God listens to and forgives the humble. Gospels: Week 8 — Mercy, repentance, and the Good Shepherd Luke 18:9–14 (NASB95) 9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 117 Q. How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us? A. First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed himself in his Word, asking for everything he has commanded us to ask for. Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble ourselves in his majestic presence. Third, we must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what he promised us in his Word. Summary Luke clues us in right off the bat as to the context of Jesus' teaching here: He told this parable to some people who had three specific problems. They: Trusted in themselves - They were smart, confident, and had successfully navigated many of life's challenges. They were there to help point out to God the frailties and problems other people had, but they needed no such assistance from Him themselves. It makes sense, then, the way Jesus describes their prayer: The Pharisee... was praying this to himself. Even though the Pharisee began his 'prayer' by addressing God, he wasn't really talking to Him. Over cooked self confidence has no need to pray to anybody else. Nor does he even ask for anything in his 'prayer', because in his mind, he doesn't need anything from anybody. They had confidence that they were righteous - They had reduced God's Law to a checklist, so as long as they covered their external bases doing things like fasting twice a week (which ironically isn't something God ever commanded anyone to do) and paying tithes on all they get, they felt themselves to be good in God's eyes. That's why the Pharisee ostentatiously stood while he prayed. He felt that he had nothing to be ashamed of in the presence of a holy God. They viewed others with contempt - How could they not? After all, in their own minds, they're not like other people! This comes out in the Pharisee's self congratulating 'gratitude' in which he thanks God that he was not a swindling, unjust adulterer, and especially that he wasn't like this tax collector. Chances are, if you're anything like me, Luke's description of the people Jesus confronted with this parable stung a little bit. Maybe a lot. It's so easy to misinterpret the blessedness we so often enjoy as having resulted from our own accomplishments, and not from the fact that God has carried us through so many of life's challenges and that His Spirit has strengthened us against sin. So too often, we proudly stand before God, praying to nobody but ourselves, confidently contemptuous of all those unrighteous others. Dale Ralph Davis writes, "You see what this means? Religion is very deceptive. Though you may despise the slightest scent of self-righteousness, the reek of it may cling to you. How deceptive our self-righteousness is!" Dig Deeper The tax collector Jesus presents is certainly a broken man. He too stands as he prays, but his posture is far different than the self-confident Pharisee. He beat his breast and was even unwilling to lift his eyes up to heaven. But even if his eyes pointed elsewhere, Jesus makes clear who he prayed to. Like David's model prayer of confession in Psalm 51, he cries out God be merciful to me, the sinner. Literally translated, the man was asking God to make propitiation - atonement - for his sins and to turn away the righteous wrath the man knew he deserved. But then Jesus comes to a remarkable conclusion. God had heard the prayer of this humbled sinner. This man, Jesus reports, went to his house justified. That is, he was forgiven of the guilt of his sin and placed in right standing with God. Jesus goes on to explain why: everyone who exalts himself [lifts himself up] will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [repents of his self-confidence] will be exalted. This paraphrase from John Calvin's commentary on this passage sums up today's lesson from Jesus: At first, it might seem wrong to put every believer on the same level, since many Christians clearly live more faithfully than the tax collector did. But no matter how much a person has grown in holiness, he still falls far short of what God requires. For that reason, every Christian must begin prayer by confessing his guilt. Some may be more sinful than others, but all are guilty before God. Christ therefore gives a rule that applies to everyone: God is not reconciled to us because of our works, but only when we stop trusting in them and ask Him to forgive and accept us freely. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our merciful Father in heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Humbly confess your guilt before God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You must keep yourself with in earshot of the Good Shepherd. Gospels: Week 8 — Mercy, repentance, and the Good Shepherd Faithlife.com CONTEXT: Once again Jesus finds Himself in heated conflict with the Pharisees. Jesus has already utilized several metaphors related to sheep - a long held symbol for God's people - in which He casts the religious establishment as posers and even thieves while showing Himself to be the true shepherd of the sheep. As Jesus continues to talk, His intensity only rises... John 10:11–18 (NASB95) 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” 19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” Canons of Dordt Point II, Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death ...it was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross: should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith... that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary Jesus' familiar claim that I AM the good shepherd comes in a series of seven instances in which John records Jesus appropriating to Himself the holy, divine name the LORD introduced Himself to Moses with from the burning bush: I AM who I AM, which in Hebrew is pronounced Yahweh. So it's no wonder that the religious establishment of the day - men who loved parading the externals of God's law, like protecting His name - were about to blow a gasket. But Jesus does nothing here to de-escalate the situation. In fact, He keeps ramping things up. It might be tempting to conjure up in your mind a cute and cuddly scene as Jesus here talks about sheep, but the reality Jesus faced in the moment was anything but. He's already accused His opponents of being thieves, robbers and strangers. He goes on in today's passage to set them up as cowardly hired hands, who see the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, allowing the wolves to snatch and scatter them. So far in His ministry, the crowd following Jesus has done nothing but grow larger and larger. But now divisions begin to occur because of these words. Some of them begin to write Jesus off as having a demon and being insane. Their outright dismissal of Jesus because of His words isn't surprising - most of society has done just that all throughout history, just as they continue to do so. What's surprising is the reason that others in the crowd give for continuing to follow Jesus: He had opened the eyes of the blind, something that a demon cannot do. That's certainly true enough, but it's as if they totally missed the point Jesus was making. They don't stick with Him - for the time being, at least - because He's the good shepherd, but because of the material things they think that He might do for them. Why do you continue to follow Him in our divided world? Dig Deeper Jesus isn't simply setting Himself up as the protector and provider for His people when He says I AM the good shepherd. He's unpacking His purpose in coming into this world, and it wasn't to just heal a few sick people or calm a few storms. He came to lay down His life for His sheep, a purpose so important that He repeats it twice. Jesus makes clear that He's not an unwilling victim in doing so. He will be the one to voluntarily lay down His own life. Nobody's going to take it from Him. But His self-sacrificial death won't be the end of the story - it will be just the beginning, for just as He laid His life down, He will take it up again. Jesus' words here also help explain one of the Bible's most difficult doctrines, which has come to be known as limited atonement. As the Canons of Dordt put it, Jesus came to effectively redeem... all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father. Jesus explains that He knows His own sheep, and they know Him. Jesus teaches here that salvation from the good shepherd is audibly transmitted. That is, it comes to those who hear His voice. This means that, as a sheep, you must keep yourself with in earshot of your Shepherd. Make sure you stay close to it throughout the week by continually immersing yourself in Scripture, and then especially on your day of rest, be certain to gather with the flock to sit under the sound of the Good Shepherd's voice as His under-shepherds proclaim it to you from His Word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who commanded His Son, the Good Shepherd, to lay His life down and take it up again for us, His sheep; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will stay close to your Shepherd so that you continually can hear His voice; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The best way to praise God and learn His Word is to sing the words He gave us back to Him! The Psalter-Hymnal, first published in 1934, marked the transition in the Christian Reformed Church from exclusive Psalm singing to including newer hymns and praise songs in our worship. PSALM 98 A Psalm. 1 O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. 2 The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord. 7 Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy 9 Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 96 Q. What is God’s will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word. Summary Once again, this week's psalm opens with the command to sing a new song. These new songs that Psalms so often implore aren't really referring to songs that nobody as ever sung before, but they refer to the songs sung in the context of ancient Israel's military victories. So in other words, these psalms that call for new songs are themselves declarations of Christ's victory over all things. And just like our contemporary songs of victory - think of the American National Anthem - recount heroic actions (the flag was still there despite the bombs bursting in air), so too do new songs like Psalm 98. Only in this case, the war hero is the LORD: His right hand has gained the victory for Him; He's made known His salvation, revealed His righteousness, and remembered His lovingkindness (nearly every time you see the word 'love' in a compound form in your English Bible, it's referring to God's ḥěʹ·sěḏ - His covenant love). The LORD's victory isn't reserved for a certain nationality or isolated to a specific geographic region. The psalmist indicates that all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Dig Deeper One historic distinctive about Reformed churches is our love of singing psalms. Many of our churches don't just have ordinary hymnals, rather we have psalter-hymnals in which well over half the book is filled with songs that match the 150 Biblical psalms as closely as possible, often set to metrical tunes that make them easy for everyone in the congregation to sing. But even beyond the psalter portion of our hymnals, many of our favorite songs are actually paraphrases of psalms. One of these songs is Isaac Watts' famous Joy to the World, which for some strange reason only gets sung as a Christmas carol even though it's actually a rendition of Psalm 98:4-9. Psalm 98:4-9 Joy to the World 4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King; 7 Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy... Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns: let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy 9 ...Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love Some churches restrict their singing to what's referred to as exclusive psalmody. The Christian Reformed Church, in fact, held to a strict psalms-only songbook until 1932! The idea behind such policies was that, as much as possible, God's people needed to sing God's Word, and not human innovations. The first combined Psalter-Hymnal, published in 1934, explained in its preface that until this time, they "sung only the Old Testament Psalms in public worship, barring a few specific exceptions." It goes on to explain: The reason for depriving ourselves for so many years of such songs that reflect the light that the New Testament adds to the Old was not the theory that the Church should sing only inspired psalms... We were aware of the unsound or unsatisfactory character of many current hymns, and we feared that in an environment where the Psalms are seldom song the introduction of hymns in public worship would lead to the neglect of those deeply spiritual songs of the Old Testament which the church should never fail to use in its service of praise. It's been nearly a century since the CRC wisely revised it's Church Order to allow for other worship music beyond the psalter, and we've experienced many blessings since by singing songs based on the entirety of God's Word, especially those that help unpack the truths of the gospel and turn them into anthems of praise. But also keep in mind this sound advice from our long gone church fathers published in that old maroon Psalter-Hymnal. Realize that many songs sung in public worship continue to be 'unsound or unsatisfactory,' and in addition to theologically robust and aesthetically beautiful hymns and praise songs, be sure "not to neglect those deeply spiritual songs of the Old Testament..." The best way to both praise God and learn His Word is to sing the words He gave us back to Him! Encourage your church to sing the Psalms every week! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has done wonderful things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for giving us such beautiful words from the Psalms to praise Him with, even as these words teach us the salvation the LORD has made known; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

If it seems like you're walking in circles, chances are you're going in the right direction! Gospels: Week 7 - The cost of discipleship CONTEXT: Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God after Jesus asked the disciples "Who do you say that I am..." (Read) Luke 9:21–27 (NASB95) 21 But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 32 Q. But why are you called a Christian? A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity. Summary In technical Bible-study jargon, it's called the "Messianic Secret". That's what Jesus' repeated emphasis is called where people who've discovered His divine nature - either because they experienced His miraculous power firsthand, or like Peter just had, by having His eyes opened to the truth of Jesus' identity by the Holy Spirit - are implored by Jesus not tell this to anyone. This goes against every grain of conventional marketing advice which prizes viral, organic word of mouth publicity above all else. But Jesus explains His rationale here in today's passage. He tells His disciples that He didn't come to start a popular movement, rather there's a critical purpose that the Son of Man must fulfill. He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day. Then Jesus makes the disciples (and us) an offer that doesn't make any worldly sense: if anyone wishes to come after me... Why would anyone want to follow where Jesus was going: to suffer, be rejected, and ultimately be killed? The only sensible answer to that question is, of course, the final clause in Jesus' mission statement: He'd be raised up on the third day. We follow Jesus down this awful and arduous path because, as our Catechism put it, we've been promised that after we too have been raised up with Him, we will afterward reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity. But this glory will have to wait. The key word there is afterward. Dig Deeper For the time being, Jesus' prescription is anything but glorious, and has three segments to it: You must deny yourself. Jesus goes on to extrapolate what this denial includes: losing your life for His sake in order to ultimately save it. Meditate on this today (chew your spiritual cud) - what aspects of yourself have you actually denied, and what parts of you life must you still lose? Take up your cross daily. Conversion is typically thought of as the one time experience in which a non believer is converted into a believer. But conversion also has an ongoing aspect. Paul will go on to command Christians to crucify their flesh (Sarx) with its passions and desires. Since Sarx is like a zombie, in that it keeps clawing its way back to life after you've crucified it, you need to take up your cross each day. Follow Jesus. If you're reading this, chances are you do really want to follow Jesus. But it so often seems so difficult to know where He's going! It would have been so much easier to have been one of the twelve disciples who literally followed Him around Israel. But Jesus' command here gives us some direction, and it's cyclical! This third step of following Jesus brings us right back to the first: deny yourself. So if it seems like your Christian life is just going in circles, chances are you're going in the right direction! Jesus knows you're tempted to straighten the arc He's commanded you to follow so that you can gain a bit more of the world's profit. But He warns you that even if you gain the whole world, it will come at the cost of losing and forfeiting yourself. It's not worth it! You will have colleagues, friends and even family members who will continually shame your circular path that takes you away from what everybody else is pursuing. But here again, Jesus warns you that if you're ashamed of Him and His words and cave to their pressures, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you and you'll miss out on the glory of Him, His Father and the holy angels! Jesus ends His teaching here with some encouragement. The kingdom of God is so close that you can see it. He said these words eight days before He and three of His disciples will ascend the Mount of Transfiguration. But you and I can see this kingdom as well, though we often have to squint here and now. This is one of the big reasons we're called to assemble with the saints on the Lord's Day to shield ourselves from the world's distraction so we can see the kingdom of God more clearly and thereby re-energize our circular journey. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls us to follow Jesus into their glory; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that even though walking in circles can so often seem frustrating that you will continue to follow Jesus; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Christ calls you to a theology of the cross, not glory. Gospels: Week 7 - The cost of discipleship Your prayers may seem humble, but are you praying like a theologian of glory? Mark 10:35–45 (NASB95) 35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 43 Q. What further advantage do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross? A. Through Christ’s death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him. Summary What a way to begin a prayer - with the demand that Jesus do for us whatever we ask of Him. Now James and John - the Sons of Thunder, as Jesus had nicknamed them earlier - weren't formally praying the way we normally think of it, but they were certainly coming before God Himself as they spoke to Jesus. Hopefully you're a bit offended at their presumptuousness, but then think of how often you pray the same way, even if you'd never use their same words. Remarkably, Jesus doesn't scold His two disciples. He simply and patiently asks what they want Him to do for them. What a blessing to know that even when we so often jump right into the third "A" in our prayers by Asking for what we want instead of first Acknowledging who God is and Aligning our lives with Him in our prayers as Jesus taught us, that our loving God still listens and is interested in what we are demanding! So James and John power on, boldly insisting Jesus proclaim that they may sit, one on Jesus' right and one on His left, in His glory. Now it becomes clear to Jesus that His two beloved, yet boisterous, disciples have the same misconceptions about what Jesus had come to do that so many others had in their day, and continue to have even today: that Jesus came to simply glorify the existing order of things which had been dulled by sin. We want a Kingdom whose citizens are as equally glorified as the King. But Jesus knows what James and John didn't, and what we often forget. When Jesus is at the actual moment of His greatest glory, there will be somebody on the right and the left, but they will be criminals being crucified. Jesus says to John and James: You have no idea what you’re asking. Dig Deeper Martin Luther famously said that there are two types of theologians. And he wasn’t just referring to bookish scholars with the term “theologian,” but to everyone who thinks and speaks about God—which means all of us. You can be a theologian of glory, who assumes God’s power and favor will be displayed through visible success, strength, influence, and advancement. A theologian of glory expects Jesus to simply improve the existing order and secure a better place for people like us within it. Or you can be what Luther called a theologian of the cross, who recognizes that God most clearly reveals His power through what the world considers weakness, His wisdom through what appears foolish, and His glory through suffering and self-giving love. It's this second type that Jesus expects us to be - people who don't seek to lord it over others, but rather those who aspire to greatness by becoming servants. James and John learned this lesson the hard way; they'd aspired to greatness by attempting to lord it over the others, but instead only earned the indignation of the other ten disciples. Jesus points them instead to His own example - an example you're to follow in principle, not in its particulars. Like Jesus, you should be set on serving - even to the extent that you make yourself the slave of all. Jesus did this in such a particular way that you can't - nor do you need to because Jesus did it so completely: He gave His life as a ransom for many. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that more and more you'll shed your theology of glory and replace it with a theology of the cross; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

How much more could you follow Jesus if you weren't so overwhelmed by other stuff? Gospels: Week 7 - The cost of discipleship Matthew 19:16–30 (NASB95) 16 And someone came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. 23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last; and the last, first. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. Summary The young man's opening question is grating - especially to us Reformed folk. He asks Jesus what good thing must I do to get eternal life? And we all want to yell back at him in unison: "NOTHING! You're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone!" But don't dismiss this man's question too quickly; Although it's certainly true that you're saved by grace, there are a couple of good things you must do to get it. Jesus Himself commanded us to repent and believe! So this wealthy young man asks Jesus the right question, but grabbed onto the wrong answer. He wanted a neat checklist, and so he was pretty excited when Jesus gave him one that has been the gold standard for millennia: God's law. Ironically, though, the young man broke several of these laws right then and there by pridefully claiming that he'd kept all them. But deep down, the young man knew that he still lacked something, and Jesus had perfectly engineered this conversation to help him discover it: the tangible evidence of repentance and belief that he'd missed. Another word for this evidence is discipleship. It means letting go of this world's stuff and your own selfish ambitions and instead following wherever Jesus calls you to go. Jesus here wasn't mandating that all Christians sell their possessions and give to the poor. That prescription was carefully crafted just for this particular young man. But you do need to take seriously the underlying lesson, and ask yourself how much more could you better follow Jesus if you weren't so overwhelmed by your never ending efforts to get more and better stuff? Dig Deeper Often times, people - especially young people - who live in high crime or impoverished areas of the world are described as being 'at risk.' Life is so massively difficult for such people, and so our natural conclusion is often that such areas must be such hard ground for the gospel to take root and grow in. Chances are that you don't fall into one of the 'at risk' categories that so many others who seem less fortunate do. You're probably reading this in a comfortable place where you don't fear violent crime, won't face addiction to illicit street drugs, or have to deal with crushing hunger and poverty. But Jesus didn't have 'at risk' people in mind when He told His disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. He was thinking more so of people like us - people who so often are more attached to our possessions and great wealth than we are to Christ. Those who meet the world's definition of being 'at risk' know they're in a messed up situation and want out. They know they're broken and want to be made whole. They of course still need the regenerating Spirit to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel, but their situation in life often makes them much more open to it than what people like us are. Jesus said it's impossibly hard for people like us. But He went on to say that with God, all things are possible. Thank God that He's done the impossible in your life and pray for the strength and wisdom to let go of the pursuit of otherwise good wealth and possessions so you can fully follow Christ with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, for whom all things are possible; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not hold so tightly to the good things God has blessed you with so you can instead cling to Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Beware: even your God given instincts can wreck you. Gospels: Week 7 - The cost of discipleship Luke 12:13–34 (NASB95) 13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” 22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26 If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 110 Q. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? A. He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law... -- In addition he forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts. Summary On one hand, it's hard to imagine, but then on the other, it's not at all surprising. Imagine you had the opportunity to stand in a crowd and hear Jesus speak personally. And then even more, you got the chance to ask Jesus a question. What would you ask Him? The anonymous someone in the crowd got such an opportunity, but rather than take the opportunity to ask Jesus do dig deeper into a theological profundity, he provided a dark insight into the ugly corruption of our souls. He ordered Jesus to tell my brother to divide the inheritance. This was the most pressing issue for this man as he stood before the Son of God sent to redeem the world. Jesus immediately made clear He had no interest - or, ironically, no authority - to arbitrate such a matter. But He doesn't miss the moment to insert an extended teaching moment on the vapidness of amassing material wealth. Jesus explains that no matter how much abundance you may have, your life does not consist of your possessions. But Jesus doesn't stop there. Because greed is such a deeply embedded vice in all of our hearts, such a short answer will not suffice. Starting with a parable about a self confident man who thought he'd amassed enough goods for many years to come, yet had his soul demanded of him that very night and then piling up no less than eleven proverbs concerning the danger of wealth as He unpacks His warning to Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed. Dig Deeper We don't have the space to dig deeper into all of Jesus' warnings, so we'll have to content ourselves with just one here today. After finishing the parable by indicating that after the man's sudden death, others will own all that he'd prepared, Jesus said “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Notice here that Jesus doesn't condemn storing up treasure. In fact, He goes on to encourage us to seek and to ultimately gain treasure in heaven. Nor does Jesus condemn material wealth, either in today's passage or elsewhere. He says, in fact, that your Father knows you need these things. What Jesus is condemning is, of course, the deep seated greed for more and more stuff - the myopic type of ambition that the rich man had to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his grain and goods. In this man's case his greed led to a God-less self dependence. For so many others greed only results in worry about your life. The drive that you have to seek and build up treasure isn't in itself sinful. It's actually part of God's image shining through, reflecting His mandate that you be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). It's what you're seeking and the location of your treasure that concerns Jesus. After all, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek His kingdom; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Your life is a song. Who are you singing it to? PSALM 96 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. 4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; 12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 103 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment (to keep the Sabbath day holy)? A. First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath. Summary God's people are to be a singing people. The opening verses of Psalm 96 make this abundantly clear, with its threefold repetition of the command to sing! These repeated imperatives give good insight as to how and what we're to sing: To the LORD - We have an audience of One. We're not singing just because we enjoy it or to entertain a crowd, we're singing as a way to fulfill the purpose we were created for: to glorify and enjoy the LORD. Why? For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods (the people's idols). A new song - this certainly doesn't mean we need to continually learn brand new songs each day and never sing the old ones again. In each of the seven times this phrase appears in the Old Testament (six of which are in the Psalms), it refers to a victory God has given His people. We're to sing of the new life that God has victoriously secured for His people. The psalm goes on to do exactly that, imploring us to proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. All the earth - Your singing ought not be limited to the sanctuary on Sunday. Your entire life, and all that you control ought to be a song of praise and glory to the God who created all things. The LORD made the heavens! Blessing the LORD's name - You already know the Biblical word for 'bless' - eulogia. It's where we get the word eulogy from. It literally means to say good words. The best way to bless the LORD - that is, to eulogize Him - is to sing back to Him the words He's written to us. That's why you should sing psalms often, singing of His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Dig Deeper Notice Psalm 96's repetitive patterns: v1-2 - Sing to the LORD - 3x v7-8 - Ascribe to the LORD - 3x v11-12 - Let the heavens be glad, Let the sea roar and Let the fields exult. The psalmist is going for more than just poetic effect here; He's demonstrating cause and effect. When we, the image bearers of God who've been given dominion over creation, continually remind ourselves of who the LORD is and why He deserves every bit of our praises by singing and ascribing, it results in a world that is doing exactly what God created it to do: exude gladness as it roars its exultation. And we're not to just sing of the LORD's wonderful deeds among all the peoples - in other words, the things that God has done. We're to also be singing of what He will do: He will judge the peoples with equity. This psalm reminds us that the LORD is coming to judge the earth - the whole world (including the cosmos) and its people in righteousness and faithfulness. As we've seen, you need to be singing and ascribing all week long. The best way for you to do this is to start your week singing with the LORD's people in His house on His day. Sunday's quickly coming, so commit yourself right now to bringing an offering and coming into His courts where you can worship the LORD in holy attire (the righteousness of Christ, not your Sunday best). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will sing, proclaim, tell and say the good tidings of the LORD's salvation from day to day; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Sometimes Jesus allows pain in your life BECAUSE He loves you!! Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power CONTEXT: Jesus has been called to his sick friend Lazarus by his sisters Mary and Martha, but he ended up dying before Jesus arrived. John 11 (NASB95) 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, which was the village of Mary and her sister Martha... -- 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” -- 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. -- 17 So when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. -- 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” -- 32 ...When Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Belgic Confession Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. -- For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Summary John wants us to know for certain that Jesus' friend Lazarus wasn't just mostly dead, telling us specifically that by the time Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. According to rabbinic teaching of Jesus’ era, when someone died, their spirit remained near the body for three days, hoping to reenter it, but after three days the spirit departed and resuscitation became impossible. So four days after Lazarus had died, his sisters both greet Jesus at different times with the same piercing accusation, saying, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But Jesus lets what could have been a relationship ending insult roll off like water from a duck. Instead, He recognized the immense pain lying behind their outbursts and entered into it with them. When Jesus saw her weeping... He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled. As they took Jesus to Lazarus' tomb, we read a verse that, although is the Bible's shortest, is also one of the Bible's most profound statements: Jesus wept. He wasn't just upset His friend had died, He was overwhelmed "by the sight of the havoc wrought among people through sin and death in this world" (source). Those two words - Jesus wept - remind you that no matter how it is that you've been impacted by the havoc brought about by sin and death, Jesus knows how you feel because He's felt it. And as we continue to read in today's passage, you can know that He has power over it. Dig Deeper Jesus, of course, didn't show up four days late because circumstances beyond His control held Him up. Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus, telling him that Lazarus was sick, yet Jesus purposefully stayed put. John adds an interesting wrinkle to the story as to why He stayed: 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. In other words, it was because Jesus loved Mary and Martha so much that He let their brother die!!!! Keep this in mind the next time you face trouble and turmoil. It might feel like God has abandoned you or just doesn't care. That's exactly how these two sisters felt about Jesus four days after their brother died. Of course John makes it clear why Jesus waited. He wanted these beloved sisters and all of the people standing around to believe that God sent Him. Jesus wanted them to know that He alone is the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Him will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die. Sometimes it's only in times of extreme grief and pain like what these sisters experienced that we can truly answer the question Jesus asked Martha: Do you believe this? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who always hears our prayers; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that when turmoil comes that your faith will be strengthened as you remember Jesus' love for you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God doesn't speak from Heaven often, but when He does, He tells you to listen to Jesus. Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power Mark 9:2–13 (NASB95) 2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” 8 All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 11 They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 “But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.” Heidelberg Catechism Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be: our chief prophet and teacher who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance... Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper are reposted from March 21, 2023. Jesus’ earthly life is usually described as His time of humiliation until His resurrection and ascension to heaven, which is then His exaltation. The transfiguration was a unique moment when a few of Jesus’ disciples glimpsed His divine glory. It is also a confirmation of His office as the chief prophet of God. Mark mentions in verse 2 that after six days, the transfiguration occurred. Six days prior, Jesus was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Peter had testified that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). Then, on this mountain, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus speaking with two prominent Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah. Plus, Jesus radiates such a pure light, reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with meeting the Lord on the mountain. It's recorded in Exodus that “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him (34:30).” Next, a cloud overshadowed them, just like the pillar cloud would descend over the tabernacle in the Israelites’ time in the wilderness to show God’s presence. All these elements on the mountain point to the fulfillment of Jesus as the Messiah. The voice in the cloud confirms He speaks for God, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This is divine approval that Jesus, the Son of God, would declare the Word of God to His people, fulfilling His office as a prophet. At the close of this event, the other prophets disappear, and only Jesus is in front of them. Jesus was not only a prophet but the chief prophet and the one the other prophets prophesied of and pointed to (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15; Malachi 4:5). Dig Deeper Jesus would confirm His prophetic message throughout His ministry by performing miracles, making predictions of things to come, and preaching and teaching with authority. Jesus did not just quote Scripture but was an embodiment of it and fulfillment before their eyes. As He states within the sermon of the mount in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The way Jesus spoke was different from an ordinary teacher or prophet. Taken at His Word, He cannot merely be another prophet in a line of religious prophets or a great moral teacher. Even today, the Father’s voice calls us to listen to what Jesus says throughout Scripture. As Heidelberg Catechism QA31 notes, He perfectly reveals God’s secret counsel and will for our deliverance to us. He shows us the power of God to save: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” The plan to rescue His people was made visible and fulfilled through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the prophet representing God to His people and God for His people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Jesus is our chief prophet and teacher, the Word who became flesh who revealed the glory of God full of grace and truth (John 1:14) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Jesus, as a prophet, spoke words of warning and promise. Pray that you'll listen to Him in whatever He tells you in His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: