(by Aaron Sellars)

This is part two in a series titled, What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus. Click here for part one.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
(Mark 9:33-37 ESV)

Jesus wants humble disciples not arrogant disciples. (Mark 9:33-37)

As we saw last time, Jesus is on a mission, and he calls us as believers to join him on his mission.  In Mark 9:30-50, we see Jesus not talking to the crowds, but to the disciples.  These next three sections happen sequentially. They are not disconnected, but meant to be looked at together as a whole.

Who Is the Greatest in the Kingdom?

Jesus knows what the disciples are thinking and talking about.  He asks them, but they kept silent because they were arguing about who was the greatest.

So the question they ask Jesus is who is the greatest in the kingdom?  We’ve all asked that ourselves right? It would be the people we wish would run for president in November right? Are the disciples really arguing about who is the greatest? Have they forgotten about all the things that Jesus did and taught?  How easy is it for us to do the same? Have you had prayers answered only to forget and doubt he can answer again?  Have you had God provide for finances in mysterious ways and then forget he can do it again?

Jesus uses a child to illustrate a role reversal in God’s kingdom. The first must be last and a servant. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mark 9:35). In Jesus’ kingdom humility is key. It is more about defeat than victory.

Childlike Humility

Jesus uses an example of a child. In the mindset of first-century disciples, children represent the lowest order in social scale. Jesus calls us to not only be like them, but to receive and serve like them. The one who follows Jesus in the way of the cross must live a life of sacrifice and service.

Think about Jesus – he was the most humble man to ever walk the earth. He came from heaven as God and took on human flesh. Philippians says “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on the cross” (Phil 2:8).  The God of the universe shows us what humility is. The all-knowing and all-powerful God of the universe is the example of perfect humility.

How do we respond to Jesus’ call to come with him to Jerusalem? How do we respond in humility? Answer: we look to none other than Jesus himself as our example. We respond with the worship of Jesus and pointing people to him. He is the greatest. We look to Jesus, not ourselves. Jesus wants disciples who will follow him on his mission to Jerusalem, and to the ends of the earth—disciples that are humble and child-like, not arrogant and haughty.

Other posts in this series:

• Introduction: What does it mean to follow Jesus?

(written by Aaron Sellars)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
(Mark 9:30-32)

What sort of disciples does Jesus want following him? (Mark 9:30-32)

Every year my wife and I pray about whether now is the time God is calling us to move overseas. In the process, we consider where we’d go and all of the things we would give up to be full-time missionaries. There is much to give up if we were to ever leave. We have’t left yet, but we remember that if God is calling us to stay, we are still on full-time mission here in Orange County. Many count the cost of only leaving the place they currently dwell, rather than counting the cost of staying.

It is clear throughout the Gospel narratives that Jesus is on a mission. And he was on a mission like no other; Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to die on the cross. His disciples must then know that following Jesus might end in death.

We see in Mark 9:32, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection again. It says, “But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him”. The disciples followed Jesus for 3 years and were not usually reluctant to ask Jesus to explain difficult saying. They knew enough to be afraid to ask so they could understand more. They had a holy terror for the things that Jesus told them. He is going to eventually ask them, “Are you with me? Are you willing to suffer with me? Are you willing to follow me and my example?”

A new blog series: What does it mean to follow Jesus?

As we go through this passage in the next few blog posts, I want you to think about your response to Jesus. There are really only three options: The first is are you READY to follow Jesus wherever he goes no matter the cost? The second, are you a bit RELUCTANT to follow Jesus knowing what it is going to cost? Or lastly, are you RESISTANT to follow Jesus whether you know the cost or not—either because you don’t know what it entails or because you don’t want to listen and follow his command?

Stay tuned and look for the next post as we delve into Mark 9:33-37 to see what following Jesus looks like.

If you have not read the first post from this series, you can do so by clicking here. I ended by asking how God can both punish and pardon sin. Here’s the answer.

Our God Pardons Sin by Punishing Evil

“At the cross, all the attributes of God win.” That is how Tim Keller describes the meeting of God’s justice and mercy in the blood-drenched cross of Calvary. What’s terrible and beautiful about Jesus hanging on the tree is that the living God punished evil as a holy judge and displayed His abundant mercy by pardoning the sins of those who believe in Christ. God maintained the integrity of His justice and poured out His steadfast love when the Savior stood in our place. Christ “fell into the hands of the living God” so that we could be embraced tenderly by those same hands. Hallelujah, what wonderful news! This is the gospel of God’s grace. We are saved from His wrath by His own gracious substitution.

What’s at Stake Here?

You may be thinking to yourself: “Why is any of this important?” If so, let me affirm the validity of your question by offering three reasons grasping the tension of God’s justice and mercy is critical:

1. The Bible is at stake. As I’ve tried to briefly demonstrate, the Biblical witness puts forth a God who is both the punisher and pardoner of sin (see Rom. 3:26). If we fail to maintain both of those attributes, we are contradicting what God has said about Himself in His Word. When we throw out the Bible, we reject the very resource that He has given us to know Him truly. It is important to let our view of God be shaped by the whole of Scripture and not cultural norms, which are ever-changing.

2. God’s character is at stake. It is crucial that God cast judgment upon sinners. If He does not, then He is wicked, just as the police officer who lets the criminal get away without attempting pursuit. We cannot believe in a God who will continue to let evil flourish. There must be a day of reckoning for all of the wrongs that we observe and experience in our world. The goodness of God depends upon it.

3. The gospel is at stake. If we don’t really need to be saved from God’s righteous judgment, then why did Jesus come to earth at all? Throwing out God’s wrath makes all of Christ’s agony for us irrelevant. How tragic it would be for us to rob ourselves of God’s greatest expression of love toward us. Instead, may we embrace the wonderful reality that God would be without fault to eternally punish us for our sins, but He pardons them by punishing Jesus in our stead.

(by Dustin Smetona)

The glory of the gospel is this: the One from whom we need to be saved is the very One who saves us.
~Mike Bullmore, teaching from the book of Zephaniah

Rob Bell was torched and esteemed by many in the evangelical blogosphere back in March 2011 for his controversial book on hell, Love Wins. Though the controversy has settled down, there are still references being made to the significance of Bell’s treatise on the eternality of hell, post-mortem salvation, and the very character of God. It’s that third one, God’s character, that is most compelling to me. In his promotional video, Bell contests the idea of a God who is like the one Mike Bullmore describes above. He asks, “But what kind of God is that that we would need to be rescued from this God?”

Bell’s question is a rhetorical device, but it holds enough weight to warrant some examination. If we believe God exists, then we must come to conclusions about what He’s like. Should we love Him or fear Him? Is he merciful or just?

A Just God Punishes Evil

Imagine a highway patrolman watching a car drive by at 120mph, and deciding that it’s too much effort to pursue. If you observed an officer doing that wouldn’t you be offended? That’s because humans have a godly impulse that drives them to resist reckless law-breaking. We know deep down inside that having an ordered society requires judgment. That impulse gives witness to our role as image-bearers of God. Because He is good and because He is just, God punishes evil. In fact, He is now and will be forever worshiped for judging those who transgress. Consider the angel in Rev. 14:7 who cries out, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come…” Just as we praise the police officer who catches the criminal, so we praise God who punishes the wicked.

A Merciful God Pardons Sin

If I stopped writing after the previous paragraph, we should all have cause for concern. If God was only defined by His justice, we would relate to Him as guilty criminals before a righteously condemning judge. That would be horrific.  It makes me tremble to consider, but many will have that kind of relationship with God — consider Rev. 6:16. Fortunately for us, God is characterized by more than justice. He is characterized by mercy. “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15). This merciful God expresses that mercy by pardoning our sins. As Micah 7:18 reads, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” This judge, obligated by his own righteous justice, punishes sinners for their sins. And yet, He is also merciful, forgiving the guilty and passing over their sins. How can this be?

Stay tuned for part 2.

(guest post by Bob Kauflin)

This is the second post in a three-part series. The last post was about Singing to Each Other.

Peter tells us that we have been saved “that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We’re meant to fulfill this command both in our meetings and in our lives.

But why is proclamation important? Because we forget. We lose track of who God is and what he’s done. Proclamation helps set our minds and hearts right. It reminds us of the convictions and realities that should guide and govern our daily lives. It draws our hearts back to God’s greatness, what he has accomplished, and all that he has promised. We all need to be reminded, and proclamation helps us remember.

People come into our churches proclaiming all sorts of things with their words and actions. Through close-fisted giving, some are asserting how much their own personal wealth matters. Others, by their complaining, are declaring that personal comfort matters. Teens in the latest fashions may be proclaiming that being cool matters. Others confirm through their smiles or frowns that their musical preferences matter.

But we want each of them to leave proclaiming this: The gospel of Jesus Christ matters.

**********

Want to learn more about why we sing to proclaim the gospel? Register today for The Gathering Conference, January 28th in Huntington Beach, CA. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Church with Bob Kauflin, Enfield, and in partnership with Sovereign Grace Music.

This article was adapted by Dustin Smetona from pg. 129-130 of Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God.

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

(Mark 15:33-38)

Lord Jesus, Comfort Me

You have canceled my transgression,
Jesus, by Your precious blood
May I find therein salvation,
happiness, and peace with God
And since You for sinner’s suffering
On the cross was made an offering
From all sin deliver me,
That I wholly Yours may be

All the pain You have endured
All Your wounds, Your crown of thorn
Hands and feet with nails through bored
The reproach which You have borne
Your back, ploughed with deep furrows
Cross and grave and all Your sorrows
Your blood-sweat and agony
Oh Lord Jesus, comfort me

Your back, ploughed with deep furrows
Cross and grave and all Your sorrows
Your blood-sweat and agony
Oh Lord Jesus, comfort me

from the album WATCH THE RISING DAY
Written by Matthew S. Smith
©2010 Detuned Radio Music
Based in part on a German hymn text by Johann Rist

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

Who is this man?

What comes to mind… who do you imagine when you think about Jesus Christ?

A very good man? A great teacher maybe? How about a Jewish carpenter?

You’re correct in thinking of Him this way.

Jesus was a very good Man; in fact, He was the ONLY good man who ever lived. He was perfect, without spot or blemish, sinless. In Mark 10:18, Jesus says that no one is good except God alone.

Jesus was a great teacher; in fact, multitudes were greatly astonished at His teachings every day. See Matt 7:28-29, Matt 13:54, Mark 1:22, Mark 6:2, Mark 11:18, to name just a few.

Jesus was also the King of the Jews, and He was a carpenter by trade. (John 19:19)

Good man, great teacher, Jewish carpenter… Yes, to all of those. That’s Jesus.

But He’s also more than that

All of these unique characteristics point us to something more. They are a small reflection of His infinite glory and majesty… The beginning of the book of Hebrews plums the depths of the radiance and beauty of His splendor… His infinite holiness and majesty! O how rich and full of wonder are these 4 verses of scripture!

I see a Man… Jesus—who has been given all power and authority, has become heir of all things, and has created the world—He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God’s nature! He upholds the entire universe by the power of His Word! This is a BIG God that is portrayed here in these verses.

The best part is that this HUGE God, who was not at all obligated to do so, came to make His dwelling among us with every intention of going to the cross in order to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He “made purification for OUR sins and he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”.

This is Power. Holiness. Supremacy. Glory. It is also Love. Humility. Grace. Mercy. This is our God and our King, let all the peoples stand in awe of His splendor, and worship Him!

This post is the third in our series on adoring Christ this Christmas.  You can read the first post and the second post.

Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord

Why adore him?

Everything about Jesus is glorious!

Let’s remember what Jesus Christ is doing presently—right now—and give Him all the glory!

1.  He Sits Enthroned at the Right Hand of God

“Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God…” (Romans 8:34)

“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:33)

2.  He Sustains All Things

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17)

3.  He Mediates Between God and Man, Making Intercession for Us

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25)

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1)

I pray that the Spirit of God would lead us to worship He who is in the honorable position at God’s right hand.  I hope that we can be struck with awe and wonder that He is holding all things together—from the vast expanse of the galaxies to the complex workings of microorganisms.  I pray also that we would approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing we have a High Priest working night and day on our behalf(Hebrews 4:16)!

Oh, how glorious Jesus is! Do you adore Him?

(Next post: The Glorious Future of Christ)

FACT #1: In my own personal Christian life, I have a tendency to think about and meditate on only the general teachings in scripture—you know, the basics like: Jesus is God, the Trinity, Salvation is in Christ alone, and so on… (This does not mean that I never dive deep into a rich theology of Christ or God’s attributes, yet truth be told: more often than not, I only consider the broader truths).

FACT #2: I am not alone in this. I am not the only one out there that naturally skirts over the deeper theological waters only to wade in the comfortable shallow end.

You might be someone like this.

In spite of these facts, when we actually seize the chance to sit down, remove ourselves from the busyness of the world and think about the underlying blessings of those deeper truths found within God’s Word, it opens up a world of joy. I am not saying this is essential; however, I am saying it is important.

Digging deep is important because it can drastically change our lives by bringing us into closer communion with Christ. When we dive down into the Word, it allows the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, conforming us more and more into His image. Our hearts become fertile soil.

Knowing Him better also allows us to love Him better.

The tiers of truth, when searched out and revealed to us in His Word, will absolutely cause us to love Him more. It will bring out praise that pours from our hearts. It will gives us a desire to please Him—to live for His glory. The more we actually delight in true and majestic things about Him, the more this world and its corresponding pop culture will grow strangely dim. The world and its things are but a vapor in the wind; Christ, however, remains the solid rock of the ages.

I want that. I want Christ. I want to dive into the deep with God and enjoy Him, don’t you?

Thankfully, Jesus Christ takes us there and bestows His truth. He makes the deep things of God plain to the believer. He does this by His Spirit and through His Word. One of these truths—and one of the most spoken of—is the particular work of redemption. We see it so clearly both in the old and new testaments:

• through acts of undeserved grace, God worked through the nation Israel to continually bring them out of bondage…
• furthermore, through Christ—the Perfect Sacrifice—He completes His plan of redemption for mankind. Our God is a great Redeemer.

What does redemption really do?

But what does redemption really do in our lives, and what comes from it? To know that we have been bought with the blood of Christ is an awesome truth, isn’t it? If you are a believer today, knowing you have the security of the cross, which fully satisfied the wrath of God on your behalf, is beyond normal human comprehension. It blows us away; it makes us stand in complete and utter awe.

Consequently, we find that studying beyond and into the work of redemption on the Cross is like swimming in an endless ocean that quenches the broken soul and never dries up… ever.

Redemption is everything to the Christian.

Through it, Christ changes your heart into a new one that seeks after His will and glory. It brings joy to the believer. It brings delight. It is moving from death to life—and so much more.

Over the next several weeks, we will unpack the fruits of redemption.

There is so much to cover, and we will only scratch the surface.

My prayer for you is this: that you will enjoy each of eight snapshots throughout the next several weeks on the fruits of redemption, and that it will fill your heart with joy and confirm your assurance in Jesus Christ, our Great Redeemer.

Stay tuned.

(to be continued…)

The topic of Creation has been an evangelical hot topic in recent years.

Usually, when the subject comes up, we automatically think about the Creation vs. Evolution debate, or we consider whether there was a literal six-day creation vs. a “day age” theory. There is an abundance of literature on these subjects and for good reason. The questions and discussion about things like the origin of man are very important and Christians should enter into that dialogue. However, the Biblical Theological theme of Creation goes beyond these common quarrels about chronology and duration, so please understand that my aim is not to resolve any of these disputes on the subject. Remember our goal throughout the Central Themes in Biblical Theology series: to see what the Bible says, with a particular focus on how it says it and what it is emphasizing.

As a further disclaimer, this is not my attempt to articulate the entire Biblical Theological theme of Creation. Instead, I want to introduce you to it and, perhaps, spark your interest to study it more.

In the beginning, God…

Have you ever heard someone say something along the lines of: “That’s the kind of God I could believe in,” or “I couldn’t believe in a God like that?” This assumption that we could actually choose what kind of God we want to believe in is blown out of the water in the first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1). The question for you and I is not what kind of God we can believe in, it is what kind of God is already there. His existence is assumed, and consequently what he is like follows.

The first thing that God actually does—the first thing that is predicated of God—is speak (Genesis 1:3). This is an expression of power. It introduces something that runs right through the entire Bible, God is a talking God—a God who speaks. Think about that. The fact that God speaks means that he is a God who reveals. Not only does the fact that he spoke light into existence express power, but this transcendence makes himself known to finite humans.

God Creates

Notice, in this opening passage, that God is the starting point. He made everything, and he himself is unmade. In this truth, there is an absolute difference between the Creator and the created. It shows God’s self-sufficiency. He needs nothing (Acts 17:24-25). We do need something, based on the simple nature of our origination. We need God in order to exist, thus we are utterly dependent and insufficient in, and of, ourselves. This truth of God’s independence and our dependence is the foundation stone of grace! There is nothing we have (or are) that could sway God to act on our favor. So, even our very life and breath is evidence of God’s grace, of his showing us unearned favor. God is also personally involved with his creation. He does so by exercising his perfect love and his just wrath.

Personally involved in his wrath… how does that work? Think about it: this idea of a righteous wrath. It implies that God be personally involved in his creation. He is wrathful against sin because all sin is ultimately committed against him, the Creator. He responds because he cares to. The best example of this personal involvement in scripture is the cross of Christ. We see the wrath of God—meant for us who believe, in every right way possible—being absorbed and satisfied by God’s own Son (Romans 3:23-25). It doesn’t get any more personal than that. Moreover, the cross wonderfully demonstrates God’s personal involvement in blessing his creation, since it is the single, greatest act of love that has ever occurred.

Creator God means a God that is involved.

God’s Purpose for, and Relationship with, Man

This Biblical doctrine of Creation is what establishes our accountability to God. The truth is that God created man with intention. We rebel against this intention—against his intention—when we sin. Because of this, we are put in a place of infinite dept to an eternal God. While sitting in a class lecture, I once heard Don Carson declare with passion, “No, I can’t back off entirely… the truth of the matter is that God made you, you owe him, and you will have to give an account to him.” The Creator is repeatedly described as seeing all that he makes as good. He is making moral decisions of good versus bad, inevitably saying that evil did not come out of the world the way that he intrinsically made it!

With the creation of Man we are introduced to the concept of the image of God. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Does it have to do with speech, beauty, relationships, or the ability to know? Looking at how the phrase is used in scripture, it never gives a concise definition of the term. But, if we put the pieces together as the story progresses we could articulate it by saying, “God is the creator, we are created. We are from the dust and to the dust we will return. There are still these and other distinctions, but apart from these distinctions, human beings are created to image God.” And what happens to this image of God during the Fall in chapter three? Is it lost completely? At the risk oversimplifying, the answer is no. Man still carries the ability and responsibility to exercise authority; however, the abuse of this authority by humans is a result of sin, not of the authority itself. It is not demolished, but tainted by sin.

And even still, by his grace, us humans continue to have relationships with God.

When I look at the book of Job and the Psalms and consider the peculiar place of God’s favor that human beings have over all creation, I stand in awe and wonder (Job. 7:17, 15:14; Psalm 8:4, 144:3). We must learn, as Job does in chapters 38-41, that the healthiest way to respond to creation is to put our hands over our mouths and acknowledge how much we don’t know.

A New Creation

As we trace the thread of creation through Scripture, the Creation theme grows even grander, and we meet the idea of a New Creation in the New Testament. Paul says that when salvation occurs, we become a “new creation.” We are created anew. We are given the ultimate promise is of a new heaven and a new earth. Romans 8: this fallen and cursed order is in “travail” waiting for the restoration of all things. As a part of the glorification of the saints he creates this new world order.

In sum, as we contemplate the role of creation in the great divine narrative, there should be a sense of awe in all of us at the grace that God has shown us through it. Consider how we literally have no place in determining what God should and shouldn’t be like according to our preferences. Consider how this God has revealed himself to us through words. And, we are infinitely accountable to this God in every way, as we are his creatures. We belong to him. The only way that his intention can be fulfilled in us is through our becoming a New Creation by faith in Jesus Christ.

Praise God, our Creator, for such a sweet, sweet gift.