“Follow Me”

Have you heard the call of God on your life?

How will you know or how do you know?

Matthew 4 and Matthew 9 contain three examples of people who were called directly by Jesus.  Let’s look at these passages and see what we can learn about God’s call.

Matthew 4:18 says:

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee…[i]

Here is what we know about the Sea of Galilee today: 

The Sea of Galilee is Israel’s largest freshwater lake.  The sea is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide, but only 150 feet deep, and it lies 650 feet below sea level.  The Sea of Galilee is currently surrounded by Israel from about the 3 o’clock position to the 12 o’clock position, and by the Golan Heights from 12 to 3.  It’s a primary source of drinking water for Israel as well as a popular area for recreation and tourism.  It is fed by the Jordan River, which then drains to the south and flows to the Dead Sea (aka: Salt Sea).  Lately, a lack of rain has threatened the water level in the Sea of Galilee and induced the proliferation of desalination units.  It’s also a significant site in the New Testament.[ii]

Jesus spent much of His three-year ministry on the shores and land surrounding this very lake.  In the days of Jesus, Galilee was also a source of food.  Peter and his brother Andrew owned their own boat, and made their living by fishing on the Sea of Galilee. (Luke 5:3 refers to Jesus sitting in a boat owned by Peter.)  James and John worked with their father, Zebedee, in the family fishing business.

At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River.  Then, immediately after being baptized, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested.  After His testing, Jesus began preaching, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)  He also chose disciples to be with him and so that He might send them out to preach.  (Mark 3:14)  His first disciples came from Galilee, where His ministry began.

Galilee was a normal place.  It was like your hometown or my hometown.  People lived, raised their families and died there.  God does not go to exotic places in search of exotic people.  He comes to normal places, places like where you are right now, and calls normal people.

Matthew 4:18 tells us:

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew--throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.

Jesus was on the shore of Galilee, and He saw two brothers.  This seems like a chance meeting, but it was not.  Speaking to the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1:5)  This was true of Peter and Andrew, the two brothers Jesus saw.  This is true of all of us.  Your meeting with Jesus was no accident.  Peter and Andrew were throwing their nets into the water.  Fishing is what they did for a living.  This was a normal day for them.  They were going about their everyday business.  Jesus interrupted their lives.  The call of God comes to us when we are going about the normal path of our lives.

Jesus’ call is to “Follow Me.”  He gives this call to all, but few listen and fewer heed.  The first thing we notice about Jesus’ call to follow is that it is an interruption.  For Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Matthew, who we are looking at today, Jesus’ call was an interruption.  They were busy.  They all had things to do and they all presumably had plans.  Jesus’ call is rarely convenient.  It is often uncomfortable and it always calls us to leave something behind.  For Paul, it was an interruption on the Road to Damascus.  He left behind His pursuit of righteousness through works.

Let’s consider Jesus’ call to Peter and Andrew.  Matthew 4:19-20 says:

¹⁹Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”  ²⁰And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Verse 18 just told us they made their living by fishing.  What did Jesus mean by “fish for people?”  Was this how they were going to make a living?  It sounds intriguing.  However, Jesus asked them to leave their regular employment and step out in faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says:

And it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

The call to follow is always a call to faith.  God may or may not call you to leave what you are doing, but He will always call you to trust Him.

Peter and James left their nets and followed Jesus.  Matthew 4:21-22 continues:

²¹A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets.  And he called them to come, too.  ²²They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

If the call to give up their livelihood was a call to faith for Peter and Andrew, the call to give up the family business was a call to loyalty for James and John. 

They were in the boat with their father.  Mark 1:20 says they left their father in the boat with the hired men.  They had a family business, and they left it.  This brings to mind Luke 14:26 which says:

"If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison--your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even your own life.  Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

Or, Matthew 10:37 which says:

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.

The call of God on our lives is a call to commitment of the deepest kind.  It has always been thus.  At the very outset, when God gave the Law, He said:

⁴“Listen, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.  ⁵And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

This is a call to a mutual commitment.  God has already given His one and only Son for you.  Jesus loves you so much He chose to die for you.  He loved us first.

Peter and Andrew show us faith.  James and John show us loyalty.  If we look at Matthew 9:9-13, we will see repentance.

⁹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth.  “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.  So Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.  ¹¹But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

¹²When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”  ¹³Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’  For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Notice that Matthew’s friends were disreputable sinners.  Notice that Jesus says that He did not come to call those who think they are righteous.

When Jesus calls us, He calls us first to change our minds, to view things from God’s point of view.

Matthew had a good thing going.  He apparently had a big house because he had many guests over.  He apparently had a staff, because certainly he did not prepare all that food himself.  He apparently had influence, because many disreputable sinners and tax collectors gathered at his table.  In addition to giving up the money, house and influence, Matthew had to change His mind about what was important.   He had to acknowledge that what he was doing was sin.

When asked if they think they will go to heaven, most people will say yes, and the reason given is they believe “I am a good person.”    Jesus’ statement is:

“For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

The message of John the Baptist and then the message of Jesus was:

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)

It is normal to believe what we are doing is right, and to insist on doing things the right way, which usually means my way.  However, the call of Jesus is to do things His way.

God’s call requires us to trust Him.  It requires faith. 

God’s call requires us to commit.  It requires loyalty.

God’s call requires us to change our minds.  It requires repentance.

Salvation is free.  Call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.  However, the call of God on your life and mine is all-encompassing.  Jesus calls us to follow Him.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] https://www.gotquestions.org/Sea-of-Galilee.html.  Accessed April 19, 2017.

He is Not Here

The night is darkest just before dawn.

What a picture of our world today.  Terror attacks happen around the world.  Politics and ideals divide us.  Threats of war concern us.  The world is dark.  For the world, it is Friday.  But, we know Sunday’s a comin.

On that morning so long ago, some women went to the tomb to find a body.  It was still dark, terribly dark.  It was dark in the garden.  It was dark in the world, and it was dark in their hearts.

But, the stone was rolled away.

Luke 24:1-7 tells the story like this:

¹But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ²They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. ³So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

⁵The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

The tomb was empty.  What glorious words!  “He is not here!  He is risen from the dead!”  The world was suddenly and gloriously no longer dark.  The darkness of their hearts – gone.  Their lack of hope – gone.  Their despair and sadness – gone.

If you are looking for a corpse, He is not here!  He is risen from the dead!

If you are looking for hope, if you are looking for light in a dark world, if you are looking for a Savior, rejoice, shout for joy because He is risen from the dead!

His Suffering

We all suffer to some degree at some time.  Not all suffering is the same. 

We all experience physical pain, some more than others.  Pain describes a toothache, a broken leg or a burn.  However, these certainly are not all the same, and some pain is much more debilitating than other pain.  Some people endure chronic pain that never goes away, and again there are varying degrees and types of chronic pain.

Pain and suffering cause many to question God, and some to reject the faith.  Many question, “How can a loving God allow suffering?”

Job and his friends tried to explain and understand Job’s suffering and ended up repenting before the wisdom of God.  Job said:

²“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.  ³You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’  It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.  ⁴You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!  I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’  ⁵I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.  ⁶I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”  (Job 42:2-6) [i]

We have a hard time understanding our own suffering.  So, how are we to understand the suffering of Jesus Christ our Savior?

Isaiah 53:10 tells us, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief…”  (ESV)[ii] 

We often speak about the suffering of Christ, and we remember His body that was broken for us.  Surely, He suffered greatly.  However, physically His suffering was such as is common to man.  He suffered willingly in my place for my sins.  Therefore, in that sense His physical suffering is different from all others.  However, I want to draw your attention to the last half of Isaiah 53:10.  The whole verse is:

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  (ESV)

The King James Version says, “…thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…”  The New Living Translation says, “…Yet when his life is made an offering for sin…”  The point here is that His soul, His person, His very life was the offering for our sins.  His physical suffering is nothing compared to the suffering He went through in His soul.  Luke 22:39-46 gives us an inkling, just a glimpse of the suffering of His soul.

Luke 22:39-46 says:

³⁹Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.  ⁴⁰There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

⁴¹He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”  ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.  ⁴⁴He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

⁴⁵At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.  ⁴⁶“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.  “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

This account takes place just after Jesus had celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples.  Judas had left that meal to go and betray Jesus to the high priests and Jewish leaders.  Although Jesus’ physical suffering had not started, this passage says, “…he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.”

This agony of spirit was more than anticipation of physical suffering.  Many of the martyrs faced physical torture and death with joy and songs.  Hugh Latimer was burned at the stake with Nicholas Ridley on October 16, 1555.  He is quoted as having said to Ridley:

Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.[iii]

I do not believe that Jesus would show less courage than His followers would in facing death.  However, I do believe that Jesus was facing a suffering like no one else has ever faced, not physical suffering, but an anguish of the soul.

No one else has borne the sins of the whole world.  The Bible tells us, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)  We cannot begin to understand the suffering this involved.  However, shame is one of the more painful emotions, comes as a result of sin, and is blamed by some as being the hidden root of most psychological problems.[iv]

There is another aspect of Jesus’ suffering that we will never fully understand- His broken relationship with the Father.

If a friend of a few days rejects us, we experience some level of pain, regret and/or anger.  If a friend of a few years rejects us, we experience a correspondingly greater level of pain, regret and anger.  If a parent or a spouse rejects us, we experience pain beyond almost any other pain in this life.  This pain is emotional and psychological, an anguish of the soul.

Now think about Jesus.  He said, “I and the Father are one.”  (John 10:30, ESV)  John 1:1-2 says, “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ²He was in the beginning with God.”  (ESV)

Jesus enjoyed an intimacy with the Father that goes beyond anything we know as humans.  The only comparison we have is the unity between a husband and wife.  What is more, this intimacy or oneness with the Father was from all eternity.  It was the breaking of an eternal oneness.  Therefore, the extent of anguish and suffering was correspondingly infinite.  Consider what Jesus cried out on the cross.  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46, ESV)  In these words, we see a glimpse of the suffering of Jesus that goes beyond anything you or I will ever suffer.

The suffering of hell is just this, being forsaken by God and condemned by Him.  Jesus took that punishment for us.

If you have never received Christ as your Savior, do so now.  Flee from the terrible suffering of those forever forsaken by God.  His invitation is for anyone who will come.  Jesus suffered our punishment for us.  Do not choose to pay for it yourself.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Latimer

[iv] http://www.bettertherapy.com/blog/shame/

The Gospel

He is risen!

These familiar words from Easter are used as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.  Jesus, who died and was buried, is alive.  He lives forever and is seated at the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for us.

This is GOOD NEWS!

Another word for good news is “Gospel,” and I want to look with you today at what exactly is contained in the Gospel.

In the two thousand years since that morning, errors, arguments and confusion have been added to the story of the resurrection.  Some still look for His bones, the remains of His body.  Some still spread the story that the disciples stole the body.  Others suggest that maybe He was not really dead when they put Him in the tomb.  The really radical fringe claims He was not a historical person.

These claims and confusion do not bother us.  We are the redeemed.  We know the Lord and His power in our lives.  However, ours is not a mindless, blind faith.  Historically, we know Jesus rose from the dead.  Historically, we know He lived and taught in Judea some two thousand years ago.

When conflict from within and without threatened to derail the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to help, correct and strengthen the Church.  That letter is 1 Corinthians.  Toward the end of the letter, Paul gives a synopsis of the Gospel.  In his brief summary, we have laid out for us what is essential to the Gospel.  In 1 Corinthians 15:1, Paul says: 

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before.  You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.[i]

Paul wished to remind his fellow believers of the Good News he preached to them.  They still stood firm in it, but the reminder was necessary.  It is also good for us to be reminded.  Celebrating Easter is a reminder.  We remind ourselves every year and will continue to do so until Jesus returns lest we forget the glorious Good News.

This Good News is essential, critical, necessary.  Here is what Paul says about it.

It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.  (1 Corinthians 15:2)

The Gospel is essential because it is by believing the Gospel that we are saved.  This is why Paul goes on to say what exactly is contained in the Gospel.  He says:

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me.  (1 Corinthians 15:3)

Notice here that he says, “I passed on to you what was most important…”  What follows is an outline of the truths that are essential to the Gospel.  As an outline, it does not contain all the details.  However, it does contain what is necessary.

What is necessary? 

First, Christ died for our sins.

Paul says, “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”  (1 Corinthians 15:3)

The details not included here are the content of what “the Scriptures said.” All the many prophecies of a coming Messiah and the promises of God to His people are included in the phrase, “just as the Scriptures said.”

The prophecies about Christ’s coming are a great source of encouragement, and are convincing evidence for the reasonableness of our faith.  Many have tried to number the prophecies concerning the Christ, also called the Messiah.

In his Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, J. Barton Payne itemized 127 Messianic predictions involving more than 3,000 Bible verses, with a remarkable 574 verses referring directly to a personal Messiah![ii]

1 Peter 1:10-11 speaks about these prophecies when it says:

¹⁰This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.  ¹¹They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

According to this passage, the prophets told about the sufferings of Christ in advance.  Isaiah 53 is a very good example of this, offering a picture of Christ’s sufferings written 700 years in advance.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament Levitical worship are a picture of the necessity of blood to pay for sins.  The fact of Christ’s sacrificial death in our place is an essential part of the Gospel.  Much truth and Scripture is brought to bear on this single essential point, “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”

The first truth necessary to the Gospel is that Christ died.  The second truth flows naturally from this first truth.

Paul states the second truth:

⁴He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

As in the case of His death, Paul states that the resurrection was “just as the Scriptures said.”  The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are essential to the Gospel.  Just as the Scriptures foretold His suffering, the Scriptures foretold His resurrection and the glories to follow.  Once again, Isaiah 53 is a very good example of this.  Verse 10 says:

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.

His life will be made an offering for sin, and then He will enjoy a long life.  The previous verse of Isaiah 53, verse 9, says that He would be put in a rich man’s grave, but in direct contradiction to that statement is the statement that He will enjoy a long life.  These statements assume the resurrection.  In addition, Psalm 16:10 said of the Messiah, “For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.”

The fact that the resurrection was “according to the Scriptures” ties the teachings of the Old Testament to the teachings of the New Testament.  However, without the resurrection, Christianity would have no meaning.  Paul strongly makes this point in 1 Corinthians 15.  In verses 14 and 15, he says:

¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.  ¹⁵And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave.

The truth that Jesus rose from the dead is central to our faith.  It is our foundation.

Because of the importance of the resurrection to our faith, Paul offers evidence. He says:

⁵He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.  ⁶After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.  ⁷Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.  ⁸Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.  ⁹For I am the least of all the apostles.  In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

Paul and the Apostles, except for John, all gave their lives in testimony to the fact of the resurrection.  They believed it to be true.  In addition, Paul was writing when other eyewitnesses were still alive, and he lays out the invitation for the serious sceptic to interview any of the more than 500 eyewitnesses.  Historically, more than enough evidence exists for us to know beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus rose from the dead.

The resurrection proved that Jesus was who He claimed to be.  John 19:7 says, “The Jewish leaders replied, ‘By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.’”  As a good answer to this, Romans 1:4 says, “…and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The resurrection also proved that Jesus accomplished what He promised.  Romans 5:9-10 says:

⁹And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  ¹⁰For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

To sum up what I have said so far, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ are what make up the Good News, the Gospel.  These are the essentials.

“So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”  (Romans 5:11)

Because of the resurrection, we know we have new life.  Because of the resurrection, we can rejoice.  We can celebrate.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/november-2006/the-promise-of-the-messiah

Temptation

We are all tempted.

Jesus, as a man, was tempted in all the ways we are tempted.  Hebrew 4:15 tells us:

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.[i]

As the God/Man, Jesus is able to be our faithful High Priest.  As the God/Man, Jesus is the mediator between God and man.  (1 Timothy 2:5)  Hebrews 2:17-18 tells us this about Jesus:

¹⁷Therefore, 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.  ¹⁸Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Jesus went through suffering and temptation so that He could identify with us who suffer and are tempted.  In addition, Jesus went through suffering and temptation so that He can help us when we suffer and are tempted.

Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us.  Romans 8:34 tells us:

Who then will condemn us?  No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

No one else can fulfill the role of High Priest and mediator between God and humanity.  No one else was or is both God and man united in one person.  This is why 1 Timothy 2:5 says:

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity--the man Christ Jesus.

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, He identified with us, and He received the testimony that He is God’s Son, who brings God great joy.  Matthew 4:1 tells us that then the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.  Matthew 4:1 says:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

The Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek.  The Greek word translated “by” in this verse is the word “ὑπὸ” (hupo).  “ὑπὸ” means “under”, but depending on context can by translated as “about” or “by”.  According to Strong’s, it is often used with the meaning "under authority" of someone working directly as a subordinate.”[ii]

Jesus was acting under the authority of the Holy Spirit as a subordinate.

This is how we should all live. 

Galatians 5:16 says:

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Walking or living with the Holy Spirit as our guide is expected of us as God’s children.  This is further borne out by Ephesians 4:30, which says:

And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live.  Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Jesus was living as a man, a human being, should live.  The Holy Spirit directed Jesus into the wilderness.  There in the wilderness Jesus fasted.  For forty days and forty nights, He was alone with God.  This is reminiscent of the forty days and forty nights that Moses was on the mountain alone with God.  When Moses spent those forty days and nights alone with God, he was transformed.  His face shone so brilliantly that people could not bear to look upon it.  However, when he came down off the mountain, he was faced with a rebellious and stiff-necked people that constantly pushed him to his limits.

We are not told about how Jesus’ forty days and nights affected Him.  However, we are told that He became hungry.  Here again, we face the humanity of Jesus.  Throughout the gospels we are reminded of His humanity, as he grew tired, slept, ate and walked with the disciples.  Although He was God, having emptied Himself, He was subject to normal human limitations.  It is clear that He was tested in every way we are.

This humanity leads into the first test or temptation.  Matthew 4:3-4 says:

³During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴But Jesus told him, “No!  The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

We are all tempted in the same way, because we are tempted to try to meet our own needs in our own way.  We are tempted to step out for “under” the Holy Spirit and do things our own way.

More than a thousand years prior to this, God tested the Israelites in the wilderness in relation to bread.  Deuteronomy 8:3 says:

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors.  He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Jesus used this exact passage to turn away the temptation.  Notice that it says that God humbled them by letting them go hungry, and He did this to teach them.  Here is a key concept in our relationship with God.  Deuteronomy 8:5 says it like this:

Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good.

Just before testing His Son in the wilderness, God had given testimony that “This is my dearly loved Son.”  (Matthew 3:17)  Just before putting Job through the worst testing ever, God had pointed out Job and said, “Have you noticed my servant Job?”  God allows us to be tested because He loves us.  Even Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered.  (Hebrews 5:8)

So, the first lesson in obedience that Jesus learned was to trust God no matter what the circumstances looked like.  No food, no problem. God will work it out if we are walking under (in obedience to) the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:5-7 records the second test.

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off!  For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.  And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” 

⁷Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”

If the first test was in relation to bodily needs, this second test was in relation to pride. 

Jesus called what the devil was suggesting “testing God”. 

There is one command of the Lord where He challenges us to put Him to the test and that is in relation to our giving.  Malachi 3:10 says:

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.  If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you.  I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in!  Try it!  Put me to the test!

Other than tithing, we are not to test God. 

An extreme example of testing God is snake handling as a worship practice.  Mark 16:18 says:

They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them.  They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.

This clearly has happened.  Acts 28 tells about when Paul was gathering wood for a fire, a deadly snake fastened itself to Paul’s hand.  Paul suffered no ill effects.  Missionaries and God’s people have told many incredible stories of God’s miraculous preservation and working in their lives. However, these were all in the normal working of their lives while they were walking under (in obedience to) the Holy Spirit.  This statement from Mark 16:18 does not apply to putting God to the test by purposely “proving” that one has the faith to put their hand in a box of snakes.

We are all tempted in this area because we know God loves us.  Surely, God wants us to be happy.  So, why shouldn’t we live together (outside of marriage)?  God will forgive us.  God’s love for us does not mean that we can sin with impunity.  Don’t let the devil appeal to your pride, pride in position, pride in family, pride in achievement.

If the second test is in the area of pride, the third is in the area of our worship.

Matthew 4:8-10 says:

⁸Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  ⁹“I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

¹⁰“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him.  “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the LORD your God

and serve only him.’”

Jesus’ response to this temptation was strong and immediate.  “Get out of here, Satan.”  The devil had stepped over the line.  He had suggested that something would take the place of God in Jesus’ heart.  The mere suggestion of such a thing brought an angry response from Jesus.  The kingdoms of the world, riches and power could never take the place of God in Jesus’ heart, and yet that is exactly what Satan was suggesting.

As humans, we are all tempted in this area.  Some want fame.  Some want fortune.  Some just want a good time.  However, whatever takes the place of God in our hearts is an unspeakable idolatry.

Jesus’ response is taken from Deuteronomy 6:13.  This is one of the most important passages in the Old Testament, because it is all based on Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which says:

⁴“Listen, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.  ⁵And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

According to Jesus, this is the first and greatest commandment. Nothing is more important, nothing.

We are all tempted in these three ways.  God allows us to be tested so that we learn obedience.  Remember, Jesus is greater than the devil.  He is always with you to help you.  He intercedes for you with the Father because He understands our weakness.  1 Corinthians 10:13 explains:

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

God has given us an example, a mediator, an intercessor and a High Priest to help us deal with temptation, and still we make excuses for ourselves and continue to give in to our favorite temptations.  What will it take for us to be free?

Repent.  Confess your sins to God and surrender to the control of the Holy Spirit.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] http://biblehub.com/greek/5259.htm

Baptism

Jesus is God’s Son.  

Born of a virgin, testified to by angels and prophets, Jesus showed both human and divine attributes from an early age.  One remarkable thing about Jesus as a human being is that He was without sin.

As a man without sin, Jesus shows us how to live.

If your purpose in life is to have fun, be rich, die without God and be lost for all eternity, Jesus may not be your example.  However, if you want to please God and live forever, Jesus is the only example for you.  Jesus is the way to eternal life.

One example Jesus set is baptism.

There is much confusion about baptism.  Because of its importance, the evil one has introduced controversy and confusion to the subject.  Whenever a subject is important, this is what the evil one does.

For example, the person of Jesus is of utmost importance.  Therefore, there is much confusion and controversy on the subject.  Jesus is God and man joined in one person forever.  This involves the idea of the Trinity and of the incarnation.  These teachings are so fundamental that if someone differs with the accepted teachings on these subjects, we do not consider them to be of the same faith and classify them as cults.  Examples of such cults would be Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

Baptism does not fall into the same category.  If someone differs from us on baptism, we do not consider them heretics or cults.  We do not necessarily break fellowship with anyone over differences of opinion about baptism.  However, we distinguish between questions of mode and questions of salvation. 

There are those that maintain that baptism is necessary to salvation and that if one is not baptized, he or she is not saved.  In addition, there are differences in opinion as to who can administer baptism and what the proper way to administer baptism is.  Errors in relation to salvation and the necessity of baptism to salvation are errors that we reject.  Baptism is not necessary to salvation.  Baptism is for the saved.  Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ.  The Bible is clear.  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”  However, having said this, we have no examples of believers who were not baptized apart from extreme cases such as the thief on the cross, where there was no opportunity for baptism to take place.  Why would a person with saving faith (faith unto salvation) not want to be baptized?

As far as mode is concerned, there are those who sprinkle, those who pour and those who immerse.  While I believe we can know what baptism means and how it should be done, I also believe that sincere followers of Jesus differ with me as to mode and even on the meaning of baptism, and they are still my brothers and sisters in Christ.

As God the Son, Jesus is our example, and He teaches us about baptism by His example.  He was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Matthew 3 gives the account of Jesus’ baptism.

John baptized Jesus, and in this account, we learn of the origins of Christian baptism.

The text says:

¹In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching.  His message was, ²“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  (Matthew 3:1-2)

John preached a message from God.  The text acknowledges this when it refers to the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming.’”  (Matthew 3:3)  The nature of John’s ministry as a prophet with a message from God is also emphasized by the report of the clothing he wore.  Matthew 3:4 says, “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.”  This is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah who dressed the same way.  In 2 Kings chapter one, the king of Israel identified the prophet Elijah by just such a description of his clothing. 

Jesus said of John:

¹¹Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.  ¹²But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him.  And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”  ¹³Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.  (Matthew 17:11-13)

Christian baptism was instituted by God through His prophet, John the Baptist.   John the Baptist came in the Spirit and power of the prophet Elijah to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming, and as part of his ministry instituted the practice of baptism.

Matthew tells us that John’s message was “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  (Matthew 3:2)  This message was connected with baptism in that as Matthew 3:6 says, “And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.”

John was making an appeal to people to be right with God, just as we make an appeal to people to be right with God.  (Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV)

Since his ministry centered on an appeal for people to get right with God, John strongly denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees who came out to be baptized.  His challenge to them was to prove by the way they lived that they had repented of their sins and turned to God.  The Pharisees and Sadducees put their confidence in the fact that they were descendants of Abraham, children of the promise.  Therefore, John directly confronted this mistaken confidence and called upon them to repent.  1 Peter 3:21 describes baptism as an “appeal to God for a good conscience.”  

Judaism had rituals for cleansing and also had pools for the purpose of ritual cleansing of the whole body.  Several biblical regulations specify that full immersion in water is required to regain ritual purity after ritually impure incidents have occurred.[i]  However, John was not just carrying on the Jewish tradition of cleansing.  He was teaching much more.

Josephus was a Jewish scholar and historian who lived from 37 AD to 100 AD.  Josephus was not a follower of Jesus, and therefore his understanding of John’s teaching and method are not necessarily biblical.  However, as an outsider and one from that time period, he lends perspective to what John was preaching and doing.  When speaking of the destruction of Herod’s army, Josephus says this about John:

     Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and was a very just punishment for what he did against John called the Baptist [the dipper].  For Herod had him killed, although he was a good man and had urged the Jews to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God, and having done so join together in washing.  For immersion in water, it was clear to him, could not be used for the forgiveness of sins, but as a sanctification of the body, and only if the soul was already thoroughly purified by right actions.  And when others massed about him, for they were very greatly moved by his words, Herod, who feared that such strong influence over the people might carry to a revolt -- for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise -- believed it much better to move now than later have it raise a rebellion and engage him in actions he would regret.[ii] (Antiquities 18.5.2 116-119)                                

We have in Josephus then an indication that John was teaching repentance, an appeal to God for a good conscience and a joining together.  (And also as an aside, support for the practice of immersion.)

John also indicates that his ministry was in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  He says:

¹¹“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”  (Matthew 3:11-12, ESV)

John’s preaching included the statement that the Kingdom of God was near.  This thought is expanded in this passage from Matthew.  The coming one would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.  John is warning people to get ready.  His words to the Pharisees and Sadducees were, “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath?”  (Matthew 3:7)  

Repentance and confession are necessary because of our sin.  The Scriptures clearly teach that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)  The Scriptures also clearly teach “…the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”  (Romans 1:18, ESV) 

John preached to prepare people for the approaching Kingdom of God, and the first thing people needed to deal with was their sin.

We preach to introduce people to the Kingdom of God, and the first thing people need to deal with is their sin.

Jesus had no sin.  Therefore, when Jesus approached John to be baptized, John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  (Matthew 3:14, ESV)  Jesus responded, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”  (Matthew 3:15, ESV)

While Jesus had no sin to repent of or confess, He still needed to be baptized as a measure of obedience.

If Jesus, who had no sin, needed to be baptized, how much more those of us who have sin?  John baptized people after they confessed their sins.  Baptism comes after we recognize that we are sinners.  Recognition that we are sinners is usually accompanied by the realization that because of our sin, we are subject to the wrath of God as mentioned earlier.  We realize that we need to flee the wrath of God and there is nowhere to go but to God.  Since Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead, we know something that John did not.  John knew that God would forgive our sins if we asked Him, but he did not know how God would pay for those sins.  We know that Jesus paid the price for our sins.  Therefore, for us there is an added picture to baptism.  Baptism pictures our joining with Christ as explained in Romans 6:3-4.

³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  ⁴We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  (ESV)

When we are baptized, we give outward evidence of a spiritual transaction that has already taken place.  We confirm with an outward sign what we have already decided in our hearts.

When Jesus took this step, the Father affirmed Jesus.  The Scriptures say:

…he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  (Matthew 3:16-17, ESV)

When we follow Jesus’ example and are baptized, the Holy Spirit also affirms us.  Not everyone’s experience is the same.  However, Romans 8:16 tells us that, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (ESV)  What better time for that affirmation to take place than at baptism?

I am going to be harsh, please forgive me.  I am sure you have good and legitimate reasons for not being baptized.  However, can we put those reasons aside?  Don’t tell me you believe if you have not been baptized.  If you believe, get baptized.  Jesus did, why don’t you?

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[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh

[ii] http://www.josephus.org/JohnTBaptist.htm#Purification