Jesus, Son of God: What does it mean?

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was collectively referred to as God’s son (Exodus 4:21-23; Hosea 11:1-9).  The term son of God was also a title given to the king of Israel or Judah at his enthronement (Psalm 2).  Sometimes, the term “sons of God” referred to heavenly beings, such as in Job 38:1-7.  So in what sense do we find both continuity and discontinuity with the Old Testament usage of this phrase and the New Testament’s identification of Jesus as the “Son of God”? 

Well for one, if Israel was in a sense, God’s son, Jesus was even more so.  Israel was called to be the faithful light to the nations, but unfortunately, they mostly failed in this vocation.  Jesus however sums up the entire story of Israel in his life and ministry, but where Israel failed, Jesus was faithful and overcame (see Matt 1-7, especially 4:1-11). 

The kings of Israel and Judah were meant to represent God’s people before God and the world, but they too largely failed in this vocation.  However, Jesus as God’s true Son was the just and righteous king who came to set up a kingdom for the world, but not of the world (John 18:28-37). 

And if the heavenly beings participate and share in the glory of God through his acts of creation and redemption, how much more does Jesus (John 1:1-5)?

Jesus fully and faithfully sums up and brings to completion each of these Old Testament notions of God’s son, but he does so in ways that far transcend that limited understanding.  It was only after the resurrection that Jesus’ followers could fully comprehend who Jesus truly was and what exactly he had come to accomplish (Romans 1:1-4).  This is topic worthy of further exploration. – Shay     

His Story is Our Story

I’m a firm believer in studying the entire story of God and his people as it is recorded for us in what we call the Bible.  Not only should we read and meditate on the words of the New Testament, we need to understand the Old Testament story to fully appreciate the New.  However, we should never stray too far from the New Testament in our study of the Old as ours is a story that’s not only going somewhere,  but in a sense, has already arrived through the person of Jesus Christ.  Of all the good places to spend time in the New Testament, there’s no better place than our four gospels.  Each of the four evangelists had a specific purpose in recording the life and times of Jesus and each records these events from a unique perspective.  To fully appreciate that perspective, one is best served in reading these gospels in their entirety and in context, rather than jumping around or trying to “harmonize” them.  In fact, harmonization does more damage than good in understanding the story that each writer is trying to tell.  But regardless of how we go about studying Jesus’ life as recorded for us in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the important thing to remember is that his story is our story!  

If we are to truly be Christ’s church in the world, then the anchor of our lives and faith has to be securely rooted in the gospel of Jesus.  He is the founder of our faith and the one who will finally bring our lives to completion.  If we are to be transformed into his image, then we need to immerse ourselves in his life and teachings.  Because we are his disciples and follow in his footsteps, we need to take time to learn from this one who is meek and gentle, and yet, firm and demanding.  As we continue through the gospel portion of the story, let’s fix our eyes on this man who fixed his eyes on his Father and was obedient all the way through death and into resurrection life.  He has gone ahead of us, but he hasn’t left us behind.  He’s given us his Spirit to enable us to become citizens of his new creation.  In the meantime, may our lives reflect Jesus back into this present age.  May our lives be “little gospels”, so to speak.  May God’s will be done in our lives, both corporately and individually, as we await the renewal of all things. – Shay   

The Biggest Questions in the History of the World

I asked our Bible class yesterday morning who they believed to be the 10 most influential people to have ever lived, excluding people whose lives are recorded in the Bible.  I can't remember all of the various answers, but some of the names mentioned were Mother Theresa, George Washington, Gandhi, Confucius, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, and Helen Keller.  I then asked the class to think of how different our world would be if Jesus of Nazareth had never been born.  This question is really too big to even get our heads around.  So much of the world that we take for granted is directly or indirectly related to the impact of a seemingly insignificant craftsman turned rabbi from a backwater region of an insignificant province on the edge of the Roman Empire.   According to an article in Time Magazine http://ideas.time.com/2013/12/10/whos-biggest-the-100-most-significant-figures-in-history/ , Jesus actually is the single most influential person to have ever lived. 

How and more importantly, why did this young Jew make such an impact on the world?  Regardless of one's religious convictions (or lack-there-of), this is a question that's worth pondering.  Prior to and even after the life of Jesus, there were many would be messianic figures who arose in 1st century Palestine.  The fact that we even refer to it as the 1st century shows how much of an impact Jesus has had on history.  He's the pivot on which our entire dating system in the Western world turns.  He wasn't the only person who lived in his era who harbored messianic pretensions.  But how many others of these would be messiahs have had the impact on the world that Jesus did?  How many of these others can you name without a google search?  What's also interesting is that Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God shared some continuity with the expectations of his fellow Jews, but in many ways, his vison not only transcended his contemporaries' hopes and dreams, it completely turned them upside down.  And yet, his impact on not only his own generation, but countless generations since is virtually incalculable. 

The historian, the philosopher, the theologian, and I would argue, the average person really has to come to grips with this amazing man, Jesus of Nazareth.  Who was he?  What was his hope for his people, the nation of Israel?  What was his vision for the world?  How did the kingdom that he hoped to establish differ from the other kinds of kingdoms of the world?  And if he ultimately failed in establishing his kingdom, as many of his contemporaries would have said, then why are we still talking about his impact on the world rather than the impact of Tiberius, who reigned in Rome at the same time?  How did a crucified criminal wind up making a bigger ripple in the subsequent centuries than did the ruler of the world's largest empire? Why are the other would be messiahs of the 1st century just a footnote and Jesus is the pendulum on which the door of history swings?  I believe these are the biggest questions in the history of the world. - Shay       

Free to Start Again

David and Lisa Fraze joined our church family yesterday and gave us some important food for thought.  David spoke to the men of our congregation on the importance of living holy and pure lives in light of our faith in Christ.  From what I've heard from the ladies in attendance, Lisa's presentation was also very well received. 

David made an excellent point when he reminded us that every sin we've committed after our baptism into Christ has been a conscious choice on our part to choose our own selfish and sinful desires over/against the will of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit.  I wholeheartedly agree with David, as I imagine, most, if not all of the more than 200 men in attendance do as well.  Do we struggle sometimes?  Yes.  Are we sometimes weak due to any number of circumstances?  Yes.  But is our sin ultimately due to our own fault and failure, as opposed to others or the difficult circumstances we face?  Most certainly, yes.  David was also quick to point out that through God's grace, we are free to start again.  To quote Rend Collective, "countless second chances we've been given at the cross."

Towards the end of his presentation, David played a video clip of a middle aged man attending Kindergarten, for probably the 40th time in his life.  The video was both absurd and funny.  But how absurd it is for us to consistently remain "Kindergarten" students in our faith.  How very unfunny it is for us to indulge rather than die to ourselves.  It is both absurd and sad for us to simply stumble over the cross, rather than pick it up and get on with the task of following Jesus.  I've been guilty of doing these very things at different points along life's path, but I really don't want to do them anymore.  I want more!   I want to do the hard work of losing my life so that I might find it fully and abundantly in Christ alone!  

David's message wasn't a "works based" message, but a message of mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  It was a message that reminded us all that God loves us more than we could ever imagine.  But it was a message that also reminded us that we need to take the gospel seriously and allow God's Holy Spirit to transform every aspect of our lives from the inside out.  The gospel doesn't just provide forgiveness for our sins, it also equips us to overcome our sins - to be free from our sins.  The gospel gives us the freedom to start again. The good news of Jesus Christ will first make a difference in all of our own personal lives if it is ever going to make a difference in the world around us.  If I'm going to experience God's coming Kingdom and his will being done on earth, as it is in heaven, then I must allow God to work in my own heart and mind along the way.  Father, give us all the grace to say no to our own selfish desires and to say yes to your gracious work in our lives. - Shay   
 

The Renewal of All Things

"Then Peter said in reply, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you.  What then will we have?'  Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life." - Matthew 19:27-29

I asked my Sunday morning Bible class the following two questions yesterday morning.  First of all I asked, “If you could change one thing to make the world a better place, what would you change?”  As a follow up to that question I asked them to describe their version of utopia.  In other words, what would a transformed and renewed world look like to you?  I asked these questions to introduce the third part of a study on the Old Testament prophetic book of Zephaniah.  In Zephaniah chapter one, we are told that God is going to bring a sweeping judgment on the whole of creation.  The description of this judgment is couched in language very similar to the flood narrative of Genesis chapter 6.  In fact, like the flood description, this judgment is God’s de-creation in order to bring about a re-creation.  By the time you get to Zephaniah chapter 3 (the last chapter in this short book), universal judgment language similar to the flood is evoked again, but this time another Genesis story is brought to the fore.  Here the Tower of Babel is brought to mind, but instead of God scattering the nations, in Zephaniah we’re told that he will gather the nations for judgment.  But unlike the Babel narrative, in Zephaniah the language of the people isn’t confused, but is instead unified in praise to the Creator.  As Zephaniah 3 progresses we discover that the result of God’s judgment on the world and on the nations eventually leads to a remnant of renewed people who are joined by God in an ideal world and kingdom.  Even the outcasts and lame are welcomed into relationship with God and his people. 

So like the message of the entire Bible, we discover that in Zephaniah, God brings judgment on his world in order to bring about repentance which leads to renewal, transformation, and ultimately salvation.  Like the flood, the purpose of God’s judgment isn’t finally destruction, but re-creation.  The flood served to cleanse the world so that God could start again with Noah and his family.  This micro-message in Genesis actually forms the backbone to the entire macro-message of the Bible.  From the beginning of creation, God’s plan was to share life with his people in this world.  We see descriptions of this in Genesis 2-3 as God walks with his people in the garden.  After humanity rebels against God and is cast out of the garden, the remainder of the Biblical narrative is the revelation of God working to redeem and renew both the creation and humanity so that he can once again share life with his people in his beautiful world.  Of course the redemption and renewal of all things comes at a great cost to God.  And at times both discipline and judgment must be experienced by humanity.  But the final outcome of this judgment is restorative in purpose.  God’s not a vindictive God.  His actions always flow out of his loving purposes for his creation and for his people.  God’s final word is always grace. 

I believe we need to hear (or re-hear) this message.  From the civil unrest in the United States to the terrorist actions in France to the unrest in the Middle East to the countless other places of strife and devastation in our world, it seems like the planet’s going to hell in a handbasket in a hurry.  I’m not sure that things are worse now than other moments in the last century, not to mention the whole of history.  But I do think that we are more aware of what’s going on, not just locally, but globally.  And because bad news leads to far more clicks than good news, we can be overwhelmed by the sheer avalanche of chaos.  We are painfully aware that our world is broken and it needs to be fixed.  And in our moments of clarity and honesty, we are also painfully aware that our own personal lives are broken and need to be fixed.  The good news of the Bible is that God knows this too and is actively at work to make all things new – us and the rest of his creation.  The most significant part of this work was accomplished in the life, ministry, death, and especially resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The new creation broke through when Jesus’ body was raised to new life.  But, as we can clearly see, the renewal of the cosmos has not yet been brought to completion.  That will happen when Jesus returns and God’s final judgment results in a renewed world for a renewed people.  In the meantime, we hope, we wait, and we work to bring God’s love, justice, healing, and grace to a world badly in need of good news.   

Unfortunately, for many years I was told a different Biblical story than the one I’ve tried to share here.  I was made to believe that the world is simply a temporary home for us all to sojourn on and that one day, God would destroy the universe and we would all live with him in some kind of ethereal bliss in heaven.  That’s not necessarily a bad story and it was told with good intentions, but it’s just not the Biblical story.  The reality is that God won’t give up on his good creation and since we’re a part of that creation, that’s good news for us too!  God won’t give up on us either.

So let’s go back to those two questions I asked my Bible class yesterday morning.  If we were to actually try to make some of those changes in the world – or at least, our world – because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can be sure those efforts won’t go to waste.  Undoubtedly, our version of utopia won’t match up exactly with God’s renewed world, but we can be sure that whatever world we may dream of will pale in comparison with what God will actually bring about in the end.  His version will be so much better than ours and that gives me hope for the future.  The best part of that world is that we’ll see Jesus face to face and we’ll be like him.  And we’ll experience God’s Kingdom having come and God’s will being done on earth as it’s filled with all the glory of heaven.  I’ll let John and Paul (not the Liverpudlian versions) have the final words of this post.  From Revelation 21:1-7 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals.  He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will wipe every tear from their eyes.  Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’  And the one on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’  Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’  Then he said to me, ‘It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.  Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’”  And from 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." – Shay    

A Culture of Violence

I normally try to avoid conversations that are overtly political.  And I'm referring to "partisan politics", when I say political.  In other words, when people are supporting a particular candidate or political party, I usually try to stay out of it.  It's not because I don't have opinions and it's not because I don't think the issues that feed into the democratic process aren't important.  I avoid overtly political conversations because I generally can see positives and negatives in most political parties and in most individual politicians.  The issues of the modern world are too important for me to align myself with any one party, individual, or agenda.  I want to be free to equally applaud or criticize an elected official or party without having rooting interests influencing my perception of them. 

Another reason I try to avoid supporting a particular candidate or party is that through the years I've known and admired a number of men and women on both sides of the political spectrum.  I've known quite a few who were in the middle too.  Rather than alienating myself from them over controversial or divisive issues, I would rather remain an ally to all - Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, Communists, Independents, and others. 

Having said all of that, I'm going to put myself out there and offer up a personal lament.  I am so disappointed in the acts of violence spread across our nation.  And I don't just mean the violent acts of the past several days.  I am so disappointed that our culture is so immersed in violence in general.  For a modern, industrialized, democratic country, our record of violent crime is unbelievable.  From violent video games to violent films to violent schools to violent communities, we have got to take a hard look at our culture of violence and do something about it.  We need to ask the tough questions and then be willing to look for practical solutions.  And for those of us who profess to follow Jesus Christ, we need to take his words in his Sermon on the Mount seriously.  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9).  We would also do well to hear again Jesus' rebuke after Peter tried to defend Jesus in the garden at his arrest.  "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword."  (Matthew 26:52).  Gun powder had yet to be invented at this point in history, but I would imagine Jesus would have similar things to say about guns.  And for those of us who profess to be pro-life, are we only pro-life as it relates to the unborn, or are we pro-life, from the cradle to the grave?  If not, why not?  Do all lives truly matter?  This is something we need to think about as we reflect on, not only the events of the past few days, but on the events in our country over the past 200 plus years. - Shay  

The Best 5 Years of My Life

Exactly one year ago today, Juli and I packed up the last of our belongings and crammed them into our blue van.  We did a property walk-through with our landlord and handed him the keys to what had been our Irish home for the previous 4 years.  (Our first year in Ireland we lived in an apartment).  After saying goodbye to 91 Belmont Park, we drove ourselves and our bags over to the Clayton Hotel, where we would lodge for the next three evenings before bidding Ireland farewell and crossing back over the Atlantic, not knowing precisely where in the States we were to call home.

The five years we spent in Ireland, were up to that point, the best 5 years of my life.  Having only finished year one since then, I wouldn't want to try to compare life back in the States this time around to our lives on the Emerald Isle.  I'm firmly of the conviction that life has generally far less to do with your circumstances, and far more to do with how you handle those circumstances.  I miss Ireland and I miss all of my friends and my spiritual family there, but I am thankful for those God has placed in our lives in Burleson, TX as well.  I feel like we really found our niche in ministry and life in Dublin, but I believe that we are discovering how to best use our gifts in our new home too.  Plus, we're blessed to be far closer to family here in the US.

There are a number of images burned into my memory and so many interesting stories for me to tell about our time in Ireland.  I'm presently writing those down and I hope to publish a book full of them before too long.  In the meantime, I plan to read back through this blog and share those posts from way back when along the way.  If you haven't previously joined me on this journey, why don't you come along now.  If you've already read some of the posts, have a look again.  I may be biased, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. - Shay