Alan Cross has written a wonderful post with the message that we don’t ask Jesus into our life, God invites us into His. The key to knowing what the scriptures actually teach begins with perspective, and Alan has changed my perspective radically. I hope he changes yours as well.
I’m always thinking. Now sometimes that is good and sometimes that is bad. I hear or read something, I think about it, dissect it, think about it again, and then begin to research to see if I can put the puzzle in my mind together.
Some call this discernment, some call this thinking too much. It’s how I came to the conclusion on a lot of the doctrine I hold to now. I began by listening, then searching the scriptures to see if what I heard was true, then I begin to form my view, which I strive to be biblical, then I begin to teach or live what I have discovered.
I like discussions, even with those who I disagree with. That reason is that I get a different perspective, I see things that maybe I hadn’t seen before. Discussion is always fruitful, even if they get a little heated
I say all of this as I am thinking out loud on this post, and all are free to discuss here. I have been reading a lot in the book of John because this is what our Sunday School class is studying, using John MacArthur’s study book. It’s been very enlightening, but a reoccurring theme seems to be threading through this book that I would like to encase here. Love. Love for Christ, Christ’s love for others, love for God, God’s love for us. The disciples love for Christ, His special love for them. Love.
The examples that I will be giving all reflect the same thing. Christ always did for the benefit of others, never for Himself. He did it without monetary reward. Each demonstration had a specific purpose. He did it to show the world who He was, which was the Christ, the Son of God.
First was the miracle of turning the water into wine. This was Christ’s first public miracle. One of eight, that would confirm Jesus deity. But why turn water into wine? What purpose did this miracle have? What did Christ reveal about Himself in this miracle?
According to John MacArthur in New Testament Commentary (John 1-11):
Wine was the staple drink in the ancient Near East. Due to the warm climate and the lack of any means of referigeration or purification, fruit juice tended to ferment. The result was an alcoholic beverage with the capability of inducing drunknenness. To help avoid the risk of inebriation, wine was commonly diluted with water to one-third to one-tenth of its strength. Though the Bible does not forbid drinking wine, and in some cases commends it(e.g. Ps. 104:14-15; Prov 32:6; Jer. 32:1-12; 1 Tim. 5:23) it strongly condemns drunkenness. (Gen. 9:20-27; Deut. 21:20-21; Prov. 20:1;23:29-35; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 5:11;6:10; Gal.4:21; Eph. 5:18; 1 Tim.3:3,8; Titus 1:7;2:3, 1 Peter 4:3).
A major crisis loomed at the wedding celebration when the wine ran out because the supply was insufficient. Such an embarrassment faux paus could have stigmatized the couple and their families for the rest of their lives. It could have left the groom and his family open to a lawsuit by the bride’s family for failing to meet their responsibilities. Thus Jesus’ turning the water into wine was not a sensational miracle, designed only to amaze His audience with His power. All of His miracles met specific needs such as opening blind eyes or deaf ears, delivering those oppressed by demons, feeding hungry people or calming a threatening storm. This miracle met the genuine need of the family and their guests, who otherwise faced a social catastrophe.
How many of us have read or heard about this miracle and thought about it like this? Now to go even further and skipping the details, every single act Jesus did in performing this miracle was for a specific purpose. The kind of jars He used, the number of jars He used, the number of gallons produced… every single detail was on purpose for a specific purpose. But it was never, ever for His own gain. Every miracle was for the benefit of others. All we done with kindness and love, including Christs’ touch. What lesson is that for us?
I believe it falls back to the passage in Matthew where Christ asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” I will deal with this further in upcoming posts, including the act of Christ that is so often referred to by those who would wish to not cooperate with other believers, the throwing out of the money changers at the temple. What message was Christ conveying in doing this? Where did His concerns lie? In changing government?
Isa 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
Isa 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
When reading scripture, the biggest mistake made is that scripture is read in the context of whatever time period the reader is currently in. But scripture, while surely applicable for us today, needs to be accurately read in the time period in which it is written, not in the present.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Son of God, that denotes subordination in today’s language, and possibly when put next to all the passages in scripture that speak of children obeying their parents, honoring father and mother, and the passages that speak of bringing up and disciplining children. But that is not what the Bible is speaking of when it says that Jesus is the Son of God. The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus is God. He is, has been, and will be eternally.
So how do we reconcile these passages? By understanding the time period in which the Bible was written, and the fact that Christ is God. In the culture of Biblical times, a son was equal in every way to his father. For example, a king’s adult son would enjoy the same exact privileges and stature as his father the king. He would be afforded the same respect, treatment, and rights as his father. He was looked upon as equal in every way. So when the people of that time period would read or hear that Christ was the Son of God, this is how it was understood by the people. It’s why the Jews were so angry and wanted to crucify Christ, because Christ was claiming to be equal with the Father God.
The words “beget”, “begotten” that are used in scripture proves his equality to God the Father. These words tells us that He is of the same essence as God the Father. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. All are God, all are co-eternal, all are equal. All are three distinct persons. How to fully explain them is a mystery to even the greatest of minds.
We must be careful in the attempt to fully explain the Trinity because it is then we delve off into rewriting scripture through interpretation. Therefore, we shouldn’t try. Bob brought up a good point in one of his comments writing that men try to explain what they don’t fully understand. I agree, and that is a grave mistake.
God the Father is God. Jesus Christ is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Not three God’s, one God, Three persons. All are co-equal. All have the same attributes. May we not deviate from these important truths lest we weaken the authority and power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
* Sources
Book of John
MacArthur New Testament Commentary(John 1-11), MacArthur John, Moody Press 2006
Paul tells us to renew our mind. How we renew our mind is by not just reading scripture, or by finding proof-texts, but by a solid, deep, careful, study. This takes a lot of time, requires a lot of prayer, a lot of reading, but renewal does take place.
What is Paul talking about when he speaks of renewing the mind? Taking out what you may have been taught or wrong things believed, and replacing them with truth, the truth of the Bible. Unlocking the secrets of God reserved for those who are His through belief in Jesus Christ.
I have been privileged to belong to a Sunday School class made up of women who have been digging deep into the scriptures the last year, using John MacArthur’s study guide along with other fine sources that have aided me. We have studied the whole books of Galatians and Ephesians, now entering into the study of the book of John.
The riches that have been gleaned from studying this way are numerous.
As I have been preparing for Sunday’s lesson on 1 John 1:1-18, one thing has stood out more than any other message, Jesus is God. Fully God. Now I know that we have been taught this, we say it, but it seems to be said with no meaning until one begins to dig, think, dig some more, as to the full implications of this fact.
John MacArthur writes:
The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is an essential, nonnegotiable tenet of the Christian faith. Several lines of Biblical evidence flow together to prove conclusively that He is God.(The Macarthur New Testament Commentary John 1-11; page 13; Moody Publisher;2006)
The book of John is usually the first book we direct unbelievers or new believers to read, but this book is written to seasoned Christians too. It is written to strengthen our faith, to give us food to persevere in our faith.
The book of John, tells us in a few chapters what it took John three years to learn about Christ. John begins this book with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Verse 2: “He was in the beginning with God.”
Verse 3: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
Just about every Christian has memorized that passage, it usually comes in the little memorization packet of verses we each have received as children, getting a prize of some sort for having memorized it. Beginning with that memorization and heading further into our adult years, this verse looses its meaning. It’s just something we tell unbelievers as we witness, without really looking at its power, and its truth that goes beyond what the greatest minds can fathom. God. The eternal, infinite God, became man in the person of Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh. The “I Am”, the one Thomas addressed as “My Lord and My God.”(John 20:28).
Paul wrote to the Philippians that Christ existed in the form of God, possessing absolute equality with God(Phil. 2:6). Jesus Christ received worship, even though He taught that only God was to receive worship.(Matthew 14:33, 28:9, John 9:38, Phil. 2:10, Heb. 1:6, Matthew 4:10). Holy men and angels refused worship. (Acts 10:25-26).
Jesus received prayer which is only to be addressed to God. (John 14:13-14, Acts 7:59-60, 1 John 5:13-15.)
Other passages that confirm this are Colossians 2:9, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, 1 John 5:20, to name a few.
Now before you decide that this post is too boring, think about the above. Pray that you would be able to see and feel the full impact of this valuable and awesome truth.
*Sources:
MacArthur New Testament Commentary, MacArthur John, Moody Bible Press (2006)
No, not the video that’s been floating around. 
It’s what I believe to be true and view the Bible as teaching.
God considered Abraham a friend:
Isa 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
2Ch 20:7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
He spoke to Moses as a friend:
Exo 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Job was considered a friend, or some translations say Job was taken into the secret places of God:
Job 29:4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
David was a considered a friend by God. He showed David His Covenant, His secrets, loved him early, choosing David to be King, giving him the ability to kill Goliath, saved him from Saul:
Pro 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Jesus tells the disciples that they were His friends:
Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Joh 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Jesus always gets His man, woman, or child:
Joh 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
The first hymn that comes to mind of course, is What A Friend We Have In Jesus, one of my favorites:
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our pain and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh what peace we often forfeit
Oh what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
OK now will someone tell me how to get that video song out of my head?
Jesus Christ is the only true deliverer. He said “I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.”
Ministry of Reconciliation
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