Passion Week: Thursday

So what happened on Thursday of Passion Week?

1.  Jesus and the Disciples Celebrate Passover

There is a LOT that happens today, so hang on! Here is a brief overview on this first point:

Read Luke 22:7–13 first. Matthew 26:17–19 and Mark 14:12–16 also record the preparations being made for the Passover meal that would take place in the evening this Thursday. The Passover lamb would have been slaughtered over the altar in the Temple this afternoon, taken home, roasted whole, and eaten in the evening as a great meal.

Read Luke 22:14–16 next. Matthew 26:20 and Mark 14:17 both agree with Luke in the way that the Passover meal began with Christ and His twelve apostles reclining at the table.

Read John 13:1–20 after that to see what Christ does first before they partake of their meal. He humbly washes each of their feet to show them the Servant’s love. He did this as an example for them to follow.

Read either Matthew 26:21–25; Mark 14:18–21; Luke 22:21–23; or John 13:21–30 to find out how the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, was identified by Christ. Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover nearly the same events while John records more. Jesus was troubled. The disciples were shocked. Judas was out of there.

Luke 22:24–30 alone records a dispute among the disciples at this point about who was regarded as the greatest. Christ demonstrated and taught that humble servanthood is the path to true greatness in His kingdom.

Next, read John 13:31–38 and then Luke 22:31–38 to hear Jesus warn Peter the first time that he will actually deny Him soon (not much later that night!).

Finally, read Matthew 26:26–29 (Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20; and surprisingly 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 all say similar things). This is the account of the end of the meal with Christ and His now 11 disciples (Judas had left). And it is the institution of the Lord's Supper, or "Communion," as we practice it. The broken bread symbolized Christ's body that would soon be torn. The poured wine symbolized Christ's blood that would soon be spilt. The blood of Christ would inaugurate the New Covenant between God and man, the promise of eternal life in the Son of God.

2.  Jesus Delivers His Upper Room Discourse

Only John records Jesus’ words to the Twelve in the upper room in Jerusalem after they celebrated the Passover meal. Read John 14:1–17:26 to get an idea of what was discussed.

Topics He addressed with His troubled disciples ranged from His heavenly destination, to His heavenly Father, to His Holy Spirit, to His overwhelming peace from God. He spoke of how He is the True Vine bringing the life of God to every branch that is in Him. Abiding in Christ bears much fruit. He told them that they would receive opposition from this world but that the Holy Spirit would come and minister to each of them. He spoke of the joy that will come after His resurrection. He spoke to them of their prayers being answered so long as they pray in His name, after His will, for His glory. The greatest thing that can be prayed for is peace that comes from what He has spoken. He then prayed for all His disciples and all the other disciples that will be made, up until the end of time (Us! Our children! Etc!). He prayed that we might share in the unity He experiences with His heavenly Father. He prayed for the sanctification that comes from the Word of God. He prayed for their joy to be made complete. He prayed for His glory to be experienced by us as well.

3.  Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

Read Matthew 26:30–35 (also Mark 14:26–31). Christ and His disciples ended their Passover meal by singing a hymn in the upper room, and then they left to go out to the Mount of Olives later that night. Luke 22:39–40a and John 18:1 both note this but they are more brief. Jesus warned the disciples that they would all fall away when He is struck down. Peter rejected that notion, but Christ told him again that he would actually deny Him three times that very night.

Read Mark 14:32–42, of which Matthew 26:36–46 matches most closely. Luke mentions some of these details of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the west side of the Mount of Olives (one mile away from Jerusalem to the east approx.). At some point late Thursday night, after a eating a big meal and after taking in some important things from Christ, the disciples began to fall asleep in the Garden.

While the disciples folded their hands to rest, Christ folded His hands to pray. He warned them not to fall asleep and not to fall away! He was deeply troubled in His soul but prayed more earnestly than any other human soul could have ever prayed. He prayed for the submission to the Father's will that was necessary to experience the worldwide sin payment. Three times Christ went deeper into the Garden to pray to His Father while three times the disciples fell fast asleep. Little did they know, Christ's betrayer was on his way.

Thursday's Prayer:

"Lord, You loved Your own until the end. We were/are so unworthy, yet You continued to pour out Your life for us. While we were yet sinners, You died for us. Forgive us our sins. Allow us by Your empowering grace to serve others like You. May our every act of service be an extension of Your hands. And as we serve You, may we always remember Your body and Your blood and their immense significance.

Lord, many times we can be troubled and afraid. Comfort us not with the change of circumstances, but with Your unchanging character, promises, and provisions. May we abide in the True Vine, never quenching Your Holy Spirit, always bearing more fruit. Take us to glory to be with You, but until then let us be sanctified by Your Word, strengthened in the unity found in Your holy trinity, and filled with peace that comes only from You.

Lord, You prayed a lot in Your last hours of life and service and obedience. You prayed upstairs. You prayed outside in the Garden. You prayed. You cried out for help to Your heavenly Father. He was not even 12 hours away from crushing You under His wrath, but You withstood the weight of it all. Teach us the value of seeking Your will in earnest, heart-felt, regular prayer."

Passion Week: Wednesday

What happened during Christ's Passion Week on Wednesday?

First of all, let's summarize what has just happened Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

On Sunday morning Jesus presented Himself as Israel's King and Messiah by entering into Jerusalem riding on a donkey according to the Scriptures. Several Jews gave Him praise as they cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" As He approached Jerusalem, He stopped and wept over the city of God because they did not recognize the time of their visitation. When He entered Jerusalem, He went directly to the Temple, looked around, and left to go back to Bethany where they were staying for Passover.

On the next day (Monday), Christ cursed a fig tree alongside their path because He was hungry but it had no fruit. This was an illustration of the condition of Israel's spiritually. They re-entered the Temple and Jesus cast everyone out who was buying and selling for business. He flipped over the money-changers' tables, chased away people who were using the Temple as a short-cut across town, and began to teach them what was wrong with this situation. Namely, people were not using the Temple as a house of prayer for the nations to come to their heavenly Father. The multitudes were astonished and the religious leaders were outraged at His teaching.

Tuesday, when they were walking from Bethany on the Mount of Olives back into Jerusalem, the disciples saw the fig tree that was cursed the day before and it was completely withered. Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples what it means to have a living faith in God. The rest of this day had to do with lengthy, heated confrontations between Christ and the scribes and Pharisees (Jewish leaders). Jesus not only strictly warned the religious leaders of their hypocrisy and messed up religion, but He also lamented over Jerusalem again because He knew their destruction was coming. He took His disciples out of Jerusalem and taught them on the Mount of Olives that the time that the Kingdom will be restored to Israel will not be until the Tribulation Period. Before the Son of Man returns in glory, Israel will be saved and will finally (nationally) receive Him as their Messiah and King. Until then, they must all be ready.

WEDNESDAY:

1. Jesus Continued to Teach Daily in the Temple

Luke 21:37–38 alone tells us that every day Jesus was teaching in the Temple, but that at night He would leave with His disciples and go back to where they lodged in Bethany (only about 2 miles away). Early in the morning all the people would come to hear Him teach in the Temple, while the religious leaders of Israel boiled with hatred that He was stealing the people away from them.

2. Arrangements are Made for Jesus' Betrayal

Read Matthew 26:1–5 first because it covers the most on the arrangements that the Sanhedrin (the Jewish "council") made to arrest and kill Jesus. Mark 14:1–2 and Luke 22:1–2 also record this account. John is silent on the matter.

Since it is Wednesday and Matthew said that it was two days before Passover, then that makes Passover land on Friday of Passion Week. That was the day the Son of Man was to be delivered up as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

The chief priests and the scribes were gathered at the court of the high priest named Caiaphas. At this meeting, the religious leaders of Israel were plotting how to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. The only reason they did not act right away was because nearly all of Israel had gathered for the Passover feast and ceremonies in Jerusalem and they did not want a riot on their hands. They were afraid of the people, desiring their approval, but at the same time scheming about how to put to death the Messiah whom so many had come to put their faith in. They had already reached their verdict: the death penalty. They only needed to figure out how to do it that would not make them look bad.

3. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Matthew 26:14–16, Mark 14:10–11, and Luke 22:3–6 all account for Judas' actions. Again, John is silent on these matters.

According to Luke, Satan himself entered into Judas (similar to how we have the Holy Spirit controlling/influencing us). Whatever it was that motivated Judas to pull away from the Twelve Disciples, he found himself before the blood-thirsty spiritual leaders who were willing to pay him Temple money to do their dirty work. Judas made his intentions clear when he approached them; he wanted to betray Jesus. They were filled with gladness because now they had an insider, a mole. They paid Judas 30 pieces of silver, which is the amount the Old Testament Law set as the price of buying a slave. He gladly took the blood money and began looking for the next opportunity to betray Jesus when He was apart from the multitudes.

Although Satan was having his way with Judas, Judas was entirely responsible for his actions. In fact, none of Judas' life was spent in actual obedience to Jesus Christ. He followed Jesus with the other disciples and blended in with them just fine, but it was all a show. The moment of his condemnation was fast approaching as he willingly gave himself not to the Lordship of Christ but to Satan.

Wednesday's Prayer:
"Lord, be our Teacher, our Master, and our Guide into all truth. Teach us through your Word with Your Holy Spirit despite the many unbelievers around us in life. Teach us because false teachers fill our world. Show us the truth that has set us free. Keep us in Your truth by Your Spirit.

Warn us as to the corruption of false teachers. Help us to discern truth from error. Lead us in the way of everlasting life and keep our foot from turning to the left or to the right after ear-tickling teachers who only condone hypocrisy. Convict us of any hypocrisy in our lives that we might confess and turn humbly to You. May we feel very comfortable with admitting we are not perfect. We are not righteous in Your eyes. Our self-righteousness is a disease to the pure righteousness of Christ given to us. If we are honest, we will tell others that we have areas of inconsistency, but that we are broken by our short-comings. We need mending. We need you Jesus.

We give our lives to Your service. Your work of building Your church must prevail, against Satan's defenses! No matter what amount of effort Satan exerts and what he accomplishes, he has never taken one step outside of Your ultimate and sovereign will. He does not have control of our lives, you do. Thank you for conquering Satan through our Messiah, removing his power of death and his work of deception. Thank you for filling us with Your Holy Spirit so that we might resist Satan and that he must flee from us. Your promises are true and can never be thwarted or overturned. Thank you, Lord!"

Passion Week: Tuesday

So what happened on Tuesday of Passion Week?

1. Jesus Taught the Disciples a Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

Read Mark 11:20–25 to get the most detailed chronological account. Matthew 21:20–22 treats the two events around the fig tree as one because of his topical approach. Luke and John are silent on this account.

Tuesday morning, the disciples pass by the fruitless fig tree, that Christ had just cursed the day before, and it was already withered to its roots! Peter, representing the Twelve, remembers and bursts out with observation. Jesus takes a teachable moment here, not just to speak of how the Temple worship system was corrupt and coming to a close, but that the thing that they need to learn is this: "have faith in God." Israel lacked faith in God.

Faith, when it is not mingled with doubt, accomplishes much. This kind of bold, expectant faith must be present in the disciples' prayers. And when they stand praying in faith, they should be forgiving others if they have anything against anyone. This kind of willingness to forgive others their offenses is proof that God has forgiven them of their own offenses.

2. The Jewish Leaders Confront Jesus

Mark 11:27–12:44 accounts for these tense confrontations in the Temple between Christ and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. Matthew 21:23–23:39 also captures these Temple exchanges. Unique portions to Matthew, that are not found in Mark, are the Parable of the Two Sons (21:28–32), the Parable of the Tenants (21:33–45), the Parable of the Wedding Feast (22:1–14), and the seven woes pronounced by Christ on the scribes and Pharisees (23:1–36). Luke 20:1–21:4 generally captures the essence of what Matthew and Mark record, with few additions and omissions.

The Jewish leaders asked Christ who had returned to the Temple that He had cleansed the day before, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?" He answered that the Source of His authority comes from heaven.

He shared with the religious leaders a Parable of the Tenants that they perceived was being told against them. From that point they sought to arrest Him, but because of their fear of the masses of people around them at this time (Passover), they retreated until another time.

The Sanhedrin began to send experts in certain fields to try to trap Christ up in His talk. They asked a hard question about allegiances, about marriage and heaven, and about the most important commandment. With each answer and interaction, Christ handled Himself with Spirit-filled composure and divinely-enabled wisdom and power. After He alluded these traps, Christ engaged them all about the identity of the Messiah being David's son and his Lord and how that was possible.

Finally, Jesus accused them of stealing from widows, binding heavy burdens on others, performing all their righteous deeds to be seen by others, leading people away from the kingdom of God rather than towards it, stoning the prophets sent to them, and neglecting the weightier matters of the Law. For these reasons, and so many more, Jesus lamented deeply over Jerusalem. They were not willing to gather under God. For this, there house would be left to them desolate.

3. Jesus Delivers His Olivet Discourse

The Olivet Discourse is found at greatest length in Matthew 24:1–25:46. Mark 13:1–37 and Luke 21:5–36 is also an account of this lengthy message given on the disciples' way out of Jerusalem and up the Mount of Olives.

As Jesus sat down opposite the Temple, He spoke to the disciples of the timing of the close of the age. Before Jesus will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem, before peace is restored to Israel as a nation, before Jesus will be worshiped as King on the earth, there will be unmistakable signs. These signs will be seen most evidently in the second half of the Tribulation Period. The earth will go through excruciating, rhythmic labor pains culminating in the arrival of the long-awaited kingdom of God. And because no one knows the day or the hour of the beginning of the end of time, Christ's disciples must be ready!

Christ gave two parables to the disciples to illustrate that there will be some people who will be ready and some who will not. Whether they are ready or not, Judgment Day will come with the Return of Jesus Christ. Those who are alive during the Tribulation who believe in the Gospel and follow Christ through persecution will enter into the Millennial Kingdom on earth and those who did not believe in the Gospel will be cast away into eternal punishment.

Tuesday's Prayer:
"Lord, we pray, increase our faith. Help our unbelief. May our faith be our filled with expectation that You will answer our prayers, so long as we pray according to your will. Please forgive us our sins and please forgive those who have sinned against us. Let the forgiveness that You have shown to us be shown in and through us.

We are in awe of your unparalleled authority. You speak Truth and no one can mess with You. You have come down from heaven to earth in order to accomplish Your heavenly Father's mission and to give Your life as a ransom for many. We love You, Lord. With all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, we love You. Unlike the religious leaders in that day, make us doers of your Word. Keep us humble. May our lives be examples to others.

Lord, make us a people who are ready. Ready to receive Jesus as the Christ. Ready to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ready to worship Jesus as King over all. Ready to face You in the end with the assurance of our salvation. Allow us to stake away spiritually so we are not caught off guard. Come soon, Lord Jesus! Restore your Kingdom to the earth soon! Rescue us from our various trials and tribulations!"

Passion Week: Monday

The "Passion" of Christ is a reference to the Latin word (passio) which means "suffering." Suffering was no doubt the culminating characteristic of the final week of Christ's earthly ministry. Since the four Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) have all devoted so much material to the Passion Week, we have decided to look at the events of each day. So what happened on Monday?

First of all, let's summarize the important events that transpired the day before, on "Palm Sunday":

In Sunday school, we started by reading through Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:11; Luke 19:37-44; and John 12:16-19 to paint as much of the picture as possible of the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Essentially, Sunday morning Jesus presented Himself as King to Israel. Christ demonstrated masterful knowledge and power, He fulfilled prophecy with uncanny precision, and He caught the attention of the Jewish leaders who were filled with fury. Many in the crowd from Galilee realized Jesus as their King and Messiah while others asked, "Who is this?”

Secondly, we considered John 20:22–26 which is the account of some Greeks that sought Jesus. These inquiring believers said to Philip, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Their request would be granted as Christ would make His way to the cross to be "glorified."

Thirdly, Jesus wept over Jerusalem with a deep, gut-felt compassion, according to Luke 19:41. He had pity on them because He knew they were not ready to receive Him as their king. And because they did not know the time of their visitation, judgment was coming on them as a nation.

Fourthly, to end the day somewhat anti-climacticly, Christ enters Jerusalem and went into the temple just to look around at everything and then return to Bethany.

MONDAY:

1. Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Start by reading Mark 11:12-14. Matthew 21:12-13 sheds a tad more light on the fig tree cursing. Luke and John do not mention it in their accounts.

The fig tree the disciples passed by had nothing on it but leafs. This frustrated Christ because He was hungry. Even though it was not expected to bear fruit until another month or so, Jesus saw it as an opportunity to refer to this leafy fruitless fig tree as emblematic of the nation of Israel that was not bearing fruit spiritually in a time when it was needed. It looked like a fig tree but it had no real usefulness. So Christ angrily cursed the fig tree, no doubt having in mind the corruption and hypocrisy of Israel.


2. Jesus Cleanses the Temple a Second Time

Again, start by reading Mark 11:15-17. Matthew 21:12-13 and Luke 19:45-46 are nearly identical accounts as well. The first time Jesus had cleansed the Temple was back in John 2:14-16.

After the disciples' trip back into Jerusalem, Jesus enters the Temple where God was to be worshipped, sought in prayer, accessed by converted Gentiles, and attended to by qualified priests. Jesus could not tolerate the corruption of His Father's house, so He drove everyone out who had set up their personal business kiosks. He also would not permit anyone to cross through the Temple Mount as a convenient short cut from one place to another. He addressed everyone, who's attention He surely had caught, and told them forcefully, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." He quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 with these words.

3. Jesus Returns to Bethany with the Twelve

Mark 11:19 alone points out that the disciples returned to Mary and Martha's house in Bethany to lodge at the end of the day. It was only 2 miles away from Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, and over the Mount of Olives to the East.

Monday's Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, forgive our fruitlessness. Forgive us for quenching and grieving Your Holy Spirit in our sin. We give ourselves up to You, Lord, that you might cause us to bear much fruit. Teach us the severity of the judgment for constant fruitlessness so that we may appreciate You more.

We pray that our religion is not useless to You. We seek to worship You in the splendor of Your holiness and not to let our self-worship contaminate our spiritual lives. Keep us far from arrogant, self-righteousness that can bring down the greatest. May our righteousness be Christ's. May our very lives be daily sacrifices given up to You in light of your great mercy.

May we too burn with heavenly zeal for the purity of worship in Your house, Father. Give us eyes to see what doesn't belong in our lives and help us to desire your will to be done here on earth in our lives as it is in heaven. We are astonished by you, Lord. Let us grow in our submission to Your authority and let us grow in our satisfaction of the Person and work of Christ, our Lord and our God."

Augustine on Christmas

One church father named Augustine spoke such eloquent words about the glory of this time of year:

"The Maker of man became man that He, Ruler of the stars, might be [weaned as an infant]; that He, the Bread, might be hungry; that He, the Fountain, might thirst; that He, the Light, might sleep; that He, the Way, might be wearied by the journey; that He, the Truth, might be accused by false witnesses; that He, the Judge of the living and the dead, might be brought to trial by a mortal judge; that He, Justice, might be condemned by the unjust; that He, Discipline, might be scourged with whips; that He, the Foundation, might be suspended upon a cross; . . . that [He, the] Life might die."

One Thing

Our Winter Camp topic this year is "One Thing." Consider for a moment:

What is the one thing you seek in life?
What is the one thing you desire above all others?
What is the one thing you are after?
What is the one thing you won't stop until you get?
What is the one thing that controls your affections?
What is the one thing you feel most passionately about?
What is the one thing that gives you satisfaction?
What is the one thing that completes you?
What is the one thing you believe is worth dying for?
What is the one thing that defines who you are?
What is the one thing you speak most about?
What is the one thing that brings you the most joy?
What is the one thing you think most about?
What is the one thing you treasure above all else?
What is the one thing you want to experience?
What is the one thing you are most concerned about in life?
What is the one thing for which you live your life?
What is the one thing you hope will come after this life?
What is the one thing you desire most for others to know?
What is the one thing that you want to see?
What is the one thing that drives you each day?
What is the one thing you would receive from the Lord?
What is that one thing?

Our answers to questions like these may range from things as small as our new smartphone to things as seismic as the God of Creation Himself. That is because the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9). No man can know his heart like the Lord (17:10). And there is no more important thing to guard than the heart (Prov 4:23). Above all other commandments, we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37). So questions like these above can tell us a lot about where our heart is, where it has been, what it is after, what it prizes, what it protects, what it desires, what it seeks.

This winter, the College and Career groups will spend precious time pouring over one verse:

Psalms 27:4    One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may  dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon  the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire  in his temple. 

Lord willing, our generation of young adults will stand as one in the grace and glory of Jesus Christ who Himself has brought to us the dwelling place of God. Please begin to pray with us now that God will unite our hearts to engage in the highest activity of the human soul, which is, coming into the presence of the Holy, living, triune God.

How Long, O Simple Ones?

The Hebrew word for "the simple" (Proverbs 1:4, 22, 32) is peti. Peti, according to Derek Kidner in his Proverbs commentary, means 'to fool' or to deceive or seduce. It literally means 'open,' which interestingly enough refers to the simple's mentality in life, open. He is open to what anyone tells him. He is open to good and open to evil. Open to the what might be the right way and open to harm's way. He is dangerously open-minded (not a positive quality here). It captures the sense of the one who is gullible, easily led, naive, and irresponsible.

Some might laugh at the thought of being gullible or having a friend who is easy to joke around with and take advantage of (by the way, the word 'gullible' was recently taken out of the dictionary). But the sad thing is, "the simple acquire folly" (Prov 14:18). If the simple does not turn at wisdom's reproof and heed her counsel, then he graduates to a more serious condition. Again, Kidner: "a man who is emptyheaded will end up wrongheaded."

College can be a time when you don't really have an aim in life, you don't have a whole lot of experience being a believer, and the drift towards temptation seems so easy. Well, there is a hope and a warning for such a one. Hope: turn, and wisdom will pour out her spirit to you (1:23). Warning: the simple are killed by their turning away (1:32). 

It's all in how you turn (Heb suv). God is loud and clear through His Word: turn away from sin and turn toward Wisdom (aka Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" Col 2:3) alone for salvation.

Psalm 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple (peti)."

2 Timothy 3:15 "and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Don't delay another day. Go to God in prayer. Confess your love for being simple. Acknowledge that you've been in the wrong and He has been right all along. Pray for a healthy fear of God to guide you along in life (1:7; 9:10). Commit your life to a consistently biblical worldview that will bring honor and glory to God.

Delay another day, however, in your simple ways and you may lose the chance to call out to God for life. "For the simple are killed by their turning away, the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster" (Prov 1:32, 33).

Bear Much Fruit

Christ promises, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7).

When you first read "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you," you can kind of tense up with a mental knee-jerk reaction, "Well, not WHATEVER you wish, of course." But if you understand the context of John 15, there should be no discomfort from Christ's promise to do for you whatever you wish, if you abide in Him and He in you. Let me explain:

John 15:5 says, "Whoever abides (remains) in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit." And not too much later, John 15:8 says, "By this the Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

John teaches us here that God is glorified in the lives of His disciples when they bear much fruit. And the only way to bear much fruit is to abide in Christ and He in us. So logically, the more Christ is seen in and through us, the more God is glorified. The reason for this is that there is no one or no thing that brings God more pleasure than His Son (Mark 1:11 "And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'").

So if you have trusted in Christ and been united with Him, what do you think God would desire to do most with your life? Well, His primary concern would be to do whatever would bring Him most glory, because he alone is worthy (Psalm 29:2). And the means by which He brings glory to Himself through your life is by the flourishing of the character of Christ in you. Our lives become a conduit, or channel, or "branch" through which the Father achieves His ultimate end of glorifying Himself by bringing His divine life through His Son, "the true vine," to bear much fruit in us.

Return now to the promise in verse 7: "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." If your will is completely subject to God's as you abide in Christ, then you will only be asking God for things that bring glory to Him; things that enable you to bear much fruit, and so feature the life of Christ.

In the words of the psalmist: "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Delighting yourself in the LORD = abiding in Christ

Kindly Led to Repentance

How does God draw sinners to repentance? What approach does He take to breaking down the walls of unbelief? How exactly are faith and repentance born for the first time in the soul of man? What does God use? Who does God use?

Many times you find yourself discussing spiritual things with an unbeliever and they are as hard-hearted as they come. You share all the right answers--to the best of your ability--from the Scriptures, and they stand unmoved. You plead with them to heed the words of Christ to enter His rest and stop attempting to work for their own salvation, and they work harder to justify their thinking. You warn them that if they do not repent of their sins and trust in the righteousness of Christ alone for salvation, then they will not enter the kingdom of heaven, but they take offense.

There are two passages that have come to my mind lately regarding this seemingly "stuck" situation that only God can free the lost soul from. The first is Psalm 7:12 and 13, which says:

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

God feels a righteous and just indignation towards sin. He burns inside with a fury of wrath because sin is so entirely opposed to His character and His ways. And it is right for God to plan to punish sin because He is holy and just judgment is required for every sin, little and large. The unrepentant sinner unknowingly lies his stiff neck right down in front of the swinging sword of God.

BUT, the sinner might respond to these verses and say, "Well I don't know if it makes sense for God to scare people into believing; it doesn't seem to fit who I know God to be. I mean, seriously, does God really use 'scare tactics'?"

It is to this objection that the second passage comes savingly in to play. Romans 2:4 says:

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Ah ha! There is your answer! There is the Gospel of God's grace and kindness! There is the most compelling thought to cross an unrepentant sinner's mind to get him to repent! Just two verses before this, in Romans 2:2 and 3, Paul affirms the Psalmist's words saying:

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. Do you suppose, O man...that you will escape the judgment of God?

So because of the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God, the sword of execution is being sharpened and the bow is bent and the fiery arrows are readied for release into the sinner's wicked heart. BUT, at the cross, the Shepherd of the sheep (Mark 14:27) was struck by that drawn sword of wrath. The diamond-sharp arrowhead of God's judgment for our sin was sunk into the heart of His Beloved and only Son. The death penalty for sin (Rom 6:23) has been carried out on the cross of Christ so that the free gift of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, may be given.

May the cross of Christ always stand as the crosshairs of the arsenal of God. And may sinners not take another breath before tasting of the goodness and kindness of God that leads to repentance.

The Wondrous Works of God in the Life of Joseph

Psalm 105, similar to the song of thanks that David gives in 1 Chronicles 16:8–22, is a lengthy psalm of praise to God for His covenant faithfulness to His people. The first six verses are a call to give praise to God ("Oh give thanks...call upon his name...make known his deeds...sing to him...tell of all his wondrous works...glory in his holy name...rejoice...seek the LORD and his strength...seek his presence...remember the wondrous works..."). The psalmist labors to exhort the people of God to recount and to rejoice in the wondrous works of the Lord.

The rest of the psalm traces God's mercy and faithfulness to Israel as a nation from the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1–3) to the acquisition of the Promised Land in Canaan. In verses 16–22, the psalmist reflects briefly on the wondrous works of God in the life of Joseph:

Psalms 105:16    When he  summoned a famine on the land

and  broke all supply  of bread, 

17 he had  sent a man ahead of them,

Joseph, who was  sold as a slave. 

18 His  feet were hurt with fetters;

his neck was put in a collar of iron; 

19 until  what he had said came to pass,

the word of the LORD  tested him.

So famine had come upon the Land of Promise. All supply of bread had been broken. Joseph had been separated from his family and sold into slavery. His feet were strapped in fetters or metal braces shackled together by chains. His neck had a collar of iron around it.

What was to be made of all of this? It sure is hard to see why this is a reason to praise God. In fact, it would seem fitting to blame God! BUT two penetrating truths of divine providence are found throughout these verses. Consider...

1. God is always at work, even when it seems that He is not (vv. 16–19). He is the One who sealed the clouds from dropping rain on the dry earth. He is the One responsible for breaking the supply of bread. He is the One who sent Joseph ahead of Israel as a slave taken into the heart of Egypt (note: Joseph was "sent" showing that God prepared a remedy for His people before the land was ever afflicted by famine!). God is proactive even in the darkest and most despairing seasons of our life! And He does not just react to our circumstances and choices so as to be caught off guard.

We often think of God as somehow indirectly involved in the trials that come upon us. We view Him as the parent sitting on the back porch watching the big brother in the sandbox pour sand over the helpless little brother's head. But God is no more than a foot away in times of trouble. He is not this distant; He is near. He is not capable of accidents on His watch. He is intimately involved in every affair of our life. We can take comfort in this knowing that no famine, or bucket of sand, can fall without His intimate involvement, care, and greater purposes in mind.

Psalm 105:20   The king sent and  released him;

the ruler of the peoples set him free; 

21  he  made him lord of his house

and ruler of all his possessions, 

22  to bind  his princes at his pleasure

and to teach his elders wisdom.  

2. God turns every situation into good, even when it all seems bad (vv. 20–24). Though harm, mistreatment, abandonment, and abuse befell Joseph by the hands of his jealous brothers and greedy slave traders, God had other plans and greater purposes for Joseph. God sees to it that Joseph is released, made lord of Pharaoh's house and ruler of all his possessions, and given the authority to bind princes and teach the Pharaoh's elders wisdom! From the pit to the palace! From being bound by fetters to binding princes at his pleasure! And it was from and through this strategic, exalted position in Egypt that God saw fit to provide for Israel in their season of famine.

We too can rest assured that the "trial of our faith" is intended to draw us nearer to Himself and to deepen our trust in our Sovereign God. I am not saying that everything hard that comes your way will disappear and be immediately replaced by that which is easy or plentiful. But no matter what evil is meant against us from any of the enemies of Christ, we have assurance in the promise of God that He means it for our good and to serve His greater purposes.

In Joseph's life, it was "to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen 50:20b). In your life, it may be to bring many people to see that God can be trusted in trials. It may be to bring many people to hear a testimony mixed with suffering and sufficient grace to inspire hope. It may be to bring many people to conviction over their complaining. It may be to bring many people to comfort in God's providence and steadfast love.

God's providence is the silver lining on every dark cloud on the horizon of your life. It is His secret purpose in all things hidden from our eyes until He sees fit to show us. It is what we can depend on as creatures trusting our Creator. Nothing happens merely by chance; rather, all things work out "according to the counsel of his will" (Eph 1:11). What a comfort. What rest. What a great God who is worthy of our praise!

Great Purpose on Not-So-Great Days

"There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose."
- Alan Redpath

Job 1; Lamentation 3:31-33; Genesis 50:20; and Mark 14:36

The Widow Who Rung the Bells of Heaven

I came across a very vivid quote on persistent prayer by E. M. Bounds:

"'Good Prayers,' says an old divine, 'never come weeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask. Prayer pulls the rope below, and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly: others give but an occasional pull at the rope: but he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continually with all his might.'

That is the best kind of bell ringing--ringing the bells of heaven--making a sensation in the world celestial and pulling the power down upon the world terrestrial. Reader, do you know how to handle the bell rope, to pull it vigorously and constantly? We know some that do. Hell trembles when they seize the rope."
- E.M. Bounds

Think of this faith-filled, expectant, and persistent type of bell-ringing prayer in light of Luke 18:

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The Complex and Complete Love of God

D. A. Carson in his book "The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God," speaks of the Scriptures laying out the love of God in at least five different ways:

1. The love of the Father for the Son (Jn 3:35; 5:20) and of the Son for the Father (Jn 14:31).
2. God's providential love over the entire universe (Gen 1:31; Matt 5:45, 46).
3. God's yearning, inviting, seeking, saving love (Jn 3:16; Ezek 33:11).
4. God's choosing love, his selective love (Deut 7:7-8; 10:15; Mal 1:2-3; Rom 9:10-12; Eph 5:25).
5. God's conditional love (Ex 20:6; Jn 15:10; Jud 21).

This has really made me think on a number of different levels. First, these are not five different "loves," but rather five different ways the Bible speaks of God's love. Second, I believe it has made things more clear as I consider this attribute of God in its complexity and perfection. Third, I am now more guarded against using so many different clichés about God's love.

For instance, do I always think of God's love as "unconditional" or are there instances when the Bible requires some condition to be met? And does God really love everyone the same way and to the same extent or is there a sense in which God's love for His children differs from His love for the unjust?

"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever." Psalm 136:26

Watching Over the Heart

Hans F. Bayer's refreshingly theological and practical work, A Theology of Mark, sheds light on "the dynamic between Christology and authentic discipleship" in the Gospel of Mark. In some ways, this work has captured all that I have been trying to say, as we are now in the middle of the fourteenth chapter of Mark.

In my study this week of Christ's repeated command for the disciples to be watchful (14:34, 37, 38) in Christ's final hour of agony in Gethsemane, I came across Bayer's chapter on "Eight Discipleship Qualities" and "Watching over the Heart" was one. The eight were stated as follows:

1. Surrender to God's Will
2. Faith in God
3. Prayer
4. Watching over the Heart
5. Humility and Service
6. Forgiveness
7. Withstanding Temptation
8. Confessing Christ

Bayer says, "These core character traits mark each follower as being shaped and transformed by Christ. They are to be understood as the fruit of Christ's impact, not as spiritual disciplines that followers of Christ emulate in their own strength."

Take "Watching over the Heart" for example...This means keeping a vigilant eye on the condition of your heart. We must constantly surrender ourselves to God's will, trust in Him, and pray to Him. We must be watchful so that our heart does not become hard and independent from God (8:17–21; 6:52). We must be watchful so that nothing inappropriate comes out of our heart (7:14–23). We must be watchful so we can radically cut sin and temptation out of our lives as God reveals it (8:33; 9:43–47). We must be watchful so that we don't fall prey to doubt (11:23). We must be watchful so that we don't carelessly mislead others (9:42). We must be watchful so that we don't have wrong attitudes toward our parents (7:10). We must be watchful so that we don't blaspheme the Holy Spirit (3:29).

Look at who Jesus is--He maintains a pure heart in the midst of all temptation (8:33; 14:36; see also Heb 7:5). Learning from His example and being controlled by His lordship in our lives, we should learn to ask ourselves: to what extent am I watchful over my heart in relationship with God? This is the very point the disciples needed to be warned of in the Garden of Gethsemane because their allegiance to Christ would soon be tested at Jesus' capture and crucifixion.

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." Mk 14:38

The Friends and Foes of Christ

The streets of Jerusalem are packed with Jewish travelers from all over Palestine with their animals ready for sacrifice. It is now two days before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the national celebration of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian captivity (Exod 12). The disciples of Jesus follow their Rabbi and Messiah in and out of the city in the final days before "the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mk 8:31).

According to Mark, there are two very different crowds in Jerusalem during this week: the "foes" of Christ and the "friends" of Christ.

In Mark 14:1–2, the foes of Christ "were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him." In Mark 14:3–9, the friend of Christ is a woman who generously anoints His head with very costly ointment of pure nard. And in Mark 14:10–11, the foes of Christ "sought an opportunity to betray him."

This "sandwich" structure in Mark 14:1–11 is arranged in such a way that the reader does not miss the surrounding context of man's depravity in addition to the woman's costly devotion to Christ. The dark backdrop of the scheming, scandalous scribes and the satanically-driven Judas Iscariot sets this woman's beautiful deed done unto Jesus in clear focus to be admired and followed by all who would call themselves "friends" of Christ.

Many times what makes our good deeds "beautiful" (14:6) is when pure, unashamed, undivided devotion to Christ is surrounded by the foes of Christ hurling their insults and satisfying their sinful pleasures that lead them to rebel against His authority as the Son of God. Stand with Christ when men only stand against Him. Prize Christ so highly that you'd be willing to risk it all just to serve at His feet.

It Contradicts His Holiness, and He Must Hate It

Wayne Grudem on the Definition of Sin (Systematic Theology, 492):

"Finally, we should note that this definition ["sin is lawlessness" 1 Jn 3:4] emphasizes the seriousness of sin. We realize from experience that sin is harmful to our lives, that it brings pain and destructive consequences to us and to others affected by it. But to define sin as failure to conform to the moral law of God, is to say that sin is more than simply painful and destructive--it is also wrong in the deepest sense of the word. In a universe created by God, sin ought not to be approved. Sin is directly opposite to all that is good in the character of God, and just as God necessarily and eternally delights in himself and in all that he is, so God necessarily and eternally hates sin. It is, in essence, the contradiction of the excellence of his moral character. It contradicts his holiness, and he must hate it."

Does that make you see your sin any clearer? Hate your sin any more? Know your God any better?

You Choose: The Least Sin or the Greatest Affliction?

Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) in his Puritan work, The Evil of Evils, proposes:

[I]t is a very evil choice for any soul under heaven to choose the least sin rather than the greatest affliction. Better be under the greatest affliction than be under the guilt or power of any sin...There is more evil in sin than in outward trouble in the world; more evil in sin than in all the miseries and torments of hell itself.

He illustrates:

Suppose that God should bring any of you to the brink of that bottomless gulf and open it to you, and there you should see those damned creatures sweltering under the wrath of the infinite God, and there you should hear the dreadful and hideous cries and shrieks of those who are under such soul-amazing and soul-sinking torments through the wrath of the Almighty. Yet, I say, there is more evil in one sinful thought than there is in all these everlasting burnings...

Do we think of sin as we ought? Do we realize just one wicked deed's wickedness; one sin's sinfulness; one evil thought's evil? When given the choice of sin or affliction, will we look to Christ in that moment? Will we see the great affliction that He endured for just one of our sins (and all the others)? Will we be content to share in the afflictions of Christ, choosing righteousness, and not choose to sin? Or will we choose the evil of evils: sin?

There Will Be No Riots in Hell

Alva McClain in his excellent work, The Greatness of the Kingdom (p. 25), says:

The strange notion that the devil is the king of hell has no basis in divine revelation. God is the King of hell, just as He is the King of everything else in time and space. And because this is so, that everlasting prison-house of the lost will not be the noisy and disorderly place that is sometimes imagined by the popular mind. There is no more orderly place than a well-disciplined prison, even under imperfect human government. There will be no riots in hell.

"The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens; and His kingdom reigns over all" (Ps 103:19).

Three Essentials of Ministry Preparation

Those of you who are serious about serving Christ with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, please consider Charles Bridges' words of encouragement:

"Upon the whole, it is most important to mark the combination of these three Sections of Ministerial preparation--Study, Prayer, and Exercise. The omission of one of these, whichever it may be, weakens the practical influence of the rest. Study furnishes the materials--Prayer sanctifies them--Exercise makes a suitable distributive application of them to the several cases brought before us."

Taken from Christian Ministry, page 67. This section on The View of the Christian Ministry focuses on "The Employment in the Cure of Souls," in other words, what the work is like that has eternal impact on others for the sake of Christ's Kingdom.

We all would do well to consider these three pillars of ministry preparation. Ministry should be your every-day occupation. Life ceases to become about ministry when Christ ceases to become your Master. In some way and somehow we tend to neglect study of the Word which "stores the mind," prayer to God Himself which "infuses a divine influence," and exercise of all that we have come to know about God's instruction which "carries out the resources into effective agency."

Where do you fall short in ministry? What is your personal plan for being committed to study, prayer, and exercise?

God's Glorious Purposes for the Tribulation

The Olivet Discourse (Matt 24–25; Mk 13; Lk 21), John's Revelation (esp. 6–19), and Daniel's visions (esp. Dan 9:24–27) along with several other biblical references mark some of the hardest passages in Scripture to interpret. Do we apply them to the persecution of the early church? Do we apply them to the tribulations that the church is experiencing now? Or is there a more literal sense in these prophetic passages that applies to the future events immediately preceding Christ's coming and the end of the age (Matt 24:3)?

The "futurist" position, which this writer holds, takes these prophetic passages to be still future in their fulfillment rather than past or present. Despite all the persecutions and tribulations that the church has ever experienced from governments, other hostile peoples and religions, and false christs, there is a time coming when God will pour out His judgment on an unbelieving world (church removed) for rejecting Christ's sacrifice and authority in their lives. And His judgment will be far worse.

"For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be" (Mk 13:19). "And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book" (Dan 12:1). And the reason for this most unique "time of trouble" is because John saw that it was "the Lamb [who] opened one of the seven seals" (Rev 6:1a). God's judgment is far worse than persecution from men or even the schemes of Satan.

God says to the church that has kept his word about patient endurance: "I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world" (Rev 3:10). We believe that God will rapture ("snatch up") the living saints on the earth prior to His return to be with all those who have believed (1 Thess 4:17). "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:9). It is "Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess 1:10).

At the rapture Jesus will return for His saints, whereas at the Second Coming Jesus will return with His saints (Rev 19:14). At the rapture we will meet Him in the clouds (1 Thess 4:17), whereas at the Second Coming Jesus will return to the earth (Rev 19:11ff).

Before Christ returns, God has specific purposes and plans for the Tribulation Period before Christ unites all things in Him, things on heaven and things on earth (Eph 1:10) in the Millennial Kingdom and into the Eternal State:

Purpose #1: Judgment for an unbelieving world

1. Revelation 3:10 refers to the Tribulation period as "the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth." The first major purpose of the Tribulation, then, is to test the unbelieving world. “Those who dwell upon the earth” refers to those who are unbelievers on earth during the period described in Revelation 4-19. (Thomas Edgar, "An Exegesis of Rapture Passages," in Issues in Dispensationalism, p. 216)
2. As the three series of judgments (seals, trumpets and bowls) are being poured out on the earth during the period of the Tribulation, every creature will be held responsible to the Creator for resisting Him and breaking His laws.
3. God will deal violently yet justly with all the pagan nations during this time. He will prove that though “the nations rage and the peoples plot” against Him, their rebellion is “in vain” (Psalm 2:1). “The rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against his anointed” (2:2) but “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision” (2:4).
4. Paul Benware adds, “These judgments are another step in dealing with sin in preparation for the Messiah’s reign of righteousness on earth. But it is clear that God could judge sinners completely in a matter of moments and does not need seven years. This suggests that judgment, though important in the plan of God, is not the main reason for the seven-year period of tribulation.”

Purpose #2: Preparation of a future generation of Israel

1. “The Bible teaches that the Tribulation is a time of preparation for Israel's restoration and conversion (Deut 4:29, 30; Jer 30:3-11; Zech 12:10)." (Ice and Demy, p. 36)
2. Ezekiel 20:37 says, “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.”
3. Daniel 12:1 says, “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”
4. Zechariah 13:8 says, “In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. 9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
5. A great number of Jews will be saved in the Tribulation. They will flee into the wilderness (Rev 12:6, 13–14). And final salvation will come to believing Jews at the end of the Tribulation period (Zech 12:10ff).
6. Romans 11:26 says, “And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’” So all Israel, that will inherit the Kingdom, will be saved.

Purpose #3: Salvation of an unnumbered amount of Gentiles

1. This purpose is more of a bi-product or an result of God’s intentions in the Tribulation. They are referred to as martyrs (Rev 6:9; 7:9–10) because believing in Christ during this time will cost their life. Nevertheless, one cry will come out from every nation and tribe and people and language: "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Rev 7:10).
2. Either the two witnesses (Rev 11:3), the 144,000 sealed saints of Israel (Rev 7:4), the angels (Rev 14:6, 7) or the appearance of Christ at the end of the tribulation (Rev 19) will be used to bring about the salvation of these Gentiles.

It seems that a literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of certain prophetic passages of Scripture leads us "to wait for his Son from heaven" (1 Thess 1:10a) who will come with judgment, power and glory (Matt 24:30) to establish His heavenly kingdom on the earth (Rev 20:1–6). "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet" (1 Cor 15:27a; Eph 1:22).

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10).