road2answers

Monday, April 11, 2016

Opposition

Acts 9:1-20

In the days and weeks immediately following the resurrection, the news of the resurrection and its meaning spread like wildfire. The Good News, the message of life, changed more people every day. Every day new followers joined what was called the Way. In other words, they believed in Jesus and became a part of His Body, the Church.

However, explosive growth and growing popularity also meant growing opposition and alarm among the religious leaders, starting with the High Priest.

The opposition was serious. A righteous and good man, Stephen, was killed. Stephen was stoned for His testimony for Christ, becoming the first person to give His life for the name of Jesus.

Stephen’s death was a turning point. From that day on, intense persecution broke out against the followers of the Way in Jerusalem. As a result, the Way, or Christianity, quickly spread throughout the region as those who believed in Jesus fled Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, there was a man who was particularly zealous in persecuting believers. His name was Saul. Acts 8:3 tells us, “But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.”

The opposition did not stop the spread of the message of life. It hastened the spread of the message of life. Therefore, the persecution intensified. Acts 9:1 tells us, “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.” We see the intensity of the opposition as Saul was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. Furthermore, this was not limited to Jerusalem, and it was not limited to Saul. Saul sought and received the High Priest’s endorsement or authorization to pursue the Lord’s followers to Damascus. This means he desired to travel 135 miles to pursue and imprison believers, and the High Priest approved.

This opposition to the message of life existed from the beginning. The High Priest that gave the letters to Saul was the same High Priest that was part of crucifying Jesus. Furthermore, this opposition has not let off or abated from that day to the present. Geographically, it has shifted to different parts of the globe. At the present, we do not face persecution here in the United States. However, our brothers and sisters in the Middle East are being slaughtered. Our brothers and sisters in North Korea are being imprisoned. Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted church says:

“According to The Pew Research Center, over 75% of the world's population lives in areas with severe religious restrictions (and many of these people are Christians). Also, according to the United States Department of State, Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ. (Open Doors, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/#where).”

Opposition to the message of life takes many forms. Persecution is not limited to imprisonment and death. There is economic persecution. Let’s face it, wherever God is at work there is opposition. It may be emotional, economic or physical. However, it is always spiritual.

We are talking about opposition, but we have not mentioned the opponent.

When Jesus confronted Saul, He said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) Jesus did not say, “Why are you opposing my message?” This is because the opposition was personal. The opposition was against a person, Jesus Christ. In the same way, the opponent is personal. It is not Saul. It is not the High Priest. Saul, himself, later wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) The Apostle Peter put it in these words, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Whenever God works in our lives, we will face opposition. We have a great enemy, our opponent, who is also God’s opponent. We are involved in a great war. We did not start it. It was happening before we were born. However, the war is already won.

Look at how easily Jesus won in Saul’s case. The Church’s greatest persecutor became her greatest evangelist. We do not even know him by the name Saul, but rather by his Greek name, Paul. His life was transformed by Jesus. In spite of all the opposition of the opponent, Saul was completely changed.

When Stephen died, the enemy did not win. We do not understand why God takes some home and leaves others here. However, we do know, “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)

When Saul met with Jesus on the road to Damascus, it was meant for Saul. The others who were with Saul heard the voice but they did not see anything. However, Saul, himself, fell to the ground. He was given basic instructions, but when Jesus left, Saul was blind. He had to be led by the hand the rest of the way to Damascus where he waited for 3 days. The others saw nothing and were not blinded.

We are told that Paul was praying while he waited. From what Jesus told Ananias, Saul also had a vision during these days of waiting.

God spoke to a man named Ananias, and told him to go and pray for Saul. Notice Ananias’ reaction. He said, “But Lord, I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” (Acts 9:13-14)

In spite of every human indication, Saul was God’s chosen instrument. In spite of all the opposition that the opponent had put in Saul’s heart, God had a plan. Listen to what God said to Ananias:

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16)

There are several things that we can learn about how God works to overcome the opposition in our lives.

First, He chooses us individually. Just as the meeting on the Damascus Road was meant for Saul, we all have moments and times meant just for us. In fact, God warns us, "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." (Hebrews 3:15) I am not aware of Jesus appearing to any other person on the road to Damascus. Each person’s experience is unique. You may not believe your experience is as dramatic as Saul’s, but remember who it is that is speaking to you. It is Jesus, the Creator, the God of the Universe. Instead of thinking about the drama, think about the significance of Who it is that is speaking and do not harden your heart.

The next thing we learn about how God works to overcome the opposition in our lives is He gives us new vision. Saul first lost his vision. Everything He thought he understood and saw in his world changed, both physically and spiritually. Physically he was blind, but he also understood his spiritual blindness. Up to the point he met Jesus, Saul thought he saw things spiritually. This is why he persecuted the followers of Jesus. He thought they were poisoning the true faith. He thought they were blaspheming heretics. This is essentially why believers are persecuted today, and it is essentially why we oppose the work of God in our lives. It is unbelief and it is spiritual blindness. Saul was spiritually blind and he became physically blind. God gave him new vision in both realms. God may not take away our physical vision, but He will certainly make us aware of our spiritual blindness. This is part of overcoming the opposition. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us:

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

The third thing we learn about how God works to overcome opposition in our lives is that He requires us to wait on Him.

For Saul, this meant praying and fasting for three days in Damascus. He was blind, and not having been blind before, he was helpless. All he could do was wait. He did not know what to do next, so he sought God. God then gave him a vision of Ananias coming and praying for him. So, he waited.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture says:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, KJV)

Waiting on the Lord is not necessarily inactivity, but sometimes it is. It just means trusting Him and obeying Him. Saul was told to wait, but he continued in prayer and seeking the Lord. Praying is more than just asking God for things to make our lives easier. It is more than letting God know what we want. I can hardly pray without my Bible open in front of me, because it is how I interact with God. The Psalms are rich with prayers and praises. The epistles are full of instruction and encouragement. The Gospels show me Jesus. The Bible is certainly part of waiting on the Lord, and so is obedience, doing what we are told. The one thing God requires of us is faith. He says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Also, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith.

The fourth thing we learn about how God works to overcome opposition in our lives is that he gives purpose and meaning.

For Saul, this meant that he would suffer for the name of Jesus. This might not seem thrilling to you and me, but Saul is the one who from jail wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) He is also the one who said:

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! (Philippians 3:10-11)

When God works to transform us, there is always opposition. The truth is the opponent is behind it, but rejoice because God has overcome the opponent. The opposition can be others or it can be our own reluctance to obey and believe. I want to close with the words of a song, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

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.

Friday, April 8, 2016

The Message of Life

Acts 5:12-42[i]

After the resurrection, Jesus met with the Apostles and His followers at different times and in different settings over a period of forty days. 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us that on one occasion He met with five hundred of his followers at one time. At the end of this forty day period Jesus ascended into heaven. In chapter 28:18-20, Matthew tells us that Jesus shared the following with His disciples:

¹⁸Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The early chapters of Acts tell us how Jesus’ disciples started to fulfill this mission.

For example, Acts 2 tells how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, filling them with the power of God. Immediately, the Apostles began boldly preaching that Jesus was the Messiah. Seven weeks earlier, the Apostles hid in a room with the doors locked, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, they became as bold as lions. What is more, their ministry was effective. The first day of preaching saw 3,000 people converted.

A side note here, 2.2 billion people call themselves Christian in the world today. If we go with 2000 years since the first days of the church, 2,000 years would be approximately 730,500 days. 2.2 billion divided by 730,500 days is roughly 3,011 Christians per day. This does not account for all the Christians who have died and gone to be with the Lord. Nor, does it account for those who say they are Christian but do not know Christ. I only point this out to say that the Holy Spirit is still active, still working and still bringing people to the knowledge of Christ.

Back to the Apostles, they continued daily in the temple speaking to the people about Jesus. This, of course, got the attention of those who had killed Jesus. Acts 4:2 tells us, “These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.”

Therefore, they took Peter and John before the Council and threatened them, warning them of the dire consequences of continuing to teach in Jesus name.

Then Peter, who had denied He even knew Jesus for fear of these men, said, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)

Acts chapter 5 finds the Apostles continuing in their ministry. Not only were they telling people about Jesus, they were also healing the sick. People were crowding to hear the message and to be freed of their afflictions.

The Lord still works the same way today. All over the world, Christians are crowding into churches, buildings, rooms and homes to hear the message and to praise the name of Jesus. Some face the prospect of terrible persecution, even death. Others just face the prospect of having to get the family out of bed and moving on their one day off. We do not line the streets with the mattresses of those who are sick. However, there are hospitals around the world ministering in the name of Christ.

We need to trust the Holy Spirit to both empower and lead our ministry. He has done this from the start and He will continue to do it until Jesus returns. This is part of Jesus’s promise to be with us until the end of the age.

The Apostles’ ministry raised the jealousy of the Sanhedrin. Acts 5:17 tells us, “The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.” These were the wrong people to make jealous. They had the Apostles arrested and thrown into jail.

There are those in our world who are imprisoned, tortured and even killed for their testimony. When Paul was imprisoned for telling people about Jesus he said, “I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.” (Ephesians 6:20)

There are many ways in which we are silenced. Here in the United States, we are not silenced by prison, but we are silenced by other pressures and attacks. Please notice with me that in the verse above, Paul says, “. . . as I should.” Peter and John had responded to the threats of the nation’s leaders with, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?” (Acts 4:19) It was Peter and John’s understanding that they were obligated to tell others what they had seen and heard. Pressures to silence us come in all forms and sizes. However, we must never forget that this is our job. We must tell others about Jesus.

Here we need to go back to the story in Acts 5. There is a key point that we must not miss or mistake. The message is the words of life.

The high priest and his officials put the Apostles in the public jail, but in the middle of the night, an angel of the Lord came and let the Apostles out of jail. Then the angel said, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” (Acts 5:20) This is a key point. The resistance was to this message.

The counsel convened in the morning and sent to the jail to have the Apostles brought before them. The jail was locked, but the Apostles were not there. Then it was reported to the council that the men they had put in prison were in the temple teaching. They immediately went and once again arrested the Apostles. What they accused the Apostles of is important. It is the key to our understanding. The high priest said, “Didn’t we tell you to never again teach in this man’s name?” (Acts 5:28)

Here is the conflict. The angel, speaking for God, said, “Give the people this message of life!” However, the human authorities said, “Never again teach in this man’s name.” This conflict is a battle. It is fought in our hearts and minds every time we have an opportunity to speak. It is fought in prisons and police stations around the world as human authorities still forbid believers to teach in His name.

There are huge issues facing us in our culture here in the United States. Should we talk about economics and taxation? Should we talk about protecting the unborn? Should we talk about marriage and what it is and is not? Should we talk about race and politics? Do not get me wrong, we should and do take positions on these issues. However, these are secondary issues. These issues are not as important as the message of life. The Apostles were willing to give their lives to spread this message, and all of them except John died for their testimony.

We see in Peter and the Apostles’ reply to the high priest the importance they placed on the message. Pay close attention because not only do they answer, they give a synopsis of what the message is. Peter said:

We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. ³¹Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. ³²We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him. (Acts 5:29-32)

Consider these words with me.

We must obey God. After the resurrection and in numerous places, our Lord told us to speak the message of life.

Peter sums up the message of life. Jesus was crucified. God raised Him from the dead. God put Jesus in the place of honor at His right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so that people would repent and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these truths and so is the Holy Spirit.

Has Jesus made a difference in your life?

Do you talk about it? You do not need to be a theologian or an apologist. You are the authority on your life. You know better than anybody else what Jesus has done for you. There is no need to talk about things you do not understand, because you are a living, breathing, walking, talking testimony to the power of God to transform lives. Whether your story is plain and simple or spectacular and dramatic, God brings into your life those who need to hear your story, your testimony.

The Jewish leaders were furious at Peter and the Apostles’ assertion that they would not stop talking, and decided to kill them. This is when the reasonable voice of Gamaliel won the day. He told them, “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” (Acts 5:38-39)

This is exactly what has happened. The thing that started after the resurrection when Jesus said, “All authority is given unto me,” is definitely from God. Those who have opposed the spread of the Gospel have found themselves fighting against God. However, those who give testimony to the message of life find themselves cooperating with God. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. He guides us, empowers us and brings fruit.

We are all under obligation to share the message of life, to tell what Jesus has done for us.

Is there anything stopping us from speaking the message of life?

[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.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Resurrection

John 20:1-18[i]

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark.

On the day Jesus was crucified, darkness is a good description of the feelings of Jesus’s followers. They spent the weekend with the knowledge that Jesus was dead.

Mary came looking for a corpse, a dead body. We are all familiar with the story, and it is easy to forget how hopeless these people were. They thought this one was the Savior of Israel. They argued among themselves who would sit on His right and who would sit on His left when He established His kingdom. Now they were going to a tomb to find a dead body.

Have you faced days like this? Maybe not days, maybe you have faced months or years like this. Perhaps you have faced a hopeless marriage, for years. Maybe you have hoped for change in the life of a loved one, for years. Maybe what you feared most in life has actually happened.

Jesus invites us to come. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

May I remind you, that it is darkest just before dawn? When darkness has overwhelmed us, we need hope. We need light. We need a resurrection.

Mary came to the tomb and found it empty. She ran and found Peter and John and said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:2)

She had no hope… yet. The only explanation that she found was the certainty that “They” (whoever they were) had taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb. He was still dead in her mind. She had seen Him die. The only place she had to turn to was the leaders of the Apostles, Peter and John.

Peter and John ran to the tomb and looked. Then they went home. The text tells us that John believed when he saw the grave clothes lying there, but this apparently did not help Mary. Mary stayed at the tomb. She stood there crying, weeping. How brokenhearted she was! She had been forgiven much, so she loved much. She, of all people, had put her hope in Jesus. Now, she was abandoned.

Luke 8:2 tells us that Jesus cast seven demons from Mary Magdalene, freeing her from horrible oppression. Luke records this and tells us that Mary had faithfully followed and supported Jesus throughout His itinerant ministry. After following Jesus for what could have been two years, He died leaving her without hope. She stood before the tomb weeping and lost.

God sent angels and they asked her, “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Why didn’t Peter and John see the angels? Mary needed help. God cared about Mary and saw that she needed help.

Do you ever feel like God does not care? Have you ever felt abandoned? Have you ever come to the point you just want to stand there and weep? God cares. What an example He gives us with Mary! He takes time to ask, “Why are you crying?”

Jesus taught us, “²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31, NIV)[ii]

God cares about you, the individual. He took time to notice Mary outside the tomb. She had run and told the leaders, Peter and John. However, God’s messengers spoke to her, not Peter and John. Maybe you feel like someone else is more important or more deserving, but Acts 10:34 says very clearly that “God shows no favoritism.”

To the question of “Why are you crying?” Mary answers, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him.” (John 20:13)

Her answer says nothing of the dashed hopes and pain of loss that she was experiencing. She was not lying, but how could she express all that was going on in her heart? In the tragedies and problems we face in life, the presenting problem is not the whole story. Only One truly knows. Psalm 139 tells us that He knows our thoughts before we speak them.

Knowing Mary’s broken heart and desperate need, Jesus appeared to her. He appeared to her before He appeared to any of the other disciples, and He gave her a message for the others. John 20:14-15 says:

¹⁴She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ¹⁵“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

Here, for a second time, Mary is asked, “Why are you crying?” Again, I think it is a demonstration of the fact that God cares. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (ESV)[iii] Jesus is able to sympathize with our weakness.

Jesus also probes deeper than the question, “Why are you crying?” He adds the question, “Who are you looking for?” This is at the heart of Mary’s grief. She was crying because of whom she had lost.

Mary did not recognize Jesus. Perhaps she was not looking at Him, because the text does say she turned toward Him when He said her name. Perhaps, because of her grief it did not register with her that this was Jesus.

When we lose hope and are lost, we often do not know where to turn for help, and we do not recognize help when we see it.

People without Christ are in darkness. They are without hope, and do not recognize even that they need help. People without Christ are different from Mary because they are not grieving their loss, but they come to my mind because they do not recognize the source of life.

It took Jesus saying her name for Mary to realize it was Jesus. Then she turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

Mary had found her answer. Like the sun rising on a brand new day, hope sprang up in her heart. The darkness was dispelled and in an instant grief was gone.

If you are in darkness or are facing dark days, look to Jesus and the resurrection.

You may not be able to see hope. You may not be able to see how Jesus can make a difference, but you need a resurrection, a resurrection of hope, a resurrection of light and of happiness.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Whatever way you are on, if it is not Jesus, it will not lead to life.

Jesus used an illustration to show how important it is to build our lives on the right foundation. It goes like this:

²⁴“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Mary had chosen the right foundation to build on. Jesus overcame death and the grave. The storm came in the form of a trial and a crucifixion, and Mary thought she had lost it all until the moment Jesus said her name.

2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

This reminds me of Mary before Jesus spoke her name. She was blind to the truth and the hope that was standing right beside her.

If the resurrection teaches us one thing it is that there is hope, hope in Jesus. If your life is in darkness, turn to Jesus for hope.

[iii] 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.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Lord has Need of It

Luke 19:28-40[i]

Jesus came to the final week of His ministry here on earth. John chapter one introduces Him with the words, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He lived and ministered among the Jewish people for 33 years. He spent His earthly life in Palestine. He walked the hills of Judea and the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He taught in synagogues and along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He wore sandals, slept on the ground and ate kosher.

At the beginning of His ministry Luke 4: 16-21 tells us:

¹⁶When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. ¹⁷The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

¹⁸“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, ¹⁹and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” ²⁰He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. ²¹Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

²²Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

This was the beginning of His ministry. For three years, He ministered in the power of the Spirit, preaching Good News to the poor. He proclaimed release for captives and freedom for the oppressed. He demonstrated the power of His message by healing the blind and causing the lame to walk. He healed lepers and fed huge crowds with small lunches.

Now, He was at the end of His earthly ministry. Luke 19:11 says, “The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.”

Pay special attention to the phrase, “to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.” The crowd was under the impression that the kingdom of God would begin right away. For three years, Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit, preaching the Good News and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand, but even His closest followers, the Apostles, had trouble grasping the significance of all that Jesus taught.

For example, when Jesus spoke clearly about the fact that He would be killed in Jerusalem, Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him saying, “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22, NLT)

Jesus, for His part, reprimanded Peter saying, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23, NLT)

Here is a lesson for us. We are always in danger of seeing things from a merely human point of view. Even Jesus said, “You are a dangerous trap to me,” pointing out that seeing things from a merely human point of view was a temptation even for Him. This is why the Psalmist in Psalm 1 speaks of meditating on the Word of God both day and night. How are we to see with eyes of faith? Romans 10:17 tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (ESV)[ii] Meditating on the Word of God is one step toward seeing with eyes of faith.

Jesus’s followers knew that the Kingdom of God was at hand. However, they did not understand the full extent of what this meant. The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus spoke clearly to His disciples about the events that were about to transpire, the crucifixion and the resurrection.

In Luke 19:12-27, Jesus tells a story to clarify what is about to happen. The story goes like this:

¹²He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. ¹³Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ ¹⁴But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’”

¹⁵“After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. ¹⁶The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’”

¹⁷“Well done!” the king exclaimed. “You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.”

¹⁸“The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’”

¹⁹“Well done!” the king said. “You will be governor over five cities.”

²⁰“But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. ²¹I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’”

²²“You wicked servant!” the king roared. “Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, ²³why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.”

²⁴“Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’”

²⁵“But, master,” they said, “he already has ten pounds!”

²⁶“Yes,” the king replied, “and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ²⁷And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.”

From this story, we understand:

1. Jesus is going away.

2. He is leaving servants in charge while he is gone.

3. He is coming back.

4. He is a king.

5. His own people do not want Him to be King.

6. He will punish those who do not want Him to be King.

After telling this story to make the upcoming events clear, Jesus sent two disciples ahead of Him to get a young donkey. He said, ³⁰“Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” (Luke 19:30-31, NLT)

Other translations say, “The Lord has need of it.” The donkey is a lowly, simple creature. It is not a symbol of strength or power. Rather, it is a symbol of simpler things, common things. Why would the Lord have need of such an animal?

First, He needed to fulfill prophecy. Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--riding on a donkey's colt.”

Second, He needed to make a statement or an announcement. He was the King they were looking for. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. He needed to make this clear to them one last time. His three-year ministry proclaimed the Kingdom of God is at hand. By riding a donkey and fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah, Jesus was making an announcement.

The crowd praised God, recognizing the significance of the announcement. They said, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” (Luke 19:38, NLT) They recognized He was the King. However, as Hosannas rang out, there were those who were not happy. Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” (Luke 19:39, NLT) These Pharisees correspond to those in the story who did not want the King to be their king.

Jesus replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40, NLT)

The Lord had need of the donkey to fulfill prophecy and to make an announcement. In the same way, it was necessary for the crowd to offer up praises. It was appropriate because of who Jesus was and is. It was necessary for the sake of all present so that they would know that the King was entering into His city.

These events and circumstances show God’s sovereignty. Old Testament prophets had foretold the timing hundreds of years before and Jesus fulfilled them down to the day. For example, Daniel 9:25 says, “Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler--the Anointed One--comes.” (Daniel 9:25, NLT) The timing of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem fits the timing suggested by the prophecy. Jesus also demonstrates His sovereignty in being able to tell His disciples in advance what would happen, where they would find the donkey and what would be said.

The events that followed this are instructive. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, He wept. He foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and said:

⁴²“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Jesus weeps because they did not accept their opportunity for salvation. He used the donkey. He accepted the praises of the crowd. But this was not enough for those whose hearts had been hardened by continually rejecting the truth over the three years of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus was giving them one last chance.

For us today, there are two more lessons we can take away from these events.

First, God is sovereign. We cannot see all the details but we can trust Him. If we own a donkey or are in a place where the Lord has need of us, I pray that we are willing to be used. Learn to pray for God’s will to be done.

Second, do not harden your heart to God’s continued pleadings. Jesus was not subtle with His announcement or His approach. There were those who accepted Him and followed, and there were those who decided it was best to crucify Him. Which side do you fall on?

[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.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Prodigal

Luke 15:11-32[i]

“We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” (Luke 15:32)

Who has Jesus come to save?

Is it the well that need a physician? Is it not the unrighteous that need a Savior?

Will you be good enough to get into heaven?

If your good works are put on a scale and balanced against your bad works, which one would weigh more?

How will we be judged anyway? Will our good works be weighed against our bad works?

Are you one of those who are hoping you are good enough to get into heaven?

Jesus uses the story of “The Prodigal Son” to teach us how the Father views His children who have gone astray. This story helps us understand the nature of our relationship with God the Father.

Luke 15 starts with this story.

¹Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. ²This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! (Luke 15:1-2)

The word translated “complain” here in this passage literally means to, “constantly, intensely murmur (grumble, complain).”[ii] The Pharisees and teachers of religious law were intensely murmuring and grumbling that Jesus would associate with such sinners. Jesus addressed this situation with the story of the Prodigal Son. This is what verse 11 is talking about when it says, “To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story.” The point he is illustrating is given twice, first in verse 7 and then in verse 10 of Luke 15. Verse 10 says, “There is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

The people gathered to hear Jesus represent two extremes.

First, there were tax collectors and what are called notorious sinners. Tax collectors were considered the worst sinners. They are representatives of the group summed up as notorious sinners. This group included prostitutes, homosexuals, drunkards and drug addicts. They are what we would consider bad people. Their presence made the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law uncomfortable.

Next, there were the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. These were the ones who were complaining. Pharisees were the strictest and purest sect of the Jews. They strove for perfection in keeping the Law of Moses. The teachers of religious law were their counterparts. These were the experts and authorities on what the Hebrew Scriptures said and taught. The Pharisees and teachers of religious law represented the extreme opposite of the tax collectors and notorious sinners. They are what we would consider good people.

In telling His story, Jesus built in both extremes.

The younger brother is like the tax collectors and notorious sinners. His behavior is shocking and unthinkable. Given the culture that surrounds the story, this young man’s behavior would have been unforgivable and beyond redemption. He represents those who the rest of the world would look at and say, “There is no hope for their salvation.” It is this kind of sinner that has no good works to put in a scale to balance against their evil deeds.

The older brother is like the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. He does everything right – until the end of the story. He keeps all the rules and plays the part of a good son. He represents those who the rest of the world looks at and thinks they are as close as one can get to being perfect. Surely, they have a mountain of good works to offset any evil deeds they might have.

Then, of course, there is the father. He represents our Father, God. Both of his sons have a broken relationship with the father during this story. The younger son rejects his father, claims his inheritance and leaves. Although the father was under no obligation to give in to such an outlandish request, he does. He gives the younger son his inheritance and lets him go.

This is how God is. He gives us the ability to choose. This is the reason for all the evil in the world today. It is because we all like sheep have gone astray and turned to our own way. (Isaiah 53:6) Even the best of us have some of the younger son in us. We have rebelled and chosen to go our own way rather than God’s. And, God in His grace lets us.

When the Father welcomes home the brother who had gone away, the older brother shows us his broken relationship with the Father. He refuses to celebrate the return of his brother. He refuses to go into the feast that his father has prepared. This is just like the Pharisees who were criticizing Jesus for teaching sinners. They refused to accept Jesus because he was opening the Kingdom of God to sinners. They murmured and grumbled intensely at such an action. How could such sinners be accepted?

We are all represented in the two extremes of the younger and the older brother. We all fall somewhere on the spectrum between these two extremes, the self-righteous or the outright sinner. The difference is that the outright sinner, like the tax collector, recognizes he or she has done wrong. The self-righteous does not. In our humanity, we look at the good and bad deeds of people and judge whether the person is good or bad. We hold a scale and try to determine the uprightness or evilness of a person.

However, Jesus paints a different picture with this story.

The father in Jesus’s story is not weighing good deeds against bad deeds. He is a father who loves his sons. When the younger son comes to his senses and decides to come home, the father runs to meet him. This father’s behavior is almost as unthinkable as the son’s. This son has disgraced the family, insulted the father and wasted the father’s money. The father does not mention any of this. What is more, the father runs, which for an elderly patriarch was unthinkable and undignified. He runs to his son, embraces him and kisses him.

The father calls for a celebration and spares no expense in the preparations. There is no mention of the son having to pay back what he wasted, make up for the wrong he has done or earn his way back into the family. With great compassion, the father welcomes his son home.

Meanwhile, the older son is out in the fields working. When he comes home for the evening, he hears the sounds of celebration and asks one of the servants what is going on. The servant tells him that his brother is back and that they are celebrating. The older son is angry and refuses to go in. Again, the father does the unthinkable, goes out and pleads with his son to come in.

This son is angry. He is angry that his wayward brother should be celebrated, when he, the good one, was not being celebrated. His complaint about never being offered a young goat for a feast is petty. It is the kind of self-centered reasoning that comes up when we consider ourselves better than someone else. The older son has been stacking his good works up in a scale and he is way out in front of his younger brother when it comes to good works.

The father’s answer shows us where God’s heart is in all of this. The father says, “We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!” (Luke 15:32)

We see two things about God in the close of this story. First, in pleading with the older brother, Jesus illustrates God’s attitude toward those who think they are better than everybody else. He pleads with them to come in and celebrate the salvation of the lost. Second, in accepting the younger son, Jesus illustrates the Father’s provision of salvation no matter what the cost.

There are no scales. None of us is good enough to be admitted into heaven by our own righteousness. Instead, “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)