Hebrews 4:10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Where did the U.S Holiday Labor day begin?
According to reliable sources, the holiday we know as "Labor Day" occured on September 5, 1882. The reason why this day was commemorated was to note the economic and beneficial contributions of all workers in all areas of life. On this day, people enjoy the fruits of those labors - picnics, BBQ's and relaxation.
What is the Christian's labor day, and when?
However the Bible details for us how everyday for the Christian is a labor day. How? In the passage above, the fundamental thought of the Christian walk is presented - Rest. When by God's grace I enter in relationship with Christ through faith, I cease relying upon my own efforts to achieve favor with God - and choose to fully rely upon the labor that Christ did on my behalf through His cross and resurrection.
What the Bible means by "rest"
Now the writer here takes us back to the open chapters of Genesis, where God "rested" from His creative work. When the Bible says God rested, that does not mean God was tired. That phrase "rested" means God took His seat upon His throne, and that the reign of God was established over all He made. Everything was at peace, in harmony. If anything, God went from creating to that of conserving, preserving His creation.
Thus for the Christian, when the choice is made everyday to enjoy the rest of God, that means that there is delight over the reign of God in your life. A Christian who aims to rest in Christ everyday will be marked by harmony in their heart because of the assurance of God preserving their salvation. (please compare Philippians 1:6) To rest in what Christ has labored for does not mean I do nothing, rather it means enjoying, delighting and drawing nourishment from Christ by means of scripture and prayer.
As you enjoy labor day, remember this...
You can always tell when labor day is occuring in your neighborhood: the smell of cooked food, the parades, families gathering together and the simple pleasure of enjoyment of the fruits of hard work. As a Christian, your life and mine ought to be characterized by the sweet aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14), the clear demonstration of His glory (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) and a peaceful heart that has found its rest in His labor (Philippians 3:8-9).
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Monday, September 5, 2011
Glory of the New Testament - Christian Life and New Covenant
What is the aim of missions? Missions aims not at just making converts, but making disciples. A disciple was not only someone who believed what His Master - The Rabbi - Taught, but also aimed to be like the Rabbi. The Disciple aims to be like the Rabbi - His Lord - in order to model the life of the Master before others, who then too will want to speak, act and know like the Rabbi. This is where we come to our next theme: The Christian life.
THEME SEVEN: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
One of my favorite texts in the New Testament is 2 Peter 1:4-11. The Christian life is about escaping the corruption of this world, partaking of the life of God and then living the faith life. We live by growing onward and upward in Christ. The Christian life is summarized excellently by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Paul in this text gives the purpose for trials, the inward working of the Holy Spirit, the goal of His work and the command not to lose heart.
So then how is the Christian life made possible? This is where we come to the next theme...
THEME EIGHT: NEW COVENANT
The New testament's backbone is the gospel, its skeletal structure - missions, and its heart - The new Covenant. The New Covenant is spoken of in the Old Testament by Jeremiah and Ezekiel as they predict what will be the future work of restoring the nation of Israel at Christ's return. As much as those passages point to that yet future reality, the New Testament also speaks of the New Covenant's blessings having their inauguration in the church.
New Testament texts such as 1 Corinthians 11, 2 Corinthians 5:15-21 and Hebrews 9 reaffirm the New Covenant reality operating in the church. Think of the following phrases as defining New Covenant - or New Testament Christianity: Onward and Upward; Inward and outward; Going and telling. The first phrase refers to our progression in spiritual growth, the second speaks of the Spirit's work inside working to affect our outside and the third details our role in missions.
This New Covenant reality is made possible by the ministry of Jesus Christ and is brought to life by the Holy Spirit. Truly it is this theme which prepares us for the last two themes in our study of the Glorious New Testament - Second coming and Eternity, which we will look at in tomorrow's blog. May the Lord richly bless you dear reader.
THEME SEVEN: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
One of my favorite texts in the New Testament is 2 Peter 1:4-11. The Christian life is about escaping the corruption of this world, partaking of the life of God and then living the faith life. We live by growing onward and upward in Christ. The Christian life is summarized excellently by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Paul in this text gives the purpose for trials, the inward working of the Holy Spirit, the goal of His work and the command not to lose heart.
So then how is the Christian life made possible? This is where we come to the next theme...
THEME EIGHT: NEW COVENANT
The New testament's backbone is the gospel, its skeletal structure - missions, and its heart - The new Covenant. The New Covenant is spoken of in the Old Testament by Jeremiah and Ezekiel as they predict what will be the future work of restoring the nation of Israel at Christ's return. As much as those passages point to that yet future reality, the New Testament also speaks of the New Covenant's blessings having their inauguration in the church.
New Testament texts such as 1 Corinthians 11, 2 Corinthians 5:15-21 and Hebrews 9 reaffirm the New Covenant reality operating in the church. Think of the following phrases as defining New Covenant - or New Testament Christianity: Onward and Upward; Inward and outward; Going and telling. The first phrase refers to our progression in spiritual growth, the second speaks of the Spirit's work inside working to affect our outside and the third details our role in missions.
This New Covenant reality is made possible by the ministry of Jesus Christ and is brought to life by the Holy Spirit. Truly it is this theme which prepares us for the last two themes in our study of the Glorious New Testament - Second coming and Eternity, which we will look at in tomorrow's blog. May the Lord richly bless you dear reader.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Glory of the New Testament - Missions
Over the past few days we have been exploring the glory of the New Testament. Let me remind the reader of the main themes we have discovered so far: Incarnation, humiliation, Gospel, exaltation and Pentecost. As the first five themes centered around the results flowing from the Person and work of God the Son, today's theme - Missions, is made possible by the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.
THEME SIX: MISSIONS
The Strategy of Missions
The book of Acts provides information on several fronts when it comes to describing this theme of missions. First, it details the missionary expansion of the early church as it spread of Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria and then unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). In fact Acts itself can be divided along this missionary strategy - giving us a Divinely ordained plotline:
Acts 1-8 Jerusalem
Acts 9-12 Judea/Samria
Acts 13-28 Uttermost Parts of the Earth
When we flip that plotline on its side, we see the principle missionaries used by the Holy Spirit:
Acts 1-8 Peter
Acts 9-12 Peter, Paul and Others
Acts 13-28 Paul
The Person and work of the Spirit in Missions
The Book of Acts also reveals the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Himself. It shows how He convicted and called people to repentance and faith, as well as filled and lead the early church to walk out the Christian faith in life and witness.
The Missionary Background for the remainder of the New Testament
Acts also provides the historical and missionary background for the remaining New Testament epistles or letters written by the Apostles. From Acts we discover for instance that Paul had four missionary journeys and imprisonments that was used by the Holy Spirit to prompt Him in the writing of His letters.
Missions is found in every New Testament book
Undeniably the theme of missions is found in all 27 New Testament book: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16; Lk 24; John 20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5; Galatians 1; Ephesians 3; Philippians 2:15; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Timothy 3; Titus 2:11-15; Philemon; Hebrews 13; James 2; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Peter 1; Jude 1-3 and Revelation 4-5.
May you and I dear reader be so moved by God's great heart for missions as we focus on the glory of the New Testament.
THEME SIX: MISSIONS
The Strategy of Missions
The book of Acts provides information on several fronts when it comes to describing this theme of missions. First, it details the missionary expansion of the early church as it spread of Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria and then unto the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). In fact Acts itself can be divided along this missionary strategy - giving us a Divinely ordained plotline:
Acts 1-8 Jerusalem
Acts 9-12 Judea/Samria
Acts 13-28 Uttermost Parts of the Earth
When we flip that plotline on its side, we see the principle missionaries used by the Holy Spirit:
Acts 1-8 Peter
Acts 9-12 Peter, Paul and Others
Acts 13-28 Paul
The Person and work of the Spirit in Missions
The Book of Acts also reveals the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Himself. It shows how He convicted and called people to repentance and faith, as well as filled and lead the early church to walk out the Christian faith in life and witness.
The Missionary Background for the remainder of the New Testament
Acts also provides the historical and missionary background for the remaining New Testament epistles or letters written by the Apostles. From Acts we discover for instance that Paul had four missionary journeys and imprisonments that was used by the Holy Spirit to prompt Him in the writing of His letters.
Missions is found in every New Testament book
Undeniably the theme of missions is found in all 27 New Testament book: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16; Lk 24; John 20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5; Galatians 1; Ephesians 3; Philippians 2:15; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Timothy 3; Titus 2:11-15; Philemon; Hebrews 13; James 2; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Peter 1; Jude 1-3 and Revelation 4-5.
May you and I dear reader be so moved by God's great heart for missions as we focus on the glory of the New Testament.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Glory of the New Testament: Exaltation and Pentecost
We continue in our series on "The Glory of the New Testament" by exploring in today's blogs the themes of "Exaltation" and "Pentecost".
THEME FOUR: EXALTATION
With Christ's resurrection from the dead, we see vindication of His life and death and identity. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:11 "seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." From Christ's resurrection we see the beginning of these "glories" - that is, His exaltation.
Acts 1:1-10 records Christ's ascension. For a 40 day period Christ made a series of appearances to his disciples. In his final conversation with them, he suddenly defies gravity and disappears into the clouds. Christ's ascension not only decribes his going up into the air, but also His being seated at the right hand of God the Father. Passages such as Ephesians 2:6-10, Ephesians 4:9-15; Philippians 2:8-11 and Colossians 1:16-17 list the activites that the now exalted Christ is performing in Heaven on behalf of His church.
THEME FIVE: PENTECOST
As a result of Christ's exaltation, the Promised Holy Spirit comes. Acts 2 occurs 50 days following Christ's resurrection, with ten days lying between Christ's ascension and the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. During this time the Jewish people celebrated the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. In their calendars, they used Pentecost as a harvest time feast and also as the time to mark the giving of God's Law and the birth of Israel as a nation.
In Exodus 32:28, we see record of what took place when God had revealed His Law. As Moses was upon Mount Sinai, the Israelites began to worship a golden calf. As a result of that event God struck them with a plague - and 3,000 people died that day. Remarkable parallels are found between the giving of the Law and the coming of the Spirit - one of which being that on the day of the Spirit's coming in Acts 2, Three-Thousand people ended up becoming converted to Jesus! Other parallels are worth noting:
1. The Giving of the Law occured 50 days following the Jews first Passover, their delivery out of Egypt, which is a picture of the cross and salvation; Pentecost occured 50 days after Christ's death during the Passover.
2. The Spirit at Sinai began to reveal the law, the Written Word, to Israel; In Acts 2 on Pentecost, The Spirit comes to validate and verify the work and identity of the exalted Jesus, the Living Word to His church
The Pentecost theme explains how the Spirit's coming validated everything Christ is and did in His incarnation, humiliation, Gospel accomplishment and exaltation. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the Post-Pentecost Jesus working in and through His church.
THEME FOUR: EXALTATION
With Christ's resurrection from the dead, we see vindication of His life and death and identity. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:11 "seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." From Christ's resurrection we see the beginning of these "glories" - that is, His exaltation.
Acts 1:1-10 records Christ's ascension. For a 40 day period Christ made a series of appearances to his disciples. In his final conversation with them, he suddenly defies gravity and disappears into the clouds. Christ's ascension not only decribes his going up into the air, but also His being seated at the right hand of God the Father. Passages such as Ephesians 2:6-10, Ephesians 4:9-15; Philippians 2:8-11 and Colossians 1:16-17 list the activites that the now exalted Christ is performing in Heaven on behalf of His church.
THEME FIVE: PENTECOST
As a result of Christ's exaltation, the Promised Holy Spirit comes. Acts 2 occurs 50 days following Christ's resurrection, with ten days lying between Christ's ascension and the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. During this time the Jewish people celebrated the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. In their calendars, they used Pentecost as a harvest time feast and also as the time to mark the giving of God's Law and the birth of Israel as a nation.
In Exodus 32:28, we see record of what took place when God had revealed His Law. As Moses was upon Mount Sinai, the Israelites began to worship a golden calf. As a result of that event God struck them with a plague - and 3,000 people died that day. Remarkable parallels are found between the giving of the Law and the coming of the Spirit - one of which being that on the day of the Spirit's coming in Acts 2, Three-Thousand people ended up becoming converted to Jesus! Other parallels are worth noting:
1. The Giving of the Law occured 50 days following the Jews first Passover, their delivery out of Egypt, which is a picture of the cross and salvation; Pentecost occured 50 days after Christ's death during the Passover.
2. The Spirit at Sinai began to reveal the law, the Written Word, to Israel; In Acts 2 on Pentecost, The Spirit comes to validate and verify the work and identity of the exalted Jesus, the Living Word to His church
The Pentecost theme explains how the Spirit's coming validated everything Christ is and did in His incarnation, humiliation, Gospel accomplishment and exaltation. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the Post-Pentecost Jesus working in and through His church.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Glory of the New Testament - Humiliation and Gospel
Yesterday we began to explore the Glory of the New Testament, noting ten major themes and then focusing upon the first one: Christ's incarnation. Today we want to explore two more themes: Humiliation and The Gospel.
THEME TWO: HUMILIATION
Philippians 2:8 states: "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." From the moment Christ incarnated Himself as a man, the humiliation had begun. Why was what Christ did humiliation? Because He had chosen to lay aside the benefits that come with being fully God (while still remaining God, mind you) in order to take upon Himself full humanity. Philippians 2:5-11, along with Hebrews 2, details this theme of humiliation. We see humiliation lived out by Christ in the four Gospels. If we were to take the word: "HUMBLE", we could take the six letters of that word and unfold what scripture speaks of in terms of God the Son's Humiliation:
H inders usage of Deity, without ceasing to be God
U ndergoes a virgin birth
M ade lower than the angels
B ecomes obscure by looking like an ordinary man
L ives and ministers amidst increasing opposition
E nds up at the cross
Christ's humiliation stretches from the moment of His virgin birth right up to the time of His entry into the Garden of Gethsemane. The humiliation goes then into the deepest level - His passion - where He would then willingly lay down His life on the cross. He had to live a perfect life in active obedience to the Law of God in order to qualify as the sinner's Savior.
THEME THREE: THE GOSPEL
Event and Experience
What is the Gospel? John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 detail both how one experiences salvation and the event of salvation. It is in the Gospel theme that we see Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The event of redemption must become an experience through God's Grace calling the sinner to become convinced of their failure to please God, and Christ alone being their remedy, so they in turn can trust in Him by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 states - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Bad news then Good News
The Gospel begins with bad news and ends with good news. The Law of God, the Ten Commandments, tells me I'm at war with God and dead in sin. (please compare Epehsians 2:1-4) The Good News of the Gospel is that by grace, through faith, God convinces me, by His grace of my need for Him. He then raises my dead human spirit to life so that I can freely choose Him as my Savior, Lord and Treasure. (Please compare John 1:12-13; James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:3-4).
It is this message which comprises the backbone of not only the New Testament - but also the entire Bible.
THEME TWO: HUMILIATION
Philippians 2:8 states: "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." From the moment Christ incarnated Himself as a man, the humiliation had begun. Why was what Christ did humiliation? Because He had chosen to lay aside the benefits that come with being fully God (while still remaining God, mind you) in order to take upon Himself full humanity. Philippians 2:5-11, along with Hebrews 2, details this theme of humiliation. We see humiliation lived out by Christ in the four Gospels. If we were to take the word: "HUMBLE", we could take the six letters of that word and unfold what scripture speaks of in terms of God the Son's Humiliation:
H inders usage of Deity, without ceasing to be God
U ndergoes a virgin birth
M ade lower than the angels
B ecomes obscure by looking like an ordinary man
L ives and ministers amidst increasing opposition
E nds up at the cross
Christ's humiliation stretches from the moment of His virgin birth right up to the time of His entry into the Garden of Gethsemane. The humiliation goes then into the deepest level - His passion - where He would then willingly lay down His life on the cross. He had to live a perfect life in active obedience to the Law of God in order to qualify as the sinner's Savior.
THEME THREE: THE GOSPEL
Event and Experience
What is the Gospel? John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 detail both how one experiences salvation and the event of salvation. It is in the Gospel theme that we see Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The event of redemption must become an experience through God's Grace calling the sinner to become convinced of their failure to please God, and Christ alone being their remedy, so they in turn can trust in Him by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 states - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Bad news then Good News
The Gospel begins with bad news and ends with good news. The Law of God, the Ten Commandments, tells me I'm at war with God and dead in sin. (please compare Epehsians 2:1-4) The Good News of the Gospel is that by grace, through faith, God convinces me, by His grace of my need for Him. He then raises my dead human spirit to life so that I can freely choose Him as my Savior, Lord and Treasure. (Please compare John 1:12-13; James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:3-4).
It is this message which comprises the backbone of not only the New Testament - but also the entire Bible.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Glory of the New Testament
Galatians 4:4 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.
Think of all the events and places God orchestrated in bringing about the fulness of time in which the Son of God would enter into history. When Christ came, history would forever be split down the middle - things that happened before and after Christ. What the New Testament records for us is the powerful accomplishment of God in Christ for the salvation of His people and the exaltation of His glory. Over the course of the next few blogs I want us to get a grasp on the Glory of the New Testament. To do this we will be exploring ten themes that emerge from studying all 27 books of this incredible portion of the Bible. I will list them all for you today, and then explore the first theme as we aim to see the Glory of the New Testament.
Ten Themes for Understanding the New Testament
1. Incarnation 2. Humiliation 3. Gospel 4. Exaltation
5. Pentecost 6. Missions 7. Christian Life 8. New Covenant
9. Second Coming 10. Eternity
Theme One: INCARNATION
What is meant by the term "incarnation"? This word comes from two Latin words: en meaning "in" and carnos meaning "flesh". So when we speak of Christ's incarnation, we're referring to the events that led to God the Son entering from eternity into history to take upon himself humanity.
As Christ was entering from eternity into time He spoke these words in Hebrews 10:5 "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME." With Christ coming into time he entered into history through the virgin birth. When the angel comes to Mary to tell her the news of being the one chosen to bear the Son's human nature, she states in
Luke 1:34-35 - "Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God."
Jesus' virgin birth, incarnation, is a central doctrine of the Christian faith. It fulfills the prophecy about the Messiah being virgin born (Isaiah 7:14) and it insures that Christ would not have the sin nature inherited from Adam, which comes down through a father's bloodline. (please compare 1 Peter 1:18) As both the fulfillment of prophecy and the perfect, sinless Savior, Jesus Christ would begin his humanity in this world with a three-fold aim - to do his Father's will in paying the price for salvation with His life, to bring glory to His Father by His resurrection from the dead and to destroy the works of the devil.
In tomorrow's blog we will continue exploring these themes of the Glory of the New Testament
Think of all the events and places God orchestrated in bringing about the fulness of time in which the Son of God would enter into history. When Christ came, history would forever be split down the middle - things that happened before and after Christ. What the New Testament records for us is the powerful accomplishment of God in Christ for the salvation of His people and the exaltation of His glory. Over the course of the next few blogs I want us to get a grasp on the Glory of the New Testament. To do this we will be exploring ten themes that emerge from studying all 27 books of this incredible portion of the Bible. I will list them all for you today, and then explore the first theme as we aim to see the Glory of the New Testament.
Ten Themes for Understanding the New Testament
1. Incarnation 2. Humiliation 3. Gospel 4. Exaltation
5. Pentecost 6. Missions 7. Christian Life 8. New Covenant
9. Second Coming 10. Eternity
Theme One: INCARNATION
What is meant by the term "incarnation"? This word comes from two Latin words: en meaning "in" and carnos meaning "flesh". So when we speak of Christ's incarnation, we're referring to the events that led to God the Son entering from eternity into history to take upon himself humanity.
As Christ was entering from eternity into time He spoke these words in Hebrews 10:5 "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME." With Christ coming into time he entered into history through the virgin birth. When the angel comes to Mary to tell her the news of being the one chosen to bear the Son's human nature, she states in
Luke 1:34-35 - "Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God."
Jesus' virgin birth, incarnation, is a central doctrine of the Christian faith. It fulfills the prophecy about the Messiah being virgin born (Isaiah 7:14) and it insures that Christ would not have the sin nature inherited from Adam, which comes down through a father's bloodline. (please compare 1 Peter 1:18) As both the fulfillment of prophecy and the perfect, sinless Savior, Jesus Christ would begin his humanity in this world with a three-fold aim - to do his Father's will in paying the price for salvation with His life, to bring glory to His Father by His resurrection from the dead and to destroy the works of the devil.
In tomorrow's blog we will continue exploring these themes of the Glory of the New Testament
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
How God prepared for Jesus' Arrival - P2
In yesterday's Blog we considered how God had been working behind the scenes in the 400 year time period between Malachi and Matthew. In today's blog we continue noting the remarkable events that transpired in preparation for the arrival of Jesus Christ.
1. The World's first Bible Translation to be used by the Apostles
In 275 b.c a Governor in the Greek speaking city of Alexandria Egypt desired to gather 70 Jewish scribes together to begin the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. This project was called the "Septuagint" ("sep-too-a-jint" meaning "The seventy") and made this effort the first time the Bible has been translated into another language. By the days of Jesus, the Old Testament in Greek was regularly used. In fact, this translation is the one used in virtually all Old Testament quotations in the New Testament.
2. The Roman Roadway System, perfect for doing missionary work
It was through Rome that the Roman roadway system - stretching some 50,000 miles throughout the Mediterranean world-came into being. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, this roadway system took over 200 years to build! That system would make it possible for The Apostles to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rome had instituted a policy called "Pax Romana", which simply meant they were willing to tolerate the existence of other lines of thought and the exchange of ideas (providing of course you gave homage to the Emperor). These factors set the stage for what would become the missionary activity of the early church.
3. The Jewish Synagogue, ideal for spreading God's word throughout every city
Over time Judaism saw itself being de-centralized. In every town Jewish centers - called "synagogues" (translated roughly to mean "gathering places") sprang up. In order to have a Synagogue, as long as you had 100 Jewish men and a copy of the Old Testament scriptures, you could form a synagogue. This set-up would make it easier in time for Christian missionaries - like the Apostle Paul - to go into a given city and speak at the local Synagogue.
Thank you Lord for the times and seasons you orchestrated to set the stage for the arrival and sending of God the Son, Jesus Christ. As I close today's blog, I remind the reader of Galatians 4:4, which summarizes everything we have been exploring: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
1. The World's first Bible Translation to be used by the Apostles
In 275 b.c a Governor in the Greek speaking city of Alexandria Egypt desired to gather 70 Jewish scribes together to begin the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. This project was called the "Septuagint" ("sep-too-a-jint" meaning "The seventy") and made this effort the first time the Bible has been translated into another language. By the days of Jesus, the Old Testament in Greek was regularly used. In fact, this translation is the one used in virtually all Old Testament quotations in the New Testament.
2. The Roman Roadway System, perfect for doing missionary work
It was through Rome that the Roman roadway system - stretching some 50,000 miles throughout the Mediterranean world-came into being. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, this roadway system took over 200 years to build! That system would make it possible for The Apostles to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rome had instituted a policy called "Pax Romana", which simply meant they were willing to tolerate the existence of other lines of thought and the exchange of ideas (providing of course you gave homage to the Emperor). These factors set the stage for what would become the missionary activity of the early church.
3. The Jewish Synagogue, ideal for spreading God's word throughout every city
Over time Judaism saw itself being de-centralized. In every town Jewish centers - called "synagogues" (translated roughly to mean "gathering places") sprang up. In order to have a Synagogue, as long as you had 100 Jewish men and a copy of the Old Testament scriptures, you could form a synagogue. This set-up would make it easier in time for Christian missionaries - like the Apostle Paul - to go into a given city and speak at the local Synagogue.
Thank you Lord for the times and seasons you orchestrated to set the stage for the arrival and sending of God the Son, Jesus Christ. As I close today's blog, I remind the reader of Galatians 4:4, which summarizes everything we have been exploring: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
How God Prepared for Jesus' Arrival - Part One
Last week I had preached a message on "Scripture's Bird's Eye View - Part One - The Old Testament". In that message we saw ten themes for the Old Testament - functioning as ten theological torches that mark the road of redemption running from Genesis to Malachi. We noted the tone, the perspective of the Old Testament, to be that of "Pre-Cross".
In this blog I want to explore the time that existed between Malachi to the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. In your Bible, you will find a blank page between those two books. Trust me, that blank page was anything but blank in the plan of God. Some 400 years lie between Malachi and Matthew, wherein God was preparing Israel and the world for the coming of Pre-existent God the Son, Jesus Christ.
Many call that period "The Silent Years" - Silent because God did not reveal anything in terms of written scripture for that period of time. Though God's voice was silent, though His face of glory remained hidden for that time, His hand of Sovereign guidance (that is, Providence) was clearly at work. Below are some events and people God was orchestrating together to prepare the time for the coming of His Son. Today we will note the first three of those events, with a continuation in tomorrow's blog.
1. How God set the right world climate for Jesus' arrival
Daniel predicts in his book about this period of time, as well as our current period, the massive change and shifting of empires and nations by God. At the end of the Old Testament we see the ending of the Babylonians and the beginning of the Persians. The book of Esther rounds out the Old Testament with the people of God being under the dominion of Persia. Daniel saw a vision of these empires in the great statue of Daniel 2. He saw a head of gold - Babylonia and he saw a chest and arms of silver - Persia.
2.How God prepared for the language of the New Testament
However Daniel saw two other features of this massive statue - namely a belly and thighs of bronze and legs made of iron. History bears out that these last two features reference the empires of Greece and Rome. Greece conquered Persia under Alexander the Great. It was through Alexander that the spread of the Greek culture and language took place. It was because of the spread of Greek that the Apostles would write the entire New testament in that same language. Rome then came after Alexander's death and conquered Greece. Rome would be used of God in the days of Jesus.
3. God spares Jerusalem - the city where Jesus would be crucified hundreds of years later
History records for us an interesting meeting between Alexander the Great and Jaddus the Jewish High Priest in Jerusalem. As Alexander was conquering the land around Israel, he and his army approached Jerusalem. According to the first century Jewish Historian Josephus, Alexander the Great sent a message to Jaddus to surrender or face defeat. Jaddus' replied that he could not surrender, due to the fact that he had submitted to Persian rule.
History then tells us that Alexander began to approach Jerusalem, and as he drew near, Jaddus came out to meet Alexander the Great. When Alexander saw the High Priest and his fellow priests dressed in white, and the name of God stamped in gold on the High Priest's mitre (his hat or turban), Alexander's heart began to soften. Apparently the High Priest had read in the book of Daniel about Greece conquering Persia. Alexander was so moved by this man, and was so impressed by what he heard from the text of Daniel about himself, that he chose to spare Jerusalem.
Application for your own life
The God of the Bible prepared from all eternity for Christ's arrival. History is a demonstration of that fact, and the Bible is the flawless revelation of how God was to bring His eternal purposes and historic plan together in Jesus Christ. Remember, dear friend, that God's silence does not always mean God's absence. God's deeper work a lot of times is operating in our lives so that we can be prepared, through His word, for a more profound walk with Jesus Christ. Tomorrow we will continue exploring how God has prepared for Jesus' arrival.
In this blog I want to explore the time that existed between Malachi to the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. In your Bible, you will find a blank page between those two books. Trust me, that blank page was anything but blank in the plan of God. Some 400 years lie between Malachi and Matthew, wherein God was preparing Israel and the world for the coming of Pre-existent God the Son, Jesus Christ.
Many call that period "The Silent Years" - Silent because God did not reveal anything in terms of written scripture for that period of time. Though God's voice was silent, though His face of glory remained hidden for that time, His hand of Sovereign guidance (that is, Providence) was clearly at work. Below are some events and people God was orchestrating together to prepare the time for the coming of His Son. Today we will note the first three of those events, with a continuation in tomorrow's blog.
1. How God set the right world climate for Jesus' arrival
Daniel predicts in his book about this period of time, as well as our current period, the massive change and shifting of empires and nations by God. At the end of the Old Testament we see the ending of the Babylonians and the beginning of the Persians. The book of Esther rounds out the Old Testament with the people of God being under the dominion of Persia. Daniel saw a vision of these empires in the great statue of Daniel 2. He saw a head of gold - Babylonia and he saw a chest and arms of silver - Persia.
2.How God prepared for the language of the New Testament
However Daniel saw two other features of this massive statue - namely a belly and thighs of bronze and legs made of iron. History bears out that these last two features reference the empires of Greece and Rome. Greece conquered Persia under Alexander the Great. It was through Alexander that the spread of the Greek culture and language took place. It was because of the spread of Greek that the Apostles would write the entire New testament in that same language. Rome then came after Alexander's death and conquered Greece. Rome would be used of God in the days of Jesus.
3. God spares Jerusalem - the city where Jesus would be crucified hundreds of years later
History records for us an interesting meeting between Alexander the Great and Jaddus the Jewish High Priest in Jerusalem. As Alexander was conquering the land around Israel, he and his army approached Jerusalem. According to the first century Jewish Historian Josephus, Alexander the Great sent a message to Jaddus to surrender or face defeat. Jaddus' replied that he could not surrender, due to the fact that he had submitted to Persian rule.
History then tells us that Alexander began to approach Jerusalem, and as he drew near, Jaddus came out to meet Alexander the Great. When Alexander saw the High Priest and his fellow priests dressed in white, and the name of God stamped in gold on the High Priest's mitre (his hat or turban), Alexander's heart began to soften. Apparently the High Priest had read in the book of Daniel about Greece conquering Persia. Alexander was so moved by this man, and was so impressed by what he heard from the text of Daniel about himself, that he chose to spare Jerusalem.
Application for your own life
The God of the Bible prepared from all eternity for Christ's arrival. History is a demonstration of that fact, and the Bible is the flawless revelation of how God was to bring His eternal purposes and historic plan together in Jesus Christ. Remember, dear friend, that God's silence does not always mean God's absence. God's deeper work a lot of times is operating in our lives so that we can be prepared, through His word, for a more profound walk with Jesus Christ. Tomorrow we will continue exploring how God has prepared for Jesus' arrival.
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Old Testament's Converting Power
Paul writes to his young protégé, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3:15: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.” The Greek text of this verse is rich in Old Testament imagery. It reveals quite literally, these texts “have the inherent ability to make me comprehend the wisdom of salvation” (author’s translation).
I remember one time hearing of theologian R.C Sproul’s testimony of how he was brought to Christ.[i] It was of all passages Ecclesiastes 11:3: “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” Sproul comments about how suddenly God showed him that he was that tree, dead, and lying on the ground, in need of salvation. Sproul wryly points out that he is probably the only person in the history of the church that was saved as a result of that passage.
Clearly the mark of Divine Inspiration lies in the scripture’s ability to affect someone’s salvation. The Old Testament has this quality. In the famous passage John 3:16, John appeals to the holding up of the serpent in Numbers 21 to highlight the significance of Christ’s impending crucifixion that is recorded at the end of the Gospel of John.
Perhaps the most dramatic example of the effectual (the ability to affect) nature of the Old Testament’s ability to bring about salvation is by noting the Apostle Peter’s Preaching on the day of Pentecost. Peter quotes at length no less than 6 Old Testament passages in unfolding the promised coming of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s resurrection and the need for salvation. 3,000 people get saved, and the church is officially born. Truly this demonstrates a sample of how effective the Old Testament can be in God calling men and women to Jesus Christ.
[i] Dever Mark, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C.J. Mahaney: Preaching from the Cross. Crossway Books. Wheaton, Illinois. 2007
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Old Testament's Explanation of the Cross
Why did God the Father have to send God the Son to die on a cross? Why did God the Son voluntarily do this? Why was there no other option but this one? The Old Testament gives us two reasons behind God’s plan of salvation: Consider the pattern and the prophecies.
a. God’s Pattern for salvation was set in the Old Testament
Concerning God’s plan of salvation to save sinners, the pattern for innocent substitutes dying in the place of guilty people was set in Genesis 3:21, when God provided coats of skin for Adam and Eve. The blood itself is the physical emblem of the soul. In Leviticus 17:11 we read: The life of the flesh is in the blood…” In the Hebrew text this can literally be rendered: “The soul of the flesh is in the blood”, indicating the physical connection between blood and the human soul. When Christ came to die on the cross, He fulfilled this picture by shedding His own blood, which alone is the source of salvation and must be applied by faith in the lives of those so affected by the Grace of God (Ephesians 1:7).
b. God gave Old Testament prophecies detailing the event of the cross
No other chapters in the Old Testament predict the necessity and the event of the cross like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Psalm 22:1 describes the very words Jesus would utter at the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Verse 8 of the same Psalm also tells us what the scribes would say to Jesus as they passed by the cross. In Psalm 22;14, we see reference to Jesus’ bones being out of joint, a common trauma associated with crucifixion. In verse 18 we see how the soldiers would be casting lots for Jesus clothing.
In Isaiah 53:5 we see prediction of the Messiah being wounded, bruised and receiving stripes on His back. In 53:9 we are told he would be laid in the borrowed tomb of a rich man, fulfilled in Matthew 27:57.
Remarkably, the torture described by these two chapters occurs centuries before the crucifixion (Psalm 22 occurs 1,000 years and Isaiah 53 occurs 700 years before the event). Furthermore, crucifixion as a form of punishment was not to be invented until the Romans conquered Greece some 450 years after Isaiah’s time.
Focusing on these Old Testament texts enables us to see that the cross was not an accident, but central to God’s plan for history.
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