Verse one of this chapter makes it very clear that there was a waiting period before God called upon Jonah again. Jonah did not go to Nineveh upon being vomited out by the fish. It may have been that he needed some time for physical restoration or simply that God allowed him that time to ensure he repented. At any rate, he was called a second time to go to Nineveh. It’s important to note that up to this point in the story, God has not told Jonah exactly what message to preach, just that he would “cry out against it” (1.2). God says, “…proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you” (v. 2). At this time, Jonah goes in ignorance and obedience to do the work of God.

There is a bi-fold application here. First, we do not have to have full understanding in order to serve God; we simply must be willing. God can use us more if we serve out of weakness than out of our strength. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response Paul wrote, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12.9,10). God desires to use us in the areas that we are weak. Why? So that He alone gets the glory.

I use this example all the time as it is part of my personal testimony. God uses me as a teacher of His word. When I was growing up (and still to a great extent) I had very poor reading comprehension. I would read things over and over and have very little idea what I was reading. But, when I read God’s word, it comes alive to me and I understand, not just the raw narrative, but also the intricacies of it. I also am not a skilled teacher. My wife likes to point out that my brain works very different than most people. I guess I see the world a little different and as a result lack the ability to explain things to people. But again, when it comes to God’s word, He uses me to bring His word to His people. Do I of my own accord have anything to boast about? No way! In every way I serve Christ, I do so out of my weakness.

Now an area which is strength for me is music. In this area, God has used me for a long time, but in the last few years, God has made it abundantly clear that He will use me elsewhere. I have no choice but to glory in His sovereignty and submit to His good and perfect will regardless of my own personal desire.

This is not to say that we should immediately discard any talents that we might have; rather we should be aware of where God desires us to serve. Often that will be in our weakness, but it will always be for His glory. If we find ourselves receiving the glory, we must change our direction.

Second application is that obedience to God is proof of our repentance of sin. God never set out to form a legalistic society that would “not sin;” instead He wants people to do His work. “So…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10.31). I tell people all the time to quit worrying about what might be sin and focus instead on how what you are doing glorifies God. If all we do glorifies God then we are not in sin. Sin is not sin because it is ‘bad.’ Sin is sin because it is counterproductive to the good and perfect will of God our Father. So as we are obedient, as we do whatever we do and do it for His glory, then we are demonstrating repentance from sin.

In verse four, Jonah begins to go into the city. It is noted that it would take three days to get through the city, but that he only went one day into it proclaiming God’s message. He had one simple message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (v.4). Again there are two major implications of this text. First, God’s work might look hard, but He will make it easy on us. Jesus said, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11.30). Jonah preached God’s message for one day and we find as we read on that it spread through the whole city, even to the king. Second, God is Lord over the harvest. It is our responsibility to do God’s work, to preach His word, as He has commanded and whoever has ears to hear will hear and will come to God. When we do the simplest things for God or say the simplest things, as Jonah did, and God provides fruit, then the glory is all His.

In verse five through eight, we see Nineveh come to repentance. They repented in sackcloth and ashes, by fasting and by turning away from evil. Sackcloth was made from camel or goat fur and was often black. It often covered the whole body, including the head. Ashes were either put on the head or sat on. There is some definite symbolism here, but the point in Jonah is that the people were mourning their sin. This was a demonstration of their remorse. The fasting is interesting as well. The Israelites and other cultures as well, recognized the dead as being unclean. So, if someone died in your house it became unclean and you were not able to prepare food to eat. Also, if someone were to bring you food from outside, it would become unclean upon entering the house. There were so many legalistic cleanliness rights that it became a common practice to simply fast during times of mourning over death. The fasting of the people of Nineveh was also an act of mourning. The last thing mentioned as part of repentance is the turn from evil. They quit doing what did not honor God. When we are in sin, we must mourn that sin in order to get rid of it, to truly repent. If we are not convinced to the point of mourning that our sin is wrong, then we cannot be fully repentant of it. Even Judas, when he betrayed Jesus, and he realized his sin, he returned the coins to the Pharisees as an act of remorse (Matt 27.3). I’m not making an argument that Judas was saved; it is a picture of how God wants us to repent.

In verse nine, we find out that they repented because of the possibility that God might decide not to destroy them. This plays out really well in Psalm 2. Verse twelve of this Psalm says, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry…Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Even the Assyrians (Ninevites) recognized that a return to God would bring blessing upon them and deliver them from wrath. The application: we never have committed too much sin, or any sin so heinous that God will reject us. If we repent in sackcloth and ashes, in mourning over our sin, and repent of sin, God will deliver us.

Image Credits: Brent Nelson, flickr.com

Defining Conviction

The most common use of conviction is used in a legal sense. It is a declaration of guilt or innocence made by a court. It can also be described as a strong belief or something that you have become convinced of. To convict is to declare blame and to condemn. Based on these definitions, conviction can be summed up as, ‘An action which a person is convinced will result in condemnation.’ The Bible is consistent with this definition. Proverbs says, “The guilty are convicted” (Prov. 24.25) and the guilty are convicted by the Holy Spirit (John 16.8). Therefore, when we form a conviction, we should become convinced that the Holy Spirit will condemn us for an action. Moving forward, remember that the most important part of forming convictions is becoming thoroughly convinced that something will result in God’s condemnation. For most, ‘because the Bible says it’s sin’ will not be adequate to be thoroughly convinced.

Why form convictions?

The obvious response is to avoid God’s condemnation, but there is a bigger reason. It is a reflection of our heart. God is more concerned with our hearts than with our actions. Romans 14.22,23 gives an accurate answer to this question.

The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.

Our free will cannot be a reason to sin. All are at liberty to sin, but as Christians, our faith in Jesus Christ should be demonstrated to God through our forming of convictions, our agreement on what is sin.

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

The idea is that we will find joy in Christ if we do not approve of things that are sin. Notice that it says ‘approve’. Convictions are not just a list of don’ts, they are also a list of dos. Do not be solely concerned about what not to do, otherwise you live fearful, timid lives. Instead fill your life with what you should do, what you approve of, which with proper convictions will result in joy.

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin

This passage has to do with the context. Gentile Christians were eating meat which was sacrificed at the temples of Pagan gods. This is not a sin, but the Jewish Christians believed it was. What Paul is saying here is that if they eat the meat, they are sinning by eating the meat from the temple if they have not formed a conviction on the matter, even though eating the meat is not sin. The application is that we cannot simply assume something is sin simply because Mom said so or because our Sunday school teacher said so. We must form a conviction, in order to be absolutely convinced, so that we can exercise our liberty without condemnation.

In summation, we must form convictions in order to not sin. We cannot avoid sin accidentally. Why? God knows the heart. If our hearts do not reflect a desire to follow Him, then our actions are immaterial. For example, honesty can be a sin if it is done out of pride rather than faith. God desires that we have a heart to obey Him, that we form convictions about His will, then our minds and bodies follow suit.

Forming Convictions

As discussed earlier, it is not sufficient for most to read God’s word and call something sin, because scripture suggests it is. It’s like this:

A man opens the Bible to find God’s will. He opens his Bible and reads of Judas, “Then he went away and hanged himself” (Matt 27.5). The man then flips to another scripture and reads, “Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10.37).

There are many areas which people argue as to the meaning of a scripture and ultimately what conviction should be derived from it. There are also areas of scripture that seem to contradict values (Ex. Story of Rahab in Joshua 2). There are other factors which must be taken into account, namely, the Holy Spirit and general revelation. God has provided us with multiple sources which will guide us to form convictions and we should make use of them all.

Before forming a conviction, we have to be presented with a situation. This can be a ‘what do I do’ or a ‘what don’t I do’. For example, a conviction can be, ‘I am convicted that lying is evil’ or it can be ‘I am convicted that God wants me to become a missionary.’ In reality we should be forming both types of convictions, dos and don’ts. Scripture is a great place to start for either type of conviction since “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3.16,17). All of these elements are related to dos and don’t, but the purpose is to do God’s work and that is our ultimate goal.

Example: It is not enough to read the book of Acts and decide that it is God’s will for you to become a missionary simply because Paul was a missionary. If you read Acts and are challenged to become a missionary, it is likely the work of the Holy Spirit which is calling you to it. In order to form a conviction on your calling you have to spend time in prayer over the matter and ask God to confirm it for you. This brings up another dilemma though. How do you know when and how it has been confirmed?

Sometimes the confirmation is easy, because doors open and God makes it really obvious. Sometimes it’s not so easy. This is where general revelation comes into play. General revelation is our ability to discern good and evil, whether an action is in accordance with God’s will or against it. General revelation is the knowledge of good and evil that was obtained by Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit in the garden. So when we are making a decision, we can look at our evidence and use our God given discernment to begin to form a conviction. Back to the example: if you are trying to confirm whether or not to become a missionary, you have to look at God’s work in creation in order to determine if that work is confirmation or not. If God opens all the doors to go into missionary work, then your natural ability to discern should tell you that is His will for you. If there is no feasibility in it, then your discernment should tell you that it is not your will.

Three main elements are required in order to discern God’s will, but there is one other of vital importance. The “gospel [the message of salvation through Jesus Christ] did not come to you in word only, but also…with full conviction” (1 Thes 1.5). We should always form convictions based on the benefit of the gospel. By nature, a Christian should do this since this conviction was put in us at the time of salvation, but it is an important tool in discerning God’s will. Specifically, you can ask, “How will this benefit or discredit the Gospel?”

Sin is only sin because it’s against God’s will. Similarly everything which is against God’s will is sin. So we are not so much looking to figure out what is sin, but what is for or against God’s will. Let’s return to the story of Rahab. She had a choice to lie or to go against God’s plan to have the Israelites conquer the land of Jericho by giving up the Israelite spies. Since Rahab recognized God’s plan, she hid the spies and God’s plan was done. It is uncommon that we will be faced with such a paradox, but the principal remains the same. Seek God’s will to form convictions.

Result

Without convictions we condemn ourselves out of ignorance. If you do not form convictions by faith them you sin, even if that act is in accordance with your liberty. To obey God’s commands blindly and legalistically without forming convictions based on faith is to bring eternal condemnation upon you. But to discern convictions through scripture, by the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of expanding the Gospel is the hearts demonstration of true faith in Jesus Christ by which we are saved from condemnation.

In Revelation, the seventh angel sounding his trumpet brings the accomplishment of the mystery of God. Similarly in Genesis, the seventh day marks the completeness of creation. There are too many of these accounts to go over in a blog post, and there is no need to. We can certainly draw application from the number seven, so long as the application is directly from the word of God. It is far too easy to idolize a number, to begin to think about how the number seven affects your life instead of how God would have you live.

Here is where seven becomes important. I’ll give you one account. Jesus said that we should forgive our brothers not “up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18.22 NAS). Since seven symbolizes completeness, we should not just forgive completely, but exponentially (70x) more than completely. This means that we should forgive infinitely. Interestingly, that is how God forgives, infinitely. There is no sin so heinous that he refuses to forgive (there is one that prevents us from seeking forgiveness, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). There is also no number of sins that cuts us off from forgiveness, so it is infinite in both respects.

Taking from this example, I would employ you to simply use the knowledge of biblical number simply for study purposes and within reason. To run out and buy a number 7 Bible cover is not a sin in itself; just remember who you worship.

The Meaning of Numbers in the Bible

Mattox, www.sxc.hu/photo/1170830

There are many different denominations of Christianity which all come with variances in practices of worship. This has to do with traditions. Traditions are perfectly acceptable in the church, even if they vary between churches, so long as they do not distract from or contradict the word of God. Regardless of traditions, there is only one way that a church should function. The modern church can only function in the same manner that the early church was directed to operate; however, it is not to operate in practice according to methods uncovered in extra-biblical texts or some other means. It is to operate under the instruction of God according to the words written by the Apostle Paul, namely: the responsibility of the Preacher (and Teacher), the qualifications of church leaders and the importance of orderly worship regardless of cultural revolution.

The Church can only function properly if it has sound teaching. According to Paul, a teacher of the word of God must be “without stain or reproach” (1 Tim. 6.14). This means that his life does not reflect a life of sin, but more than that, he also cannot be able to be accused of sin. For example, a preacher who regularly goes out to bars and clubs, can easily be accused of sin, even if he is somehow able to keep himself from sin in that environment. In order to be above reproach, it is not enough to keep yourself from sin, but you must “flee from these [sinful] things” (1 Tim 6.11). A teacher of the Word must consistently extricate himself from the practices of the culture and completely envelop himself in the Spirit and the word of God. John Piper says this:

We are outcasts. We are aliens and exiles in the world. Our citizenship is in Heaven and we wait with eager expectation for the Lord (Phil. 3:20). You cannot professionalize the love for His appearing without killing it. And it is being killed (2002).

Piper rightly suggests that the culturalization of preachers into the world is to simply make preaching a profession. A preacher is not a man who happens to be a preacher; on the contrary he is a preacher of God’s word who happens to be a man and as such should live as Paul says, “without stain or reproach” (1 Tim. 6.14). Macarthur says that the “man of God” characterized in first Timothy, chapter six (the expositor, the preacher, the teacher) must be “lifted above worldly aims and ambitions, and devoted singularly to God’s word” (2005).

There are very specific instructions listed in First Timothy regarding the qualifications of church leaders. “It is significant that in describing the qualifications for overseers, the apostle Paul focused on the character rather than the function of the elder” (2008). The qualifications, save for one, are all judgments of character, not ability. The overseer or elder must be above reproach, both in the Church and in the community, just as the preacher. Deacons are called to the same standard. The only characteristic required of a leader is specific to the overseer or elder. That is that he must be able to teach. This is not so much that he is required to teach, but that he must have a thorough understanding of God’s word and be able to communicate God’s word so that he can employ God’s word in Church processes. The overlying purpose for these requirements is simple. If one is called to be a leader of Christ’s church, then he must be able to show his ability to employ God’s word in his own life so that he is above reproach, and also he must be able to teach so that he will be able to employ God’s word in the functions of the church so that the church will be above reproach by following the elders’ leading. The prophet Hosea said, “Like people, like priests./I will punish both of them for their ways/and repay them for their deeds” (Hos. 4.9). The people (the church) will follow their leaders and if those leaders are acting outside of God’s word, they will be punished and so will the church that follows their leading. Paul was not concerned with the job or function of the elder, just that whatever his role is in the church, that he be performing that role in accordance with God’s word in order that the will of God would be done through the church.

Paul gives bi-level instructions on worship, instructions on worship and character of worship. In First Corinthians he gives instructions on how to worship: “hymn[s]… instruction… revelation… tongue[s]… interpretation” (1 Cor. 14.26). In First Timothy, Paul gives instructions on the character of worship. Prayer must be made for everyone so “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (2.1). We are to worship “without anger or disputing” (2.8). Women should be careful to “dress modestly” so that all can see their “good deeds” because this is “appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (2.9,10). Women should submit to the men for teaching, not because they are incapable of teaching, but simply because God designed it this way (2.11,12). These instructions are the heart in which the process given to the Corinthians should be accomplished. Robert Mohler Jr. writes,

We cannot buy in to the cherished myth of autonomous individualism, and we cannot compromise with a worldview based on the assumption that truth is relative or socially constructed…our first priority is to love God with heart and soul and mind…In the end, the culture will pass away. But our Lord has left us here for a reason—as His people we are to be salt and light in a dying world (2008).

In other words, we cannot compromise God’s standards on worship simply because of cultural influence. For example, in evangelical feminism the idea is that a woman is perfectly capable of ministering God’s word to anyone, including men. Evangelical feminism argues that women were not culturally accepted as leaders in the early days of the church (Grudem, 2006), but due to cultural revolution God’s word can now be compromised because men will actually listen to women. This is a ridiculous assumption. Women were no less capable in the early days of the church than they are now and, in fact, did take on leadership and teaching roles in many ancient religions, including Judaism (See Judges 4.4). God does not disallow women to teach men on grounds of ability, but on grounds of orderly worship. We are to worship God because of our love for Him and therefore submit to His instructions. This culture will pass away and a new one will arise. In the end, all worldly culture will be obsolete. In spite of the culture we are in, we are to be “salt” (a symbol of eternal salvation) and “light” (an illumination of the love of God), to the world, expressing the love of Jesus, the Christ to a dying people (Matt 5.13-16).

In order to adhere to God’s standards of worship and church function, the preacher must be above reproach and constantly saturated with the word of God so that the teaching he brings to the church is the accurate, unadulterated word of God. The elders and overseers must also be above reproach, in all ways applying the word of God to their lives so that the church can take their leading as an example for their own lives and that the church itself can be above reproach, proving Jesus as the messiah and not as a hypocrite. The practices of worship must be dealt with in care so that they are in all ways consistent with the heart and practice according to God’s standards. These things are not optional, a way to better the church, but are by design, the required process for the church. To do anything less is to defy God’s design for the church and His authority over it.

References
Grudem, Wayne (2006). Countering the Claims of Evangelical Feminism. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Multnomah Books.
MacArthur, John (2005). Preaching: How to Preach Biblicall.y Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc..
MacArthur, John (2008). The Masters Plan for the Church. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers.
Mohler Jr., R. Albert (2008). Culture Shift. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Multnomah Books.
Piper, John (2002). Brothers We Are Not Professionals. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers

Throughout Romans, the law is a major theme. It explains that the law was to keep men righteous, but men chose to ignore it and that is why Christ would come; not “to abolish them [the laws] but to fulfill them,” that is to fulfill the purpose of the law, righteousness (Matt. 5.17). Paul writes that the “mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit [of Christ: v.9] is life and peace” (Rom. 8.6). So if our minds are focused on Christ, then we are alive spiritually and are the fulfillment of the law through Christ. This is an elaboration of Rom. 8.1 where it says that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Going forward, the chapter provides more evidence of the life lived through the Spirit and then in verse 18 we start to see the chapter come to a peak as Paul begins to write about all creation and the will of God for creation through verse 27. This is where it gets really interesting. Remember that in context, we are talking about the justification of man in relation to the will of God.

Verse 28 says that God caused all things to “work together” for the good of those who are faithful to Him. This is not talking about peace on earth, rather peace in eternity. This verse is wrapped up with an apparent Calvinistic statement that says, “to those who are called according to His purpose.” This is a liberal interpretation. It is more accurate to say, “All this through a purpose appointed to happen.” So the meaning is that all things work together for salvation of those who would choose Christ because God decided that it would happen this way. In context it is saying that God has a plan for His people, not that there is an individual calling of a single man.

Verse 29 says, “For those He foreknew [the ones that God knew would choose Christ] he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son [All Christians were predestined to become like Christ. They were not predestined to choose Christ.] so that He [Christ] would be the firstborn among many brethren [Jesus as the head of the church.].”

Verse 30 says that he also called those whom he predestined to be like Christ. Remember we are not talking about a call to salvation. This is a call to be like Christ according to the context. We as Christians are not to live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. This says we are called to be holy.

Going on in verse 30, those who were called were also justified. God called us to holiness, but he knew before creation that we would fail and so he set up His plan for our justification. And for what purpose? That we might be “glorified” along with Christ, through his blood.

OK, at this point, many would say, “Who cares?” “Why does this require explanation?” If God did not have a purpose in explaining predestination versus free will, then Paul would not have written the conclusion to this chapter the way he did. There are two major applications that we can pull from this section, remembering the direct context: that we were predestined to be like Christ through the foreknowledge of our choosing him and that we are justified through Christ by the will of the Father.

1.) Do not fear the world. God predestined justification for those who would choose him before the beginning of time. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8.31). “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies” (Rom. 8.32). (The elect is a term used in the bible to identify those who are in Christ, not to identify those whom God chose to be saved.) God is the judge, not man, so don’t fear the world. To fear the world is to live according to the flesh, but to fear God is to live according to the Spirit.

2.) There is nothing that can separate us from the plan of God. He decided it from the beginning. There is nothing that can separate us from God—not “death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights, nor depth, nor any other created thing” (Rom 8.38,39).

Through the context, it is easy to see that Paul was unconcerned with determining the calling of man and more concerned with giving those who are Christian’s tools to live according to the Spirit, free from worry.

Jesus is all God. John writes that the Word was both with God and that the Word was God and that Jesus (the word) was with God in the beginning and that through him (Jesus) all things were made (John 1.1,2). Not only did John understand that Jesus was God, but Jesus himself did. He said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14.9). Jesus was not saying that he is literally the Father, but that he is one in essence with the Father, that he is incarnate God. (The Father is non-carnate God existing apart from physical creation and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God which is God whom transcends physical and spiritual boundary). For many it is not enough that Jesus and those who follow Jesus believe that he is God, but Jesus demonstrated that he is God when he exhibited power over creation, a task which only God could do. This happened when Jesus calmed the winds after he walked on water (Matt. 14.22-36). This was by no means a magic trick, but took complete control over all creation in order to maintain tides and winds which are all interconnected throughout the entire world.

Jesus is all man. Jesus was able to be tempted by Satan (Matt. 4.1-11). It is not important to this argument that he withstood the temptation, although some would argue, that this is a supernatural withstanding and that if he were all man he would have gave in to it. This is easily rebuked through the teaching of Paul that God “will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Cor. 10.13). Jesus was able to withstand temptation, by design, and so can all other men; we simply choose not to. There are numerous accounts, as you go throughout the Gospels that should convict us on this matter, that Jesus is all man. Another one comes just prior to the crucifixion (which in and of itself proves he is man; he died). When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane (Matt 26.36-46) he prayed three times that God would take the cup from him (v. 39, 42, 43). He showed his humanity in that he did not want to suffer and die.

Is the debate over the humanity and/or deity of Jesus important to salvation, through faith? In a sense, it is. If Jesus were not fully man, but simply God pretending to be a man, then there is no accomplishment in his perfection. If there is no accomplishment in his perfection, then there is no sacrifice. On the other hand, if God were man, but not completely God, then he would not have had the power or authority over sin. Were Jesus to have sinned, he would not have been a spotless lamb and would not have provided any atonement for sin. Aside from the fact that the Bible clearly defines Jesus in terms of being 100% God and Man, it is simply illogical to believe that he was anything else as that would challenge the basic doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ which Christianity is built upon.

It is my conviction of the word of God that Jesus was the incarnate God—100% God and 100% man—and that he was sacrificed by the plan and will of the Father in heaven to provide atonement for a sinning people with no other hope. I believe that to lack either godliness or humanity would be to remove from Jesus the ability to provide that atonement. Where being 100% God and 100% man is an apparent paradox, it is more illogical to impose upon God, human arguments as to His nature and power. It is the creator that will define the creation. It is not the role of man to define God. I fear that any attempt to redefine God is a direct result of a desire to redefine sin; or in a different light, to justify sin in your life. John Owen (2004) wrote,

“Sin’s loud voice darkens the mind so that it cannot make a right judgment of things. Our perplexing reasoning’s, our promises calculated to lesson our guilt, turbulent desires, false intentions of reform, and hopes of mercy, all have part in confusing the mind as it considers the guilt of a prevailing lust” (pp. 65-66).

It is the guilt of sin that causes man to manipulate the God ordained definition of incarnation.

Reference
Owen, J. (2004). The Mortification of Sin (R. Rushing, Ed.). Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust.

colcerex, www.sxc.hu/photo/293654

Matthew writes in chapter 1, verse 23 that Jesus was born to a virgin in order to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (v. 7.14). He also establishes that Immanuel means “God with us.” However, the contextual point of the story is the fulfillment of prophesy, not the meaning of the name. There is a beautiful depiction of what Immanuel means to us in Isaiah.

Isaiah prophesies of the coming invasion of Assyria into Judah (vv. 8.6-10). In the middle he cries out, “O Immanuel” (v. 8.8) or O God with us. It is very clear based on the context of this passage, immediately proceeding the messianic prophecy in chapter 7, that he intended to recognize that the Lord Immanuel was not only with them, but that he was also the messiah which was to come.

The Old Testament makes up the majority of the Bible. We can go through it and see repeated instances where Israel is walking away from God, but God has his hand upon them still, because he is ‘with them’. Being that our Lord is their Lord, remember that Jesus is always ‘with us’. As Christians we must always remain in perspective. When things go wrong, it is not that Jesus has abandoned us, because he is Immanuel, rather that we have abandoned him and we need only to return in obedience to receive the comfort we need.

“…when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, ‘Take courage; it is I [literally I AM], do not be afraid.’ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened” (Mk vv. 6.49-52).

The disciples were astonished because previously they had no faith in the power of Jesus to provide and protect his people. It was not a supernatural provision, rather a supernatural authority which enabled them to believe.
At this point in Jesus’ ministry it is difficult to believe that the disciples would be astonished by his miracles, but in fact they were astonished by Jesus’ ability to walk on water and calm the seas. MacArthur (2005) argues that it may not be just because of the “impossibility of such an act,” but also because of “their fatigue and fear in the stormy conditions” (p.1219). As this may have been a contributing factor, it is more reasonable to believe that they were astonished because they had not witnessed the authority of God, but simply the grace of God. They had certainly witnessed many healings and various other miracles which were physical in nature, however to calm the seas required authority over all creation, which even the disciples in this time were likely to have recognized.

It is likely that in spite of whom they believed Jesus to be, they may still have seen him as a magician or simply as a prophet. It was a minor miracle to feed the five thousand because that was simply power over provision, parlor tricks compared to the power they had just witnessed (authority over creation). It was over this act that their hearts were hardened because it was not enough for them to believe, not over the calming of the sea. The seaming contradiction comes in Matthews account when Jesus got into the boat and “the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” (vv. 14.32,33). This shows the turning point in Christ’s ministry to the disciples. For the first time they recognize that Jesus is God and not simply sent by God, as the Hebrew understanding of God’s son would have been no less than God himself. This is their confession of faith.

By nature man believes in the supernatural, but cannot of his own accord believe fully in God, complete faith. Understanding of the authority of Jesus, therefore, is required for salvation as that is God’s demonstration to mankind of His authority over creation. It is only this type of understanding that will allow man to fully trust in Jesus. Boyce (2001) says, “True faith…involves fiducia [Latin for trust or confidence], which is an actual trust in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior” (p. 274). The disciples were happy to believe in the supernatural (for example, a ghost) but previously refused to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, but upon this demonstration of faith, they were saved.

This is not to say that God will remove Christians from difficult situations. There was no clear threat to the lives of the disciples on the sea, but still Jesus saved them and for a purpose. This account was the milk that formed spiritual babies in the disciples. And that is the point. It is like the parable of the soils (Mk vv. 4.1-20). To believe in Jesus as a worker of miracles sent by God is to be the rocky soil, those who do not truly understand. But to believe and follow him as the Son of the living God is to be the good soil, hearing and accepting and producing an abundant crop.

References
Boyce, J. M. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (Volume 1). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group.
MacArthur, J. (2005). The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc..

VinnyPrime, http://www.sxc.hu/photo/686044

One of the major themes that jumped out to me was God’s design and divine control over the life and ministry of Christ in order to fulfill the plan of the Father. Throughout the book, Jesus constantly withdraws to pray. In the account in Gethsemane just prior to Jesus being brought into custody, Jesus asked specifically that the plan be changed, so that he would not have to die (Matt. 26.36-46). Obviously, this was a time when the request was not granted, and Jesus knew that it wouldn’t. Nonetheless he had multiple opportunities to escape the crucifixion, but he would not without it being the will of the Father. His will be done.

Fulfillment of prophesy is made very aware specifically in the Gospel of Matthew (ex. Matt 12.17-21 and Matt 21.4,5). This is probably because Matthew, being a Jew, was versed in prophesy of the coming messiah and was therefore able to easily extract the accounts as they were fulfilled and make note of them. It is an essential element to the ministry of Christ that all prophesy would be fulfilled, otherwise he would not have been the messiah that they were waiting for.

Jesus is portrayed not just as the teacher, but as wise, even by those who would not follow him. I noticed as I read through the book that he was always held in supreme authority by his disciples. This is not to say that they never misunderstood or disagreed; rather they recognized his authority over wisdom and would agree to it. In the times between the crucifixion and Pentecost, this would prove to be a valuable quality, especially for the chosen apostles (ex. Matt. 28.16).

On a personal note: I have heard many people suggest that many are not saved if they believe in a different version of Jesus; “What Jesus do you follow?” Not that there is more than one Jesus, just that we worship Jesus based on our understanding of Him. Typically this argument is in light of the divinity of Christ, but it is also accurate to the history of Christ. We should only follow Christ if he fulfilled the work of the Father, only if he fulfilled all prophesy (same thing really) and only if we have faith that he is the supreme authority over our lives. Otherwise, we worship a different Jesus that did not die in order to pay the penalty for our sins, spiritual death.

The tradition of reclining to eat started as early as 650 B.C. with the more affluent, such as kings and other reigning officials. Reclining to eat on couches was considered privilege and a status symbol. Over the course of time, however, the tradition spread to all people. Dining with people was considered very intimate and marked a fellowship or relation with one another. Therefore, it is no wonder that special circumstances and traditions would be carried out during dining.

There is considerable mention of reclining to eat in the Bible, likely due to being customary at the time. Jesus says that “many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11 NAS). Remember that eating with someone is fellowship and relation with. Therefore, this is another example of how God desires a relationship with us.

Knowledge of this custom gives great insight and better understanding to the meaning of many scriptures. For example, consider the parable Christ speaks when dining with the Pharisees:

Understanding this custom gives clarity to the first half of the parable. When considering others, we should not hold ourselves above them, thinking we are better, for we are often wrong and become humiliated in front of everyone. This reflects the famous idiom “Pride comes before the fall.” Instead, it is much better that we think less of ourselves and let others speak for us, and honor us only if we’re worthy. Those around us are often better judges of our character, for they see our actions.

Not only this, but when we go to heaven- the wedding feast, we should not think ourselves the best of the disciples, taking the seat of honor. For Christ knows our hearts and will judge us and reward accordingly-either moving us to a lesser seat or a more esteemed seat. Those who humbles themselves, and make themselves least, will be regarded by Christ as the most.