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Incarnational Love

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Introduction

As we all know, Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Not only was this Incarnation a great expression of love, if we are thinking scripturally we will come to see it as the very definition of love. And notice that this definition, in order to be a true definition, must be an incarnate definition. It must be a definition in 3-D.

The Text

“And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 5–7).

Summary of the Text

Incarnational love is the way in which we must walk. John beseeches the unknown lady to whom he writes in this way. He pleads with her, not as though there were some new commandment. Rather, he pleads with her that we all continue to love one another. This is the same commandment that we have had from the beginning (v. 5). This is the commandment; this is the law of Christ. This is what love foundationally is—walking in the commandment. And what is the commandment? That we walk in love (v. 6). This is to be done with a basic wariness about deceivers. There are many deceivers out and about, many deceivers have entered the world. How are they to be identified? They are the ones who refuse to confess something—they refuse to confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Such a one is a liar, a deceiver, a false teacher, an antichrist (v. 7).

Imperatives Flow from the Indicative

Let us begin with a brief grammar lesson. An indicative statement is a statement of fact. The door is open. This is simply a fact. We do not know who opened it, only that they did. When an indicative statement is made, the only thing you can do with it is believe it, or not. You either believe or refuse to believe it. The only thing you can do is confess it, or refuse to confess it. And the one thing you cannot do is obey an indicative statement. You cannot, in response to the door is open, spring up and say that you will open it right away. At least not without a great category confusion. You will only confuse yourself, and you will do nothing to the door.

This is not to say that there is no relationship between indicatives and imperatives. If someone were to tell you the door is open, and then command you to acknowledge that the door was open, this would be a command—an imperative—that presupposes knowledge of the facts, knowledge of the indicative.

Now according to our text Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh. This is a staggering fact, but still a fact for all that. Believe that He is come in the flesh is the imperative. Apostles and ministers, evangelists and church planters, not to mention all Christians, are all commissioned to go out into the world with a simple two-part message. 1. Declare the grand indicative; 2. Command all men everywhere to believe and confess the truth of what was just declared.

Love and Lies

From the day that sin entered our world, love has always been understood in contrast to its opposite. When God cursed the serpent, He established the antithesis between the seed of the serpent and the seed off the woman (Gen. 3:15). As long as God has a people that He is calling from this fallen world, the antithesis must be understood by all who would be faithful to Him.

In the Incarnation, God’s Son entered the world. It is striking that the same expression is used of the deceivers. They too have “entered the world,” many of them. Many deceivers come, and they come not confessing.

This means that there is no confession of the truth, no love of the truth, where there is not a rejection of the lie—a rejection of those who will not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Prov. 8:13, ESV).

You cannot love the wheat without hating the tares. You cannot love the patient without hating the cancer. You cannot love the sheep without hating the wolves. You cannot love the truth without hating the lie.

Confessing, Walking, Obeying, Loving

See how all these things are bound together. Those who do not obey the commandment are those who do not walk in love. Those who do not walk in love are those who will not confess the reality concerning of Jesus.

Before walking in love, walk around it first. Take it in. What I mean is this. Look at what it means to walk in love. It means to confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This confession of the stupendous indicative cannot be made without finding yourselves immediately in the midst of loving your brothers and sisters.

What did walking in love mean for Jesus Christ? For Him, walking in love meant being God come in the flesh. For us, walking in love means confessing that this is who He is.

The love of God is the mirrored side of the law of God. James tells us that the law of God is like a plate glass window, and not like a series of French panes. If you break the law anywhere you have broken the whole thing (Jas. 2:10). But the glory of the new covenant is this—if you keep the gospel at any point, you have kept all of it.

No one is saved by a partial Jesus, and no one ever had a partial Christ. If you have Jesus at all, you have all of Him. And if you confess Him, you love Him. If you love Him, you are walking in Him. If you have the commandment at all, you have had it from the beginning. Salvation is a grand mystery, but one thing we can say about it is this—it is never parceled out. It is not distributed with a tea spoon.

The most miserable Christian who ever lived, provided he is a Christian, has no less of Jesus than the saintliest Christian ever. And this is because Christ was born in a stable, and He was given for us. All of Him was given for us. And so it is that we are saved to the uttermost.

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

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Wise Men and Worship

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Introduction

As we consider this familiar passage, I’d like us to view this as the story of kings and their worship. I’m not referring to the “We three kings of Orient are…” rather, just to the two kings––King Herod and King Jesus. The magi appear with the announcement that the King of the Jews has been born, and they have come in order to worship him. So who is the king and who gets the worship? We observe three responses to this worship for the king by the wise men, the Jewish religious leaders, and King Herod.

Ironic King of the Jews (vs. 1-3)

Mathew draws our attention to Herod being the king so we need to know what kind of king he was. By the time Jesus is born Herod has been ruling in Judea for around 40 years. He first came to power when Marc Antony (of the Cleopatra fame) made him the tetrach of the region and was then appointed “the King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate. The chronology of Herod’s life reads like the biography of a mob boss with regular hit jobs for rivals mingled with lavish checks to the neighborhood charities. So when Herod, the King of the Jews, hears the report of a new born “King of the Jews,” all his well sharpened survival instincts kick in.

The Magi and the Star (vs. 2)

Who are these men that cause a ruckus for Herod and Jerusalem? Matthew describes them as wise men or magi from the East. Before they became associated with the nativity scene, magi would have been associated with kings and the ruling class. “Magi” was the Babylonian or Persian title given to priests, astrologers physicians, sorcerers who various kings in the ancient world consulted for their skill in interpreting omens, signs, and the stars.

Once the magi arrive in Jerusalem they start asking around, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East…” Perhaps the star is a reference to Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17, “I see Him, but not now: I behold him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and bater the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.” And so these pagan magi from foreign nations follow the star in order to worship the King of the Jews.

Indifferent Priests and Scribes (vs. 4-6)

Herod the King is trouble and so assembles all the chief priests and scribes together and asks, “Where the Christ was to be born?” Did you get that? Not just the King of the Jews, but the Christ. They respond, “Bethlehem” while pointing to Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2). The Christ, the long expected Messiah, the promised deliver will be born about six miles down the road from Jerusalem. The Magi have travelled for hundreds, if not thousands of miles, and Jewish religious leaders can’t be bothered to go less than ten miles to find their Christ.

Do we not find ourselves following the easy option of the scribes and the priests? We too know the Bible answers about the Christmas story. We’ve heard it, read it, sung it hundreds of times. But are we hesitant to worship? Perhaps we think it’s all too inconvenient. Perhaps we fear being reported by the palace’s holiday tolerance division. And so we remain comfortable and safe in our religious shelters.

Magi’s Worship

The magi follow the directions and the miraculous star leads them to Jesus. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” (vs. 10).  This the biblical language for jumping up in the air with high fives, fist pumps, sobbing tears and laughter. The magi bow down and worship the Christ child, the greatest gift God could give and has given. And from this worship they become like God and give their treasures. Here Jesus and Magi at the beginning picture what will happen at the end––all nations will come and bow down before Jesus Christ the King.

Christmas Reveals your Worship

Christmas reveals your worship. The question is not whether you will worship, but who will you worship? The options in this story were King Herod or King Jesus. But this new story presents itself as the Kingdom of Jesus continues to increase.

So here are the days we live in––Jesus has been born as the King of the Jews and the Messiah for the World. How ought you to respond? Don’t be like the scribes and chief priests. Don’t be content knowing all the facts about Christmas but indifferent to Jesus Christ. Don’t be like Herod who attempted to destroy King Jesus and his increasing kingdom. Those like Herod still actively seek to make Christmas Christ-less. Be like the wise men and worship. Celebrate your discovery that you have found the King. Bow before him and delight in the gift of the Son. Imitate the Father and offer him the treasures of your life. Splurge. Celebrate Christmas in such a way that makes Christ-less kings worry. Let your battle cry ring of “Merry Christmas.”

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Spiritual Child Rearing 4: God as our Father

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The Text

“. . . who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.  And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’ . . .” Hebrews 5:7-14

Remember that the theme in this series has been to “look” at our relationship to God as our Father through the lens of our relationship to our family. In Matthew 7:11, Jesus tells us that we can use parental examples (here) to multiply (how much more) to get to a better picture of how God relates to us. He uses relationships we can understand to leverage our ability to understand His relationship with us.

Marks of a Teenager

We are talking about a stage in life where suddenly our children have the capacity and will to either put into practice everything wrong that is beaconing them from our culture like the foolish woman of Proverbs 9:15-18. Or, they exercise their new found capacity in obedience. This is the issue.

How did Jesus Learn Obedience?

In our sermon text, Jesus prayed with such intensity that sweat formed as great drops of blood on his forehead. And we are told that He was heard because of His godly fear. Jesus prayed with complete trust in both the power and goodness of the Father — that childlikeness that I talked about in the previous message. The problem was not relationship — Jesus was the SON. The problem was not sin — Jesus was sinless. The answer was not due to an improper request or heart attitude — Jesus prayed with godly fear. The answer from the Father was given that Jesus would learn obedience through His suffering.

The Outcome of Jesus’ Obedience

The outcome of Jesus’ suffering had a number of effects: His perfection; the salvation of the world; AND the anticipated perfection of all those who follow Him! How is this? What do I mean by the anticipated perfection or obedience of those who are followers of Jesus, who are found “in Him”? Having the same mind as Christ — submitting to the Father — and suffering in the flesh result in the ceasing of sin or to say this positively — holiness (1 Peter 4:1).

Authority and Submission

The Centurion in Luke 7:6-8 was a powerful man and righteous in the sight of the Jewish elders. He was a compassionate man, seeking the welfare of his servant. Still, he humbles himself personally before Jesus and further demonstrates by his faith and words that he believed that Jesus was not only the higher authority but THE authority over the earth. And, here we have Jesus acknowledge that this is the faith of the Centurion was just the kind of faith that impresses Jesus.

Laying the Groundwork

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:51-52

What Jesus “learned” in Hebrews 5 (submission to death), began with submission to parents. This is just the simple principle that if you want to be faithful in big things, you need to start being faithful in little things. Jesus was subject to his parents. This means he was under the rule of his parents in the same sense that rulers have subjects who obey them.

Conclusion

  1. Submission is not easy, because real submission is tested when we have to do something we don’t want to do. Jesus demonstrated real submission when His request that his cup be removed was denied. Paul experienced real submission when his thorn was not removed.
  2. Submission is not an option. In Romans 6, we learn that we are either slaves to sin or slave to righteousness. In any case, we are submitting to someone. It is just that one leads to death and one to life.
  3. Submission is freeing. When we submit, we are handing over the responsibility for the outcome to the other party. A wife to her husband. A young person to their parents. Jesus to the Father. Men to leaders in the church or their organization. When we take the decision into our own hands, then we carry the full responsibility.

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The Apostles Creed 21: And the Life Everlasting. Amen.

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What we now know as the Apostles Creed descended from an earlier form of the creed, known as the Old Roman Symbol. The beginning of the creed dates from as early as the second century. We do not have any direct evidence that it was penned by any of the apostles, but it is an admirable summary of the apostolic teaching.

Introduction

The gospel is given to us so that fellowship with God might be restored. God created us without fault or failing, and yet through our father Adam we all grasped for the fruit, and fell into spiritual death. When we reached for the knowledge of good and evil, we were attempting to seize the rule prematurely. We were already eating from the tree of life, but on account of our rebellion, we were banished from the entire Garden, which included the tree of life. In the gospel, we are invited back to the tree of eternal life (Rev. 2:7).

The Text

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into Hades. On the third day He rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Summary of the Text

“Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour” (Titus 1:1–3).

As part of his preamble to the letter to Titus, Paul summarizes his calling and his mission. He is a servant of God, and He was sent out as an apostle by Jesus Christ (v. 1). This lines up with the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth which is in accordance with godliness (v. 1). All this is undertaken in hopes of eternal life, which God—who cannot lie—promised before eternal times (v. 2). But now, in due time, God has manifested His Word through His preachers, which was committed to Paul through the commandment of God our Savior (v. 3).

Sorting Out the Words

What is the difference between eternal, everlasting, and forever? Is there a difference?

We are pursuing eternal life, hoping for it, and the word for eternal here is aionios. The word means ages, or world, or era. In v. 2, using the same word, God promised this before the timeless ages, or perhaps before eternal times. In English, everlasting and eternal are distinct—everlasting means temporal succession without end, and eternal means timeless—a forever is like everlasting. One refers to duration and the other to quality. But our English translations are working from the same word in both Hebrew and Greek (compare John 3:15 and 3:16), and so the meaning of the word in Scripture is largely contextual. There is only so much juice that can be squeezed from a lexicon.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [before eternal times]” (2 Tim. 1:9). In short God gave His grace to us before there was such a concept as before. The one thing we can be sure of is that God’s temporal dealings with us are anchored in decisions He made before the foundation of the world.

Begin with Hope

Calvin dismisses those men who want us to limit our spiritual considerations to this life, saying they “reduce men to the condition of cattle.” God has put eternity into our hearts (Ecc. 3:11), speaking of our yearning, and if anyone believes in the Son of God He also puts eternal life there (John 3:15-16; 6:54; 10:28; 17:2-3)—speaking of the fulfillment. So what are you yearning for? What is your hope? “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Rom. 2:7).

The God of Amen

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen! “ Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 106:48)

In Scripture we find three basic uses of amen. The first is that it has the force of a covenant oath (Num. 5:22; Dt. 27; Neh. 5:13). This far stronger than a simple, “Yes, I agree with that.” The second use is a benediction. “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen” (Gal. 6:18; Phil 4:23; 2 Tim. 4:22; Rev. 22:21). And last is the doxological use. Justified men have also been given the privilege of blessing God. When God is solemnly blessed and praised, we conclude it with amen. “. . . the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom. 1:25; 9:5; Eph. 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 13:21; 1 Pet. 5:11). When we say Amen in this context, we are tasting eternity.

In both Old and New Testaments, God identifies Himself with this word. Speaking of the time of the New Covenant, Isaiah prophesies in this way: “So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth [lit. “God of Amen”]; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth [same] (Is. 65:16).

And John the apostle records, “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God . . .’ (Rev. 3:14). And Paul teaches, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1:20).

The Final and Ultimate Hope

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

And so all the promises of God culminate in this living and triune Amen. And so we believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth . . . and in the life everlasting. Amen.

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The Father Seeks Worshippers

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The Text

“When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.4 And he must needs go through Samaria.5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink . . . “ (John 4:1-26)

Christmas Desires

While the Samaritan woman does not usually make the list for Advent passages, this story illustrates the deep longings of humanity and the One sent from God to satisfy these desires. This woman desired water, and Jesus offers water that provides eternal life. She wanted men, and Jesus reveals God as a Father. She sough to worship rightly, and Jesus explains that God is seeking her as a worshipper. The story of the Samaritan woman forms part of the larger story that begins at Christmas with the good news of great joy that the Father is seeking people to worship him in spirit and truth.

Journey to Samaria (vs. 1-6)

Jesus along with his disciples trek from Judea to Galilee in northern Israel. Verse 4 states that “Jesus had to go through Samaria.” In a practical sense, Jesus did not have to pass through Samaria. Many strict Jews avoided Samaria, but Jesus intentionally travels to Samaria and rests at a well outside Sychar.  Since it’s around lunchtime, Jesus sends all the disciples to the town for food. He arranges

A Samaritan Woman at a Jewish Well (vs. 7-9)

A Samaritan woman comes alone to the well to draw water. Culturally, most women draw water in the cool of the morning. Her arrival at noon reveals a clue of her situation. She’s on the outskirts of the Samaritan social scene. If the Samaritans shun you, you’re really hurting. Then Jesus asks the woman for a drink. She responds. “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a Samaritan woman?” About 750 years of hatred are bearing down on this request for a drink of water.

Living Water and Cracked Cisterns (vs. 10-15)

Jesus continues with his surprises, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (vs. 10). Notice that Jesus initiates with a known desire of the woman––water. This woman is an expert on the water in this well. She knows the stats. She knows the urban legend of Jacob. But this woman who everyday lugs her pot to the well knows the need and preciousness of water.

Jesus is offering the woman not something that can be put in  a bucket, but he is offering himself. Jeremiah the Prophet compares living water and cracked cisterns, “Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13-14). Living water is found in the Lord, and in him alone. But those who refuse to drink from this source must dig from their own cisterns that can hold no water. Jesus now identifies the cracked cistern of men that has left her soul thirsty.

Husband Thirst and Wrong Worship (vs. 16-22)

“Go, call your husband, and come here.” She becomes a linguist, “I have no husband.” Jesus confronts her spiritual thirst by pointing out that she has had five husbands and now a live-in boyfriend. The woman is dumbfounded that Jesus knows the details of her life and assumes he is a prophet (vs. 19). A prophet reveals a person’s place in the eyes of God and the way to make things right between God and man. The woman recognizes her sin and the necessity of repentance, but she has been worshipping wrong.

Worship the Seeking Father (vs. 23-26)

Worship of God is possible because the Father is seeking people to worship him. When was the last time this woman experienced a father? Over the years, she had experienced men as husbands, but not a father. God the Father is not distant or scornful but actively seeks to find people. God’s desire for you realigns the desires of your life. What does God want? He wants you to know him as your Father. He wants you to worship him as your God in spirit and truth. This woman has a deep thirst that can only be satisfied in the worship of the Triune God and by the work of the Triune God.

What does the Father want? A world of worshippers. And so the Father has sent his Son Jesus to a world full of people with messed up desires and wrong worship. This is the joyful announcement the angels shouted to the scruffy shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11) This great news of great joy came to the Samaritan woman. And we join in this celebration even now in the season of advent that the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Desire of the Nations, has come.

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