The Confusion of Christmas

The Confusion of Christmas

  • “Happy Holidays!”
  • “Best wishes for the Festive Season!”
  • “Peace on earth!”
  • “Merry Christmas!”
  • “Joy to the World!”

We have heard and read and sung such expressions this season. Praise God, Jesus’ birth is a time for celebration:

  • The angel Gabriel says to Zechariah, “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Luke 1:14).
  • Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).
  • The angel says to the shepherds, “I proclaim to you a good and great joy” (Luke 2:10).

The long wait is over! The Child is born! He is Savior and Lord!

But taken in isolation, those expressions are misleading. For the message of Christmas is not peace to all. The coming of Jesus is not joyous to all mankind. The incarnation of the Lord God is not merry to many.

We see this in our own day. Many do not recognize the baby in the manger as Christ the Lord. Of these, a few – following after Ebenezer Scrooge – therefore refuse to celebrate at all. But most are unlike Scrooge. They take the opportunity to celebrate whatever they treasure, whether debauchery or riches or family and friendship.

Our passage, Luke 2:22-52, makes clear that Christmas is not about a general sense of celebration – not even a celebration of family and friendship. Yes, the long-awaited Messiah is born, and those who believe in Him should rejoice and celebrate. Yet Luke follows his account of the celebration by angels and shepherds of Jesus’ birth with a report of Mary and Joseph’s confusion and consternation.

From the start, Jesus is not what people expect him to be. He becomes a dividing line. Praise God, His coming leads to the rising of many in Israel. But His coming also leads to the fall of many. There is no peace, no goodwill for them. Thus, Jesus is a divider. So we must ask ourselves: Which side am I on?

So the message of Christmas is not: Celebrate! The message of Christmas is: Receive the Gift of Salvation! Then celebrate the Giver!

We’ll examine our passage under two headings:

  • A Savior – for Whom?
  • A Son – to Whom?

A Savior – For Whom?

Luke has already told us about Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly” (Luke1:6). They were devout. They kept a clear conscience before God. When they sinned, they made use of the sacrificial system, the provision in the Law for dealing with sin

Joseph and Mary are similar. At a time when many ignored the Law and others lived up to it outwardly but violated it inwardly, this couple lived by it. Luke 2:22-24 provides evidence of this. According to Leviticus, Mary needed to be purified after giving birth. Also, every firstborn needed to be redeemed according to the Law. In addition, it seems as if Mary and Joseph are dedicating Jesus in a special way to God, like Hannah did with Samuel. So Mary and Joseph intend to accomplish all three of these purposes when traveling the seven miles from Bethlehem to the temple in Jerusalem.

When entering, they meet another righteous, devout person: an old man, Simeon, who is “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” That is, he is waiting for the Messiah. He believes the prophecies. He knows the Messiah is coming.

The Spirit has revealed to Simeon that he would see the long-awaited Messiah before dying (Luke 2:26). When his eyes fall on the infant Jesus, the Spirit lets him know: “This is He!” So Simeon comes up to Mary and – likely to her surprise – takes the baby in his arms.

Luke 2:33 tells us that the couple “marvel” at what he then says. The word translated “marvel” can also connote surprise, or being disturbed. Here, Mary and Joseph are definitely surprised, and quite possibly disturbed. Why? Let’s consider Simeon’s words.

After praising God and declaring, “I’m ready to die,” Simeon goes on to say, “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared before all peoples.” Jesus is that salvation. But in what sense is He “prepared before all peoples”?

The picture here is similar to David’s image in Psalm 23:5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Jesus is the feast, the Christmas dinner if you like. Indeed, Jesus will say, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), and, when speaking of bread, “This is my body which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24).

For whom did God prepare this feast? God prepared this feast “before all peoples,” for all nations. He set the table in front of all peoples. Every people group is not only invited; every people group will attend. Whatever race, whatever customs, whatever majority religion, however many centuries of rejecting the Gospel – those from every people group will find salvation in Jesus Christ, every people group will feast on Him.

This message is in the Hebrew Scriptures (see Psalm 67:3,5 and many others). Yet for the most part, Jews – even devout Jews like Joseph and Mary – had missed that truth. They saw the Messiah as coming to help them. They knew other nations were involved somehow – they knew that other nations would recognize that they were truly God’s people. But they didn’t see the Jewish Messiah as coming to save all peoples. So this idea is confusing – disturbing even – to Joseph and Mary.

But Simeon doesn’t stop with that statement. In verse 32, he calls that salvation – Jesus Himself – a light. Then he explains how Jesus is a light in two different ways. First, He is a “light for revelation to the Gentiles.” The word “Gentiles” here refers not to non-Jewish individuals, but once again to nations, to people groups. All these nations are walking in darkness. They desperately need the light of the revelation of Who God is, and how to be put right with Him. Jesus is their salvation.

Second, Jesus is also a light for glory to God’s people Israel. This is what Joseph and Mary expected and longed for. The Messiah will come and show that those who loved His appearing were right. They will be glorified. God will show that He has not forsaken them, despite the centuries of oppression.

So the Messiah serving as a light to show the glory of true Israel is not a surprise. But Israel – in particular, Jesus Himself as the True Israel – being God’s chosen means of blessing all nations was not expected even by devout Jews, and thus this idea surprises Jesus’ parents. Simeon in effect says, “Mary, this son of yours is not only the Messiah who will redeem Israel. He also will save all peoples, even those who have oppressed Israel.”

Mary’s head must be swimming at this when Simeon speaks directly to her in in Luke 2:34-35, adding another element to her consternation:

“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Consider first what comes before and after the parenthetical phrase.

Some within Israel will rise when they encounter this child. Their hearts will be revealed, showing that they truly follow God, they truly love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He may confuse them; they will not always understand Him. But they will love Jesus’ appearing.

Others won’t rise. They will stumble over Him. They will fall. Their hearts will be revealed, showing that they are in fact opposed to God, no matter what their official title might be.

Of course, this happened in Jesus’ own day. The High Priest, the chief priests, the Sanhedrin as a group opposed Him. They stumbled over Him. Their hearts were shown to be against God, not for Him.

And the same still happens today. Some long for His appearing. Some – even some with the title of pastor or bishop – mock it.

Luke 2:36-38 add to this point by speaking of elderly Anna, who like Simeon is devout and looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. After seeing Jesus, Anna speaks of Him to “all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” The clear implication: While some are waiting for this redemption, others are not. She doesn’t even speak to them.

My friends, Jesus ultimately divides all people into two groups: Those who long for Him –  who love Him before they see Him, who know Him upon seeing Him – and those who don’t. Jesus is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel. Simeon and Anna both bring out this point

But I don’t think this idea surprises Mary, for in her song of praise (Luke 1:46-55) she says, “His mercy is for those who fear Him” (and thus His mercy is not for those who don’t fear Him); “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts” (for the proud set themselves up in opposition to Him), and “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones” (for He is the only ultimate power).

Mary knew from the Old Testament that the proud, the mighty within Israel would not follow the Messiah, and that He would overthrow them. She knew that only the remnant, the true, believing remnant, would follow the coming King. So, this idea is not what surprises and disturbs her.

The surprise is found within the parenthetical phrase in Luke 2:36: A sword will pierce her soul. This is the first hint that being the mother of the Messiah will bring pain to Mary. Of course, she has already experienced some degree of pain and inconvenience.

  • She became pregnant before she was married.
  • Her plans for her life were turned upside down.
  • She had to make a journey of several days while pregnant.
  • She gave birth in far from ideal circumstances.

But Simeon suggests a much deeper pain, a much more piercing sorrow. Why? She’s the mother of the Messiah! His kingdom will last forever! All generations will call her blessed!

The Holy Spirit allows Simeon to get a glimpse of the suffering Mary will go through following the rejection of her son by the religious leaders. This, too, is the first indication that there will be a major delay between His incarnation and the time when all will bow down before Him.

This is the confusion of Christmas. Jesus comes as King over all, but He also comes to divide. There is no cause for celebration at Christmas for those who refuse to submit to Him.

Furthermore, although those who long for His appearing should celebrate His birth, even for them there is reason for sober judgment. For until He comes again, we, like Mary, will suffer if we follow Him. We may lose possessions. We may give up careers. We may lose respect. We may even lose our lives. So we must ask one another: Do you count all else as rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Him? He must be your treasure – He must be more valuable to you than all else. You can’t take a piece of the Messiah. To be your Savior, He must be your Everything.

So this infant is a Savior – for whom? He is a Savior for the Jews who long for Him, who love God with all their hearts. He is a Savior for those from every tribe and tongue and people who also long for Him. The offer to join the feast stands today: Love Him. Long for Him. Treasure Him. And He will be your Savior.

A Son – To Whom?

Mary and Joseph eventually return to Nazareth, where Jesus grows in physical strength and is filled with wisdom by God’s grace. The next scene takes place when Jesus is twelve (Luke 2:41-52). All Jewish men are obligated to attend the Passover in Jerusalem. This year, Mary and Jesus accompany Joseph. Many from Nazareth and, perhaps, from nearby towns travel together for safety and companionship. After Passover concludes, the caravan begins the several-day journey home. Mary and Joseph don’t see Jesus during that first day of travel but think nothing of it; He has many friends and relatives in the caravan. But that evening, He is nowhere to be found; they realize He did not leave Jerusalem with them. The next day, they return to find Him, but arrive late and once again go to sleep not knowing the whereabouts of their son. Worried, they search for Him the next day.

Where do they find Him at long last? In the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening, questioning. Those hearing Him are amazed at his understanding.

Mary and Joseph are dumbfounded (Luke 2:48). He knew when the caravan was leaving. He knew they expected Him to go with them. What does He think He’s doing?

Mary speaks out, using words similar to what some of you parents may have said to your own child: “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

Jesus’ response provides us with His earliest words recorded in the New Testament: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Jesus says, “I’m easy to find. It’s necessary that I be here, in my Father’s house. Didn’t you know that? Mother, consider: Who am I? Who is my Father?”

Now, Jesus is not being disobedient or disrespectful. Luke 2:51 makes this absolutely clear: He returns to Nazareth and is submissive to Mary and Joseph.

So why does Jesus do this? To make a point. His actions tell Mary and Joseph, “I love you and respect you. I will always be your son. I will serve you as a son. But I have another calling – a higher calling. I was sent for a purpose. I must be about my Father’s business. And also, Mother, do you feel this pain now? It’s not my intention to give you pain. But as I follow my Father’s plan, I will give you greater pain than this. This is the first of many times when my actions will confuse you. So remember what you have learned. A sword will pierce your own soul. But I am the Son of the Most High. I am the King of Kings. My reign will never end. Trust me. I know what I must do – for your good and God’s glory.”

Mary’s problem is our problem. She had expectations for her Son, the Messiah. Jesus didn’t live up to those expectations. He had his own agenda. He had his own plan. So she was dumbfounded.

What do you expect Jesus to do? How do you expect Him to relate to you? Whatever you expect – He will act differently. Whatever plans you have, almost certainly Jesus will change those plans.

The Christ of Christmas confuses and astounds us, confounding our expectations. The Christ of Christmas will challenge you, stretch you, mold you, break you.

But He is the feast set before you! He is the ultimate joy! His incarnation should lead to a joyous celebration among His people. Christ is born! The Savior is here! And He is Lord!

What is He to you?

Don’t be fooled by the pictures of baby Jesus. A tiny baby in his mother’s arms seems no threat to anyone. Everyone loves a baby.

  • But the Christ of Christmas is appointed for the falling and rising of many.
  • The Christ of Christmas reveals the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
  • The Christ of Christmas divides us all into those who treasure Him and those who oppose Him – there is no middle ground.

He comes to save His people. But He is your Savior only on His terms. And His terms are: Everything. Your possessions. Your future plans. Your family. Everything.

We must love Him with all our heart. We must trust Him with all our lives.

Do you trust Him? Do you love Him? Will you follow Him – no matter what confusing, circuitous route you might take?

The Christ of Christmas is God’s salvation for you.

The Christ of Christmas is a light for revelation to all peoples – including your people.

The Christ of Christmas is worth more than everything you own; He is worth more than all your hopes and dreams.

So take Him! Confess your sinfulness, your lack of love for Him. Confess your mixed desires.  Repent – and find your salvation in the Christ of Christmas.

(This devotion is based on a sermon on Luke 2:22-52 preached Christmas Day 2005.)

 

 

3 Ways to Pray to a Passionless God

One common objection to the doctrine of impassibility which states that God does not suffer or feel the actions of creatures upon himself is that it implies that God’s love for us is inferior in someway. We can be tempted to think that God lacks of passion means he doesn’t care about our circumstance (particularly our suffering), and so it appears that God’s love is cold and distant. This cannot be further from the truth. God being revealed as a God who does not have passion actually means that he cannot love you more than he already does. His care and intention toward you is superior to human care and intention because it does not require a first cause or stimuli. As we heard proclaimed during our time in the book of Mark, God loves you because he loves you and all of his acts toward you are filled with his khesed.

I’ve been encouraged by the response I’ve received since I preached on this topic. The questions, challenges, and conversations have led to deeper study of the doctrine and confirmed my belief that these doctrines matter. I want to continue the dialogue by applying God’s impassibility to our prayer life. How does understanding Yahweh as a passionless God impact our prayer life? If God is impassible why should we pray? And, what is the impact of my prayer on God? So here are 3 ways to pray to a passionless God.

When we follow Gods command to pray we are more able to see him as the infinitely loving God in all of life’s circumstances.

Pray with the knowledge that Christ is your Lord

When we focus on a particular attribute of God whether it is his impassibility or omniscience, we can lose sight of the other things that God has revealed himself to be. God has revealed himself fully in the life of Christ who prayed often to the same Father we have. Christ is not only our model but our Lord who commands that we pray (Matthew 26:41), so we pray to follow the lead of our master who forever lives to intercede for us. We do well to humble ourselves under a God who seeks to serve and build us up through our prayers.

Pray as a means of Gods grace and glory

Imbedded in the question “If God is impassible why should I pray?” is the implication that our prayers are not a result of God’s attributes. This may be easier to see if we replace impassibility with sovereignty. God has revealed himself to be sovereign over all things and this can lead us to ask the same question, “Why pray?” The answer is the same for both questions, our prayers are means of God’s sovereignty and an act of God’s unchanging love toward us. God’s unchanging emotional state is not a reason to pray less but more. We pray for forgiveness knowing that our sins do not change God’s redemption love toward us in Christ, and he is zealous to redeem us as we have seen in the book of Ruth. We pray that God shows his glory through our words and deeds to those arounds us, which he is committed to do. He uses our prayers as a conduit to accomplish his good and perfect will for us. This is an act of his unchanging love for us. Our prayers are the means of grace that he uses because he is impassible not in spite of it.

The Psalmist is praying not to change God but to be changed by God because he knows God loves him despite his circumstance (42:8)

Pray in times of suffering knowing that God loves you

Psalm 42 is great example of how we should pray in light of Gods passionless love for us. The psalmist is in despair and he feels that God has forgotten him. His enemies take note of his condition as well and taunt him. At first glance, knowing that God’s love for him has not changed and cannot increase may not seem to be the best encouragement. We are tempted to think “if this is how God shows his love then no thanks.” This is not the psalmist’s response to his circumstance. Instead he prays for his soul to put its hope in God (Psalm 42:5,11). The psalmist is praying not to change God but to be changed by God because he knows God loves him despite his circumstance (42:8). This is a great example for us because our petitions to God should be informed by who he has revealed himself to be and not simply how we would like him to act on our behalf. This is not to say we should not pray that our suffering be removed—this is a good and worthy petition to God. However, what we ultimately need is to see God for who he is even when we suffer so that our faith In him increases even in our times of suffering. Nothing will separate us from his love, even life’s trials (Romans 8:31-39).

So our prayer life should not be hindered but enhanced by who God has revealed himself to be. He wants us to cast our cares onto him because of his unchanging love for us (1 Peter 5:6-7). When we follow God’s command to pray we are more able to see him as the infinitely loving God in all of life’s circumstances.

 

Why Cry Out to God?

[On August 14 I plan to preach from Psalm 119:73-96 under the title, “Deep Cries and Solid Hope.” This devotion on a similar topic is edited and shortened considerably from a sermon preached March 27, 2011. You can listen to that sermon via this link. This was the first of eight sermons in the series, Cry Out to God!]

When you are in severe pain – how do you pray?

Imagine you’ve just learned of an unexpected sorrow:

  • The death of loved one
  • A cancer diagnosis of a friend
  • Someone you looked up to walking away from the faith
  • Or you’ve just walked away from an angry argument with your spouse.

Do you pray in such circumstances? How?

Sometimes in such cases we are tempted to think, “I can’t possibly pray to God right now! I’m so angry, so hurt, so distracted.” Perhaps you’ve been taught that prayer should begin with praise, and think, “I’m angry with God for letting this happen – so there’s no way I can praise Him!”

Or perhaps you convince yourself you really should pray, so you spit out, “You God are holy, righteous, good, loving, merciful, and gracious, so help this situation, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Many psalms include raw, painful cries to God. Psalm 13:1-2 is an example:

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”

Would you dare to speak to God like that? Should you speak to God like that?

God gives us the psalms – and other prayers from the heart throughout Scripture – in part to teach us to pray. In prayer, we cry out to our heavenly Father as His beloved children. And the God who knows the number of hairs on our head, the God who knows and controls when a sparrow falls to the ground, cares about the pains and hurts and sorrows of His little children. He wants us to come in dependence on Him, to look to Him as our hope, to cry out to Him honestly, truly, from the heart.

Biblical prayer will always be honest. And the biblical pray-er eventually must surrender his will to that of the sovereign, loving God. During our deepest sorrows, that surrender may take considerable time – and we may surrender in the moment, but then need to do so repeatedly in the future.

Psalm 86 is a clear example of both painful crying out and glad surrender to God. Let’s learn from this psalm how to pray in the midst of deep sorrow. We’ll see seven answers to the question: Why cry out? The first three answers are about you, the last four answers are about God.

This psalm has three sections: In Psalm 86:1-7, David cries out in pain and states why God should answer him. Psalm 86:8-13 describe who God is, and detail how David responds to God. In Psalm 86:14-17, David finally describes his specific problem and asks God to answer.

1) Why Cry Out? You are Needy

In Psalm 86:1-4, David calls upon God with six requests: “Incline Your ear,” “answer me,” “preserve my life,” “save Your servant,” “be gracious to me,” “gladden Your servant’s soul.”

Note the reason David says God should answer him: “I am poor and needy,” “I trust in You,” “to You do I cry all the day,” “to You do I lift up my soul.”

The idea behind this last phrase is: “Bring joy to my whole being, for my whole being depends on and desires You!”

Do you acknowledge that you are needy? That you have no assets to depend on? Are you humbled before God? Or do you approach Him thinking, if God doesn’t come through, you’ll still be ok – you have savings, you have friends, you have skills, experience, and education.

We need to cry out like David: From a position of need.

2) Why Cry Out? You Deserve Nothing

Does David ever say, “Answer me, be good to me, because I deserve it”? No. The statements, “I need You” and “I trust in You” are expressions of dependence, not of desert.

But what about verse 2: “Preserve my life, for I am godly”? Is David saying, “Because I’m a good guy, save me”?

The NIV reads: “Guard my life, for I am devoted to You.” That sounds quite different from “I am godly” – and thus is a clue that it might be worthwhile to learn about the Hebrew word. As it turns out, this word – related to the word translated “steadfast love” in verses 5, 13, and 15 – is difficult to translate with a single English word. The Hebrew word refers to a person who receives and loyally returns steadfast, covenant love. So we might paraphrase verse 2, “Guard me, for I am in covenant relation with You, loved by You and returning loyal love to You.”

So David is not at all saying he deserves God’s answer to his cries.

Just so with us. We are in Christ through absolutely no merit of ours. He died for us while we were sinners. We deserve His punishment, not His love and favor. We can only approach God as those who deserve nothing – as those who are recipients of His gracious, steadfast, covenant love.

3) Why Cry Out? You are in Danger

After speaking generally about his danger, David finally states his specific problem in Psalm 86:14: “Insolent (or ‘arrogant’) men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless (or ‘terrifying’) men seeks my life.”

Realize: David was God’s chosen servant – indeed, His chosen king. David was loved by Him. And yet: David was in mortal danger. His enemies were powerful and terrifying.

What does David do?

He doesn’t say blithely, “Oh, it will all work out ok; God is in control!”

Nor does he close his eyes and hope that his enemies will go away.

He cries out! He expresses His dependence! He vocalizes His need!

God does not promise us easy lives; He instead promises us Himself. He promises that He will hear us when we call upon Him. Therefore David, in danger, cries out. So must we.

4) Why Cry Out? He is Gracious

That is, God extends undeserved favor to the needy.

Psalm 86:5: “You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love.“ To whom? What is the requirement? “To all who call upon You.” Thus, there is no requirement, except to cry out in need. He is gracious to the undeserving.

Then Psalm 86:6: “Listen to my plea for grace.” Again, David asks for undeserved favor.

Then in Psalm 86:15, David quotes from Exodus 34:6, God’s revelation of His character to Moses on Mt Sinai, as He showed him His glory: “You are a god merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” He then calls upon God to show that grace to him.

Our hope is the same as David’s. Because He is gracious, we, the undeserving, can cry out to Him. We honor Him when we approach Him as supplicants. He loves to show His bounty to the undeserving, to display what He is like. And He displays this most clearly at the cross of Jesus.

5) Why Cry Out? He is God of All

If God were gracious but not mighty, there would be little reason for David to call upon Him. Perhaps He could provide some emotional support, but He couldn’t counter the power of those attacking him.

But as David says in Psalm 86:8, no other power can even approach the Lord God; no creature has ever done anything like Him. Indeed, as verse 9 reminds us, He made all the nations, every people group. Thus, He is the Creator even of those who are attacking David. Indeed, these attackers were created to glorify God’s Name.

Furthermore, as Psalm 86:10 says, He does “wondrous things” – amazing works, miracles for His covenant people.

So David’s logic is this: “You alone are almighty God. There is no power equal to Yours. You created and control and can easily overpower all the forces arrayed against me. You exert your mighty power on behalf of your covenant people. So act now in accord with Your character!”

Then note what David says in Psalm 86:12: “I will give thanks to You with my whole heart, I will glorify You Name forever.” Since God created all nations to glorify His Name, David says he himself is fulfilling the purpose of his creation by calling out to God and thus glorifying His Name.

The question for us: Do we believe what David believed about God?

We all most likely would make the orthodox statement, “God is almighty, there is no power equal to His, He created all mankind.” But in the midst of trial, temptation, and difficulty: Do we really believe that God controls all the forces arrayed against us?

Listen:

  • He is the God of your parent who is overbearing and of your child who is rebellious
  • He is the God of your frustrating boss and the God of your noisy neighbor
  • He is the God of every president and every governor
  • He is the God of every dictator and every megalomaniac
  • He is the God who controls tsunamis and the God who controls nuclear reactions
  • He is the God of ALL.

There is no power that can stand against Him.

He is at work in the lives of all eight billion people on this planet. He is weaving together individual stories that will redound to His glory – lacing together sorrow and joy, stress and relief, failure and success, to teach us that Jesus is King, to teach us that He reigns, to teach us that He is worthy of all worship and honor and love – to teach us that He is our only hope, but what a hope!

Do you believe that?

  • Do you believe that God can take your unbelieving friend or relative and in an instant open his eyes, so that he falls down and worships Jesus?
  • Do you believe that with a flick of His little finger, God could stop a tsunami in its tracks?
  • Do you believe that God can give you the power to resist any temptation to sin, and thus do you believe you are without excuse for any decision you make to indulge in anger, or lust, or greed, or laziness, or selfishness?

This is our God: The God of all, the God in control.

6) Why Cry Out? He is Your Lord and God

David says, “You are my God” (Psalm 86:2, emphasis added).

Do you see why this is so important?

The Lord God has all this power, all this grace – and He is your God! He is your heavenly Father! He has made promises to you, which He is fully able to keep. He loves you with an everlasting love.

And so, since the almighty One is your Lord and God, our final point:

7) Why Cry Out? He Will Answer

Psalm 86:7: “In the day of my trouble I call upon You, for You answer me.”

We see this confidence in God’s answer also in verses 13 and 17:

  • “You will extend your great loyal love to me, and will deliver my life from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:13 NET).
  • “You, O LORD, will help me and comfort me” (Psalm 86:17 NET).

David recalls God’s past answers, remembers God’s character, and knows that at all points in the future God will show the same love, whatever the dangers might be. God answers His people when they call.

Conclusion:

So where are you?

  • You too face dangers
  • You too face trials
  • You too face sorrows
  • You too need a God who is gracious and merciful
  • You too need a God who is almighty, all powerful
  • You too need a God who answers.

How does this Almighty One, the One who answers, become your God?

By your doing what David does in this psalm:

  • Admit your need for Him – that you are lost in sin apart from Him, that you cannot overcome sin on your own
  • Acknowledge that you deserve nothing from Him – on the contrary, you deserve His punishment for rejecting Him
  • Confessing that you were made for His glory, and you desire to fulfill that purpose
  • Accept the gift He offers by His grace – the gift of salvation through faith in the Son of David, Jesus Himself

For Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty deserved by all who trust in Him. And God commands all people everywhere to repent, to turn to Him, to believe in the Lord Jesus and so be saved.

So cry out to Him!

If you already have cried out for salvation: Keep crying out! You are still needy! You still deserve nothing from Him! You still are in danger – most of all from the sin that still fights within you.

So cry out as David cries out in Psalm 86:11: “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

David says, “I need you to guide me, Lord. Unless you lead me, I will make a wrong turn. Lead me on Your road, so I won’t deviate from Your truth. My heart is divided, still seeking after comfort, after status, after recognition. Unite my heart so that I fear only You, I desire only You. Make me wholeheartedly committed to You so that I might fulfill the purpose of my creation: To glorify Your name forever.”

So cry out in need, in sorrow, in tragedy. Cry out in surrender. And know: He offers you His power, His love – Himself. At no cost to you He says: Come to me: You will be my people. I will be your God.

 

The Moon is Always Round: Faith in the Goodness of God After Losing a Child

[On the April 26 edition of the “Life and Books and Everything” podcast, Kevin DeYoung conducts a wide-ranging interview with Westminster Seminary professor Jonathan Gibson – author of several books, including Be Thou My Vision (which I recommended recently) and an excellent children’s book, The Moon is Always Round. DeYoung prompts Gibson to tell of the personal tragedy that led to the writing of this book. This excerpt begins 41 minutes into the podcast – Coty]

When Ben was about three, we were living in Cambridge [England]…. He loved to look up at the moon at night. So we would always hold him up at the window and look for the moon and say, “What shape is the moon, Ben?” He’d say it’s a crescent moon, half moon, three-quarter moon. Then I’d say, “What shape is the moon always?” And he would say, “The moon is always round.” I told him to say that. And then I’d say, “What does that mean?” And he would say, “God is always good.”… Even when you can’t see the whole of the moon, the moon is always round; even when you can’t understand all of God’s goodness in a certain situation in life, God is always good.

But little did I know that six months later it would be quite providential….  We were expecting our daughter, Leila, and she was due on the Lord’s Day, 20 March 2016. But on the Lord’s Day 13 March, … she departed this earth…. We woke up and Jackie said there’s something not right, so we went to the hospital and had the scan and confirmed that there was no heartbeat…. Our world fell apart…. We had always heard of these situations of … late-term … still birth, but … all of a sudden were thrust into it. Leila was still born four days later on St Patrick’s day, 17 March.…

We brought Ben to the hospital to meet her. We spent the afternoon with her and I drove him home that night…. In the car out of nowhere – he’s three and a half – he says to me from the back seat, “Daddy, will Mommy ever grow a baby that wakes up?” See, he had held Leila – he saw that she was just very still, eyes closed. I said, “Ben, I don’t know, but let’s pray that she does.” And then he said, “Why isn’t Leila coming home?” And I said, “Well, because Jesus called her name and she went to Him.” And he said, “After she’s been with Jesus for a few days, will she come to us?” And I said, “No, Ben, when you’re with Jesus you don’t want to go anywhere else.” And then he said, “Does she not like us?” And I said, “No, she does like us, she just likes Jesus more…. We’re going to have to go to them one day. She’s not coming back to us.”… And Ben said, “Daddy, why isn’t she coming home?”… I said, “Ben, I don’t really know why, but … you remember the moon? What shape is the moon, Ben?” And he said, “The moon is always round.” And I said, “What does that mean?” He said, “God is always good.” And I said, “Tonight, Ben, it’s hard to see the moon at all really, but we’ve got to remember that God is good and He has His reason why Leila’s gone to heaven.”…

It was actually quite a joyful day to meet Leila – nine months expectation. To meet her, to hold her…. We could see God’s goodness and giving us a daughter. We got to meet her, name her. But then there was this other half of the moon I couldn’t see…. I couldn’t believe the profound conversation I’d had with Ben in the car…. I just decided to start writing this kid’s story…. So hence was born the book The Moon is Always Round….

At her funeral, … Ian Hamilton had this throwaway line where he said Leila’s was a glorious testimony. She pointed us all to God, she pointed us all to another world. And then he … said, “Leila the evangelist.” That’s what we call her. We hear quite often throughout the year letters, emails from people who have been blessed by that book who’ve sadly had similar experiences, and we just always think Leila the evangelist, she being dead yet speaks….

They did an autopsy afterwards and found nothing wrong with her. Fifty percent of stillbirths are a mystery to the medical profession….

So good has come out of it. The moon is always round. The Lord has used our sore providence to minister to others. We still miss her greatly. We just had our sixth anniversary of her not being with us….

Each person’s valley is their valley and I think that’s what people need to respect and be aware of…. With a still birth you get to meet them, you get to hold them, you get to see who they look like. You carry their little body in a white coffin into church, you put that body in a grave. In that sense it gives them great dignity…. On my books … it says I have four children, and Leila’s one of those four…. One of the great pains for a parent is we all love to talk about our children, we love to put photos up of them on Twitter, Facebook, email them to people. But nobody gets to see your stillborn child, and that’s a great sadness…. You think I’ve only got three children. I have four children. I held my daughter.

Doug Kelly wrote to me whenever Leila died. He had a still birth, a sixth child, and he wrote to me, “You have just been given the strange stewardship of a quiet grief.” I’ve never forgotten that line. I have friends at seminary here, … and their daughter is six years old and I’ll often look at their girl and I’ll think, wow, Leila would be running around with her…. But she’s not here. So it’s this hidden grief that’s very hard to articulate at times, but it’s very real. And the encouragement I give to people is: If you know someone who’s lost a stillborn child, ask them their name…. Just to ask them their name and use their name in conversation if you’re talking about the child. Don’t just talk about the baby they lost or we’re sorry for your loss… Say, “We’re sorry Leila died.” … Be personal and talk about them like they’re actually a real person, because they are….

Look up in the sky. You can’t see the moon tonight. You see just a sliver, but it’s not any less round, it’s not any less brilliant than it always is.

[You can watch and listen to Ben – several years older – read the book at this link.]

 

A Picture of Mao in Hell

[Sunday February 6 we consider 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, which says in part: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Randy Alcorn’s book Safely Home attempts to describe what this destruction looks like. The book tells the story of Ben Fielding, a high-powered corporate executive in a multinational firm with factories in China, and Li Quan, Ben’s college roommate whom he locates after twenty years and visits. Expecting Li to be a successful university professor, Ben instead finds that his Harvard-educated friend is a strong believer in Jesus, a leader in a house church, and – because of persecution – a locksmith’s apprentice. Li Quan’s faith, the persecution that he encounters, and Ben’s reaction to that persecution form the structure of the novel. Alcorn is not trying to write great literature; instead, he is trying to communicate biblical truth in a way that is engaging, interesting, and accessible. By that standard, this book is excellent. Alcorn is a reliable interpreter of the Word, and uses the medium of the novel to teach:

  • the reality of persecution today;
  • how to fight the fight of faith in the midst of suffering;
  • the reality of the spiritual world around us;
  • the nature of heaven;
  • the nature of hell

After reading the first hundred pages, I found myself praying more regularly and more fervently for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. That alone makes reading Safely Home worthwhile. I strongly recommend it.

Below find Alcorn’s picture of Mao Zedong – the founder of the People’s Republic of China – in hell. Read it – and weep – and witness – Coty]

Where is my palace? Where are my servants? Does no one know who I am?

The vast, cold darkness cut into his face. It felt like intense frostbite, burning his skin.

I was the most powerful man in Zhongguo. I created the People’s Republic. I was the revered father of my country. They worshiped me. I was god! He waited, listening to the silence. Cannot anyone hear me?

His voice disappeared into the great dark void. It did not echo, for there was nothing for it to echo off. It was immediately absorbed into infinite nothingness. His words went no farther than his blistered lips.

A parade of untold millions marched inside his mind’s eye. His sentence was to relive the suffering of each of his victims. He had been here over twenty-five years. Every minute of those years he had relived the sufferings he inflicted on others. Every torture his regime inflicted he now received, one after the next after the next. Eventually, perhaps, they would start over, so the millions he had already endured were but the first installment. The pain was unbearable, yet he had no choice but to bear it. There was no escape into unconsciousness – no drug to take, no sleeping pill, no alcohol. That which he had laid upon others was now laid upon him – endlessly, relentlessly.

He longed to pluck out his eyes, to keep from seeing what he saw, to puncture his eardrums to keep from hearing the wailing misery, to pull out his tongue to keep from tasting the awfulness he had legislated. But he had no ability to destroy himself. He had no control now over his destiny, no power over himself or others. There was no one he could command to fix the situation, no one to prepare him an eight-course meal to assuage the eternal hunger, no one to do his work, no one to punish for their errors. No one to salute him, cower at his voice, or bow heads in his presence.

Where is everyone?

Misery loves company, and he had long sought the consolation of others. But all others were still on earth, secure in heaven, or confined to their own private hells at distances immeasurable.

The aloneness was stifling. He could hear nothing but his victims’ cries, feel nothing but their pain, see nothing but their blood, taste nothing but their vomit, sense nothing but their torture. He had only himself. He could not enjoy his own company, for he saw himself as he really was. It was an ugly sight, revolting beyond comprehension.

He felt a burning. A fury welled up inside him. Anger and bitterness, unfocused hostility, frustration leading him to lash out. But there was no one to lash out at. No incompetent aide, no dissident, no Christian pastor, no helpless peasant. No one to beat or shoot or hang or starve. No one to cower in fear at the power of the great chairman, architect of the Republic. No one to shine his shoes or rub lotion upon his burning feet.

Grief and rage warred within him. His hell was a growing cancer, gnawing at him, eating away at him, devouring him. He was like a bush that burned yet was not consumed, so the burning could never stop.

He had come to death entirely unprepared – and now it was too late to prepare. If the torture was not enough, a sickening feeling of foreboding had gripped him from his first moments here. He had hoped it would subside, that he would get used to it. He hadn’t. It only got worse.

He could see now through all his rationalizations. His arguments against belief in a Creator had never been intellectual ones, as he had claimed. By rejecting a Creator he thought he could rid himself of a Judge. But it had not worked. His atheism had been the opiate of his soul and the executioner of uncalculated millions. But now his comforting atheism could no longer exist, even for a fleeting moment, for he had been forever stripped of the power to deny reality.

He had lived his short todays as if there were no long tomorrows. He had believed the lie that all were accountable to him and he was accountable to none. He had believed the lie that death would slip him into eternal unconsciousness. He knew now – how well he knew – the curse of always being awake, ever alert, unable to allay his suffering with a moment’s sleep or distraction.

The winds of hell blew upon him. On them floated sounds of laughter and joy from a place far distant. These voices were torture. Many he recognized as belonging to Christians he had persecuted, worshipers of the Carpenter he had murdered. He relived what he had done to them, this time on the other end of the cattle prod. By the time he had died, while he and all he stood for were in decline, they and all they embraced were in ascent. They had beaten him. Their King had dethroned him even in the other life – how much more in this one.

As they celebrated in their far-off realm, at first he had imagined they were cursing him, celebrating his demise. He thought of them as his eternal enemies who would forever speak of what a great foe he had been to them. But he had come to realize something far worse. They did not curse him. They did not relive his great campaigns against him. No. They simply did not think of him at all. He was unimportant. Insignificant. In the eternal scheme of things, he did not matter.

Not matter? How dare they ignore me! Don’t they know who I am?

He had said, “I want there to be no God; I want nothing to do with him.” His atheist’s prayer had been answered. The everywhere-present God had chosen to withdraw his presence from this single place, turning it into a cosmic desert. This was a ghetto of massive proportions, yet so small it could slip through a single crack in the tiles of heaven. It was located in some distant and empty place, never to be feared or even stumbled upon by the citizens of Charis. His life, with all his supposed accomplishments, was but a puff of smoke, dissipating into nothingness.

Stop what you’re doing and listen to me! Stop or I will… I will…

No power to give meaning to a threat. No reason to be listened to. And no one to hear him.

Thirst without water to quench it. Hunger without food to satisfy it. Loneliness without company to alleviate it. There was no God here. He’d gotten his wish. On earth he’d managed to reject God while still enjoying his blessings and provisions. But it was excruciatingly clear now that God was the author of good. Therefore the absence of God meant the absence of good. He could not have it both ways, not here. No God, no good. Forever.

He had wanted a world where no one else was in charge, where no order was forced upon him. He had finally gotten it. He had secretly wondered if there was something beyond death, but if he went to hell, he’d fully expected to rule there. Yet there was no king, for there were no subjects. Only one prisoner – himself – in eternal solitary confinement.

He missed the sound of laughter. There was no laughter here, nor could there be, for laughter cannot exist without joy or hope. An awful realization gripped him. There was no history here. No story line. No opening scene, no developing plot, no climax, no resolution. No character development. No travel, no movement. Only a setting of constant nothingness, going nowhere. Excruciating, eternal boredom. Nothing to distract him from the torment of the eternal now.

He had charmed his friends and cheated his enemies, but death he could not cheat, hell he could not charm. This nameless, ever-shriveling man writhed in terror. Faced with his own deeds, punished by them, he was receiving in himself the penalty for what he had done. He longed for a visit from a foreign dignitary, delivered by a courier, a request for an audience in his illustrious presence. But no. He knew now none would ever come, or even want to. He could not return to Beijing – and knew Beijing itself would soon be gone, a flower withered in a summer’s wind. Perhaps it was gone already.

No one to fear him. No one to revere him. No one to hear him. No one to think about him.

He who had claimed to be savior was forever without a Savior. Ignored and insignificant. Empty and embittered and regretful. Without a following. Without a heart. Without a hope.

Forever, time without end.

[From Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (Tyndale House, 2001), p. 327-330. The first chapter of the book is available online. Visit www.epm.org for more resources from the author, or to order the book. Note that all royalties from its sale are used to help persecuted Christians and to spread the Gospel in their countries.]

 

Know You are Loved

See what great love the Father has given us
that we should be called God’s children– and we are!
(1 John 3:1 CSB)

This is the Good News – that the Father loves us. That we are precious to Him. That we are in His intimate family. That His love is essential to His character, and thus will never change.

If you are in Christ Jesus, if you believe in Him as your Savior, your Lord, your Treasure, if you love Christ Jesus – that is the result of the Father’s love for you. “We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19). “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

We must remember His love every day – His love that never changes, His love that never ends, His love that is not dependent on anything we say, on anything we do, on anything we accomplish.

What happens when we forget His love?

  • When criticized, we either are defensive (feeling that if the criticism is correct, we won’t be loved), or are controlled by the critic (trying to win back his love by changing our behavior).
  • When feeling depressed and hopeless, we either plaster a smile on our faces, stifling the feelings, or turn away from God, thinking He has let us down.
  • When someone wrongs us, we either aim to convince the perpetrator of his sin, or pretend we’re ok and live a normal life outwardly while bleeding internally.
  • When gossiped about, we either wonder if we deserve it, or frantically search social media to track the terrible things being said about us and then do whatever we can to get even.
  • When tired, we either gut it out and get more and more tired, or try to create our own rest, getting angry and annoyed with those who interfere.

All these negative responses come from letting our feelings drive us – feelings of hurt, of inferiority, of inadequacy, of exhaustion, of depression. Jesus never says, “Your feelings will set you free.” Instead, He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). The truth that sets us free includes the truth of the Father’s love for us. When we know we are loved – when we know that the Father has declared us righteous, has justified us completely by His grace through faith in Jesus, and thus He accepts us and sees us as His own precious possession – then we are free from the chains that compel us to those negative responses. Confident in His love, we can respond differently:

  • We don’t have to let the face of the criticizer or oppressor dominate our thoughts. We can seek the Father’s loving face – and respond out of that security.
  • We don’t have to pretend everything is fine when hurting. We can cry out, like a little child with her daddy. We can weep and mourn – while holding on to the One Who loves us.
  • We can listen to critics and pray to see what is behind the criticism – yes, what ways we may have failed and need to change by God’s grace, but also what hurts and pains may be motivating the criticism, and thus be able to acknowledge that pain and stand beside the hurting criticizer.
  • We can endure the trials and tribulations of this world, not because tomorrow will be better – it may be worse! – but because nothing can separate us from the Father’s love; He will bring us safely through even the valley of the shadow of death to His heavenly Kingdom, and Jesus will return to reign forever.
  • We can see the troubled Christians around us not as problems to solve, but as others loved by God whom we can help endure in hope until they see Jesus face to face.
  • We can follow our Savior in displaying meekness – which is strength leveraged for the good of another.
  • We can know that when we are wrong or when we sin, we are still loved.

So do you feel hurt? Do you feel despairing? Don’t suppress the feelings – rather, thank God for them. But don’t let those feelings control you. Rather, use the feelings to prompt you to remember the truth of God’s love.

That’s how Jeremiah responded to feelings of despair (read Lamentations 3:17-18 to hear the depth of his feelings). In the midst of horrors far beyond what we have experienced, the prophet says:

This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24).

Call to mind the Father’s love. Have that hope. Know that love every morning – every beautiful, peaceful sunrise and every horrible, pain-wracked break of day.

Do you wonder if the Father loves you like this? He does, if you are in Christ. Do you then wonder if you are in Christ? If so, come to Him! The only requirement is that you are weary and heavily burdened! (Matthew 11:28). So repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15).

Friends, in Jesus you are loved. Today. Tomorrow. For all eternity. God is faithful to His character – and thus He is faithful to love us now and forever. Remember that love. Call it to mind. And then bask in that love.

[Beth and I were privileged to take part in the annual Treasuring Christ Together retreat October 19 to 21. I try here to synthesize ideas presented and discussed at the retreat. Several different talks prompted this devotion – including those by Sean Cordell, Lance Parrot, Nathan Knight, Kenny Stokes, and Tim Cain. Anything you think particularly well said probably did not originate with me! Unless noted, Scriptures are ESV.]

 

 

O God of Vengeance, Shine Forth!

On Wednesday afternoon April 7, Phillip Adams, armed with two firearms, approached the house of prominent Rock Hill physician Robert Lesslie. He shot two HVAC technicians working at the property. Adams then forced entry into the house, where he shot and killed Dr Lesslie, his wife, and two of their grandchildren, ages 5 and 9. Phillip Adams later killed himself. At this point, apparently no one knows why.

We live in a world where terrible events happen all too frequently. And many feel as if our world is getting worse.

Look around this world, this country, this city – what concerns you? (more…)

When is an Attack Not Evil? Suffering in the Apostle Paul’s Life

Psalm 91 includes great promises concerning God’s protection of His people. Verse 10 summarizes them all: “No evil shall be allowed to befall you” (Psalm 91:10). In Sunday’s sermon (video, audio), we considered as examples of the fulfillment of these promises the miraculous deliverance of the Apostle Paul and all his shipmates from a terrible storm, as recorded in Acts 27, and Paul’s statement to Timothy shortly before his certain execution: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18 NIV). The Apostle may well have had Psalm 91 in mind when he wrote those words. He clearly does not consider his upcoming execution as an evil attack, but rather God’s providentially bringing his earthly mission to a close, taking him to Himself.

Paul had this understanding concerning the evil acts of evil men for decades prior to his death. Consider the following quotations from the book of Acts and some of Paul’s letters, cited in chronological order (with my comments in square brackets]. The Apostle sees himself as an instrument in God’s hands to be used for His glory. This includes considerable suffering, as promised immediately upon his conversion. But in every difficult encounter, God was with him (Psalm 91:15), working out His good and wise purposes for His church, including the salvation of individuals and people groups.

I encourage you to meditate on these excerpts, and take heart (more…)

Even the Wind and the Waves Obey Him

George Orjih, a pastor from the northeastern corner of Nigeria, in 2009 was studying for a Masters degree at a seminary in the city of Jos. In the break between terms, he traveled the 300 miles home, in cramped vehicles and on difficult roads, so that he could spend a few weeks with his family and home church. He is described as a loving pastor, “fearless, hardworking, and intellectually sound.” The day after he arrived home, a group of men calling themselves Boko Haram kidnapped him. This group wants Islamic sheria law to apply to everyone who lives in northern Nigeria. George was ordered to deny Jesus and accept Islam. He responded by preaching the Gospel. So he was beheaded on July 28, 2009.

Not 2000 years ago. This century.

Question: When such things happen: Is God really in control? Does He really never leave us nor forsake us? Can we trust Him when we know brothers and sisters in Christ lose their lives? (more…)

Boldly Approach the Throne of Grace

What do you do when you feel condemned? Or when you feel like God is distant, hidden, and silent – you’ve tried to reach Him, tried to obey Him, and nothing happens? Or when life is hard because of disease, death, disappointment – breakdown of relationships, betrayal, or abandonment?

In these times of the virus, many are facing disease, or death, or unemployment, or bankruptcy of a business the family has worked incredibly hard for years to build.

But such questions about God occur not only in these extraordinary times, but in all times in this fallen world. We are always tempted to abandon faith in God, to think He’s not living up to His side of the bargain, to conclude He is not what Scripture says – or, if He is, to think He has rejected you personally.

Hebrews 4:13 could lead to such feelings of condemnation: “All are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” He knows what is inside us. He discerns not only our actions but also our desires, our thoughts, our intentions. We are guilty before Him.

However, immediately after this verse the author tells us: “That guilt need not lead to condemnation! We have a great High Priest, Jesus! He sympathizes with our weaknesses! So there is mercy and grace available – indeed there is a throne of grace, because of our great High Priest and King!”

A throne of grace – that phrase appears only in Hebrews 4:16. The king sits on a throne, exercising justice, punishing evildoers, guiding and directing His kingdom. No one who is guilty, no one who stands condemned, can ever boldly approach the throne if the king knows all.

And yet: This king’s throne is a throne of grace. Though He is completely just, He stands ready to forgive and accept because of the mediatorial work of Jesus the Son, the High Priest. We therefore can boldly approach this throne of grace, whatever our doubts, whatever our sufferings, whatever our discouragements. Through Jesus, the King will grant us grace, and a perfectly-timed help.

That is the main point of Hebrews 4:13-5:10: Given who Jesus is, when the struggle is hard, it makes no sense at all to abandon the faith. Rather, it makes perfect sense to boldly approach this throne of grace – for that is the only place to find real help. You may not see that help immediately. There may be days or weeks or years or decades of walking by faith not by sight. But because of our great, sympathetic, merciful, and effective High Priest, you will receive God’s help at exactly the right time.

So hold fast to your confession!

In first verses of chapter 5, the author introduces three characteristics of any High Priest, and then shows how Jesus exhibits those characteristics – and, indeed, is superior to other such priests. We’ll see that in Hebrews 5:1-10, then consider the exhortations the author gives us in Hebrews 4:14-16 on the basis of those truths.

Three Characteristics of Earthly High Priests

God designed the priestly and sacrificial system in the Old Testament so that before Jesus was even born we would have pictures of who He is and what He does. The High Priest is one key part of those pictures. So we must do our best to understand the High Priest so that we might see JC in the way that God intends.

Three characteristics of earthly High Priests are brought out in Hebrews 5:1-4.

First, from verse 1: The high priest is “chosen from among men,” and thus is a man himself. But he acts “on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” He thus is a mediator between God and men.

Why do we need a mediator? Because we are guilty, condemned by God. We have rebelled against our rightful king.

While all priests offer sacrifices, picturing the atonement of the people’s sins, once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, only the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies (as described in Leviticus 16), picturing the very presence of God.

The second characteristic is mentioned in Hebrews 5:2: “He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.” That is: When the people are rebellious, sinful, or questioning, the High Priest doesn’t just berate them: “You failures! Do better! Work harder!” Why not? Because he too is “beset with weakness.”He too faces those temptations. He understands the difficulty of seeing God, of focusing on Him in the midst of a fallen world. So he can deal with sinful people as God intends.

Furthermore these High Priests also sin themselves, so as Hebrews 5:3 says, the High Priest is “obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins” (see Leviticus 9:7).

So the High Priest is a mediator between God and men who deals gently with God’s people.

We see the third characteristic in Hebrews 5:4: “No one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.”

A High Priest is called by God. No one is to grasp for this position, to put Himself forward and campaign. God Himself has to appoint the High Priest.

Thus a High Priest is a mediator between God and man who deals gently with the people and is called by God.

Jesus: the Great, Sympathetic, and Merciful High Priest

JC is similar to all High Priests in these three ways.

Hebrews 5:5-6 tells us He is called by God. The author quotes Psalm 110:4 to make this point.

But why does the author quote Psalm 2 also? That text doesn’t mention the High Priest.

By quoting that psalm, the author draws our attention back to chapter 1 (where Psalm 2 was also quoted) to begin to show us that Jesus is superior to all other High Priests. He’s not only a man – He is the Son. He is the exact imprint of the nature of God.

So Jesus is indeed similar to the other High Priests, but He’s better.

Hebrews 4:15 indicates that Jesus can also deal gently with God’s people. He sympathizes with our weaknesses because “in every respect [He] has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Perhaps the NEB renders this clause better: “because of his likeness to us, [He] has been tested every way, only without sin.’”

For the point is not: “If I’m tempted to commit some horrible crime, Jesus must have been tempted to commit that same horrible crime.” Rather, Jesus is genuinely like us. He is genuinely human. His entire life was a test, a trial, a temptation.

Whenever life is tough, we humans are tempted to forget the promises of God, to lapse in our faith in God, and thus to lapse in faithfulness to God, thereby falling into disobedience.

In His genuine humanity, Jesus experienced such temptation – and He never gave in. Because He resisted to the end, He knew the power of temptation far better than you or I.

Hebrews 5:7 elaborates on this idea:

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

Clearly Jesus prayed to God with tears in Gethsemane. But that same night, prior to His prayers in the Garden, our Lord says to His disciples, “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials (temptations)” (Luke 22:28). Since the disciples weren’t with Him when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus is referring to other temptations that came on Him during his years of ministry.

Therefore, we must think of “prayers … to him who was able to save him from death” in contexts in addition to Gethsemane or the wilderness. So think of Jesus in light of Hebrews 2:15: Jesus delivers “all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery”. To do that He first had to conquer that fear of death, that fear of missing out on life Himself. Jesus too was tempted to think that God was withholding something good, desirable, fulfilling, or exciting from Him. He too was tempted to forget God’s great and precious promises. Jesus fought every minute of every day via prayer against such lack of faith. He persevered in faith, in trust, in dependence on God. Thus Hebrews 5:8: Although He was Son, He “learned obedience through what he suffered.” That is: He learned what it means to endure in faith when all your flesh cries out to turn away from God, when all around you say you’re foolish, missing out on life, when you’re mocked, derided, beaten, spit upon – and it could all end if you just say, “God’s promises aren’t true!”

Jesus lived out true faith which leads to faithfulness which leads to obedience from the heart. So, more than any of the former High Priests, more than any pastor, more than any parent, He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward. He knows and sympathizes with our weakness.

Thirdly, Jesus is a mediator between God and man. This truth is the primary focus of later chapters; it’s only alluded to twice, briefly, in today’s passage.

Hebrews 4:14: “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens.” As Hebrews 9:24 makes clear, Jesus has passed through the heavens into God’s very presence so that He might make intercession for us, so that His death might cover our sins. That is, He is our mediator.

Then Hebrews 5:9: “Being made perfect (or, “complete”), he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Because He is the mediator, He is the source of salvation, salvation you can never lose, salvation to the uttermost (using the language of Hebrews 7:25). This salvation is for all those who, like Him, have faith in God, in His promises, and thus are faithful to God, and thereby obey Him from the heart.

This is the High Priest we have: Called by God, able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, and the perfect Mediator between God and man.

So Draw Near to the Throne of Grace for Help!

Based on these truths, the author gives two exhortations in Hebrews 4:14-16:

Hebrews 4:14: “Let us hold fast our confession.” That is: Hold fast to the truth! God has spoken! He has revealed who He is, who we are, how we can be part of His grand story of glorifying Himself. And the truth is: He has given Jesus, the Son, the King, for us! He lived like us, He was tempted like us, He suffered beyond what we suffer. He understands our weaknesses and trials. He died as a sacrifice for our atonement. He is the High Priest called by God, the one mediator between God and man. God invites us to Himself via that Mediator. So hold fast to the truth, despite the winds of doctrine swirling around us, despite the trials and the pressures and the fog of unbelief.

Second exhortation, Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to a well-timed help.”

Draw near! Now! Always!

Surely we need to draw near in times of crisis – whether the crisis arises from viruses or job losses or death or abandonment.

But just as surely we need to draw near to that throne of grace every day, every hour. Only then can we enter His rest.

He is King of all that happens, the seemingly trivial details of our lives as well as the big decisions.

He rules over us as individuals and over the entire creation as it moves to the culmination He has appointed.

His throne is a throne of grace! Thus, whatever we have done, however sinful we have been, however hard our heart has been, whatever the ways we have rejected Him and ignored Him and despised Him – we have a great High Priest! He will be our advocate, sympathizing with our weakness.

So our High Priest calls out:

“Come to me! Come to the throne. Don’t be afraid. You are covered by my blood. Trust in God’s great promises. Trust in Me as your Redeemer. Everything you need you will find in Me. I alone am the source of true joy. Come to Me.”

Given what this high priest has done, given that He is the Son, “no exhortation could be more logical … than … to hold fast our confession…. Nothing could be more senseless than for us to abandon our confession … because of the pain of the contest” (Philip Hughes, Commentary on Hebrews, 1977, p. 171).

So where are you? Tempted to throw away your former confidence? Attracted to a life lived by your own wits, by your own resources? Feeling like you’re missing out on life because you’re trying to follow God’s ways, and haven’t seen the benefits? Or thinking that you’re now beyond God’s forgiveness – you’ve strayed too far, you’ve repented and then sinned too many times, you’re no longer worthy to be called his child?

God promises us: He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. And He shows this to us through Jesus, our High Priest.

Because of that High Priest, God’s throne is a throne of grace. So draw near. This is the only path to true joy. This is the only path to true fulfillment. This is the only path to rest.

Come to Him.

[This devotion is a shortened and edited version of a sermon preached May 3, 2020. You can watch a video of the service at this link.]