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

No Easy Button

“If we endure, we will reign with Him” (2Tim 2:12).

I don’t know about you, but always I’m looking for a shortcut. A quick fix. A short line at checkout. A cheat code. Something tells me we ALL are! That’s why we continually sucked in to get-rich-quick schemes on late night TV infomercials. We desperately want that magic pill that promises instant six-pack abs. Searching for a silver bullet. Praying for a fast pass at Disney World. Hoping for the easy button.

Well, if you’ve opened 2nd Timothy expecting to press the easy button, you’ll be sadly disappointed. Hey, if ANYBODY needed (or deserved!) a cheat code, it’s the Apostle Paul. The last few years have been gauntlet of pain and suffering for His Savior (2Cor 11:23-27). Check it out. Jail. Beatings. Near death experiences. Scourging. Caning. Stoning. Not one, not two, but THREE shipwrecks. Danger. Threats. Contracts on his life. Days with no sleep, no food, and no water. Freezing temps without a coat. Blistering heat with no AC. 

Let’s face it, a contestant on American Ninja Warrior has nothing on the spiritual obstacle course Paul has run. As he writes to his protege Timothy, he’s nearing the finish line (2Tim 4:6-7). He’s locked up on Death Row inside Rome’s brutal Mamertine Prison. Historians say this joint was nothing more than a hole in the ground where prisoners wait to die. 

As he counts down his final days, the apostle pleads with his young friend to make one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). Just in case Tim can’t make it in time, Paul scribbles down last minute instructions to keep the viral message of Jesus spreading throughout the world (2Tim 2:1-4:5). 

When we come to 2nd Timothy 2:11-13, it just looks different. That’s because it IS different. Most people who look into these things believe these are the lyrics to a first century worship tune. To this day, folks with drop a line from a song to make a point. Same thing going here. It points to the power of music. Paul makes the point that these particular lyrics are “trustworthy” (2Tim 2:11). That’s because when you combine a memorable melody with God’s truth, look out!

While we don’t have the sheet music, the words are raw and real. Think of it as blues. Like the rest of Scripture, this song describes who God is. In this case, it’s the Second Person of the Godhead, Christ Jesus (2Tim 2:10). First of all, we read that when we share in His substitutionary death for our sin, we will certainly share in His incredible resurrection life as well (2Tim 2:11). It’s a matter of life THROUGH death. In other words, hint number one that there’s no easy pass when it comes to following Jesus.

Just to make sure we’re paying attention, Paul doubles down on this idea of delayed gratification. “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (v12). Hey, I’m all about the second part! But to get to the very cool reigning part, I must endure. There’s no traffic-free, four-lane bypass. I must drive the hard road with potholes galore.

Paul uses the Greek word the ESV translates as “endure” (Gr. ‘υπομενω) which basically means to remain behind under persecution or stay when others leave. It’s a compound verb that literally means “under (‘υπο-) living (-μενω).” It’s the picture of hang in there under pressure with relentless submission. The apostle only uses it a grand total of four times and two of them are here in this little letter. 

It’s refusing to flee. Standing your ground. Pressing on. Staying the course. Going the distance. Bearing up bravely. Folks watch life crashing down you and scratch their heads, “What in the world are you still doing here?” Call it the wonder of being under. It’s strength we only get from Jesus.

Let’s take a moment to describe what Paul is NOT talking about. These are NOT first world problems. It’s NOT losing the remote. It’s NOT the lack of wifi. It’s NOT too much milk in my macchiato. You do realize these are only inconveniences, right? Right?!? 

He’s also NOT talking about your coworkers grumbling about Christians or the removal of the nativity scene from the courthouse lawn. Here’s the deal. These are the realities of living in a post-Christian culture. We don’t need to endure this stuff. Quite your whining and pull up your big boy pants. Instead let’s be a blessing to our community, our state, our nation, and our world. Jesus calls us to shine His light and spread His salt. I don’t remember reading anything about boycotting amusement parks. I’m pretty sure that spreading hate has NOTHING to do with spreading the Gospel.

On the end of the spectrum, don’t fall for the lie that trusting in Jesus exempts believers from a hard life. As a matter of fact, just the opposite. Over and over, Christ warns His crew that following Him is not going to be a life full of rainbows, unicorns, and an endless supply of Skittles. “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:20). 

So many of us love latching onto God’s promises in Scripture. Why doesn’t anyone ever claim this one Jesus said to His closest followers? “In the world you will have tribulation” (Jn 16:33). Just because we don’t like it doesn’t make it any less true. Take a look around and see if the Lord’s promise hasn’t come true in spades. Of course it has. But don’t forget what He had to say right after that. “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

In one of their more embarrassing moments, the disciples get into a shouting match about who’s got the most game. This is another example of why the Bible could not be some sort of fabrication or heavy edited version of truth. If I’m one of the apostles in charge of what goes in and what goes out of the New Testament, this story gets left on the cutting room floor! Jesus drops the mic on their stupid argument by saying the place of greatness in God’s kingdom only goes to those who stick it out during the hard times and serve others (Lk 22:24-30).

John MacArthur writes that Jesus’ disciples who persevere prove their trust in Him is legit. Folks who punk out when times get hard have a phony faith. Our Savior says we’ll know for sure we’re His because we have faith to run the marathon of life (Mt 10:22; Mt 24:13).

But Christ doesn’t call us to some sort of weird masochism. His followers aren’t simply just to live out our lives here on Earth as easy targets and punching bags. It’s not pain and suffering just for the sake of more pain and suffering. Paul let's us know there's reign in the forecast. He encourages us to hang in there because “we will also reign with Him” (v12). Don’t give up. It will all be worth it. WAY worth it. God guarantees that our submission is followed by sovereignty. We suffer under the world now and we reign over it later.

Think of endurance and reigning like college classes. You have to take Endurance 101 as a prerequisite for Reigning 501. I have to get my undergrad from the School of Hard Knocks before pursuing my doctorate from the Kings College of Ruling and Reigning. In his letter to Roman believers, the apostle lets us know that we only experience ultimate glory with Jesus later if we’re willing to suffer with Him in the here and now (Rom 8:17). They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

The phrase “reign with Him” is actually just one word in the original language: συμβασιλευω. It means to rule together with someone else, ascend to the throne together, or live together like royalty. It’s ultimately exercising the highest influence together. The verb comes from a root word meaning walking over something. After getting stepped on together because of Jesus, we eventually step over together with Jesus.

Here’s where it’s a good idea to read the end of the Book. SPOILER ALERT! Christ wins!! And because He wins, those who trust in Him do. After He wins, He reigns and we reign with Him. The resurrected Jesus pulls back the curtain of heaven for His buddy John. One of the things the apostle experiences is a magnificent new song about how our He died so that God’s people could take a seat next to the King of Kings (Rev 5:10).

You see, my relationship with Christ is WAY more than simply being rescued from the self-inflicted wound of my own sin! As if that’s not enough, Jesus invites us to join Him on the throne in His future eternal kingdom (Rev 3:21; 5:10; 20:4-5). What does that look like? I’m not exactly sure. We only know from the glimpses we get when God allows the writers of the NT a peak behind the eternal curtain. But you can be sure it’s worth it. WAY worth it.

While there’s no easy button when it comes to following Jesus, salvation is a completely different story. We can’t save ourselves through hard work. The bar is too high. We can’t meet God’s perfect standard of holiness and spotless obedience to His rules and regs. Only Christ did that. We trust in what He did for us that we could never do for ourselves. The Lord lived the perfect life I failed to live. He died the death for my sin I should have died. He rose to a new life I don’t deserve. Jesus did all the heavy lifting. He endured what I never could. I simply rest on His work on my behalf and keep my eyes locked on Him while run the race (Heb 12:1-2).

Until the end of God’s story, we endure. We hang in there. We keep our eyes focused on our Savior. There’s no fast pass for the Christian life. We want a microwave when Jesus calls us to the crock pot. There’s no easy button. And that’s a good thing...because there's reign in the forecast!