Rocky II

 Sequels usually disappoint.  Whether a movie or a book, the second rarely is as good as the first.  

Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky II" is a great example.  But here in his sequel, Luke gives us his version of "Rocky II."  

Simon Peter, who Jesus Himself nicknamed Rocky (Jn 1:42), delivers his second message.  Powered by Holy Spirit, Pete's sermon sequel doesn't disappoint.  

God used his first to save 3,000 (Acts 2:41).  He will use the second to save another 5,000 (Acts 4:4).

The setting for Pete's sermon sequel is Solomon's Portico on the temple grounds in Jerusalem (v11).  

This is the covered porch that surrounded the Court of the Gentiles.  Jesus preached at this very same place on at least one occasion (Jn 10:23).

God has just used Peter and his fellow apostle John to heal a 40-year-old beggar who was unable to walk from birth (Acts 3:7-8).  

Once healed, this dude danced and jumped around like he had just one the lottery.  And the miracle blew people away (Acts 3:9-10).

Once the former disabled dude finishes his victory lap around the Court of the Gentiles, he latches onto Pete and John.  The scene in the temple courts was getting crazy.  

Luke tells us that "the people, utterly astonished, ran together to them” (Acts 3:11).  God's miracles tend to escalate things very quickly.

Rocky saw this is a God-given opportunity to explain to everyone what had just happened and to tell the crowd about Jesus (v12).  He uses this as a chance to set everyone straight on what they had seen.  

Pete tells the excited mob that he and Johnny didn't do anything.  There's no reason to be looking at them ("why do you stare at us?").  

What they had just witnessed had absolutely NOTHING to do with any special power or any great godliness on their part.

Rocky tells the crowd that God did all of this (v13).  And here on the temple grounds, he tells his audience EXACTLY who this God is.  "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers."  

In other words, the God who healed this man is the one and the same God who made those amazing covenant promises to their Jewish forefathers.  This is the same title God declared for Himself when Moses checked that bizarre burning bush (Ex 3:6, 15).

Pete goes on to say that this miracle was just the way for our Promise-Keeping God bring glory to "His servant Jesus."  

In other words, it was God's way of reinforcing His point that all of the covenant promises are fulfilled in the Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth.  

Through this miracle, God endorses Jesus as Messiah and these two men as His apostles.  Time and time again in the NT, God uses wonders to reassure the people that these apostles are His divine representatives who speak His Gospel.

Rocky uses a very interesting title for Christ, "His servant Jesus."  It is only used of Jesus four times, three of them here in this impromptu sermon (Acts 3:26; 4:27, 30; Mt 12:18).  

The Greek word for servant here is pais/παις.  It can mean child.  But it also can carry the idea of a servant, specifically a king's attendant (Thayer/BDB).

While it's only used four times in the NT, but the Greek translation of the OT (the Septuagint or LXX) repeated uses pais/παις to translate the word servant.  

The Servant is one of Isaiah's most powerful images of God's Messiah (Is 42:1; 49:6; 50:10; 52:13).  This messianic Servant is to suffer at the hand of God on behalf of God's people (Is 53).  

Pete explains that is exactly what has happened to Jesus.  He is the Messiah God promised.  He is that Servant that Isaiah prophesied.

In other words, Jesus and the Gospel of Grace is no sequel.  He is the continuation of God's original story of salvation! 

Here in Rocky's sequel sermon, he goes back to the same theme of the first.  He accuses his audience of killing Jesus.  

Instead of embracing their God-promised Messiah, they handed Him over to Pilate and demanded his execution.  They did all this after the governor had ruled Him innocent time after time.

"But you denied the Holy and Righteous One" (v14).  Pete charges his listeners with giving the Heisman to God's Holy One, for rejecting the Righteous One.  

Note the title.  Jesus was not just holy, but THE Holy One.  Again, a common title for Messiah in the OT, especially by Isaiah.  

There is no one else like Jesus.  He is set apart.  He is unique.  He is completely different.

And He is the Righteous One.  While not used as often, this is another term found in the OT.  As a matter of fact, God uses it to talk about Jesus in Isaiah.  

"By His knowledge shall the Righteous One, My Servant, make may to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities" (Is 53:11).  As the Righteous One, Jesus is absolutely without sin.  Pure.  

And if rejecting God's Holy and Righteous One isn't bad enough, Peter points out that the people "asked for a murderer to be granted to you."  

That's Barabbas (Lk 23:18-25).  As bad as Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio was, this was the worst trade in the history of mankind.

Rocky then delivers his knockout blow.  "You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead" (v15).  

Imagine standing before thousands of people and telling them they killed God.  But that's EXACTLY what Pete did.  

"Author" is the Greek word archegos/αρχηγος.  It means the chief leader, the one out front, the pioneer, the originator.  

The writer of Hebrews uses it twice to refer to Jesus (Heb 2:10; 12:10).  They had taken the life of the One who gives it.

If Pete would've ended his message there, people would have had no hope.  But he doesn't stop there.  

He tells the crowd the Author of Life is no longer dead in the grave.  No, God raised Him from the dead!!!  

They may have killed Christ, but God has something greater in store.  And if the people have any doubts about the fact that Jesus is alive, there are plenty of witnesses.

Rocky tells his audience that it was this same Jesus that actually healed the disabled man.  

"And His name--by faith in His name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all” (v16).  

Pete tells the crowd to look at the guy.  He's healthy.  Jesus did that!  And this is picture of what life in the kingdom will be like for all of us.  Perfect health for everyone.

Peter preaches a message of grace.  This is about what God has done and continues to do.  

God made promises to the patriarchs.  God sent Messiah in the form of His Son Jesus.  The people rejected Him.  The people murdered Him.  Yet God offers life and salvation in His name.

God saves us because He is gracious.  He provided everything.  We've done nothing...nothing but reject Him.  

Rocky makes it clear that everything that has happened is God's doing.  The healing of the man.  The offer of salvation.

That's the theme of "Rocky II."  This sequel does not disappoint.

©2011

Jay Jennings

A Dangerous Message

In Acts, Peter has just explained that the Holy Spirit is behind this fantastic display of foreign languages (Acts 2:14-21).  He goes on to tell the people just how active God was in the life and ministry of Jesus (Acts 2:22-24).  He even goes so far as to accuse his listeners of crucifying Him!

At this point, Pete makes the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the long awaited Messiah.  And he does so by looking at the life of King David.  

First, he quotes Psalm 16:8-11.  He reassures us that David himself composed this psalm.  The king wrote, “For You will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let Your Holy One see corruption” (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27).

Preacher Peter exposits and explains what David has written.  King David is dead (v29).  And he had been dead for almost 1,000 years.  As a matter of fact, they could still visit his tomb that very day.  

So there’s a problem here.  What David wrote in Psalm 16 could not be about David.  He was a great king, but let’s face facts, he died.

Pete reassures us that David was not only a king but a prophet as well (v30).  This explains the strong prophetic nature of the songs and poems he composed, especially those concerning the coming Messiah.  

Peter will quote three of them in this small stretch of his sermon (Ps 16; 132; 110). 

He goes on to remind his listeners of the phenomenal promise God made to King David, “Knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set One of his descendants on his throne” (v30).  

Theologians call this the Davidic Covenant.  God promised David that someone in his direct lineage would be the King forever.  It’s found in 2 Samuel 7:11-16.  

There God tells David that he would indeed die and “lie down with your fathers” (2Sam 7:12).  Almighty God promises to “raise up your Offspring after you...and I will establish His kingdom forever” (2Sam 7:12-13).  

There is a very curious  reference in the midst of this amazing covenant.  “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son” (2Sam 7:14).  Clearly a hint at incredible Father/Son relationship between the heavenly Father and Jesus Messiah.  

The result is God’s oath to David that “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me.  Your throne shall be established forever” (2Sam 7:16).

This is what I’ve heard Pete Brisco of Bent Tree talk about.  The Old Testament is the New Testament contained.  The New Testament is the Old Testament explained.  

In other words, the OT contains the message of God’s incredible grace and the coming of Jesus.  It just isn’t fully laid out.  The NT explains the main message of the OT (Jesus!) as well as many of the tricky and ticklish passages.  

Contained.  Explained.  I think that is a GREAT way of thinking about the Bible.  That is what is going on as Peter preaches.  Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Pete explains and interprets the life of David.

Peter goes on to make the amazing claim that David actually “foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, no did His flesh see corruption” (v31).  

This goes so much farther than a promise from God.  Simon states that the king actually had some sort of vision of this long awaited Son of David rising from the grave.  This, says Pete, is the entire basis for what the king wrote in Psalm 16 and the only explanation.

Rocky brings it home at this point.  David saw and wrote about the Messiah.  This Messiah is indeed the very same Jesus whom “God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (v32).  

But God didn’t stop there, He exalted His Son and gave Him the ultimate honor of being seated “at the right hand of God” (v33).  This is Jesus’ place of divine privilege all through Scripture (Lk 22:69; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1 are just three examples).  

The first thing He did once He sat at His Dad’s right hand was to receive the Holy Spirit and pour it out on His followers.  Luke has penned several wonderful passages involving the Trinity.  This is yet one more.  

Once again, Peter explains to his audience that this incredible explosion of languages is the result of the work of God’s Spirit.

Reminding his listeners that it wasn’t David who had ascended but Jesus, he then cites Psalm 110:1 (v34-35).  This is the very same psalm Jesus quoted to confound the Pharisees (Lk 20:41-44).  

Peter simply says that King David could not have written about himself since he did not rise from the grave and head to heaven on a cloud.  He had to be talking about Jesus Messiah.  

Then Peter lands the plane.  Here’s the Big Point.  He wants every Jew to understand what he is about to say.  

Here’s The Fact that changes EVERYTHING!  “God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (v36).

God’s ultimate active work is in anointing Jesus to His divine role.  He is first Lord.  This simply means that Jesus is God.  He is fully divine and sovereignly in control.  

He is also Christ.  This is the Greek word (Christos) which means “anointed one” and is equivalent to  the Hebrew Messiah.  Peter connects these two very important ideas.  

Jesus is God.  Jesus is Messiah.  He is BOTH.

But he doesn’t stop there.  Once again, Pete makes sure his listeners understand that they have divine blood on their hands.  “This Jesus whom you crucified” (emphasis added).  

God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ.  The Jews rejected and crucified their divine Messiah.  Certainly not the most seeker sensitive message ever preached.  

But then again, the philosophy of many churches is to provide “a safe place to hear a dangerous message.”  

A safe and accessible place was provided by the Holy Spirit through the gift of many languages.  Peter then preached a VERY dangerous message.

©2011

Jay Jennings

Apply as Directed

A few years ago, my neighbor invited me to come over and see her new computer. She is an older lady who had never taken the leap into deep end of the technological pool. She was absolutely stoked about her purchase. When I arrived, I expected to see her shiny new machine set up and ready to go. That’s when she pointed to a stack of boxes over in the corner. “There it is! That’s my new computer!” My neighbor owned a new computer. There was only one problem. She still hadn’t ever turned it on. Before she could ever get any use out of her new PC, she needed somebody to set it up and teach her how to use it. 

In many ways, that’s the scene in Nehemiah 7:73-8:8. The people have God’s Word but don’t know what to do with it. They plead with one of the top Bible teachers on the planet to teach them God’s truth and tell them what to do with it. Like my neighbor’s computer, Scripture won’t do them any good unless they know what to do with it. They need instructions. They need directions. They need understanding. They need somebody to take the time and tell them how to apply what God says. God’s Word comes alive when we apply as directed.

We pick up the action just as Nehemiah finishes going over the roster of Jews who returned to the Promised Land from Persia under Zerubbabel 93 years ago (Neh 7:6-73). God inspires the governor get everybody together for a roll call by family (Neh 7:5). It’s now safe to hold this massive meeting because the city walls are complete (Neh 6:15). The author puts a time stamp on this get-together and tells us it’s the first day of the “seventh month” (v73, 2). That’s Tishri. It falls on the last half of September and first half of October. It’s the year 445 BC. And we’re less than a week after wrapping up the huge wall project (Neh 6:15). But just because they’re safer than they’ve been in a long time, the people desperately want to know what to do.

The Hebrew people plead with Ezra the scribe to do what he does best: “bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD commanded Israel” (v1). This is Ezra’s first appearance in the pages of Nehemiah. He led the second expedition from Persia to the Promised Land back in 458 BC (Ez 7:1-6). As a scribe, Ezra had mad skills when it comes to God’s Word (Ez 7:6). Because God has a tight grip on him, “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach His statues and rules in Israel” (Ez 7:10). By all indications, this is the first time he’s had the privilege to teach Scripture to what amounts to a stadium-sized crowd. It’s one of the biggest reasons the Big E back in the Promised Land. And 44 years later, he finally gets his chance.

The crowd makes the request that Ezra teach from “the Book of the Law of Moses” (v1). We’re talking the Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He’s going to go back to the beginning and remind everyone of who God is and His special relationship with His chosen people. Talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool! Several hundred years later, Jesus tells folks that when Moses wrote those five books, “he wrote of Me” (Jn 5:46). Christ says that the Book of the Law is all about the Messiah, the awesome Good News of the One who’s coming to the rescue. You might not think of Jesus being the focus of Ezra’s teaching, but it’s true.

Ezra unrolls the scroll and teaches God’s Word “before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard” (v2). This is an “all skate.” Not just the guys. Not just the ladies. The big point is that people “could understand what they heard” (v2). We see the Hebrew word biyn, which means to discern, perceive, consider with full attention, or give heed to. This term shows up six times in just 11 verses. It describes so much more than collecting data or memorizing facts. The BIG idea of this passage is understanding Scripture so that you can do what it says. It’s knowing what to do with what you’ve learned. It’s putting what you’ve learned into practice. It’s applying as directed.

This isn’t your typical one-hour-and-done suburban American church service. No 20-minute sermon with three points and a poem. “And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early in the morning until midday” (v3). We’re talking from dawn until lunch. That certainly makes sense with Ezra teaching the story of God from the first five books and then making sure everyone knows how to apply this truth to their lives. You may be wondering if folks were on their feet the entire time. Great question. We’ll see later in the passage how they broke up into small groups to discuss the sermon (v8). It doesn’t take much imagination to see Ezra reading sections of Scripture with people standing and then stopping so they could sit and discuss what that might look like in their own lives. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of standing. Hope you’re wearing your comfy sandals.

This huge crowd can see and hear the speaker because he’s on a stage constructed for this event. “Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for this purpose” (v4). Here’s where we get the church tradition of a pulpit. It was big enough to hold 14 people (check out the list of the other 13 dudes here in v4). These men are probably priests who stand with the Big E as a clear demonstration of their support. Because he was visible to the audience, everybody could see Ezra when he opens up God’s Word (v5). We see another church tradition. The preacher opens up his Bible in front of God and everybody. Not a command, but certainly not a bad thing to do. Once Ezra starts reading “all the people stood” (v5). And here’s yet one more tradition in many churches. Folks rise to their feet as the pastor reads from Scripture. Again, not a command but certainly not a bad idea. It’s an acknowledgement that God is present in His Word. 

As part of his teaching, “Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God” (v6). He makes sure that the focus is God, not the preacher and not the people. The Bible is about God, not us. Are we part of His story? Absolutely. But only because we’re the ones who wrecked His perfect creation, rebelled against His kingdom, and are the ones He’s coming to rescue. Ezra thanks God for His goodness, His grace, and His mercy. When he does, “all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’” (v6). Yup, here’s another tradition in many churches (especially if you grew up Southern Baptist like me). When the preacher drops some particularly convicting truth, folks shout, “Amen!” This is the Hebrew term ‘amen. It means truly or so be it. Throughout the OT, it’s used as an expression of agreement with what’s just been said. It’s like saying, “You got that right!” Or “You’re darn tootin’!” Or even “You ain’t frontin’!” Earlier when Nehemiah put a stop to the rampant loan sharking and payday lending in the Promised Land, the people shouted, “Amen!” (Neh 5:13). That makes sense since they are hearing Scripture inspired by the “God of truth (Heb ‘amen)” (Is 65:16). Jesus goes out of His way to describe Himself as “the Truth” (Jn 14:6). Can I get an amen?

An amazing thing happens at this point. Folks are “lifting their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground” (v6). They have a physical response to the internal impact of God’s truth on their lives. This massive audience doesn’t just stand their like statues. They are certainly not the Frozen Chosen like some of the churches I’ve been a part of. Raising our hands is a quite biblical form of worship (Dt 32:40; Ps 63:4; 119:48; 134:2; 141:2; Lam 3:41; Lk 24:50; 1Tim 2:8). It’s not limited to our more charismatic friends. Get your hands in the air like your really do care! The people in the crowd fall on their faces as an act of worship to God. Once again, we see this all throughout Scripture (Gen 17:17; Lev 9:24; Dan 10:9; Mt 17:6; Acts 9:4; Rev 1:17; 5:8). It’s the most obvious physical act of submission to God’s authority and holiness. It’s reminiscent of that day when King Jehoshaphat led God’s people is a massive expression of worship. “Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD” (2Chr 20:18). When it comes to worship, let’s get physical. Hands up. Faces down. 

At some point, the huge crowd breaks up into smaller groups for explanation and application. “The Levites helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God clearly and they gave the sense, so the people understood the reading” (v7-8). One o the Levites’ roles is serve as small group leaders and teachers (Dt 33:8-10; 2Chr 17:8-9; 35:3). They explain the deeper meaning of the passages. They put what the people have heard into perspective. They go out of their way to do everything in their power to make sure people understand God’s Word. What we see here in Nehemiah may well be the first message-based small group discussions in history. They know that simply hearing the Bible without knowing what to do with what you’ve heard is a total waste of time. Do you have folks who explain Scripture to you? Do you sit down with other folks at your church to talk about the message and how to apply it? 

God's truth is most powerful when we know how to apply as directed.