Jesus Foretells His Future a Third Time

Mark 10:32-34.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

I am always a bit leery of using the word “foretell” with Jesus or his prophets because it has connotations that are more associated with fortune tellers and those who try to predict the future.  Jesus, however, was not a skilled fortune teller, nor was he a skilled political analyst who was able to see what would happen in the future.  Rather, Jesus is telling them before hand what will happen in the future because he and the Father have discussed this in heaven.  Jesus had come down as the One and Only Unique Son of God.  It was the plan of God for the things we will discuss today to happen.  This does not mean that God is forcing the wicked players involved to do what they do.  Instead, God incorporates their willful rebellion into His plan.

In Mark’s Gospel, he wants us to be clear that Jesus knew that the events leading up to the crucifixion were coming.  Jesus had taught his disciples that rejection was part of God’s plan.  Though the leaders of Israel would cast Jesus aside, The Father would overrule their decrees.

Let’s look at our passage today.

The last march up to Jerusalem

Mark 10 begins a transition in the book.  It opens in verse 1 telling us that Jesus was in the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.  In these verses today, they are on the road to Jerusalem.  At the end of the chapter, they will be in Jericho.  Thus, they are somewhere between the other side of the Jordan and Jericho at this point.

Mark 11 opens with the Triumphal entry, which occurs less than a week before the crucifixion.  This is how close we are in this passage to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mark tells us in this passage that the disciples are amazed and that they are afraid.  They are afraid because Jesus is going up to Jerusalem and the religious leaders were trying to get Jesus.  This is interesting because the disciples believe to things that are in tension with one another.  On one hand, they are finding it hard to believe that the Messiah would actually be killed.  Yet, on the other hand, they are definitely afraid of the intentions of the religious leaders.  This is not a contradiction.  The tension is between what they believe should happen, according to the prophecies about the Messiah, and their knowledge that the very powerful leaders are seeking to arrest Jesus and perhaps them.  The Gospels all tell us that Jesus warns his disciples multiple times about his coming death, and many people were warning them that the religious leaders were out to get them.  So, this explains their fear, but what is amazing them?

In contrast to the disciples, we are told that Jesus is leading in front of them.  He is purposefully headed towards Jerusalem and they are amazed at his fearless approach to the city that held so much danger for them.  Jesus is not sneaking under the cover of darkness, nor is he keeping a low profile (at Jericho he heals the blind Bartimaeus).  He is not leading from the back of the group, or from the center as an attempt to protect himself.  Rather, he is leading in front of them, like a true Captain of our salvation.

Of course, I use that terminology because the writer of Hebrews 2:10 gives this image to us.

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

Jesus was a fearless leader because his relationship with the Father was inseparable and without doubt.  He marches in front of us, even today, but not so much in front that the weak are left behind.  Thus, we see Jesus sensing their fear of what lies ahead, and yet their amazement at his bold march towards certain trouble.  He stops and takes time to speak to them about it.

Sometimes those who lead into difficult times or circumstances are not so noble in their leading.  It is easy to mislead people regarding what lies ahead in order to get compliance or quell panic.  Some may even keep those they lead completely in the dark.  Jesus was not this way.  He is being truthful and honest with the disciples about the difficult things ahead.  Yet, he is taking time to bring them along.  He is modeling for us what it means to carry your cross and follow God’s plan.  No, it is not easy on our flesh, and yes, we must take time to pray and encourage ourselves in what God would have us do despite all of the fearful things that we may see around us.  We also see him modeling how those who are strong in faith should come alongside of those who are not, and encourage them in marching towards the plan of God.

I want to tell you today that Jesus knows your fears about what lies ahead.  By His Holy Spirit, He is marching ahead of you to lead you to the Father, and to perfect that work of God within you.  However, he will stop from time to time in order to draw you near to him and speak the truth to you in love.  Hard times lie ahead, but fear not!  Jesus is with us, even unto the end of the age!  Let us not forget that our Lord has not abandoned us, but that he is marching in front of us.  We can trust his plan because he has proven his heart on the cross.

As I said, Jesus doesn’t sugar coat what lies ahead.  This is the third time that Mark describes Jesus telling them about his coming death and resurrection.  More than likely, Jesus had more than these 3 discussions.  Here is a breakout of what Jesus told them in those discussion.

We see that in Mark 8:31 Jesus references 3 main events.  He will suffer many things, which is only detailed by being rejected by the elders.  Then he will be killed, and after that on the third day he will rise again.  We are therefore given a three-stage outline of the events ahead.  His suffering, his death, and his resurrection.  In Mark 9:30-32, the same three stages are outlined, but now we are told that part of his suffering will be in a betrayal.  It is one thing to be rejected by the leaders who never liked you, but betrayal involves someone that is close to you.

In Mark 10:33-34, we again have a reiteration of these three stages with more detail on his sufferings.  He would be betrayed to the chief priests, condemned to death by them, handed over to the Gentiles, mocked, scourged, and spit upon.  This is a pretty detailed list of just how bad things were going to get.  Jesus does not mention what will happen to the disciples here, but they cannot say that he never warned them.

Many Christians around the world today are having to deal with the reality that their future involves many such sufferings, and even the threat of death.  They have to choose whether they are going to follow a Lord that leads them into such difficult and impossible circumstances, or turn back.  We live in a part of the world where it is much easier to follow Jesus.  There are no literal crosses and prison cells directly in our path, but we do see around us a world of chaos that doesn’t know its right hand from its left.

I want to encourage us, but not by sugar coating what lies ahead.  I want to encourage us, but not by freaking out and shouting, “Run for your lives!”  No.  There are many things ahead that you and I will have to suffer.  We don’t exactly know what those things will be for us.  However, Jesus will lead us, and teach us, and give us strength.  He will bring us along until that day that we too breathe our last and leave this earth.  It most likely won’t be on the third day after our death, but we too will rise again.  This is God’s promise to all those who put their trust in Him.  This is our glorious hope.  Do not look to the wisdom of this world to lead us into peace and safety, or to chart a path into a better world.  Yet, do not surrender to fear and desperation.  Our God has a plan through all of this.  He will not abandon us, even though we may face a martyr’s death.  We will rise again, reign with Him, as God fulfills His promise to all those who have waited for Him in trust!  Let’s rise up, follow Jesus, and trust in Him no matter what lies ahead!

Jesus Foretells His Future audio

Jesus the Prophet

Mark 8:31-38.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, December 29, 2019.

In the Old Testament, we see three critical leadership roles that existed in Israel.  Moses was a prophet to the people to speak on behalf of God to them.  Through him, God instituted the role of the High Priest, who was to be from the tribe of Levi of the family of Aaron.  Eventually, Saul was raised up as the first king of Israel.

The roles of High Priest and King were always kept separate.  The third group would consist of any number of prophets whom God had gifted to address the nation and its leaders.  From time to time, we would see a High Priest or King operating with a prophetic gift, but they were never seen as The Prophet for the whole nation.  In this sense, Moses was a very unique figure.  He was not a king or high priest, but he was a very singular prophetic voice to Israel.

We can recognize a kind of separation of powers operating through this in Israel.  The purpose of such separations is to protect against the inevitable bad actors that would come on the scene.  Men are fallen and we should always reject the notion of putting too much power in the hands of one person or a small group of people in this world.  However, this is more than just having them separate in order to protect the freedoms of Israel’s people.

The prophets in the Bible promised that an anointed one would come and an amazing truth is revealed in the person of Jesus.  This one man would be sinless and perfect.  He would be the rightful King of kings, but also our faithful High Priest.  On top of this, we will see today that he is The Prophet par excellence.  He is the only one who can be trusted with all three powerful positions.  He is the prophet that Moses promised would come, in Deuteronomy 18.  He is the one who not only proclaims God’s Word, but who actually is the Word of God sent from heaven.  The separation speaks to the fact that all beings fall short of the perfection of God’s Son, and therefore none of them, human or angel, deserve such powers over mankind.

Let’s look at how Jesus demonstrates his prophetic gift.

Jesus foretells his rejection, execution, and resurrection

Verse 31 has a lot packed into it.  The message of Jesus initially focused on the Kingdom of God and how to enter it.  He told people to repent and follow him if they wanted to participate in God’s Kingdom.  However, at some point, he began to tell his disciples that certain things must happen to him and to them.  These things were contrary to the typical view of the coming Messiah.

We are told that Jesus “began to teach them” that he was to “suffer many things.”  Isaiah 53 is the famous passage that clearly speaks of a suffering servant who would be “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”  Of course, the phrase, “suffering many things,” could be used of just that, many things.  Jesus goes on to explain what some of those many things would be.

He first prophesies that he will be rejected by Israel’s leaders.  Rejection is a bitter pill, and Messiah was prophesied to be rejected.  The rabbis of Israel often interpret such prophecies in the Old Testament as speaking of Israel itself.  It is true that Israel has known much rejection from other nations and has served as God’s servant and son on this earth.  However, this is only indicative of the reality that they were created by a Heavenly Father who is rejected by angels and humans alike.  Jesus was sent to reveal to us once and for all that even those who look godly must wrestle with the tendency of their heart to reject God.

King Herod was not even Jewish and was willing to kill tens of young children in order to protect his power over the nation.  The High Priest Caiaphas was willing to ram Jesus through a sham of a trial in order to protect his power over the nation.  Most of the elders of Israel were in full agreement with these actions too.  The scribes and the lawyers did not accept Jesus because he called them out for their legal trickery in avoiding the commands of God. 

Such rejection is difficult to experience and righteously process.  Young kids who experience unusual doses of rejection in a society often become antisocial.  However, Jesus is unique.  He is antisocial in the sense that he is critical of the society of his generation and its corrupted ways.  Yet, he is not really antisocial.  He is not angry and raging against society.  Rather, he is offering society a clear picture of where it is broken and in need of healing.  He is not warped and twisted by a root of bitterness.  Instead, he shows us the way to life in the midst of a wicked generation. 

We should not be deceived.  We too are in a wicked generation, and we too need the help of Jesus not to be twisted and warped in our own self-righteousness.  We need the help of the Holy Spirit to navigate these days and still be a river of life flowing in the desert of our society.

Next, Jesus prophesies that he will be executed or killed.  It is bad enough to be rejected, but being executed is an extreme form of rejection.  Isaiah 53 alludes to this fate for the Messiah.  However, Daniel 9:26 tells us in plain language that the Messiah would be cut off or executed.  “After the sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.  The end of it shall be with a flood.”  No one in Israel as expecting the Messiah would come in order to be executed, and yet there it is in plain language.  The disciples were just as clueless about this as the rest of their society.

Lastly, Jesus prophesies that he will rise again after three days.  The story will not end with his death.  Now, the word for “rise again” can simply mean to get up off of your chair, or to get up out of a sick bed.  However, no one can mistake what “rise again” means in the context of a dead person.  He is foretelling his death and resurrection, both of which seem quite improbable.  They don’t believe that this is supposed to happen to the Messiah.  Also, Jesus was extremely popular with the multitudes of Israel.  Even though the leaders did not like him, why in the world would they ever kill him?  They are godly men. 

Yet, Jesus was completely right in his prophecy.  He was a true prophet, and he did rise again after being in the grave for 3 days.

Who rebukes whom?

In verses 32-33, Peter gives voice to the common thinking among the disciples.  Mark does not give us Peter’s actual words, but we are told that Peter takes Jesus aside from the group in order to rebuke him.  Matthew 16 gives us a clue when Peter states, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”  He could only see that the Messiah was to rule over Israel as its king.  How could he be rejected and killed?  Peter respects Jesus enough to take him aside, but he is still stepping out of place to try and teach the teacher.  Yet, it is clear that the disciples know what is happening and being said.  Peter is only voicing what they are all thinking.

There is an important contextual event happening here.  Just before this prophecy and rebuke, Peter had been complimented by Jesus for hearing the Father and recognizing that Jesus was the Messiah.  However, moments later (we don’t have a clear statement of how long later), Peter thinks that he knows what the Father wants to happen, and yet he is very wrong.  This must always be a lesson to us.  Hearing from God today does not guarantee that my ideas of tomorrow are from him too.  We should walk in humility with the things that God shows us.  We are the errant students.  Only Jesus is the perfect one.

Of course, you are never going to succeed when you attempt to rebuke God.  We have a whole generation of people who think they are more righteous than Jesus or God.  Such pride ends in the same place that Peter found himself.  Jesus quickly turns the rebuke back on Peter and puts him in his place.  Yet, before Jesus does this, we are told that he turns around and looks at his disciples.  The following rebuke appears to be for all of their benefit, not just for Peter.  Yes, Peter is the tip of the spear and thus he is the one being rebuked.  However, all of the disciples need to hear what Jesus has to say.  He needs to nip this persuasion that they all hold in the bud.

First, we notice that Jesus addresses Satan.  He is not calling Peter Satan.  Rather, he is recognizing that Peter is listening to the wrong spirit.  Wow, how could he hear the Father one minute and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, and then hear from Satan the next?  It is quite easily done.  We are very manipulable.  Our flesh tends to hear what it wants to hear and believe what it wants to believe.  This works in our favor when God’s Word happens to align with what we want.  Yet, the things that we want do not always line up with God’s Word.  In these times, it works against us.

Jesus commands Satan to get behind him.  Peter is listening to the wrong spirit and thus is attempting to get in the way of where Jesus knows that he must go.  We are used to unbelievers being used by the devil to try and stop God’s people from doing His will.  However, do not forget that Satan is always looking for those among the believers who will allow themselves to be led by their flesh, and therefore, to be led by him to resist what God is saying and doing.  Religious leaders must be very humble and careful about the pronouncements that they make because of these realities.  So, how do we keep this from happening?

Jesus gives us the key in what he says next.  Peter’s mind is not set on the right things, i.e. what God wants.  They have not made it their concern to discern the intentions of God in Jesus.  Instead, they are focused on what they want to happen and what will work to their benefit.  Our desires and hopes often get in the way of what God is doing.  They can mislead us even to the point that we become a tool or a useful idiot for the devil.  It is important that we recognize this aspect of ourselves, and work hard to keep our minds focused upon what God wants as opposed to what we want.

Of course, this area is fraught with pitfalls.  The important thing is to always hold what you think and want very loosely.  Pray about it, and meditate upon it.  Ask God to show you His good and perfect will.  He does not always answer with a clear word, but He always helps us to see through the issues.  Just like Peter came to see that Jesus was the Messiah over time, so too, we can come to see what God is doing in our generation, if we are patient and willing to learn.  We too can be led by the Father rather than being led by Satan.

Jesus clarifies what it will take to be his disciple

This situation requires Jesus to emphasize the point, and even to throw down a gauntlet of sorts.  In verses 34-38, Jesus tells his disciples that if they want to follow him then they will need to know right now that it won’t be easy.  He gives a series of difficult things that we must do in order to be his disciples in actuality.

The first is that we should deny ourselves.  This means to refuse the things that you want and instead to go after the things that God wants.  Just like Peter would later say of Jesus, “I don’t know the man,” so we must say of our own self and its desires.  Too many believers are trying to follow Jesus and yet not deny themselves.  Jesus states categorically that this is impossible.  Like trying to hold onto two horses that are going in opposite directions, we will eventually let go of one and cling to the other.  There is no way around it.  Life will force the issue sooner or later.  Which will you choose?

The second hard task is to take up our cross.  To deny yourself is the negative aspect.  It is the thing that we are rejecting and turning away from.  However, the next step is part of the positive aspect.  It is not enough to reject yourself and yet embrace the wisdom of a pastor, theologian, politician, or any other person on this earth that we respect (yes, including any angels).  Only Jesus is worthy of our devotion.  Yet, to follow him requires that we carry our cross.  Why a cross?  Most of us are not going to be put to death on a cross literally, and thus the cross is not primarily literal.  This is not to diminish the necessity to be ready to die for Christ in such a way.  The cross represents the implement of our own death.  That unique way in which I need to die to the things of this world and the way they pull on my flesh.  Eventually the path of Jesus will lead to a place that causes your flesh to shrink back.  Like a cross, it will lead in a direction that will cause death and loss of things that your flesh wants to keep.  It is in these times that our initial denial is challenged.  It is easier to start to follow Jesus, but hard times will come after it and test our resolve.  Will I embrace the cross of those things that I have to die to and lose in order to follow Christ?  That is the question.  Only a person prepared to die can survive such times.

Then, we are to follow Jesus.  We cannot have the cart before the horse.  Ultimately, Christians are not trying to die for dying’s sake.  Rather, we are following Jesus.  When we follow Jesus, conflicts will arise from it.  We are carrying our cross because at certain points along the way our Lord will make it clear to us where we need to die.  We are carrying our cross because we are always ready to join our Lord in his sufferings and death.  We do not do so because we love death, rather because we love the life that only our Lord can give.  Christians are those who do not need to fear death, loss, and not getting what they want.  We don’t need to fear these because we serve the Lord of Life.  If we lose anything for his sake then it will produce life in another way.

So, Jesus ends with several powerful statements.  He puts life and our soul in front of us.  If you live to save your life then you will lose your soul.  Wow, that is a scary statement.  What is my focus?  Are there things that I want so bad that I keep scratching and clawing in order to get them?  Are there things that make me so scared that I run from them and refuse to face them?

When we try to protect ourselves, we run from the very things that will help us to keep possession of our own soul.  Jesus basically says that we should stop the self-preservation approach to life, and simply trust God.  Which would you rather have?  The life you always wanted or to have full possession of your soul?  In Luke 21:19, Jesus says, “By your patience, take possession of your soul.”  We often become impatient and want things now.  God asks us to trust Him and wait for certain things.  There is a day of reward coming for those who suffer loss for His sake.  Can I wait for it?

Instead of self-preservation, we are to lay our lives down for the sake of Jesus and his Gospel.  This is not about me choosing to lay something down for Jesus.  It is a result of following Jesus and hearing his voice.  If I give up all manner of things except that which Jesus is asking me to surrender then I have not died to anything yet.  This is rebellion.  When I follow Jesus, I will run into a situation where I will be afraid for something in my life.  That fear will threaten to lead me off course.  Yet, in that moment, if I will lay that thing down, put it on the altar as a sacrifice, then I will be free to follow Jesus. 

The disciples had to die to the desire to sit on thrones next to Jesus.  If they kept clinging to that idea then they would not have gone on to do what they did.  Yet, there is coming a day after the resurrection when God will raise them up to rule over the tribes of Israel.  So, the choice is always between the life we want now and our own soul.  You can’t keep both.

To lose your soul is a scary thing.  Jesus asks us what a person can give in exchange for their soul back.  There is no answer, but to die to self and follow Jesus.  Only he has paid the price to give us full charge of our own souls. 

Am I ashamed to follow Jesus?  There are many voices in our culture touting the name of Jesus, even using it as some kind of billy club to get believers to head in a particular direction.  Do not forget that there has never been a time in which truly following Jesus led to all the things your flesh ever desired.  No, Jesus was marching towards public shame and humiliation, and until he comes back, this is our lot too.  Let’s not be ashamed of our Lord.  His shame brought us our souls, and brought us true life.  Let’s carry the shame of this world as a badge of honor because, when he returns, we will exchange that shame for the glory of Christ!

Jesus the Prophet audio

The Mystery of Christ in Us

Colossians 1:21-29.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on May 27, 2018.

Today we are going to pick up where we left off several weeks ago in Colossians chapter 1.  The Apostle Paul had written about how great Jesus was and just exactly who he was.  In our verses today we see that this amazing Jesus that Paul has described is within us.  The idea that Christ would dwell within us is wonderful and is the reason why we have any hope of glory.  Let’s look at the passage.

We are reconciled to God by Jesus

In verses 21-23 we are reminded that we have been reconciled to God by Jesus.  Now, reconciliation can be seen in two different ways, both of which are found in Scripture.  The first can be seen in a legal way.  God is the judge and our life is filled with breaking His law.  Jesus covers our sin so that it is not put on the moral ledger of our life.  Instead, His righteousness is credited to our ledger.  Thus we can stand before the judge and be blameless and above reproach.  Jesus is the one who makes us right with God our judge.

The second way to view reconciliation is to see it in a relational way.  God created us to be His children.  We have left Him like the prodigal son and have become destitute.  Yet, Jesus has brought us back to the Father and made peace between us and the Father.  We are brought into God’s family and are right with the Father because of Jesus, the faithful older brother.

Both of these pictures are biblical.  However, there is a tendency among some Christians today to only use the Fatherly image and to reject the Judge image.  We should be careful of over-emphasizing either one.  God in His wisdom has given us both, and we should not make ourselves wiser than Him.  There are times when one or the other is more appropriate for what we are facing.

We are told that before Christ reconciled us to God we were alienated and separated from God.  In fact he states that this was “in our minds.”  Our thoughts and understandings were so far removed from God’s that we were practically enemies, whether we were trying to be or not.  Thus our life was filled with “wicked works.”  These works, whether internally or externally, have been rejected by God as acceptable behavior and will be judged by His Anointed One, Jesus.

However, now we are reconciled to God (vs. 22).  We are no longer alienated and separated from God by our sins.  We are now close to God, both legally and relationally.  To be reconciled to God is to be “blameless and above reproach” in God’s sight.  This idea is found throughout the Old Testament.  Adam and Eve began in such a condition and fell.  Noah, Abraham, Job, etc. all were described as blameless before God.  This can only be done by living in faith towards God.  This is the goal of our reconciliation.

It is interesting that Paul emphasizes that this is through the death of “the body of his flesh.”  His point is that Jesus was a real man who died a real death, at a particular point in time.  This is important.  The apostles were not pointing back into the mists of pre-history towards a mythical being.  Rather, they pointed to a man that anyone in Israel would have been very familiar with, both his life and death.  It was the death of Christ's earthly body that brought about this grand reconciliation.  It would be impossible had he not died.

Yet, in verse 23 he raises a clear caveat.  We are reconciled to God if we continue in the faith.  No one should think that they can walk away from faith in Christ and still remain reconciled to God.  Reconciliation is not a magic wand that is waved over our life, but a position we have been put in by Jesus.  To walk away from Him is to walk away from reconciliation with God.  This is why Paul uses the phrase “grounded and steadfast” in the “hope of the Gospel.”  Are you convinced that Jesus is the answer for everyone in the world?  That is the crux of the Gospel.  Only in Christ can every man, woman, boy, and girl experience reconciliation with God.

Yet, in order to remain, we must resist those things that would “move us away” from it.  Whether people or societies and the philosophies and teachings that they promote, we must persevere in faith.  He does not say persevere in godly conduct, but in faith.  Our state of being reconciled to God is based upon our faith in Christ, not our godly conduct.  However, our conduct will grow in godliness as we keep our faith in Jesus.

We are sacrificially served by others

In verses 24-29 Paul explains what he was personally doing.  He was sacrificially serving them for Christ’s sake.  It is good to recognize that this is how God works.  He does this through having parents sacrificially serve children for the sake of their good.  He does this through instituting government for the good of nations.  He does this through church leaders for the good of all believers.

In serving them for Christ, Paul had suffered many afflictions.  He was able to keep faithful because it was Christ who had reconciled him to God.  He also did so in order to “fill up what is lacking in the afflictions [sometimes translated “tribulations”] of Christ.”  Paul does not mean that Jesus had failed to suffer enough to completely save us, and therefore we have to suffer to make up the difference.  There are some misguided individuals who think that they can become more special to God by inflicting suffering upon themselves.  However, Paul is speaking of suffering and afflictions that came from others as he did what Christ wanted him to do.  He suffered for the sake of others, not for his own sake.  Those who serve others bear the sufferings of such for the sake of those they serve.

What Paul means is something quite different, when he writes about what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ.  The afflictions that Christ faced, while he was in ministry and while he was being crucified, represent the hatred the world has for God.  Thus the man Jesus who was limited in time and space could only suffer a small part of humanity’s hatred towards God.  Thus the Church is called the body of Christ.  By their actions towards the body of Christ in every age, the world has demonstrated over and over again its hostility towards God.  Paul rejoiced to be a part of that glorious calling of standing with Jesus before a world that wants to crucify us both.  Why would he rejoice in this?  He would rejoice because he knows that it pleases God.  And, if God is pleased it doesn’t matter what the world may think.

Paul had been called to minister to them and us.  The word for minister here is the same word for “deacon.”  It was a very general word for someone who served on behalf of another.  It could be a very low position or a very high position (like an aid to the president).  The emphasis is on the service you do on behalf of another entity.  Thus Paul served people out of a duty to Christ.  All that he did, he did to serve God’s people for God’s purposes.

A major part of God’s purpose was to reveal something in Christ that had been a mystery in the times before his coming.  The Old Testament was God’s Word and yet much of God’s ultimate plan was somewhat hidden in it.  Little by little from Genesis to Malachi we see God giving glimpses of what He was going to do.  It has been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.  The Old Testament prophets had made many prophecies promising God’s help.  Yet, even those prophets did not understand perfectly all that God would do.  Thus it was a mystery that was being revealed through Jesus and His apostles.  It is the preaching of the apostles that reveals the great mystery of the ages past.  It is a mystery that is no longer a mystery.  There is no hidden code in the New Testament for us to uncover.  What was concealed has already been revealed.  The distinction of Israel being the people of God and the gentiles being rejected was to be overcome in Christ.  He would make the two One, holy body of people who belong to God.  On top of this, God would dwell, not in a temple made by human hands, but within the heart and soul of every believer.

Paul calls these things glorious riches.  Many people look to many things for glory and riches.  Kids are taken to basketball or football camps at early ages, and they are put in educational programs much earlier than normal, all in the hopes of getting ahead of the competition, glorious riches.  But our hope of glory is Christ dwelling within us.  This is the foundation of our hope for glory. It does not lie in us, but in Jesus.

As we close we should note that in verses 28-29 Paul describes his motto in ministry: “Him we preach.”  He mentions this same concept several times throughout his letters.  In 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 it says, “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;  but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness…”  We preach Christ, and Him crucified!  Many teachers claim to know a great number of things, but Paul focused on only knowing Christ, and a crucified Christ at that.  This is a stumbling block to many people, because our flesh looks for a source of glory that is nobler than that. 

This is why Paul spent so much time writing letters, which warned, counseled, and taught believers what it means to belong to Christ and put your faith in Him.  Paul recognized that to follow Jesus was only possible if Jesus was the one working it in you (vs. 29).  Only He has the power to help us change.  So what is Christ working in you?  I pray that today you will embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in a fresh way.  I pray that you will rejoice in the glory that is ours because we are reconciled to God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Let the Holy Spirit work through you as He worked through Paul in order to further God’s purposes in the lives of the people whom He has put in your life.  Amen!

Mystery of Christ audio

Checkmate and the Rulers of this Age

1 Corinthians 2:6-12.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on April 23, 2017.

In the game of Chess many different strategies can be employed, both defensive and offensive.  Regardless of how sophisticated a strategy may be, the proof of one’s superior ability is to put the other player’s King in a conquered position called checkmate.  They have no moves available to keep the opponent’s next move from taking their King.  Now, in using this illustration, I do not want to give the impression that the Devil is God’s equal in a cosmic game of Chess.  However, we do need to understand that the Devil has made many tactical blunders throughout the course of history, first of which is his choice to rebel against the Creator.

In our passage today we see that the cross may not have been the checkmate per se.  However, it was an irrecoverable error and all moves since are moving towards an inevitable checkmate in which he is out of moves.  Even the moves he employs since the cross are only possible because God is giving time for pawns on the Devil’s side to rebel against the rebel and come back to the Creator.  So the real question today is not so much how many moves or time is left.  Rather, the pertinent question is this, “Which side are you on?”  Are you on the side of the Father and His Son, Jesus?  Or, are you on the side of the Devil and his angels?  Let’s look at our passage today.

Jesus and the Crucifixion are God’s Wisdom

We are going to focus on verses 6-8, but to do that I want to point out verse 2 of this chapter.  Paul told the Corinthians that when he was among them he was “determined not to know anything among you except, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”  The distinction is important because Jesus is the wisdom of God both in his being, and in his doing.  He is the wisdom of God before He ever opens His mouth.  When He speaks we are receiving the very wisdom of God.  And, when he acts, the decisions that he makes and the things that he goes through, are all part of demonstrating the wisdom of God.  Now, no matter how Christians want to be perceived by the world, we must hold firmly to this foundational understanding: God’s wisdom is very different from the world’s wisdom.  Not only this, but the world’s wisdom will never accept the wisdom of God in Jesus.  Yes, it may take hold of it and twist it into something and someone different, so as to embrace it. But it will always be an idol of their making and just as vain.

Paul wanted the Corinthians and us to understand that the rulers of this age were ignorant of the amazingly wise thing that God was doing in Jesus.  The Corinthians had embraced Jesus, but held onto wisdom and pathways of thinking that came from the rulers of this age.  You can’t keep the wisdom of this age and really follow Jesus.  The word translated as “ruler” here is used of both earthly and heavenly beings.  Now a human interpretation of this term would most likely be true.  If Caiaphas, Pilate, et al, had known what they were doing they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus.  However, there is very good reason to believe that Paul is also speaking of the Devil and his angels.  They are the true rulers of this age.  What evidence leads me to believe this?  First of all, Jesus often references the spiritual powers that were working.  In the Gospel of John he references the “ruler of this world” that was coming,” and who was about to be “cast out.”  Paul in Ephesians 2:1-2 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”  This “ruler” is clearly a spirit being and only ruling in the air as opposed to the heavenlies.  Later in Ephesians 6 Paul speaks further, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Again Paul is clear that these rulers are not flesh and blood, but rather spiritual hosts of wickedness.  There is another reason to recognize the spiritual rulers being referenced in this passage.  The “fallen angels,” as they are often called, operate in rebellion to the God of heaven.  As such, they have historically promoted an alternate wisdom to mankind.  As the serpent twists the truth in order to bring Eve into an alternate understanding, so they have always twisted the truth and used a wisdom that is particular to them in order to manipulate mankind.  The ancient nations even bragged that their wisdom was from the “gods” and their rulers were “demi-gods.”  The Corinthian culture is part and parcel with this Gentile penchant to be enamored with the wisdom and philosophy of the gods they served.  Paul is showing the Corinthians that these great “gods” were ignorant and so were the human rulers who were leaning on their wisdom.  They are not ignorant of everything.  Rather they are ignorant of the wisdom of God found in Jesus.  The spirits at least knew who Jesus was, and they knew that he was there to fight them.  But they did not understand how he was going to bring about the kingdom of God.  This was a mystery.  Yes, the wisdom of this world is vast and immense.  But, in the end, it is at war against the wisdom of the God of heaven.  More than that, it does not lead mankind to utopia or salvation.  It leads us to fight against what will save us, the wisdom of God.  Thus the wisdom of these great spiritual rulers has led them to a tactical blunder that will lead to their eventual checkmate.  The Book of Revelation makes clear that their end is the Lake of Fire, as does Jesus in Matthew 25:41.

Why were these great angels ignorant?  Paul states that it was a hidden mystery that God had kept from the very beginning.  The incarnation of the Son of God and his substitutionary death had been kept secret from the devil.  He had no idea that Jesus wanted to be killed and that it was part of his plan.  By crucifying Jesus, he and his angels commit a capital offense and bring a capital judgment upon themselves and those humans who join them.  From the Garden of Eden on, they have abused the knowledge that God had allowed them to know.  In Job 38 we are told that the Sons of God shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid.  Thus, the “angels” who are called “Sons of God” were created and present for the creation.  The extra-biblical, book called 1 Enoch, which is quoted by Jude and Peter in the Bible, pointed out their involvement in the pre-flood world.  The fallen angels had taught mankind technological arts and used them to pervert mankind away from God.  Thus the weapons of warfare and the arts of seduction (clothing, adornment, and make-up) came from these technologies.  As I said before, the post flood cultures bragged that this information had survived and was the reason for their greatness.  Yet, God had hidden certain things concerning salvation from them.  They don’t know everything.  They are not God.  He most likely hid it because He knew that there would be a rebellion.  So what can we learn from this?  We can learn to be confident in the wisdom of God, and we can remain humble before the world.  Yes, we know the mystery of the incarnation and the cross.  But, what more do we not know?  This is not a time for arrogance, but rather humility.

I would also point out that technology is not itself the problem.  We see this today.  Technology can be used for good or for evil.  However, we need to understand that the drive behind increasing technology comes from a manipulative, spiritual origin.  When man is in rebellion to God, no amount of technology can save him.  In fact, it will only make things worse.

Paul also points out the ancient origins of this mystery.  Although I have already spoken to this fact, I would remind us of a couple of verses in the New Testament.  1 Peter 1:19-20 says, “… the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”  Revelation 13:8 says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the wild beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.”  Notice that the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection were always the plan.  Even before He started Creation, God had already planned to save mankind.  In the unseen councils of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have agreed to the plan of the cross, which condemns all wickedness and redeems all who will humble themselves and put their faith in Jesus.

Verses 9-12, bring this to a point.  Jesus and the Gospel have been revealed to mankind by the Holy Spirit.  The mysteries of God and the wisdom of God that had been made known through the Apostles had its source in the Holy Spirit of God, and not the evil spirits of the Gentile nations.  The Corinthians were trying to follow the man Jesus on the outside all the while listening to the wisdom of evil spirits on the inside.  This will never work.  In fact, all Christians of every generation have had to wrestle with this tendency.  American Christians today wrestle with following Jesus while keeping a cultural wisdom that has its source in evil spirits.  The same is true of any other nation as well.  The wisdom of God has been given to all mankind through the man Jesus and by the Holy Spirit of God.  With it we are able to spoil the greatest beings of the universe outside of God.  We can be saved, seeing through their lies and the destructive tendency of their wisdom.  We can deliver ourselves and rescue others.  We have everything that we need to know for this age.  Sure, God has things prepared for the age to come, after Jesus comes back.  Until then, we can be confident in what God has given us now.  But if we choose the path of arrogance and a particular fascination with demonic wisdom then we will find ourselves in the same plight as the Jewish leaders in the first century.  So we end with the question, “From what spirit are you getting your wisdom?”  The answer to this makes the difference between death and life.

Checkmate audio