TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS

TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS

Pat Farish

               Where does the story of Jesus begin?  In Matthew 1 and Luke 1?  How about Genesis 3:15, where after the temptation and sin of Adam and Eve, the Lord God announced the curse on the serpent with these words, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  This reference to “her offspring” is in anticipation of the virgin birth.   Mary, told by an angel that she was going to have a baby, asked “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).   She was betrothed to Joseph, but “before they came together she was found to be with child”. For this apparent immorality, Joseph “resolved to divorce her quietly.”  But an angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying “do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.   And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25). 

The story of Jesus is The STORY OF HIS BIRTH, and adolescence.  Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to be registered; “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1-7).  As the news of his birth spread, some shepherds received from an angel “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 … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’’’ (Luke 2:8-14).   Matthew tells of wise men coming to worship him, bringing rich gifts. They had been enlisted by Herod to find Jesus and come back and tell him where he was.  They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they departed to their own country by another way (Matthew 2:1-12).    Herod thought they  had tricked him (Matthew 2:16).

When he was twelve years old, Jesus went with his parents to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover.  When his parents began their return home, they walked a day’s journey before realizing that Jesus was not with them.  They returned to Jerusalem, and – after three days – found him in the temple.  The people “who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers”.  His parents were astonished.   Having searched for the twelve year old for three days, “great distress” (Luke 2:48) is a restrained description, it would seem, of their state of mind.  He “went down with them … and was submissive to them” (Luke 2:51).

The experience in Jerusalem is the only recorded event of Jesus’ youth.  The conclusion of this part of the story of Jesus is in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man”.

The story of Jesus is THE STORY OF HIS COMPASSION.    Compassion means “a feeling of sorrow or pity for the sufferings ,,, of another; sympathy” (American College Dictionary).

Compassion is required of Christians.  It was found in the lives of Hebrew Christians, who “had compassion on those in prison …” (Hebrews 10:34).   Paul wrote that Christians should “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts …’  (Colossians 3:12)

That spirit of compassion Christians must develop is exemplified in Jesus.  In numerous places in the history of his earthly sojourn he is depicted as being  compassionate.  Jesus “had compassion for” the crowds, because they were harassed and helpless, Matthew 9:36; “had compassion” on a great crowd and healed their sick, 14:14; said “I have compassion on the crowd because they … have nothing to eat”, 15:32; he “had compassion on” the grieving widow whose only son had died; he raised him from the dead, Luke 7:11-15.  In his teaching he often used parables, and in two – the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:33, and the prodigal son, Luke 15:20, the central character is specifically c00ompassionate.

Jesus wants us to be compassionate, tender-hearted as we observe the distress of others.  Someone may object, “I can’t correct all the sad situations in the world”, and that is true; and fortunately that is not required of us.  We just need to be sensitive to the situations we observe, and be prepared to do what we can.  As Jesus was, we must be “kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

The story of Jesus is THE STORY OF HIS INCARNATION.  Incarnation is “assumption of human form or nature, as by a divine being: the incarnation of God in Christ” (American College Dictionary).  John 1:1 has it, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.  Drop down to verse fourteen and read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”.  So, God became man. 

Did you ever wonder how Jesus could live thirty-three years, and never sin one time?  Perplexed by the awareness of my sins, I figured that he, having come from heaven, remembered what it was like there, and thus was able to rise above earthly temptation by thinking about that.  But, no; that is not the explanation of Jesus’ sinlessness. 

He “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).  Tempted as we are.  When we are tempted we have a choice to make; so Jesus, tempted as we are, had to choose.  He never made the wrong choice!  How did he do it?   Any explanation of his sinlessness which involves his deity, is a wrong explanation.  The Bible teaches that Christ “suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin … “ (I Peter 2:21, 22).  If Jesus did not sin because he was God, he was no example for man, who is not God.

How then did he live without sin?  He was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11), but he did not yield, because he was not tempted more than he could bear.  What is written in I Corinthians 10:13 explains Jesus’ sinlessness and our guilt, because  we are not tempted more than we can bear, either. “No temptation has overtaken you that  is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.”  Jesus was sinless because he did not have to yield to temptation, and he did not yield.  Man is sinful because he did not have to yield to temptation, but he yielded.

The story of Jesus is THE STORY OF THE LAMB OF GOD.  In the time of the patriarchs and the Mosaic dispensation, lambs were used in sacrifice.  The lamb to be used must be “without blemish, a male a year old” (Exodus 12:5).  In Isaiah 53:7, the prophecy of the coming Messiah includes the suffering servant,  portrayed as “a lamb that is led to the slaughter”.   This is the background for the exclamation of John the baptist in John 1:29, ”The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’”.  Jesus became man, “became flesh”, so he could be a sacrifice for sin.

The story of Jesus is THE STORY OF HIS DEATH.  He had spoken freely of his death; for instance, in Matthew 16:21, “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”  

He prayed.   Matthew 26 tells of his prayer in Gethsemane,  praying to the Father, “My father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you  will”.  A second time he made this appeal (:42); and then a “third time saying the same words again” (:44).  This is not merely the anguished pleading of a man facing death; rather, the death he is facing is one of unspeakable and indescribable horror.  His death will pay the penalty for all the sin of the world – from the first time in the Garden, to the present day, and for as long as the world stands.

The phrase “cheap grace” has been employed to deprecate God’s plan for man’s salvation; but there is nothing cheap about what Jesus suffered in paying for the sins of the world.  Try to comprehend it: his physical suffering on the cross was just a small part of his suffering:  he died, to pay what we owed, for our sin.

Listen: “Christ died for the ungodly … for us” (Romans 5:6-8); Christ “gave himself for our sins” (Galatians 1:4); “Christ died for our sins” ( I Corinthians 15:3); Christ “died for us …” (I Thessalonians 5:10).

John 19:34 tells of a soldier piercing Jesus’ side with a sword, and blood and water coming forth – he was dead.  The Romans, and the Council, and his disciples, knew he was dead. “When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’” (Luke 23:47).  The Council, having engineered, as they thought, his death, rejoiced.  His disciples were hopeless; Luke 24:21, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”

The story of Jesus Is THE STORY OF HIS RESURRECTION.  He was dead.   Roman soldiers, experts in death, were there making it sure.  He arose – as he had promised, Matthew 16:21 (and others).

The resurrection enabled HOPE: Peter will write  “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3). 

“Hope” is desire plus expectation.  Things we desire but know we cannot get: no hope.  Things we expect but do not desire: no hope. 

Hope is important.  Lack of hope seems the motivation of Peter in John 21:3.    Paul includes it as one of three things that “abide“ (I Corinthians 13:13).  The hope of salvation is the Christian’s helmet, I Thessalonians  5:7.  What changed Peter?  “The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”!  Confessing that Jesus is the Christ is the key to hope.  “Rejoice in hope’, Romans 12:12

“JUDGEMENT” is coming.  God “commands all people everywhere to  repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead’, Acts 17:30, 31.

One of these days we are going to wake up in the presence of God.  Do you think you will get a pass from that appointment?  Jesus was raised from the dead to give assurance that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (II Corinthians 5:10).

The resurrection declared Jesus to be THE SON OF GOD.  Romans 1:4,  he “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Of all the miracles surrounding the life of Jesus, including his birth of a virgin, his healing the sick, feeding the multitude from nothing, raising the dead; his resurrection is the ultimate point.  If the resurrection is true, nothing else can be challenged.  The resurrection could be disproved, if it was a fraud.  If he was not raised from the dead, just produce his body – they could have done that then; and they would have, if they could – but they didn’t, so they couldn’t.  The empty tomb is the hallmark of the resurrection of Jesus.  ”He has risen”.

The story of Jesus: his heel bruised, a minor setback; Satan’s head bruised, a mortal wound: Hebrews 2:14, 15, he partook of flesh and blood like the children, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery”.

The story of Jesus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Ghosts of the Restoration

Ghosts of the Restoration

During the period of history now known as the Restoration Movement, many Christians in America sought to restore New Testament Christianity, and liberate themselves from the controlling religious institutions to which their European ancestors had adhered.  Many Christians today have a vague knowledge the Restoration Movement, or confuse it with the Reformation Movement.  Other Christians consider the study of that period in history almost as important as study of the Bible itself.  Although the dates vary from one historian to another, the Restoration began sometime in the early to mid-1800s, and concluded around the early 1900s. 

It was during this period of history that many have made the mistaken claim that “the church of Christ began” in America, or that churches of Christ today can trace their roots back to work of Restoration leaders such as Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.  It is sometimes argued that churches of Christ today are merely “Campbellite” churches (churches of Alexander Campbell).  Again, many Christians (especially the younger) don’t have a clue who Alexander Campbell was!

It is evident, however, that many contemporary circumstances and customs in local churches are the result of Restoration era efforts, practices, and beliefs.  It is also a matter of historical fact that the way many brethren view one another or judge one another today is based on divisive “issues” that Restoration era Christians debated.  Having mechanical instruments of music, churches supporting secular institutions or getting involved in secular work, sponsoring church arrangements, are the kinds of issues that divided churches beginning in the Restoration era, and the same debates were passed from one generation to the next right up to the present day.  At the very core of the argument was biblical authority, but from the literature left from writers of the era, personal feelings, opinions, preferences, and prejudices were also tightly wound into the debates.  The ghosts of the Restoration still haunt us today.

The question is: are local churches and individual Christians today doomed to continue to divide and fall out of fellowship with one another based on 100-year-old publications, debates, and convictions?  Consider Ephesians chapter 4:11-16, which says,

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  (12)  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  (13)  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;  (14)  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,  (15)  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—  (16)  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

Jesus Christ is the Head of His church.  Local churches are established and maintained in His name when the people at that church adhere with sincerity of heart to His doctrine.  Local churches and individual members must ask themselves: do I believe and practice this because it is what Christ authorizes?  Any other reason – tradition, the predominant belief in one’s family, what looks or feels right – is not valid.  And when an individual or local church realizes a practice or belief may not be consistent with what scripture teaches, regardless of what was done during the previous 10, 20, 50, or 100 years, regardless of the consequences of even proposing a change, that local church or individual must make a sincere effort to study the word of God and decide WHY they are doing what they are doing.  Christ is the Head and must have the first and final word on all that we do and speak!

If the Lord Himself were to ask a local church, “Why did you abandon the guidelines established by My word on this issue?” would the answer, “well, that’s just how we always did it” be acceptable?  Any Christian or church, on either side of any debate, surely would agree that this excuse would not be acceptable to God, and yet, when our brethren ask us why we are engaged in an unscriptural practice, sometimes, that’s exactly what we say!

Verse 13 says that the goal is for all of us to “come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  Disciples of Jesus Christ and local congregations have made mistakes since the establishment of the church in the first century all the way up this very moment that you are reading these words, but that shouldn’t distract us from this primary objective.  Past mistakes and continued error should not prevent us from striving to “speak the truth in love” (v.15) to those who we believe have departed from scriptural authority.  And, if we have been practicing error, past mistakes should not prevent us from abandoning that practice and prideful attitudes, and get back to the unity of the faith in the knowledge of the Son.

No, we are not doomed to continue to be divided by the same old debates kickstarted during the Restoration.  Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; there you will find rest for your souls.”  Although many admirable efforts were made during the Restoration period, the old paths are not to be found back in the 1800s.  The old paths are found in the eternal word of God.  If an individual or local church didn’t know anything about the history of the church over the past 2000 years, one could still learn how to “walk in the light as He is in the light, and have fellowship with one another” by simply studying and practicing what scriptures teach.

Jeremy Koontz

Meanwhile, Away from the Assembly…

Meanwhile, Away from the Assembly…

There is no scriptural authority for the local church sponsoring social activities such as common meals, sports teams, movie nights, church lock-ins, clubs for singles or divorcees, and the like.  Churches that do engage these functions often lean on a more liberal view of what the scriptures teach regarding the work of the local church to justify these kinds of social activities; if part of the work of the church is to edify and encourage one another and to have “fellowship” then can’t the local church pay for these activities, or so it’s argued.  Local churches of Christ who do engage in these practices might consider simply releasing the financial involvement of the church to the individual members who have every right to organize and engage in such practices out of their own personal means.  Churches of Christ that collectively involve themselves in worldly practices and work are in danger of leaving the primary work of spreading the Gospel and becoming more and more like other worldly social institutions (John 17:14-17).

But, while some churches with a less conservative view of what scriptures authorize on these matters overswing and miss the ball, many more conservative churches who abstain from such collective practices often under swing on what the scriptures do teach regarding the relationships and social mandates of a local church, that is, of the individual members.  Consider the following commandments given to the people of God under the law of Christ.

Hebrews 3:13 says, “Exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”  The individual members have a responsibility to exhort one another day by day, that is, each day.  Now, we aren’t authorized to have a church bowling team thatmeets once a week.  But, in many conservative churches who recognize the church bowling team is unscriptural, never make any efforts to see their spiritual brothers and sisters outside the walls of the meeting house.  How can we exhort our brethren each day if we make no efforts to see them or interact with them each day?  If we don’t want to bowl together, how about a movie night at someone’s house?  If we don’t want to watch movies together, how about a game night or just having a meal together?  How about some basketball, tennis, or maybe we just meet with the brethren to talk during the week?  In order to exhort one another, we must have some kind of relationship away from the building.

Galatians 5:13 says that we are to, “by love, serve one another.”  Surely that does not refer to serving one another just on Sundays and (maybe) Wednesdays at the church building.  So, a church not so concerned with what the scriptures mean by this might set up a church sponsored service ministry, and the church sponsors regular visitations to members’ homes who need regular help around the house, someone to go shopping for them, etc.  But will we condemn this kind of practice but not make any individual effort to do regular service for one another?  Sometimes, this involves being ready to serve where needed: someone calls you and says I need this and you jump on the task without grumbling.  However, should we not also take the initiative with this obligation: ask people how you can help them, even if they don’t come to you first.  Look for opportunities to serve.  There are many needs that local members have that they may not be comfortable in asking help with, but who long for someone to simply ask, “What can I help you with?”  And, if you are asked, sometimes you might have to think of a need, but give your brother or sister an opportunity to serve and also the opportunity to spend time with you.

Galatians 6:2 teaches we are to “Bear one another’s burdens.”  It is sad to suddenly learn about some difficulty a brother or sister has had for years of which they never spoke a word to anyone.  On one hand, we condemn brothers and sisters for simply not attending services regularly, but on the other hand, know absolutely nothing about what is going on in that individual’s life, about the many burdens that they must bear alone, about how the weight of those burdens is squeezing the faithfulness out of them.  But we must at least try to get to know our brethren, know about their burdens, offer to help them bear those burdens so that their faith remains intact.  Surely, they will be accountable for their own decisions, but we will be accountable for whether or not we tried to help them.  Again, how can we bear one another’s burdens if we have no relationship outside of the little building on 831 W Pleasant Run?

Hebrews 10:24 says, “let us consider one another, and provoke one another to love and good works.”  Sometimes it’s hard to do what’s right on one’s own.  How much easier it is when your fellow believer is there with you to encourage and provoke you!  There are many good works in which we ought to be engaged.  Again, a group who believes scripture justifies church-sponsored action in all good works acts liberally when they reach into the contribution collected from the saints to pay for ministries to do these good works.  But we are required to do the good works (!), and many churches with a more conservative view of scripture fail miserably in keeping this mandate.  Individual Christians must necessarily get together from time to time, reach into their own pockets if necessary, set aside their own time, and find good works to do.  Galatians 6:10 clearly specifies that good works ought to be done for all in the world AND for those in the household of faith.  But if we only see each other two days a week for two or three hours, how can we do this?

Brothers and sisters, let us seek opportunities to get to know one another, to encourage one another, to spend time with one another, to support and love one another, to have true relationships with one another in our daily lives.  In Acts 2:42-47, after many souls came together in Christ, what kind of relationship did they have with one another?  Was it detached and impersonal, or did it appear they were growing together in spirit and truth?  Look at the many examples of the first century churches, working together, spending time in each other’s homes, building their relationship day by day, not just satisfied (sometimes grudgingly) mechanically dragging themselves to a once or twice a week meeting.

Ask yourself: what more can I do to develop my daily relationship with the local church?  Remember that the church is the PEOPLE, not only when they are assembled at the building but ALL WEEK!  We assemble at the building to sing, to pray, to worship, to remember the death of our Savior, but there are so many other significant responsibilities we have that we must regularly do for each other away from the building; if we fail to do those things for one another which are commanded, we are just as badly off as “forsaking the assembly.” – Jeremy Koontz