The Four Gospels, Part 2

The second gospel in the New Testament is “The Gospel According to Mark.” Mark is mentioned 10 times in the New Testament. His Jewish name is John (Acts 13:5, 13), but his Roman names is Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37). He lived in Jerusalem and his cousin was Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). He might have been the young man dressed only in a linen cloth when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51, 52), because his gospel is the only one that mentions the incident.

Mark spent time with Barnabas and Saul (Paul) at the church in Antioch and assisted them on their first missionary journey. But he unexpectedly departed from the mission field which caused Paul to lose confidence in him (Acts 15:37-39). But years later Paul again placed his trust in Mark and complimented him on his steadfast faith (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). Mark also assisted Peter in “Babylon” (1 Peter 5:13). Finally Mark went to Rome to assist Paul under Paul’s first arrest (2 Timothy 4:11).

It was perhaps those experiences of assisting Barnabas, Paul and Peter that colored Mark’s gospel. His gospel emphasizes Jesus Christ as the prophesied Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 52:13-15; 53:1-12). There is no genealogy for Jesus in Mark’s gospel as there was in Matthew’s. A King needs a genealogy but not a servant. Presenting the Servant of the Lord, Mark’s gospel is action packed from beginning to end. His book is full of graphic images like an action movie. Words like “Immediately” pepper his good news (Mark 1:10, 12, 18, 20, 28, 31). The Lord Jesus is always doing something in Mark’s gospel rather than teaching.

The first half of Mark’s gospel ends with Jesus saying, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many(Mark 10:45).” From this point on the gospel tells the story of Christ’s redemptive death and resurrection. And it concludes with Christ’s ascension and Jesus still working as the Servant of the Lord along with his disciples (Mark 16:19-20).  Though Mark’s gospel is different from Matthew’s in a number of ways, we must always remember that his gospel is divinely inspired; it is God’s Word to us (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

Finally, it may have been while Mark was in Rome that he wrote his gospel for gentile converts. The Latinisims in his book indicate that he was writing to Roman believers (see Mark 12:42 for example where he explains that “two mites,” a Jewish term, equals a “quadrans,” a Roman term). The Roman Christians at the time were facing harsh persecution. Mark declares that persecution is the cost of discipleship (Mark 10:30). Having once run away from hardships (Acts 13:13; 15:37-39) Mark now understood  what it meant to “be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:13).”

 

The Four Gospels, Part 1

When you open the New Testament of the Bible you are immediately introduced to four books dealing with the ministry of Jesus Christ. These books are titled “The Gospel According to Matthew” or “Mark,” “Luke,” and “John.” The word “gospel” means good news. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their books to tell us about the good news of God’s plan of salvation accomplished through Jesus Christ.

But have you ever wondered why there are four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ? When Jesus was crucified a placard was placed above his head proclaiming his supposed crime. The sign read “This Is The King Of The Jews” and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek (Luke 23:38). These three languages represented the dominate cultures of the Roman Empire at the time. Each gospel book was thus aimed at a particular culture.

These four books also proclaimed significant truths about Jesus Christ that needed four perspectives. The gospel writers then may be compared to four artists. They each painted a particular portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course they did this with words, God inspired words (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). We will examine these four gospels in the coming weeks. Today we begin with Matthew.

Matthew meaning "gift of God" (also named Levi) was the tax collector who left his occupation to follow Christ. He wrote primarily to the Jews. His book was written to convince the Jewish people that Jesus is the promised King/Messiah (anointed one or Christ) of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew’s gospel thus begins with a genealogy. It states “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1.)” David was Israel’s greatest king to whom God promised a descendant whose kingdom would last forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13)and which would encompass the whole world (Psalm 2; Daniel 7:13, 14). And of course Abraham was the first Jew. It also establishes Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, to be in the lineage of David (Matthew 1:16).”

The main theme of Matthew is Christ the king. Nine times Jesus is referred to as “the Son of David.” Matthew also relies heavily on Old Testament Scriptures to make his case. There are 50 direct quotations from the Old Testament, such as Matthew 1:22, 23 which reads, “’Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ ²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

Matthew’s gospel was also written to teach and encourage Jewish Christians. As a nation Israel had rejected Jesus, but there was still hope for the seed of Abraham to inherit the promised coming kingdom. Israel would pay a terrible price for rejecting Jesus; Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1, 2), but a new Israel—the church, composed of both believing Jews and Gentiles, would come into existence (Matthew 21:43; Romans 2:28, 29; Galatians 3:26-29). Matthew also describes Christ’s miracles (he lists 20), but the Master’s teachings are given prominence, for example The Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7, the Parables in chapter 13, and the teaching on the end times in chapters 24 and 25.

Finally, even though Matthew’s primary audience was Jewish, he was also aware that the gospel and the promise of the coming kingdom are for the whole world. Thus he revealed that people will come from afar (Gentiles, the other nations of the world) to sit with the patriarchs in the coming kingdom (Matthew 8:10-12; 12:21; Revelation 11:15) and that the good news should be preached to the whole world (Matthew 28:19).

For those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior a day is coming when Jesus shall return to establish his kingdom and renew the world. When that day occurs God’s people are assured that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 20:4).”

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Next Thursday is our national Holiday of Thanksgiving. The American tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back about 400 years. The earliest celebration was probably in 1607 at Cape Henry, Virginia. But our current holiday traces its history back to the Separatist Pilgrims. Before I go into this important history here are a few Thanksgiving riddles:

Q. Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

A. The outside.

Q. If the Pilgrims were alive today what would they be famous for?

A. Their age.

Q. How can you make a turkey float?
A. You need 2 scoops of ice cream, root beer and a small turkey.

Q: What sound does a space turkey make?
A: Hubble, Hubble, Hubble.

Q: Why do the Pilgrim’s pants keep falling down?
A: Because their belt buckles are on their hats

Q: What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin pi.

Ok – I know enough! So back to the history lesson.

The Separatists were English Christians who wanted to serve and worship God according to the Bible rather than the traditions of men. Persecuted in their home country of England they initially moved to Holland. But the culture in Holland was very ungodly. Through the grace of God the Separatists were given the opportunity to colonize the New World. So in 1620 they sailed to New England committed to building a community that would help future generations come to faith in Jesus Christ. William Bradford, the first Governor of Plymouth Colony, wrote of their dedication stating that they were willing to sacrifice their lives “even though they be but stepping stones for future generations of believers.”

The Colonists arrived in the New World of America in November of 1620. Unprepared for the harsh New England winter, nearly half of the Pilgrims died before spring. Then early in 1621 they were offered the chance to return to England: no one did. With confidence in God and by His grace through the help of the Native Americans, the pilgrims learned to live and thrive in their new home. In fact the Indian Chief Massasoit and almost his whole tribe became followers of Christ and there was peace between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans for almost 50 years. In December of 1621 the Governor declared a three day feast to thank God for His many blessings and thus began America’s holiday of Thanksgiving.

America has strayed far from the biblical convictions of these early settlers. But we shouldn’t point fingers at others. Rather we should ask ourselves “Am I striving to live and promote biblical truth with the full energy of my convictions?” To paraphrase Bradford, are we willing to make the sacrifices needed for future generations to learn the truth about God, Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom? I pray that we are. Make time this week to allow your heart to express gratitude to God for His many blessings.

OK—one more riddle.

Q. What do you get when you cross a turkey with a centipede?

A. A drumstick for everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thoughts About The Election

Forward (?), four more years. I have to admit it, maybe my glasses were too rose colored, but the candidate I favored lost the presidential election. Americans have been slogging through the weakest economy since the Great Depression. In fact annual GDP growth is actually slower than between 1934 to 1940 and the election indicates we should look forward (?) to more of the same. Laws will go into effect that will bring about higher and more taxes and regulations that will, according to many business experts, cripple small businesses and drive large companies out of the country. And yet Obama was re-elected.

So why did President Barak Obama win re-election? There are a number of reasons and lessons to be learned. First, voting among younger Americans, Hispanics, African-Americans and other Democratic/liberal groups remained as strong as in 2008. No political party can win if it is seen as heartless. Secondly, in this regard, the news media and comedians have done a good job of labeling Republicans as cold and mean hearted. The main stream media tipped the scales in favor of the president and the Democratic agenda. I don’t think I need to put up statistics. Just Google the media slant and you will find ample evidence from late night comedy shows to morning and evening news programs.

Thirdly, and forgive me for being so blunt, but Americans are ignorant. We are ignorant of the economy and how it works.  We are ignorant of our constitution and how it should work.  And we are ignorant of current events. This past September 11^th, the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked by Al Qaeda militants. Our ambassador was killed along with security and other personnel. The administration falsely blamed the attack on an anti-Muslim movie, but embassy documents prove that our ambassador had made it known that militants intended to attack. More security was requested but denied. Then during that attack aid was requested three times (to the highest levels of government) and three times denied, even as government officials watched the event live. Who knew what and when and who denied aid has been covered up. This is a cover-up so much bigger than Watergate and the mainstream media ignored it.  Thus most Americans were ignorant of the tragedy.

This election has also made it clear that we are a country divided over fundamental issues. We are divided into camps with divergent world views. And the election has not caused this division it has only revealed it. This deep division of world views will make governing a great challenge, but it brings an even greater challenge to the Christian church.

America is more ethnically, culturally and philosophically diverse than ever before. And it is more secular than ever before. Recent studies have shown that the single biggest predictor concerning how someone votes is his or her frequency of church attendance. Fewer Americans attend church than ever before. And almost a quarter of the nation has no religious affiliation at all. The fundamentals of morality have changed at the deepest levels. Two states, Main and Maryland have legalized same-sex marriage. And when the votes are fully counted it looks like Washington State will join in. On other state ballots there were also issues on the legalization of marijuana use and assisted suicide. We are a nation that is afraid to denounce abortion but we are willing to restrict the sale of “Big Gulps.”

We are a nation morally adrift. We drift with the tides of human emotions which change with every new social breeze. In every society there must be a moral anchor that holds the country securely in times of adversity. Our founding fathers established a Judeo-Christian morality based upon Sacred Scripture. That foundation has been swept away.

The first victim in moral decay is truth. The break down begins quietly in the heart but then eventually seeps into the fabric of life. I believe our political situation is but a reflection of this decay of truth. Politicians get up on their soap boxes and lie through their teeth and the people re-elect them. And the main stream media lies continuously and people continue to tune in. As a nation we are blind spiritually.

So what are we to do as Christians? First, pray for the president and all government officials (1Timothy 2:1-2). We should pray for the president’s health and his family. We should pray that God gives our leaders the wisdom to govern rightly. And we must never see politics as an end, but only as a means to an end. Salvation does not come through a voting booth—it comes through Jesus Christ.

We, Christians, must become more devoted to learning, living and sharing the truth of Scripture. We must do so boldly and in a winsome manner (1 Peter 3:15). And we must set our hope fully upon the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming worldwide kingdom, for then and only then will there be peace and justice (Isaiah 2:4; 11:2-4). Being in the world but not of it has never been easy (John 17:16). We must keep our eyes upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3).

 

 

 

Hurricane Sandy And The Will of God

Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, mudslides and hurricanes like the massive Hurricane Sandy that has devastated the east coast of the United States? Does God send bad weather? Does He send good weather? A timely poll by the Public Religion Research Institute reports that about 40% of Americans believe that God does have a hand in the weather—both good and bad.

Before I begin to answer these question let’s pray for the people on the east coast. Pray earnestly for God to answer the prayers of those who are crying out to Him. If you know someone there (and most of us know someone either family or friends who are there) ask how you can help. Make a donation to a charity like the Red Cross or The Salvation Army. But get involved and find a way to help

Now back to the questions posed above. Yes, indeed the Bible does reveal that God has a hand in the weather. In Matthew 5:45 it is written that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” And in Acts 14:17 we read that God does “not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” God gives us blue skies, puffy clouds, gentle rain and food and the beauty of nature because it is “the goodness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).

But what about severe weather, is God involved in this? There are “natural disasters” but there is a spiritual reality behind these natural events. In the same way that God allows the folly of our sinful human hearts to be expressed in unkind and evil acts, He allows the earth to experience the consequences of sin. Romans 8:19-22 declares, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” In other words, because of human sin the earth has been cursed (Genesis 3:17) and therefore it suffers earthquakes and storms; it groans and labors in pain waiting to be delivered. And it will be delivered. At the return of Christ, nature will be redeemed as well as all of God’s people.

Sometimes however, both good and bad weather can become a spiritual wake up call to our hearts. We are told in Psalm 148 that “Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, [act in obedience to] His word.” The great wisdom in the book of Job informs us that God at times uses both good and severe weather “for correction…Or for mercy (Job 37:13).”

So what about Hurricane Sandy? It could be a natural disaster. It could be the work of Satan who only comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)”; to deceive and blind eyes to the goodness of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Or it could be the hand of God “for correction.” I know; this is a cold, harsh thing to say with many people homeless and without power, with many dead and with material destruction costing billions of dollars to repair. But it is as cold and necessary as a doctor telling a patient that he or she has a terminal sickness but that there is also a cure.

If Hurricane Sandy was a wakeup call then what God was doing is necessary. It is necessary because it might help turn our hearts from our own temporal issues to eternal matters—life and death, eternal life and death issues. Our country has drifted so very, very far from the heart of God. If nature is the tool that God has used to tell us we are morally ill, He has also provided the cure in Scripture.

God cries out to us and says “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die (Ezekiel 33:11).”  The Almighty offers to us His mercy and grace, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”

As I said earlier, I say again, pray for the people on the east coast. Pray earnestly for God to answer the prayers of those who are crying out to Him. If you know someone there ask how you can help. Make a donation to a charity like the Red Cross or The Salvation Army. But more than anything if you know the goodness of God share it with others; share it eagerly and ardently. Share the love of God in merciful and kind actions and share the Word of God. Offer truth and hope. If you do not yet know the goodness of God, His Word to you is come “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” Don’t wait!