Study and Obey https://studyandobey.com/ Book by Book Inductive Bible Studies Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:35:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 The Incarnation https://studyandobey.com/the-incarnation/ https://studyandobey.com/the-incarnation/#respond Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:16:07 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=39140 The Incarnation - God Becomes A Man Today we are continuing our study in the Gospel of John. We come to one of the most important passages in the Bible. It is one of the pillars of our faith. It teaches us that God became a

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God becomes a man - Incarnation

The Incarnation – God Becomes A Man

Today we are continuing our study in the Gospel of John. We come to one of the most important passages in the Bible. It is one of the pillars of our faith. It teaches us that God became a man.

John 1:14-19 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

I. What is the Incarnation?

The word “incarnation” means “the act of being made flesh.” It comes from the Latin here in John 1:14. In John 1:1-3 we learned that Jesus is God, the divine Creator of the universe. Simply put, the incarnation means that the eternal God took on human flesh and became a man.

Let’s take a look at another passage on the incarnation.

Cross-Reference Philippians 2:6-9

Philippians 2:6-8 NASB – Who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.

The word, “existed,” denotes Jesus’ continuous state both then and now. He is eternally existent, and there was never a time when He didn’t exist.

The “form of God” doesn’t just mean that Jesus looks like God or is the same shape, but rather it teaches that Jesus’s very essence is the same as God’s. In other words, Jesus is eternally God. There was never a point in time when He wasn’t God and became God; neither is there a point in time when He was God and then ceased to be God.

Although Jesus is eternally God, He didn’t hold on to His rights as God. He emptied Himself.

There was no outside power that overcame Jesus and weakened Him. Jesus made a voluntary decision to set aside certain divine rights for a time and purpose.

For example?

• His glory – The disciples caught a glimpse of this glory during the transfiguration when He revealed His true state to them.
• Riches – In heaven, He owned everything, but on earth, He was poor.
Position – He left His throne and became a servant.

He refrained from using certain divine attributes to make His time as a human easier.

It is something akin to the tale of the Prince and the Pauper, a famous story in which a prince leaves the castle to become a commoner for a while. During that time, he doesn’t have access to his money, authority, or army. The prince becomes poor and needs to work for food. He is still a prince, but he is not exercising those noble rights.

The doctrine of the incarnation can be difficult to understand. How can God become a man? Did Jesus give up or stop being God?

Jesus is God and Man - Incarnation in a picture

1. What is God?

God is Spirit (John 4:24). Specifically, He is uncreated Spirit. He is the only eternal Spirit.

2. What are humans?

A human is a spirit (created) plus a physical body.

There are other spirits besides God who do not have bodies (or at least like we do). Angels are spirits.

There are also other creatures that have bodies, but no spirits. Animals fill this category.

Humans are a special part of God’s creation that are a unique merging of spirit and body.

3. What is Jesus?

Jesus is God. He has the divine, eternal, uncreated Spirit. His Spirit was not created at conception. He is the Word which existed from eternity past as God and created the universe.

Jesus is also human. He took on a body like we have. A human is a spirit with a human body. He has both.

So Jesus is fully God and fully man. He didn’t stop being God. He didn’t become a fake person or a shell of a person. The incarnation is real. He didn’t pretend to be a man. He became one.

Philippians 2:7 says that He was “born in the likeness of men.” In addition to giving up certain divine rights, He took on certain human weaknesses.

Recently, my son asked me if Jesus ever had a headache. I believe the answer is “yes.” He took on flesh and flesh is weak. Just as He did not miraculously turn the stone to bread (though He could have) to reduce his affliction, I do not believe He used His divine powers to ease His time on earth. That means He would have gotten sick, stubbed his toe, and gotten a splinter. He allowed these things to happen so that He could sympathize with us.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

We see that Jesus had both a human nature (he grew tired, ate, slept, walked, talked, etc.) and a divine nature (healed over distance, healed outside of time, turned water into wine, had power over nature, power over sickness, power over death, etc.)

Jesus’ incarnation is a fundamental teaching. It is also the key place that cults tend to go off. So if you are unsure if a certain fellowship or church is Biblical, one of the first places to look is their teaching on Jesus.

Here are several common heresies taught about Jesus.

What the incarnation isn’t

1. He was created by God and is the highest of all God’s creation. He is a god and not God (Arianism, Jehovah’s Witnesses).
2. He is two distinct persons indwelling the body of Christ, the human person and the divine person. Thus, Jesus would have been a first century Dr. Jekyall and Mr. Hyde! (Nestorians)
3. He was not actually a man; his body was a kind of apparition. (Gnostics)
4. He somehow became God later in His life when he reached a certain spiritual level, perhaps at His baptism. He followed the Mosaic law so well God chosen Him as Messiah (Ebionites)

Source – https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=second_person

II. Why the incarnation?

There are many “whys.” The most obvious is that He became a man in order to represent us so that He could save us. He came to fix our mess.

John also tells us the several whys of the incarnation. We will look at three things the incarnation reveals to us and how each of us those should impact our lives today.

Jesus’ Incarnation Shows Us God’s Glory

John 1:14-15 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”

Good teachers know that showing is often better than telling. I am coaching a youth basketball team this year. I could talk a long time to tell them how to shoot a basketball. Or I could save time and just show them.

Jesus’ incarnation showed people God’s glory rather than just telling them about it.

Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.

So how do we see God’s glory in the person of Jesus Christ?

The first thought might be that John was referring to the transfiguration. On Mt. Olives, Jesus revealed His glory to three disciples who saw His shining radiance.

But I don’t think that is what He is talking about here. The reason is that the Gospel of John does not record the transfiguration. If John was talking about that event here in John 1, he likely would have recorded it later. It wasn’t just those three disciples present at the transfiguration who see Jesus’ glory. It was everyone who witnessed Jesus’ ministry.

The disciples’ beheld Jesus’ ministry and therefore God’s glory with their own eyes.

The word “glory” means “high renown or honor won by notable achievements” or “magnificence” or “great beauty.”

They saw His magnificence in His miracles. They beheld the beauty of His character in the way He humbly served others. They saw His authority and power in the way He taught with conviction and truth.

Let’s go even deeper to understand how God’s glory was important to Israel. For the Jews, the glory of the Lord signified that God was with them.

Exodus 25:8 – And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

When the tabernacle was finished, His glory filled the place. It showed that He was dwelling with them.

Exodus 40:35 – And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

God’s presence was comforting to His people. He dwelt with them. He accepted them.

But God’s glory did not stay permanently in the temple. Ezekiel portrays God’s glory as leaving the temple when Israel fell into idolatry and rejected the Lord. Their sin caused God’s glory to depart.

Eventually, the people repented. They rebuilt the temple. However, the temple they rebuilt was far smaller than the one they had before.

Yet God made an important promise to them. He gave them hope.

Haggai 2:9 – The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

God’s glory would come again. The future glory shown would be even greater than what they had experienced.

This prophecy points to the day when the Messiah would come and offer salvation to the nation. Jesus is the “latter glory.” Jesus Himself went to that temple. He walked on its very floors. He preached to the crowds there. When He died, the veil of that temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the way was made for us to come to God. He offered God’s peace to the people, reconciliation between man and God.

So what is John saying?

John is saying that he and the other disciples are eye-witnesses to this glory. They themselves beheld God in the flesh. They saw history being made. They saw this prophecy being fulfilled.

God’s glory, which had left the temple, was back. His presence was once again with His people. The incarnation teaches us that God has not finally rejected people. He offers an invitation to come to Him. He comes to bring peace and forgiveness. God is not distant and apathetic. He is close by to each one of us.

Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.

Though we don’t see Jesus as they did, His glory fills the pages of Scripture.

And now He has a new temple. Ask your neighbor, “where is the temple now?”

Now the temple is our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

It is our job to shine the light of God’s glory in the darkness. Jesus is the light, the glory. We are to reflect that light.

Jonathan Edwards Quote on God's glory

We are first to behold His glory. Observe it and recognize it. Then we are to rejoice in it. Then we are to spread it for all to see.

Whatever I cannot do for God’s glory must be avoided. – Arthur Pink

Let us pray that this verse will be fulfilled soon.

Habakkuk 2:14 Verse

Jesus’ Incarnation Shows Us God’s Grace

John 1:16-17 – For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John tells us another “why” of the incarnation. Jesus came, why? To bring grace upon grace.

That is very good news!

I imagine that all of you were very good students. So you probably can’t relate with this story, but just pretend for a moment that you were a naughty student. You were rude, disrespectful, and disobedient. The teacher tried everything to get you back in line and you wouldn’t listen. Then the principle is called in for a special meeting with you. How would you feel about meeting him? You would probably be afraid of the punishment that was coming. But to your surprise, the principle is kind. He graciously offers to forgive your infractions.

Jesus’ coming is like that.

God gave the law through Moses to the Israelites. The law showed them the depth of their sin.

In Deuteronomy 27 and 28, Moses gave the law to the people and told them that if they did not do it, they would be under a curse.

Deuteronomy 27:26 – “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

They agreed that if they did not do the whole law they would be under a curse. That is what the law does. It is a mirror to show people who they really are. It shows us our sin. It shows us that by ourselves, we have no hope.

Now one might expect that God’s Son was coming to bring punishment to those under the curse. One would think He would say, “I gave you the law. I gave you the prophets. I gave you Scripture. I did miracles on your behalf. You still rejected me. Here is the judgment you deserve!”

But that is not what Jesus said at all.

John 12:47 – I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

He came not to judge, but to save! That is grace. Grace is undeserved.

I want to do a quick and scientific survey to see whether we like grace or judgment better. If you have ever met a person named “Grace,” raise your hand. If you have ever met a person named “Judgment,” raise your hand.

I know many people named Grace, but have never heard of anyone named judgment. We like grace better. Thankfully, Jesus came to bring us grace.

He came not to execute the curse, but to bring us out from under it.

Galatians 3:13 – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”

If you are thankful for God’s grace, can you say, “Amen?”

Let us take note of one more thing from the verse. He came to bring grace and truth. God’s grace is not divorced from truth. It doesn’t compromise the truth. Grace is not equal to God turning a blind eye to sin. He doesn’t compromise with sin.

He calls sin for what it is while still offering us a chance to be forgiven from it.

If we want God’s grace, we must believe and accept Jesus as the Truth (John 14:6). We cannot get salvation from God while at the same time choosing “our truth.” Grace and truth come together in a package deal.

The world these days is very big on grace or tolerance. They want the kindness, but don’t want the truth.

If we are to be like Jesus, we need to be gracious and truthful. We should not compromise on either side.

Let’s consider one modern example. The LGBT+ movement is gaining steam. Within this movement, many people require others to address them by certain pronouns that do not match their God-given identity. We want to respect others. We want to be gracious. However, the truth is God created people male and female. There are only two genders biblically and also scientifically as determined by a person’s X and Y chromosomes. The female is XX. The male is XY. That is the truth.

We should not compromise the truth by using incorrect pronouns that do not match the reality of God’s creation. We are not doing favors to society as a whole when we give in and compromise the truth. Neither are we doing any favors to the person in question. Though it may seem like a kind thing use a person’s selected pronouns, it is actually not. It reinforces the web of deceit they are caught in and propagates a lie that ensnares them. Jesus said that the truth will set you free. We want to set people free.

Heidi St. John says, “Let’s not sacrifice truth on the altar of a misguided mercy.”

At the same time, we should love the person and treat them with genuine kindness. Jesus’ example to the adulterous woman is one for us to follow. Jesus would not condemn her, but told her to “go her way and sin no more.”

In the world today, there will be more and more issues like this that we need to navigate. Let us pray for grace, truth, and wisdom. One way that some teachers have dealt with this issue is to always refer to every person by their given name and not use any pronouns. We can seek wisdom in dealing with things as Daniel did, but we cannot compromise the truth. It is possible that when we stand up for truth, we will be persecuted. But if the church will not resist Satanic influences which want to destroy nations, cultures, and souls, who will?

Applications

Receive His grace.

Show grace to others, but don’t forget truth – If Jesus, who is perfect, holy and the rightful judge gives grace to others, how much more should we?

Jesus’ Incarnation Shows Us God

John 1:18 KJV – No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

No one has ever seen God. God is Spirit. God is so holy, glorious, and awesome that if you were to see him now, you would die. God made us to be visual creatures. For ages, people have wanted to know what is God like. What is He like?

People then try to speculate about Him. They tried to paint Him. They tried to sculpt Him. They tried to make statues of Him. But they were only taking things from their own mind and then impose those images onto God. People got it all wrong. They exchanged the glory of the Creator for the image of the created. They worshipped the sun, moon, trees, mountains, and sky.

In the Ten Commandments, the Lord forbade such images.

People cannot know about God through speculating, meditation, or philosophy. We cannot know about Him except through what He Himself reveals to us.

The good news is, God was not silent. One of the most important messages of the Bible is that God speaks.

Hebrews 1:1-2 – Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

God is not silent. He gives us everything we need to know to live the lives He wants us to live. He has spoken in many ways. He has spoken through prophets, angels, visions, and Scripture.

All of these led up to the big reveal, sending His Son. The incarnation reveals God to us. He came to this world to show us the Father.

You want to know what God is like?

Look at Jesus.

You want to know God’s character?

Look at Jesus.

You want to hear God’s wisdom?

Look to Jesus.

You want to witness God’s power?

Look to Jesus.

You want to see God’s miracles?

Look to Jesus.

You want to know to do in any life situation?

Ask, What Would Jesus Do? WWJD.

Jesus is our mediator. He is the bridge who brings us to the Father. He introduces us to God so that we can know Him and then fellowship with Him.

God is not a distant God. He is not uncaring or ambivalent. He is close to us. He is knowable. Jesus has made Him known.

This is a major theme of the Gospel of John.

John 17:26 – I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Conclusion

What is the incarnation?

It is the “act of being made flesh.” God became a man. Jesus had a human body and a spirit so He is human. His Spirit was uncreated so He is God.

Why the incarnation?

  • Jesus shows us God’s glory.
  • Jesus shows us God’s grace.
  • Jesus shows us God.

What are the takeaways?

#1 – Appreciate Him. Let’s say thank you to Jesus for condescending to become a man.

If you wanted to have a better relationship with your spouse, what should you do? You could write down a list of action points:

• Say three nice things every day.
• Do the chores.
• Buy her flowers.
• Take her on a date.

But those are all external things. It starts with the heart. If you respect, love, cherish, and appreciate your spouse those actions will follow naturally.

The same is true in our relationship with God. If we, like John, see His glory and grace, He will be lifted up in our hearts and minds. As we love and appreciate Him more, we will want to be more like Him. One way to appreciate Him more is to learn more about Him.

We have an amazing privilege and opportunity to learn of our Creator as we study the life of Jesus in the Word of God. To behold His beauty! To marvel at His grace! Then as we learn of Him, we are to reflect His glory and grace to the world around us. Not so that people will praise us, but so that they to can learn to appreciate Him as we do.

As we close in prayer, let us voice our appreciation of and praise for Christ, who became man to show us God.

Behold His glory

Discussion Questions

  • What does the incarnation tell you about God’s heart toward us?
  • What grace have you received from God? Why is it so hard to show others grace?
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The Resurrection Demands a Response https://studyandobey.com/the-resurrection-demands-a-response/ https://studyandobey.com/the-resurrection-demands-a-response/#respond Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:13:35 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=39137 The Resurrection Demands A Response - John 20 This message was originally shared at Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship On Resurrection Sunday, March 31, 2024.  The Resurrection Demands a Response   - This link will download the PPT. Today is Resurrection Sunday. He is risen! But what does that

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John 20 - The Resurrection

The Resurrection Demands A Response – John 20

This message was originally shared at Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship On Resurrection Sunday, March 31, 2024. 

The Resurrection Demands a Response   – This link will download the PPT.

Today is Resurrection Sunday. He is risen! But what does that mean? His resurrection did not occur in a vacuum. It was not the beginning of the story. Rather, it was the climax of the story. It is the final piece in God’s redemptive plan.

A brief summary up to this point –

• Creation. Everything was good.
• The fall.
• The world descended into darkness and evil. Every thought of man’s heart was wicked continually. (Genesis 6:8)
• God delivered one man of faith, Noah, and his family.
• The world descended into sin again.
• God gave a covenant to Abraham and blessed his descendants.
• God sent prophets. God did miracles. God gave the Scripture.
• Still people rebelled. They rebelled over and over.
• The Old Testament teaches us that man is sinful and has no way to save himself. It shows humankind’s lost state and makes it clear that unless there is an act of divine intervention, we have no hope.
• The Old Testament also points us to a coming Savior, a Messiah who will come and fix what is broken. He is the Great Light Isaiah refers to.

The story then picks up in the New Testament. Many of you have been joining the Gospel of John reading for the last three weeks. You have been reading how the Greatest Story Ever Told unfolds. You have been joining in on this amazing journey through the life of Christ that culminates in the chapter we are reading today.

At the very beginning of this gospel, John tells us that the light has arrived! The light is Jesus. The light has come to give us life. In other words, He says, “God’s solution is here! The Messiah is here! Divine intervention has arrived!” He even says, “This is the Son of God!”

John tells us (1:12) it is possible to become children of God. The rebels can be saved! He even reviews the Old Testament saying, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth game through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Very quickly, John tells us what Jesus’ mission. He reports that John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Right after this, Jesus starts calling the disciples. He invites them with Him on this amazing journey. They have an up front and personal view of the Lamb of God who is coming to fix everything, to bring life, to bring light.

They see Him do marvelous works.

• The first miracle – changing water to wine
• Healing
o People who had tried everything. People who had been sick or diseased for years or decades and lived without hope.
o They saw him heal the blind, giving light to those who had never seen it.
o Heal across distance without even visiting the sick person.
• They saw him suspend the laws of nature
o Walk on water
o Calm the storm
o Feed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread.
• Most amazingly of all, they saw him literally give life. He raised the dead to life. Lazarus.

They see Him teach marvelous things.

He taught them about love, forgiveness, faith, prayer, and transformation.

He also taught them about who He was and how it impacted them. All of these seven teachings are from the Gospel of John.

• I am the Bread of Life
• I am the Light of the world
• I am the Gate of the Sheep
• I am the Good Shepherd
• I am the Resurrection and the Life
• I am the Vine and you are the branches
• I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

After listening to His teaching, this is what Peter said.

“Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life.” – John 6:68

They didn’t just observe what He taught. Teaching is one thing. One’s life and actions will tell you more.

They see Him… and marvel at His character.

• Mercy and compassion
o He willingly met Nicodemus at night and graciously shared with Him. There was no rebuke for his fear.
o The Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus conversed with someone who was an outcast. He did not cast her out, but instead welcomed her. She was the first person He told He was the Messiah. He invited her in.
o The woman caught in adultery.
• Boldness – He was not cowed by His enemies. He did what was right and didn’t fear the consequences. Healing on the Sabbath.
• Divinity
• His teaching and authority
• Humility and servanthood – Washing the disciples’ feet.
• Patience – The disciples messed up many times. Even on the last night, Peter went into soldier mode and slashed a guy’s ear off. Then he denied Jesus three times. Through all of this, Jesus never cast them out.

All of this is what you have seen after reading through John. All of this is what the disciples witnessed firsthand. Hardly a day went by that they did not see something amazing.

Imagine how they felt after three years of accompanying Jesus and witnessing all of these things. Jesus often preached that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” They surely believed this. They were definitely on the bandwagon.

They were walking with and talking with the Messiah, the Son of God. He was going to do something great! They accompanied Him entering Jerusalem triumphantly with the whole city welcoming Him. It was a victory parade. Something big was going to happen!

That brings us through John chapter 17. In John 18, their world comes crashing down. Their hero is arrested. In a sham trial, He is convicted. Then, He is executed. All of this happened in the span of less than one day.

There was no time to process anything. There was no time to mentally prepare.

Just like that, everything they believed in, everything they had committed to, everything they had worked for came crashing down in a burning heap.

They gave up everything to follow Jesus. They had hitched their lives to His. They had trusted in Him. Their very identity was in Him. Without Him they were nothing; they were lost.

They were starving without their Bread of Life.
They were blind without the Light of the World.
They were like lost sheep without a Shepherd.
They were dead without their Resurrection and Life.
They were like a branch cut off from the Vine withering on the ground.
They no longer had a Way set before them. They know longer knew the path they were on. They didn’t know the truth. They didn’t know where to go.

That brings us all the way up through history and through the life of Jesus recorded in John to our passage today, John 20.

Read John 20

Christ the Lord is Risen!

Sunday morning the disciples woke up in despair, confusion, fear, and doubt. Sunday night they went to sleep in peace, joy, purpose, courage, and security.

Sunday morning it was as if their whole world came crashing down. Sunday night an entirely new reality was facing them.

We will first look at the other characters around Jesus and how they responded to the resurrection. Then we will look at the broader implications of the resurrection. Finally, we will look at our response to it.

  • The Response of Jesus’ Contemporaries
  • Mary Magdalene Announced the Resurrection
  • Here is a woman who before she met Jesus lived totally in the darkness.

Mary Magdalene is another follower of Christ whose world had been turned upside down. Before she met Jesus, she was possessed by seven demons. This is a woman who had no hope. Whatever big promises Satan had made to her had turned out to be lies. She, like every other person, is powerless to ward off these powers on her own ability. The result was a life of darkness, depression, sin, anguish. People in society turned their backs on her. The religious leaders wanted nothing to do with helping such people they despicably called “sinners.”

But Jesus had been different. When everybody else had turned their back on her, when she was an outcast with no where to go and no where to help, when the religion of her day could do nothing to solve her problem, Jesus came into her life, giving her hope.

Mark 2:17 – On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

We don’t know the full story of her conversion. John says not all the books in the world can contain the deeds which Jesus did. But we do know that she was converted. Jesus brought her into the light. She became perhaps Jesus’ most faithful follower. Jesus was everything to her because Mary understood the difference Jesus makes in your life. He was her teacher, her friend, her Lord, and her Savior.

Now He was gone. Her life had been turned upside down.
And here Mary is alone at the tomb. And she is weeping. She is crying her heart out. Jesus was no more. She could not talk to or be comforted by Him. And now, she thought that even His body was stolen away.

It was then that two angels appeared to her. Then Jesus Himself. At first, through the tears and despair she did not recognize Him. No one expects a dead guy to just walk up and start talking. Then He said, “Mary.” She recognized Him. Her Lord had risen! The worst news of all time had turned into the best.

Her weeping was turned to joy. It foreshadows the promise in Revelation 21:4, that one day He will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Then what did Mary do? She went and announced it!

Mary was an instant believer. She did not need any more convincing. She received the good news and she passed it on.

Peter and John Investigated the Resurrection

The first news that Peter and John heard about it was Mary’s report that the tomb was empty. They immediately went and investigated, running to the tomb. John ran faster. Probably he was younger.

When they get to the tomb, they look inside and see the burial cloths. Peter, being Peter, goes straight in. They see the linen cloths lying there and the and the face cloth folded up by itself. Surely grave robbers would not take time to fold laundry before leaving the tomb. Surely grave robbers would not remove the cloths, which would make transporting the body much more inconvenient.

Something mysterious had happened, that much was clear. The text tells us something of what they were thinking at the time.

John 20:8-9 – Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

It appears that they did not yet fully understand or believe the resurrection. What they did believe is that Jesus’ body was gone. Something mysterious had happened.

Peter and John’s first response was to investigate. They didn’t immediately believe in Jesus’ resurrection, but neither did they dismiss it out of hand. They sought more information.

Jesus said, “if you seek, you will find.” When someone is seeking to understand the things of God, He will reveal more to them. That is what Jesus did. His next appearance was to go to the disciples. It seems that all of them were there except for Thomas.

They were gathered together in a locked room because they were afraid of the religious leaders. They were scared that they too would be dragged away and killed.

Jesus appeared and said, “Peace be with you.” He then showed them the marks on His hands and feet. It wasn’t a trick. Jesus did not rebuke them for not believing more quickly. He honored their investigation and gave them all the evidence they needed.

The disciples were “glad.”

Their leader and Savior had proven Himself once again. Their mission was on again. The trust that they had placed in Jesus by committing their lives to Him had been confirmed. The Good Shepherd was back. They could be connected to the Vine. The Gate, the Way, was alive and well. He had proven Himself beyond any shadow of a doubt to be the Resurrection and the Life. Their lives, and ours, would never be the same.

Thomas Doubted the Resurrection

Not all the disciples were there when Jesus appeared. Thomas was absent. Though the other disciples tried to convince him that they saw Jesus, he wouldn’t budge. He wore his skepticism on his arm almost like a badge of honor. That has earned him the nickname, “Doubting Thomas.”

What should we make of Thomas?

Thomas had seen enough of Jesus’ miracles that He should have believed. Yet he demanded what many people still demand today, to see some empirical evidence.

Jesus graciously showed him that clear evidence and appeared again so that Thomas would be fully convinced. Then Thomas did believe.

Why did God show Him this clear evidence, but not many others? Thomas had already believed the different miracles He saw Jesus doing and was loyal to Him. If we believe the things God has already shown us, He is far more likely to show us more.

Jesus is gracious. He didn’t scold Thomas for his lack of faith. Neither did He reject Thomas. But He was patient and compassionate.

Thank God that He is the same way toward us today.

He gives ample evidence to those who need it. God does not require a blind faith. Never does He say, “You must believe against all evidence.” The faith is not a faith that is against logic and reason. It is not a blind faith. It is a reasonable faith built on the truth.

We don’t have time today to fully go into the evidences for the resurrection. I will just share one.

Transformed lives of the disciples – These guys were cowering in a locked room for fear of their lives. Later they ended up giving their lives for the belief that Jesus arose from the dead. Where did they get this boldness? Why would they give their life for a lie?

Jewish Leaders and Roman Soldiers Rejected the Resurrection

But what about those who were not Jesus’ disciples? Did they know about the resurrection and how did they respond?

Matthew 28:11-15 – While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

They had signs, miracles, and evidence every step of Jesus’ ministry. They heard firsthand from the Roman guards, people who had no incentive to lie. The resurrection was right there. Everything was right in front of their eyes. They were so close, but so far. They didn’t even investigate. They didn’t even consider the fact that they might be wrong. They just rejected it out of hand.

Not everyone who hears the gospel will be saved. Many who hear the good news will not accept it. Many will reject it out of hand without so much as any investigation. Some even in the church will not be saved because though they follow the traditions of Christianity, they have not placed their faith in Christ.

The Implications of the Resurrection

The resurrection is the crux of the Christian faith. It’s actually easy to die. Anybody can do it. The resurrection is the bigger miracle, proving that Jesus was true, that His death was effective in bringing salvation. It proved Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God.

What would have happened if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead?

Nothing. If Jesus hadn’t arisen from the dead nothing would have happened. The disciples would have gone back to their jobs. The Jews would have continued exulting in their triumph. The story would have ended. The movement would have been crushed. The New Testament wouldn’t have been written. Churches wouldn’t have been established. There would be no Easter, no New Testament, and no GICF.

What meaning does our faith have without the resurrection?

Nothing special. Without the resurrection, Christianity would be reduced to a number of moral principles. Even those would have to be followed with doubt. How could you follow Jesus as a moral authority if He lied by not fulfilling His prediction to rise from the dead? (Matthew 16:21)

This is what Paul says about the importance of the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

With no resurrection, we are wasting our time here.

There wouldn’t be Christianity without the resurrection.

In what way does the resurrection set Christianity apart from other religions?

Jesus was the only religious leader that ever arose from the dead. Buddha is dead. Mohammed is dead. Confucius is dead. Joseph Smith is dead. All of these guys are still in the tomb. But Jesus isn’t.

One person put it like this way. You come upon an intersection and there are two guys there. You are unsure which way to go and you need to pick one to ask directions from. Who do you ask? Hard to say, right? You could ask about their familiarity with the region or their guide credentials. But what if I gave you one more piece of information? One of the guys is dead and one is alive. Who do you ask?

It’s the proof that Jesus is of God while the other religions are just man-made.

Why is the resurrection so important to believers?

It shows that Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf was effective. The resurrection is also a symbol of the new life we have in Christ when we believe in Him. As He rose to a new and perfect body, so one day we too will rise again. The curse will not last forever. Sin and death have been conquered.

This event changed the world and our lives. Think for a moment about how different your life would be without the resurrection. I for one would not even be in China, would not be married to Christy, would not have these four children, would live in a different place, would not have purpose or meaning in my life. Come to think of it, I would not be alive at all since my parents met and married in a Christian fellowship.

So the event of the resurrection is not just a fact that happened. It is the unfolding of God’s plan that demands a response.
How do we respond?

In today’s passages, we see three types of responses to the resurrection: rejection, investigation, and belief.

Some people might claim to be agnostic and say, “I don’t care. I am in the middle. I won’t think about it or make any response.”

But not deciding is a decision itself. If a doctor tells you that you have cancer and need treatment and you see, “I don’t want to make a decision” that is already a decision. It is a decision to do nothing. You are not receiving treatment.

Or imagine you are the 1 millionth customer at a car dealership. They give you a new car provided that you go in person to take collection of it and sign your name. You say, “I don’t want to decide and then you don’t do anything,” that is already a decision. You will not receive the prize.

Jesus’ claims demand a response. He claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed to have the power to save you. And now we see that His disciples claimed He rose again. How will you respond?

Rejection

The religious leaders heard news of the resurrection. It was shared with them by an objective source. But they weren’t interested. They never stopped to think about the amazing miracle that had taken place. They never seemed to even ask, “Could it be true?” They were not willing to consider that they had made a mistake in putting Jesus to death. Their face and their pride pushed them to “stand their ground” and “not give in.” They couldn’t and wouldn’t admit they were wrong. Its so sad. Salvation was right there. It was close at hand.

I hope that today there is no one in this category here. Perhaps in the past you have rejected the good news of Jesus. Or perhaps you have tried to walk the middle line and not be to extreme, not make any decision.

If you have been in the category of rejection, I have one request of you. Do not reject it outright.

Instead, investigate. That leads us to the second possible response.

Investigation (The Disciples and Thomas)

This is the most important decision you will ever make. Before choosing a school for your kids, you do some research. Before making an important medical decision, you get a second opinion. Even before purchasing a new phone, you probably put in some time to research and compare.

How much more, should we be willing to spend the time to investigate the gospel and the resurrection? Your soul is on the line.

Matthew 16:26 – For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

The disciples and Thomas did not immediately believe. They did investigate. They sought more information.

The information on the credibility of the resurrection and the Bible is out there. Here are two good books you can read.

The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
New Evidence that Demands a Verdict- Joshua McDowell

Do not just keep putting it off. Start asking questions. Start studying. Start researching.

The investigation will lead to a choice. For the disciples, they then believed.

Believe

I trust that most of us here today have chosen to believe. If you believe that Jesus is risen, can you give an, “AMEN?”

Belief is not the end of the story though. Their belief led them to two things.

Rejoice

They were glad! Today is a day of a rejoicing.

John 15:11 – These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

The resurrection should fill our hearts with joy. It should put a smile on our face. Look around. Do you see those smiles? It means that God loves us. It means that good wins, God wins. Death is conquered. Sin is crushed. Satan is defeated. The light overcomes the darkness.

It means our sins are forgiven. It means our eternal destiny is secure. It means we have life. It means that one day, we too, will rise. It is victory. It is hope.

If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what to say. You might need CPR.

If you feel that way about the resurrection, what will you do?

Announce it!

Mary told the disciples. The disciples told Thomas. They then told the world!

But still, there are billions of people in our generation who do not know.

Who will you tell? A neighbor, a relative, a classmate, a colleague? (Romans 10:14-15)

The resurrection is the best news we will ever hear. Let’s smile and tell others.

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Jesus Saying on the Cross – Woman, Behold Thy Son https://studyandobey.com/jesus-saying-on-the-cross-woman-behold-thy-son/ https://studyandobey.com/jesus-saying-on-the-cross-woman-behold-thy-son/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2024 23:39:14 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=38732 John 19:26-27 - Jesus' Saying on the Cross - Woman Behold Thy Son John 19:25-27 - But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he

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Jesus' Saying on the Cross, Woman Behold Thy Son

John 19:26-27 – Jesus’ Saying on the Cross – Woman Behold Thy Son

John 19:25-27 – But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

When you look at the seven statements of Jesus on the cross, this one appears the most ordinary. It doesn’t seem as profound theologically as “It is finished” or as desperate as “Why have you forsaken me?” or as spiritual as “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

It is simply a few last words from son to mother. However, when we unpack these words, we can see that even the simplest words of Jesus teach us important truths. Those truths are practical and relevant to our lives today.

Simple truths form the foundational principles for how we should live.

The first simple truth we learn from Jesus is:

I. Jesus honored His mother, fulfilling the law

Exodus 20:12 – Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

In the list of the ten commandments, four deal with our relationship with God and six deal with our relationship with people around us. Those six commands are the core pillars of a healthy and functioning society. The first of those is to “honor your father and mother.”

A society is built on the family as the core unit. Healthy families make healthy societies. If children do not learn to obey and respect their parents, societies fall apart.

If anyone ever had reason to not honor parental authority it was Jesus. Jesus was the highest authority, Son of God, King of Kings. Yet when you look at Jesus’ life, you see at every point, He honored his parents/mother.

Luke 2:51 – And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

This verse was written about Jesus as a twelve-year old. Twelve-year olds are notorious for being rebellious. Jesus was not a typical twelve-year-old. He willingly submitted Himself to His parents.

Do you remember the first public miracle Jesus ever did?

He turned the water to wine at a wedding in Cana. Mary brought the lack of wine to Jesus’ attention and wanted him to do something about it. Jesus said that His “time had not yet come.” He wasn’t ready to publicly draw a lot of attention yet. However, because his mother asked, He helped. He did it behind-the-scenes so that His plans were not altered while at the same time caring for Mary. Her feelings and desires were considered while He still followed His convictions. That is the definition of honoring one’s parents.

So we see that as a child He honored His parents. At the very beginning of His ministry, He honored His mother. And now at the very end of His ministry, while hanging on the cross, He still honors her. These two exchanges serve as bookends on Jesus’ public ministry. They show us that His ministry was not separated from His personal life. He did not reject His family to do ministry. It was not either/or.

Many driven and ambitious people discard their families along the way. Some do this actively, viewing their family as an annoying distraction. Many more do it subconsciously, relegating their family below work.

Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law.

Matthew 5:17 – Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

He fulfilled God’s calling for His life while at the same time performing His family duties. He made sure that Mary was well taken care of. Most scholars agree that Joseph was likely dead at this point, which is why the responsibility for Mary would fall to the oldest son.

Jesus specifically criticized the Pharisees for nullifying the command to honor parents for the spiritual-sounding reason of giving all to God.

Mark 7:11-13 – But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”‘ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

We serve God by respecting and honoring our parents. When we do this in the right way, it can never interfere with our God-given calling in our lives.

Application – Simple truth. Simple application. Honor your parents.

Reflection – What are some practical ways that, as an adult, you can honor your parents? How can you show respect to them even from far away?

• Physical provision

1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

• Show concern for their life and well-being
• Show concern for their feelings and emotions
• Ask their advice
• Communicate. Call or message. What mother does not like it when her son calls?
• Gift-giving.

We should note that the responsibility of honoring parents does not go above obeying God. If Mary had told Jesus not to go through with the crucifixion plan, He would not have listened. His highest priority was the Father’s will. He could do this while still honoring His mother.

Sometimes, this can be very difficult. It is especially difficult when a parent is hostile to the faith. Consider how you can show respect while still maintaining your convictions. These should not be sacrificed.

II. Jesus prioritized the spiritual family over the physical

Reflect – Why did Jesus ask John to care for His mother instead of His brothers?

While Jesus’ statement shows the importance of His care for His family, it shows us more than that. It shows us that physical ties are not as important as spiritual ones. Being part of a spiritual family is even more essential than being part of a physical one.

How do we conclude that?

Mark 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus had at least four half-brothers and at least two half-sisters. Yet he did not ask any of them to take care of Mary. Instead, He asked John to.

I believe the answer is found here.

John 7:5 – For not even his brothers believed in him.

Jesus’ brothers had not believed in Him. Later, at least James would. But he evidently had not yet. Jesus wanted one of His followers to take care of Mary. He wanted someone who shared the faith. The spiritual connection was more important than the physical one.

To put it simply, John believed in Jesus. James did not. The normal way of the world would be for the oldest brother to take responsibility for the mom. But nothing about Jesus is normal. He doesn’t follow tradition for the sake of tradition.

Psalms 127:1 – Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Jesus could ask Mary to go into the home and be under the protection of James. However, that was not a home built by the Lord. Why send his mother into a home where God’s message was not believed and His own Son was not honored?

Throughout His ministry, Jesus stressed the fact that the spiritual family is more important than the physical.

Matthew 12:46-50 – While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Some of Jesus’ family had rejected Him, but He didn’t let that bother Him. He did not live to please His family. He was seeking God’s approval, not man’s.

What is the practical application of this?

#1 Seek out a spiritual family.

We need to be connected to a spiritual family. John could encourage, shepherd, support, and pray for Mary. Many times, these are things that our natural-born families cannot or do not do for us. If you have a family who supports you, stands with you, challenges you in the faith, counsels you wisely, and prays for you, count yourself blessed!

But many of you were not born into that situation.

The good news is that you can still have it. If you have been looking for that from your family, perhaps you have been looking in the wrong place. When you were born again, you were born into a new family. Seek out those people who can do these things for you. Mentors, friends, and counselors, you need them. If your family is not giving that, accept it for what it is. Then, take the initiative to establish relationships with people who will really help you in your spiritual journey.

#2 Do not live to seek your family’s approval.

Would Jesus’ brothers be happy about His decision to send Mary into John’s household? We don’t know. Likely not. But that was not really relevant. He was not seeking their approval. He was doing the will of God. We see that repeatedly from Jesus in His ministry. The driving force behind all of His decisions was pleasing the Father.

Sometimes we are crippled because our family does not approve of us. Sometimes we make decisions to please them. We try and try, but it is not enough. It can cause a lot of baggage and compromise decision-making. Perhaps you can please them. But are you doing what God wants?

Or perhaps you still cannot please them. Either way, it is the wrong goal.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

#3 Do not be unequally yoked.

You cannot choose the family you are born into. However, you can choose your family. What do I mean? You will likely have a family that is even closer than the one you were born into. That happens when you get married. You form a new family unit with your spouse. Jesus’ words show us that it is important to have a home where everyone shares the same faith in Him.

Get married to a believer and you will get two families for the price of one.

#4 Be comforted if you have a sorry family.

Let’s face it. Some people are born into sorry families. Divorce, abandonment, apathy, abuse, alcoholism, drugs, and more tear the family apart. Jesus’ words can bring you comfort. You don’t have a brother or your brother is not a nice person? In the church, you can find many brothers. You don’t have a sister or your sister is not a nice person? You can find many sisters in the church. Your father left you? Your Heavenly Father will never leave.

We should witness to our families and pray for them. Don’t give up on them. But don’t pin your hopes on them. Be comforted by the fact that the instant you trust in God, He brings you into a family far larger and closer than anything this world has to offer.

Disclaimer: This does not mean we should not care for our families. We have already seen that Jesus did. He honored His mother.

We should love them. We should do good to them, but even more to those who are in the faith.

Galatians 6:10 – So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Or perhaps your loved ones have passed on and you feel lonely. Take comfort in the fact that when you come to Christ, He will give you a spiritual family.

III. Jesus was selfless (put another way, He served others even when He didn’t feel like it.)

The biggest thing that stands out to me from this passage is that even in the midst of this terrible affliction, Jesus was able to reach out with consideration for others.

Let us consider what Jesus was facing at this moment.

• He had been betrayed by a close companion, Judas, one of his disciples.
• He had been rejected and betrayed by His people whom He came and served. The nation that He was rightfully the king of, demanded His crucifixion.
• Most of His disciples had abandoned Him in His hour of need.
• He had been flogged with whips.
• He had been mocked.
• He had been spit upon.
• The crown of thorns had been pressed into His head, wounding Him.
• In this condition, He had been forced to carry the heavy cross to the place of crucifixion to the point He could not go any further with it.
• He had been stripped naked and publicly humiliated.
• Nails had been driven into His hands and feet.

Any one of these ten different things was a heavy affliction that would likely drive us to tears.

Think about how you react when you face difficulties. Generally, when we face trials, we want other people to listen to us. We want them to show concern. We want to experience empathy. Even when we have something as minor as a cold, we want others to take care of us. In short, when we are in times of hardship, we want the people around us to take notice and then serve us. Difficult times tend to make us more focused on ourselves. We become inward-focused. We throw a pity party with ourselves as the star and invite others to join in.

Jesus didn’t do that. Even in the middle of this disaster, He was thinking of others.

The ten things mentioned above are not the worst of it. The absolute worst thing Jesus faced was something unseen. He was forsaken by the Father. The eternal fellowship He had with the Father was broken. Instead of love, He felt something else. That was not even indifference. It was wrath. Because Jesus took on the sin of the world, the wrath of God was on Him.

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Yet even in the midst of this, Jesus took the time and made the effort to make sure His mother was taken care of. Selflessness embodied Jesus and His ministry.

We see the same thing at the Last Supper. It was the last night before Jesus’ death. He knew He would die the next day. Yet, He didn’t seek comfort from the disciples. He didn’t look to be served. He didn’t ask for a shoulder massage. What did He do? He washed their feet. He served them by taking the job that no one else wanted.

Although the statement, “Woman behold they son. Behold thy mother,” is very simple, it shows us that while on the cross, Jesus was thinking of others. That, in fact, is the only reason Jesus was on the cross. It was the most selfless act in history.

Jesus was not just thinking about His mother while on the cross. He was thinking of each of us.

There are verses like John 3:16 that say that Jesus died for the world. But He also died for us individually. Both are true.

1 John 2:2 – He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

He is the propitiation for our sins. John tells His readers that Jesus died for them, personally.

Jesus died for you, personally.

John 10:3 – To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

He knows your name. I believe that if you were the only person in the entire world who needed salvation, Jesus would have done exactly the same thing. He would have gone through the crucifixion for you.

Romans 5:8 – But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Now that read that again, but instead of “us,” put your name into it.

One the cross, Jesus thought of His mother, making sure she had a temporal home on earth. But more than that, He thought of you, making sure that you have the opportunity to have an eternal home with Him.

Application

#1 – Appreciate His selflessness and sacrifice.

#2 – Consider your attitude toward others when you have faced sickness, pain, or trials. Do you become inward-focused and seek to be served? Let us follow Christ’s example in reaching out to serve others even when we don’t feel like it!

Review

I. Jesus honored His mother, fulfilling the law.

# 1 – Honor your parents in practical ways even if you live far away.

II. Jesus prioritized the spiritual family over the physical.

  • #1 – Seek out a spiritual family
  • #2 – Do not live to seek your family’s approval
  • #3 – Do not be unequally yoked
  • #4 – Be comforted if you have a sorry family

III. Jesus served others even when He didn’t feel like it

#1 – Appreciate His selflessness and sacrifice #2 – Follow Christ’s example by serving others selflessly even when you don’t feel like it.

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John 1:1-3 – Living by the Word https://studyandobey.com/john-1-1-3-living-by-the-word/ https://studyandobey.com/john-1-1-3-living-by-the-word/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2024 09:13:25 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=38429 This sermon was originally shared with Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship on March 10, 2024 as part of their yearly theme Sunday. John 1:1-3 Sermon - Living by the Word John 1:1-3 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

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Living by the Word John 1:1-3

This sermon was originally shared with Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship on March 10, 2024 as part of their yearly theme Sunday.

John 1:1-3 Sermon – Living by the Word

John 1:1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

I. Understanding the Text

A. What is the Word?

The Greek term used for “Word” in this passage is “Logos.” John borrowed this word from the Greeks but at the same time infused it with Old Testament meaning.

The most basic meaning of logos is “word,” which is why it is translated that way. But in Greek philosophy it also can mean “divine reason,” or “mind,” or “wisdom,” or “thought,” or “principle,” or “message.” It has a broad range of uses. It is that flexibility which enables John to use it with such symbolism here.

New Testament writers used the term “logos” over three hundred times. In most of these, it is used according to its standard meaning, which is just “word.” In John 1:1, it has a more symbolic meaning attached to it.

B. Who is the Word?

If the first verses are confusing, it is helpful to jump ahead. John gives us the key to unlock all the mysteries of what he is saying.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word is Jesus. These verses describe the incarnation. Incarnation is the theological term describing this even where Jesus takes on flesh and becomes a man.

C. Why does John use this term to describe Jesus?

1. Connecting to a Greek audience

There were many Greeks in John’s audience. By using a term they were familiar with, he helped them bridge the gap between their world and the gospel message. He started from what they knew and understood.

Paul did a similar thing when he went to Athens and preached to the Greeks. He went through their temples and saw an idol built to what they titled an “Unknown God.” He mentioned this in the introduction of his sermon, telling them that what they worshiped in ignorance, he would reveal to them. By starting from a common ground, he could better keep their attention while not overwhelming them with stuff they didn’t understand.

2. Emphasizing Jesus’ role as messenger

Words are an integral form of communication. They enable the passing of ideas from one being to another. By using the term “Word” for Jesus, John tells us that Jesus is the way that God communicates with us. Jesus in the flesh is God’s message to us. As a word goes in between you and another person to pass a message along, Jesus is the go-in-between us and God. He is the mediator.

John is, in essence, saying, “Pay attention. Jesus’ life is God’s way of communicating to us. If you want to know about God, read this gospel and study Jesus’ life.”

Jesus is God’s sermon to you.

Studying the book of John is not just about learning of the person of Jesus. It is a direct window into the mind, purposes, and plans of God.

John 14:7 – If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.

Do you see what Jesus is saying? Knowing Him is the SAME as knowing the Father. His life and character are the message.

• How should we respond to someone who wrongs us? Look at Jesus.
• What are the qualities of a good leader? Look at Jesus.

II. Understanding Jesus

A Christian is a “Follower of Christ.” Since we follow Christ, we should know who He is. Turn to your neighbor and ask, “Who is Jesus?” Answer within 2-3 sentences. Now switch.

In John’s prologue to the book, He answers the question. He first tells us who Jesus is and then in the rest of the book, he proves it. He even gives us his thesis directly.

John 20:31 – But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So, who is Jesus? He is not just a good man, a prophet, or an influencer.

A. He is Eternal

The language in John 1:1 is written with a similar construction to Genesis 1:1.

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The scope is cosmological. The impact is universal. What John is going to write is relevant for every single man, woman, and child who lived or ever would live.

Here, John says that in the beginning was the Word (Jesus). Before time and space and the cosmos were created, Jesus was already there. While these things “were made,” Jesus simply “was.”

This highlights the fact that Jesus pre-existed the universe. He is eternally existent. There was never a time when He did not exist. He always was.

This is where many cults go astray. They attack the eternality of Jesus and claim that He was created. If you meet someone who does this, take them to John 1:1.

When Moses asked God’s name, God said, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Jesus made up a similar statement about Himself.

John 8:58-59 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him.

Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, has always existed. To emphasize this, John does not include a genealogy of Jesus like Matthew and Luke did. They were showing His humanity and His fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. John is showing us Jesus’ eternality. He had no beginning and will have no end.

This concept is probably not new to you. If you are familiar with the Bible, you have heard it before. But have you ever taken a step back to really think about that?

When I was a kid, I used to think about this and try to understand it. How could God have no beginning? My little mind could not wrap itself around it. Now my mind is grown and my brain is much larger. So, let me tell you how it works; I still cannot comprehend it.

If you go back in time a million years, He is there. If you go back a trillion years, He is there. If you go back an infinite number of years, He is still there.

The secret things belong to the Lord and the revealed things belong to us.

There are some things we just can’t understand. We should diligently study those things He has revealed to us while humbly trusting Him in those things He hasn’t.

Like a good biographer, John is building up excitement and anticipation. He is not just writing about an influential person like Nelson Mandela or Gandhi. He is writing about the eternal, ageless, divine Creator of the universe who is now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

B. He is God

The Word was with God and the Word was God.

This sentence would have been intriguing for Greeks. It was mind-blowing for Jews. In essence, John introduces to his readers a second member of the Trinity.

As I prepared for this message, I was very aware that my little words do not do justice to the amazing truths taught in these verses.

The fact that the Word was with God shows that He (Jesus) is distinct from God the Father. You would not say that Hugh is with himself. You are with somebody when you are in their company. You chat and fellowship together. In the vast expanse of time before this universe was brought into existence, Jesus and the Father both existed in perfect harmony and fellowship with one another.

So two distinct persons are mentioned here, Father and Son.

The second part of this phrase tells us that Jesus (The Word) was God. These two distinct persons are one. They have the same essence of deity.

Hebrews 1:3 – He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Jesus is the exact imprint of his nature. All of the love, grace, mercy, justice, righteousness, holiness, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience that are attributes of the Father are all possessed in equal measure by the Son.

The Word was with God and the Word was God.

This is a bombshell we will unpack more in the coming weeks. The eternal God took on flesh and became a man.

John 1:1 is a major piece in the doctrine of the Trinity, which means three in one. While it only shows us two of the three members, it does show us that they are distinct persons and yet one in nature with perfect fellowship and harmony.

C. He is the Creator

John 1:3 – All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16 – For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

In Genesis 1:1 it ascribes creation to God. These two verses ascribe it to Jesus.

Which one is right?

They both are. God created the world. Jesus created the world. They are one. The Father is involved in what the Son is doing and the Son is involved in what the Father is doing. Genesis 1:2 also mentions the Holy Spirit as being involved.

The Trinity created the world. We do not understand all the ins and outs of how they cooperated. However, we can see they acted in cooperation with one purpose and one intent.

If I say Larry Page founded Google, it is true. If I say Sergey Brin founded Google, that is also true. They founded it together.

What is the greatest thing you have ever made?

When I was a teen, I carved a block of wood into a derby car. I was quite proud of that car and it won an award for best design.

Our greatest achievements that we are proud of pale in comparison to what He has made. Even when we do create something we think is great, it is actually just rearranging what He first made.

He created ex nihilo, which means out of nothing. Without Him not anything was made that was made.

Think about that. Every electron, atom, molecule, and dust speck was created by Him. Every asteroid, moon, planet, star, galaxy, and galaxy cluster was made by Him. Not even one remote piece of dust or one planet or one star came into being apart from Him. He is the Uncaused Cause. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.

This video shows the amazing scale of the universe. Jesus created all of that!

Application – Do you acknowledge Jesus for who He is?

Matthew 16:15-16 – He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Oh, that we would reply with faith like Simon!

III. Understanding His Relationship To Us

A. God Communicates to us

One of the big takeaways for us in this passage is that God communicates with us. A word is the opposite of silence. Through His Word, God reveals Himself to us.

The Creator of the universe is infinite. He is so different than we are. Unless He had chosen to communicate with us, we would not be able to know Him.

Over the centuries, many philosophers have attempted to try to understand God. Sometimes, they have gathered in the Athenian Areopagus to debate Him as a group. Other times, a solitary philosopher will sit under a tree to meditate. However, their conclusions are far off base. A person cannot bridge the gap to God through his own reason.

We would be blinder than a bat if God did not choose to communicate to us. And that is a key lesson from the first chapter in John. God sent a message to us in the form of His Son.

Hebrews 1:1-3 Verse

Jesus reveals to us the mind, character, and plans of God the Father. We do not need to rely on self-proclaimed experts, blind guides leading the blind. Jesus is the light of the world. He opens our eyes and shows us the truth.

To make sure we got the message, Jesus took on flesh and became a man. As one of us, He could perfectly present God’s messages to us in a way that we could understand.

God communicates to us through the Word, His Son.

And God communicates to us through the Word, Scripture.

What a privilege it is to be able to know our Mighty God!

What is the application for us?

B. Living by the Word

a. Acknowledge your dependance on Him

We have seen in this passage that we are created by Him. It was His words that created the universe. Our existence is from Him. Without Him, we are literally nothing.

Colossians 1:17 – And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Every single person is alive because of Jesus. He not only created us, but He sustains us. “In Him all things hold together.” Though many people do not acknowledge this, there is not a single person who can survive without His sustaining power. The most ardent atheist owes every breath to Him.

Application – Acknowledge that we owe everything to Him. Your breath is from Him. Your health is from Him. Your family, friends, talents, and successes are all from Him. Most importantly, salvation is from Him.

Acknowledging that keeps us humble. It helps us depend on Him.

Our theme this year is LIVING BY THE WORD. First, that means depending on Jesus every day. One simple way to do this is every morning when we wake up, we can say, “I am alive because of you today.”

Second, it means that we should commit to following His Word (Scripture) as our guide in every decision we make.

b. Commit to Following the Word

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

Live by the Word. It is God’s law. We are to be thinking about it day and night.

How do you make decisions?

How do you make decisions?

Research says that the average adult makes 35,000 total decisions each day.

A lot of these decisions are made subconsciously. But many decisions require thinking and analyzing. Here are some things people rely on when making decisions.

• Emotion
• Past experiences
• The crowd
• Dr. Google
• Our intuition or knowledge
• Other people / “experts”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

We need the wisdom that comes from God. He reveals it to us through the living Word, Jesus, and through the written Word, Scripture. Let us first LIVE BY THE WORD. Turn to Scripture first. Study it. Meditate on it. Ask God what He says. We should do this consciously whenever we face major decisions. At the same time, when we have a healthy spiritual diet and daily partake of Scripture, it will change us from the inside out. Even our subconscious decisions will be better.

Examples of people who did not live by the Word.

• Samson
• Micah (In Judges)

Every man did what was right in his own eyes. Living by the Word is the opposite of this. It is filtering everything we do through the lens of Scripture.

How do you grow as a person?

1 Peter 2:2 – Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.

Every healthy child grows. If you have a child that is not growing, you would be worried and would take her to the hospital. The first question would be if the child is getting proper nutrition. The second is if there is a disease or genetic mutation.

A spiritually healthy believer should also be growing. Ask your neighbor, “Are you growing?” If you are stuck, then there is a problem. If you are not growing, it is very likely that your spiritual diet is lacking. You are probably not eating enough.

The key is to be like a baby. Babies can be laser-focused on food. When they are hungry, nothing can distract them. Don’t give them food and they will scream until their entire face turns red. Maybe we need more of that mentality toward Scripture.

Do you long for spiritual food? That hunger should push you to spend time in the Word. It should help you put aside distractions and focus on it. The milk of the Word will help you grow. It is not enough to drink it every now and then. We need daily spiritual intake.

It is said that you are what you eat. If you drink soda and eat chips all the time, your body will reflect that. Spiritually, it is also true. We are what we eat. If you have a healthy spiritual diet every day, you will generally be healthy spiritually.

Does all of this sound rather basic to you? If so, good. It is basic. Having a healthy spiritual life is not complicated. Read your Bible, pray every day, and you will grow, grow, grow.

Conclusion

Do you want to be successful in the coming year? I believe that many of you set goals for 2024. Some are looking for academic success. Some in business. Some in family. Some in ministry and service.

John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Apart from Him, you can do nothing. You will not be successful in God’s eyes in any endeavor unless you are connected to the vine.

We are successful spiritually when we listen to and obey His Word. In the movie Pinocchio, Gemini Cricket says, “Let your conscience be your guide.” No. Let His Word be your guide.

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Psalm 119 https://studyandobey.com/psalm-119-sermon-power-gods-word/ https://studyandobey.com/psalm-119-sermon-power-gods-word/#comments Wed, 07 Feb 2024 02:32:28 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=37965 Psalm 119 Sermon - The Transforming Power of God's Word IntroWhat is the Bible? Try to answer in one sentence.It is God's Word. The Bible is at the center of Christian life. If your pastor would be to go on stage and preach a sermon from

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Psalm 119 Sermon – The Transforming Power of God’s Word

Intro

What is the Bible? Try to answer in one sentence.

It is God’s Word. The Bible is at the center of Christian life. If your pastor would be to go on stage and preach a sermon from a Lord of the Rings book, hopefully, you would escort him off stage.

Every Sunday, the preacher says, “Open your Bible to…” It is in the Bible that God reveals Himself to us. I recently came across this verse in a Bible study.

Deuteronomy 27:8 – You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.

God reveals Himself, His plan, His works, and His law to us very plainly. It is not a code. It is not a deep secret that only the most erudite scholar can unlock. It is written in plain language so that normal people like you and me can read and benefit from it. It is a personal letter from God to us.

If your country’s president or your favorite athlete wrote you a personal letter, you would certainly read it. Probably, you would treasure it.

Sadly, many Christians do not treasure the Bible. A study of churchgoers in the West found that only 45% of churchgoers read the Bible once a week or more. About 1 in 5 never read their Bibles. Only about 20% read it every day.

I believe if believers just knew how powerful and life-transforming God’s Word is, they would make the time to read it. Today, we are going to look at the Mt. Everest of all passages on God’s Word, Psalm 119. The person who wrote it treasured it. His love for Scripture permeated every aspect of his life.

I hope that as we study this passage, we also will be inspired to love God’s Word more.

This is the longest chapter in the Bible, at 176 verses. It is divided into 22 sections; that is one for every Hebrew letter of the alphabet. Each section is eight lines long (8 verses) and each line begins with that letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For example, in section 1, each line begins with Aleph; in section 2, each line begins with Bet and so on. One could say it is a love song toward Scripture.

We are going to do something we haven’t done before, and that is to read the entire Psalm in church. It will take around 20 minutes. I was thinking about whether or not to read this whole Psalm, and I realized in a sermon about valuing and respecting God’s Word, it would be kind of hypocritical to skip reading it so that I can share more of my own thoughts.

As we read through, I would encourage you to listen carefully and to meditate on the text. Focus especially on these two questions:

A. What is the value of God’s Word?

B. What is the author’s attitude toward God’s Word?

Also, note what nouns are used to represent God’s Word. At the same time, think about your own attitude toward God’s Word.

Psalm 119 (ESV) – To listen as you read through, go to time stamp 6:59 in the above audio file of this sermon.

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. 21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. 22 Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. 23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. 24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. 25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! 26 When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! 27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! 29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. 31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! 32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! 33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. 39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! 41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; 42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. 44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. 46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, 47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. 49 Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. 51 The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. 52 When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord. 53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law. 54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. 55 I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law. 56 This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. 57 The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words. 58 I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59 When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; 60 I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. 61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law. 62 At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. 63 I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. 64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! 65 You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. 68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. 69 The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; 70 their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. 72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. 75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. 77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. 78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79 Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. 80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame! 81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. 82 My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?” 83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. 84 How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? 85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law. 86 All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! 87 They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. 88 In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth. 89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 91 By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. 92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 94 I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. 95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. 96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word! 108 Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules. 109 I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. 111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. 113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. 115 Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. 116 Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! 117 Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! 118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. 119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies. 120 My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. 121 I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. 122 Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. 123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! 126 It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. 127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. 133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. 137 Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. 138 You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. 139 My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. 140 Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. 141 I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. 143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. 144 Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. 145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes. 146 I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. 147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. 148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. 149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O Lord, according to your justice give me life. 150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law. 151 But you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true. 152 Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever. 153 Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. 154 Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. 156 Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules. 157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. 158 I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands. 159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. 161 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. 162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. 163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. 164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. 165 Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. 166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments. 167 My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. 168 I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you. 169 Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! 170 Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. 171 My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. 172 My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. 173 Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. 174 I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. 175 Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

What a beautiful Psalm. We can see that the writer had a deep respect for God’s Word. Throughout this Psalm, we see that the author was experiencing adversity in his life. He had enemies who were out to get him. He was persecuted. He was afflicted. He was afraid for his life. Yet, throughout all of his difficulties, God’s Word was his anchor. It gave him hope. It filled him with joy. It gave him purpose and direction.

He recognized the truth that God’s Word has the power to transform our lives.

The Word’s Transforming Power

Here are some of the things this passage says about those who follow God’s Word.

• He will be blessed (1)
• He will not be put to shame (6)
• He will keep his way pure (9)
• He will live a holy life (11)
• He will be given life (25, 37, 40, 50, 88, 93, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159)
• He will receive strength (28)
• His heart will be enlarged (32)
• He will receive understanding (34)
• He will walk safely (45, 133)
• He receives discernment and knowledge (66)
• He receives good (68)
• He is comforted in affliction (71, 76, 82)
• He receives mercy (77)
• Hope in affliction (92)
• He receives wisdom (98)
• He receives understanding (99, 100, 104)
• He receives guidance and direction (105, 130)
• He receives joy (111)
• He is safe (114, 117)

Do you want to be a blessed, righteous, safe, strong, wise, secure, hopeful, discerning, stable, and joyful person?

That is what God’s Word does.

Many years ago, I chose to major in the Bible. A lot of unbelievers have asked me about that. “Why did you major in the Bible? What can it do for you?” They considered it to be an old book that was not relevant. My answer is always the same, “Because the Bible has the power to change my life. It is the most practical thing I could study.”

Psalms 119:96 – I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

His commandments are exceedingly broad. They give us the framework for how to live.

Through it, God speaks to every aspect of my life. He tells me how to be a husband. He tells me how to be a father. He tells me what kind of employee and boss to be. He tells me how to be a friend. He tells me how to solve conflicts. He tells me how to forgive and receive forgiveness. He tells me how to communicate with others. He tells me how I can be wise. He tells me how to be successful and how to invest. There is not a day that goes by without me using the wisdom I have learned from the Bible. Every single waking hour is full of opportunities to apply principles from the Bible.

Even seemingly obscure Bible passages are relevant today.

How to interpret the Bible

Two examples.

• Do not move an ancient boundary stone. We can learn to respect our neighbor’s and live a life of integrity. One practical application is for those living in apartment buildings to not take over too much space of the common space.
• Save your neighbor’s ox from a pit.  Most city dwellers seldom encounter oxen. However, we may find people’s lost mobile phones or wallets. We should return those even if it is inconvenient for us.

There are many reasons to believe the Bible is true. One of the powerful reasons is the simple fact that it changes lives. Millions upon millions of lives have been changed by the truths inside. His Word does not return void. If we had time for testimonies, almost every single one of you could come up here and tell us how God’s Word has changed your life. It is living and active.

The Psalmist loved God’s Word because he recognized its power to transform his life. Do you?

Our attitude toward the Word

Different words used for God’s law

He used many different words to describe God’s word. These different words show how he viewed revelation.

• Way – It is a way to live. It is a path to follow.
• Law – The word used is a reference to the Torah. It was binding. While he only had access to a portion of the Bible, we have access to the whole thing. We have more access to the Bible and resources to study it than at any time in human history.
• Testimonies
• Word
• Commandment – He rightly sees God as the authority. God is the king on the throne. As His subjects, we are to obey His commands. There were 613 commandments in the Torah.
• Statutes
• Precepts
• Rules – Many consider that the rules in the Bible are tedious and burdensome. But rules give structure and show us the proper boundary. They are meant for our good.

We do not know who wrote this Psalm, but we do know one important thing about him. He loved God’s Word.

He highly valued God’s Word

Psalms 119:72 – The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

My son, Josiah, likes to play “Would you rather?” with me. He asks me questions like, “Would you rather have feet for hands or hands for feet?” Well, I have a “Would you rather?” question for you. Would you rather top the world’s richest person list and have no access to the Bible or would you rather be poor with a Bible?” Do you like riches or God’s Word? This Psalmist preferred to hear from God than to have everything the world offers.

Psalms 119:16 – I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

He uses the term “delight” often. It was not a burden for him to read the word. He didn’t groan and say, “Again?” He loved it. Because of that, he remembered it.

When you were growing up, did you ever say, “I forgot” about your homework or your chores? I did. Would your children forget if a friend invited them to a birthday party tomorrow? They would not. We forget things that are not as important to us. The writer delights in reading Scripture. He was not going to forget it.

Psalms 119:20 – My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

Note that word. Consumed. It was his passion. He was zealous about it. They filled his mind. They were his priority.

Psalms 119:23 – Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.

I found this verse very interesting. Even when he was afflicted or persecuted, being attacked by others, perhaps in physical danger, he still meditated on God’s statutes. He is not distracted. Difficulties drive him to God, not away from God.

Psalms 119:103 – How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Since we are now familiar with the “Would you rather?” game, would you rather have a delicious meal of your favorite foods or spend thirty minutes in the Bible?

The writer had reached the point where he preferred God’s Word. If you put the Bible on one table and a juicy steak and homemade ice cream on the other, he would choose the Bible.

How about you? Oh, that we would have a heart like that. If you are not yet there, you are probably a normal person. Just spend a moment in prayer and ask God to give you that hunger for His Word.

His love for God’s Word was shown by the time he spent in it

When you recognize the value of God’s Word and have the right attitude toward it, look at what happens.

Psalms 119:147-148 – I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Psalms 119:97 – Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalms 119:164 – Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.

In the morning, he wakes up. His first thoughts go to God. During the day, even though he is busy, he meditates on God’s law. He thinks about it seven times a day. Seven is a number for completeness, showing us that it is a lifestyle. He is thinking about it throughout the day. Then, late at night, before he sleeps, he is still meditating on it. It’s like a sandwich where his first thought in the day is of God, his last thought is of God, and everything in the middle is as well.

How our lives would be transformed if we had the same attitude! Many times, we are not like that. We wake up and go straight into “What do I need to do today?” mode. Then we get busy and perhaps skip our Bible reading or postpone it until the evening. When we go to bed, we are tired and perhaps think, “I will read it tomorrow morning.” Then, the cycle repeats.

Let us train ourselves to be consistent. Let us pray that God will give us that heart of hunger toward Him so that He is our first and last thought each day.

Conclusion – The Hand of the Word – A Tool

Hand of the Word - 5 ways to study God's Word

There are five ways to hold on tightly to the Bible, represented by the HAND OF THE WORD. If you hold to Scripture with only 1-2 of these, your grasp of God’s Word will be loose and it will be easy for you to be swayed by culture and led astray. Consider whether you are diligently practicing all five methods of learning God’s Word.

Hearing – (Romans 10:17) The first way we can get God’s Word into our life is by hearing it. What can we do to hear it? We can go to church and Bible study to listen to teachings on the Word. We can ask questions of our Christian friends. We can listen to sermons online. The most important point is that we continually put ourselves in a position to listen to God’s Word being taught.

Reading – (Revelation 1:3a) Reading the Bible is the most basic way to understand it. It is great to listen to other mature Christians, but growing believers must have their own relationship to God and their own personal time to read the Bible for themselves. Jesus Himself often went off by Himself to pray and commune with God (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, 6:12). When we read the Bible, we need to remember that the goal is not to “get through” a certain number of pages, but to understand more about God and how to serve Him.

Studying – (Acts 17:11) Studying goes deeper than simply reading. It is examining the Scriptures with a purpose. It could be studying a specific topic like prayer. Or it could be trying to find an answer to a specific question like “What is God’s will for me in marriage?” The goal is not a rote recitation of facts and figures like we may prepare for exams in school. But one day, we will face a heavenly “exam” to see how well we understand the Scripture and, most importantly, how well we followed it.

Memorizing – (Psalms 119:9,11) Memorizing God’s Word is a very important way to overcome temptation. Even Jesus Himself dealt with temptation by reciting God’s Word (Matthew 4:4-10). There will be many times when we will face temptations or need to make quick decisions but won’t have a Bible nearby. And even if we have a Bible, it is sometimes hard to know where to look for an answer. It is really helpful to memorize verses on a wide variety of topics so that we can have them in our mind and know what God wants us to do in whatever situation we face.

Meditating – Psalms 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the path of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Joshua 1:8).

Meditation is the key to all of the other methods. It is the thumb. When you hear the Bible through sermons or other methods, you should take notes and meditate on what you hear. When you read the Bible, you should meditate on it and not just flip the pages. When you study the Bible, you should meditate. When you memorize the Bible, you should think about it during the day.

It is similar to an artist admiring a painting. It is when we think about God’s Word that we try to find out what it really means and how we can apply it in our lives. We should make it a habit to meditate on the Scriptures we have learned not only while reading or hearing but even throughout the day as we go about our daily business.

If you practice these five methods, you can hold on to the word of life. When you hold fast to the moral anchor of Scripture, you can stand immovable no matter how much the sands of culture in this world shift, swallowing up the foolish in the ever-changing quicksand of moral relativity.

God’s Word has the power to transform our lives. The more time you spend in it, the more you will “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Let us pray this Scripture as a prayer together.

Psalms 119:14-16 – In the way of your testimonies [let me] delight
as much as in all riches. [Please help me to] meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. [Please give me] delight in your statutes; [and help me to] not forget your word.

Discussion Questions

1. Each person in the group, use one sentence to share a way that God’s Word impacts you on a daily basis.
2. Share a creative way that you have (or would like to) get into Scripture deeper.
3. Which of the five methods to get into the Word mentioned (hear, read, study, memorize, meditate) do you need to improve in? What is hindering you and how you overcome that obstacle?

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Isaiah 9:6-7 – What Child Is This? https://studyandobey.com/isaiah-9-6-7-what-child-is-this/ https://studyandobey.com/isaiah-9-6-7-what-child-is-this/#respond Thu, 28 Dec 2023 04:03:49 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=37404 Isaiah 9:6-7 - What Child Is This? - Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6-7 Bible Study Video Here are the words to a popular Christmas song. What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap

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Isaiah 9:6-7 – What Child Is This? – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace

Here are the words to a popular Christmas song.

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?

That is a good question, what child is this? Who is this that we are still singing songs about Him and celebrating His birthday and life 2000 years later?

That is the question we will look at today and the title of this message: What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7 NASB – For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of armies will accomplish this.

Overview – An Amazing Child

This is one of the most amazing prophecies in Scripture. It is a prophecy about a coming child, but no ordinary child. This child would be special. He was one-of-a-kind, given titles no other person has ever been given. This child would be the Messiah and would change the world.

When we look at history, we see that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. No one has changed the world like He has. Almost 2000 years later, His impact is still here and growing. Jesus’ life was so significant the calendar in use around the world today is based entirely on His birth. The calendar rightly tells us that world history can be divided into parts, before Christ, and after.

Around 2.4 billion people claim to be Christians. There are tens of millions of churches in the world. The Bible is the most printed and most sold and distributed book every year and 2nd place is not close.

2000+ years after Jesus’ birth, you can walk into a random mall in China and hear songs about that event being played to shoppers. Christmas is celebrated in almost every country across the world.

What child is this?

While not all of these people are real believers, it is easy to see that Jesus has had a huge influence.

He hasn’t only influenced the world in general, but also each of our lives. Think for a moment about how different your life is because of Jesus. Would you be in China? I wouldn’t. Would you be married to the same person? I wouldn’t. Would you be here this morning? I wouldn’t.

Jesus has transformed our lives.

The coming of this amazing child was prophesied around 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Some skeptics question whether perhaps these prophecies were added later. Maybe someone went back and inserted verses about the Messiah after the fact. Those ideas were squashed when a shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 at a cave in Khirbat Qumran. One of these scrolls was a nearly intact Isaiah scroll. That scroll dates back to over one hundred years BEFORE Jesus’ birth (show PPT).

The entire Isaiah scroll has been scanned and you can see it digitally.

http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah

Verse 6, which we are reading today is right there in Hebrew (translated in the picture) written before Jesus was ever born. We can be confident in the Scriptures.

This verse says that “to us a child is born.” This child’s birth was not just announced in a general way to the whole world. It is not about the stats listed above. It is about a relationship. His birth matters, not just to the world, but to us, to you.

So why does a normal child’s birth 2000 years ago matter to us today? It doesn’t. But the Messiah was not a normal child. That is shown through the name given to Him. This name show us who He is. And He is far from normal.

I. Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:6 – And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.

It’s interesting that in Hebrew the phrase “Wonderful-Counselor-Mighty-God-Eternal-Father-Prince-of-Peace” is one name. It says His name, singular, shall be called. The original Hebrew does not contain punctuation. KJV has a comma in between Wonderful and Counselor. Thus it would read. His name is Wonderful, Counselor. NASB translators viewed “Wonderful” as an adjective modifying Counselor.

In either case, both are true. He is “Wonderful” and He is a “Wonderful Counselor.”

Wonderful – Pele – It means “Wonder.” So literally His name is “Wonder.”

What did Jesus do to deserve this title?

Miracles
o Calmed a storm
o Fed 5000 people with 5 pieces of bread and 2 fish
o Raised people from the dead
o Healed the blind
o Caused the lame to walk
o Walked on water
–Character
o Sinless. He was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin.
o Humility. Washed His disciples feet. Kept silent in the face of false accusations.
Answers and Wisdom
o His wise answers routinely baffled his opponents.
o Even as a 12-year-old, they were astonished at the wisdom he displayed when talking with the temple scholars.
His Sacrifice
o His death. The centurion was left astonished at what he had seen.
o His resurrection.

Jesus is wonderful. There is no one like Him.

Application – Do you recognize that Jesus is wonderful?. Not everyone recognized Jesus was wonderful.

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

While some people were in wonder at Jesus, some people were ticked.

Is He wonderful in your mind? If not, then something is broken

Perhaps you need to spend some time to meditate on who Jesus is. Sometimes after you get to know someone for a long time you start to take them for granted. Perhaps you overlook the qualities that made them special to you at the beginning. Think about why Jesus is wonderful. Now if you believe it say, “Jesus is wonderful because….” Fill in the blank.

Wonderful Counselor

A counselor is someone who gives advice. A counselor imparts wisdom and tries to help people improve their life or situation.

Therapy, counseling, and coaching are all industries that are growing quickly. You can find a counselor, online or in person, for almost anything.

• Career
• Marriage
• Relationship
• Trama
• Rehabilitation
• Mental health
• Education
• Addiction or abuse

But counsel is only as good as the source. It can be very helpful. Or it can be destructive.

Bad counsel

• Job’s wife.
• QinShiHuang, first emperor of China – Sought the advice of philosophers and alchemists for a life elixir that would allow him to live forever. One of these sketchy characters gave him mercury pills to eat every day. They finally drove him made and poisoned him to death at the young age of 49.

Jesus warned us about blind guides. Would you ask a blind man to lead you across the street? Receiving counsel from the wrong person can be dangerous.

But Jesus is the right person.

Jesus is a wonderful counselor. He is a great counselor for many reasons. One, He knows everything because He made it all. Two, He knows you better than you know yourself (every hair on your head). Three, He speaks the truth, not what you want to hear.

If you have made a wrong decision, if you have gone astray, if you have made a mess of your life or in some area of it, the reason is because you have not listened to His counsel. His counsel is wonderful. It is amazing. It is perfect. He is never wrong. He has never given wrong counsel to anyone. Nor has He have ever needed to ask anyone for counsel.

Here is His key life advice.

Matthew 16:25-26 – For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

His teachings are full of wisdom that can benefit your life.

• Don’t worry about the future.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Be humble.
• Forgive.

Jesus is the light of the world. He can shine the light onto your problem. He can open your eyes so that you know what is important.

Application – John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What is the problem that you are experiencing in your life?

• Marriage?
• Family?
• Sin / Temptation / Addiction?
• Communication with friends?

Jesus is the wonderful counselor. He can help you with any of these or any other problem you face.

But many people with issues don’t like counselors. They are afraid that the counselor will tell them something they don’t like to hear. They are afraid that the counselor may tell them, “You are problem.” Most people don’t want to hear that. Most people want to hear, “The other person is the problem. You are good. If the other person would just listen to you / understand you / accept you then the problem would be solved.” So many either don’t go to a counselor, or they find a counselor who will just affirm and agree with them.

If you are looking for a counselor like that, Jesus is not your guy.

He will tell you the truth. You might not like the truth, but the truth will help and the truth will set you free. If you really want help, you need to be willing to face the hard truth. Seek Him and He will give you wisdom from above. You can seek Him through His Word and through prayer. Also, you can ask counsel from godly believers who know His Word and live it out.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

What child is this? He is Wonderful. He is a Wonderful Counselor. He is also Mighty God. He gives us the counsel we need. And then He enables us to do it. We cannot do it on our own. We are weak, but He is mighty!

II. Mighty God

Isaiah 9:6 – And his name shall be called… Mighty God.

What child is this?

This child would be called “Mighty God.” Think about that for a moment. The Creator of the universe stooped to take on human flesh. The King of Kings came from the throne room in heaven to lowly earth. And He didn’t come to be born in a palace of a great city and wear kingly robes. He came to born of a common family in a manger. God became a man. This prophecy about the Messiah points to the incarnation.

What is the incarnation?

The incarnation is the teaching that God “took on flesh.”

It comes from John 1:14.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word is a title for Jesus. He is the truth. He brings God’s message.

Philippians 2:5-8 – Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus was in the form of God. He condescended to be born in the likeness of men. Jesus is both 100% God and 100% man.

For us today we kind of take that for granted. We have been exposed to many teachings of the incarnation. It happened before your were born and has been true all of your life. But imagine how a person would have felt 3000 years ago to hear that a child would be called “Mighty God.” God’s name was so holy and so high they didn’t even dare to write it down in full. The idea that that awesome God, who is so untouchable, would be born into this world as a baby, would have hit like a bombshell. The idea is incredible. Why would He do this? How could this work? What would it mean for people? It wasn’t only game-changing; it was a universe altering revelation.

In short, it means that God cares. God cares so much for people that He decided to come down and live among us and help us. He didn’t remain distant. He didn’t say, “Sin is your problem. You deal with it.” He saw us in our terrible need and He bent down to pick us up. It reminds me of this verse in Hosea.

Hosea 11:4 – I bent down to them and fed them. (Talking of Israel)

God bent down. Emperors don’t bend down. Kings don’t bend down. They sit on their high throne and look down on everyone. Everyone else has to be lower and bend down.

But in this case, the High Emperor of heaven did bend down. He lowered Himself not just to become a person, but to become a servant of all and to die for all. As a man, He was able to represent us before the Father.

So what does the incarnation teach us about Jesus?

He is Humble

We live in a world where everyone is very concerned with their rights.

• I was here first.
• That’s mine.
• This is my spot.
• I have the right to free speech. I can say what I want.
• It’s my turn.
• I washed the dishes yesterday. You have to today.

The list is unending. People stand on their perceived rights and will not compromise. We fight and argue for things that we are not even entitled to. We push for our rights when we don’t actually have any.

But look at Jesus. Jesus had real rights. He had divine rights. No one could take them away from Him. He deserved those things. Yet He chose to willingly give up those rights for our sake.

Jesus sacrificed His life for us and many times we are unwilling to give up even an inch of space to others. He was humble and we are not.

Application – Stop fighting so hard for your “rights.”

He is Love

When we think about why Jesus did this, the answer always comes back to “love.”

Psalms 8:4 – What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

What is man? Why should God care about us? It’s not because we are irresistible. It’s not because we are lovely or cute. It’s not because of our goodness. It’s because of His choice to love us. He is the Mighty God. There is no one higher than Him. No one can make Him do this. It was His choice. He is love.

He is Mighty – Can save us

While the incarnation teaches us that Jesus is humble, we see in the title “Mighty God” that humility does not equal weakness. This Hebrew word for Mighty (gibbor) is used to describe someone strong, valiant, heroic, a champion. It is often used in Scripture both of God and of the mightiest warriors.

Jesus is brave, powerful, heroic. But He was not powerful in the sense that people were expecting. They were looking for a mighty military leader to free them from Rome. In Jesus’ second coming, He will be that mighty leader. But the first time He led in a different way.

We see His might in the many miracles He did. He came in the “power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He cast out demons. He stood up to the persecution and attacks of the religious leaders. His teaching was powerful and authoritative (Matthew 7:29). The bravest thing He did was to carry out His mission to die on the cross. He knew what was coming. He stared death in the face and walked straight into it without flinching. Jesus had the power to lay down His life and then to take it up again (John 10:18). That power was proven in the resurrection.’

What does His might mean for you?

Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.

He is mighty to save. We are relying on Him to save us. A weakling or an ordinary person will not make the cut.

Application – Place your trust in Him. He can save you. He can and will keep His promises.

III. Eternal Father

Eternal

• Pre-existent
• Self-Existent
• Born as a child in time but existed before and after
o John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
o Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
• He will never leave or forsake us

Father

First, this is not a reference to Jesus as having the role of Father within the Trinity. We know from Scripture that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. Even in this passage, He is called a son, “to us a son is given.”

Father of Time and Creation –

The term “Everlasting Father” can be translated “Father of Eternity.” It hints to the fact that Jesus is the author of time and that He is the Creator of all.

The image of and our connection to the Father (Delete this section?)-

John 14:8-10 – Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

The Father is Spirit. He is invisible. He can never be seen by us. Jesus is our connection to Him. Jesus is the reflection of the Father (Colossians 1:15). In Him, we see the Father’s heart, the Father’s love, and the Father’s message for us. If you want to know anything about the Father, look at Jesus. The only way to the Father, is through Jesus (John 14:6).

Through Jesus we can have a relationship with the Father. He will safeguard our relationship with Him forever.

Our protector and provider –

A father protects His family. He provides for His family. He sacrifices for His family. He leads His family. Jesus does these things for us. A father is the head of the family. Jesus is the head of the church. As a father should be wiling to die for His children, so Jesus died for us.

He will never stop caring for us. He will never stop providing for us. Our earthly fathers may disappoint us. Some of you may have been scarred because of your earthly fathers. Maybe he was harsh, indifferent, aloof, or abusive. Jesus will not be. He will not let you down. Your earthly father may have abandoned you at some point. Jesus will not.

Look at what Jesus said about Himself.

Luke 13:34 – How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

This verse doesn’t mean Jesus is a mother or a hen. But He does take that role toward us. In a similar way, He treats us as a good father. Here we see His desire to nurture and protect us.

Application – Will you let Him? Will you go to Him for that protection or will you turn somewhere else? He is the everlasting protector and provider. Anything you turn to in this world will be temporary at best.

He is worthy of our eternal devotion and trust.

This one is the most mysterious of the titles given to Jesus in this verse. I hope you will continue meditating on these names today and through the week.

IV. Prince of Peace

This name is also progressive. He gives wonderful counsel. He then gives you the strength to keep it. He promises to be with us always as a father protecting and providing for us. Then if we follow that counsel and if we have that relationship with Him, peace follows.

He is the Prince of Peace. A prince is a noble title. A prince is going to be king. He is going to be king when the time comes. We will see that in the next verse.

When Jesus came, He offered peace to the world. That is seen in the angel’s announcement about His birth.

Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

This phrase “peace on earth” is beautiful. It makes its way into many Christmas carols. But what does it mean?

The peace that this world offers is fragile and shallow. It may result in a lack of direct conflict, but not genuine reconciliation. Jesus offers another kind of peace altogether.

The peace that we need is between man and God. In Genesis 6, God commented that His Spirit was striving with man. Man’s sin had brought about enmity between he and God. Man’s rebellion against God has continued almost unabated since the fall.

God would have been perfectly justified in wiping us out. He could have said, “I am done.”

But He didn’t. Jesus came to bring an olive branch. He came to mediate a peace treaty between God and man. When a superior force offers terms, they are normally simple. Total surrender. The peace treaty that He offered is truly remarkable. He would take all of the sin, debt, and punishment onto His own shoulders. He would sacrifice Himself on our behalf. And He would bring us into God’s own family to be adopted as His very own sons and daughters.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The peace is available for all. But there is still a condition. We need to place our faith in Christ. We need to repent of our sins. We need to stop fighting Him and submit to Him. That is His wonderful counsel. When we listen to His counsel and submit to Him, we have peace with Him.

That does not guarantee that if you follow Christ, you will be at peace with everyone else. Sometimes following Jesus brings us into conflict with others. Maybe some of you have a parent or relative who disagrees with your faith. That is not the peace that Jesus offers. He does not promise a total absence of conflict. He does not promise that there will be no storms. But you can have peace in the midst of the storm. Jesus slept when there was a storm outside because He had a perfect relationship with the Father. He didn’t worry about or fear anything.

When you follow His wonderful counsel, you can experience that deep peace in your own heart.

Application: Are you experiencing peace with God? Are you at peace in your heart? If not, it is likely because you have not followed the Wonderful Counselor.

If you follow His counsel, He will give you His peace – Steve Lawson

God is offering a peace treaty with you. He took all the cost on Himself. Will you accept Him? To do so, you need to also accept His terms. Total surrender to Him. He is in charge of your life. That is true whether you realize it or not. It’s not up to you to give up control of your life to Him. He already is in charge. It is up to you to acknowledge that He is in control. That recognition will bring you peace.

V. Amazing King

Isaiah 9:6 – And THE government shall be upon his shoulder… Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

What child is this? This child would become king. It says that THE government will be on his shoulders. This is God’s kingdom that He will one day establish on earth. The final kingdom. The kingdoms of this world rise and fall. Egypt. Babylon. Persia. Greece. Rome. Byzantine. Mongols. Ottoman. British. All rose. All fell. All temporary. All weak, sinful, flawed, vulnerable. All faded away. The book of Daniel describes the kingdoms of this world as a beautiful statue. One day God’s kingdom (represented by a rock not cared by human hands) will come and shatter all of these so that nothing remains of them. His kingdom will endure forever.

The kingdoms of this world are good at recycling. They conquer the previous one, take some elements, reuse some things, and recycle the rest.

Jesus’ kingdom will be totally different. It will be a different kind of kingdom. It will be grand and glorious. It will never fade away. It will never end. It will be just. It will be righteous. Because He is just and righteous.

While it has not yet been established physically, we don’t have to wait to join it. That child grew up and preached that the “kingdom of God is at hand.”

Application – Which kingdom are you seeking after? Which kingdom are you investing in? It is far better to invest in the eternal kingdom than one that is on life support!

Conclusion

What child is this? The most amazing in history. His NAME is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Wonderful Counselor – He will never lead you astray. Are you listening to Him? Are you following His counsel?

Mighty God – He will give you the strength to do what He wants you to do. Are you relying on your own strength or relying on Him?

Everlasting Father – He is not only a Savior, a friend, a Lord. He is like a father. Do you cherish that relationship?

Prince of Peace – He offers peace in between you and God. He offers peace in your heart amid the storm. Are you experiencing that peace? Have you accepted His terms and surrendered yourself to His counsel?

His kingdom never ends – Are you part of that Kingdom? Are you investing in that kingdom?

Perhaps there is something in there that you need to do. Or perhaps God just wants you to marvel at the WONDER that is Jesus. Perhaps the application for you today is to simply appreciate Him and enjoy your relationship with Him.

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James 5:7-12 – Remain Steadfast https://studyandobey.com/james-5-7-12-remain-steadfast/ https://studyandobey.com/james-5-7-12-remain-steadfast/#respond Thu, 14 Dec 2023 03:18:57 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=37285 James 5:7-12 Sermon - Remain Steadfast Intro In 2016, a girl’s cross-country runner entered a race for her university. Madeleine Adams is from Boston College. The race was 6 KM and she had been in training to prepare. The day of the race, she felt great.

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James 5:7-12 Sermon – Remain Steadfast

Intro

In 2016, a girl’s cross-country runner entered a race for her university. Madeleine Adams is from Boston College. The race was 6 KM and she had been in training to prepare. The day of the race, she felt great. She was in good shape, energized, and ready to go. For the first 99% of the race, things were good and she was on pace to finish with her personal best time. But twenty yards before the finish line, her legs gave out. She collapsed. She had nothing left to give. The finish line was in sight, but Madeleine just couldn’t make it the last short distance.

Finishing is hard.

The Christian life is also a race. Many who profess Christ do not finish. They do not stay the course. Something happens along the way. We have probably all witnessed someone we know who fell away from Christ.

The book of James is about being an authentic believer and living out our faith.

Today we will learn that an authentic believer should remain steadfast. We are to stay the course and finish the race.

James 5:7-12 – Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

A definition

Hypomeno – Remaining under (the load), bearing up (enduring), to await.

Tie in being steadfast and persevering to theme of James

I. The characteristics of the steadfast

A. Patience and hope

James 5:7-8 – Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

A key characteristic of the steadfast is patience. James gives the example of a farmer. A farmer prepares the field and sows the seeds. But the harvest doesn’t happen immediately. On a day-to-day basis, nothing seems to happen. If the farmer were to sit by the fields and watch, he wouldn’t see any perceptible change. Patience is required.

God designed it so there is a time lapse between the work and the result. Through nature, God teaches us the principle of delayed gratification.

The modern world today says, “I want results and I want them NOW.”

God never intended things to be this way. Moses had to wait forty years in the wilderness after he tried to save Israel for God’s timing. Joshua and his armies had to walk around the wall of Jericho 13 times waiting for the Lord. David had to wait around 15 years after he was anointed to become king.

God uses this wait time to teach His people patience and the importance of depending on Him.

We have faith in God. We believe in the good news of the gospel. We believe in eternal life and heaven. We believe that all of our sins will be wiped out, that we will be given perfect and glorified bodies, and we will never sin again.

Yet the final fulfillment of these promises of God is still in the future. God doesn’t say He will do all of these things immediately for us when we place our faith in Him.

In addition to patience, we need hope. The farmer hopes for a good crop and patiently waits for it. We place our hope in God’s promises.

Paul described a group of people in 1 Timothy 6:5 that “[imagine] that godliness is a means of gain.” These are people who think that God will give them money or health or success immediately when they believe in Him.

There are many who think so. One person once asked me, “If I believe in Jesus, what can I get?” He was hoping for a beautiful girl friend or immigrating to another country.

Those who have this mentality will be disappointed. They are looking for instant gratification.

Note what Paul said right after that.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 – But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

We do gain in this world. Our lives, purpose, and attitude are all changed when we trust in Christ. We already experience many of the blessings, but not all of them. To receive the full promises, we need to be patient.

Patience was a problem 2000 years ago. It is much more of a problem now. The average attention spans of millennials is 12 seconds and Fen Z 8 seconds. I don’t know exactly what that means or how it is measured, but the fact that it is measured in seconds is interesting. I read that many users will scroll away if a website takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Imagine telling that to a person who used to walk 30 minutes to the library.

God wants us to stay the course and finish the race. James tells us to do so we must be patient and hope in His promises. The steadfast are willing to wait for Him.

Each one of you is facing a different challenge. But it is likely that each of you has been tempted to be impatient toward God and His promises.

– Perhaps you are struggling with chronic pain or illness. Be patient. He will heal believers, but if it is not now in this earth it will be there.
– Perhaps you are struggling in a difficult marriage or relationship. Be patient. One day you can be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
– Perhaps you keep praying for something and are waiting for an answer. Be patient. Perhaps He wants you to learn a lesson while you wait.

Impatience can cause you to lose your way.

– Abraham and Sarah fell into sin because they weren’t patient to wait for God’s promise of a son.
– The Israelites were impatient when Moses was on the mountain for forty days. They fell away from God and created their own religion.

The steadfast are willing to wait for Him. Do not let impatience for some earthly thing derail your faith.

B. Focus on you

James 5:9 – Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

One key to being steadfast is to focus on yourself. I don’t mean that in a selfish way of putting yourself first. If you are in a race, it will not help to look around at others. Some of our youth like to play soccer.

Does it help you or your team when you complain about the refs?

Does it help your team if you stop playing and shout at the other team’s player, “It’s a foul?”

Does it help you or your team when you get upset at your teammates and shout out their mistakes?

All of these things distract you and give your opponent an advantage.

Focus on you and your job. Do your best. Do what you should do and don’t worry about others.

James says, “the Judge is standing at the door.” What does that mean? First of all, you are not the judge! God is. Everyone else will have to give an account to Him. You will too. You need to focus on your relationship to the Judge, not on everyone else. Do your job and let God do His.

Adults, you would never grumble against or compare yourself with others, right?

Well, even the disciples and Peter did this. We are not better.

Remember when Peter and the other disciples all thought that Jesus promised John would live until the second coming.

John 21:21-22 – When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Their preoccupation with John was distracting them from what they should do.

To be steadfast means to focus on what you should do and not be preoccupied with others.

– Students, don’t spend time grumbling or questioning why someone else who is “worse” than you got a scholarship.
– Singles, don’t spend time grumbling or questioning why someone else less qualified got the girl or the guy.
– Volunteers and ministry leaders, don’t spend time grumbling about why others don’t do their share of the work.

These can all be distractions which can cause you to lose focus on what God is calling you to do. You answer to Him. Keep your eyes on Him, not on those around you.

C. Trustworthy and reliable speech (12)

James 5:12 – But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

James has made it clear that real believers live out their faith in everyday lives. One aspect of that is speech. One should not claim to be a believer and then copy the world’s patterns of speech.

A faithful and steadfast believer should keep watch over his tongue.

James quotes Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:37, when He also warned against oaths. Oaths were not universally banned in the Old Testament (Psalm 76:11). But they were considered to be serious and solemn and only to be used in special occasions.

The problem was that by the time of Jesus, people had tried to find loopholes to exploit. For example, a person who swore by “heaven” could break the oath since they didn’t invoke the name of God. There were other unwritten rules. Swearing by the gold of the temple or the throne of God were not considered binding. People were leaving themselves an “out” clause. That is similar to the Western practice of crossing your fingers while making a promise.

It seems that based on the historical context, Jesus, and then James, is prohibiting these types of oaths. He is reminding people that the Creator is always present. He hears what you say and He also sees your heart. Clever word games do not excuse lying.

The world uses a lot of oaths in routine communication. Liars say things like “I swear on my mother’s grave I am telling the truth this time.”

But there is a problem with oaths. If you are normally an honest person, why do you need to swear to convince someone that you are telling the truth? Swearing to convince people of the sincerity of your words actually makes you less believable in general.

The Westminster Confession of Faith says oaths are appropriate only in “matters of weight and moment” (Genesis 26:3, Psalms 132:11, Acts 18:18, Revelation 10:5-6).

A steadfast believer should be clear and honest in speech. Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no.”

Application

– Be a person of integrity so that you don’t need to persuade people of the truth of your words.
– Think before you make a promise. As we learned in James 4, say if “God is willing” you will do this or that.
– Parents, keep your promises to your children. If you say you will take them to the park or read them a story, do it.
– Only use a vow in a very serious occasion such as a wedding and even then simply make a straightforward and clear statement of commitment.

II. The motivations of the steadfast

A. Faith in a returning Savior (7-8)

Sprinkled throughout this passage are not only the reminders to be steadfast, but the motivation behind it. When you feel discouraged and ready to give up, what motivates you to keep going?

James 5:7 …until the coming of the Lord

James 5:8 – Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Jesus is coming back. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps the tunnel is long, dark, and difficult. But we have the solid assurance that there is an end to the tunnel.

On a global scale, that is encouraging. In many ways, the world seems to be falling apart and civilization decaying and rotting. We read of violence, crime, murder, war, terrorism, disease, disasters, drugs, pollution, infanticide, and the modern insanity of sexualizing children and school curriculum.

Jesus is going to come back. He will solve all of these issues. His kingdom will come, His will WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven.

On an individual level, it also motivates us. I believe many of you have gone through difficult times. When you have, I believe the Holy Spirit reminded you that they would not last forever. Those difficult times probably made you long for Jesus to come back.

There were two times in my life when I faced extreme pain. Once was when I had appendicitis. During those times, I remembered Scripture. I remembered the promises that in heaven there will be no more sickness and no more pain.

We also struggle with sin and face its consequences every day. Our coming Savior will free us from all these things.

And we believe that even if He does not come in our lifetimes, that when we die will go into His presence. One way or another, there is light at the end of the tunnel. He is that light.

A few weeks ago my family was in Yangshuo. A guide took is into a cave. We turned off our lights and it was pitch black. We were enclosed on all sides by walls. Some parts of the tunnel were very small. My daughter said the ceiling was too short, so you know how I felt. But we also knew if we would keep going, keep following the guide, and not get lost, eventually we would come out. (Insert picture of light shining from opening).

Faith in a returning Savior should motivate you to keep going.

B. The warning of a coming Judge (9)

James 5:9 – Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

Jesus is standing at the door. But He has two hats. We just saw His Savior hat and now we see His judge hat.

The world hates the reality that there is a Judge. That is probably the number one reason behind the development of the theory of evolution. People do not want to believe that a moral authority will hold them accountable for their actions.

There are many warnings in Scripture that not everyone who claims to be a believer is saved.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

This is a strong warning. Knowing that the Judge is coming should motivate us to examine ourselves and our salvation. It should motivate us to be steadfast.

Scripture gives us examples of people who appeared to be saved and serving God and then fell away.

– Demas – 2 Timothy 4:10 – For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

I first came to China about 20 years ago. The driving on the roads was chaotic and scary at times. Now many CCTV cameras have been installed. Drivers know they are being watched. Because of this, they follow the rules (at least when they know there is a camera).

You too are being watched. The righteous Judge sees all we do. This motivates us to be righteous and steadfast.

C. The goodness of the Lord (11)

James 5:11 – You have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

We have seen that God’s justice should motivate us. Here we see that His mercy and compassion motivate us.

If we were to face His judgment on our own merit, we could not stand (Revelation 6:17). Thankfully, we do not have to (Jude 1:24). Jesus is a unique Judge. He took our sins on His own self. He paid our penalty for us.

Jesus said “Great love has no one than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends.” That is what He did for us.

Believers do not primarily follow God because of fear. Perhaps fear of judgment is a motivation at the beginning. We follow after Him because of love. We love because He first loved us.

Like the recipients of James’ letter, I believe many of you have seen the purpose of the Lord. Many have experienced His forgiveness, received His grace, and tasted of His goodness.

Application – When you are tempted to give up or stray, remember His love. One practical way to do this is to count your blessings. Keep a record of answered prayer, testimonies, and blessings. Let His love motivate you to stay the course.

III. Examples for the steadfast

James 5:10-11 – As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job.

Isaiah 26:3 – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

A. The prophets

– Daniel is one example (4 regimes, persecution, to old age). Here are some things Daniel endured.
o Being exiled and taken from his country and his family as a youth.
o Facing the full might and propaganda machine of the Babylonian empire.
o Four regime changes.
o A national law forbidding worship of God.
o Persecution by political enemies.
o A den of hungry lions.
o Daniel was faithful as a youth and still over seventy years later when he was an old man.

B. Job

Job experienced worse pain and suffering than perhaps anyone else except for Jesus. He was targeted by Satan for malicious attacks. His own wife told him to curse God and give up.

Job 2:9 – Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.

Job 2:10 – But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

Job 13:15 – Though he slay me, I will hope in him.

Job’s story is included in the Bible for many reasons. One reason is to encourage and strengthen us. It is possible to stand fast and endure in following the Lord even in the face of immense suffering.

C. Modern-day examples

– Meltons – For a couple of you who have been in Guangzhou a long time, you might remember Jim and Bonnie Melton. Whenever I think of a couple who remained steadfast and faithful until the end, I think of them. They came to China long before most foreigners in the 1980s and they served people here, having a big impact. They stayed and ministered to people until around the age of 80. Jim’s back was bent and he couldn’t stand up straight. But he could still talk about and explain the Bible in a strong voice and clear language. Eventually, health forced them to leave China. Bonnie got Alzheimer’s. Jim said that his new ministry was loving and taking care of his wife. Even as her memory went, one thing Bonnie could remember and enjoy was some of her favorite hymns. Recently, Bonnie passed away at the age of 89. Jim is currently 92 and still steadfast. They had some terrible things happen in their lives, but they have been faithful to the end. It is a beautiful thing to see. I hope that one day people could say that about me. I hope the same for you. It is much harder to finish than to start.

Conclusion

In the beginning of this message, I shared about Madeleine Adams and how she collapsed near the end of her race. However, that is not the end of the story. Two other runners saw her and, sacrificing their own position, stopped to carry her across the finish line.

We can and should make up our minds to be steadfast. At the same time, God provides help for us. We are not in the race alone. God gives us a Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit strengthens us to do what we could not possibly do on our own. We can only stay the course and persevere to the end by depending on Him.

He also gives us other helpers. This is Christian fellowship. The other runners around us can help us and encourage us and likewise we should help and encourage them.

In Scripture, God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are taught side by side and held in tension.

Philippians 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

He started this work in us and will continue it.

But that does not absolve us of responsibility to persevere.

Hebrews 4:9-11 – So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

We are to strive to enter into that rest.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I trust that this passage will encourage you to be steadfast, to stay the course, to push forward in your walk with God. Rely on Him. By His grace, you will be able to finish.

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Faith Without Works is Dead https://studyandobey.com/faith-without-works-is-dead/ https://studyandobey.com/faith-without-works-is-dead/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2023 03:23:36 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=36649 James 2:14-26 Bible Study – Faith Without Works is Dead Here is a powerpoint of the sharing. Scroll below for the written study. It may be hard to imagine now, but a long time ago I had more hair

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Faith without works is dead

James 2:14-26 Bible Study – Faith Without Works is Dead

Here is a powerpoint of the sharing. Scroll below for the written study.

It may be hard to imagine now, but a long time ago I had more hair on my head. As a boy, I was very blond. My hair was almost white it was so blond. I come from a large family, with 7 brothers and sisters (8 of us total). My older sibling all had dark hair.

So they did the logical thing. They did what most brothers and sisters would do. They teased me that I was adopted. Of course, they did this when my parents weren’t around to correct them.

I asked the question, “Am I really adopted? Was I born into this family?” Now that I am older, I realize it didn’t matter either way. Adoption is just as good and real as being born into the family. In fact, my younger sister is adopted.

But as a child, it was a crisis. Did I really belong or was I a pretender? That was an important question I needed answered.

Was I adopted?

Today we are going to look at a far more important question. The question is, “Is my faith real?” Or put another way, “Am I really saved?”

This is probably the most important question you can ever ask.

In the book of James, he gives several tests for determining genuine faith. The first is in chapter 1. If you persevere under trials, you receive the crown of life. Perseverance in the face of trials proves the sincerity of one’s faith.

In the passage today, he gives another test. Good works. Fruit.

As we go through this passage today, let us consider that question, “Is my faith real?”

Is my faith real?

James 2:14-26 – What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

I. What is James saying? – Doctrine

Question – What uses is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but has no works?

Thesis – Faith without works is dead

A. Compare/contrast with justification by faith

A cursory comparison of Paul’s teachings with James seems to show a contradiction.

Romans 3:28 – For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

See also – Galatians 2:16, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5

Paul says we are justified by faith and James says that faith without works is dead. Ask your neighbor, “Who is right?”

The answer is “both.” These are two sides of the coin. They are emphasizing different things because their audiences have different struggles.

Paul was writing to churches that were heavily influenced by the Judaizers. These were people who taught that faith in Jesus was not enough for salvation. A person had to also keep the law.

James was writing to people who evidently went too far in the other direction and said they had faith, but without life change.

They were correcting two different errors related to salvation.

Paul was correcting the fallacy of works-based salvation, the idea that you can work your way into heaven.

James was correcting the fallacy of “easy-believism,” the idea that just saying a prayer or raising a hand or making a profession guarantees salvation and no repentance or life change is necessary.

They were correcting different misconceptions and therefore emphasizing different points.

Take this as an example. You are counseling a Christian young man who is fit and healthy. He exercises daily. His physical checkup comes back perfect. Yet he is constantly worried about his health. This worry causes him to buy more and more health-related items, exercise equipment, nutrition drinks, etc. What would you counsel him?

I would probably share verses about trusting in God and remind him that his life is not in his hands. God cares for him and has a plan for Him. He needs to have faith. He needs to rest in God. Doing things cannot guarantee a longer life.

Now take a young man who smokes, drinks, and is morbidly obese. He, on the other hand, is not worried at all. He says, “God is in control. Everything in His time. Until His time for me is up, I am immortal.” Would you counsel him the same way? Would you say, “Don’t worry. Trust in God.”

I would tell him that he needs to take responsibility. If he has faith in God, he should obey him by giving up smoking and drinking and losing weight.

Giving Wise Counsel

If you were to hear my words to the two people, you might think they were contradictory. They are a difference of emphasis based on context.

James’ point is not that faith is unnecessary or that through works one can earn salvation. His point is that real faith will result in a changed life. A person who is genuinely saved will bear fruit.

Jesus taught the same thing.

Matthew 7:17 – So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

The root of the tree is faith in Christ. As the root connects to Christ, the tree is nourished. The nourishment strengthens the whole tree and results in fruit.

You could try to put a tree trunk without roots and stick it in the ground. You could then try to tie fruit to the branches. That tree might look good for a short time. But soon it will rot and wither.

Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

There is a warning for us here in this passage. No one should rely on a past decision they made responding to an altar call or praying the salvation prayer. Many people will wrongly trust in a previous decision that did not change how they lived. Jesus warned against this.

In other places, Paul taught the same thing.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Such “were some of you.” When the Holy Spirit comes into someone’s heart, they are born again. They are regenerated (Titus 3:5). They are changed. That does not mean a believer is perfect, but it does mean that they are being sanctified.

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” – John Newton

William Booth is the founder of Salvation Army. This is what he said about the relationship of faith and works.

“Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works and then faith again, and then works again–until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other.” – William Booth

B. Supporting evidence #1 – Common Sense – Words are less important than actions (15-18)

James answers his question with an illustration. A needy brother or sister comes to you for help. He lacks even the most basic human needs, clothing and food. Perhaps you feel genuinely sorry for this person. You genuinely hope that someone else will help him. You even pronounce a blessing. “Go in peace, be warmed and well fed.” Then you send them on their way and perhaps even say “I will be praying for you.” Maybe you even recite a Scripture verse to comfort them.

Wow! You are so spiritual! Your words sound so holy! But you did not help this person. James asks another question, “What use is that?” Of course, the answer is none. It is no use at all. The words are empty. Your blessing may as well be a curse for all it helps the person. The person who treats his brother or sister like this is a hypocrite. He pretends care. He may even trick himself into thinking he truly cares for this person. But actions speak louder than words. His lack of action proves his lack of real love for this person.

Illustration: Let me give another illustration. As you know, I am married. My wife’s name is Christy. When I marry Christy, I tell her, “I will love you until I die.” But I don’t stop there, every morning when I wake up, I turn to Christy, “I love you!” But there is no action. Christy asks me to help watch the boys, “I am busy.” Christy asks me to help with the dishes, “I am tired.” Christy wants to spend time with me, “I am watching TV.” Christy is discouraged and wants to talk about it, “Don’t be so emotional.” I get home from work, “Where’s my dinner.” I eat dinner, “Why is it cold?” Christy asks how is my day, “fine.” Finally it is time to sleep. Me: “I love you!” How does Christy feel? Does she feel that my love is real? Of course not. If I acted like that, I’m pretty sure that every time I say, “I love you” she would just feel annoyed. This love is dead. I may say that I love her, but in reality I don’t.

A profession of faith or a statement, “I believe in God” does not necessarily indicate saving faith. There are over 2 billion people in the world who claim to be Christian. Are they all Christians? James would say to look at the fruit.

This teaching is very applicable to me. Perhaps some of you are like me. I grew up in a Christian family. I prayed a sinner’s prayer when I was five years old. Most of my friends and people around me were Christian.

As I entered my teen years, I asked myself many times, “Am I really saved? Is my faith real?”

James is saying that unless there is fruit, it is dead.

James 2:18 – But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Verse 18 shows us the proper perspective we should have on the faith/works issue. Instead of getting into an argument where one believer says he has great faith and another believer focuses only on his own works, the believer should show out his faith BY his works. In fact, there is no other way we can show our faith except by works.

Faith, by nature, is invisible and intangible. That means it can’t be seen or touched. You might say you have faith, but that is impossible for others to know unless you show it by works. How can you yourself even be sure that you have faith if you are not living it out?

Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Our hearts are sinful. It is easy to trick ourselves into thinking we are saved if we aren’t by quoting doctrines like justification by faith and, once saved, always saved. James is giving us a tangible test to confirm if our faith is dead dogma or alive and breathing in our everyday life. Faith that is alive transforms the heart. That results in a change in attitude and behavior.

C. Supporting evidence #2 – Negative example – Demons (19)

James goes to a second piece of evidence to support his thesis that faith without works is dead.

James 2:19 – You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

There are some kinds of belief that don’t save. The demons believe God. This is probably a reference to Deuteronomy 6:4, “Here O Israel, the Lord our God is One.” Satan and demons have mostly orthodox doctrines. They believe in the Trinity. They certainly know God created the world. They believe in the judgment to come (Luke 8:31).

But they are not saved. They hate God with all their hearts and fight against Him with every breath even though they know He is real and the Judge. They fail in the second part of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:5, which commands us to “love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds.”

Demons believe God, but they do not listen to Him. So although they believe God, they do not believe in God.

Demons are like a patient with lung cancer who goes to see the doctor. The doctor says, “Stop smoking and come in for treatment or you will die.” The patient believes, but he doesn’t listen. He keeps smoking and he can’t be bothered with treatment. An intellectual belief will not save him.

Head knowledge or having the right doctrine doesn’t save. Agreement with a list of facts about God is not enough.

Acts 16:31 – And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

Believe in the Lord. One must place their faith in Jesus and submit to Him as Lord in order to be saved.

D. Supporting evidence # 3 – Positive examples – Abraham (20-24) and Rahab (25-26)

Abraham

James continues to give examples proving his thesis that “faith without works is dead.” This time he uses the well-known “father of faith” to prove his point.

Paul uses Abraham as an example of faith.

Romans 4:2-3 – For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Paul was a theologian. Doctrinely speaking, justification is by faith alone. James focused on practical Christian living. Practically speaking, genuine faith will show itself through action.

If Abraham claimed to have faith, but did not obey God’s commands, there would be reason to doubt the sincerity of his faith.

Which came first, Abraham’s faith or his sacrifice of Isaac?

His faith came first. The sacrifice was an outward demonstration of that faith. The text says that his faith was “completed” by his works and that this “fulfilled” Scripture.

A faith that does not result in works is an incomplete, unfulfilled faith. It is dead.

The statement in Genesis 15 that Abraham was credited with righteousness was fulfilled in Genesis 22 when Abraham obeyed God’s command.

Abraham is the father of faith. Scripture makes it clear in Genesis 15:6 that he was credited with righteousness because of faith. James quotes this too. Abraham was given a test by God to sacrifice his son. He passed the test, proving that his faith was living and active. James is again arguing that a mental assent does not save anyone. The father of faith lived out his faith and we should too.

Rahab

James gives one final example proving that real faith is accompanied by works. His example is from the life of Rahab. She was a resident of Jericho, the famous one whose walls came tumbling down. This was a city that the Israelites were attacking as they entered the Promised Land.

She met the Jewish spies and protected them. In return for this, her life and the lives of her family were spared.

Was she justified by faith or works?

Here is Rahab’s statement of faith.

Joshua 2:9-11 – I know that the Lᴏʀᴅ has given you the land. We have heard how the Lᴏʀᴅ dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. The Lᴏʀᴅ your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

This is an amazing statement of faith. It shows that something had changed in her heart. But imagine if after saying this, she reported the spies to the government and then went right back into idolatry again. The statement of faith would have proven to be empty. What good is a faith that doesn’t change one’s actions or affect their choices?

Rahab’s family was saved because she took action on her faith. Her actions proved her loyalty to Jehovah. That is what James means when he says that she was “justified by works.”

Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. Without faith, Rahab would never have risked her life for strangers. And without her deeds of protection, her professed faith would have been empty.

II. Why is James saying it? – Application

So let’s review. James key point is that faith without works is dead. Another way to say it is that faith that is not lived out is empty words.

He proved this through four examples.

A. The example of the person who says nice words to someone in need, but doesn’t help.

B. The demons who have intellectual knowledge about God, but do not submit to him.

C. Abraham, the father of faith, who lived it his faith in obedience to God’s commands.

D. Rahab, a sinner of sinners, who showed her faith was genuine by taking action to serve Jehovah and give up her country’s idols.

Why does James teach this?

It is not so that we can go around judging others and doubting their salvation.

The verse directly preceding this passage says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” It is a warning.

What is the application? It is not primarily that we should “do” good works. James is not saying, “Be better. Work your way into heaven.”

The application is to perform a self-evaluation. Many of James’ readers and many professing Christians in the church today are committing the fatal mistake of “easy-believism.” Some pray a prayer or raise their hand at an altar call and then walk away thinking, “I am going to heaven now. I accepted Jesus,” and live the same as they did before.

• What about the woman who prays a prayer as a seven-year old? Then she grows up and lives the same way as everyone else. Is she saved?
• What about the man who raises his hand at an alter call, but then doesn’t have time to go to church or read the Bible. When confronted with his sin, he says, “God is a forgiving God” and keeps on doing it. Is he saved?
• What about the woman who grew up in a Christian family and always went to church. She can never remember not believing. But though she knows a lot, she doesn’t do a lot of it. In fact, she has a secret sin that she is holding on it. Is she saved?
• What about the man who grows up in a so-called Christian nation like Germany. He goes to church twice a year. He calls himself a Christian. But he makes fun of the church. He believes in evolution. Is he saved?

I do not have the answers. The lesson from the passage today is that they should ask that question. They should evaluate their faith. You should evaluate your faith. One of the most important questions you can ever ask is, “Is my faith real?” That question can be uncomfortable, but we have to ask it.

Do not blindly trust in a decision made years ago. Is your faith alive and active? Is there fruit?

Which one of you enjoys going to the hospital for a physical check-up? Many would rather stick their heads in the sand and blindly hope that everything works out. I have heard of people whose lives were saved because they went to have a physical check-up, discovered a serious problem, and because it was caught, received treatment.

Here are some things to look at for evaluating a faith self-evaluation checkup.

Genuine Saving Faith

Source – The following list is from the MacArthur Study Bible.

I. EVIDENCES THAT NEITHER PROVE NOR DISPROVE ONE’S FAITH

A. Visible Morality (Matthew 19:16-21, 23:27)
B. Intellectual Knowledge (Romans 1:21, 2:17)
C. Religious Involvement (Matthew 25:1-10)
D. Active Ministry (Matthew 7:21-24)
E. Conviction of Sin (Acts 24:25)
F. Assurance (Matthew 23)
G. Time of Decision (Luke 8:13-14)

II. THE FRUIT/ PROOFS OF AUTHENTIC/TRUE CHRISTIANITY

A. Love for God (Ps. 42:1ff; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Rom. 8:7)
B. Repentance from Sin (Ps. 32:5; Prov. 28:13; Rom. 7:14ff; 2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 1:8-10)
C. Genuine Humility (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:1-12; James 4:6,9ff)
D. Devotion to God’s Glory (Ps. 105:3; 115:1; Is. 43:7, 48:10ff.; Jer. 9:23,24; 1 Cor. 10:31)
E. Continual Prayer (Luke 18:1; Eph. 6:18ff.; Phil. 4:6ff.;1 Tim. 2:1-4; James 5:16-18)
F. Selfless Love (1 John 2:9ff, 3:14; 4:7ff)
G. Separation from the World (1 Cor. 2:12; James 4:4ff.; 1 John 2:15-17, 5:5)
H. Spiritual Growth: Luke 8:15; John 15:1-6; Eph. 4:12-16
I. Obedient Living: Matt. 7:21; John 15:14ff.; Rom. 16:26; 1 Pet. 1:2,22; 1 John 2:3-5
J. Hunger for God’s Word: 1 Peter 2:1-3
K. Transformation of Life: 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Faith Equation - Is Salvation from faith or works?

Conclusion

What kind of fruit do you have?

Jesus said that every good tree bears good fruit and every bad tree bears bad fruit. He said that by your fruit you will recognize them. If you don’t see the fruit, then you should examine your faith. That is the root. It is unseen by others. God sees it.

I want to give you some space now to talk to God about your faith. Ask Him to reveal to you whatever you need to hear from the passage today. Ask Him to give you faith. Ask Him to increase your faith. Faith without works is dead. Please spend some time and pray about in light of the Holy Spirit’s leading through this passage today.

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Psalm 22 Sermon https://studyandobey.com/psalm-22-sermon/ https://studyandobey.com/psalm-22-sermon/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2023 03:35:22 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=36252 Psalm 22 Sermon - From Suffering To Victory IntroductionPsalm 22 is one of the most famous Messianic psalms in Scripture. That means that many of the events described by the writer point forward to the life and experiences of the coming Messiah. While David was describing his own feelings and

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Psalm 22 Sermon

Psalm 22 Sermon – From Suffering To Victory

Introduction

Psalm 22 is one of the most famous Messianic psalms in Scripture. That means that many of the events described by the writer point forward to the life and experiences of the coming Messiah. While David was describing his own feelings and situation to some extent, at the same time he was being inspired by the Holy Spirit to write about the future Messiah. That future Messiah would be David’s descendant and often called “son of David.” (Luke 18:38). David’s life pointed to his.

As we study through this Psalm, we will see many things which were real in David’s life, but which Jesus experienced even more intensely.

As you read this Psalm, the name, “Jesus!” yells at you from the pages. It is almost impossible to read this Psalm without thinking, “this sounds like Jesus.” Many skeptics work overtime to try to deny the prophetic implications of this Psalm because they know it points to Jesus.

In this Psalm, the Holy Spirit points us to God’s redemptive work that will be accomplished on the cross around 1000 years later.

On this Psalm Martin Luther said the following, “This is a kind of gem among the Psalms, and is peculiarly excellent and remarkable. It contains those deep, sublime, and heavy sufferings of Christ, when agonizing in the midst of the terrors and pangs of divine wrath and death which surpass all human thought and comprehension.”

I. God’s Servant Forsaken (1-2)

Psalms 22:1-2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

A. David

David felt that God had abandoned Him. There were many times in his life he faced serious trials. Often, he was on the run for his life. He had been anointed as king of Israel, and yet things didn’t go smoothly right away. Things got worse. Even later after he was king, he fought many battles. His own son attempted a coup and started a civil war. That civil war was followed by another civil war.

At some point during all of this, David cried out to God in confusion. He felt that God had forsaken him. He couldn’t see God answering His prayers. He didn’t feel God’s presence. David lacked peace and couldn’t sleep well at night.

We should also take note of David’s heart. It wasn’t primarily the trial which was discouraging him. David had been through many trials. It was his perceived distance from God. The Lord was his comfort, his shield, and his refuge.

The fool says “there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1). He would be happy that God was far away. But real believers want God’s presence.

Moses once told God that he didn’t want to go anywhere without God’s presence with them.

Exodus 33:15 – And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

David desperately desired to feel God’s presence with Him. At that moment, he couldn’t feel it. It hurt.

Was David forsaken? Keep that question in the back of your mind as we go forward and try to find the answer.

B. Jesus –

Many of the feelings and sufferings of David in this psalm were experienced by Jesus even more intensely. That is why this is called a Messianic psalm. It foreshadows the life and in this psalm, the death, of Christ.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, he quoted Psalm 22:1.

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus never did anything randomly. Why did He say these exact words at this exact time? Part of it was to call attention to the fact that He was fulfilling the prophecies made about the Messiah even in the Old Testament. Saying these words was a way to point all onlookers to Psalm 22. He was basically saying, “Look at Psalm 22! Don’t miss it! I fulfill it!”

This phrase shows us the intense agony that Jesus felt on the cross. The worst part of the crucifixion for Jesus was not the pain of whip or the nails or even the scoffing he endured. It was His separation from the Father. Jesus took on to Himself the filthy, vile sins of humanity.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

On the cross, our sin was imputed to Jesus. When the Father looked at Him, He saw our sin on Him. As a result, the Father poured out His wrath on Jesus.

For eternity past, the Son had a perfect relationship and perfect communion with the Father at all times. On the cross, this was broken. For the first time in a Googleplex raised to the infinite power of years, that relationship was not there. It wasn’t a neutral thing or just the Father being absent. The Father was angry. The judgment for sins was poured out on Jesus. Before the Son only experienced love, encouragement, support from the Father. Now He was receiving judgment and wrath.

We can never fully comprehend how Jesus felt. The closest illustration we could probably come up with would be a perfect marriage. Imagine you were married to the most perfect and loving saint for your whole life. After 75 years of marriage, one day you face a deadly peril. Your spouse is right there and can save you. But you sense anger in his eyes. He could save you, but instead turns away and lets you die.

Jesus felt forsaken by the Father.

Both David and Jesus felt this way.

C. Application Us–

Do you ever feel like this? Perhaps you have prayed for something fervently and haven’t seen an answer? Perhaps you have faced a trial for years and do not see light at the end of the tunnel.

When you feel confused, you should do as David did and take it to God in prayer. The Psalms are filled with prayers like this. David and the other writers often felt discouraged and confused. The beginning of these psalms shows their intense struggle. But as they take these feelings to God, their attitudes start to change and the end of their prayer is very different than the beginning. The same will be true in this chapter. Praying changes us.

So was David forsaken? Are you forsaken?

The answer is “no” (if you are a believer). Real believers are never forsaken.

Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Believers are held safe in His hands.

Jesus was forsaken so that you don’t have to be. He took your sin onto Himself so that you don’t have to bear it. When Jesus asked “Why have you forsaken me?” to the father, the answer is “so that I never have to forsake anyone else again.” Jesus is the way to the arms of the Father. And once you are safe in His arms, He will never let you go.

John 10:27-28 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Know that however you may feel and whatever trials you are experiencing, Jesus faced far worse on your behalf. If your flesh cries out to God asking why He has abandoned you and doesn’t you, remember the truth. The truth is, He loves you. He does not forsake you. And that truth was proven on the cross. You might feel like you are abandoned, but feelings lie to us all the time.

II. God’s Servant’s Faith (3-5)

Psalms 22:3-5 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

David –

David did not allow his feelings to take him off the deep end. As soon as he shared with God his confusion about his current situation, he immediately came back to the foundational truth, “yet you are holy.”

David held on to what he is sure of. He doesn’t attack God’s character. He knows God is holy and good. He repeats this to himself.

And in verses 4-5, he acknowledged that God has been faithful in the past. He has answered prayers. He has not abandoned His people. That knowledge gave David renewed faith and confidence in the Lord.

Jesus –

How was Jesus able to go forward with this plan and sacrifice Himself?

He knew the Father. He knew the Father’s goodness. He knew this redemptive plan was the best plan, a perfect plan. These were rock-solid truths that Jesus could hang onto and truly say, “Your will and not my will be done.”

Us – David gives us a good model of prayer here. It is good to take our confusion to God. But we should not remain in a questioning posture for a long time. When our feelings make us question God’s plans, we should review the truths we know about Him. We should repeat back His promises. We should recall how He has been faithful in our lives in the past. We should make declarations of faith in God’s goodness. It can be helpful to take our eyes off of the immediate troubles surrounding us and lift them up to gaze at God. When we do, the potency of those troubles will fade.

HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU KNOW.

III. God’s Servant Scoffed (6-8)

Psalms 22:6-8 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

David

David felt dehumanized by many of the things he faced. He wasn’t even treated like a man, much less like a king. A worm does not defend itself. It is trampled on, cast aside, and ignored. A worm is not valued or respected. It is despised.

Perhaps this written when David was running from Saul or Absalom. His enemies scoffed him. He was a joke, a laughingstock.

They knew about his faith in the Lord. They mocked that too.

Psalms 22:8 – “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Jesus

These verses also point to Jesus. He was despised, disrespected, rejected, cast aside, and trampled. The cross dehumanized Him, robbing Him of His dignity as he hung there naked.

The word in Hebrew for worm here refers to the kermes worm. The kermes worm is small and seemingly insignificant. But in ancient times, it was a source of crimson dye. The word crimson itself comes from the word “kermes.”

Its process for giving birth was very interesting. A female kermes worm would attach itself to a tree. Once attached, it wouldn’t leave. Its own body would protect its eggs. After they were hatched, the new larvae would feed on their mother’s body. After she died, crimson fluid would stain her body and leave a mark on the tree. It was from these dead bodies that scarlet dyes could be extracted in the ancient world. Finally, the body itself will turn white and fall to the ground like snow.

It is as if God put in nature a visible sign pointing to Jesus’ work on the cross.

Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

While on the cross, the people continued to mock Him.

Matthew 27:40 – And saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Their logic is flawed. They believe that suffering is evidence of either God’s absence (that God does not exist) or God’s indifference. This is not the case.

Application Us

Important machinery is often put through a stress test to check for flaws that need to be fixed. The NASA Orion space vehicle went through many stress tests.

• Vibration test
• Shock test
• Vacuum chamber test
• Acoustic stress test
• Temperature resilience test

These tests are designed to reveal weaknesses. Rigorous tests sometimes reveal flaws. Only after they are revealed can they be fixed.

God also puts His people through stress tests. The goal is to expose and then refine weaknesses. Real believers will learn more about themselves and be able to seek God’s help to grow. Sometimes these tests also sift the chaff from the wheat. Those without a real relationship with God may fail the test and turn away from Him. Even this result is good because it takes away their false sense of security and shows them their lost condition. Without knowing they are lost, they would not look to God for salvation.

IV. God’s Plan For His Servant (9-11)

Psalms 22:9-11 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

David

David’s prayer is like an inner debate or dialogue.

First, he brings his confusion and despair to the Lord. Then he says, “yet you are holy.” He held on to what he knew was true.

Next he prayed about some of his trials and the rejection he faced from those around him.

After that, we see the same transition word, “yet.” He says, “yet you are he who took me from the womb.” David comes back to the solid truth that God has been faithful to him, even from the womb. That fact is true. He could lean on it in times of discouragement.

David trusted that God had a plan for him from before his born. He couldn’t always see it. But he knew God would protect him in order to bring His plans for David to fruition.

Jesus

God used David. He had a plan for him from when he was in the womb.

That is even more evident in the life of Jesus. From before the beginning of the world, salvation was planned to come through Jesus. That would not work if something happened to Jesus and He lost His life before He could fulfill that purpose.

Therefore God protected Him. He was protected from having to grow up without a father in the home. And he was protected from Herod’s plot to kill all the male babies in Bethlehem. In both cases, God supernaturally protected him by giving a dream to key people. God was faithful to protect Jesus so that He would be able to fulfill every single aspect of God’s purpose for His life.

Application US –

Someone once said that we are immortal until God’s time for us is up. That is true. This fact should help us to remember that God is sovereign. He has a purpose for you even in the midst of trials (Romans 8:28).

Next time you face trials which dishearten you, remember that God has a purpose for your life and that as long as you have breath, he is not through with you.
V. God’s Servant Persecuted (12-18)
In the Bible, bulls are often used metaphorically for strong people. Strong and powerful people had allied themselves against David.

They looked at him with evil intent like lions who are stalking their prey.

Even the dogs were against him. Dogs are not as powerful as bulls or lions. It shows that even many common people were against him.

Take a look at verses 14-18.

Psalms 22:14-18 – I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

What does that look like to you?

To me, it looks like a description of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Most likely, David was using these words to poetically describe his own situation. He felt weak and faint. He felt like he was being ripped in two by outside forces. His heart felt like it was going to give way. He had no strength.

What he was describing as something that he felt, literally happened to Jesus. The Spirit led David to write these inspired words which would point to the cross.

Jesus

• I am poured out like water – It refers to Jesus’ lack of strength on the cross. Even while carrying the cross up the hill, Jesus could not carry on as He was too exhausted.
• All my bones are out of joint – A crucifixion does not generally rip bones out of joint, but it can. Certainly, he was wracked on the cross. And hanging from his hands and having to breath would pull him in two directions. This could be hyperbole or it could have happened to Him.
• My heart is like wax – God’s wrath came upon Jesus for our sin. At the same time, His heart would have been under intense pressure. Breathing was difficult. And His heart would have had to work very hard to pump blood throughout the body. Many medical experts believe Jesus’ heart ruptured (cardiac arrest) and caused His death.
• My strength is dried up – He would have been utterly exhausted on the cross.
• My tongue sticks to my jaws – He was very thirsty.
• You lay me in the dust of death – The experience ended with his death. In the Hebrew Old Testament, dust is often a metaphor for death.
• I can count all my bones – Stretched out and naked on the cross, his bones would have protruded for all to see.
• They stare and gloat at me – He was exposed. Even clothes were taken away. He lost all dignity as people stared at him hanging naked in public for all to see.
• They divide my garments and for my clothing they cast lots – Roman execution squads were permitted to keep the belongings of those they put to death. When things could not be divided equally, they might turn to gambling. This is what happened with Jesus’ clothes. Matthew 27:35 – And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

Application US –

What is your reaction when you see the crucifixion accurately described a thousand years BEFORE Jesus?

Mine is, “Wow!” God’s Word is amazing. It is miraculous. It is trustworthy. It is credible. We can stand on it with total confidence. These prophetic words are evidence not just of God’s existence, but of His sovereign control He exercises over this world and its history.

When people try to attack God’s Word we can point them to Psalm 22. Passages like these are the reason that God’s Word will never be broken.

VI. God’s Servant Delivered (19-21)

Psalms 22:19-21 But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

David

A shift to deliverance – The first eighteen verses of this psalm have been about the suffering servant. He is forsaken and ill-treated. Evil people gang up against him. Even God does not step in and immediately save him.

However, God does not finally forsake this person. Throughout Scripture, we see that God delights in exalting the humble.

James 4:10 – Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Jesus

Psalm 22 accurately describes Jesus’ suffering and humiliation. His agony is clear. But the story does not end there. Starting in verse 19, there is a cry for deliverance.

There is going to be rescue and then triumph.

David was lifted up and saved from the lowest points of his life. And Jesus also was exalted (Philippians 2:3-10). The path through suffering ended with triumph over all of His enemies.

Application – Us

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Turn to the Lord for deliverance.

Richard Wong – “I will be healed. It may happen sooner or later, but it will happen.’’

Whatever problem you are facing, there will be deliverance. Deliverance isn’t always immediate. It doesn’t always happen when we want it to. David faced his trial. Jesus faced his trial. The deliverance is not an absence of trials, but is final victory.

Jesus died to guarantee that we have deliverance. Death, sin, pain, and sickness will not have the final say.

VII. God’s Servant Victorious (22-31)

Psalms 22:22-31 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

David

I will. David makes the commitment that he is going to praise God. He will testify of God’s goodness “in the midst of the congregation.” That refers to a public confession in front of his brethren. He then says, “I will praise you.”

David is choosing to exercise dominion over his feelings. He will not be run by them. His reaction to difficulties was a choice.

He has not hidden his face; He has heard – In the first two verses of this chapter David felt like God wasn’t hearing. During the process of this prayer, he has come to the clear realization that God does hear. He does not forsake His people. He does not hide His face. Prayer is not about changing God, but is about changing us. David’s dialogue with God reminded him of God’s goodness. God heard Jesus’ cry also. Jesus arose again from the dead, proving that the Father was pleased with Him.

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied – David confirms that it is worthwhile to praise God. His people may be afflicted for a while. They may go through a valley. They may face the night. But eventually, the suffering servant will be rescued. His prayers will be answered. He will be satisfied in the Lord.

Thus this Psalm ends with victory. David’s attitude has done a complete 180 since the beginning when he felt forsaken. Verses 27-31 show the knowledge of God going to the ends of the earth.

Those hostile to God may appear to be victorious in the short-term, but in the end God wins. He rules over the nations. People from all families across the globe will come to worship Him.

David looks prophetically to the results of the cross and how Jesus’ work there resonates across the globe in victory.

Jesus

Jesus’ crucifixion was described in detail in verses 14-18. But that is not the end. This Psalm does not end in defeat.

Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22 and applies it to Jesus, showing us that the conclusion of this Psalm also refers to Jesus.

Hebrews 2:12 – I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Jesus resolved to do just this.

John 17:26 – I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus entire mission was to glorify God. His death and resurrection did this to the max.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord – This did not happen in David’s day. It did not happen in the Old Testament. It started happening during the life of Christ. Magi came from far out of Israel to worship Him. Later in His life Samaritans and Greeks came to learn about Him (John 12:20). Still, these were just the first fruits.

It was only after His suffering was completed in His death and He rose again, did this start to happen in earnest. The disciples started taking this news around the world. Until now, the task of the great commission is still ongoing. Because of Jesus, the gospel would go the ends of the earth.

We see God’s vision for the world fulfilled in Revelation 7:9.

Revelation 7:9 – After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

None of this happens if Jesus stayed dead. The movement started because He arose. The victory over death and the grave resulted in hundreds of millions coming to Him from across the globe.

Conclusion Application – US

I was thinking about how to conclude this rich chapter. I could talk about what we learn of prayer. Prayer changes us. It changes our attitudes and perspectives. It reminds us of God’s presence.

Or I could talk about suffering. He does not forsake us in the midst of suffering. There is light at the end of the tunnel. We will be delivered and be victorious.

Or I could talk about God’s Word. This amazing prophesy shows us the unbreakable nature of the Bible. It is reliable. It is supernatural. It stands the test of time.

All of these things are true. But what is the passage telling us? What are we supposed to take away from it.

I think the answer is found in the last section.

Psalms 22:30-31 – Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

We are the posterity. We are part of the “coming generation” and the people that were “unborn.”

Jesus’ victory is no longer a prophecy for us. It has been accomplished. Faithful believers have spread the word. That is why we are here today.

It has been told to us and we are to in turn tell it to others.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them “He has done it!” Jesus is victorious. It is the greatest victory in history.

Now it is our turn to spread the word. Let us not focus on our own problems, our own suffering, but instead focus on His victory. If your favorite football team won the championship, you would talk about it. How many thousands of times more should we talk about Jesus. His is truly the Greatest Story Ever Told. Today’s passage reminds us that the story of Jesus is seen through all the pages of Scripture, Old and New Testaments. Each page of Scripture is shouting, “JESUS” to us. Let our lives do the same. Who do you need to tell about Him?

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Psalm 73 https://studyandobey.com/psalm-73-sermon/ https://studyandobey.com/psalm-73-sermon/#comments Thu, 27 Jul 2023 03:08:26 +0000 https://studyandobey.com/?p=35076 Psalm 73 Bible Study - Why Do Wicked Prosper? Psalm 73 Bible Study Video One of the oldest questions people ask is, "Why do the wicked prosper?" Jeremiah, Job, and Habakkuk asked similar questions. A quick Google search shows that many people are still asking

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Psalm 73 Bible Study – Why Do Wicked Prosper?

One of the oldest questions people ask is, “Why do the wicked prosper?” Jeremiah, Job, and Habakkuk asked similar questions. A quick Google search shows that many people are still asking the same question today.

Let’s face it. Life often seems unfair. There are many things in the world that confuse us. Many ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people.” Well, the reverse of that is, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”

Perhaps it is the person who cheats on the test who gets a good score and obtains the scholarship. Perhaps it is the teacher who rips his lessons and does no preparation and gets the promotion. When we observe these things happening, it can cause confusion or even envy.

These things sometimes also happen on a large scale. Leopold the 2nd is one such person. He gives a bad name to wolves who dress up in sheep’s clothing. He pretended to have a charitable heart and wanted to help Africa and Congo. Because of his supposed altruistic intentions, the colonial nations in Europe in essence, gave him the Congo Free State to personally own and run.

Soon after he took control, he threw off the pretense of trying to help the people. His rule was filled with terrible atrocities and brutality, including forced slavery, torture, murder, hanging children, and mass amputations. Some estimate that as much as 50% of the Congolese population was killed under Leopold.

He did all of this for personal gain. He profited through the selling of ivory and rubber and other natural resources, becoming the richest person in the world.

When we see things like this, people ask, “Where is God? Why does He allow these things to happen?”

Asaph wrote Psalm 73 and is asking these same questions. We can follow his spiritual journey, see his perspective renewed, and find out the answer to the question, “Why do the wicked prosper?”

I. Asaph’s Faith (1)

Psalms 73:1 – Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

This Psalm was written by Asaph. From verse 1, we see that Asaph a firm believer.

He is connected with the writing of twelve other psalms and probably directed choral worship of God in the temple during the time of David.

Asaph knew all the history of what God has done for Israel and He believed it. He was a minister. He was “on stage.” He was one of the most well-known believers at that time in history.

If you were to see him leading worship at the temple, you would like never imagine some of the inner struggles he was facing that he revealed in this psalm.

II. Asaph’s Struggle (2-3) –

Although Asaph knew God and believed in God, he still had some doubts and moments of confusion. In fact, we will see the questions he had were so overwhelming and problematic for him that they nearly shipwrecked his faith. It is possible for even well-known and solid believers to have times of struggle in their faith. Asaph’s story can encourage all of us who, at times, face our own questions.

This is what he said about his spiritual crisis.

Psalms 73:2 – But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

This gives us a glimpse at the struggles he was facing behind the scenes.

And it reminds us that real believers can have real doubts or struggles – Followers of God are not robots. We have real emotions. There are ups and downs in our spiritual lives. Sometimes our faith is stronger and sometimes it is weaker. There are times when we look at the world and have zero interest in worldly or material things compared to following after God. Other times those same things hold an attraction or allure for us. There are times of strength and times of weakness. There are times when we set our gaze directly on Jesus as we should and go straightforward without looking to the right or left. Other times, it isn’t so easy.

Application:

1. Knowing this, we should encourage other believers in their times of struggle or doubt rather than judge them. If a brother or sister comes to you struggling, show compassion, encouragement, and support. Rally around the person and try to help him through the tunnel to the light at the other side.

2. At the same time, we must realize that we too are weak sometimes. When we face those moments, we should get help. Like Asaph, prayer is a good first step. It doesn’t help to try to deny the feelings you are having. Instead you should seek to have these resolved in a correct way.

God never attacks the believers in Scripture who brought Him legitimate questions, even questions that came from confusion. God already knows what you are thinking. He can handle it. He will not be intimidated by your questions. Whatever questions you have, bring them sincerely to God in prayer. Search out the Scriptures for an answer. There are answers.

Note that Asaph only “came close” to falling and his feet “almost” slipped. When he brought his concerns to God, the Lord caught him, steadied him, and set him on his feet again. Asaph’s doubts did not completely overcome him and one likely reason is because he brought them to the Lord to seek answers.

This is what the Lord does for us when we come to Him.

Psalms 40:2 – He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

Verse 3

Psalms 73:3 – For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Asaph observed that many wicked people were doing quite well. There was a part of him that envied what they had. Their house, their riches, their flocks, and their horses were attractive to him.

Were Asaph’s feelings wrong? They were. The tenth commandment tells us, “Do not covet.”

Asaph was a person like we are. He had sinful and fleshly impulses. In this chapter, we see how he dealt with those. He did not let those impulses take over. He did not take action to fulfill those wrong desires. Rather he brought those to the Lord and sought to first solve those feelings and then subject them to God’s will.

Did you ever have any similar feelings to Asaph? Were you envious of others’ success? Did you look at your neighbor’s car, family, vacation, or home and covet them?

Do not allow these feelings to take hold. Instead, bring them to the Lord and “Take every thought captive” to Him.

Jeremiah had similar questions about why the wicked prosper.

Jeremiah 12:1-2 – Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart.

Job asked the same.

Job 21:7 – Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?

III. Asaph’s Observations (4-12)

Asaph described in great detail the luxurious lives of the wicked.

Verse 4 – They were fat because they always had plenty to eat. That may not seem like such a big deal now when food is much more readily available than it was in those days. But in those days, there were not many fat people. Fatness was generally a sign of wealth as a person could afford to eat whatever they wanted. Asaph even says that their “eye bulges from fatness.” (7) What a vivid description!

Verse 4 – They have no pangs until death. Even their deaths are painless and easy.

Verse 5 – They are not in trouble as others are. Their lives were smooth and easy. They didn’t encounter many difficulties like others did. Everything seemed to bounce their way and they jumped from one success to another.

Verse 7 – The “imaginations of their heart run riot.” In other words, they get whatever they want. All of their hopes, dreams, and fantasies seem to come true.

Verse 10 – They have “waters of abundance.” And even their deaths are relatively painless (verse 4).

Was it really like this or was Asaph imagining things? It is probably a combination of both. Immoral people sometimes do prosper in the short term. Their sinful ethics allow them to extort others or cheat or lie for material gain. Corruption and exploitation swell their bank accounts. Often this type of behavior does result in worldly wealth.

At the same time, it is easy to see things in a way that reinforces what we already expect to see. If Asaph was struggling inside, he may have been prejudiced. This bias would tend to warp what he saw, magnifying the easy life of the wicked and the difficulties of the righteous. We too may look at others and think, “You have it so easy all the time,” when in fact, we may just be ignoring (or unaware of) things in their life that are not easy.

The wicked sinned with seeming impunity –

The sins of the wicked were evident. Asaph talks about their pride, violence, mockery, arrogance, rebellion, and evil words. Perhaps the worst of their sins is recorded in verse 9. They “have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue parades through the earth.”

Verbally they mock God and speak out against Him. Without any fear of God or His divine judgment, their arrogance grows. Though they so openly laugh at God, yet they still grew more and more prosperous.

If Asaph was surprised at people’s bold speech against God 3000 years ago, he would be shocked today. Probably more than in any time period in history, people are speaking out against God.

For many, peaching atheism from the rooftops is a lucrative business. Richard Dawkins has sold over two million copies of a book bashing God in the most obscene terms. But God has not struck him down. He has a net worth of $135 million.

Another atheist, Seth MacFarlane, makes cartoons mocking Jesus. He has a net worth of around $150 million.

This type of situation confused Asaph. In concluding this section, he writes.

Psalms 73:12 – Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

IV. Asaph’s Search (13-17

Psalms 73:13 – All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.

What would you say to Asaph if he were here now? Asaph, at least for the moment, was focusing on material wealth and prosperity, which does not satisfy. He was thinking in lines of what he “could get” from his actions.

One time someone asked me, “If I believe in Jesus, what do I get?” He was wondering if following Jesus would help him get a better job, or make more money, or become rich. This is the same trap that the false teachers in the previous verses were falling into. Many people look at religion as a means of gaining wealth.

What do the godly gain?

1 Timothy 6:8 says that “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Paul says that being godly does result in great gain, but that gain is not material.

• Good friends (Proverbs 27:17)
• Joy (John 15:11)
• Peace (John 14:27)
• Forgiveness (John 1:12)
• Eternal life (Matthew 25:46)
• Victory (Romans 8:37)
• Security (Proverbs 10:24)
• A clear conscience (Hebrews 13:18)

Money and materials do not bring contentment or happiness. These come from a proper relationship with God, nothing else. Anytime a person tries to shortcut or find their own way to happiness, it won’t work.

He searched without stumbling others

When Asaph felt like this, he kept it to himself.

Psalms 73:15 – If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

He restrained himself from mentioning his doubts out loud. He was afraid that his weak faith would affect other believers and even mislead the next generation. Asaph was a worship leader. He knew as a worship leader he had influence and he didn’t want to use that influence in the wrong way.

There is a time and a place to express doubts. Asaph practiced self-control and he would go to the right place to deal with his feelings, namely to the Lord.

He searched in the right place

Psalms 73:17 – Until I went into the sanctuary of God.

This phrase marks the turning point of this Psalm. Asaph was confused, upset, and frustrated. Thinking of this on his own only brought more questions. He couldn’t understand what he was seeing. Then he went to the sanctuary of God. Perhaps this was the temple or a place of worship or meditation. It is only after this point, when Asaph took his feelings to God, that he started to get answers and his attitude started to change.

Application

Go to the right source. The help we receive is only as good as the place we go to get it. If your car is broken down, don’t bring it to me if you want to get it fixed. Find an expert.

When you have deep and perplexing questions about life and morals, don’t go to the world for answers. You will only get worldly wisdom. Go directly to God. The process of seeking Him is rewarding.

Proverbs 25:2 – It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

If you look at a list of many of the world’s most wicked people, many were assassinated or died early deaths.

V. Asaph’s Conclusion (17b-20)

The answer Asaph received was simple. In verse 17 he says, “Then I perceived their end.” He goes on to say, “You set them in slippery places. You cast them down to destruction. They are destroyed in a moment… utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakens.

Asaph received understanding only when he changed perspective. He realized that the wicked might prosper in the short term, but in the long-term, they will not. A picture snapshot of their life could look rosy, but if you fast forward to the end of the story you will see the truth.

To God, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. God exists outside of time. He will surely judge the wicked. He will surely deal with sin. But He will do it in His time.

Often, the wicked do face the consequences of their sins here on earth.

I was looking at a list of the top 15 most evil people of all time.

Six out of fifteen died premature deaths as a result of their sins coming back to bite them. One example includes the French revolutionary Robespierre. He had tens of thousands of people killed by the guillotine without trial. He himself was executed by the guillotine without trial at the young age of 36.

However, nine of these lived long lives and died of natural causes. But do not think that they escaped.

Eventually, sooner or later, the wicked will receive justice for the wrongs they have done. They will not take their riches with them after death. One day they will face God as the judge and have to give an account for everything he has done. The security that their riches seem to provide is short-lived.

While their lives seem to be smooth and easy, destruction comes upon them in a moment. Asaph’s description reminds us of Jesus’ parable about the rich fool, who did not know that he was about to die and all of the things so carefully stored up would avail him nothing. Money is but for a moment. Only a life built on the rock of Christ is safe and sound.

Application

1. Revenge is mine says the Lord – Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Perhaps you have been or will be ill-treated by the wicked. You may wonder, “Why does nothing bad happen to them?” Trust in God’s plan and timing. Believe His Word that He will judge. Do not become embittered or angry. Patiently trust that God will fairly deal with each person.

2. Look at the end / long-term perspective – Asaph’s problem was a result of looking at the prosperity of these people and being envious. He wanted what they had. It was solved when he considered where their decisions would take them to judgment. Do not be envious of the people around you and what they have. One of the biggest problems in this world is that people have a short-term perspective. It is the age of instant gratification.

People want what they want and they want it now!

Here are some quotes that show the world’s mentality in focusing on now.

“Live Your Best Life Now” – Osteen
“The best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.” – Einstein
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you will ever have” – Tolle
“You have to live for the moment” – Simone Elkeles
“The art of life is to live in the present moment” – Emmet Fox

Are these true or not? There is a kernel of truth in them. We are not to feel anxious about the future. We are to be content in the present and use our time well. However, wisdom considers the long-term results of how we live today.

Lately I have been reading the Proverbs and there are many reminders to consider the long-term consequences of one’s actions.

Let us lift up our eyes and consider the end result of our decisions today.

Drinking – Proverbs 23:31-32 – Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
Sexual immorality – Proverbs 5:3-5 – For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.
Ill-gotten gain – Proverbs 10:2 – Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.
Laziness – Proverbs 10:5 – He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Pursuing earthly riches – Matthew 6:19-20 – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Worldly pursuits – Matthew 7:13 – Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

VI. Asaph’s Repentance (21-22)

Psalms 73:21-22 – When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

Asaph confesses his ignorant attitude. He admits that his feelings got the best of him. He allowed his jealousy of the easy lives of the rich to cloud his thinking and he started raving like a beast without knowledge or understanding. In his frustration, he allowed his mind to get carried away and his thoughts did not glorify God. However, he still did take these to the Lord and received an answer. Finally, he repented.

Application: All of us may sometimes be like Asaph. At times we may allow our frustrations to warp our attitudes, even to the point of becoming embittered against God. Have you become upset with God? Have you become bitter about your life situation? Have you challenged God, even if only in your thoughts? If the answer to any of these is “yes,” then today you need to repent. Today you need to come to God and confess that He is God and you are not. Trust Him to do His job. Trust that He will set everything right. Lift up your eyes beyond the current difficult situation you face to the future hope we have in Christ and renew your faith in Him again.

VI. Asaph’s Commitment (23-28)

Psalms 73:23-28 – Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

Asaph recommits himself to the Lord. He has examined both sides of the case. He knows that wickedness may come with certain short-term benefits. But in the end the godly are the ones who will be rewarded. Therefore he once again resolves to throw in his lot with God. Instead of abandoning his faith and following after the world, Asaph’s faith crises ends up leading him to an even closer relationship with God.

This is what he said.

Psalms 73:25 – Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Asaph has done a 180-degree turn. He was envious of the riches of the wicked. The things that were attractive to him are not attractive anymore. Now the only thing he wants is the Lord. He realizes that God alone satisfies.

This chapter gives us an inside look at Asaph’s spiritual journey.

  • Asaph’s Faith (1)
  • Asaph’s Struggle (2-3)
  • Asaph’s Observations (4-12)
  • Asaph’s Search (15-17)
  • Asaph’s Conclusion (17b-20)
  • Asaph’s Repentance (21-22)
  • Asaph’s Commitment (23-28)

What we see is GROWTH and renewal. The Asaph at the beginning was not the same as the Asaph at the end.

Conclusion

In this passage, we see Asaph’s spiritual journey is a journey of renewal. At the beginning, his perspective is short-sighted. He was looking at things from a worldly point of view. He was focused on the here and the now. He valued tangible things like money.

When his perspective changed and he considered the long-term view he started to grow. His faith increased. His relationship with God became the priority.

Do you have the right perspective?

Take a moment and look around you. Which of the things around you will still be around in 100 years or 1000 years?

Every single thing you can see will fade away. It will not last. Your house, your stuff, even the nature outside your window (the trees and grass) will all fade away.

Isaiah 40:8 – The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

The spiritual things are unseen, but they will last. This world will fade away. We should invest in His kingdom because it will endure forever.

Psalms 90:10, 12 – The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Your perspective needs to be renewed. The wicked focus on the here and now. They want instant gratification. They want instant riches. But any prosperity they have is short-lived. God wants you to lift up your eyes and, like Asaph, look at the end result. Temptation appeals to our now. One way to have victory over temptation is perspective; take a step back and consider the long-term results of your actions.

As we close, ask God to renew your perspective. Ask Him to teach you to number your days. Commit yourself again to investing your time and energy in His kingdom, which does not fade, instead of this world which does.

Discussion Questions

  • Are there any questions that you have struggled with in your spiritual journey? If so, did you find any answers? How?
  • Read Jeremiah 12:1-2 – What is the answer to the question “why do the wicked prosper?”
  • What are some specific ways we can renew our perspective?
  • What lessons do you learn about God in this passage (see especially Psalm 73:23-28)
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