Month: September 2024

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
Mark 6:3

Attitudes and opinions change over time and according to culture. Here and now, carpenters are regarded as skilled professionals that earn a better than average wage for a service that is in high demand. Apparently, that wasn’t the case when Jesus lived in Nazareth; “they were offended at Him.”

I think I understand why. Many years ago, I lived in a very poor country and learned much about Third World life-styles. We lived in a town where electricity was available for less than four hours a day, so carpenters plied their trade with hand tools. There were no furniture stores where we lived, so when someone needed a table, chair, or set of drawers they hired a carpenter. These tradesmen usually lived in the poorer section of town and often made furniture much nicer than they could afford for themselves.

Carpenters also seemed to have the worst reputation among the blue-collar workers. They all seemed to lie; their work was never ready on time, and they usually charged more than the price they first quoted; besides, most were alcoholics. Knowing that Jesus also worked with wood, often led to jokes about Christ being the world’s only honest carpenter.

Christ must have been different. He would have been a skilled craftsman, wasn’t a drunk, and would have kept His word. His work must have been in high demand and that’s exactly where the problem was. I can imagine the reaction of the wealthier class – “The nerve of Jesus closing up shop to preach. I have a lot of things for Him to do. Who does this carpenter think He is anyway?”

Jesus’ neighbors never came to the realization that He was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. To them He was just the Carpenter.

April 13

But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.
Acts 3:14*

Some time after Peter healed the lame man in the temple, he preached a powerful sermon to those who gathered there to marvel.  All, or certainly most, of the crowd would have been present to see the crucifixion just a few months before and would have heard rumors of the resurrection. The former fisherman turned evangelist pointed out that Jesus was really the Holy One and the Just who they traded off for a murderer. More than a few in that group would have been part of the mob that cried out: “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).

The title “Holy One” labeled the One whose blood was on their hands as the Messiah and the Just meant He was innocent; He was not guilty of any crime. The Holy Spirit must have used those titles to convict them of sin and judgment which brought many to faith in Christ and brought about a great conversion.

One tremendous truth in this title of Christ is that it is one that can also be given to believers.  Romans 1:17 declares “the just shall live by faith.” Those who were guilty of condemning the guiltless to death could be forgiven and then made just (i.e. justified) before God.  Only Christ, the Just one, could do this.

Romans 3:25-26 declares: “…in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be The Just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

*See also Acts 7:52; 22:14; Romans 3:26

April 12

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16

God was from the very beginning; before anything else, before time and space, and before matter and energy, there was God. That is the starting point, not earth, not the universe. They came from God, not God from them, so you start with God. He is the giver. He is the origin. He is Creator.

An atom can be weighed and a scientist knows how many nanos are in a second. The starting point is what is known. From there, the unknown can be extrapolated. 

An Indian arrowhead is nothing more than an odd shaped piece of flint. Each one of the hundred or so chips out of the rock could be formed by a random act of erosion, yet no educated person would conclude that is what happened. The size, shape, symmetry, balance, and material allude to utility and function. The logical conclusion is that it was made by someone smarter than the rock itself.

To say that the universe started with a Big Bang and gravity and forces of nature formed it into what we can observe now is ludicrous. Whatever was the supposed core of the Big Bang was never observed, measured, or reproduced in the laboratory. It’s unknown.   What actually can be proved is nothing comes from nothing.  If matter didn’t exist before the Big Bang, then gravity, inertia, and energy didn’t exist either. Scientists are forced to say that someone or something was out there before the universe existed, but whatever it was, they don’t want to acknowledge Jesus as God.

Without trying to prove that God exists, the Bible states a simple fact: “God created the heavens and the earth.” We can also see in scripture that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1; Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 1:17; 3:16, etc.). Therefore, if God is Creator and Christ is God, then Christ is also Creator. As Colossians 1:16 confirms, “All things were created through Him and for Him.”

April 11

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven…
Hebrews 12:25

This verse comes across as a stern warning: “Listen to what God says.” In one way, this is the theme of Hebrews. The book opens with, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). It goes on to say, “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” (Hebrews 2:2-3).

The whole idea is that God held people accountable to listen to and obey Him in the Old Testament, whether His message came through prophets or angels. Now, the stakes are much higher. God has given a new covenant, a much better deal, to the human race. Eternal life and death are at stake, so God Incarnate came Himself to present the offer. Not to listen to Him would be a terrible mistake.

Yet millions of people rejected the message and refused Him Who Spoke on Earth. The writer to the Hebrews was concerned about those who heard and ignored the Living Word of God while He taught on earth. Their fate was already sealed, and it was too late for most of them. How much worse the judgment on those who refused the conviction of the Holy Spirit at a time when He was turning the world upside-down!

God spoke and there was the Word. To reject Him is to reject eternal life. To believe on Him is to listen to and obey Him Who Spoke on Earth.

April 10

Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD.'”
Zechariah 6:12*

As unusual as it sounds, Branch was a well-recognized term for the Messiah, used four times by Old Testament prophets. First century Jews understood the meaning, but last century folks like us usually wrestle with the sense of it.

In an agricultural society, the orchard is as important as the garden or herds of livestock.  Fruit, oil, nuts, and berries come from trees, so caring for them is a basic life-skill.  Planting, pruning, grafting, and harvesting all involve knowing something about branches.

Isaiah 11:1 tells us: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” Obviously a branch is a living thing that grows out of a tree’s trunk.  Branch-like shoots also come out of the roots to make new trees, but what is this idea that a branch comes out of a rod?

I’ve learned a lot about the simple things of life having lived in the Amazon rainforest for many years.  In a land where rainfall can exceed 200 inches of rain per year, literally everything rots.  Leather shoes grow mold within a week and fence posts decompose at the base in less than six months. This is a problem, because the jungle people need to keep their small herds of 6-12 cows fenced in to keep them safe. They will take their machete and cut several pointy-ended sticks which they will thrust into the damp ground.  Within weeks those sticks have leaves and roots and within a few months the long, slender, new trees are strong enough to support barbed wire.

Jesus was the Branch that was cut down and cast away, but He sprung to life again and produces fruit for all who believe.

*See also Isaiah 4:2; 11:1, Zechariah 3:8

April 9

 

Therefore say to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Return to Me,’ says the LORD of hosts,
‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
Zechariah 1:3

Zechariah truly got it; this is an important title of God. Used 235 times in the Old Testament, it conveys power and authority. The International Standard Version translates this phrase “LORD of the heavenly armies.” This view of God sees Him backed up by an innumerable force of fighting angels. No power in the universe can stand against Him.

The title clearly belongs to God, but is it also clear that it pertains to God the Son (a.k.a the Lord Jesus Christ)? Well…yes, of course. Just examine how the name links to verses that obviously describe the Messiah.

• “Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; For the LORD of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously” (Isaiah 24:23).
• “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘ I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God'” (Isaiah 44:6).
• “‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:9).
• “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you” (Zechariah 2:11).

When Christ comes at the final day of  judgment with the assembled armies of heaven, the whole world will acknowledge that Jesus is the LORD of hosts.   

They bound the hands of Jesus, in the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro’ the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, “Crucify Him; He’s to blame.”
He could have called ten thousand angels, To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone, (alone), for you and me.
                                                                                      Ray Overholt (1924-2008)

April 8

I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.
Daniel 7:9*

Jesus wasn’t born yesterday.  He didn’t even come into existence some 2,000 years ago.  He always was as He is now.  The Bible never speaks of the origin of Christ.  As the prophet Micah put it, His “goings forth have been from old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

To some the phrase the Ancient of Days summons up thoughts of antiquity and being out of date, but that misses the whole thrust of the title.  The idea is not about age, but rather about the ageless character of Christ.  He never grows old, impatient, or unconcerned.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (i.e. always young and lovely).  As David said it in Psalm 110, “You have the dew of youth.”

The Lord is as fresh as the sunrise, even though that too has an ancient origin. Yet, Christ’s energy will be just as strong, long after the sun has run out of fuel. As Ancient of Days, He can remember other suns long since extinct, but His own brightness has diminished not at all.

The years are unkind to human flesh and the centuries crumble away civilizations. But, to the Lord, “one day is a thousand years and a thousand years one day” (2 Peter 3:8). Time soon will become irrelevant. When everything in this world seems to be in a state of flux, there is great comfort in knowing that the Christian can go to One who never changes – The Ancient of Days.

April 7

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens…..For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things….
Hebrews 8:1, 4, 5

No one in the Old Testament got closer to God than the High Priest.  Endowed with great privilege and responsibility, he was allowed to enter into the presence of the LORD once a year and advocate for a sinful people before a most Holy God. The title is used 74 times in scripture, most often in the Old Testament, but ten of those times the reference clearly speaks of Christ and all of those occur in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Hebrews explains how Temple sacrifices and rituals were “shadows” (i.e. clues and illustrations) that help us understand what God is doing on planet earth through Christ Jesus.  So then, all seventy-four mentions of high priest shed some light on God’s Anointed and the ten direct references bring it into detailed view.  The distinction is similar to the difference of a man standing in the sunlight and the shadow that he casts.

Aaron and his high priestly descendants interceded for God’s people.  That’s what Jesus came to do.  “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.  For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens: who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Hebrews 7:25-27).

As High Priest, Christ was given the job to atone for our sins. He did that well and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Now, He continues to stand in the gap for His people and intercedes for us before the throne of God against anyone who would bring a charge against God’s chosen people.

April 6

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God
— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30

To modern Americans, redemption is little more than buying back a wedding ring or set of power tools from the pawn shop. There is not a lot of risk involved, and losses are not disastrous. However, in past history, failure to pay off a debt could result in years in prison, a lifetime of slavery, or worse.

In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, a cash-poor but wealthy ship owner cosigns a loan from a businessman who holds deep resentment towards him. The loan is without interest, but if it isn’t paid back in full by a certain date, the adversary demands a “pound of flesh.” Antonio loses his ships in a storm and has nothing to pay with on the day of reckoning. Even when others offer double the original sum, the lender is not satisfied and demands that the contract be followed to the letter.

Satan wants far more than a pound of flesh from every man, woman, and child. He wants their souls to suffer the torments of hell along with him forever. Sinful man is the property, and the redemption price is unimaginable torment and suffering. When Christ was rejected by His nation, betrayed by a friend, mocked and beaten by thugs, whipped until His back was raw, and then nailed to a cross to die, He redeemed the whole human race. Our freedom from hell and the bondage of sin wasn’t cheap.

People blame God for eternal judgment in the lake of fire, but He is not the responsible one. Sinners are debtors to Satan, and he is the one who demands that the wages of sin be paid in full. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand, who offers to be their Redemption.

 March 24 

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Hebrews 4:14

Like presidents and popes, the position of high priest was the highest station anyone could attain. Yet not everyone even had a chance at the office. They had to be a descendant of Israel, a member of the tribe of Levi and a direct descendant of Aaron. Still, out of the very few that qualified, only one was anointed high priest. 

Although the position was singular, scores of individuals have entered this confraternity of supreme Jewish clerics over the centuries. Even so, all of them together are nothing more than a copy and shadow of Him who was to come: The  Great High Priest.

There were no chairs in the temple or tabernacle for the high priest to sit down. His was the duty of serving and not the privilege of fellowship. Once a year without fail, the high priest needed to make atonement for God’s people. He would go into the Holy of Holies, sprinkle the blood, and get out. What seemed to them an end in itself was only a harbinger of better things to come.

When Christ offered His own blood to atone for the sins of the world, He did it once and for all and then, sat down on the throne on high. There would never be a successor. He is the Great High Priest.

O God, we come with singing,
Because the great High Priest
Our names to Thee is bringing,
Nor e’re forgets the least:
For us He wears the mitre,
Where holiness shines bright,
For us His robes are whiter
Than heav’ns unsullied light
                             Mary Bowley Peters (1813-1856)

April 5