word for “renewal” is anakainōsis and it refers to “a complete change for the better.” While the Holy Spirit is transforming the believer’s heart, He is also renewing or renovating the mind, calling for a constant change in how the believer views the world and His own life. Paul expressed his deep desire that the believers in Ephesus would have their minds constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit so that they might fully comprehend the glory of the gift they had received.

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. – Ephesians 1:15-18 NLT

Repentance involves a changing of the mind. It requires a readiness to rethink our old positions and perceptions about life and godliness. Repentance is a willingness to have our minds renewed and renovated by the Holy Spirit over time. It involves a submission to His will and a reliance upon His power.

The mind is the battleground of the enemy. He knows if he can distort our thinking, he can destroy our faith and damage our witness. He is the accuser of the brethren (Revelatoin 12:10), who loves to wreak havoc with our minds by emphasizing our sinfulness and questioning God’s faithfulness. He wants to accentuate our faults and convince us that we are unworthy and undeserving of God’s grace. The apostle Paul would have us repent of such thoughts and rest in the promises of God. But to do so requires us to rely upon the Spirit to renew and control our minds – on a daily and ongoing basis.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. – Romans 8:5-9 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Lay Up Treasures In Heaven

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21 ESV

Just a few verses earlier, Matthew records Jesus saying, “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:8 NLT). Later in this same sermon, Jesus states, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT). 

But what was the real point behind these messages concerning earthly things and the Kingdom of God? What was Jesus trying to tell His unbelieving audience? They were attracted by His miracles and message. Some were intrigued by the rumors that He might be the long-awaited Messiah. But even that remote possibility conjured up images of a conquering king who would restore Israel’s fortunes and return the nation to prosperity. After centuries of occupation by foreign powers, the Israelites focused on prophetic passages that promised a conquering king who would be like David reincarnated.

“My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Ezekiel 37:24-27 NLT

“For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
And this will be his name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety.” – Jeremiah 23:5-6 NLT

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! – Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

So, when John the Baptist appeared on the scene declaring, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2 ESV), the Jews had one thing in mind: The Messiah had finally arrived. That idea produced a variety of expectations among the impoverished and oppressed people of Israel. If Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies, then He would right all wrongs by overthrowing the Romans and blessing God’s chosen people with peace, prosperity, and a permanent place in His earthly kingdom. 

But in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus surprised His audience by telling them to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20 ESV). If His arrival marked the coming of the Kingdom, why did He tell tell His listeners to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)?

Earlier in His sermon, He shocked the gathered crowd by telling them the Kingdom they sought belonged to the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) and the persecuted (Matthew 6:10). None of this made sense. His words were confusing and contradictory. But as Jesus later told the Roman governor, Pilate, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom…my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT).

What the Jews failed to understand was that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophetic passages concerning the Messiah. He was the King they had long dreamed about and He would establish His Kingdom on earth, but it would be according to God’s perfect plan and in keeping with His timeline. Jesus had come to bring about a revolution but not according to their expectations. He later revealed the nature of His revolution by quoting from the prophet Micah.

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
   Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” – Matthew 10:34-37 NLT

For Jesus, it was about priorities. It was about the temporal versus the eternal. That seems to be the primary focus of His teaching in this passage. The Kingdom He came to bring was a spiritual one that was not of this world. There would be no coronation, palatial royal residence, or golden crown to place on His head. The only indications of His Kingship would be a crown of thorns and a hastily crafted sign that read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37 ESV).

The entire Sermon on the Mount was intended to reorient the minds of His audience. When He began His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly echoed the words of John the Baptist, stating, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17 ESV). That word “repent” is metanoeō in Greek and it carries the idea of changing one’s mind. It has less to do with behavior modification than a drastically altered mindset. Jesus wanted the Jews to rethink everything they thought about God, the Messiah, salvation, righteousness, the coming Kingdom, and the blessings it would bring. That is why He repeatedly called them to take their minds off earthly things and focus on what really mattered.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. – Luke 12:31-34 ESV

He has just warned His audience about the leaven of the Pharisees. These were men who placed a high priority on the here-and-now. They live for the immediate reward of men’s praise. Jesus compared them to hypokrisis – actors in a play whose sole job is to convince their audience that they are someone other than who they truly are. Jesus addressed this kind of lifestyle in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 NLT

Jesus went on to describe how these kinds of people were more obsessed with the praise of men than they were with pleasing God, and He warned His audience to avoid emulating their ways.

“When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:2 NLT

The Pharisees had perfected their outward behavior to such a degree that they guaranteed themselves a heavy dose of reverence and respect from the common people. They were viewed as spiritual rock stars who displayed an unprecedented degree of religious zeal and discipline. But Jesus saw through their all their pretense and warned that their obsessive-compulsive desire for the temporal praise of men would eventually prevent them from experiencing the eternal reward of God. And Jesus continued to drive home the seriousness of this message.

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:5 NLT

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:16 NLT

Temporal recognition in place of eternal rewards. That doesn’t sound like a particularly equitable exchange and yet, that is the danger we all face if we are not careful. That’s why Jesus repeatedly exhorted His listeners to seek the eternal reward that only God can give. He stressed the fact that men can thrill us with their words of praise or frighten us with their threats of death, but their power over us is limited.

“…don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.” – Luke 12:4 NLT

They are temporal creatures with a temporary capacity to either praise our life or take it from us. But Jesus warned, “Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell” (Luke 12:5 NLT). God not only has the power to reward, but He also possessed the authority to condemn – for eternity.

But all of Jesus’ words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Luke indicates that someone in the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me” (Luke 12:13 NLT). It is immediately clear that this individual’s focus was on the here-and-now, not the hereafter. This person was thinking about the immediate gratification that an earthy inheritance would bring: Land, money, and temporal treasures that had once belonged to his earthly father. 

But Jesus responded in frustration, revealing that this man had brought his selfish request to the wrong judge. Jesus had not come to earth to settle disputes over earthly inheritances. He had come to provide sinful men and women with the eternal reward of justification before God Almighty. And He has just finished telling the crowd about a much greater reward that awaited them in eternity.

“…everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.” – Luke 12:8 NLT

This man wanted Jesus to acknowledge the validity of his claim on the family inheritance. But Jesus was asking him to acknowledge His claim to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Yet this individual had his eyes focused on the wrong things. He saw Jesus as some kind of arbitrator who could help settle his petty dispute with his brother but failed to recognize Jesus as the mediator between God and man. And Jesus pointed out the flawed focus of this man’s thinking.

“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” – Luke 12:15 NLT

This man was demanding that Jesus help him get what he believed to be rightfully his. But Jesus wanted him to know that nothing on this earth was worth having if it took precedence over Him. And this was not the first time that Jesus had warned about avoiding a fixation on present comforts over future rewards.

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:35-38 NLT

And this man’s request led Jesus to tell a short, but powerful parable about a rich man who allowed greed and an obsession with earthly rewards to blind him to the temporal nature of life and the reality of eternity. And Jesus summarized the sad state of the character in His parable by stating, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:21 NLT).

And Luke indicates that Jesus used this entire exchange as an opportunity to instruct His 12 disciples on the necessity of proper priorities. Unlike the man who wanted Jesus to help him get his hands on his inheritance, the disciples were to avoid wasting their time worrying about food and clothing. They had more important things to do, and they needed to understand that “life is more than food, and your body more than clothing” (Luke 12:23 NLT). In a world where success was measured by the outward trappings of materialism, the disciples were being instructed to focus on those things that matter for eternity.

The eternal was to take precedence over the temporal. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that their focus needed to be on the Kingdom to come, not the kingdom they had hoped for. God was going to meet their greatest need; He would provide them with eternal life and unending fellowship with Him. It would be made possible through His Son’s sacrificial death on the cross. And if God was ready, willing, and able to secure their greatest need, why in the world would they waste time worrying about food and clothing? This is why Jesus told them, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT).

The Kingdom was the goal,  and if the disciples learned to live with their eyes on the prize, the things of this world would play a far less significant role in their lives. That is why Jesus told them, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Luke 12:34 NLT).

This was the central focus of His gospel message. He was the King who had come to inaugurate the coming Kingdom. He was the eternal one who had entered into time and space, taking on human flesh and living among men so that He might offer Himself as the atonement for the sins of humanity. He didn’t come to offer men their best life now in the here-and-now, but abundant life in the hereafter. That’s why He strongly encouraged His followers to set their sights on things to come. They were to make the future reward of the Father their highest priority.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.