behindthewillowtrees » Lent 2010

the BIG story: Revelation 22

John Smith — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:05:00 +0000

It seems a long time since Genesis 1! 40 days and some Sundays! And here’s the last section. There are perhaps no more significant and awesome words in Scripture than those of this epilogue. These verses are full of encouragement, declaration, warning, and response to God. They are tremendously significant.

Here is another of the beatitudes of Scripture, the pronouncement of blessing or happiness upon those who comply with certain principles of the Word. ““Blessed”, of course, means happiness and spiritual contentment which comes from knowing and trusting the Lord by keeping His Word and living by its truth.

For church age saints, finding happiness and spiritual joy through the words of this prophecy involves such things as:

(a) Observing the warnings of chapters 2 and 3 to the church, warnings against dead, cold orthodoxy, apostasy, immorality, materialism, etc.

(b) Living constantly in light of the presence of Christ in our midst and of His imminent coming, knowing that our work in the Lord is never in vain.

(c) Carrying on a vital witness, having an open door to the unbelieving world in view of the coming Tribulation and the lake of fire that we might see men snatched from hell (Jude 23).

(d) Living as sojourners who refuse to become bogged down with materialism and who live with a view to the eternal city.

(e) Enduring the trials of this life during this age of darkness, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the glory which is to follow.

(f) Remembering that God’s plan is being accomplished, that He is sovereign and still on the throne as we see this old world moving farther and farther away from the Lord and the absolutes of His Word.

God Alone is Worthy of Worship (8-9)
John is overawed by the things the angel had revealed to him. In the process, he again falls down to worship at the feet of the angelic messenger. God, who is the Creator of all that John had seen, is alone worthy of such worship.

The Promise that this Book is Not Sealed (10-11)
To seal up a book means to conceal, hide its message. This book is never to be sealed and is to be understood and applied from the day John received it. Why? Because the time is near, imminent, and people need the truth of this book to understand what God is doing and to prepare for what is coming.

The Promise of Reward at the Lord’s Coming (12)
Everyone going to be with Jesus Christ take with them the possibility of special rewards and responsibilities, but the way we live while here on earth will determine just how we will reign with the Lord, our specific place of responsibility.

The Promise and Statement of Christ’s Eternality (13)
Alpha and Omega are, of course, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The Lord is both the source as well as the goal of all things; He is the Eternal Word. Therefore, Christ’s will fulfil these promises.

The Promise of Blessings to Those Who Wash Their Robes (14-15)
Here is the seventh and final beatitude in Revelation. The robe stands for one’s condition of righteousness. A dirty robe stands for being without righteousness, falling short of the glory of God. A washed robe is one which has been made white and clean by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It means the person stands in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. It stands for imputed righteousness or justification by faith in Jesus Christ.

The Promises to the Churches (22:16)
What does a morning star do? It heralds and assures us of a new day and of the conclusion of the night (Rom. 13:11-14). So Jesus, as the bright morning star, heralds and assures us of the conclusion of this night season and the coming of a new day which will begin by his return for the church.

The Invitation and the Promise of Life without Cost (22:17)
“Come” is in the present tense meaning, “come today.” It is an invitation to come to Christ. It reminds us of the concept of Isaiah 55:6

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near

The invitation to come and take is an urgent command for the day will arrive when it is too late. Today is a day of grace, but a day of judgment is imminent and impending. So “come”.

The Benediction (22:20-21)
The Tribulation has stressed the wrath of a holy God. But for the true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only grace, grace, marvellous grace. The Old Testament ends with the word “curse,” for it is the warning given an earth. But now Christ has come and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And so Scripture can end with a blessing.

the BIG story: Revelation 21

John Smith — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:37:00 +0000

There is surprisingly little revealed about the character of the new heaven and earth in Scripture. The main emphasis is its uniqueness; it is quite different from the old. The new heaven and earth is not simply the old renovated but an act of new creation (Rev. 20:1; 20:11; 2 Pet. 3:10, which describes the dissolving of the old heaven and earth). The word “new” means fresh, new in quality and character.

One striking statement is made, “there was no longer any sea.” Most of the earth is now covered with water. Apparently in the new earth there will be no bodies of water except for the one river mentioned in 22:1-2. Human in the eternal state and in their glorified bodies evidently will not need water as they do today. There will be water, but it will speak of power, purity, and eternal life in the eternal city which has its constant source of life in God.

The emphasis is on the character of the new Jerusalem. It is the holy city; in striking contrast to the Jerusalem of the Tribulation which is called “Sodom and Egypt” (Rev. 11:8). The city comes down out of heaven from God and is in some way related to the earth. But it is nevertheless a heavenly city, not an earthly city. All the saints will ultimately live in this city (Heb. 11:10, 16). The figure of the bride simply emphasises the following: (a) as marriage is designed to be permanent, so this will be our permanent or eternal abode, (b) as a bride is beautifully adorned for her wedding, so this stresses the beauty of this city as it is adorned for the saints, and (c) as the bride is to be pure, it portrays the purity of the holy city.

While John is watching the city city, his attention is diverted by a loud voice. It is significant that the last loud voice announces the dwelling of God among men. Though God is the independent God of the universe, he longs to dwell among us in order to have fellowship with us and to bless us. This verse promises the most intimate and close fellowship with God in a perfect and unbroken way and on a face-to-face basis. This will be far beyond the knowledge of his presence and indwelling of his Spirit which believers can know today. Then he will be openly and visibly in our midst, personally ministering to our needs.

Verse 4 promises us no more tears, mourning, crying, or pain. This means perfect, uninterrupted happiness and peace. With God visibly and personally in our midst, there will be absolutely no possibility of unhappiness. Today we all experience pain, sorrow, and misery to some degree. Even for Christians who are walking intimately with the Lord, there are still many times of pain and sorrow.

The emphasis of these verses is that it is God’s visible and personal presence that gives this perfect happiness and blessing and not simply the removal of the sources of our problems. “The first things have passed away” refers to all the conditions of this present world—Satan, sin, a sinful nature, and death. Everything associated with Satan and his rebellion and man, his fall and rebellion, everything except believers themselves, will be removed, put away. In fact, “the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Is 65:17).

With the passing away of the old something new must take its place:

1. There will be the water of life for all who thirst.
Here is the offer of salvation that comes as a free gift, “without cost.” “All who thirst” refers to all who recognise their need, the spiritually parched condition of their soul, and come to Christ as the source of the water of life” (John 4:10; 7:37-39; Isa. 55:1). “Without cost” means of course, by grace, as God’s gift to those who come to Christ by faith (John 7:38). In this context, “the spring of the water of life” ultimately refers to the complete satisfaction of life that will come to the child of God in the eternal state (Rev 17:17).

2. There is the promise of a full inheritance to the one who overcomes (v7a).
The overcomer is the one who quenches their thirst by simple faith in Christ and, as a result, becomes God’s child (1 John 5:4-5 and Gal 3:26). All of God’s people, Old and New Testament saints alike, will inherit the blessings of the eternal state, nothing will be lacking.

3. He will have complete and unbroken fellowship with God (v7b).
“I will be their God and they will be my children.”

Heaven will be everything that this life cannot be because of the presence of sin, darkness, sinful behaviour, and Satan’s ever present activity. The point of this entire section is the perfect purity and absence of anything impure or evil. There will be no sinners and no sin in the new heavens and the new earth. According to 1 John 3:2, “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him.” If the kingdom contained those still in a sinful state, it would not be as glorious as God intends. That would put an eternal damper on the joy the Lord and his subjects.

Revelation 21:8 is a joyous verse for us. Those who interpret it to mean that we need to examine our behaviour to see if we are saved (or if we are still saved) have robbed it of its joy and replaced it with works = salvation gloom. The kingdom will be truly joyful because everyone in it will be holy and sinless.

the BIG story: Romans 8

John Smith — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:18:00 +0000

If holy Scripture was a ring, and the Epistle to the Romans its precious stone, chapter 8 would be the sparkling point of the jewel.

The Spirit of Hope (8:18-25)

The Christian life is obviously no bed of roses, no flower-strewn pathway. It is a life of suffering, a life of struggle. These sufferings, Paul tells us, are not to be compared with the glory which is to follow (v18). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Hope for he assures us that great glory awaits us.

The struggle of the cosmos is a reflection of the struggle within the Christian. We are all too aware of the struggle of Romans 7, and we will continue to know this agony until we experience our full restoration and sanctification. The presence of the Holy Spirit is God’s promise of a future and total restoration, a complete release from not only the power of sin, but from its presence. The Spirit is like an engagement ring in that it gives substance to our hopes for better things in the future.

The Spirit of Help (8:26-27)

The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. Some things simply cannot be put into words—any words (any language, native, foreign, or angelic). At these times when our humanity is stretched beyond the breaking point, the Holy Spirit ministers on our behalf, communicating for us the deepest longings and desires within us.

The Spirit of Certainty (8:28-39)

Only two things in this life are certain, death and taxes. Except that for the Christian, we can add at least one more thing—sanctification. All of the struggles, all of the turmoil, all of the agony, is a part of God’s plan to conform us to himself.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

All things for God’s glory, but also for the good of the Christian! It is God who is active in all the affairs of our lives. The events of our lives are no accident; they are the handiwork of the sovereign God. No circumstance fails to contribute to our good and God’s glory. Finally, we will how that has been, we will see the beginning from the end. In the meantime, we trust God to accomplish his good and perfect and acceptable will in his own way in our lives.

Foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification.

Foreknowledge determines who God’s children will be; predestination determines what God’s people will be (conformed to the image of Christ); calling is that point in time when the unbeliever is irresistibly invited to be a part of God’s family; justification is the sinner’s participation in the benefits of the work of Christ on his behalf; glorification is the full future realisation of all that God has purposed us to be. Glorification is spoken of in the past tense because of its certainty of coming to pass. There is no question of it not coming to pass.

From election to glorification it is entirely in God’s control. Paul has not said that some of those whom God has chosen will be called, nor that some of those who are called will be glorified. From election to sanctification, it is the work of God and it is certain.

This all gives confidence to the Christian:

1. “What then shall we say to these things?” (v31).
If God is on our side, who could be against us? This is not to say that there is no one against us, for Satan is our adversary. But if God is for us, who is Satan to oppose us? If God’s power was sufficient to save us, if God’s love was strong enough to send his only Son to the cross, then there is nothing which he will not do for us(v32).

2. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” (v33).
God, the sovereign judge of the universe, has declared us to be righteous through the work of his Son. Who, then, would dare to accuse us before God?

3. “Who is the one who condemns?” (v34).
Would anyone dare to condemn us before the God who has given his only Son to save us. He has borne our sins on the cross. There is no condemnation.

4. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (v35).
Is there anything in this universe greater than God? Is there any one greater than He? No! If that is true, then there is nothing that can ever separate us from the love of God. Our salvation, our sanctification, is as secure as the God of heaven is strong.

the BIG story: Mark 13

John Smith — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Hal Lindsay’s The Late Great Planet Earth was a book of it’s time. Allegedly, according to the New York Times, it was the number one best-selling non-fiction book in the decade of the 70’s. Lindsay plays the dangerous game of “this is that,” pointing to future people, nations, and events as depicted in biblical prophecy and naming their contemporary fulfilment. So, the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain countries favour prominently in this cold war scare novel. Today, it all seems so different! Jesus warns against confidence in identifying modern phenomenon with biblical prediction!

Suffering and persecution do not mean the end has come, although persecution is sure to increase as the end draws near. Jesus’ encouragement to persevere was certainly a challenge that the early readers of Mark’s Gospel understood. It is estimated that as many as 160,000 Christians die for their faith each year. Christians die for their faith every day. They are sold into slavery and buried alive in Sudan. They are raped and executed in Central America and the Balkans. They are burned alive, beaten and stoned in India, Indonesia and the East Timor. They are imprisoned and abandoned by their families in the Middle East.

Today violence against Christians is widespread primarily on the continents of Africa and Asia, but Christian persecution exists in every country on the planet every day of the year. But when we are challenged we need to speak boldly and the example of our world-wide brothers and sisters should be humbling.

A tricky verse!

When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

What is the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11)? It seems to have had a partial fulfilment in 167 BC. when Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected an altar to the pagan Greek god Zeus over the altar of burnt offering and sacrificed a pig on it. Jesus is probably looking ahead to the destruction of Herod’s Temple in AD 70, and perhaps using both of these events to foreshadow the end times, when the antichrist will stand where he does not belong — presumably in the temple. This will inaugurate the “Great Tribulation” the second half of the 7-year judgment on Israel. It is useless to try to escape from the judgment, according to Jesus; all will experience it. Both the destruction of the Temple and the Tribulation period are judgments directed primarily at Israel, which is Jesus’ main message in this passage.

It will certainly be a terrible day, but Christians are promised that we will be spared from God’s wrath (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9).

The point of Mark 13 (as we also found in Luke 17) is simple: Be prepared! It is precisely at this point in Matthew’s Gospel that Matthew records Jesus’ parables about preparation (lamps) and stewardship responsibility (talents).

I like spontaneity. The Lord is spontaneous to. He promises to drop in unexpectedly; He will not call ahead. Is your house in order? He will not accept excuses. He has warns us in advance that we should be prepared.

the BIG story: Isaiah 65:17-25

John Smith — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:52:00 +0000

At the end of the age, God will create a new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem. It will be characterised by security, prosperity, safety, and close communion with God. Isaiah 65 picks up a theme continued by John in the Book of Revelation.

The central focus is the Lord, Immanuel; and the righteous will have free access to him. This glorious new creation will, as Paul says, begin the reign of Christ on earth, that will eventually be caught up to the Father (1 Cor. 15) and become what we call the eternal state. But Revelation says that whilst the saints will reign with Christ in earth; but have access to hin the heavenly sanctuary. It will all be far more wonderful, and complex, than we can even imagine.

Isaiah is describing the restoration of human society to its right conditions and of the transformation of the physical universe, just as in the Garden, the perfect creation was destroyed and changed by sin. The words are used of the Christian hope in 2 Peter 3:13, and Rev. 21:1. Weeping and mourning will be removed (v19), and one of the causes of sorrow, death, or at least untimely death, will be removed so that there will be longevity once again (20).

These descriptions have been taken in a couple of ways:

1. Some wish to take the expressions literally and see reference to a new period on this earth when all the transformations in it will be established; for in the eternal state there will be no death and no sinners at all. People who will be on earth will live, marry, have children, build, and be in harmony with nature. Jerusalem will be the centre of God’s theocracy, and there will be peace and safety there. This view, a millennial reign of Christ and His saints, would see these conditions in Isaiah as a prelude to the eternal state. This view harmonises well with some passages of the Bible, but not well with Isaiah 25 and with the order of things in Revelation.

2. Or, this passage is a picture of the new creation, since Isaiah 25 had announced there would be no death, following the timeline of Revelation (new heaven and new earth after the millennium). This language then is figurative and representative — if there were death, one who dies at 100 would be considered a child. And if there were sinners, they would be quickly condemned. But the weakness with this view is that it really strains the meaning of the text!

Whichever view is correct, there is coming a marvellous new creation that will end the curse and its effects, although the sequence of the events, and how it will all be worked out, is un certain. For the believers, if the new heaven and the new earth come about a little differently than expected, they will not be disappointed!

God will renovate all things in this world to show what he had intended from the beginning. And that “season of refreshing,” that “world to come” will see the final fulfilment of all the prophetic promises. Those who respond to God’s call and serve him faithfully are the heirs of that new creation. Those who stubbornly refuse his call and go after false gods instead will have everlasting death. Faithfulness to God’s call, then, becomes the central point of this prophecy. Believers must show their faith by their devotion; unbelievers must turn to the truth by faith, abandoning all false beliefs and wicked practices.

the BIG story: 2 Corinthians 15

John Smith — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:31:16 +0000

1. This comfort is intended only for Christians.
Paul’s sentence begins, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, …” And then he says that their toil is not in vain “in the Lord.” These words are addressed to Christians, and the hope which Paul speaks of is for Christians only. Death has no power, no sting, to those who are “in Christ.”

2. Correct understanding of Christianity gives stability, even in the midst of troubled times and in the face of false teaching.
False teaching destabilises Christians; true doctrine stabilises us:

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14).

3. Belief in the truth inspires diligent service, while false doctrine leads to passivity.
The teachings of Scripture related to the second coming are intended to stimulate our service. There are those who abuse doctrines (such as the sovereignty of God and the second coming) by making them an excuse for passivity. Paul concludes this chapter, devoted to prophecy, by encouraging diligent and persistent service.

4. The certainty of the coming of the kingdom of God in the future assures us that what we do “in the Lord” in this life is not in vain.
The reason we can diligently serve God in this life is that we know that in so doing we are “laying up treasure in heaven.” To die is not vain, but gain. To live is not vain, but gain. If we are “in Christ,” we are willing to suffer any earthly loss, because of the heavenly gain which awaits us:

5. Faith in Jesus Christ frees us from the fear of death and thus from our slavery to the devil.
We need no longer be held hostage by the fear of death. Death is a defeated foe.

6. Death is the way to life, and it is to be the way of life for the Christian.
Death really is the way of life, both for the apostle Paul and for our Lord.

Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you (2 Corinthians 4:10-12).

Jesus said that the way for him to bear fruit was to die. And then He applied this same truth to His disciples. Those who love their lives will lose their lives; those who hate their lives in this world will keep them eternally. The way Jesus would “draw all men to Himself” was by being lifted up on the cross of Calvary. Jesus taught that the way to life was the way of the cross. By means of his death, burial, and resurrection, we have been given life by faith in him. Now, as Christians, we are to apply the same principle to our earthly life. We are to take up our cross, to hate our life, to die to self, and in this way, we will obtain life eternal. Here is an entirely unique approach to life. It is one you will never find originating from unbelievers, but you will find it repeatedly taught in the Word of God. Death is a defeated enemy; indeed death is our friend, and our way of life!

the BIG story: Acts 10

John Smith — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:14:00 +0000

By this time, the gospel was advancing in a way that partially fulfilled the Great Commission given in Acts 1:8, but this was far less than what had been commanded. The apostles had not yet come to terms with the fact that the gospel was the good news of salvation for Jews and Gentiles, without distinction. There were a few exceptions – God fearers – like the centurion in Luke 7:2-10, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Cornelius, but these all appear to be people of influence and means, who employed their resources in the service of Judaism.

So this passage is foundation to the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the church, and to the fulfilment of the Great Commission. Here we find one of the most concise summaries of the gospel:

1. The gospel began with the preaching of John the Baptist.

2. The baptism of Jesus, when he was divinely designated as Messiah and empowered with the Holy Spirit.

3. In his earthly ministry Jesus did good, healed the sick, and delivered those held captive by the devil.

4. Jesus was crucified by those who rejected him.

5. The resurrection of Jesus was evidenced by his appearances to many, and to the apostles in particular (who were appointed to testify to his resurrection).

6. Jesus then gave his witnesses the Great Commission.

7. Jesus is Lord of all.

8. Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.

9. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus receives the forgiveness of their sins.

10. This salvation is available everyone of every nation, without distinction.

11. This gospel is the fulfilment of the message of all the Old Testament prophets.

Peter had not said all he intended, but obviously he had said enough. He was just warming up when the Spirit fell on all those who had gathered to hear him speak. It goes without saying that their hearts had been prepared because they immediately grasped the good news. What they needed to hear was not only that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but that faith in him would bring the forgiveness of sins, whether for the Jew or for the Gentile.

And because they were now speaking in tongues and praising God, just as men were when the Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter really had no other choice than to order that their baptism!

1. This is the gospel, by which all men can be saved.
No text better summarises the gospel than Peter’s words, spoken to Cornelius and those with him. This is the gospel in a nutshell:

Our Lord came to this earth, was baptised by John and by the Holy Spirit. In this way, he was designated as God’s Messiah and was empowered to carry out his earthly ministry. Jesus did many miracles, setting himself apart from all others. He was the Messiah, but he was rejected and crucified by those He came to save. God overruled this by raising Jesus from the dead. He provided convincing proof of this resurrection by many appearances to those appointed as witnesses. The apostles were witnesses of the resurrection, appointed to proclaim the gospel to all who would believe, Jew or Gentile. Jesus will come again to judge those who have rejected Him. He is Lord of all. Have you trusted in Jesus?

2. There is only one gospel, by which Jews and Gentiles alike must be saved.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to heaven:

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

3. The gospel is only for those who are completely unworthy of it.
We can all have people whom we consider unsavable. But the gospel is only for those who are unworthy of salvation and who cannot make themselves acceptable in God’s sight. That is because the gospel is the good news that salvation is a gift, given by grace through faith in Jesus.

4. Salvation is of the Lord.
It wasn’t Peter who took the initiative to bring the gospel to Cornelius and his household; it was God. God prepared Peter and those who would hear his message. It wasn’t Peter who persuaded Cornelius and friends to believe; God did. They came to faith apart from an invitation. And it wasn’t Peter who baptised them in the Spirit. Peter was an instrument in the hands of the Redeemer, but he wasn’t the cause of these conversions.

5. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and even the repeated filling of the Spirit does not make necessarily improve one’s understanding of God’s purposes.
Peter was an apostle, and he was Spirit-filled at Pentecost. But Peter did not have it all figured out the moment the Spirit came upon him. It took the dramatic events of our text to convince Peter that he was wrong.

the BIG story: Acts 2

John Smith — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:43:00 +0000

Pentecost is the sovereign activity of God.

1. The Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3 is essential and foundational to our understanding Pentecost. At Baptism, Jesus identified himself with John, his ministry, and his message and he identified himself with lost sinners. And we see God identifying himself (Father and Spirit) with the Son, and with his ministry. From this point on that Jesus is endowed with power from on high to conduct His earthly ministry.

At Pentecost, we see a similar event taking place with Jesus’ earthly body, the church. God identifies himself with the church, the body of Christ. It is one thing to identify ourselves with Christ (which we do in believer’s baptism). Just as Jesus did not begin his public ministry until the Father identified himself with him by sending his Spirit on him, so too the experience of the disciples at Pentecost. Now, God has come to dwell in his people by his Spirit.

2. Second, Day of Pentecost had fully come,
The coming of the Holy Spirit didn’t “just happen”; it happened on Pentecost to fulfil its eternally determined destiny.

Feast of Pentecost was known by several names: the “Feast of Harvest” (Exodus 23:16), the “Feast of Weeks” (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10), and the “day of the first fruits” (Numbers 28:26). The Feast of Pentecost was to be celebrated 50 days after the offering of the first fruits. It marks the transition from Israel’s barley harvest to her wheat harvest. the more highly prized crop.

So what?

Passover clearly anticipated the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross of Calvary. He is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows Passover, and all leaven must be removed. The death of our Lord Jesus at Calvary removes the guilt of our sins, and thus we must come to hate sin and desire that it be put far from us
Like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the offering of Israel’s first fruits followed shortly after the observance of the Passover meal. The presentation of the first fruits always occurred on the day after Sabbath, or Sunday. Sunday after Passover was also the day our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, the first fruits from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Fifty days later, Israel celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. It was the time when God identified Himself with the church, the time when He endowed the saints with power so that they could carry out the Great Commission.

3. The disciples did not bring the Holy Spirit down by their actions; the Holy Spirit came down upon them unexpectedly.
This was all God’s doing. And the emphasis then falls on those who witnessed this event. Nothing like this has ever happened before. An auditory and a visual manifestation accompany the filling of the Spirit. It is not a literal wind or a literal fire. It is a very loud sound that is something like a violent wind. It is something like tongues made of fire.

What is the meaning of these symbols? In both Hebrew and Greek, “spirit” is also the word for “wind.” Wind is often a symbol associated with the Spirit of God. Fire is frequently a symbol of God’s presence. Apart from God’s work in our lives, the human tongue is a destructive fire, but once the heart is renewed and the Spirit empowers the tongue, it becomes an instrument of salvation.

So where did these “devout Jews” come from? Where were they before this? Some of them were probably devout Jews who made their way from distant lands to come to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). Some might have come for Passover and stayed on until Pentecost. We know that many did make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feasts, especially the three mandatory feasts:

The Passover festival at Jerusalem in the days before the temple was destroyed was an impressive occasion. Perhaps the only comparable event in the modern world is the annual Haj to Mecca. From all over the Eastern Mediterranean world, wherever Jews had settled or foreigners had embraced the Jewish religion, they came each year. Nobody knows exactly how many came. Ancient reports range from half a million to twelve million! A more conservative modern estimate reckons that Jerusalem, quite a small town by modern standards (perhaps 30,000 inhabitants), was swollen to six times its normal population at Passover time. The city itself could not hold them, and they filled the surrounding villages, while large numbers set up tents outside the city.

Messianic expectation was at an all time high. Word about Jesus had spread abroad. Surely the “devout Jews” heard of such things, and just as surely, they would have made every effort to relocate to Jerusalem, hoping to be on hand when the kingdom of God was inaugurated. So these “devout Jews” sensed that there was spiritual significance to these events, and they wanted to know what it was: “What does this mean” (v12)? But others dismissed these miraculous events as the babblings of those who were drunk: “They are drunk on new wine!” (v13).

God is present with his people, even though we are not yet sinless. We are forgiven sinners, who will one day be freed from the suffering and groaning that is the result of sin (Romans 8:18-25). By the Spirit, he is with us, not only to teach, comfort, and guide, but also to empower us to carry out the Great Commission.

the BIG story: Acts 1

John Smith — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:55:00 +0000

The ascension is not a fitting conclusion to the life and ministry of our Lord. It seems a bit of an anti-climax in the light of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It concludes on a note of sorrow and separation rather than of joy, victory, and triumph.

The gospel accounts hardly mention the ascension. But Luke does highlight in today’s passage. One of the most significant words in the book of Acts is that little word “began” in verse one. The gospel of Luke was the report of what Jesus began to do and to teach. The book of Acts records what the Lord continued to do and to teach through his body, the church, and the work of the Holy Spirit which he sent.

On the cross, Jesus declared “It is finished” referring to with regard to the work of redemption, which was accomplished on the cross. Man’s debt for sin could now be marked “paid in full.” But Jesus did not say, “I am finished” in the sense that his work on earth was completed. The work of proclaiming salvation is still going on.

While the provision for man’s salvation was the work of our Lord which was completed on the cross of Calvary, the proclamation and application of the benefits of this work have continued through the centuries, through the church, the body of Christ. The ascension of Jesus Christ was central to the initiation and continuation of this work.

From Acts we discover that the purpose of this forty-day period was three-fold:

1. To convince the disciples of the fact of our Lord’s physical, bodily resurrection.

2. To teach and command the disciples. There was much that the disciples could not understand about the Lord until after his death and resurrection. Only after his accession and Pentecost, would they understand the great truths of the gospel. So they must wait until the promised Spirit was sent.

3. To clarify and correct the disciples understanding of the Kingdom. The disciples remained certain that it must be immanent as a literal, physical reign of the Lord upon the earth. The Lord does not correct the disciple’s concept of the Kingdom; He corrects their preoccupation with the timing of the Kingdom. Subsequently, once they had understood, the apostles preached to the Jews that if they turned to Jesus as Messiah, there would then in their own lives at that point in time, be a restoration of the Kingdom.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).

The expression ‘times of refreshing,’ was understood rightly by Israel as being the time of the restoration and the establishment of God’s Kingdom upon earth.

There are some still today who seem to be more focussed about the precise timing of Jesus’ return than with godly living (2 Peter 3:11-13). This is the thrust of Acts 1:7-8. The disciples were not intended to know the exact time of the Lord’s return and the establishment of his Kingdom. But as a result of His departure, the Holy Spirit would come, and they would witness to Jesus Christ at home and abroad (John 14:7ff.).

The ascension was the final, incontestable evidence that Jesus Christ was the victor over Satan and his hosts. It is the measure of His victory, but also the measure of the power which has been bestowed upon His saints to carry out His work on earth until He returns.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
       "When he ascended on high,
       he took many captives
       and gave gifts to his people."

(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:7-12).

So how does this help us?

1. Separation
In one sense the ascension was the bodily separation of our Lord from his followers. But the Scriptures never record any mourning or tears concerning this. Most likely because the Lord’s departure began a time of even greater intimacy through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:20).

2. Consummation
The work which our Lord in His physical body on earth has been finished. (Hebrews 1:3).

3. Glorification
When our Lord returned to the Father it was marked with splendour and glory because of the work he had accomplished. (Philippians 2:9).

4. Confirmation
The ascension of Christ is a confirmation of our faith and assurance in Christ (Hebrews 6:19-20).

5. Transition.
The ascension serves as a connecting link:

Between the work of Christ in salvation and that in our sanctification; between the gospels and the epistles; between what has been accomplished by Christ and what is still being done through his Spirit. It is even a transition in the ministry of Christ as well. Having completed his work on the cross in his flesh, He now intercedes for us as a sympathetic High Priest, as One who has experienced our afflictions. (Hebrews 5:14-16).

6. Anticipation
The ascension also creates in our hearts a sense of expectation. He will return, just as He departed.

the BIG story: Matthew 20

John Smith — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:49:00 +0000

The resurrection of Christ is absolutely essential. It is the proof of his deity and Lordship and is indispensable evidence of the power of the cross. If he did not rise from the dead, then he is not the Son of God; and it follows that his death on the cross is the death of an ordinary man and of no value to others. If, on the other hand, Christ actually rose from the dead, it not only demonstrates that he is all He claims to be but that his work has achieves all he said it would; a substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of the sins of the whole world.

Scripture links the resurrection of Christ to his work on the cross, as in Romans 4:25: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification..” In Romans 10:9 we read: “If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The resurrection of Christ and his death are twin doctrines which stand or fall together.

A. The resurrection of Christ has not only a backward look toward the cross demonstrating the power of God in salvation, but it is also the doorway to his present work in heaven.

1. He sends the Holy Spirit.
The promise of Christ that he would send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7) depended upon His resurrection and His return to glory. The ministry of the Spirit, is therefore dependent upon Christ’s resurrection from the grave and his return to glory as the triumphant Saviour.

2. He gives eternal life.
Through the Spirit, the Lord gives eternal life on all those who put their trust in Him (John 11:25; 12:24-25 ). If Christ did not literally rise from the dead, God’s plan of giving life for spiritual death through faith in Jesus Christ would become invalid.

3. He intercedes for us.
The resurrection of Christ is specifically linked with his work in intercession: “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

4. He gives us gifts
According to Ephesians 4:11-13, Christ gives gifted men to the church such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, because “when He ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (Eph 4:8).

5. He gives spiritual power.
The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was God’s divine standard of power in the Old Testament, so the resurrection of Christ from the dead is a divine standard of power in the New Testament, especially in relationship to His work for the church. “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.”

This power is described in Ephesians 1:17-23:

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the centre of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

6. He raises believers to a new position in Christ.
It is because of the resurrection that the believer can now be triumphant in his new position, no longer being dead in sin, but raised to newness of life in Christ Jesus.

7. He is the first fruits from among the dead.
In His resurrection from the dead, Christ fulfils the Old Testament anticipation in the feast of the first fruits in that he is the first to be raised from the dead in anticipation of the future resurrection of all believers (1 Corinthians 15:20-23

8. He is now preparing a place.
An important aspect of the present work of Christ is that he is preparing a place for his bride in heaven.

9. His universal Lordship over all creation.
Christ is not only Head of the church because of his resurrection and ascension, but because he has resumed his position of Lord over all creation.

B. The future work of Christ is also dependent upon His resurrection.

1. The resurrection of all men.
Christ by the power of his own resurrection will raise the dead. Regardless of time and character of resurrection, all resurrection is attributed to the power of Christ (John 5:28-29; 1 Cor 15:12, 22) and depends upon the historical fact of His own resurrection.

2. The marriage of the Bridegroom and the bride.
We look forward to the eternal union and fellowship of Christ and his church. The church now a bride waiting for the coming of her husband (2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7).

3. The judgment of all creatures.
Christ will also be the final judge of all moral creatures, whether men or angels (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10; 2 Tim 4:1).

4. The final deliverance of the world to the Father.
At climax of history, Christ will deliver a conquered world to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). It is not too much to say that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a link in the total chain of God’s sovereign program without which the whole scheme would collapse.