Three reasons why we can say "Good Friday" is good

Galatians 3:13-14 "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Introduction
What is Good Friday? Many churches and Christians the world-over celebrate the Friday before Easter Sunday as a time to reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus. The book "Preaching through the Christian Year" (Edited by Fred Craddock; John H. Hayes; Carl R. Holladay and Gene M. Tucker) notes the following about how one ought to celebrate "Good Friday": "Good Friday services tend to focus on the suffering of Jesus as the servant of God. This is a corrrect and proper theme for the day. Good Friday also, however, looks forward, beyond itself, beyond suffering and humiliation, to exaltation, triumph and Easter." Henceforth we can see the "Good Friday" is indeed all about the "Good News" of Jesus' accomplishment on the cross and of course, what would ultimately be the confirmation of that accomplishment by His resurrection from the dead.

Such thoughts remind me of a question someone asked me a few years ago: Why is Good Friday Good? When that question was posed to me, I began to reflect on what the scriptures explain concerning Christ's accomplishments on the cross. As we endeavor to answer this question, we can find the answer by looking at Galatians 3:7-14. I want today's post to take a deeper look at what Jesus achieved on the cross, so as to understand why this day is indeed a day of triumph for the Christian (and how it can be yours if you're not one yet). The Apostle Paul lays out three reasons why the Friday that Jesus died on the cross was indeed Good Friday.

Salvation's Promise was completed
Let's consider the first "good" that was accomplished on "Good Friday": Salvation's promise was completed. Galatians 3:8 states - "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” Over 2,000 years before Christ came, the grace of God came to a man named Abram. God brought to Abram to a land that He promised to show him - Canaan. In Genesis 13 Abram is told to walk that land. Later on the "promise" to Abram regarding a physical descended would be fulfilled in the birth of his son Isaac in Genesis 21. This overall redemptive theme of "promise" runs from Genesis to Malachi.  It began with Eve and was re-articulated by God to Abraham, to his descendants, to Moses, the prophets, kings such as David and regular people like Ruth.

The Promises of salvation were carried out through the scarlet bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. By the time we come to the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew lists 42 generations spanning from Abraham down to Jesus, wherein the "seed of promise" was culminated. The Promise turned out not to be abstract - but concrete. What had been an overarching principle of God's redemptive purposes in the Old Testament would turn out to culminate in the Person of the Son. God the Son, the Promiser, came to embody the Promise in true humanity as Jesus Christ. When Christ in His humanity breathed His last on that First Good Friday, over 100 prophecies were fulfilled. The Promise that pointed to the Person achieved the full payment of substitutionary death of the Savior in the place of sinners. So "Good Friday" is good because salvation's promise was fulfilled, but notice secondly...

Sin's Curse was Broken
Why did Jesus Christ go to the cross? Did it really matter how He shed His blood? Why didn't Jesus come down on a weekend, go to a doctor, have the doctor prick His finger, put blood in a vial, and catch the next chariot back to Heaven? It may very well had been easier, but not effective. He had to experience the virgin birth and grow through all the stages of humanity to experience what we experience - yet without sin. But there's something more.

You see, when Adam sinned - a curse was pronounced (Genesis 3:15-19).  Adam ate from the wrong tree, and was barred from gaining access to the tree of life. In order for man to ever gain access to the tree of life, a perfect man - that is to say, a "New Adam" - would have to be placed upon a tree of death. Galatians 3:13 quotes Deuteronomy 21:23, which tells us "cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree".

The curse of Eden was broken at Calvary. Christ accomplished in His humanity what needed paid for by man and provided salvation that He as God alone could provide. The Promise of salvation was completed! Finished! Paid in full! Never to be repeated again!  But notice the third thing that makes Good Friday Good....

Saving benefits received by faith
Galatians 3:14 states - "in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Now let's be clear - The Event of Good Friday must become an experience in your life. Salvation is not automatic. All that Christ accomplished on that First Good Friday was an objective event of History - which is to say - an event that is true and occurred apart from what you may or may not believe. With that said, unless you by grace through faith subjectively receive that event - its benefits won't be applied to you.  As the passage states - all this was done by Christ "so that the promise of the Spirit (could come) through faith."

That phrase "through faith" could be rendered "through the faith" - meaning the Divine Gifting of faith that operates in salvation becomes a free decision of faith wherein I freely believe and receive all who Christ is and all He has done (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18). When you by grace through faith freely and truly trust in Jesus - the benefits of Good Friday make everyday of your life a Resurrection Day (Romans 10:8-10). 

Closing thoughts:

So what three reasons can we offer in answer to the question: "why is Good Friday good?" 

1. Salvation's Promise was fulfilled

2. Sin's curse has been broken

3. Saving benefits are received by faith. 

It is for these reasons that "Good Friday" is good.



















That phrase "through faith" is in reference to "The Faith", "the gift of faith", wherein I choose Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, Treasure.

Suggested ways to get people back into the Bible

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

Introduction:
Throughout our nation the overwhelming need of our churches is to "get back to the Bible". This writer would take it a step further: lets "get into the Bible" so that we can "get back to the Bible". So here are a few questions to open up today's post: how does one begin reading the Bible when they have never really read it?  where do you begin? what suggested books or sections of the Bible should you read?  I have been asked questions like these and believe there are some helpful ways to "jumpstart" getting back into consistent reading and study of God's Word. 

Scripture reading and study occupy the cornerstones of sustained growth in Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:15 urges the following: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  Below are some methods that either I have used or have heard from others in cultivating a consistent, daily time in the scriptures.

1. Read a Proverb a day. There are 31 chapters or Proverbs in the book of Proverbs.  Are you looking for wisdom in life or a greater effectiveness in your walk with the Lord?  Read Proverbs.  By reading one chapter a day for five minutes, you should be able to cover Proverbs in one month.  Once you have read through Proverbs in that first month of reading, read it again the second month - a chapter a day.  Then do it again.  I have done this and discovered something new and insightful from the Lord everytime I read.

2. Read 1 John in one week.  1 John is all about the Christian life and assurance of salvation.  There are some seventy statements in 1 John that give you assurance of knowing who you are and Whose you are as a Christian.  There are five chapters, which means if you were to read a chapter a day, you could read 1 John six times in one month.  Make it your goal to read 1 John once a week, and watch your Christian life begin to soar as you discover more of who you are and Whose you are in Christ

3. Read five Psalms a day for a month.   As you read God's Word more, you'll find yourself wanting to read more of God's Word.  There are 150 Psalms.  Five a day for a month will get you through the book.  The Psalms speak to the personal and experiential side of your walk with God, and His thoughts toward you.

4. Read a chapter in each of the four Gospels per day.  The four Gospels introduce you to the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The following four-month reading plan might be suggested: Matthew has 28 chapters, so read a chapter a day and you'll get through Matthew in the first month. In the second month read Mark twice, since it has 16 chapters. Luke would be your third month's reading, with the first 24 days spent reading each chapter and the last several days spent re-reading the crucifixion and resurrection accounts (Luke 19-24). Finally, John;s Gospel would round out your fourth month of reading. Imagine how well you would get to know Jesus in just four months - or even one? It is well worth the time! 

Closing thoughts
Whenever you and I intentionally read and think on God's Word every day, growth and strength in faith will be on the way.  

Jesus' cursing of the fig tree - meanings and applications

Matthew 21:18-23 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Today's post deals with Jesus' cursing of the fig tree following His triumphal entry and prior to His final public sermon - the Olivet discourse. The events of the cursing of the fig tree and its withering would had happened on Monday and Tuesday of the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Every action that Jesus did conveyed a message to his opponents and followers regarding their own spiritual condition and the only remedy - His pending crucifixion.

I can recall living in Florida and watching orange trees develop their leaves and then anticipating ripe juicy oranges thereafter. Most fruit trees follow this pattern of leaves first - then fruit. However, fig trees are the opposite - producing their fruit early, followed by the emergence of leaves. The Zondervan Bible Encyclopedia notes: "Our Lord condemned a fig tree at Passover tie on Mount Olivet (Mark 11:13; Matt 21:19). The tree should have borne early ripe figs. The Lord would have known  whether the tree should have been cropping." The fact that the fig tree should have had fruit and didn't indicates a tree that looked good from a distance, but upon closer inspection indicated a fruitless tree that had nothing to offer anyone.

Jesus' cursing of the fig tree is a miracle performed by Jesus to communicate a point. With a little bit of the characteristics of fig trees before us, we can offer two basic meanings and a final application of this event for our lives today.

1. Outward spiritual behavior does not impress the Lord.

When Jesus was preparing to enter the temple precincts, His denouncement of the fig tree was really a judgment against the Jewish religious system of His day. They had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof (Compare predictions of what would be the church of our day in 2 Timothy 3:5). Fig trees were used in the Old Testament to signify spiritual and national prosperity. In 1 Kings 4:25 for instance we see this description of King Solomon's reign: "So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon." What should had been bearing spiritual fruit was found wanting by Jesus. His action of cursing the fig tree was in effect pronouncing a curse on outward attempts to perform religious behavior without a heart for God.

2. Salvation from the Lord received by faith, rather than man-made religion done by works, is what makes us pleasing in God's sight.

When we think of the fig tree, its history goes back even earlier - far earlier - before the days of Israel. In Genesis 3:7 we read of what Adam and his wife did after disobeying God: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings."

Throughout history mankind has attempted to sew together "fig-leaf" religions. That is to say, attempts have been made by fallen man to cover the nakedness of his shame and estrangement before God. When we consider Genesis 3 once more, we find that God had provided two coats of skin for our original parents. Their attempts to cover their sin failed. God revealed a covenant of grace to them by way of the first mention of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15 and the provision of skins. Their reception of God's revelation of grace by faith is apparent by the fact God clothed them in the innocence of a substitute on their behalf. Salvation's pattern has always been through the shedding of blood of an innocent substitute on behalf of the guilty; followed by the Spirit's working of the guilty to freely receive God's work by faith.

Sadly, the religion of Judaism had been ripped from its redemptive moorings by the establishment and for many, attempting to please God by performance of ritual precluded many from receiving what God had revealed about salvation in the Old Testament. Salvation in the Old Testament was based on God's promise of a Redeemer. Reception of that revelation by grace through faith was how one was brought into the covenant people of God.

When Jesus came on the scene, He was saying that He was the very Person upon which all the prophecies and pictures of the Old Testament revelation had pointed.

We could point out several more meanings, but for now these two will suffice. As a final point of application for today - have you, dear reader, found yourself appealing to outward behavior as a basis of standing before God? Unless you have confessed with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead - then you do not possess the inward reality of salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:8-10). Jesus is the vine, and only those who have been attached to Him by the Holy Spirit in saving faith will bear the fruit of salvation (see John 15:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

Let us not have a Christianity that only looks good from a distance. We are to be those who are ever depending upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit given at saving faith. Let us bear fruit for the Master (Galatians 5:22) and be those who are a blessing to others for Jesus' sake.

The importance of Palm Sunday to the Christian

Matthew 21:1-3 "When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them,“Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

Yesterday many Christians the world over celebrated what has been called "Palm Sunday". I can recall as a child receiving little "palm branches" to take home after a Palm Sunday celebration in Sunday School and at church. I felt today it would benefit readers to consider some thoughts about the signficance of Palm Sunday. Please note the following points...

1. Preparation. Matthew 21:1-3

Jesus was preparing for what would be the week leading up to His crucifixion. In the cycle of Jewish fesitivals, Passover Week was getting underway. The day in which Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Donkey was the day the passover lambs were officially chosen by each Jewish family to begin preparation for what would be their slaughter by Thursday night of that week. 

This particular day was part of the original liturgy of the first Passover week instituted by Yahweh to the people through Moses in Exodus 12:1-3 -  "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb.5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight."

The lamb would be raised for an entire year and named by the family. When the lamb was "selected", that meant that the lamb was deemed "ready" for the Passover. Jesus came as "the Lamb of God" - i.e as the "Choice Lamb" Who was prepared from before the foundation of the world by the Father (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6). The Son came willingly and is described in passages such as 1 Corinthians 5:7 as the lamb of God. 

2. Prophetic Fulfillment Matthew 21:4-5

Matthew records that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, that his efforts were not just some random activity. The purpose for Jesus' riding into Jerusalem was to fulfill prophecy. Zechariah 9:9, composed by Divine inspiration some 520 years prior to this event, is quoted by Matthew in Matthew 21:4-5 - "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 'Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” Everything that Jesus did was not random nor accidental - but intentional. He was yielding Himself to His Father's willo as He made His way to Calvary.

3. Presentation Matthew 21:6-9

Just as those lambs were formally prepared, they were also presented. When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a Donkey, He was presenting Himself as Israel's King. Many people in that scene were asking questions regarding Jesus' identity. One of the aims of Jesus' actions was to send a message to the Jewish leadership and to the nation - "here is your King". According to passages like Isaiah 53, He would be not only be the Lamb of God, but also a rejected Savior. This idea once again reminds us that when Jesus had rode through on that first "Palm Sunday", He was fulfilling prophecy. The people who were crying "Hosanna" would within a week's time shout "crucify Him." 

4. Passion Matthew 21:10-11

Matthew 21:10-11 records - "When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, fromNazareth in Galilee.”

Once Jesus had rode into Jerusalem, it was His way of officially concluding the public ministry phase of His first coming and entering into what many theologians call His "passion" (from a Latin root meaning "suffering"). Luke's version includes the following detail of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem following His triumphal entry in Luke 19:41-43  "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side,44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, andthey will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Jesus' weeping was due to His foresight into what would be the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Readers can consult historic works such as Flavius Josephus (a first century Jewish Historian), who records the horrendous details of that sequence of events that were fulfilled as Jesus had predicted. Jesus' emotional anguish over the people rejecting God's plans and purposes through Him would get deeper by the end of the week. The emotional anguish would turn into physical agony on the cross and spiritual agony that He would endure in His humanity while at the same time experiencing the anguish of the pains of sinbearing as the Divine Son. As the God/man, Jesus would passionately face crucifixion. Praise be to God though, the true triumph of the pending "holy week" would not lie ultimately in His riding into Jersualem, but rather in His death on the the cross and triumphal resurrection three days later outside the Holy City!

The need for the Christian to listen to God

Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.”

Introduction

At the time of the writing of this post, my family and I were preparing to attend an evening service at the church God has us serving. Although God has called me to pastor a wonderful church – I functioned in the role of listener that evening. The Associate Pastor delivering the message. My goal was to go with an eagerness to hear what God was going to say through him. Listening to God is the chief occupation of the interior life of the Christian. As a preacher, the assumption is that time will be spent in active communication of God’s Word – as it should be (see 1 Timothy 4:13-16). However, unless I as a preacher do not practice the act and art of listening to God – then the effectiveness to speak God's word will be hampered.  

I am sure some readers recall as children hearing their parents tell them: “Did you hear what I said?” If an immediate response was not forth-coming, the follow-up would come in a raised tone: “Are you listening to me!” Although the terms “hearing” and “listening” may have similar meanings; they nonetheless carry very important distinctions. Hearing entails acknowledgement of sound entering into the ear and given the appropriate response; whereas listening involves a deeper level of following through with every word communicated in the message.

Distinguishing “hearing” and “listening”

Hearing God’s Word includes the Spirit-given ability to discern the author of the message, the contents and the appropriate response (see Romans 10:9-10). Listening involves taking what has been heard and resolving oneself to follow-through in commitment to God with the result being action (see John 14:21-23). Hearing is but the beginning of the process of responding to God; whereas listening demonstrates continued adherence and commitment to what has been heard. Author Richard Blackaby has noted that: "whatever a man does next after claiming to hear God will demonstrate what he believes about God.”

What it takes to “listen” to God

Isaiah communicates in Isaiah 50:4 that he had been given the ability to not only hear God’s voice as a prophet and preacher of the Word, but also that he practiced the need to listen to God. In looking briefly at the entirety of Isaiah 50, we can pick out four components of listening. As my family and I went that recent Sunday night to hear God’s Word, we went to not only hear the voice of God through the song service and preaching; but also to listen and apply what was heard. What elements are necessary in listening to God?

1). Hold (onto what I hear about God). Isaiah 50:1-3

Isaiah hearkens back to when God had redeemed the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, as well as how He later on sent them away in exile as a result of their disobedience. Isaiah has before Him God’s love and justice. As he holds onto these two characteristics of God, it becomes clear that God desire to extend a second chance to an otherwise reluctant people. As God reaches out to us, He is ever more willing to know us than we are to know Him.

2). Hasten to obey what God is saying. Isaiah 50:4-10

As is often the case in Isaiah’s prophecies, we are under the impression that Isaiah is speaking of himself, only for the seamless transition to go from himself to the Lord as the speaker. The revelation of scripture entails the overseeing influence of the Holy Spirit carrying along Isaiah while all the while Isaiah is utilizing his language, culture, life-experience and ways of expression. The end result is God’s words draped in the garments of Isaiah’s human vocabulary – immune from error. The “Servant” who is speaking sounds like Isaiah, but it turns out that the “Servant of the Lord” is a figure representing and perhaps even being a pre-incarnate cameo introduction of the Divine Son in the Old Testament.

Matthew Henry, the great commentator, reminds us that Isaiah is “doing like David, he speaks of himself as a type of Christ, who is here prophesied and promised to be Savior”. When God is speaking – how willing and ready are you and I to do His bidding? The Divine Son expressed willingness to yield to the will of the Father in His Divine sharing with the Father and the Spirit in all eternity. New Testament passages such as Hebrews 10:4-5 express the Son’s words prior to his entry into history by the virgin’s womb as being: “I have come to do your will as it is written in the book”. When The Son incarnated in human flesh, He – ever remaining God – became flesh in the historic person of Jesus of Nazareth (see John 1:14; Matthew 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:15-16). Jesus was ever about doing His Father’s business and provided the example to all true followers of Him by faith of what is meant to heed God’s voice – no matter what.

3). Heed warnings concerning not listening to God. Isaiah 50:11

As the prophetic address seems to switch from the “Servant” to that of Isaiah once more, Isaiah rebukes those within the nation who derived their strength from idolatry or simple warming themselves by the light of man-made fire rather than the Divine fire of God’s glory. Natural man’s bent is to ignore God and trust in his five senses, opinions and un-illuminated human intellect – henceforth deeming the things of God as foolishness (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). The road of ignoring God is paved with regret and leads to disappointment, heartache and eternal condemnation. Whether as pastors or those in the pew, the people of God must never trust in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, His word and the power of the Holy Spirit (see Proverbs 3:5-6).

4). Have Christ as you focus to succeed in listening. Isaiah 50:6

So how can it be that we stay on track in listening to God. How is it that as Christians we can continue in cultivating the much needed skill of listening to the voice of Him who calls us to follow His lead (see Luke 9:23-24)? Christ must ever be before us. In Isaiah’s prophecy we find the Servant predicting what will be the moments leading up to and including His crucifixion. In history the crucifixion was seven centuries removed from Isaiah’s day; yet for the Servant (i.e the pre-incarnate Son in eternity), the events of Calvary were but around the corner.

Listening to God won’t be maintained by moralism and adherence to some man-made prescriptions, but rather the cross. Hebrews 12:3 reminds us to “consider Him who endured such contradiction by sinful men so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart.” As we make our business to hear God and then continue on in listening to what we heard; Christ Jesus and Him crucified, risen and ascended must ever be at the center and circumference of our faith walk.  

Closing

As I reflect back once more on the evening service attended by my family and me, we certainly heard the Lord speak through His word that evening. The Associate Pastor spoke from Acts 8:22-39 on how Phillip’s willingness to listen to God and to “get up and go” resulted in God saving the soul of the Ethiopian Eunuch. I was struck at how unknown to me, God had laid upon the heart of this precious man of God a message that aimed at equipping all in attendance on how to listen to God and do His bidding. The one statement our Associate Pastor made makes clear the necessity of listening to God: “wherever there is a willing Christian and a prepared heart; the result will be  spiritual miracles.” The need for the Christian to listen to God can only happen when the following occurs: hold onto whatever I heard God say; hasten to obedience; heed warnings of not listening and have Christ as the focus.

The pastor's three grounds of confidence in ministry - third ground, the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 "I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

Introduction:

So far in the last two posts we have considered the grounds of confidence upon which a preacher stands when ministering in the local church. The preacher's grounds are ultimately every Christian's grounds of confidence. Paul outlines for us three grounds of confidence for doing ministry in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. He recalls the first time he came to the Corinthians - bringing to them the "testimony of God" in the scriptures and wanting them to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Today's post will conclude this study on the pastor's three grounds of confidence. We've looked already at the scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's consider the third ground of confidence - namely the Holy Spirit.

The Pastor's third ground of confidence - the Holy Spirit

As was mentioned already, Paul remembers back to when he first came to the Corinthian church. In other letters to other churches, Paul hearkens back to their beginnings, noting how he came to them in the power of the Holy Spirit. For instance, in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 we read - "for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake." Paul indicates to the Corinthian congregation that when he first came to them, he arrived and remained with them "in weakness and fear and much trembling". Matthew Henry's Concise commentary notes on 1 Corinthians 2:3 - 

"Few know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, from a deep sense of their own weakness They know how insufficient they are, and are fearful for themselves. When nothing but Christ crucified is plainly preached, the success must be entirely from Divine power accompanying the word, and thus men are brought to believe, to the salvation of their souls." 

I recall years ago hearing the following advice from an older preacher: "if you enter the pulpit with your head hanging high, you will exit it with your head hanging low. However, if you enter behind the sacred desk with your head hanging low, you will descend it with your head hanging high". The point? Reliance on the Spirit's power, rather than my own. Paul goes on to state why the Holy Spirit's power and presence must needs be the preacher's source of confidence in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - "and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

What should any great preacher emphasize to his people? that their strength for living lies not in themselves but God. The power of God is what will draw people to the church house. John Wesley once noted that if you want to fill the pews, build a fire in the pulpit. The mark of the Spirit's anointing on a man's life makes all the difference. It is not an easy life, mind you, however it is well worth the price. The late great Baptist preacher Adrian Rogers warned about preaching in the flesh, noting that if the Devil can trick anyone to get in the flesh, it matters not whether it be carousing or preaching - the flesh, in the end, will profit nothing. 

Closing thoughts

(keep working)

The pastor's three grounds of confidence in ministry - second ground, the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

Introduction:

Yesterday we began considering the three grounds of confidence upon which a pastor stands when ministering in the local church. The first one we considered was the word of God. Whenever I have walked up to the sacred desk, the pulpit, I have never approached the preaching task without a Bible. What will convert the soul of the sinner - save the scriptures (James 1:18)? 

Admittedly today's post, like yesterday's, is aimed mainly at ministers. I will broaden the post somewhat to remind Christians in general that the grounds of confidence spoken of in these posts apply to both pastor and parishioner. We saw the first ground of confidence for the pastoral ministry (and in reality, the church's ministry) - namely the Bible. Today we consider the second grounds of confidence - namely Christ Himself.

The preacher's second ground of confidence - The Lord Jesus Christ - 1 Corinthians 2:2

We read in 1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." Paul had already mentioned about how he had made an entry into the Corinthian's lives. Acts 18:1-11 gives the historical background for Paul's initial visit to Corinth. For one and one-half years Paul would minister there and establish a church through the combined efforts of his ministry comrads - Priscilla and Aquilla. Acts 18:5 records  - "But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul begandevoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ."

When any minister first comes to a church or has been at a church for a while - what is the One Person to whom He points? Who is it that the preacher ought to present before his people? It mustn't be primarily himself. Unless Christ and His barren cross eclipses the preacher, no one will be saved nor sanctified. When Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:2 that he wanted his people to know nothing except "Jesus Christ and Him crucified", he was stating the anchoring point for his ministry. We know from the contents of Paul's letters to the Corinthian church that he spoke on more subjects, but never less than Christ and the cross. 

The great commentator Matthew Henry notes concerning this second ground of confidence in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - 

"As to the matter or subject he tell us (v. 2), He determined to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and him crucified—to make a show of no other knowledge than this, to preach nothing, to discover the knowledge of nothing, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Note, Christ, in his person and offices, is the sum and substance of the gospel, and ought to be the great subject of a gospel minister’s preaching. His business is to display the banner of the cross, and invite people under it."

The great 16th century preacher Martin Luther once noted: “If you want to interpret well and confidently, set Christ before you, for He is the man to whom it all applies, every bit of it.”

The wonderful preacher John Gill notes in his commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "that which was the greatest offence to others was the most delightful to him, because salvation comes through and by the cross of Christ; and he dwelt upon this, and determined to do so; it being most for the glory of Christ, and what was owned for the conversion of sinners, the comfort of distressed minds, and is suitable food for faith, as he knew by his own experience."

Why Christ? Because the grounds of confidence upon which preaching stands is the same grounds upon which salvation is situated - Christ's righteousness. Unless the people in the pew despair of their own righteousness and flee to Christ and the cross, they will despair for eternity. As the old hymn states:

"My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

Closing thoughts

Today we considered the second ground for the preacher's confidence (and for that matter, the church's confidence in her ministry) - namely the Lord Jesus Christ. The written word of God is dominated by the Personality of the God man. In like-manner, Jesus Christ came to fulfill God's word, to preach it, teach it and equip his disciples to spread it throughout the world. These two foundations for confidence in ministry are as it were woven strands that form an unbreakable rope. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states - "And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." We have considered two cords of confidence - the scriptures and Christ. Next time we will consider a third ground of confidence for the preacher - the Holy Spirit.

The pastor's three grounds of confidence in ministry - first ground, the scriptures

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 

Introduction

I can recall years ago watching a documentary of a man building a house on some beach-front property. The area of the beach where he was building was known for its scenery and it excessive beach erosion. The owner knew that simply placing a home on a normal concrete foundation would prove to be disastrous. So what he decided to do was sink 9-12 telephone poles into the ground. Then the man poured a very think concrete foundation that was reinforced with tempered steel rods. The show spent most of its time highlighting the foundations this man had in place for his beach-side property.

What are the grounds for confidence that any preacher has when he stands before any people? The weight that a preacher carries into the pulpit is immense. Apart from the grace of God, the preacher's task is impossible. The task of converting sinners and feeding the saints flows not from the preacher's skill nor story-telling abilities - but rather from a three-fold foundation: the scriptures, Christ Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Today's post will consider the first of these.

The preacher's first ground of confidence - the written words of God - 1 Corinthians 2:1

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:1 "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God." Adam Clarke, the great commentator writes concerning this first verse: 

"I declared to you the testimony, the Gospel, of God, not with excellency of speech, not with arts of rhetoric, used by your own philosophers, where the excellence of the speech recommends the matter, and compensates for the want of solidity and truth: on the contrary, the testimony concerning Christ and his salvation is so supremely excellent, as to dignify any kind of language by which it may be conveyed."

The scriptures - i.e the testimonies of the Lord (Psalm 19:7b) - are God's words. The Bible is God's voice in pen, paper and ink. When Paul came to the Corinthian church, he knew that his audience had most likely heard it all and seen it all. Corinth, after all, was a cultural center of the ancient world. Like any typical Greco-Roman city, Corinth would have had its share of professional orators who could have a crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. For the Apostle, the change needing to take place at Corinth would occur through style - but rather the substance of the Word of God. 

When we trace back through redemptive history in the Bible, we discover several men of God who learned their ground of confidence to not be in themselves - but in God's words. Exodus 4:10-12 records the following conversation between Moses and God:

"Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.”

Later on some 800 years later, the prophet Jeremiah and God have the following conversation in Jeremiah 1:4-9 - 

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 “Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, 

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth."

Then 600 years after Jeremiah, Jesus indicates that one of His chief tasks in His first coming was to preach the words of God in Mark 1:38 "He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.”

Closing thoughts

I admit today that this post is written mainly to preachers (however, even those who don't preach behind church pulpits can glean general application). Paul recognizes - like Moses, Jeremiah and Jesus - that when he came to his appointed people, that the first ground of confidence had to be the scriptures. What else will change lives, save the Word of God? As preachers of the word, we bring the Bible, Jesus and the precious Holy Spirit. May we not neglect this first ground of confidence in Christian ministry - the scriptures. 

More tomorrow.....

P2 - Reflecting on the foolishness of the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:18

1 Corinthians 1:18  "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Introduction and review

In yesterday's post I began reflecting on Paul's statement about the "foolishness of the cross' in 1 Corinthians 1:18. We spent most of that post dealing with the first half and ended with some remarks on the second half of the verse. Today's post will continue on whence we left off and conclude our reflections on this crucial element of the Gospel. 

Reflecting on the second part of 1 Corinthians 1:18

Certainly the first-half of 1 Corinthians 1:18 may seem hopeless - that is - until we come to the contrastive little word "but" in the second part. The word "but" is important, for it means that regardless of what may be said against the cross, God's word in the cross renders such protests as absurd. In contrast to the hopelessness of those perishing, Paul points to the cross as the power of God and thus hope for those who are being saved. 

Paul contrasts the "foolishness of the cross" to the perishing to that of it being "the power of God" to those who believe in the second part of 1 Corinthians 1:18. The repugnance of the cross to the natural unbelieving mindset can be a source of great tension. The flesh wants acceptance. Oftentimes the tendency in every church is to dial down the offense of the cross. But if for anything, this feature of the Gospel is what sets it apart from all other counterfeits.

Paul never diminished this offensive component of the Gospel - but all the more pressed it. The only place where God will meet the sinner is at the cross. All other attempts of man entail him trying to meet God or to manufacture some type of home-spun salvation. Such efforts fail. The cross is where Holy God in the Person of the Son, having been united to a truly human nature in His virgin birth - triumphed in providing reconciliation for all who would respond in saving faith. The unbeliever finds this offensive, since no credit can be taken - but rather can only be given to God alone. 

Only the Holy Spirit can show the natural unbelieving mindset's estimation of the cross to be wrong (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). The Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation to all who believe" (Romans 1:16). Whether a ritualist or an elitist, whether rich or poor - all sorts of unbelievers are beckoned to come to the cross. The Holy Spirit's saving grace shining into the darkened mind and opaque heart shows the cross to be the place of rescue. The result of the Spirit's efforts and the sinner's response yields an embracing of the God-man - Jesus Christ. 

Concluding thought

The foolishness of the cross ends up being the strength of the Gospel - since God, not man, is credited with all the work. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:5 "so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

P1 - Reflecting on the foolishness of the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:18

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Introduction:

There is something supremely scandalous about the cross to the religionist and the intellectual unyielded to God's saving grace. To both - the cross is foolishness. Today's post aims to reflect on the significance of the foolishness of the cross found in 1 Corinthians 1:18

Reflecting on the first part of 1 Corinthians 1:18

When the Apostle Paul speaks of the cross of Christ in the Gospel as "foolishness" in 1 Corinthians 1:18, he uses the Greek word "moros", from whence we derive our English word "moronic". In the first century, this word referred to someone that was "empty headed" and "without sense". To the unbelieving mind - the salvation wrought by Jesus through the cross bore a stigma. What was it? Why did the Gospel back then in the first century offend? Why does it cause great controversy among 21st century religionists and skeptics today? 

For starters, the cross abolishes all efforts of self-congratulation and posturing. Self-confidence is rendered null and void. At the cross, all efforts to know God by religious ritual or intellectual ascent are shown inadequate. Certainly knowing God and loving God with the totality of one's mind and heart is to be the end point of life - however that endpoint must begin at the cross. The law revealed on Mount Sinai demands us to do these things; however only the grace of Mount Calvary can deliver the power and desire to love and know God. 

When Paul considers the two main groups to whom he preached (the Greco-Roman Gentiles and the Jews), he recognized their respective rejections of the cross. In 1 Corinthians 1:22 we read of the Jews "asking for a sign". The way of ritual, miracle and outward form appealed to many of those emeshed in Judaism. When Jesus ministered for instance among the Jews of that day, the Jewish leaders said to Him in Matthew 12:38 "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." In that same verse Paul then mentions those Greeks who "search for wisdom". The Greco-Roman mind loved to engage in philosophical inquiry and intellectual elitism. Paul's preaching to the Athenian philosophers at Mars Hill in Acts 17:22-34 illustrates how most of them felt about the Gospel. Both groups, apart from the grace of God, detested Jesus, His cross and resurrection. 

The first mindset of "demanding a sign" could be likened to today's moralist or the pluralist who wants a god through ritual, moral living, mysticism or through multiple ways other than the cross. Other expressions of the "demanding a sign mindset" conceives of a Christianity that is more about entertainment than with the eternal welfare of souls needing Christ Jesus crucified, risen and ascended. 

In his book "Christless Christianity", theologian Michael Horton talks about how if the Devil wanted to plan the most diabolical scheme, he would have every city in America be clean, every citizen be law-abiding and every church full to capacity. Citizens would say "yes sir" and "yes mam" and children would be the epitome of good behavior. Preachers would be nice and there would be no crime. According to Horton, the Devil would be more than glad to tolerate such a scenario - providing that there be no mention nor preaching of the cross. 

The second mindset mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:22 of "searching for wisdom" corresponds to the arrogant intellectual elite who conceives of attaining ultimate meaning through reason alone without God - and most certainly without the cross. Athiest Richard Dawkins for instance has been noted as saying: "It's a horrible idea that God, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge,power, couldn't think of a better way to forgive us our since sins than to come down to Earth in his alter ego as his son and have himself hideously tortured and executed so that he could forgive himself." Such observations reminds us that unbelieving mankind's war with God and His sole means of redemption through faith alone in Christ alone carries on unabated. 

Reflecting on the second part of 1 Corinthians 1:18

The first-half of 1 Corinthians 1:18 presents how the cross is utter foolishness to the person who has never believed. Such an attitude is bleak and blunt and appears to be the only sentiment one could have towards the cross - that is - until we come to the contrastive little word "but" in the second part. The word "but" is important, for it means that regardless of what may be said against the cross, God's word in the cross renders such protests as absurd. Saving grace delivered by the Holy Spirit's shedding of light on the cross exposes the love that was otherwise hidden in its sillouette to unbelieving eyes. In contrast to the hopelessness of those perishing, Paul points to the cross as the power of God and thus hope for those who are being saved. 

More tomorrow.....