Ben Zornes

Living and Dying to Show the Preciousness of Christ

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The Inescapable Story of Jesus 01 | Make Way

The Inescapable Story of Jesus 01 | Make Way

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Introduction

Perhaps you’ve had the experience of checking on your kids, and as you approach you hear one of them say, “Dad is coming!” And then there is a scurry to get rid of any traces of rascally behavior. Or perhaps your boss is making the rounds, checking in on your progress on that one report that’s due at the end of the week. Or perhaps some friend from out of state unexpectedly calls and says they’re in the area and would love to swing by. This is the sort of frantic scurrying we find in the opening of Mark’s story of Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark is a flurry of action. It grips us with the activity of this Jesus. Mark does not spend as much time on what Jesus taught, unlike Matthew; but rather forces us to look intently on all Jesus did. And all His doing was to confirm the opening thesis of Mark’s Gospel: Jesus is the Son of God, and has brought the Kingdom of God unto us.

The Text 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost […]

Mark 1:1-8ff

Summary of the Text

Mark’s Gospel starts with a bang and continues throughout the entire Gospel at a frenzied pace. Christ leaps off the page. This is no passive narration. It may be in part where Mark got his nickname: Colobodactylus. We are invited to sit on the front row of this story of the ministry of the Messiah, the Son of God. The narrative is in the historic present, which is intended to make the action vivid and close. And indeed it is. This message of the Gospel of the Kingdom presses in upon us.

Mark blends two prophetic citations (from Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, Cf. Ex. 23:20) in order to jar us to attention. The Living God is on His way. In order to get people ready, He has sent a messenger ahead of Him to summon both Jews and Gentiles to prepare themselves to meet Yahweh (vv2-3). That messenger is John; his ministry of baptism in the wilderness caused crowds to swarm to submit themselves to his summons to cleanse themselves in order to make ready to meet their God (vv4-5). John is figured as a new Elijah (v6) and he informs them that a new Elisha is soon following who is greater and whose baptism will be that of Spirit fire, not water (vv7-8).

Isaiah said the way must be made straight (εὐθείας) and throughout the rest of the Gospel a variation of that word (or close synonym) is used 67 times. Ironically, we see this right away. Jesus Himself comes out to be baptized by John, and straightway after coming out of the water the Spirit descends upon Him and the Father publicly declares His love for His Son (vv9-11). And immediately the Spirit sends Him to a forty day combat with Satan amongst wild beasts, and ministered to by angels (vv12-13).

After this, John was imprisoned, but this does not contain the Kingdom of God which had come upon them; Jesus’ message is that God’s Kingdom had come, and He commands all men to repent and believe this news (vv14-15). The Lord Jesus, by the sea of Galilee, calls fishermen to be His disciples; these men straightway follow him (vv16-20). This calling is followed by an exercise of Christ’s authority. He straightway teaches with authority (vv21-22). To confirm this authority of word with authority in deed Mark relates that a man with an unclean spirit raved against Jesus in the synagogue. Jesus commands the unclean spirit to depart and it does. The powers that be are left astonished (vv21-27). Immediately, Jesus’ fame spreads in Galilee (v28).

Jesus hastens to Simon Peter’s house, heals his mother-in-law and raises her up, enabling her to service (vv29-31). The crowds begin swarming around the house, bringing those unclean of body and of mind to be made clean by Jesus (vv32-34); but the devils were not permitted to speak because they knew Him. Jesus is found in prayer in the early morning, and then He takes His ministry to the next town; and His preaching and cleansing continued in those towns as well (vv35-39). Devils are cast out of the synagogues (v39). A leper comes to Jesus for cleansing, which Jesus, in compassion, gives immediately (vv40-42). The leper is sent away straightway by Jesus with the instructions to not declare his healing until he had fulfilled the righteous requirements of Moses’ law (vv43-44). But the leper had loose lips; and Jesus’ ministry only grew in fame and renown (v45).

Christ Came to Call

Mark’s Gospel traces a steady pattern of callings followed by commands to unclean spirits and  cleansings of fleshly infirmities. In this opening chapter we have a few callings. Mark begins with an assertion that Jesus is to be called the Son of God. John calls out to Israel to make ready for Yahweh to come in their midst. Then Jesus is called the Son of God by His Father. This is the first of three times that Jesus is confirmed to be the Son of God in Mark’s biography of Jesus (Mk. 9:7 & 15:39). So then, Jesus’ refusal to allow the demons to name Him has at least two purposes. First, it is not their prerogative to identify the Messiah of God. Secondly, Mark wants to paint Jesus as a new David, anointed, but not yet exalted to the throne; thus Saul’s enmity must be dealt with shrewdly and even evasively. 

But we also see Jesus calling His first four disciples. God had promised by Jeremiah that in restoring Israel he would use fishermen to fish for men: “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them (Jer. 16:16a).” He calls the four disciples, by the sea, and they drop everything to follow Jesus. The call of Jesus is not to be ignored. For He has come to remake the world.

Christ Came to Command

There are parallels to David in how Mark presents this commencement of Jesus’ ministry: both are anointed (David by Samuel; Jesus by John’s baptism/Spirit’s descent) and after each of these anointing they must deal with someone plagued with evil spirits (Saul & the demoniac). Both act with humility, despite being the rightful king of Israel. Both begin to drive out the enemies (the Philistines for David and the demons for Jesus)

We see Jesus commanding the demons, and teaching the Word of God with authority. The modern indulgent Jesus is a false Christ. Yes, we find in Christ an ocean of love. But His love is not syrupy sweet, it is potent wine. Jesus came to command, not wring His hands pleading for you to open your heart. The evil must go, that the land may be fit for Yahweh’s presence.

Christ Came to Cleanse

And this leads us to the third event in the cycle: Jesus came to cleanse. This won’t be the first time that Mark pairs the commanding of unclean spirits with the cleansing of bodily ailments. This is because Jesus came to restore man fully. The leprous man is made whole. He is restored to the fellowship of the commonwealth. 

Mark also emphasizes Jesus as the New Elisha; in 2 Ki. 7 four lepers discover that God has driven out the Syrians according to the prophetic word of Elisha. These lepers are the first to discover the good news of Yahweh’s miraculous cleansing of the land, and then they make it known to the king of Israel in order that all of Israel might partake of this cleansing. But the unbeliever is trampled in the gate and does not partake of this bountiful deliverance.

The cleansing of the leper, the raising up of Peter’s mother-in-law, and the driving out demons all make one thing clear: Christ is cleansing the land in order that the holy God might dwell in fellowship with His people. The order here gives us a very important doctrine, the voice/Word goes forth first, the duty of cleaning things up comes after. But, the cleansing, like everything else in this chapter is gloriously rapid & hasty.

Jesus in Your Face

As we progress through Mark’s Gospel there is one thing which Mark insists upon: you must not look away from Jesus. Mark writes so as to “get in your face.” Mark is no Ent, slowly telling his tale with meandering thoroughness. He writes so that you hear clearly that Jesus calls out to you to follow Him. He commands the unclean spirits to begone. He cleanses you.

Charge & Benediction

Mark’s testimony of Jesus is written so that we see Jesus as preeminently active. The takeaway for us is to remember that Jesus is still in action. So, it is incumbent upon us as Christ’s followers to keep our eyes open to see how Jesus is at work, and to follow Him in that work. There are many around us in need of the cleansing which the call of Christ brings, and so be His voice, be His hands, be His body.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon, and remain with you always. Amen.

Psalm 1 | The Blessed Life

Psalm 1 | The Blessed Life

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Introduction

Most folks seek their happiness through subjective whims. “Do what makes you happy” is the motto of man without Christ. But true happiness, true blessedness, isn’t found in the utilitarian’s hedonism. The first Psalm sets the blessed life before us, inviting us out of our own maze of searching for joy, into the straight path of righteousness leading to eternal blessedness.

The Text

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms 1:1-6

Summary of the Text

In this Psalm, which forms the preface for the entire Psalter, we have set before us a fork in the road, with one path leading to covenantal blessedness the other leading to covenantal misery & curses. This Psalm has two mountains in it, on one side is the Mount of Blessedness (vv1-3) and on the other the Mount of Judgement (vv4-6, Cf. Deu. 11:29).

The blessed man is identified by what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t slow down to match pace with the aimless wanderings of ungodly counselors (v1); he doesn’t station himself where he knows he will brush shoulders with sinners; he doesn’t nestle down into the couch of scoffers (v1). Rather, he delights in Yahweh’s Law, and makes it his muse evening & morning (v2). This sort of man can be likened to a tall & flourishing tree which has been planted–by Another’s hand–in an Edenic garden (Cf. Gen. 2:8-10); this tree of the Lord’s planting will be fruitful, it will flourish, and it will be faithful (v3).

But emphatically, it is not so with the ungodly (v4). They are like the useless chaff which is fanned into the fire (v4). At the day of judgement, these ungodly ones will not stand, nor can they masquerade any longer in the congregation of the righteous (v5). While the Lord continually knows the way of the righteous, all the ways in which the ungodly have charted for themselves will come to a fearful end (v6).

Slow-Burn Apostasy

God’s people, both corporately and individually, are continually presented with the temptation to a slow-burn apostasy. Each day you are faced with choices to either grow & flourish in righteousness, or to slowly but surely deteriorate into the lifelessness of sin. This life of the blessed man is set forth as a refusal to go along, slow down, or capitulate to the counsel, habits, or scorn of the ungodly. Think of Solomon’s simple admonition: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not (Pro. 1:10).”

In our current moment, many who have grown up in the church have demonstrated that they’ve kept their ear open to the whisperings of the ungodly counsel. They’ve kept looking out of the corner of their eye to make sure they don’t stand out as unfashionable in their manner of life or their way of thinking. The word “deconstruction” has been used to put a respectable sheen on a trajectory of apostasy. Rather than delighting in the law of the Lord, many Christians have sought to rework the fundamentals of their faith––trimming here, nipping there––in order that it might not stand out so much from the pattern of the world.

Notice how someone who “deconstructs” tends to end up with a worldview that is not offensive at all to the worldly way of thinking, living, or doing. This is what Paul warns us of in 2 Corinthians 6:14, there is no fellowship between blessings & curses. All too frequently, saints listen to the counsel of the ungodly which leads them to partially participating in the ways of sinners, which eventually (without repentance) lands them in the gutter of mocking God’s Word.

If you’ve been keeping score you should be able to tell that we’ve gone from “it’s nobody’s business what takes place in the privacy of people’s own bedrooms” to having grotesque displays of open perversion continually forced upon us. That is a perfect example of what happens when a nation collectively falls into unrepentant sin. But the challenge of this Psalm is not just to the collective, but to the individual. Do you try to stay just close enough to the way of sinners so that you can converse with them & try to have something in common with them? When you begin to care more about what your favorite podcaster has to say about some current even, rather than what God’s Word plainly says, you may be leaving the door open to begin a slow burn apostasy. Or maybe you look at the high standards that the Christian community around you has in place and you find yourself justifying why those standards ought not apply to you, given your particular circumstances. 

Delighting in the Word

Notice that the thing that delineates the blessed from the ungodly is their posture towards Yahweh’s Law. The blessed man is marked out by his delight in the Lord’s Law. Whenever God has been pleased to send a revival, it always is marked by a great delight in searching out the Scriptures (2 Ki. 22, Acts 17:11, ad fontes, the Nadere Reformatie). This is why you must read and sing and study and muse upon the Word of God daily. The righteous man is marked by what he doesn’t do, and by what he delights in. He delights in what God says. He rejoices that his whims are not the standard of blessedness, but God’s commands are the means of resting in blessedness.

Think of a time when you’ve been outwitted by someone who you perceived to be more knowledgeable than you on the topic. If you’ve contented yourself with settling for ignorance, snake-oil salesmen will easily dupe you. But if you delight in the Word and obey the Word, you will never be moved (Cf. Ps 15). The slide into sin always begins with questioning God’s Word, as well as questioning whether you must obey God’s Word. There is a continual antithesis that is before us as individuals and as a community/nation: who’s Word is authoritative?

False doctrine (i.e. ungodly counsel) always leads to false living (i.e. the scorner’s seat). But it should be noted that the scoffing from the scorners is done in order to cover up the shame of their guilt. Anything but an apocalypse. The Word cuts us open, the Word is light for the path, the Word is bread from heaven, the Word is a sword to battle error, a fire to purge the gold of dross. 

If you are diligent to hear & heed the Word, you will not be left shamefaced at the judgement. And this Word declares to you that there is none Righteous. The Word declares that this blessing comes to you not by your doing, but as a gracious gift of God’s covenant mercies

The Tree of the Lord

It shouldn’t escape our notice that in this Psalm God plants a tree of life in a fertile, well-watered garden. This is the inner sap of the life of blessing. God has planted a tree. This tree is Christ.

You will be thwarted in your efforts to live a holy life and avoid the ways of the ungodly if you do not first see that it is only by being grafted into the vine of Christ whereby you may bear this fruit. It is by covenantal union with Christ that you are planted in the damp forest of God’s blessing. But the fearful warning is that by refusing to hear God’s Word that salvation is by Christ alone, you will come, in the end, to find yourself as nothing by chaff. Nothing but fuel for the fire. Nothing but a dry branch that must be pruned.

The Psalter begins with this Psalm which sets before us blessings and curses, life and death, Christ or chaos. There are only two paths: a desert wasteland of endless searching for fleeting pleasures or the fruitful tree of the Lord watered by Living Waters (Is. 44:1-6).

Charge & Benediction

Living under blessing comes down to this question, whose word do I delight in? Do I wanna hear the gossip and the salacious tidbits from ungodly men? Or do I want to hear & heed God’s Word? A very practical application of all this is to make sure that you are faithful in reading your Bible regularly, and then think upon it. Sing it. Reread it. And above all believe & obey it.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon, and remain with you always. Amen.

Other Sermons on the Psalms

Joseph

Joseph

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Introduction

There is comparatively little that Scripture tells us about the man who raised our Lord Jesus as his own son. He leaves the stage almost as soon as he entered it. We have no dialogue from him. But while he is a silent character of Scripture, he still speaks volumes.

The Text

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. […]

Matthew 1:16-21

Summary of the Text

The “begats” of Matthew run along as expected until it runs into the most unexpected thing that ever happened: Jesus born of Mary, not by natural conception but by the Holy Ghost (vv16, 18). Joseph is reckoned as Jesus father, and thus Jesus shares the Royal lineage back to David, and the covenantal lineage back the Abraham (v17). Matthew tells us that Joseph was espoused to Mary, but before they had consummated their marriage, Mary was found to be with child, and this by the work of the Holy Ghost (v18, Cf. Lk 1:26).

This put Joseph, a righteous son of Kings, in a quandary (v19). While Joseph pondered what to do, the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream to reveal God’s mighty deeds and glorious purposes to him (v20). Joseph is given his marching orders: fearlessly take Mary as his wife, and name the son which would be born Jesus (v21). This all is what Isaiah prophesied to King Ahaz (Cf. Mt. 1:22-23, Is. 7:14), and Joseph did as he was told (Mt. 1:24-25). Though Joseph has no recorded dialogue, the one word we know he spoke was Jesus, when he named the firstborn son of Mary. 

The Carpenter

The professional trade of Joseph was that of carpentry, and of course Jesus would later be Joseph’s apprentice in this trade. There’s a wide range of skills which this likely encompassed; it wasn’t just wood-work, but also stone-work; might even mean as much as an architect. Herod built his palace just outside of Bethlehem. The Magi arrived within the first two years after Christ was born; meaning, Joseph probably was employed in the construction of Herod’s vanity project. David’s heir was right under the imposter king’s nose, in other words. Their trek to Bethlehem (Lk. 2:4), and however long their stay in Bethlehem was a rather dangerous one. Especially given how deranged and paranoid King Herod was.

Jesus came to be known as “the carpenter” (Mk. 6:3) as well as being referred to as Joseph’s son (Lk. 4:22, Jn.6:42). Joseph clearly took seriously his role to raise this divinely begotten son of God as his own son. Through the few glimpses at Christ’s early days, we see that Joseph was present & active. 

Though David’s royal line was humbled and obscured, the Angel of the Lord greets Joseph as a son of David. To paraphrase one commentator, by greeting him with a great title, great deeds were expected from this humble carpenter.

A Just Man

Perhaps the most significant thing we learn from Scripture about Joseph is that he is called “a just man.” This is the same language that is used of OT heroes of the faith, like Noah, Abraham, Job, and David. Joseph stands in the ranks of just men made perfect.

This declaration of his being a righteous man is in the same breath as describing his contemplation of divorce from Mary his betrothed (Deu. 22:23-29).  Hardliners on divorce and no-fault divorce advocates both are confronted with a rebuke in Joseph’s action. His desire was to be faithful to the ordinances of God as respecting adultery, but also desiring to show mercy to Mary. It would seem that Joseph was deeply puzzled that Mary (who he knew only as a virtuous woman) was pregnant out of wedlock. At last, he determined to divorce her as privately as was possible, laying no charge of unfaithfulness upon her. It would become known eventually, but she would be spared the worst of any scandal.

His righteousness is, like all the righteous, by faith alone. His faith is seen in his swift obedience in response to the four times an angel came to him in his dreams. It is worth pointing out that Joseph is given a prophetic ministry, he is taken up into the counsels God, and let in on the divine deliberations.

Our text gives the first instance of this swift, obedient faith, he is told of the divine conception and does as the angel instructs. There is no dilly in Joseph’s dally. The next instance is when the angel warns Joseph of Herod’s wicked design to massacre Bethlehem’s infant boys (Mt. 2:13-14). The third dream takes place after Herod died, the angel informs Joseph that it is now safe to return from Egypt (Mt. 2:18-21). But in the final dream Joseph is warned not to dwell in proximity to Archelaus, but to go and dwell in Galilee, and it would seem that Joseph had the fulfillment of prophecy in mind (Cf. Is. 11:1) and selected Nazareth as the hometown of his son (Mt. 2:22-23). Joseph walked by faith. This was no blind faith either, it was a faith informed by God’s revealed Word.

Joseph also demonstrates this life of faith in at least three other episodes. Even under the Roman oppression, Joseph is a dutiful citizen (Lk. 2:4-6). He brought Jesus to be circumcised according to Moses’ Law, along with the proper sacrifice for their poor (or at least refugee) estate (Lk. 2:22-24). Joseph also took his family to Jerusalem for the customary feasts (Lk. 2:42). It could also be added to this that Joseph had other children by Mary (at least four sons, and some daughters, for at least six siblings for Jesus); these children eventually became followers & martyrs of the Lord Jesus.

Another Dreaming Joseph

Looking back at the genealogy, there is something which might easily escape our notice, but which Matthew uses to spark our remembrance. A Jacob begets a Joseph who fathers a Joshua.  Remember that Joshua was descended from Joseph (by Ephraim, Cf. Num. 13:8). Here again is a dreaming Joseph, used to bring about the salvation of the world. Here again is a Joshua, raised up to save God’s people, this time from their sin.

It is easy to see Joseph as a prince of David’s line. This fulfills one aspect of the anticipated Messianic reign. But we also see another thread, and Joseph ben-Jacob is the typological link. Ironically, when Israel was split into two Kingdoms, Judah is how the Southern Kingdom came to be known, but Israel was sometimes called Ephraim. In other words, in this son of Joseph, all Messianic types and shadows terminate. 

Here is David’s heir. Here is a conquering Joshua. Here is the Scepter rising out of Judah. Here is the multitude of Ephraim. Here is Joseph’s fruitful bough and the crown on his brow (Gen.49:22-26). Here is the shepherd and stone of Israel. Here is the reunification of Israel. And Joseph called his name Jesus, by faith.

Two applications should be drawn out of the example of Joseph. We walk by faith, not by sight. You must not try to demand of God more explanation than His Word plainly declares to you. Do not be merely a hearer of the Word revealed to you, but do it. Secondly, you are not the main character of the story, just as Joseph was not. But you must, in the same faithful humility, do your duty. Believe the revealed Word, and proclaim the name of Jesus.

The Charge

The charge is this, as we celebrate the Incarnation of the Word, we ought to want that understanding to be shaped by the Word; rather than having it shaped by Christmas Cards, Precious Moments nativity figurines, or Hallmark Movies. Be shaped by the Word, just as Joseph evidently was: a just and merciful man who humbly followed God’s Word.

Fathers & Mothers

Fathers & Mothers

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Introduction

The US Congress recently introduced the rules for their new legislative session. They struck gendered familial terminology (i.e. father, mother, son, daughter, etc.) from the House’s rules for legislators. The recent events of our nation reveal our void of fathers and mothers. This is just one more effort by the godless to further erode the biblical structure for families. As Psalm 11:3 says, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

So it is vital that we understand both how God made the world, and then as those who are in Christ, strive to live in this world according to our assigned duties.

The Text 

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph 3:14-15

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Galatians 4:26

Summary of the Text

When we think about Fatherhood and Motherhood we need to sweep out the clutter. These roles are not optional add-ons which you can discuss with the dealership. They aren’t social constructs which support the oppression of victims. They aren’t the evolutionary development of our species ability to babble some sounds and then linking them with our immediate ancestors. They aren’t interchangeable parts of machinery.

What we see as society rejects the biblical order for family is not an absence of fatherhood and motherhood, but we get mangled fatherhood and motherhood. We get satanic fatherhood, and tyrannic motherhood. We get State-run protection and provision and State-run nurture and rearing. All because those with their hands on the wheel of society are of their father the devil (Jn. 8:44).

Your father and mother are earthly shadows of cosmic realities. That cosmic reality is if you are in Christ God is your Father, the Church is your Mother. That is the evident in these two texts from the pen of Paul. 

In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul bends his knee to God the Father; every family derives its name from God’s Fatherhood. You don’t have family without fatherhood, and you don’t have any of it without God the Father and Creator. In Greek, you can’t say family (patria) without saying father (patera). In other words, God’s Fatherhood fills the world and fills our earthly families as the inescapable reality. In Him we live and move and have our being.

Furthermore, God has taken a bride for His Son, our Lord Jesus, and she is our Mother. Paul, while making the case that we are delivered from the bondage to sin which the mosaic Law revealed, he uses the imagery of Hagar and Sarah. Two mothers: one a slave, one a free-woman. Which one is your mother? Mother Kirk is a fertile mother, because she is marked by grace and thus life springs from her; whereas Hagar (the bond-woman/Sinai), brings bondage and death (Gal. 4:26). 

To repeat, God is Father, and thus we have fatherhood; for those in Christ God is their Father, the Church is their mother. For those not in Christ, the devil is their father, and the death of Sinai’s law is their mother. As always it isn’t whether you will have Father & Mother, but which one you will have.

Children of Promise

Children who grow up without parents or with unmarried parents are faced with a deck of statistics stacked against them. With few exceptions, their lifetime income is significantly lower; their education level will not go as high; their likelihood of being abused and then abusing in turn shoots through the roof; their prospects are bleak by almost every metric. Children were not intended to exist in a covenantal void. Scripture is concerned with bastard children, which is why it placed heavy penalties on rape, pre-marital sex, and adultery (Cf. Lev. 18), as well as provision for the care of fatherless children (Deu. 16:11, Ps. 68:5).

So, if you are a father or mother, you must not think of your duty (as father or mother) as being in a separate container from your marriage vows, and the consummation of those vows. You are a husband and a wife first. The potency of this covenantal love produces children. Your children are children of a promise, even as the whole family of believers are children of the Promise.

Covenant Duty of Fathers and Mothers

So Fathers are first husbands which are called to be faithful to their promise of loving and cherishing. Mothers are first wives which are called to faithfully fulfill their vow to submit and obey. 

A father which exhibits for his children that he doesn’t beam with delight over their mother (Is. 62:5), isn’t attentive to her (1 Pt. 3:7), doesn’t shower her with love (1 Ti. 5:8) will teach them to railroad her (Pro. 10:1). Husbands love their wives practically by full bank accounts, full cupboards, full closets, and full wombs.

Mothers which run down their husband in front of the kids (2 Sam. 6:16-23), swerving the opposite direction he is leading (Eph. 5:22), or criticizing his leadership at every turn (Pro 21:19) is teaching her children to be lawless rebels. Wives respect their husbands by bearing his name, and being his glory; she demonstrates this respect practically by not being an indecipherable code to get into, but by being ready for him and responding to him in all spheres of their relations (sexually, directionally, financially). So while husbands are called to fill, wives are are called to receive and be filled.

Lazy, inattentive husbands and bitter, nagging wives are teaching the children more than just how to be unpleasant humans. A sin-riddled marriage is presenting a false Gospel, and a marred understanding of God the Father, Christ the Son, and His Bride.

It’s vital that we see that Fathers and Mothers are cosmic categories. Husbands show their children how Christ laid down his life for the church. Wives show their children what joyful obedience to Christ should be. Not only are you teaching them about Fatherhood and Motherhood, but also the glorious Gospel of sacrificial love, responded to in joyful response.

Covered in Sawdust & Flour

These covenantal duties are not pie-in-the-sky intangibles. Rather, these spiritual duties are earthy, and are covered in sawdust and flour.

In Scripture, fathers name; a fathers’ word carry great weight. Fathers provide and protect. Fathers represent God to their families and their families to God. Father’s correct and teach. Fathers sacrifice and intercede. Fathers rule and lead. Fathers head their home.

Mothers respond to this headship by being fruitful. Indeed without the Father, she cannot bear fruit. As the one who bears and nurtures new humans she is to be held in high honor. They are to be fountains of the sort of wisdom which might be worn proudly around the neck of their offspring (Pr. 1:8-9). They are to be industrious, and laugh at all the troubles which are around the bend (Pro. 31:25). Mothers give glorified life and nourishment that is provided by the Father. Fathers face outward, Mothers face inward.

Adopted as Joint-Heirs With Christ

In Reformed theology we generally emphasize justification and sanctification. We blast through the mega-phone that you are not saved by your works of righteousness, you are justified in God’s sight only because of Christ’s righteousness and death in your place. We exhort each other to holiness and growth in sanctification because God has set us apart to be a holy people. But we must not gloss over the fact that one of the terms which is frequently included in NT descriptions of salvation is adoption (Gal 4:4-7).

God the Father, by the redeeming work of His Son, has delivered you from bondage to the law of sin and death. This isn’t like one cruel slave-master defeating another cruel slave-master, and your just caught in the crossfire. Rather, Paul tells us that you are no more a servant, but a son. In other words, you now have a share in the inheritance which belongs to Christ Jesus: resurrection life, everlasting joy, unending glory. You have been adopted as sons. Your Father in Heaven has given to Mother Kirk the Bread of Life and the Wine of Relief, and she has spread a table for the nourishment of her children. The children of grace and glory.

More than Just Forgiveness

More than Just Forgiveness

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Introduction

Certain people have the uncanny ability to drive you crazy. It’s tempting to box them out of our lives, so we won’t have to deal with their antics. Forgiving someone again & again is an unappealing course of action as it means they’ve offended you again & again. However, there’s someone you’re very good at forgiving & treating with great delicacy even though they’re a good-for-nuthin’ scoundrel. That someone? Yourself!

The Text

Matthew 18:21-35

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Summary of the Text

After teaching on the process for progressively rebuking a brother who has sinned against you (Mt. 18:15-20), Peter raises the question of how many times should an offending brother be forgiven…“seven times (v.21)?” Jesus’ response shows that keeping a scorecard of your brother’s offenses is contrary to the true spirit of forgiveness. The number he gives is clearly meant to indicate that you’re to forgive your brother regardless of the number of times he offends (v.22).  These numbers hearken back to the vengeance protections against Cain & Lamech (cf. Gen. 4:15 & 23-24).

Jesus illustrates with a parable in three scenes. The first episode is that of a king taking account & forgiving a servant who begged for clemency; even though he owed an insurmountable debt of 10,000 talents (vs.23-27). It would take 20 years for a day-laborer to earn 1 talent. Thus, this servant owed the equivalent of 200,000 years of labor. We’re talking billions of dollars. The second episode sees this same servant hunting down a fellow-servant who owed him 100 days’ wages––not a negligible amount. The forgiven servant refuses to forgive his fellow-servant who was indebted to him. He throws him into prison until the debt is repaid (vs.28-30).

In the third episode, this news travels back to the king who––in great wrath––rebukes the pitiless servant, reverses his decision, & turns him over to tormentors until his debt is paid in full (vs. 31-34). Jesus’ concludes this parable by warning that His Father will do likewise unto those who do not––from the heart––forgive their brother (v. 35).

The Root of Our Forgiveness

We learn from this parable, that the Father, expects His forgiveness to be imitated. Paul’s epistles repeat this:

Ephesians 4:32

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Colossians 3:12-13

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, & forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

The root of our forbearance (i.e. patience) & forgiveness of each other is rooted in the Gospel of Christ’s forgiveness of us. The implication in the parable is that our debt to God can’t be “worked off.” Our only hope is gracious forgiveness.

The “imitative” quality of our earthly forgiveness carries boulder-sized ramifications. Imitating God’s forgiveness means that an unbeliever is incapable of truly forgiving as they are unable to imitate God without the new birth. It also means that a child of God who refuses to forgive is going to be all tied up in knots because they have clearly not grasped how great a debt God has forgiven them.

A Variety of Pseudo-Forgiveness

While we must hold one doctrine firmly––that our salvation is secure––we must hear the profound warning which Christ attaches to unforgiveness.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. […] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

As Jay Adams shrewdly pointed out: “Refusal to forgive is a decision for vengeance.” Since our forgiveness is imitative of Christ’s forgiveness, unforgiveness indicates a lack of grasping what the Father has done for you. Man always connives to avoid God’s clear command for seeking & giving forgiveness. Christ’s warning about unforgiveness should make us wary of “wild-flowers of forgiveness” that look pretty from a distance, but are, in fact, destructive weeds.

First, modern psychology treats forgiveness therapeutically. You endeavor to drudge up forgiveness-feelings in order to feel better about yourself. In this approach, reconciliation is of no concern. Along this vein, we often think we need to search for forgiveness feelings before forgiving. Biblically, forgiveness is a promise, an act of the will to “remember not” (cf. Ps. 79:8). Forgetting is passive, whereas “remembering not” is active.

A second imposter is the common apology. “I’m sorry” is different from “I was wrong, please forgive me.” Apologizing is offering a defense not seeking forgiveness.

Sweeping things under the rug is a third pseudo-forgivness. This is just loveless apathy. If you truly would imitate Christ, you must not let things slide, but address them for the sake of the relationship. In fact, this opens to us operate in the realm of objective truth rather than subjective feelings. Ken Sande summarizes this well, “Forgiveness is not excusing. Forgiveness is the exact opposite of excusing. The very fact that forgiveness is needed & granted indicates that what someone did was wrong & inexcusable.”

A Glory Beyond Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not an end in & of itself; it is a means unto something far grander. The arc of all history shows that God’s aim in redeeming mankind is more than merely forgiving him for his crimes in Eden; God is preparing a Garden City whose glory outshines the sun. God is restoring what was lost in Eden, but in an incomprehensibly glorified way.

In our earthly relationships, this means that merely forgiving the offense is not the end goal. A restored & glorified relationship is the goal. In essence, forgiveness is a means to a more glorious marriage, friendship, relationship.

All the various weeds of pseudo-forgiveness––which are all of the genus known as bitterness––will quickly overshadow & strangle the fruits of grace. Thus, keeping short accounts with your fellow-servants is vital for the health of the garden of your life. Bitterness would turn your garden into an eyesore. Redemptive grace takes your garden & glorifies it into a full-fledged farm with a gourmet restaurant.

When we forgive the 100 pence our brother owes us, our imitation of what God has forgiven us is on display. In this way, you not only enjoy the blessings of a restored relationships & clear consciences; you also enjoy the great privilege of displaying to the onlooking world the reconciliation found in the Gospel: God the Father reconciling Himself with fallen man through Christ. We mustn’t forget: our overarching aim––in forgiving our brother––is glorifying God.

Unction and Seduction

Unction and Seduction

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Introduction

“Ye shall be as gods (Gen. 3:5).” These words which seduced Eve, are just as seductive today. Sinful man lusts for god-hood apart from the God-head, and desires salvation apart from the Savior.  When there is a poisonous snake in the garden a loving father warns. The warning is proof of His love, and evidence of his covenantal relationship with his children.

The Text

1 John 2:18-29 — Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Summary of the Text

John opened this epistle with a divisive doctrinal claim: Jesus was the Christ, God in the Flesh (1 Jn. 1:1-2). Jesus––John goes on to show––is our only means of union with God and eternal life (1 Jn. 1:2-3); the only way to cleansing from and forgiveness of sins (1 Jn. 1:9); Christ is our Advocate and propitiation (1 Jn. 2:1-2). It is only by knowing God through our covenant head that we are brought to enjoy God’s love (1 Jn. 2:3-5), thereby being enabled to love our brethren (1 Jn. 2:10), and to “love not the world,” which is “passing away (1 Jn. 2:15-17).”

John warns against false teachers, who were in some way associated with the early church, but were not of the true church. These false teachers were the fulfillment of the prophesied Antichrist (vs.18-19). By contrast, true Christians are anointed ones and know the simple, Gospel truth (vs.20-21).

John describes the false doctrine as the flat denial of Jesus as the Christ; this teaching would be the tell-tale sign that the false teacher is the antichrist. Whoever believes or teaches this false teaching does not have the Son, and therefore does not have the Father either (vs.22-23). Those who acknowledge—or confess—the Son, also have fellowship with the Father (v.23, cf. 1 Jn. 1:3).

John admonishes fidelity to the apostolic doctrine which they had received “from the beginning” (v.24). Continuing in the Son assures believers of the Father’s promise of eternal life through the Son (v.25). While false teachers are seducers (v.26), true believers have received an inward and abiding anointing which instructs them of the truth, and guards them from believing the lies (v.27). Those who abide in Christ  may be confident that Christ’s coming is both a vindication for the righteous, and an assurance of the new birth (vs.28-29).

Devilish Seduction

Too often the Gospel plays second fiddle to eschatological speculation. The mere mention of the Antichrist might lead some to trot this text into the eschatological boxing ring in order to prove who this figure is. However, John’s intent here is primarily evangelical, and thus we see how the Gospel informs and shapes John’s eschatology. John vibrantly motions us towards evangelical faith in Jesus Christ as the ground for assurance, the grid for discerning false teachers, and the guide for eschatological conclusions.

The Antichrist was clearly a false teacher; those who adopted these teachings could rightly be called antichrists. I think it likely that John has the heretic Cerinthus in view. He distinguished Jesus the man, from the person of Christ, and taught that Jesus was not conceived by the Holy Ghost, Christ came upon Jesus at His baptism, and left him at the crucifixion. Jesus was merely a man that Christ used. He also taught that salvation was found in strict adherence to the Mosaic Law.

John saw that old world was passing away (1 Jn. 2:17), the Lawless One’s lawlessness had a chokehold on unbelieving Israel, and Christ had defeated Satan’s empire (1 Jn. 3:8). The Gospel of Jesus Christ was rattling loose eschatological implications. Antichrist was not an invader, but a seducer. During the first century, sorcery was common amongst Jewish communities (Acts  8:9, 13:8, 19:19); Judaizers taught that Jesus was insufficient for salvation, and Gentiles couldn’t be saved without circumcision (Acts 15:1). The Jews––motivated by envy–– frequently threatened violence against the early church (Acts. 17:5). Unbelieving Jews refused to place their faith in the Messiah God had promised the Israelites. Rome was wary of this new Way which claimed a new King as the only true way of Salvation, and began to persecute the church like a vicious beast. While simultaneously, pagan Gentiles were streaming into the Church, joining believing Jews, and the covenant promises to Abraham were being fulfilled.

Christ’s Unction

In baptism, we receive a visible sign of our union with Christ, and the promise of new birth and regeneration. Christ, the Anointed One, anoints his chosen ones in baptism, and they are then known as anointed ones. The Spirit of Antichrist seduces followers, being thus deceived, they are rightly called antichrists. In essence, you become like what you worship and you bear your covenant name.

You either trust in Christ, and thus enjoy all His benefits, or you are seduced by the lusts of this world and the lies of antichrists to trust your idols. Antichrists teach a false christ, and thus offer false salvation. Financial security, social reform legislation, “family values,” and health food fussiness are all idols of our day. Closer to home, trying to have the image of a Christian marriage and family without having evangelical faith in Jesus as the aroma of the home is idolatrous.

The unction we’ve received has marked us out as those who have been set apart and anointed. We have been united with the Anointed One, the Messiah, and we now enjoy all the benefits of His Mediatorial office. His death is yours. His resurrection is yours. You are seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). He has given gifts to men (Eph. 4:8). Thus, His Wisdom is yours. His discernment is yours. His righteousness is yours (2 Cor. 5:21). He has the power of endless life (Heb. 7:16). All of it is yours, by faith and trust in Him. He is the head of the new creation, those who trust in Christ are joined with Him in the joys of Kingdom reign.

This union with the Father through His Son is the only remedy for anger filled homes, porn-poisoned marriages, rebellious children, financial woes, and bitterness-riddled relationships. Union with God through the Incarnate Christ brings us into His new creation wherein we are known by our love to the brethren (1 Jn. 2:10, John 13:35). You’ve received Christ’s unction, you are called by His name, so abide in Him, trust in Him, love like Him, walk in His righteousness, and do not be seduced by false saviors. Remember, John wrote all this so that your joy may be full (1 Jn. 1:4).

Brimful with Joy

Brimful with Joy

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Introduction

Sorrow and regret are our daily companions. We grieve over loved ones who have died, we regret missed opportunities and sinful failures in our past. We are content with fleeting pleasures of this world, consuming them with selfishness, and so even our joys are turned to sorrows; and, to bring us to the edge of utter despair, certain death awaits us all. Death which would seem to render everything in life meaningless. Does life have meaning? Can death be cheated? Are joys and pleasures just a cruel illusion? Or are we made for more?

The Text

1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Summary of the Text

John opens this epistle by bearing witness that life has been manifested in a person: “the Word of Life” (vs. 1-2); in this person is found “that eternal life which was with the Father.” These verses take direct aim at false Christologies; and what John proclaims here about Christ was offensive to both Jewish and Greek mindsets. The pluralistic Greeks would be offended that John took their philosophical terms and claimed to have found the truth in the person of Jesus Christ. The monotheistic Jews would be offended that John taught that Jesus, a historical man, was God in the flesh, their long-awaited Messiah.

Appropriately, John opens with a bang. The “logos of zoe” was manifested in flesh (had been seen, heard, touched), was God’s Son, and was the man Jesus Christ. Bearing witness to what the Apostles had seen and heard in Jesus Christ–the Word made Flesh (Jn. 1:14)–was the basis for fellowship between believers, whether Jew or Gentile. This introduction ends with quite the crescendo when John declares that all of this is written with the intention that their (and our) joy may be full (v.4).

Fellowship not Fraternity

While the Apostles had seen and heard Christ, many of their hearers had not. The obvious temptation was to uncertainties and errors regarding the Messiah. If you weren’t an apostle could you really have fellowship with Jesus? Was Jesus really God, or just a man God used? Was Christ really a man, or just God appearing as a man? It is in declaring Jesus Christ to be the Word of Life incarnate as a man that John intends to dispel these doubts and thereby gather all believers into the real fellowship which we have in Christ.

Our fellowship is no mere fraternity of humans. Rather, because of our union with Jesus Christ–the mediator between God and man–we have fellowship with God. Christian fellowship is not based on  commonly held beliefs; it isn’t a country club. John Calvin once pointed out, “The ungodly have also a mutual union between themselves, but it is without God, nay, in order to alienate themselves more and more from God, which is the extreme of all evils.” Our fellowship is a spiritual communion of the saints through Jesus Christ which binds us into one body (Rom. 12:5, Eph. 2:16). It is in this fellowship with God by Christ that we are also reconciled to our fellow man (2 Cor. 5:18-21).

Imagine how the Gentile believers might have felt as they tried to sort through the promises given to Israel; they probably wondered if they were on the “outs” and therefore not really the people of God. On the other hand, for Jewish believers–who saw Jesus as the promised Christ–there was  certainly confusion as to what they should expect (as it regarded the Law of Moses) of their new Gentile brethren, and what it meant that believing Gentiles were considered God’s people. This sets up John’s later emphasis on assurance (1 Jn. 3:19) and love for the brethren (1 Jn. 5:1-2); both Jews and Gentiles needed assurance that it was in Christ, and only in Christ that we might have fellowship with God and each other, on the grounds of the Gospel message of grace, new birth, and love for those begotten of God.

Joy: Endless, Boundless, Free

The story of mankind is quite simple. God is supremely happy in Himself. Man was made by God to enjoy God. Through sin, man was severed from fellowship with God, and therefore plunged into the deepest depths of sorrow. Through Christ the joy of fellowship with God is promised and restored.

The aim of this epistle is that your joy might be full. Though Christ we find the joy of sins forgiven, the joy of reconciliation with God and our fellow man, the joy of earthly pleasures becoming subservient to the highest pleasure of experiencing God’s joy in us as His redeemed children, the joy of God’s promised blessings coming upon us. All these joys are poured out upon us because the Word of Life was manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. The promised Christ took on flesh and became a man named Jesus. This is your salvation.

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace (Jn. 1:16).” Fullness, not morsels. God promises more than just a token measure of joy; rather, those who hear and heed this Gospel receive the fullness of the super-abounding richness of grace upon grace. This is why the Angel told the shepherds, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people (Lk. 2:10).” This is why Luke closes his Gospel with this description of Christ’s disciples after they beheld Christ’s ascension “And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Lk. 24:52).” This is why “there was great joy in that city [of Samaria] (Act 8:8)” after Philip preached to them the Gospel. This is why the Psalmist declared in anticipation of the Messiah’s reign at the Father’s right hand, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16:11).” This is the pith of God’s promise to Abraham, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 12:3).”

So when man wonders about the meaning of life and death and asks, “Does any of it have meaning, and where can I find lasting joy?” The Gospel answers, “Yes.” In the Word of Life made manifest we are offered eternal life. Therefore, death does not have the last word and can be welcomed as a servant ushering us into greater joy and blessedness. True joy and lasting pleasures are found in the glory of God alone. Calvin points out: “He, therefore, has at length made a proficiency in the Gospel, who esteems himself happy in having communion with God, and acquiesces in that alone; and thus he prefers it to the whole world, so that he is ready for its sake to relinquish all other things.” It is right and fitting for us to use the most overflowing superlatives to describe this. As one hymn-writer put it: “Joy, rich and endless joy! High Heav’n the praise prolong; Let holy joy all tongues employ and fill the world with song (C.S. Nutter).” God’s pleasure and joy in Himself, is now bestowed upon us because of our covenant union with the man Jesus who was the Christ.

Ben Zornes