Sunday, February 24, 2019

Lord's Day 36


Thoughts on Devotions – LD36

Q. 99 What is God's will for us in the third commandment? Q. 100 Is blasphemy of God's name by swearing and cursing really such serious sin that God is angry also with those who do not do all they can to help prevent it and forbid it?

In J. V. Fesko's book, The Rule of Love, he makes the point that God's name is sacred. He also points out that God is connected with his redemptive acts – God's people were redeemed “so they could reflect the character of their covenant Lord.” The third commandment, in its emphasis on God's character and his Redemption, also points to the perfect righteousness of Christ. Fesko makes the connection using verses such as Joel 2:32 - “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” We can violate the third commandment not just with words, but also through our actions if, as Christians, we dishonor the name of the Lord. DeYoung, in The Good News We Almost Forgot, notes that the OT outlines several actions that violated the third commandment including, blasphemy, false oaths, false prophecy, when priests did not follow the correct procedure for sacrifices and when people either unlawfully touched holy things or put detestable things in holy places. DeYoung also mentions “vain repetition” of God's name in prayer (using his name “like a comma”) as misusing the Lord's name. Joking about God or using other speech that uses God and his name for amusement rather than addressing him in reverence also violates this commandment.

New English Translation of the Bible: Note on Exodus 3:14 a tn The verb form used here is אֶהְיֶה ('ehyeh), the Qal imperfect, first person common singular, of the verb הָיָה (haya, "to be"). It forms an excellent paronomasia with the name. So when God used the verb to express his name, he used this form saying, "I am." When his people refer to him as Yahweh, which is the third person masculine singular form of the same verb, they say "he is." Some commentators argue for a future tense translation, "I will be who I will be," because the verb has an active quality about it, and the Israelites lived in the light of the promises for the future. They argue that "I am" would be of little help to the Israelites in bondage. But a translation of "I will be" does not effectively do much more except restrict it to the future. The idea of the verb would certainly indicate that God is not bound by time, and while he is present ("I am") he will always be present, even in the future, and so "I am" would embrace that as well (see also Ruth 2:13; Ps 50:21; Hos 1:9). The Greek translation of the OT used a participle to capture the idea, and several times in the Gospels Jesus used the powerful "I am" with this significance (e.g., John 8:58). The point is that Yahweh is sovereignly independent of all creation and that his presence guarantees the fulfillment of the covenant (cf. Isa 41:4; 42:6, 8; 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:5-7)....

Monday: The catechism starts with an explanation of what is forbidden in the third commandment. Blasphemy (i.e., to make light of or insult God in some way) or using his name to curse someone (to wish harm on someone). False swearing (perjury) or unnecessary oaths (e. g., expressions such as “by God”). Profanity is using God's name as though it is common, in swearing, but also in expressions such as OMG! In the OT the punishment for misusing God's name was death.
Leviticus 19:12 You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Lev. 24:10-16 Now an Israelite womanʼs son whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Israelites, and the Israelite womanʼs son and an Israelite man had a fight in the camp. The Israelite womanʼs son misused the Name and cursed, so they brought him to Moses. (Now his motherʼs name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) So they placed him in custody until they were able to make a clear legal decision for themselves based on words from the mouth of the Lord. Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and all who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the whole congregation is to stone him to death. Moreover, you are to tell the Israelites, ʻIf any man curses his God he will bear responsibility for his sin, and one who misuses the name of the Lord must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.

Tuesday: We should use God's name only with reverence and awe. We should treat God's name in the same way that we would treat God himself if we were standing in his presence. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus teaches us to “Hallow” God's name – treat it as special and holy.
Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us! But to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness.

Wednesday: God's name is special because it stands for all he is. God revealed his name because he wanted to have a relationship with his people. When God “passed by” and showed his glory to Moses he proclaimed his name because God's name stands for God himself. We should gently correct people who are misusing God's name and make known to people how great God is so that they will honor him.
Exodus 33:18-23 And Moses said, “Show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.”
Exodus 34:5-7 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and childrenʼs children, to the third and fourth generation.”
Psalm 34:3 Magnify the Lord with me! Letʼs praise his name together!

Thursday: We use God's name properly when we confess publicly that we believe God is who he says he is and when we confess Jesus' name and say that we believe he is the Son of God sent by the Father to save us from our sin. The apostles and disciples preached Jesus' even when the authorities told them to stop.
Acts 4:1-4 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening). But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Friday: Prayer is another way that God's name can be used properly. Scripture tells us to call on the name of the Lord. Jesus taught us to pray “in his name.” We recognize that prayers can come to God only through Jesus and what he has done to bring us to his Father.
Psalm 116:4,13,17 I called on the name of the Lord, “Please Lord, rescue my life!”
I will celebrate my deliverance, and call on the name of the Lord.
I will present a thank offering to you, and call on the name of the Lord.
John 14:13-14 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Saturday: Another way to use God's name as he wants is to glorify him by what we say to him. We bring honor to God's name when we live in a way that brings honor to him and causes other people to praise him.
Psalm 145:1-2 I will extol you, my God, O king! I will praise your name continually! Every day I will praise you! I will praise your name continually!
Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty extends over the earth and sky.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Reading between the lines...

Thomas Jefferson thought that by getting rid of the concept of Trinity would make us better disciples. He is not alone; some Christians also think this way, but it denies the very person and teaching of Jesus. It denies the person of Jesus since he fundamentally is the Christ, the Son of God. Both the gospels of Mark and John are structured around the full name of Jesus as the Son of God, anointed by the Spirit, the One eternally begotten of the Father. To know Jesus is to be introduced to the Spirit and his Father. To know Jesus is to already know the close bond – united in love – between the three persons of the Trinity. The Trinity is the three persons of God united in love (Adam and Eve are “one” united in love; the church is “one” united in love). They are so “one” that they cannot be without each other – they are so much one that they are “in” one another. To understand the person of Jesus we must be Trinitarian, but to understand the teaching of Jesus we must also be Trinitarian. Scrivener likens the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6 to the threefold name of God in the Trinity. In Matthew 28, Jesus basically proclaims all believers as priests who can put God's name on the people of all nations. Jefferson could not be more wrong – the Trinity is the very heart of our faith.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Numbers 6:24-27 “The Lord bless you and protect you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”ʼ So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Jesus is the only one in the Bible who is referred to with this phrase. On Pentecost (harvest time, i.e. thinking of fruit) Peter is telling the crowds that Jesus is guaranteeing an abundant harvest of new life. Peter invites people to be gathered into the harvest. At the start of Pentecost there are 120 disciples waiting for what Jesus promised... Peter explains what is happening to the crowd. Peter's quotation from David in Psalms, points out David's prophetic role in proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah. David's descendant was the first fruits of resurrection – and on the basis of this first fruits the world can now be grafted in to find new life, when before there was only death. The “fruit of David's loins” had life enough for a cosmic harvest.
Acts 2:30-31 So then, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay.
Psalm 16:10 You will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit.
1 Cor. 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

We typically use the phrase “cut to the heart” when we are betrayed or insulted – but 3 times in Acts the Israelites are “cut to the heart.” It is the preaching of the Apostles that is like a knife to the chest. The first is Peter's sermon at Pentecost when he tells the crowd that the Messiah that they killed was now God and Lord. They were so disturbed by this that they exclaimed, “What shall we do!?!” Should they hide? Should they hope that God forgets? Should they make it up in some way? What could they do? Peter extraordinary news – God not only wants to forgive, but to also give a gift – the gift of the Spirit! We kill one family member, the Son – and he gives us another family member, the Spirit. Peter says repent, change your mind! Turn to Jesus. We used to think of Jesus as an inconvenience, a swear word or a mere teacher – he is Lord and Messiah, raised to rule at God's right hand. Jesus was baptised into our kind of life; Peter now says that those listening must be baptised into his kind of life. Inspite of our crimes we are given God's son, we are given his Spirit and we are called home to his family life. When we see this Gospel reality our hearts are not simply cut, they are melted.
Acts 2:37 KJV Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Acts 5:33 KJV When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Acts 7:54 KJV When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“Damascus road experience” refers to any dramatic conversion, but people will have to wait for Christ's return to experience anything like what Paul experienced. The Damascus road was not only the conversion of a man, but the creation of an apostle. The qualification of an apostle is to have met the risen Christ. Paul, a Pharisee, chief persecutor of the early church – and of Jesus himself – is dramatically called to service by Jesus. Jesus pities enemies and transforms them. Saul is converted from one kind of suffering to another – he will go against the “flow” in proclaiming Christ to the world. The church's greatest enemy is turned to its greatest asset. The witness of Paul is not diminished by his past, it is magnified. Paul can preach a gracious Gospel – the grace of Jesus extends even to his greatest enemies.
Acts 1:21-22 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us - one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.”
Acts 26:16-18a But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God,
1 Tim. 1:15 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” - and I am the worst of them!

After Jesus was crucified and buried his followers were discouraged and despondent. Yet shortly after they began to turn the world upside down. The revolution occurred through the preaching of a reasoned scriptural message. The message – about a King who dies for his people and then is raised back to life – revolutionizes how people think about things. Trusting the message changes how people respond – though it is not this action that changes the world, it is the power of the preaching of the good news that does it.
Acts 17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too,

How do we teach the Gospel to a world that thinks so differently? Paul used ideas already in the culture to further his Gospel proclamation.
He reasoned with people in the marketplace, though to Athenian ears he proclaimed a strange God. They were used to new ideas, yet Paul's proclamation makes little sense to them. Paul uses the “unknown god” inscription as acknowledgment that they lack this wisdom – and he offers to fill in their lack of knowledge. He exposes their theological inconsistencies and calls them to repent – based on the fact of Christ's resurrection. The Gospel does not confront us as one truth among many. Instead, it is the truth that measures all others.
1 Cor. 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Acts 17:22-23 So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ʻTo an unknown god.ʼ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.
Acts 17:28-31 For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ʻFor we too are his offspring.ʼ So since we are Godʼs offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination. Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Both religious and secular people praise altruistic behavior as beneficial to both the receiver and the giver – but true self-giving is usually avoided. The Christ of the Gospel, however, is the difference. He may tell us to give, but he is the ultimate giver and determines that ultimate reality is one of self-giving. Since the Lord is grace, self-giving is not a means to an end. It is the essence of the blessed life. This is a gracious univers because it is Christ's universe – to be blessed we must give.
Acts 20:35 By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ʻIt is more blessed to give than to receive.ʼ”



at

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Lord's Day 35


Thoughts on Devotions – LD35

Q. 96 What is God's will for us in the second commandment? Q. 97 May we then not make any image at all? Q. 98 But may not images be permitted in churches in place of books for the unlearned?

J. V. Fesko, in The Rule of Love, explains that  Aaron made the golden calf in order to help the Israelites worship God – but it also implies that they would have power over God. They could move him about, control him and worship in a way that God did not prescribe. He describes God having an exclusive copyright to his image. He created man in his image, but after the fall man no longer perfectly imaged God. Prior to the fall people would have seen the image of God in other people, but after the fall man began to worship his own image. The Bible tells us that Christ is the exact representation and image of God. Unlike man-made images, created to provide control over God, Christ as the one true and legitimate image of God - he was completely obedient to God. God has made provision for the church to depict – remember – Christ in the sacraments. When we supplement worship with unauthorized images we become like the Israelites, worshiping God in a manner of our choosing – breaking the second commandment. The second commandment's warning of us sin points us to Christ who perfectly worshiped and submitted himself to God. It points us to Christ since he is the perfect image of God, and it points us to Christ in that through our connection to Christ we are being remade in the image of God. “We do not make images of God, for He is making images of Himself in us! In this way Christ applies the rule of love to us by creating His holy image in us” (p. 41).


Monday: The Israelites already had the ten commandments and knew that they were to not to worship any other god but or image but God. Yet when they doubted and threatened to get out of control, Aaron made the golden calf seemingly as a way to focus and comfort them. A bad idea. We too need to learn to turn toward God rather than elsewhere when we are questioning and unsettled.
Isaiah 40:18-25 To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him? A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it. To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; he then seeks a skilled craftsman to make an idol that will not fall over. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told to you since the very beginning? Have you not understood from the time the earthʼs foundations were made? He is the one who sits on the earthʼs horizon; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, and spreads it out like a pitched tent. He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing; he makes the earthʼs leaders insignificant. Indeed, they are barely planted; yes, they are barely sown; yes, they barely take root in the earth, and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up, and the wind carries them away like straw. “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?” says the Holy One.

Tuesday: Not only are we not to make images to worship, but we also are only to worship as God has commanded in his Word. Aaron was just trying to help and improve worship of God by making the golden calf – God was not pleased.
Exodus 32:1-10 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!” So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.” So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them - they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ʻThese are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.ʼ” Then the Lord said to Moses: “I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are! So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Wednesday: Fearing and honoring God involves listening to and obeying what he has revealed to us in his Word. We must focus on the preaching of his Word, not on methods that we think are novel or “meaningful” but do not follow what he has told us.
1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Romans 10:14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lordʼs death until he comes.

Thursday: God does use anthropomorphic language, and while that does give us a picture of God acting in the world similar to a human – these word pictures help us to understand God's character. We should not, however take this as permission to make images of God or to worship him through use of images.
Deuteronomy 4:15-19 Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. I say this so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars - the whole heavenly creation - you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world.

Friday: Art and artistic representation and decoration is not itself wrong. Art may add to the beauty of a place of worship, but it must not represent or take the place of our God who is Spirit and not a body.
John 4:23-24 But a time is coming - and now is here - when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Saturday: God wants his people to believe what he tells them and to depend on his Word and promises. He wants to rely on how he represents himself in his Word and not to use our imaginations to depict him visually or in ways that are not in accord with what he has revealed. We must study God's Word to make sure that we do not emphasize one attribute of God over others, thereby creating a false image of God (e.g., emphasizing God's love to the extent that his holiness is forgotten.
2 Peter 1:19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Acts 17:11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.


Reading between the lines...

What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior of the world? Some see Jesus swooping down to save “souls” out of the world to some other realm. The chosen are deposited on a life raft and can't wait to escape the “sinking ship”. But the Bible depicts Jesus as “earths” himself – he takes on our humanity forever. He takes our suffering onto himself; he takes our sins upon himself. He takes our curse upon himself, dying on the cross. Jesus does not ignore suffering, sin and curse and he doesn't somehow make it disappear. Instead he enters into it, owns it and puts it to death in his own body. The head of creation dives into the pit of our making and takes on the darkness in person. This is symbolized in the crown of thorns. Thorns are the emblem of the curse in the Bible. Adam was told that the ground would produce thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:18). Thorns are the opposite of the fruitfulness that the earth is intended for; they are opposite of the fruitfulness that God's people are intended for. Thorns are anti-life, anti-gospel and anti-creation. What does Jesus do? He dive headlong into the thorn bush, and enters into this fruitless, lifeless, painful world – he wears the crown of thorns with pride. He turns curses into crowns and a tree intended for death into the tree of life. It is a cosmic redemption. What ever thorns that we experience in life, Christ uses these to bring glory – we don't know how he will do it, but cannot doubt that he will do it. No matter how painful the thorns may be, we can trust in the one who makes them his crown.
Matthew 27:27-29 Then the governorʼs soldiers took Jesus into the governorʼs residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!”
Isaiah 5:5-7 Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got - disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got - cries for help!
Matthew 13:22 The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.
2 Cor. 12:7 The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.

We sometimes imagine a certain glory with martyrdom, but that demonstrates that we really don't know what we're talking about. Richard Wurmbrand gave a first person account of Communist persecution of the Romanian church. Often they would arrest a pastor and spread rumors that he was a sex offender and then release him to be killed by a mob. The pastors did not die a noble death but vilified as pedophiles. Wurmbrand points out that those who die for Jesus are often considered scum and not as dying for Jesus. But even in shame martyrs for Christ share a deep fellowship with their Lord – the shame of Jesus' death was a key element of his sufferings. Jesus was mocked and considered a blasphemer. He is not seen on an altar with those benefiting from his sacrifice bowing before him. Instead he is mocked mercilessly. They robe him, crown him and proclaim him king, while at the same time mocking him, spitting on him and punching him in the face. If Jesus was just a man this would be bad enough, if he was a king it would be treason, but what kind of God subjects himself to this? He doesn't simply die, he is tortured and spit on. Here is a God who cares nothing for appearances or earthly glory, nothing is beneath his dignity – there are no depths that he will not plumb to save us.
Mark 10:33-34 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”
Matthew 27:27-31 Then the governorʼs soldiers took Jesus into the governorʼs residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head. When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Scrivener tells a story of a person claiming that Jesus was a hypocrite, but could produce no reason for the claim. Yet it is almost the defining characteristic of humanity. We cover our faults and present ourselves as good people. Acturally, everyone is a hypocrite except Jesus. Jesus set the bar so high that he might have been prone to hypocrisy, but he in fact exceeded the standards he set. He said that you must love your enemies, that you must be perfect even as God is perfect. Yet Christ's enemies could find no charge that would stick. The clearest example of his integrity is seen in the hour of his death when he prayed for forgiveness for those who were killing him. The teacher who made the highest demands, love your enemies, obeys it in the most difficult circumstances. He is as good as his word, but his word is not a word of judgment – he cries for mercy on us hypocrites and those who kill him. The righteousness of Christ does not make him less sympathetic to sinners, but more – this is why he hangs on the cross. His death is not for the pious but for those who cause his death. And his prayer seems to be answered specifically – the next feast in which the crowd would have gathered was the feast of Pentecost. Two months later this crowd would have been back in Jerusalem and would have heard Peter's Pentecost sermon. Acts 2 records that 3000 people responded in belief – an amazing answer to Christ's prayer. 3000 people repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins – which traces back to the cross and this prayer – the Father forgives the people who killed his son. From the midst of suffering the wrath of God for us, he loves us and prayers for our forgiveness.
Matthew 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 23:32-34 Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. So when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they donʼt know what they are doing.”

We sometimes use the saying “giving up the ghost” as something comes gasps its last and comes to an end. In the Bible the phrase describes death. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are all said to have given up the ghost – they breathed their last breath. In Old English, breath, spirit and ghost were one word. We breath our last and our spirit returns to God. We are not in a “circle of life” - more of a semi-circle. Adam was told “dust you are and to dust you will return.” The life of the flesh only produces more flesh – we cannot generate spiritual life from our own resources – we are perishing. What does the son of God do when he sees his handiwork perishing. He comes to perish too – and he too “gives up the ghost.” But death could not hold Jesus, the author of life – he punches a hole through death and comes out the other side in the life of the Spirit. Giving up the ghost was not a defeat but and opened the for us to have his Spirit forever.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the lifeʼs breath returns to God who gave it.
John 19:30 When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus would have us believe that his death was a success – but nothing on Good Friday looked victorious. “It is finished” in Greek means it is covered, it is paid for! Since the giving of the promise in Genesis, God's plan for redemption has been in process and how on the cross comes to completion. The old order is finished and the new order – new birth for the world is raised up. On the 6th day Jesus declares that it is finished; on the Sabbath he rests; and on Sunday a whole new world begins.
John 19:28-30 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!” A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth. When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus offers resurrection and it's the last thing that we expect. Living on in immortal material life is the stuff of fairy tales. Jesus came to reverse the way of he world. On the first Easter the women came to the tomb to mark and ending, but instead were witnesses to a new beginning. Jesus puts the old order to death, and the new order with the promise of new life fulfilled. He is raised to life in the same body because he comes to fix this world – as his body is restored and glorified, this world will be restored and glorified. He completes his work on the sixth day, earns his Sabbath rest and on the first day of the week brings life and immortality.
Matthew 28:1-6 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying.
1 Cor. 15:14-19 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.

John set the bar high for proof of Jesus' resurrection – he doesn't believe the eye witness accounts of others and wants to see the nail marks and put his hand into the gash in Jesus' side. A week later the proof comes when he is confronted by Jesus and is given more than he bargained for. Jesus seems to be proud of his wounds and sees them as badges of honor and invites Thomas to inspect his wounds, and in seeing Jesus' wounds has his proof. He cries out “my Lord and my God” - it is personal for Thomas. Is it personal for us? Jesus says we are blessed when we believe without the the concrete proof that Thomas demanded. We can have a more “blessed” experience by trusting the eye witness proof in the Gospel document – the Scriptures are better than a “Thomas experience”! A miraculous experience may impress you today, but in the long run may cause more doubt than belief. It is better to trust the eye witness accounts. We should read our Bibles expectantly and see Jesus in the sacred story – and experience it as an appearance of Christ, responding in worship – exclaiming, “my Lord and my God!”
John 20:24-31 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.


at

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Lord's Day 34 - 2


Thoughts on Devotions – LD34 (Part 2)

Q. 92 What is God's law? Q. 93 How are these commandments divided? Q. 94 What does the Lord require in the first commandment? Q. 95 What is idolatry?

As Christians, we often think of the Commandments as something “to keep”, and that the first commandment is “to be good.” J. V. Fesko explains that “In the realm of God's covenant with Abraham and His gracious dealings with His people. God has already saved Israel from slavery in Egypt So the Law is not revealed to God's people as the means by which they should earn their redemption. Rather, the Law is revealed to show them how they can be conformed to the image of their loving, covenant Lord. We know that Israel was to be conformed to the image of her covenant Lord because God called Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:5-6). The Law was the tool to show Israel what it meant to be a holy nation as well as to reveal God's character and attributes. The Law was not revealed so that Israel could earn redemption. Rather, Israel was to continuously remember her redeemed state in her reflection upon the Law. That is evident from God's own instructions to Israel: And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying. What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: and the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharoah, and upon all his household, before our eyes.....


Monday: God created us to be worshipers. People who don't love and worship God still love and worship – even if they claim that they don't believe in God. There will always be something that they trust in or that becomes the center of their life, even if it is their own self and desires. We get signals from our culture too about what is important and worthwhile – there are many voices that would distract us from loving God above all else. This is the concern of the first commandment.
Deuteronomy 6:10-15 Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you - a land with large, fine cities you did not build, houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - and you eat your fill, be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery. You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. You must not go after other gods, those of the surrounding peoples, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God and his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land.

Tuesday: There are many wrong ideas about God, so many that it is difficult to find people who do know and worship God as he demands in his Word. Some believe that God is there to help us out when we need it, or that each person's idea of God is as good as the next. The Bible tells us that there is one true God and that we must reject all other notions of God. God has clearly revealed how we can come to him – there is only one Way to God.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.
Isaiah 45:21b-22 I have no peer, there is no God but me, a God who vindicates and delivers; there is none but me. Turn to me so you can be delivered, all you who live in the earthʼs remote regions! For I am God, and I have no peer.

Wednesday: Acknowledging God means that we trust him alone – not God and what I do, or God plus anything else. We should have the attitude that we can lose everything; as long as we have God we will be still be alright. We trust that God will provide for us. We need to patiently wait on him for his provision. We can be confident that God will provide what we need.
Psalm 37:2-7a For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants. Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the Lord! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him!
1 Peter 5:6-7 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

Thursday: Obeying the first commandment means loving God with all of our heart. Jesus said that loving God was the greatest commandment. Loving God above all else means that he is more important to us than anything else. It is similar to the love that a child has for his parent – there is respect, dependence, a fear to offend, and sincere love.
Mark 12:28-30 Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is: ʻListen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.ʼ
1 Peter 1:17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each oneʼs work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.
Isaiah 8:13 You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear.

Friday: Question 94 explains that the first commandment requires us to be ready to give up anything rather than go against the will of God. If we believe that God is in control of all things, our complaining (in the OT the Israelites often “grumbled”) is offensive to God. God orders all things for our good. We should desire to know and please God above all else. Jesus said that those who would follow him must be ready to give up everything if that is required.
Luke 14:25-33 Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesnʼt sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. They will say, ʻThis man began to build and was not able to finish!ʼ Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.
Philippians 3:7-8 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things - indeed, I regard them as dung! - that I may gain Christ,
Psalm 73:25-26 Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth. My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability.

Saturday: We probably don't know anyone who worships a physical idol – but anything we trust or serve other than God is an idol. Even imagining God as other than he has revealed himself to be, or worshiping him in a way that he has not revealed is a form of idolatry.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
1 John 5:20-21 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Reading between the lines...

Jesus drinks two cups, a cup of blessing and a cup of curse. He brings us the cup of blessing and life, while drinks the cup of curse and death. He drinks what we deserve and we receive what he deserves. Revelation speaks of drinking “the wine of Godʼs anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath” – this is why Jesus prays, that if possible, the cup may pass from him. The cross is not just a 3 hour inconvenience for the Son of God – it is entering in to the infinite abyss of sin and curse. All hell converged on the Son of God. Jesus sees that it is necessary and it is the Father's will – he steps forward to drink. People question why the cross was necessary, and in the garden Jesus asks the same questions; but his Abba, Father provides no other way. If we are to have the cup of blessing he must drink the cup of curse for us. Adam had failed in the first garden – but, here, Christ has triumphed.
Luke 22:41-44 He went away from them about a stoneʼs throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.” [ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And in his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.]
Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Psalm 75:8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices, and pours it out. Surely all the wicked of the earth will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”
Revelation 14:9-10a A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, that person will also drink of the wine of Godʼs anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath,

When we read the passage about Jesus struggle in the garden of Gethsemane we put ourselves in Jesus shoes – but in the story we are not Jesus, we are the disciples, sleeping, unable to pray for even one hour. Peter wants to pray, his spirit is willing, but his flesh is weak. We have the Spirit of Christ that wants to pray, but the flesh of Adam drags down to death and despair. We are constantly falling asleep on the watch – but Jesus prays for us. Here and in all of Scripture we are not the center, Christ is; we are not the faithful and obedient one, Christ is. Our hope is not our self-offering to God, it is Christ's self-offering to God. While we fail and sleep and deny him, Christ is praying for us.
Matthew 26:36:46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and became anguished and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, couldnʼt you stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” He came again and found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”

Judas was close to Christ and, as one of the disciples had seen and performed miraculous works in Jesus name; he was one of the chosen twelve. He was one of the chosen – hours before Jesus had washed his feet and fed him with symbols of his sacrificed body. Here he betrays Jesus with a kiss. Kiss and worship are linked in the Bible (e.g., the word for worship, and in Psalm 2). Judas, a representative of humanity, a chosen one betrays Jesus with a mocking symbol of worship. The best that humanity has to offer conspire to murder God. When it comes to salvation humanity only stands in the way of the Lord. Nothing in ourselves contributes to our salvation at all – Jesus does everything.
Psalm 55:12 Indeed, it is not an enemy who insults me, or else I could bear it; it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, or else I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like me, my close friend in whom I confided.
Luke 22:47-48 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared, and the man named Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Psalm 2:10-12 (ESV) Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

What would motivate Judas to betray Jesus? Judas loved money. Jesus taught about the allure of money and the danger of trusting in worldly riches and resources. Why 30 pieces of silver? That amount is mentioned in several places in the OT as the ransom for a person's life. Zechariah throws his shabby wages, 30 pieces of silver, to the Potter in the temple – it seems that God values the prophet when no one else seems to. Jesus is the servant of the Lord slain at the hands of the beast and 30 pieces of silver is the ransom price for many. Jesus is also like Zechariah the prophet – God values him even if no one else does. This teaches us to properly value Jesus, the servant of the Lord, the prophet of the Lord, the ransom payment that frees us from death.
Matthew 26:14-15 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me to betray him into your hands?” So they set out thirty silver coins for him.
John 12:6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)
Exodus 21:32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.
Zechariah 11:12-13 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages, but if not, forget it.” So they weighed out my payment - thirty pieces of silver. The Lord then said to me, “Throw to the potter that exorbitant sum at which they valued me!” So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the temple of the Lord.
1 Peter 1:18-19 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed - not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.

The myth of violence shapes our view of the world. Force must be met with force. Our cultural stories tell us of heroes who defeat evil strength to free us. But that is not Jesus' story. He has not come by force. His kingdom is not of this world – his servants do not fight for him, he fights for them – and he conquers by losing. He ends the cycle of violence by taking the blows and not retaliating. God overcomes strength with weakness and establishes a kingdom of servants, not fighters. We, his servants, are called to overcome not with force, but with love. Christ's kingdom spreads by faith, not by force; by sacrifice and not by superior strength.
John 18:33-36 So Pilate went back into the governorʼs residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

The Lucifer effect – something happens when an individual hides in the crowd. The crowd shouts that Jesus be crucified, even though they have no reason why. This is our sinful condition expressed in its clearest terms – we would rather have a murderer released than the Lord of life. Jesus literally dies in Barabbus' place. Christ dies not just because it is the will of the people, but it is his will – he wants to die to redeem devils like Barabbus and like us.
Luke 23:18-25 But they all shouted out together, “Take this man away! Release Barabbas for us!” (This was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.) Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept on shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty of no crime deserving death. I will therefore flog him and release him.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The trial of Jesus has everything backwards – the judge of the world is on trial, the righteous one is pronounced guilty. The governor seeks to abdicate governance and responsibility. Pilot is remembered for washing his hands, and for Jesus' death sentence – the Creed says that he “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.” The priests in the OT washed their hands before they offered the sacrifice. We see Jesus in control and offering himself as the sacrifice. None of us can wash our hands of the death of Jesus – but what Pilot did in history, we do in our hearts. Through our sin we all necessitate the death of Christ. Now when we confess our sins and stop trying to wash our hands, we realize his death is precisely what washes us.
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this manʼs blood. You take care of it yourselves!”
Exodus 30:18-20a “You are also to make a large bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You are to put it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it, and Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and their feet from it. When they enter the tent of meeting, they must wash with water so that they do not die.


at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)