The Holy Spirit and White Collar Crime

 One of the amazing things happening among these Spirit-filled believers is Gospel community in its purest form.  People were leveraging their wealth, possessions and real estate for God's kingdom.  

The process was quite simple.  A Christ follower had a need.  Another brother or sister sold something and gave the proceeds to the apostles.  Dr. Luke gives the example of Barnabas as one who did just that (Acts 4:32-37).

That sets the ball on the tee for what we read in Acts 5:1-11.  Meet Ananias and his wife Sapphira (v1).  They see what's going on with other believers as they sell their stuff and present it to the apostles.  

No doubt the church celebrated such sacrificial gifts.  For Pete's sake, the apostles gave Joseph of Cyprus the nickname Barnabas because of his act of encouragement.  

It would certainly seem that the possibility of an apostolic attaboy drove them much more than the approval of the Audience of One.

Jesus has warned us against such hypocrisy (Mt 6:1-4).  Why do you and I give?  Is it a way of worship to thank God for all He has done for me?  

Or is it a means to get my back slapped and ego stroked?  I must consistently check my heart for my motivation behind such giving.

The good doctor tells us that, on one hand, Ananias and Sapphira did a good thing.  They "sold a piece of property."  

But, on the other hand, they did a very bad thing (v2).  "With his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds."  

While it is not overtly stated, clearly he and his wife have made a pledge to give the FULL amount of the sale to the church.  

Here is their sin.  This couple has made a vow to do something.  They have pledged to give ALL the proceeds to God.  Did the sale bring a windfall that they didn't expect?  

Possibly.  Whatever happened, Ananias and Sapphira decided to skim a little off the top before handing the cash over to the apostles.

White collar crime is nothing new.  It's actually thousands of years old.  As a matter of fact, this isn't the first time Pete and apostles had to deal with it.  At some point, they found out that Judas had embezzled money given to Jesus.  

Whether it's a dirty billion dollar deal on Wall Street, lying on your taxes or fudging an expense report, it is a sin.  You are lying to God and stealing from Him as well (Ex 20:15-16; Dt 23:21-23; Num 30:2).

When Ananias and his wife presented their gift to the apostles, it didn't quite go down as they hoped.  

Pete doesn't congratulate but confronts him (v3).  "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?"  

The leader of the apostles goes on to say, "You have not lied to men but to God" (v4).  

This is their sin.  Lying to the Holy Spirit.  Lying to God.  In writing this account, Luke confirms the truth of the Trinity.  He equates God's Spirit to God Himself.  

This is a not-so-subtle declaration that the Holy Spirit is a Who and NOT a what. He’s not some spooky, mystical force we access like Luke Skywalker on his bombing mission of the Death Star.

When you think about it, how stupid can you be to think you can actually lie to God?  Let's face it, I can't fool an all-knowing God with a little carnival slight of hand.  

On top of that, He knows my heart.  He knows what I'm up to.  Anytime I try to pull a fast one on the Lord, I will lose.  Every.  Single.  Time.

Their punishment for lying to God?  They both dropped dead when confronted by Peter (v5, 10).  

Did God act in this way because these nascent days of the early church were crucial?  Apparently other folks died when they played fast and loose with the Lord's Supper (1Cor 11:30).  

Whatever the reason, God's death penalty for white collar crime certainly got the attention of the church (v5, 11).

While there was great joy and celebration in these early days, God warned His people through the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira that He is still holy.  

He is not be taken lightly.  He is not be lied to.  

©2011

Jay Jennings

Staying on Mission and Staying on Message

Turning Points

There are critical turning points in every story. It’s that moment when the choice is made that will make all the difference. Maybe you don’t realize it at the time. Maybe the decision may not make sense at the time. It’s only when you have the luxury of time and perspective that you see this was a decisive and defining moment.

Things happen. Momentum builds. As a result, the next move seems obvious. But suddenly with little warning, the story makes a sharp left when the whole world expected it to turn right. The narrative reverses field and goes surprisingly against the grain.

The Very Urgent Versus the Most Important

Has this happened in your life? Too many times we lose focus on our original purpose. Why? The very urgent overtakes the most important. We allow circumstances to sidetrack us. We take the obvious next step. Before we know it, we’re so far off mission that Google Maps can’t save us.

But there’s one Person who seized those moments and made the right call…even when it didn’t make sense at the time. Jesus never allows the very urgent to overtake the most important. How? By spending time alone with the One who sent Him, His Heavenly Dad. As a result, the Messiah stays on mission and stays on message.

Sabbath Saturday in Capernaum

That’s what we see in Mark 1:35-36. Jesus is blowing the lid off the joint in Capernaum. It all escalates quickly. VERY quickly. The incredible momentum begins to build when He picks His first four followers, two pairs of brothers who are career commercial fishermen (Mk 1:16-20).

Stuff really begins to pick up steam on a Sabbath Saturday at the local synagogue. The Rabbi/Carpenter from just up the road in Nazareth gets the privilege to preach. And does He ever! Worshipers have never heard anything or anyone like Him before (Mk 1:21-22). If that’s not enough, Christ performs an on-the-spot exorcism right in front of everybody and sends the evil spirit running packing (Mk 1:23-28).

When Opportunity Pounds

Follow that up with His instantaneous healing of Simon’s mother-in-law after leaving the synagogue (Mk 1:29-31). Clearly word gets out about what’s gone down and it transforms Simon and Andrew’s home into a crowded urgent care clinic well into the night (Mk 1:32-34).

As this crazy day comes to a close, you think you know what’s coming. Jesus sleeps in after a very busy day. When He does wake up, He sets up shop in Capernaum and people continue flocking to see Him.

It only makes sense. He’s the hottest thing in town. He’s gotta leverage the moment. The door is opening and He needs to walk right through. Opportunity isn’t just knocking. It’s pounding with both fists!

Choose Your Own Adventure

At this moment, Mark’s Gospel reminds me of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. These little jewels give kids the chance to make critical choices in the storyline and determine the main character’s actions and the plot’s outcome. You get a few options at critical points. Whatever you pick directly impacts the end of the story.

But Jesus does EXACTLY the opposite of what everybody expects. It’s been a super busy Saturday. It was late into the night when He healed the last person and chased away the last demon. Who could blame our Savior for catching a few extra Zs on Sunday morning?

Zero Dark Thirty

If you’re like me, you’re surprised to see our Savior stirring at Simon and Andy’s house before sunrise. Not only is the Rabbi/Carpenter awake but He’s on the move. “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (v35). The sun may not be up yet but the Son of God sure is.

A closer look at the Greek confirms just how early Jesus gets going. The phrase “before daybreak” (Gr. εννυχον/ennuchon) is actually a compound word that literally means “in the night” or “at night.” That’s why some other translations call Christ’s nocturnal exit as happening “while it was still dark” (v35 NIV, NASB, ESV).

Mark follows that up with a few more specifics on just when the Lord leaves. “The next morning” is actually just one little word in the original language (Gr. πρωι/proi) which describes what First Century Jews called the last watch of the night. In other words, between 3-6am. We’re talking Zero Dark Thirty.

100% God and 100% Man

Instead catching a bit more shuteye and recharge for Day 2 of more crowds and a crammed calendar, “Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (v35). He does the opposite of what we might expect. He wakes up early. He leaves before sunrise. Why? To get alone with His Heavenly Dad.

It’s usually at points like this in the story of Jesus that we need to remind ourselves that He’s the God Man. 100% God. No question about it. But He’s also 100% human as well.  Theologians cooked up a fancy schamcy term called the Hypostatic Union to try and wrap their heads around the Incarnation of God into a human body.

As the God Man, Jesus is fully man. He’s not some sort of heaven-sent Superman just pretending to be Clark Kent. In other words, He needs a good night’s sleep just like the rest of us. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Lord is wiped out when He rolls out of the rack. In doing so, He reveals the priority of His relationship with His Father. It means devoting the very first part of His day to His Dad.

No Distractions

The Lord looks for “an isolated place to pray” (v35). Long before dawn, Jesus gets alone. No crowds. No TV. No iPad. No smartphone. No distractions. If you had the chance to chat with the Sovereign God of the universe, wouldn’t you want to hear Him clearly?

I’m tapping out these words on my laptop early on a Wednesday morning. The sun hasn’t hit the horizon yet. I don’t do this to thump my own chest or earn bonus points from God. I get up in order to eliminate distractions so I can hear from Jesus. Am I tired? You betcha. But He consistently uses these quiet moments to meet with me so I want to hear Him clearly.

God uses our early AM appointments to get me ready for the day. But maybe mornings aren't your jam. You may be able to find a lonely place at lunch. You could be one of those people who can spend time with the Lord just before bed. Whatever time it is, make it a habit get alone with God. With no distractions. I promise, you won’t regret it.

The Divine Dance

Meanwhile back in Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus getting alone…to pray?!?! Here’s another one of those unexpected turns the story takes. Why would the Son of God need to pray. Why does God need to talk to God? For heaven’s sake, He’s the Second Person of the Trinity. It’s easy to think that if ANYBODY doesn’t have to pray, it’s Jesus!

Did you ever cross your mind that our Savior WANTED to pray? That He LONGED to pray? It makes perfect sense when you think about it. The Holy Trinity is the perfect relationship. Father, Son, and Spirit absolutely love being together. So much so that ancient preachers saw the Three Persons of the Godhead in a divine dance.

The Son Calls Home

After leaving heaven on this holy rescue mission, Jesus desperately wants to hear His Dad’s voice. Think of calling home when you’re on the road. You need to hear the voice of the one you love. I know I do. 

Here we see the Son calling home. Just to let you know, the Father would love to hear from us when we have a moment. When’s the last time we called our heavenly home?

Just how close are the Father and Son? So close that on the night before His murder Jesus asks His Dad that His followers “may be one as We are one…May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me” (Jn 17:22, 23). Our Savior wants us to enjoy the depth of His relationship with His Father.

Too Busy NOT to Pray

Jesus also prays BECAUSE of the gravity of His mission. In the words of Bill Hybels, He’s too busy NOT to pray! This quiet time alone with His Dad resets Christ after that crazy Saturday in Capernaum. You can bet He thanks Abba for all He was able to do the day before.

But this is just the beginning of what He came to do. There’s so much more to do. So many more people who need to hear the Good News of God’s kingdom. So many more who need a healing touch. So many more who need the love that will drench the planet from a Roman cross at Calvary. This quiet moment allows the Messiah to stay on mission and stay on message.

In High Demand

This becomes glaringly apparent as we pick up the action in Mark’s Gospel. Suddenly Jesus is no longer alone. “Later Simon and the others went out to find Him. When they found Him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for You’” (v36-37). Here’s something we’ll a lot more of in Scripture. Simon Peter taking the lead. In this case, he’s probably leading the other three fishermen.

Pete and the boys let Jesus know He’s in high demand back in town. Now’s Your chance. Opportunity is pounding on the door. Come on back to Capernaum and capitalize on the buzz and excitement that just went down on the Sabbath! Let’s do this!!

Keeping Jesus All to Ourselves

Who can blame them? That was quite spectacle on Saturday. The only problem is that folks want a show, not a Savior. They want miracles, not a Messiah. Be honest. We’re still doing the same thing. We would still rather watch Him than worship Him. Let’s not be too quick to throw the Galileans under the bus.

In his version of this same story, Luke tells us how the people did everything they could to try and keep Christ from leaving town. “They begged Him not to leave them” (Lk 4:42). They hope to keep Jesus all to themselves. Instead of sharing Him with the world, He would be their local attraction.

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But once again, the Lord makes the unexpected choice. He tells His boys, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came” (v38). After spending a quiet time alone with His Father, Jesus refuses to allow the very urgent to trump the most important. He won’t allow the fact that He’s suddenly trending on Twitter to trash what he came to do.

Because of His morning, the Messiah stays on mission and stays on message.

Christ Includes Us

Did you catch that Jesus says “WE must go” (v38 emphasis added)? He could do it all by Himself but He includes His brand new followers. He certainly doesn’t need them. The Lord is still involving us in His work to this day. Christ invites us and includes us in His mission. We don’t just have front row seats to watch Him do His thing, He wants us on the playing field right next to Him!

Think about what might have happened if Simon and the boys had been able keep Him in Capernaum. The Messiah’s message never leaves town. He never completes His mission. If that’s the case, do you I ever hear about God’s amazing grace?

A couple of thousand years later, we’re still trying to put Jesus in a box. Too many times I’m trying to force Him to follow my agenda and stay focused on my to-do list. Hey, here’s an idea…let’s join Jesus in what He is doing. He says the same thing to us that He did to Simon and the boys. “We must go.”

The Lord Has Target Lock

And with that, they hit the road. “So He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons” (v39). So that Sabbath Saturday in Capernaum was simply a sneak preview of what was to come (Mk 1:21-28). Because of His morning in prayer, the Lord has target lock. No mission creep here.

Prioritizing Prayer

So if prayer’s good enough for the Son of God, shouldn’t it be something I must prioritize? Do I rationalize away my lack of quiet time with God by pointing to my calendar? Have you seen all I have to do today? Seriously, am I really busier than Jesus? Not so much. Instead, there’s a pretty good chance I’m too busy NOT to pray.

Setting our eyes on Jesus allows us to choose the most important over the most urgent. We start making unexpected decisions. People will probably scratch their heads when they think we’ll go one way but we go in an unanticipated direction. Only from God’s perspective do these choices make perfect sense.

When I do set aside time in the morning with Him, a funny thing happens. His choices become my choices. His mission becomes my mission. His message becomes my message. Other than God, who saw THAT coming?

©2017
Jay Jennings

Let 'er Rip!

When You Just Can’t Wait

Sometimes you just can’t get there fast enough. You’re excited to be somewhere and everything is moving in super slomo…especially the people you’re traveling with. Once on the road, every driver decides this is the day to drive BELOW the speed limit. If that’s not all, you hit every light. Every. Single. One.

Even when you get out of the car, you’re doing that awkward run/walk. You know the one. It’s the same stiff-legged scamper you employed as a kid at the pool when the lifeguard blew the whistle and shouted, “No running!”

Maybe you’re meeting someone you love at the airport. You might be eager to see the latest new Star Wars flick. Maybe you’ve simply had a long week and work and can’t wait to start your weekend.

You let ‘er rip because you can’t get there fast enough!

Peter’s Ghostwriter

Did you know there was a day when God felt the same way? There was a day when every member of the Trinity couldn’t wait to get together. The Godhead couldn’t get there fast enough.

Mark writes all about that big day near the beginning of his bio of Jesus. Actually, there’s a good chance this is actually the Apostle Peter’s eyewitness account of Christ’s life. It’s like one of those books written by a ghostwriter. Call it Pete’s story of Jesus as told to John Mark.

The two guys certainly go back a ways. Dr. Luke describes how Pete runs to the house owned by Mark’s mom when God busts him out of jail (Acts 12:12-14). And later the apostle Jesus nicknames Rocky tells the readers of his first letter that Mark says “hey” (1Pet 5:20). But I digress.

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We pick up the action in Mark’s Gospel with Jesus’ weird bug-eating cousin John baptizing people in the Jordan River (Mk 1:4-6). Big crowds come from all over Judea and Jerusalem and line up hear him preach. They come to turn from their sin and toward God and then get baptized.

While John the Baptizer is getting all the press and trending on Twitter, he realizes that he’s only the opening act. If you think John’s baptism is something, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Just wait until Messiah takes the stage (Mk 1:7-8).

Jesus Doesn’t Play the God Card

What the Baptizer doesn’t realize is that the One he’s been waiting for is actually waiting in line. Mark tells it this way. “One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized Him in the Jordan River” (v9).

Let’s zoom out and take a wide shot of the huge crowds packing the banks of the Jordan. If you know anything about the radical Rabbi/Carpenter, you know He’s not One to play the God card like a fast pass at Disney World. You’ll never see Him throwing His heavenly weight around in order to move to the head of the line.

There’s just no way around it. Jesus is humble. He may be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords but when once He takes on human form for His spectacular rescue mission, He was a homeless Judean preacher (Lk 9:58; 2Cor 8:9). Christ even dictates a letter to the church in Laodicea that He politely knocks and waits at the front door instead simply barging in (Rev 3:20).

God Waits in Line

Stop and think about that for just a minute. God waits His turn. Jesus has left the luxury of the heavenly palace for the boondocks of Galilee. Now we see God Incarnate cueing up along the river bank like He’s making a trip to the DMV. Let that sink in.

Soon God the Spirit and God the Father will come racing to join God the Son at the Jordan River. But for just a few moments, our Savior waits in line. He waits His turn. Just imagine Jesus making small talk with other folks standing in line. Hey, where are you from? Pretty soon, they’ll know EXACTLY who He is and where He’s from.

If He waited His turn, so can I.

Obedience to the Father

Imagine the Dunker’s surprise when it’s Messiah’s turn to get in the water. Matthew tells us John and Jesus got into a little argument. “John tried to talk Him out of it. ‘I am the one who needs to be baptized by You’” (Mt 3:14). Awkward!

The Son of God tells His crazy fur-wearing cousin baptism is critical to the plan His Dad has for Him, “For we must carry out all that God requires” (Mt 3:15). Did the sinless Lamb of God need to be baptized? Probably not.

The Cosmic Rescue Mission

But Jesus knew it was His Father’s will that this was more than that. You see, the Lord has an assignment. A very important assignment. He came on His cosmic rescue mission to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

He’s our substitute. Christ lives the perfectly obedient life we fail to live. He dies the death for our sin and rebellion we should have died. He rises to the glorious new life we don’t deserve. He does it all for us! As our substitute, He follows every command of God in our place. That includes baptism.

The Water’s Fine!

Three years later, our Savior dots the “I” and crosses the “T” on baptism just before He heads home to heaven. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Mt 28:19-20).

Mind if I ask you a question? Have you been baptized? If you’re a follower of Jesus and you have yet to get wet, why not? Sure, baptism doesn’t save anybody. It’s an outward sign of an inward change. But Jesus told us to. And He was willing to do it Himself. Come on in. The water’s fine!

Putting the Pedal to the Metal

Meanwhile back at the Jordan River, Mark picks up the story with the Lord coming back to the surface. “As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove” (v10). Christ may have been willing to wait in line, but the Spirit can’t wait to get there.

Here’s a little something we miss in this particular translation. The folks with the NLT decide not to use a word (Gr. ευθυς/euthos) which appears here in the original Greek. It means immediately, right away, or at once.

After Jesus patiently waits His turn in line, suddenly the pace picks up when He comes up out of the water. This is a classic example of how Mark’s bio of the Son of God is fast and furious. He wastes no time in telling Christ’s story. Once again, he puts the pedal to the metal.

Slicing the Sky to Shreds

In this case, it’s the Spirit of God who let’s it rip! No, seriously. That’s exactly how the author describes it. He uses a word (Gr. σχιζω/schizo) which paints a picture of ripping something into parts, tearing in two, or slicing into shreds.

The Apostle John uses this word at Christ’s crucifixion. Instead of tearing apart Jesus’ tunic when He died, His executioners decided to shoot craps for it. Winner take all (Jn 19:24). When Paul and Barnabas tell the folks in Iconium about Jesus, Luke describes how the Gospel tears the town apart (Acts 14:4).

A Tear at the Temple

God’s not above ripping things up at important points in history. He tears the massive curtain in the temple separating the Holy of Holies (Mt 27:51; Mk 15:38; Lk 23:45). How do we know God did it? The 15-foot tall heavy drapes tore from top to bottom. Why? Jesus’ death allows every one of us access to God’s presence.

Here’s another time when God tears things apart. The Holy Spirit slices apart the sky so He can get there in a hurry. It’s a big day in the life of one His two closest Friends. The Third Person of the Godhead pulls apart the barrier between heaven and earth to make a beeline.

It’s time for God to let ‘er rip! He can’t get there fast enough!

Look, up in the sky! It’s a Bird!

All four of Jesus’ biographers describe the Spirit’s arrival looking like a descending dove (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32). Why this particular kind of bird? I gotta be honest. I have no idea. God in spirit form is invisible (Jn 4:24). But this is one of few times He makes Himself visible. The other is at Pentecost when He makes the scene in the upper room “like flames or tongues of fire” (Acts 2:2).

The Spirit zooms down to the Son for a few very important reasons. A Trinity Partner, He just had to be there. There are no greater and closer Friends than the three Members of the Godhead. Since God made us in His image (Gen 1:28), we’re made to be in relationship with others.

The Spirit and the Son

The Spirit will be an invaluable source of divine strength to Jesus during His three years of ministry. The Son of God empties Himself before coming to our rescue (Phil 2:6). While we don’t know exactly what that means, most likely He set aside access to His supernatural qualities.

The Spirit of God would fill the Son of God as He takes on human form in His role as the God Man (Mt 4:1; Lk 4:1). They would team up to demonstrate what it’s like for the Third Person of the Trinity would lead, guide, and direct someone (Jn 16:13; Rom 8:14; Gal 5:18; Eph 5:18).

Finally, God told John the Baptizer to keep his eyes peeled for the Holy Spirit. This would be the heavenly sign of approval of on the long awaited Hero (Jn 1:33-34). The cosmic combo of Spirit and Son would his signal to the prophet that this was Messiah.

Here Comes the Father!

If things weren’t crazy enough along the Jordan River at this point, check out what happens next. “And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy’” (v11).

You don’t think two Members of the Godhead are going to show up without the third! God the Father hustles to be there for His Son’s big day too. Maybe the Spirit’s split of the sky allows Jesus’ heavenly Dad to see what’s happening and for everyone to hear His voice.

The Great Dance

What a great reminder of the passionate friendship among the Father, Son, and Spirit. They give us the perfect picture of what intimate relationship looks like. Three Persons. One God. Three Whos. One What. Each One of them is absolutely and fully God. NOT three gods. Yeah, kind of makes your head hurt.

Together they are not just the Holy Trinity but, in the words of C.S. Lewis, the Wholly Trinity. He also described their amazing relationship as the Great Dance. Insert joke here about Southern Baptists and dancing!

The Eternal Friendship

If you think the concept of the Trinity makes your head hurt, just think about this quote from Tim Keller. “There was never a time in which friendship was not, because from all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were delighting in each other.” Even before Creation, there was friendship. Because God made us in His relational image, loneliness is never a good thing.

John the Baptizer and the big crowd crammed along the Jordan are privileged to see and hear the Father, Son, and Spirit bust a move. Jesus soaking wet. Spirit soaring down. Dad shouting out. Three Persons. One God. One great big party!

God let’s ‘er rip! He can’t get there fast enough!

The Ultimate Attaboy

The Heavenly Father gives His Son the ultimate Attaboy! “You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy” (v11). He couldn’t be any more proud of His one and only Child. Dad doesn’t just love His Son, He likes Him. He REALLY, REALLY likes Him!

When we unpack this phrase in the original language, we see the Greek word ευδοκεω/eudokeo. It means to give pleasure and delight. It comes from a compound word which means “good (Gr. ευ-/eu-) thoughts (Gr. -δοκεω/-dokeo).” When the Father thinks of His Son, there’s nothing but pride and joy.

Jesus’ First Day on the Job

Notice that Jesus has yet to start His three-year ministry. This is pretty much His first day on the job. There’s a lot to do. People to heal. Sermons to preach. Miracles to perform. Disciples to choose. Crosses to bear. Death to defeat.

But here on Day One, all that is in the future. Yet He is His Dad’s approval. This moment of supernatural pride and joy has NOTHING to do with His performance. It has everything to do with the Father’s love.

Daddy Issues

Jesus is the only person in the history of the planet who did NOT have “daddy issues.” Let’s be honest. We’ve all got them. You. Me. Us. Them. Somehow, someway, our fathers left us hanging.

In his book Wild at Heart, John Eldredge calls it the “father wound.” Every little boy desperately needs his father’s approval. Am I really a man? Have I got what it takes…when it counts? Am I powerful? Every girl needs to know from her dad that she is lovely, that he will pursue her, that he will fight for her.

The Perfect Dad

Jesus’ perfect Dad gives Him the approval we all crave. And the Son of God didn’t have to DO anything to earn it. His Heavenly Dad loved Him long before He stepped out into ministry.

Pardon me while we chase an important rabbit down the trail. If you’re parent, let your child know you love them and you’re proud of them…NO MATTER WHAT! Your approval of them shouldn’t be conditional. And for those of us with “daddy issues,” forgive your father right here, right now. He’s not perfect. There’s only one Dad who is.

The Son Is Our Substitute

For those of us who think we’ll never measure up to Jesus’ stature in the eyes of Father God, there’s good news. Better yet, Good News. He came to give us the joyful approval of our Heavenly Dad. And we don’t have to do a dad-gum thing to receive it.

Christ came to live the perfect life of obedience to the Father’s commands that we’ve failed to live. He dies the brutal death for our sin and rebellion that we should have died. He rises to a spectacular new life that we certainly do not deserve.

When we simply place our trust in Who Jesus is and what He’s done, something supernatural happens. God the Spirit races to live inside us. Our trust in God’s goodness brings our Heavenly Father great joy. When God becomes our perfect Dad, He perfectly heals our “father wound.”

What’s Really Going on

Once we trust in Jesus, the Father sees His one and only Son when He looks at you and me. Chances are we won’t actually see Him tear the heavens apart. We probably won’t see His Spirit descending like a dove. We may not hear our Heavenly Dad shout His approval.

But, trust me. It happens. He’s crazy about you.

God let’s ‘er rip because He can’t get here fast enough!

©2017
Jay Jennings

Jesus Pitches a Tent

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

The One who spoke the entire universe into being made a decision to rough it.  As the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son was 100% God.  Then something absolutely crazy happened.  Somehow, someway, He added to His 100% Godness.  He took on 100% humanity too!  That’s the new math.  The new DIVINE math. 

          100% God+100% Man=100% Savior!

But the Son didn’t sit back and chill out after taking on His brand new humanity.  He was about to make a road trip.  He had mission.  The Son packed up and headed to Earth.  He headed into the very creation He shaped and formed.  But when He left the lap of heaven’s luxury, He didn’t check into the Four Seasons or the Plaza.  He “dwelt among us.”  

Setting up Camp

John tells us that the Son of God went camping.  The original text tells us us that He literally “tabernacled” (Gr.σκενοω/skeno’o) once He got to earth.  In other words, Jesus set up camp and pitched a tent.  The Message describes how Christ “moved into the neighborhood.”  For the Second Person of the Big Three, His accommodations were just a bit less posh than the glorious palace He enjoyed back home in heaven.  

Jesus pitches a tent.  God is roughing it.  And if you have any doubts about all that, remember where Jesus made His arrival.  In a stinky old barn behind the Motel 6 in Bethlehem. 

Eyewitness to Glory

At this point, John jumps into the story and tells us what he saw.  “We have seen His glory.”  Since we know Jesus’ buddy wasn’t hanging out with the shepherds when the angels lit up the sky in glory, that can’t be what he’s talking about.  

Most likely, the apostle is talking about that crazy day Christ took him, his big brother Jim and their fishing buddy Pete mountain climbing.  Once they arrived at the summit, something wild happened.  Jesus started changing and glowing!  Their Leader pulled back the curtains of heaven to let them know just who He really was.  

Or John could be describing Jesus’ appearance after His resurrection.  And their’s a chance that this is his way of summing up all of their experiences with the remarkable Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilean.  His teaching exposed God’s glory.  His miracles revealed God’s glory.  His love disclosed God’s glory.  John and the boys saw Jesus’ glory with their own eyes.  They didn’t get this crazy stuff second hand.

The One and Only

John and the rest of the posse realized Jesus was more than Mary and Joe’s kid from Nazareth.  He was the one and only Son of God.  While Joe was a great dad, he was Jesus' adoptive father.  He and his wife had other kids.  But Christ was an only Child.  

His Dad in heaven had just one Boy.  Jesus was someone special.  That’s the meaning behind the term we translate “only.”  This is μονογενες/monogenes, which means unique, one of a kind, the one and only or the only one like it.  Jesus is unique.  He’s one of a kind.  He’s the one and only.  He’s the only one.  There was and is NOBODY like Him.  Ever.  

It’s interesting to understand that the word “Son” isn’t there in the original Greek text.  You can actually write this phrase in English as “the Unique of the Father.”  The First Person of the Trinity had only one Son.  There was and is no one else like Him in the history of the universe.  Jesus, the one and only. 

Grace and Truth

One of the things that makes Christ unique is the fact that no one who was so overflowing in goodness spoke so bluntly.  Jesus was “full of grace and truth.”  Everywhere He went, He opened up the fire hose of God’s blessing.  Healing.  Teaching.  Loving.  Caring.  

But Christ also pulled no punches when it came to telling the truth about sin.  Just ask the lady caught in adultery.  Or the woman sitting by the well in Sychar.  Or the religious bullies known as the Sanhedrin.  He told them the truth.  He made it perfectly clear that they needed a Savior.  One way to understand John’s wording is that Jesus made the Good News REALLY good because the bad news is REALLY bad.  

That’s what happens when you experience the one-of-a-kind Son of God.  
          100% God+100% Man=100% Savior!

Immortal. Inaccessible. Invisible. Invaluable. Inexhaustible.

“who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1Tim 6:16).

Who’s the greatest? Sports fans continually debate the best team of all-time. The ’72 Dolphins or ’85 Bears. Who’s basketball’s G.O.A.T.? Who you got, Kareem or Michael? Marvel and DC fans fill the interweb with rants about the most powerful superheroes. 

According to the Apostle Paul there’s one Person so phenomenal, so staggering, so astonishing that there is zero doubt He’s the most breathtaking Being that’s ever existed in the universe. Check out His awesome qualities. Totally eternal and completely unkillable. Absolutely unapproachable. An appearance so dazzling you can never really see Him. Fame and reputation exceeded by no one. Unlimited and never-ending power. 

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Paul is talking about God. Specifically God the Father. In a letter to his spiritual son Timothy, the apostle reminds him of Whose team he’s on. Our Heavenly Dad “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (v16). 

Paul wants us to remember exactly Who’s got out back when the chips are down. 

Think of the Father this way. The First Person of the Trinity possesses such mind-bending qualities that we can best describe Him by what he’s not. Immortal. Inaccessible. Invisible. Invaluable. Inexhaustible.

As with anything in the Bible, context is critical for this passage. Flip back the pages of history to the first century. Specifically, around 62 to 64 A.D. The scene is a church in a large port city of Ephesus on the west coast of what we know as Turkey. Paul planted this church on one of his legendary Mediterranean tours. A few years later, Tim is in the process of putting out a blazing doctrinal dumpster fire. 

After the apostle left town to tell others about Jesus, false teachers distracted folks in the Ephesian church from following Christ with a toxic stew of religious urban legends, limitless family histories, conspiracy theories, outright lies, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:4; 4:1-2). Paul began straightening out the mess but had a divine assignment over in Macedonia and put young Pastor Tim in charge (1Tim 1:3). 

This entire letter contains the apostle’s instructions and encouragement to his protege in Ephesus. What a great reminder that what we read in the Bible aren’t a bunch of fairy tales or mythical stories invented to inspire. The book we call 1st Timothy is a real letter to a real person in a real place facing real problems. Here in this verse, Paul wants Pastor Tim to get his eyes off the earthly problem and up on Great Big God. (Hint, hint. We should do the same.)

First of all, God “alone” (v16) is the only One who possesses these qualities. He’s unique. One of a kind. He slams the door on any other pretenders or contenders in the book of Isaiah, “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me there is no God” (Is 45:5). All of the qualities that follow are unique to God and God only. Think of it this way. He holds the exclusive divine copyright and trademark on all of them.

First of all, only God “has immortality” (v16). The Greek word here is athanasia, which literally means the “undeath.” It describes something or someone who has endless existence, everlasting, or undying. God is the one who never dies. He is the only one who always exists. Back when Moses stumbled on a supernatural brush fire, God tells the Big Mo that His name is in fact “the Great I Am” (Gen 3:14). The One who always was and always will be. He’s the Undeath.

He’s totally immortal.

Not only can you not kill Him, you can’t get anywhere near Him. He “dwells in unapproachable light” (v16). The word in the original language here (Gr. aproristos) simply means inaccessible. You’ve heard folks say, “Don’t go there!” (usually accompanied by a wagging finger and shaking head). Well, when it comes to God, it’s “Can’t go there!” 

God’s light is so incredibly intense that we can never get anywhere near Him. An expensive pair of Oakleys or Ray-Bans won’t help. Welders goggles aren’t enough. Or in the words of Smashmouth, you might as well be walking on the sun! You simply can’t get near Him. 

He’s absolutely inaccessible.

God’s blinding light is just one reason why “no one has ever seen or can see” (v16) Him. Paul uses a word (Gr. horao) that means so much more than laying your eyes on our Heavenly Father. He’s talking about not just observing but perceiving, understanding, and experiencing the physical presence of God. You can literally translate this phrase “no one has the power to experience Him.” 

Jesus tells a Samaritan divorcee how His Dad is “spirit” (Jn 4:24). Flip back to Exodus for the time Moses asks God for just a peak at His glory (Ex 33:18-23). Can’t do that, says Almighty God. Wouldn’t end well for any mortal man. Without some sort of supernatural protection, God’s holy presence is 100% fatal. You’re not seeing or experiencing God. The Father is so blindingly brilliant that you’re never catching a glimpse of Him. 

He’s completely invisible.

Paul says that as we stand in jaw-dropping awe of our Heavenly Father’s immortality, inaccessibility, and invisibility, “to Him be honor and eternal dominion” (v16). “Honor,” or the Greek word time’, means worth or value given someone or something. It’s the idea of reverence, respect, fame, or great price. Remember when Jesus Himself got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment back in Nazareth? “A prophet has no honor (Gr. time’) in his own hometown” (Jn 4:44). 

God’s value is completely off the charts. Jesus gives a two powerful illustrations comparing knowing God with buried treasure in a field and the most expensive pearl on the planet. He is priceless. He is precious. There’s nothing that comes close to His worth. 

He’s positively invaluable.

Ultimately, God the Father also has “eternal dominion” over the entire universe (v16). There are no term limits in heave. He’s always and forever in charge. And He’s no weak or wimpy ruler. He has what Paul likes to call kratos or “dominion.” This is incredible force, power, strength, or might. God has complete control and absolute authority.

The crazy thing is that He uses His supernatural power for those who place their trust in His Son. A few years back, the apostle told his Ephesian friends about “the immeasurable greatness of His power (Gr. kratos) toward us who believe” (Eph 1:19). Our Heavenly Dad has unlimited capacity. He’s the ultimate source of renewable energy.

He’s utterly inexhaustible.

So we’ve just described God who never dies, we can’t go near, who can’t be seen, who’s richer than Bill Gates and makes a nuclear reactor look like a AA battery. That’s all pretty awesome but, on the surface, doesn’t seem to do much for you and me. That’s exactly where Christ comes in.

Jesus made the immortal mortal so that I could live. The Son of God willingly gave up His life and tasted death so I don’t have to (Is 53:4-6; 2Cor 5:21).

Jesus made the inaccessible accessible so that I could come near. Because He faced temptation but never sinned, Jesus allows me to approach God’s unapproachable throne (Heb 4:15-16).

Jesus made the invisible visible so that I could see God. The Rabbi/Carpenter is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). When the disciples asked Christ to show them His Dad, He says one look at the Son is exactly the same as looking at the Father (Jn 14:7). 

Jesus paid the invaluable price for my sin that cost Him everything. He willingly emptied His wallet to cover the expense of my rebellion with His precious blood that’s more valuable than any precious metal (1Pet 1:18-19). 

Jesus gives me the inexhaustible power of His grace that will never run out. His overwhelming strength is tailor-made for my underwhelming weakness (2Cor 12:9-10). His grace never runs out. Never. Ever.

It’s only through the Son that we can have a relationship with the Father. A Heavenly Dad who is immortal, invisible, inaccessible, invaluable, and inexhaustible. Because of that we can know, love, and worship the Greatest Being in the entire universe.

The Con Game

“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).

Just stop. Right now. Quit trying. Don't fall for the cont. You’re wasting your time. You can’t do it. You cannot save yourself. And even if you could (which you CAN’T!), you can’t keep yourself saved. Before you completely punk out on any hope of a relationship with God, there’s some good news. Some VERY Good News. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (v3). While you and I are completely helpless to rescue ourselves, God does for us what we could never do. As a matter of fact, the entire Trinity teams up on our behalf. Father, Son, and Spirit roll up their supernatural sleeves to do what we could never do. We’re cut free from our sin. We don’t thump our own chest but point to the One who deserves the applause. And this starts when we come to the cold, cruel reality that we’re not all that and a bag a chips.

Paul writes to the church in Philippi from behind bars in Rome. He’s firing off a quick note of encouragement to some of his favorite people on the planet. He fell in love with these folks several years back on his second tour of the Mediterranean rim telling everyone who would listen about Jesus (Acts 16:12-40). While he waits for Caesar to hear his appeal, the apostle has already written letters putting out fires among believers in Colossae and Ephesus. Those folks are faced with a false teaching which says Jesus alone can’t get us in God’s kingdom, much less keep us in. According to these spiritual hucksters, we have to work our butts off following all sorts of religious rites, rules, and rituals in order stay saved. So Paul includes a couple of lines of warning to his Philippian friends warning against buying this spiritual snake oil.

Maybe the people spreading this message aren’t so bad after all. Rewind one verse and check out the apostle’s description of these knuckleheads. “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil 3:2). Dogs. Wicked workers. Mutilators. They sound less like pastors and mentors than characters from a Stephen King novel. These false teachers try to weasel into local churches and dupe the followers of Jesus to trusting in their own efforts. You need to know that there was a HUGE controversy over what to do with all of these Gentiles God was saving. Since nearly all the believers were Jewish to this point, a lot of folks thought it would be a great idea for these non-Jews to convert to Judaism as a requirement of following Jesus. You can imagine circumcision was kind of a big deal. Eventually, the big dogs at the home office back in Jerusalem decided this was a non-starter (Acts 15:1-29). You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from Gentile believers.

But the ruling from church leaders didn’t stop a crew called the Judaizers from wreaking havoc among the followers of Jesus. They peddled a false gospel which included that very delicate and personal surgical procedure. That’s exactly who and what Paul talks about in the previous verse when warns us of the “mutilators of the flesh” (Phil 3:2). Instead, “we are the circumcision” (v3). He’s saying the true followers of Jesus aren’t saved by a scalpel. Instead of someone hacking away at my human flesh, God cuts away the sin and spiritual impurity from my previously wicked heart. For a better understanding of this idea of spiritual circumcision, The Message calls these folks “the real believers” (v3 The Message). The apostle makes this point in a letter to Roman believers. “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of the Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith” (Rom 2:29-30). Even with all the incredible advances in medicine today, there’s not a surgeon anywhere skilled enough to do that. But God can. Instead of hacking away at human flesh like Sweeney Todd, God gently and precisely slices away our sin. He does what we could not. 

After God slices and dices the sin from your heart, we are now able to “worship by the Spirit of God” (v3). The Father and Son now partner up so that we can truly treasure and cherish God for who He is and what He’s done. Paul uses an interesting Greek word here for “worship” (v3). This is latreuo, which means to serve, venerate, perform activities which recognize faith in God. The emphasis of the word is activity. Jesus uses this term in one of His comebacks to Satan during His temptation. Christ drops a little Deuteronomy on the devil and says, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve (Gr. latreuo)” (Mt 4:10). We only able to worship God through our service because of His Spirit has gotten involved. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman all about the mysterious spiritual connection in genuine worship. “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people who worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24). The Father trims our sin. The Spirit allows us to worship and serve.

Instead of thumping our own chest and taking any credit, we “glory in Christ Jesus” (v3). The apostle uses a slightly different word here than we normally see in the NT for glory. This is the verb kauchaomai, which describes boasting or taking pride in something. We don’t celebrate what we’ve done. We don’t take center stage and bask in the applause. No, we know the spotlight is reserved for just for Jesus. We rejoice because of what He’s done in our place. Christ lived the perfect life of obedience we failed to live. He died the bloody death on the cross we should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life we don’t deserve. We boast in what He’s done for us. This is most ridiculous and lopsided transaction in the history of the universe. Martin Luther calls it the Great Exchange. Jesus gives us His perfect sinlessness and obedience for our sin and disobedience. If we’re going to be proud of anything or anyone, it’s in the risen Rabbi from Nazareth. 

We point to Jesus because there is not reason to “put no confidence in the flesh” (v3). He did for us what we could never dream of doing on our own. Don’t let anybody try to fool you into thinking otherwise. I can’t save myself through rule following. I can’t save myself by church attendance. I can’t save myself by being a good person. Anybody trying to convince you to have confidence in yourself is con artist. You can’t do it. Only Jesus can. When He was one the cross, He didn’t scream out, “Now get busy!” Christ shouted, “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30). He wants us to realize we can’t rely on our own human effort to pull ourselves up by our spiritual bootstraps. There is absolutely nothing inside us that can give us the power or ability to save ourselves. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. The folks in Galatia were dealing with some similar smoke and mirrors. Follow the rules, the false teachers said. Save yourselves, they said. You can do it, sure you can, hey, let’s go! The apostle puts his foot down and tells them there’s only one thing to place our hope. “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal 6:14-15). 

Confidence in myself is con. Check out the Amplified Bible’s take on this verse. “For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances” (v3 AMP). So just stop. Right now. Quit trying. You’re wasting your time. Don't fall for the con. You can’t do it. You cannot save yourself. But Jesus can.

Let It Go

“who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6)

A couple of thousand years before Elsa sang “Let It Go,” Paul wrote about how Jesus loosened His divine grip on what it means to be God and came to our rescue. From his prison cell in Rome, the apostle makes it absolutely clear to his friends back in Philippi that the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is 100% God. But he goes on to write how Christ dropped it like it was hot in submission to His heavenly Dad in order to serve you and me. Was Jesus God? You betcha. But He let it go.

Paul is in the middle of one of the most beautiful and powerful passages in the entire Bible. He’s encouraging the followers of Jesus to step back and think of all that our Savior has done for us. There’s no doubt about our “encouragement in Christ…comfort from love…participation in the Spirit…affection and sympathy” (Phil 2:1). Remember all He’s done for us. Remember all He’s doing for us. Got it? Got it! Since all of that is a stone cold, lead pipe lock, we must get over ourselves (Phil 2:2). Nothing would make the apostle happier. Stop selfishly fighting to be number one and work your tail off for those around you. We can do this because God has pulled off a miraculous mind swap between Jesus and us (Phil 2:3). And a sure sign that we now possess Christ’s purpose and attitude is when we release our kung fu grip on our so-called rights. Let it go.

But let’s back up just a bit. Before Jesus empties His hands of His very godliness, Paul leaves no wiggle room about who He is and what He is. “He was in the form of God” (v6). The ESV translators gives us “form” when the apostle uses the Greek term  morphe. This word only appears three times in the entire New Testament. It can certainly mean shape, figure, and external appearance. That’s exactly what Mark describes when those boys ran into the risen Jesus on their long walk back to Emmaus. “He appeared in another form (Gr. morphe) to two of them as they were walking in the country” (Mk 16:12). But a better understanding of morphe deals with character or the intrinsic nature of something or someone. That’s the idea behind uses number two and three that we find here in Philippians 2:6-7. This is a picture of Christ BEFORE He left His heavenly paradise to dive into the big steaming pile of sin we made of His creation. According to Robertson, “In His reincarnate state Christ possessed the attributes of God and so appeared to those in heaven who saw Him. Here is a clear statement by Paul of the deity of Christ.” 

“He was in the form of God” (v6). It’s a powerful reminder that from square one the big story of Scripture is that Jesus is God. The Second Member of the Trinity didn’t just magically appear for the first time in a Bethlehem feed trough. He’s been around a long time. I mean a REALLY long time. Like forever. Jesus’ best buddy John pulls back the curtain of heaven for a glimpse of the eternal Christ whom he calls by the nickname the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (Jn 1:1-2). Christ was there before the beginning. He was right there with His Dad. He was and is God. If there was a mic for John to drop back in the first century, I’m sure he would have. 

Just in case you think John had an inflated opinion of his best Friend’s eternal divinity, there’s plenty of other evidence to support the idea. Jesus Himself said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58). Horrible grammar. AWESOME theology! If you want a jaw dropping description of Jesus as God, check out Paul’s description over in Colossians. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…For in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:15, 19). If we want to know what God looks like, just take a gander at Jesus. The Father was stoked to make sure every bit of what it means to be God is in His Son. And in one of his notes to the Corinthian church, Paul simply and bluntly states “Christ, who is the image of God” (2Cor 4:4). Jesus had a firm grasp on His Godness.

If that’s not enough proof for you, check out why Christ’s enemies put a contract on Him.  “This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (Jn 5:18). They were certainly mad that Jesus was breaking their rules about what you could or could not do on Saturday. But they ordered their hit on Him because He saw Himself as God. “The Jews answered Him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone You but for blasphemy, because You, being a man, make Yourself God’” (Jn 10:33). Jewish leaders didn’t want Jesus out of the way because He was such an awesome teacher. It wasn’t because He ran miraculous MASH units and healed hundreds. They got their undies in a bundle because this uneducated Preacher from the boondocks had the audacity to claim He was God Eternal in the flesh. 

But something amazing happened back at the heavenly palace. The Son of God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v6). Just because He was and is God, Jesus didn’t put His divinity in a death grip. The phrase “a thing to be grasped” is actually one Greek word, harpagmos. It paints a picture of that which is held onto by force. Something seized and held. An object of held and gripped tightly. An item forcefully taken and retained. Think of a football player covering the ball with two hands as the defense tries to rip it from him. While coaches are all about ball security, Jesus didn’t give a hot hoot about God security. He held it loosely. Christ was in willing submission to His Dad. “The Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28). That’s just one of many statements Jesus made describing His willingness to do whatever His Father asked Him to do. And if that means loosening His holy hold on His divine attributes, so be it. He let it go.

Paul’s point here is that once God executes our mind swap with His Son, we need to let it go as well. If Jesus is God and didn’t put the death grip on His divinity, what right do we have to hang onto our place or privilege? Who are we to play God and demand our way? Whenever I get cocky and think I’m God’s gift, I need to slow my roll and take a look at how the One who truly was God’s Gift saw Himself. He let it go. And I should to. Stop trying to weasel my way to places of influence. Quit leveraging relationships to work the system to my advantage. Stand down from using people to get what I want. Since He was God, Jesus had every right to do anything and everything He wanted. Instead, He let it go. If it’s good enough for Elsa, it’s good enough for me.

Making Jesus Famous

“Yes, and I rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as alway Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life for by death” (Philippians 1:18b-20).

Jesus is a game changer. He brings hope where there should gloom. He brings joy where there should be tears. There’s no greater example than the life of Paul, especially during his four years behind bars for telling everyone who would listen about Jesus. I mean there must have been some absolutely crazy stuff going on in the Roman prison where the apostle was in custody. Jesus used Paul to transform this place of pain and suffering into a joyful joint. You see, the man from Tarsus knew that no matter what happened to him during his time in the pen, Christ would use it to make Himself more and more famous. 

Let’s be honest. This little letter to a tiny group of believers in Philippi just doesn’t make sense. Jesus’ top spokesperson is locked up. The church he planted in the Macedonian seaport sent their current pastor to help but he nearly died making the trip to Rome. Yet this note absolutely drips with joy. Yeah, you read that right. Joy. If Paul had a boom box, he may have had Pharrell’s “Happy” cranked to 11. Here in the darkest dungeon of the empire, the apostle feels like a room without a roof. He knows that Jesus has given him something so incredibly awesome that Caesar’s supermax can’t take away. That’s the reason for his joy. As a result, God uses the apostle to turn the slammer into a greenhouse for Good News. Paul is telling everybody who will listen about the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee.

We pick things with Paul’s joy on repeat. “Yes, and I will rejoice” (v18). He’s just said that he’s absolutely stoked to know that no matter what the motives are of the various messengers, they’re spreading the message of Jesus. Because “Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (v18). His joy keeps jumping he knows one way or the other Jesus will spring him from prison. While the apostle’s praying for his friends back in Philippi (Phil 1:3-11), they’ve been praying for him too. God is up to something “through your prayers” (v19). Their concern for their founder isn’t just lip service. Their prayers have clearly resulted in action. They’ve sent very practical help in the form of their pastor Epaphroditus (Phil 4:18). The Big E nearly died on his mission to aid Paul (Phil 2:30).

Do you pray for your friends and family? Do you know of fellow believers who are, in the words of Ulysses Everett McGill in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, are in a tight spot? Do you ask the One who’s in charge of the universe to help them out? That’s a huge part of God’s gift of prayer. It’s not an intercom so God can be some sort of supernatural butler to freshen your drink. John Piper sees prayer like a walkie talkie on the battlefield. We use it to call in the ultimate air support. We call on God when we’re in real trouble. We call on God when we know the ones we love are in real trouble. Who needs your prayers right now? Call HQ and get Jesus involved. That’s what the Philippians have done for Paul. 

The prayers of the Philippian followers of Jesus sound the alarm for “the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (v19). No, they’re not baking a cake with a file in it. There’s no plan to bust Paul out of the joint through an elaborate jail break. Paul knows that there’s something, or should I say Someone much greater at work. The Holy Spirit has something up His sleeve. The Third Person of the Trinity provides “help” (v19). Paul uses the Greek word epichoregia here. This describes a large supply, a rich provision, and overwhelming assistance. God’s Spirit just won’t give what Paul needs to squeak by on the cellblock. He’s giving him more than he could ever dream of wanting or needing (Eph 3:20). Later, the man from Tarsus proudly writes, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). In this particular instance, he knows that the combo of their prayers and God’s Spirit “will turn out for my deliverance” (v19). One way or the other, prisoner Paul will be a free man soon.

You would think it to be bad press when God’s top missionary is locked up in prison. Wrong. It’s not that any publicity is good publicity. It’s because Paul knows that he “will not be at all ashamed” (v20). He knows that as long as he is obedient to God’s call on his life and in willing submission to the Lord’s leadership, Jesus’ glory will continue to roll around the world. In the big house in Rome, I wonder if Paul remembers his words to the Roman church that he sent them a few years back. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). He’s not ashamed to broadcast the Good News of Christ because it’s more than powerful enough to change the lives of everyone who hears it. “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us” (Rom 5:5). Something tells me that Paul not only remembers these words, but is giving them very practical application in this Roman prison.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road for the apostle. He’s completely confident “with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life of or death” (20). Check out the word he drops that the folks at the ESV translate “honored.” Megaluno. It means to magnify with great intensity, enlarge greatly, make incredibly conspicuous, or even to make famous. Check out a few other times writers of the NT use this term. Mary sang about how her very soul was a magnifying glass of God’s glory (Lk 1:46). When God’s Spirit bum rushes Gentile believers right before Peter’s eyes, they couldn’t stop enlarging Jesus’ rep to everyone who would listen (Acts 10:46). God used Paul’s preaching about Jesus to turn Ephesus upside down to the point that Christ’s name became known all throughout the city (Acts 19:17). It’s a stone cold, lead pipe lock that God will use whatever happens to Paul in order to make Jesus famous.

So from the comfort of my suburban life in America, do I have the same confidence as Paul does in prison? Am I honoring Jesus with my life? Am I making Him famous? Am I using my soul as a magnifying glass of God’s glory? Am I doing everything I can to tell the world about the One who has come to my rescue? I need to remember the incredible cost Jesus paid to make me His and what I should do about it. “For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1Cor 6:20). There’s also a mammoth point here that God calls us to worship with so much more than our minds. We’re to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:2). I’m not saying that I need to do P90X for Jesus (then again, this particular “temple” could certainly use a little renovation). But there is certainly a physical component to following Christ. 

When it’s all said and done, Paul knows that no matter what happens to him the Lord will use it as part of the worldwide campaign to spread the Gospel. And that includes whether the apostle walks out through the front door of the prison or whether he dies behind bars. Jesus will be honored “whether by life or by death” (v20). That’s not something most American believers are facing these days. But there are those around the world that bring glory to our Savior as they face death at the hands of terrorists like ISIS and Boko Haram. Paul doesn’t let the possibility of dying in jail steal his joy. He knows more than most that Jesus is a game changer. God will use whatever happens to make sure Christ is the lead story in every newscast. 

A Three Person Job

“Whom He poured on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6)

Some jobs take more than one person. Some jobs can’t be done solo. Some jobs require a team. Here in his letter to his boy Titus, the Apostle Paul tells him that God’s work of salvation is a three person job. The entire Trinity rolls up its sleeves and gets busy in our rescue. God the Father. God the Son. God the Spirit. Take a close look at these verses and you’ll see all divine hands are on deck. You’ve heard the expression that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we see here that it takes a Trinity to save a sinner. 

Salvation is a Three Person job.

Paul wants Titus to make sure the new believers on Crete have a clear view of what it means to follow Jesus. We’re to be good citizens (Titus 3:1). We’re to use our mouths to build folks up and not tear them down (Titus 3:2). Despite being fools, rebels, dupes, slaves, bullies, and haters (Titus 3:3), God the Father came to our rescue as an act of His overflowing love (Titus 3:4). We brought absolutely nothing to the table when it comes to our salvation except the desperate need to be saved from our own sin (Titus 3:5). At the end of verse 5, the apostle brings God the Spirit out on stage to explain His role in our rescue. He washes perfectly clean. He makes us completely new. Then we see how God the Son is the one who unleashes the supernatural firehose, pouring out the Holy Spirit on new believers. When God’s Spirit drenched us, He was “poured on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (v6). 

When it comes to giving out His Spirit, Jesus isn’t stingy. He doesn’t carefully ration the Spirit. He doesn’t measure Him out in a quota. Nope. Christ turns on the holy hydrant and lets the Spirit surge onto His people. Paul writes how God’s Spirit is “poured out on us” (v6). He uses the Greek verb ekcheo, which means to generously provide or give in abundance. Many times, the writers of the New Testament use this word to describe something messy. Liquids slosh and slop. They splash and gush. When He teaches about how old wineskins can’t handle being filled with the latest vintage of Merlot, Jesus says, “The skins burst and the wine is spilled (Gr. ekcheo)” (Mt 9:17). Dr. Luke paints a pretty nasty picture of Judas Iscariot’s body after his suicide when “he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out (Gr. ekcheo)” (Acts 1:18). Change went flying when Christ cleaned the crooks from the temple courts. “He poured out (Gr. ekcheo) the coins of the money-changers” (Jn 2:15). In the same way, God is so generous with His love and grace that things get messy when He saves us. When He passes the disciples a glass of wine, Jesus tells His posse the night before His execution, “This is My blood of the covenant which is poured out (Gr. ekcheo) for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28). 

God is especially generous and lavish when it comes to pouring out His Holy Spirit. Before He headed back home to heaven, the resurrected Jesus told His crew to hang in Jerusalem until the Spirit drenches them like they’ve never been drenched before (Acts 1:8). Once Jesus turns on His firehose, things get REALLY crazy and REALLY messy! People think His followers are hammered. At that point, the Apostle Peter delivers his first-ever sermon. He says what’s going on is what God promised through the prophet Joel. “I will pour out (Gr. ekcheo) My Spirit on all flesh…in those days I will pour out (Gr. ekcheo) My Spirit” (Acts 2:17-18). Pete goes on to explain that all Three Persons of the Trinity are involved with what’s going on. “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out (Gr. ekcheo) this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:33). Later, Pete and other Jewish believers jaws hit the floor when God starts saving non-Jews as “the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out (Gr. ekcheo) even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:45). You see, things get messy when the Godhead gets going. REALLY messy!

Like I said, Jesus isn’t stingy when it comes to giving out God’s Spirit. He sloshes Him out on us “richly” (v6). This is the Greek term plousios, and it describes something in abundance, full measure, and something of great value given in large amount. It carries with it the idea of great wealth. This makes perfect sense since God is incredibly generous and the greatest Giver the universe has ever seen. God “richly (Gr. plousios) provides us with everything to enjoy” (1Tim 6:17). The Lord is “rich (Gr. plousios) in mercy” (Eph 2:4). He loves the world so much that “He gave His only Son” (Jn 3:16). So it’s only logical that God the Son would also be an abundant giver. Jesus fills us to overflowing with His Spirit. He maxes us out. Our gauges red line with the Comforter. And once God gives us His Spirit, He fills our hearts with His unfailing love like the spigot fills your bathtub. “God’s love has been poured (Gr. ekcheo) into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us” (Rom 5:5). When the Trinity gets busy, things get messy. 

Salvation is a Three Person job.

Am I so stinking sinful that it takes all the resources of the Trinity to come to my rescue? Before the Godhead saved me, I certainly was, in the words of Ulysses Everett McGill, “in a tight spot.” I couldn’t even dream of saving myself. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit all get involved in this great rescue mission because they WANT to be involved! There’s no greater friendship and fellowship in history than what They experience. I’m not even going to try and explain how and what the Trinity is. Think of Them this way: three Who’s and one What. Because They enjoy the perfect relationship, the Godhead does everything together. That includes saving you and me. Maybe this is sacrilege, but I see Dad, Son, and Spirit so stoked about what They’re doing that things get crazy. They’re excited. They’re generous. They’re messy. 

Salvation is a Three Person job.