Spiritual Heartburn

Luke 24:32

On the day of Christ’s resurrection, He appeared to two disciples while they walked the 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Their eyes were withheld by God from knowing who Jesus was (Luke 24:16), so they spoke to Him as if He were any ordinary stranger making the journey. As they told Him of the events of the past three days, they revealed their doubts about the rumors of resurrection that they had heard and they appeared as if they were ready to abandon all hope. Christ speaks to them, and in doing so, shows each of us how we too can see Him now that He is alive forevermore.

Jesus could have simply revealed themselves to Him by speaking to them as old friends and by showing them His hands and His feet, but this gives you and me no help in having our own personal revelation of Jesus Christ. To reveal Himself, He begins at Moses and all the prophets and “He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). This means that Jesus opened the Old Testament up to them as a way of finding Christ. Hidden in the codes of the Law and the symbolism of the Tabernacle and the prose of the Psalms was the Savior of the world.

If this is how Jesus preached in a post-resurrection world, perhaps we should take note! He ministered of Himself in all of the Old Testament, giving us a preaching template. We should shine the light on the hidden mysteries of the Bible, finding Jesus in every possible place. This journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus would have taken several hours by foot, so one can imagine all of the fascinating things that Jesus brought out of the scriptures in this amount of time.

Still blind to the fact that they were walking and talking with Jesus Himself, the two disciples beg Him to abide with them for dinner. They do not ask because they think He is Jesus; they are not yet aware of this, but they desire to be around Him because He has revealed Christ to them through the scriptures. This method of winning men still works. Show men Jesus in the Bible and they will want to be around you; saints and sinners alike. People love to have Christ revealed to them when He is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

As soon as Jesus breaks bread with them “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him” (Luke 24:31). When Jesus body is broken before our spiritual eyes, they are opened to great revelations of His love and grace. As we present a crucified Jesus; broken for the sins and sicknesses of man, we provide people with the opportunity for powerful revelations of Jesus Christ. When we feast on this type of bread (revelation) we too will say as these disciples, “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)

Spiritual heartburn is the only kind of heartburn that you never want to get rid of! When you eat of His grace and glory, your heart burns with the warmth of His love for you. As you feast on the crucified Lamb, your spirit man longs for more and more of His saving knowledge. This is a longing that is the ultimate paradox in the universe: it provides you with absolute satisfaction while never leaving you satisfied.

As you feast on His goodness today, see Jesus in every little corner of your life. Notice the burn down in your heart as you have fresh revelations of His love and favor. Savor this moment, for Jesus paid a great price for that burn.

The Thorn in the Flesh

2 Corinthians 12:1-11

I have counseled many believers who claim that God has given them a thorn in the flesh. They speak of their chronic back pain or their various disabilities of body or mind as God’s way of keeping them humble. Through these testimonies, it appears that God is always switching sides; one minute fighting for us while the next minute, fighting against us. Rest assured your Father is better than that!

Paul states that he was given “a thorn in the flesh”, but does not tell us what that thorn is (2 Corinthians 12:7). While he never gives details about this thorn, he does however tell us more than is usually preached from this passage. He specifically describes his thorn in the flesh as being “the messenger of Satan to buffet me”. Messengers deliver messages which should be obvious. This takes away the possibility that Paul’s thorn was bodily weakness or repulsive appearance or poor vision as many commentators have claimed.

A messenger of Satan came against Paul “lest I should be exalted above measure”, which indicates that Paul viewed what the enemy was saying against him as a way to remain humble in spite of all of his previous revelations (verses 1-6). Paul does not blame the thorn on God, but gives God glory, seeing that God can teach us valuable lessons even when Satan is the one delivering the message.

After having sought God for deliverance from the stinging words of this messenger, Christ says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s promise is that for every message that the enemy delivers to Paul to weaken him, God will offer an abundance of grace to counter it. The more that Paul is attacked; the more that God pours in His grace. This causes Paul to “gladly therefore…glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (verse 9).

Once Paul has seen how powerful that God’s grace is in his weakest hour, he welcomes the weak hour! He is so excited about persecutions and distresses that he says, “I am become a fool in glorying” (verse 11). In other words, “It is ridiculous how much grace and favor is coming my way whenever the enemy attacks. Because of this, I welcome the attacks and people think I’m crazy!”

Do you have a thorn in the flesh? It is quite possible, but let’s identify it correctly instead of slapping that label onto something that it is not. Your sicknesses and diseases have been paid for in the body of Jesus Christ (Matthew 8:17), so God CANNOT take sicknesses off of Jesus and put them onto you to teach you a lesson. He loves you more than you love your own children, and even in their worst moments, would you wish cancers and tumors onto them?

Perhaps there are attacks that continue to be leveled against you causing you to cling ever tighter to God’s grace. This may very well be a thorn in the flesh, sent by the enemy to torment you, but God is turning it into a beautiful opportunity to both teach and prosper. As soon as you see it for what it is, the door to taking pleasure in the moment is opened to you and you are ready to say, “when I am weak, then am I strong” (verse 10).

There is no need to ask for a thorn in the flesh, Satan will find you eventually. When it arrives, be prepared for God’s abundant grace to be even more evident in your life as the power of Christ rests upon you.

Not What You Do, But Who You Are

Romans 14:17-18

When the Bible refers to the Kingdom of God, it is rarely speaking of Heaven. Most often, it is talking about that composite whole that makes up the Christian experience, not to be attained down the road, but to be witnessed within the heart and life of each child of God.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, ‘Lo here!’ or, ‘Lo there!’ For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). The Greek word that Jesus uses for “within you” is ‘entos’ meaning, “in the midst”. The kingdom of God had already been promised to David and spoken of by the prophets, but Israel would reject it. Now, the kingdom of God lives in the hearts of men; someday it will come in the clouds (verse 24).

If the kingdom of God is within us, then what does Jesus mean when He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33)? It the kingdom of God is within us, yet we are still seeking that kingdom first and foremost, how can these things be?

The answer is completed in Paul’s writing to the church at Rome, while speaking about what men can eat and drink now that they are saved. Some thought it was wrong to eat certain meats because they had been forbidden in Judaism, while others thought that it was fine. Paul doesn’t just come out and say “Eat this” or “Don’t eat this”; instead he offers that believers under grace live by a higher set of standards than this.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). You have the Holy Ghost living inside of you as a believer, so your life is greater than arguments over “right and wrong”. Instead, you are to follow after that which identifies with the three characteristics that you have inside of you: righteousness, peace and joy.
If the decision that you are about to make brings no peace and joy, avoid it! You are the righteousness of God in Christ, so you live by that which speaks to the righteousness of God in you. When there is a feeling of death or disturbance about a situation, it is the Holy Ghost in you ministering to you so that you will move away from the issue. We do not need a list of “Do’s and Don’ts”; we have the Holy Ghost!

“For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Romans 14:18). This next verse tell us that if we serve Christ by going after that which ministers to righteousness, peace and joy in our hearts then this is “acceptable to God” and we will be “approved of men”. This world cannot help but gravitate towards believers who go after peace and joy. These believers are not full of hate and condemnation and sinners move naturally toward that flow of love, for it is most like Jesus.

I have heard some preachers comment that if the world approves of you then you are doing something wrong. Don’t listen to such nonsense, especially in light of Paul’s statement that believers that follow after the kingdom of God in their hearts will have the approval of men. May we believers be known more for who we are than for what we do. Only then will we properly represent our Heavenly Father and have all things added to us.

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:1, 2

It is perfectly reasonable for God to ask believers to give Him their whole body, soul, mind and spirit. In light of the price that Jesus paid for us at the cross, that is not too big a request. Paul calls it our “reasonable service”, for you and I are already holy by the blood of Jesus, thus when we give ourselves to Him, we are “acceptable”.

Now I am no different than any other pastor in that I want every person in my church to live a life of honor before the world. I want each Christian to show forth the characteristics of Christ and to let their fruit speak of His grace and favor. Part of this desire is so that the church will be strong but there is also a part that wants it because I want to see that the message of grace and favor works. By experience and by testimony I can tell you, it works!

While we pastors may come up with a long sermon series on how to live right, there is no greater verse in the New Testament for believers to read and know than Romans 12:2 when it comes to looking less like the world and more like Jesus. Paul starts by telling you what not to do and then explains how:

1. “Be not conformed to this world” – The Greek word for “conformed” here is ‘sunschematizo’ which means “to pattern after a certain thing”. Paul is telling believers not to pattern the way that they live after the way the world lives. This doesn’t have anything to do with our dress or our homes or jobs, but rather it involves structuring our lives around the same principles by which sinners govern themselves. It is not to “this world” that we are most loyal, but rather to the next one.

2. “But be ye transformed…” – There is a transformation that must take place within a believer that is much like the one that took place the moment that we were born again. At conversion, our old things passed away and everything became new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, we must have another transformation that is ‘metamorphaomai’ in Greek meaning “to reflect the inside”. Our outside needs to begin to reflect our inside.

3. “…by the renewing of your mind” – Here is the answer to how we cease to be conformed to the world and begin to reflect on the outside what is happening on the inside. We must renew the way that we think about who we are in Christ. This word appears only twice in the Greek New Testament, the other time being in Titus 3:5 where we have been renewed by the Holy Ghost. When we change what we think of us to line up with what He thinks of us, we start to reflect on the outside what the Holy Ghost has done on the inside.

4. “That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” – This portion of scripture is not telling us to go out and find the perfect will of God for our lives. In connection with the previous statements within the verse, and in light of the Greek meaning of “prove”, we find something completely different. “Prove” is “to recognize as genuine after examination”. When our mindset becomes as His we will prove to the world what it means to be truly good and acceptable and perfect inside of the will of god. When sinners examine us they will have to conclude that we are what we say that we are, and all because we think of ourselves the way that He thinks of us.

Need a bit of help with changing your mind? Just know what He thinks about you. He sees you as righteous and forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. Still not enough? Then take what Paul said to the church at Philippi:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:5, 6).

The Chastening of the Lord

Hebrews 12:7

There is a distinct difference between receiving chastisement out of wrath and anger and receiving it out of love. All chastisement that the believer receives from the Lord is out of God’s heart of love and compassion; not a result of God’s anger. Jesus was wounded for our sins and also, “the chastisement of our peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). This means that Jesus was disciplined so that we could have peace. God can’t discipline us for the same reason and still remain righteous in His dealings with His Son, therefore all discipline on us is to profit us and make us partakers of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

Did you know that the same Greek word used for ‘chastisement’ is also used for ‘nurture’ and ‘instruction’? It appears as nurture in Ephesians 6:4 when Paul tells parents to raise their children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord”. It is used as instruction in 2 Timothy 3:16 when Paul tells Timothy that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Placing ‘nurture’ next to admonition (which means ‘exhortation’), we see that Paul wants parents to show their children a loving God. In his use of ‘instruction’ to Timothy, he can’t be showing that the Bible beats people, for a book has no power to do so, but it certainly can ‘instruct’.

Remember, it was the translation from Greek to English that brought us these different words. The translators could have used the word ‘nurture’ throughout Hebrews 12, and we would have less confusion regarding the chastening power of the Lord. The author used the same Greek word in each passage, but our rendering of it into one word or the other has a profound effect on our interpretation of these passages.

Why must we always view ‘chastening’ as God beating us senseless? Or why do we assume that it means that God sometimes takes our job away or breaks our car or gives us a disease so that we will be less prideful or more giving? Would you do this to your child? If you wish to teach your little girl not to play in the street, do you shove her in front of a truck and then say, “That’s what happens when you play in the street. Maybe now you will listen to daddy”? That kind of parenting would get you locked up!

The fact that we are sons of God means that we are going to receive true chastisement from our Heavenly Father. This chastisement will instruct us in the ways of righteousness and show us a little more of Jesus every day. As our Father, He deals with us in much the same way that we would deal with our own children. The word ‘chastise’ is ‘paideuo’ in Greek and it means “child-training”. God is training us up as children and the quicker that we think of Him as a Father to little children, the quicker that we will see Him as good.

I think that in our Western culture, we had several generations of distant fathers, and this caused us to view our Heavenly Father in the same light. Dads were seen but not heard from for quite some time, and they were only brought into situations when there was discipline needed. That discipline usually came of the physical variety, and thus our perception of God became that He only steps in when we have done something wrong and then His wrath will be felt. You are His special child, and He is NOT a distant Father. He is right next to you at all times, training up the child in the way that he or she should go. Walk tall believer, Daddy has got your back!

Fearful Expectation of Judgment

Hebrews 10:26-28

This passage is often used to come against the message of pure grace, saying that if people knowingly sin after salvation then there is no forgiveness for that sin. This is reading into a passage what is not there, as a quick look at this verse and the surrounding verses will show.

While verse 26 does not describe a specific sin, verse 29 tells us exactly what that “sin” would be: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be though worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

The individual who should expect “judgment and fiery indignation” is the one who walks on the blood of Jesus’ covenant. In other words, he who says “No” to the sacrificial work of Jesus is the man who should expect the wrath of God. John told us as much in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”.

We should also notice that in verse 26, it never tells us that there is no more forgiveness for us if we sin, but rather there “remains no more sacrifice for sins”. As this book is written to the Hebrews, it is a stern warning to Jewish believers that there is no longer a need for them to continue sacrificing animals. To put bullocks and lambs on the altar is to step on the blood of Jesus, as if His blood was not enough.

Paul’s instruction to the believer comes earlier in the chapter, when he tells us that we can “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). If we can draw near to God in full assurance of our faith, knowing that we have been washed over by the water of the Word, why should we suddenly live in fearful expectation of the judgment and fiery indignation of God? These passages are to two different groups of people based upon the wording used in each.

Because of the blood of Jesus, you never have to back into the presence of God. Instead, you have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). No born again believer is going to trample on that sacrifice and count it as useless! We have no reason to fearfully expect judgment, for we have “full assurance of faith” that Jesus was judged in our place.

Messages and teachings that make you frightened of your loving Father should be shunned. Wouldn’t you teach your own children to ignore people that say bad things about you? You shower them with such love and affection that they could never believe they should fear and tremble in your presence. True fear of God is like true fear of your parents when you are a child: you know that they will not break your legs or take out their frustration on you, but you also know that they are your final authority. He parents us even better than we parent our own. Let’s learn from Him, shall we?

God’s Gifts Bring Provision

Luke 2:1-15

The story of the birth of Christ is probably the most famous story in the world. Celebrated as Christmas, this birthday marks the arrival of God in human flesh; bringing joy and peace on earth, and goodwill from God to man. As great as this story is, we sometimes miss the lengths to which God goes to provide hope and provision, not only to the world through the gift of Jesus, but even to Mary and Joseph in their hour of need.

The Magi, or Wise Men, that come to the birth of Jesus are a vital part of the story of Christ’s birth. Often misplaced at the manger, these men traveled the farthest to see the child, and were still on the road when the shepherds gathered around the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. It wasn’t until nearly two years later that they arrived, bearing gifts from the Far East. Luke 2:11 confirms that when they found Jesus, He was “in the house”, not the manger and that He was a “child”, not a baby.

Upon arrival in Palestine, the Wise Men (who could have numbered more than the traditional 3), went to the palace of Herod to inquire as to where they might find the boy. Herod knew nothing of the arrival of Jesus, but is instantly driven to jealousy at the prospect of a Jewish king. At the instruction of the scribes, Herod sends them to Bethlehem. Isn’t it interesting that the scribes knew when and where the Messiah was supposed to be born, yet they refuse to believe that Jesus is the one?

The Wise Men give the family of Jesus three gifts, all which attest to a different aspect of Christ’s purpose on earth: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold speaks of the royalty of Christ, identifying Him as King of kings. Frankincense was used in the sacrificial offerings, and thus spoke of the divinity of Christ, seeing Him as God worth worshipping. Myrrh was the original antiseptic of the ancient world, often used to bring relief to people in pain and to embalm the dead. This spoke of Jesus’ sufferings which He would take for all mankind.

Joseph and Mary were considered poor, even for that time. We know this because Luke tells us that when Mary brought the baby Jesus into the temple to be dedicated, she brought turtledoves or pigeons as her sacrificial offering. Leviticus 12 allowed this for the poorest of God’s people, while the wealthiest were to bring a bullock. The gifts of the Magi must have seemed like a fortune (as they probably were) to these humble people in Bethlehem.

God had a greater purpose in the arrival of the Magi than to show forth the three-fold aspects of Christ. When Herod learned of Jesus’ birth, he ordered all of the baby boys age 2 and under “in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof” to be slaughtered (Matthew 2:16). Jesus and His family need to be out of there, now that the attack is on to kill Him. Before the arrival of the Magi, there would have been no funds available to make a long journey into Egypt to escape the sword of wrath, but now they have a surplus of funds, making it possible.

Notice that God is not responding to Satan’s attack; but rather Satan is responding to God’s Plan. The Magi began their journey a full two years before Satan even figured out that Jesus was on the earth. Once the enemy made a move on Jesus, it was too late, as God had given provision for the journey of protection. When you see Satan rear his head in your life, rejoice! If Satan is moving, it is because he has just learned of God’s provision and grace that is on its way. Hallelujah!

Eating the Body Unworthily

1 Corinthians 11:27

When I was younger, I was afraid to partake in the communion ceremony until I had spent a considerable amount of time on the altar, “taking care of” any and all sinful deeds and thoughts that I had committed. I believed that if I put the bread in my mouth and drank of the cup without properly purging my heart of all sin then I would get sick or diseased, having dared to put God’s holiness in an unclean vessel. Due to this fear, communion didn’t represent anything lovely to me. In fact, I kind of wondered why we would even bother!

As God began to open up the revelation of His grace and favor to me, communion was one of the first things that took on a whole new meaning. If I was truly made the righteousness of God, independent of my works, then I was ALWAYS the righteousness of God, even when bad thoughts crossed my mind, or I did something wrong. If I am always righteous, then I am always qualified to partake of the body and the blood of Jesus through Holy Communion. Then what does Paul mean when he writes about eating and drinking “unworthily” (1 Corinthians 11:27).

The answer is found within the passage, but in two separate ways. The first way is the most obvious: Paul never says “unworthy”; he says “unworthily”. These are two different words with two entirely different meanings. To partake of communion “unworthy” would mean that we are not worthy to take in His body and blood because of our lifestyle. To partake of communion “unworthily” means that we are eating and drinking without knowing why.

The second way to find the answer is to read on just a bit further. Paul says in verse 29, “For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body”. The definition of “unworthily” is found in the last part of that verse: “not discerning the Lord’s body”. When we do not realize that Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases in His body on the tree; and we do not know that we are eating into us His health and wholeness, then we are partaking “unworthily”.

This does not mean that God then puts cancer and disease on us to teach us a lesson. The “damnation” that we eat and drink to ourselves (verse 29) is what is already in the earth as a result of the curse. Anytime that you think that God is in the business of putting disease and pain onto people, just remember how many people that Jesus touched and GAVE leprosy to. NONE! Jesus was not in the business of taking men’s lives, but saving them.

The broken body of Jesus and His shed blood has been given to all believers through the finished work of the cross. The communion ceremony is ours, whenever we need it, to observe that broken body and shed blood. Just as Israel ate all of the lamb and there were none feeble among their tribes (Psalms 105:37), we have His body, broken for us (Mark 14:22). We have His blood as our justification (Romans 5:9) and it is the seal of the New Covenant. Partake of Holy Communion as often as you like, observing that Jesus bore your suffering so that you could bear His health.

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

John 13:23

My key text records the phrase, “One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”. This is one of five instances in the book of John in which we hear of this “disciple whom Jesus loved”, and we find him only in this book. Consequently, the name of the apostle John never appears in this book, while we learn in the final chapter that the author is “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. This lets us know that John wrote the book and that he is that disciple whom Jesus loved.

It is interesting that Matthew, Mark and Luke just refer to John by his name, but John refers to himself with this title. Is this cocky on John’s part? Is it foolish? What are we to think of someone who refers to themselves in their own writings as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Did Jesus love John more than the other disciples? If so, does He love me more than you or vice versa?

The answer is that Jesus loves all of us the same, for “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). The difference for John was that he practiced a working knowledge of the Savior’s love for him. Rather than spend his time boasting of his love for Jesus; or working to love Jesus more, he learned to rest in Jesus’ love for him. Great things would occur in the life of John because of the knowledge that he was deeply loved. Let’s look at a few of the moments in which John calls himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”:

1. John 13:23 – Peter asks “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” which disciple would betray Jesus. The text just told us that John was lying against Jesus’ bosom, so why does Peter ask John to ask Jesus, when Peter is nearly as close to Jesus as John? The only conclusion can be that Peter (who boasted of his love for Jesus rather than Jesus’ love for him) felt too distant from the Master for such an intimate question. Practice resting near Jesus’ heart of love for you and people will turn to you for answers, perceiving that you are close to Him.

2. John 19:26 – Standing at the cross next to the mother of Jesus is the one “whom He loved”. There are no other disciples waiting there, only the one who has an awareness of just how loved that he is. Equipped with this love, he is able to stand firm at the crucifixion while all of the others flee. He is also given the intimate task of watching over Mary, the mother of Jesus. A working knowledge that you are loved leads you to the ministry of the Lord.

3. John 21:20 – One of the final moments in the earthly ministry of Christ revolves around a revelation concerning the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. Peter asks what that disciple will do to which Jesus responds, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me” (John 21:22). This led to a rumor that John would not taste death, but would be alive when Jesus returned. This rumor was no doubt fueled by the fact that John lived to be over 100 years old and died of natural causes; long after the other disciples had met their martyrdom. The knowledge that he was beloved brought a revelation of long life to this special disciple. If it was good for him, why not for us?

When John wrote his little epistles (1, 2, 3 John), he filled them with the knowledge of God’s love for the believer. He has been rightfully called the Apostle of Love, for no other disciple seemed to grasp God’s love for mankind quite like the Apostle John. May each of us learn to see ourselves as the Christian whom Jesus loves; resting close to His heart; prepared to be used for ministry; and receiving fresh revelation of how to love life and see good days. You are more than just loved, you are beloved!

Wrong Doctrine; Right Heart

John 20:11-16

On Resurrection Morning, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb of Jesus weeping, for she saw that His tomb was empty and she did not know where He was. Her first assumption is the natural one: Jesus’ body had been stolen in the night and moved to another location. She was there to anoint His body in the Hebrew custom, and now she would have to go home without having accomplished her task.

In her state of trouble and fear, she seems unfazed at the two angels that speak to her from within the empty tomb; one seated at the head and one at the feet. Just like the cherubim’s that cover the Mercy Seat on the Ark, these two angels now sit at the place of God’s mercy and justice. With the tomb empty, Jesus is alive, meaning that He is now able to live in the hearts of all mankind. It may have been lost on Mary Magdalene, but may it not be lost on us!

Mary turns to leave the tomb and sees Jesus, though she “knew not that it was Jesus” (John 19:14), supposing Him to be the garden keeper (verse 15). In His glorified state, Jesus obviously had a different look about Him, though it becomes obvious that He retains the same physical qualities that He had while on this earth (John 20:27). They hold a brief conversation, within which we learn an important lesson into the heart of God.

“Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” (John 20:15) is the question that Jesus poses to Mary. She doesn’t recognize Him and answers, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20:15). It had become common knowledge that Jesus had been buried in a borrowed tomb, so the assumption might have been that the gardener had come and removed the body so that it could be buried in a family tomb, now that the Jewish feast of Passover was finished. Her response shows that she has no suspicion that Jesus has resurrected, but rather that He is still dead in another location.

Notice that Mary does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. She walked with Him and talked with Him, but she still has problems with her doctrine. In spite of the obvious flaw in her faith, Jesus reveals Himself to her by saying her name, “Mary” (John 20:16). There was something about the way that He said her name that made her heart leap with joy. The intimate sound of Jesus whispering your name will still warm the heart of even the coldest sinner. There is nothing like knowing Jesus, except perhaps the revelation that He knows you!

With this serious doctrinal flaw (not believing in the resurrection), surely Jesus would not give a revelation of His love, right? We are often taught that if there is a problem in your doctrine that God will not bless you. In fact, I used to hear it preached by men that I greatly respected (and still do respect), that “God will not bless error”. They meant that if your doctrine is wrong, your blessings are limited. According to that teaching, Jesus should have just answered “Sorry mam, I haven’t taken Him anywhere”. It would have been an answer perfectly acceptable to Mary based upon her question. Thank God that Jesus sees past our doctrinal flaws and peers all the way into our hearts!

You may not have it all figured out today (join the club!), but you can rest assured that Jesus knows your heart, even when your doctrine falters. He will give you a revelation of His love by saying your name when He sees that your heart is hungry for more of Him. Seek Him and you will find Him, even when you are seeking in the wrong places.

High Priest and Husband

John 19:23-27

Let’s look at two things that are recorded in John’s gospel regarding Christ’s final moments on the cross. Both of these happenings lend to Christ’s role as head of the church. On one hand, Jesus is the High Priest of the church, serving as the mediator between the saint and the Father, just as Aaron was the liaison between the people and God. On the other hand, Jesus is the husband with the church serving as the Bride of Christ. He calls Himself our Husband (Isaiah 54:5), and He loves us as a Heavenly Husband (Ephesians 5:23).

Christ can take upon Himself no role or title that was not paid for at Calvary, thus if He is our High Priest and our Husband, He must have paid for those positions with His own body and blood on the tree. The Apostle John gives us unique insight into both of those payments as he records the soldiers gambling for Jesus’ garments near the foot of the cross and Jesus’ own mother standing nearby the cross next to the author. These back-to-back stories are the details of Jesus’ payment to be our High Priest and our Husband.

The 4 soldiers that put Jesus on the cross are bored with the dying criminals and the carpenter. They turn their attention to games of chance, dividing his clothes among themselves as souvenirs before turning to His outer garment. The garment that Jesus wore was seamless having been woven from the top down. This was the same type of garment that was worn by the high priest of Israel and it was considered quite valuable. When the soldiers spotted its quality, they decided to cast lots for it (equivalent to drawing straws, or “paper, rock, scissors”) to determine who would keep it.

They were unaware (and unconcerned) that they were helping fulfill scripture by casting lots for Jesus’ garments (Psalms 22:18). They also could not have known that the garment that they were gambling for was essential to the high priesthood of Israel. If the seamless garment of the high priest was torn then he could not perform the morning or the evening sacrifice until he had a new garment made. Without coincidence, the high priest Caiaphas had torn his just hours earlier when he accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). By leaving the outer garment of Jesus untorn, these soldiers were unwittingly qualifying Jesus to be the new high priest. What is Jesus first act as new high priest? He takes care of the morning sacrifice (He goes on the cross at 9 a.m.) and He takes care of the evening sacrifice (He dies at 3 p.m.).

Mary, mother of Jesus, stood by the cross near some more acquaintances of Jesus, including the disciple whom Jesus loved (John). Jesus speaks directly to Mary when He says, “Woman, behold thy son!” (John 19:26), and then He turns to John and declares, “Behold thy mother!” (19:27). God had given specific instructions concerning marriage when He said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). With the Father having already turned His back on His Son, Jesus must now be rid of the responsibility of His mother. Once He has placed her in the care of John, He is free to “cleave unto His wife”, with His wife being the church. Jesus has now paid to be our Husband!

Let the glorious knowledge that Jesus went to such lengths to be your High Priest before God and that He is your loving Husband right now. You are dead to your first husband (the Law), “by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead” (Romans 7:4).

Remember Me

Luke 23:39-45

The cry of the criminal on the cross marks the simplest and most complete version of a sinner’s prayer found anywhere in the annals of human literature. No more words are needed when coupled with a heart of faith. From the lips of a fallen and failed creation to the ears of the Son of God, “Remember me” stands as man’s highest form of prayer and the gateway into the glories of everlasting life.

It seems strange that a moment as complex and well orchestrated as the cross, would be brought to its climax by a brief statement from a common criminal. Hanging between two thieves, Jesus suffers the scorn of man and the wrath of His Father, while for a moment He endured the mocking of those very thieves themselves (Mark 15:32). But Christ’s refusal to defend Himself or to return fire to those who were reviling Him must have had a profound effect on one of these dying men.

While one criminal continues the barrage against Jesus, the other has a convicted conscience, asking his fellow criminal, “Do you not fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation?” (Luke 23:40). What a powerful question! While hanging on a cross dying for crimes committed, shouldn’t one be thinking of the after-life and whether or not they are ready to face God? These men were obviously Jews, since they have a working knowledge of condemnation and the fear of God (also, they wouldn’t be Roman citizens since Rome never crucified their own). Whatever led them down the road to destruction has brought them to this place, where not only they but all men must make a decision about the crucified Christ.

“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward for our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41). This criminal cannot possibly realize the importance of what he has just said, but in a nutshell, he just gave the New Covenant. We are all guilty of sin and we deserve to die. Jesus lived a sin-free life and did not deserve to die. Instead of forcing us to pay-up for our own sins, Jesus was made to be our sin so that we could be made to be His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The criminal has just confessed that Jesus is Lord and he is about to believe in his heart (Romans 10:9, 10).

“And he said unto Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom’” (Luke 23:42). The same Spirit that caused David to appeal to covenant when standing before Goliath causes the criminal on the cross to appeal to the New Covenant at Calvary. David fought Goliath with the knowledge that Goliath was “uncircumcised” meaning that Goliath had no Covenant promise on his side. The criminal says, “Remember me”, meaning, “Remember why you died here, for poor, guilty criminals like me”. When that criminal, or all of us criminals for that matter, appeal to the purpose of the cross, we are admitting our hopelessness and accepting Christ as our substitute. We are placing faith in a perfect, finished work, allowing Christ’s blood to wash away our sins.

Every person who has ever cried out to Jesus for redemption from sins has said, in so many words, “Remember me!” It is the cry of the lost world, and it still moves the heart of a God who remains stirred by sacrifice of His Son. Just as Jesus said to that man, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), He says the same to you and I. We are in a paradise of His love and favor right now, all because we once cried out, “Remember me!”

Don’t Boast of Your Love for Him

Mark 14:66-72

It is a dangerous thing to place your confidence in your love and affection for Christ. I have been in the church all of my life, and I have seen my fair share of people who testify with gusto about how much they plan on doing for the Lord and how much that they love Him, only to rarely ever see that person inside of a church again. Our love goes up and down like a roller-coaster. One day we are high on love and we speak flowery words about our Jesus. Other days, we hardly feel saved at all.

It is always better to rest confidently in the Savior’s love for us. In fact, we don’t even know what love is without a revelation of God’s love for us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The disciple Peter was well known for speaking up when he probably should have held his tongue. He was quick to say what he thought and he was never slow to action (see him walking on water or cutting off the soldier’s ear). On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter spoke up during a meeting between Jesus and His disciples, proclaiming, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:29). Who do you suppose the “all” that He is speaking of might be? Of course the “all” were the other disciples! Peter is saying, “You guys may forsake Jesus in His hour of need but I won’t. None of you love Him like I do”.

Jesus responded that Peter would deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed twice. In other words, before that very night was over, Peter would have made a complete denial of His Lord. This caused Peter to answer “more vehemently” (Mark 14:31). Jesus’ statement to Peter was an insult to Peter’s acclaimed love and devotion to Jesus. Jesus knew better, knowing that Peter was incapable of taking the stand that he thought that his love had prepared him for. Our love for Jesus is never as powerful as Jesus’ love for us.

Where does this passionate outburst of religious fervor take Peter? We find him standing outside the hall where Jesus is being condemned, warming himself near a fire (Mark 14:66, 67). He is approached by a maid of the high priest who recognizes him as a follower, after Peter denies that he knows the Lord, another maid does the same thing. Finally, the crowd turns on him, shouting at him that he too was with Jesus. Peter curses and promises that he does not know Jesus. Suddenly the rooster crows for a second time and Peter’s heart breaks. His fervor and devotion were just not enough.

It is easy for us to boast of our love for the Lord, but it is a bit more difficult to boast of His love for us. The reason for this is that we boast when we feel up emotionally. Then, when things don’t go so well, it is easy to believe that part of the reason that things aren’t going well is that we have done something wrong and that God is trying to teach us a lesson. This causes us to believe that His love for us has conditions and that we should be careful about boasting about it too much. Rest assured in the knowledge that His love for you is constant and never fluctuates, even when you do.

Catch yourself boasting of how much you love the Lord. Don’t feel condemned, just change your mentality! Every time you find yourself dwelling on how much you love Him just flip it around and wonder with a sense of awe at how much He must be loving you. Revelation of that kind of love will have you warming your heart next to the flames of His love rather than warming your hands near the fire of your own affection.

No Relief for Jesus; All Relief for You

Matthew 27:34, 48

When Jesus hung at Calvary, He did so as the substitute for all of the sinners in the world, you and I included. He took the wrath of the Father so that we would be spared God’s anger. Thank God that Jesus was a worthy vessel in which God could pour out His holy justice.

We are well aware that just before He cried, “It is finished”, Jesus received vinegar and drank it (John 19:30). The word ‘vinegar’ is “sour wine”, fulfilling God’s prophecy of Jeremiah 31:29 in which He promised that the time would come that men would no longer have the right to say, “The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”. When Jesus drank the sour wine, He did it so that your teeth would never be set on edge. Jesus freed you from the sins of your fathers!

With that event in mind, we find that Jesus’ drinking of the vinegar just before His death was not the first time that He was offered something to drink at the cross. Matthew’s gospel records both instances in which the soldiers offered Jesus vinegar; once on the ground at the foot of the cross, and once while hanging on the cross. The one in which He accepts is found in Matthew 27:48 where we see them giving Him vinegar to drink followed by His crying with a loud voice (verse 50). Though the text does not say that He drank, we know that according to John 19 that He did, and the crying out with a loud voice was Him crying, “It is finished”.

The first offer came earlier in that same chapter, just after Jesus’ arrival at Golgotha. The beating put on Him by the soldiers of Pontius Pilate, followed by the carrying of His own cross must have had a heavy effect on the soldiers assigned to the actual crucifixion. They saw this bloody mass of a man approach the hill and they felt an uncommon compassion on Him. “They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall” (Matthew 27:34). The Greek word for ‘gall’ is often “myrrh” which was often used to bring comfort or relief. The soldiers had mingled some myrrh with the vinegar to provide Jesus with a bit of relief in His state of pain.

“And when He had tasted, He would not drink” (Matthew 27:34). Notice that when Jesus tastes what they have done to the vinegar, He refuses to drink. You can almost see this moment of Jesus spitting the vinegar out, refusing to put any comfort or medicine into His body. Jesus took no relief from the pains of the cross so that He could fully bear the brunt of all that was supposed to happen to us. In short, Jesus took no relief so that you could take all relief!

When you think of Jesus hanging on the cross at Calvary, don’t think of how pitiful that you are in light of how much that He did for you. Instead, think of how punished that Jesus was so that you could always go free. See the sacrifice of Christ as a finished work; one in which Jesus drank the cup of judgment and wrath so that you could drink from the free flowing blessings of heaven. Drink up saint, for you are henceforth and forever free!

The Gospels

The word “gospel” means “good news”, thus the term “the gospels” speaks of the “good news” of the arrival of Jesus Christ. Each gospel contains a different biographical glimpse of the Son of God, with different angles here and there to give us a thorough picture of His life and death and resurrection. The fact that these 4 books contain differences should only lend to their authenticity, for who would believe them if they said the exact same thing, and why would we need 4 of them?

Each gospel has a purpose and a theme, and each one presents Jesus in a slightly different way. These 4 different looks comprise the 4 faces of Jesus, with each one corresponding to the “four beasts full of eyes” found in heaven in Revelation 4:6. There is also a corresponding color with each gospel, represented by the four colors of the tabernacle curtains, hanging on four pillars: linen (white), blue, purple and scarlet (Exodus 26:1). Jesus’ life gives substance to the shadow of the tabernacle.

Let’s look at each gospel and see some fascinating types of our Lord Jesus:

Matthew – Jesus is presented as King of the Jews, which is why His Sermon on the Mount appears only here, as it dealt with the very law that the Jews strived so hard to keep. A King needs a genealogy, thus one is included, showing us that Jesus belongs on the throne of Israel through the bloodline of king’s David and Solomon through His earthly father Joseph. He is here seen as the Lion with the color being purple, the color of royalty.

Mark – Jesus is the Ox, colored red just like the sacrificial red heifer of the Old Testament (Numbers 19), and as an ox, He is presented as Servant in Mark. A servant has no need of a genealogy so this gospel does not include one. Servants are also to be seen but not heard, which is why there is much activity by Jesus but not much commentary in this book. There are also very few things in Mark that do not appear in another gospel, for there is to be nothing extraordinary about a servant. This representation is obviously very special to the heart of the Savior as He is found still wearing a golden apron until this hour in heaven, ever the servant at heart (Revelation 1:13).

Luke – Jesus is the Son of Man, with that phrase appearing in this book more than any other. Luke deals more with the humanity of Jesus, thus the corresponding face of a Man in Revelation 4:7. The virgin birth is given in detail and a full genealogy is recorded, as any human would have done. This time the bloodline runs through his mother, showing us that he is royalty (a descendent of David) on both sides of the family. He is represented as the color blue in this book, as that is perfect divinity.

John – Jesus as God. From the very beginning, John is different, showing Jesus as being one with the Father. God has no genealogy so John does not give one and God is perfectly unique from man, thus every chapter of John contains something that is found in no other gospel. As God is above all that is on earth, the Eagle soars in the heavens with the color white representing God’s perfect purity.

These are four snap-shots of one life, each showing us another face of Jesus. He was the veil of the tabernacle, and His life is a perfect picture of that. The author of Hebrews said that we go through the veil to get to God, “that is to say, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). Go through the gospels to see Jesus and you are “going through His flesh”. It is a wonderful journey no matter how many times you take it.

Loose Him, and Let Him Go!

John 11:44

Have you ever considered that Jesus could have brought Lazarus from the grace without the grave clothes? When Jesus came out of the grave on Resurrection Morning, His clothes were folded neatly in the Garden Tomb. Lazarus had no need of the grave clothes any longer, for he was no longer dead, so what is the significance of bringing him from the grave as if he is ready for the grave?

Jesus told those present to “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44), which gives a mandate to the church for all time. For every new convert that comes out of the grave of sin and death, we have a responsibility to pull the grave clothes off of them a little bit at a time. They are covered over in a lifetime of works and self-righteousness, in which they have constantly tried to justify themselves and their actions. Having accepted Christ as their Savior, they have been miraculously transferred from the depths of the grave of sin to the top step of salvation, and they are now ready to begin their “walk” with the Lord.

With their spiritual bodies wrapped in grave clothes, their walk is going to resemble more of a waddle than anything else. All of our righteousness’ are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), so the habit of working for their blessings and earning their grace must come to an end. The church holds that blessed responsibility of reinforcing covenant and washing off the new convert on a daily basis. When we remind them that they are the righteousness of God in Christ and that they have been perfected forever because He has sanctified them (Hebrews 10:14), we are pulling one more layer of the grave clothes off of them. This covenant reinforcement helps them to see Jesus clearly and allow His righteousness to live through them.

The first command of Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb was for the stone to be rolled away from the door. It was necessary to roll the stone away for Lazarus was going to come out in a fleshly body, not a glorified one, thus he needs the obstacle removed. The stone represents the Law, which must be removed as an obstacle if one is going to walk forward in Christ. At the cross, Jesus took the Law that was contrary to us and against us and He nailed it to His cross, moving it out of our way (Colossians 2:14).

It is important to note that the stone was not removed until Lazarus was alive. Jesus prays aloud “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me” (John 11:41). Notice that He says, “has heard” meaning that He has already petitioned the Father to raise Lazarus and it is a done deal. Calling Him forth in verse 43 is merely a formality, for he is already alive. We must not remove the Law from the grave of the dead man because they simply stink. However, the moment that life enters into them upon confession of faith, the stone must be rolled away!

Earlier in this book, Jesus watched as men dropped their rocks one at a time in response to His statement, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Only if you hold the Law in perfection do you have the right to throw its condemnation at another person. Since none of us have ever lived the Law in its fullness then we must drop our rocks of condemnation as well. You must decide what type of person that you will be today, a stone thrower or a stone roller. Get busy saint, there isn’t much time.

What Kind of Friend is This?

Luke 11:5-13

Would you consider someone a friend that refused to help you in your time of need? Would you consider someone a friend that did not honor and respect your time with your family and they annoyed and pressured you even when you made it clear that you weren’t interested? If you answered, “Not much of a friend”, then you are on the same page with Jesus in this story of the importunate friend.

Jesus is giving His doctrine on prayer in response to His disciple’s request to teach them how to pray. Having just shared what we commonly call “The Lord’s Prayer”, He moves on to the attitude that believers should have when they pray. Jesus asks a question, placing the disciple and the reader into the story, forcing us to come to a decision as to whether or not we would consider the following person to be much of a friend. If we asked for food for a guest of ours but our friend yelled from within his house that he was sleeping and didn’t have time for us, would we consider him a friend? Finally, the man rises and gives him food, not “because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity” (Luke 11:8).

The word “importunity” is a bit archaic. It means “shamelessness” in the Greek. The man inside did not give his neighbor food because they were friends, but because the man knocking had no shame. Both men are examples of poor friends; one won’t rise to help the other while the one won’t get the hint that his neighbor doesn’t want to be bothered!

Jesus shifts gears in verse 9, “And I say unto you…” as He now shows us how we should ask of the Father. We simply “Ask…seek…knock…for every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened” (Luke 11:9, 10). With man you must beg and plead; but with God you simply ask and He gives. You simply seek and you find. You simply knock and He opens up revelations and blessings to you.

To use the preceding story as an example of how we should ask for things from the Lord is to assume that He is not our friend, for the text clearly states that the man inside the house doesn’t answer the door out of friendship (Luke 11:8). In Christ, we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). By begging and pleading for things, blessings, miracles, etc, we are making God out to be a stranger that must be coerced. Come on believer!

Even though we are not as loving and concerned as our heavenly Father, even we know how to give good gifts to our children, for we love them very much. Jesus asks three different questions, each with deep spiritual meaning, as to how we give to our own. He considers us His very own so keep that in mind as you notice the objects that He inserts:

“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?” (Luke 11:11) Bread is a type of manna, or fresh provision, thus it is a type of grace while the stone is a type of the Law. Jesus refused to feed off of stones in the wilderness, for there is no provision in the Law. Would God give you Law when what you need is grace?

“If he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?” (Luke 11:11) Fish are a type of blessings, which Jesus proved when He gave Peter a boat-sinking load of fishes, leading him to repentance (Mark 5:4-8). Serpents are a type of the curse which Moses raised onto a pole in the wilderness. Jesus was that serpent on the pole, cursed for all of us (John 3:14; Galatians 3:13). Would God give you a curse when He has promised a blessing?

“If he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (Luke 11:12) The egg speaks of new life, while the scorpion has no other function but to kill, representing death. Would God give you death when you come seeking life?

Believer, be secure in the knowledge that it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). He wants you to have all good things, and He is ready to give them to those that ask (Matthew 7:11).

A Higher Form of Love

Mark 12:28-34

How do we increase our love for the Lord? I think that we all want to love God more, but is it possible that we have confused our need to love Him more with our need to rest in His love for us? There is much teaching and preaching on how we should be more dedicated, devoted and consecrated, all of which speak of loving God more. But perhaps we should bring back the nursery class songs that we sang as children such as “Jesus Loves Me”. Kids have it right and we should follow suit: your love for Him pales in comparison to the beauty of His love for you!

The great apostle of love wrote, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Love is defined by God as Jesus Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross. The only way that we know how to love is because God has so clearly shown us what true love is: sacrificial and substitutionary. Our love for God will oftentimes lack in passion and fervor, but because of the price paid by Jesus, His love for us is always constant.

Jesus spoke of the kind of love that is demanded by the Law of Moses, in which we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). This is the highest form of love, for the Law speaks only of things that are holy and just and good (Romans 7:12). While it may sound wonderful to love the Lord with this intensity, there is no power to be found in the command that will help you to fulfill it. Simply knowing that God expects your devoted love does not help you to love Him one ounce more than you already do (or do not).

If someone tells you that they demand that you love them, there is no amount of demanding or commanding that makes loving them any easier. In fact, with our finite ability to love, we are most likely turned away by such a demand and we would find it impossible to love that person at all. The Law sets the standard for how man is to love God, but gives him no motivation towards love; unless you count going to hell if you don’t love God as motivation to start!

Would you love someone who said, “Love me with everything you are, or I will punish you with everlasting fire forever!” We would flee as fast as we can from that kind of “love”, right? How can we expect people to live up to the “love” standard of the Law unless we offer a higher motivation?

God displayed His perfect love for us by putting all of our sins and transgressions into His Son Jesus. This act pleased the Lord, for by doing this to Jesus, He was under no obligation to do it to us (Isaiah 53:10). He then gave to us His righteousness so that when He sees us from heaven, He no longer sees our wrong-doings, but instead He sees a perfect picture of His resurrected Son. Showered with this kind of love and favor, our hearts never run away for fear, but instead run towards a God that would love us so much. Do you see how a picture of God’s true love and grace makes your heart lean towards Him instead of away?

When you see God as loving you with this kind of intensity, you naturally love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. The highest form of love is found in God’s grace, in which you see the goodness of God and you fall in love.

While Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” when He bore our sins at the cross, we can now cry out in amazement, “Daddy, daddy, why are you so good to me!” See yourself as deeply loved today, and watch an uncontrollable love for God come pouring out of your heart and your life.

A Revelation of Jesus Christ

Matthew 16:13-19

I am convinced that what we need now more than ever before is a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ. When John saw Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, it put him on his face and pushed his pen to write (Revelation 1:17). There is nothing worth bragging about that is not started by a revelation of the loveliness of Jesus. Paul had a revelation of the New Covenant and concluded, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

Jesus took His disciples to the headwaters of the Jordan near the village of Caesarea Philippi, a city named for Philip, son of Caesar. This city was notorious for sacrificing children to their false god, and the blood of the sacrificial offerings would run into the waters, turning them red. The disciples are watching this red blood float past when Jesus asks them, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13) The disciples have a myriad of answers, but Peter states, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (verse 16).

Jesus proclaims a blessing on Peter, “For flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (verse 17). The kind of revelation that Peter had was one that could not be had by hearing people talk about the healings and the miracles. No man can be convinced of the power and presence of God without feeling Him for themselves. We are all Thomas at heart; we must thrust our own hand into the Master’s spear pierced side before we will ever believe.

I have preached to countless thousands of people about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many have come to know Jesus through this preaching of grace and favor but many have walked away, content to live in their sins. I wish that all would be fully persuaded in their own mind and heart that Jesus was exactly what I preach to them that He is, but that is simply not the case. Without a desire to see God loving them, they will relegate God’s love as a big blanket for the whole world, never seeing themselves as anything special. Millions spend day and night with knowledge no greater than this; all the while gaining more and more earthly intelligence. No degree of higher education; and no life experience can ever fill the void and thirst for knowledge like a heart open to the love of God.

When man hungers and thirsts for the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ, God is happy to fill that heart. Commission will follow revelation, just as God empowered Peter to preach the first sermon under the New Covenant (Acts 2:14). As we have more of Jesus revealed to us, our commission in this world becomes equally clear.

Jesus is the rock of verse 18 upon which the church is built as this verse is a bit of a play on words. Peter means “stone” in Greek, and Jesus is of course “the Rock”. Though we are but stones, Jesus remains the rock and His church is powerful enough to take on hell, thus the reference to gates. Peter holds no higher place than any believer does today. You are built on the same Rock that He was, and in Christ, you have the same revelation.

He Came To Be Judged

John 9:39

“For judgment I am come into this world” (John 9:39). This is a simple, straight-forward statement from the lips of Jesus. “For judgment” is why He entered the world, but the question must be asked, “Who is the ‘judgment for’?”

We know that judgment is what He came for, but is there other evidence as to why He was here? Paul said in Romans 5:8 that Jesus was the manifestation of God’s love for us, but that answers to who He was, not to why He was. As always, the answer can be found in God’s Word and in this case, from the words of Jesus Himself: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Now we find that not only did Jesus come into the world for judgment, but that He DID NOT come to condemn the world. How can these two thoughts co-exist? If Jesus came to judge, must He not also condemn those whom He is going to judge?

Any confusion on John 9:39 stems from improper teaching on what the cross of Jesus Christ was all about. Let’s see a couple of other statements of Jesus that help fill in the blanks:

“Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). This is just before the cross, and the judgment that Jesus said that He came for is about to happen. Notice that at this judgment, “the prince of this world” is going to be taken out. That prince is Satan (Ephesians 2:2), thus a portion of the judgment must fall on him.

“And when He is come (Holy Spirit), He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8, 11). This is pretty plain; that same prince (Satan) is judged.

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). In a world desperate for heroes, Jesus states His purpose: not to judge but to save.

Now, in light of all of the passages put together (notice that they all fall within the book of John, the one gospel specifically written to the sinner; John 20:31), we have solid evidence as to why Jesus came and who was going to be judged. He came with love, as the embodiment of that love. He came without condemnation and without judgment against man, for His mission was to save them from their sins. He came to destroy the works of the devil and to cast him out as a super-power. There remains but one verse in that same Gospel of John that puts the final piece in the puzzle:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me” (John 12:32). I left the word “men” out that appears in the King James Version because it is italicized, meaning that it was added by the translators. Jesus never said that He would draw all men to Him, but that He would draw all of something else to Him. That something else was the “judgment of this world” from the previous verse. Jesus is telling us that He came for one purpose and one purpose alone: to be judged of God for the sins of the world. In short: He came not to judge but to be judged. If He has been judged, and you have accepted Him as your Savior, then there remains no more judgment for you. Hallelujah!

The Right Thing at the Right Time

Luke 10:38-42

Let’s revisit the lady from yesterday’s devotion: Mary of Bethany. This time, we go into her home to a moment that we mentioned previously, where Martha works in the kitchen while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus. There are some powerful truths contained in this scene, and we need a fresh revelation of each one.

To “sit at the feet” was sometimes a literal term, denoting physical position, but most often it meant to learn in a one-on-one setting. Paul uses this term of himself when he gives as a portion of his biography that he was brought up “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), meaning that Gamaliel had served as his teacher. Mary is going to the highest school in the world: the feet of Jesus!

While sitting at Jesus’ feet, she also “heard His word” (Luke 10:39). When Jesus spoke, His words were “spirit” and “life” (John 6:63). His words washed clean the disciples (John 15:3), and the soldiers sent by the High Priest to arrest Him were instead arrested by His words, stating “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). You and I, His church, have ourselves sanctified and cleansed by “the washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). In other words, when He speaks, you feel clean.

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving” (Luke 10:40). The Greek word for “serving” is often translated “ministry” in the New Testament, meaning that what she was doing in preparing food for the Master was a form of ministry, which is of course honorable. The problem is found in the Greek definition of “cumbered” which is the word ‘perispao’. It means “distracted”. Martha’s “ministry” had her so distracted that she couldn’t see the forest for the trees. The very one whom she is working so hard to impress is sitting in her front room. While there is nothing wrong with cooking the meal, there is something wrong with letting the meal cook you!

Ministry is an awesome lifestyle; I thank God every day that He chose me for this high honor. However, when ministry becomes all about “doing” and not about “being”, then we have become distracted with serving. These feelings lead us to wonder if our Jesus even loves us anymore, when like Martha we ask, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (Luke 10:40). What a trick of the devil to cause us to believe that our Lord is anything less than caring and loving. How often has Satan used the workings of ministry to distract the minister from the love of Jesus?

When the Lord wants to get your attention with love and affection, He simply says your name twice, “Martha, Martha” (verse 41). How wonderful to hear our name on the lips of our Savior! All of our cares and troubles just fly out the window when we have Jesus turn His face our way.

“One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part” (verse 42). The most needful thing in the world is for people to sit at the feet of Jesus, casting all of their sorrows and cares onto Him so that He can wash them off with the water of His words. To Martha, this seemed like the wrong time to be relaxing when there was so much work to be done. Jesus is not advocating laziness; on the contrary, He is encouraging us to do the right thing at the right time, even when everyone else is fretting over everything else. This resting at Jesus’ feet leads Mary to anoint Jesus’ body for burial before He even dies (see yesterday’s devotion), for Mary is the only one that believes that His body will not be in the tomb for post-burial anointing. The right thing at the right time leads us to be one step ahead of everyone else in our business, our families, and our finances and in our decisions; and all of that from a little time at the feet of Jesus!

Memorial for a Woman

Mark 14:3-9

Mary of Bethany, who was also sister to Martha and Lazarus, came to visit Jesus in the house of Simon the leper during a stop by the Master in her village. She brought with her an alabaster box of ointment, containing precious spikenard, which was the head of an East Indian plant whose juice was used in the most expensive of ointments. The use of this ointment was traditionally to refresh and exhilarate; much needed things in the close, heated quarters of the Middle East.

Though Mark tells us that “some…had indignation within themselves”, John’s version of the story tells us that there was one spokesman for the indignant: Judas Iscariot (John 12:4). The very one who will soon betray Jesus speaks out so boldly against an obvious act of worship. He is an example of many within the church world today who follows Jesus from a distance; close in proximity to church services but far away in their hearts.

Too many times we view things which speak of His loveliness and His glory as being “wasteful”, while other things that can put on more of a show are applauded. There is never fault to be found with people resting at the feet of Jesus, basking in His love for them.

Jesus reveals the true purpose behind Mary’s worship in verse 8, telling us that she was anointing Him for His burial. There was a tradition in that part of the world of entering into the burial tomb several days after the death to anoint the body with fragrances, prolonging the stench of decay. This is precisely what another Mary was intent upon doing on Resurrection Morning when she noticed that His tomb was empty (John 20:11). Mary of Bethany believes that Jesus will rise again, thus His body will not be in the tomb to be anointed. She wants an opportunity to anoint Him, so she knows that it must be done before His death, for afterwards it will be too late. What revelation she has! Though His own disciples walk and talk with Him every day, they are caught off guard when His tomb is found empty (John 20:9).

This act of worship by Mary has entered the pages of human history, and Jesus promised that it would do so as a memorial to her (Mark 14:9). Every time that we read this story, we are struck by the faith of a woman who would have been considered on the fringe of the life of Jesus. She listened intently at His feet while her sister labored in the kitchen; but Jesus said what she did was “needful” (Luke 10:42). She was at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, and heard Jesus say to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Her faith had grown as she listened to His words; oh that our faith would do the same!

You and I may not be able to sit at the physical feet of Jesus and we may not have the means to purchase the most expensive of gifts; but neither of these things provide security anyhow (Judas sat close, and look at him!). We have something better; we have Christ in us as the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). We are a sweet smelling savor to God, and as His children, we are the most expensive ointment in the universe. Take a moment today and give Him glory, and may it be a memorial to who you are in Jesus for all of time.

The Four Types of Ground

Matthew 13:3-9

The parable of the sower is found in 3 of the 4 gospels (John being the lone exception), and it speaks volumes of the evangelistic approach of Christ’s finished work. In miniature, the story of the sower shows us the various responses that people might have towards Jesus, and it gives us deep insight into some of the finer points of the gospel message.

Let’s look at each of the four types of ground (4 being God’s number of creation), and how the seed either makes it to fruition or dies. Remember that the “sower went forth to sow”, meaning that Christ has gone out into the world to recruit. The types of ground are the hearts of the hearers.

1. Wayside (verse 4) – The wayside is the place where seed would fall under foot and wheel, having no chance to take root, much less to grow. Jesus said that this person does not understand the gospel (verse 19). No matter how simple that we make Jesus, some people are still not going to have their hearts tuned towards knowing of His love and favor. The wicked one (Satan) comes in and takes the seed away with Mark using the word “immediately” (Mark 4:15). He uses the fowls to eat the seed, with the fowls representing lost humanity (Luke 13:19), meaning that oftentimes the gospel seed is destroyed in people’s lives by their friends and family members who actually talk them out of meeting Christ.

2. Stony Places (verse 5, 6) – The stony places, “had not much earth” meaning that there is very little faith in the heart of the hearer. Mark uses the word “immediately” again (Mark 4:16), this time to show how quickly the person receives the Word, and “gladness” to show their attitude. This individual is excited about what they hear but they have little “depth of earth”. When the sun comes up they are “scorched” and they wither away. Mark goes into more depth saying that “when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:17). This person has received the good news of Jesus but they have not kept their eyes on His loveliness. When they meet troubles and afflictions, they do not know how to cope with these situations for they have already taken their eyes off of His loveliness.

3. Thorns (verse 7) – Thorns are never good, and Matthew gives us very little description, telling us that they “sprung up, and choked them”. There is some depth in the word “them” however, as we have been talking about seed. Obviously, the seed has taken root and they are now a believer, as the text does not say the thorns choked “it” (the seed), but rather “them” (the believer). Mark describes the thorns as the “cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things” (Mark 4:19). This describes a believer who has been overwhelmed by the cares of this life and has allowed the things of the world to choke out the wonderful grace and favor of our Lord’s finished work. Remember, Jesus bore the crown of thorns (cares of this life) in His head, so that the cares of this life would never have to press against your mind.

4. Good ground (verse 8) – Those in good ground (strong faith) will “hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit” (Mark 4:20). This is the believer who has accepted Christ and has a favorable opinion of who God is. They bring forth all of the fruit that a believer should bring forth with quantities varying from believer to believer, “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold”.

Don’t be discouraged if all of the seed that you toss does not land on “good ground”. Some will be swallowed up by the enemy, while others will find open hearts that need a growth of faith. Still others will be consumed by people that desperately want Jesus, but the cares of this life press them until they run away from the very one that they should run to. Let’s lift Jesus higher so that the stony ground and thorny ground believers around us start producing the fruit that they were saved to produce.

Filthy Rags

Isaiah 64:6

The believer has been made clean through the blood of Jesus Christ and His Word spoken into us and over us (John 15:3), but if you want to see what we look like without His finished work in our lives, then read this verse from Isaiah:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). This does not paint us in a very good light, comparing us to a “thing”, which is nameless and without identity but most certainly “unclean”. All of our attempts at goodness and holiness are as “filthy rags”, meaning that there is nothing that we can do that is considered “godly” or “good”.

Note the author’s use of “righteousnesses” in the plural, as opposed to the singular form of the word “righteousness”. This denotes more than one deed, and in fact, encompasses all of our efforts at goodness. Every individual act of righteousness that we perform is seen as a filthy rag. Why is this?

Most believers would have no problem accepting that each of their sins were as filthy rags, but to see their righteous acts as filthy would offend their sensibilities. The filthy rag of Isaiah 64 has a much deeper meaning in Hebrew as it represents the used menstrual cloth of a woman. This cloth is good for nothing and should be discarded and destroyed. What a striking example of man’s attempts at goodness!

When the woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus, she had already tried everything the world had to offer and “was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Her constant bleeding meant that she had produced many “filthy rags” which sets her as a type of the believer living in self-righteousness. One touch of the Master and her bleeding stopped, freeing her from her works. One encounter with God’s grace (Jesus Christ) will make all attempts at self-righteousness seem silly and wasteful.

Another example of our righteousness is brought out in Isaiah 64:6, where we see that “we all do fade as a leaf”. Again, the Bible has already set the precedent for the leaf earlier in Genesis, when Adam clothed himself in an apron of fig leaves after he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:7). This usage of fig leaves to cover nakedness makes the mention of leaves throughout the word represent man’s efforts at clothing over his sinful state. Any act of righteousness on our part that we do to get God’s approval, anointing, blessing, etc, is an “apron of fig leaves”.

The fig leaf is huge when it is on the tree, which is probably why Adam chose that particular leaf, but once it is disconnected from the branch it begins to lose moisture, eventually shrinking in the hot sun. As the day progressed, that which Adam had put on to cover his sin began to shrink in the light of the Sun of Righteousness; just as all of our righteousnesses will always do.

Remove the works of righteousness that you have added to your life to try and get God’s attention. He is already paying attention to you through the finished work of Jesus. His righteousness is in you, producing out of you, righteous acts. He took your sin so you can take His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21); don’t mess it up by offering Him your righteousness instead of your sin.

Dressed In Our Best

Isaiah 61:10

Every little girl dreams about her wedding day. She fantasizes about her wedding party, her bridesmaids, the church, and the guests and of course, that perfect groom. Of all of her intricate details that she works out in her head, probably none are as important to her as finding and wearing that perfect wedding dress. The dress represents the culmination of the entire day; beautiful, pure and perfect.

When God clothes His saints, He does so with the very best garments, not unlike our wedding day attire. In Isaiah 61:10, we find what we are covered over with and the comparisons to brides and grooms are fitting due to the fact that all of us dress our very best on our wedding day. As God looks at us, He sees us in the best garments which are given to us by the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ. Let’s look closer at these garments as Isaiah lists them:

“Clothed me with garments of salvation” – It’s Hebrew meaning is closer to “He has covered me over with deliverance and victory”. The believer is literally dressed up in the delivering power of the cross.

“Covered me with the robe of righteousness” – Singular “righteousness”, not plural “righteousness’s” as in Isaiah 64:6. It is not indicating that we are covered over when we DO righteousness, but rather that we are always covered over by a robe of HIS righteousness. This is the same garment that the Father has placed upon the prodigal son when he returns home (Luke 15:22), identifying him as his Father’s son.

“As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments” – The Hebrew word for “decks” is the same word used to describe the ministry of a priest. This illustration shows us the seriousness that is in this attire. The “ornaments” are better translated “beauty”, as it is the same word used earlier in the chapter to show what Jesus came to do: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes…” (Isaiah 61:3).

“As a bride adorns herself with her jewels” – Did you know that there is no Hebrew word for “wife”? This is due to the fact that God always views the woman as a “bride”, for this is when she is at her loveliest. You are the “bride of Christ”, not the “wife of Christ”, for Jesus sees you in your best every moment of every day. Even when you know that you are not at your best, no worries, He still sees you as a bride on her wedding day. Hallelujah!

Believer, be blessed today with the knowledge that your Heavenly Father has clothed you over with deliverance and victory and that when He sees you, He sees the very best thing about you: Jesus Christ and Him crucified!

The Standard Lifted Up

Isaiah 59:19

I recall hearing several sermons on the lifting up of the standard when I was growing up in the church. It was often a rallying cry in a revival to bring holiness and sanctification back to the church that was drifting into worldliness and apathy. “Lift up the standard” came to be known as changing the shows that you watched; the way that you dressed; the words that you used and the people that you were associated with. “Our standards are too low” meant that we had lowered our convictions and sin was in the camp.

Having grown older both in years and in the wisdom of the Word, I have found that some of those commonly preached ideas were based on Bible verses, but the context was missing that would have given clarity to the scripture. The “standard” that Isaiah 59:19 tells us will be lifted up has nothing whatsoever to do with our works of righteousness, for the verse clearly states “the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him”. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to lift this “standard”; not mine! That is good news, but what is the “standard”?

In this particular verse, the standard is translated as “being taken away by flight”, meaning that the Spirit of the Lord takes us to safety. Other Hebrew translations of the standard have it as a large military banner which was held at the front of a column of troops or dwellings. In Israel, the tribes encamped 3 tribes deep on each of the four sides of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, using the standard as their plumb line so to speak. The standard would be on a long pole so that it could be hoisted high above the crowds.

Hebrew Rabbinical tradition says that the four large standards that were held up to mark the four segments of tents had different pictures on each standard. One had a picture of an eagle; one an ox; one a man and one a lion. This makes sense as these four pictures make up the four faces of the creature in heaven that Ezekiel saw in his vision (Ezekiel 1:10), and the one that John saw on Patmos (Revelation 4:7). In truth, these were not four distinct beasts, but they were the embodiment of Jesus Christ, whose character is each of these four representations.

When the enemy comes at you like a flood, the Holy Spirit, who is your rear guard (Isaiah 52:12) will lift up the standard against him. The standard shows forth the nature and character of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit knows nothing but to glorify Christ (John 16:14). As the face of Jesus is raised in front of the enemy, he must back away due to the finished work of the cross.

The standard that is raised will always warm and comfort you; not condemn and vilify you. If the message of “lift the standard” that you are hearing involves your works, and it condemns you and makes you feel inferior, then it is most assuredly not the workings of the Holy Spirit. The first mention of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s great letter to the church at Rome finds Him spreading the love of God in our hearts (Romans 5:5). If He spreads love and He lifts up the standard of Jesus in the face of the enemy, it stands to reason that this standard must be one of great love, right?

Let’s let the Bible answer the question for us. The Hebrew word for “standard” is ‘degel’ and it is found 14 times in the Old Testament. Thirteen times it is translated “standard”, but there is one time where it is uniquely translated as “banner”. Notice how the Holy Spirit glorifies the standard of Jesus and protects you with love both at the same time:

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).