A Boomer in the Pew

Jesus Begins to Teach in Parables

Bible in a Year Series - Day #286 & #287 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Note:  the painting to the left resides in the Timken Museum in San Diego.  Here is a short piece that I did when we had the opportunity to view this remarkable painting by Breugel.

Jesus has been demonstrating the fact that he is the Messiah by astounding the crowds with many miracles.

Matthew's gospel proclaims to us over and over that Jesus is the Messiah, and provides example after example of fulfilled Old Testament prophesy as his proof.

Today, in our chronological year-long journey through the Bible, Matthew points to Jesus' newly introduced speaking in parables and brings forth this from the book of Isaiah:

"Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’"  (Matthew 13:14-15)

Matthew's book screams with joy to us, "This is the Messiah, this is the Messiah!"

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Jesus: Among Those Born of Women There Has Arisen No One Greater Than John the Baptist

Bible in a Year Series - Day #285 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 11.

Boy!  I am beginning to again feel like we are blazing through these chapters in a speeding cigarette boat, when I would prefer to stop and throw down an anchor.

As I contemplate the 285 days of our journey thus far, I find great value in our pace.  Our discipline has brought to me the overarching redemption story.

Nonetheless, there are SO many places where I have lamented the speed of our travels, and Matthew chapter 11 is one such place.

Why?  Well, look at this from Jesus:

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:11a)

Wow!  Sounds like a guy I should get to know!

I greatly enjoy expositors of the Bible.  Those who will, for example, take the book of Matthew, read each and every word, and then produce a digestible understanding of the underlying Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and even the historical context surrounding the chapters.

Dr. Albert Mohler is one of my favorites in this camp. 

Dr. Mohler recent finished an exposition of the book of Matthew.  Here is an audio file where he is sharing this thoughts around Matthew chapter 11.  Enjoy!

Do You Believe That Jesus Literally Raised the Widow's Son From the Dead?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #284 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 7.

Here's the description of the above scene:

"Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country." (Luke 7:11-17)

When people read this account, they generally fall into one of three camps:

1. Disbelief.  Some see the narrative of Messiah's miracles as fiction.
2. Allegory.  Some see the miracles of Messiah as merely allegory for religious instruction.
3. Belief.  Some believe that these stories are actual eye-witness accounts to Messiah's supernatural miracles.

I am solidly in camp #3, but find frustration that I can't muster the awe that this scene certainly must have created 2,000 years ago.

Imagine the scene this would create today!  I wonder how the media would portray the story?

Which camp are you in?

The Sermon on the Mount Club

Bible in a Year Series - Day #283 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 5-7.

There exists at business seminars all over the country those who are seminar junkies and collectors of books.

A great many desire to say, "I was there", or "I've got that book" feeling that being somewhere, or hearing someone, or having someone's book puts them in the club.

Early on, in my business life, I was quite taken back to learn that someone might possess a great business tome for example, but have never read it, let alone put its lessons into practice.

Just yesterday we saw Jesus scolding the learned men of the day because they did not understand, let alone live one of the most fundamental parts of having a relationship with God.

The Sermon on the Mount is the first of Jesus' discourses and I am quite confident that he would prefer that we study his words to gain understanding, and then, most of all, diligent seek to live its principles.

Furthermore, right before he closes this particular sermon, he gives us all a very stern warning:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ "(Matthew 7:21-23)

The kingdom of heaven is no more possessed by simply having read the sermon on the mount any more than possessing a great business tome will impart its collected skills without study and implementation.

The beatitudes, for example, are not merely nice sayings that one might put on a hallmark card.  With study, and considerable meditation, we find them to be most humbling proper positions of the heart before God.

The first one for example, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", describes the person who understands that they are completely and absolutely spiritually bankrupt and without this acknowledgement we will never begin to understand the cure.

Jesus, in his sermon on the mount, has made a large number of infinitely important statements and it behooves us all to study, understand, and then diligently work to apply.

Simply possessing the book doesn't get us into the kingdom of God.

I know this doesn't sit well with the "but I'm basically good" post-modern mind, but this mindset only belongs to the one who has a Bible, not the one who has actually read it.

I understand these are sobering words, but the words of Messiah found above are far more sobering.

I beg you, read, understand, and dilegently seek to obey.

Heart Check: Do Your Actions Demonstrate a Deep Desire to Have Relationship With God?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #282 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 12:1-21, Mark 3, & Luke 6.

"At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1-8)

"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice".  Jesus again brought up this quote from Hosea 6:6 (For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings) in Matthew 9:13. 

In fact, this was so important, he instructed the Pharisees to go learn what it means.

If we hop back into Hosea, one of the most gut-wrenching books displaying the heart of God, we will find Hosea chiding Israel for the heartless ritual of their sacrifices.

They were going through the motions, but there was no relationship or heart toward holy God.

As image-bearers, it is real easy for us to understand this. 

As a parent, what do you most want from your children?  Sure we want them to obey us, be healthy, and grow up to be good citizens.  But beyond these things, we desire an intimate relationship with our children.

We want to show them our love, and we certainly want to enjoy this love in return.

God desires no less.

So, here's the question for our own hearts today:  How do our actions demonstrate a true desire to have a deep relationship with God?

The Shema, Jesus Christ, and a Brewing Conflict

Bible in a Year Series - Day #281 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: John 5.

The Shema:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Even in today's Judaism, the Shema is one of the central prayers of the Jewish prayer book and is one of the foundational understandings of Yahweh:  there is only one God.

After our 200+ days of reading the Hebrew Canon this fact is brazenly clear.

Now, here comes Jesus claiming to be "one" with Yahweh.  To the Jews, this was blasphemy and stoning was the appropriate action for such a thing.  To make matters worse, in today's reading we find Jesus healing on the Sabbath which is another great offense to the Jewish understanding of Yahweh's law.

There was a significant amount of theology in the words of Jesus today that is greatly worthy of our attention.  But, with the quick pace of our chronological study, I think it important that we understand what Jesus is intent on doing.

The Christian believes that Jesus is the Messiah, Immanuel, God come to earth.  The Jew believes Jesus to be a blasphemer worthy of death.

This was the conflict then, and it is still the conflict now. 

As we discussed yesterday, the post-modern mind would dream up a nice convenient middle ground where we would dream Jesus to be a Rabbi, a good teacher, or perhaps a prophet. 

But, the student of the Scriptures will understand that Jesus did not leave this as an option.  We must all make a choice:  Is this God or is this man a fraud?

For us today, there is no irrefutable empirical evidence.  However, in my view, taking a look at the whole of Christianity's testimony, there is certainly enough evidence to require a verdict on our parts.

Furthermore, if this was indeed God come to earth, then this is certainly the most important task that any of us could undertake.

Dear reader, this man Jesus claimed to be God.  This man today has billions upon billions of followers. 

Doesn't it makes sense to spend a portion of our lives exploring his claims and making our own decisions?  As Pascal said in his famous wager, you don't want to be on the loosing side of this proposition.

Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #280 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Mark 2.

One of the things that we must understand about Jesus Messiah is his continual claim to be God.

Consider this:

"And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12)

If Jay Leno were to do one of his "Jaywalking" polls and ask people on the street who Jesus was, many would say a prophet, a rabbi, a good teacher, or maybe even fiction.

But as C.S. Lewis puts it, Jesus didn't leave us these choices:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Jesus was a liar, lunatic, legend, or God. 

Who do you say he was?

Jesus Messiah, Nicodemus, and Being Born Again?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #279 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: John 2-4.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews slips out one night to ask this of Jesus:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:2-8)

This conversation between Messiah and Nicodemus was an infinitely important conversation.

Therefore, rather than attempt to explain, I am going to defer to one of my trusted theological teachers, Dr. John Piper.

Take some time to watch this video.

Messiah's First Sermon: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand

Bible in a Year Series - Day #278 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 4, Luke 4-5, and John 1:15-51.

Alright, it doesn't take a brilliant theologican to understand that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all claiming that this Jesus of Nazareth is the long awaited Messiah.

Further, we shall soon see that this Jesus will in fact claim to be God incarnate, forgive sins, and begin to poke at the white-washed tombs (priests) that were in leadership positions in Jerusalem.

The Jews had been waiting for centuries for the Messiah.  They figured that he would reclaim the throne of David, bring Israel back to her rightful place as the preeminent nation of earth, and throw off the evil nations that have ruled over them for far too long.

Jesus is about to preach his very first sermon, and this is what he told the crowd:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

OK!  Apply fingers to skull and start scratching.

I suspect they had something in mind along the lines of a great warrior-king, like Joshua or David.  Certainly the Messiah would be a great warrior-king.  Right?

Wrong. 

This so-called Messiah was asking people to repent of their sins and talking about a kingdom in heaven! 

What the heck is heaven?  Will Israel be renamed heaven? 

Where's your sword Jesus?  Let's go rout these pagan dogs!

What they didn't understand is that Messiah was here to provide a permanent means of redemption for the horrific event that occured in the Garden of Eden many thousands of years ago.

It seems that God's creation has four main pillars:

1. Creation
2. Rebellion (the fall)
3. Redemption (Christ's ultimate sacrifice)
4. Consumation (restored creation)

With Immanuel's coming, we now find ourselves ushered into the redemption phase.  God is calling his own to turn from their fallen ways, repent (turn around), and to accept the free gift of salvation that his coming sacrifice will bring.

Although these events happened 2,000 years ago, the call still remains.

The question for all of us is this:  Do we believe that this was indeed God, and will we obey?

John the Baptist, the Baptism of Christ, and a Foretold Winnowing Fork

Bible in a Year Series - Day #277 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time.

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Matthew 3, Mark 1, & Luke 3.

I suppose it is readily understood that many times God will send a prophet when he is unhappy with his priests. 

Here we have no exception:

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:7-12)

Ouch!

Clearly, John the Baptist was not familiar with Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

The post-modern mind would rather that Jesus Christ be more Bono in a bathrobe than a Judge with a winnowing fork.  And, contrary to the dreams of would be beauty queens, Jesus did not come to bring world peace.

In just three chapters, it is already clear that we are going to be scratching our heads a great deal.  Once again, God is going to blow our minds.

Are you ready?