But she didnt yet comprehend the power of the man she knew as Jesus. So there is this connection again between us being transformed, and us beholding Him in His glory. [3] For this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3a). [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. This is a very curious scene to say the least! Indeed, the author reminds them of some of the essential elements of the foundation by immediately listing them. It is always interesting when Scripture uses such a specific number to describe something. Is there a phrase that more encapsulates the mission of Christ than this? ***Chapter 18 ought to remind us how much Christ prized us and how little we prized Him. This special affection is seen in the profuse love of this father for his wayward son. For this is His insight and instruction as to how to communicate with God, of whom He is One with the other two persons of the Godhead. If He wasnt raised from the dead, then HE isnt truly Gods Son, and isnt preeminent over all things, and cant help us in our time of need, and doesnt hear our prayers, and isnt powerful enough to save us from death if He Himself was defeated by death. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. We see in Christs response to Martha that He isnt concerned about the odor of Lazarus, Hes more concerned with the revelation of His glory. When John saw all these things his mind must have been quickly sifting through all the potential scenarios: grave robbers, Jewish leadership, Romans, revolutionariesor He rose up from death. It is a testament to the grace and power of God that we are protected from the wiles of the Devil and that is why your prayers of intercession for each other are so crucial, for God works through your prayers to thwart the enemy. (1 Corinthians 15:14-19). 113. That image comes from Francis Thompson, a 19th century British poet who wrote "The Hound of Heaven." Although Thompson was a follower of Christ, he struggled with poverty, poor health, and an addiction to opium . It was his job to preside over the Sanhedrin. o Memorize Scripture:[xiii] Chuck Swindoll says, I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. These men all agreed that sin has resulted in human nature being unable, on its own, to do what pleases God or to obey (from the heart) the commands of God. Ware actually cites Paul in Romans 8:7-8 where the apostle says that the desires of the flesh are set against God, Those who are in the flesh cannot please God., [vi] This is taken from a sermon called Human Inability from three different paragraphs. 1094. Keep communion as your aim, and remember the words of Scripture are there for us to know Gods heart, to commune with the Living Christ, and to respond appropriately to his beauty and to his voice. The thing this passage really stresses as a result of diving deep in the word of God is the ability to have discernment between what is good and what is bad (vs. 14). When you take the entire corpus of his work, his writing, youll see a man so transfixed on Jesus that in order to summarize his entire mission to the Corinthians he says that he resolved to know nothing else but Christ and Him crucified. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake. [2] For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. In John 11 this is what happens. And on the flip side, perhaps you are willing to eat with them, and youre very approachable, but you dont ever lead them to the reason for the hope within you. [xiii], Amils believe that the first resurrection is simply that spiritual resurrection that has taken place and realized during the intermediate state. Thousands of Bibles were confiscated, and multitudes of believers were sent to the gulags-prison camps-where . John wrote this entire book for this purpose (John 20:30-31), and Christs entire mission was centered on this fundamental goal. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. It isnt that Marthas faith is wrong, it is simply not matured, it simply hasnt grown into a full-orbed understanding of the character and nature and power of who God in Christ is, and what He is capable of doing. For when we speak of the millennium were talking about the Kingdom of God, and specifically the reign of His Christ. There were two trials, one Jewish and one Roman. 51, [viii] For more on the linear nature of history, see Anthony Hoekemas Created in Gods Image. [2] Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save us! But more than that, there is this beautiful hope of eternity with the Lover of our soul. He cares deeply for them. We know His motivation, as discussed earlier, for this was love. (Human Inability, 1858). But He completely healed them. Why are even his professed followers so cold in their affections to him? We must immerse ourselves in Scripture Reading, Scripture Memorization, Scripture meditation, and prayer. (John 3:36 ESV). It this doesnt turn you off, then I hope you are able to enjoy the study! And that group includes me. Jesus gospel is simple and life changing. Paul says God gave them up or turned them over to their own desire multiple times in this passage. We can do this, as Christians, by prayerful meditation on the Word of God. But this is not the case. May 23, 1886. We become saturated with the Word of God, like Gideons fleece, which was wet with the dew of heaven; and this can only come to pass by our receiving it into our minds and hearts, accepting it as Gods truth, and so far understanding it as to delight in it. We can see how possibly the Father could be glorified at the end game, but to actually be pleased to crush Himthat takes on a whole new difficulty for us. Well, I think that we can easily say that it was worth noting how many fish simply because its a lot of fish! 13:15). 2:15-16a), [xi] I like what Tony Reinke says on reading through the Bible in a year, Reading the Bible from cover to cover in 2013 is a noble goal. John Frame describes the difference between Amils and Post-mills: Well, although the postmil agrees with the amil that our age is a time of persecution for the church, he also thinks that during this time Christians will come to have more and more influence in general culture. The theology fell out of style, yet there are some very smart theologians whom I respect who still hold this theology today. The future aspect of the kingdom is its final consummation.[iii]. Caiaphas cold political reasoning seemed shrewd the ends justified the means. [x] And it is Gods prerogative to use the instrument of His Word and Spirit to do this. By continual hearing of the Word and submitting your lives joyfully to its teaching. It is significant to me that her first reaction is to run and find her sister. Im sure you can look back at times in your life when you wanted so badly to fly here or go there or do this or that but you couldnt and perhaps as you look back on it now, it was for the better. I praise God that though I am a sinner, Christ died for me. They dont want to hear that their lives are headed for eternal hell. Shocking claim number two comes in verse 20. And that leads the Apostle to his final exhortation. [45] If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son? [46] And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. But He wants them to have utmost confidence that He is who He says He is, and so that for years to come they would look back on this moment and fall on their faces with thanksgiving in their hearts. Spurgeon was a man well acquainted with sorrow and pain and he penned the following graphs based around his understanding of Romans 14:8, which says, We live unto the Lord.. This is what transforms us by constant practice., Matthew Henry rightly states, The word of God is food and nourishment to the life of grace: As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.. Charles Spurgeon. In the final verse we find that those who do right are okay coming into the light. That he will not come to the feast at all? [57]Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Brethren, in heaven we shall dive into the deepest depths of fellowship with Jesus . While Peter is denying, Jesus is embracing who He is and why He came. It is so bold, so new, so fearless. Read by Richard Burton.Subscribe to our Yo. [10] Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! First, Jesus initiates a love for us and then expects us to follow His example: We love because he first loved us. Plenty of people understand the ABCs of what Jesus did. Only then do I feel like I have an excuse to lose my temper. 28). Jesus practically overflowed with love. So much is made of whether the millennium is a literal 1,000 years when up until that 20th chapter in Revelation no other number (save perhaps the 7 churches?) Jesus she reasons would never have allowed my brother to die.. [16] I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. Lean on His promises and trust that He is who He says He is. So Jesus withdrew for a time in order to prepare for the final chapter in His ministry, where He would once again enter Jerusalem, this time for the last time before His grand passion that would serve as the atoning sacrifice for millions and millions of His followers for generations to come, effectively changing the world forever. You really get the feeling from chapter 17 that there is a plan that is unfolding hour by hour here, that the Father and the Son who is filled with the Spirit are working in complete coordination on the unfolding of their glory in a way that will seem terrible and confusing to any bystander unacquainted with Jesus teaching. Only the sovereign grace of God will melt these hearts of stone. And as we see in chapter 15, it is a kingdom populated by sinners. but that book really helped open my eyes to see Gods beauty & truth in literature. Sproul has a marvelous explanation of this, especially as it pertains to Pharoah in his book Chosen by God. [xi], The Amillennial position, which holds some points in common with both of the premillennial positions, believes that the church age is the kingdom age prophesied in the Old Testament. From this tremendous Lover. The first is that John lets us know this is the first day of the week. This is Sunday. So certainly the gospel has transformed our world. Matthew Henry says, It is a sin and shame for persons that are men for their age and standing in the church to be children and babes in understanding, This is why James rightly says, Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21 ESV), We must also not misunderstand and think that the elementary truths are not precious, that is not what the author is stating.[viii]. This is the moment at his lowest when he comes to himself. Here is a plan proof that it does not.. They were to be fishers of men.. [14] This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. I love how Christs perfect timing crushes our doubt and shows us that He alone holds the keys to truth and life. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 1088. [13] And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. Pauls entire lens of thinking was seen through the Lordship prism of Jesus. So our need for salvation cannot be met by our own efforts to cling to Christ. This is a truth rooted in the prophets He had a specific group of people upon whom He had set his affections: For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. He knows that they might not fully understand His words, but He knows that His words will never pass away (Matt. May it never be! 11:25-26Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. That is what we need to take away from this passage. But that is not the case as well see later on, for when Christ approaches the tomb and asks that the great stone blocking its entrance be removed, Martha protests that there would be a stench! This is what happens here. C.H. With this cursory understanding of the kingdom of God under our belts, let us examine the four major views on the reign of Christ in the millennium. [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. You must trust yourself, your heart and your soul and your entire life to His command. Comments will be approved before showing up. Nor would thieves likely have left the wrappings, containing expensive spices, behind. He knew that millions and millions of Christians would read these words and meditate on His character, and bring Him glory. Not Bound Yet "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound." 2 Timothy ii. Later in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul describes it in this way: For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This also sets in sharp relief once again just how dangerous it would have been for Jesus to go back to the Jerusalem area. He knew the impact of these verses. Heres how the exchange went: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? [14]And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. [15]He said to them, But who do you say that I am? [16]Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:13-16). Surely He knows more than anyone how to speak with His Father. It showed off his blinding power that these people would have no hope in the reality of glorious nature of the world to come. He could have said to Himself I am really dying for this? but He did not. Would God keep his children out of paradise a single moment longer than was necessary? I find this extremely important when figuring out questions of interpretation. But still, there are some observations that may hearten us and enrich the passage as a whole. As Carson notes, their question is not designed to elicit information. An important part of the gospel is the hope for eternity with God. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7). Much has, perhaps rightly, been made of how when Jesus asked Peter whether he loved him, he was using the word agape whereas Peter was responding with phileo for his description of love. The glory of God is mediated through the written Word of God and effectively applied to our hearts by the Spirit of God. John Frame notes that some older literature reveals that there are a few Post-mills who have said that is a part of this time now, but more will reside in the future. God is the One responsible for our salvation from first to last. I fled Him down the arches of the years. Mary, as stunned and hurt as she was by the loss of her brother ran quickly to find Jesus. It is the underlying reason for all Gods works, from the creation of the world, to the redemption of fallen sinners, to the judgment of unbelievers, to the manifestation of His greatness for all eternity in heavenEverything God created gives Him glory except fallen angels and fallen men. Christians who carry out the fruit of their salvation in love toward others give glory to God. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. The primary reason for the miracle (to bring glory to God and Christ Jesus) leads to the secondary reason, the bolstering of our faith. Secondly, the living of this son is the life promoted by the world. Jesus, in effect, was showing them that they didnt understand Him because they didnt understand the nature of the person of the messiah and his mission. The history of Israel was one of disobedience, exile, and salvation. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. [22] But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. D.A. He basically says, Fine, you want these things? 20:2-4 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. [3] So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 15 September 2019. Remember what side of the cross Peter is on. Take them and see that they are worthless and temporary compared to what I have to offer you!, But it is devastating to realize that this son wants to waste everything his father has worked so hard to save.[9]. About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. In our recent Bible study there was a passing comment about Spurgeon describing God as the hound of heaven, citing that God relentlessly pursued him until Spurgeon finally surrendered to him. Everyman's Library Edition. [vii] This quote from Schreiner is from his New Testament Biblical Theology, Page 512. When Isaiah behold the glory of God he was exposed and saw, perhaps for the first time, not just who God is, but who he was (Sproul). Ought we not to ask how John has written of such things in other parts of his book? Because Jesus is who and he is he inevitably divides people., Specifically, it is interesting that some people ran to the PhariseesCarson says, One might charitably hope that the motive of at least some of them was to win the Pharisees to the truth, but the contrast set up between those who believe and those who go to the Pharisees suggest that their intent was more malicious., Ryle says that these people who ran to the Pharisees had been hardened in heart, Instead of being softened and convinced, they were hardened and enraged. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. [15] Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. In verse 11 we read that He was going to drink of the cup that the Father had for Him. 11:30-32Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. We are never to be lacking in zeal but keep our spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Oh, the glory we shall then enjoy up yonder, on the hills of spices in the garden of God. It is the beautiful glory of His holiness which confounds men. The shepherd of Israel was always seen as the Lord. It is in these things that solid food is apprehended and consumed. All men will one day give account for their behavior during this life.
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