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Sleeping Well

Sleeping Well

Our late, beloved cat Sally never used to have any difficulty in sleeping. We humans though are not quite like that. Insomnia is a very unpleasant experience which can afflict us all from time to time. It is as though the whole world is peacefully asleep, but we are awake, tossing and turning. The anxieties of the day – and perhaps bodily pain – can prevent our falling asleep at night.

Acts 12 relates a time when the Apostle Peter was put into prison. Peter was a leader in the infant church of Christ. It was a period of church growth, seeing many coming to saving faith in Christ. But it was also a time of anxiety. Stephen had been martyred for the Faith, as had James the brother of John. King Herod – keen to keep in with the Jews – decided to make life difficult for Christians. Hence he had Peter arrested and put into a Jerusalem jail. Acts 12:6 however has a very revealing verse. It tells us ‘The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.’  Peter’s sleep was so deep, that it took a sharp strike from an angel of God to wake him up, and eventually be miraculously released from the jail, so that he could continue the work God had set him to do.

Peter then slept soundly in jail. He had every reason to experience insomnia: concerns for the church without – how it was faring in the tumultuous times – and concerns for himself within. For all he knew, the next day he could have been executed, leaving the church bereft of a leader, and leaving his own family to have to fend for themselves without a husband and father. But Peter had no such anxious insomnia. He slept just like a baby, as though all was well with the world in general and with himself in particular. How do we explain this? The Bible gives us tow clues. These are i. Peter’s Friends and ii. Peter’s Faith.

 

  1. Peter’s Friends

 

Acts 12:5 tells us that ‘Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.’ Peter had praying friends. They brought Peter’s plight to the ears of Almighty God. God heard their earnest supplications. He ministered His grace and peace to Peter, enabling him to sleep peacefully amidst the current storm. Then, in response to the prayers of Peter’s friends, God saw fit to release Peter from prison. Humanly, this was impossible, as the prison was a fortress. But Omnipotence was not and is not hindered by human impossibilities. Peter next made his way to the gathering of believers who were praying for him, and, to their amazement, appeared at the doorway. When the excited commotion calmed down, he related to them how God had heard and answered the prayers they had made. Peter had praying friends. Thank God for praying friends.

 

  1. Peter’s Faith

 

Peter’s sleeping amidst the storm can also be explained by Peter’s faith. He knew God. He was a recipient of the saving grace of God in Christ. He knew that whatever his circumstances, not matter how tumultuous, he was safely under the love and care of his Almighty Father in heaven. He was the One who was actually on the throne, not wicked King Herod. The absolute sovereignty of God is, ultimately, the only comfort for the soul when times seem harsh and hard.

Some years later, Peter wrote the following exhortation in 1 Peter 5:7: ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.’ The Greek can also be translated as ‘It matters to Him about you.’ Peter therefore knew no stressful anxiety because He was able to cast all His anxieties on a God who was well able to bear them all for him. And he would have every Christian do the same. ‘Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.’ There is a children’s hymn which is highly suitable for adults too. It takes up Peter’s sentiments:-

 

God who made the earth

The air the sky the sea

Who gave the light its birth

Careth for me

 

God who sent His Son

To die on Calvary

He if I lean on Him

Will care for me.

 

So Peter’s peaceful, prison sleep is explicable because of i. Peter’s Friends – they prayed and ii. Peter’s Faith – He trusted His God. And if we belong to Jesus, it is the same with us. Whatever our circumstances, we too may trust our Father in heaven, assured of His loving, providential care and knowing His peace in our souls. ‘He cares about you.’ The prophet Isaiah wrote ‘Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock’ (Isaiah 26:3,4).

So continue to trust in God – and sleep well!

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Bible, Bible Characters, Providence, 0 comments
An Apple a Day. . .

An Apple a Day. . .

We British are rather fond of apples – Cox’s, Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Braeburns, Pink Ladies etc. My mother actually has an apple tree in her back garden. Every other year it produces a bumper crop, enabling us to enjoy apple crumble, apple pies, apple flans, baked apples and even stewed apple on our breakfast cereal. The neighbours and the church do quite well out of the crop too. But are there any spiritual lessons to be gleaned from the humble apple? I believe that there are:-

 

  1. Our Sin

 

Every apple has a hard core which is inedible and has to be removed. This mirrors our sad human condition. The Bible teaches that the heart of our problem is the problem of our heart – our essential nature and inner being. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately corrupt’ (Jeremiah 17:9). Salvation thus entails being changed – changed by the Spirit of God from the inside out. The Spirit of God alone can convince us of our lost condition, and incline us towards Christ for full salvation and transformation. God promises ‘A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26) – that is, He bestows a new heart which is able to respond to His saving grace.

 

  1. Our Saviour

 

In the Song of Solomon 2:3 we read ‘As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.’

The Song of Solomon has often been interpretted by Christians as an allegory on Christ’s love for His people – His special bride, the church of the redeemed. Christ is indeed ‘sweet’ to His people. He is our Saviour; He gave His life to redeem us; He companies with us throughout our earthly life, and we will yet enjoy His blessed company for all eternity. So we can say ‘With great delight I sat in His shadow, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.’ The sweetest experience of all is the experience of salvation – the salvation which is found in Christ alone: the forgiveness of sins, peace with God and the sure hope of eternal life:-

 

Jesus the very thought of Thee

With sweetness fills my breast

But sweeter far Thy face to see

And in Thy presence rest

 

Nor voice can sing nor heart can frame

Nor can the memory find

A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name

O Saviour of mankind.

 

  1. Our Separation

 

Apples have to be carefully kept and stored or they will go rotten. One bad apple can infect another. So, at the end of the season, my mother packs the apples away carefully in a box. She uses layers of newspaper to separate them and ensures that the apples do not touch each other.

Here we have a less popular application for Christians: the Bible enjoins separation on God’s all people. We are to live in the world, but not to be ‘of the world.’ There is much in our modern society that is contrary to the revealed will of God in the Bible, and we have to take care not to be infected by it. If we are, our fellowship with God will be marred, our joy in the Lord diminished and our Christian usefulness blunted. Hence Romans 12:2 ‘Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’ We should be aware and beware of spiritual contamination from the places we frequent, the company we keep, the media we use and even the churches we attend. ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean’ (2 Corinthians 6:17). ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life’ (Proverbs 4:23).

 

  1. Our Service

 

Finally, we note that apples have seeds in them. These seeds, in turn, produce new apple trees, and the new apple trees produce new apples, and the cycle continues. One biological law is that all living creatures reproduce or have the capacity to reproduce. And it is the same in the spiritual realm. God gives us new life in Christ – ‘the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). Once we know that new life, we will want to share that life. Our longing is that others too will know the joy of salvation –new life in Christ. Our longing is that others too will know what it is to be born again of God’s Spirit and that God would even use us as a means to that end. We are saved to serve. Christians are to bear the fruit of their salvation in their day to day lives. The quantity of fruit may vary – ‘in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty’ (Matthew 13:23), but if the Spirit of God really is dwelling in us, the fruit of salvation will most surely be evident.

Apples. Their hard core reminds us of our need of salvation. Their sweetness and wholesomeness reminds the Christian of the sweetness of Christ and His salvation. Their liability towards going bad reminds us that we have to be separate from all that harms or hinders our walk with God. Their capacity to reproduce reminds us that the Christian faith is an evangelistic faith. True Christians long that others too will come to know Christ, for Jesus said ‘This is eternal life, that they know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent’(John 17:3).

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Miscellaneous, Writing, 0 comments

Biblical Superlatives

One of the catchphrases of the late Muhammad Ali was ‘I am the greatest.’ In his prime, of course, Ali was an outstanding boxer, and as a man he transcended the sport, becoming one of the most well known men on the planet. Yet the best of men are men at best. Ali was only human, with all our human weaknesses and foibles – as his three ex-wives would no doubt testify.

In the English language, an ‘est’ on the end of an adjective is referred to as a ‘superlative.’ So we have ‘great, greater and greatest.’ Superlatives in the Bible, though, are a little different. These use the word ‘of’ in the middle instead. The greatest man would thus be described as ‘a man of men.’ The tastiest food would be described as ‘a food of foods’, and the greatest time would be ‘a time of times.’ The following four ‘Bible superlatives’ are most instructive.

The Holy of Holies

In both the ancient tabernacle and the temple in Jerusalem there stood the ‘holy of holies’, referring to the holiest place of all. In the holy of holiest stood the Ark of the Covenant – a box containing the Ten Commandments – overshadowed by two carved cherubim. The lid of the ark was known as the mercy seat.

The holy of holies was the holiest place of all, because the omnipresent God dwelt there in a particular, localised way. Entrance to the holy of holies was thus strictly forbidden. Only the high priest could go in there, and he only once a year, and only with the blood of an atoning sacrifice.

When Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, the Bible records that the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place was mysteriously and miraculously ripped up. It was God’s own way of showing that Jesus’ death achieved something. It put away our sin and gave us immediate access to God Himself. ‘Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God’ (1 Peter 3:18).

The Song of Songs

One of the poetical books within the Bible is entitled ‘The Song of Songs’, meaning, the greatest of all songs. The Song of Songs is all about human love. Marriage, that is, monogamous, heterosexual marriage, is a divine ordinance, and the Song of Songs celebrates this. Christians however have always read the book in the light of Christ’s love for the church. In the Bible, the church – that is, the redeemed community – is described as ‘the bride of Christ.’ And so Song of Solomon 2:4: ‘He brought me into the banqueting house, and His banner over me is love’:-

From heaven He came and sought her, to be His holy bride
With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.

Vanity of Vanities

The biblical book of Ecclesiastes opens with the words ‘Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity’ (Ecclesiastes 1:2), meaning that everything seems absolutely meaningless and pointless. Hard experience taught the preacher that life does not always seem to make sense. It can seem utterly meaningless with no rhyme or reason to it. Generations come and go. Streams run into the sea. We eat, drink, work and die. What is the point and purpose of it all? The answer of the whole Bible is to bring God into the equation. He created all things. He has the answers. Our chief end is to know and love Him – ‘to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever’ (Shorter Catechism). Ecclesiastes is a somewhat pessimistic read, but it ends with a gleam of light. ‘Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man’ (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

So, we have the holy of holies, the Song of Songs and vanity of vanities. They are all Bible superlatives. Fourthly though, consider:-

The King of Kings

In Revelation 19:16 the Lord Jesus Christ is describes as the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’ This designates the absolute supremacy of Jesus. He is supreme. He is beyond superlative. Currently His is enthroned in heaven at God’s right hand. Scripture foretells a day when He will come back to earth in power and great glory, and reign for ever. He will put down all His enemies, and all that is incompatible with God’s kingdom, and raise His own people up to glorious immortality. Why? Because He is supreme. He is the ‘King of kings.’ ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Philippians 2:9,10).

Christ executeth the office of a king in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies (Shorter Catechism).

Biblical superlatives. They are expressed differently from the way we express superlatives:

The holy of holies – refers to the holies place of all, the very presence of God.

The Song of songs – refers to the greatest song of all.

Vanity of vanities – life ‘under the sun’ apart from God is meaningless

King of kings – there is none life the Lord Jesus Christ.

And finally we note that Psalm 136:1-3 uses bible superlatives to praise God. ‘Give to our God immortal praise.’ He is incomparable in His person. ‘O give thanks to the LORD for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever. O give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures for over. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures for ever.’

 

Timothy Cross

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A Dose of Biblical Realism

A DOSE OF BIBLICAL REALISM

On May 19th 2018, I – along with millions of others – watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Miss Meghan Markle, in St George’s chapel, Windsor. The couple are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The wedding was a wonderful occasion. Smiling faces and good wishes were everywhere, and the weather – unusual for our island – was hot and sunny, without a cloud in the sky.

The happy day, though, was not without its sadness. Due to ill health, the bride’s father was unable to be there and give his daughter away, as is traditional. The reports said – understandably – that the bride was more than a little sad at this. It made me recall the following ditty:

There is never a day so sunny, but a little cloud appears
And there is never a life so happy, but has its time of tears.

            According to the Bible, the Christian cannot expect unalloyed joy in this life. Why? Because we live in a fallen world. Sin has brought disruption. Sin has brought and still brings sadness and misery in its wake. Sin has spoiled the one time perfect creation of God. The Shorter Catechism states

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery …

All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself and to the pains of hell for ever.

The Christian has been redeemed from sin through the atoning death of Christ. The Christian is thus – by the grace of God in Christ –  heading for unalloyed joy in the nearer presence of God. ‘In Thy presence there is fullness of joy, in Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore’ (Psalm 16:11). Yet whilst unalloyed joy is guaranteed in the life to come in the blessed presence of God Himself, unalloyed joy is not and cannot be guaranteed in this fallen world. Sin has marred everything. The ground produces thorns and thistles. We are all subject to illness, pain and ultimately death. We cannot avoid stress and tension day by day, in the family, at work and even in the church. The church is the community of redeemed sinners, but still sinners nevertheless. No Christian can claim to have arrived at a state of perfect sanctification. Rare – if not extinct – is a church without its squabbles.

So the Bible does not encourage us to bury our heads in the sand and think that all in the world is wonderful. Of course, this world has many joys. Thank God for His common grace – food to eat, fresh air and sunshine, family, friends, laughter etc. But be a biblical realist. This world is a fallen world. Its joys are fragile, uncertain and temporary. Sin will leave its mark on even the happiest of days here on earth. The Christian therefore looks longingly for the better, more glorious days to come, promised by God in His Word. Revelation 21:4 tells us that in the age to come ‘God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’

Adelaide Anne Proctor (1825-64) captured the biblical realism of which we have been thinking very well in the following hymn:

 

My God, I thank Thee who has made

The earth so bright

So full of splendour and of joy

Beauty and light

So many glorious things are here

Noble and right

I thank Thee too that Thou hast made

Joy to abound

So many gentle thoughts and deeds

Circling us round

That in the darkest spot of earth

Some love is found

I thank Thee more that all my joy

Is touched by pain

That shadows fall on brightest hours

That thorns remain

So that earth’s bliss may be my guide

And not my chain

For Thou who knowest Lord how soon

Our weak heart clings

Hast given us joys, tender and true

Yet all with wings

So that we see gleaming on high

Diviner things

I thank Thee Lord that Thou hast kept

The best in store

I have enough, yet not too much

To long for more

A yearning for a deeper peace

Not known before

I thank Thee Lord that here our souls

Though amply blest

Can never find, although they seek

A perfect rest

Nor ever shall, until they lean

On Jesus’ breast.

 

Timothy Cross

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Site Developer in Miscellaneous, Providence, 0 comments

Just the Right Person for the Job

JUST THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB …

 

I never got to know my paternal grandmother very well, but I do remember that when something went wrong, she used to say ‘I’ll have to get the man up.’ So, when something went wrong with the water, she would call a plumber. When something went wrong with the electrics, she would call a qualified electrician I guess we can all relate to this. There is normally just the right person for a particular job that needs to be done. Few of us would undertake a bit of DIY when it comes to plumbing or electricity for fear of getting either flooded or electrocuted respectively.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that there are two distinct divine Persons available ‘on call’ for twenty four hours a day? And these Persons are just the Persons for our deepest need. These Persons are described in the original Greek of the New Testament as the ‘Parakletos.’ When translated literally, the word ‘Parakletos’ means ‘one called alongside to help.’ According to the New Testament, the Christian is blessed by having a Parakletos both in heaven and on earth.

 

  1. Our Helper in Heaven

 

Our Parakletos in heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1 tells us that If any one does sin, we have an advocate (parakletos) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus then is just the right Person for the job. He is our Parakletos in heaven – One called alongside the Father on our behalf, One Who speaks up in the sinner’s defence.

How though can Jesus speak up in the sinner’s defence? He certainly cannot plead our innocence, for we are all sinners by nature and practice, and as such we are guilty before God … Well Jesus, our advocate/parakletos, does not so much plead our case, but He pleads His Own case on our behalf. He intercedes for us at God’s right hand not on the basis of our works and righteousness, but His Own work and righteousness. He, as it were, reminds the Father that He has fully atoned for our sins. He paid the price for our sins at Calvary. He was punished in our stead. Because the sinless Christ was treated as ‘Guilty’, we, the guilty sinners may be declared ‘Not Guilty’ in God’s sight.

We have a Parakletos in heaven then. Jesus is our advocate with God. He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25):-

 

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea

A great High Priest, whose Name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

Because the sinless Saviour died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

 

  1. Our Helper on Earth

 

Our Parakletos on earth – that is, one called alongside us to help us – is the Holy Spirit of God, the third Person of the blessed Trinity. In John 14:15,16, Jesus promised: ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor (that is, a Parakletos, one called alongside to help) to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.’

                The Holy Spirit of God then – the Parakletos – is the true ‘Vicar of Christ on earth.’ He is described by Jesus as another Counsellor/Comforter Just as the Lord Jesus helped His disciples, so now, all of Jesus’ present day followers may know the personal presence of Christ with them, day by day, in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:18: ‘I will not leave you desolate, I will come to you.’

It is the Holy Spirit of God Who is the personal presence of God in the lives of His children, day by day here on earth – day and night, winter and summer, in sickness and in health, in days of ease and days of stress, on happy days and on sad days The Holy Spirit’s helping ministry is, of course, vast: It is He Who initially convicted us of our sin and converted us to Christ. It is He Who leads us and guides us. It is He Who helps us to pray aright. It is He Who enables us to understand the Scriptures. It is He Who strengthens us in Christian service, and it is He Who comforts us in sorrow. The Holy Spirit of God is our Parakletos on earth – One called alongside us to help.

Thank God then that just as there is normally expert help on hand to help us when things go wrong, God has not left us to flounder along in our own devices in this world An article of the Apostles’ Creed is: I believe in the Holy Spirit  He is the Parakletos of God on earth, just as the Lord Jesus is our Parakletos in heaven. This divine resource is available to every Christian, without exception He is available to you! It’s a staggering fact that whilst Almighty God presenced Himself in a particular way in the ancient temple in Jerusalem, He now no longer does so. Instead, He now presences Himself in Christians like you and me. The Bible says that it is we who are now the temple of the living God. He dwells in us, by His Holy Spirit. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 

Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed

His tender last farewell

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell

He came sweet influence to impart

A gracious willing Guest

While He can find one humble heart

Wherein to rest

Spirit of purity and grace

Our weakness pitying see

O make our hearts Thy dwelling place

And worthier Thee.

 

This post copyright Timothy Cross

Posted by Site Developer in Providence, Salvation, Suffering, The Holy Spirit, 0 comments

Strengthening Ourselves in God

STRENGTHENING OURSELVES IN GOD

 

At an especially difficult and fraught time in the life of David, all seemed lost. An enemy force had  taken his family captive and rampaged the town in which he was residing. Then, to make bad matters  worse, even David’s own people turned against him and threatened to stone him dead. The Bible though records that at that time, David did not give in to despair, but rather ‘David strengthened himself in the LORD, his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6). Foes, friends and fears notwithstanding, David knew that whatever his circumstances, Almighty God – ‘his God’ – was in ultimate control, and that His purposes could not be defeated and His plans could not be thwarted.

In ‘strengthening himself in the LORD his God’ David has given us an example to emulate, especially when we too find ourselves ‘up against it.’ But how exactly do we do this? We do it by applying the truth of God’s Word to ourselves and our situation. To be more specific, we take hold of at least four truths revealed in Scripture.

 

  1. We are accepted with God through Christ

 

Ultimately, all is well with us, as the finished work of Christ at Calvary cannot be undone or rescinded. Through Christ’s merits and mediation, we are acceptable to God and will never be separated from Him. The Gospel of justification by the grace of God in Christ has great pastoral and practical implications:-

 

Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

Truth be told, if we are united to Christ, we could not be more acceptable to God, for our acceptance with Him is not based on who we are or on what we do, but on who Christ is and what He has done. ‘A man is not justified (reckoned righteous) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 2:16).

 

  1. God’s grace keeps pace with whatever we face

 

The Bible reveals a God of sustaining grace, as well as saving grace. When Paul was in excruciating pain – a pain from which he prayed earnestly to God to be released – God’s promise to him was ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). From this we may reason that if our Father in heaven does not see fit to remove our burdens from us in answer to our prayers, He will most certainly give us a stronger back to bear our burdens. If the path He has laid down for us is a stony one, He will surely provide us with protective shoes! His grace will prove to be as sufficient for us as it was for Paul:-

 

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength when the labours incrase

To added affliction He addeth His mercy

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

(Annie Johnson Flint, 1866-1932)

 

  1. God promises wisdom to those who ask Him

 

‘Wisdom’ may be defined as ‘sound judgement in relation to life and conduct.’ How we all need wisdom in this complex world, so that we know how to act and react aright. But what do we do when we don’t know what to do? The Bible’s answer is ‘Ask God.’ God promises to give wisdom to those who humbly ask Him for it. ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6).  ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him’ (James 1:5). The Bible also states that ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom’ (Proverbs 9:10). Thus, if our sincere desire is to please the Lord and if our deepest horror is causing offence to Him, He will surely make the way ahead for us clear.

 

  1. ‘He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength’ (Isaiah 40:29).

 

When we feel impotent, it is easy to forget that our Father in heaven is omnipotent. He is almighty God! Scripture abounds in reminding us of God’s absolute, sovereign might. He has no problems. He only has plans:-

 

‘Is anything too hard for the LORD?’ (Genesis 18:14).

‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27).

‘For with God nothing will be impossible’ (Luke 1:37).

 

The wonder is that this God – whose might is such that He could merely speak the universe into existence – actually puts His power at the disposal of His needy children. Hence the Psalmist could testify ‘My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:2) and hence Paul could conclude on the encouraging thought ‘Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 2:20).

 

External appearance apart, Christians are no ordinary people. We are the adopted children of God! Yes, difficulties, disappointments, trials and traumas come our way in the will of God in this fallen world – but God’s will, will be done, for He ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). If we belong to Jesus, when we are ‘up against it’ we have the privilege of bringing our difficulties and impossibilities to the Lord. He can handle them better than we can! When you are tempted to despair of yourself and your circumstances therefore, strengthen yourself in your Faith by asking yourself  the rhetorical question ‘Is anything too hard for the LORD’ (Genesis 18:14).  How we need to trust Him more than we do.

 

Is the burden intolerable?

Is the task impossible?

Is the grief inconsolable?

Not with the Lord

Is the darkness impenetrable?

Is the sky unpierceable?

Is the tear undryable?

Not with the Lord

Is the joy irrecoverable?

Is the state irreversible?

Is the case irretrievable?

Not with the Lord.

(Anon.)

 

This post copyright by Timothy Cross

 

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Celebrating a Celebration?

CELEBRATING A CELEBRATION?

The story is told of a fellow who decided he would throw a retirement party for his colleagues, friends and family, having worked in the same company for over forty years. He hired a hall, booked a jazz band, contacted some outside caterers and sent out invitations. Then, in due course, a great crowd descended on the hall, and as the evening wore on, began to really ‘whoop it up.’ Strangely though, the host himself did not turn up! He couldn’t face it. Sadly, the nearer he got to retirement, the more depressed he got. It was something to do with thoughts of growing old, and being of no more economic use. But this didn’t stop the party goers from enjoying themselves! They ate and drank. They laughed. They enjoyed a great camaraderie. So much was this so, that they completely missed the original purpose of the party.

The above can be the same with Christmas. We can get so carried away with the festivities, that we miss the main reason for it all. Many do not even give the main reason for Christmas a thought – yet this does not prevent them celebrating. They too ‘whoop it up’ – but are really just ‘celebrating a celebration.’

On the first Christmas night, a message from heaven to earth was given. It is contained in Luke 2:11, and it captures the real ‘reason for the season’ of Christmas in a nutshell. The verse reads ‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’ Keeping this verse in mind will surely enable us to celebrate Christmas and not just celebrate a celebration. Note:-

 

  1. The Place

 ‘To you is born this day in the city of David …’ The ‘city of David’ refers to the ‘little town of Bethlehem’ where Christ was born. Bethlehem sets Christmas in time and space. Here we are dealing with history, not mythology. If you had the means, you could fly to Tel Aviv. From there you could take a coach to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem you could take a bus five miles or so to the south west, and you would arrive in … Bethlehem. Christ was born in this exact location, as the prophet Micah had foretold (see Micah 5:2). His birth was so significant that it divided our calendar into the eras of BC and AD. Christmas concerns an Event which really happened, in time and space.

 

  1. The Person

 Our verse tells us that none less than ‘Christ the Lord’ was born in Bethlehem. He is the One at the heart of Christmas. ‘Christ’ is a title, not a name. It means ‘the anointed One’ or ‘Messiah.’ In Jesus, the longed for Messiah, promised by God, arrived. In Old Testament times, prophets, priests and kings were all anointed with oil at the outset of their ministries. It symbolised their being set apart by God and endowed with His Holy Spirit. As the anointed one, Jesus combined the three-fold role of prophet, priest and king in His one person. Notice that He is also described as ‘the Lord.’ This is a title for God Himself. The uniqueness of the Christian Faith stems from the uniqueness of the Christ of the Christian Faith. He is God! Christians contend for the absolute deity of the Christ revealed in the Bible. Jesus is ‘Emmanuel, God with us.’ He is God in the flesh, for ‘In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily’ (Colossians 2:9).

 

  1. The Purpose

 Luke 2:11 actually takes us to the heart of the heart of Christmas. It does so as it says ‘to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour …’ Christ’s coming into the world to be our Saviour therefore is the divine purpose behind Christmas. Christ’s coming into the world to be our Saviour also encapsulates the very essence of the Christian gospel. ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 1:15). ‘You shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins’ (Mathew 1:21).

The word ‘Saviour’ means a rescuer or deliverer. This in turn begs the question: From what does Christ save? The answer of the Bible is that Christ saves sinners from the divine condemnation they deserve for their sins. He saves us from the wrath of God. He saves us from the very flames of hell. Our greatest need is for a Saviour, for by nature we are all sinners, and thus liable to the wrath of God. The gospel proclaims that in Christ alone we find the only Saviour for our need. This takes us from Christ’s cradle to His cross, for Christ was born to die. Salvation was procured, not so much by the birth of Christ but by the death of Christ – when thirty three years later He offered up His sinless life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of others, ‘that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

The purpose of Christmas? It was salvation. Jesus came to execute God’s eternal plan of salvation. He came to be our Saviour.

 

  1. The Pertinence

 ‘To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour …’ God’s salvation reaches real people. The ‘you’ here refers to some shepherds who were going about their business in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. On the first Christmas, almighty God actually graciously intervened in their lives. But the verse has a wider application. God’s offer of salvation still extends to sinners today. The gospel invitation is made ‘to you.’

            Jesus is a Saviour to receive. ‘The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). Have you received Him? You certainly need Him. And you may still receive Him, for He never turns anyone away when they confess that they are a lost sinner and cast themselves on Him for salvation.

‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord’(Luke 2:11). Here is the greatest Christmas present you can or ever will receive. The salvation of God in Christ is a gift to enjoy in life; a gift to enjoy in death and a gift to enjoy for all eternity.

 

O holy child of Bethlehem

Descent to us we pray

Cast out our sin and enter in

Be born in us today

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell

O come to us, abide with us

Our Lord Immanuel.

 

Timothy Cross

 

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O Timothy

Timothy

O TIMOTHY … (1 Timothy 6:20)

 

The Apostle Paul addressed two of his New Testament letters To Timothy, my true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). The Timothy in question was a young, Christian Pastor The New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus are known as ‘The Pastoral Epistles.’ They deal primarily with matters pertaining to the ‘nitty gritties’ of local church life  – I am writing these instructions to you so that … you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14,15).

The differences in age and Christian maturity notwithstanding, Paul obviously valued young Timothy’s friendship a great deal. 2 Timothy is the last letter Paul ever wrote. At the time of writing, he was incarcerated in a Roman prison, aware that his death – his promotion to glory – was imminent. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6,7). But Paul’s love for Timothy was such that he was adamant that he see Timothy again before he died – I long day and night to see you, that I may be filled with joy (2 Timothy 1:4). And so he pleaded Do your best to come to me soon … Do your best to come before winter … (2 Timothy 4:9,21).

 

  1. Timothy’s Faith : His Conversion

 

We first encounter Timothy during Paul’s second missionary journey. He was from Lystra (Acts 16:1) in the province of Galatia – modern day Turkey. He was the product of a ‘mixed marriage’, as Luke relates A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek (Acts 16:1).

It is difficult to ascertain the exact moment when Timothy came to conscious, saving faith in Christ. That he belonged to Jesus there is no doubt, but it is possible that even he himself did not know the precise time of his conversion:-

In the providence of God, Timothy was blessed with a Christian mother and grandmother who surrounded him with their prayers and Christian example. In 2 Timothy 1:5 Paul wrote I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you. It would seem that Timothy’s mother and grandmother nurtured Timothy in the Christian Faith, and taught him the Scriptures from his earliest days, for in 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul wrote how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

In 1 Timothy 1:2 however, Paul refers to Timothy as my true child in the faith This suggests that, under God, it was Paul’s own influence which was instrumental in bringing Timothy to the new birth. Timothy’s conversion then was perhaps similar to many who have been brought up in a Christian family: Acquainted with Christian matters since early childhood, perhaps sometime in our teens, ‘the penny drops’ and we trust in Christ as our own personal Saviour. It is as though we have gone over in ink what has already been written in pencil.

Timothy then was a true Christian convert. He belonged to Jesus. He had entrusted his eternal welfare to the crucified, risen and reigning Saviour. His conversion though is a reminder that whilst Christ is the only Saviour, there is more than one road which leads to the Saviour. Timothy’s conversion was different from Paul’s, but no less authentic. That we are ‘in Christ’ now is more important than being able to give a dramatic Christian testimony of how we came to Christ in the first place.

 

  1. Timothy’s Fidelity : His Commitment

 

When Paul first encountered Timothy, he immediately perceived in him enormous Christian potential as regards the service of God and the spread of the Gospel. Luke relates that Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium and Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him on his missionary travels (Acts 16:1,2). The great apostle thus chose Timothy to help and accompany him on his missionary endeavours. He saw him as both useable and useful material for Christ in relation to God’s eternal purposes of grace. And his assessment proved to be absolutely right. A little later on , when Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he praised Timothy to the hilt saying how I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the Gospel (Philippians 2:20-22).

The overriding and overarching concern of Timothy’s life then was the interests … of Jesus Christ. If he had had a motto, it surely would have been:-

 

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

 

Timothy’s chief concern was not his own personal glory or career, but that the Lord Jesus Christ should be glorified in the salvation of souls and the building of His church. When it came to actual practice, the welfare of Christians and the glory of Christ were somewhat blurred in his thinking and action. Serving Christ and serving His people were one and the same for him. He loved above all else to see sinners saved, and Christians better grounded, founded and established in Christian truth. Whilst initially, we could perhaps think of Timothy as Paul’s apprentice in mission, it was not long before Timothy graduated, and Paul had full confidence that he could undertake Christian work on his own. Hence Paul sent Timothy from Athens to the persecuted church at Thessalonica – we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort you (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Hence Paul sent Timothy from Ephesus to the church at Corinth – I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Eventually, Timothy settled down as a permanent Pastor in Ephesus. Paul’s letters to him are an exhortation and encouragement to press on in the work of being a pastor and preacher there – attend to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching to teaching … Practise these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:13,15) and Preach the Word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching … As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:2,5).

 

iii. Timothy’s Frailty : His Condition

 

Timothy was a walking sermon illustration on the text of 2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

                We tend to look up to our Christian leaders. We tend to think of them as being in a higher league from ourselves. It is as though they are made of ‘stronger stuff’ than we are. Timothy was a Christian leader and was ordained by God to be such. Yet the Bible reveals that Timothy was made out of the same frail flesh and spirit of which we are made. Scripture reveals that Timothy was no ‘muscular Christian.’ Yet Scripture also reveals that God used Timothy for His glory and the building of Christ’s church.

Paul addressed Timothy with the high compliment But as for you, man of God … (1 Timothy 6:11). Timothy was a man of God! Yet although this was true, Timothy was also, like Elijah – another man of God – a man of like nature with ourselves (James 5:17). Scripture reveals that Timothy battled against both physical and mental handicaps. Until he reached glory, he had to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12) against enemies both without and within.

 

Timothy’s Physical Constitution

 

Timothy was not endowed with a robust physical constitution. In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul advises him concerning your stomach and your frequent ailments. This is a reminder that every Christian is not yet fully saved! The final Christian hope is the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). This will occur when Christ comes again in glory – we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all things to Himself (Philippians 3:20,21). Until that day, every Christian, no matter how godly, will be subject to sickness and pain to a greater or lesser degree, and will eventually suffer physical death. Timothy then was physically handicapped. Yet he still worked for the kingdom of heaven within the physical limitations imposed on Him by God – and the blessing of God was upon his labours in spite of his physical limitations.

 

Timothy’s Psychological Condition

 

It would seem that young Timothy was less than robust psychologically as well as physically Paul’s letters to him betray the fact that he sometimes lacked confidence and was prone to discouragement. Timothy by name and timid by nature! Paul’s letters to Timothy were letters of needed encouragement exhorting him to ‘keep on keeping on’ in the Christian ministry – looking to God Who is greater than all the opposition without and discouragement within, and can accomplish His will and purpose through us in spite of our physical and psychological handicaps Hence the many exhortations in the ‘Pastoral epistles’ which were applicable to Timothy personally and relevant to Christians and Christian leaders in all ages:-

Do not neglect the gift you have … (1 Timothy 4:14).

Rekindle the gift of God that is within you … for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self control (2 Timothy 1:6,7).

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

Paul thus urged Timothy simply to be faithful to God in his particular and peculiar circumstances. We are to be the same. We are to do what we can, where we are, with what we have, and to leave the results to God. God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

 

O Timothy!

 

 

No doubt, if you saw Timothy, and were aware of his physical ailments and nervous disposition, he would not strike you immediately as a great Christian leader. It goes to show that God’s ways are not always our ways and that the laws of the kingdom of heaven can differ from the laws of this world (see Isaiah 55:8,9). God often sees fit to use frail, redeemed sinners to accomplish His almighty purposes. In this way, His work cannot be explained rationally, or explained away with a human explanation. In this way, He Himself gets all the glory. And the goal of the universe is, after all, the overriding and overarching, unsurpassed and unsurpassable glory of the one true God – To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

A medical missionary of many years experience once wrote:-

 

God delights in using weak people, because it shows how big He is … the Lord gave me wisdom far beyond my own resource to help people medically Whatever aspect of the Lord’s service it be, I have found that my weakness is but an opportunity for the Lord to display His power. ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

 

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Meet Mary, the Earthly Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary

MEET MARY : THE EARTHLY MOTHER OF JESUS

 

Sadly, Mary the mother of the Jesus is something of a controversial figure. The ‘cult of Mary’ which has grown up around her has no Scriptural warrant at all. There are those who worship and pray to the ‘Blessed Virgin Mary.’ This however is misguided at best and idolatrous at worst. Only God Himself is to be worshipped, and only the omnipresent God is able to hear our prayers. Mary was not and is not God. Mary also figures much in the artwork produced by Christendom She has been variously portrayed both in painting and sculpture over the centuries Scripture however gives us no indication as to her physical features, so such art is pure speculation – a representation by the art and imagination of man (Acts 17:29).

Perhaps to avoid the above errors, Mary does not feature much in Protestant thinking at all, if at all. Yet Mary cannot be ignored totally, as she does figure in the Bible, and in the creeds and subordinate standards which seek to distil the message of the Bible. The ‘Apostles’ Creed’, for instance, reminds us that the Lord Jesus ‘was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary …’ We must then seek a Scriptural balance, and neither overplay nor underplay the significance of Mary in the saga of redemption.

What then does the Bible teach about Mary? The answer is ‘Not a great deal’, for the emphasis of the Bible is not on Mary but on Mary’s Son – that in everything He might be pre-eminent (Colossians 1:18). The following four points however give us a Scriptural perspective on Mary, the mother of Jesus:-

 

  1. Mary’s Virginity

 

Mary’s main significance in the saga of redemption is that, of all the women in the world, Almighty God singled her out to have the honour of giving birth to His Son, the longed for Messiah and Saviour of the world. Scripture is adamant that Mary was still a virgin when Christ was conceived in her womb. At the time of Christ’s conception, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, but was not actually married to Joseph. Scripture is clear that whilst Christ’s birth by Mary at Bethlehem was normal, His conception in Mary at Nazareth was not normal. His birth was natural, whereas His conception was supernatural:-

 

Christ the Son of God became man by taking to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin (Shorter Catechism).

 

                The eternal Son of God then entered the world supernaturally, just as he eventually exited from the world in a supernatural manner by ascending into heaven The only way to explain Christ’s conception is by using the explanation which the angel Gabriel gave to Mary herself. Puzzled as to how she could conceive a child without a human father, the angel Gabriel explained to Mary ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God’ (Luke 1:35).

The ‘virgin birth of Christ’ is one of the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. It is vital, as Mary’s virginity is bound up with Christ’s impeccability – that is, His sinlessness. Had Christ been conceived by the instrumentality of a human father, such as Joseph, He would have been born a sinner, having inherited Adam’s sinful nature. And had Christ been born a sinner, He would not have been able to offer up His life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of others. Scripture however is clear. Christ had no human father. God was His Father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and He thus had a sinless nature. He was like us, yet paradoxically unlike us, for He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), committed no sin (1 Peter 2:23) and in Him there is no sin ((1 John 3:5). Hence He alone was qualified and able to offer up His sinless life as an eternal and saving sacrifice like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19). The four ‘building bricks’ of Christ’s ‘virgin birth’, sinless life, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection then are all apiece, and inextricably bound up with the Christian’s eternal salvation. Take one brick away, and the whole house falls down.

Mary then was a virgin when she conceived the Saviour. Her joy at being singled out by God for such an honour emitted from this godly young woman a peon of praise known as the ‘Magnificat.’ ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden …’ (Luke 1:46 ff.).

 

  1. Mary’s Normality

 

Her conception of Jesus apart, Scripture records that Mary was not untypical of the women who lived in Israel in that day. She married one Joseph, a carpenter by trade, and had several children by him (Mark 6:3). Mary thus knew the joys and trials of motherhood and family life. 1 Timothy 2:15 states woman will be saved through bearing children. The reference here is not to salvation from sin, but more to finding one’s true role and fulfilment in God’s world. The verse – contrary to modern feminism – suggests that womankind will find true happiness and fulfilment in motherhood – in cooperating with the way in which God has designed her – by bearing, birthing and bringing up children.

Luke 2 suggests that Mary was a devout Jewess, for there we see that she was regular in her attendance at the annual feasts of the Lord in Jerusalem, as laid down in the law of Moses. In John 2 we glimpse Mary’s attendance at a wedding celebration at Cana in Galilee. There she shared in the joy of the day, and also witnessed her Son’s first miracle of turning water into wine. Otherwise, Scripture is silent as to the details concerning Mary’s life and her rearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. The suggestion is that she was widowed fairly young, as Joseph has no mention after Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem aged twelve, whereas Mary does.

The silence of Scripture apart, can we not employ sanctified imagination? In Luke 13,20,21, Jesus told a parable about a woman making bread. As a child, He surely witnessed His mother Mary doing this. In Luke 15:8 ff., Jesus told a parable about a woman who had lost a precious coin – probably the coin in question was a ‘nuptial coin’, worn as part of a headdress.  The woman was almost frantic She lit a lamp, swept her house and did not give up until she had found her precious coin … The vividness of the parable suggests that the Lord Jesus was relating an incident which really happened to make His point. Was the woman in the parable based on Mary His mother?

Scripture then records Mary’s normality. She was a mother of children. She worshipped God. Her life was bound up with both divine and family obligations

 

iii. Mary’s Perplexity

 

When the infant Jesus was presented to the Lord by Mary and Joseph in the temple at Jerusalem, in obedience to the law of Moses, an aged man named Simeon was led by God’s Spirit to make a specific prophecy to Mary. Luke 2:34 ff. records Simeon … said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also … Simeon thus predicted that a sharp sword of sorrow would, in a coming day, break Mary’s heart very badly. Mary must have wondered what Simeon’s prophecy meant. Thirty three years later however she would know only too well.

Thirty three years later, Mary witnessed her beloved, first-born son suffer the most unimaginable cruelty possible. She witnessed cruel men taking Him, nailing Him to a plank of wood and hanging Him up to die. Crucifixion was the ultimate as regards public humiliation and personal excruciation. ‘A sword will pierce through your own soul also …’ The sword prophesied by Simeon did indeed pierce Mary’s soul without mercy, as John 19:25 records that standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister … We cannot comprehend the sorrow, pain and perplexity of Mary’s heart as she witnessed the public crucifixion of her Son. Yet with our New Testament hindsight we know that the cross was no mere act of man but an act of God Himself. It was necessary for our redemption, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

Paradoxically, the cross of Christ – that which lies at the heart of the Christian Faith – is both terrible and wonderful, for if we belong to Jesus, we have salvation from His suffering, atonement from His agony and life by His death. Mary watched the indignity and cruelty of her Son’s death at Calvary. But Jesus was dying there to procure her salvation as much as He was dying there to procure the salvation of every one of God’s elect. Redemption was wrought at Calvary!

 

Jesus was slain for me – at Calvary

Crowned with thorns was He – at Calvary

There He in anguish died

There from His opened side

Poured forth the crimson tide

At Calvary

 

Pardoned is all my sin – at Calvary

Cleansed is my heart within – at Calvary

Now robes of praise I wear

Gone are my grief and care

Christ bore my burdens there

At Calvary.

 

  1. Mary’s Christianity

 

Scripture records that Christ held His earthly mother in the highest esteem. The law of God commands Honour your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). Jesus certainly did so. When He died at Calvary, all of God’s elect were on His heart. Yet this notwithstanding, He ensured that His earthly mother was well cared for, physically and emotionally. Whilst dying at Calvary, Jesus entrusted His mother to the care of the apostle John: When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing near, 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 (John 19:26,27).

Go forward now three days to Easter Sunday. Witness Peter and John’s running to the tomb of Jesus. They found it was empty! The grave clothes lay there undisturbed Christ had risen. He had defeated death and conquered the grave. John went in, and he saw and believed … Then the disciples went back to their homes (John 20:8,9). John then was one of the first witnesses to the fact of Christ’s resurrection. He saw and believed  and then he went back to his home. Who was now resident in his home? Mary was! Mary the mother of Jesus was now under John’s care, so John had the joyful task of telling Mary that Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified … has risen (Mark 16:6). Scripture however is as silent as to Mary’s ecstatic joy as it was to her deepest sorrow

Our final glimpse of Mary in the Bible is that of her being an ordinary – though no doubt highly valued – member of the Christian community which met together to worship their common Lord and Saviour. The early Christians in Jerusalem met in the upper room (Acts 1:13) – a place with so many sacred associations. Luke records that in that upper room, the early church with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14). From this we see that Mary had no special prominence in the church at all. The prominence given to Mary in later Christendom can only be described as an unscriptural aberration. The early church did not worship Mary, but rather joined Mary in worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary was just an ‘ordinary’ Christian – if any recipient of God’s saving grace in Christ can be described as ‘ordinary’ – for Mary was a sinner saved by grace, and so she took her place in the Christian congregation to give thanks and praise to God for His mercy. The stress of Scripture is not on Mary but on Mary’s Son, for the Son of Mary is also the eternal Son of God. He alone is to be worshipped, trusted and adored.

 

 

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Meet John: Fisherman, Disciple, Gospel-Writer, Christian Elder Statesman

G.O.S.P.E.L.

Of the 31,173 verses which comprise the Bible, John 3:16 is probably the most famous single verse of them all. John 3:16 has been well described as ‘The Gospel in a nutshell.’ The description is apt, as this one verse summarises and encapsulates the message of the whole Bible when it affirms that God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not Perish but have Eternal Life. Whilst all the verses of the Bible are important, if we only had John 3:16, we would have enough saving truth to gain us a place in heaven.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the human author of John 3:16 was the Apostle John. John was originally a fisherman. His father Zebedee owned a fishing business on Lake Galilee, and John worked for the ‘family firm’ with his brother James. He did so until He heard the call of Jesus to follow Him. At Jesus’ call, John left his nets and became a full-time disciple. It was the beginning of great things. In time, John was to become a Gospel writer, a Christian leader and an esteemed elder statesman of the Christian Faith. Five of John’s writings are contained in the New Testament – his Gospel, three of his letters and the book of Revelation which brings the divine volume to a close.

The John we meet in John’s Gospel was a young man, quite possibly still in his teens. In John 20:4 we read how he out ran Peter and reached the tomb first on the first Easter morning. When John wrote Revelation though, his dark hair would have turned white, and his body no doubt had lost its youthful fitness and vigour. Yet his love for Christ was, if anything, even stronger.

 

The Beloved Disciple

 

Of the thousands of men in Israel at the time of Christ, Jesus singled out just twelve to be his disciples. Of these twelve, three – Peter, James and John – were closer to the Saviour than others. And of these three, John was the closest disciple to Jesus of them all. John was truly an intimate of the Son of God. He has gone down in history as ‘the beloved disciple’ – the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23 et al.).

At the first ever Lord’s Supper, the Bible describes John lying close to the breast of Jesus (John 13:25). Interestingly, John 1:18 tells us No one has ever seen God; the only Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.  So putting these verses together we may say that just as the Lord Jesus is the unsurpassed revelation of the one true God – He came from the Father’s ‘bosom’ to reveal Him – so likewise the Apostle John gives us an unsurpassed revelation of the Lord Jesus, being so close to the Saviour – lying close to the breast of Jesus  – as he was.  When we read John’s Gospel we meet Jesus, and through Jesus we meet God, for Jesus said ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9).

 

The Gospel of Christ’s Absolute Deity

 

John’s Gospel is pre-eminently a Gospel which emphasises the absolute deity of Christ Whilst all four Gospel writers describe the same Person, Matthew’s stress is that Jesus is the Sovereign, Mark’s stress is that Jesus is the Servant, Luke’s stress is that Jesus is the Saviour whilst John’s particular stress is that Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son.

John opens his Gospel with the explanation and affirmation In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). And John’s Gospel reaches a climax with Thomas’s wonderful confession of ‘My Lord and my God’ (John 20:28) to the Risen Christ. It is a basic, biblical axiom that only God Himself is to be worshipped. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve (Matthew 4:10). As the Lord Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for idolatry, but accepted the worship he gave, we have here a distinct pointer to the deity of Christ – though the doctrine runs right through John’s Gospel, both implicitly and explicitly, like a golden seam.

 

The Key to John’s Gospel

 

John hangs the key to the twenty one chapters of his Gospel near to the back door, for in John 20:31he gives us the reason why he took up his pen to write his matchless account of the words and works of Jesus. In John 20:31, John explains These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. This key verse is worthy of being unpacked a little

 

  1. Note the Heavenly Being

 

John wrote so that You may believe that Jesus is the Christ.  The Jews longed for the Messiah, and in Jesus the Messiah came. Jesus is the longed for Redeemer – the anointed one of God Who came to save His people and bestow on them eternal life – the blessing of God’s eternal salvation. John would have us know that Jesus is the Christ. In John 4:25, a somewhat disreputable woman of Samaria mused ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He Who is called Christ) … In John 4:26 we then read Jesus said to her, ‘I Who speak to you am He.’

                But John also wrote his Gospel so that we might believe that Jesus is … the Son of God. The testimony of John’s Gospel is that Jesus is indeed the unique and only Son of God, the second person of the blessed Trinity It is true that believers become ‘sons of God’ by adoption, when they believe in Christ. To all who received Him, who believed in His name He gave power to become children of God (John 1:12). Christ however is and always has been the eternal Son of God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:2).

John’s testimony to Christ’s absolute deity – His divine sonship – is both emphatic and cumulative. In John’s Gospel we see attributes which only apply to deity being applied to and by Jesus. For instance, in Exodus 3:14 God revealed His name as the great I AM WHO I AM.  But in John’s Gospel we read that Jesus used the title ‘I am’ of Himself. In John 8:58, for instance we read that Jesus said to them ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’  In 1 John 1:5 we read God is light. Similarly, the Psalmist described God as the One Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment (Psalm 104:2). But in John 8:12 Jesus affirmed of Himself ‘I am the light of the world.’  Likewise, in Psalm 23:1 we read David’s confession that The LORD is my shepherd.  But in John 10:11 we read Jesus’ affirmation ‘I am the good shepherd’ Truly, Jesus is co-equal with God.

The miracles which Jesus is seen as performing in John’s Gospel – ‘signs’ – are another pointer to Christ’s absolute deity and divine sonship. Jesus performed miraculous acts which are humanly inexplicable – acts which only the omnipotent God Himself could do. Jesus Himself explained that these miracles authenticated His ministry and proved that He was Who He claimed to be:  ‘the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear Me witness that the Father has sent Me’ (John 5:36). Thus in John’s Gospel we see Him turning water into wine (chapter 2); healing an official’s son and a paralysed man (chapters 4:46 ff. and chapter 5); feeding five thousand with just five loaves and two fish (chapter 6); walking on the Sea of Galilee (chapter 6); giving sight to a man blind from birth (chapter 9) and even raising a dead man – Lazarus – back to life again (chapter 11). Thus the words and works of Jesus betray Him. He is the Son of God and God the Son.

 

  1. Note the Heavenly Believing

 

Our key verse in John 20:31 also tells us that John wrote his Gospel so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God … ‘Believe’ is a key word of John as it is a key word of the whole New Testament. According to the Bible, salvation is gained by believing.  that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life (John 3:15). He who believes in the Son has eternal life … (John 3:36). that you also may believe (John 19:35). Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

To ‘believe’ in Jesus means to entrust the eternal well being of our souls to His care, and to rely on His work on the cross so save us eternally Salvation is gained – according to the Bible – not by doing, but by believing – specifically, by believing in Jesus. According to the Bible, to believe in Jesus and to have faith in Jesus are one and the same. ‘Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered to us in the Gospel’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

iii. Note the Heavenly Blessing

 

Note next that John wrote his Gospel that we might enjoy eternal life by believing in Jesus –  that by believing you may have life in His name.

                ‘Life in His name’ refers to a blessing procured by virtue of the Person of Jesus Christ and His finished work of atonement for sinners on Calvary’s cross. Eternal life is the greatest blessing we can or will ever receive. Eternal life is a synonym for salvation – the forgiveness of sins, peace with God and the certainty of a home in heaven when we die. Jesus’ Own definition of eternal life is given in John 17:3: ‘This is eternal life that they know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent.’ Eternal life then means knowing God and enjoying fellowship with Him both now and for ever. Our chief end – as the Catechism states – is ‘To glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.’ Such a blessing may actually be attained by faith in Jesus Christ!

Paradoxically, John shows that Jesus died that we might have eternal life. The opposite of life is death.  Death, in the Bible, is more than physical. Death, in the Bible also refers to separation from God. It is the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins which reconciles the believing sinner to God. John himself was right there at Calvary when Jesus died. He noted that when Jesus had given His life one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water (John 20:34). Blood speaks of propitiation – the appeasement of God’s wrath. We are now justified by His blood, much more shall we be save by Him from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9). Water speaks of purification. Jesus is able to wash our sins away and make us fit for heaven!

 

Let the water and the blood

From Thy riven side which flowed

Be of sin the double cure

Save me from its guilt and power.

 

  1. Note the Heavenly Book : The Gospel of John

 

These things are written … John’s Gospel is in a category all of its own amongst human literature. John’s written portrait of the Saviour Whom he knew and loved so well is truly beyond compare. The only way of getting to know his Friend and Saviour is to read his Gospel and make its words part of our mind, thinking and very being.

It is obvious, but nevertheless true to state that John’s Gospel consists of words. Words are the audible expression or our inward thoughts. Words are thus essential for communication. It is staggering to think that that God of the Bible is a communicating God. He has revealed Himself to us in words – both the Word in print and the Word in Person. One of John’s titles for the Lord Jesus is the Word.  He opens his Gospel by saying In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). The Lord Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, for in a moment of gracious condescension, John tells us The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father (John 1:14). Truly, there is none like Christ, the One we encounter in John’s wonderful book. Christ is the incomparable revelation of the one, true God. And Christ bestows the eternal salvation of the one true God on all who believe in Him. John’s Christology then can only ultimately lead to Christolatry.  May Jesus Christ be praised, on earth as in heaven.

 

Thou art the everlasting Word

The Father’s only Son

God manifestly seen and heard

And heaven’s beloved One

 

In Thee most perfectly expressed

The Father’s glories shine

Of the full deity possessed

Eternally divine!

 

True image of the Infinite

Whose essence is concealed

Brightness of uncreated light

The heart of God revealed

 

Worthy, O Lamb of God art Thou

That every knee to Thee should bow.

 

Copyright Timothy Cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

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