1 Peter 4 The Crucified Mindset

1 Peter 4:1-2 "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."

Introduction: The crucified mindset taught by Jesus

Jesus taught his disciples in Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."  This statement was Jesus' to call his disciples to exercise reckless abandonment of reliance upon the self and to complete reliance upon Him. 1  This mindset being taught by Jesus is what we can term "the crucified mindset". 

The crucified mindset commanded by the Apostle Paul

As one moves deeper into the New Testament, the crucified mindset and its radical call to radical followership of Jesus Christ is reinforced by the Apostle Paul. In fact to conceive of Christianity apart from the cross leads to an utter departure from what it means to be a Christian. 

Paul writes for example in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Paul's identification with the event of Christ's crucifixion is due to the fact that supernaturally and spiritually the Holy Spirit connected him to that event in saving faith and maintains that connection in his ongoing sanctification.2 Furthermore, the crucified mindset determines to regard the self (self sufficiency, self-reliance, etc) as dead, focus on Christ instead and thus move on ahead. 

In another passage Paul writes in Galatians 6:14 "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."  Again Paul is stating the crucified mindset as it pertains to relating to the world or system of unbelief.  The self is the Christian's number one enemy as it pertains to the internal Christian life, and the world in turn is the Christian's chief opposition to the external Christian life.  Satan is the spiritual agent that drives the world system. (2 Corinthians 4:1-6) 

And so the crucified mindset refers to a radical resolve to follow Jesus, to die to self and die to the world in favor of singular focus on Jesus Christ. Not only is the crucified mindset defined, but also commanded. We will now turn to 1 Peter 4 to see how this mindset is explained and applied.

Peter explains the crucified mindset in relationship to the Christian's approach to their past, present and future

1 Peter 4 unfolds in detail how the crucified mindset is to be applied to the daily Christian life.  Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:1 "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." Peter's words here are a call to war against sin and against the flesh.  As you read on down through 1 Peter 4, the crucified mindset is the Christian's approach to how they view their past, their future and their present. Certainly retaining a mindset like Jesus is commanded elsewhere in the New Testament. (Philippians 2:1-5). So the question is: how does the crucified mindset aid the Christian in understanding their past, future and present?

1. Die to the past  1 Peter 4:1-6

Peter states in 1 Peter 4:2 "so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."

2. Define life by Jesus' second coming. 4:7-11

1 Peter 4:7-8 sets the tone for this section - "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."

3. Depend on the Lord now. 4:12-19

1 Peter 4:12 and 4:19 reinforce the need to apply the crucified mindset as a constant, current reality.  1 Peter 4:12 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you." Then 1 Peter 4:19 states: "Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right." 

Conclusion:
I close out today's post with this observation from the great commentator Albert Barnes on applying the crucified mindset to everyday life: "Armor is put on for offensive or defensive purposes of war; and the idea of the apostle here is, that that state of mind when we are ready to meet with persecution and trial, and when we are ready to die, will answer the purpose of armor in engaging in the conflicts and strifes which pertain to us as Christians, and especially in meeting with persecutions and trials. We are to put on the same fortitude which the Lord Jesus had, and this will be our best defense against our foes, and the best security of victory."3

Endnotes:

1. In the years before Jesus' public ministry there had been various men who would rise up in the regions of Galilee claiming to be the Messiah - among whom was one by the name of Judas the Galilean.  When Judas the Galilean made his claim, he convinced 2,000 other fellow Galileans to follow him and lead a revolt against the Roman empire.  Rome of course responded swiftly and had crosses erected along the roadsides of Galilee to send the message that if anyone followed a leader claiming to be Messiah or revolutionary against Rome - their fate would be the same as Judas the Galilean and his followers.  What Jesus was calling for would had been radical indeed, and the disciples would had been taken back to the days of Judas. 

2. All that Christ did and is in His humanity becomes mine in salvation.  The position of being declared "the righteousness of Jesus Christ" in salvation is what we call justification, and the power and person of Christ granted to us in justification is a result of the Spirit's baptism or uniting us to Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) In saving faith I not only am granted the position of Christ's righteousness, but I am also granted the Person of Christ.  I have access to both His person and power, and He in turn is supernaturally united to me in fellowship.  Such a relationship and partaking of the Divine nature of Christ's person (2 Peter 1:3-4), as well as the human nature of Christ's person (Hebrews 2:11-14) is what the older Christians came to term "theosis". 

3. Albert Barnes. Notes on the New Testament. Kregel Publications. 1962. Page 1427

How Jesus Shines in Advent

1 Timothy 3:15-16 (15) "but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, 

Received up in glory." (NKJV)

Introduction:

In today's post I would like us to consider how Jesus Christ shined forth the light of His glory in the first advent when He came to this earth over 2,000 years ago. The underlined word in the above verses, "manifested", speaks of  making an appearance or shining forth in order to make one's identity visible to other people. The Holy Spirit by the Apostle Paul is using this early hymn sung by the Christians in Paul's day to explain the source for Godly living - union with Jesus Christ, and how Jesus came to make such union possible.

In context, Paul is explaining the whole point of the local church as being the "pillar and ground of truth" and as being all about God's people living Godly lives. In order for Christians in the local church to fulfill God's will for their lives, they have to understand their union and identity by faith in the God-man, Jesus Christ. The whole point of Christmas or advent centers around how Jesus Christ came to this world to partake in our nature and experiences.  He did this so that as Christians, we in turn could partake of His life and become more and more like Him in thought, word and deed. 

Advent season's true shining light is Jesus Christ. Thus let us take a few moments to see how Jesus shines forth in Advent from the six statements Paul makes about Christ's first coming in 1 Timothy 3:16. Jesus Christ shines forth in advent through...

1. Miracle birth
The first three statements of Paul's reflection on Christ's first advent reads:

a. "God was manifested in the flesh"
The word translated "manifested" here in the NKJV could just as easily be rendered "appeared" (NIV) and "revealed" (NASB). Quite literally the Person of the Son shined forth His glory through the taking on of a fully human nature by way of the virgin birth. The rendering of "He Who" (NASB, NIV, ESV) or "God" (KJV, NKJV) point back grammatically to the phrase "living God" of 1 Timothy 3:15. Quite literally the church of the Living God is the "Living God's Church" and this Living God is "God" ("He Who") was manifested in the flesh.

b. "Justified in the Spirit"
As Paul continues on in explaining to us how Jesus shines forth in His miraculous, virgin birth, He emphasizes the work the Spirit did in preserving the humanity of Jesus from sin. The NASB renders this word "vindicated", which gives the sense of the Holy Spirit bearing witness to all that the glory of the Son becoming man included Him being without sin.

c. "Seen by angels"
Nearly 20 times in the nativity accounts and Jesus' early life do we find mention of angelic involvement. Christ's miracle birth included the presence and activity of angels, further establishing the shining forth of His glory in His miracle birth in His Advent here on earth. But notice a second way in which Jesus shines forth His glory in the first advent, namely...

2. Message of the Gospel
The fourth and fifth lines of Paul's reflection on Christ's first advent reads:

a. "Preached among the Gentiles"
As we explore this early Christian hymn included in 1 Timothy 3:16 by Divine inspiration, what must be recalled is that this is a summary of Jesus' advent in song. This particular phrase emphasizes the preaching of the Gospel, and could include the preaching of Jesus and the Apostles during his earthly ministry, as well as the 20 or so sermons recorded through the book of Acts. The word for "preached" gives the idea of making a formal announcement concerning the royal decree of a King.  In this case the King is Jesus Himself, and the glory of His person is central to the message of the Gospel.

b. "Believed on in the world"

Those called by the Holy Spirit to respond to the Gospel about Jesus ended up believing on Him.  The First Advent and Christ's incarnation set the stage for its purpose: Christ's cross and resurrection. The Gospel proclaims the "event" of the Gospel, namely Christ's Person and work in the cross and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Secondly, the Gospel takes the "event" and ties it to how one can experience the salvation promised in the Gospel (John 3:16). Truly Christmas or advent season centers around Jesus Christ, who is also the center of the message through which He shines - the Gospel.

3. Massive Hope
The final line of Paul's reflection on Christ's first advent reads: "Received up in glory." Christ's virgin birth and incarnation summarize how he descended from heavenly glory to earth to accomplish His mission to save sinners, especially those who believe by grace through faith on Him. (1 Timothy 4:10) The wonder of this little hymn in 1 Timothy 3:16 is that it begins with glory and ends with glory.  Christ, having accomplished what He set out to do in His first coming, ascends back up to assume His Kingship at the Father's right hand.  Mark 16:19 records - "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (NKJV).

Now why is Jesus' ascension into heaven the cause for massive Hope? How does His ascension show forth the light of His glory in bring massive hope in His first advent? Simply put: Jesus' 1st advent sets the stage for what will be His 2nd advent.  Christmas points beyond itself to include the fact that Jesus who came is coming back yet again.  Titus 2:13 reminds us: "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." 1 John 3:2-3 states: "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Conclusions and applications:

So how does Jesus shine forth His glory in this advent season? First of all He shines forth by way of His miracle birth.  Christ, in his humanity, experienced a miracle birth so that all those by by grace through faith could do so by way of a miracle birth of their own - the New birth. Secondly, Jesus shines forth in advent by way of the message of the Gospel.  Only through the Gospel can anyone believe and be saved, and only through the Gospel can saints know who they are and Whose they are. Then finally, Jesus shines through advent by providing massive hope.  His 1st advent paved the way for what will be His 2nd advent or coming.  We as Christians have the responsibility to tell a lost world to be ready for His appearing and to look to Christ by faith as the source of endless hope. 

Christmas' glorious King revealed

Luke 2:12-14 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Introduction: What is the glory of God and why it is important?
When we talk about God's glory, the place to start looking for a clear definition is at Exodus 33:18-19 "Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” God's glory is when He puts the entirety of the goodness of His Divine nature on display. The Pocket Dictionary of Theological terms describes God's glory as: "The Biblical concept of glory carries with it connotations of inexpressible beauty and majesty."1 

Theologian J. Oliver Buswell writes this helpful insight on God's glory in regards to its significance: "That His love, His goodness, His holiness, and His justice should be infinitely magnified among all His creatures is the highest conceivable goal of all finite events. There is even a partial analogy, in the proper place of parents in the home, to the centrality of the glory of God in the universe. Parents who do not train their children to show proper respect are sinning against the entire household."2

How Christmas' glorious King is revealed
When it comes to the Christmas or advent season, the theme of God's glory is central. Salvation describes the chief work of God, with His glory being the main aim or purpose. God's glory is central to the Person of the Son coming to be virgin born, live, die, raise from the dead and ascend to the Father's right hand. God was pleased to have the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwell or be expressed through the Son as He came to also exist as a human being. (Colossians 2:9) When we focus equal attention on how God's glory will be revealed in Christ's second coming or advent, we find in Revelation 19:1-8 the theme of glory on His throne and His glory displayed in His church. With these thoughts in mind we aim in this post to briefly understand how Christmas' glorious King is revealed by consideration of four main thoughts:
1. The King's glory in His nativity. 
2. The King's glory on the cross.
3. The King's glory on His throne.
4. The King's glory in His church.

1. The King's glory in His nativity. 
Whenever we consider the events surrounding Jesus' nativity, the various witnesses of the infant Christ testify to His glory. Concerning the shepherds we read in Luke 2:16-19 "So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child." The shepherds "heard" of the glory of the Son from the heavenly hosts, however they also saw the glory for themselves by beholding God in human flesh in the manger. 

Let the reader note two other witnesses of the infant Christ and how they concluded that they were seeing the glorious King of Christmas. Simeon states in Luke 2:32 - "A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,And the glory of Your people Israel.” Shortly or near the same moment, the aged woman Anna the prophetess came and testified in Luke 2:38 "At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Now how do we know that what these witness were beholding was nothing less than the display of the Son's Deity through frail humanity? Consider John's statement in John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." 2 Corinthians 4:6 plainly notes: "For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Other passages in the New Testament letters testify to the fact that the Son's existence as a man did in no way take away from the fact that He was God at the same time. (1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 1:2) So Christmas' glorious King is revealed in His nativity. But notice also...

2. The King's glory on the cross.
Though Christ's journey to the cross would witness an increase in his humiliation, nevertheless He still retained the full glory of His deity - albeit veiled by His full humanity. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:14 - "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." The word translated "boast" is rendered "glory" in other English versions such as the KJV and Amplified Bible. Truly to boast about Jesus Christ is identical to glorifying Him. This is why the Holy Ghost says through Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2 that he would have us to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The shadow of the cross is connected to the cradle. As the ancient church father Tertullian notes, the death of Christ necessarily implied His birth, being that whatever dies must needs have a birth. So Christmas' glorious King is revealed in His nativity, on the cross and thirdly...

3. The King's glory on His throne.
When we turn to Revelation 19:1-6 we see a four-fold hallelujah being sung on account of what will be the Son's glorious victory over his enemies: Satan, the anti-Christ and the evils of men. Revelation 19:1 states - "After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." Now three main reasons are given in Revelation 19:1-6 as to why the glory of Jesus Christ on His throne is being praised:

a. The glory of His redemption, which display His grace and love for His people. 19:1

b. The glory of His judgments, which display His justice and holiness. 19:2-3

c. The glory of His Sovereignty, which displays the fact that He reigns. 19:4-6

The glorious revealed King, Jesus Christ, is coming again in power. In His first coming he came in frailty. The purpose for which Christ came the first time was to wear a crown of thorns and to be nailed to a cross to die. His resurrection and ascension heralded the fact that He would coming again a second time. The second coming will feature Him returning with a crown and a scepter of judgment in His nailed printed hand. Truly the glory of God manifested in fullness in Christ's humanity in His first coming will in the fullness of His glorified humanity display His endless power in His second coming.  So we see Christmas' glorious revealed King revealed in His nativity, His cross, on His throne and then lastly...

4. The King's glory in His church.
Revelation 19:7-8 states: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." Truly was this not the intent of Christ's incarnation in His nativity, His death on the cross and what will be the manifestation of His glory at His second coming? To reveal His glory through His saints. Ephesians 5:26-27 verifies this thought - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." 

Based off of the thoughts of C.S Lewis, it was for this purpose that Christ came to become man, so that for all who believe, whom He has called, whom He has chosen to be His bride, may become sons of God. Hebrews 2:11-14 ties in the fact that Jesus Christ came to partake of our humanity by becoming a man, so that we as human beings could partake of His Divine nature and thus have union with His person. (compare 2 Peter 1:4)

This we know: the depths of God's glory in Christ reached down to a manger and a cross, and the heights thereof reach high to the very throne upon which He sits. However the breadth of that glory will be most supremely shown in and among and through all those believers whom He loves, and who in turn love Him both now and forever. 

Conclusion:
 We have explored today how Christmas' glorious King is revealed by consideration of four main thoughts:
1. The King's glory in His nativity. 
2. The King's glory on the cross.
3. The King's glory on His throne.
4. The King's glory in His church.

May this serve to raise our hearts and minds to honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lord!

Endnotes:
1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Gurtezki & Cherith Fee Nordling. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. IVP. 1999. Page 55
2. J. Oliver Buswell. A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion - Volume 1. Zondervan. 1962. Page 164.

The King who Saves

Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Romans 5:9 "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

Revelation 15:3-4 "And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Introduction:

In this Christmas season the central message which defines the purpose for why Christ came the first time is this: Jesus saves! Whenever you see that phrase or hear it sung, does it ever dawn on you what Jesus Christ saves you and I from and for what purpose He saves all those who by His grace believe on Him? Christmas' revealed King in Revelation is none other than Jesus Christ. The message of salvation and its central person is Jesus Christ.  His identity as the One who saves resounds through the pages of Revelation, even in those chapters that detail the future outpouring of God's wrath on the earth. In today's post we want to consider what exactly the King of salvation, Jesus Christ, came to save sinners from and for what purpose He saves. In our exploration we will focus on the following two thoughts:

1. Jesus Christ saves from wrath. Luke 2:10-12, Revelation 15-18

2. Jesus Christ saves for His glory. Luke 2:13-14 

So with those thoughts in mind, let us first of all consider the fact that Christmas' revealed king...

Jesus Christ saves from wrath.  Luke 2:10-12, Revelation 15:18

We read these words in Luke 2:10-11 "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Whenever you see that word "Savior", the question that comes to mind is: what is it that Jesus is saving us from? Other passages in the Christmas accounts and New Testament both specify the identity of Jesus Christ as the One who alone saves. For example we read of Simeon saying later on in Luke 2:30 "For my eyes have seen Your salvation." John 1:29 and 4:42 both recognize Jesus Christ as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" and "the Savior of the world". So initially we can say that Jesus Christ is the Savior who saves us from our sins.  Matthew 1:21 notes - "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

However there is something even more profound and threatening than even our sins. What reaction do our sins bring about in God? Romans 1:18 states - "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." The wrath of God is the ultimate answer to the question: what does Jesus save you and I from. Romans 5:9 most clearly states: "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

So what is wrath and why is that a big deal when speaking about the King who saves? God's wrath is His settled, steady hatred of sin and all that is opposed to His Holy character. A.W Tozer notes: "God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys".  The people to whom God directs His wrath are not innocent, but knowingly, willingly and with a high-hand ignoring God's repeated warnings to forsake their sin. 

Wrath is a necessary component in of the Gospel.  The Gospel warns sinners of His wrath that will be executed in judgment prior to Christ's second coming as well as the Final judgment at the end of the Millennium. (Revelation 20:11-15)

An illustration: Not knowing the nature of approaching danger
I can recall when living in central Florida the time we had received word of an approaching Hurricane called "Hurricane Charley". For those who had been hit by a major Hurricane (Category 3 or more), the standard protocol was to pack up and move to a safer location. Being from Pennsylvania, Deb and I didn't know what the big fuss was all about. We also noticed that for others in the area who had never experienced such a hurricane that far inland, the lack of concern seemed to confirm our conclusion that there was nothing to fear. However for those older ones who had experienced such a brute force hurricane some 40 years prior, boards on windows and "sorry we're closed" signs were seen. Once the storm had come, we knew why some people had been urging us to flee from the storm's path. If we had known, we would had taken the warnings of those who were urging us to get ready more seriously.
Gaining a better understanding of the necessity of God's wrath
When it comes to God's wrath, everyone on planet earth knows about it whether they admit it or not. Now - rather than later - is the best time to find asylum in Jesus Christ. Wrath does not refer to God throwing some type of cosmic temper-tantrum, or that God is on some type of out of control rampage against an innocent, unsuspecting people. As we noted earlier: God's wrath is His settled, steady hatred of sin and all that is opposed to His Holy character. The evidence of God's wrath is not only written in sacred scripture, but also clearly displayed in the general revelation of creation and the conscience. Deep down people know they are in trouble with God, they just choose to suppress it. (compare Romans 1:18-31)

Often I'll hear people say: "I believe in a God of love, however I cannot believe that God is a God of wrath". For one thing, we don't have the right to pick and choose which Biblical attributes of God we like and don't like. Secondly, considering the hundreds of verses that speak on the subject of His wrath, as well as His love, tells us that such a quality is vital to our understanding of the God of scripture.

Think about this: if God were not the God of wrath, He could not be the God of love. Why? Because if God loved everything, He could not be the God of love, since God love righteousness and unrighteousness, what is holy and profane or love what is opposite of His character.
Bible Scholar Wayne Grudem affirms this point: Yet it is helpful for us to ask what God would be like if He were a God that did not hate sin. He would be a God who either delighted in sin or at least was not troubled by it. Such a God would not be worthy of our worship, for sin is hateful and is worthy of being hated. Later Grudem adds: "...and we rightly imitate this attribute of God when we feel hatred against great evil, injustice and sin."1 

In studying through the judgment sequence found in Revelation 15:1-18:24, we discover reference to God's wrath or judgment some eight times. Whenever we study through those chapters, as well as the near parallel passages of Revelation 6-11 & 12-14, the following observations emerge:

1. The primary revelation of God's wrath will change location - from heaven to earth
God's wrath is His settled, steady hatred of sin and all that is opposed to His Holy character.
What is going to mark a change in the way God's wrath is revealed is in how he reveals it in the tribulation period. The point of Revelation 6-11 and 12-14 is to show that the wrath of God revealed "from heaven" or indirectly in the consciences of men in general revelation will become manifest "on earth". Revelation 15-18 continues this emphasis of location. Revelation 15:1 sets the tone - "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished."
2. The intensity of God's wrath will dramatically increase in the tribulation. 
From Revelation 15-18 we see the wrath of God being poured out in ever increasing measure. Such passages as Revelation 15:7; 16:1; 17:1; 18:3 reveal that the wrath of God being revealed from heaven (Romans 1:18) will be expressed exclusively on this earth in the time period proceeding Christ's second coming.
3. God's wrath will reach a boiling point that will result in a final outpouring before Christ's return at the end of the tribulation period. 
In the final seven year tribulation period, and more specifically the later half, God's wrath will be consistently, directly and more intensely poured out due to all other measures of mercy and grace being exhausted by sinful man.
4. There is only one way to avoid the coming wrath of God - faith in Christmas's Revealed King, Jesus Christ. 

In seven particular spots we find words of encouragement either to church-age saints now who will be exempted from the tribulation period or reference to the future tribulation martyrs who will be shielded from the escalating wrath of God that will occur in the second half of that future period. Two examples from Revelation 15-18 include 16:15 & 18:20. The only way in which you can escape the wrath of God is through faith in Jesus Christ, His finished work and soon return.

So Jesus Christ the King saves all who believe on Him by grace from God's wrath. But now lets consider briefly for what purpose the King, Jesus Christ, saves sinners who believe on Him.
2. Jesus Christ saves for His glory. Lk 2:13-14 
Revelation 19:1-6
Whenever we proclaim the message: "Jesus saves", the negative that we're saved from is the wrath of God. However there is a positive purpose for which Jesus Christ extends His saving purpose: His glory. In Jesus' 1st & 2nd comings we see this emphasis. Luke 2:13-15 depicts the scene of the angels and shepherds: "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, 'Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”' 

Truly as one person as put it: God's grace is but His glory begun, and God's glory is but His grace completed.

Revelation 19:1-6 continues on this positive purpose of Jesus' act and identity as the King who saves - namely for the purpose of His glory. Four times we see the phrase "hallelujah!" repeated over what will be Christ's resounding victory over the evils of men, the forces of Anti-Christ and plots of the Devil. Revelation 19:1 begins - "After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." Then we see Revelation 19:6 end this four-fold hallelujah section - "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns." Truly the King who saves has the Spirit apply salvation to every believer in for the purpose of beholding His glory. It is this purpose which in our hearts the Spirit impresses and fills us with a joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:8)

Conclusion:
Today we took the time to study through Revelation 15-19 to explore the fact that Jesus Christ is the King who saves. We discovered that Jesus Christ is the King who saves from wrath and secondly, He is the King who saves for the purpose of revealing His glory.
Endnotes:
1. Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology. Zondervan. 1994. page 206 

2. http://biblehub.com/topical/w/wrath.htm

Christmas' Angelic proclamation

Matthew 1:20-21 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Introduction: How often we find angels in the birth narratives of Jesus in the Gospels

In today's post I wanted to briefly consider the roles angels played in the birth accounts of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.  Whenever we survey the Four Gospel accounts in regards to the number of times we find angels mentioned in connection to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, here is what we discover:

1. Total times we find angel or angels in Gospels=over 50

2. Angelic mentions in birth account=19 (37%)

In other words, for the birth accounts (infancy narratives) of the Lord we find a full 37% of all the angelic mentions in the four Gospel records. 

This little exercise serves to underscore that as the Holy Spirit inspired the four Gospels, and particularly Matthew and Luke, angelic activity and ministry was heavy in the beginning stages of our Lord's incarnation and early life in comparison to His life and final week here on earth.  In today's post we want to explore what exactly the angels were proclaiming at the time of Christ's incarnation/virgin birth/early life and why that is important for Christians today.  

Angels pronounced Christ's mission

As we saw in the opening passage of today's blog in Matthew 1:20-21, the mission of Jesus' virgin birth and first coming was to save His people from their sins. The shadow of the cross ever fell on the events surrounding the cradle. Notable too is the fact that Jesus Christ came as God in human flesh. The angel Gabriel in Matthew's account served to highlight the truth to Joseph that Jesus Christ's mission was to save His people from their sins and that as God in human flesh, Christ alone was qualified to do so.

Much like we see Gabriel doing for Joseph in Matthew 1:20-23 and then Mary in Luke 1:26-38, the ability to grab hold of Christ and His mission is increased as a result of angelic assistance. Mary and Joseph were both believers in the promises of God who already were operating in dependence upon the grace of the Spirit working on and upon them. However they needed the ability to grasp the unusual and miraculous nature of what God in the Person of the Son was undertaking. Angels have been used by God to aid in both the communication of His word, its explanation, and protection of those receiving it. However this particular bit of good news required ample aid by angels. The Christmas accounts reveal to us just how zealous the angels are over the glory of Christ and the need for His people to share in that zeal.

So we see angels pronouncing Christ's main mission for coming to earth, but notice what they also pronounced in the Christmas accounts of Matthew and Luke...

Angels pronounced Christ's majesty
Luke's Gospel in particular records how the Angels served to point God's people to the majesty of the Son in the following ways:

1. Majesty of Christ's fulfillment of scripture. Luke 1:26-33

Whenever you look at these passages, three major Old Testament Covenants are alluded to that undergird every major Old Testament prophecy regarding Jesus Christ.

a. The Davidic Covenant. Luke 1:32 "throne of His father David" cf 2 Samuel 7:13-16

b. The Abrahamic Covenant. Luke 1:33 "house of Jacob forever" cf Genesis 12:1-7

c. The New Covenant. Luke 1:33 "kingdom will have no end" cf Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 31:31-34

2. Majesty of Christ's humanity in the virgin birth. Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:34-38; 2:21

When the Person of the Son, forever God in His Divine nature, chose to come to earth to take upon himself a human nature, His majesty was in no way diminished. Theologian Charles Hodge notes: "The humanity of Christ in virtue of its union with His Divine nature is immeasurably exalted in dignity and worth, and even power over all intelligent creatures."1 Whenever we think of the significance of the virgin birth and what the angels were proclaiming, we must think along two lines. First, the person of the Son having a sinless, fully divine nature would never unite unto His Person a tainted, sinful human nature. Yes He came to be associated with sinful human beings, however He in His humanity was sinless. The virgin birth preserved Christ's humanity from the inherited sin of Adam that is passed along in a normal physical union.

The second significance of the virgin birth has to do with Christ in his humanity fulfilling the scriptures that detail the virgin birth. (Isaiah 7:14) The angelic involvement in expressing this truth to people like Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds and to us was so that we could behold the majesty of Christ in scripture and His humanity. But notice a final point the angels communicated about Christ's majesty...

3. Majesty of Christ's Deity retained in His incarnation. Luke 2:9-14

The angelic hosts meeting of the shepherds outside of Bethlehem served to underscore the fact that the baby in the manger never ceased sharing full Deity with the Father and the Spirit. We know this by carefully reading the angel's announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2:12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

When God utilized "signs" in the Bible, the sign was meant to "signify" a major reality or event or more so, God Himself showing up at that event. So the question is: what is the significance of the sign of the baby in the manger? The Angels proclaim in Luke 2:13-14 "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” The babe in the cradle never ceased being God in the highest! That is the point of the angelic proclamation!

Conclusion:

Today we have considered the angelic proclamation that occurred in and around the time of Jesus' birth as recorded in Matthew and Luke. We discovered two main truths the angels aimed to pronounce: Christ's mission and Christ majesty. May you dear reader have a glorious merry advent and wonderful upcoming new year!

Endnotes:

1. Charles Hodge. Systematic Theology - Volume 2. Eerdmans. 1965. Page 397