Thursday, April 13, 2006

Opposing Views of God's Justice

Luke 7:29-30. And when all the people and the tax-gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

Here we see two responses to God’s justice, or the will of God. We observe that when all the people and tax gatherers heard John’s message of repentance they properly responded by having been baptized with the baptism of John. This was God’s justice that they became broken and repentant for their sin and iniquity. Their outward response was to be baptized by John which showed their inward repentance. The Pharisees and lawyers (scribes) on the other hand rejected God’s purpose and refused to have been baptized by John.

It is interesting to see how those who portrayed the epitome of religion reacted to Jesus as He explains to them that their religion is worthless.

Matt. 11:16-19
16. "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,
17. and say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon!'
19. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

Luke 7:31-35
31. "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
32. "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
33. "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
34. "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' 35. "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Elijah the Forerunner

Matt. 11:12. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Whether this verse is taken in the negative or the positive sense the message is true, but it is more likely that Jesus meant this in the positive sense. When we consider that He has taught that one is to enter by the narrow gate and there are few who find it. Here is another opportunity to examine ourselves to see if we are taking the kingdom by a forceful desire or are we satisfied to sleep our way into it. How apt is the adage: if you snooze you loose.

Vv. 13-15. "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14. "And if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come. 15. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Until there was John the Baptist the only true prophesy came in the form of God’s prophets and His Law recorded from Genesis to Malachi. This is all the information available respecting the coming Messiah that would set up His kingdom. The forecast was complete with the last of the prophets giving the detail of Elijah coming to prepare Messiah’s way. Mal. 4:5-6 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6. "And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." Only the few would care to accept that Jesus was the Messiah and that John, himself as Elijah who was to come. Because there were so few who would care to accept it the earthly reign of King Jesus would be postponed.

Jesus gives careful exposition of Malachi’s prophecy explaining that John is Elijah who was to come. And, He also gives a final admonition and warning: He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

MacArthur writes, “John was the greatest man to live before Christ, but the highest greatness God offers is not like John’s. John was a unique man and greatly used by God in the redemptive scheme before the New Covenant. But his greatness pales, Jesus says, besides those who enter His spiritual kingdom through trust in Him as Lord and Savior in the New Covenant. True greatness is not being like John the Baptist but being like Christ.”

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Hard to Enter

Matt. 11:12. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

It takes a special individual to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is one who is willing to fight his fleshly desires to obtain that pearl of great price. Matt. 13:45-46 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46. and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. This is not like the rich young ruler: Matt. 19:16, 21-22 And behold, one came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 21. Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22. But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property. This kind of individual is so rooted in the temporal that he never sees the value of the kingdom. This is unlike Daniel and his three friends: Dan. 1:8; 3:16-18 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 16. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." It is in this sense we see that the kingdom suffers violence and the strong men and women are the violent ones who take it by force.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Short Ministry

Matt. 11:12. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Jesus continues to explain the importance of John’s ministry to the crowd. He focuses upon the relatively short period of about 18 months that John has had to accomplish his ministry. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, would be the time span that the greatest man born of a woman has had to perform his monumental task of heralding that the King and the kingdom are at hand.

Jesus following words, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force,” can be rightly interpreted in two different manners. In a negative sense it would indicate the oppressive nature inflicted by the religious leadership from the outside that would soon behead John and kill Jesus. The idea expressed negatively would be the violence displayed in a physical manner to John and Jesus’ mission.

In the positive sense we view the kingdom of heaven pressing forward in a forceful and vigorous manner. The kingdom is being formed by healed sick people, cleansed lepers, and dead people being raised to new life. The idea is that as Hendriksen says, “One cannot sleep his way into the kingdom.” Satan is well prepared to keep men from entering the kingdom of God in any manner he can.  

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