ResponsiveReiding

From Matthew 4:1-11 / Jesus’ Temptations – We could easily fill volumes (as others have already) on the wonder of this account. But in this brief overview, note that Jesus as a man in this world must have already experienced temptation before this moment. But in this, we see that there is normal, everyday temptation, and then there are seasons of extraordinary temptation – a demonic setting upon that strains us to the limits. Jesus endured both. On our behalf. Now there is but one way we know the events of the temptations in the wilderness took place – Jesus must have related them to His Apostles. How often and when, is left untold. But it was part of the information they needed to know regarding Him and His mission. And He has seen to it that we are let in on this extraordinary experience, that we may both take heart when we are assailed. That we are not alone in facing any temptation. Even the Son of God was severely tried. And, it is given that we might trust fully in how He has overcome for us.

For me, these temptations are indicative of the 3 most difficult aspects of the Christian life: 1. Trusting God’s PROVIDENTIAL appointments. If Jesus did not have bread at the moment, He could trust the arrangements the Father had made – including having to face off with the Devil while weak, hungry and alone. So we too can trust Our Father. 2. Waiting God’s TIMING. Jesus would not have the world in its fullness NOW. Our inheritance awaits His return. And we are not to expect to live as though it is all ours already in experience. It is through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22) thus we are not to expect and easy ride now. Jesus’ cross was yet before Him. And should He tarry, our deaths are yet before us. 3. Submitting to The Father’s METHODS AND MEANS. Jesus would not have the Father’s promises without going by way of the Cross. Nor can we follow Him unless we take up our cross and deny ourselves. In essence, the Devil’s arguments were these: As God’s Son, don’t you deserve not to suffer? Don’t you deserve to be recognized for who you really are? Don’t you deserve to sit on the throne now? And we each hear those whispers yet today in our own ears. Praise God He did not fail to overcome. For in His triumph, ours is secure.

From Matthew 3:13-17 / Satisfied – In this most interesting account, the mystery of the incarnation takes center stage. First, we recognize that Jesus does not “need” to be baptized. He is the righteous Son of God. But as a man, appearing the likeness of sinful flesh, He does all it would be fitting for a man to do in serving God in his culture, place and time. He is a complete Savior to us in this way. He fulfills all righteousness for us. He did what would be incumbent upon a Gentile coming to God, and, in addition, all that would be required of a believing, faithful Jew of His day: Rom. 3:29-30 “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. He is identified with us in baptism, as being part of a believing and repenting community – even as we are identified with Him in baptism as partakers of His death, burial & resurrection. Note second then the Father’s affirmation of Jesus here. And a good question to ask yourself is – Are you as well pleased with the beloved Son as the Father is? Or do you imagine you can make yourself pleasing to the Father somehow apart from Him, or in addition to Him? The Believer must put the full weight of their acceptance with the Father on the Son. For the Father is well-pleased with Him. And if we are in Him, then the Father is well-pleased with us as well. How much we need to remember this and cling to it when we fail, and are tempted to somehow supplement His righteousness with our own in repentance. Yes, we repent, but not to somehow make up for anything lacking in Christ’s righteousness imputed to us. This, we accept by faith and faith alone. Glory! Woe to us when we do not trust our entire well-being to being in Him, and rest nothing on our own goodness or good works. At any time, before or after salvation. He fulfills ALL righteousness for us.

From Matthew 3:11-12 / 3 Baptisms – As John comes on the scene, we find him quite conscious of what is going on. In terms of understanding his own ministry, he says “Look, my ministry is simply to get you ready for the one to come. You need to cast off this trust in your heritage and personal righteousness as self-acknowledged sinners.” This is the baptism with water. Identifying as sinners in need of the saving work of Christ. And subsequent to Jesus’ coming, identifying with Jesus death and resurrection in baptism. But then, John speaks of Jesus’ ministry, and how He is the One who will send the Holy Spirit. How in the fullness of the New Covenant, He will use the enduement of the Spirit to baptize us into right relationship with the Father – identified as His children by faith. But then there is a 3rd baptism referred to – the baptism of fire. And this speaks of final judgment. Those who remain in their sins, refuse to come to Christ for His mercy and saving grace and reject Him as Lord, will be identified with His enemies. Even as the Spirit will gather Christ’s “crop” into the barn, and in that separation, the wicked like chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire. This demonstrates a principle we see throughout Scripture, that one and the same thing – like the sending of the Spirit – accomplishes 2 different things at the same time. Here, blessing the saints, and punishing the unbeliever. And so the Gospel goes out with urgency – for there is no reason for any to perish except one’s own refusal to believe and flee to Christ. That day of grace is still upon us. Fire has not yet gone out. The Spirit and the Bride – the Church – still say to all who will hear “COME! And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” Come today.

From John 1:14-18 / GRACE! – Verse 14 contains the first use of the word “grace” in the NT. And oh what is built upon it. But how do we define such a thing as God’s favor the way it is then expounded in the Gospel? If I might be so bold as to attempt just a shallow try – it looks like this: Grace is:

The greatness of God stooping down to the lowliest of men.

The goodness of God extended to the worst of men.

The worthiness of Christ accounted to the most unworthy.

The riches of God in Christ bestowed upon the most bankrupt.

The sweetness of God poured out on the bitterest of men.

The mercy of God granted to the guiltiest of criminals.

The cleansing of God in washing the filthiest of sinners in the blood of His dear Son.

The promises of God bestowed upon and fulfilled to the most faithless.

The forgiveness of God granted to those who have offended Him most.

The love of God expressed to His fiercest haters.

And God’s acceptance as beloved children, those who are most estranged from Him in their sin and rebellion.

All given freely in the birth, life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we might have eternal life in and with Him. It expounds the wonder that “the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This is the glory of the only Son from the Father. And Christ has made Him known. That, I believe, is just a tiny sip of true grace.

From Matthew 3:7-10 / Family Ties – When John tells the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come out to see his baptism to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” – what is he after? As we’ve seen already, those who were being baptized were confessing their sins at the same time. But what of the Pharisees? These were the most meticulous Jews of all when it came to regulating every aspect of their lives according to the Mosaic law. What “fruit” would John be referring to here specifically? vs. 9 answers it: Not outward acts, but an inward alteration which places no confidence in being heirs of Abraham, i.e. their external “spiritual” heritage. To renounce trust in being Jews and possessors and practitioners of the Law. That, was a big deal. That was tantamount to treason, apostacy and heresy all in one. Turn your back on everything you have trusted in in terms of having a right relationship with God. This was no light matter indeed. So the question remains for us: Is this what we have done? Have we forsaken trust in our church affiliation? Our doctrinal precision? Our righteous works? The fact that we had parents or grandparents who served and walked with God – hoping that somehow attachment to them implied spiritual status before God for us? Or do we still depend upon one or more of those in some way to define our relationship to Him and to comfort our hearts and minds in terms of that relationship? John puts the last nail in that coffin here. The only righteousness which puts is in right standing with God, is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. The One who calls each to put their trust solely in His atoning work and intercession. The One – and the only who one whom Scripture can say: John 1:9-13 “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

From Matthew 3:1-6 / Repent! – This chapter introduces us to John the Baptizer and his ministry. He is Jesus’ older cousin by 6 months and begins his preaching mission well before Jesus makes His appearance. His message? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” With the result that many people came out to hear him, and to be baptized, confessing their sins. Not only will Jesus pick up this same theme of the Kingdom for His own preaching, but it is utilized throughout the preaching in the NT. This reality that the Kingdom is at hand – the King is about to come and take His throne and vanquish His enemies is part and parcel of the Gospel. Note first that what is so prominent here, seems to be so often missing in modern Gospel preaching: That coming to Christ necessarily includes confessing and repenting from sin. Gospel preaching which does not address our sinfulness negates the need for the Cross. And Gospel preaching which does not address repentance, negates the reality that coming to Christ means submitting to Him as our King. We cannot both follow Him and follow our sins. They are mutually exclusive. Note secondly that in our day, the Gospel is presented in such a way that one assumes the perpetuation of this present age rather than its demise. We have lost this element of the coming Kingdom, and that our hope is to be fixed on Christ’s arrival, ushering in the Kingdom in full. We, 21st Century North American Christians need to grasp that Jesus did not come and die to make “the American way of life” a Kingdom goal. This age has been weighed in the balance, been found wanting and is awaiting final destruction. God’s goal is NOT the perpetuation of it, but the giving way of it to His Kingdom. Jesus is not wrapped in a robe of red, white and blue. The Cross is not a flag pole. The Kingdom is not a capitalistic, representative republic. The message hasn’t changed. “Repent! for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

From Matthew 2:19-23 / Asking the Author – When Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden, one thing they failed to do when confronted and confused by Satan’s “did God actually say?” – was to go back to The Father and seek clarification. They thought they had a clear grasp of the command. But when push came to shove, their uncertainty led to untold ruin. What might have been prevented had they simply run back to the Father instead of relying only upon themselves? And is that same situation not repeated over and over when representatives of cults and challenges from skeptics shake the foundations of some believers? Rather than going back to the Word, to reliable resources, to do the hard study, and especially to pray and seek the Lord to know His Word better, they rely solely upon self, and are so easily derailed. So Joseph here, when spoken to by God in a dream, obeys. But when confronted with unexpected information, apparently stops. He waits. And he is given more light in his waiting. He does not assume that in having some truth, he has all of it. He does not proceed foolishly. That is not faith. Using sound reason because something seems amiss, he waits. And in due time, he is given further instruction – even fulfilling prophecy. It is not a lack of faith or disobedience, upon getting further information, to seek God again regarding that which He has already spoken. We may apply to Him over and over as the need arises and situations change. Even as the Disciples often asked Jesus to explain what He meant by some of the parables. They didn’t just run off assuming they knew it all. By some mystery, the sovereign, timeless and changeless One moves through life with us. And when we continually look to Him, not running off half-cocked, He meets us in the midst of our reality. Faith does not operate contrary to or absent of – reason. It acts reasonably upon the light God gives.

From Matthew 2:16-18 / Fulfilling Prophecy – This account of Herod’s retribution against the Wise Men is rife with Old Testament connections. There are layers to unpack. In the first case, we see that the slaughter of the infants (probably 20 or less) is bewailed by the bereft mothers as would be expected. But the allusion to Jeremiah 31 is difficult. For while vs. 18 cites the weeping and lamentation of “Rachel” (culturally seen as the “Mother” of Israel) it is set in a passage (Jer. 31) where although the sons of Israel were carried away into exile and were “no more” – the promise of restoration and the introduction of New Covenant are its great subject matter. Yes, under Israel’s spiritual exile in Jesus’ day (demonstrated by Roman occupation and brutal rulers like Herod) – nevertheless, the Messiah has come. He too will be exiled for a short time. Like the executed infants He too will be “no more” in a way. But He will return. He will come and lead His people into God’s New Covenant. He will put away sin. He will punish the wicked. He will die His substitutionary death on the Cross. And He will rise again, ascend to the right hand of The Father, and will reign until all His enemies are put under His feet. The deaths of the children will be avenged and righted. The everlasting Kingdom of Righteousness will come. Even the very last enemy – death – will be utterly defeated at His hand. In the moment of dreadful darkness that descends over Bethlehem and its environs – still shines the Light of glory in even the infant face of Jesus Christ. God’s great mercy and grace will win the day in due time, no matter how it looks at the moment. That was true then, and it is true now. Though Jeremiah wrote 600 years before this fulfillment, it didn’t fail to come to pass irrespective of all the intervening events which made it look impossible. And so His promises remain still true to Believers today. We can trust Him to fulfill all the Father has put in His hand. One day, should He tarry, we will all be raised to be with Him and to behold His glory forever.

From Matthew 2:13-15 / God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility – One of the errors which Believers can fall into, is the over-application of certain Biblical truths. We can distort the Word of God both by ignoring grand truths – like God’s absolute sovereignty, and by pressing such a truth to the neglect of other truths. And here at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel we see this on full display. We know from the abundant testimony of Scripture that God is sovereign over all. We know that His promises are immutable. We know since the first seedling announcement of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15, that the Messiah would come, and fulfill all His saving work without fail. None of that was ever in question. And yet might Joseph not have reasoned (as some foolishly do) “if this is God’s plan, nothing can thwart it, so what if Herod seeks to kill the child? He cannot because God’s plan cannot fail!” He’d be right, and tragically wrong. We are reminded, God works through means. So it is Joseph is divinely warned and in obedience, flees to Egypt. He still had a responsibility to act rightly and protectively as Jesus’ guardian. The Father had committed that care to him. And irrespective of God’s incontrovertible plans and purposes, Joseph needed to act appropriately. So it is that God promises to bring all His saints ultimately to the image of Christ. And yet we are called upon to fight sin and put the deeds of the flesh to death. He will complete His work in us, but we are to be careful not to neglect the assembling of our selves together with the saints. We have been reconciled to Father by faith in Christ, and yet we can grieve the Spirit and sin in disobedience – which breaches of intimacy need to be addressed in confession, prayer and repentance. We live in grace, but can presume upon it by turning grace into license. Trust Him in all of His promises Beloved, and live in real-time relationship with Him. So as Spurgeon once said: “Work as though it all depends upon you, but pray knowing it all depends upon Him. He is faithful to the end.

From Matthew 2:7-12 / Focus – Already in Matthew’s narrative, there have been a number of angelic visitations, supernatural phenomena and dreams. Mary is miraculously pregnant. Joseph is visited by an angel in a dream and given specific instruction. The Magi from the east follow an unusual star. And now, the Magi warned in a dream not to return to Herod. And it would be easy for us to get more wrapped up in the supernatural aspects, than what they pointed to – Jesus, born King of the Jews, and honored as such. Contrary to much we witness in Charismatic circles today, none of these in the Biblical narrative sought the supernatural. Mary never asked to be the mother of Jesus. Joseph didn’t ask to name Him. The wise men did seek a star, it appeared. And they didn’t seek a dream in making their exit. Additionally, the warnings in the dreams to Joseph and the Wise Men were unambiguous. They contained clear, factual direction – not cryptic inferences. As will be true of every one of these remarkable revelations. And how unlike so many today who go into wild and detailed depictions. There is no concentration on the individual’s experience. The entire focus is upon the data. Clear, simple instruction. And above all – what concerns Jesus. It all surround His person, His work, His glory. Nothing is made of the others and their experiences. God can and does do miraculous things. But not as parlor tricks. As means of revealing and accomplishing His plans and purposes as they find their absolute focus in Christ Jesus. Don’t lose focus – keep your eyes fixed on Him, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Many will experience the supernatural and still die in their sins (Matt. 7:21-23). Eternal life belongs to those who trust and serve Christ – whether or not they ever experience anything other than the New Birth.