The Command, Calling, and Consequences of Following the Christ
June 17, 2019 at 10:06 am | Posted in Biblical Consequences, John | 6 CommentsTags: Christos, commentary on John, discipleship, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jewish people, John 1, Messiah, Sunday School lessons on John
Jesus is often referred to as “Jesus Christ,” but Christ is not Jesus’s last name. If Jesus of Nazareth even had such a thing as a “last name” during His earthly ministry it would have probably been something like “Jesus Ben Joseph” or “Jesus Bar Joseph,” “ben” or “bar” meaning “son of.” Most of the people Jesus encountered would have thought Him to be merely the son of Joseph, rather than the Son of God. “Christ” is more of a title than a name. Jesus was the Christos, which was the Greek term for the Hebrew “Messiah.” He was “anointed” with the grace of God. The title “Christ” tells us that He is divine, but that He was also the prophesied human Savior, from the seed of Eve and Adam, descendant of Abraham and Jacob (renamed Israel), prefigured by Moses, of the line of David, who would qualify for David’s earthly throne while at the same time being David’s Heavenly Lord.
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
John 1:42
This is how Peter got the name by which he would become known.
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
John 1:43
Why was such a pedestrian, seemingly-lackluster recruiting pitch so effective? A request or even a command to “follow me” has never been in short supply in the world among those who would seek to use others for profit, fame, power, even companionship, benevolence, or team-building. The typical response to an unadorned “follow me” would be: “Why?” “For what?” “Where?” “What’s in it for me?” or even “No.” The secret to Jesus’s success with this method though, I believe, is not in the “follow.’ The key is in the “Me.” A God-revealed understanding of Who Jesus is makes the “follow” almost superfluous and unnecessary as a command. When the eternal Son of God, the Savior of mankind, the Creator of the universe, the deliverer of your nation, reveals Himself to you, and you truly grasp the import of Who He is and what this revelation means, how could you NOT follow Him? How could they not become literal “disciples” – people who walked around behind a “Master” or Rabbi, an itinerant teacher, listening and learning, and trying to imitate Him? He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: a path, a person, and a purpose.
Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 1:44-46
Nazareth was a disreputable place, ordained as the hometown of Jesus, perhaps in order to prepare Him in His childhood for a life of mockery, rejection, and humility.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
John 1:47
It’s possible that Jesus was making an ironic statement when He referred to Nathanael as being without guile and therefore a true Israelite, since the Jewish people have historically been stereotyped as being especially shrewd in their business dealings, but He was also referencing those who would believe the truth about Jesus as being the true descendants/heirs of Jacob, and therefore Abraham. The true Israelites are manifested by faith in the Messiah rather than by their birth and ethnicity.
The Cause, Confusion, and Consequences: Problems with the Lord’s Supper
August 18, 2017 at 12:59 pm | Posted in Biblical Consequences, I Corinthians | 8 CommentsTags: 1 Corinthians 11, commentary on 1 Corinthians, communion, Communion devotions, disunity in church, Lord's supper, Lord's supper devotions, Sunday School lessons on 1 Corinthians
In I Corinthians Chapter 11 the Apostle Paul, after addressing some issues concerning head coverings in church services, also addressed abusive practices pertaining to the Lord’s Supper.
Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
I Corinthians 11:17-18
Like many of their problems, the cause of the Corinthian Christians’ problems with their observance of the Lord’s Supper was disunity. The nature of the disunity was made clear:
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
I Corinthians 11:20-21
The whole point of the Lord’s Supper was supposed to be fellowship and communion, but the rich church members were eating their own meals instead of sharing with the poor members, and apparently some of the poor were looking forward to a free buffet instead of an opportunity to remember Christ’s death. People were using the occasion as a reason for physical excess rather than spiritual worship.
The Holy Spirit through Paul identified their confusion: Worship must involve sacrifice. It is antithetical to selfishness.
Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
I Corinthians 11:33-34
Furthermore, this is an ordinance of the Church commanded by the Lord, so naturally there are consequences for doing it unworthily.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
I Corinthians 11:26
Jesus is the reason for the whole affair – to remember that He instituted the New Covenant in His blood – so it is obvious that it should be a joyous but also a solemn affair.
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
I Corinthians 11:27
“Unworthily” is often said to said to mean that someone with unconfessed sin should not participate in the Lord’s Supper, but none of us are worthy – only Christ is. The context seems to plead for understanding “unworthily” as meaning something done without the proper dignity or motivation for being there, although the next verse does lend support to the idea that we must take an inventory of any sins which are keeping us from fellowshipping with the Lord with a clean conscience:
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
I Corinthians 11:28-29
“Damnation” here refers to consequential judgment, not eternal damnation.
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
I Corinthians 11:30
The consequences of eating and drinking unworthily in remembrance of Christ’s shed blood and broken body are revealed to be sickness and potential death.
The Consequences of Partying Naked
January 27, 2016 at 2:49 pm | Posted in Biblical Consequences, Exodus | 6 CommentsTags: Aaron, blame-shifting, commentary on Exodus, degrees of sin, Exodus 32, idolatry, Moses, Sunday School lessons on Exodus, the golden calf, true confession
And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
Exodus 32:21
Notice how Moses correctly attributed blame to both the people (it was their idea) and Aaron (he did “bring the sin upon them”). Notice also the designation “sin” and the attribution of a degree: “so great a sin.” Idolatry is indeed a great sin.
Moses was so bold as he stood alone among riotous sinners because he had been in the presence of God. You and I, as Christians, will wilt in the face of resistance, ridicule, and the threat of reprisals if we try to stand for Christ in our own strength. But if we have been alone with God – hearing His Word – forsaking earthly distractions – we will be as bold as a lion.
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
Exodus 32:22
Aaron deferred to Moses (“my lord”), but then tried to blame-shift. God had told Moses “I have seen this people, they are stiff-necked.” Now Aaron tells Moses, “Thou knowest the people, they are set on mischief.” This did not fool Moses. He knew that God’s assessment trumped Aaron’s assessment.
For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
Exodus 32:23-24
Aaron’s statement started off sounding like a confession, until he uttered the phrase, “out came this calf,” as if it’s something that “just happened.” The Bible had already told us what really happened:
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 32:4
And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
Exodus 32:25
This makes it sound like Aaron made them strip off their clothes, but I think it is really referring back to Aaron’s instructions to give him their earrings to make the calf-idol. Moses recognized the spiritual implications of their sin – they removed God’s protection by breaking the Covenant – and now, having foolishly pretended that the bull idol could lead them, they were conversely in a worse position: truly exposed to their enemies.
The Consequences of Forgiven Sins
January 18, 2010 at 9:46 am | Posted in Biblical Consequences, II Samuel, Uncategorized | 15 CommentsTags: 2 Samuel 12, adultery, Bathsheba, David and Bathsheba, David's sin, forgiveness, King David, murder, repentance, Uriah
David’s sins had been great. Looking with lust upon Bathsheba, he soon found himself involved in adultery, murder, and lying. David repented, and the Lord was faithful to forgive, but David was learning the harsh realities of the consequences of forgiven sins.
Bathsheba had given birth to a child who had no name, but the child was due to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. David spent six days in fasting and prayer, asking God to suspend His principle of sowing and reaping. But on the seventh day the child died.
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
II Samuel 12:18-19
This was not to be the end of David’s chastening, but it was a key moment in David’s walk of faith. Rather than turning from the Lord, he continued to turn to the Lord. Bathsheba also received forgiveness from God, for we find her in the genealogical line of Christ. In II Samuel 12:15 she is called “Uriah’s wife.” Uriah was the man whose death David had arranged so he could have Bathsheba for himself. However, in Verse 25 Bathsheba is referred to as David’s wife.
When God chastens His children, the chastening can seem harsh and severe. But we know He chastens in love. Christians who have stumbled, and then have sought and received the Lord’s forgiveness, must not be discouraged if there are consequences to their sins which still must be dealt with. God does not always deliver tidy explanations, but He does give dependable promises.
The Deep End 
The Consequences of Evil
January 8, 2020 at 1:25 pm | Posted in Biblical Consequences, Jeremiah | 2 CommentsTags: 2 Kings 24, 2 Kings 25, Babylonian captivity, commentary on Jeremiah, Jeremiah 52, King Zedekiah, Sunday School lessons on Jeremiah, the Remnant, Zedekiah
Jeremiah 52 repeats much of the history recorded in II Kings 24 and 25, and is placed at the end of the Book of Jeremiah as a transition to the Book of Lamentations. It focuses on the reign of King Zedekiah, who was the final king of Judah (not counting Jesus).
Jeremiah 52:2
“He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” could be a summary of all the kings mentioned in Jeremiah, except for Josiah, who is referenced only in hindsight, and it could be a summary of the majority of the kings of Israel/Judah, going all the way back to Saul. It would most certainly be a summary of your life, too – apart from Christ.
Chapter 52 also reminds us that Jerusalem was besieged by the Chaldean army, and ultimately conquered.
Jeremiah 52:4-7
The Temple was destroyed.
Jeremiah 52:12-13
The Temple treasures were carried away into exile with the people.
Jeremiah 52:17-19
An overview of the sequence of these tragic events emphasizes:
1. Those who are the most religious are not immune to the worst corruptions.
2. Iniquity brings about destruction; God is more than capable of punishing the wicked.
3. Outward appearances provide a useless covering for wicked hearts in the sight of a God Who sees all.
4. God’s prophecies come to pass, and His Word shall go forth accomplishing all that He sets it forth to do.
5. There would be a restoration of the repentant remnant in Babylon; they would come back to Jerusalem.