The Three Cs

The setting of the Gospel of Saint Matthew is unlike the other three Gospels: It resounds with the proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew moves quickly through the birth and infancy narratives of chapters one and two into the adult ministry of Jesus. But along the way Matthew sets the stage by showing how prophecies from Isaiah, Malachi, Zechariah, Hosea, and Jeremiah, in particular, effectively link Jesus to the Torah (Matt. 1:1-17), the virgin birth (Isa. 7:23) in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and as a survivor of a slaughter of innocents (Jer. 31:15) who comes out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). As chapter three opens, John the Baptist, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-80) has begun his ministry as the one calling in the desert to turn the hearts of the fathers. Textual Notes 1 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις -- The expression “in those days” rings throughout prophetic scripture, serving as an important marker that something big is about to happen: Elijah has arrived to “...

The pericope for Lord’s Supper in the Gospel of Matthew is in the midst of a paradox. The fruit of salvation offered in a cup is sandwiched by two of the worst kinds of sin. On one hand, Jesus will be betrayed by someone who doesn’t believe in him (Mt 26:14-16, 24), and on the other he will be denied by someone who does (Mt 26:30-35). Jesus will warn us that it would be better we hadn’t been born than to betray Him (Mt 26:24), and he has already said that if we deny him, he will deny us (Mt 10:33). All the while, forgiveness is in the offering. As readers hit this foundational passage to the sacrament of Holy Communion, the ministry of Jesus is coming to a close. Matthew has presented the Messiah in an orderly fashion, not linearly like Mark and Luke, through five discourses — the sermon on the mount, the ten miracles, the establishment of the apostolic ministry, the kingdom parables, the life of the church, and the prophecy of the end times — and he has gone into great detail conn...

What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? In case you've missed it, I write a lot about believing in God. (OK, that's an understatement; it is what I write about). Believe, is my reminder. Set your hope in Jesus. Have faith that the one you have not seen is real, that the stories you read about him are true. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength. Of course, I am not just reminding you; I am reminding myself, in a large part because of today's passage. You realize, demons believe in Jesus, don't you? Oh, wait? Demons are real, you ask? Of course they are real! Why would we need a savior if there are no demons? Yes, demons are very real; they really do possess people; they are going to hell, and they know it. And they want to take you and me with them. Demons are intimately aware of who Jesus is. In fact, they not only recognized the son of Joseph and Mary, they recognized him as the W...

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" I had struggled with today's passage for a long time. But it dawned on me, I had been misunderstanding these words at the end of Jesus' sermon on the mount. I kept reading this passage and hearing the 'Lord, Lord,' as though these were people who had faith in God. I mean, who would prophesy, who would cast out demons, who would do mighty works ... if they didn't believe? Right? But that isn't what Christ is noting here. Read the words, again. "Did  we  not ... do this." They aren't expressing their faith in God. They are praising themselves. Look at me...

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. No one likes to be called ungodly. (Well, at least most people don't like it; I am sure you, like me, have met some profoundly proud atheists at one time.) But ungodly living is so unbecoming. Most of us don't like to be around arrogant people. We don't like heartlessness. We condemn ruthlessness, senselessness, those who harm the innocent. We rightfully take offense at boastful blasphemers. And let's be honest, who likes to be around drunks all the time ? Of course, you know the truth, don't you? You know you are just like that. Maybe not all the time ... maybe not even most of the time ... maybe rarely ... but we are all  like that. There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11) Yes, it's true: We are all  like that. Ungodly. Unrighteous. Yes, ...

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. I made a horrible mistake. For the longest time I thought godliness was something that came from me. Godliness, one dictionary will tell you, is a piety by virtue of being a godly person, or having a righteousness by virtue of being pious, or devout, or reverent. Therefore, if I am pious; therefore, if I am doing something righteous; therefore if I am being reverent, then I am living a godly life, the dictionary will tell you. Apparently, the people who wrote the definition haven't read the Bible. God has revealed a mystery to us here: Godliness isn't something you do. Godliness is something God does through you. Listen to the words of Timothy, again, as God reveals the mystery. The mystery of godliness is Jesus was manifested in the flesh (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35); Th...

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. I don't understand why people willfully reject the truth. We preach it to our children from the first day they can speak: Always tell the truth. Our courts make us swear, to God no less, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and we send people to jail for failing to do so. We know the consequences of untruth, of half truth, of white lies can be severe. People get hurt. So what exactly is truth? Socrates gave us a mouthful in defining it, when he said, "To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while t...

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. In my last post, I challenged the idea that Jesus never said he was God, by laying out from just the first eight chapters of John how in fact he did say he was. The Jews knew what Jesus was saying, and they wanted to stone him; they just didn't get the chance. And if you will listen to Jesus' words today, you will hear him say it clearly. Today, we have what I think is the most powerful testimony yet, the Father and the Son ar...

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Some people seem to think Jesus never said he was God, so therefore they don't believe in him. Oh, it's true that Jesus, the King of the Jews, never said anything like, "Kneel before the Lord your maker! Kneel before me, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I am God!" But make no mistake: Jesus did say he was God. In fact, from today's ...

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. It's been too long since I wrote. But today I couldn't resist this. I love discovering great passages of Scripture. Most of you are likely more familiar with the more famous passages of John 3: Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus. Today, though, I flew right through that and landed on this section, where John the Baptist exalts the Christ to a Jew who had questions about purification. I can...

Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. If you are a regular Bible reader, I am sure you must have looked quizzically at the title of this post and my Bible reference. The title is James 1:22. So, what's with the Proverbs reference, you ask? Yesterday, I had lunch with a Christian friend of mine who has been struggling with his faith, struggles that have him occasionally wondering if he is really saved. Maybe I am doing too much, he says. Maybe I am not doing enough. Maybe I don't really believe. Maybe my faith is dead. Passages like those in James have a way of doing that to every Christian. Do not merely listen to the Word, James writes, do as it says (James 1:22 NIV). Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:20 ESV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10 NIV). Am I really goo...

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. I don't know anyone who will agree with Paul on this passage. Really, Paul? Worst of sinners? I know you stoned Christians for confessing that Jesus is Lord, that you are a murderer (Acts 8:1), persecutor (1 Cor 15:9), and worst of all, blasphemer (Matt. 12:31; Lev. 24:15-16). But the worst of sinners? Really? I ...

I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. I have always been fascinated by the illustrations of light in the Bible. You know, God is light, right? Evil hates the light, because it exposes our dark deeds. We turn away from the light of the Word that became flesh because we cherish our sinful pleasures. In darkness, we learn to indulge in our selfishness, in our passions, in our debauchery, in our drunkenness, eventually losing sight of real life in God, the life was the light of men (John 1:4). And so in today's reading I couldn't help but spend a lot of time here in chapter 26. But unlike some of my previous studies of light, I was captivated by Paul's account of his conversion. This is the third time in Acts of the Apostles we hear the story of Saul's journey to Damascus. The first time...

To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives  forgiveness of sins through his name. Today's passage reminds me, you can't hear this message enough. Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name. You caught that, right? Everyone! Not some believers. Everyone! As Peter reminds us through Luke's account of the early years after Pentecost, God has promised. He didn't just promise here. He promised Abraham (Gen. 15:6). More than that, Jesus himself promised.  Don't be afraid, just believe. Mark 5:36 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. Mark 9:41 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one an...

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. God bless my pastor, Joe Meyer, for going somewhere on Sunday few would be brave enough to do. Today is Memorial Day. Yesterday, all across the United States, churches no doubt took pause, like mine, to remember those who laid done their lives in defense of our great nation. I am sure most, like mine, sang patriotic hymns, and said prayers for the families of the men and women who made the "ultimate sacrifice" for our nation. Being Memorial Day, I suppose it's common for pastors to preach, too, on one of the great passages of Scripture, John 15:13, reminding us of the incomparable Gospel. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Those sermons undoubtedly went something like this: Those of us who believe are Jesus' friends. And Jesus died for us. He allowed God ...

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For  if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.  But the Scripture  imprisoned everything under sin, so that  the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given  to those who believe.  Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law,  imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! I really needed to hear this passage yesterday, and today, and I am sure tomorrow, too. It captures the amazing truth of the Word! Believe the good news: Jesus Christ is risen, the miracle of miracles! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Paul's letter to the Galatians is so incredibly important. Too often we get bogged down in the Law, which reminds us of our failures. We should read Galatians frequently because Paul spells out our salvation in such simple terms: We are saved by faith, not works! Je...

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. God chose you. Maybe you were influential. Maybe you were of noble birth. Maybe you are wise or strong. But you are probably more like me, neither influential, nor noble, nor wise, nor strong. If you know anything about me, you know I certainly have nothing in which to boast. That's the beauty of today's passage. God chose you and me to believe. I am a despicable sinner. But we have been saved (John 3:17)! Praise God from whom all blessings flow. God has chosen you and me to believe (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 5:1-2; Phil. 3:9; Eph. 2...

For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you. I am always amazed at the Word I read every day. On every page, in every iota of every i, I can't get past the truth of God. Did you hear it in today's verse? I first heard it today in a big A-ha moment (Rom. 9:13) that I may explain some other day. Then the Word rang out repeatedly -- almost as if the church bells struck 24 times because it was midnight -- through Romans 9-12. If you are puzzled where I am going with this, I will spell it out for you. B.E.L.I.E.V.E. Every day God calls us to believe. Believe the Word. Believe in the Word. Believe in God. Believe in Christ. Believe that Jesus is the Christ. Believe that Jesus died for you. Believe that he is risen, he is risen indeed! Believe that you have been justified. Believe that you are being sanctified. Believe, and be saved. "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That...

Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. This is the Word that everyone needs to hear again. God didn't come to earth to save the righteous who practice the Religion of the Law (Mark 2:17). God came to earth to save the sinners who practice the Religion of the Gospel (John 7:38). God didn't come to earth to save the religious who think they are good people (Matt. 3:7-8). God came to earth to save those who will listen to him (John 8:47). Hear the truth of God: No one who is righteous. No one is faithful. No one is good enough. No one who can find favor with God. No one! We stink at Christianity. We ... are ... failures. So, turn! Turn and repent, Jesus is declaring. The Messiah has come. ...

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” It would be easy to get stuck in the big picture of this story in Matthew. A rich man comes to Jesus and asks what some might think is a rather simple question. So Jesus spells it out. If you are seeking eternal life, obey the Word: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie or gossip. ... And if you think you have those bases covered, then make sure you also sell everything you own, take up your cross and follow Jesus. That man, just like me, was crushed. I haven't killed anyone. But obeying the Law ... well, everyone fails. To be clear, EVERYONE fails, everyone except Jesus, that is. Jesus (Matt. 19:26), and Paul (Rom. 3:20) make that perfectly clear in the New Testament. And the Old Testament writers did, too, most notably David in Psalm 14. Maybe you missed it, but that was the point of the story: "There is only One who is good" ...