https://ourdailybread.org/article/jesus-said-i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life/ I am the way and the truth and the life is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. On the last night before His betrayal and death, Jesus was preparing His disciples for the days ahead. For over three years, these men had been following Jesus and learning from His teaching and example. They had placed their hopes in Him as the Messiah, the promised deliverer, yet they still didn’t understand how He was going to accomplish that deliverance. After the Last Supper, Jesus began speaking about His departure, which led to questions from His disciples. In John 13:33, Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” This prompted Peter to ask where He was going (verse 36). Peter and the others did not understand that Jesus was speaking of His death and ascension to heaven. Jesus’ response was, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter was still misunderstanding and declared that he would follow Jesus anywhere and even lay down His life if necessary. As Jesus patiently continued to teach His disciples, He began speaking more plainly about heaven, describing the place He was going to prepare for them (John 14:2–3). Then Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (verse 4). Speaking for the others, Thomas said they did not know where He was going, so how could they know how to follow Him there? It was in answer to this question that Jesus uttered one of the seven famous “I am” statements. I am – In the Greek language, “I am” is a very intense way of referring to oneself. It would be comparable to saying, “I myself, and only I, am.” Several other times in the Gospels we find Jesus using these words. In Matthew 22:32 Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6, where God uses the same intensive form to say, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews clearly understood Jesus to be calling Himself God because they took up stones to stone Him for committing blasphemy in equating Himself with God. In Matthew 28:20, as Jesus gave the Great Commission, He gave it emphasis by saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” When the soldiers came seeking Jesus in the garden the night before His crucifixion, He told them, “I am he,” and His words were so powerful that the soldiers fell to the ground (John 18:4–6). These words reflect the very name of God in Hebrew, Yahweh, which means “to be” or “the self-existing one.” It is the name of power and authority, and Jesus claimed it as His own. The way – Jesus used the definite article to distinguish Himself as “the only way.” A way is a path or route, and the disciples had expressed their confusion about where He was going and how they could follow. As He had told them from the beginning, Jesus was again telling them (and us) “follow me.” There is no other path to heaven, no other way to the Father. Peter reiterated this same truth years later to the rulers in Jerusalem, saying about Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The exclusive nature of the only path to salvation is expressed in the words “I am the way.” The truth – Again Jesus used the definite article to emphasize Himself as “the only truth.” Psalm 119:142 says, “Your law is the truth.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His listeners of several points of the Law, then said, “But I say unto you . . .” (Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44), thereby equating Himself with the Law of God as the authoritative standard of righteousness. In fact, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) is the source of all truth. The life – Jesus had just been telling His disciples about His impending death, and now He was claiming to be the source of all life. In John 10:17–18, Jesus declared that He was going to lay down His life for His sheep, and then take it back again. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. In John 14:19, He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity. In these words, Jesus was declaring Himself the great “I Am,” the only path to heaven, the only true measure of righteousness, and the source of both physical and spiritual life. He was staking His claim as the very God of Creation, the Lord who blessed Abraham, and the Holy One who inhabits eternity. He did this so the disciples would be able to face the dark days ahead and carry on the mission of declaring the gospel to the world. Of course, we know from Scripture that they still didn’t understand, and it took several visits from their risen Lord to shake them out of their disbelief. Once they understood the truth of His words, they became changed people, and the world has never been the same. So how do we follow Him today? The same way the disciples did long ago. They heard the words of Jesus and believed them. They took His words and obeyed them. They confessed their sins to Jesus as their Lord and God. They believed that He died to take the punishment of their sins and rose from the dead to give them new life. They followed His example and command to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we follow Him in “the way,” we can be assured of following Him all the way to heaven. God's Word Speaks so much of condemnation because of the sin which permeates mankind: "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). In the Bible, the word condemnation is synonymous with damnation, judgment, punishment, destruction, and verdict. In its strongest sense, condemnation means “the banishing to hell all those disobedient to the will of God” (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 23:33; Matthew 25:41) and those who deny Him (Matthew 10:33; Mark 16:16; John 3:18). The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) were part of the Old Covenant or Law, which was also called “the ministry of death” or “ministry of condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). The Old Covenant brought condemnation upon mankind because it made known our sin and its tragic consequence: death. As such, the Law judged man already condemned. The Law carried a verdict of “guilty” because it pointed out sin (Romans 3:19-20; Romans 5:12-13). Before Christ, everyone had to offer animal sacrifices every year. These sacrifices were a reminder that God punishes sin but also offers forgiveness through repentance. This, in essence, was the purpose of the Law. The writer of Hebrews explains: “But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4). The Law reveals sin within us and therefore condemns us. It’s as the apostle Paul said, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet, animal sacrifices were just a temporary method of dealing with man’s sin until Jesus would come to deal with sin forever. Animals, ignorant beasts and part of a fallen world, could not offer the same sacrifice as Christ—the God-man, fully rational, completely sinless (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5) --who willingly went to the cross (Hebrews 10:12). How, then, were people forgiven in Old Testament times? When Old Testament believers followed God’s command and by faith offered the sacrifices, He forgave them (Hebrews 9:15). In essence, the Law’s sacrifices looked forward to Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Today, as followers of Jesus, God has completely forgiven our sins because of Christ’s death for us. God even forgets about our sins (Hebrews10:17; Psalm 103:12). Jesus made it clear that without Him no one can enter the kingdom of heaven (John 14:6). It’s no secret. We are all condemned to die and to eternal punishment because of our sin. The only way we can be made right with God is through Jesus, who has made the perfect sacrifice for us: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Without question, the best-known passage in all Scripture is "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). Yet, many fail to read the passage which follows and which has an uncompromising warning to all: “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). Though the Law condemns all mankind, we as believers in Jesus Christ have this promise: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). The Bible is the Word of God written to His people and, as such, it contains everything we need to be “complete” (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Part of the “everything” we need is comfort. The Bible has a lot to say about comfort and has many passages that comfort us in life’s tough times. Yes, the Bible comforts us! Life is fraught with many difficulties. We all experience setbacks in one way or another. Sometimes they are sudden; sometimes they are gradual. Maybe we have suffered the death of a loved one or been forsaken by a loved one. Maybe our health is poor or our finances are uncertain. Whatever the difficulties, they affect all of us at some point in our lives, and the Bible states that this is inevitable (Job 5:7; Genesis 3:17; Proverbs 22:8). The Bible is the Word of God (Isaiah 55:11), written by God’s servants under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) and provided as both a guide and an aide to our daily living. How does the Bible comfort us? Perhaps the most important aspect of God’s Word is the promises that are contained within, promises that the Lord makes to those who are prepared to trust Him. It is these promises that bring comfort, promises that feed off the weakest spark of saving faith to provide the reward of comfort, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. There are many promises in the Bible that have to be combined with faith to be realized, for without faith it is impossible to please God, the provider of comfort in times of trouble (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Psalm 46:1). Clearly, the promises of God cannot be appropriated in the same way by the unbelieving, with whom God is angry continually (Psalm 7:11). Nevertheless, it is because of God’s grace, through the work of regeneration that happens at conversion, that these promises are realized and become the very fuel that spurs His people on to greater faith and greater obedience. These things go hand in hand; we trust God’s promises, and He has promised to reward us accordingly with joy, peace, and comfort, intangible things that the world can never supply. One of the greatest ways the Bible comforts is Isaiah 26:3. Embrace it in faith, asking for the Lord’s help, and there will be no disappointment. In this world, broken things are despised and thrown out. Anything we no longer need, we throw away. Damaged goods are rejected, and that includes people. In marriage, when relationships break down, the tendency is to walk away and find someone new rather than work at reconciliation. The world is full of people with broken hearts, broken spirits and broken relationships. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). There is something about reaching a breaking point that causes us to seek the Lord more sincerely King David was once a broken man, and he prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:10, 17). There are some things in our lives that need to be broken: Pride, self-will, stubbornness, and sinful habits, for example. When we feel our brokenness, God compensates: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). The Bible says that God breaks those who are proud and rebellious. The mighty Pharaoh set himself against God, but God broke him and freed His people from bondage and shame. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” (Leviticus 26:13). God punishes all those who proudly resist Him. "My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit” (Isaiah 65:14) To us, broken things are despised as worthless, but God can take what has been broken and remake it into something better, something that He can use for His glory. Broken things and broken people are the result of sin. Yet God sent his Son, who was without sin, to be broken so that we might be healed. On the night before He died, Jesus broke the bread and said, "This is my body, which is broken for you.” He went all the way to Calvary to die so that we can live. His death has made it possible for broken, sinful humanity to be reconciled to God and be healed. Without the broken body of Jesus, we could not be made whole. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Only when we surrender to Christ can we be restored and transformed. This is Redemption. Such surrender requires a brokenness on our part (Luke 9:23). Romans 6:1-14 describes how believers become dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. Claim the promise that cannot be broken: "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). "A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. … The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:19-22). Jesus viewed all things in the light of eternity, and so should we: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3). God draws us, He calls to us. He longs for us to come to Him so He can heal us. Often, we are unable to hear His call because we’re so busy with other things – our lives, our families, our work, our own problems and unhappiness. Sometimes we must be broken before we realize our need. And our deepest need is to be reconciled to God. Only then can we be made whole (Matthew 5:5). The solution can never come from our own efforts or striving, but comes only from Him. Only when we recognize our need for God are we able to take our eyes off ourselves and focus them on God and Jesus Christ. Only when we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about what Jesus did for us can we begin to heal. Only when we admit our need and ask God into our life, can God begin to make us whole. Only when we confess that we are broken can God make us into what He wants us to be. Once we let go of self and place God at the center of our lives, everything else falls into place (Matthew 6:33). During the final week of Jesus’ life, He was eating a meal, and “a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head” (Mark 14:3). The woman’s action of breaking the alabaster jar was symbolic of a couple of things: Jesus would soon be “broken” on the cross, and all who follow Him must be willing to be “broken” as well. But the result of such costly brokenness is beautiful, indeed! Surrender to God and allow Him to make you whole, to give your life meaning, purpose and joy. Trust Him. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Antisemitism has never been constrained by time or religion – it has continued throughout history at the hands of atheists, Christians, Muslims and pagans alike. Whether Jewish people have assimilated into the culture or kept themselves to themselves in their own communities, they have been hated and persecuted wherever they go, and whatever they do. Whether in exile or in their own land, in Babylon or in Egypt, in Christian Europe, Atheist Russia or the Muslim Middle East, whether they’re following God or in rebellion against him, the attacks do not stop. ANTISEMITISM, THE OLDEST HATRED? Whenever there is an attack on Jewish people abroad, no matter what the motivation, there are always those who turn to blame Israel. “Absolutely appalling and a criminal act, but does it ever occur to… the present Israeli government that it’s [sic] actions against Palestinians may be reigniting antisemitism?” British lawmaker, Jenny Tonge, opined that Israel’s policies were the reason for the mass murder of Jews in Pittsburgh – an absolutely appalling act of antisemitism on her own part. But antisemitism goes back long before the troubles of the modern State of Israel ever existed. It was not the ‘occupation’ that was bothering Adolf Hitler… or the Spanish Inquisitors, or the perpetrators of the violent pogroms and Crusades that destroyed Jewish lives throughout the centuries in Europe and Russia. We can be confident it was not the settlements or checkpoints that got Haman’s goat in the story of Esther, or put the Amalekites’ nose out of joint to the degree that they tried to kill off the entire people group just after the Exodus. It is not that the State of Israel causes racism against the Jewish people, but rather, racism against the Jews that demonstrates the need for a Jewish state. As long as there has been a people of God, chosen for His purposes, the attacks and annihilation attempts have been relentless. It is ludicrous to suggest that the State of Israel is to blame for violence perpetrated against the Jewish people. THE TRUE OBJECT OF HATRED: THE GOD OF ISRAEL What makes Jewish people Jewish? The God who called the nation into being for His own purposes. It was God who created the people of Israel. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and ordained that his twelve sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel. His people. They were a people chosen by God, led by God, instructed by God, and precious to God. And they are called by His name. “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (Deuteronomy 7:6) WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ISRAEL? => Not only did they identify themselves with Him, but God identified Himself with them. He is, and always will be, The God of Israel He refers to Himself in Scripture hundreds of times as the God of Israel. The God who delivered Israel from Egypt. One day, we learn from Jeremiah 16:14 and 23:7-8, we will know Him as the God who regathered Israel. Whichever way you look at it, God is inextricably linked to Israel, and always will be. This irks a lot of people. Some are bitter about the fact that God chose a particular nation at all, or the fact that Israel (like all of humanity) has always been so undeserving of God’s grace, or that God is the one in charge and gets to make such choices without consulting anyone. “Antisemitism stems from the inherently rebellious hearts of humans. As the people of God, the Jews are associated with God, and thus Jew hatred is sometimes subliminal but always due to an unregenerate heart.” Christine Darg. Dr. Richard Bookers says in a similar vein that Jew hatred is God hatred because the Jews remind the world they are accountable to God for their lives and they don’t want to be reminded. HOW CAN CHRIST FOLLOWERS STAND AGAINST ANTISEMITISM? “You cannot love God”, warned Corrie Ten Boom, “without loving the Jewish people”. It is shocking that this even needs to be pointed out, yet church history makes an extremely uncomfortable reading when it comes to the treatment of the Jews. What a sad misrepresentation of Christianity. I'm sure subconsciously, this gives the Jewish population an underlying judgment of all Christian's or Christianity. This may cause them to view Christian's through a filtered lens, that sees separation and opposition instead of unity and oneness. The vast majority of Christian's cant relate to antisemitism, and aren't aware of it, because they were taught "there is no jew or gentile for we are all one." This could also cause a Jewish person to -wrongly- view anything not meant specifically because of Jewish identity as a "separate identity," and in turn, "misidentify" antisemitism. But what can Christians do to stand against antisemitism today? 1. PRAY We cannot underestimate the impact of our prayers. Let’s pray for the bereaved, for the frightened Jewish communities facing antisemitism in the US, in France, in the UK, and all over the world. We must also pray for their enemies. Pray for those trapped in webs of bitterness and lies. Pray for Christians who are blinded to the truth about God’s heart for His people. You can be sure that your prayers will be reaching the Father’s heart, and we know that if we pray in accordance with His will, He hears, and He will answer. You could also send a letter to a synagogue near you to let them know that you are praying for them, standing with them, and that you care. 2. PUBLICLY STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH AND DENOUNCE LIES The Body of Messiah has a prophetic ministry to bring to light words or actions that portray untruth There are so many falsehoods defaming Israel and the Jewish people in circulation. It is simply not true that Israel is an Apartheid state, or that they are committing genocide. There are no Jewish plots in progress to take over the world, or even the Middle East. Israel will do everything it can to avoid killing civilians, especially children, and the lies that are perpetrated on these matters fuel the fires of antisemitic hatred. It’s important to investigate for yourself what is true and what is not, rather than believing one side or the other, but when you find solid facts, make them known. Whether it manifests as Alt-Right racism or Far-Left hatred of Israel, antisemitism is fueled by conspiracy stories. Behind them lies the peddler of falsehoods and the spreader of fear: the father of lies himself. We can help combat antisemitism by uncovering and proclaiming the truth. 3. REMIND PEOPLE THAT JESUS IS JEWISH –PRESENT TENSE! As Russell Moore put it so well in his piece in the Washington Post, “If you hate the Jews, you hate Jesus too”: “I will often hear Christians say, “Remember that Jesus was Jewish.” That’s true enough, but the past tense makes it sound as though Jesus’ Jewishness were something he sloughed off at the resurrection. Jesus is alive now, enthroned in heaven. He is transfigured and glorified, yes, but he is still Jesus. This means he is still, and always will be, human. He is still, and always will be, the son of Mary. He is, and always will be, a Galilean. When Jesus appeared before Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus, the resurrected Christ introduced himself as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 22:8). Jesus is Jewish, present tense… He is of the tribe of Judah. He is of the House of David… As Christians, we are, all of us, adopted into a Jewish family, into an Israelite story.” In the past it may have been misunderstood in the New Testament to think that Jesus was against the Jewish people as a whole. That is not Accurate. But not only is Jesus Jewish, his entire family, all his disciples, and most of the early church were Jewish too. The Bible teaches God is not done with Israel, and will never forsake the Jewish people (Romans 9-11). True followers of Christ, know that Jesus was standing up to the Pharisees- religious authorities, oppressors of the common people in a fully Jewish community. 4. IDENTIFY WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL It is important to stand with the Jewish people especially in times like this – to identify with the people of Israel as they are under attack. During the Holocaust when the Nazis were making Jews wear a yellow star, the Danish king is said to have suggested to his finance minister, Vilhelm Buhl, "perhaps we should all wear it.” Such an act would completely negate the attempt to isolate and victimize the Jewish people. Similarly, when a brick came through the window of a Jewish family at Hanukkah time, the entire town of Billings, Montana, decided to put Jewish Hanukkiahs in their windows in solidarity. The attacks by the KKK soon stopped. It took courage for people to stand with their Jewish neighbors, knowing that they are making themselves a target too, but it’s a powerful thing to do. For Gentile believers in Yeshua, identification with Israel is not a mere gesture, but an expression of reality – of the deep truth that you are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. Ruth’s courageous love for Naomi’s people and their God did not go unnoticed, and neither will yours. “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16-17) Israel has no bigger support than that of true followers of Christ. Sadly, not all 'Christians" represent the cross well, hence why we need more of him- we are all flawed imperfect human beings navigating this existence in need of a savior. The Scripture cannot state it more unambiguously than God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” https://www.oneforisrael.org/news/eruption-of-antisemitism/ In the final analysis, antisemitism is more destructive to those who practice it than to those who bear the brunt of it. Hard as it may be to contemplate the anguish of Jewish people who have suffered such cruelty at the hands of their enemies throughout the centuries, it is even more frightening to consider the eternal judgment courted by those who are determined to hate what God Himself loves. As the character, Yakov Bok in Bernard Malamud’s award-winning novel The Fixer observes as he reads the New Testament his guards have given him, “If you want to be an anti-Semite, you must first hate Jesus Christ.” No one loved his own people more than 'Jesus. As believers in Messiah, we have a vital part to play to stem the tide of antisemitism. Starting at home, we are charged with the task of praying for the Jewish people and demonstrating our support by coming alongside our Jewish neighbors with affirmation as well as the encouraging words of the Gospel. We must speak out against religious and ethnic hatred wherever we find it – not only against the Jewish people but against anyone. This is something I have always personally and faithfully taken akin to, with a special admiration for Israel. After all, it is exactly what Christians were taught, and practice. In the Old Testament, the wonderful characteristics of God’s love were in a very clear way revealed to Israel. This nation owes its entire existence to the love of God. However, it was always meant to be a reciprocating love in which the obligation rested on Israel to respond to God’s love by living in the right relationship with Him. Moses said to his people: “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face” (Deut. 7:7-10). Every member of the nation who did not love the Lord and turn his back upon Him, would pierce himself through with many sorrows. He would be the sufferer. On the other hand, those who love the Lord will be richly blessed: “And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land… the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples” (Deut. 7:13-14). To qualify for these blessings, there is only the demand of true love which must also manifest in works of charity: “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deut. 10:12-13). He would also protect them against the plots and attacks of their enemies, of which there were many. Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel: “Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you” (Deut. 23:5). Balaam advised Balak not to curse Israel or to fight against them because the Lord fights for them. He counselled Balak to befriend himself with Israel and invite them to the feasts of Moab’s gods. Should Israel agree to social and religious compromise with Moab, they would become untrue to God, despise His love and worship other gods. The doctrine of Balaam is the doctrine of compromise with an apostate world, against which the New Testament church is also warned in Rev. 2:14. This self-destructing compromise caused a big disaster in Israel. They accepted an invitation to a Baal feast, participated in the sacrifices, and many Israeli men also took heathen wives in Moab. In doing so, Israel didn’t honour their relationship of love towards God but instead committed treason against Him. As a result, the wrath of God was kindled against Israel and He sent a plague over them in which 24 000 people died (Num. 25:1-3, 9). In spite of incidents of this nature, in which Israel often in their history invited the anger of God, the love of God for Israel never changed. Many individuals died as a result of their sins and rebellion, but that did not destroy God’s covenant with Israel. His love for them is comprehensive and all-embracing. It doesn’t only include promises about their spiritual revival and physical restoration in their land, but also the promise of His daily care to save them from all dangers and anxieties: “But now, thus says the LORD who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour, I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honoured, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give them up! And to the south, Do not keep them back! Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Is. 43:1-7). The question may be asked: Why does the Lord have to gather this people from the four corners of the earth and bring the dispersed ones back to their land? Why did they become unfaithful to the Lord and forfeited His blessings? It is because of the hardening of their hearts. Instead of worshipping the God of Israel they were deceived by Satan to live a life of licentiousness in which they also worshipped the Baals: “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; and you have been weary of Me, O Israel. You have not brought Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, nor have you honoured Me with your sacrifices… but you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities” (Is. 43:22-24). To this licentiousness and lack of love Israel often committed themselves. They were warned that it would ultimately lead to great calamities and disaster, including the international dispersion of the nation: “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues… And it shall be, that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. Then the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other… And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you” (Deut. 28:58-66). Eventually Israel also rejected and turned their backs upon their Messiah, the Lord Jesus, who is the personification of God’s love for them. That was the final sin that filled the cup of their iniquities and gave rise to the international dispersion against which Moses warned them. Jesus said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, Blessed is He who come in the name of the Lord!” (Mt. 23:37-39). Of the international dispersion of Israel that would follow after they rejected the Messiah and would endure until they finally accept Him, Jesus said: “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk. 21:24). Although the destruction of Jerusalem and the diaspora of Israel constitute divine judgements, it was never meant to be an absolute rejection of Israel and the abrogation of God’s covenant with them. The God of Israel says: “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; For I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD” (Lev. 26:44-45). Paul also confirms the fact that the Lord didn’t reject His people Israel. At the end of the times of the Gentiles, which is the end of the Church dispensation, the trampling of Jerusalem will be terminated and the people be restored physically and spiritually: “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew… hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins” (Rom. 11:1-2, 25-27). What we now see in Israel, as well as in the salvation of an increasing number of Messianic Jews who return to the God of their fathers through Jesus Christ, is confirmation of sure promises that God will never abandon Israel. His love for Israel is eternal and unchangeable. Listen to what He says through the prophet Hosea about this forsaken woman, Israel, who wandered away from Him: “I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense… Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt… I will take from her mouth the name of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more” (Hos. 2:13-17). The prophets Isaiah also confirms the restored relationship of love between Israel and God: “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; nor be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused, says your God. For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the LORD your Redeemer” (Is. 54:4-8). To Hosea this wonderful prospect was also revealed, and he concludes his writings with a prophecy on the restored relationship between Israel and their God: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like the vine” (Hos. 14:4-7) The prophet Jeremiah emphasises the eternal love that God has for Israel: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria… He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD… their souls shall be like a well watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all… for I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow… Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD“ (Jer. 31:3-20). It is evident from God’s dealing with Israel that His love has a clear element of chastening. This love is so pure that it can’t allow people who have accepted it to compromise with a sinful world, or to be licentious and permissive as is the case in the humanistic love of fallen man. A wayward child who persists with his uncharitable conduct must be reprimanded, disciplined, and chastised. However, these disciplinary actions are instituted with the best interests of the person(s) involved. If you're a loving parent and your child's hair is on fire- would that parent say, "that's okay, you're going in the right direction," or would they speak the truth in love? I love you- you're running toward that cliff and your hair is on fire, let's put the fire out and turn around. The chastising of Israel is an act of love as it is aimed at their return to the Lord. Those who have sorrow over their sins and truly repent from it will be met by a loving, forgiving Father. He will also completely restore a repentant Israel: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you… I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgements and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people and I will be your God” (Ezek. 36:24-28). The day of Israel’s national conversion will be when the Messiah, Jesus, sets feet on the Mount of Olives at the end of the great tribulation. He will then judge the nations and save the remnant of His people, Israel. Under strong conviction of sin, worked by the Holy Spirit, they will grieve over their sins, pray for pardon and mercy, and accept Jesus as Messiah and Saviour: “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn… They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, This is My people, and each one will say, the LORD is my God” (Zech. 12:10 and 13:9). The bond of love that was broken by Israel because of their sins, will be fully restored: “O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity… Say to Him, Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously… [To these word of repentance God will say]: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hos. 14:1-4). Isaiah says: “In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem or beauty to the remnant of His people” (Is. 28:5). All the nations will know about the spiritual revival of Israel and gladly associate with them to share in the blessings: “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” (Zech. 8:23). The saved remnant of Israel will be united in their love for God and serve Him with their whole heart. God says: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD, for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:33-34). The dedication of Israel as a people will then be like that small group of exemplary men of God in the Old Testament. The Lord will take pleasure in them like He took pleasure in David, who was a man after God’s heart. David declared his love for God by saying: “I will love You, O LORD my strength” (Ps. 18:1). Another psalmist expressed his love for the Word of God: “I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!… Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it… My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly” (Ps. 119:127, 140, 167). Is your delight also in the word of God and do you meditate on it day and night? Are your footsteps anchored in the word of God, and have you hidden His words in your heart that you might not sin against Him? Then the blessings of the Lord will surround you and the Holy One of Israel will protect you. God’s love for Israel will also be poured out in your heart. You will pray for them and earnestly desire their salvation. God says: “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns… I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Is. 62:1, 6-7). Before this can happen, a passionate love must be awakened in the hearts of Jews for the land of their fathers and the city of Jerusalem. These convictions and feelings must induce them to return and prepare Jerusalem and its inhabitants for the soon coming of the Messiah! This awakening is finally occurring in our generation. The gospel is being heard in Israel again, after 2,000 years of exile. God loves Israel, declaring, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer. 31:3). God is eternal, and His love is eternal. To possess the love of God is to love that which he loves. One cannot claim to have God’s love, and simultaneously hate Israel, His chosen people. There is clearly no place for anti-Semitism in the heart of any Christian. God called followers of Jesus to love and serve Israel through the message of the Gospel. As with the renewed covenant offered to Israel, our sins are removed freely with faith in God's great sacrifice and work on the cross. The nation of Israel doesn't have that protection, but God promises to deliver them as a nation when they've gone too far from him. That's Israel's history, a pattern of national wandering from God, suffering, bondage, then redemption and deliverance. God's word says that greater sufferings bring greater rewards, because God- through Christ- compensates our weaknesses. The weaker we are, the greater he can demonstrate his greatness and faithfulness when called upon. If we are close to God, he will listen and answer. God always delivers Israel before it's too late, when they are far away, he promises to answer them from afar. The renewed covenant, the law of Christ, given by our God of Israel that made himself known to the beloved patriarchs, frees us from this bondage and is freely offered to anyone who accepts it. Anyone who is under the law of Christ, should love, honor, and praise Israel for nourishing the deep roots of the mosaic covenant long enough for the gentiles to have an opportunity to be in grafted into the one family of God. Judaism is a deep, rich, beautiful religion. The Jewish people are loving, kind, generous, and are zealous for God. But they are doing this from the wilderness, they haven't entered the promised land. They need a Shepard to draw nearer to God- that is Christ. God will eventually deliver Israel at the end of the age, through Jesus Christ- their savior, whom is very well active and alive in spirit today. God calls followers of Christ to Shepard, love, and guide Israel through the Gospel. To love Israel is not a blanket endorsement of all their beliefs and behaviors. God, who loves Israel and chose them to be His people (Deut. 7:6-8), also called them to be holy (Ex. 19:5-6; Lev. 11:45), and promised blessing or cursing, based on their obedience to Him (Deut. 28:1-68). Israel can and does fail, often rejecting God’s love for them and walking in the ways of the world (see 2 Chron. 36:15-16; Jer. 7:25-26; 25:4-7; Ezek. 16; Matt. 23:1-39; Acts 7:51-53; 1 Thess. 2:14-16). The national rejection and crucifixion of Jesus (Matt. 27:22-23; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28), Israel’s promised Messiah (Deut. 18:15; Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7;53; 61:1; Matt. 1:1, 17; Luke 1:31-33), is their greatest failure. Did Israel act alone in crucifying Jesus, their Messiah? No! God foretold Israel’s Messiah would suffer and die (Ps. 22:11-18; Isa. 53); and, according to His sovereignty, He used wicked men, both Jews and Gentiles, to accomplish His will (Acts 22:22-23; 4:27-28). If it be inquired, as constantly it is, who put Christ to death? It may be pointed out that He was offered by the Father (Ps. 22:15; John 3:16; Rom. 3:25), of His own free will (John 10:17; Heb. 7:27; 9:14; 10:12), by the Spirit (Heb. 9:14), and by men—Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and Israel (Acts 2:23; 4:27). To this may be added that part of His death was contributed by Satan (cf. Gen. 3:15).[1] Israel struggles with God and is disoriented. They get confused on what loving shepherding is, and can mistake it for antisemitism. The problem with Israel not knowing how to solve antisemitism, is that they don't know God's word. I've read a lot on Jewish sites/holocaust education sites that portray the religion of Christianity and the word of god very negative. It's also often incorrect or from a Jewish perspective which isn't a complete view. Communication is the only way to solve any misunderstanding, but Judaism doesn't want to listen to a Christian perspective. That can only last for so long, until it's no longer functional. Antisemitism is not caused by the New Testament, Christian doctrine, or beliefs that Jesus was killed by the Jews. If that is being used as a means for anti-semitism, it is a wrong understanding or representation of Scripture. God caused the death and resurrections of the messiah. There are dark and grievous period of history and antisemitism, which in order to truly fix, need to be understood as antisemitism needs to stop, and Israel can not accurately see how to fix it. Their messiah Jesus Christ is the only answer, but it's up to them when it occurs. Nothing like the holocaust should ever happen again, and it's up to Judaism to openly talk about it with whom may not agree with them, not just those who do agree with them. Resurrection is the key word- meaning, Jesus is living and active today through the Holy Spirit and body of Christ, the spirit of truth. Any governing policies in today's society that counteracts the spirit of truth causes disruption. God uses the body of Christ as vessels for the spirit of truth. God, who loves Israel with an everlasting love, continues to keep His word to them. Israel has a future hope because of the promises and covenants God made through the patriarchs and prophets (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:8; Deut. 30:1-10; 2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:33-37; Jer. 31:31-33). Though unbelieving Israel is currently under divine discipline (Matt. 23:37-39), God’s covenants and promises are still in effect (Rom. 9:1-5), and will remain in force until Jesus returns and is accepted as their Messiah. It is wrong to think the church has replaced Israel, for “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew” (Rom. 11:2), even though there is a “partial hardening” among them until Messiah returns (Rom. 11:25-27). Until then, unbelieving Israel is under spiritual darkness and divine judgment. The apostle Paul—a biological Jew himself—revealed that God’s promises and covenants are still valid for national Israel, and wished all would come to faith in Christ. I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart [for unbelieving Israel]. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh [to whom Paul is related biologically], who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh [i.e. Messiah], who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. (Rom. 9:1-5) Those who have the privilege of being witnesses to the truth, have a responsibility to the truth. Today, Jews and Gentiles alike, become partakers of the church, the body of Christ, when they believe in Jesus as their Savior (Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 1:22-23; cf. 1 Cor. 10:32). The church is looking forward to the return of Christ, in which He will catch away (ἁρπάζω harpazo – to seize, catch up, snatch away) Christians to heaven (1 Thess. 4:13-17). Until God resumes His prophetic plans for Israel, the Christian is called to love them, pray for them, and share the gospel of grace that they may turn to Jesus as the Christ and be saved (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18-24; 15:3-4). Antisemitism has only one sure antidote: the perfect love of Messiah that “casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The question “who are the seed of Abraham?” can be answered several ways, and it is important to make some distinctions. There is the Seed of Abraham (Seed being singular); there is the seed of Abraham physically (descendants of Abraham according to the flesh); and there is the seed of Abraham spiritually(those who, like Abraham, have faith in God). The (singular) Seed of Abraham is Christ, as Galatians 3:16, quoting Genesis 12:7, says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.” The passage goes on to explain that an inheritance was promised to Abraham’s Seed (Christ) apart from the Law. Later, the Mosaic Law was introduced, but it did not annul the promises made to Abraham or to Abraham’s Seed (Christ). There is a "mystery" the Bible speaks of in regard to ethnic Israel, but when the signs of Christ's return are near, it is clear that the Gospel must be preached to the Jew first then Gentile. Another indication -why it hasn't been preached to Israel before- out of respect, yet the time has come. Just as Abraham believed God and his faith was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), so are all today who believe in God’s Son justified apart from the Law. In this way, Abraham is the “father” of all who believe (Romans 4:11–17). “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Of course, the seed of Abraham can also refer to the Hebrew people who descended from Abraham through Isaac. Still more broadly, the seed of Abraham could include Arabs, who trace their lineage through Ishmael. This is the physical seed of Abraham. The spiritual seed of Abraham (believers in Jesus Christ) is comprised of people of all nationalities and ethnicities. The Jewish religious leaders of the first century took pride in that they were Abraham’s seed. They saw their physical connection to Abraham as a guarantee of God’s favor. This attitude kept them from seeing their need for repentance of the heart-- and brought condemnation from John the Baptist, who warned them to repent. Anticipating their fallback argument that they were the seed of Abraham, John said, “Do not think you can say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9). Jesus dealt with the same issue later. In speaking to the unbelieving Jews, Jesus emphasized their need to receive His words as truth and obey His commands. They replied, “We be Abraham’s seed” (John 8:33, KJV). Jesus then rebukes them for plotting ways to murder Him; their stubborn response was again, “Abraham is our father” (verse 39a). At this, Jesus makes a distinction between the physical seed of Abraham and the true, spiritual seed of Abraham: “If you were Abraham’s children . . . then you would do what Abraham did” (verse 39b). The conversation heats up as the Jews for a third time reference their connection to Abraham: "Are you greater than our father Abraham?” they ask Jesus (verse 53). Jesus provokes them further: “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (verse 56). The Jews’ are incredulous that Jesus would claim to be a contemporary of Abraham, and that’s when Jesus brings the exchange to a climax with a claim to full deity: “Very truly I tell you, . . . before Abraham was born, I am!” (verse 58). In a fury, the Jews attempted to stone Jesus (verse 59), again proving that being the physical seed of Abraham is not enough-- they had to be born again (John 3:3). Paul sums up the difference between the seeds of Abraham in Romans 2:28–29: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” Could you possibly imagine how MUCH Joy and delight God would have if his physical seed, also became his spiritual seed? It's both full and in complete harmony! Fulfilling "all the words of his law." Together as one! Israel returns to the father... Out of the wilderness, the lost bride, reunited to the bridegroom. That is God's Story! So many hills and valleys, a long and winding journey to the promised land, reunited and home at last! The lord is faithfully and patiently waiting for this day, so that all the nations can rejoice together in his re-unification with his lost bride, Israel, his treasured possession, the apple of his eye! Romans 11:12 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond Recovery? Certainly not! Why? Because we have Jesus- the forgiver of all sins! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, How MUCH GREATER riches will their fullness bring! Cross References Acts 3:21 Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets. Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Treasury of ScriptureNow if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? Romans 11:15,33 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? … Romans 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; diminishing. Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Isaiah 11:11-16 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea… Isaiah 12:1-6 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me… "Yea, He saith, 'It is too light a thing for you to be My servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the scions of Israel, and I shall submit you as a light unto the nations, to be My salvation until the end of the earth' Isaiah 49:6.
God’s makes himself known as Lord through divine revelation, which is given to all people through creation and human nature and to specific people through events, inspired human words recorded as Scripture, and Jesus Christ himself. Kabbalah for Today? That hidden wisdom is the revelation of Jesus Christ, Christ in you, unity with the divine through the Holy Spirit, revealed in The New Testament and Word of God. Through the Holy Spirit, divine spiritual truths and hidden knowledge can be revealed and interpreted. Jesus Christ, light to the nations, redeemer of the world... for ALL is fulfilled in the law and prophets, both old and new. COLOSSIANS 1:19–20For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” -John 8:12 “I am the light of the world,” is rooted in Jesus’ relationship with His Father. John Piper states, “Jesus speaks from God and for God and as God.” Apart from Jesus, we live in darkness. We have limited capacity to understand who we are or what we see in the world. “The beauty of our humanity is still evident,” writes Aimee Joseph,“but ugliness abounds.” “The light of Christ,” writes John Piper, “is the brightness of God shining on the retina of the human soul.” Life can be wonderful on earth, but not fully complete without Jesus. We are all created to crave the Creator, our Father, and only through a relationship with our Savior Jesus can the dark parts of our hearts brighten. “When I admit I am not enough, I’m freed to run and cling to the God who is.” -Aimee Joseph The Light of the world paid for our freedom on the cross. The Biblical Context of the Verse "I Am the Light of the World”Jesus consistently focused on linking Himself to the Father. The Greek word for light in this verse is phos, defined as the light; anything emitting light; light, i.e. brightness. God profoundly states, “I am.” Light is part of who He is. Subtle but powerful. Each day, the sun rises to warm, illuminate, and provide growth on earth. The moon and stars light the night, serving as navigators long before smartphones. We reach for the light-switch when we enter a dark room, and we depend on our accumulation of knowledge to shed light on our lives. Light permeates into every crack and crevice of our lives and beings, whether visible, tangible in regard to warmth, or metaphorically enlightening. The origin of phos describes how light makes manifest, evident, exposed or clear. Light is required for any vegetation to grow, and the light clarifies the human spirit. Christ was present at the creation of the world. The Author of Light has the authority to illuminate His creation in its truest form. Jesus saying He is the Light of the world is the outer recognition of His Father’s creation and presence, and the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit, by which we know our Father and walk with Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world, our world, and in the world. Like God is omnipresent, so Jesus is Light. Through Him and His sacrificial death on the cross, we are exposed to the light and of our sins. Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. -Matthew Henry Commentary, Concise A boat needs navigational lights to avoid running into the shore, aground or into other vessels at night. Light prevents aimless drifting. Captains follow blinking channel markers and lighthouses at night. Now, GPS coordinates steer ships, but the Captain and crew still need to know how to navigate by the stars, buoys and lights in case of an electrical malfunction. A lack of preparation could be deadly. Just as ships follow lights to ensure safe passage, so we rely on the Light. Jesus’s death broke through the darkness, lighting the way for us. God’s Word, through the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, helps us understand and remember when we need His wisdom to steer us. Prayer, which serves dually as life boat and lighthouse throughout our everyday lives is an open line of communication not available to Old Testament believers. We learn from the beginning of the book of Genesis and John’s Gospel that Jesus was present, and that He is the Word. Everything the light touches, He is a part of. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” -John 9:5Darkness, in John 8:12, is the Greek word skotia, defined as the darkness due to the want of light and used to describe ignorance of divine things. It’s associated with wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell. Genesis 1:4 says, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” Jesus is the Light of the world, and all who are separate or far from Him live in darkness. Being separate, ignorant, or unaware of the dark leaves us wanting for something we cannot produce on our own. We come to the end of ourselves in frustration, hopelessness, or an aloof sense of happiness and joy, when we traverse through life in darkness. With Christ, we have the absolute fullness of life. What Happened Before and After?John was Jesus’ best friend on this earth, referring to himself as “the one Jesus loved.” He was the only one of the twelve at the cross when Jesus died. How we begin our stories says a lot about what we understand and believe most. John undoubtedly knew who Jesus was, both on earth as his friend and as His God made flesh. “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” -John 1:9-10 The phrase we are studying today is part of Jesus’ long debate with the Pharisees (John 2:19; John 3:3). This string of preaching, miracles, and conversion resulted in increased persecution from the Jewish leaders. Before Jesus’ testimonial declaration as the Light of the World, John recorded Jesus writing on the ground to scatter a woman’s accusers, further fueling the debate. Jesus then heals a blind man, which in turn is investigated by the Pharisees, striking a conversation not just about physical blindness, but spiritual. Who is Jesus Talking To?Jesus was talking to a group of Jewish leaders prominently referred to as Pharisees. It’s suspected the title originates from a Hebrew word meaning separate or detached. They separated themselves from anything that didn’t align with the way they interpreted Levitical (Old Testament covenant) Law. As Jesus spoke, people started to believe Him. Their claims didn’t diminish His confidence. “Notice, it was Jesus’s words that God used to bring about the faith. He wasn’t doing miracles at this point. He was speaking. In fact, he was going back and forth with the Pharisees and the crowd — those who were blind to what he was saying. And as people listened to his words, they believed. Faith comes by hearing — the word of Christ (Romans 10:17)." -“I Am the Light of the Word,” John Piper More Bible References about Light
How Jesus is the Light of the World“For all the positive thinking around us, there sure is a lot of hardship and pain,” says Owen Strachan. Through Christ, we have access to the Father. Our perspective brightens when touched by the Light. Illumined by the Creator, we are able to hang onto the shreds of light that permeate the darkness. “Jesus’s works made who he was manifestly clear,” writes Jon Bloom, “His works shone, and they still shine.” Jesus shines light into the cracks of our hearts that harbor sin. Once revealed, the conviction of the Holy Spirit instructs and guides us to repent. We grow wiser as He sanctifies our hearts to reflect His light. What was Jesus Trying to Get Across to His Listeners?“An entire system of spiritual darkness - spearheaded by Satan himself, carried out by hordes of demons, and influencing every corner of earth- rages right below the surface of our everyday lives,” writes Marshal Legal in God’s Not Afraid of the Dark, “How do we live with any hope while we drown in all of this darkness?” We are self-centered and self-driven without Jesus. We come to the end of ourselves and our efforts and become overwhelmed by the natural darkness in our hearts. No one has “a good heart” in a natural state. "We all fall short". Jesus came so we would experience the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s loving embrace through the wisdom of His word and our relationship with Him shed His light on others living in darkness. “One reason the darkness around us is so terrifying is that we see so much of ourselves in it - our weaknesses, our fears, our brokenness, our sin,” writes Segal,“for many of us, no darkness is more intimidating than our own.” What Does it Mean for Christians to View Jesus as the Light of the World?“In Adam, things to do get better. But in Christ, the future is impossibly bright.” -Owen Strachan Jesus gives us the vision to see who we are in Him. Only the light of the world can show us who we are and guide us responsibly through life. “Following Jesus is more than tagging along behind him. It means following him for who he is. Being so taken with him that you join yourself to Him.” -John Piper Light is akin to freedom. We’re wide open to the world when we walk with our Creator. Walking in the light means embracing our individuality when we release our self-centered methods for His definition of love. Consider how He knows all of us before we breathe our first breath on earth. Let the fact that He took each of our names to the cross permeate. The Light of the World knows what we do not. We can be so focused on getting to where we are going that we miss many turns along the road to a full and abundantly bright life. “His light doesn’t make the darkness any less dark; it just conquers every shadow with something stronger.” -Marshall Segal Are Christians Also Called to Be the Light of World?“What makes us shine?” writes Jon Bloom, “Our outward, observable, public works make clear who we are and whose we are manifestly clear.” Jesus brings light to the far corners of our communities and our world. Matthew 5:14says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” When we live our lives reflecting the Light, it allows others to see His love. We are called to share the gospel, but more importantly than what we say is how we live. “It’s not merely what the shining people do, but why they do it and how they do it,” writes Bloom, “and we’ve found ourselves both drawn totem and unnerved by them, because the light of their humble, word-and-deed love has both warmed our hearts and exposed our selfishness and pride.” Light affects everything. It permeates truth into every situation. It’s true Love, on earth. Anne Graham-Lotz wrote, “Praise God! The Light of the World is the Light of Heaven!” Only He can empower us to love the people He purposefully places in our lives well, and His love lights up the world. “You are a light in the darkness - a servant of God who is being watched, who gives off light …a very distinct message with hardly a word being said,” KABBALAH. The mere mention of the word conjures up images of magical and mysterious otherworldly dimensions, of spiritual secrets that are profoundly miraculous and deeply inspiring. Nowadays it seems everyone-Jew or non-Jew, famous or nameless-is discovering and uncovering the divine truths of Kabbalah. Or are they? That question raises three, more pointed ones: What is the essence of Kabbalah? Will opening the exploration of Kabbalah to the masses demean and distort this extremely difficult and highly spiritual subject, reducing it to the level of pop culture? If Kabbalah is not appropriate for popular study, is it somehow still relevant to our lives? Kabbalah literally means “receiving”; in Israel today, the receipt you get when making a purchase is called a kabbalah. The Bible, or Written Law, is given by God and is available to anyone who can read it. The Oral Law-which includes the Kabbalah-is received, passed directly from teacher to pupil. Most of Torah is considered Torah haniglet-revealed Torah, to be studied by all Jews. Kabbalah, however, was designated chochmah nisteret-hidden wisdom. In truth, Kabbalah was never literally hidden, but was not widely, or even publicly, studied. The reason for restricting the study of Kabbalah relates to its subject matter. Kabbalah encompasses two general themes: ma’aseh bereshit-the theory or description of creation-and ma’aseh merkavah-Ezekiel’s description of the Heavenly Chariot, which teaches us about the relationship between humans and the Almighty. When I discuss matters that are tangible and open for all to see and appreciate, things that are already “revealed,” it is simple for others to verify the truth of what I say. But if I am talking about angels, for example, I must be very careful. If I speculate from ignorance, what I say will be nonsense. And it may become dangerous nonsense if I fail to realize the power and meaning of what I am saying and end up defiling the Majesty of God. Equally as esoteric as its subject matter is the language of Kabbalah. It is presented as a stream of abstract formulas, conveyed in Kabbalah’s own unique jargon, understood only by a select cadre of scholars trained to decipher it. To avoid misunderstanding, Kabbalah had to be taught one-on-one by a master teacher singularly attuned to the capabilities and receptivity of each student. One cannot simply open the classic Kabbalistic texts and glean their truths in a vacuum. Unfortunately, today Kabbalah has been commercialized by those who pretend to grasp its innermost secrets. These pretenders purport to teach-and to sell-what they do not understand, to people who are not equipped to receive it. Kabbalah’s mystifying formulas become nothing more than intoxicating mantras to those who mindlessly repeat them. This is like trying to cure an illness by chanting the chemical formula of the remedy. This is not to say that Kabbalah should not be studied and learned. In fact, it is incumbent upon Jewish scholars to understand the whole map of Torah from beginning to end, the Hidden Law no less than the Revealed Law. Throughout history, there have been those who, very quietly, achieved extensive knowledge of the Hidden Law. But today, most of us are simply incapable of comprehending Kabbalah. For us the question is, “Is there some way we, too, can ‘receive’ the remarkable teachings of Kabbalah in a meaningful way, without treading upon its divine essence?” One answer lies in the Hasidic approach to Kabbalah. It is a basic Kabbalistic concept that the human soul is, in a manner of speaking, a spark of Divine revelation within the world and that each human being is a microcosm of the entire universe. Hasidism shows how the rarified teachings of Kabbalah, which speak to the macro-universe, can be adapted into a structure with ethical and practical meaning for our individual lives. In this way, Hasidism is a form of applied Kabbalah. Just as the Revealed Law frames the behavior of our bodies, the internalization of Kabbalistic notions of the Hidden Law can attune us to our soul, educating it to connect with the Divine. In this model, the power of Kabbalah is harnessed not to serve our own desires but to align them with the wishes of the Almighty. One of the most important Hasidic books is called Zohar Chai, “the living Zohar.” That is what Hasidism does: It gives the Kabbalah life by translating it into something meaningful in one’s relationships with others and, most important, something that can quell the strife within one’s own soul and calm the struggle of one’s inner being. In order to properly understand the meaning of exile and redemption from a Jewish perspective, one must go back to the deepest roots of history, specifically to the second verse of the creation story: The earth was null and void and there was darkness upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God hovered above the water. (Genesis 1:2) For, with respect to this seemingly uninformative verse, the rabbis have written a very insightful explanation: "Null" -- this refers to the Babylonian exile (423-371 BCE). "Void" refers to the Median exile (371-356 BCE.). "Darkness" -- the Greek exile (318-138 BCE). "The face of the deep" -- to the last exile of Rome (approx. 63 BCE until the present day). "And the spirit of God" -- alludes to the Messianic period at the end of days. (Genesis Rabba 2:4) Within this single and ominous verse, there is an allusion to all four exiles that the Jewish people were destined to experience throughout their long history until the Messianic time, which has still yet to occur. And without exception, all of them have come to pass as predicted, with the final exile, the "Roman Exile" still in progress. The question is: Why does this verse describing primordial chaos so strongly allude to the future exiles of a people which, at the time, had yet to exist? What connection is there between this dark and incomplete stage of creation and the concept of exile and redemption? THE CONCEPT OF HOLY SPARKS The concept of "tohu," the Hebrew word for "null," is a deeply Kabbalistic one. Even though it is mentioned in the second verse of the creation story, it is really a description of the pre-creation state (Zohar, Genesis 15a), which was a combination of a certain spiritual matter from which creation was made, and Holy Sparks (Nitzutzei Kedusha). What is a Holy Spark? Holy Sparks are like the spiritual fuel of creation, and nothing can exist or function anywhere in the universe without a Holy Spark. These are, in a sense, spiritual packets of God's Holy Light, that actually represent the constriction and filtering of that Light. Without this constriction and filtering, physical creation could never exist, because God's Light would remain too intense for anything physical to contain It. Thus, the more Holy Sparks something possesses, the holier it is and by definition the more life it has. These are spiritual packets of God's Holy Light, constricted and filtered. For the sake of creation, the sparks which began on a very high spiritual level were sent down to the lowest of spiritual levels, a place of great spiritual impurity. To make creation, God drew out exactly as many sparks as He deemed necessary to make creation, and left the remainder for man to utilize as a partner in perfecting creation. There is not an infinite amount of Holy Sparks in creation. In fact, history is measured by these sparks, and will come to a close when all sparks have been drawn out of the tohu and returned to their holy source Above. It is then -- once all the sparks that God has made available to mankind are expended -- that by definition the Messianic Period must begin. How does one use up Holy Sparks? Through the learning of Torah and the performance of mitzvot, Holy Sparks are redeemed, purified, and ascend to Above. Indeed, transgressions also use up Holy Sparks, but in the process the sparks themselves become defiled and require "cleansing" before being able to ascend. The cleansing process comes in the form of either sincere repentance by the transgressor, or through Heavenly-ordained suffering. LIGHT UNTO NATIONS Since Torah and mitzvot are the most effective way to utilize Holy Sparks, the nation in possession of Torah and mitzvot becomes the most effective one to complete this process. Thus it is primarily the responsibility of the Jewish people, who accepted Torah at Mount Sinai in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), to redeem the sparks of creation. This is the deeper meaning of the famous exhortation to be a "light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6). During King Solomon's time, nations came from far and wide to access Jewish wisdom. As long as the Jewish people remained committed to this process, as evidenced by their commitment to Torah and mitzvot, then God arranged for all relevant sparks to be brought to the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. For example, during King Solomon's time (9th century BCE), nations came from far and wide to witness the great wisdom of this famous Jewish king, bearing great gifts. Within the many gifts and sacrifices that were brought to the land were Holy Sparks from different parts of the world. Used and enjoyed in the Land of Israel, these sparks were redeemed and returned to their place Above, thus furthering the cause of history. In turn, the exposure to Jewish wisdom resulted in other nations adopting Torah philosophy and practice, thus using up sparks through their actions as well. EXILE: THE CONCEPT However, in spite of this great success, the Jewish people eventually lost appreciation of their role in history and how easy God had made it for them. This was evident through their laxity in the learning of the Torah and performance of mitzvot, which resulted in defilement of the Holy Sparks. Upon seeing this, God told the Jewish people: "If you don't appreciate how I’ve been bringing the sparks to you for redemption, then I will send you out to get them yourselves -- at your own peril!" This is the essential concept of exile and its role in Jewish history. This is why the second verse of creation (which describes these sunken Holy Sparks) is also an allusion to the future exiles of the Jewish people, and to their eventual redemption. When sparks in one location are spent, the work of the Jewish people in that area is complete. In other words, exile of the Jewish people is God’s way of moving Torah to various parts of the world, to redeem those sparks ready to be redeemed at that stage of history. When the sparks in a particular location are spent, then the work of the Jewish people in that area of the world is complete. Not only is it complete, but the Jewish people have no business there anymore. This is what the Torah says regarding Egypt: [The Jewish king] must not accumulate many horses, so as not to bring the people back to Egypt to get more horses. God has told you that you must never again return on that path. (Deut.17:16) Why not? Wouldn't it be the most realistic Passover experience to go back once again and visit the place of the slavery of our forefathers, to tread in the footprints of Moses, and make a Seder where the very first one was celebrated?! Perhaps, says the Torah, but not necessary. The purpose of creation is to redeem Holy Sparks, and the purpose of the Jewish people is take responsibility for doing so. The purpose of exile is to facilitate our gathering the sparks from around the world, when we don't merit doing so from inside our land. And when the sparks are gone from a particular place, then so must the Jewish people be gone from that place. Indeed, we have witnessed the fulfillment of the prophecy: And you, I will scatter among the nations... (Leviticus 26:33) The Jews will have gone to just about every corner of the earth to redeem those sparks, before the only place left to go is home -- to the Land of Israel. Thus is the prophetic Final Redemption. It shall come to be on that day that the Lord will once again show His hand... And He will gather in the dispersed ones of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12) Why does life and history come down to Holy Sparks and their redemption? And even if it does, where does anti-Semitism fit into the picture? And, if it does mean going to the "four corners of the earth," does that mean we may have to one day move on to places like Antarctica (brrrr)? We will address these questions in coming installments of this series, "Exile & Redemption." Jesus is a Redeemer, that is his name; he came into the world on this very business, to redeem his people, to redeem them from all iniquity (Titus 2:14), from this present evil world, from our vain conversations. He hath shed his precious blood to purchase us, we are bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). We are none of our own, we are his, the purchase of his blood; and we may be confident that he dearly loves us, for he dearly bought us; and if he had not dearly loved us, he would never have given himself for us (Gal. 2:20). That was the highest testimony of his love; he loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood (Rev. 1:5). He will redeem us from the wrath to come. The dictionary defines redemption as: 1. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. 2. the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. Redemption is used in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Old Testament. In the Old Testament, redemption involves deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. Fundamental to the message of the New Testament is the announcement that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of Israel's messianic hope and that, in him, the long-awaited redemption has arrived. Deliverance of humankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ. Living in a fallen world as Christians means we will experience trials and tribulations and will continue to struggle with our own temptations. We are forgiven, but God is not finished with us yet (Philippians 1:6). Consequently, longing for a better world, even a perfect world, is not a form of escapism. Rather, it is the Christian’s rightful anticipation of a promise made by the One who justly pronounced a curse on this world and then lovingly took that curse upon Himself in order to redeem people for His glory. (excerpts provided by: What is Redemption? by Dr. Anthony Chute). To learn more about what the Bible says about redemption, spend time with the following passages: 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace Galatians 2:20 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 3:13 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-redemption/ Genesis 3:5 The Devil asserted that by taking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, human eyes would be opened—implying wisdom and enlightenment—to allow a person to know good and evil as God does. Immediately, Satanplaces the emphasis on knowing, but it is contrasted with living eternally. Satan proposes that mankind should be like God in taking to himself the knowledge—the definition—of what is right and wrong, asserting that this is a good thing! In contrast, the Tree of Life represents a way of living in which the meaning of good and evil already exists, and eternal life involves submitting through the Holy Spirit to that definition and the Sovereign who is its source. Likewise, the Gnostics are those who know—who pursue mystical knowledge that they believe holds the key to eternal life through advancing beyond the physical and into the spiritual realm. Gnostics believed the key to eternal life was contained in right interpretation—knowledge—of those esoteric sayings. The book of Revelation expounds on the Tree of Life in two places: · To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7) · Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into [New Jerusalem]. (Revelation 22:14) The Tree of Life, then, is associated with a way of life—one that requires overcoming (growth against a standard of righteousness) and keeping (doing) God's commandments. The only ones who are allowed to partake of the Tree of Life are those who have changed themselves (with God's help, by His Spirit) to begin living in the same manner as He does. To those who submit to His standard of righteousness, then, He grants life that is both endless and of the same quality that He enjoys. Satan, though, in addition to casting doubt on what God plainly says, and implying that God is unfair by withholding good things, offers a shortcut. He says, "You do not need to follow God's way, for it is obviously unfair and far too stringent. You can follow your own way. You can take knowledge to yourself of what is good and what is evil. You can be just like God in determining what is right and wrong." Adam and Eve took the bait, and ever since, man has rejected God's standard of righteousness in favor of his own. Amos 3:7 He is not out to trick us or to trip us up. Our beloved friend and elder brother Jesus Christ echoes this to His disciples: "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). We can have confidence in God's promise that He will not do anything significant concerning His people without informing us first in a clear, orderly, and understandable manner. If and when He chooses to send a special end-time leader to His people—whether he be a prophet, an apostle, or one of the two witnesses (Revelation 11)--God will make sure we are able to recognize the man as His true servant. In its broad meaning, revelation is divine guidance or inspiration; it is the communication of truth and knowledge from God to His children on earth, suited to their language and understanding. It simply means to uncover something not yet known. That religion depends on revelation is nothing new. A crucial lesson of scripture is that human beings tend to neglect the patterns of the past and struggle to discern the perils of the future. People search for God and seek to understand themselves. The traditional role of revelation, given to both individuals and God’s chosen leaders, has been to fill in this picture. God makes himself known to his creatures because he first knows himself perfectly as a personal, speaking God. Although all people suppress the knowledge of God in their sin, he has clearly communicated about himself to his creatures through the creation and through human’s being made in the image of God. On top of this general revelation, God communicates about himself to particular people in specialrevelation, which includes the events of nature and history, human words that are inspired by God and recorded for us in Scripture, and through the person of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate image of God. In all of these different ways, God reveals himself as Lord, which is comprised of his control, presence, and authority over all things. The God of the Bible is a personal being, in contrast with the gods of many other religions and philosophies who are abstract or impersonal forces. The doctrine of the Trinity underscores this fact, for the biblical God is not only personal but a society of persons, existing eternally in mutual love and deference (John 17). So, whatever God does he makes known. The persons of the Trinity know one another exhaustively, and each understands the thoughts and actions of the others. In human beings, there are hidden depths in our nature so that we cannot fully understand our own actions and motives. But God is fully known to himself. Much about God is mysterious to us, but not to him. One way Scripture describes God’s exhaustive self-knowledge is by saying that he is a speaking God or, simply, that he is Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) God is not only eternal, holy, all-powerful, and so on, but he expresses and shares those qualities through something like human speech. In his eternal nature, he has the power to speak (the “Word”), and that power to speak is who he is: his Word is eternally with him, and his Word is his very nature. John identifies this Word with Jesus Christ in John 1:14. In Jesus, the Word became flesh. So the existence of the Word did not begin with Jesus’s incarnation. There are hundreds of references to the divine word in Scripture, in both testaments, as the means by which God reveals himself. Moreover, God reveals himself to himself, each Trinitarian person to the other two, and his revelation extends beyond his own being. It comes also to the world he has created, and especially to the intelligent creatures of that world: angels and human beings. Because self-revelation is his nature, he wants all his creatures to know him. The creatures of the world cannot know God exhaustively. One cannot know God exhaustively unless one is God. But creatures receive great benefits from knowing God; indeed, they cannot live without knowing him, for he is the author of life. This is true both of our natural lives and our spiritual lives. Adam came alive when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). And Jesus says that the great benefit of eternal life, his salvation from sin, is the benefit of knowing God: And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3) In one sense, all human beings, even the wicked, know God: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Rom. 1:18–20). But many reject this revelation, people who, Paul says, “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom. 1:18). Though God is clearly revealed to all, fallen people prefer to deny that they know him, as Adam hid from God in the Garden (Gen. 3:8). When people say they do not know God, it is not because God has failed to reveal himself, or that God’s revelation is not clear enough. Rather, their ignorance of God is something they have done to themselves. They are lying to themselves, trying to convince themselves that God does not exist or that he is obscure, while all the time God is staring them in the face. God Reveals Himself as the LordGod’s personal name is Lord, which translates the mysterious name I AMwhich God revealed to Moses in Ex. 3:14–16. His lordship connotes particularly his control, authority, and presence in relation to the world he has made (see John Frame, The Doctrine of God, pp. 21–240, and The Doctrine of the Word of God, pp. 3–14, 47–68). Everything he does reflects his lordship in these ways, including his revelation. Scripture describes God’s word-revelation in terms of his control as a powerful force: Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jer. 23:29) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) It also makes clear that God’s word of revelation has supreme authority: The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (John 12:48) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16–17) And God’s word, his revelation, is also his presence, the place where he meets with his people. God’s nearness to Israel is the nearness of his word (Deut. 4:7–8, 30:11–14). And God comes to be “with us,” Immanuel, in the person of his Son Jesus Christ, his living word to us (John 1:1–14). And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) It was mentioned earlier that the biblical God is personal, not an abstract force like the gods of the nations. His revelation is particularly a personal encounter between him and his people. When we hear revelation, we hear God himself. Our response to it should be a response appropriate to supreme power, to ultimate authority, and to an intimate Father. General and Special RevelationTheologians make various distinctions among types of revelation. The most common is between general and specialrevelation. General revelation is revelation of God given to everybody. It is the kind of revelation described in Romans 1. It tells us that God exists, what kind of God he is, and his moral standards. In revealing God’s standards, it shows us that we have not measured up to them. Paul says of general revelation that it reveals God’s wrath on sinners (Rom. 1:18). General revelation comes to us through the natural world (what is called natural revelation) and through our own nature. For we ourselves are revelation, the image of God according to Genesis 1:26–27. On the other hand, special revelation is revelation God gives to selected messengers, charging them to bring the message to others. Those messengers may be angels, prophets, or apostles. The message may be presented orally or may be consigned to writing, as when the apostles wrote authoritative letters to the churches (see 1 Cor. 14:37–38). The Bible as a whole is a special revelation of God in written form (2 Tim. 3:15–17). The messages of special revelation typically contain one or both of two different kinds of contents: threats of judgment and promises of grace. The gospel is a special revelation of grace, a message of supremely good news: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Media of RevelationAnother way to distinguish between types of revelation is to distinguish the different ways in which revelation comes to us, the media of revelation. There are basically three types of media: events, words, and persons. These three categories correspond roughly to our earlier distinction between control, authority, and presence. But both these threefold distinctions are perspectives on the whole of revelation. The events of revelation not only manifest God’s control, but also his authority and presence; similarly the words and persons. EventsGod reveals himself in the events of nature and history. We learn of him from the changing seasons, from the power of nature, from the sun, moon, and stars. We also learn of him through history, the particular events that shape the fortunes of human beings. He is the one who gave to all the nations their boundaries (Acts 17:26) and brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt to possess the land of promise. In his plan, general history becomes redemptive history, the events by which God arranges to redeem his people from sin by the coming of Jesus. WordsIn one sense, all of God’s revelation is word-revelation, because it proceeds from God’s own speech, the Word of John 1:1–14. But sometimes God gives us word-revelation in a further sense: revelation in which the medium is human words. But God does not leave us to figure out for ourselves what he is doing in history. He enters our experience and speaks to us in human words. In this way, the words of the prophets are the very words of God himself. God defines prophet to Moses in this way: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I commend him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deut. 18:18-22) When a prophet or apostle writes down God’s words, the document is Holy Scripture, a document to be received as the Lord’s power, authority, and presence (2 Tim. 3:15–17, 2 Pet. 1:19–21). PersonsSince God is a tri-personal being, his revelation is particularly vivid when it takes the form of persons. God made Adam and Eve in his image to be revelations of himself (Gen. 1:26–27). And it should not surprise us that the highest, deepest divine revelation is the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, God in person. Jesus displays his Father’s control over all things (Mark 4:41), speaks his Father’s words (John 3:34), and appears as the Father’s glorified presence with his people (Matt. 17:1-8). ConclusionIf we are to know God, it is important for us to seek knowledge in God’s own way. Many have tried to gain knowledge of God through their unaided reason, or through some kind of subjective intuition. But the God of the Bible has told us not only who he is but also how we should seek knowledge of him. That knowledge comes as we attend to his created world, not repressing the truth in unrighteousness, but accepting his own guidance, his special revelation in Scripture and in Jesus. Only through these appointed means can we come to know him as Lord and as our Savior from sin. Everyone, every single one of us, wants to be happy.
However, although we all experience moments of happiness, we rarely meet people who are truly happy. Unlike feelings of excitement which are based on temporary circumstances – because we’ve received a gift or good news – real happiness is an anchor of deep and enduring joy that persists even when life’s circumstances are not in our favor. HOW DO WE ATTAIN SUCH JOY? HOW DO WE BECOME TRULY HAPPY? In a survey conducted in 2012 at the University of San Diego, students were asked to rank their life goals from a list with twenty different options, which included a number of impressive objectives such as: making a contribution to science, raising a family, helping others who are in difficulty, influencing social values, helping to promote racial understanding, and more. The highest ranking goal among the students was “being very well off financially”. Almost 75% of the students ranked “being rich” as their number one goal in life. There’s no doubt that money enables us to live more comfortable and easier lives, a higher standard of living, but a higher standard of living does not promise a higher quality of life. The cliché that says money can’t buy happiness is true. In fact, oftentimes among people who have very little you can find quite a lot of happiness. But the world tries to convince us that in order to be happy, we have to be rich. TV commercials and Hollywood movies give the illusion that, if we only had a fancier house, an expensive car, and a couple million dollars in the bank we could be truly happy. History, however, is filled with examples of people who had everything and nothing. They reached the top only to discover that there wasn’t anything there.It’s no coincidence that in the past few years, the media has covered countless stories of celebrities and billionaires who put an end to their lives. Likewise during the times of the Bible, King Solomon who had it all, opened the book of Ecclesiastes with this conclusion: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) In other words, the myth that the more we have the happier we’ll be isn’t something new. We all know or know of wealthy people who just aren’t happy. The key to happiness isn’t wealth and, in fact, has nothing to do with material possessions. THEY KEY TO HAPPINESS IS GRATITUDE That's right, in order to be happy we need to be grateful, and being grateful is a challenge especially in this age in which so many people feel entitled, that they have the right to demand for things. The narcissistic and egoistic belief that “I deserve it!”, which plagues our times, spawned an entire generation that disdains authority, establishments, and leaders. “Leaders are asking the Millennials: ‘What do you want?’ And Millennials are saying: ‘We want to work in a place with purpose. We want to make an impact. We want free food, and bean bags.’ Somebody articulates some sort of purpose. There’s lots of free food, and there’s bean bags, and yet for some reason, they are still not happy.” Simon Sinek Our parents have told us our entire lives that we’re special, and if we have the will – we can achieve anything we set our minds to, but in real life, this saying is not only wrong, but even when we’ve finally gotten that car or trip we’ve always wanted to have it might thrill and excite us for a while, it won’t really satisfy us or make us happy deep within. This cavity that we have deep inside our hearts is something we’ve learned well to hide. We live in a world in which FaceBook and Instagram provide us with this mask, and we’re good at filtering everything and showing everybody how “great” life is despite the fact that deep inside we might be depressed, confused, and unsatisfied with life. We have everything we could possibly need to be happy, but we’re not. Even when we get what we want, it’s not enough, or we get tired of it and want something else. We all know this feeling – you got what you wanted, you were delighted and excited, but after a while the excitement died down and you went on to chase the next toy. It doesn’t matter how much we have, it doesn’t matter how much more we’ll make, how much more we’ll buy and win, the satisfaction and the happiness they bring us will always be nothing more than temporary. And so we’ve gotten used to living from one short term pleasure to the next, from one temporary satisfaction to the next. But in between these moments, we feel meaningless and empty, and we try to hide behind “special effects” and “filters”. On the other hand, now and then we’ll hear about people who went through traumatic experiences, about people who have very little, or about people who lost so much but despite all this remain deeply joyful. Note for instance the words of Nick Vujicic, born without arms and legs: “You can either be angry for what you don’t have or thankful for what you do have. Do your best and God will do the rest.” Nick Vujicic Why is Nick so joyful? Because he’s grateful. HAPPINESS DOESN’T MAKE US GRATEFUL, IT’S GRATITUDE THAT MAKES US TRULY HAPPY AND JOYFUL. “Gratitude” is being happy with your lot. “Gratitude” is knowing that you don’t deserve anything, and that’s why you appreciate everything that you do have. “Gratitude” is never taking anything for granted. So long as we take things for granted, and live with the mindset of “I deserve it!”, we won’t be able to be joyful. We are especially grateful when we receive something we didn’t earn, buy, or deserve. When we receive a gift of great value that we didn’t do anything to obtain, but rather it was given to us as a free gift, we feel grateful. This is called grace. Grace is when you’re given something even though you don’t deserve it or even deserve the complete opposite. It makes you truly grateful, it’s humbling, and if it comes from someone you hurt in the past, it restores the broken relationship between you and it makes you feel humble, meek, and grateful toward this person. But we don’t want gratefulness to be a feeling we experience only a few times or only towards a few people, we want gratefulness to be a way of life, towards everyone, all the time. Nobody owes us electricity, a roof over our heads, fashionable clothes, entertainment, cars, medicine, technology, and a large variety of food at the supermarket. We tend to take these luxuries for granted. In order to be grateful in our human existence, we need to live in the moment and be aware of the “now”.In other words, to know that we don’t ‘deserve’ these moments. Every second of our lives, every breath that we take, is an undeserved gift of grace. We can’t be certain that we’ll have more moments like these in the future, perhaps our time will come tomorrow and we’ll be no more. Once we’re grateful for life itself, we can no longer take everything else we have for granted, like food and clothes. Therefore, we need to be grateful for the present, and the present is always present! IF WE’LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE PRESENT, WE’LL ALWAYS BE JOYFUL AS WELL. While running this race in life, sometimes we forget to just stop and take a look around, and when we forget to stop, we miss out on life. Think about small children, who are mesmerized by every new thing. The universe God created is amazing, and even though we know very well how to make use of it for our own personal ends – and that’s ok, since we do need to sustain ourselves – sometimes we just need to stop, be still, and be silent. It reminds us that we don’t have control over everything and allows us to wonder at God’s creation and thank Him: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalms 46:10) So what if we really stopped taking life for granted? What if we were grateful to God for giving us minds that can think, research, and discover the nature he created for us, so that we can enjoy all the blessings he offers us? What if we were grateful for our ability to see colors, to experience tastes, hear sounds, and touch and feel in so many different ways? What if, instead of complaining about the bad customer service at the shoe store, we were grateful that we could even allow ourselves to buy shoes? What if, instead of complaining to the waiter about the sogginess of the french fries, we were grateful that we even had anything to eat? Not to mention the privilege of being able to dine at a restaurant. What if, instead of complaining about all the things we hate at work, we were grateful that we even had a source of income? If we would just stop taking things for granted we would realise that we have so much to be grateful for. True, we can’t always be grateful for everything. We don’t need to be grateful for evil and malice. We don’t need to be grateful for the loss of a friend or for a disease, but even during difficult times as these or any trial that comes our way even then we can be grateful and rejoice in the new opportunities that arise from the situation, as hard as it may be – to learn, to change, to mature, and to start anew. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3) The bottom line is, we always have something to be grateful for. IT’S BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT BEING GRATEFUL CAUSES US TO BE HAPPY In 2011, the medical department at Harvard University published a study titled: “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier”. The study concluded that: “Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.” (excerpt from study) Being thankful for material things is great, but these things are only temporary. For instance, it only takes us a few months after recovering from an illness to forget that we were sick at all. Earthly things, as wonderful as they may be, only give us short term pleasure. Therefore, we need to be grateful for something long-term, something eternal, something spiritual. When Jesus gave his disciples the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons and evil spirits, the disciples were thrilled and excited: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ (Luke 10:17) But Jesus challenged them to not base their happiness on miracles and supernatural wonders, but rather on their eternity: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20) Being grateful for as many things as possible and at all times is the will of God in the life of every believer: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) History is filled with stories of people who despite having found themselves in difficult circumstances, were able to retain their joy and peace. When Job became sick and lost everything, he didn’t complain – his joy and peace were deeply rooted in the Lord: “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ ” (Job 1:21) If you are strong inside, then external circumstances can impact you, but much less. The Apostle Paul begged God to take away what he called his “thorn in the flesh”: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) The Apostle Paul’s joy and happiness were not dependant on his circumstances, not even when he experienced weaknesses, hardships, and calamities, rather that his joy came from a heavenly source. We need to reach this point as well, when we rejoice even when things are tough.Like the Apostle Paul, we cannot be people who require certain ordeals or circumstances in order to be grateful and happy. Rather we must live with gratitude, a life of gratitude. Circumstances change, and what can we do – we won’t always stay healthy. After all, one day, all of us as well as those close to us will die. In other words, there needs to be another reason for us to have gratitude a cosmic reason, a reason that has nothing to do with our corporeal reality, but a transcendental reason, a reason whose source is spiritual. We mentioned before that when we’re given a gift of great value without having done anything to earn it, it makes us grateful in the most meaningful way. As believers, in a spiritual sense, we can remind ourselves every day that we received the most valuable gift ever for free. While we were so underserving of such a gift, the Messiah gave his life for us, as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins. We didn’t do a single thing to earn this incredible gift of grace, and we cannot take it for granted. THE GRACE OF GOD IN JESUS THE MESSIAH IS A DAILY SOURCE FOR ETERNAL GRATITUDE This isn’t temporary happiness, giddiness, or excitement but steadfast joy – that we can always depend on. We can analogize this to the contrast between crashing waves on the shoreline, that can be large and exciting for a few seconds only in shallow water, and between the heart of an ocean, which may look calm and serene on the surface but has incredible depth and power. This is what real spiritual happiness, rooted in the Lord, is like. This isn’t a fleeting moment of euphoric feelings, this is something so much deeper and lasting – this is joy. When a person dedicates one’s whole life to you, it brings you joy. When a person sacrifices everything especially for you, it brings you joy. The knowledge that the Messiah dedicated his enter life for us and sacrificed himself for us is not just a reason for us to have joy – it’s the reason! A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE Isaiah 54 opens with the declaration concerning the barren woman, who breaks forth in joyful singing. During this time period, the purpose of a woman’s life was to start a family, to have children. Barren women were regarded by society as “damaged” women, useless women. The prophet Isaiah, after his prophecy in chapter 53 which describes the death of the Messiah on our behalf, begins with the description of abounding joy that even reaches the poor outcasts of society, barren women. Because of chapter 53, the barren woman’s joy is not based on her ability to bear children, but rather on one thing only – the Messiah! But it’s not something that happens automatically. Gratitude is a conscious and wilful act. This means that happiness is the result of a choice. The barren woman had to choose: whether to sink into depression and feelings of self-pity or whether to rejoice in her lot. In other words, she chose to be grateful. Maybe we grew up in a house where there were constant complaints or perhaps we tend to be very critical, and that’s why we instinctively respond with grumblings and complaints. But these also are our own decisions – to poison ourselves. It also shows that our feelings control us and not the other way around. Happiness is a choice, a choice to be happy with out lot, a choice to be grateful for every moment that was given us as a gift. Happiness isn’t something that just comes on it’s own, rather it’s a conscious decision that we have to make. The Apostle Paul entreated the Philippians to: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4) If happiness wasn’t up to us and if it wasn’t a decision we are called to make,Paul wouldn’t have bothered to urge the Philippians to choose happiness. But there is no doubt that Paul regarded happiness as a decision, and that’s why he required them to make a decision – to rejoice! And not just them – rejoice always! As mentioned before, the opposite of living gratefully is living with the mindset of entitlement, “I deserve it!”.We’re not generally very grateful when we think we deserve something. Likewise, when we’re busy grumbling and complaining we don’t have time to rejoice. Grumbling and complaining is our greatest enemy that eats away at our joy. The greatest enemy of gratefulness is complaining, and that’s why the Apostle Paul also said to the Philippians: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” (Philippians 2:14) Peter also wrote similarly: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9) And James also wrote: “Do not grumble against one another, brothers.” (James 5:9) Our perfect example is of course Jesus, who himself had to endure the most terrible thing of all, sufferings and agonizing death. Jesus didn’t grumble and complain about his grim fate, and even as he was dying he sought to serve others: “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ ” (Luke 23:34) HAPPINESS AND JOY DO NOT HAPPEN ON THEIR OWN, BUT RATHER THEY ARE A NATURAL RESULT OF GRATITUDE. Gratitude is a conscious decision. The greatest example of a grateful life is embodied in Jesus the Messiah, who taught that the more we seek God’s will, and, as we saw, God’s will among other things is being grateful, the more our joy will be complete and full. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) In conclusion, if we won’t make a conscious decision to rejoice, we’ll end up by default – unhappy. Why? Because our back hurts, there’s no money in our bank account, our boss is annoying, we didn’t find a parking spot, we were asked to do something we just don’t want to do, or because we didn’t have a good night’s rest. And that’s why, we’re called upon every day anew to choose – joy! “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24) Jesus’ life was characterized by joy. When the angel appeared to Shepherds announcing Jesus’ birth, he said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10). Jesus’ ministry was punctuated with joy as he healed the sick, mentored the apostles, and preached the good news. His messages were positive, uplifting and encouraging. Even when he spoke regarding possible persecution for his followers, he admonished, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt 5:12). The Jesus I read about in the gospel accounts was not a dour, sour, pessimistic person. He radiated joy. He brought a smile to the face of little children. And he gave sinners like the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, and the woman caught in adultery a reason to rejoice. Even in the shadow of his impending death, Jesus would lift the sorrowing hearts of the apostles, by promising, “your sorrow will be turned into joy” (Jn 16:20). “These things I have spoken to you,” Jesus encouraged,”that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15:11). Here are the 5 major points I took away from Tim’s lesson that can fill our hearts with joy. (1) Rejoice in your salvation. Those who received Jesus found joy. Following the Ethiopian Treasurer’s conversion, “he went on his way rejoicing” (Ax 8:39). The pagan Philippian jailer “rejoiced” after his sins were washed away. Tim Jennings was right. Sin saps our souls of joy. But when we come to know “the joy of salvation” (Ps 51:12), we can rejoice in spite of living in a fallen, broken world. (2) Rejoice that your life has significance. Beginning with Jesus’ mother, Mary, who was chosen to carry the Christ-child, to those who were converted to His cause, and proclaimed His message, lives were changed. Doors of opportunity were opened. Hope was elevated. And a life of meaning, purpose, and significance was experienced. What on earth are you here for? Tim’s answer was simple. “I am here for him.” The atheist, Bertrand Russell was right, “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” But He does exist. And Jesus lives. That provides my life purpose. And joy. (3) Rejoice in your spiritual family. The apostle Paul found joy in the family of Believers (1 Thess. 2:19-20). God created us for community. He formed us for family. And provided a place to belong. We can rejoice in our relationships with fellow Christians in Jesus’ spiritual Body, the church. (4) Rejoice in the lost being saved. The trilogy of Jesus’ parables in Luke 15 reminds us that the angels in heaven rejoice when the lost are found. So, should we. There’s no greater joy than seeing sinners come to Christ. Unless it is a personal involvement in their obedience. (5) Rejoice that you have a heavenly home. John symbolically paints a picture of heaven in the book of Revelation. It’s a place of joy. No tears. No sorrow. No heartache. No sickness. No death. It is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of preparing a place for us (John 14;1-3). “Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing, observed S. D. Gordon. “Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy Amen. Most people are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were given a command not to eat from a tree, which they did not follow and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
One act of disobedience put mankind on this path that has led us to where we are today. This all started with some fruit, but what was that forbidden fruit in Genesis 2 where this account takes place? While there are no specifics on the type of fruit, there are some lessons we can learn from their experience. Do We Know What the Forbidden Fruit Was?While we don’t know what that fruit was, somehow in many pictures and imageries an apple gets portrayed as that fruit. To clear up any confusion, here is what Genesis actually says about the fruit. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6). Here is all we know about the forbidden fruit in Genesis. It was good for food, meaning it was edible. It was pleasing to the eye, which means it was attractive. Finally, they thought it was desirable for gaining wisdom, which means they thought they would gain something from it. By the way these are the same trappings of sin that we are faced with today (more on that later). Because there are so many different types of fruit that grow on a tree, there really is no way of knowing what type of fruit it really was. (Sorry apples you have been blamed for something that you may have had nothing to do with.) In all honesty the type of fruit doesn’t matter. When you are reading the story, your focus should not be on what the forbidden fruit in Genesis was. It should be on the act of disobedience that Adam and Eve committed. What Does the Bible Say about the Tree of Knowledge?When you read the creation story you discover from Genesis that there were plenty of trees in the garden. “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:8-9). God put them in the garden and provided them with plenty of choices of food to eat. I would imagine that every type of tree bearing fruit was probably represented in the garden. This is only my speculation, but I would say think of any fruit that grows on a tree and it was probably available in the garden. I don’t have proof of this, but it is a reasonable assumption. There were however two important trees in the middle of the garden that were different from the rest. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life as it states gave life, particularly eternal life. The other tree would produce death. A question that often comes to mind is why was the tree of knowledge in the garden to begin with? For many Bible scholars the main answer is about free will. God created man for intimacy and fellowship with him, but from the very beginning this was not a forced fellowship, it is a chosen fellowship. From the beginning until today God gives every human the same free will. We can choose to follow and obey or we can choose to go our own way. Why Did Eve Eat the Fruit?This is the question of the ages, but I don’t want to hate on Eve too much. Eve fell victim to temptation in much the same way we do. I want to show you what happened to Eve because this still plagues us today. To keep it simple, Eve rejected what God had provided in search of something else or something different. I want you to consider the similarities between the fruit on all the trees in the garden. In Genesis 2:9 and Genesis 3:6 you see that the trees were good for food (edible) and pleasing to the eye (attractive). What was different about the fruit on the tree of knowledge? She thought she would obtain something that the other trees did not provide her. The serpent influenced her to believe that God was holding out something from her. Remember what she said that highlights the difference. The fruit was good for food, pleasing to the eye and – here’s the difference – desirable for gaining wisdom. I don’t believe Eve ate the fruit simply because it was edible and looked good. There were plenty of other trees that had those characteristics. She ate the fruit because it promised her something she did not have and wanted to gain or experience. Often this is how sin works in our lives. God has provided everything we need for this life, just as he did with Adam and Eve. So what is it about sin that looks so attractive to us? It promises something that we have not experienced or something that we can gain from it. The problem is that this is an empty promise and the consequences never live up to the expectations. What Was the Result of the Forbidden Fruit?The result of eating the forbidden fruit was sin entering the world and all the pain and suffering that happens as a result. As God promised, death happened. This was not physical death, but spiritual death that caused a separation between God and man because of sin. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden. I know Adam and Eve did not know the gravity of the action they committed when it happened. However, I think it is safe to say they came to understand quickly how bad a decision they had made. I believe they experienced remorse just like we often do when we endure the result of our sinful decisions. Remember they were the only ones in human history who ever lived on this earth in a sinless environment. I am sure they longed for the days when they could go back to Eden as it was. Unfortunately, with sin, sometimes it costs us more than we want to pay and there are some things you lose that you can’t get back. The Silver Lining: If the story of Adam and Eve was just about fruit and getting kicked out of the garden that would be a tragedy. Yet there was something else that happened in that garden that gives us hope. The choice of Adam and Eve set in motion God’s plan of redemption. While eating the forbidden fruit might have been a decision Adam and Eve did not know they would make, it was one that God knew they would make. From the moment the forbidden fruit in Genesis was eaten, the promise of the savior who would redeem mankind was made. In Genesis 3:15, God made a promise about the seed of the woman crushing the head of the serpent. We know that seed is Jesus who would come and redeem us back to the Father. Through Adam we lost it all, but in Christ we gained back all that was lost. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). The ultimate end of our righteousness in Christ is that one day we will be able to eat from the tree of life and so be with our Lord forevermore. Never again will we have to deal with the issue of sin for all eternity. Yes, Adam and Eve set the sin wheels in motion, but thankfully Jesus has turned it all around. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5). Ephesians 2:15b-16, “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” When Paul mentions creating one new humanity of the two, he is talking about Jews and non-Jews coming to Christ. Their identity as Jews or Gentiles becomes secondary to their identity in Christ. What shapes your identity and what shapes the perceptions you have of others? In our congregations we don’t have an issue with the Jewish/Gentile divide but we have been conditioned to see each other through a racialized lens. We see each other as white, black, Asian, Latino, Native American. The biblical worldview is the only antidote to identity politics. Intersectionality erodes the bedrock of civil society and dismantles decorum precisely because it is predicated and upon differences. It will only tolerate and celebrate divergence and divisiveness. The Christian worldview, however, offers a powerful response to identity politics. The biblical reply does not deny the reality nor the importance of identities to the human story. It does, however, begin with what unites all humanity—the Imago Dei. The biblical worldview starts in sameness not differences. It grounds the value of an individual in something more transcendent than experience, background, race, or gender; it starts with the image of God that resides in every human being on the planet. Humanity stands united by virtue of our common descent from Adam and Eve. Christians, therefore, do not reject identity politics and intersectionality merely because of its failure as an ideology, but because it denies the common bond that beats in the heart of every human: we are all made in God’s image. That identity is precious, perennial, and most to be cherished. By the way, this issue helps to underline why biblically committed Christians must point again and again to the common descent of all humanity from Adam and Eve. We all share the same first parents. Modern evolutionary theory denies the very possibility of common descent from a single couple. Ideas have consequences. Christians must understand and hold fast to the image of God that unites humanity in a common identity. The most important identity for every human is not our own self-prescribed definition based upon their experiences and background, but the identity given to them by the God of the universe. That identity trumps everything else. Additionally, the biblical argument is not drawn only from Genesis. It reaches not only into the truths of Genesis, but the glories of the New Covenant of redemption inaugurated by Christ. Jesus Christ is creating a new humanity—a people not of this world but of heaven, a people for God’s pleasure. It is a people made up of every tribe, tongue, people, and language—a citizenry of every ethnicity and race, of every socio-economic background and culture. Its citizenship does not stand on its differences but on our common salvation in Christ. In Christ we find our true identity. Believers in Christ share an eternal and glorious unity in Jesus Christ the Lord—a unity we enter upon faith in Jesus’s perfect sacrifice and atonement for sin. Intersectionality and identity politics breed division. These ideologies atomize society and drive humanity away from its core and essential commonality. This is where Christians must counter with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture. Only the gospel secures peace and establishes truth. Only the gospel will unite a fractured society. Only the gospel can stem the tide of modernity’s downward spiral into chaos and decay. Identity politics is bad enough in the culture. In the church, it denies the gospel altogether. Of this, I am certain: At the marriage supper of the Lamb, no one will hold any kind of sign claiming their own identity. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at Brandenburg Gate at a ceremony commemorating the 750th anniversary of the City of Berlin. In his speech he uttered some of the most famous words every said by an American President, “Mr. Gorvacbev, Tear Down This Wall!” That Wall, which began to come down in November of 1989, tells a deeper story about the nature of humanity: humans are willing to divide themselves over any issue. There is something in our hearts that causes us to divide ourselves and erect walls to protect our identity. This division can be manifested in different ways: social, racial, economic, political, and even theological. In Ephesians 2:14-18 the Apostle Paul argues against such division, primarily concerning the issue of race. In the context, Paul is speaking about the deep rift between Jews and Gentiles. The division that extends all the way back into the Old Testament. These two ethnic groups, who once hated each other, are now one in Christ. Paul describes how Christ has broken down the wall of separation and has reconciled both groups together. The issue at hand is a hard one but a very pressing issue. The cross has spiritual implications (Ephesians 2:1-10) and social implications (Ephesians 2:11-22) In the larger context, Paul shows that the death of Jesus both has spiritual and social implications. In verses 2:1-10 the text demonstrates that we are reconciled to God by faith. This logically leads Paul to discuss the social implications of the death of Jesus in verses 11-22. For this article, I want to focus primarily on verses 14-18 of the text and show a few ways this impact those in Christ. Jesus Has One People It’s important to realize when we talk about the social implications of the gospel that we don’t miss the gospel. Paul makes clear that in order to be reconciled to each other that we first must be reconciled to God (v. 13). Those who were far from God are now brought near through the death of Jesus. His substitutionary work subsequently changes the way we view the people of God now. The Bible claims that the two groups (Jews and Gentiles) are now one and Christ has torn down the dividing wall of hostility. This means that the two groups of Jews and Gentiles in Christ are now one because Christ Himself has torn down the very things that seek to divide them. So practically for us, we may not experience hostile Jew and Gentile tensions, but we do experience division as it is related to race. In Christ, we are no longer divided based on race, culture, or ethnicity; rather we are one in Christ. This means that there is no hostility but peace. The reason why, “He is our peace.” Jesus is the One who creates peace between fallen people like you and me. One New Humanity Since Jesus has One New people, He has broken down the wall that divides them. The “wall” in context is referring to the “the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations.” Paul probably has in mind the identity markers of Israel such as circumcision, food laws, and the Sabbath. The very things that would make a Jew, a Jew. However, in Christ, those identity markers have been torn down! For Paul, his identity was not found in him being Jewish but in Christ. This means that in Christ, He has redefined the people of God. To be included into the people of God is not a matter of social or ethnic identity. Rather it is a matter of identity in Christ. This means that anything that divides people has to be broken down by Jesus. Paul does not mean that race, ethnicity, or cultural heritage are not important. Actually to the contrary. Even as a follower of Jesus, Paul still maintained some of his Jewish culture. But those things don’t define God’s people. The people of God are a beautiful mosaic of different people, languages, nations, and tribes. And Paul’s point is that Jesus Christ has created One New Humanity. As Diognetus argued, Christians are a “New Race.” Reconciled into One Body Paul further argues that reconciliation has happened through the cross of Jesus Christ which has resulted in one body. Reconciliation is the removal of animosity and the acceptance as equals. This one body language could mean the church body or Christ’s bloody body. I personal understand the phrase to mean that through the One body of Jesus (bloody body), He has now reconciled us into One Body (the Church) John Piper says: That is what God is aiming at in our salvation: a new people (one new man) that is so free from enmity and so united in truth and peace that God himself is there for our joy and for his glory forever. That’s the aim of reconciliation: a place for God to live among us and make himself known and enjoyed forever and ever. The death of Jesus reconciles us to each other. We are created for each other, and we need each other. We are part of the people of God that does not divide itself over issues of race, ethnicity, or culture. Rather we are reconciled, brought into friendly relationship, with each other by the death of Jesus. Christ Preached Peace Paul grounds his argument by saying that Jesus Himself preached peace. I believe this is referring to both peace with God and with each other. Through the death of Jesus, we now have peace with God (Romans 5:1), which results in peace with each other. I’m convinced this is our message. We don’t preach peace for the sake of unity and harmony. We preach peace, as Jesus did, in order to people would experience peace with God that results in peace with each other. Access to Spirit and Father Lastly, Paul seeks to prove that these two groups, now made one through Jesus Christ, have access to God by the Spirit. It is by the Spirit that the existence in the realities of the New Humanity can occur. The Spirit Himself provides the access needed to be in proper relationship to God. As one New Humanity brought about by the death of Jesus and applied to us by the Spirit, we can experience complete access to God’s grace, mercy, and peace. We do this in unity together because of the work of Jesus. Christ has come to break down the spiritual and social Berlin Walls in our lives. Christ died to make us one in Him. His death accomplished more than just a personal relationship with God. It provided a way to have relationship with each other. This text is a call to unity. We must forsake those things that divide us whether they are racial barriers, cultural concerns, or ethnic division. We have to cast of those identity markers that divide the church. Our identity as the people of God is not based on any social, racial, or political identity. Rather it is based on Christ. Now realize: we are not color blind, and we should not pretend that race doesn’t matter. Rather the church must be on the frontlines of discussing the issue of race by proclaiming peace! And peace is only found in Christ. We must know that God in Christ by means of His Spirit is calling fallen humanity into a New Humanity – the church which is made up of many races, languages, tribes, and people. One of the decisive proofs for the divine origin of the Bible is the prolific presence of predictive prophecy. Particularly impressive is the way God prompted numerous spokesmen to foreshadow New Testament events during the four millennia preceding Christ’s arrival on Earth. Not only did the Old Testament prophets predict that Jesus would be born and then die an atoning death, they also anticipated the establishment of the Church of Christ. What’s more, the 8th-century B.C. Messianic prophet Isaiah meticulously documented the fact that a “new name” would be given to the followers of Christ. This new name stands in stark contrast to the host of religious names and titles that mere humans have invented over the past 2,000 years. Nevertheless, God pre-planned in eternity to bestow upon the followers of Christ the name “Christian.”
So, how Is the Bible historically accurate?... Do we have the correct books in the Bible today?... Hasn't the Bible been changed by men over time? As Christians, we believe the ultimate authority is the word of God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us in all truth (John 16:13). It also affirms that God will preserve his Word, meaning his Word will supernaturally be kept pure (Psalm 12:6-7). There are many things Christians can research, both in God's word and externally, to build a good case for the reliability of the Bible. Namely, canonization of the Bible, historical accuracy of the Bible, Messianic prophecies, and New Testament manuscripts. Canonization of the Bible One of the most important issues when it comes to the Bible is the number of books. Protestant Bibles contain 66 books. Whereas, Catholic Bibles hold 73 books, the Ethiopic Bible has 83. Who is correct? As Christians, we know the voice of God by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The issue of Canon, meaning: an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture, can be broken down into three categories: The first is Community Determined (Roman Catholic Model), the second is Historically Determined (A Historical Investigation Exclusively), and third as Self Authenticating (Studying the content within the Bible). The Self Authenticating Model, as Michael Kruger professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary calls it, should be the model Christians follow. It leaves no neutral ground for the skeptic and sets Jesus and his Word as the authority. There are three questions we can ask when it comes to recognizing which books should be biblical canon. 1.) Apostolic Origin: Was this book written by an apostle or an associate of an apostle? When we review the list of books, can we connect any of the authors to the original apostles in the first century? This is important because it gives weight and trust to the book in question. If we have a book with an unknown writer, it should lead us to investigate this text a little more. 2.) Corporate Reception: Was the early church receptive to this book in the 1st century? If the book in question was rotating among the early church and accepted as the Word of God, it can be trusted. Origen, an early church father, produced a list of books in the New Testament by 250 A.D. 3.) Cross Reference: Do these books agree with each other and with God’s voice? This is important because if a book agrees with another book, we are able to see unity in Scripture. Many books found in the Catholic Bible contain historical errors and contradictions. This is important to note because God does not contradict himself (Numbers 23:19). We don't pick and choose which books belong in the Bible; we recognize the voice of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. We look at the content within these books and build a reasonable case. We also ask important questions and allow God to lead us in the path of truth. Historical Accuracy of the Bible The Bible describes events and places throughout thousands of years of history. Many of these places and events are verified from Archaeology. Archaeology cannot prove if the Bible is the inspired word of God, but it can show us if things found in the Bible are true or false. By excavating biblical sites, archaeologists have proven many facts claimed in the word of God. Example 1: Lysanias Critics had a problem with Luke 3:1 where it speaks of "Lysanias" as being the governor/ruler of Abilene during the time of John the Baptist. This was counted as an "error" in the Bible until an inscription was found with the name "Lysanias" as a ruler in Abilene. This discovery introduced the theory of two rulers with the same name – one about 50 years prior to the one mentioned in Luke 13. Example 2:The Hittites Critics have claimed the Hittites (Genesis 15:20, Exodus 3:8, Joshua 1:4) were mythical people. But by the end of the 19th century, monuments were discovered by William Wright proving that these people did exist. The Bible was right once again. Example 3: Pontius Pilate Many scholars began to doubt the existence of Pontius Pilate throughout history. That all changed in 1961 when a piece of limestone stone was discovered that had inscribed the name "Pontius Pilate.” An Italian archaeologist, Dr. Antonio Frova, came across this discovery while excavating an ancient Roman theatre in Caesarea, Israel. In 2018, archaeologists also identified “a 2,000-year-old copper alloy ring bearing his name,” according to this New York Times article. Example 4: Isaiah and the Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls was one of the greatest discoveries in modern times. Before this 1947 discovery, many skeptics questioned the copies of Isaiah in the Old Testament. Skeptics said the book had been changed and revised by men throughout the centuries. It wasn't until scholars dated the Great Isaiah Scroll (one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947 in the caves of Qumran), that they discovered the book of Isaiah’s amazing accuracy. The Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Isaiah dates 1,000 years prior to the copy previously possessed. Messianic Prophecies Many religions have books that claim to be the truth, but only the Bible contains verified prophecies. Fulfilled prophecy is solid evidence that God is the divine author of The Bible. Isaiah 7:14 says, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Centuries later, we read in Matthew 1:18,25 that Mary was indeed a virgin, yet she delivered Jesus into this world. Not only was this child prophesied to be born from a virgin, but he was to come from Bethlehem, according to Micah 5:2. In Matthew 2:1 we discover that this exact prophecy happened, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The crucifixion was a major event in history, but is this a prophecy? Yes. In John 19:23-24 we get a picture of how Jesus was crucified: soldiers cast lots for his garments and pierced his hands. We see the same language and detail prophesied in Psalms 22 many centuries before the historical event. New Testament Manuscripts Critics always look for new ways to attack the New Testament and its reliability. Many say it’s not reliable as a historical document despite having over 5,600 Greek copies in possession today, which is more than we have of the work of Homer, Plato, Lucretius, and Aristotle. In addition to this, the New Testament is about 99.5% textually pure. This means the variants are grammatical and minor that occurred in copy over time, but there has been no change in teaching or doctrine. This should give us confidence that we follow true teachings passed down by Jesus and the Apostles. As Christians, we must believe the word of God and trust in God’s Spirit of truth to “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Our foundation must start with this truth in mind. If we root our ultimate authority in history or external data, it can change or put us on shaky ground with a skeptic because it goes through human hands to determine what is reliable and what is not. As Christians, we must believe the ultimate authority is the word of God. This article is adapted from the author’s free video series, “Is The Bible Really Complete?” Edward Antonio is the Founder of Elevating Your Life and a student of theology and church history. He lives in Orange County, CA and is part of Harvest Christian Fellowship. Find him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/mredwardantonio/ or answering Bible questions at: https://elevatingyourlife.org/. |
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