In the previous blog we learned that Jesus is the Son FROM God. In other words, He is the long expected Messiah! And His teaching (which was inextricably intertwined with His miracles) attested to this fact. Jesus' miracles demonstrated that He had AUTHORITY over death, sickness, nature, and demons. In other words, Jesus had the POWER to reverse the fortunes of God's people and reverse the curses of Genesis. Jesus' manifestation of this POWER gave His teaching AUTHORITY and left the crowds AMAZED. Obviously Mark wants us to know that Jesus clearly fits the profile of the Messiah and that He is FROM God!
JESUS VERSUS THE PHARISEES
But Mark doesn't just want us (the readers) to know how AMAZING Jesus was. NO. He also wants the reader to know that the current religious establishment lacks God's AUTHORITY (in comparison to Jesus). This is why Mark is constantly contrasting Jesus with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law regarding religious observances (such as the Sabbath Day, the laws of ceremonial purity and cleanliness, and spiritual disciplines such as prayer and fasting). He makes this contrast explicit in Mark 1:22 when he writes, "Jesus taught them as one who had authority, AND NOT AS THE SCRIBES."
But why does Mark feel the need to undermine the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees? SIMPLE. The teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Pharisees were diametrically opposed especially on the question: 'What does it look like to FOLLOW and HONOR God?' Jesus' vision of what it looks like to FOLLOW God centers on a MISSION to RESCUE sinful people whereas the Pharisees' vision centers on a MISSION to RETREAT from sinful people (Mark 2:13-17). In other words, Jesus came to HEAL the sick whereas the Pharisees tried to AVOID the sick. These two visions couldn't be more different! But whose teaching would the people trust? Who would the people look to for guidance? Jesus or the official religious establishment?
Well, the Pharisees and scribes sat in the positions of AUTHORITY within the Jewish establishment. This meant that WHEN they gave guidance to the people, the people would be more inclined to TRUST and FOLLOW them. But Mark wants the people to TRUST and FOLLOW Jesus (and not the PHARISEES). And so Mark (through his gospel) is attempting to de-authorize and de-legitimize the teachings of the Pharisees and scribes so that Jesus can hold his rightful place of honor and authority in the lives of people. And Mark accomplishes this by showing that Jesus (and not the Pharisees or scribes) is FROM God...that Jesus is God's AUTHORIZED agent...that Jesus is God's TRUE Son (and NOT the Pharisees)!
THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
Now Jesus' AUTHORITY over the Pharisees is made most evident when Jesus accuses the PHARISEES of "leaving the commandments of God and holding to the traditions of men" (7:1-13). So what specifically were the Pharisees doing? Mark 7:1-4 tells us. They took general Scriptural guidelines and added HUMAN TRADITIONS to them. And so for instance, when God instructed His people to "be clean," the Pharisees took this guideline and supplemented it with a HUMAN TRADITION (probably for the purpose of clarification) that required people to wash their hands after going to the marketplace which was infested with unclean sinners and Gentiles.
Sounds harmless right? But as we see elsewhere, this practice flows out of a RELIGIOUS MENTALITY where sinners and Gentiles are to be absolutely and utterly avoided (when at all possible). But this defies God's MISSION (and Biblical guidance)! How can God's people be RESCUING sinners if they are RETREATING from them? It's kind of like a fireman who is RETREATING from a burning house even though he is supposed to be RESCUING people. The fireman's ACTIONS defy the fireman's MISSION. The same is true for God's people! And so it is important that we make sure we are following Jesus and NOT the Pharisees!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how can we make sure that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus and NOT resurrecting the human traditions of the Pharisees? For starters, we must be careful how we apply general principles from the Bible. For instance, "Be holy for God is holy" does NOT mean that people shouldn't laugh in a church service or wear jeans in the church building or play drums to accompany worship music or be seen at a movie theater. These are HUMAN TRADITIONS that cause the church to RETREAT (in a non-Biblical way) from sinners and God's MISSION!
So how should we apply the principle "be holy for God is holy?" The Bible does this for us! 'Being holy' means setting ourselves apart by putting on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12-17). It means not "conforming to the former PASSIONS of your former ignorance" (1 Peter 1:14-16). And so 'being holy' is NOT about SUPERFICIAL OUTWARD APPEARANCE that reflects a Pharisaical mentality. NOPE. It's about SUPERNATURAL INWARD TRANSFORMATION that reflects God's character!
In all of this, we must remember that Jesus came to make followers and NOT Pharisees! And so we need to make certain that the TRADITIONS OF MEN are not overshadowing the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD in our lives and in our churches. Why? The MISSION of God's church and the LIVES of un-rescued people depend on it!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Mark: Making Followers NOT Fans
Let's just admit it, we all love being on the WINNING team. This is why it was so great being a Chicago Bulls FAN during the 1990's; it gave Chicago natives some relief from the Chicago Cubs' never ending World Series draught. During this timeframe, it was difficult (and expensive) to get good tickets to any of the Bulls games. Chicagoans were proud of THEIR team. WE were WINNING!
But then THEY started LOSING! Michael Jordan had hung up the towel (one too many times!) and the enthusiasm and the black market for tickets dried up. The FANS began to distance themselves from THAT losing team. And the only people left cheering were the faithful FOLLOWERS (and the businesses with sky boxes where games were never watched anyway!).
This is a common phenomenon in professional sports from which the term "fair-weather fan" has been coined. Unfortunately, Jesus also ran into his fair share of fair-weather FANS during his time. The Gospel of Mark tells us all about it. Let's take a look...
JESUS IS THE SON FROM GOD!
Right out of the gate, Mark tells us that he wants us to know something: Jesus is the Christ (heb: the Messiah). And then he clarifies what he means. Jesus is the Christ, the SON OF GOD (the two titles are in 'apposition'...google this!). You're probably thinking, "Thanks but no thanks for the clarification Mark! What on earth does the title SON OF GOD mean?" Well, it could mean 'God's Son' (a possessive genitive) or 'the Son FROM God' (a genitive of source or origin) or BOTH (the two are NOT mutually exclusive). So which one(s) is it? Well, Mark uses Jesus' baptism and miracles to try and clear up the matter.
At Jesus' baptism we learn that He is the beloved son of God with whom God is well pleased. And so Jesus' baptism communicates His divine ORIGIN and that His AUTHORITY is derived FROM God. Mark then further confirms Jesus' AUTHORITY by repetitively telling us (the readers), "The people were AMAZED at his teaching" (1:27; 2:12; 5:42; 9:15; 10:24; 10:32; 15:5) and "he taught them as one who had AUTHORITY not as the teachers of the law" (1:22; 1:27; 2:10; 3:15; 6:7; 11:28-33). Apparently the crowds also believed that Jesus was the Son FROM God!
But why were people so AMAZED at Jesus' TEACHING? Did He have a great delivery or use lots of voice inflections and hand gestures? NO. His TEACHING about the kingdom (1:15) was inextricably intertwined with His MIRACLES. Jesus' MIRACLES gave AMAZEMENT and AUTHORITY to His TEACHING and helped to establish Him as the Son FROM God.
And so it's no wonder that Mark recounts a litany of Jesus' MIRACLES (1:21-28; 1:29-34; 1:40-45; 2:1-12; 3:1-12): These MIRACLES establish Jesus' TEACHING AUTHORITY regarding the kingdom as well as His identity as the SON OF GOD. How do we know this for sure? Notice that the retelling of these MIRACLES in this first literary segment (1:1-3:12) are bookended (often referred to as an inclusio) with the claim that Jesus is the SON OF GOD (1:1; 3:11). And so Mark leaves no room for doubt. He wants us to know through the MIRACLES that Jesus is the Son FROM God.
JESUS THE ROCKSTAR
And so in His identity as the SON OF GOD, Jesus performs lots of MIRACLES. And so who wouldn't want to follow Jesus, the Son FROM God? Clearly the crowds did! Jesus was like a rockstar to them. Look how many times Mark refers to the 'crowds' (2:4, 13; 3:7, 8, 9, 20, 32; 4:1, 36; 5:24, 27, 30, 31; 6:34, 45; 7:33; 8:1, 2, 6, 34; 9:14, 15, 17, 25; 10:1, 46; 11:18; 14:43; 15:8, 11, 15). LOTS of people were chasing after Jesus! Jesus was healing people and improving their quality of living. And so following Him was a no-brainer! For this reason, it shouldn't surprise us that when Jesus calls his first disciples to follow Him, they "leave their nets AT ONCE." This was a privilege. It was like being selected to hangout with One Direction all day, everyday!
THE FOUR SOILS: NO FANS ALOUD!
But Jesus didn't come to gather a crowd of FANS. He came to coach and train a committed group of FOLLOWERS who would sacrifice for the cause of His God-AUTHORIZED mission. And so as the crowds continued to swell, Jesus tells the parable of the FOUR soils. What does this parable tell us? SIMPLE. Lots of people in the CROWD were willing to become FANS of Jesus BUT only a small group in the CROWD (the good soil group) had the type of soil it would take to FOLLOW Jesus and His kingdom teaching.
Only the good soil group had the right EARS to truly HEAR and OBEY. Jesus wanted to weed out (pardon the pun!) the other three types of people (pathway, rocky, thorny people) in the CROWD who would abandon Him anyway. These people would NOT be willing to do God's bidding when tribulation and persecutions arose or when the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked out their desire to put Jesus at the center of everything.
Both Jesus and Mark knew that these consumeristic type people in the CROWD (who were NOT willing to do God's will if doing so required any inconvenience) would later confirm that they are NOT Jesus' authentic brothers and sisters (Mark 3:20-35). This is confirmed later in the gospel when Jesus begins to announce that He will be crucified! Notice that after this announcement, the crowds begin to thin out. This trend is made evident through Mark's declining references after chapter 9 to the CROWDS. And so in the parable of the four soils, Jesus was trying to weed out the FANS because he knows that FANS only follow when their team is WINNING!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So let me ask you: Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER? Sure Jesus is the SON OF GOD and has the AUTHORITY to do AMAZING things. But is this the only reason you have an interest in Jesus? Are you looking for what Jesus will do for you or what you have the privilege of doing for Jesus and His cause? My prayer is that you will choose to be a FOLLOWER of Jesus and NOT just a FAN for the sake of God's mission and glory.
But then THEY started LOSING! Michael Jordan had hung up the towel (one too many times!) and the enthusiasm and the black market for tickets dried up. The FANS began to distance themselves from THAT losing team. And the only people left cheering were the faithful FOLLOWERS (and the businesses with sky boxes where games were never watched anyway!).
This is a common phenomenon in professional sports from which the term "fair-weather fan" has been coined. Unfortunately, Jesus also ran into his fair share of fair-weather FANS during his time. The Gospel of Mark tells us all about it. Let's take a look...
JESUS IS THE SON FROM GOD!
Right out of the gate, Mark tells us that he wants us to know something: Jesus is the Christ (heb: the Messiah). And then he clarifies what he means. Jesus is the Christ, the SON OF GOD (the two titles are in 'apposition'...google this!). You're probably thinking, "Thanks but no thanks for the clarification Mark! What on earth does the title SON OF GOD mean?" Well, it could mean 'God's Son' (a possessive genitive) or 'the Son FROM God' (a genitive of source or origin) or BOTH (the two are NOT mutually exclusive). So which one(s) is it? Well, Mark uses Jesus' baptism and miracles to try and clear up the matter.
At Jesus' baptism we learn that He is the beloved son of God with whom God is well pleased. And so Jesus' baptism communicates His divine ORIGIN and that His AUTHORITY is derived FROM God. Mark then further confirms Jesus' AUTHORITY by repetitively telling us (the readers), "The people were AMAZED at his teaching" (1:27; 2:12; 5:42; 9:15; 10:24; 10:32; 15:5) and "he taught them as one who had AUTHORITY not as the teachers of the law" (1:22; 1:27; 2:10; 3:15; 6:7; 11:28-33). Apparently the crowds also believed that Jesus was the Son FROM God!
But why were people so AMAZED at Jesus' TEACHING? Did He have a great delivery or use lots of voice inflections and hand gestures? NO. His TEACHING about the kingdom (1:15) was inextricably intertwined with His MIRACLES. Jesus' MIRACLES gave AMAZEMENT and AUTHORITY to His TEACHING and helped to establish Him as the Son FROM God.
And so it's no wonder that Mark recounts a litany of Jesus' MIRACLES (1:21-28; 1:29-34; 1:40-45; 2:1-12; 3:1-12): These MIRACLES establish Jesus' TEACHING AUTHORITY regarding the kingdom as well as His identity as the SON OF GOD. How do we know this for sure? Notice that the retelling of these MIRACLES in this first literary segment (1:1-3:12) are bookended (often referred to as an inclusio) with the claim that Jesus is the SON OF GOD (1:1; 3:11). And so Mark leaves no room for doubt. He wants us to know through the MIRACLES that Jesus is the Son FROM God.
JESUS THE ROCKSTAR
And so in His identity as the SON OF GOD, Jesus performs lots of MIRACLES. And so who wouldn't want to follow Jesus, the Son FROM God? Clearly the crowds did! Jesus was like a rockstar to them. Look how many times Mark refers to the 'crowds' (2:4, 13; 3:7, 8, 9, 20, 32; 4:1, 36; 5:24, 27, 30, 31; 6:34, 45; 7:33; 8:1, 2, 6, 34; 9:14, 15, 17, 25; 10:1, 46; 11:18; 14:43; 15:8, 11, 15). LOTS of people were chasing after Jesus! Jesus was healing people and improving their quality of living. And so following Him was a no-brainer! For this reason, it shouldn't surprise us that when Jesus calls his first disciples to follow Him, they "leave their nets AT ONCE." This was a privilege. It was like being selected to hangout with One Direction all day, everyday!
THE FOUR SOILS: NO FANS ALOUD!
But Jesus didn't come to gather a crowd of FANS. He came to coach and train a committed group of FOLLOWERS who would sacrifice for the cause of His God-AUTHORIZED mission. And so as the crowds continued to swell, Jesus tells the parable of the FOUR soils. What does this parable tell us? SIMPLE. Lots of people in the CROWD were willing to become FANS of Jesus BUT only a small group in the CROWD (the good soil group) had the type of soil it would take to FOLLOW Jesus and His kingdom teaching.
Only the good soil group had the right EARS to truly HEAR and OBEY. Jesus wanted to weed out (pardon the pun!) the other three types of people (pathway, rocky, thorny people) in the CROWD who would abandon Him anyway. These people would NOT be willing to do God's bidding when tribulation and persecutions arose or when the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked out their desire to put Jesus at the center of everything.
Both Jesus and Mark knew that these consumeristic type people in the CROWD (who were NOT willing to do God's will if doing so required any inconvenience) would later confirm that they are NOT Jesus' authentic brothers and sisters (Mark 3:20-35). This is confirmed later in the gospel when Jesus begins to announce that He will be crucified! Notice that after this announcement, the crowds begin to thin out. This trend is made evident through Mark's declining references after chapter 9 to the CROWDS. And so in the parable of the four soils, Jesus was trying to weed out the FANS because he knows that FANS only follow when their team is WINNING!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So let me ask you: Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER? Sure Jesus is the SON OF GOD and has the AUTHORITY to do AMAZING things. But is this the only reason you have an interest in Jesus? Are you looking for what Jesus will do for you or what you have the privilege of doing for Jesus and His cause? My prayer is that you will choose to be a FOLLOWER of Jesus and NOT just a FAN for the sake of God's mission and glory.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Matthew and Denying Our Rights
So far
we've learned that according to Matthew's gospel, Jesus came to BLESS ALL people (just like Abraham) by FREEING
them from an EVIL kingdom (just like Moses) and bringing them into His GOOD kingdom
under His good RULE (just like David). So how did Jesus envision His people going
about BLESSING ALL people on the earth? Let's find out...
In Matthew 16, Jesus foretells of His imminent death and
this surprises and disturbs His disciples. How can the Messiah be put to death?
Didn't the Old Testament promise a conquering Messiah (versus a dead one) who
would reign with EARTHLY POWER? These are some of the questions that might have
been going through the minds of Jesus' followers. But Jesus came to serve and
not to be served (20:28). And He calls His disciples to the same posture..."if
anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up His cross and
follow me (16:24)." Jesus' kingdom is upside down in relation to the kingdoms of this earth!
But the disciples struggle to embrace Jesus' upside down
kingdom. We see this in Matthew 18 when the disciples argue over who will be
the greatest in the kingdom. This provides Jesus the opportunity for a
teachable moment. Jesus essentially tells his disciples, "People can't embrace My kingdom without first letting go of their supposed RIGHTS! If you want to follow me you
need to become like a child who has no inherent RIGHTS (18:2-4)."
But what does it look like to give up your RIGHTS? Well, if your
hand causes you to sin then you need to give up the RIGHT to your body by
cutting off your hand (hyperbolically speaking) for the sake of kingdom PURITY (18:7-9). We need to give up our RIGHT to look out for our self-interests and instead look out for the needs of others (especially the most vulnerable) for the sake of kingdom CARE (18:10-14). If
your brother sins against you, you need to give up your RIGHT to hold a grudge
by taking the uncomfortable step of approaching your brother in love and
working through the situation for the sake of kingdom UNITY (18:15-20). Similarly, we need to be
willing to give up our RIGHT to collect on non-financial debts by forgiving
others for the sake of kingdom GRACE (18:21-35). Additionally, we need to be willing to give up
our RIGHT to divorce for the sake of kingdom COMMITMENT (19:1-12) and our RIGHT to our possessions and wealth for the sake of kingdom GENEROSITY (19:16-30).
Matthew gives these practical examples to flesh out Jesus'
kingdom principle that "the first will be last and the last will be
first." While STATUS (and the pursuit of MORE) governs the kingdoms of
this world, SERVICE (and the pursuit of HUMILITY) governs Jesus' kingdom. If you read Matthew 20:1-16, you'll see that Jesus illustrates this fact with a parable that depicts how
the kingdom of God works (in contrast to our world). What is the point of this parable? The first receive the SAME as the last! STATUS is irrelevant in Jesus' kingdom! We all receive the SAME blessing in God's humble economy.
OPPOSITION TO THE KINGDOM
But Jesus' kingdom will be a BIG disappointment for people who are addicted to STATUS. And this is why the twelve disciples were disappointed when Jesus began talking about his death and also why the RELIGIOUS LEADERS were hostile toward Jesus. These religious leaders were too PROUD to receive Jesus and accept his invitation to the wedding banquet and so they were excluded and rejected (21:28-22:22); they didn't want to embrace the profile of a citizen in Jesus' kingdom. And this is a problem because the coming of Jesus' kingdom requires the REMOVAL of STATUS, PRIDE, and INJUSTICE. This is why Jesus CURSED the TEMPLE. It was a 'den of robbers' where STATUS, PRIDE, and INJUSTICE were covertly housed and so it had to be destroyed. And so we see that Matthew makes the Temple and the religious leaders a focus in his gospel (Matthew 21-25) because they stand in opposition (and serve as a roadblock) to God's desire to BLESS ALL people.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this speak to our lives? God desires to BLESS all people. But for this to happen, STATUS, PRIDE, and INJUSTICE must be destroyed and replaced with HUMILITY, UNITY, CARE, GENEROSITY, PURITY, COMMITMENT, and GRACE. These values (among others) fit the profile of Jesus' kingdom which is FREE from the PAIN of the Genesis CURSES.
And so how did Jesus envision BLESSING ALL people on the earth? In part, through His followers as they embody these kingdom values and spread Jesus' RULE in this world. And so Jesus leaves you with this question: Are you willing to EMBRACE and SPREAD His kingdom (with ALL that it entails) by being a BLESSING to ALL people?
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this speak to our lives? God desires to BLESS all people. But for this to happen, STATUS, PRIDE, and INJUSTICE must be destroyed and replaced with HUMILITY, UNITY, CARE, GENEROSITY, PURITY, COMMITMENT, and GRACE. These values (among others) fit the profile of Jesus' kingdom which is FREE from the PAIN of the Genesis CURSES.
And so how did Jesus envision BLESSING ALL people on the earth? In part, through His followers as they embody these kingdom values and spread Jesus' RULE in this world. And so Jesus leaves you with this question: Are you willing to EMBRACE and SPREAD His kingdom (with ALL that it entails) by being a BLESSING to ALL people?
Monday, May 13, 2013
Matthew and the Abrahamic Covenant
Have you ever 'people-watched' before? You know sat and just observed the people around you. Sounds a little sketchy and stalker-ish I know. But you can seriously learn a lot about the world just by sitting in a park or a shopping mall or a coffee shop watching people (but just don't wink!). One of the things you'll notice almost immediately is that people who hang out together usually look similar. I mean it's rare to find a leathered up biker dude with tatts and a bushy ZZ Top beard having coffee with a decked out businessman who has a close shave and a bluetooth headset. Why? Most people enjoy being around other people who are just like themselves. People who dress the same, have similar interests, have a similar standard of living, believe the same things politically, and come from a similar culture (or subculture).
This sounds harmless doesn't it? But this can pose a problem when it comes to FOLLOWING JESUS. Why? Jesus hung out with a motley crew of people (tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and rich young rulers). This means that FOLLOWING HIM requires that we do the same. If we don't, then we can't 'fulfill' His mission and purposes. Why? Let's find out...
JESUS, A NEW TYPE OF ABRAHAM
So far we've learned that Jesus came to FREE people from an EVIL kingdom (just like Moses) and bring them into a GOOD kingdom that He RULES (just like David). But who did Jesus come to FREE and RULE? ALL people. How do I know this? Matthew's genealogy of Jesus communicates to us that Jesus came to bless ALL people (just like Abraham).
Notice that Matthew emphasizes Jesus' connection to ABRAHAM by beginning his genealogy with the title, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David and the son of ABRAHAM." But then he does something sneaky. He includes FOUR references to WOMEN in his genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah's wife (Bathsheba). Usually WOMEN were not included in genealogies because the family lineage was traced through the male. And so this is a little suspicious!
So why are these WOMEN included in the genealogy? Matthew gives us a hint by referencing Bathsheba as "the wife of Uriah." Uriah was NOT an Israelite! He was a Hittite! But what about the other WOMEN? Ruth was a Moabite. Rahab was from Jericho. Tamar was from Er. All of the women were GENTILES (that is, non-Jews) or considered GENTILE because of their association with them!
So what is Matthew trying to communicate by including these WOMEN in the genealogy? God-fearing GENTILES have always been BLESSED by God. In other words, there is a history of God including GENTILES in His plan of salvation! And so by extension, Jesus didn't come just to FREE and RULE the Israelites. NO. He came to FREE and RULE ALL people (including the GENTILES)! In other words, Jesus came to BLESS ALL people!
GENTILES RECEIVE JESUS
The interesting thing is that the GENTILES were more willing to receive the BLESSING of Jesus than the JEWS. For according to Matthew, the GENTILES welcome and worship Jesus while the prominent JEWISH people in Jerusalem are threatened by Him. Matthew emphasizes this fact by contrasting the FAITH of the Gentiles with the FAITH of the JEWISH people. It begins with the contrast between the GENTILE Magi who worship Jesus (2:1-12) and the JEWISH Jerusalem leaders who are 'troubled' by Jesus.
This contrast continues with the twelve JEWISH disciples who can't heal or perform miracles because of their lack of FAITH (14:22-33; 16:5-12; 17:14-20) while the OUTCASTS and GENTILES are healed because of their FAITH (8:5-13; 9:1-8; 9:18-26; 9:27-31; 15:21-28; 17:14-20). In a similar vein, the JEWISH religious leaders are rejected because of their lack of FAITH but the GENTILES are accepted because of their FAITH (more on this in the next blog!). What does this tell us? FAITH is what matters and NOT a person's race or background! JESUS is an equal opportunity Savior. And so JESUS FOLLOWERS need to reach out and build into people based on their FAITH (and openness to Jesus) and NOT their status, race or background! But this will be UNCOMFORTABLE!
But Jesus was willing to GO to earth and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING ALL the WORLD. The same was true with Abraham. Remember that God called Abraham to leave His pagan culture and "GO from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you...I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God called Abraham to forsake his family in order to follow God. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 10:37)? And God told Abraham to GO. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 28:19)? And God told Abraham to bless ALL the families of the EARTH. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 28:19)? Jesus' life revived and jumpstarted the Abrahamic Covenant and God's mission (something that had been lost by the Jewish leaders who were focused on good behavior and Sabbath synagogue attendance).
THE BOTTOM LINE
And now Jesus is calling YOU and ME to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. God called Abraham to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. God called Jesus to GO to earth and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. We need to do the same! If we aren't willing to GO and reach ALL people then we can't 'fulfill' Jesus' mission. Are you willing to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of Jesus' MISSION or are you satisfied just being a well behaved person and a faithful church attender?
This sounds harmless doesn't it? But this can pose a problem when it comes to FOLLOWING JESUS. Why? Jesus hung out with a motley crew of people (tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and rich young rulers). This means that FOLLOWING HIM requires that we do the same. If we don't, then we can't 'fulfill' His mission and purposes. Why? Let's find out...
JESUS, A NEW TYPE OF ABRAHAM
So far we've learned that Jesus came to FREE people from an EVIL kingdom (just like Moses) and bring them into a GOOD kingdom that He RULES (just like David). But who did Jesus come to FREE and RULE? ALL people. How do I know this? Matthew's genealogy of Jesus communicates to us that Jesus came to bless ALL people (just like Abraham).
Notice that Matthew emphasizes Jesus' connection to ABRAHAM by beginning his genealogy with the title, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David and the son of ABRAHAM." But then he does something sneaky. He includes FOUR references to WOMEN in his genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah's wife (Bathsheba). Usually WOMEN were not included in genealogies because the family lineage was traced through the male. And so this is a little suspicious!
So why are these WOMEN included in the genealogy? Matthew gives us a hint by referencing Bathsheba as "the wife of Uriah." Uriah was NOT an Israelite! He was a Hittite! But what about the other WOMEN? Ruth was a Moabite. Rahab was from Jericho. Tamar was from Er. All of the women were GENTILES (that is, non-Jews) or considered GENTILE because of their association with them!
So what is Matthew trying to communicate by including these WOMEN in the genealogy? God-fearing GENTILES have always been BLESSED by God. In other words, there is a history of God including GENTILES in His plan of salvation! And so by extension, Jesus didn't come just to FREE and RULE the Israelites. NO. He came to FREE and RULE ALL people (including the GENTILES)! In other words, Jesus came to BLESS ALL people!
GENTILES RECEIVE JESUS
The interesting thing is that the GENTILES were more willing to receive the BLESSING of Jesus than the JEWS. For according to Matthew, the GENTILES welcome and worship Jesus while the prominent JEWISH people in Jerusalem are threatened by Him. Matthew emphasizes this fact by contrasting the FAITH of the Gentiles with the FAITH of the JEWISH people. It begins with the contrast between the GENTILE Magi who worship Jesus (2:1-12) and the JEWISH Jerusalem leaders who are 'troubled' by Jesus.
This contrast continues with the twelve JEWISH disciples who can't heal or perform miracles because of their lack of FAITH (14:22-33; 16:5-12; 17:14-20) while the OUTCASTS and GENTILES are healed because of their FAITH (8:5-13; 9:1-8; 9:18-26; 9:27-31; 15:21-28; 17:14-20). In a similar vein, the JEWISH religious leaders are rejected because of their lack of FAITH but the GENTILES are accepted because of their FAITH (more on this in the next blog!). What does this tell us? FAITH is what matters and NOT a person's race or background! JESUS is an equal opportunity Savior. And so JESUS FOLLOWERS need to reach out and build into people based on their FAITH (and openness to Jesus) and NOT their status, race or background! But this will be UNCOMFORTABLE!
But Jesus was willing to GO to earth and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING ALL the WORLD. The same was true with Abraham. Remember that God called Abraham to leave His pagan culture and "GO from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you...I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God called Abraham to forsake his family in order to follow God. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 10:37)? And God told Abraham to GO. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 28:19)? And God told Abraham to bless ALL the families of the EARTH. Does that sound like something Jesus said (Matthew 28:19)? Jesus' life revived and jumpstarted the Abrahamic Covenant and God's mission (something that had been lost by the Jewish leaders who were focused on good behavior and Sabbath synagogue attendance).
THE BOTTOM LINE
And now Jesus is calling YOU and ME to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. God called Abraham to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. God called Jesus to GO to earth and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of BLESSING the WORLD. We need to do the same! If we aren't willing to GO and reach ALL people then we can't 'fulfill' Jesus' mission. Are you willing to GO and be UNCOMFORTABLE for the sake of Jesus' MISSION or are you satisfied just being a well behaved person and a faithful church attender?
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Matthew and the Mosaic Law
Many people today try to pin Jesus up against Moses and the Law. And what this ends up creating is a stereotype of a mean, ungracious Old Testament God (The Moses God) versus a nice, loving New Testament God (The Jesus God). This stereotype is then used as a license by Christians to disregard much of the Old Testament. No wonder so many Christians have such a FLIMSY, superficial understanding of the Old Testament! And this FLIMSY understanding unfortunately perpetuates this largely uninformed stereotype!
But the Gospel of Matthew (and the other gospel writers as well!) simply won't allow for this! In fact, Matthew's account is dependent on the Old Testament as we have seen up to this point. Maybe this is why he quotes Jesus' words,
JESUS FULFILLS THE LAW AND PROPHETS
So Jesus came to 'fulfill' the Law and the Prophets. But what does this mean? The Greek word for 'fulfill' (pronounced: play-rah-oe) here most likely means "to bring to completion or an intended end." This is confirmed by the fact that the Law and Prophets won't be done away with until "all is accomplished." And so Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets by moving them toward their intended goal or purpose. But what is the goal and purpose of the Old Testament Law and Prophets? To create a people who accurately reflect God and His RULE in this world!
But how did the Law and Prophets help with this goal and purpose? The LAW provided the GUIDELINES and DESIGN for living in God's kingdom and the PROPHETS were the "covenant watchdogs" who encouraged OBEDIENCE to the Law. And so God used (and continues to use) the Law and the Prophets to establish and maintain His kingdom rule on this earth!
So when do we see Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets during His life? How about in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) when Jesus (God's Son) overcame temptation for forty days and forty nights in the areas where Israel (also called God's son in Hosea 11:1) had failed in the past when they were in the desert for forty years? It's undeniable that, in the desert, Jesus set out to 'fulfill' the Law given in the book of Deuteronomy. In fact, He makes this clear by quoting from Deuteronomy after every temptation! And so Jesus shows Himself to be the faithful Israel! He 'fulfills' where Israel had 'failed'! In doing this, Jesus proves the authenticity of His water and Spirit baptism and that He is truly God's beloved Son with whom God is well pleased.
But what we must not forget in all of this is that Jesus came to establish God's kingdom. And so the Law and the Prophets won't be finally fulfilled until God's kingdom is fully established! This tells us that Jesus' experience in the desert didn't bring God's purposes to their final fulfillment. NO. His experience in the desert was meant primarily to prove to you and me that the power of the Holy Spirit was at work in and through Him. This same Spirit (which according to Jeremiah 31:33 has written God's LAW on our hearts) now lives inside of every believer. And so now, through the power of the Spirit, we can FOLLOW JESUS by being obedient to the LAW. By doing this, we bring God's kingdom and the Law and the Prophets closer to their final fulfillment.
JESUS RE-NEWS THE MOSAIC LAW
But maybe you're thinking, in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), didn't Jesus change and update the TORAH that Moses taught? Didn't Jesus abolish the principle "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" from the TORAH in Matthew 5:38-42? And didn't Jesus teach us to love our enemies in contrast to the Old Testament TORAH which taught us to "hate our enemies" (Matthew 5:43-48)? If so, then Jesus, in essence, is "abolishing the LAW" and doing the very thing He said He did not come to do just a few paragraphs prior (Matthew 5:17-18)!
But I don't believe Jesus changed the TORAH in the Sermon on the Mount! How do I know this? Notice that Jesus uses the phrase "You have heard it SAID...but I say to you" and NOT the phrase "It is WRITTEN...but I say to you." Why is this important? Jesus seems to be confronting mankind's (specifically the teachers of the Law at the time) SPOKEN MISAPPLICATION of the LAW but NOT the WRITTEN LAW in and of itself! In other words, Jesus is renewing the TORAH by clarifying for His disciples it's intended meaning and application (in contrast to what was being taught at the time). And it shouldn't surprise us that people were MISAPPLYING the TORAH. After all, people today take verses out of CONTEXT and APPLY them in ways that defy their intended meaning.
So when people said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy," they were MISAPPLYING the Old Testament. Many believe that the Qumran community taught this type of thing because they thought "love for your neighbor" IMPLIED the opposite ("hatred of outsiders"). But while Leviticus 19:18 teaches us to "Love our neighbors," nowhere does the Old Testament teach us to "hate our enemies." In fact, Leviticus 19:33-34 instructs us to love sojourners and resident aliens as ourselves! This Old Testament passage implies that we, AS INDIVIDUALS, are called to love ALL people (including our enemies).
What about the "eye for an eye" principle? It certainly sounds like Jesus overturns this principle! But once again, the principle was given in the Old Testament to provide the COURT SYSTEM with an equitable formula from which to determine punishment (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:19-20; Deuteronomy 19:21). And the hope was that the punishment would terminate any PERSONAL vendettas between parties. But it appears that people began to apply this principle outside of the judicial system and use it to justify PERSONAL vengeance. This, in turn, created a cycle of retaliation that Jesus was trying to curb by reinstating the original intent and context for the law.
THE BOTTOM LINE
How does this impact our lives today? We must always remember that behind every LAW in the Old Testament stands PRINCIPLES grounded in God's original CREATION DESIGN. God didn't just pull His LAWS out of thin air. NO. ALL of God's LAWS were created to govern His Kingdom. Jesus knew this. And so while He might have CLARIFIED many of the Old Testament LAWS, He did not come to ABOLISH Moses' TORAH! NO. Jesus RESTORED the original INTENT and HEART behind the LAW. And so Jesus did not treat the Old Testament as a second-class citizen and neither should you and me!
If you would like to read further about this topic here are some helpful books:
Old Testament Ethics For the People of God by Christopher J.H. Wright
Five Views on Law and Gospel by Stanley Gundry (ed.)
But the Gospel of Matthew (and the other gospel writers as well!) simply won't allow for this! In fact, Matthew's account is dependent on the Old Testament as we have seen up to this point. Maybe this is why he quotes Jesus' words,
"I have not come to abolish them [the Law and the Prophets] but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." [Matthew 5:17-18]Matthew doesn't seem to want to create a rift between Jesus and the Old Testament Law. Why? Because Jesus, Himself, didn't!
JESUS FULFILLS THE LAW AND PROPHETS
So Jesus came to 'fulfill' the Law and the Prophets. But what does this mean? The Greek word for 'fulfill' (pronounced: play-rah-oe) here most likely means "to bring to completion or an intended end." This is confirmed by the fact that the Law and Prophets won't be done away with until "all is accomplished." And so Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets by moving them toward their intended goal or purpose. But what is the goal and purpose of the Old Testament Law and Prophets? To create a people who accurately reflect God and His RULE in this world!
But how did the Law and Prophets help with this goal and purpose? The LAW provided the GUIDELINES and DESIGN for living in God's kingdom and the PROPHETS were the "covenant watchdogs" who encouraged OBEDIENCE to the Law. And so God used (and continues to use) the Law and the Prophets to establish and maintain His kingdom rule on this earth!
So when do we see Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets during His life? How about in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) when Jesus (God's Son) overcame temptation for forty days and forty nights in the areas where Israel (also called God's son in Hosea 11:1) had failed in the past when they were in the desert for forty years? It's undeniable that, in the desert, Jesus set out to 'fulfill' the Law given in the book of Deuteronomy. In fact, He makes this clear by quoting from Deuteronomy after every temptation! And so Jesus shows Himself to be the faithful Israel! He 'fulfills' where Israel had 'failed'! In doing this, Jesus proves the authenticity of His water and Spirit baptism and that He is truly God's beloved Son with whom God is well pleased.
But what we must not forget in all of this is that Jesus came to establish God's kingdom. And so the Law and the Prophets won't be finally fulfilled until God's kingdom is fully established! This tells us that Jesus' experience in the desert didn't bring God's purposes to their final fulfillment. NO. His experience in the desert was meant primarily to prove to you and me that the power of the Holy Spirit was at work in and through Him. This same Spirit (which according to Jeremiah 31:33 has written God's LAW on our hearts) now lives inside of every believer. And so now, through the power of the Spirit, we can FOLLOW JESUS by being obedient to the LAW. By doing this, we bring God's kingdom and the Law and the Prophets closer to their final fulfillment.
JESUS RE-NEWS THE MOSAIC LAW
But maybe you're thinking, in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), didn't Jesus change and update the TORAH that Moses taught? Didn't Jesus abolish the principle "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" from the TORAH in Matthew 5:38-42? And didn't Jesus teach us to love our enemies in contrast to the Old Testament TORAH which taught us to "hate our enemies" (Matthew 5:43-48)? If so, then Jesus, in essence, is "abolishing the LAW" and doing the very thing He said He did not come to do just a few paragraphs prior (Matthew 5:17-18)!
But I don't believe Jesus changed the TORAH in the Sermon on the Mount! How do I know this? Notice that Jesus uses the phrase "You have heard it SAID...but I say to you" and NOT the phrase "It is WRITTEN...but I say to you." Why is this important? Jesus seems to be confronting mankind's (specifically the teachers of the Law at the time) SPOKEN MISAPPLICATION of the LAW but NOT the WRITTEN LAW in and of itself! In other words, Jesus is renewing the TORAH by clarifying for His disciples it's intended meaning and application (in contrast to what was being taught at the time). And it shouldn't surprise us that people were MISAPPLYING the TORAH. After all, people today take verses out of CONTEXT and APPLY them in ways that defy their intended meaning.
So when people said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy," they were MISAPPLYING the Old Testament. Many believe that the Qumran community taught this type of thing because they thought "love for your neighbor" IMPLIED the opposite ("hatred of outsiders"). But while Leviticus 19:18 teaches us to "Love our neighbors," nowhere does the Old Testament teach us to "hate our enemies." In fact, Leviticus 19:33-34 instructs us to love sojourners and resident aliens as ourselves! This Old Testament passage implies that we, AS INDIVIDUALS, are called to love ALL people (including our enemies).
What about the "eye for an eye" principle? It certainly sounds like Jesus overturns this principle! But once again, the principle was given in the Old Testament to provide the COURT SYSTEM with an equitable formula from which to determine punishment (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:19-20; Deuteronomy 19:21). And the hope was that the punishment would terminate any PERSONAL vendettas between parties. But it appears that people began to apply this principle outside of the judicial system and use it to justify PERSONAL vengeance. This, in turn, created a cycle of retaliation that Jesus was trying to curb by reinstating the original intent and context for the law.
THE BOTTOM LINE
How does this impact our lives today? We must always remember that behind every LAW in the Old Testament stands PRINCIPLES grounded in God's original CREATION DESIGN. God didn't just pull His LAWS out of thin air. NO. ALL of God's LAWS were created to govern His Kingdom. Jesus knew this. And so while He might have CLARIFIED many of the Old Testament LAWS, He did not come to ABOLISH Moses' TORAH! NO. Jesus RESTORED the original INTENT and HEART behind the LAW. And so Jesus did not treat the Old Testament as a second-class citizen and neither should you and me!
If you would like to read further about this topic here are some helpful books:
Old Testament Ethics For the People of God by Christopher J.H. Wright
Five Views on Law and Gospel by Stanley Gundry (ed.)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Matthew and the New Exodus
In the last blog we learned that Jesus came to RULE as KING (just like David in the Old Testament)! But as we'll soon see, Matthew also makes it clear that Jesus came to FREE people (just like Moses did in the Old Testament)! But what did Jesus set out to FREE people from? SIN. Right? It's undeniable that Jesus came to FREE you and me from SIN (past, present, and future). But this is only part of the story.
How do I know this to be true? Well, Jesus also cast out demons (Matt. 9:32-34), healed the sick (Matt. 9:18-26, 27-31), raised people from the dead (Matt. 9:18-26), and overturned tables in the Temple (Matt. 21:12). These happenings were just as much a part of Jesus' ministry and message as was the forgiveness of sin. So how do these aspects of Jesus' life fit into his ministry and message? Simple. Jesus didn't just come to FREE people from SIN, He came (more generally) to FREE people (and creation) from EVIL (and its CURSED RULE)! In other words, King Jesus has come to FREE people from an EVIL kingdom and bring them into His GOOD kingdom (which is evil-LESS and curse-FREE).
JESUS AND THE FINAL JUBILEE
Matthew begins this theme of FREEDOM right out of the gates with his symbolically structured genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Notice that the genealogy ends with the birth of Jesus and covers 42 generations (14 multiplied by 3) or six sevens of generations. What does this tell us? The birth of Jesus symbolically inaugurates the final seven generations before the arrival of the Jubilee generation (the fiftieth generation). In other words, Matthew is using the concept of the Jubilee year from Leviticus 25:10-11 to bring symbolic significance to the birth (and life) of Jesus: With the birth of Jesus (whose name according to Matt. 1:21 means "God is salvation"), God is inaugurating a renewed RESCUE plan and a new EXODUS, that will ultimately lead to a final JUBILEE.
JESUS IS A NEW MOSES
Matthew further develops this idea of a new EXODUS by typologically identifying Jesus with the life and times of MOSES. Just like Jesus...Israel escaped death by going to Egypt [Gen. 42; Matt. 2:13], Israel was called out of Egypt [Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:15], Moses escaped death even though all the Israelite baby boys were killed by the Pharaoh [Exod. 1:15-16; Matt. 2:16], Moses went into the 'wilderness' for 40 units of time [Exod. 16:35; Matt. 4:1], and Moses received the law on a 'mountain' for 40 days and 40 nights [Exod. 24:18; Matt. 4:2, 5:1]. In this way [often referred to as typology], Matthew presents Jesus as a new TYPE of MOSES who will bring about a new TYPE of EXODUS!
But that's not all! Just as Moses was (and still is) identified with the LAW (or Torah) so too does Matthew identify Jesus with the LAW (or Torah). Matthew accomplishes this by the way in which he structures his book. Outside of an introduction and conclusion, Matthew's gospel contains five core sections [paralleling the five books of the Torah] all of which end with a block of teaching that are marked off by the common refrain "When Jesus had finished" (7:28-29; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1-2; 26:1-2). Take a look for yourself...
Matthew 1-2 [Introduction]
Matthew 3-7 [Torah block in chapters 5-7]
Matthew 8-10 [Torah block in chapter 10]
Matthew 11-13 [Torah block in chapters 13]
Matthew 14-18 [Torah block in chapter 18]
Matthew 19-25 [Torah block in chapters 24-25]
Matthew 26-28 [Conclusion]
What is Matthew trying to communicate through this structure? Notice that the book of Exodus uses the refrain "When Moses had finished" after Moses comes down from Sinai and gives the people all the commands the Lord had given him (Exodus 34:33). Doesn't this sound just like Matthew's refrain? Might it be that Matthew is trying to show that Jesus' life and teaching (much like Moses' life and teaching) constitutes a renewed TORAH to guide the community and the individual lives of God's people?
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this relate to our lives today? Well, it provides a glimpse into the MISSION that Jesus' life set out to accomplish. What was Jesus' mission according to Matthew? King Jesus came to FREE people from the reign of EVIL by bringing them into His GOOD kingdom to live under His TORAH-RULE. And while Jesus' life inaugurated His kingdom and kingship, we, his disciples, are called to live under His kingship and continue to expand His kingdom by FREEING people until He returns. This is what it means to FOLLOW JESUS!
And the crazy thing is that Jesus' mission is no different from that given to Israel in the Old Testament based on the Abrahamic Covenant! And so it is no surprise that Abraham also takes center stage in the Gospel of Matthew. We will look into this angle of Matthew's gospel in the next blog! In the meantime, may you make Jesus' mission the mission of YOUR life for his honor and glory!
How do I know this to be true? Well, Jesus also cast out demons (Matt. 9:32-34), healed the sick (Matt. 9:18-26, 27-31), raised people from the dead (Matt. 9:18-26), and overturned tables in the Temple (Matt. 21:12). These happenings were just as much a part of Jesus' ministry and message as was the forgiveness of sin. So how do these aspects of Jesus' life fit into his ministry and message? Simple. Jesus didn't just come to FREE people from SIN, He came (more generally) to FREE people (and creation) from EVIL (and its CURSED RULE)! In other words, King Jesus has come to FREE people from an EVIL kingdom and bring them into His GOOD kingdom (which is evil-LESS and curse-FREE).
JESUS AND THE FINAL JUBILEE
Matthew begins this theme of FREEDOM right out of the gates with his symbolically structured genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Notice that the genealogy ends with the birth of Jesus and covers 42 generations (14 multiplied by 3) or six sevens of generations. What does this tell us? The birth of Jesus symbolically inaugurates the final seven generations before the arrival of the Jubilee generation (the fiftieth generation). In other words, Matthew is using the concept of the Jubilee year from Leviticus 25:10-11 to bring symbolic significance to the birth (and life) of Jesus: With the birth of Jesus (whose name according to Matt. 1:21 means "God is salvation"), God is inaugurating a renewed RESCUE plan and a new EXODUS, that will ultimately lead to a final JUBILEE.
JESUS IS A NEW MOSES
Matthew further develops this idea of a new EXODUS by typologically identifying Jesus with the life and times of MOSES. Just like Jesus...Israel escaped death by going to Egypt [Gen. 42; Matt. 2:13], Israel was called out of Egypt [Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:15], Moses escaped death even though all the Israelite baby boys were killed by the Pharaoh [Exod. 1:15-16; Matt. 2:16], Moses went into the 'wilderness' for 40 units of time [Exod. 16:35; Matt. 4:1], and Moses received the law on a 'mountain' for 40 days and 40 nights [Exod. 24:18; Matt. 4:2, 5:1]. In this way [often referred to as typology], Matthew presents Jesus as a new TYPE of MOSES who will bring about a new TYPE of EXODUS!
But that's not all! Just as Moses was (and still is) identified with the LAW (or Torah) so too does Matthew identify Jesus with the LAW (or Torah). Matthew accomplishes this by the way in which he structures his book. Outside of an introduction and conclusion, Matthew's gospel contains five core sections [paralleling the five books of the Torah] all of which end with a block of teaching that are marked off by the common refrain "When Jesus had finished" (7:28-29; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1-2; 26:1-2). Take a look for yourself...
Matthew 1-2 [Introduction]
Matthew 3-7 [Torah block in chapters 5-7]
Matthew 8-10 [Torah block in chapter 10]
Matthew 11-13 [Torah block in chapters 13]
Matthew 14-18 [Torah block in chapter 18]
Matthew 19-25 [Torah block in chapters 24-25]
Matthew 26-28 [Conclusion]
What is Matthew trying to communicate through this structure? Notice that the book of Exodus uses the refrain "When Moses had finished" after Moses comes down from Sinai and gives the people all the commands the Lord had given him (Exodus 34:33). Doesn't this sound just like Matthew's refrain? Might it be that Matthew is trying to show that Jesus' life and teaching (much like Moses' life and teaching) constitutes a renewed TORAH to guide the community and the individual lives of God's people?
THE BOTTOM LINE
So how does this relate to our lives today? Well, it provides a glimpse into the MISSION that Jesus' life set out to accomplish. What was Jesus' mission according to Matthew? King Jesus came to FREE people from the reign of EVIL by bringing them into His GOOD kingdom to live under His TORAH-RULE. And while Jesus' life inaugurated His kingdom and kingship, we, his disciples, are called to live under His kingship and continue to expand His kingdom by FREEING people until He returns. This is what it means to FOLLOW JESUS!
And the crazy thing is that Jesus' mission is no different from that given to Israel in the Old Testament based on the Abrahamic Covenant! And so it is no surprise that Abraham also takes center stage in the Gospel of Matthew. We will look into this angle of Matthew's gospel in the next blog! In the meantime, may you make Jesus' mission the mission of YOUR life for his honor and glory!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Matthew and the Messianic King
How do you make Jesus the KING over your life? This is one of the primary questions that the Gospel of Matthew sets out to answer. But before you make someone KING, shouldn't you establish that he has the right CREDENTIALS to hold that position in your life? This is why Matthew begins his gospel by establishing the fact that Jesus is, in fact, the long expected Messiah from the kingly line of David. Matthew wants to show that Jesus has the AUTHORITY to be KING over our lives! But how does he go about establishing Jesus' KINGLY credentials? A GENEALOGY!
It shouldn't surprise us that Matthew begins with a GENEALOGY. After all, we have seen GENEALOGIES throughout the Old Testament (and most recently in the book of Chronicles - the book that ends the Old Testament). By beginning this way, Matthew (at the most basic level) is connecting Jesus to the storyline that has been playing itself out since the book of Genesis. But there is more to Matthew's genealogy than first meets the eye. He intricately crafts his genealogy so as to introduce the main themes that will be developed throughout his gospel. Specifically, he connects Jesus to the three pivotal characters in the Bible's storyline: Abraham, Moses, and David. And so in the next several blogs, we will unveil Matthew's writing strategy and see how Matthew's use of these three Bible characters shows us what it looks like to FOLLOW Jesus.
JESUS IS KING
Matthew makes it very clear in verse 2:17 that the number FOURTEEN is important to his genealogy,
So what is the significance of Matthew doing this? What is he trying to communicate? Clearly Matthew is giving emphasis to King David in his genealogy. And since this is technically Jesus' genealogy, Matthew is communicating that Jesus is the expected messianic king from David's lineage. In other words, Jesus is THE credentialed king who has THE rightful claim to THE throne of Israel.
JESUS HAS THE AUTHORITY
Jesus' legitimate claim to KINGSHIP is good news for many people but not for everyone. Matthew 2:3 tells us that when Herod finds out that the king of the Jews has been born, "he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." King Herod was an Idumean and so he didn't even have the right credentials to be the king of the Jews. This is why he was troubled. Jesus posed a legitimate threat to his POWER and AUTHORITY.
But King Herod was not the only person troubled; So was 'all Jerusalem'. So to whom is 'all Jerusalem' referring? Well, Jerusalem was the epicenter of Jewish life. Jerusalem was the headquarters of the Jewish religious establishment (the priests, scribes, Sanhedrin, etc.). And so 'all Jerusalem' is most likely referring to the Jewish religious leaders. And so because Jesus posed a legitimate threat to their POWER and AUTHORITY, they too were troubled. Matthew exposes this fact by documenting the many times the Jewish leaders tried to undermine Jesus' authority (9:1-7; 21:23-27). But as Matthew so clearly communicates, "he [Jesus] was teaching them [the crowds] as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (see also 10:1; 28:18). Matthew wants his readers to know that Jesus ALONE possesses ALL authority in heaven and on earth!
JESUS IS KING OVER AN UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM
But throughout Matthew's gospel, we see that King Jesus wields His AUTHORITY in an upside down manner consistent with His Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29). While Herod and the religious leaders used their AUTHORITY to gain status and wealth, King Jesus uses His AUTHORITY to make 'the last first and the first last' (19:30; 20:1-16). He sets out to level the playing field and restore justice! King Jesus shows that His KINGDOM will be ruled by God's (and NOT mankind's) design. And so whereas the kings of old failed to observe the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee, King Jesus brings good news to the poor and the lame (11:4-19) and fulfills 'all righteousness' (3:15) and the 'Law and the Prophets' (5:17-20). In short, King Jesus inaugurates the type of KINGDOM that God originally envisioned in the Old Testament...an upside down kingdom where God's curse is reversed!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what does it look like to FOLLOW JESUS? First, we need to make HIM the ultimate AUTHORITY and KING over our lives. What does this look like? It means living a 'last shall be first, first shall be last' type of life as described in the SERMON ON THE MOUNT (5:1-7:29). To do this, we need to BEGIN pursuing lives of humility, love, justice, mercy, peace, and compassion and STOP promoting ourselves and our selfish agendas. But this will only happen when you ABANDON the ILLEGITIMATE claim you have to RULE your life and then GIVE your life COMPLETELY over to God, the only one with the LEGITIMATE claim to RULE. So this is my prayer: May Jesus' AUTHORITY be evident in the life of His church so that God's glory may shine for our world to CLEARLY see!
It shouldn't surprise us that Matthew begins with a GENEALOGY. After all, we have seen GENEALOGIES throughout the Old Testament (and most recently in the book of Chronicles - the book that ends the Old Testament). By beginning this way, Matthew (at the most basic level) is connecting Jesus to the storyline that has been playing itself out since the book of Genesis. But there is more to Matthew's genealogy than first meets the eye. He intricately crafts his genealogy so as to introduce the main themes that will be developed throughout his gospel. Specifically, he connects Jesus to the three pivotal characters in the Bible's storyline: Abraham, Moses, and David. And so in the next several blogs, we will unveil Matthew's writing strategy and see how Matthew's use of these three Bible characters shows us what it looks like to FOLLOW Jesus.
JESUS IS KING
Matthew makes it very clear in verse 2:17 that the number FOURTEEN is important to his genealogy,
So all the generations from Abraham to David were FOURTEEN generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon FOURTEEN generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ [Messiah] FOURTEEN generations.So what is so special about the number FOURTEEN? For one thing, it's a multiple of the number SEVEN which symbolizes completeness! But not only this, the numerical value of the name 'David' (D-V-D) in Hebrew is FOURTEEN! The dalet (D) is the fourth letter in the alphabet and the vav (V) is the sixth letter in the alphabet. And so 4 + 6 + 4 = 14. And so to make his point, Matthew is utilizing a writing technique known as gematria where the numerical value of words or names are given symbolic meaning.
So what is the significance of Matthew doing this? What is he trying to communicate? Clearly Matthew is giving emphasis to King David in his genealogy. And since this is technically Jesus' genealogy, Matthew is communicating that Jesus is the expected messianic king from David's lineage. In other words, Jesus is THE credentialed king who has THE rightful claim to THE throne of Israel.
JESUS HAS THE AUTHORITY
Jesus' legitimate claim to KINGSHIP is good news for many people but not for everyone. Matthew 2:3 tells us that when Herod finds out that the king of the Jews has been born, "he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." King Herod was an Idumean and so he didn't even have the right credentials to be the king of the Jews. This is why he was troubled. Jesus posed a legitimate threat to his POWER and AUTHORITY.
But King Herod was not the only person troubled; So was 'all Jerusalem'. So to whom is 'all Jerusalem' referring? Well, Jerusalem was the epicenter of Jewish life. Jerusalem was the headquarters of the Jewish religious establishment (the priests, scribes, Sanhedrin, etc.). And so 'all Jerusalem' is most likely referring to the Jewish religious leaders. And so because Jesus posed a legitimate threat to their POWER and AUTHORITY, they too were troubled. Matthew exposes this fact by documenting the many times the Jewish leaders tried to undermine Jesus' authority (9:1-7; 21:23-27). But as Matthew so clearly communicates, "he [Jesus] was teaching them [the crowds] as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (see also 10:1; 28:18). Matthew wants his readers to know that Jesus ALONE possesses ALL authority in heaven and on earth!
JESUS IS KING OVER AN UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM
But throughout Matthew's gospel, we see that King Jesus wields His AUTHORITY in an upside down manner consistent with His Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29). While Herod and the religious leaders used their AUTHORITY to gain status and wealth, King Jesus uses His AUTHORITY to make 'the last first and the first last' (19:30; 20:1-16). He sets out to level the playing field and restore justice! King Jesus shows that His KINGDOM will be ruled by God's (and NOT mankind's) design. And so whereas the kings of old failed to observe the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee, King Jesus brings good news to the poor and the lame (11:4-19) and fulfills 'all righteousness' (3:15) and the 'Law and the Prophets' (5:17-20). In short, King Jesus inaugurates the type of KINGDOM that God originally envisioned in the Old Testament...an upside down kingdom where God's curse is reversed!
THE BOTTOM LINE
So what does it look like to FOLLOW JESUS? First, we need to make HIM the ultimate AUTHORITY and KING over our lives. What does this look like? It means living a 'last shall be first, first shall be last' type of life as described in the SERMON ON THE MOUNT (5:1-7:29). To do this, we need to BEGIN pursuing lives of humility, love, justice, mercy, peace, and compassion and STOP promoting ourselves and our selfish agendas. But this will only happen when you ABANDON the ILLEGITIMATE claim you have to RULE your life and then GIVE your life COMPLETELY over to God, the only one with the LEGITIMATE claim to RULE. So this is my prayer: May Jesus' AUTHORITY be evident in the life of His church so that God's glory may shine for our world to CLEARLY see!
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