The Danger of Denial

23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” – Mark 3:13-30 ESV

“He’s an amazing miracle worker.”

“He’s crazy!”

“He’s demon-possessed.”

The opinions about Jesus were all over the proverbial map. Some people loved Him, while others, like the Pharisees, harbored intense, growing hatred for Him. But despite the diversity of opinions, everyone agreed that this man from Nazareth was impossible to ignore. They couldn’t explain Him, but they couldn't dismiss Him either.

Mark indicates that a group of scribes had traveled all the way from Jerusalem to Galilee just to investigate this rural Rabbi who was causing such a stir. These men were likely sent by the high priest and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, with the responsibility of finding legal evidence to use against Jesus. As experts in the Mosaic Law, as well as the oral and traditional regulations of the Jews, these men would have been well-qualified for their task.

Yet, their initial assessment of Jesus was far from legal in nature; they simply dismissed Him as demon-possessed.

“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” – Mark 3:22 ESV

Their use of the term Beelzebul was intended to demean Jesus’ ministry and reputation. This Greek epithet was a term of scorn adopted by the Jewish religious leaders to refer to Satan. It derived from the name of the Philistine god Baal-zebub, “the lord of the flies” (2 Kings 1:2). The Jews, sworn enemies of the Philistines, sarcastically changed the name to “Beelzeboul,” meaning “lord of dung.” The Pharisees eventually borrowed the term and applied it to Satan, “the prince of demons.” So, when the scribes declared Jesus to be possessed by Beelzebul, they were writing Him off as a pawn of Satan.   

They couldn’t deny that Jesus did supernatural wonders and signs; it was obvious He had powers and abilities not of this world. But rather than admit that Jesus was the Son of God, they accused Him of being in league with Satan. By declaring that Jesus was “possessed by Beelzebul,” they were linking Jesus to the demonic realm. This accusation would have been well understood by all those who heard it, and it would have shocked and surprised them.

Matthew and Luke provide additional context for this scene. The scribes' pronouncement didn’t come out of the blue; it was based on their assessment of a miracle Jesus had just performed.

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” – Matthew 12:22-23 ESV

The people were so impressed by what Jesus had done that they questioned whether He might be the Messiah, the long-awaited descendant of David, and the heir to his throne. But Matthew records the religious leaders' quick, calculated rebuttal.

“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” – Matthew 12:24 ESV

They hoped to dispel any thought that this man, Jesus, had been sent by God. By linking His activities to Satan, they hoped to tarnish His reputation and turn the people against Him.

So, rather than wasting time gathering forensic evidence proving that Jesus had violated their written and oral laws, the scribes simply accused Him of being under the influence of Satan. In doing so, they put their argument against Jesus in terms the common people could understand. The scribes and Pharisees had little respect for the average Jew because they viewed them as being ignorant of the law. John records a blunt assessment these same religious leaders made of their own people.

“…this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!” – John 7:49 NLT

But if there was one thing these uneducated and superstitious people could understand, it was the difference between good and evil. By associating Jesus with Satan, the scribes explained His power and, at the same time, maligned His character. Yet rather than responding in anger, Jesus answered their accusation with a parable. He offered a well-reasoned response that quickly exposed its absurdity and their lack of judgment.

“How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.”  – Mark 3:23-26 NLT

With simple reasoning, Jesus dismantled the foundation of their argument, and He did so in terms the people could understand. You can almost see them looking at one another as Jesus spoke, nodding their heads in approval. What He said made sense. But Jesus was not done; He kept pointing out the flawed logic behind their accusation.

“Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.” – Mark 3:27 NLT

It would be counter-productive for Satan to cast out one of his own demons. And how could anyone cast out a demon unless he had power greater than the demon?

Whether the religious leaders realized it or not, Jesus was taking them to school. He was teaching them a lesson about divine power and authority. Jesus subtly shifted the emphasis from casting out demons to plundering the home of “a strong man.” Jesus focused on the religious leaders and the power they held over the nation of Israel. This helps to explain what happened when Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and saw how the priests of God had transformed His Father’s house into a carnival-like atmosphere.

He found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” – John 2:14-16 NLT

Jesus came to do the will of His Father, and He operated under the power of the Holy Spirit. He had God-given authority and Spirit-enabled power to do what He did. But when these pride-filled men accused Jesus of operating under the influence and power of Satan, they had crossed the line, and He clearly warned them that they were walking on thin ice.

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” – Mark 3:28-29 NLT

Their flippant, poorly reasoned accusation against Him was a dangerous mistake. Whether they realized it or not, He was the Son of God, and they had just accused Him of fraternizing with the enemy. They had also attributed the work of the Spirit of God to Satan. In doing so, they rejected the will of God. In essence, they offended all three members of the Holy Trinity, and Jesus calls it exactly what it is: blasphemy.

While blasphemy was normally a forgivable sin, in this case, Jesus described a condition in which men willingly and repeatedly reject the will of God, the claims of His Son, and the power of His Spirit. These men had been given ample evidence of who Jesus was. In a sense, the entire Godhead testified that Jesus was who He claimed to be: the Son of God. But these men refused to believe, and their stubborn rejection of the divine testimony was the unpardonable sin.

Blasphemy is nothing more than speaking of God in terms that are disrespectful and derogatory. It is dismissing the word of God and rejecting the will of God. In denying Jesus as the Son of God, the religious leaders were snubbing their noses at God Almighty and rejecting the truth of His Word. By attributing the power of the Spirit of God to Satan, they were robbing God of glory.

Blasphemy is a sin, and all sin is forgivable by God. But one who repeatedly rejects God's testimony about His Son risks committing the unpardonable and unforgivable sin. The apostle John put it in rather stark but understandable terms.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
 – John 3:18 NLT

The religious leaders stood condemned because they refused to believe God’s testimony about His Son. At Jesus’ baptism, God had declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17 ESV). But the Pharisees and scribes refused to believe God’s word. Not only that, they dismissed the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power displayed through the Son's life, falsely attributing it to the enemy.

By accusing Jesus of being possessed, they were able to dismiss His miraculous power as demonic. They were trying to portray Jesus as a man who was under Satanic control. When He was in His right mind, Jesus was nothing more than a simple Rabbi and moral teacher. But when the demon took over, Jesus had the power to perform miracles. But their assessment was meant to deny Jesus' deity and identity. They denied Him to be the Son of God.

Today, there are those who deny that Jesus ever existed at all. Over the centuries, His virgin birth, sinless life, death, resurrection, and atoning work have all been rejected by men. In doing so, they have committed blasphemy. And all those who persist in rejecting the Son of God as the Savior sent by God will be “guilty of an eternal sin.” Their refusal to “believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31 ESV) will result in condemnation rather than salvation. But as Jesus told a crowd one day, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29 NLT). You can deny or accept Him, but your choice will have eternal consequences.

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.

Father and Son Reunion

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.  – Mark 1:35-45 ESV

Mark clearly shows that Jesus exuded power and authority, revealed in His words and actions. When He spoke in the synagogue in Capernaum, the people took notice, but when He cast out the demon, they were blown away. Jesus simply spoke a word of command and the demon was forced to leave the man he had been tormenting. The same thing happened when Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law. With nothing more than a spoken word, Jesus exorcised her debilitating fever and restored her to health.

But in today’s verses, Mark offers a glimpse of the source of Jesus’ power and authority. After a full day of activity, Jesus rose early the next morning, well before dawn. His disciples were likely still asleep when Jesus rose and “went out to an isolated place to pray” (Mark 1:35 NLT).

Mark provides no details concerning Jesus’ destination or the content of His prayer.  But this early-morning excursion reveals Jesus' intimate relationship with His Heavenly Father and His desire for fellowship and instruction. The four gospels reveal that Jesus made a habit of seeking time alone with His Father. He regularly sought these secluded moments to communicate with His Father, to seek His will, and to demonstrate their unity of mind and mission. In his gospel account, John records Jesus confessing, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does” (John 5:19 NLT).

Jesus’ earthly mission had physically separated Him from His Father. Jesus' incarnation broke their eternal, uninterrupted relationship. Paul describes how Jesus willingly left His Father’s side, setting aside His divine privileges to take on human flesh.

…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. – Philippians 2:6-7 ESV

In His temporal, human form, Jesus could no longer enjoy the intimate fellowship He had always experienced with His Father. Jesus was no less divine, but by becoming human, He experienced the inevitable separation that all men encounter. Jesus committed no sins that could break His fellowship with the Father, but His humanity prevented Him from entering His Father’s presence. So, he regularly sought time to seek His Father’s companionship and guidance. Once again, John records Jesus’ admission of dependence on His Father. 

“I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”  – John 5:30 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. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” – John 12:49-50 NLT

Jesus, the Son of God, regularly sought time alone with God, but not just for fellowship. He also sought to know the Father’s will. Isaiah offered a Spirit-inspired, prophetic glimpse into this unique relationship between the Father and His Son.

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened. – Isaiah 50:4-5 NLT

Mark gives no indication of how long Jesus was gone, but when His disciples awoke, they wondered where He was and immediately began searching for Him; when they found Him, they asked Him where He had been.

This scene is reminiscent of one recorded by Luke in his gospel account. It took place in Jerusalem when Jesus was only 12 years old. He had traveled to the capital city with the rest of His family for the annual Feast of Passover. But when the feast ended and His family began their return trip home, they discovered Jesus was missing. They returned to Jerusalem, and three days later they found Jesus in the temple, “sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions” (Luke 2:46 NLT).

When Mary and Joseph expressed their frustration and concern to Jesus, He responded, “But why did you need to search?…Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NLT). The young Jesus used a Hebrew idiom best translated as, “Didn’t you know that I must be in the [things] of my Father?” Even at 12, Jesus sought the things that concerned His Father. Now, more than 17 years later, Jesus was still seeking to be “in the things of” His Father.

When the disciples found Jesus, they told Him, “Everyone is looking for you” (Mark 1:37 ESV). Jesus was in great demand, but while the disciples and the crowds desperately sought Him, He spent much-needed time alone with His Father.

When the disciples asked where Jesus had been, He didn’t explain His actions; He simply replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came” (Mark 1:38 NLT). Notice that Jesus emphasizes His intention to preach, which ties directly back to something Mark wrote in verses 14-15.

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” – Mark 1:14-15 NLT

The Father had sent Jesus to earth with a clear mission objective: He was to preach that the King of God was near and call the people of Israel to repentance. Jesus spent three years declaring the good news that God’s Kingdom was coming and that He was the means by which all men could enter that Kingdom. He would eventually offer His own life as the atoning sacrifice that would pay mankind’s sin debt and make entrance into God’s Kingdom possible.

Mark describes what happened next: “So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39 NLT). Jesus not only preached but cast out demons. He declared the coming of God’s Kingdom while, at the same time, single-handedly and systematically dismantling the kingdom of Satan. In a sense, Jesus was telegraphing the future impact and import of His coming crucifixion. With His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus destroyed Satan’s monopoly over the lives of men. The apostle Paul described the impact of Jesus’ substitutionary death.

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

While Mark indicates that Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in synagogues and casting out demons, the first miracle he describes involves a leper, not a demon. This man, who was obviously a Jew, suffered from a horrible disease that left him in pain and agony but also ostracized him from his faith community. Lepers were considered ceremonially unclean, and the visible symptoms of the disease would have made him an object of scorn and derision.

But despite his condition, this man approached Jesus, expressing his desperate need for help and his firm belief that Jesus could heal him.

“If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” – Mark 1:40 NLT

Mark provides no explanation for this man’s remarkable expression of faith. Most likely, news of Jesus’ healing power had spread to his community, and this man saw in Jesus a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be freed from his disfiguring and, ultimately, deadly disease. With great specificity, Mark describes what happened next:

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” – Mark 1:41 NLT

Jesus saw in this man a tangible illustration of every Israelite’s predicament; they were all unclean and condemned to a life of permanent separation. But, unlike this man, their separation was spiritual and left them alienated from God. They carried about them the scars of their sins, which made them unacceptable and unclean to a holy and righteous God. Like the leper, they could do nothing to help themselves. But Jesus demonstrated compassion and care.

This time, rather than using words alone, Jesus reached out and touched the man, and His actions were intentional. Despite the man’s unclean condition, Jesus willingly and deliberately touched him. According to the Mosaic Law, this action would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean, but He willingly took the risk. In a sense, Jesus took on the man’s leprosy and left him whole. This encounter with the leper foreshadows what Jesus would accomplish for all mankind with His death on the cross.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. – 1 Peter 2:24 NLT

He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows… – Isaiah 53:4 BSB

Mark reveals that the man’s condition was changed instantaneously.

Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. – Mark 1:42 NLT

Jesus commanded the man to tell no one, but to go straight to the temple to have the priest confirm his healing and present a thank-offering. According to Mosaic law, a leper had to be examined and declared free of the disease before he or she could be restored to fellowship within the community. Jesus also warned the man not to tell anyone what had happened. This may seem like a strange and unnecessary command, but when the man violated it, it becomes easy to see why Jesus gave it in the first place. No one can blame the man for his enthusiasm and excitement; he wanted everyone to know that he had been healed.

But as the news of his healing spread, Jesus was confronted by a mass of humanity, clamoring to see this miracle worker from Nazareth. As a result, Jesus was forced to take His ministry outside the crowded confines of the cities. But His relocation did little to stop the steady flow of people seeking healing, help, and hope. 

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 Holy One of God

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. – Mark 1:21-34 ESV

In his gospel account, Luke reports that after Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, He “returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone” (Luke 4:14-15 ESV). And Mark provides a glimpse into one such occasion.

After calling Andrew, Simon, James, and John to be His disciples, Jesus and His new recruits made their way to the town of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. On the Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples visited the local synagogue. The synagogue was the building in each community where the Jews gathered for worship, prayer, and instruction. The Hebrew word is beit k’nesset (literally, “House of Assembly”). Jews typically referred to this building as a synagogue, the Greek translation of beit k’nesset.

The synagogue emerged during Israel’s Babylonian captivity. After the Babylonians defeated Judah in 597 B.C., they took tens of thousands of Israelites captive and transported them to Babylon. With no access to the temple, the Jews were forced to come up with an alternative place of worship. Even after the Jews returned to Judah and rebuilt the temple the Babylonians had destroyed, they continued to build synagogues in their local communities.

The synagogue was a place of prayer and instruction. When the Jews gathered on the Sabbath, they read from the Torah, the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). After the Torah reading, there was a time of teaching or instruction.

Mark indicates that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Because Jesus was recognized as a Rabbi, it would have been normal for the synagogue leadership to extend Him this honor. Mark emphasizes the people’s reaction to what Jesus taught, but provides no details concerning the content of His message. He simply states, “they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22 ESV). The Greek word Mark uses conveys that they were “blown away” by the force of Jesus’ words. But they were amazed, not so much by what Jesus said as by how He said it. Jesus spoke with authority. Mark chose the Greek word exousia to describe the “power, right, and authority” behind Jesus’ words. Those in the synagogue that day had never heard anything like it before. It was as if Jesus spoke like He knew what He was talking about.

Mark deliberately contrasts Jesus' instruction with that of the scribes. These men were considered experts in the Law of Moses. Their job was to study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it. But Mark infers that these well-educated men lacked the authority and power that Jesus possessed. This is the first of many contrasts Mark establishes between Jesus and Israel's religious leaders.

As if to show that Jesus didn’t just have a way with words, Mark describes an encounter between Jesus and a man with an “unclean spirit.” Mark indicates that when Jesus had finished speaking, this demon-possessed man interrupted the service, crying out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24 ESV).

Evidently, this man had been in the room the entire time. But Jesus’ authoritative teaching caused the demon(s) within the man to react in fear and anger. They had literally been struck by the power of Jesus’ words. The demon’s use of the plural pronoun “us” may indicate that the man had more than one demon or that other demons were present in the synagogue that day. Either way, the demon immediately recognized Jesus, calling Him “the Holy One of God.” This demonic being clearly knew who Jesus was and why He had come. He even asked if Jesus planned to destroy him and his fellow demons.

Through this description of the encounter, Mark establishes another point of conflict that will characterize Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus will not only find Himself at odds with the Jewish religious leaders, but also engage in a battle with what Paul describes as “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

But these spiritual forces were not relegated to the invisible world; they had infiltrated the realm of men and were wreaking havoc among God’s chosen people. This will not be the last of Jesus’ encounters with demons. However, these otherworldly invaders would prove no match for the Holy One of God.

Jesus refused to answer or even acknowledge the demon’s question, choosing instead to silence it by casting it out. The Greek word translated as “rebuke” can actually mean “to censure or silence.” Rather than verbally castigate the demon, Jesus simply removed his ability to speak by forcing him to vacate the man’s body. Jesus spoke with authority, commanding the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25 ESV), and the demon immediately obeyed.

And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. – Mark 1;26 ESV

With no host to occupy, the demon lost its means of communication. This strange and disturbing scene left those who witnessed it even more astonished. But they quickly connected what they saw to Jesus' authority.

“What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” – Mark 1:27 NLT

Jesus’ words carried power. He could not be accused of being “all talk, no action.” The scribes could probably give a lecture about the Scriptural existence of demons, but Jesus could control them because He had power over them. His words had authority, and this distinction did not go unnoticed. Mark indicates that “the news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee” (Mark 1:28 NLT). Soon, news of what Jesus had done reached the religious leaders in Jerusalem. As Jesus’ fame spread, so did His infamy. Before long, Jesus found Himself fighting on multiple fronts.

But Jesus was not done demonstrating His power. After exorcising the demon in the synagogue, Jesus made His way to the home of Andrew and Simon. Mark indicates that Simon’s mother-in-law was ill. Simon (Peter) likely told this story to Mark, which is why it appears in his gospel account. When Jesus learned of the woman’s illness, He visited her home, took her by the hand, and she was immediately healed. At a touch from Jesus, she went from suffering to serving.

The order of these events is vital. In the synagogue scene, the emphasis was on Jesus’ words; He spoke with authority. But on this occasion, Jesus said nothing. He took the woman by the hand, and her body was made whole. Jesus demonstrated His power and authority, but without words.

This latest episode increased Jesus’ notoriety and further inflamed the people's curiosity. Mark reveals that by the end of the day, the crowds had gathered outside the home of Simon and Andrew. News spread, and soon “all who were sick or oppressed by demons” came to Jesus. Mark indicates that “the whole city was gathered together at the door” (Mark 1:33 ESV).

Jesus’ demonstrations of power and authority drew a crowd, but rather than lock the doors and seek refuge, He “healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons” (Mark 1:34 ESV). He continued to exercise His power and authority over disease and demons, proving that what the demon had said was true. He was truly the Holy One of God, and His authority and power were divine, not human. He could do what He did because of who He was; His identity gave Him His authority.

But while the people were impressed by what they saw, they were not yet convinced of His divinity. He clearly possessed authority and power and could perform supernatural miracles, but His identity remained a mystery. Who was this man? How could this unknown Rabbi from Nazareth do what He did? Curiosity and the hope of healing drove many to seek out this miracle-working Rabbi, but they remained ignorant of His identity. And Jesus chose to keep it that way. Mark records. “Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak” (Mark 1:34 NLT). The first demon that Jesus cast out had identified Him as “the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24 NLT). But Jesus was not yet ready for the crowds to know who He was. If they discovered He was the long-awaited Messiah, they would try to force Him to serve as their King. John records in his gospel how another group of Jews responded when they saw Jesus perform a miracle.

When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. – John 6:14-15 NLT

So, at this stage in His earthly ministry, Jesus left the people guessing because His time had not yet come. He continued to speak and act with authority, performing miracles and teaching new truths to all who would listen. But for the time being, His divinity remained a mystery. 

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 Baptism By Fire

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:9-15 ESV

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark dedicates no part of his gospel to Jesus' birth. Instead, he opens with very brief descriptions of Jesus’ baptism and His testing by Satan in the wilderness. Even when covering these two significant events, Mark provides few details. He uses them as further proof of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, but then moves quickly past them to focus on Jesus' ministry.

Almost in passing, Mark mentions that Jesus was from Nazareth. Since Mark does not cover the birth of Jesus, there is no mention of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. For the purpose of Mark’s gospel, the most important details concerning Jesus began with His adult life. He is not negating the importance of the incarnation but is simply focusing his gospel on the launch of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus had spent His life growing up in Nazareth, a nondescript village in Galilee. Even among the Jews, Nazareth mattered little and was held in low esteem. In fact, when Philip first met Jesus, he told his friend Nathanael, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45 ESV). Upon hearing the name of Jesus’ hometown, Nathanael sarcastically responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 ESV). Yet from this unlikely and unimpressive locale came the Savior of the world.

Luke reveals that Jesus was 30 years old when He left Nazareth and arrived in the wilderness of Judea, where John was baptizing (Luke 3:23). Jesus chose to inaugurate His ministry by being baptized. Mark makes it clear that John’s baptism was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4 ESV), and was meant to be a public expression of an individual’s admission of sin and need for forgiveness. By submitting to baptism, they indicated their willingness to repent and be cleansed of their sins in preparation for the Messiah and His coming Kingdom. 

But why was Jesus baptized when Scripture makes it clear that He was sinless. The author of Hebrews states that Jesus “was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 BSB). Paul adds that “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).

The author of Hebrews provides insight into the motivation behind Jesus’ decision to be baptized by John.

…it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. – Hebrews 2:17 NLT

Not only did Jesus take on human flesh and become one of us, but He willingly underwent the same ritual of baptism in order to associate Himself with sinful humanity. Though He was sinless, He submitted to John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is the same reason Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified. Despite His sinlessness, He willingly died a sinner’s death on the cross, serving as the sacrificial substitute for sinful humanity.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. – 1 Peter 2:24 BSB

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. – 1 Peter 3:18 ESV

Paul succinctly states that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT). Jesus became one of us in every way so He could give His life on our behalf. By being baptized by John, Jesus fulfilled the will of His Father. Matthew records that when Jesus arrived at the Jordan River and asked John to baptize him, John was reticent.

John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” – Matthew 3:14 NLT

But Jesus insisted, telling John, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires” (Matthew 3:15 NLT). Everything Jesus did obeyed His Father’s will. He would later claim, “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will” (John 6:38 NLT). He compared His faithful adherence to His Father’s will to nourishment and sustenance.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” – John 4:34 BSB

Another reason for His baptism was that it foreshadowed another kind of baptism He would undergo as part of God’s sovereign will. Later in his gospel, Mark records a difficult exchange between Jesus and two of His disciples. It happened immediately after Jesus told all His disciples what would take place in Jerusalem.

“The Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” – Mark 10:34-35 NLT

At least two of His disciples failed to hear what Jesus said. His blunt admission about His pending treatment by the Jewish religious leaders went in one ear and out the other. Their minds were fixated on Jesus’ earlier statements about His coming Kingdom.

“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” – Mark 13:23 ESV

“Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark 13:24-25 ESV

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” – Mark 13:29-30 ESV

 His disciples heard what they wanted to hear and interpreted Jesus’ comments as a guarantee of a place of prominence in His Kingdom. This led the two brothers, James and John, to ask Jesus for a favor.

“When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

Their bold and self-centered request infuriated the other disciples, but Jesus soberly responded: “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” (Mark 10:38 NLT). 

Jesus was going to be “immersed” in an overwhelming form of suffering that no one else could have endured, and it was God's will for Him to do so. Jesus later described the unbearable nature of His future baptism by fire.

“I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.” – Luke 12:50 NLT

Despite the terrible nature of His pending death, it was His Father’s will, so Jesus was determined to carry it out. It was also the Father’s will that the people of Israel come to John in the wilderness and submit to the “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John had clearly called them to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2 ESV), and they were expected to obey God’s will. So, by submitting to baptism, Jesus gave them an example of faithful obedience, even though He had no sins to repent of and no need for forgiveness. 

After Jesus fulfilled His Father’s by being baptized, Mark records that something incredible happened.

…when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” – Mark 1:10-11 ESV

A supernatural sign appeared from heaven, accompanied by God’s voice declaring His pleasure for His Son. This scene provided a divine seal of approval: God the Father validated Jesus’ identity as His Son and declared His complete satisfaction with all that was about to happen. The next three-and-a-half years of Jesus’ life would have God's full blessing and approval.

But this fantastic scene is followed by the rather strange statement: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12 ESV). Mark is indicating that what follows in his narrative is also to be understood as God’s will for Jesus’ life. Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to fulfill the will of God. His destination was the wilderness where, for 40 days, He would undergo a series of temptations by Satan. Mark doesn’t mention it, but Jesus would go without food and water during this grueling ordeal. As a result, He would be weak and famished. His physical condition would have deteriorated. But as Jesus told His disciples, His nourishment came from doing the will of His Father.

The author of Hebrews declared, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). His suffering allowed Him to fully understand and empathize with those whom He came to save.

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. – Hebrews 2:18 NLT

Jesus survived His baptism by fire. He overcame the enemy's temptations and emerged from the wilderness 40 days later, completely sinless and fully obedient to His Father’s will. Untarnished by Satan’s attacks and affirmed of His Father’s pleasure, His real earthly ministry could begin.

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.

Change Is Coming

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:1-8 ESV

Although the author never refers to himself by name anywhere in his gospel account, early church fathers strongly agreed that John Mark provided this chronicle of the life and ministry of Jesus.

One of the earliest references to John Mark as the book’s author is found in The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus. Written in the 4th century, this landmark work provides a chronological history of early Christianity that spans centuries. In it, Eusebius records that John Mark, while not a disciple of Jesus, based his gospel on eyewitness accounts, including those of the Apostle Peter.

Additional records from the early church fathers also mention John Mark as the book’s author. These include the mid-1st-Century to early-2nd-Century writings of Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen. One of the earliest prologues to the Gospel of Mark, written between 160-180 A.D., describes John Mark as the author and states that he wrote his gospel account while in Italy. In his classic work, Against Heresies, Irenaeus adds that John Mark completed his work sometime after Peter's death.

John Mark is mentioned repeatedly in the book of Acts, where his relationship with the apostle Paul is described in great detail. John Mark was a disciple of Paul and accompanied him and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Years later, he proved a great help and comfort to Paul during his imprisonment in Rome as he awaited trial before Emperor Nero. Because of his close relationship with Paul, John Mark had access to the original disciples and other eyewitnesses to Jesus’ earthly ministry.

The book of Acts records one of the first encounters between Peter and John Mark. Herod, the king the Romans had placed on the throne of Israel, was under intense pressure from the Jewish religious leaders. Ever since the crucifixion of Jesus, news of His resurrection had spread, and His disciples found that receptivity to their gospel message was increasing. So, to appease the Sanhedrin, Herod began to round up Jesus' disciples. He had already killed James the brother of John and had Peter thrown in prison. But God miraculously rescued Peter from his imprisonment and, upon his release, Peter “went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying” (Acts 12:12 ESV).

Luke, the author of Acts, also records that John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but left them when they arrived in Pamphylia. He returned to Jerusalem and later traveled to Cyprus with his cousin, Barnabas. So, John Mark was very involved in those early days of the church as the apostles took the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. He traveled with and sat under the teaching of luminaries of the faith such as Paul, Peter, and Barnabas.

Scholars still debate the dating of Mark’s gospel. If it was written after the deaths of Paul and Peter, that would place its publication somewhere between 67 and 68 A.D. Since the book makes no mention of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, it seems likely that it was written before that date.

From the content of the gospel, it appears that Mark had a Gentile audience in mind. If he wrote it from Italy, as many early church fathers believed, the Gentile-oriented focus of his gospel makes more sense. He takes great pains to explain certain Jewish customs and rituals that would have been unfamiliar and strange to Gentile readers. He incorporates Latin words and phrases that appear aimed at a Roman audience, but his emphasis was on Gentile believers living under persecution in a predominantly Roman world. The early church found itself facing attack from the Jews as well as the pagan world. Mark would have experienced firsthand the persecution that Paul encountered from the dispersed Jewish community and the pagan cultures of the cities they visited on their first missionary journey.

Yet, despite Mark’s emphasis on a predominantly Gentile audience and his effort to communicate in language and terms they would recognize, he opens his gospel with a quote from the Hebrew scriptures.

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.’” – Mark 1:2-3 ESV

This is actually a combination of three separate passages: Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3. He blends the words of three Old Testament prophets: Moses, Malachi, and Isaiah, but attributes the quote to the latter. For Mark, a proper understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry began with the words of the ancient prophets. Each of these three prophetic passages spoke of Israel's coming Messiah. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these men predicted the coming of the Anointed One of God, but they also foretold the one who would “prepare the way” for His coming. Before the Messiah appeared, a messenger would precede Him and warn the people of His imminent arrival.

Like the other gospel writers, Mark wanted to establish from the outset Jesus' identity as the Son of God. He was Jesus the Christ, or Messiah (the word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah”). Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. He was Jesus, a man who was born in the city of Bethlehem, but He was also the Christ, the Son of God. This means He was fully divine.

According to Mark, God had sent a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah. He uses the Greek word, angelos, to describe this messenger, which can be translated as “angel.” But this “angel” was not a heavenly being; he was a man named John who appeared in the wilderness of Judea, preaching a baptism of repentance. Mark states that “all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5 ESV). John had become quite a sensation and earned the nickname “John the Baptizer.” He called people to be baptized, but it was a baptism characterized by repentance. The word “repentance” is metanoia in Greek, and it means “to change the mind.” He was calling the Jews to change their minds concerning a wide range of issues, including their concept of what it means to be righteous, their expectations concerning the Messiah, their understanding of their relationship with God, and their need for forgiveness.

We know the basic content of John’s message from Matthew's gospel.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:2 ESV

And when He arrived, Jesus picked up this same message.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:15 ESV

The basic gist of their message was that the long-awaited Messiah had finally appeared and was bringing His Kingdom with Him. Mark indicates that John’s message of the arrival of God’s Kingdom was met with an enthusiastic response.

All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. – Mark 1:5 NLT

For the Jews, the coming of the Kingdom of God would be accompanied by the Messiah's arrival. For them, the coming Messiah would be a king, just like the great warrior-king, David. He would be a deliverer and a military leader who would restore Israel’s fortunes. For centuries, the people of Israel had suffered under a litany of foreign powers who had subjugated and persecuted them. The Romans were the most recent manifestation of Gentile domination over the people of God. The land of Judah was occupied by Roman soldiers who enforced the laws of the empire, protected the interests of the emperor, and ensured that the Jews remained docile and compliant.

So, the people of Israel longed for the Messiah’s arrival because they believed He would restore them to power and prominence, just as David had done. It had been centuries since the nation of Judah fell to the Babylonians. And while a remnant of the people taken captive to Babylon had returned to the land and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God, the only king they knew was their current one: Herod, the puppet king Rome had placed on the throne. Herod was actually an Edomite, a descendant of Esau, and while the Roman Senate had declared him to be “King of the Jews,” the Jews never accepted his reign. They considered him to be a usurper to the throne who tried to gain their favor through a series of ambitious building projects, including the expansion and improvement of the temple.

But as a Roman pawn, and because of his love of power, Herod put his own needs ahead of the nation. So, when John the Baptist appeared on the scene preaching the need for repentance because the kingdom of God was near, the people immediately assumed something great was about to happen. Their hopes were raised that Messiah was near and their days of oppression and subjugation would soon be over.

This wild-eyed, strangely dressed preacher made an impression on his audience.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. – Mark 1:6 ESV

His bizarre attire gave him the demeanor of an Old Testament prophet, and his message of repentance echoed those of his predecessors. But when he spoke of the One to come, he added a new twist to the description of the Messiah.

“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:7-8 ESV

John’s sudden appearance had caught the people’s attention because it had been over 400 years since they had heard from God. For four centuries, no prophets had spoken on behalf of God. He had gone silent. But now, with John's arrival, it was as if God was speaking again. However, John wanted his audience to know something even more amazing was about to take place. His arrival would pale in comparison to the coming of the Messiah. He would be greater, more glorious, and have a ministry that was far more significant than anything John had done.

John could offer a physical baptism that illustrated cleansing from sin, but the Messiah would offer a different form of baptism that would actually remove all sin in preparation for the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God.

“I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:8 NLT

In their gospel accounts, both Matthew and John add “and fire.”

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Matthew 3:11 ESV

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Luke 3:16 ESV

John wanted his audience to know that his baptism was temporary and could not remove the presence or penalty of sin from their lives. However, the King was coming, and He would offer a far more permanent, life-altering baptism that would purge and purify them for entrance into His Kingdom. 

“The Baptist evidently meant that the great coming One would not merely cleanse with water but would bring to bear, like a deluge, the purging, purifying, judging presence of God himself.” – Moule, C. F. D. The Gospel According to Mark. The Cambridge Bible Commentary series

The Messiah had come, the Kingdom was near, and the time for repentance had arrived. The Son of God had come to earth and was about to begin His mission to rescue and reconcile humanity to His Heavenly Father. But His Kingdom would not be what the people of Israel expected. His reign would not be marked by military might, majestic splendor, or a resounding victory over the Romans. No, He came to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15 ESV). 

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 Divine Doctrine of Jesus’ Deity

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Colossians 1:15-20 ESV

As far as Paul was concerned, one of the most non-negotiable aspects of God’s will that the Colossians needed to understand concerned the preeminence of Christ. Evidently, Epaphras had informed Paul that the doctrine of Christ was under direct assault by men claiming to have apostolic authority. These unnamed individuals were teaching false doctrines concerning Christ that left the Colossian congregation confused and dangerously close to diminishing the fruitfulness for which Paul had so graciously complimented them.

In an effort to redirect the focus of his letter back to Christ, Paul adeptly and somewhat abruptly shifts the emphasis from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son.

For he [God] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. – Colossians 1:13-14 NLT

Following this reminder of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross and its eternal implications for their redemption and justification, Paul states, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT). In coming to earth and taking on human flesh, Jesus, the Son of God and second person of the Trinity, made God both visible and knowable. He became the visible image of the invisible God on earth.

In his gospel account, the apostle John elaborates on this unique aspect of Christ’s earthly ministry.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 ESV

And John boldly proclaims that Jesus was more than just another messenger from God; He was God in human flesh.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. – John 1:18 BSB

The author of Hebrews expands on the nature of Jesus’ divinity and further solidifies the identity as a member of the Godhead.

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. – Hebrews 1:3-4 NLT

For Paul and the other authors of the New Testament, the divinity of Jesus was an essential doctrine that must be defended at all costs because it was the hinge upon which the door of salvation swung. If Jesus was not divine, then His death on the cross would have been ineffectual. His sinlessness was the key to His death’s effectiveness.

…we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… – 1 John 2:1-2 BSB

But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. – 1 John 3:5 BSB

What makes the atoning work of Jesus even more significant is the fact that, as God, He was the Creator laying down His life for those whom He created. Paul further enhances Christ’s divine credentials by stressing His eternality and the essential role He played in the creation story.

…by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:16 ESV

And, once again, the apostle John provides ample support for Paul’s claim.

He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. – John 1:2-3 BSB

Paul presented this same message concerning Christ’s role in the creation account when writing to the believers in Corinth.

…there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. – 1 Corinthians 8:6 BSB

As the Creator-God, Jesus was responsible for all that existed, including the believers in Colossae. He was not just a Messiah who came to save them, but He was also the God who created them. He was responsible for their very existence and their salvation. He had formed them and forgiven them. He had breathed in them the breath of life and had become for them the means for experiencing new life.  And, more importantly, by His divine power, Jesus would hold them safe and secure to the end.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:17 ESV

Paul goes out of his way to stress the unique nature of Christ. He was adamant that the believers in Colossae grasp and appreciate the significance of Jesus’ life-giving and life-transforming role as the Son of God. Jesus had been so much more than a teacher, Rabbi, healer, and miracle worker; He was supreme in all things. He had no equal, and there was no one who could replicate His accomplishments or diminish His one-of-a-kind status as the sovereign Savior of the world. That is why Paul stressed the headship of Christ over the church, and promoted His well-deserved position as the preeminent one.

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. – Colossians 1:18 ESV

Paul’s point is that the church would not exist without Christ. Had Jesus not died and risen again, there would be no church because there would be no Christ-followers. He was not a martyred teacher who managed to cultivate a faithful host of committed followers who continued to propagate His teachings. He was the “firstborn from the dead” who, through His death and resurrection, made possible the spiritual transformation of countless men and women.

However, there were those who taught that the resurrection of Jesus was a fable or myth, and downplayed its importance to the Christian faith. Paul addressed the misguided musings of these dangerous “false teachers ”in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 ESV

Christ’s resurrection made possible the redemption of condemned humanity and guarantees the future resurrection and glorification of all those who accept His free gift of salvation. Again, Christ was more than a gifted teacher with a message of life transformation based on behavior modification. He had not just modeled a new way of living; He died so that sinful men and women might receive new lives and new natures that emulated His.

Paul emphatically states that Jesus is preeminent and one-of-a-kind; He has no equal. Jesus was the sole means by which God chose to redeem fallen humanity. That’s why Paul claims, “God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ” (Colossians 1:19 NLT), and no one else. It was only through Christ that “God reconciled everything to himself” (Colossians 1:20 NLT). No one else could take credit for the role that Jesus played in God’s grand redemptive plan. God used Jesus to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself, and anyone who diminished Jesus’ role as Savior or presented another means of salvation was to be avoided at all costs. Paul chastised the believers in Galatia and Corinth for embracing a false version of the gospel that eliminated the deity of Jesus.

You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. – Galatians 1:6-8 NLT

You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. – 2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT

Paul held strong views concerning this topic and was committed to defending the doctrine of Christ at all costs. He would not tolerate anyone who attempted to diminish Christ’s divinity or who tried to devalue His role as the God-man who, through His life, death, and resurrection, made it possible for sinful men to be made right with a holy God.

Father, there is a sense in which we take the deity of Jesus for granted. I don’t catch myself doubting His divinity or wondering whether He was just another man who promoted one more religious system to follow. Yet, at the same time, I don’t fully appreciate or contemplate the incredible reality of His incarnation. At Christmas, we celebrate His birth and sing songs that commemorate the doctrine of His divinity. 

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

But even as we sing those words, we miss the radical implications of their meaning. Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” In sending Your Son to take on human flesh, You revealed Yourself to humanity in a never-before-seen way. For the first time in human history, You manifested Yourself in a form we could understand and relate to. And it was in that human form that Jesus lived a sinless life and died a gruesome death on behalf of sinful mankind. That was the only way for our sin debt to be paid and our condemnation to be removed. Paul reminds us, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4;4-5 NLT). He adds, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (Romans 5:6 NLT). And it was all Your plan. It was Your idea for Your Son to become a man so that He could become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Thank You for this amazing gift and help me never take it for granted. 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 Knowledge of God

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:15-23 ESV

Paul was grateful to God for the believers in Ephesus, that they had heard the word of truth, the gospel, and believed. As a result, they received the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their future inheritance of eternal salvation. And Paul gave God all the glory, but he also gave God his thanks. He thanked God for the news he had received about their faith in Christ and their love for one another. Their relationship with Christ was maturing, and the presence of the Spirit within them was bearing visible fruit. As a result, their numbers were increasing. And Paul knew that it was all due to the gracious work of God in their lives. He had made it possible. He was the one who had called them, and He was the one who was sanctifying them. And one day, He would be the one who would glorify them, “to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14 ESV).

But Paul didn’t just express gratitude to God for all that He had done; he let them know that he regularly petitioned God for their ongoing spiritual well-being. And he was very specific as to what he asked God for. This was not so much a prayer as it was an outline of how he prayed for them. It seems that Paul wanted them to know just exactly what he viewed as necessary and of highest priority for their spiritual health. The first thing He asked God to do for them is quite revealing.

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him… – Ephesians 1:17 ESV

Here, Paul is asking God to give the believers in Ephesus the capacity to know Him better. God, the transcendent, holy, unapproachable God of the universe, has chosen to make Himself known to men. If God had not chosen to reveal Himself, no man or woman would ever be able to comprehend Him or hope to have a relationship with Him. In his letter to the Romans, Paul expressed God’s “otherness.”

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?” – Romans 11:33-35 ESV

Yet he told the believers in Corinth…

But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  – 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 ESV

Because we have the Spirit of God living within us, we have the capacity to know God's mind. We have been given the privilege of understanding the things of God, and it is primarily through God’s Word that He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. Paul was not praying for an intellectual knowledge of God, but for an experiential, personal, and intimate understanding of who He is and all that He was doing in their lives and in the world around them.

But Paul’s prayer for a growing knowledge of God had an ulterior motive; he wanted to see their hearts enlightened. For Paul, the heart represented the individual’s entire inner being. He knew that as they grew to know God better, they would be radically transformed from the inside out. It is as we come to know God that we truly come to know ourselves and the world around us. A clearer, more concise understanding of God allows us to comprehend the truth and view the world as it really is. As our understanding is enlightened, we begin to see that this world is not all there is. There is so much more. That is why Paul reminded them of the riches of their inheritance and the greatness of God’s power made available to them through Christ.

…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints … – Ephesians 1:18 ESV

…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe… – Ephesians 1:19 ESV

Paul wanted them to know the hope to which God had called them. He knew they would face difficulties in this life and that their faith journey would be rough at times. So he wanted them to fully understand that God’s divine plan for them included their future glorification. God’s power was great enough and His promises reliable enough to see them through any circumstance they may encounter in this life. God’s “immeasurable greatness” was working on their behalf at all times. And just so they would know how immeasurable that greatness really is, Paul described it for them.

This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT

The very power that raised Jesus from the dead and allowed Him to return to His rightful place at His Father’s side is the same power at work on behalf of every believer. It is the power that will one day make possible our glorification and the redemption of our bodies. What God did for Jesus, He will do for us, and He is already sanctifying us, transforming us into the likeness of His Son, day by day, through the power of His Spirit and according to His divine redemptive plan.

Paul wanted his readers to know that God was in complete control. His Son was at His side and interceding on behalf of His body, the church.

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. – Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT

As we come to know God better, we come to trust Him more fully and grow in our understanding of His sovereignty and His Son’s work on our behalf. We are His people and the temple of His Spirit. And as Peter reminds us, “You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” (1 Peter 2:5 NLT).

God is at work in us, He is doing great work through us, and He has great plans for us. And the better we know Him, the more we will trust Him to do what He has promised.

Father, You have a deep desire for Your children to know and love You. You long for us to grow in our knowledge of You so that we will better understand Your character and learn to trust You more. You sent Your Son to live among us, and He modeled Your divine nature so that we could see You “in the flesh.” As John said, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known” (John 1:18 BSB). And You constantly reveal Yourself through Your Word. The Bible is the revelation of You. It is not a self-help manual, our blueprint for living, or a primer on piety. It is a divine-ordained disclosure of who You are and how You work among men. And it points us to Jesus, in whom lives “all the fullness of God in a human body” (Colossians 2:9 NLT). And as Paul makes clear, we are made complete through our “union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:9 NLT). Coming to Jesus helped me come to know You. He revealed Your unfathomable love for me by sacrificing His life on my behalf. He modeled what it looks like to have a submissive and humble relationship with You as He lived out Your will “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 NLT). “Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come” (Ephesians 1:21 NLT). He is the head of the Church, the hope of the world, and the greatest expression of Your love, power, and faithfulness we will ever know. 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.

Wise Fools

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. – Romans 1:21-23 ESV

Wise fools. The world is full of them and always has been. Paul describes them as futile in their thinking. The Greek word Paul uses is mataioō, which can mean “to passively become foolish, or to become idolatrous.” Paul says these wise fools are without excuse because they have had every opportunity to honor or recognize the existence and reality of God, who has revealed Himself through His creation.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. – Romans 1:20 ESV

These kinds of people indict themselves because they all end up worshiping something or someone. They may not call it worship, but they esteem or honor other things, giving them the place of prominence in their lives that belongs to God alone. Some end up worshiping man, making humanity the end-all be-all of our existence; they believe we are our own savior. Others worship science, placing all their hope and trust in reason and man's ability to solve all of the world's problems through scientific research and development. There are those who worship political parties or governmental and ideological policies.

Elevating men or man-made ideas to a god-like status in our lives has been humanity's lot since the fall. That was the original temptation of the serpent in the garden.

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” - Genesis 3:5 ESV

Paul makes it painfully clear that all men know God because they sense the existence of something greater than what they can see. Creation virtually shouts that there is something or someone out there, the first cause behind all that exists. Ancient man inherently knew that there was a force greater than themselves; that's why they created idols. It is the reason they worshiped the sun, moon, stars, animals, nature, and every other created thing.

Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. – Romans 1:22-23 ESV

But modern man is more sophisticated than that; our idols are more subtle and sensible. We wouldn't dream of worshiping the sun but we will worship the Big Bang Theory. We will go out of our way to concoct every possible explanation for our existence, while refusing to accept the idea that God exists. Claiming to be wise, we become fools, self-deceived, and sadly mistaken in our conclusions. We end up exchanging the glory of the immortal God for a cheap, but seemingly plausible replacement.

Paul insists that man's persistent attempt to explain away God has left him with a darkened heart. What was once clearly discernible to them, the invisible attributes of God, has become cloudy and veiled. Man has lost the ability to sense God's presence and power. This has left him with the nagging need to explain his existence and make sense of a world that continues to spiral out of control, despite all our scientific advances, modern conveniences, and misguided hope in moralistic relativism. We keep believing we can make the world a better place. We have made vast improvements in communication, transportation, medicine, education, and agricultural production, yet the world remains plagued by hatred, disease, famine, ignorance, and inequities in all their hideous forms. We have made advances in everything except the state of man's heart. We can help him live longer, but we are incapable of making him live better. Human reason will never come up with a way to deal with sin. Science will never find a solution to the problem of the human heart. In our wisdom, we have become fools.

And yet, in the midst of all of mankind's arrogance and pride, God sent His Son. Paul calls it the gospel, “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 ESV). In the gospel, the righteousness of God has been revealed through the life of His sinless Son. God’s righteous expectations for humanity were fulfilled by Jesus. 

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

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. – 1 Peter 2:24 NLT

Jesus did what no other man had been able to do since Adam; He lived in perfect obedience to the law of God. As the author of Hebrews states, “he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). And it was His sinless life that made Him the perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of man. He died so that man might live. He gave His life so that we would not have to give ours. The death of Jesus was what God required so that men might be made right (righteous) with Him. And this righteousness is only available by faith. Not by reason. Not by scientific explanations or experiments. Not through human effort or any amount of seemingly moral advancements.

Man, apart from God, is helpless, hopeless, blind, ignorant, and spiritually dead. Even his best efforts on his best day are flawed and, ultimately, worthless. As the prophet Isaiah so aptly put it, “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).

Man has become too smart for his own good. His intelligence has left him unable to honor God or give Him thanks. He is determined to come up with his own explanation for his existence and a personal plan for his future. But in the end, all men must face the reality of God's existence. God doesn't go away because we attempt to explain Him away. He doesn't cease to exist simply because our intelligence refuses to accept Him. God has revealed Himself in His creation and made Himself known through His written Word. And He has given men the means by which they can know Him personally and permanently through His Son. But the knowledge of God is ultimately available through faith, not wisdom.

Father, You are self-evident. Your existance is displayed in the universe You created. Yet, in our “wisdom,” we have determined to write You out of the script, to remove You from the story of our lives. Yet, rather than give up on us, You sent Your Son to live among us. Jesus became one of us, so that He might demonstrate what obedience to Your righteous law looks like. Not only that, Jesus made You, the invisible God, visible and knowable. As the apostle John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known” (John 1:18 BSB). He walked among us. He lived like us. Then He died for us. All so we could be restored to a right relationship with You. In our foolish wisdom, we turned our backs on You. We became too smart for our own good. However, You had a plan to redeem us from our own stupidity and self-destructiveness. You sent Jesus and He offered His life as payment for our well-deserved judgment. As Paul told the Corinthians, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT). Thank You for graciously loving a fool like me. And forgive me for the many times I fall back on my own foolish wisdom and fail to honor You as God and give You thanks. 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 Wrath and Love of God

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. – Romans 1:18-20 ESV

In verse 17, Paul states that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God from faith for faith. In Greek, the word “reveals” is apokalyptō, which means “to make known what was once hidden.” So Paul is saying that the way to achieve righteousness, which was once hidden from men, is through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. That is why he says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17 ESV). This new or formerly hidden faith means that getting right with God was revealed through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; in other words, through the gospel.

Now, in verse 18, Paul unveils another once-hidden mystery; the gospel also revealed the wrath of God. He states, “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18 NLT). The gospel, which is the good news regarding salvation through Jesus Christ, the wrath of God was poured out. Jesus’ excruciating death on the cross is simultaneously a picture of God's love and wrath. The prophet Isaiah, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, wrote of the coming Messiah.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
    it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
    a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT

Peter referred to this passage when he wrote, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV). The full extent of God’s hatred of sin was revealed on the cross. The innocent died for the guilty. The sinless One had to pay the price for the sinful. God died for the godless.

To restore sinful, disobedient men to a right relationship with Himself, God had to pay the ultimate price and sacrifice His own Son. Jesus came to die, and His death was the only means by which the wrath of God could be satisfied, so the sins of man could be forgiven, and righteousness could be achieved.

Later in this same letter, Paul asks a rhetorical question.

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? – Romans 9:22-24 ESV

God would have been completely just and right if He had chosen to destroy all mankind, because all men are guilty of having rebelled against Him. They were all vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. But instead, God chose to pour out His wrath on His own Son, so that some might be saved from destruction. There are those who have described that idea as a form of divine child abuse. They struggle with the idea that a good and loving God would out His own Son to death, even though it resulted in the redemption of countless millions of condemned people.

But God knew what man couldn't know, that a restored relationship with Him was impossible without His help. Humanity could never live up to God's righteous standards and was totally incapable of producing the kind of righteousness God required. That's why Jesus told His followers, “Unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20 NLT).

That statement from Jesus did not come across as good news to His audience; it sounded implausible and impossible, but that was His point. The righteousness God required was outside their capacity to achieve, so it would have to come from a source other than themselves. It would have to be a righteousness revealed from heaven in the form of Jesus Christ.

But while the gospel is good news, it is accompanied by bad news: God hates sin and must punish it. In His holiness, He cannot tolerate or overlook sin. Mankind is inherently ungodly and unrighteous, and in their state of unrighteousness, they suppress or hold back the truth. This doesn't mean they in some way restrain or hinder the truth of God, but that their actions deny the reality of God’s holiness and His expectation that His creation reflect that holiness.

Paul goes on to say that humanity is without excuse because God has revealed Himself through His creation.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – Romans 1:20 NLT

The very existence of idols throughout human history lends credence to Paul's statement. The human race has always recognized the existence of a greater power outside of everyday experience. Men reveal the reality of God in their built-in need to worship someone or something. Martin Luther writes, “This demonstrates that there was in their hearts a knowledge of a divine sovereign being. How else could they have ascribed to a stone, or to the deity represented by stone, divine attributes, had they not been convinced that such qualities really belong to God!” (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans).

So man is without excuse, but not without hope. While the full extent of God's wrath was poured out on His Son on the cross, His love was also on full display.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 ESV

Later in this letter, Paul elaborates on this remarkable truth. 

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. – Romans 5:6-9 NLT

God's wrath was satisfied by Jesus, but men must accept God's gift of His Son’s sacrificial, substitutionary death. They must rely on Jesus' payment to provide them with the righteousness they could never have earned on their own. But the apostle John goes on to reveal a sad but true reality.

God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. – John 3:19-20 NLT

Men can choose to accept the love of God or remain under His wrath. He has provided a way of escape, but all men must choose to accept or reject it.

Father, this is a difficult truth to understand. As human beings we tend to believe that we are inherently good and capable of performing “good deeds.” Yet, Your assessment is, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT). As Paul so bluntly put it, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 ESV). And because we are all sinful and unrighteous, we are deserving of Your just condemnation. Yet, You chose to send Your Son to die in our place and take upon Himself the punishment we deserved. He payed the price we owed for our rebellion and allowed us to be declared just, righteous, and fully forgiven of every sin we have ever committed — past, present and future..Yet, You didn’t stop there. The gracious gift of Your Son’s death didn’t just remove our iniquity, it transferred His righteousness to our account. Remarkably, we stand before You as fully righteous and acquited of all charges against us. At one time, I was guilty, condemned, unclean, and without excuse. But, in Your grace, You offered me the free gift of faith in Your Son’s death on my behalf, and my life was changed forever. 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.

Called To Be Saints

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:1-7 ESV

Paul wrote his letter to the church in Rome from the city of Corinth during the winter of A.D. 56-57. It would be another three years before Paul actually set foot in Rome and, when he did, he would do so as a prisoner of the Roman government. It is not clear how the church in Rome got started. Paul obviously played no role in it, having never been there before, and there is no indication that any other apostle had ever made it to the Roman capital to share the gospel. Nevertheless, the gospel had arrived, perhaps as a result of eyewitnesses to the events at the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Jesus. When Peter preached his first sermon, under the influence of the Spirit of God, more than 3,000 individuals came to faith in Christ. Many of these people, who had been in Jerusalem for the annual celebration of Pentecost, would have returned to their hometowns, carrying the good news about Jesus with them. It is likely that some were citizens of Rome.

Regardless of how the church in Rome began, it had gained a worldwide reputation, and Paul acknowledged it.

Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. – Romans 1:8 NLT

No doubt, Paul wrote his letter to the church in Rome under the influence of the Holy Spirit and with the desire to provide them with a solid understanding of the doctrine of the gospel of God. He knew the incredible influence this church would have because of its location within the capital of Rome, the most powerful nation in the world at the time.

Paul began his letter by introducing himself, even though the believers in Rome would have been well-acquainted with him. He referred to himself as a servant of Christ Jesus, who did not operate on his own initiative, but was a willing slave to the one who had saved him. He served as an apostle, commissioned by Jesus Himself. And he acknowledged that he had been set apart or appointed for a singular purpose: to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

The entire letter of Romans will elaborate on the remarkable significance of God’s good news concerning His Son. Paul boldly and unapologetically claims both the deity and full humanity of Jesus, “who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:3-4 ESV). Paul emphatically declares that Jesus was resurrected from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that one miraculous reality made salvation possible and the grace of God available to sinful mankind. The resurrection of Jesus is the central doctrine of the Christian faith. Without it, we have no hope, which is what led Paul to write, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV).

Paul never missed an opportunity to share the gospel, but he also took advantage of every chance he was given to strengthen the local church. He not only wanted to see people saved from sin, but also to ensure they grew in their salvation. In verse seven, Paul refers to his readers as saints (hagios), which means “set apart or holy ones.” In Paul's mind, they were positionally holy, but they were also to be practically holy in their behavior. They had been “called to belong to Jesus Christ,” and so their actions and attitudes should reflect that calling.

A major part of what Paul writes in this letter concerns what practical holiness looks like. He wanted the Roman believers to live as if they were dead to sin and alive to God. They were to live by faith and not by works. They were to live according to the power of the Spirit of God and not the flesh. They were to recognize their position as heirs of God and to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God, refusing to be conformed to this world.

The gospel of God does not stop with our salvation, but carries on throughout our lives as God continues His work of sanctification in our lives, “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5 ESV).

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are loved by God. The very fact that He sent His own Son to die in our place is the greatest expression of love He could have displayed. But not only are we loved by God, but we are also called by Him to be saints or set-apart ones. We are to live our lives in the power of His Holy Spirit and allow Him to continually transform us into the likeness of His Son. It is God’s miraculous transformation of us that proves our salvation by His Son. Not only have we been saved, but we are also being conformed to the image of Christ.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Romans 8:29 ESV

God’s continual transformation of our lives is one of the greatest testimonies to the reality of the risen Christ and the power of the gospel.

Father, there is no doubt in my mind that You have been conducting an ongoing transformation of my life from the moment I placed my faith in Jesus at the age of seven. There have been days when that growth has wained and my faith has weakened, but You have never left me or forsaken me. Despite my stubbornness, You have never removed Your Spirit from me. I have repeatedly stiff-armed the Spirit and refused to listen to His words of warning and conviction. I have lived according to the flesh far more than I would like to admit. But Your work of sanctification in my life has never stopped. I can look back and see the radical change that has taken place, not because of my efforts, but because of Your grace, mercy, and love. More than 63 years ago, You called me into a relationship with You through faith in the death and resurrection of Your Son. Over the decades, You have remained faithful to Your promise to transform me into the likeness of Jesus. It hasn't always been pretty and I haven't always done my part. But I am grateful for Your commitment to finish what You began and for the knowledge that I will one day experience the joy of becoming like Christ, sinless, pure, and completely set apart from sin. 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 LORD of All the Earth

1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
    before the LORD of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the LORD, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name! – Psalm 97:1-12 ESV

While this psalm is not the first to promote God's universal kingship and sovereignty, it appears to be predicting a future reign when Yahweh comes to rule on earth. The psalmist opens by placing his emphasis on the earth, not heaven.

The LORD reigns.
Let the earth be happy.
Let the many coastlands rejoice. – Psalm 97:1 NLT

The location of the LORD’s realm has shifted from heaven to earth, where His righteous rule will radically alter the political, social, and spiritual landscape. The LORD’s appearance will be dramatic and life-altering for all those who are alive when this epic event takes place.

Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him;
on every side it burns up his enemies.
His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth. – Psalm 97:2-5 NLT

The psalmist uses figurative language to describe the LORD’s arrival on earth and paints a foreboding picture of divine judgment against all wickedness and unrighteousness. The imagery of dark clouds, fire, and lightning is meant to convey God’s power and holiness. It is the same language used by Moses to describe God's presence on Mount Sinai.

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. – Exodus 19:16-20 NLT

Moses emphasized the LORD's arrival on Mount Sinai by stating that He descended on it in the form of fire. The LORD “came down on the top of Mount Sinai,” and His arrival was epic and frightening. Moses describes the impact of God's dramatic entrance on the people of Israel.

When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” – Exodus 20:18-19 NLT

The psalmist seems to have had this event in mind when he penned the words of his song. He envisioned another display of divine glory and judgment as the LORD makes a second unforgettable entrance into the realm of men. His arrival will be impossible to miss and prove, once and for all, that He is the one true God.

The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him. – Psalm 97:6-7 NLT

With the LORD’s dramatic appearance, all doubt in His existence and sovereignty will disappear. His arrival will be visible and so impactful that any further belief in false gods will be impossible to maintain. Their feasibility will fade in the light of His glory.

The apostle John was given a glimpse of this future event and he recorded what he saw in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

But the prophets had predicted this event long before John penned his words. God had given them an insight into His future plans to send His Son to rule and reign on earth as the King of kings and Lord of all lords.

“On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.” – Zechariah 12:8-10 NLT

In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens
    and the proud rulers of the nations on earth.
They will be rounded up and put in prison.
    They will be shut up in prison
    and will finally be punished.
Then the glory of the moon will wane,
    and the brightness of the sun will fade,
for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion.
    He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem,
    in the sight of all the leaders of his people. – Isaiah 24:21-23 NLT

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

In the opening chapter of Revelation, John relays a message he received from Christ.

He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
    And everyone will see him—
    even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
    will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” – Revelation 1:6-8 NLT

The psalmist depicts an as-yet-future day when God will manifest His glory on earth again. But on this occasion, it will be the Son of God who makes a dramatic entrance into the world of men. Unlike His first advent, Jesus’ second coming will be marked by power and sovereignty. He will come to rule and reign over all the earth, and He will mete out judgment upon all those who stand opposed to His Kingdom and are unwilling to recognize Him as their Lord and Savior. But the people of God will rejoice when they see the arrival of their King and the inauguration of His earthly Kingdom.

Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O LORD.
For you, O Lord, are the Most High over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods. – Psalm 97"8-9 NLT

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will return one day and establish an earthly Kingdom over which He will reign for a thousand years. At the end of that time, another epic event will take place that will dramatically alter the universe by renewing God's creation and reestablishing His relationship with mankind once and for all. The apostle John describes this remarkable reality in the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation.

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 21:3-4 NLT

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

The psalmist had no way of knowing the details concerning these future events, but he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and foreshadowed their coming. And he closed his psalm with a call to worship God for His faithfulness, sovereignty, and holiness.

You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power of the wicked.
The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy.
You godly ones, rejoice in the LORD.
Give thanks to his holy name. – Psalm 97:10-12 NLT

The LORD reigns, whether we recognize it or not. He is sovereign over all, whether we believe it or not. And one day, He will demonstrate the reality of His power and the scope of His sovereign rule when He sends His Son to right all wrongs and prepare the way for His presence to dwell among men for eternity.

Father, these truths are diffiicult to understand and even harded to believe. The world in which we live appears to be out of control and at odds with the idea of Your sovereignty. The majority of earth's population stands opposed to Your very existence and refuse to acknowledge Your right to rule their lives. Even as believers, we wrestle with doubts and question whether You are in control.. But this psalm reminds us that You reign at all times and You have a plan to renew and remake this world according to Your terms and in keeping with Your promise to make all things new. Help me keep my eyes on the prize and not get distracted by the cares and concerns of this world. Your Son is coming again and He will finish what He started. 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.

Take My Yoke

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

These three verses are highly familiar to most of us. But do we know the context in which they were spoken? As is always the case when studying Scripture, context plays a huge role in helping us understand and apply what the Word is trying to communicate to us. Here in Matthew, Jesus addresses a question from John the Baptist regarding His Messiahship.

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” – Matthew 11:2-3 ESV

John the Baptist had decided to confront King Herod for marrying the ex-wife of his brother, Philip. This bold decision to confront the Roman-appointed king of Israel resulted in his confinement in prison. While there, John had time to consider whether his cousin Jesus was truly the long-expected Messiah. John had been proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of heaven and had declared Jesus to be the Son of God.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.…And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-31, 34 ESV

But now he was having second thoughts. Like any faithful Jew, John the Baptist had been raised to believe in God’s promise of a Messiah. The prophets had declared that a future descendant of David would one day appear on the scene and rule as the rightful King of Israel. Even Jesus’ 12 disciples followed Him because they believed Him to be the fulfillment of that promise. So, when Jesus received word that His own cousin was expressing doubts about His Messianic identity, He responded in a surprising way, launching into a stinging attack against the cities of Capernaum, Korazin and Bethsaida. These three small cities sat on the north side of the Sea of Galilee and would have been regular stops for Jesus during His earthly ministry. Capernaum had become His adopted hometown and base of ministry while He was in the region of Galilee. So the people living in these cities would have had regular glimpses of Jesus and heard His messages repeatedly. Yet Jesus condemns them for their unbelief. Despite all the miracles He had done right before their eyes, they remained non-repentent and unbelieving. Jesus shocks His disciples by comparing these Jewish cities to the infamous cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. These three cities had a well-known reputation for wickedness and godlessness. Yet, Jesus indicates that if He had done miracles in these cities, they would have been convicted of their sins, repented, and believed in Him. But the hearts of the people living in Galilee were hardened, stubborn, and representative of the rest of the nation of Israel. They had witnessed Jesus, the Son of God, perform miracles and call them to repent and return to God, but they had refused. They continued to disbelieve despite the evidence proving His Messiahship.

In the middle of His stinging discourse, Jesus offers up a seemingly out-of-context prayer.

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” – Matthew 11:25-26 ESV

He abruptly turned to His Father and thanked Him for hiding the truth of His message from the wise and clever but for making it plain to the childlike. Jesus recognized that the doubt expressed by John the Baptist’s question was part of God’s plan. Regardless of how many miracles Jesus performed, those who relied on their own wisdom and knowledge would fail to see Him for who He was. The Pharisees and religious leadership of Jesus’ day were perfect examples of this kind of arrogant ignorance. They were self-righteous and unwilling to recognize their own sinfulness and repent of it. They saw no need for a Savior for their sins; they simply wanted a Messiah to set them free from Roman rule. But Jesus knew that God reveals His truth to the childlike, those who are innocent, humble, and trusting. God chooses to reveal His Son to those whose lives are marred by sin, sorrow, and a recognition of their own helplessness and hopelessness. They are drawn to Jesus and have no trouble believing in Him. The blind, the lame, the diseased, the outcasts, and the chronic sinners are the ones who see and believe.

Jesus follows His prayer with an invitation with two parts. First, He addressed all those who were weary and weighed down to come to Him. His offer was to all who were burdened by sin and weighed down by the requirements of trying to live up to the requirements of the Mosaic Law.  They were worn out by trying to carry the heavy yoke of obedience to God’s exacting commands. They failed to recognize that the law was never meant to save them but to reveal their sinfulness and incapacity to satisfy the holy demands of a righteous God.

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

To all those who respond to His invitation, Jesus offers rest. But this offer of rest comes with a command to take up His yoke. They must exchange the yoke they are carrying for the one He offers. He describes His yoke as easy because they will find themselves partnered with Him. The yoke he described was a typical farm implement in which two oxen were harnessed for plowing purposes. Jesus offers to come alongside them to teach, train, and assist them. They will still have to work but they will find their burden lightened because of His presence. Unlike the arrogant and demanding religious leadership of the day, Jesus describes Himself as humble, gentle, caring, and compassionate. His yoke is easy to bear, and the burden He gives is light. Yes, there is work to do, and effort is required, but rather than weariness and heartache, Jesus offers rest, peace, and joy.

It seems that those who come to Jesus are the ones who are weary and worn out from trying to live life in their own power. They are beaten down by their own sinfulness and inability to do anything about it. Like a blind man, they know they have a problem but cannot fix it. Like a man who has a demon and is powerless to get rid of it, they must run to Jesus and beg Him for help. Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him. But He also invites those same people to get in the yoke with Him, to begin focusing their efforts on accomplishing His will and living for His kingdom causes. He offers to replace their self-effort with His own power. He invited them to exchange their heavy burden for His light one. But it all begins with childlike, innocent, trusting faith in Him.

When Jesus’ disciples heard Him say, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,” His words must have brought to mind their oppressed status under Roman rule. His offer of rest conjured up images of rest from oppression, freedom from Roman rule, and a change in their current status as enslaved people. Like John the Baptist, the disciples were wondering if Jesus truly was the Messiah. They were waiting for Him to reveal Himself and set up His earthly kingdom but little did they know that their Messiah was to die. Their hope for relief from Roman oppression could end on a cruel Roman cross. The one for whom they had long waited would be crucified right before their eyes. The Son was going to be sacrificed.

Jesus had told them that He would die and He had warned them that His death was a necessary part of God’s plan for their future redemption. His death would secure their eternal life by satisfying God’s just punishment for their sins. Their promised Messiah would have to die so that their faith would be in God, the ultimate fulfiller of all promises. Their faith had become ill-placed. They had made a god out of their concept of the Messiah. They were looking for Jesus to be their political Savior and earthly king who would rule from a physical throne in Jerusalem. They wanted to be set free from physical oppression but God had more in store for them. He wanted them to trust His plan for them, not their perverted version of it. Their dreams would have to die. The promise they held to so tightly would have to be wrenched from their hands.

Jesus came to offer them a different kind of rest that provided release from a different kind of burden. But they would have to trust God. And the same is true for us today. We can still twist the promises of God and try to make them about our comfort, pleasure, and fulfillment in this life. We can make our walk with Him all about our happiness instead of our holiness. So, we must continually place our version of the promise on the altar and worship the one who made the promise in the first place. We must trust God and worship Him because His plan and timing are perfect.

Father, I find that the degree to which I find rest in Jesus is directly related to my willingness to recognize just how weary I am from trying to live the Christian life in my own strength. I can get too wise and clever for my own good, and begin to believe that I can somehow pull this off in my own strength. But it is when I run out of steam that I tend to run to Him. Keep me childlike and dependent. Don’t allow me to become arrogant and self-righteous. Keep me in the yoke with Christ, living in dependence on Him and resting in His love, strength and grace. 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.

On that Day…

1 The oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. 4 On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.’

6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

7 “And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. 8 On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. 9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” – Zechariah 12:1-9 ESV

Zechariah receives yet another oracle from Yahweh, providing further insights into the future day of Israel’s redemption and restoration. Yahweh introduces Himself as the Creator God “who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit” (Zechariah 12:1 NLT). This reference to His creation of the universe is meant to remind Zechariah and the people of Judah that His power to re-create them is beyond measure. But His description of their future transformation is couched in very negative terms. It begins with the description of another siege against the city of Jerusalem. While few in Zechariah’s audience had been alive when the first siege of Jerusalem occurred, they would have heard the graphic stories of its devastating impact.

During the Babylonian invasion of Judah, there were actually two sieges, ten years apart. The first was in 597 B.C. and resulted in the city’s capture and the deportation of around 10,000 of its occupants. Ten years later, Nebuchadnezzar ordered a second siege because of the continued rebellion of its puppet king. The city endured great deprivation during the siege, and the Temple of Solomon was burned to the ground. Long before it happened, Yahweh provided Jeremiah the prophet with a graphic depiction of Jerusalem’s fall.

“I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’

“As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them. This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth. Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth—all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’” – Jeremiah 19:8-13 NLT

So, Yahweh’s mention of another siege would have stunned Zechariah and his fellow Judahites. They were still trying to rebuild the Temple and the thought of the city falling yet again would have been unfathomable. Yet, Yahweh softens the blow of this bad news with an important disclosure.

“I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.” – Zechariah 12:2-3 NLT

While the news of another siege was shocking, Yahweh described a completely different outcome that was meant to provide encouragement to His beleaguered people. Six different times, Yahweh uses the phrase, “On that day” to let them know that this event lies in the distant future. It will feature a battle of epic proportions that will mirror the fall of Jerusalem but without the deaths and destruction. On that day, Jerusalem will be like a rock that cannot be moved. Its walls will not fall. Its enemies will be deprived of victory. In fact, the nations that come against Jerusalem will end up drinking the cup of God’s wrath. This will be a radical departure from the days when God poured out His wrath on the people of Israel.

“Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem!
    You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury.
You have drunk the cup of terror,
    tipping out its last drops.
Not one of your children is left alive
    to take your hand and guide you.
These two calamities have fallen on you:
    desolation and destruction, famine and war.
And who is left to sympathize with you?
    Who is left to comfort you?
For your children have fainted and lie in the streets,
    helpless as antelopes caught in a net.
The Lord has poured out his fury;
    God has rebuked them.” – Isaiah 51:17-20 NLT

In that same passage, Yahweh goes on to predict the same future day that Zechariah is hearing about.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord,
    your God and Defender, says:
“See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands.
    You will drink no more of my fury.
Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors,
    those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust
    and walk on your backs.’” – Jeremiah 51:22-23 NLT

On that day, the attackers will discover that Yahweh the God of Israel is too powerful to overcome. He will fight on Israel’s behalf and miraculously thwart their armies and negate the impact of their weapons. They will be powerless before Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts. The future residents of Jerusalem and the citizens of Judah will respond to this miraculous event with wonder, recognizing Yahweh’s hand in it all. They will express their amazement with words that acknowledge Yahweh’s deliverance.

“The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.” – Zechariah 12:5 ESV

The resilience of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the remarkable nature of their defiant stance against their enemies will light a fire in the rest of the nation. They will respond with God-empowered zeal that turns them into an unstoppable force.

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.” – Zechariah 12:6 NLT

Yahweh announces that victory over the enemies of Israel will first take place outside the walls of Jerusalem. As the city remains under siege, the clans of Judah will rout the combined forces of their adversaries and completely destroy them. The city will be saved because the enemy is eradicated. This order of events is important because it lets the people of Judah know that the city itself is not the focus of Yahweh’s love and attention. Yahweh makes it clear that He will “give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah” (Zechariah 12:7 ESV). Yahweh’s love extends to all His people, not just those who live in Jerusalem or those who belong to David’s line. In fact, Yahweh describes a day when all will stand as equals before Him.

“On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them!” – Zechariah 12:8 NLT

They will all “be like God” because they will be embued with His power and fight in His name, just as King David had done. They will share the same attribute that David had: A heart for God that expressed itself in faithful obedience (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). What is being described here is the fulfillment of the promise that Yahweh made to Ezekiel.

“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” –  Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT

With this oracle, Yahweh announces that the future of Israel will feature continued opposition and warfare. The rebuilding and repopulation of Jerusalem would not eliminate all threats of future difficulty. Reconstructing the city’s walls would not eliminate the threat of future enemy attacks. Completing the Temple would not innoculate the people from further rebellion and apostasy. This was not about a city, a building, or even a nation. It was about Yahweh and His chosen people. In 70 A.D., the city would fall again and the Temple that Zechariah helped to build would be destroyed. To this date, there is no Temple in Jerusalem. But the day will come when Yahweh orchestrates its reconstruction one last time. The prophet Daniel was given a vision of this end times event.

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.” – Daniel 9:24-25 NLT

After the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), the seven-year-long period known as the Tribulation will begin. The first half of this future era features the rise of a charismatic leader who will rule over a global empire. He will negotiate a peace treaty with the people of Israel, giving them permission to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. But midway through the seven years of the Tribulation, He will turn on them, ordering an end to all sacrifices and demanding that they worship him alone. He will also desecrate the Temple by erecting an idol of himself in the Holy of Holies. This will usher in the last half of the seven years, commonly referred to as the Great Tribulation. Jerusalem and the Jews will come under constant opposition from the Antichrist and his forces. Tens of thousands will suffer martyrdom at his hands.

But Zechariah is told of a day when God will “destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9 NLT). Antichrist and his global empire will fall to the King of kings and LORD of lords, an event described by John in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” – Revelation 19:12-16 NLT

John goes on to describe the outcome of this epic conflict.

I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Revelation 19:19-21 NLT

On that day, Yahweh will fulfill the promises He has made by sending His Son to complete the mission He began with His incarnation. The King will return to right all wrongs, put an end to sin and death, restore righteousness, and establish His earthly Kingdom. It will be a day reserved for praise, joy, and celebration.

“Praise the Lord!
    Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
His judgments are true and just.
    He has punished the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality.
    He has avenged the murder of his servants.” – Revelation 19:1-2 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.

Days Yet to Come

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. – Daniel 10:1-21 ESV

These closing chapters of the Book of Daniel contain some of the most important prophecies in the Scriptures. It all began with Daniel reading the words of Jeremiah the prophet concerning Israel’s 70-year exile in Babylon. Through the prophet, God promised that there would be an expiration date for the banishment of the people from the land. God had sent them into exile at the hands of the Babylonians but He would also return them to land. From what Daniel could ascertain, the time was drawing near for that promise to be fulfilled. Encouraged by what he read, Daniel was also concerned that this promise might not be fulfilled because of the disobedience of the people of Israel. He immediately set out to rectify the problem. Entering into a period of fasting and prayer, Daniel confessed the sins of his people and begged God to forgive them so that they might return to the land and restore it to its former glory.

“O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” – Daniel 9:19 ESV

This is when Daniel was visited by Gabriel, a messenger from God sent to give him “insight and understanding” (Daniel 9:23 ESV) into the future events concerning the nation of Israel. Daniel had primarily been concerned about the exiles’ upcoming return to the land. After all, the 70 years were just about to expire. But God wanted Daniel to know that He had far greater plans in store for His chosen people. 

Gabriel began to unveil God’s plans concerning a period of seventy weeks or seventy sevens. To understand the meaning of this strange phrase, it is important to remember that Daniel had just read about the 70 years of captivity coming to an end. He was thinking in terms of years. So, when Gabriel mentioned the seventy sevens, Daniel would have recognized it as a reference to 490 years.

Gabriel was letting Daniel in on the details of God’s longer-term plans for Israel. This 490-year timeline would bring about six significant outcomes concerning Jerusalem and the people of Israel.

First, the 490 years will finally end Israel’s rebellion against God, eliminate all sin, provide atonement for their guilt, usher in a time of everlasting righteousness, confirm all the biblical prophecies, and result in the anointing of the Most Holy Place. These six byproducts would have caught Daniel’s attention. After his impassioned prayer and painfully honest confession of Israel’s sin, the thought of a day when their transgression and guilt would come to an end would have been music to his ears. But there were other, less appealing aspects to the prophecy that had to happen before the good news could be fulfilled.

Gabriel spoke of Jerusalem being rebuilt and then destroyed, along with the Temple. He warns of floods, wars, and miseries. He reveals that a powerful ruler will appear on the scene who will make a treaty with Israel and then break it. This same leader will desecrate the Temple and outlaw the observance of the sacrificial system.

As chapter 10 opens, three years have passed and the prophecy Daniel read in the Book of Jeremiah has already begun to be fulfilled. The year is 536 B.C. and Daniel is an old man – well into his 80s. He has spent most of his adult life living in exile in the land of Babylon. Two years earlier in 538 B.C., Cyrus the Medo-Persian king issued a decree that permitted the Jews to return to their land so they could rebuild the Temple under the leadership of a man named Zerubbabel. The Book of Ezra reveals that by 537 B.C. they had reinstituted the sacrificial system and by 536 B.C., they had begun work on the Temple.

Yet Daniel remained in Babylon, perhaps too old to make the long trip back to the Judah. He was in retirement by now, having served in the administrations of a succession of different kings. But even in his old age and despite the fact that the real action was taking place back in Judah, Daniel was still hearing from his God. Daniel’s advancing years and decreased activity had not prevented him from receiving additional insights from God concerning the future of Israel.

God sent Daniel a special messenger – "a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people" (Daniel 10:5-6 NLT).

Daniel had been in mourning for three weeks when this vision came to him. It’s likely he had received the news of the difficulties facing the remnant of Jews who had returned to the land. They faced extensive opposition from those who had taken over the land in their absence. While progress had been made, it had not been without great difficulty. They were under spiritual and physical attack from their enemies, and Daniel was likely interceding on their behalf. It was during this extended time of prayer that Daniel received a "visit" from God's messenger.

When Daniel encountered this divine messenger, he reacted with fear. At the sound his voice, Daniel fainted. Yet two times, the messenger assured Daniel he was "greatly loved" (Daniel 10:11 ESV). This was not just a reference to Daniel's status as one of God's chosen people; it was meant to let Daniel know he was precious to God. Daniel had faithfully served God all the years he had lived in Babylon and remained obedient to God's will and reliant upon God’s power.

Through Gabriel, God encouraged Daniel to take courage and be strong because what he was about to hear was going to be difficult to accept. God revealed to Daniel that a great spiritual war was going on, unseen by men, and impacting the world in which Daniel lived. He also told Daniel that things were going to get worse before they got better. The conflicts the people of Israel faced back in Judah were nothing compared with what was to come. Much to Daniel’s surprise and disappointment, there would continue to be conflicts on earth and in the heavens until God decided it was time to bring it all to an end.

This elderly servant of God was getting a glimpse into the future of Israel and the world. For Daniel, these events would have been disturbing and not encouraging. But despite the negative nature of the news, God wanted Daniel to be encouraged and remain strong. God was not trying to scare Daniel; He was revealing His sovereign, unstoppable will concerning His chosen people and the world He had made. God wanted Daniel to know that He was in complete control of all that was happening back in Jerusalem and well into the future.

Gabriel reveals that his appointment with Daniel had been delayed because of spiritual warfare. He had been dispatched by God the moment Daniel had begun to pray but on his way he had encountered “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Daniel 10:13 ESV). This is likely a reference to a demon, not a human king. Jesus referred to Satan as “the prince of this world” (John 14:30). Paul called him the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). So, it only makes sense that this “prince” that Gabriel encountered was one of the fallen angels who had joined Satan in his rebellion against God (Jude 1:6).

This demonic creature tried to keep Gabriel from accomplishing his God-ordained task. This cosmic battle in the unseen realms reminds us that spiritual warfare is taking place all around us at all time. God has a plan and his enemies are doing everything in their power to prevent that plan from taking place. But God is in control. His will cannot be circumvented, sidelined, or supplanted. The apostle John provides a stirring reminder of God’s supremacy and ultimate victory over the enemy.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 ESV

Before departing and returning to his battle with “the prince of Persia,” Gabriel promises to tell Daniel all that is "written in the Book of Truth" (Daniel 10:21 NLT). This statement is meant to assure Daniel of the message’s veracity and reliability. Gabriel was assuring Daniel that these things must happen because God had ordained it to be so. They were all part of His divine plan and recorded in the Book of Truth. Nothing has happened or ever will happen that is outside the sovereign will of God Almighty.

Daniel could be encouraged and remain strong even in the face of coming struggles. He could hear bad news concerning the remnant in Judah but could rest easy knowing God was in control. When he heard that Gabriel was returning to do war with the prince of Persia, he had no reason to worry or panic. The realization that spiritual warfare was taking place in the unseen realms was meant to remind Daniel that his God was working behind the scenes to ensure that His will was done. 

Daniel’s God was all-powerful and in full control. Because Daniel prayed and received an answer from God, we have been given a glimpse into the future. One of first things we should realize is that most of the six outcomes that Gabriel outlined in his message to Daniel have yet to take place. Israel’s rebellion against God has not come to an end. Despite Jesus’ incarnation, the Jewish people rejected Him as their long-awaited Messiah. Rather than worship Him as King, they had Him crucified.

It is also painfully clear that sin has not ended or been eradicated. Jesus came to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), yet sin remains because there are those who refuse to accept Him as their sin substitute and Savior. And because of their rejection of the Savior, their guilt and condemnation remain. Sin’s penalty of death still hands over their heads like the sword of Damocles.

It is obvious that we are not living in a time of everlasting righteousness. Wickedness and evil abound and unrighteousness rules the day. It is also self-evident that many of the prophecies contained in the Scriptures remain unfulfilled. Jesus promised to return but has not yet done so. Finally, the anointing of the Most Holy Place has yet to happen because there is no Temple.

Yet, Daniel was given a glimpse into the future and a fleeting and rather fuzzy view of things to come. Because we have been given the completed canon of Scripture, we know how the story ends. By combining the writings of Daniel with John’s fantastic insights recorded in the Book of Revelation, we can begin to piece together God’s incredible plans for Israel’s future and the fate of the world. 

We know that things will get worse before they get better. We know the enemy will fight until the end. But we also know that our side wins. God’s will will be accomplished. His plan will be fulfilled. So there is no need to be afraid. Like Daniel, we are precious to God. He has chosen us and He will protect us. We can take courage. We can be strong.

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

The End is Near

1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat[d] is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[e] nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. – Daniel 8:1-27 ESV

It seems that Daniel not only interprets dreams, he has them, and the dream he has in chapter seven was a doozy. It was full of bizarre beasts, big horns and little ones, violent wars, and other disturbing imagery. His dream included signs of the not-so-distant future and a time that has yet to happen even in our day. Ultimately, his dream was about the end times; he was given a glimpse of the time of the Tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. But more importantly, Daniel was given a view of the coming of the Son of Man; the return of Christ to reign over His Kingdom the earth. The term, "Son of Man" was Jesus' favorite designation for Himself. He preferred it over the more common term "Messiah," because to most Jews that simply indicated a human deliverer sent by God. By referring to Himself as the Son of Man, He claimed the role of the one predicted in Daniel's dream. He was the coming God-man. He would one day be "given authority, honor and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him" (Daniel 7:14 NLT). His coming kingdom would be an earthly, not just spiritual, kingdom. And it would last forever.

Of all the beings revealed in this dream of Daniels, the most significant one is that of the Son of Man. He is not described in detail. We do not get a good idea of what He looks like. The other beasts are described in frightening detail. But with the Son of Man, the emphasis is more on what He will do than what He looks like. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will destroy the Antichrist and the nations he gathers to rebel against God Almighty. Christ will use His God-given authority to destroy the enemies of God and usher in a new age of perfect peace.

"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords." – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

We may not fully understand who the other beasts represent, but we do know that the Son of Man is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is going to return to Earth one day to finish His work and establish His Kingdom once and for all. His rule will be eternal – it will never end. And unlike the nations represented in Daniel's dream, the Son of Man's Kingdom will be everlasting.

As chapter seven closes and chapter eight begins, there is a change in the narrative and its emphasis. First, the text converts from Aramaic to Hebrew and the emphasis shifts from “the times of the Gentiles” to the future fate of the Israelites, the chosen people of God.

Daniel and his fellow exiles lived in a spiritually tumultuous time. The land of Israel had been raped and pillaged and its people taken captive to foreign lands. Daniel was one of tens of thousands of individuals who had been living in Babylon for decades. Their homeland was miles away. Their Temple, the dwelling place of their God, lay in shambles. It was a period of spiritual darkness filled with questions about the future. What was God going to do with His people? Would He keep His covenant promise and restore them to the land?

In chapter seven, God gave Daniel a look into the distant future, at the end of the age. He let Daniel know what would happen long after Daniel was gone. But that does not answer a lot of Daniel's more immediate concerns. Then he has a second vision recorded in chapter eight.

In this vision, Daniel was given a closer look at future events. There are similarities and parallels to his first vision but the focus seems to be on the period between when Daniel lived and the second coming of Christ. Daniel is living within the kingdom of Neo-Babylonia. The glory days of this once-powerful empire are quickly coming to an end. This dream occurs two years after his earlier vision recorded in chapter seven.

In this vision, he is transported to Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, located about 200 miles east of Babylon. In his vision he sees a goat and a ram. The ram was the guardian spirit of the Persian Empire. The goat represents Greece, and its single, prominent horn represents Alexander the Great, who would sweep into that area of the world and wipe out the Medo-Persian Empire. Alexander the Great would die in his thirties and his kingdom would divide into four parts led by four different generals. Out of one of these would come Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), who would wage a relentless war on the people of Israel, overthrowing the High Priest, looting the Temple, and replacing the worship of God with a form of Greek worship. The daily sacrifices would come to a halt after he desecrates the Temple and, in his vision, Daniel is told that this would go on for seven years.

Each of these prophetic promises came about just as Daniel saw them in his vision. This speaks of God’s omniscience, His all-knowing nature. He doesn't just helplessly watch the future unfold like the rest of us; He knows it before it happens. In fact, He orchestrates events so that they happen just as He said they would. This is why God was able to reveal to Daniel in amazing detail events that had yet to take place. And these events were foreshadowings of what Daniel had seen in chapter eight.

What is amazing is the detail with which these events occurred. In December of 168 B.C., Antiochus returned from a defeat at the hands of the Romans and, in frustration, sent 20,000 of his troops to seize Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Having overtaken the Temple, he erected an idol of Zeus and desecrated the altar of the Temple by sacrificing swine on it. This idol became known to the Jews as "the abomination of desolation." All of this was a precursor to events that will take place in the end times. At that time, the Antichrist will erect an image of himself and command that everyone, including Jews, worship it. As bad as that time will be, it will also serve as a kind of alarm clock, telling mankind that the second coming of Christ is imminent.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NLT

But those events will be the preface for one even greater and more significant one: the second coming of Christ. He will return just as He promised, and just as the events of Daniel's vision took place with painstaking accuracy, so will the events associated with the end times. The Tribulation will come. The Antichrist will rise to power. And Jesus Christ will come again, do battle with the enemies of God, and establish His Kingdom on Earth..

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Rohi

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23:1-6 ESV

YHWH-Rohi – “The LORD My Shepherd.” This is the only occurrence of this name in the Bible, but the concept of God as a shepherd is a recurring theme. David’s use of this designation for God makes sense when considering his rural upbringing and his former role as a caretaker of his father’s flocks. When David was a young boy, he and his older brothers lived with their father Jesse in the town of Bethlehem. One day, they were visited by the prophet Samuel who had been sent by God to find the man He had chosen to be the next king of Israel. As Jesse paraded each of his sons before the prophet, God rejected each of them. When Samuel asked whether there were any other sons, Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest. But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats” (1 Samuel 16:11 NLT).

David was sent for and when he arrived, God told Samuel, “This is the one; anoint him” (1 Samuel 16:12 NLT). It would be years before David was crowned king, but once he ascended to the throne, God commemorated his rise to prominence with a reminder. of his humble beginnings.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.” – 2 Samuel 7:8 NLT

Psalm 78 provides a more poetic description of David’s transformation from a shepherd of sheep to a shepherd of God’s people.

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT

So, it’s no surprise that David used this familiar imagery to describe Yahweh. Psalm 23 is his recollection of God’s lifelong display of compassion, care, and tireless provision of protection and leadership. Yet, David was not the first to refer to God as his shepherd; that distinction goes to Jacob. During the final days of his life, Jacob pronounced blessings on his sons and included his two grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were the sons of Joseph. 

“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,
the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—
may he bless these boys.
May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.” – Genesis 48:15-16 NLT

Jacob longed to see his grandsons experience the tender care and providential provision of the good and gracious shepherd who had guided him throughout his life. During his younger days, Jacob had shepherded the sheep of his father-in-law Laban. He too was well acquainted with the metaphorical nature of this description and could relate to God’s role as his divine protector and provider.

One of the greatest examples of God’s role as shepherd is found in the Book of Exodus, where He delivers the descendants of Jacob from their captivity in Egypt. He appeared to Moses, another shepherd who would become a divinely appointed leader, and announced His plans to set His people free.

“I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey…” – Exodus 3:7-8 NLT

Jehovah–Rohi, the Shepherd-Redeeme,r would deliver His suffering sheep from the clutches of their Egyptian overlords and lead them to the verdant pasture lands of Canaan. Moses and his brother, Aaron, would serve as God’s under-shepherds, equipped with their shepherd staff’s and buoyed by the promise of God’s presence and power.

“ I will be with you,…” – Exodus 3:12 ESV

With God’s help, Moses eventually led the people of Israel to the borders of Canaan, but it would be Joshua who orchestrated their conquest and occupation of their inheritance. Over the centuries, God shepherded His people well, providing for all their needs and giving them victories over all their enemies. In time, God provided them with a series of judges who served as temporary deliverers from their own apostasy and His divine judgment. Then the day came when God allowed them to experience the rule of human kings who were to serve as His undershepherds. This led to a long line of monarchs, many of whom failed to live up to their calling as shepherds. Throughout the centuries, some of these men would prove to be unfaithful and unreliable leaders who did more harm than good. Eventually, God leveled a stinging indictment against these less-than-ideal leaders, accusing them of malfeasance and abuse of power.

Then this message came to me from the Lord: “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 34:1-6 NLT

This blunt assessment was not just for the kings of Israel but was meant to address all those in leadership, including the priestly caste. Everyone was held accountable for the spiritual malnourishment of God’s flock. Jeremiah delivered a similar unflattering appraisal of the shepherds of Israel.

“The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the LORD. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered.” – Jeremiah 10:21 NLT

Eventually, God brought judgment against His shepherds but the sheep had to suffer as well. A lack of godly leadership had resulted in a wholesale rebellion on the part of the people. Without proper care and feeding, the sheep wandered into other pastures seeking sustenance and safety. They abandoned God and suffered the consequences.

Yet, Jehovah-Rohi never gave up on them. He disciplined them for their unfaithfulness but never reneged on His covenant promises. He remained the Good Shepherd and, through the prophets, reminded His unfaithful flock that He would one day restore them.

Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. – Isaiah 40:10-11 NLT

God did care for His flock and returned them to the land of Canaan under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. While they had to suffer 70 years of exile in the land of Babylon, Jehovah-Rohi never lost sight of them and never gave up on them.

Yet, their return to the land of promise was not the end of God’s shepherding role. Eventually, He sent His Son to be the Good Shepherd. The gospel of John records the insightful words of Jesus as He declared Himself to be the consummate shepherd who models what true godly leadership looks like.

“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

When Jesus appeared on the scene, He provided His own assessment of the spiritual state of His Father’s flock.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:35-36 NLT

The Good Shepherd couldn’t help but look at His own people and see them as shepherdless sheep, wandering about confused and helpless. For centuries, they had been misled and mistreated. Their political and spiritual leaders had used and abused them. Those who should have been feeding and caring for them had ended up taking advantage of them. But Jesus, the Son of David, emulated the example of the man after God’s own heart. He was the quintessential shepherd, the Good Shepherd, who would lay down His life for the sheep. And like His forefather, Jesus would shepherd the flock of God with care and compassion.

But Jesus would do more than simply lead and feed. He would provide protection against the enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus would lay down His life on behalf of His Father’s sheep. Just as John the Baptist had declared. Jesus became the Lamb of God who sacrificed His life so that the sheep of God might have access to God’s heavenly sheepfold.

Jesus makes it quite clear. “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9 ESV). He is the exclusive access point to the Father and he later reiterated this bold claim to Thomas.

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

But Jesus didn’t sugarcoat how the sheep find access to the Father.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 ESV

The religious leaders were not about to sacrifice their lives for anyone. They weren’t even willing to bow the knee before the Son of God. They refused to submit their wills to the Father. And when the Good Shepherd appeared in their midst, they were unable to hear His voice. But there were those who heard Jesus ask, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” and responded, “Lord, I believe” (John 9:35, 38 ESV).

And Jesus revealed that there would be others.

“I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” – John 10:16 ESV

This is His veiled reference to the Gentiles, who will also become part of God’s flock. Like the Samaritan woman, they too will hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and respond in belief. They will recognize the call of God, coming from the lips of the Son of God, offering them living water, the bread of life, and the promise of an eternity marked by peace, contentment, joy, and righteousness.

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

The Mind and the Mission of Christ

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

So, how are the Philippians believers supposed to live in unity, “being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind”? How will they prevent self-ambition and conceit from destroying their personal relationships and corporate witness? Where will they find the motivation and strength to live humbly, considering others as more important than themselves?

Paul doesn’t leave them on their own to figure out the answers to these pressing questions; he provides them with a succinct and simple answer: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5 ESV).

He reminds them that Christ was the key to their salvation and He will be the key to their ongoing sanctification – as individuals and as a congregation. The only way they will be able to experience the kind of unity Paul has prescribed is if they learn to think as Christ did. They are to have the mind of Christ. The Greek word Paul used is phroneō and it is actually in its verb form, transforming it into an action. The original word can be translated as “to think.” Paul is telling them to think on Christ and consider His life.  They are to be of the same mind as Christ, considering their circumstances and responding to them as He would. And notice the environment in which the mind of Christ was to be put to use: “Among yourselves.” The task of thinking and reacting like Christ is to be applied within the body of Christ.

Christ-likeness that masquerades as self-preservation or self-satisfaction is not Christ-likeness at all. To claim to have the mind of Christ, but to think only of one’s own self-interest is to be nothing like Christ. To prove that point, Paul ensures that the Philippian believers understand what he means by sharing the mindset and behavior of Christ. And don’t miss the very important point that Paul makes. This mindset is already available to them because of their relationship with Christ Jesus; it is not something they have to seek or produce on their own. It became theirs at the point of their salvation.

But we don’t always live with the mind of Christ. Too often, we see things from our sinful and self-centered vantage point, making even our relationship with Christ all about us. In doing so, we forget that Christ redeemed us from a life of self-destructive narcissism. We have been placed within the body of Christ so that we might display the character of Christ among our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

At one point, Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus and expressed his strong desire for them to fully comprehend the extent of Christ’s love for them. But he suggests that this could only be accomplished within the context of the body of Christ. As they selflessly loved one another, as an expression of their grateful love for God, they would experience Christ’s remarkable love for them.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT

And just how much did Christ love us? Enough to die for us. But before Christ went to the cross, He had to come to earth, and Paul makes sure his audience understands that as horrific as the cross was, Christ’s incarnation was also an act of humiliation and shame.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being. – Philippians 2:6-7 NLT

Christ left the glory of heaven and His rightful place of honor at His Father’s side and willingly came to earth. But He couldn’t come in His glorious, heavenly form; He had to become a human being. Not only that, Jesus didn’t arrive on earth as a fully-formed man, He became a fetus in Mary’s womb and, nine months later, entered the world as a helpless infant. Yet, in doing so, He became Immanuel, God with us. But no one would have recognized Him as God. He no longer exhibited the trappings of deity. Rather than a royal robe, He was wrapped in a swaddling cloth. Instead of angels and cherubim surrounding His throne proclaiming His glory, sheep and cattle stood around His manger in disinterest. Rather than appearing as the all-powerful Son of God, Jesus came in the form of a child, a status that left him with little honor and no rights.

Paul goes on to emphasize that Jesus, the Son of God and the very image of God, became in appearance as a man, even a slave. He humbled Himself. But why? So, that He might give His life as a ransom for the sins of mankind. What He did, He did for the good of others. A point that Jesus Himself made very clear.

“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.” – Mark 10:45 NLT

The truly amazing thing is that Jesus gave up all His heavenly prerogatives so that He might live on this earth as a human being. This does not mean that Jesus became any less God during His time on earth. He remained fully God during the entirety of His incarnation. But He willingly relinquished the independent use of His divine attributes. He became fully dependent upon God the Father during His earthly ministry. He still retained His divine power and all of the characteristics of His deity but He submitted them fully to the will of God. During His incarnation, Jesus operated under the influence of and by virtue of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Stop and think about that. The entire time Jesus walked this earth, He had the power of God residing in Him and the full ability to access that power at any moment. But He refused to do so. Which is Paul’s point. He emphasizes that Jesus “humbled himself in obedience to God” (Philippians 2:8 NLT). He did what the Father wanted, and His obedience was so precise and complete that He was willing to go to the cross where he “died a criminal’s death.” 

This is the attitude that Paul was encouraging the Philippian believers to have. They were to share the same way of thinking as Jesus. He didn’t consider Himself too good to do the will of God. He didn’t think of Himself as too important to sacrifice His life for the good of others. The prospect of humiliation was not off limits to Jesus. The thought of dying on behalf of those who actually deserved to die was not off-putting to Jesus. He did it willingly and lovingly. All that Jesus did was an expression of His love.

And we are to share that same way of thinking. We are to exhibit that same mindset when it comes to those around us – especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we are all prone to seek our own self-exaltation. We are driven by pride and ego. Our sin natures tend to make everything all about us. And, even as believers, we can begin to think that we are somehow better than others because we are in Christ. We are redeemed. We are children of God. We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV). But if we’re not careful, we begin to think too highly of ourselves and end up drowning in our own perceived self-importance. But as Paul told the believers in Rome, “Don't think you are better than you really are” (Romans 12:3 NLT).

Paul would have us consider Christ. If anyone deserved to be exalted, it was Him. After all, He was God. Yet, Jesus humbled Himself; He even allowed Himself to be humiliated by the very ones He created. He suffered death at the hands of sinful men. But Paul reminds us that God exalted Him.

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names… – Philippians 2:9 NLT

But it’s important to note that the exaltation of Jesus came after His humiliation. His resurrection followed His crucifixion. His ascension could not have happened without His death and burial in a borrowed grave.

We can waste all our time seeking to be exalted in this life, or we can share the thinking of Christ and pursue a life of selfless service to others. We can humble ourselves as He did, enduring potential humiliation and the seeming loss of our status as God’s children, or we can make ourselves the center of attention. We can pursue self-exaltation or humbly serve and love one another, allowing God to exalt us according to His timing. The words of Peter are appropriate here.

…all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. – 1 Peter 5:5-6 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 Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Peace, Power, and Promises

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you. – Hebrews 13:20-25 ESV

It was Peter who wrote, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT). And as he wraps up his letter the author of Hebrews echoes that same theme. As part of his benediction, he calls on the God of peace to equip his readers with “everything good” so that they may be able to do His will.

The Greek word translated “equip” in this passage is katartidzo and it means “to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be” (Greek Lexicon :: G2675 (KJV). Blue Letter Bible). It was also commonly used to refer to mending something that was damaged, such as setting a broken bone in order that it would heal properly.

Part of God’s ongoing work in our lives is to repair what sin has damaged. Our sanctification includes the process of healing us from the negative effects of sin. God has justified us, declaring us righteous in His eyes, but that is a positional or judicial status. It does not mean that we are sinless or morally righteous. It simply means that, because of our faith in Christ, God views us through the sacrificial blood of His Son, “the blood of the eternal covenant.” But as long as we live on this earth, God is constantly equipping and perfecting us, in order to make us increasingly more like His Son.

…those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… – Romans 8:29 ESV

…the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. – 2 Corinthians 3;18 NLT

Peace. The author refers to God as the God of peace. He is the God of shalom, and His desire for us is wholeness, completeness, and a sense of oneness with Him. When sin entered the world, that shalom with God was shattered. But with the coming of Christ, God provided a means by which man’s peace with Him might be restored. Paul reminds us, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 ESV).

Writing to an audience made up primarily of Jewish Christians, the authorof Hebrews most likely had Jeremiah 29:11 in mind. It says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The word translated “welfare” is actually the Hebrew word shalom. This statement from God was given to the people of Israel by the prophet Jeremiah at the beginning of their Babylonian exile. It was a reminder that God was not done. He had not completely given up on them. One day He was going to return them to the land of Canaan. But there is a yet-to-be-fulfilled aspect to this verse. God is still not done with the people of Israel. He will one day restore them to a right relationship with Himself. They will once again enjoy shalom – peace with God.

The Jewish believers to whom the letter of Hebrews was written were being reminded that they were already the beneficiaries of this promise. They had been restored to a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. But God was also working in them in such a way that they might be equipped to do His will. God is always working in His children “that which is pleasing in his sight.” Paul put it this way: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

Power. The very same power that raised Jesus back to life from the dead, is at work in us who have placed our faith in Him as our Savior. Revitalizing, resuscitating, rejuvenating, restorative, resurrection power is available to us and at work in us. We have the power of God available to us in the form of the Spirit of God who dwells within us. Our ongoing transformation does not depend upon our own efforts and willpower. It is the work of the indwelling presence and power of God. Truly, He has “given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

Promise. The author ends his letter by reminding his readers of the promises found in Jesus Christ. One of the most amazing statements in this passage that can easily be overlooked and under-appreciated is his reference to “our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep.”  In that simple phrase, the author reminds us that the sacrificed Lamb of God has become our Great Shepherd. He died for our sins but rose again so that we might have life more abundantly. He gave His life so that He might guide us into new life.

Jesus said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15 ESV). His death was not wasted. He didn’t die a martyr to a hopeless cause; He gave His life knowing that He would rise from the dead and provide the means by which all who believe in Him might enjoy eternal life.

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” – John 10:17-18 ESV

Peter reminds us, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25 NLT).

Our Great Shepherd found us wandering from the fold of God. He rescued us. He has healed us. And He has promised to guide and direct us as we make our way to the glorious future God has prepared for us. He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and from His place at His Father’s side, He intercedes for us. He watches over us. And He has promised to return for us one day.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 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 14:1-3 ESV

And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. – 1 Peter 5:4 NLT

It is for that day we are to live. It is for that hope we are to eagerly wait.

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. – Romans 8:22-24 NLT

And while we wait, we enjoy peace with God, the presence and power of God, the guidance of the Great Shepherd of God, and the hope of the eternal promise of God.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

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 Finished Work of Jesus

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. – Hebrews 9:11-15 ESV

To understand this passage, it is essential to understand God’s view on blood. For those of us living in the 21st Century, the very idea of a blood sacrifice is appalling and distasteful. It sounds barbaric and cruel. But you have to go all the way back to the book of Leviticus to get God’s view on blood and its role in the sacrificial system He established for Israel.

“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,  for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.” – Leviticus 17:10-11 NLT

Blood was a symbol of life. Without blood, life would be impossible. So when innocent animals were sacrificed on the altar of the tabernacle, they were acting as substitutes for the people of Israel. Their blood was spilled so that the guilt of the sinful Israelites could be atoned for. The Israelites, like all people, sinned regularly, and their sin, according to God’s law, deserved death. So God allowed an unblemished animal to serve as a substitute. However, the atonement the Israelites received was temporary and incomplete. It could not fully cleanse them from sin. The life of the sacrificial animal could never fully replace the life of a human.

So the sacrificial system and the tabernacle were both symbols of something greater to come. And the high priest, who acted as a mediator on behalf of the people, was also a type, an imperfect representation of a greater high priest to come – namely Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus came to die. Yes, He was born of a virgin, grew up to be a man, performed miracles, taught His disciples, raised the dead, walked on water, and spoke often about His Kingdom. But the primary objective of His earthly mission was to die – sacrificing His life as a substitute for the sins of mankind. The author makes this perfectly clear.

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. – Hebrews 9:12 NLT

The sacrifice Jesus offered was not presented in the earthly Tabernacle of Temple and was not done using the blood of bulls or goats. He shed His own blood. It was just as He had told His disciples the night they shared their final Passover meal together.

“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people – an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” – Luke 22:20 NLT

The blood of Jesus had to be poured out on behalf of all men in order for complete atonement to be made. Jesus was sent by His Father to be the atoning sacrifice, just as John the Baptist had prophesied. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). The prophet, Isaiah, recorded these powerful words centuries before Jesus appeared on the scene.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. – Isaiah 53:7-10 NLT

Jesus came to earth in order to take on human flesh and do something no other man had ever done: Live in complete obedience to God’s will and in perfect compliance with the Mosaic Law. The apostle Paul eloquently describes the path of obedience that led Jesus from His rightful place at His Father’s side in heaven to a cruel Roman cross on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

His perfect obedience made Him the perfect sacrifice. As the “spotless lamb,” His blood was an acceptable sacrifice to God and served as payment for the sins of mankind. And unlike the sacrifices of bulls and goats, Jesus’ atonement for sin was permanent and not temporary. His death was able to “purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14 ESV). In other words, His offering was more than ceremonial in nature. It was not simply a ritual cleansing from sin, but it provided a thorough removal of all vestiges of sin in the life of the penitent sinner.  

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:11-12 ESV

With the death of Jesus, men no longer had to carry around a sense of guilt and apprehension. By placing their faith in His sacrificial death, they could be absolved from the guilt of their sins and enjoy complete freedom from the fear of future condemnation or judgment.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4 ESV

With the perfect sacrifice offered on their behalf, sinful men and women no longer had to worry about whether they had done enough to please God. Under the old sacrificial system, there was always the chance that their sacrifice was not good enough. Their lamb was not pure enough. Their motives were not righteous enough. The Jews always had to worry whether their sacrifice would be acceptable to God. They also had to live with a sense of impending doom because of their inability to refrain from sinning. Any sacrifice they offered could only atone for past sins but could not alter future behavior. It provided forgiveness but not heart change.

But the sacrifice of Jesus covered mankind’s sins completely and permanently. It served as the perfect sacrifice, offering atonement for all sins – past, present, and future. As the apostle John wrote, “…the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 ESV). Jesus offered the all-sufficient sacrifice. It was the once-for-all-time atoning sacrifice that was based on the finished work of Jesus and not the flawed and feeble efforts of sinful men. Under the old covenant and the sacrificial system, no one could be fully justified or made right with God through self-effort. Attempting to keep the Mosaic Law proved to be a futile enterprise for God’s people. And the presence of repeated sacrifices was proof that their efforts to live in obedience to God’s laws were unsuccessful. That’s why Paul reminds us that justification by works was never intended to be our means of salvation.

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. – Galatians 3:16 ESV

But because of what Jesus has done, sinful men and women can serve the living God, both in this life and in the life to come. Not only can they enjoy freedom from condemnation and absolution from the guilt of their sins in this life, but they can be assured of spending eternity in perfect communion with God the Father.

…those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance… – Hebrews 9:15 ESV

Jesus, the better high priest has provided a way for sinners to receive forgiveness for all their sins. The sinless Lamb of God has offered His life so that sinners can be made right with God – not just now but for eternity. With His death, Jesus provided forgiveness of sin, assurance of salvation, and the promise of eternal life. But this incredible gift is not based on anything we have done or will do. It relies solely on the work that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

The apostle Paul, who was a faithful Jew and a former Pharisee, summed up nicely what Jesus’ sacrificial death accomplished on our behalf. And his message would have resonated well with the Jewish audience to whom the letter of Hebrews was written.

I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. – Galatians 2:18-21 NLT

For those Jews who had placed their faith in the saving work of Jesus, there was no going back to the Mosaic Law. That old system had served its purpose. With the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the new covenant was now in full effect and it was based on the work of Jesus, not the works of men.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

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 Time of Reformation

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. – Hebrews 9:1-10 ESV

In verse ten of this section of Hebrews, the author makes an interesting statement. He refers to “the time of reformation.” The Greek word he used was diorthōsis and it means “a making straight, restoring to its natural and normal condition something which in some way protrudes or has got out of line, as broken or misshapen limbs” (Greek Lexicon :: G1357 (KJV) Blue Letter Bible).

It could also mean to straighten thoroughly, rectify or restore. Some Bible translations refer to it as the “new order” or the time “when things will be put right.” But it is clear that the author is referring to the new covenant. The old way has been replaced by something new and improved. The author gives a brief description of the old way by listing some of the more important characteristics of the Tabernacle and the worship that took place there. He mentions the Holy Place which contained the golden lampstand and the table of shewbread which held the bread of the presence. He brings up the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, in which there was the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant. He includes a reference to the priests and the high priest, who were responsible for making sacrifices on behalf of themselves and the people. But he can’t help but remind his readers that “according to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper” (Hebrews 9:9 ESV).

The sad reality was that the old covenant could never provide the worshiper with intimate access to God or the assurance that their sin debt was paid in full and their relationship with God was completely restored.

The very fact that the average Jew could not enter the Most Holy Place, but had to rely on the high priest to minister on their behalf, paints a picture of the inadequacy of the old way. It could not make the worshiper fully justified before a holy and righteous God or provide a personal experience of His presence. By these things “the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing” (Hebrews 9:8 ESV). As long as the Tabernacle or the Temple were still in use, the people would never fully experience the joy of access to and intimacy with God. These man-made structures could only emulate or model something greater to come. Even the priests who ministered in the Tabernacle and the Temple “serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven” (Hebrews 8:5 NLT).

Yet, Jesus “ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands” (Hebrews 8:2 NLT). This “heavenly Tabernacle” was what the earthly version was intended to model. It was designed by God and based on the true Tabernacle located in the heavenly realm. But it was made by human hands and required constant purification from the sinful influence of God’s chosen people. In this earthly Tabernacle, access to the Most Holy Place, where the presence of God dwelled over the mercy seat, was highly restricted. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was allowed to pass through the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. But only after he “offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance” (Hebrews 9:7 NLT).

Even the high priest was restricted from entering God’s presence. There were conditions that had to be met and regulations that had to be obeyed. 

By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. – Hebrews 9:8 NLT

It seems that the author is using the separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place as a metaphor for the difference between the earthly Tabernacle and the one that exists in heaven. As long as the Tabernacle or Temple were still in use, the people of Israel would never enjoy access to the true Holy of Holies in heaven, where God Himself dwells alongside His resurrected Son, the Messiah. And as long as the Jewish Christians to whom this book was written continued to harbor thoughts of returning to their former adherence to the law and the sacrificial system, they would be erecting a barrier between themselves and God. The Tabernacle and the Temple were meant to be temporary.

The Tabernacle that the Israelites utilized during their years traveling through the wilderness was eventually replaced by the Temple that Solomon constructed in Jerusalem. But even that glorious structure was eventually destroyed when the Babylonians entered and plundered the city of Jerusalem. More than 70 years later, it was rebuilt by the remnant of Israelites who returned to Judah. But this new Temple was a far cry from the grand architectural wonder that Solomon had built. And it would be centuries later that King Herod instituted his plans to remodel and expand the Temple. It was to this structure that Jesus referred to when speaking with His disciples in the latter days of His earthly life.

John’s gospel records an encounter Jesus had with the Jewish leadership outside Herod’s Temple just after He had chased out the money changers. With the Temple as a backdrop, Jesus boldly declared, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19 ESV). 

Angered and more than a bit confused by Jesus’ statement, the Jews responded, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” (John 2:20 ESV). But John provides insight into the meaning of Jesus’ statement.

But he was speaking about the temple of his body. – John 2:21 ESV

In this brief exchange, we are provided with a glimpse of the “time of reformation” to which the author of Hebrews refers. Jesus was the temple of God through which men would enter into His presence and receive full acquittal for their sentence of death and complete forgiveness for their sins. In other words, they would be made right with God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Not only is He the high priest and the sinless sacrifice, but He serves as the Temple of God. He alone can provide access to the Father. This is why, when He breathed His last breath on the cross, something truly significant took place.

At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart. – Matthew 27:51 NLT

With the death of Jesus, the barrier to God’s presence was removed. His blood provided atonement for the sins of mankind – once and for all. This is why Paul reminds us, “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence” (Ephesians 3:12 NLT). That is why the author of Hebrews was able to write, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT). The veil was torn. The barrier was removed. Access to God was restored. But it was all due to the sacrificial death of Jesus – the sinless Lamb of God, the High Priest of Heaven, and the true earthly Temple in which God’s presence was made available to all men.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-12 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

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.