A New Commandment

You can watch the video of this message here.

Last week, Pastor Mark shared that Jesus had become troubled in spirit. The disciples are together in the upper room and the end is getting closer and closer for Jesus. There was a betrayer among the disciples and the disciples were confused with each one wondering if it was them. Peter asked the pointed question, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus gave a morsel of bread to Judas indicating it was he who would betray Jesus. Satan enters the body of Judas to take possession of it, and the disciples are confused over the meaning of the morsel. Judas leaves the meeting and enters the night. This morning, we’re still in the upper room and Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment.

Take a look at our passage that’s found in John 13:31-35.

After Judas left the meeting, “Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” All that Jesus has taught, all the places He has gone, all the words that have been spoken, all the people He has met have led to this moment in time. This moment in time is connected with the departure of Judas and sets us up for a summary of the introduction to what is known as the farewell cycle that follows. Jesus is left with eleven disciples. They have just finished a meal together and Jesus took the form of a servant by washing their feet. Everything in Jesus’ life has been orchestrated for this moment.          All the anticipation, the dread, the heartache, the sorrow is set in motion by the time phrase, “Now.” John speaks often of Jesus’ glorification. When Jesus became flesh in Jo. 1:14, John said, “We saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus gets His glory from God in Jo. 5:40, 8:54, and 17:5. Jesus consistently directs glory to God in Jo. 7:18, 8:50, 11:4, 13:31, 14:13, and 17:1 which indicates that what He accomplishes is for God’s glory and not His own. Jesus has chosen the way of obedience. As painful and heart wrenching as this is, the glory of Jesus will usher in the coming of the Spirit of God when Jesus will return to the right hand of God from which He came.

As we saw in Chapter 12, glory is the Greek word doxazo which means praise. While we are all familiar with that word, it is difficult to define. Praise is to cause someone to have glorious greatness, to make gloriously great or to glorify. According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, glory denotes divine and heavenly radiance, the loftiness and majesty of God, and even the being of God and His world. That dictionary goes on to say, “in relation to God it implies that which makes God impressive to man, the force of His self-manifestation.” To help us understand this very challenging concept, the Bible often uses the power of nature. To get an understanding of the power of God in nature, take a look at Ps. 97:1-6. Incredible. In Ezekiel’s vision, he saw the heavens opened and saw, “A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.” (Ez. 1:4) Ex. 24:17 speaks of the glory of God that looked like a consuming fire on the mountain top. One more in Ps. 29:3-9. the glory of God is nearly impossible to define because our efforts fall short to describe what is indescribable.

And if it weren’t challenging enough, Jesus says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.” This seems like a circular explanation. Jesus is glorified. God is glorified in Jesus. The verb glorified here is passive and intransitive. That means the actions of God are not separate from the actions of Jesus. Jesus acts as God’s representative on earth. Anything that Jesus does brings credit to God. In other words, God has revealed Himself in the person and work of Christ. God has revealed His willingness and desire to see the process of redemption affected by Jesus. In Jesus’ walk of obedience, God is glorified. The end does not have to arrive for the glorification to occur. It is an immediate result. Time is running out. As the time for reflection draws to a close, Jesus tells His disciples, “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’” Little children is a term of affection. He’s speaking to them with love, tenderness, and compassion. In just a little while, He will no longer be with them. This is an undefinable period of time. It’s relative. As I get older, things I think happened a few months ago actually occurred a couple of years ago. Jesus is preparing them for His departure. This isn’t like taking a short trip. See you soon. Jesus is preparing to leave and they will not see Him again. The disciples do not have the luxury we have. They are not aware of what John writes in 14:1-3. Jesus told this same thing to the Jews. You will seek me. He told this to the Pharisees in 7:34 when He was teaching in the temple and again when they brought the woman caught in adultery in 8:21.

“You cannot come” relates to the word now. Now is in this present moment. It is separate from the past and to the future, but connected to both. Jesus has a mission. The disciples have a mission. Jesus’ time on earth is coming to the end, but the disciple’s lives are not. The work of Jesus will continue through the disciples. The testimony of Jesus will continue through the disciples. The teaching of Jesus will continue through the disciples. This would better be translated, “You cannot come right now.”

As the disciples ponder the idea of not being able to follow Jesus where He is going, Jesus lays a new commandment on them. This new commandment has to do with community. Community in our culture is a pretty big deal. Community can be defined as a group of people living together in one place practicing common ownership. We have community college, community libraries, community parks, and community centers. We have community policing. At Three Rivers, we have community groups. As new communities are established, those communities develop standards for interaction with one another. These standards take the form of laws, covenants, and ordinances. These are boundaries for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. We see these boundaries on the local, state, and national levels. Rules and restrictions designed for the common good of the people and they can be written and unwritten. When new people come into a neighborhood, a school, a city, or a church, they try to bring their ways to what has been established. They want things done the way they are used to and this can result in confusion, tension, and chaos. When you get a large influx of people from elsewhere, those boundaries are sometimes disregarded.

The new commandment Jesus gives comes with a basic premise. He provides a foundational assumption that enables this new commandment. Sometimes it’s quite necessary to state the assumptions. When I first began searching for a position in ministry, in most of the ads I looked at, there was an assumption made. When you think of the qualifications for pastor, what are the characteristics churches look for? Education, experience, dynamic speaker, good communicator, a history of compassionate character one ad listed. To see if this trend continued, I looked at some job postings on a popular ministry job website. I looked at ten ads and only two mention something that I think most churches take for granted. The churches assume that someone applying for the office of pastor would have a credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ, but it is not listed. To be fair, the Bible is filled with assumptions based on the context of what it’s saying. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy when he annotated the qualifications for pastor, the assumption is that the person has a credible confession of faith, but Paul clarified the qualification by saying, “Not a new convert.” (1 Tim. 3:6) In going back to the Old Testament and Ex. 20, the assumption is the Ten Commandments were given to those people in a covenant relationship with God. Ex. 20:2 says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” That’s where the Ten Commandments start. Then v. 3 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

The assumption Jesus makes before He gives the new commandment is that the people He is talking to have a credible confession of faith which enables them to fulfill the commandment He is about to give. Here it is: “That you love one another.” This seems simple enough and pretty straight forward. Jesus will explain this command in the next phrase, but let’s look at the four words in the command, “You love one another.” You refer to the disciples specifically, but is applied to all followers. Men who have made a profession of faith. Men who have walked with Christ. Men who are growing in Christ, developing spiritual maturity and wisdom. Love is the Greek word agape that many people are familiar with. It is a present tense verb meaning it’s an action word with no assessment of completion. It is in the subjunctive mood meaning the action is probable or likely and it is also intentional. One another is one word in Greek and means another person. Love is one of the most common words used to describe an affection for something. It comes as no surprise to you that I love donuts, coffee, and chocolate, but you know that’s not what Jesus is talking about. Our frequent usage of the word love has watered down the actual meaning of the word. Websters give us nine basic definitions for the word love and then has 11 other sub-definitions. It’s a pretty complex concept.

In order to get a handle on this new commandment, let’s go to the greatest description of love known to man: 1 Cor. 13. The church at Corinth was a mess. Corinth was the chief city of Greece. The city was known for intellectualism, athletics, and culture. But the city had serious issues with idolatry and paganism. This was reflected in the church and divisions arose among the people prompting Paul to write the letter. In his letter, Paul addresses at least 15 specific issues and provides the solution to those problems. Before Paul defines love, he establishes what it’s like to be devoid of love. Look carefully at 1 Cor. 13:1-14. There’s a lot there to take in. Anything done without love, while it may not be sinful, is not necessarily Christlike. If the Corinthians would simply have demonstrated love to one another, a lot of the problems they had would not have been problems.

Too often in our society, we have allowed people that are incapable of biblical love to define what love is. 1 Jo. 4:19 says “We love, because He first loved us.” Apart from Christ, we can only demonstrate an incomplete form of love. Jesus qualifies the love by adding, “Even as I loved you, that you love one another.” How does Jesus love? Perfectly, completely, with no limitation, no restriction. Unconditionally, sacrificially, eternally. This new command to love is not so everyone will get along with each other although that is a really great idea. Love doesn’t mean no conflict as some may suggest. “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” (Gal. 2:11) Paul referenced the disagreement he had with Peter in Antioch. There was such, “A sharp disagreement” (Acts 15:39) between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark that they determined to go their separate ways. Love doesn’t mean always agreeing. Jesus’ primary reason for issuing this new commandment is given when He says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” A demonstration of Jesus’ love is what separates us from others, it’s what we should be known by. But you also need to understand other passages of Scripture that have to do with this same topic. In Mark 12, a scribe asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. Jesus answered with, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Now is the time that God is glorified in Jesus. Jesus is only going to be with His disciples a little while longer. He takes the time to teach them a new commandment that will truly demonstrate that they are one with Him. The disciples were to love one another the way Christ loved them. Christ’s abiding love is the reason they can actually achieve this level of love. It is something we should seek to do. It is not some intangible, unattainable goal. We are to love. All men will see the love of Christ that is in us and that will tell everyone who we belong to.

The Plot Thickens

You can watch the service and message here.

Last week, Pastor Mark told us that Jesus arrived in Bethany and was met by Martha. There was sorrow, grief, and weeping and when Jesus went to the tomb where Lazarus lay, He wept too. There’s some talk about Jesus; second guessing. If He can open the eyes of a blind man, surely, He could have saved Lazarus. As Jesus stands in front of the stone closing the tomb where Lazarus was, He tells them to remove the stone. Martha protests by saying Lazarus would stink since it has been four days. When the stone is removed, Jesus commands Lazarus to come forth and he did. As one of Jesus’ greatest miracles ever unfolded before their very eyes, “Many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.” This morning, we’ll see the Pharisees formulate a plan to stop Jesus.

Grab your Bible and look at John 11:47-57.

Everyone knows you need to meet together to hatch out a plan. “Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.” The major players of the day get together to formulate a plan. The chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council. The members of this council make up what is known as the Sanhedrin. Although we have seen allusions to this body in John, this is the first time they are mentioned by name. These are the ruling leaders in Jerusalem and we’ve seen them before. In general, the Sanhedrin was made up of seventy leading priests of the day who were mostly Sadducees. Also in the group were the rabbinic scribes who were mostly Pharisees. The ruling high priest of the year made member 71. In general, this body exercised authority over the religious life of the Jews. They were under the jurisdiction of the Roman authorities and we’ll see that played out more as we move on. The Sanhedrin play a huge role in Acts. They had the decision-making power to affect change that should be for the good of the Jewish people.

A council is called together to discuss a matter of great importance. In the opening verse for today’s message, I am drawn to the phrase, “What are we doing?” It is better translated, “What should we do?” or “What are we to do?”  Your version may have it translated that way. We have a council meeting made up of the leading religious figures of the day and they get together to discuss this cataclysmic event that has everyone talking. You would think that having one of their people die and subsequently raised from the dead would be big news and bring great joy to the people. Verse 47 has the council already meeting together and this is the first thing that is said. “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.” Of the 71 members of the council, we know of only one man that seems open to hearing about the true Jesus. We saw him first back in Chapter 3 and his name is Nicodemus. Later we’ll be introduced to Joseph of Arimathea (Jo. 19:38) and Gamaliel (Acts 5) who also looked favorably on Jesus. Jesus is performing many signs. Back in Jo. 2:11 we saw the beginning of His many signs when He turned water into wine. You would think the Sanhedrin would be happy about this. People are turning to Jesus and following the way. This is the way of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the way spoken of in the Old Testament. These signs are pointing to the truth of who Jesus really is: the long-awaited Messiah which the Sanhedrin were supposed to be looking forward to.

The reason for their concern is found in the chilling reason they admit with their own mouths: “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” This is a power struggle. Jesus has arrived on the scene and has upset the status quo. He is doing things the Sanhedrin say He should not do. He is saying things the Sanhedrin say He cannot say. The Sanhedrin cannot counter what Jesus says so they do what people do when they have no regard for truth: they seek to censor. Back in the day, we learned how to handle disagreements. We could disagree and maintain a respectful and courteous demeanor. We knew how to listen. We were willing to hear differing viewpoints and come to a well thought out, educated conclusions based on fact. What we are experiencing today is an attack on the very fabric of God’s design for humanity. Whether it’s global warming, animal rights, green energy, abortion, or plastic straws, divisions have been created – either real or perceived – because of a position someone takes. Why do these divisions exist? It is the source of everything that is contrary to God and truth. It is the root of every single sin and that is pride. Pride says my way is better. My way is right. My truth is what matters.

The real reason the Sanhedrin are so concerned about Jesus is they don’t want to see people follow Him because it would mean less power for them. Remember, these are the religious experts of the day. The reason they are so strongly opposed to Jesus is He did not come as they expected the Messiah to come. Even though He spoke as One who is in intimate fellowship with God and even claimed to be God, they could not see past their own misguided view of truth. The Sanhedrin reasoned if they let Jesus continue on this path unchecked, they would lose everything they had: position, power, prestige, and authority. This council was not as much a religious authority as they were a political authority. You’ve seen this same thing in today’s political arena. Elected officials that are supposed to represent the will of the people often ignore those that elected them. They’re unwilling to go against others even if it’s the will of the people. What’s funny is that in our system, if elected officials don’t do the will of the people, they’re supposed to be voted out.

The Sanhedrin had the same fear today’s political leaders have: loss of position, power, prestige, and authority. What we fail to realize is the reason for this. It comes down to the responsibility of the church and those that make up the church. The church’s primary mission is found in Matt. 28:19-20 that commands us to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This is a two-step process. Baptize: this refers to presenting the Gospel message to people we come in contact with. Once people make the decision to accept the free gift of salvation, you teach them all that Jesus has commanded. This is where we have dropped the ball and this is one of the reasons society is where it is. The church is supposed to shape society, not the other way around. But when the people who profess a relationship with God through the door that is Jesus Christ look, act, and think no differently than the world, we have a big problem. Church leadership has a role to play in that, but at best, we have you with us about 5.5 hours in the week if you participate in Sunday School, corporate worship, CG on Monday and CG on Wednesday. There are 168 hours in the week. That’s just over 3% of your time. To put this in perspective, American spends an average of five hours 16 minutes on leisure activities including watching TV, exercising, and shopping – 21 % of our time. Included in that as an average of 11 minutes per day reading.

If the church would function as the church should, we would see the world around us change. We must make Jesus the focus and not the building. We must challenge people with the truth of Jesus and allow Him to be the force for change. We must carefully and intentionally move people from a salvation experience to an intentional daily walk with Christ. We do this in every other facet of life. We start with simple concepts and build on those. You cannot master complex concepts or tasks until you’ve mastered the fundamentals. We want to know the mysteries of God, but haven’t taken the time to know who Jesus is. We want to have some platform where people listen to us, but aren’t willing to take the time to listen to what God is telling us. The church needs to lead the way in helping people grow into who Christ wants them to be. Sometimes we can be like the Sanhedrin. We get jealous. That church has more people than we do. That youth group is stealing our kids. We lose sight of the big picture. the Sanhedrin were jealous and threatened by Jesus. Remember, they did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, didn’t acknowledge His teaching as from God, and thought Him to be at best a magician leading people astray, or at worst, the devil incarnate. In their zeal to maintain their position, they missed the Messiah.

As the Sanhedrin discussed this matter, Caiaphas the high priest says, “You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” Caiaphas served as high priest from A.D. 18-36. He reasoned that Jesus had to die if Israel was to remain in Rome’s favor. The Sanhedrin just concluded that if Jesus continued on and gained more favor, the Romans would take away their nation. How would that happen? How did the Roman Empire expand? By force. John provides some clarification by saying, “Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation.” Caiaphas was right, Jesus had to die for the nation and die for all. This is an example of God using what He will to accomplish His will. John is saying that Caiaphas’ words were not from him. He didn’t come up with them on his own, but had to be directed by the power of God to say what he said. What Caiaphas seems oblivious to is that his words foreshadow what is to come regarding Jesus. It is true that Jesus must die for an entire nation and to gather all the children of God. But not in the manner Caiaphas means. Caiaphas thinks Jesus has to die to maintain the status quo of power the Sanhedrin have and to preserve the nation in which they are ruling. John means something far more eternal in referencing Jesus’ death.

The last part of Caiaphas’s prophesy says, “and not the for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Not all of God’s children are in Jerusalem. They’re all over the earth. Remember the other sheep that are not in the sheepfold that Jesus spoke of in Jo. 10:16. Ps. 106:47 says, “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise.” Is. 43:5-6 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!” And to the south, “Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” Jer. 23:3 says, “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of al the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.” Jesus will gather His children together. “So from that day on they planned to kill Him.” We knew where this was going. How are they going to do this? What’s the plan? Matt. 26:4 says, “They plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.”

Now what? The loose plan has been established. Secretly seize Jesus and then kill Him. The Sanhedrin’s power would be maintained, Caiaphas would continue on as high priest, and all would be as it had been with Jesus out of the picture. While the Sanhedrin work out the details of the plan, Jesus makes a decision. “Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.” Ephraim is about 12 miles northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus retreats to Ephraim, out of the reach of the Sanhedrin, at least for a time. While Jesus and His disciples spend quiet time in Ephraim, “Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves.”  Things are getting busy in Jerusalem as people from all over the countryside will make the journey prior to Passover.

As Passover approached, John gives us a peek into the one tracked mind of the Pharisees and says, “So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” Will Passover give them an opportunity to seize Jesus? Will He come at all? Not leaving anything to chance, “Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.” This reminds me of what was happening at the height of the pandemic. Hotlines were set up in some areas that people could call an 800 number and report illegal gatherings. They get the word out to report any sightings of Jesus so they could continue with their diabolical plot to kill Jesus.

Concerned over the rising popularity of Jesus and the message He carried, the Sanhedrin convened a special meeting to deal with what they viewed as a huge problem. If Jesus is not shut down, the Sanhedrin could lose all their power, something that causes them great concern. Unable to contain the growing popularity of Jesus, they decide the only thing to do is kill Him. As Chapter 11 comes to a close, we look forward to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the chronological pace of this gospel picks up. There is still a long way to go and it keeps getting better and better.

Isaac gets a Girl

You can watch this message here.

Last week we learned of Sarah’s death. Abraham was well respected in Canaan and we saw the generosity from the sons of Heth when Abraham negotiated to purchase a burial plot for Sarah. Abraham wanted a cave in Machpelah and was willing to pay for it, but Ephron wanted to give him the cave and the field the cave was in. They went back and forth before Abraham convinced Ephron to take 400 pieces of silver for it and Sarah was laid to rest, “in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in Canaan.” This morning, Abraham sends his oldest servant on a mission to find a wife for Isaac.

We’ll look at all of Chapter 24 in this post, but we’ll break it down into several sections. First, take a look at Gen. 24:1-9.

Cue the mission impossible theme song. Abraham is getting up in years and it seems that he is growing concerned that Isaac does not have a wife. He calls for the oldest servant in the house, probably the most trusted, loyal servant he has. Abraham tells him to place his hand under his thigh. I know at first glance, this seems like a very strange thing to do. Think about Abraham observing the solemn promise of the pinky swear. This was a symbol a very solemn oath. We’ll see it again later in Genesis. Abraham asks his servant to take a two-part oath, that is sworn, “By the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth.” First, the wife that is chosen for Isaac was not to be a Canaanite. The God of Abraham is not the same as the gods that are worshipped in Canaan. Abraham does not want any problems arising from a Canaanite woman that does not worship the one and only true God. This is the same reason why you don’t date and definitely don’t marry someone that does not hold the same fundamental beliefs as you do. There is no such thing as missional dating. You don’t marry a fixer upper. I’m not suggesting that you must be at the same level of spiritual maturity, but if you’re a believer, the other has to at least be spiritually reborn. In 2 Cor. 6:14-16a Paul said, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?”

Abraham wants someone for Isaac that will be compatible with him spiritually. Second, the woman should be taken from Abraham’s relatives. This is no small task and the servant is being asked to swear to do it by the God of heaven and the God of earth. Before accepting the assignment, the servant wants some clarification. If I find a girl and she’s not willing to come here, should I grab Isaac and go there? The servant did not rise to be Abraham’s #1 servant because he was dumb. The servant anticipates a potential problem and pushes it back to Abraham. It would be normal in that day for a potential suitor to be interviewed by the father of the potential bride. There were details to be haggled out. Perhaps there were possessions to be exchanged. You don’t just go into a new place as a stranger and say, “I want that one, come with me.” Abraham gives the servant an out by saying, “If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there. So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.” Mission accepted.

The story shifts to the servant’s journey. Look at vs. 10-21. The servant packs up 10 camels and takes the best Abraham has to offer and heads to Aram of the two rivers and to the city of Nahor. Nahor is not the name of the city, but who resides there. Nahor is the name of Abraham’s grandfather and also Abraham’s brother. The city is most likely Harran. The servant has traveled back to the land that Abraham left all those years ago. Like most people after a journey, the servant stops at the well outside of town to water the camels. The picture of a train of ten camels loaded with all the best Abraham has to offer shows a picture of the blessings of God. The servant stops at the watering hole and it’s not just to get water. It is evening time, the time when women go to the well to get water and the best opportunity to spot a woman that would serve well as Isaac’s wife. Not wanting to leave the success of this important mission to himself or to chance, the servant calls on the God of Abraham and prays for success. This is a good principle to follow. Prayer should always be a first choice, not a last resort. All too often, we get the call when someone is on the brink of disaster. A marriage is one step from total breakdown. A believer is one step from walking away from church. Use the privilege of being in the presence of God to allow Him to guide your path to achieve success in His eyes.

The servant prays a very specific prayer that could only be answered by God. It was an impossible prayer in man’s eyes. It was a very specific prayer that could only be answered by an all knowing, all seeing God. This prayer represents an unmistakable method to ensure that the servant selects the right girl. Before the servant even finishes, up walks Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. What are the odds? The odds are excellent because the Father knows what you need before you even ask. (Matt. 6:8) This was no ordinary girl. She was not just beautiful; she was very beautiful. She was a virgin. Those two qualities are great, but there was another quality the prospective wife of Isaac had to meet. Remember in Chapter 18 when Abraham beseeched the three visitors to allow him to entertain them. This idea of hospitality was very important in that culture. The servant knows this and not only is Rebekah very beautiful, a virgin, and a relative of Abraham, she demonstrated the hospitality that set her apart as the one for Isaac. Some say Rebekah was a female Abraham who was as virtuous as Abraham in this area.

“Then the servant ran to meet her, and said. “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” The next series of verses are very important as we see the Lord working. Immediately Rebekah responds by saying, “Drink my lord,” and she lowered the jar down. When the servant finishes, she says, let me get some water for your camels too. A thirsty camel can drink over two gallons of water a minute. Remember there are ten camels; that’s a lot of water. Rebekah quickly lowered her jar to let the servant drink, she quickly emptied her jar in the trough, and ran to the well to get more water. Rebekah is a picture of hospitality and the servant is carefully watching her to see if she is the one which would make his journey a success.

A decision is made in the matter. Look at vs. 22-27. Without a word, the servant gives Rebekah a nose ring and bracelets and asks, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” This is not the kind of question we would ask a complete stranger, but remember back then, it was customary to expect and provide hospitality. Keep in mind, we know her lineage, but up to now, the servant does not. Rebekah provides the answer he prayerfully hoped for and he falls to the ground in worship. God has answered his specific prayers and he knows that Rebekah is the one for Isaac. What’s Rebekah do? Read vs. 28-33. She runs home and tells everyone what just happened. Laban, Rebekah’s brother, sees the golden jewelry, hears what happened, and runs outside to the spring. Laban says to the servant, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” The hospitality showed by Rebekah is mirrored in the hospitality demonstrated by Laban and the entire household. Laban takes care of the camels, gets water so the men can wash their feet, and sets food before them. The servant says, hold on just a minute. I can’t eat until I tell you about the mission I am on. Laban says, “Speak on.” In my mind, Rebekah’s family is seated around the room all looking at the servant expectantly.

And now vs. 34-48. The servant tells the family what we already know and comes to the ultimate question: “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” If this is going to work, let me know. If not, I’ll be on my way. Look at Laban’s and Bethuel’s response: “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” You cannot stand in the way of what God is going to accomplish. This entire series of events was put in motion by the prayers of Abraham and the prayer of the servant. Rebekah and her household had to be in tune with the Lord because they followed His direction. Can people choose to ignore God’s will and go their own way? Of course. We can choose disobedience, but that’s never part of God’s plan. This will be the last time we hear Bethuel weigh in on the discussion. “When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.” Once again, we see the acknowledgment from the servant that God is the God that made it happen. He worships again. We saw the generosity of the servant to Rebekah in the form of gold jewelry, and now he lavishes additional gifts on Rebekah and also Rebekah’s mother and brother. This wonderful time culminates in a meal for everyone gathered before they retire for the night.

When they woke up the next morning, the servant says, “Send me away to my master.” Laban and his mother say, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” The Lord had prepared the way so carefully. Everything fell into place so beautifully and now we seem to have hit a snag. Laban and his mom want Rebekah to stay ten days. It was customary in those times for the eldest brother to negotiate marriage arrangements for a sister. Rebekah’s brother and mother want her to stay another ten days. Now this might be a problem. The servant has just made a huge request to give Rebekah to Isaac, someone she has never even laid eyes on. You’d think that this simple request made by Rebekah’s loved ones would be something that was doable. But Abraham’s servant says, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” The servant is ready to begin the journey back to Abraham and does not even want to spend another day there. There is a sense of urgency in the servant’s request. I don’t know if Laban and his mother knew what Rebekah might be thinking, but they say, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” After hearing from the servant about his journey and his mission, after all the decision making by Laban and his mother, they decide to ask Rebekah what she wants to do. “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” The decision is quickly made.

Look now at vs. 59-61. Rebekah leaves her household blessed by Laban. The hope is for thousands upon thousands of offspring. This blessing is similar to God’s blessing of Sarah in Gen. 17:16 where God tells Abraham that she will be the mother of nations and kings. It is also similar to the blessing in 22:17 when the angel tells Abraham that his descendants will number like the sand on the seashore. Rebekah plays a significant part in the future of Israel.

Isaac sees Rebekah for the first time. Read vs. 62-67. As their journey comes to an end, Isaac is in the Negev meditating in a field as evening approached. He looks up and sees the entourage coming. At the same moment, Rebekah looks up and sees Isaac looking toward her and she asks the servant, “Who is the man walking in the field to meet us?” The timing of this is very important and points to God’s perfect timing. Isaac looks up and Rebekah looks up. Earlier in the story, as the servant was finishing his prayer, Rebekah walked up. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his one and only son, he spots a ram caught in the thickets. As Ishmael was about to die of thirst, Hagar’s eyes are opened and she sees a well. God’s timing is important. Rebekah gets off her camel and covers her face. “The servant told Isaac all the things he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

We have come to the end of the longest chapter in Genesis. The mission Abraham sent his servant on has ended in complete success. This wasn’t just an arranged marriage or a marriage of convenience. The perfect wife has been found for Isaac and he loved her. The stage now shifts from Abraham and Sarah to Isaac and Rebekah. Will Isaac and Rebekah find happiness in their new marriage? Will there be children? Will they live happily ever after? What will happen next? You’ll have to wait until next week.

The Students

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Last week, Pastor Zane told us about the meeting that took place between Paul and Silas and the people in the synagogue at Thessalonica. Paul and Silas stayed there three sabbaths and gave powerful messages about the suffering of Christ, about His death, burial, and glorious resurrection. The long awaited Messiah had come! The Bible tells us, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.” The Jews became jealous of these conversions and as we have seen before, a mob is formed and the attacks commenced. The Jews couldn’t find Paul so they dragged Jason before the city authorities and after Jason pinky swore that Paul wasn’t there, they let him go. This morning, we’ll pick up the story and see what happens to our missionary heroes.

Take a look at our passage today in Acts 17:10-15.

We begin with the next city. Paul and Silas narrowly escape another mob and leave Thessalonica under the cover of darkness. As is often the case in Acts, we lose a sense of time because we pick up with them leaving at night and then arriving in Berea. I imagine we think about this like going from St. Marys to Kingsland. It was about a three day walk from Thessalonica to Berea. Luke leaves out the details of the journey including where they stopped for the night, where they ate, and what they did along the way. Berea is on the eastern slope of Mt. Vernon in the Olympian mountains. It is located in a fairly remote area and was a city of some prominence having been one of the four capitals of Macedonia. Paul and Silas arrive and as is their custom, they go directly to the synagogue.

I love how Luke describes these people from Berea. Remember Paul just left Thessalonica where many people decided to follow Jesus. Thessalonica was the location of the church that Paul sent two letters to that are so important, they’re included in Scripture. But the Bereans Luke describes as, “More noble-minded than those in Thessalonica.” We need to be careful when we look at the words here. You could easily draw the conclusion that the Thessalonians weren’t noble, but that’s not what Luke says. Noble in this context means a willingness to learn and evaluate something fairly. It’s the difference between exegesis and eisegesis. You’ve likely heard both of those terms from the pulpit here at Three Rivers. One term is very healthy and one is very damaging. One term is biblical and one is not. One term demonstrates a willingness to learn, one does not. One term will foster growth; one term will stifle growth. The Bereans demonstrated one term. Let me be crystal clear on something. Bible study is hard work. There are no shortcuts. Even if you paid close attention to every sermon you heard, every Sunday School lesson you heard, every small group you attended, you will never get what you need to have a healthy relationship with Jesus. You will not be equipped in the manner necessary to prepare you for the challenges of life.

What makes the Bereans noble? “They received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” If you have spent any length of time in an evangelical church, you’ve heard of the Bereans. They are often referred to as an example of what each person should be like. I will echo those statements about the Bereans. There were several things they did that should be emulated. First, “they received the word.” They were attentive. They weren’t thinking about lunch, or about grocery lists, or laundry, or how they have it worse than their neighbors. They heard what Paul was saying and they were listening. They weren’t simply sitting there taking credit for being present. There are people that take great pleasure in being at church, but don’t participate in the things that make the church the church, they’re simply in the building.

Second, they did this, “with great eagerness.” Not just with eagerness, that would be encouraging enough, but these Bereans received the word, “with great eagerness.” It is very exciting to be preaching or teaching God’s word and see the faces of the people in front of you. There are times you look out and the people are on the edge of their seats, they can’t wait to hear what comes next. They’re hanging on the Word of God.

Third, and always very important, the Bereans, “Examined the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” The Bereans did not take what Paul said with blind faith. They didn’t conclude that since Paul said something, it must be true. I always cringe when someone tells me, my pastor says, or my Sunday School teacher says, or some famous pastor says. I want to know what the Bible says and I want you to know what the Bible says. I find it shocking the people that stand on the authority of John MacArthur, David Platt, James MacDonald, Chuck Swindoll, or a host of other people. I’m not saying don’t read these guys or listen to them but filter it through the lens of Scripture. Too often, people in the church are not willing to apply due diligence to their Bible study, diligence they’ll apply to other areas of their life. They want it easy, they want it fast, they want it efficiently, they want it cheap, but it takes hard work to mine the depths of God’s Word and you’ll never reach the bottom. At the risk of offending you, many people in the church have a casual walk of faith and limited knowledge of the Bible and much of that comes from word of mouth or tradition. That’s why you see and hear arguments from professing believers about topics such as the inerrancy of Scripture, biblical marriage, judgment of sin, sanctity of human life, and sexuality. We have parents in the church more interested in dance, t-ball, and soccer than we do in Sunday School, children’s church, or AWANA. The believers from Berea did not take what Paul said at faceAWAN value. The word examine, as it is used here, is an incredible word. It means try to learn the truth of something by the process of careful study, evaluation, and judgment. It means to investigate. This is what the Bereans did: they dug into the Scriptures every single day to make sure that what Paul was saying lined up with the standard of truth.

The Bible must be studied properly. In historic context. With the meaning intended by God through the human authors as inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible cannot have multiple meanings for various passages of Scripture. For example, you have some people that talk about God’s blessings. Their teaching is that God’s favor is on you if you have everything you want: multi-million-dollar homes, airplanes, successful TV programs, stadium events, or good health. If you don’t have all of that, there is something wrong with you. We have other people in the church think that if something bad happens in their life, Satan is attacking them or they’re being persecuted. Still others want prayer for their kids for an upcoming test or sports event, or something else like that. These examples are examples I have observed myself. They only apply here in the United States. The idea of a multi-million-dollar home for a believer in a small village of Romania, Brazil, or Paraguay is non-sensical. For many believers in the world, their daily prayer is for food or to withstand the physical punishment of their faith and still glorify God. You see, we can’t rewrite the Bible to fit the American dream yet that’s what we seem to do with regularity. The Bible can have only one meaning. Many applications. The application of the principles of Scripture can look different in different cultures and in different families, but when the Bible says, “Abstain from sexual immorality,” that’s exactly what it means.

Here’s the reality. Paul was in the synagogue at Berea. His message was likely similar to what he preached in v. 3 when he was in Thessalonica. What did he preach there? The same message he preached everywhere: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus who is the Messiah. He preached the good news that is called the gospel. What happened? The same thing that has been happening since humanity began: “Many of them believed.” “Them” refers to the noble-minded Bereans. When the truth of the gospel is presented, people have a choice. You can choose to accept Jesus as Messiah by grace through faith or you can continue in your sin. Many Bereans believed, but also, “a number of prominent Greek women and men.” Prominent means important or having special prestige or honor. Those prominent people are unnamed, but we know what happens when people of influence turn to God. You can see what happens to nations when their leaders follow God. You can also see what happens when people of influence do not follow God. Paul enjoyed great success in Berea, but the joy, peace, and tranquility were short lived. “But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.” Will the opposition ever stop? As long as we continue to zealously pursue Christ and actively participate in the mission of the church, expect opposition to be there. The Jews stirred the pot and got the crowds agitated to the point that Paul needed to head on out to continue the mission that God had appointed him to. The brethren in Berea, “sent Paul out to go as far as the sea.” They got Paul safely out, but “Silas and Timothy remained there” in Berea. The Jews viewed Paul as the primary opposition to their way of life and they wanted to stop him. Don’t underestimate the importance of Silas and Timothy. Even though Paul has the primary role, don’t think that Silas and Timothy just hung out and carried Paul’s luggage and washed his feet. “Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.” Paul is escorted from Berea to the sea which is about 20 miles. Then from the sea to Athens is another 250 miles or so. This is sort of an undefined conclusion. Luke doesn’t tell us exactly how Paul got to Athens. All we know for sure is that Silas and Timothy join Paul some time later.

It seems that trouble follows Paul everywhere he goes. Trouble in our life often causes us to wonder, but for Paul, we don’t get that idea. We don’t see him waiver or doubt. He seems focused on the mission given him. What about us? Do we seem to waiver depending on the circumstances of life? Are we intent to accomplish the mission God has put before us regardless of the circumstances? Are we diligent to seek out the truth of Scripture for ourselves or do we think somehow, we are exempt from the hard work of truth seeking? What will happen to Silas and Timothy? What about Paul? Join us next week as we continue looking into the incredible journey of Paul and his companions.

Wisdom, Truth, and Folly

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Last week Solomon told us not to believe everything we hear. Check things out, that’s what people of wisdom do. Foolishness can be inherited from your parents, but Jesus Christ can break that cycle by transforming you into His image. The poor will be with us always, but that doesn’t mean ignore them. Be intentional with the Gospel because that’s what can change eternity for a person. This morning, Solomon continues with themes already presented in Proverbs.

Pro. 14:22-25 says, “Will they not go astray who devise evil? But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good. In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is foolishness. A truthful witness saves lives, but he who utters lies is treacherous.”

Will evil triumph? It’s a question we often ask ourselves as we see the things in this world spiraling out of control. Solomon says, “Will they not go astray who devise evil?” It’s a rhetorical question. If you devise evil, you are astray. If you are astray, it’s because evil is a part of your makeup. Again, Solomon is talking way of life, habit of life, this is who you are. The answer is yes, those that go astray devise evil. Just because they are in the evil business, does not mean that God is fooled, it doesn’t mean God turned His back, and it doesn’t mean God is not aware of what’s going on. These folks think they can outwit God, but His justice is perfect. We must maintain confidence, as hard as that may be at times, that God is in control and that He will prevail.

The other side of the coin is, “Kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.” People have their own definition of good and that goodness is often compared with people who are horrible.  It generally goes like this: “I may not be perfect, but I’m no murderer.” So whose definition of good are you going by? Let’s go by the definition Solomon uses. Good means that which gratifies the senses and derivatively that which gives aesthetic or moral satisfaction. Moral satisfaction. So in the ever changing tide of moral relativism, what is moral? You have to go to the unchanging standard of morality found in the Bible. Is it any wonder how confused people are as the standards continue to change? So they’re not really standards. Solomon says those that devise or plan good will be rewarded with kindness and truth. I think most people like to be treated that way. Is. 32:8 says “But the noble man devises noble plans; and by noble plans he stands.” Noble means having fine personal qualities or high moral principles

Solomon says talk is cheap. I love this next verse. “In all labor there is profit.” Everyone has been designed to work. The kind of work you do depends on the way God wired you. There are a nearly innumerable variety of things to do to earn a living. Our first example of working goes all the way back to Genesis. Gen. 2:2: “By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested o the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” Then in Gen. 2:15 God gave Adam the responsibility to cultivate and keep the garden – to work in it. Work had been around since the beginning. In all labor, in all work there is a benefit, there is a profit. You don’t have to see a paycheck for it to be work. Every woman that has kept a home and every mom that has raised kids knows that even though there is no paycheck, it’s still work. Anyone that has tended a garden and produced food knows it’s work. Anyone that has worked in the church or helped a neighbor or family member knows that not all work pays, but there is profit or benefit. When you work you have a sense of accomplishment. I know sometimes moms can feel like they’re just spinning their wheels in the home. The laundry gets done and next week you have to do it again. The house gets picked up only to have to pick it up again tomorrow. You mop the floor and it rains; you clean your house and have to clean it again next week. A lot of the work we do is repetitive and ongoing. I’m reminded of the term labor used in the delivery of a baby. It’s funny to me that we use that term because the real work occurs over the almost two decades following the labor, longer in some cases

The opposite of labor is, “But mere talk leads only to poverty.” These are not people looking for a job and cannot get hired. These are people talking about working, but fail to do anything to get hired to work somewhere. It also applies to people that don’t do anything around the home. They don’t take care of the yard, the cars, the dishes, the laundry, or the kids. They talk about working without ever really getting around to working. Let’s take a look at this idea of work from the Apostle Paul. You really need to find 2 Thes. 3:7-13 and take the time to read it. There are jobs available for people willing to work. You might have to show up at a particular time and that might mean going to bed at a reasonable hour and setting something that is called an alarm clock. You might have to work for a certain period of time called a work day. You might have to relocate somewhere and it might be cold there. If you don’t make enough to support yourself or your family, you might have to work two jobs. God demonstrated work and designed us to work.

The next verse looks like a departure. “The crown of the wise is their riches.” It often seem like money makes the world go round.    It doesn’t, but sometimes it seems like it does. Having wealth can get you into places that others cannot go. I remember Kari and I were in the market for a newer vehicle a number of years ago and we had stopped at a car dealership on the way home from the beach. We were dressed in beach clothing and were a bit shocked that we couldn’t seem to draw the attention of a salesman because we looked like we couldn’t buy a car. Having wealth and more importantly the wisdom in how best to use it is what Solomon is talking about here. There is a huge opportunity to use your wealth for God’s glory to further His Kingdom. Not everyone can go at any time, but instead saying I can’t do that, we have to ask ourselves, what can I do? If you have any kind of wealth, and wealth is relative, you can use it wisely to further the Kingdom. “But the folly of fools is foolishness.” Solomon has made it really clear that fools act foolishly because they lack wisdom. If you cheat, you’ll be labeled as a cheater. If you lie, you’ll be called a liar. If you scream, you’ll be called a screamer. If you act like a fool, you’ll be called foolish. So there really is no departure. Wise people seek knowledge and that’s why they’re wise. Fools continue to seek folly and that’s why they’re fools.

There so many applications for the next verse. “A truthful witness saves lives, but he who utters lies is treacherous.” You really have to evaluate this on more than a surface level. The Septuagint which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament says, “Save from evils.” KJV translates it, “A true witness delivereth souls.” This verse is really talking about the eternal truth of Jesus Christ. Lives are saved for eternity because of the truth that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Conversely, if you tell lies about Jesus Christ, you’re treacherous. Treacherous means that you’re guilty of betrayal or deception. So you have to ask yourself, why would anyone speak deceptively about Christ? Why would anyone say that all roads lead to heaven? Why would anyone say that Jesus is just one way to heaven? Why would anyone say you can be a Christian and live any way you want? Why would anyone say, “You surely will not die.” (Gen. 3:4) People tell lies about Jesus for many reasons. Lack of knowledge which is called ignorance. It sounds better or makes them feel better about where they are. They have a misguided notion about who God really is. They’re lazy – they don’t take the time to discover truth for themselves. I could go on, but ultimately, people tell lies about Jesus because there is one that does not want you to know the truth. There is one that wants you shifted off the true path. There is one that wants you to accept a partial truth, one that wants you to think of yourself before others, that wants you to think yourself more highly than you ought to, one that seeks your destruction, one that is a liar. One that wants you to follow your own desires. In Jo. 8:44 Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.” When we speak the truth about Jesus, it will set people free. Satan is on the offensive and we’re sitting behind enemy lines in safety letting others take up the battle for us. Don’t be fooled: Satan will not stop in his effort to ruin you. 1 Pet. 5:8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Do good for the cause of Christ. Talk is cheap. Tell the truth about Jesus and live it out every single day and snatch people out of an eternity in hell. That’s the mission of the church. That’s your mission should you choose to accept it.

The Savior’s Mission

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Last week we looked at God’s character and learned that Isaiah called Jesus the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace. As we prepare for Christmas this year, we celebrate something that is as old as eternity. On one hand, we celebrate the birth of the Savior, the Son of God, and the One that is able to redeem us from the penalty of sin that was prophesied in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned.

On the other hand, even those that are farthest from God hear the sounds of the Savior through radio, TV, in our shopping malls, and family dinners. Even amid all the commercialism in our culture, the Christmas spirit is alive and well for most people you come into contact with. The influence of the Savior is so powerful because He came with a mission.

Take the time to read Isaiah 61:1-11.

So what’s the work of Christ? The prophets of the O.T. and the Apostles of the N.T. clearly state that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One that came into this world for a reason. Even before the world was formed, God had a job for Him to do. His objectives are stated throughout the Bible.

Christ came here to do at least three things. First, He came to do the will of God and qualify Himself as our substitute.  Heb. 10:5-7 says, “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” V. 10 goes on to say, “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Second, He came to save His people from their sins. In Matt. 1:21the angel told Joseph in a dream that, “[Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Tit. 2:14 says Jesus, “Gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Finally, He came to gather all that have believed in Him. In John 10:14 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” In v. 16, He goes on to say, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”  So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Salvation through Christ is complete and 100% effective. There is no new and improved method, the biblical method is tried and true. Christ came to do these things.           Isaiah called Him the mighty God in 9:6 and He cannot fail. Do you think that anything can dissuade Christ from carrying out His mission? Is. 42:4 says, “He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth.” The night Jesus was betrayed; He confidently said to God, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”   (John 17:4) While dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, Jesus declared, “It is finished!”  (John 19:30)

Isaiah offers some encouragement. When we try and describe Jesus, we often paint him as this very serious man with long brown hair, a beard, and a flowing robe. Isaiah paints a different picture. He sees a smiling face with joy that overflows to those around Him. Isaiah 61 describes the good news of Jesus the Messiah using words you can almost feel. Look at vs. 1-3. Remember, at the time of this writing, Jesus won’t be born for another 700 years, but Isaiah speaks with such confidence as if he was watching a movie about the future.

Isaiah speaks the words of the Messiah as if these are the very words Jesus will speak. Take a look at the incredible passage in Luke 4:14-22. The words recorded in Isaiah’s prophecy are in fact, the words of Messiah. Put yourself in the synagogue. Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 – what we read earlier, and sits down. There must have been stunned silence in that place. You would think that the people, the religious people in the synagogue would recognize Who was in their midst and rejoice at the arrival of the long awaited Messiah – the One that would save them from their sins. It couldn’t have been clearer than if Jesus had said, “Hey, the Messiah that Isaiah wrote about? That’s me.” Jesus knew who He was. He knew He was sent to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin. He knew He came to set captives free. You’d think the people would fall down and worship the One, but vs. 28-29 tell us that, “All the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city.”

As we look at the mission of the Savior, I want you to see something back in Isaiah 61. V. 1 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted.” That is His overarching purpose.  Everything else is included in that statement. It’s also interesting to note the use of the words, Spirit, Lord, and God in this verse – a clear depiction of the Trinity. Christ has good news for those who are poor. The word means humble, lowly, the needy, the afflicted. Luke 19:10 tells us that, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus said in Mark 2:17, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” It’s very difficult for Jesus to save someone that doesn’t think they need saving. Christ comes for those who know they are sick, not for those who think they are well. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus says. There is good news for those who realize just how desperately they need a Savior. Look at how Isaiah says the Messiah would do this. He binds the brokenhearted. Remember the context of this prophecy. The people’s nation is about to come crashing down along with the temple of God. Everything that they hold near and dear is going to be destroyed. You might find yourself in the same situation, everything that you hold near and dear is crashing down around you. Jesus says, “I can help you, I understand, I can fix that.” Ps. 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus came, “To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” The reality of the situation is that Assyria would capture them which meant life as slaves to a Godless, pagan power. In Rom. 6:6, Paul tells us that in Christ we are no longer slaves to sin. You may be physically chained, but it is Christ that breaks the spiritual chains of slavery. Christ has been sent to, “proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” He will restore what has been taken away. According to the Law, every 50^th year was the Year of Jubilee. It was during that year that all debts would be erased, all land that had been sold would be returned to the original owner, and all slaves would be set free. For us, it would be like all our mortgages paid off, all our car notes cancelled, all our consumer debt erased. This Year of Jubilee is a picture of what Christ does for us. Our sin debt is paid in full. Our transgressions forgotten and we are set free. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Christ sets us free from the power sin has over us.

Christmas is about the mission of Christ. He came to make a way for everyone to enjoy the freedom found at the foot of the cross. In your current circumstances, you may find it difficult to believe that anything good can come your way, but I’ve got good news for you – Christ came to die just for you. For any of you that are sick and tired of this life Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

Handling Modern Day Controversy

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Over the past couple of weeks, there has been significant news about Phil Robertson, the patriarch of A & E’s Duck Dynasty series. If you don’t know, the reality series is about a family run business called Duck Commander that makes duck calls.

In Matt. 10:16 Jesus said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

The controversy.

What is going on today is no different than what has been going on for centuries in this world. At its core is a fundamental attack on truth that began in the garden of Eden. The question that seems to be asked even if in not so clear terms is, “Is there absolute truth?” Can we take such a dogmatic stance on the hot button topics of the day? In an interview with GQ magazine, in response to the question, “What, in your mind is sinful?” Phil Robertson responded by saying, “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians [1 Cor. 6:9-10]: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.” Why are his comments so controversial?

The players.

As in all modern day issues, experts and non-experts begin throwing out their spin on the truth. With the ever increasing influence of social media, those opinions become more widely and more quickly known. People grow bolder and bolder, and more hateful and more hateful. Words like intolerant, judgmental, and bigot are used in the daily headlines. People that hold to a standard of morality and values are vilified. Christians are not immune from the ever increasing pressure to abandon their old fashioned ideals in favor of a more modern, relevant, more loving and accepting position. Nonsensical statements like you can’t judge, you’re intolerant, God isn’t like that are heard near and far in and out of the church.

What’s the real issue?

To answer that, let me pose for you several questions that we’ll answer. How can we have a position of unconditional love and say that certain behavior or lifestyles are radically intolerant? Is the Bible a book of hatred or outdated mandates that have little to nothing to do with today? Does the 2^nd Commandment to love your neighbor as yourself overshadow behavior, thinking, and lifestyles? Is it unloving to say that homosexuality, or any other sin for that matter, is wrong? Are we condemning someone if we say that their behavior is inconsistent with a standard? You want the truth? If we’re honest, we have reached this point in history just as predicted in Scripture. What is happening in our culture is not new. Attacks against whatsoever is pure and true and holy have been happening since the beginning. For humanity it started in the garden with Adam and Eve. But rebellion against God happened before that when Lucifer decided he wanted to be like God. Is.14:12-14 says, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” This star of the morning wanted to be like God and there is just one God. We have done it to ourselves. We have arrived at this place of division because we fall into the trap that Adam and Eve fell into. We doubt.

The issue is not really about homosexuality or other sin label, it’s about the sin cleansing and transforming power of Jesus Christ. The truth is we all have a predisposition to sin. Rom. 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin was ushered into mankind because of Adam. Rom. 5:12 says, “Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” I have a natural tendency, a natural disposition to be sarcastic, unkind, unbalanced, as well as a long list of other ungodly attributes. But through Christ’s continual transformation of me for the inside out, I am learning to resist, learning to trust, learning to push against the natural sinful tendencies I have. That’s the nature of Christ’s power. When you evaluate how Jesus interacted with people, the only people He seemed to take a really hard line against was the Pharisees and Sadducees. Religious people that talked the talk, but didn’t back it up in action. With others, He seemed extraordinarily compassionate. When He spoke with Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, even she was confused because a Jew would not have initiated a conversation. To the woman caught in adultery, He said to her, “From now on sin no more.” (Jo. 8:11) Jesus didn’t deviate from the truth and still demonstrated love and compassion.

On Friday (Dec. 27th), A & E lifted its suspension against Phil Robertson. One day after pulling all Duck Dynasty merchandise, Cracker Barrel put it all back. Why? Because a large segment of society let their views be known. Ben Shapiro, editor at large for Breitbart News said it this way: “You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate. We’ve bought the lie that disagreeing with someone’s lifestyle means you hate them and that to love someone is to agree with everything they believe or do. The media set up a dichotomy in which you are either pro-homosexuality or someone who wants to brutalize homosexuals. This is not the view of the Bible, which makes clear that sin is common and ought to be condemned, but that human beings have the capacity for repentance. The left masks its distaste for the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality in a straw man argument that Bible believers are violent bigots. They are not. Citing the Bible doesn’t make you a bigot against human beings — it makes you a bigot against sin, which is a good thing.”

People have focused on what Phil said regarding Paul’s words in Corinthians. What they’ve failed to do is keep reading. Just a couple of paragraphs later, the article goes on to say, “As far as Phil is concerned, he was literally born again. Old Phil—the guy with the booze and the pills—died a long time ago, and New Phil sees no need to apologize for him: “We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?” We compassionately share the truth of God’s amazing grace and unconditional love that is able to set people free from the chains of sin that enslave them. The author of the article concluded by saying, “But now, I’m afraid, I must get out of the ATV and go back to where I belong, back to the godless part of America that Phil is determined to save.”

What if we in the church adapted that philosophy? Back to the Bible . . . Jesus commanded we do just that as the primary focus of the church in Matt. 28:19-20. Let’s get to it.

A Time for Reflection

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Last week Jonah expressed great joy over the provision of a castor oil plant that provided him some shade in the hot Assyrian sun. That joy turned to despair as God appointed a worm that destroyed the plant. That was followed by a scorching east wind carrying small particles of sand that blew with such force that Jonah begged God to let him die. Quite the range of mood swings. There is one final conversation that God initiates with Jonah. Let’s see what God says.

Jonah 4:9-11 tells us, “Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

The first thing you notice is God’s incredible patience. Hey Jonah, just one last question to think about. “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” God is affording Jonah another opportunity to look at things from a kingdom mindset. I don’t think God is using His mighty voice. I think He’s asking in a very soft, tender sounding voice because He still wants Jonah to get it. Pro. 15:1 tells us that, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” You want to diffuse a difficult situation quickly?    Speak softly and tenderly. It really works. Try it with your spouse, your family, friends, and co-workers.

“Do you have good reason to be angry?” Jonah said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” How angry is that? No doubt the heat and scorching wind played a part in Jonah speaking before thinking. If only Jonah would have thought about the question for just a second. There’s got to be something more here than tremendous grief and sorrow over the death of a plant. Is that really the issue here or is there more going on? What kind of man are you that you would despair to the point of death over a plant? In Jonah’s mind, he was absolutely justified regardless of what anyone says, regardless of what the Word says, regardless of what God says. His mind was made up and no amount of reasonable dialogue could change what he thought.

God provides a very solid argument for agreeing with Him even though He doesn’t need to. The gentleness of God’s voice diminishes in v. 10 when He says, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight.” Jonah has some misplaced emotion. He has compassion for a plant that he had nothing to do with. He didn’t put a seed in the ground and lovingly care for the plant. He didn’t water it; he didn’t do anything for it. The plant is an inanimate object and when it dies, Jonah wants to die. He still doesn’t get it. The real issue isn’t the plant; the real issue is that Jonah is still wallowing in his great anger thinking of Nineveh’s turning from wickedness. God’s doing what He can to make Jonah realize that his priorities are whacked. Jonah had no compassion on Nineveh. His rationale? Nineveh was wicked and we judge him for his lack of love. Yet, don’t we do the same thing? All compassion goes out the door when we mention names like: Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Moammar Khadafy, and Adolf Hitler. We have no compassion when we think of the unknown person that killed Jon Benet Ramsay, or what we believe is the unjust not guilty verdict for Casey Anthony. None when we think of the unsolved disappearance of Natalee Holloway we get angry and demand justice. When we hear of death row inmates repenting we are skeptical. We feel like Jonah and we justify our feelings by concluding they deserve death, not life. When this is our attitude, we don’t fully grasp God’s grace. If God’s grace is sufficient for you and for me, then why isn’t it sufficient for someone as despicable as Bin Laden, or Hitler? When we look at humanity from God’s perspective, from a Kingdom perspective, our attitude should change. We are the receiver’s of God’s grace – unmerited favor: we are granted what we do not deserve. We are also recipients of God’s mercy – we don’t get what we do deserve.

God does have justification for what He does. God’s last recorded question goes unanswered when He asks, “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” It’s a very thought provoking question. If God exercises His grace and mercy on one person, why not on another? On one nation, why not another? Jonah had compassion on a plant. He cared for that plant deeply enough that when it died, he wanted to die. Jonah had an opportunity to express compassion on God’s highest creation and would not. Nineveh repented and Jonah still concluded they did not deserve God’s mercy, they deserved God’s judgment. God’s question captures the whole purpose for this book. It’s never too late to repent. No matter what a city or country has done, it’s never too late. The issue is God’s grace and mercy. It’s seen throughout the book. Jonah disobeyed the call to go to Nineveh. God’s grace resulted in a second call. Jonah deserved to die in the sea. God’s mercy resulted in a fish. Jonah deserved to bake in the sun. God’s mercy resulted in a plant. Nineveh deserved judgment for their wickedness. God’s grace sent them a prophet.

God’s desire for humanity is salvation, not destruction. He’ll do what He can to provide that salvation as long as His creation does its part. We have the responsibility to carry the message of hope – the message of salvation to people that deserve death yet God loves the world so much that He willingly gave His only begotten Son. Each person must respond to that message of hope – that’s our part of the equation. God wants Jonah to feel how He feels for Nineveh. Jonah has the capacity for compassion. He showed it to the sailors on the ship. He showed it for the plant. God loves the people in Nineveh, just like He loves the people of Jerusalem and Galilee. He also loves the people Pyongyang, Kabul, Riyadh, Mogadishu, Tehran, Malé, Tashkent, Sanaá, Bagdad, and Islamabad. What is significant about these cities? They are the capital cities of the top ten countries on Open Doors world watch list where it is most difficult to be a Christ follower. In 8 of these top 10 countries, Islam is the predominant faith.

God has compassion on these places and wants those people to hear and respond to the life changing message of Jesus Christ. God tells Jonah that, “There are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right hand and left hand.” The number is probably the entire population of the city. The exact meaning of the phrase “do not know the difference between their right hand and left hand” is not definitively known. It might refer to the Ninevite’s inability to distinguish between various religions. During this time period, there was monotheism, polytheism, atheism, idolatry, and the Assyrians were known for worshiping the constellations. It might refer to the helplessness of the people or their pitifulness. The best understanding would be that God is referring to a morally and ethically naïve group of people. The people are not innocent, but it conveys the idea that they just don’t know any better. When told the truth, they responded so they at least recognized their evil ways and did something about it. At best, this group of people is in the infancy of their Christian walk of faith. “As well as many animals” likely indicates that even God’s creatures that walk, fly, and crawl about the earth as well as the fish of the seas have a higher place than plants do. God is still the Teacher. It seems that this book ends suddenly and somewhat strangely. We don’t know what Jonah’s response was, if any. Did Jonah hear? Did Jonah care?

We leave Jonah to wallow in his self pity for being the instrument God used to accomplish the greatest mission trip ever recorded. Salvation comes to every person in Nineveh. No one can ever resent the grace of God that is shown to another person. We are all undeserving of it. Today we are left to wonder if we, God’s people, will have any compassion for a lost world. The choice is ours. What becomes of Nineveh? Do they live happily ever after? Next week, we’ll look at the rest of the story.

Better Off Dead

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Last week we saw that God changed the course for Nineveh because they responded to Jonah’s message. Because of their response, Jonah became angry with God for not destroying Nineveh. Jonah knew all along that would happen and now he believes he’s better off dead. God’s not through with Jonah though. Let’s see what God does.

Jonah 4:4-6 says, “The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.”

God is always at work. Jonah blamed God for Nineveh’s salvation and instead of being overjoyed, he was angry. God uses every opportunity He can to get us to the point He wants us to be. He’s not going to violate His character, and He often chooses to exercise patience. God asks Jonah the question we would probably ask too. “Do you have reason to be angry?” No immediate judgment. No stoning or death. Just a simple question. Even though Jonah is angry at God and tells Him as much, God lovingly and patiently engages Jonah. Don’t lose this image. We’re quick to demand judgment for others, but we want patience and mercy for ourselves. Why not give Jonah a chance to repent? Why not give Jonah the opportunity to recognize the error of his ways and turn to God? It’s hard to comprehend how God could still be so loving and patient with Jonah. God’s question should cause Jonah to reflect on what just happened in Nineveh. In other words, “Jonah, do have justification for being angry?” Is there some compelling argument for your actions, for the way you feel? Police officers often give us this opportunity. Parents give opportunities to children. Bosses give opportunities to their workers. This was Jonah’s moment to explain himself.

God’s question remains, “Do you have reason to be angry?” Anger in this verse means to burn or be kindled. Are you justified Jonah? Remember the reason Jonah is angry. Jonah’s anger was not the justifiable anger Paul mentions in Eph. 4:26 when he says, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Jonah’s anger was wrong – it was sinful and God wanted Jonah to see and understand this. God’s desire was for Nineveh to recognize its wickedness and respond to His offer of redemption and that happened. Jonah would rather be dead than see Nineveh repent and be saved. He hated the Assyrians, even after they repented. Paul asks the question in Rom. 3:29, “Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.” God loves Nineveh just like He loves Jerusalem, but Jonah hates Nineveh. Jesus provides the solution to this type of intense hatred. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ‘But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you.’” (Matt. 5:43-44) If you love your enemies, they are no longer your enemies. God thinks on a grander scale than we do. The command in Matt. 28:19 is clear. “Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” All the nations are included in God’s plan. We cannot leave out a single nation regardless of our justification. There is just one plan, one hope, one message. God commissioned His followers to carry that message to the world and that includes nations like North Korea Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Iran. There is no plan b. If we ignore any nation, they’ll turn to false gods and false religions.

God asks Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” Jonah has no right to be angry. He only has the right to obey. In our lives we lack faith because we ignore the clear commands of God. We complain when God doesn’t answer our prayers, but we’re unwilling to be obedient. We have no record of Jonah praying for Nineveh; not one single utterance for God to prepare their hearts to receive the life changing message of hope. Imagine the joy if Jonah had only prayed. Our job is obedience; leave everything else to God. “Do you have good reason to be angry?” Jonah does not respond to God’s question. It’s not just rude. It reveals Jonah’s unchanged heart even at the miracle of Nineveh’s repentance.

In our results driven world, we would be over the moon as the results of preaching Jonah’s simple message of repentance. It wasn’t that one or two people or even one or two families that responded to the message. It was the entire city. Total success in God’s eyes, total failure in Jonah’s. Verse 5 says, “Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city.” We don’t know how much time passed if any between vs. 4 and 5. It’s interesting that Jonah chose to head east of the city and not west. Some suggest he wanted to see the sun set on Nineveh. Had he gone out the west gate of Nineveh, he could see the sun rise on a new Nineveh, a city that is no longer an enemy of Jonah or his homeland of Israel. The threat of military invasion erased, the threat of terrorism eliminated. This was the dawn of a new day in history. Jonah didn’t want God’s solution, he wanted destruction, he wanted Nineveh and Assyria wiped off the face of the earth. God’s solution results in changed lives; today’s solution? Tolerance. Compromise. Indifference.

Jonah exits the city and makes himself a shelter to get out of the hot Assyrian sun. What is going through Jonah’s mind is not known. He’s going to sit back, watch, and wait. He’s going to wait a long time because God had already decided that Nineveh would not be overthrown because the people responded to the condition that God set forth. So what’s he waiting for? Was he watching the city to see if their repentance was real? We have many professing Christians that look, act, and talk the same as they did prior to their confession of repentance. We sit back and watch if their repentance is real, maybe even waiting until they mess up so we can say, “I told it wasn’t real.” Jonah still hated these people; nothing had changed except that he preached what God told him to and the people responded. God is delighted; Jonah is disgusted. Jonah could have taken an active role in Nineveh’s spiritual growth. He could have stayed there and discipled the people. He could have been like Paul to the city of Antioch, Iconium, Derbe, Philippi, and Thessalonica just to name a few. But Jonah was content to watch and wait leaving discipleship to someone else, but who? Nineveh was a city known for its wickedness and now they have responded to the message of truth and as a result are all new believers. Who can disciple the people? Who is there to teach them? Who is there to say, “Here’s what God says?” To be fair, nothing is recorded about God saying stay there to teach the people, but wouldn’t that be appropriate? Isn’t that a part of making disciples? This further reveals Jonah’s heart.

God does something that seems strange given Jonah’s attitude of disgust toward Nineveh. Jonah did finally go to Nineveh, but it was only after some divine convincing. Remember, our job is to obey, everything else is in God’s hands. Jonah exits the city and builds a shelter to wait and see what’s going to happen. He’s sitting in his little shelter and God shows up again. Verse 6 says, “So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.”        In the Hebrew language, Lord God is Yahweh Elohim. This is interesting because in v. 4, it’s Lord – Yahweh. In v. 7 that we’ll look at next week it’s God – Elohim. Yahweh is the proper name for God in Israel. Elohim indicates God’s divine creative power. So it was God the divine Creator that appointed the plant. Appointed is the same word used back in 1:17 describing how God used the fish. It’s interesting that the word plant, translated in some versions as vine, has been the subject of a lot of controversy. What kind of plant was it? Some argue that it is the castor oil tree, a shrub with large leaves that was common to the region. Others say it was a bottle or gourd plant. There was such disagreement about this that when Jerome changed the translation from gourd to castor oil tree in his Vulgate, a riot broke out in Carthage, in what is modern day Tunisia. What’s really messed up is that it doesn’t matter what type of plant it was, God was the One that appointed it.

It’s easy for us to determine what Jonah may or may not deserve. We might say that Jonah doesn’t deserve God’s provision. Jonah was clearly not in right in spirit; he didn’t like his mission to Nineveh or the results that occurred. God’s not through with Jonah. He provides some shade, “to deliver him from his discomfort.” That’s kind of an understatement. It literally reads, “To deliver hi m from his evil.” Jonah is a disgruntled malcontent. It’s hot – temperatures are probably hovering around 110 F. Maybe he can hear the people from the city crying out to God. It must have been awful for Jonah to hear the joy of salvation knowing that he is completely out of the will of God. He is miserable. What’s the worst part? He played a major role in the repentance of Nineveh and was disgusted and yet when God provided him a plant to shade him, he “was extremely happy about the plant.” Jonah rejoiced with great rejoicing. He was deliriously happy. In fact, for the first time in this book, Jonah is happy. He didn’t express this emotion when he was delivered from certain death in the sea by the fish God sent; he didn’t express this emotion at the total and complete deliverance of Nineveh. He was happy because the plant provided relief from the heat, and maybe he’s thinking that God’s provision is an indication that all is well between him and God. As we’ll see next week, all is not well.

Even in the depths of our despair, God is there with us. Even when the despair is of our own making, God will never leave us. He wants us to get to the point of complete trust in Him. Jonah has some learning to do and God is not through. For us, we must be willing to learn life’s lessons the way God intends for us to learn. There are no short cuts or bypasses.

God’s Reaction to Repentance

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Last week we saw Jonah taking advantage of the second chance he was given. He diligently preached God’s message to Nineveh and as a result, the most miraculous transformation in history took place. Everyone from the king down to the most common of people came to recognize the truth of God. The truth resulted in people turning from wickedness to God. The king did what was right and if God wanted to relent and withdraw His judgment, that would be cool. Let’s see what happens next.

Our story continues in Jonah 3:10-4:3 that says, “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

God’s mercy is revealed in Nineveh. Ever vigilant, ever seeing, v. 10 tells us, “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.” True repentance leads to mercy, but God is not obligated to give us mercy. It wasn’t the prayers and fasting that led to God relenting although that was good. God relented only after, “They turned from their wicked way.” True repentance always leads to a change of heart, a change of attitude, a change in direction. You cannot say you’re sorry for your actions and continue engaging in the same actions. You cannot say you have a relationship with God and continue to hate your brother, to practice immorality, to continue to lie, cheat, and steal. Actions speak way louder than words. This is really brought home in 1 Jo. 2:1-6. John says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” I don’t know how you can get any clearer than that.

Nineveh turned from their wickedness and God did as the king hoped – He relented. No fire, no brimstone as had occurred in Sodom and Gomorrah. Nobody struck dead where they stood. Are you asking yourself, “But wait a minute, then Jonah’s prophecy didn’t come true and he is a false prophet that should be stoned to death.” In order to understand what just happened, we need to know what the word relent means. It’s also translated as repent or to change your mind. God changing His mind is a hard concept for us. At Nineveh’s repentance, God changed His mind about overthrowing the city. This is consistent with His justice, His mercy, and His righteousness. I often say God can do anything because He is God. I think everyone understands fundamentally what I’m saying, but God can’t really do anything. He can’t break a promise; He can’t lie; He cannot do anything against His inherent character. Ja. 1:17 reminds us that, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  Heb. 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God always does what He says He’s going to do, but if a condition is met that was previously established, God can change the course of action to suit His purpose. Moses frequently prayed that Israel wouldn’t be destroyed because of their sinful behavior. In fact, the O.T. is full of examples where God responds to His people.

Nineveh recognized the truth that Jonah told them and they turned from sin to God. It must have been genuine repentance or else God wouldn’t have changed the plan. God’s desire is that people turn to Him. 2 Pet. 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God loves you with an incredible love and wants to spend eternity with you. He will do whatever it takes to get your attention. God’s goal for Nineveh was not destruction, but for repentance and reconciliation between Him and the sinners in that city.

And now for something completely different. We see God’s mercy poured out on Nineveh. For a preacher of God’s Word, this is an incredible response. Peter preached his first message and 3000 people were saved. That’s huge, right? Not compared to Jonah’s message. The response in Nineveh was overwhelming. Everyone responded to the truth of God’s messenger. Oh what a feeling! Jonah has got to be over the moon. Here’s the contrast: Nineveh repented, God relented. Joy all around. Verse 1 says, “But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.” This is not a normal response when people are radically and totally transformed by the Gospel. Why was Jonah so angry? The Scripture is not clear, but there are several possibilities. Remember Assyria was led by wicked leaders that wanted to rule the world. Assyria threatened Israel’s existence and was a likely target. Some say that Jonah was embarrassed that his prediction for destruction did not come true and as a result he lost credibility as a prophet. Others suggest Jonah believed Israel’s devotion to God was declining and this judgment would cause Israel to wake up and serve as a reminder to the Hebrew people that God is God. While the exact reason for Jonah’s anger is not known, this is what we do know. Jonah’s response to Nineveh’s salvation is not a godly one. That’s really an understatement. How much do you have to hate someone to be angry because they responded to what you told them to do? If Jonah’s initial disobedience was not an indication, then his response to Nineveh’s repentance clearly leads you to the conclusion that his heart is not right with God. How quickly Jonah forgot his responsibility to God and the great privilege to be a part of God’s plan.

Jonah’s lame explanation. Verse 2 gives us some insight into Jonah’s heart. He knew exactly what would happen in Nineveh and confesses to the Lord. It’s good that Jonah prayed, but his prayer is a prayer of selfishness, a prayer of complaint – the pronoun “I” occurs four times in this verse. This is way different than his prayer back in 2:2-9. What happened to Jonah’s confession that, “salvation is from the Lord?” Isn’t that the possibility for everyone? People just need to hear the truth of the Messiah? At some point after God told Jonah to go the first time, there was some discussion between the two. In v. 2 Jonah says, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country.” What Jonah anticipated God doing happened and Jonah was the tool God chose to achieve His goal. Jonah was thinking of himself, not the kingdom. Instead of showering Nineveh with the same kind of grace God had granted to Israel, Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed without the opportunity to repent. Will we join Paul by saying, “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31) It’s easy for us to think that God loves us more than our enemies or the enemies of God. We wrongly conclude that God could never love those people that are bent on our destruction, that desire to hurt us, that desire to cripple our country, and our faith. See that’s what happened to Jonah. He was focused on himself. He lacked the wisdom to keep his mouth shut and essentially tells God, “I told you so.” That was his excuse for running to Tarshish. In Jonah’s mind, if he could just delay his trip to Nineveh, maybe God would destroy the place before he got there. Don’t think that Jonah doesn’t know who God is or has a skewed view of Him. He tells on himself in the second part of v. 2. “I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.” Talk about hypocrisy.

Let’s recap. The Word of God comes to Jonah and tells him to go to Nineveh. Jonah jumps on a boat to flee from the presence of the Lord. God throws a storm at the boat. It was determined that Jonah was the cause. The sailors throw him overboard. Jonah hits the water, a fish swallows him and the storm stops. Jonah recognizes his rebellion and begs God for a second chance. God grants a second chance and the fish vomits Jonah onto dry land. Jonah goes to Nineveh and preaches what God tells him to preach. All the people in Nineveh recognize their sin and repent. God changes the course for Nineveh because they repented. Jonah gets mad because God is loving and kind. What Jonah tells God is really a quote from Ex. 34:6, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” These people didn’t deserve God’s lovingkindness. At least that’s what Jonah thinks. Since Nineveh repented, Jonah told God, “Please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” How much hatred must be in a person’s heart that he’d rather be dead than see people converted? No joy that God used Jonah in a mighty way. No eager anticipation to see how God would miraculously change these people’s hearts and lives. No thought of how many other people could be reached with the Good News because these people turned from wickedness to God. That’s the problem; Jonah cared about Nineveh getting what he thought they deserved. Jonah forgot all about the grace he was shown and the salvation God provided to him. What’s even more offensive is that Jonah begged God to save him back in chapter 2 and now he would rather be dead.

We cannot forget the love of God that applies unconditionally to humanity. John 3:16 is always applicable. Salvation is not based on our goodness or badness. It’s not based on what we do or have done; it’s all based on what God did through Jesus Christ. Just because we are saved by grace, that is no excuse or justification to live outside of God’s will. Each of us has a mission.