Jesus' Return Could Be Today!

A week ago I promised to explore with you how apostasy is THE SIGN of our time, the Sign pointing to the imminent return of Christ. But I got sidetracked a bit. This is because I'm currently serving as the Interim Pastor of a Lutheran congregation seeking their next pastor. And I'm finding again that parish work is quite demanding.

Anyway, it seems best to pursue the answers to the questions about the signs of Christ's return from Holy Scripture. So I turn to Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. The epistles to the Thessalonians are certainly two of the most ancient Christian documents in existence. They are typically dated c. 50/51 AD. They are universally accepted as authentic letters of Paul. We believe they were written by him from Corinth a few months after he founded a congregation there.

Thessalonica was located at the intersection of two major Roman roads, one leading from Italy eastward (Ignatia Way) and the other from the Danube to the Aegean. Thessalonica’s location and use as a port made it a prominent city. In 168 BC it became the capital of the second district of Macedonia and later it was made the capital and major port of the whole Roman province of Macedonia (146 BC).

Paul writes in the fifth chapter of his first letter these words: 

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (Matt. 24:43). While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. - 1Th 5:1-6 ESV

I wrote in an earlier blog about the day of the Lord (masculine genitive):

. . . the Greek word for Lord—Kyrios—has two different ways of saying ‘of the Lord.’ When Kyrios ends with a feminine genitive (genitive means ‘belonging to’), it refers to the day of the week that particularly belongs to the Lord, Sunday. When it ends with a masculine genitive it refers to that final day when the Lord will return. That day is also his, of course. 

That Day of the Lord, the day of judgment when time as we now know it will end, will come as a thief in the night. However, for now, each Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the day when the church openly gathers to celebrate his first coming, to be blessed by his present coming in the Word and the Supper and to anticipate the Day of the Lord when he will return to complete the great work of salvation. On Sunday the church receives a foretaste of the marriage feast that is yet to come (Luke 13:28-30).

I also wrote about the many failed predictions of exactly when that Day of the Lord will take place. And indeed there have been many. You may even remember that back in 2010 there was quite a stir about that day happening in 2012. Perhaps if Paul were writing to us today he would say the same thing he said to his young Thessalonian congregation: "you have no need to have anything written to you, for you are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

A couple years ago I literally experienced that thief in the night when I awoke to discover my brand new generator had been stolen from my carport. Unfortunately I had not chained it down and the thieves had easy access. Needless to say, I learned an important lesson. Be prepared for thieves at all times. That's the same lesson Paul is pushing with the Thessalonians. Quit looking around for some sign about the when of Christ's return. Be ready at all times. It could be today!

Search Paul's letters and you will not find him talking about signs of Christ's return. He does speak negatively about the Jews seeking signs proving Jesus to be the Messiah:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, - I Cor 1:22-23 ESV

For the Jews the coming of the Messiah would mean that the time had arrived for their earthly kingdom to be restored by God. That in itself was a confused understanding of the Messiah's role, as Jesus pointed out to Pontius Pilate:

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." - Jhn 18:36 ESV

Instead of focusing upon some worldly kingdom, keep focused upon the true nature of Christ's kingdom and His imminent return, writes Paul. Remember who you are, children of light and not of darkness. Light is a common analogy for God's revelation in Christ and for those who have Christ living in their hearts.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - Jhn 8:12 ESV 

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. - Mat 5:14 ESV

As the Lord said, darkness refers to the ways of the world and those who follow the prince of this world.

So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. . . 

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. - Jhn 12:35, 46 ESV

This is why we don't need someone to write to us about times and seasons and about when Christ will return. We have the Light and we wait expectantly at all times for His return. It could be today! Even so, Come Lord Jesus! (I Cor. 16:22).

It All Depends On Jesus' Resurrection

I notice a strange and awesome thing as I continue to read the letter to the Hebrews. The writer looks at the Old Testament Scriptures as if they are a record of God the Father having a conversation with His Son. In other words, he seriously believes that God is speaking through these words and has been from the time they were first written. This is not at all how many view the O.T. Bible in our day. Listen to what the writer says about Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." - Hebrews 5:5-6 ESV

That first quote is from David's psalm.

"As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. - Psa 2:6-7 ESV 

The Apostle Paul referred to that psalm in his sermon to the Jewish synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia, a city on the Mediterranean coast in the southwestern part of modern Turkey (Acts 13:16-41). In his sermon he points out that Jesus was the direct descendant of King David. The promise spoken to David about a King on Mt. Zion or Jerusalem has now been fulfilled. David was not that king. He lived for a time and died. Who then is the Son who would be the permanent king on Zion, God's holy hill? Who is the promised Anointed One (Messiah)? Answer: Jesus! This has been confirmed by Jesus' resurrection from the dead. That too was promised in Psalm 16, also written by David, but ultimately not about David. It was rather about David's greater Son, Jesus. It did not refer to David, because David died and his body did see corruption. But Jesus' body did not see corruption.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. - Psa 16:10 ESV

Jesus lives! His resurrection was confirmed by hundreds and hundreds (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Paul himself saw and spoke with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19 and retold in Acts 22:6-21 and 26:12-18). This Jesus is indeed the promised Christ and the Son begotten by the Father before the creation of all things. The Nicene creed puts it this way:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him, Paul continues, comes freedom and forgiveness of sins. This freedom is not possible by keeping the law of Moses. It is only possible by putting your trust and faith in Jesus. He is the great  eternal high priest who pleads forever before the Father's throne on behalf of those who put their faith and hope in him. He is both the priest and the sacrifice offered upon the cross, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. 

That too was promised in another of the psalms of David that speak about the Messiah who rules from Mt. Zion forever as both king and priest.

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." - Psa 110:4 ESV

Melchizedek was the strange king to whom Abraham gave gifts after he returned from rescuing his nephew Lot. The Hebrews letter will discuss this further in chapters 6 and 7, 

The wonder of all these quotes from the psalms is that they were and are fulfilled in Jesus. The truth of this statement is Jesus' return from the dead, his resurrection. This is what we Christians celebrate each Sunday. On the first day of the week we recall that Christ is risen. If he is not risen then everything we believe and all that we proclaim is empty and meaningless. Then there is no forgiveness and no hope of our own resurrection. Then the Scriptures are not true. In one of his letters to Corinth Paul puts it like this. 

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. - 1Cor 15:12-19 ESV

No other religion, no other religious system, no one else can make these outrageous claims and back them up. Only Jesus died and rose again. Only Jesus' body saw no corruption. Only Jesus is the eternal high priest. We'll have much more to say about this as we continue our study of this wonderful epistle. And as we do, we'll affirm again and again that Christ is risen indeed!

Who Dares Do Greater Works Than Jesus?

Many times I've seen a young pastor, newly ordained, on fire for the Lord and ready to do great things. But then he is called to serve a small, insignificant parish with worship attendance of 50 or 60 and members with no greater zeal than to pay their pastor's meager salary and keep up maintenance on their little church building. After a few years of frustration this young pastor is tired of praying for something to happen and filled with doubt about his calling into the public ministry. With apathetic eyes he gazes upon these words from the Gospel of John and shrugs his shoulders in disbelief:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. - Jhn 14:12-14 ESV

Where are the greater works? Where are the miracles, the huge crowds pushing to follow Christ, the healing of crippled and wasted bodies, even the raising up of the dead? Perhaps the whole enterprise of the great kingdom of God is a sham after all! Or perhaps he doesn't have true faith and God's power is withheld from him and Jesus is seeking out someone else with deeper convictions.

So our young pastor loses his kingdom zeal and begins to plod along like a slug, plagued by doubtful resolution. He is not one of the chosen great ones. No glory is to be his and all he can do is to accept his fate as best he can and wait for the end of his weary life-long journey.

Did Jesus thus present to his disciples with a most discouraging word and are the days of greater works at an end? Where is God's kingdom of glory and majesty? What does our Lord mean to say to this young pastor and to any one of us?

Begin by asking what the works of Jesus were? Listen to Jesus himself answer your question. His disciples had been sent to buy lunch in a Samaritan village. When they returned they urged Jesus to eat, but he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So they wondered if someone had already brought him something to eat. To this he replied,

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." - John 4:34-38 ESV

The harvest awaiting Jesus and his disciples stood before them. The Samaritan woman Jesus had met there at the well had been married to five men and the man she was currently with was not her husband. Her life had been filled with failures, disappointments, disobedience and despair. And yet Jesus reached out to her. With insight and concern he led her to believe in him as the promised Messiah. And with this new faith burning in her heart she raced into the village to bring others out to see him.

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." - Jhn 4:39-42 ESV

Jesus' food was to do his Father's will and to accomplish that work. The work of the Messiah, the Christ, was to offer his life as a ransom for sinners like this woman and all the sinners of the world. He has completed that work. On the cross he cried, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) The verb translated as finished is the same as to accomplish (Greek teleioō) above.

The only work any of us may do now is to believe in Jesus, trust in his work of salvation upon the cross and humbly submit to his call and leading. This is what Jesus urged when the Jews chased after him after he fed them by the thousands. They wanted to make him their bread king. Jesus answered them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." 

Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 

Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." - Jhn 6:26-29 ESV

Much, much more needs to be said about this greater works issue. We all want earthly goods, glory and greatness. It is part of our sinful nature. But I must urge my fictional young pastor to rethink his Call from Jesus and submit to our Lord's guiding. Open your eyes, young man. There before you in your miserable little parish is a person struggling with the same sin as the Samaritan woman. Lead her to her Messiah. Teach her to trust in his love for her—even her. Love her as does Jesus and see what harvest he will accomplish. That is your greater work! You can ask for no greater work than to bring a soul to Jesus.

More on this another time. 

He Is With Us Always, To The End

This week we Christians begin our annual four weeks of preparing to celebrate the first coming or birth of our Lord Jesus. During these four weeks we meditate upon the several other ways by which Jesus comes or will come among us. We rejoice that he has never in fact left us, but rather remains very present to speak to us and guide us in his living Word as well as in in the sacraments of Baptism and his holy Supper. In this way he fulfills his promise to be with us to the very end of this age. And yes, this present age will come to its appointed end. Then he will return in glory with all his holy angels (Matt. 16:27; 24:30; Mark 10:37).

As has often been true, unbelievers view this prophecy as so much nonsense or they get all wrapped up in other esoteric prophecies like the Mayan calendar's prediction of the end on December 21, 2012, less than a month from the day upon which I write these words. In response to Jesus' disciples' private question about what was to be the sign of his return and the end of the age he said,

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." - Mat 24:36 ESV

Mocking those who promote about the Dec. 21 date, our pastor recently quipped in his sermon, "Can you imagine the let down for those folks when it doesn't happen? And wouldn't it be neat if just when they give up in despair, Jesus comes back on Dec. 22!"

So what about all this business of the end of days and signs of Jesus' return? Jesus told us before his own crucifixion that there would be (Matt. 24:3-31; Luke 21:5-38):

• messianic leaders promising to save the world from all its woes 
• wars and rumors of wars
• nations or kingdoms rising up against other nations or kingdoms
• terrors from the heavens
• famines in various places
• earthquakes
• tsunamis and floods
• hurricanes and tornadoes
• plagues and epidemics
• widespread drunkenness from drugs 
• persecution and murder of Christians

Sounds like today's news reports from around the world, doesn't it?

We believers sometimes panic when we hear about these things. Do not. While the list above gives us good reason to be sober about what is happening around us, we have no reason to panic. We always remember Jesus' promise just before his ascension,

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Mat 28:20 ESV

So we go about the work he has given to us as we await his return. Moms care for their kids. Dads teach their sons to throw a baseball. Engineers design bridges, lawyers plead cases before judges, musicians create music. We join hands to feed the poor, care for the sick and weak, rescue folks from various disasters and whenever we have opportunity we share the good news about Jesus. And all the time we remain awake and in prayer, awaiting his return at any time (Matt. 24:44-47).

Jesus, Candidate For The Office Of Messiah

Current candidates for elected office lay out some fabulous claims. "Follow me. Elect me and I will solve all the problems we face in our county (or our city, our state, even our nation). Prosperity and peace for all awaits my election!" And then they run TV ads that conclude, "And I approve this message."

That's what it appears Jesus was doing when he announced,

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - Jhn 8:12 ESV (cf. also Matt. 4:12-17)

The light of the world! The light of life itself! Not only was he enlightened, he was the light itself. Follow him and you too will see where you're going. In every part of your life you will have light. A very astounding claim, to say the least. But what does it mean? Consider these words from the prophet Isaiah to Israelites enslaved by Babylon for 70 years. According to this preacher, peace and prosperity were about to break in upon them. All the promises of a coming anointed king (read: Messiah) were about to be fulfilled.

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian (Gen 25:4,13). For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.  

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. - Isa 9:1-7 ESV

This astounding message is followed by similar ones in Isaiah, especially in those passages that speak about the Servant of the LORD (cf. also Isa. 60:1-3)

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: "I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. - Isa 42:1-7 ESV

People wanted justice, retribution and revenge in those days as much as they want it in ours. There were political prisoners in jail wrongly accused and awaiting trial or death. The rule of law and righteousness was gone. People had seen their homes burned to the ground and their children ground into dust. War had ravaged and destroyed their homeland. Those left were enslaved and faced but a few years of hard labor before they died. Their hope for the future was nothing more than a sputtering wick or a bruised reed. Hope was nearly dead.

That is until Isaiah came along with his message of the coming Messianic Servant-King who would bring light to Israel and the entire world. Jesus claimed he approved that 700 year-old message. The time had finally come when the promises were about to be fulfilled. And he was that promised Light. He was not merely running for office. He was already elected—by his heavenly Father, regardless of
what the Pharisees said about his claims being false. It was not only that he approved his own message. He had the endorsement of the heavenly Father.

Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." - Jhn 8:14-18 ESV

In my next blogs I will look at the differences between these astounding claims of Jesus and those of modern day politicians.

Who Is Messiah?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently made a speech before the United Nations proclaiming that he and his country were preparing the way for the appearance of the Shiite Islamic messiah figure – the Mahdi. Many are concerned that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic committed to this goal through destruction and war could trigger a global conflagration. 

Shiite writings describe events surrounding the return of the Mahdi in apocalyptic terms. In one scenario, the forces of evil would come from Syria and Iraq and clash with forces of good from Iran. The battle would commence at Kufa – the Iraqi town near the holy city of Najaf.
Even more controversial is Ahmadinejad’s repeated invocation of Imam Mahdi, known as “the Savior of Times.” According to Shiite tradition, Imam Mahdi will appear on Judgment Day to herald a truly just government. 

The Mahdi or Muslim Messiah will rule the entire world, according to this teaching. As Christians await Jesus, the Christ or Messiah, to return, so Muslims await both the Mahdi and Jesus.

In the simplest of terms, the Mahdi is Islam’s Messiah, or Savior. While the actual terms “Messiah” and “Messianism” have very clearly Judeo-Christian roots, University of Virginia Professor Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina agrees that these terms are appropriately used in an Islamic context when referring to the Mahdi. In his scholarly work on the subject, Islamic Messianism, Sachedina elaborates thusly: 

The term “messianism” in the Islamic context is frequently used to translate the important concept of an eschatological figure, the Mahdi, who as the foreordained leader “will rise” to launch a great social transformation in order to restore and adjust all things under divine guidance. The Islamic messiah, thus, embodies the aspirations of his followers in the restoration of the purity of the Faith which will bring true and uncorrupted guidance to all mankind, creating a just social order and a world free from oppression in which the Islamic revelation will be the norm for all nations. 

When Jesus appeared at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem in the autumn before his crucifixion many were asking whether he was indeed the promised Messiah. However, there was controversy among them about who he was. Was Jesus the Messiah? How would the Messiah appear?

Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ (Messiah in Hebrew)? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?" - Jhn 7:25-31 ESV

Some thought the the promised Messiah's origin would be unknown. He would suddenly and mysteriously appear, announcing his presence through signs and wonders. Still others said he would come from Bethlehem and would be a descendant of Israel's great anointed king David (Isa. 7:14; 9:6). He would be Immanuel, God with us, the Prince of Peace. Still others were looking for the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15).

In these tense and dangerous days it is critical that we Christians be certain and confident about who is and who is not the Messiah. The Bible speaks often about false messiahs who will seek to lead many astray. It also speaks about The Anti-Christ (or anti-messiah) who will arise in the final days. Over the centuries many have attempted to identify who this is. Currently some suggest that the Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi will be the Anti-Christ.

At another time I will go into more detail about the Biblical teaching about the antichrist. For today let us be certain that we humble ourselves before God and willingly admit that we who are sinners have no right to His forgiveness. Yet we rejoice that our God loves us so deeply that He sent His only Son into this world to offer His life for us all. This is His glory (John 2:11; 3:14-18; 12:44-47). And in that faith we are at peace and unafraid, regardless of what various antichrist's may shout and proclaim.

The Authority Of Secular Government

Why do we Christians say that we live in two kingdoms? In my previous post we heard Jesus pronounce that he came to overthrow the reign of the devil, the prince of the kingdom of darkness. Are we then saying that we live in the devil's kingdom as well as the kingdom of Christ? The Bible clearly teaches that both the devil and Christ rule over kingdoms in this world. However there is another teaching about kingdoms, namely the fact that God rules over this world in two different modes. To help us in this connection, we return to Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate.

He (Pilate) entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." - Jhn 19:9-11 ESV

Pilate had authority. He had been placed by the Romans as governor of Palestine. His headquarters were in Jerusalem. Yet Jesus said Pilate's authority had been given to him from above. In other words, he was a representative of God's rule, not merely Rome's. How strange. Listen to the Apostle Paul.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. - Rom 13:1 ESV

No authority except from God! The authorities that exist in this world have been instituted by God. He has given them power. They exercise their power under His authority. The Lord God rules over this world through His representatives. So Paul continues,

Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. - Rom 13:2-4 ESV

Pilate believed he derived his authority from the Roman senate and would have to answer to the same. Yes, but, said Jesus. These Jews under your authority are not merely resisting Rome; they are resisting God! And so it was that 40 years after Jesus' crucifixion God's judgment came upon the Jews and Jerusalem, together with its temple, was laid waste by the Romans under General Titus. Jesus foretold this disaster.

And when he (Jesus) drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." - Luk 19:41-44 ESV

The Romans, acting as God's avengers—to use Paul's word—carried out God's wrath on the Jews. They had rejected their promised Messiah-King who had come among them in the person of Jesus. Thus we see the two modes of government by God, one inward at work through His Spirit and the other outward at work through secular governments. God ruled over the Jews, and all of Rome for that matter, through government representatives who had authority to bear the sword and carry out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. This authority and power was outward. Those who exercised it ruled by the sword and ultimately by the fear of death. So Rome came to exercise this ultimate authority when the Jews attempted to overthrow them. As a result, Jews died by the thousands and other thousands were carried off into slavery.

Jesus recognized Rome as God's authority. The Pharisees challenged him about the payment of taxes

And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. - Mar 12:14-17 ESV

There were things that are Caesar's. Caesar had his authority from God to render taxes, to demand money and to establish the rule of law.  Consequently, Jesus taught, the Jews were obligated to pay the taxes, like it or not, for the sake of conscience.

Why has God established such a government, ruling by fear of the sword in this world? Because of our rebellion against His rule over our hearts. So God has established outward rule to protect and care for us and to preserve outward peace and unity. This is why we have secular government in all its many manifestations.  This outward rule of God in the world is in contrast to God's inward kingdom established with the coming of Christ. In Christ's kingdom God rules by His Spirit working through His Word in men's hearts and minds. So Paul, in full accord with Jesus, teaches.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. - Rom 8:14-17 ESV

To recap:

• There are two kingdoms in this world and they are locked in perpetual conflict. The kingdom of darkness is under the control and rule of the prince of darkness, the devil. The kingdom of God is under the rule and control of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. 
• The kingdom of darkness and its prince is constantly at work to disrupt and destroy, to wreck havoc, bring chaos and death. To restrain this prince and to maintain some kind of outward peace, the Father in heaven has instituted and established the rule of secular governments.
• Christians who have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness joyfully and for the sake of conscience recognize God's rule in these secular governments. This is why they submit to these governments for the sake of conscience. 
• No one form of secular government is established by God's Word. In the course of history there have been and continue to be many forms, e.g. tribal, kings, senatorial, democratic, etc. 

Much remains to be said and taught about these matters, but that must wait for the next time.

Disciple Or Mere Member Of The Crowd

For the Jews the Passover was a festival of beginnings, a time to remember who they were and where they came from. Each year during that time they a recalled 40-year journey in the wilderness that brought them from slavery to freedom, from Egypt to the Land of Promise. And all during those 40 years the LORD God fed them with some kind of bread from heaven, bread never known before or since; hence called in Hebrew Manna—what is it.

So the Apostle John begins his account of Jesus feeding thousands out in the hills near the inland Sea of Galilee:

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. - Jhn 6:1-6 ESV

Why did the crowd follow Jesus? Because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

As some of you know if you've been reading my blogs, I recently had my heart's aortic valve replaced by means of a procedure known as trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). I find now that people with heart disease ask me where this was done and who the physicians were. I'm always happy to share this information with them, as well as to offer myself as an example of the success of this medical practice.

That was what brought the thousands out to where Jesus was. The word was out. This man from Nazareth healed people from blindness, dropsy, blood diseases, leprosy and all sorts of other things. They even said he had raised a young man and a little girl from the dead. And many told them he drove out demons and restored crazy people to sanity. This was a man they had to see! Who wouldn't want to follow such a doctor to gain from his expertise and find healing?

The doctors that performed their amazing work on my body's blood-pump are marvelous people. I am most grateful to them. From what they told me, my blood-pump (heart) was under extreme pressure as it pumped blood to the rest of my body through such a narrowed sclerotic or hardened valve. A couple more years, perhaps less, was all I had. In a very real sense they saved or extended my life. For this work they will be well paid, both by my insurance company and by me.

However, I will never be a their disciple! Notice what John wrote,

. . . a large crowd was following him. . . Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

The crowd followed Jesus, but they were not his disciples. What is a disciple, particularly as John uses the word in his Gospel? We encounter the word at the very beginning of John's Gospel.

(Andrew) first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). ... Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. . . Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" - Jhn 1:41,45,49 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. - Jhn 2:1-2 ESV

The word Messiah (Christ in Greek) had a peculiar meaning among those Jews. It was directly related to the Passover season and Jewish history. It went back to the days of David, son of Jesse, who, at God's command, was anointed by the prophet-judge Samuel to replace Israel's first failed king, Saul, son of Kish (1 Samuel 9:1-2; 16:1-13). During the 10th century B.C., under David and then his son Solomon the first Temple was built in Jerusalem and Israel rose to the zenith of its power and glory (1 Kings 10:1-29). From that point on everything went downhill. In the days of Jesus Israel was nothing but a vassal state of the Roman Empire. But the Jews clung to the dream and the hope that one day God would raise up a new anointed king (Messiah) who would restore Israel's power and glory.

The prophets wrote about it. The Jews gathered on each Passover to pray for Messiah's coming.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. . . - Isa 11:1-16 ESV

Jesus initially gathered men as his disciples because they believed him to be the Messiah, but they had a long, long way to go to understand what that really meant. Nevertheless, this faith distinguished them from the crowd that came to Jesus merely for healing. John writes that Jesus' acts of healing were signs pointing to a much deeper reality. The crowd that followed him did not grasp that. His disciples had some understanding, but there was so much more.

In my next posts I will explore what all this means for us who call ourselves Christians or followers of Jesus today. What's the difference between being a member of the crowd and a true disciple?

Dreams In The Light Of God's External Word

We're looking at the Bible's peculiar worldview (at least to the modern world). To do that I'm focusing on the fact that we all dream and consequently ask what the dreams mean. Psychological answers vary.  Freud thought they are symbolical representations of unconscious desires and thoughts. Others say that dreams are one's interpretation of signals generated by one's brain. Out of this come many creative ideas. Still others say that dreaming is the brain's computer-like process of cleaning up the previous day's clutter. And so it goes. There's no modern single, unifying understanding of why we dream or what our dreams mean.

To assist us in interpreting our dreams you can find whole dictionaries of dream symbols and terms such as "An A to Z Dream Dictionary." Others offer dream interpretation, based upon years of experience. Still others, claiming to be Christians, tell us they can teach us not merely to study about God, but how to have direct experiences of Him speaking to us in our dreams. It all sounds most enticing. But is that what the written, objective Word of God as contained in Holy Scripture teaches? Recall Dr. Luther's comment about enthusiasm quoted in my earlier post: 

"We should and must insist that God does not want to deal with us human beings, except by means of his external Word and sacrament. Everything that boasts of being from the Spirit apart from such a Word and sacrament is of the devil."

What does Luther mean by God's external Word? He means simply and emphatically the Scriptures. The very words of Scriptures are God's words, all of them. The Holy Spirit always blesses and brings salvation in Christ through the Word. No preached or taught word not based upon the Scriptures is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit comes and reveals God and His will in the Word of the Lord Christ. Anyone, therefore, who distorts or blasphemes the written Word will be judged by God. This was Luther's sola Scriptura principle. This claim is further founded on the total truthfulness, reliability and
consistency of Scripture. One text of Scripture does not contradict another, regardless of how ridiculous it may seem at first. To that end I quote again what Paul wrote to Timothy:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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 competent, equipped for every good work. - 2Ti 3:14-17 ESV

 With that in mind, return with me to Joseph's dream experience as recorded by Matthew (Matt. 1:18-25). Joseph was of royal lineage, as Matthew emphasizes in the opening verses of his Gospel (Matt. 1:1-17). He traced that lineage all the way back to David and through David to Abraham himself. He knew of the promises recorded in the written Scriptures about the coming of the Messiah. He knew about the promised virgin birth of the One named Immanuel. A few examples:

To Abraham — "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." - Gen 12:2-3 ESV 

And again to Abraham —"I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." - Gen 22:17-18 ESV 

To Isaac — "I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" - Gen 26:4 ESV 

About the promised Messiah —"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins." - Isa 11:1-5 ESV

To Ahaz, one of Judah's anointed kings — "And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isa 7:13-14 ESV

There are numerous other passages of Scripture. Joseph knew them. He was a righteous and just man who sought ever to conduct his life according to the plans and will of God. He believed in the promises of the Messiah as recorded in Scripture. Therefore it was not at all impossible for him to accept what the angel said to him in his dream about Mary's pregnancy and the promised coming of the Messiah. His dream was a confirmation of God's external Word and in no way contrary to it.

The best counsel to any dreamer is based upon this record of Joseph's dreams as well as other dreams in Scripture. If you believe God has sent His messenger to speak to you, then test it carefully against the written Word. Ask especially how what you have seen and heard in your dream relates to God's will and plan to lead men to salvation and eternal life in Christ. Remember as well that we are all members one of another. No one of us owns nor can he control the Spirit. Invite other members of Christ's body to ponder with you your dream in the light of God's revelation in Scripture. Seek confirmation from other members of Christ's body. And at the same time be very conscious or the fact that demonic powers are also at work to lead us away from Christ and distort God's Word.

Bottom line: There's more indeed to this world than what we can see, taste, touch, smell and feel. There's more than we can measure with our scientific instruments and theorize about with our mathematics. Scripture teaches that men have contact with that other world in dreams and visions. But—and this is critical—our first, primary and most significant contact with the Spirit of God is in the written Word of Holy Scripture. As Jesus emphasized in his criticism of the Jews of His day,

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. - Jhn 5:37-40 ESV

Our Spiritual Lineage

Recently my wife and I attended a family reunion of cousins on her side. What binds the various cousins and their families together is a common lineage from Grandpa and Grandma. All of her cousins can trace their lineage back to their grandparents through either their mother or father. They are related by blood.

However, there is in this family a problem. Who was Grandpa's real father? One of the genealogists of the family claims that this information has been lost in a fire. There is no record remaining, at least as far as we know. Further research is needed.

Searching for ancestors' grave sites

Interestingly, the Bible makes a big thing about family lineage and genealogical records. Consider one major example in the New Testament, the lineage of Jesus, found in the Gospel of Matthew:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers . . . So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)

This repetition of fourteen three times seems too slick. How could this possibly be? Biblical scholars have discussed Matthew's genealogical record of Jesus in great detail. I'll not go into that. Here rather are some conclusions based upon the work of Donald A. Hagner, Fuller Theological Seminary professor, as written in his commentary on Matthew. 

 It is unnecessary to examine in detail the genealogy between Adam and Abraham. The Gospel of Luke records that (Luke 3:23-38). His genealogy, like Matthew's, appears to derive from the Old Testament (1 Chr 1:1-4, 24-27; Gen 5:3-32;11:10-26). However, Matthew gives no listing from Adam to Abraham. His focus is upon Jesus as the one who has fulfilled the promise given to Abraham that all families on earth were to be blessed from his descendant. 

We don't know for certain why Matthew used the 3 x 14 structure to record his genealogy. It is possible that this is a veiled reference to six sevens. Thus it could mean that with the coming of Christ we enter the seventh seven, the period of perfection and fulfillment. 

Another possibility is that the number 14 alludes to Daniel's reference to seventy weeks of years—70 x 7— (Daniel 9:24). By reckoning a generation at 35 years (35 x 14) one comes up with 490. Forgive me if I do not get into the vast and very confusing discussion of all that Daniel means by 70-weeks of years. Suffice it to say that Matthew teaches that after three periods of seventy weeks of years (490 x 3 = 1,470 years) God sends his Messiah into the world. Those who get deep into teaching about the millenium make varied use of Daniel's writings. 

That aside, does Matthew intend to say that Abraham lived 1,470 years before Christ? Probably not. Matthew does not give us dates. He rather gives us generations and points us to God's providence and guiding throughout that history. Indeed there have been hundreds of attempts to date Abraham's lifetime. The Jews claim he lived sometime between 1812 to 1637 BC. The 17th century British Archbishop James Ussher dates him from 1976 to 1801 BC. The Lutheran Study Bible has him being born around 2166 BC (pg. xciii). The most that can be said with any degree of certainty is that he lived around the later part of the third or the earlier part of the second millennium before Christ. 

Matthew intends to teach us that God was at work throughout that history of the people of Israel. The promise given to Abraham was renewed and deepened in the promise given to David (1 Samuel 11; Pss. 2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 69, 110, etc. ; Isaiah 11:1-10). From David, the anointed king of Israel, comes the name Messiah or Christ, the Anointed One. The heavenly Father structured events that ultimately led to the birth of His Son, the Messiah and thus to the salvation of all mankind. When Abram left his homeland the LORD told him in a vision, 

"Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Abraham's grandson, Jacob, heard the promise renewed in his vision at Bethel, 

And behold, the LORD stood above it (the flight of stairs) and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 28:13-14)

What that teaches us is that our God is not a God afar off who has no interest or involvement in the affairs of this world. He is at work in the great events of history and he is at work in the events of our personal lives. Indeed He has come among us in the person of Jesus, promised across the generations. Matthew records the final comforting words of Jesus as his Gospel ends, 

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

Yes, He is with us, His chosen people (Galatians 6:14-18). We are more than cousins. We are the newborn children of God, members of the new Israel. And the best is yet to come.

The Strange King of Israel

During this Holy Week I invite you to follow with me as I follow St. John's telling of the events that led to our Lord Jesus' death upon Calvary's cross.

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was sign that moved the crowds to cry out "Save us! You are sent as the envoy of the LORD God Himself. You have His blessings upon you. You are the anointed King of Israel. Save us!" (John 12:9-19)

By the way, the word 'Hosanna' is a Hebrew word that means, "Save us!" From what? Surely from the taxation, lack of work, difficult economic times, restrictive laws, imprisonment and other harsh rules imposed by the Romans who had taken control of Israel nearly a hundred years before. The Jews clung to the prophecies. A king would arise under the blessings of the LORD God Himself. He would be anointed to save them and restore the kingdom. Now here was Jesus with the obvious power and blessing of the LORD. He had raised the dead, healed the sick, calmed storms on the Sea of Galilee and fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and some fish. He had to be the Messiah! "Save us!" they cried.

And to confirm that he understood himself to be that Messiah, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey amidst the accolades and cries of the crowds.

Why a donkey? To fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9—

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Such a king would bring peace. Zechariah wrote that the chariots of war and their horses would be cut off from Jerusalem under this king. He would bring peace all the way from the Euphrates river to the great Mediterranean sea and on down to Egypt. The kingdom Solomon ruled would be restored (1 Kings 4:21). The Romans were to be driven out at long last. Israel was to become a free nation once again. Praise the LORD! His blessings surely rested upon Jesus of Nazareth. He was the anointed Messiah-King!

Zechariah went on to say that the LORD Himself would come to fight against the nations that conquered and pillaged Jerusalem. On the day of battle His feet would stand on the Mount of Olives. On that day the LORD would be king over all the earth (Zechariah 14:1-9).

The masses were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, the great festival that commemorated Israel's ancient deliverance from the tyranny of Egypt those many centuries earlier. It would be natural to expect that the Messiah-King, blessed by the LORD God, would now bring the same kind of political freedom. The King of Israel and yes, the King of the world, had finally come. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

But it was not to be. John writes,

"His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him" (John 12:16).

". . . when Jesus was glorified." That was the critical factor. What was this glory? What would God the Father do to honor and magnify Jesus? What act would clothe Him with splendor, majesty and eternal renown? What deed would make His name be remembered and praised through all the ages?

His death upon the cross!

The prophet Isaiah foretold this glory as he wrote about the Suffering Servant whose very soul would be an offering for guilt. The prophet continues,

"Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11). 

 We still expect our political leaders, our generals, warriors, presidents and kings to save us, but they cannot rescue us from the gathering storm of God's judgment upon our sinful rebellion. They cannot save us from the death of our bodies and the death of our souls in hell. Only Jesus can do that. So we humbly follow Him this week as He patiently and firmly makes His way to the cross to accomplish what only He can do.

What A Strange King Is This Crucified Jesus

Next Sunday is the final in the church's year of worship. It is often called Christ the King Sunday, especially since the Gospel for this Sunday tells of Jesus crucified with an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews" (Luke 23:27-43). The Jewish rulers in Jerusalem of that day scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" I plan to use this Gospel lesson as the basis for the sermon I will preach to a small congregation of Lutheran believers in East Texas. I will use the conversation of the two criminals as the text for meditation, focusing on the prayer of the one who repented, saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Such a strange king is this Jesus. He had but a few days before entered Jerusalem as a king, riding on a donkey colt in fulfillment of the ancient prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, "Behold your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The multitude of his disciples rejoiced and spread their clothing on the road to honor him, shouting, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" Now he hung on a Roman cross, condemned as an insurrectionist and traitor, mocked by the leaders of his own nation. Such a strange king.

All this is connected to the title he accepted, the Christ or in Hebrew the Messiah, the Anointed One. The great King David was the first anointed one, the first Messiah. His sons were also anointed as the kings of Israel. From that line, said the prophets, one day would come the great king, the Messiah.

The descendants of Israel, the Jews, held the concept of the coming of the Messiah in the highest regard. The prophets foretold that he would usher in a great day of blessing, prosperity and peace. Isaiah, for instance, wrote about the Anointed One who would bind up the broken hearted, free the captives, comfort all who mourn and clothe them with garments of praise instead of a faint spirit. Their ruined cities were to be rebuilt and the restored nation would have foreign servants plowing their fields and tending their vineyards. They had lost so much when led into captivity in Babylon, but their fortunes were to be restored double (Isaiah 61:1-7). What a wondrous time the coming of the Messiah would be. No wonder that the Jews waited with longing and prayed each Sabbath for Messiah's return.

And yet here is this Jesus, directly descended from David, a true Son of David and hailed by the multitudes as Messiah, hanging upon the cross with this mocking inscription, "King of the Jews." I want to focus upon the strangeness of King Jesus. Pilate did not understand it. When he asked Jesus if he was indeed a king, Jesus affirmed that he was. However, his kingdom was not a worldly kingdom. Jesus said,

"My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (John 18:36-38). 

There are hundreds of questions flying around this statement. Jesus had no political aspirations nor was he intent on leading a rebellion against Rome. There were many who were ready to do so. Indeed thousands of Jews did rebel against Rome in the generation after Jesus lived on the earth. I will not get into all that in next Sunday's sermon. Instead I want to focus upon the faith of that single thief crucified next to our Lord who believed Jesus was indeed coming into his kingdom. Somehow he believed that Jesus' death was the path that would lead to his reign.

Who was this strange believer? And how did he arrive at such a belief? And what does he have to teach us today? These are questions I  want to explore with you this week and with the gathered believers next Sunday.

Jesus is Savior—Hitler Never Was.

The angel announced to the Christmas shepherd that on that very day their Savior, the Messiah/Christ had been born in Bethlehem, the city of the original and great king, David (Luke 2:8-12).

The Greek term for savior was Soter, a name given to gods men believed would continue to protect them and their countries. It was also given to kings, princes and, in general, to anyone who had acted to save the land and protect its people. Thus the Israelites, in Greek fashion, might have called King David their savior. Now, however, the angel announced that David's descendant, the true and eternal Lord, had come to rescue His people from their great enemies—sin, death and the dark powers led by the devil.

I find it fascinating and disturbing that the Nazis adopted and adapted this term for Adolf Hitler. For millions of Germans in the 1920s and 30s Hitler was their Savior. He was widely beloved, adored and worshipped. Some even suggested that he was the avatar of one of the Hindu gods, making him into a kind of deity. Everyone in Nazi Germany was required to greet one another with the well known raised right arm, open handed salute and the words Heil Hitler! The salute has been used since the end of WW II by neo-Nazis. Their abbreviation for it is 88—8 pointing to the eighth letter in the alphabet, H.

In German the word Heil means salvation. The verb heilen means to heal. Thus a Heiland is a healer or savior. Heiland was the term well known to the German Christian community as the name for Jesus. Hitler accepted this greeting and commanded it. The Heil was more than merely hale, as in our 'hale and hearty'. It meant that the gods or God had given Germany a Savior and his name was Hitler—Heil Hitler! Salvation has come to our nation.

This bit of recent history is a sober reminder that we must never allow a man to be so worshipped and adored, regardless of his leadership.