Christmas Exposes the Heart

Christmas exposes the heart. That is to say, Jesus’ presence exposes the heart.

Christmas does so in two ways,

  1. Christmas exposes what the heart treasures
  2. Christmas exposes the heart’s knowledge of or lack of knowledge of God

We can see this illustrated in the familiar story of the wise men coming to worship Jesus in Matthew 2:1–12.

First we’ll consider how the first Christmas (Jesus’ initial presence on earth) revealed what the hearts of the wise men treasure. Then, we’ll consider how that first Christmas revealed what Herod’s heart treasured. And finally, we’ll see how Christmas revealed the wise men’s knowledge of God and exposed Herod’s lack of knowledge of God.

 

1) Christmas Exposes What the Heart Treasures
To arrive at our conclusion about what the wise men’s hearts treasure, let’s make atwo observations about the wise men that Jesus’ first advent reveals.

 

The Wise Men
First, the wise men are looking for and waiting for King Jesus. What is the quest of the wise men? Matthew 2:2 tells us: They come to Herod in Jerusalem “saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?’”

The wise men are searching for the new born Jesus. Why now? What inspired them to search now? The reason they offer is: “For we saw his star when it rose” (Matthew 2:2).

These wise men are familiar with the prophecy that Balaam spoke concerning Israel when they were camped on the plains of Moab. While Israel made their way to the Promised Land, Balaam prophesied that a king would rise from the Jews like a star. Numbers 24:17 records the prophecy,

 

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).

 

The wise men knew this prophecy, and they sat on it in hopeful anticipation. A when a stellar phenomenon appeared in the sky, they took this as their cue: the king is coming. The wise men were not caught off guard by his coming. Rather, the wise men were looking for his coming in hopeful anticipation. The wise men were looking for and waiting for King Jesus.

 

Second, Jesus’ presence moves the wise men to joyful, sacrificial worship. The rest of Matthew 2:2 makes clear that the wise men, upon seeing the star, seek out Jesus in order to worship him,

 

“we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2)

 

How do they worship Jesus? Joyfully. Well this isn’t hum drum dutiful worship. This is white hot, joyful, incandescent worship. Matthew piles up the descriptions of their joy in 2:10 when he tells us that when they saw the star, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Jesus’ presence is their joy.

What else marks their worship? Sacrificial giving. Matthew 2:11 tells us that they give gifts, treasures to him—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men were waiting for Jesus and they came to joyfully worship him personally by giving gifts.

What do these two observations (their hopeful waiting for the king and their joyful, sacrificial worship) together tell us about what the wise men’s hearts treasure? To answer, let’s ask one more question: Does Jesus, the Son of God and King of all creation need the wise men’s presence or their gifts? The answer is a resounding no.

The Sovereign God, Creator of the Universe needs nothing. Jesus the Son of God incarnate certainly has no need of something these wise men or his worshipers could bring as a gift or provide by their presence. So why do the wise men look and wait for Jesus to come and then journey what was likely a great distance to personally bring Jesus these treasures? They waited for Jesus, they journeyed to Jesus, and they brought Jesus these treasures not because Jesus had need of them personally or what they could provide, but because they had need of Jesus.

The wise men did all this as a way of saying, “Jesus, you are worth more than these or any earthly treasures.”

Piper reflecting on this scene says this,

 

When you give a gift to Christ like this, it’s a way of saying something like this: The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things in the hope of enjoying you more, not the things. By giving to you what you do not need an what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’ [1]

 

When Jesus, whom they had waited for in hopeful anticipation, showed up at that first Christmas, their response was rejoicing with exceedingly great joy. Their response was to go and worship. That first Christmas, Jesus’ presence revealed that the wise men’s hearts treasured Jesus above all else.

Compare this to Herod.

 

Herod
First, Herod was not looking for or waiting for Jesus. What was Herod’s response when the wise men informed him of their mission? First, Matthew 2:3 makes clear that Herod was surprised. Matthew tells us that upon hearing the news from the wise men of the coming promised king, Herod had to ask his chief priests and scribes where the Christ was going to be born. Here is a king in Israel, who is not even looking for the coming of the promised Messiah. Jesus is not even on his radar.

Second, Jesus’ presence troubles Herod. Matthew 2:3 makes clear that upon hearing the news of Jesus’ presence, Herod wasn’t only taken off guard in surprise, he was also troubled. Herod’s response was not to rejoice exceedingly with great joy. His response was distress. Why?

Well, what did Herod ultimately seek to do? Herod sought to kill Jesus, and he went so far as killing all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16–18). What does this tell us? Herod saw Jesus’ presence not as a reason for joy, but as a threat to his joy, namely his throne.

So, Herod was not even looking for Jesus, and at his arrival he was greatly troubled and sought to destroy him because he saw him as a threat. What do these two observations tell us about what Herod’s heart treasures? Herod’s heart treasures his own rule and reign over Jesus.

So here in the wise men and King Herod’s response to that first Christmas, we get a picture into the human heart. When Jesus enters into our lives, his presence demands a response. Our response to his presence exposes what our heart truly treasures. Do we treasure Jesus above all things, or do we see him as a threat to something we treasure more?

If we are growing in Christ, both of these responses will be present in our lives. We should worship Jesus with white hot passion sacrificially giving our time, energy, and resources as a way of expressing our treasuring of him and for the sake of his kingdom advance. But we should not be surprised when we suddenly find ourselves feeling disturbed by Jesus’ presence either. None of us treasures Jesus as we should. We should expect that his presence in our lives will begin to reveal things we tend to treasure more than him. And when he exposes those idols and rises like a star in our hearts to remind us, “I am your King. I am your treasure. Worship me,” we should shake off our troubled thoughts, emphatically cast aside and abandon our idols, and run to him, rejoicing exceedingly with great joy in worship.

Christmas exposes what the heart treasures. And, by doing so, the bottom line is this: Christmas exposes who we know or think God is.

 

2) Christmas Exposes the Heart’s Knowledge of or Lack of Knowledge of God
Christmas reveals whether the heart rightly knows God as the all benevolent giver or wrongly thinks of God as a malevolent taker. Consider the contrast between the wise men and Herod again.

 

The Wise Men
The wise men’s treasuring of Jesus above all else reveals that they know God to be the most benevolent giver. They recognize that the God, who has need of nothing, has given to them something they desperately need in Jesus. Their actions reveal that they recognize Jesus’ presence will cost them something, because they give up expensive treasures and time and energy just to be with him. Yet their worship reveals that they know whatever God may demand from them, he has given them something so much more in Jesus. They trust God’s goodness toward them to take away what they don’t need and give them what they truly need. The wise men know God to be the most benevolent giver.

 

Herod
Herod’s treasuring of his throne exposes that he sees God as a malevolent taker. He does not truly know God, who gives eternal joy and life, and who seeks nothing nor needs nothing in return other than one’s joyful surrender to his rule and reign. Herod sees God’s king, Jesus, as one who would take his power to his ultimate harm. But, Jesus would take only in order to give something greater: salvation. Herod wrongly believes God to be a malevolent taker.

 

Christmas Reveals Who God Is
Christmas reveals that God is the God who would give us his very own Son so that we might be with him forever. And if this is the case, how will he not give us all things?

 

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

 

God is the most benevolent of givers, who needs and seeks nothing in return but your joy, and who offers us the greatest treasure in his Son. So let Christmas has its full effect on your heart this year—let the presence of Jesus expose your heart. And, see Jesus as your greatest treasure. Rejoice at his presence. And, when you find yourself disturbed by his presence exposing a hidden treasure you didn’t know was there, bring it to him freely. For he promises to give you so much more in return.

[1] John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), 51–52.

The Promise of Christmas: The Promised Offspring

At Christmas, many of us open presents. And, oh, what a joy it is to open a present. Even adults must admit that they love the feeling. Some of us might try to suppress our excitement to be, you know, ‘grown up’ about it; however, inside, we’re giddy. Children, on the other hand, express the joy of opening presents far better. Consider for a moment how children often judge presents. If you were to set two different presents, one big and one small, in front of a young child, which one will they typically go for first? The big one. Why? Because as a child you often associate the value of the gift with its size. The bigger, the better. However, as we grow older we discover the most value is often packed into the smaller present. A diamond ring comes in a small package, so that small package proves far more valuable than a big box that contains a giant stuffed toy. This same principle applies to some of the words we come across in Scripture. There is often a payload of theological treasure jampacked into small, seemingly straightforward words. And we should be more excited about these little words than we are presents at Christmas. Let’s consider one very relevant word for this advent season.

In Galatians 3:16, Paul says this,

 

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”

 

Paul takes one word, “offspring” and makes what on the surface appears to be quite the exegetical and theological leap by saying offspring refers to Christ, that is, Jesus the long-awaited Messiah who saves God’s people. Paul does the same thing when he writes Timothy,

 

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8).

 

Jesus is the offspring of David. Now David had many sons. What makes Jesus the offspring, and why is that so important? We may be tempted to say, “Well Paul can come to these conclusions and make these assertions because he is an Apostle.” But, I think Paul actually instructs us how to read our Bibles here. Paul offers a couple of clues in these two verses that inform his word choice. Paul connects Jesus being the offspring to two people: David and Abraham. So with those two clues in hand, let’s just consider this tiny little word offspring. One of the best ways to begin to unpack this wonderful gift is to read our Bible’s backwards, beginning with a couple of very well-known Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus. So let’s start unwrapping, because treasure of immeasurable worth lies hidden in this word, offspring.

 

The Offspring of David

First, Isaiah prophesies in Isaiah 9:6–7—a verse that often comes to mind around the Christmas season. In fact, many of us may have memorized—“to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Isaiah says that son is divine, that “his name shall be called…Mighty God” among other divine monikers. And, Isaiah declares that God will send this divine child, this son, to be the righteous ruler of his kingdom. Isaiah says that this son will sit on David’s throne—“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…on the throne of David and over his kingdom” (Isaiah 9:7). Right before declaring this, Isaiah says in Isaiah 7:13–14, that this promised divine son who will rule on David’s throne is the same son who will be called “Immanuel” (God with us), who will be born of a virgin unto the house of David. It doesn’t get much more Christmas than that!

Well, so far we have not seen the word offspring, but David shows up a lot. Isaiah certainly understands that David is connected to this promised son . Where does Isaiah get this? Again, we’re tempted to chalk it up to Isaiah being a prophet. However, Isaiah, just like Paul, shows us what Holy Spirit empowered, Christ-centered reading of Scripture looks like. Isaiah teaches us how to read our Bibles. So let’s continue reading backwards. For Isaiah takes his cue from a promise that God had already made to David.

We see in 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (cf. 1 Chronicles 17:11–14), that God declared to David, “I will raise up your offspring after you…and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Aha! Here we find our key word. The promised divine son prophesied by Isaiah is the offspring of David that God promised would reign forever. This promise to David ignited within David humble adoration and profuse praise to God (2 Samuel 7:18–29). Just consider some of David’s words in response to this promise,

 

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?…You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you?…Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:18–22).

 

David is obviously elated. Behind this elation, though, there does seem to be more than just joy for the promise of a son who will reign as king forever—as spectacular as that is. Indeed, David says this promise of God to him is “instruction for mankind” (2 Samuel 7:19). What does David have in mind?

David understands this promise of an offspring to be the coming fulfillment of an accumulation of God’s promises to his people. David is of the tribe of Judah the son of Jacob, and God had already made clear in Scripture—Scripture that David would have been familiar with—that a promised king would come from Jacob and specifically Judah, who would crush God’s peoples’ enemies and rule over all peoples (Numbers 24:17; Genesis 49:10).

Just as Isaiah understood the promised divine son to be the promised forever king who was David’s son, David understood the offspring promised to him, to be the promised ruler who would come from Judah and Jacob to crush all enemies and rule over all peoples.

So the offspring’s connection to David is clear. But what about Abraham? Well, Isaiah, David, and the people of Judah and Jacob all would have understood the promised offspring to be the promised offspring of Abraham, just as Paul did.

 

The Offspring of Abraham

Recall, God promised Abraham that his “offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:17–18). This is the promise Paul had in mind when he wrote the words of Galatians 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:8.

Let’s review, then. The divine son born of a virgin, the son and offspring of David who would reign forever, the enemy crushing king of Judah and Jacob is one promise. And that promise is the promised offspring of Abraham who would possess the gate of all his enemies and bless all the nations of the earth. Paul, Isaiah, and David understood that it would be through a promised offspring that God would fulfill his promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3).

But we’re not quite done unwrapping this word yet. There is one more way Paul, Isaiah, David, and even Abraham would have understood this promise of an offspring. To discover that, we must go all the way back to the beginning.

 

The Promised Offspring of David Is the Promised Offspring of Abraham Is the Promised Offspring of the Woman

In Genesis 3:15, after that awful day in history we call the Fall, God declares to the Serpent, in earshot of Adam and Eve these words,

 

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15)

 

Paul, Isaiah, David, and Abraham all understood that the promise of an offspring was the promise to destroy Satan and save God’s people from the curse of sin and death. What Abraham, David, and Isaiah all hoped for but never saw fulfilled, Paul declares we now behold in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Is the Promised Offspring

When Paul declares Jesus is the offspring of Abraham and David, this is what Paul has in mind:

 

Jesus is the promised offspring in Isaiah who is the divine son born of a virgin, God with us, who reigns in righteousness forever (Isaiah 7:13–14; 9:6–7).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring of David who will defeat death and reign on David’s throne forever (2 Samual 7:12–13; 1 Chronicles 17:11–14; Acts 2:22–32).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring who is the ruler from Jacob and Judah who will crush his enemies and have the obedience of all peoples (Numbers 24:17; Genesis 49:10).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring of Abraham who will bless all families of all nations (Genesis 12:1–3; 22:17–18).

 

And Jesus is the promised offspring of Eve who would crush the head of the Serpent and undo the curse of sin and death (Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8).

 

Great Treasure in a Small Word

Jesus is the promised offspring. It seems our principle proves true. A seemingly small package, the word offspring, contains with in it a payload of such immense worth and value, that we should be like a kid at Christmas when we happen to stumble across this word in our Bible reading. Hidden within this word “offspring” is the very promise our salvation. That is something worth getting excited for this Christmas when the promised offspring’s, Jesus’, first advent is so clearly in view.

The Harmful Bloom of Bitterness

Harmful blue-green algae blooms can devastate a fresh water ecosystem like a pond or lake. The bacteria that forms the scummy mats that cover the surface of a body of water are always present within the water. However, when conditions are just right, these bacteria can blossom rapidly—in a matter of days—into a harmful bloom that covers the entire body of water. Once the bloom begins to form, the disruptive effects on the ecosystem are immediate. Other living organisms in the watery environment begin to suffer from deadly toxins, lack of sunlight, insufficient oxygen, and other effects that trickle down the food web. This can lead to a large dying off event. But the harmful bloom doesn’t just affect organisms that live in the water. It can also harm organisms that drink the water, come into contact with it, or inhale the water droplets. Ultimately, the bloom itself will die off because there no longer remains enough nutrients to sustain it. In a sense, the bloom destroys itself. So, in short, the potential for a harmful blue-green algae bloom remains hidden in the water until, suddenly, it seems to explode from out of nowhere. It then begins to systematically destroy other living organism within the ecosystem until it ultimately succumbs to its own gluttonous appetite that leaves no nutrients to sustain its own life.

What’s the illustration here? Obviously, this is the nature of sin. Sin remains hidden under the surface, and, when the conditions are right, it erupts to harm others and self. One specific sin that is particularly sneaky in this way is the sin of bitterness. Bitterness can lay under the surface for a long, long time. Then, when conditions are just right, it breaks out. The outcome of a bloom of bitterness is always devastating. A small droplet of bitterness will rapidly grow until it strips away the very inheritance of eternal life that Christ offers us. How do we overcome this insidious sin?

Consider Matthew 5:44–45,

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44–45).

Focus on verse 44 through the first half of verse 45: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Follow Jesus’ logic here. Loving one’s enemies and praying for those who persecute you results in becoming a son of God the Father. This truth contains two implications:

Implication 1: You are not a son of God the Father due to your sinfulness in general.

Implication 2: You will not be a son of God the Father if you harbor bitterness for your enemies.

These implications are the reasons Jesus gives the command. He gives the command to wake us up to the reality that we are separated from God the Father by our sin. He gives the command to warn us that if we remain in our sin we will remain separated from God the Father. Another reason Jesus gives the command, though, is this: Our tendency due to our sinful flesh is to not love our enemies but to become embittered toward them. That is, our fallen, sinful natures prevent us from loving our enemies and propel us to harbor bitterness toward them. And that bitterness, like a harmful algae bloom, bides its time until conditions cause it to erupt in harmful desires for and acts of vengeance. Paul warns about this in Romans 12:19,

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

The command here is simple. We must not become embittered and seek vengeance. Rather, we should trust God to act justly. Our conundrum, though (as we’ve just pointed out) is that in our fallen nature we are bent to not love our enemies but rather harbor bitterness toward them. Likewise, we do not pray for those who persecute us but pine for vengeance. What’s the solution? How do we become sons of God the Father if we cannot overcome our inherent bent toward bitterness and vengeance? We need one who is already a son of the Father to show us the way. We need the Son.

Jesus, the Son of God, offers us the supreme example of loving one’s enemies rather than becoming embittered toward them. Consider 1 Peter 2:21–23,

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:21–23).

What was the key to Jesus’ love in the face of such injustice and persecution that, if we experienced it, would move every fiber of our being toward bitterness and vengeance? It’s found in v. 23: Jesus continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. Just as Paul made clear in Romans 12:19, God the Father is a just judge. He will right every injustice. He will repay all the wrongs to you by your enemies. Vengeance is his. Trusting the Father is the example Jesus offers us. On top of that, the injustices Jesus suffered far outweigh any we do because he is the sinless Son of God. And yet, Jesus still entrusted himself to his Father.

Only the Son of God could know this way, and he has showed it to us. We of course could not know this way because in our sin we are not sons who would be inclined to trust God the Father. Romans 12:19 reveals that as well. Our bitterness and desire for vengeance springs from our lack of trust in God to act justly. In our sin we see God as a stranger and enemy. In our sin, we are his enemies. And this is where Jesus the Son of God proves to be more than just a model and an example for us. Jesus proves to be a savior and a son-making brother. Consider what Peter follows up his illustration of Jesus our example with in 1 Peter 2:24,

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:24–25)

Peter follows up Jesus our example with Jesus our savior. We, sinful man, were straying sheep in need of a seeking-shepherd. We were wounded by our own sin and in need of a healer. We were dying from the curse in need of a savior. And, in the heat of our fully bloomed sinful bitterness toward God and our fellow-man, we killed the Son of God.

And Jesus did not become bitter toward us but prayed for us even when we persecuted him to death,

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)

And Jesus rather than seeking vengeance entrusted himself to his Father,

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:47)

And by doing these things—by fulfilling the very command in Matthew 5:34 that he laid before lost, sinful, embittered men who were not sons of God but enemies of him—Jesus bore our sins in his body that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; Jesus healed us; Jesus chased us down like a shepherd seeks out his straying sheep to return us to God the Father. Jesus the Son of God saved us and made us sons of God again (Romans 8:14–17) because he did not become bitter toward us, his enemies.

So how do we overcome sneaky, insidious bitterness that would threaten to bloom to the harm of others and the eternal harm of ourselves? In Jesus the Son of God, we have been given the example to follow. We entrust ourselves to God the Father to do right. And we can do this, because in Jesus the Son of God we are no longer sin-enslaved enemies of the Father who distrust him with our lives. Rather, Jesus the Son has made us sons with him—sons who know and trust the Father, and who are able to follow in the way that Jesus has showed us.

Delighted, Not Dependent: God’s Glory and Your Good

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. And yet, God delights to use you for his glory and your good in his kingdom plans. At the same time, he is not dependent on you to accomplish them. This is a principle that John the Baptist reminds the Pharisees and Sadducees of (cf. Matthew 3:9 — “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”) We see this principle illustrated in Acts 1:15–26. There we witness a memorable scene play out. Peter leads the disciples to fill the void in the twelve left by Judas with a qualified disciple, in keeping with the necessary fulfillment of God’s Word with regard to kingdom restoration (cf. Psalms 69:25; 109:8). Two fellas, the man with three names, Joseph-Barsabbas-Justus, and the man with one name, Matthias, meet the stipulations. That is, both Joseph and Matthias are qualified to be counted among the twelve and receive a share in their ministry. And yet, only one will be chosen. In the end, King Jesus reveals his choice of Matthias. Check out the final movements in the scene:

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:24–26)

The disciples pray for the Lord to reveal his choice, and he does. We may wonder: What did Joseph do after this? Did he leave in a huff? Did he ask for a recasting of the lots? Did he take his ball and go home? I think it is safe to say no to all of the above. Here’s why.

The very next thing we read in Acts 2:1 is this,

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

They here refers to all of the disciples of Jesus who were present in the preceding scene: the eleven and the roughly 120 including the newly added to the eleven, Matthias, and Joseph. All of these were baptized in the Holy Spirit and became instrumental witnesses of Jesus Christ in the founding of the early church. Some traditions even say that Joseph went on to become a bishop in the early church. But, we may still wonder: Why was Matthias chosen over Joseph?

The short answer, as we’ve made clear at the top, is because Jesus delighted to choose Matthias and wasn’t beholding or dependent to pick one over the other. But there might be more to say on the matter.

We find one other valuable insight in Acts 1:24. From the disciples’ human perspective, the choice is a toss-up. All the objective evidence they can observe suggests that these men are equally qualified. There are no glaring reasons why one and not the other should be chosen. Therefore, they pray. Notice the content of their prayer again. Not only do they confess that Jesus has already made his choice (he simply needs to reveal it) but they address Jesus as the knower of hearts. They recognize that not only does the Lord know the hearts of these men in a way that they as outside observers certainly can’t, but that the Lord also knows Joseph and Matthias’ hearts more intimately than even Joseph and Matthias can. We’re reminded here of the Psalmist:

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. (Psalm 19:12)

 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

Perhaps, there was something in the heart of Joseph that better suited him to not be one of the twelve. For that matter, perhaps there was something in Matthias’ heart that better suited him to be one of the twelve. What was it? We don’t know. We can only speculate on the specifics. But what we can know for sure is that this choice by the Lord was a grace to both men.

Everything God does for his people, he does for his glory and their good. God’s will for his people is their conformity to Jesus and their ultimate glorification with him (Romans 8:29–31). Therefore, God works all things toward this ultimate good for those who love him and are called according to this purpose and plan unto his own glory (Rom 8:28; 11:36). By taking away from Joseph the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Joseph. Likewise, by giving to Matthias the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Matthias. This is instructive for us.

Our identity should never be wrapped up in anything other than Jesus—not even our particularly calling or ministry. If Joseph bound his identity to being named one of the twelve because he thought it was what was best for him and the kingdom, the loss of this possibility might have driven him to despair. By taking this role from Joseph, then, we can trust that God was working a particular grace in his life that otherwise wouldn’t have come about. Perhaps he was exposing things in Joseph for his good. Perhaps he was protecting Joseph from hidden things in his heart that wouldn’t have been revealed and dealt with otherwise. So, for you, when God takes something away, even when it is what you believe he has called you to, you can rest assured of this: God gives and God takes away always for your ultimate good and his glory.

God is not dependent on you for his kingdom plans to succeed. He is not beholden to use you in any specific ministry or way. Rather, God delights to use you in the way that will most glorify him and conform you into the image of Jesus (Rom 8:28–31). The picture of Matthias being chosen rather than Joseph illustrates this reality for us in a memorable way.

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. But, in his kindness, he has delighted to call you to wrap yourself up completely in his Son, Jesus. He has delighted to call you to glorify him in the way he chooses. Submit to his call knowing that he will work all things for your good. For, his glory is your good.

The Promise of the Father: Overloaded Fuses of Love

The Father made a promise to his people. Acts 1:4–5 tells us that Jesus assured his disciples that they would receive that promise from the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit. We see the heavenly delivery of this gift in Acts 2. What came with that promise? Well, there are different aspects we could highlight—purity and power just to name a couple. But another astounding reality that comes with the Father’s promise is the promise of his permanent, unmediated, abiding presence.

God’s salvation program has always aimed at him dwelling with his people. This is what makes God’s people his people. Moses understood this and longed for the presence of God.

 

And he [Moses] said to him [YHWH], “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15–16).

 

And so God promised to dwell and did dwell with his people. Consider Leviticus 26:11,

 

I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people (Leviticus 26:11–12).

 

And he remained with them in this special way until, because of their ongoing rebellion, God’s glory departed the temple, and he handed them over to exile (Ezekiel 10:18; 2 Chronicles 36:20–21). But God’s story of salvation did not end there. God has already written the end of his story of salvation, and he will dwell with his people in a way never known or experienced before. Revelation 21:1–4 gives us as close a glimpse as we can get on this side of the new heavens and new earth of the wonders of the ineffable future reality to come,

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1–4)

 

This is the endgame, eternity in God’s joyous presence for those who have surrendered to King Jesus (Psalm 16:11). And, in God’s grand wisdom, how is it that we get there? By God’s presence with us now.

Ezekiel and Jeremiah, having experienced both the fall of the seat of God’s earthly kingdom, Jerusalem, and the exile of God’s people, foresaw and longed for the day when God’s presence would return in a new way to his people under a new covenant. He would not only dwell with them. He would dwell in them.

 

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:27–28).

 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:33).

 

And, what again is the payoff of God dwelling with his people? It’s Moses’ insight we noted above. God’s presence with his people identifies them as God’s people. God’s presence with his people assures them, they are his. Jeremiah foresaw this new covenant promise of God’s abiding presence resulting in knowing God in a new, intimate, expansive way never before seen,

 

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:34).

 

This is the promise of the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s permanent, abiding presence with and within his people—that Jesus poured out on his people in Acts 2. This is the gift he has given us who are in him. Put simply, the promise of the Father, the gift of God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit, is the gift of assurance. It is the sure knowledge that God’s is ours and we are his. God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit assures us that we are his children,

 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14–16).

 

And at times God delights to overwhelm us with the presence of his Holy Spirit in order to fill us with fresh knowledge of his abiding presence with us and love for us. Martyn Lloyd-Jones captures such experiences well, saying,

 

“The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out.”[1]

 

And, when the fuses of love are overloaded with the knowledge of God’s love for us, that’s when we sing his praises and declare his mighty works through the gospel of Jesus with such joy and boldness that the world takes notice and the kingdom of God advances. Again, Lloyd Jones,

 

The subconscious doubts…are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world. And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, “My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!”[2]

 

The Father made a promise. And what the prophets of the old covenant foresaw, we get to experience in the new covenant. We live with the permanent, abiding presence of God dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit. And because of this, we know him, we know his love for us, and we know we are his children. And he delights to remind us of this at the most unexpected times in fresh, wonderful ways. If you haven’t experienced that in some time, just ask your Father for it. For your Father delights to give you the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). In this way—you being filled with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God and his love for you, which leads you to declare his mighty works of salvation through Jesus because of your joy in him—in this way, God will take his kingdom to the ends of the earth. Through your overloaded fuses of love, the Father will make his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[1] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Random House Publishing Group, 2000).

[2] Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable.

From the Deep Well of Past Blog Posts: What Has Straw in Common With Wheat?

[Every now and then, we like to dip back into the well of past blog posts. This week, Coty is beginning a new series in Jeremiah titled, The Word of Life, the Word of Judgment. The theme for this Sunday is “Father, You Have Put Your Words in Our Mouths .” If you can’t tell, the common theme here is God’s Word. In light of this, consider this past blog post that observes how Jeremiah 23 reveals the immeasurable worth of God’s Word that he has graciously given to us. Read and be edified.]

Are you hungry? Why don’t you go collect grass clippings from your lawn, pile them up on your plate, and sit down to a sumptuous feast?

Doesn’t that sound appealing?

Which would you choose: That plate of grass clippings, or a loaf of piping hot bread, right from the oven?

Jeremiah tells us that the Word of God is like wheat, and any other words of advice, of counsel, of experience, are like grass, like straw. The Word of God is that much more valuable than all other words.

Does that image reflect the relative value you give the Word of God compared to other voices?

The image comes from the prophet Jeremiah. God gave him a difficult message to deliver to the nation: The Babylonians would come and destroy Jerusalem. The Lord God would bring about this punishment because of centuries of rebellion against Him.

Jeremiah faithfully delivered the message.

But many other false prophets were telling the people that all would be fine: They said the attacking Babylonian army would depart, the exiles who had been taken away to Babylon a few years earlier would return, and the kingdom would be secure. They claimed to have received dreams from God revealing these truths.

In response to these false dreams of the false prophets, God says through Jeremiah:

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28-29)

The prophets’ dreams were like straw, like grass – like that plateful of grass clippings. Those dreams provided no nourishment. As God says a few verses later, “They do not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 23:32).

In contrast, God’s Word is like wheat: Nourishing; satisfying; filling; sustaining.

And no one would mistake straw for wheat! No one would pick up grass clippings and think, “Oh, let me grind this up to make fresh flour!”

Just so – if we have eyes to see – there is a stark difference in value between the Word of God and other writings that claim authority.

Daily, hourly, minute by minute, words pound against our ears and messages present themselves to our eyes, saying: Buy this! Vote for that! Advocate this! Write a letter about that! Heal your relationships via this technique! Get your life together through that miracle cure! Make a million through this investment! Become attractive through these clothes! Become healthy via this exercise regime!

Among all those messages, some are totally false. Some are harmful. Some, on the other hand, are useful in one way or another.

But in comparison to the truths God graciously provides us in His Word, all of those are straw. All are a pile of grass clippings, compared to the satisfying, fragrant, filling bread of His Word.

And the bread is not just for our personal consumption! His Word, says the Lord, is like “a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29). Picture a sledgehammer, shattering the concrete barriers we have erected between us and God. God’s Word breaks through those barriers, leaving us “exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Exposed, we can only fall on our faces before Him, humbly seeking the forgiveness He offers through Jesus Christ.

So we must proclaim that Word, so that it might have its intended, shattering effect.

Now, the effect of that proclamation is often not pleasant. Indeed, when the sledgehammer is at work, hearers may oppose the Word harshly. This was the case with Jeremiah. He was thrown in prison more than once for speaking God’s Word. He was even tempted to quit speaking. But God would not let him. Jeremiah writes,

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9).

God’s Word is like a fire (Jeremiah 20:9; 23:29). It burns within us. Like the Yosemite wildfire, it spreads and spreads. We can’t hold it in. We can’t contain it. We must speak it.

Many pastors have applied these verses to the preaching ministry. Indeed, my prayers prior to preaching almost always echo Jeremiah 23:29.

But the Word should be a fire in every one of God’s people. The Word is a hammer, breaking the rock into pieces, whenever any Christian faithfully speaks that Word to others.

So, first: value God’s Word above all the other voices you hear – consider it like a hot loaf of fresh bread compared to grass clippings. Second, remember that it is like a sledgehammer, which will break down the barriers we erect between ourselves and God. Finally: that Word is a fire within us – it must come out!

May we speak that Word faithfully and fully – so that all might know the difference between straw and wheat.

The Kingdom of God in Acts From Beginning To End

The kingdom of God is one of the most central themes of the Bible. If you find yourself perusing through the Old Testament (OT) historical accounts of Israel’s kings, it won’t take you too long to come to this conclusion: as the king goes, so goes the kingdom. Let’s consider this reality in the book of Acts.

Luke has the distinction of being the most prolific of the New Testament (NT) authors, if you measure production by the amount of pages written. As the author of most of our NT, we may find it surprising that Luke only refers to the kingdom of God eight times in Acts, when it is such a prominent theme in the Bible. The specific phrase “kingdom of God” occurs six of those times. Here are the relevant verses:

 

Acts 1:3—He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:6—So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Acts 8:12—But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 14:21–22—When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Acts 19:8—And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Acts 20:25–And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 

Acts 28:23—When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Acts 28:30–31—He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

 

While Luke only refers to the kingdom of God these eight times, it would be a mistake to think it isn’t a major theme in his book. For starters, notice the strategic, fairly even distribution throughout the book. Luke places references to the kingdom at the beginning, middle, and end, with a few one-offs in between for good measure. You can’t go more than a few pages in Luke’s twenty-eight chapter work of theological history without finding yourself confronted by a “kingdom of God” statement that Luke uses to summarize the early church’s work. Let’s zoom in on a couple of those statements

Notice that Luke frames his book with this all important theme. That is, he begins and ends his book with the kingdom of God.

Luke begins Acts with the kingdom of God—He (Jesus) presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Jesus spent forty days moving in and out among his disciples after his resurrection. That’s a good chunk of time. Notice how Jesus used it. Luke tells us Jesus did two things: (1) Jesus repeatedly proved that he was alive, and (2) Jesus spoke to the disciples about the kingdom of God. Luke doesn’t want us to miss this: Jesus’ resurrected life ties directly to the kingdom of God. That’s how he starts Acts. The right question to ask is, “What exactly did Jesus speak to his disciples about regarding the kingdom, and how does that relate to his resurrection?” To answer that question, to the end of Acts we go.

Luke ends Acts with the kingdom of God where he gives us one final account of Paul’s ministry in Rome, writing, He (Paul) lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:30–31). The last sentence in Acts that Luke carefully selects and writes tells us that Paul continued to proclaim two things (1) the kingdom of God and (2) Jesus. Acts 28:23 fills this out a little more by telling us that Paul aimed to convince [those who visited him] about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. This is precisely what Jesus did for his disciples in his forty days.

In Luke 24:25–27, we see Jesus appear to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. This is what how Luke captures the moment: [Jesus says to them] “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Likewise, when Jesus appears to his disciples later he offers the same message:

 

Then he [Jesus] said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:44–48).

 

What exactly did Jesus speak to his disciples about regarding the kingdom, and how does that relate to his resurrection? Jesus’ message to his disciples is essentially this: the kingdom of God is inaugurated and here because the king of God’s kingdom lives and reigns. Peter proves this conclusion for us in his very first public proclamation of the gospel in Acts 2:14–41.

In his Pentecost sermon, Peter climactically heralds that when David wrote Psalm 16:27 he was prophesying about Jesus’ resurrection as the true king of God’s kingdom,

 

he (David) foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses (Acts 2:31–32).

 

And for the final touch, Peter exclaims,

 

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36).

 

Jesus’ resurrection proves he is the rightful king of God’s kingdom. And if the king is here, the kingdom of God is here. King Jesus conquered death and lives forever. And because he lives forever, he reigns forever. And because he reigns forever, his kingdom, God’s kingdom, will never end. As the king goes, so goes the kingdom.

The book of Acts from beginning to end is all about King Jesus reigning over the kingdom of God. This is the story Luke tells. This is the story Jesus’ people, citizens of his kingdom, in Acts tell. And, it’s a story that did not end at Acts 28:31. It continues. If you are in Christ today, this is your story. Go and tell it.

Mithridatism, Maturity in Christ, and Immaturity in Evil

What is Christian maturity with respect to sin and evil?

There is a practice called mithridatism. Are you familiar? It is the practice of ingesting small, non-lethal amounts of a poison in order to build up resistance or immunity to that poison. Is this what Christian maturity with respect to sin and evil is like? A mature Christian, then, is one who remains unaffected by sin and evil even when they directly or indirectly participate in it? John Owen helps us understand how to answer this question.

In the classic work The Mortification of Sin, John Owen points out that one of the great dangers of continuing in sin or, as Owen puts it, “harbouring your lust” is “Being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”[1] Owen has in mind the warning of Hebrews 3:12–13,

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12–13).

What is the outcome of being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? An evil unbelieving heart that leads one to fall away. This is the life cycle of sin. “Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:13–15). So continuing in sin ultimately leads to apostasy or effectively denying God’s offer of salvation in his Son. This should not surprise us. Sin, unrighteousness, by nature suppresses the truth in those who practice it (Romans 1:18). Therefore, if we continue to practice sin, refuse to repent, and, as a result, sear our conscience, then our powers of discernment become useless. We can no longer distinguish between good and evil effectively. Hebrews 5:14 calls this the opposite of Christian maturity,

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

So Christian maturity with regard to sin and evil is in part being able to distinguish between good and evil. In a fallen world that often calls good evil and evil good, this is a vital skill. Another characteristic marks Christian maturity, though. Ironically, a certain immaturity marks Christian maturity.

In 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul tells us that a necessary aspect of Christian maturity is immaturity with regard to evil. He writes,

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature (1 Corinthians 14:20).

Mature Christians think clearly with regard to good and evil. They are adults in their thinking not children. We’ve confirmed this above. However, Paul implies here that such maturity did not come by tasting evil and sin so as to build up an immunity to it. Paul says, be infants in evil. The full implication, then, is that such maturity came by being immature in the ways of sin and evil, that is, by not practicing it. Christians should not practice sin and evil even in the slightest. Paul makes this clear elsewhere in 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22,

but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22).

Being able to distinguish between good and evil and being immature in evil, that is, abstaining from evil, while holding fast to what is good—these things mark Christian maturity.

Christian maturity with regard to sin and evil then is not like the practice of mithridatism. Notably, mithridatism will not work on certain toxins. As one continues to take small, non-lethal doses of certain toxins in the hopes of building immunity, they actually facilitate the opposite result. Rather than building resistance to the poison, the poison accumulates in the body until it reaches a lethal level, killing the practitioner of mithridatism. Sin is the poison we never build immunity to. We may consume it over and over in non-lethal doses with the result that we no longer feel its immediate effects. In doing so, we deceive ourselves into thinking we’ve built resistance to it—that we are now mature with regard to sin. But all the while the poison of sin has continued to accumulate and will continue to accumulate in our souls until it ultimately kills us. This is why John Owen wrote, “always be killing sin or it will be killing you.”[2]

Is Christian maturity as simple as that? To be sure there are other aspects that mark Christian maturity. But when our Lord spoke one of the most famous promises of his coming Christ through the prophet Isaiah, this is how he chose to describe him,

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isaiah 7:14–15).

If we can capture the idea of Christian maturity with the word Christlikeness, then this is at the essence of Christlikeness—holiness, turning from evil and choosing the good. When the Christian does this, they are mature. When the Christian does this, they are Christlike.

 

[1] John Owen, The Mortification of Sin (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2022), 68–69.

[2] Owen, The Mortification of Sin, 9.

Testify What the Lord Has Done for You

Last Sunday morning, we collectively read Psalm 40:1–5 as our responsive call to worship. Recall v. 5:

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

David announces that he will proclaim all the wondrous deeds and thoughts or intentions that YHWH has multiplied to the people of God’s kingdom. We applied that this past Sunday to our call in Colossians 4:2–6 to be witnesses to those outside the kingdom—to walk in wisdom toward outsiders and to let [our] speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. This is vital. We as disciples of Jesus must be his witnesses and ambassadors of the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:13–16; 2 Corinthians 5:20–21). However, we should also take a cue from our king and tell of God’s kindness toward us to our brothers and sisters in Christ, the church, as well. David, writing prophetically in the voice of Jesus in Psalm 22, pens:

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! (Psalm 22:22–23).

Our call as disciples is also to tell of Jesus to our brothers and to praise him in the congregation. God calls us to share Jesus with one another by telling of the wondrous deeds and thoughts he has multiplied toward us. Testimonies of what the Lord has done for us encourage our hearts in Christ and build up the church.

We see this exemplified by Paul and his partner in ministry, Tychicus.

Tychicus shows up a few times in Scripture. And, from the evidence available, he seems to be a very trusted co-laborer of Paul’s. When the church in Crete needs to be covered in Titus’ absence, one of Paul’s go to candidates is Tychicus (Titus 3:12). When Paul requires Timothy, he sends Tychicus to Ephesus to cover for Timothy while he’s gone (2 Timothy 4:11–12). Tychicus, Paul tells us, is a beloved brother and faithful minister of the gospel (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21). And, one of his most important jobs, it seems, was to to testify to other churches—to tell everything that was happening in Paul’s ministry:

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities… They (Tychicus and Onesimus) will tell you of everything that has taken place here (Colossians 4:7, 9).

 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything (Ephesians 6:21).

Why did Paul send Tychicus to tell about his ministry? He had this purpose in mind: to encourage the hearts of those who listened.

Paul writes to the Colossians and the Ephesians using identical language, “I have sent him (Tychicus) to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts” (Colossians 4:8; Ephesians 6:22). Paul wants other saints to know what God is doing through his ministry in order to encourage or exhort them.

Some of the sweetest moments in our corporate worship are our “Mission Moments” when a missionary we support visits and shares with us how the gospel has been increasing and bearing fruit in their ministries. In what manner does this encourage or exhort our hearts so much? I think it does so in at least three ways.

First, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in the gospel magnifies Jesus in our midst. And, when we magnify Jesus in our midst, this stokes our affections for and worship of him as we behold his glory.

Second, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in the gospel strengthens our unity and solidarity with Christ as the church.

Third, hearing the testimonies of what God has done for and through his people in their gospel ministry emboldens gospel action—we effectively spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).

There is one scene from Acts that captures this quite poignantly. In Acts 4:23–31, Peter and John return to their friends to report their recent gospel activities (healing of the lame beggar [Acts 3:1–10], Peter preaching in the temple [Acts 3:11–26], and the persecution they endured at the hands of the chief priests and elders [Acts 4:1–22]). They specifically report “what the chief priests and the elders had said to them” (Acts 4:23). After hearing their testimony three things result: (1) Worship—They begin to worship the Lord (Acts 4:24–30), (2) Strengthened unity—They prayerfully worship together (Acts 4:24), and (3) Emboldened gospel action—The Holy Spirit fills them and they continued to speak the gospel with boldness (4:31).

The lesson for us is, let’s be like Paul, Tychicus, Peter, and John. Let’s make a habit of sharing with our fellow brothers and sister what Jesus is doing in our lives and ministries. Because, our testimonies (1) magnify Jesus, leading to worship, (2) galvanize our collective solidarity with and our unity in Jesus, (3) and embolden gospel action. In short, when we share our testimonies of Jesus, we encourage one another in Christ and build up the church.

In that spirit, I leave you with these words of instruction from our King from Mark 5:19:

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Sing

Two months ago, Pastor Wil wrote a blog post titled “Song as a War Strategy,” and he alluded to where we presently find ourselves in Colossians this weekend, Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” In that post, Pastor Wil crystallized a vital truth for the church—God has given us psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a means of grace to build us up in our Christian walk. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t wait another second. Avail yourself of the opportunity here.

Wil wrote, “I want to suggest to you today that singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs both individually (and especially collectively) is a means by which the Spirit enables us to wage spiritual warfare against our threefold enemy: our sinful flesh, the fallen world, and the Satanic powers of darkness.” He then followed this up with wonderful examples from Scripture where songs of the saints preceded miraculous victory. I want to use this as my jumping off point for this post. Specifically, I want to answer the question: What do psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs do for us as a body that makes them such a vital means of grace? Let’s follow Paul’s logic in Colossians 3:16 to find out.

The main idea in Colossians 3:16 is Paul’s primary command, “The word of Christ must dwell in you richly” (My translation). The word of Christ is nothing less than the gospel of Jesus that Paul has just brilliantly put on display like a multifaceted diamond refracting light and beauty from all angles for the Colossians to see. You must read all of Colossians up to this point if you want to fully appreciate all the angles of the gospel that Paul has uncovered. This word of Christ, the revelation about Jesus, must dwell richly in the church. That is, it must be central to everything she does and completely conspicuous. It must be noticeable and on display. Why? Because through this gospel the Holy Spirit ignites faith in Jesus unto salvation. Our very salvation depends on the gospel of Jesus dwelling richly in our midst. Okay. It’s vital. Not an option. We’re on board. It needs to dwell in us. So how does one cause it to dwell? Paul tells us in this verse.

We cause the gospel of Jesus to dwell richly in us by teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing go hand-in-hand with gospel proclamation (Colossians 1:28). All wisdom is just code again for gospel wisdom — in [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). When we teach to one another this revelation—the word of who Jesus is, what Jesus has done to justify sinful man, what Jesus is doing to sanctify sinful man, and what Jesus promises to do, that is, glorify his perfected people—we cultivate an environment for the gospel to dwell richly. And, when we admonish one another, that is, warn one another about the disastrous consequences that await if we don’t heed this gospel, we cultivate an environment for the gospel to dwell richly.

Okay. Let’s do this. Let’s teach and admonish one another so that the gospel dwells richly in our midst unto our salvation. Obviously this happens through formal teaching settings, one-on-one discipleship, and other times of informal fellowship, but how else can we practically facilitate a culture, an environment where all this happens corporately? Of course, we gather for the corporate preaching of the word, which is central and vital to the life of the church and the body’s gospel culture. But Paul clearly gives this command to everyone, even if they are not in leadership or particularly gifted in teaching. So how do we do it? Paul has a solution. Sing.

Paul says the way in which we teach and admonish one another corporately so that the gospel dwells richly in our midst is with psalms, hymns, and songs of the Spirit, singing with thankfulness in [our] hearts to God (My translation). The grand solution—(Indulge me for a moment—The grand solution to cultivate and build a beautiful gospel culture that treasures Jesus and his gospel at such a deep, abiding level that no one could walk into the midst of a local church and not know who they were gathered to worship and why. That’s a mouth full.)—the grand solution to that, is to sing praises to God for Jesus and the gospel. If teaching and admonishing comes through this singing, this means that the songs the church sings should declare who Jesus is and what he has done in the gospel. And, in this way—through corporate praise and thanksgiving to God through singing—every member teaches and admonishes one another. Thus, singing Jesus and the gospel in praise to God cultivates a culture where the word of Christ dwells richly. And, where the word of Christ dwells richly, there one finds salvation. There one finds the Holy Spirit working to reveal Jesus and empower saints to walk in him.

Pastor Wil summed up this in his post:

“Remind yourselves in Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs how great our triune God is. How loving our Savior is. Remind yourself how powerful the Spirit of God is within us and of the kingdom in which Christ has made us heirs, ready to fully inherit at His return. Sing with joy in God, knowing that He’s won our victory, He’s with and for us, and He’s using our song as a means through which our enemies camp is plundered.”

Sing to God with thankfulness in your heart for Jesus, and then step back, and just enjoy the word of Christ as it dwells richly in your midst.