Monday, May 11, began a new chapter in France’s struggle with the Coronavirus. The time of confinement is transitioning into renewed activity. Many people are excited to get back to work, some are worried this might be too soon, still, others are buried under a mountain of responsibility and work. Though the sun is shining, the birds are singing the song of spring; hospitals are still treating new cases in vertiginous numbers. Thankfully, they are in decline, but health care professionals continue the fight for the lives of those already infected. We are still in a time of suffering.

I was listening to a non-believing friend share his worries and was moved by his hopelessness.

I asked him about it, and he bounced between temporal goals and ideas on how to move forward, but the uncertainty was eating away at his heart. He was thankful to talk about it, and I was eventually able to share my hope. Indeed, listening is a large part of communication. It reminded me that is what God does for us in prayer. He listens to us—but that’s not all.

Jesus knew how to listen and ask questions. When he spoke to Nicodemus in John 3 or the Samaritan in John 4, we can picture Him sitting, listening and then speaking. He, the living God incarnate, was a physical instrument of divine goodness. If He were to sit with someone today, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear the question of our age brought to His attention, “If God is good why…” Certainly, He might respond to some with a call to repentance as He did in Luke 13:1-5, but I wonder, for others, if He might talk more about living water as in John 4:13.

One thing I’m assured of is as He stood there, took an interest and listened, He ministered God’s goodness. Before apologetics, the goodness of God was already applied in the form of a Man. He is our example, we who have been filled with His Spirit, and are called into His mission, and are faced with these questions. We often realize this, as believers, before we present our best arguments: We are an instrument of the goodness of God ministering to those in need. What a responsibility! How can we measure up? No one can meet the stature of Jesus, but there are some things we can do.

I need to remind myself often that people who don’t have Christ, don’t have our same hope.

I’ve become used to the blessing. I lean into it daily to the point that I’m tempted to think it’s my stability—as if to say the Nikes I’m wearing are simply my own bear feet. But they’re not, as a quick walk across the street barefoot will teach me. There are rocks and glass on the road, and they hurt. This inspires me to listen. Studies have shown that much more is communicated in conversation than what is intended. People can say the funniest things that seem out of place but may lead to deeper concerns.

I was talking with a couple who seemed to be arguing about the same thing from two different points of view. They were blocked and couldn’t agree. The lady mentioned some off-subject remark about her parents that left me confused. It seemed important to her but just didn’t fit the context. So, I asked her about it. It turned out we found the source of this communication issue. She shared her parents’ political convictions, which were the opposite of his. This colored the way she saw how to resolve the issue they were facing, and he, who also saw a similar solution, refused to cede because he was offended by her methods. It came back to their worldview, their political views and the meaning behind the words they were speaking. Well-formed questions can be a powerful helper in unlocking what lies beneath the surface.

What are some questions to ask? I’m not the best at this; I usually refer to Paul Tripp’s Instruments in the Hand of the Redeemer for this subject, or I just listen and try to understand. I want to find out what they are really worried about. There is the thing we first say, and for some people, that is as deep as it gets. But there are others, like me, who might let you in on the first level, but it will take time to see the next. Now there comes a time when too many questions become an interrogation or just irritating. I want to know their world vision, so I can discover their true hope, not just the one I think they are counting on or learned about in some seminar. People are complicated and rarely fit into prepared molds.

While listening, I like to pray for them, especially if the conversation was spontaneous rather than a formal counseling session. I’ll ask the Lord to speak to me, to show me something in what they are saying, to help me understand them, to see from their point of view. If I want to be used as God’s goodness, I need to know how to speak. And I want to speak because we have the hope they need. There is a pattern of how we can be used to bring hope and be used to bring the goodness of the Lord through comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:5: “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” We share the divine comfort we receive.

And I believe there is a call to compassion as in Job 6:14, “He who withholds kindness from a friend, forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” I’m not the best example of this, but I need verses like this to remind me.

Being an instrument of divine goodness through comfort will mean we share in their pain.

We can build trust with them. Trust is good when people are suffering, unsure or facing uncertainty. This being said, we can also destroy it with false hope. We want everything to be alright. We pray that God will work powerfully. But there are some things we cannot guarantee.

A friend shared a story about visiting someone in the hospital before the COVID outbreak. He began comforting a person he met in the waiting room. He wanted to give them a quick answer, but as he spoke from his heart about how much he wished the best for the person, they received his words. He realized he could bring comfort by avoiding pre-made answers because they so often bring confusion and aren’t pertinent to the situation.

In a similar way, I’ve noticed that conspiracy theories can become a parasite to the Gospel. They are interesting, grab our attention and create the same rush we feel when we watch an intense movie. If I avert someone’s attention to a conspiracy theory and spend all my time talking about it, how have I served the Gospel?

From 2 Corinthians, the comfort we can give is the comfort we receive in Jesus, in His Word.

That’s why I feel we can speak simply, leaning into the Word. We don’t need to quote chapter and verse with an unbeliever who is sharing their thoughts and worries. Understanding clarity and truth through study, we are well-positioned to help. To paraphrase Cornelius Van Til, we share common ground with the unbeliever, according to Romans 1:18-19, they know the truth even though they might suppress it. This might be the moment God has destined for them. If they ask us how a good God could allow such a thing, they may have already asked Him. It may just be, therefore, He wants to respond through us, an interpreter of His goodness. Wouldn’t that be our greatest honor? May the Lord equip us for such a task.

The Covid-19 Crisis has been the most challenging thing our world collectively has faced since WWII. For many, a part of that challenge has been the tough theological questions that have been raised about God, His Love, His Judgment, His Mercy, and His plan in all of this. In today’s episode, Aaron & Brian dive into the question: Did God Cause Covid-19 in order to Punish Specific People? They examine some claims by popular televangelists about God’s judgment, discuss our tendency to want a “scapegoat” for the issues we face, and try to begin to lay a theological groundwork for both God’s wrath and mercy.

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The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good. Visit GoodLion.io.

Many today are questioning how, if God is loving and good, how could God allow the coronavirus (COVID-19) to cause so much pain and suffering and to take so many lives. Let’s face it, it does look bleak out there, pain and suffering, quarantine, the stock market is crashing, various sports clubs have suspended their seasons, restaurants and entertainment centers are shuttered, economic activity has slowed to a trickle, and the country is locked down in quarantine. Any honest thinker would justifiably question where God is in all this, or at least try to make sense of God in relation to evil.

There are eight principles to consider when wrestling with this question:

1. Evil is not a material thing.

Our first inclination is to think of the coronavirus as “pure evil” due to its devastating effects on human life. Though invisible to the unaided eye, the virus is very much part of the material world. However, we run into a problem knowing that when God created everything in the material world, He called it “good,” including bacteria and viruses. This leads us to consider that “if God created everything, and evil is a material thing (and viruses are things), it follows that God directly created evil.” On the surface, this argument seems formidable. However, when we realize that it’s impossible for an all-good God to directly create evil, we are left with the question:

If God created everything, and evil is a thing (evil is not an illusion), then how can we not blame God for evil? The answer to this conundrum was given 1,500 years ago through the writings of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Evil is not a material thing, it is a lack of what should be present in good things. For example, a broken arm could only be possible if there is a good arm to break. Or a hole in your best shirt is a lack of cloth in the place it should be present. In other words, evil is not a material thing per se, though it’s certainly real. Rather, it’s a privation, absence, lack or a hole in things. Therefore, evil in-and-of-itself is not a thing, nor does it have any existence at all apart from some good host it corrupts.

2. God does not cause evil but does permit it to occur.

An all-loving and All-good and moral God cannot cause evil, or will or not will evil, but according to Scripture and life experience, He does permit it. Permitting evil is necessary to produce higher goods in free creatures. There is no courage without danger; no patience and perseverance without tribulation; no character without adversity; no gain with no pain! In addition, evil must be permitted if God was to make man truly free. Freedom is what makes love, life, praise and blame meaningful.

That is to say, though God made evil possible, man made evil actual through his misuse of freedom. God gave the fact of freedom; man performs the acts of freedom. To blame God for making evil possible would be like blaming Henry Ford for all automobile accidents since he made them possible. Finally, and perhaps the most significant of all reasons [for] that God may have for allowing evil today, God would have to eliminate freedom in order to eliminate evil, since evil arises from free decisions. And if freedom is abolished, human beings can no longer be saved. Matthew said to let the wheat and the tares grow side by side until the end, lest we do damage to the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). God will eventually bring evil to a total end, but for now, there are many more that need to be saved.

3. Permitting evil is the best way forward.

Why would God create this world if he knew pain and suffering (evil) would occur? It would seem an All-powerful God had other options instead of creating a world where evil was possible. Most would agree that our world is not the best possible world, but it is the best possible way to get to the best possible world with free creatures involved. To permanently defeat the possibility of evil and death, you must defeat evil and death. In God’s wisdom, He created a world in which total victory could be achieved with free human beings, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve had a big problem in their pre-fallen state, as perfect as they were in a perfect garden, they still had the potential to be tempted, sin, suffer and die.

Fortunately, God has a plan to solve this problem through the person and work of Christ, in whom we can look forward to a blissful eternal life where these evil “potentials” will not be possible. Some question whether God has victory or is morally just when some are eternally separated from Him. However, God would only be unjust if there were someone in hell that shouldn’t be there. It’s actually a testimony to God’s respect for human autonomy and free will of those who choose to be separated from Him. Saving everyone (universalism) is not the criteria for victory, rather, saving all who freely receive is victory. Some in heaven and some in hell is better than no people in heaven and no one in hell. Half of a loaf of bread is better than no loaf at all.

4. The world is fallen and awaiting redemption.

Since the first sin by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, our material world resides under a fallen and decaying state barreling toward corruption and death. This unfortunate situation was precipitated by the devil and disobedience to God’s commands. The sad consequence of sin is physical and spiritual death. Paul says even creation groans to be released from corruption (Romans 8:19-23). The implications of our sin in a fallen world is often felt when nature rears its dark side. There is nothing evil, not even the coronavirus, about the material world, since all material was created by God. However, there is a bad (non-moral, physically evil) relationship between COVID-19 and the human respiratory system. This evil is made possible due to a fallen people living in a fallen world. Because of Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, and resurrection from the grave, we look forward to a time when there will be no more pain, suffering and death.

5. Awareness of evil leads to sober reflection.

We often learn our greatest life-lessons in times of pain and suffering. Realizing our own frailty and mortality lends itself to consider the value of life which otherwise would not be given a second thought during good times. In this sense, death becomes a universal preacher to sober our thinking about what really matters, life, family, God, and doing the good. This awareness also encourages us to enjoy the good times when they arrive and maintain a thankful heart for the pleasures of life. Ultimately, we cultivate a sense of urgency knowing that our time on earth is limited. Often, humility is the result of sober reflection.

6. The benefits of evil.

Most are quick to express their disdain for evil and its tragic effects, while at the same time slow to recognize that the presence of evil in the world often cultivates growth in character. The Bible makes clear that trials in our life will produce patience and endurance (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Peter 2:20). Without pain and suffering, there could be no compassion or empathy; without great need, there could be no servanthood; without trial, there is no perseverance, patience or courage; without the sickness, there can be no physical or spiritual healing or wholeness.

We need to remind ourselves that Christ’s suffering and death led to eternal life, resurrection and lasting peace for those who receive His sacrifice. To be certain, how one responds to evil is important, since not every response leads to growth. There are those who deal with evil by hardening their heart against God and become increasingly selfish. There is truth in the saying “You can become bitter or better,” depending how you deal with evil when it comes knocking.

7. It’s self-defeating to reject God because of evil.

Some use the presence of pain, suffering and evil as an argument against the existence of God. They say if God was All-good, All-loving and All-powerful, He could and would destroy evil. Since evil is not destroyed, there is no such God that is All-loving, good or powerful. God is either unjust, indifferent to evil, or does not exist at all. On the surface, it appears to be a formidable objection to God. In actuality, it is an argument for the reality of God. Former Oxford University scholar and atheist, C.S. Lewis, held a form of this position, but finally realized its flaw. He wrote:

“My argument was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust. A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line… Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too…” (Lewis, Mere Christianity, 45).

Lewis recognized that his argument unwittingly assumed there existed an ultimate standard by which to claim the world fell short. It made his argument against God arbitrary, no better than the next person’s reasons. In essence, his argument against God from evil fails since one cannot rationally claim the world is getting better or worse without an objective standard by which to measure it. That is to say, we can’t know something is “not-just” unless we know what is ultimately just. Therefore, the argument against God turns out to be an argument for God.

8. There are purposes for pain and suffering.

Besides gaining character virtues through enduring evil, there are also recognizable purposes for evil that yield practical benefits. It’s important to understand that God has good purposes for everything, including evil, even if we are not aware of them (Deuteronomy 29:29). Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, forced into Egypt and cast into jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

Eventually, God placed him in a position of authority and used him in a mighty way to preserve the entire region (including his family) from starvation, as well as preserve the lineage of the Messiah. Joseph recognized God’s purposes when he said to his brothers, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20). What is more, adversity often leads us to rely on God’s comfort. And this comfort we experienced can, in turn, be offered to comfort others (2 Corinthian 1:4). Further, trials in life can lead us to become less selfish (2 Corinthians 1:9). Moreover, pain and suffering can serve as an alarm to prevent greater evils (Exodus 20:12). A toothache is a warning sign to prevent greater problems if left unattended (e.g. root-canal). In other words, God can use pain and suffering to get our attention (Jonah 2) and change our priorities for our own good (Jonah 4).

C.S. Lewis insightfully comments: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 81).

God cares about human suffering, and this is the reason Christ gave his life (John 3:16). Paul places our trials in perspective when he wrote, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

In the movie Beauty and the Beast, we see how looking beyond an outward beastly appearance to the beauty within can be a positively transformative experience. Beauty is heralded and powerful. The poet John Keats said, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all.” If beauty is truth, then all the base and ugly things in our existence are coverings, clothing which conceals the true beauty and value of people created in the image of God, much like the curse placed on the Beast in the movie.

If beauty is truth, why then are we, as an advanced, progressive western society so consumed by analyzing and dissecting and examining all that is base and beastly in this world with an insatiable, consumptive appetite?

“We don’t,” you might say.

Oh, but we do. Our entertainment is so often based on the themes of violence, cruelty, betrayal and inhumanity, or, when we consider reality TV, simply the most base forms of unthoughtful humanity. Shows like The Bachelor or The Kardashians do not promote the high order thinking or the transcendent values humans are capable of. They utilize low forms of gossip, ridicule or scandal to appeal on the most base level.

No thought of human value or purpose is attributed to either the figures on-screen or those watching from their couch.

When we consider the Christian worldview and the value placed in people as created beings and as expressed in the death of Jesus Christ for humanity, then the time we spend in our day to day lives, dwelling on the base and brutal aspects of this world, is an indictment on our claim to be image-bearers of God.

The world we live in is riddled with anxiety and depression. I myself battle anxiety. But I wonder if these struggles are exasperated by our cultural fixation with the darkness we see around us. The darkness is real and pervasive, but why do we let it pervade us so much more than we need to, particularly through popular entertainment? If fear is a battle for you in your life, why dwell so much on fear?

There is a better suggestion. Paul states in Philippians, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Think about these things.

How much of popular culture is created around truth and excellence?

Rather, it largely feeds on broken humanity, scandal and all that is base about our world. Let me encourage you to reject cynicism and callousness when considering people. We don’t have to be hard-boiled toward and suspicious of others. The second part of Romans 16:19 says, “Be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” Which are we more adept in recognizing? What do we spend more time contemplating or being entertained by? Good or evil?

I had a sociology lecturer back when I was in university. He was a sociological genius and the head of the sociology department at University College Cork. I will never forget what he said in a lecture one day when discussing society’s obsession with mindless reality TV. He said, “When you take something and bring it down to zero, and then multiply it, you get an infinity of zero, an infinity of mindless, worthless totality, unprofitable rubbish.” He was so right. Human persons are capable of so much beauty. We are, after all, created in the image of God. But how will we ever reflect the beauty, goodness and kindness of God, His excellence, purity, honor, commendation or truth when we are not looking at beauty, particularly God’s beauty, and His reflected beauty in creation and humanity? Instead, with blinders on, we stare abjectly at the “Beast:” the cruelty, violence and depravity of the world.

“But these things (cruelty, depravity and violence, etc.) exist,” I hear you say. “Should they not be given our consideration?” Yes, of course, they must. As Christians, we are mandated to combat these forces with the love of God for humanity, but this is a very different form of consideration than hungrily being entertained by these themes.

Paul also says in Philippians chapter four, verses 4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

According to Paul in these verses, how do we find peace?

I would suggest Paul is saying we find peace through dwelling on God. When we are happy, rejoice in the Lord, when we are anxious, look to the Lord for help, when we are grateful, thank God. God is purity and beauty, so look to Him and dwell on Him. Jesus said, “When you see Me, you see the Father.”

For true beauty, look to and dwell on Jesus as He is revealed to us in the Bible. Remember that humanity is made in the image and likeness of God, so do not dwell on the aspects of humanity that have become base and beastly.

Do not entertain yourself with the base things of the world, when we have been imbued by God with the capacity for so much more. Psalm 8 states humanity is “crowned with glory and honor.” Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” We so easily forget the glory of God, of His creation and how He loves the people of this earth; this is largely due to the amount of time we spend dwelling on the corruption and darkness in the world.

Even the hard atheist Nietzsche said, “If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” If you dwell so much on darkness, the darkness eventually permeates you. So dwell instead on light; it too will permeate your being. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” So let us then be light (Matthew 5:14). Colossians 1:13 says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.”

Just ask yourself, What am I spending my time dwelling on?

Is it darkness and fear? Is it inhumanity and brokenness? Or is it the beauty and power of God? Is it His excellence and purity because whichever one of these you dwell on will affect how you view the world, society, your own life and the people around you. You will see people either as high and capable of great beauty and creativity, or as low, base and beastly, not worthy of the love and respect given to them by God.

Christopher Hitchens, the renowned atheist thinker, states, “The biggest problem facing a post-religious or superstitious world is the lack of beauty and the transcendent.” Well, this is a very good point. Without God and His glory in the universe, where can we find the transcendent? What a great loss this would be; what an empty existence. The point is that, as Christians, we believe we do live in a universe that was created by God and that displays His glory. Why then do we often live as though this was not true, as though we live in this post-God world that even Hitchens describes as being empty of the transcendent? Instead of lifting our eyes to the beauty and glory of God and allowing this to inform how we love our fellow humans, we focus our eyes away from all that is worthy, beautiful and great, and we dwell on brutality, inanity and worthlessness.

Psalm 1 says: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

This man in Psalm 1 made his choice. He dwelled on the beauty and greatness of God. He rejected the low and scoffing ways of society, and this choice affected his life. He was rooted in the reality and foundation of God.

If we believe in God, let us live like that is true. As Paul so wisely tells us, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

To think about the glory of God seems like a grand endeavor indeed, but Jesus said in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” God gave up His power and glory to become a man, if we need to consider the beauty of God, then we need look no further than Jesus. God made Himself known to us in Jesus. Jesus is kind, powerful, humble and self-sacrificing. He is our inspiration; He gives value to all humans because He loved them so much He died for them. Let us then see the people we encounter in our lives as beautiful and worthy of love, because that’s how God sees them.

So what it’s to be, Beauty or the Beast? What we think about is important, so let’s choose to dwell on Jesus, on the glory of God, rather than dwelling on the base and beastly things found in this world.

There’s a joke that Christians here in Ukraine like to tell. One day, a pastor goes to visit a class in the children’s ministry at his church. He’s trying to break the ice with the small children and decides to play a guessing game. “Kids, who can tell me what lives in the forest, has pointy ears, a big bushy tail and climbs trees?” The children are awkwardly silent, afraid to answer. Then finally one brave, young boy raises his hand. “Well, I know the right answer is ‘Jesus’, but it sure sounds a lot like a squirrel.”

I lead preaching labs with City to City Ukraine. Our goal is to help preachers craft Gospel-centered sermons. Sometimes I run into a question much like the joke above. “What if all I see in the passage is a ‘squirrel’?” What if that’s all the writer saw? If Christ isn’t mentioned in the passage, aren’t we twisting the meaning of Scripture if we read Him in? Aren’t we supposed to be directed by the author’s original intent?” The desire to avoid reading something into the text that’s not there is a good one. We should be on guard against it. But is that what a Christ-centered approach to Scripture is doing? Or, on the contrary, do we have a biblical mandate to search for Christ in passages that don’t directly mention Him?

The Divine Authorship of Scripture

Whenever we approach a passage of Scripture, we always come at it with a specific set of assumptions. None of us is free from our own tradition or culture. But hopefully, we are open to refining our assumptions based on what we find in Scripture. For example, Scripture itself tells us that it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). So we approach Scripture with the understanding that it is not merely the words of men, but also the Word of God. New Testament scholar Vern Poythress writes, “Whether or not they were perfectly self-conscious about it, the human authors [of Scripture] intended that their words should be received as words of the Spirit.”¹ That means Scripture’s meaning is not defined solely by the human author’s intent. In fact, that approach is actually ignoring their intent, because they intended us to understand their words as being words from God. To agree with the intent of the human authors, we must recognize their words as more than the product of those authors.

One Passage, Two Authors

Every passage of Scripture has not one author, but two: the human author and the divine Author. So to understand the full meaning of a passage, we must ask not only what the human author’s original intent was, but also what God’s intent was. Some people argue that the intent of the human author and the divine Author must be identical. Walter Kaiser is one such scholar. He writes, “The Bible can have one and only one correct interpretation and that meaning must be determined by the human author’s [intent].”² Kaiser is trying to make sure that we don’t read our own ideas into the text. That’s a right and admirable goal. And though his approach might safeguard us against fanciful additions, it’s over-simplified. Scripture does not give us grounds to make a one-to-one correlation between human authorial intent and divine authorial intent.

First, there are biblical examples that contradict this over-simplification. There are passages where God has an intention that the human writer didn’t understand. One of the clearest examples is Daniel. Daniel is faithful to record the visions God gives him. But he explicitly states that he did not understand their meaning (Daniel 8:27;12:8-9, etc.). Sometimes Daniel gets an explanation, sometimes not. And even when there is an explanation, Daniel says he still doesn’t understand what God means in these words. These examples show without a doubt that God’s intention in Scripture sometimes goes beyond the human author’s intention.

It’s also worth considering how the New Testament authors use the Old Testament. For example, Matthew quotes a line out of Hosea 11, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matthew 2:15). Matthew goes on to tell us that this is actually fulfilled in Jesus being taken to Egypt and then returning after the death of Herod. In other words, the full meaning of this phrase is found in Christ. But in Hosea, there’s not even the slightest hint that this phrase has anything to do with Jesus. It’s actually used to describe how God historically brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery. And yet, Matthew tells us that this phrase was ultimately intended to point toward Christ. And we don’t get to argue, because Matthew is Scripture too. When Hosea wrote these words, it seems highly unlikely that he was thinking about Jesus. But the New Testament shows us that this Christ-centered meaning was part of the divine intention. The full meaning here, as in all Scripture, is found in its reference to Christ.

This brings up another interesting question: Where should we get our model of Bible interpretation? Ironically, sometimes those who would call us to faithful Bible interpretation ignore the New Testament’s own model of interpretation. Usually by “faithful interpretation” they mean a strictly grammatical-historical approach that acknowledges only the human author’s intent. But as we’ve seen, the New Testament authors approached Scripture with an understanding of the divine authorial intent that at times goes beyond the human author’s intent. They also understood the divine intent to be ultimately Christocentric. So if we really want to be faithful to the Bible, we must use the Bible’s own interpretive model. We cannot neglect the overarching, Christ-centered divine intent.

What We Should Look For

None of this is to say that the human authorial intent can or should be abandoned. On the contrary, God’s intended meaning cannot contradict the human authorial intent. If it could, this would be a mystical approach to Scripture where we just import our own preferred ideas and the human author’s words mean nothing. Let’s be clear: There is no genuine divine meaning which would contradict the human authorial intent. But that also doesn’t mean it stops with the human intent.

On the other hand, as we’ve seen, Scripture supports the idea of a divine meaning which the human author doesn’t always fully understand. In this sense, the term “grammatical-historical plus” used by professor E. Earle Ellis to describe the New Testament authors’ interpretive model is fitting. The fuller meaning of Scripture is just that: fuller than mere human intent, but never contradictory to it. God may intend more than the human author does, but never less and never at odds with the human author’s intent.

The authors of the New Testament use Old Testament Scripture, understanding that the goal of the divine intent in any passage is Christ Himself. The meaning of a passage cannot be detached from the overall revelation of Scripture which culminates in and centers on Christ Himself. He is the ultimate and final revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus points this out in his rebuke of the Pharisees, saying, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Christ is the eternal Word of God. He is the ultimate goal of the divine intent in revelation. As we study the Scriptures, both for ourselves and in preparing sermons for our churches, may our eyes be open to the fullness of God’s intent in pointing us to Christ in every passage.

Notes:

¹ Vern Poythress, “Divine Meaning of Scripture”.
² Walter Kaiser, quoted in Jared Compton, “Shared Intentions? Reflections on Inspiration and Interpretation in Light of Scripture’s Dual Authorship”.

What is the Lord building in your life right now?

The Lord is always working in our lives. We might know about two or three of the things He is doing with us, but in fact, there are thousands of areas He is working in us, minute by minute, that we don’t even know about. “It is He who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

So I ask again, what is the Lord building in your life right now? Think about it for a minute.

Is He building perseverance, patience, faith, trust, peace, relationships, faithfulness…? We know the areas God is moving in our situation. Whenever God is leading us toward growth or a new calling or season, there is always a temptation to try to do it in our own strength. But God knows it must be His work, not ours; it must be a work of the Holy Spirit.

In Zechariah chapter four, we read about a vision that came to Zechariah about Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the civil leader of Israel in the time after the Babylonian exile. He was engaged in rebuilding the temple after the people had returned home. It was a huge undertaking, and there was much opposition from the surrounding peoples. God sent this word to Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah in chapter four, verse six, He says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”

What is the Lord building in your life?

What are the areas He is knocking on, wanting to come in with His spirit and bring order? Where are you trying so hard in your own strength, to no avail? The Lord wants to remind you today that it is not your work; you don’t have to do it. All you have to do is let His spirit in; don’t resist Him. He is the one who will complete the good work in you and bring order to the chaos you are experiencing in certain areas of your life.

When we let God’s spirit in, to do the building in our lives then, it is just like God spoke to Zechariah in the next verse of chapter four. Verse seven says, “What are you, oh mighty mountain, before Zerubbabel you will be level ground.”

You see, as Zerubbabel understood, the building of the temple was not by his might or power, but by the spirit; as he invited God’s spirit to do the building work, then all opposition (the great mountain) became level. No opposition can remain in the path of God’s Holy Spirit.

What are the mountains in your life that seem so great, so impossible, so insurmountable?

I would encourage you to remember the word of the Lord. Your might, your power, your intellect, your niceness, your effort, your desperation are simply not enough to overcome, but if you will hand the work over to the Holy Spirit, He will bring order and peace to your situation. He will build the ruins of your life, just as He empowered Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple.

God goes onto say in verse nine, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple; His hands will complete it.” God was encouraging Zerubbabel that the work would not drag on hopelessly with no end in sight. No, he was telling Zerubbabel that He would see the work completed. What are those areas in your life that feel so hopeless, where you feel you’ll never see an end to it, never see it finished? Well, the Lord is encouraging you today, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will see an end to the struggle; it will not always be like this. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!” (Philippians 1:6).

Today, it may feel like you’ve barely even taken the first step up what seems like a looming mountain of fear. Perhaps you feel you haven’t even taken the first step, you’re just living perpetually in the shadow of your mountain of impossibility; well, here in verse 10 God says, “who despises the day of small beginnings?” Maybe inviting the Holy Spirit into work on your mountain seems like a very small beginning, but remember, you should not despise this. This is the first step up the mountain. God’s Holy Spirit will do such beautiful work in you, you will see His goodness transforming your life, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

You can’t do it on your own.

You are not up to the task, but it is not by your might, not by your power, but by God’s spirit. Hand your hidden areas over to God; give Him your chaos, your ruins, your mess. His Holy Spirit will do the work that you can’t do on your own.

And remember, when the work is done, all we can say is “to God be the glory; great things He has done,” because we know we didn’t do it ourselves.

Good Friday is the day on which some 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth was nailed to a Roman cross just outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus wore a crown of thorns?

Matthew’s Gospel tells us this:

“And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Matthew 27:29).

Clearly, the Roman soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head to mock Him. As an heir to the throne of David, Jesus had been hailed “King of the Jews,” and the Romans considered Him an insurrectionist.

But those familiar with the Biblical narrative will recognize a deeper meaning in Jesus being crowned with thorns at His crucifixion:

Back in Genesis chapter three, we read about what happened as sin entered the world, when, by their rebellion against God, our first ancestors disobeyed God’s only commandment, a commandment which God had given them for their own good. God’s commandments are always given for our good, by the way! Those first people, by their actions, essentially told God, “We don’t trust you, and we know better than you do, what is best for us.”

As sin entered the world that day, it brought with it a curse: the curse of death.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men” (Romans 5:12).

This curse affected all of creation, and amongst the various effects of this curse, we read:

“Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain, you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Genesis 3:18).

Do you see the symbolism of the crown of thorns?

Thorns, the symbol of the curse of sin and death, were placed upon Jesus’ head because on the cross Jesus was taking our curse upon Himself so that we might be set free from it.

He hung on a wooden cross because, in His death, He was taking our curse – the curse of sin and death – upon Himself.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

The message of the gospel is that God loves you so much that He traded a crown of glory for a crown of thorns for you. He who was blessed from all eternity, left heaven and came to Earth, in order to take on your curse, so you could receive the blessing of eternal life and fellowship with Him.

Have a wonderful Good Friday, reflecting on the fact that “It is Finished!” (John 19:30).

Have you ever been broken, in body or in soul, and prayed earnestly for healing and not received the answer you hoped for? This past year could have been named “the year of the scalpel” because God removed so much from my life that just needed to be removed for my own good. Halfway through the year, I was absolutely worn out from trying too hard with certain relationships and to manage my health, but to no avail. Brothers and sisters around the world and I prayed for healing for that wonderful instant healing that God can bring. The healing that is so quick and so complete that we can forget about the pain altogether. But rather, God responded with, “I have a better plan.”

If you are looking for a comprehensive study on healing, this is not that article. This is my story of how God brought deep, powerful healing during one of the most painful moments in my life. Having spoken with people afterward, I’ve come to realize that many people are going through the same thing.

This led me to write and shed some hope, that during those dark days, God is at work often in unexpected ways.

I’ve had multiple colon disorders for years now and had grown used to the special diets, the hospital stays, the pain and all that is associated with it, and so I was surprised when last July my doctor said that I needed surgery as soon as possible. I had grown used to living with disease, and now I was at a critical point where the only option was to “cut it out.” It all happened so quickly and so painfully slow as well. I had to wait months until I was well enough to handle surgery, and during that time, everyone I knew prayed for healing. Complete, immediate healing.

The day came, and I had to go through with surgery. I remember laying in the hospital bed after eight hours in surgical suite, surprised at the size of the incision that spread across my abdomen and wondered how things would go now. Alone, in this sterile environment, far from everyone who fills my busy life, I prayed, “Lord, what is going on? This is a waste of time. I have things to do!” And in reality, my soul was whispering in a dejected tone, “You could have healed me.” I’ll never forget when He spoke so gently to my heart, “This is the sacred place I chose to heal you. I want you to sit in this quiet place, unable to move for a little while.”

The problem with healing is the pain, right?

Pain associated with the healing is congruent with the pain of the wound. And your broken body or soul becomes unmistakably vulnerable.

It is humbling, even humiliating to go through, but God can do such a beautiful work in that time of healing.

I looked to the Word to see exactly what God has to say about healing. We know that Jesus heals; He spent so much of His time on earth healing, but what about me, right now? In my silent, sterile pain? When I looked it up, the Word was a comfort to my soul.

There are verses such as Luke 9:11, “But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.” The Greek words used in just this verse are Therapeia¹ and Iaomai. Therapeía: “attendance” (especially, medical, i.e. cure); figuratively and collectively, “domestics:—healing, household.” And iaomai is “to cure, heal to make whole to free from errors and sins, to bring about one’s salvation.” Which, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary and Strong’s Concordance, is where we get “therapeutics” and “therapy.” I needed both, and the Lord provided both; I’ll get into that later.

Then in verses such as Jeremiah 33:6, “Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.” In Hebrew, ărûwkâh² means in the sense of “restoring to soundness; wholeness” (literally or figuratively):—”health, made up, perfected.” I also needed that divine touch that only our Maker can bring.

Therapeutics, therapy, soundness, wholeness, health… being revealed in the abundance of peace and truth. That is what we need when we are broken; this is what I desperately needed! A divine touch from our Savior.

As I laid in that hospital bed, I did a lot of meditating on the Lord and on the healing process, both on the emotional healing that had happened that summer, and what was currently happening in physical healing. Both require an incredible amount of trust in the Lord to reknit broken people back together.

Both need truth to be infused into a confusing situation. A good friend reminded me that the enemy is the author of confusion as God is the author of order (1 Corinthians 14:33). We need honest people to come around and remind us what the truth is about what our true condition is. We need honest, kind words, words from God’s own heart. To be around people, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, who truly love you. Sleep is also essential to let the body and mind heal.

As we listen to the people that God puts into our lives to carry us through this trauma, we heal a little bit every day.

God does this great work. But, we need to let God put people into our lives, the right people. When I was at my worst, God sent people from all across the world who had no idea what was going on, to minister to me. God did that. He sent in spiritual first responders to come in and bandage me up. But, I had to open the door and let them in. I had to listen to those first responders that He sent, and I had to put it into practice.

He reminds us to shed off that bitterness that would be so easy to give into because sometimes life is really hard, and we end up wounded. That is why we have to go through a healing process, right? But the pain of life doesn’t change the fact that you are loved by God. Beware, because those wounds of life cannot get infected by bitterness; they must be bandaged and then let alone. If we keep them tightly bound up in bitterness, they will never heal; and we will suffer because of it. The people or situation that caused this suffering will not be affected, but we will.

And I realized that as I let God send people in to help – there is this knitting of bonds that develops, that could not have developed otherwise; it is the Body of Christ in action. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to accept help until the time came, and it was an eye-opener. People stepped out of the woodwork to do kind things, and it brought tears to my eyes on many occasions. God used His children to speak love and good works into my family and the church’s life, when I couldn’t do what needed to be done.

So, as He walked me through incredible physical and broken-hearted pain, I started to see healing differently.

It is a God-given time that He ordains in order for us to be our best and to minister to us. During those moments, He gives us what we need to heal from the true wound. He has my back, and He has your back. Let the healing process begin, and embrace it, though it be painful; and it may take longer than we wish. God knows what we need to be fully restored, and who better to reknit each one of us than the one who knit you together in the first place.

Let’s be on our look out for the blessings that God has put in our lives to help us walk through these days, especially through the difficult days. He never tempts us beyond what we can handle, and when that scalpel is doing its work, know that those things are causing harm, and that is why God has to remove them. He loves you enough to remove the things from your life that aren’t good, and He will heal you after surgery. It won’t be easy, but it will be worthwhile.

Notes:

¹ Blueletterbible.com

² Ibid.

A lump was forming in my throat. My eyes were wide. I had thought about this moment so many times. Was it really here?

I was subtly aware there was more to leading worship than hitting the right notes, singing the right words and not making an absolute fool of myself. I was subtly aware that there was something more. A bigger reason. Another purpose for why I was on that stage. I was subtly aware, but I wasn’t sure what that reason was. And honestly, I don’t think I cared.

I was 13 years old and had spent the last year of my life endlessly practicing guitar in my bedroom, a year on the sidelines of my midwest country church youth band, waiting for my number to be called.

So what was it? That seed germinating in my heart. Was there more than just avoiding embarrassment? More than playing a few nice songs and trying not to distract anyone?

What was my role as a worship leader? What was I trying to accomplish? Maybe you’ve wondered too.

Why We’re Here

I believe Psalm 34:3 provides the perfect description of the role of a worship leader.

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together!”

A telescope uses a series of lenses aligned in such a way that, when you look through them, objects far off in the distance can be seen clearly. Do you remember the last time you looked into a clear, night sky? Massive heavenly bodies appeared as small, blurry dots of light.

Now if you had a powerful telescope nearby, these same blurry dots would suddenly fill the entire scope of your vision. Their surface and color and edges would become radiant and vivid and magnificent. Their intricacy and beauty and detail would be overwhelming.

Imagine our songs and prayers and scripture readings are lenses in a telescope. Suddenly what was once distant and shrouded by clouds becomes the all-consuming vision of majesty it really is.

How is it that the Eternal, Almighty One, the creator of the universe, the sustainer of all life, can fade into the blurred spots of our peripheral vision?

It would seem unthinkable if it weren’t yours and my daily reality. Somehow our worries, busyness, obligations, sin, hobbies and leisure take center stage.

What can a worship leader do about all this? I like to say it this way.

The role of the worship leader is to bring the wonder of God into large, vivid focus before the hearts and minds of our church.

. We celebrate His character.

. We describe His attributes.

. We tell of His wondrous works.

. We marvel at His creation.

. We rejoice in His plan for redemption.

We magnify! We magnify the Lord by proclaiming His greatness, by exalting His Name, by giving Him honor. We magnify the Lord by showing forth something of His excellence.

Anyone who encounters the living God does not leave the same. When we are exposed to the glory of God, we are amazed by His power, astonished by His greatness, in awe of His love.

That’s Not Your Job

I keep discovering, more and more, incredible gifts God chooses to give us as we worship Him together. The believer is encouraged and edified. The unbeliever sees that God is among us. Our suffering Savior brings comfort to our heart. He brings joy through His presence. We are filled afresh with His Spirit. We receive His strength to be a voice of love and truth in our world.

The disconnect occurs when we, as worship leaders, try to MAKE these things happen. That’s not our job.

Some of you see yourself as a worship mediator. There is a room full of people and a God in heaven. Your job is to act as the middle man connecting one with the other. You feel a weight and pressure to make this happen. You feel the disappointment when it doesn’t. This is a burden no human can carry.

“For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).

How do we “enter the holy places” (Hebrews 10:19)? How do we “draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16)? It is only by the blood of Jesus. Only through our great high priest.

So take a step back. Breathe a sigh of relief. Release the reins. Your role is to magnify, not mediate.

I didn’t pass out. My voice didn’t crack. People even joined me in singing on that first day I lead worship. But I’m so thankful that since that time, I’ve discovered what it means to lead worship with a true purpose. I’ve come to know what part I have to play in this powerful kingdom work.

We cannot make anyone worship God. But we can make much of who God is.

Blessing is all or nothing at all.

For the next few months, I will be writing on a psalm that has held my attention for quite a while. I hope you find this as thought provoking as I do.

Psalm 1 begins with that declaration, “Blessed.” And then the psalmist describes two ways to approach that blessedness. Only one of those ways works. The other way leads to the exact opposite condition, which we will consider in due course.

But we want to consider this one word at the outset: blessed. What does that mean, and why is it all-important?

In the original language (Hebrew), “blessed” means “happy.” We are not talking about subjective happiness. If we were, what makes you happy doesn’t make me happy. It’s a matter of taste.

We are talking about ultimate happiness, complete, total, so transcendent that translators always use the word “blessed” instead.

What’s the difference?

First, in the etymology. Happy contains the Anglo-Saxon particle “hap,” referring to chance and external circumstances. It shows up in “happen,” “mayhap,” and “happenstance.” (Luck, chance, it all came together, and I won the Lotto.) If I don’t like what is happening, I’m not happy. It’s all about impersonal chance and all about “me.”

“Bless” comes from an Old English word meaning “blood,” because in the Bible, blood was used to consecrate a thing to be holy. Holiness separates a thing from all defilement to be God’s possession, sacred, pure, clean, for His purpose and for His glory.

There’s a big difference right there. On one hand, there’s my purpose and my happiness, and on the other, God’s making holy that brings His purpose and ends in His glory.

Another difference is in permanence.

Happiness comes through my own efforts. If I work hard, take advantage of opportunities, make the breaks, then I can achieve completion and success. But then, things happen that are outside my control that affect my happiness, despite all my hard work. Industrial actions, government regulations, wars, storms, earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, power outages, delays, economic turndowns, stock market crashes, terrorist attacks, broadband slowdown and death. Stuff happens. Time and chance are such a big component of happiness.

But blessing is always under the supervision of God. He is always watching over His people. He won’t leave them until He has finished His eternal purpose to bless His people.

I know this because I read one day in 2 Timothy and noticed:

“…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Timothy 1:9).

This fragment of a sentence shows us that God’s purpose and His grace are eternal because they are both given in Christ Jesus before time began. God has always purposed to bless us with salvation, not to give us the destruction that we deserve. In contrast, the devil opposes that purpose with all his plans and might. He wants to nullify grace and destroy salvation. What this scripture shows is that he cannot succeed because he is not eternal. His temporary purpose is limited by his finite power. At a certain point, the time allotted to him will run out. His power will come to an end. But God’s purpose is eternal. His power is eternal. His grace is eternal. God’s purpose and goodness cannot be changed or nullified by anything that opposes Him.

Notice how many bad things happened to God’s people in the Bible:

. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren. So were Rebekah and Rachel, the wives of the patriarchs. Manoah’s wife, Hannah, and Zacharias’ wife, Elizabeth, were also barren.

. Jacob was cheated over and over by his father-in-law.

. Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, slandered, imprisoned, forgotten.

. David was attacked and hated by Saul and by his own son, Absalom.

. Job was oppressed by God, who listened to Satan.

. Zerubabbel was overwhelmed by the enormity of his task to rebuild the Temple.

. John the Baptist was left by Jesus in prison, later beheaded because Herod liked the way Salome danced.

. Paul was shipwrecked, in dangers, hungry, cold, exhausted, fearful.

God’s people do not live in a hermetically sealed glasshouse with only good things happening to them. They went through terrible things that seemed random and purposeless. After 20 barren years, Rebekah conceived and then had a difficult pregnancy. She asked what we all would have asked: “If all is good, why am I this way?” But we see throughout the Bible God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose, so that Paul says, “We know this” (Romans 8:28).

“Happy” is pitifully weak by comparison. To be happy, everything has to work itself out. Chance and randomness are in control. Maybe things work out, and maybe they don’t. There is no plan and no power in randomness. But God has an eternal plan that He works out with all knowledge and power. Because it’s eternal, nothing can stop it. All the opposition is temporary, limited, weak in comparison.

Blessing is different from happiness in its scope.

Happiness is about me alone. If I attain to happiness, that’s all that matters. I just want to be happy.

Blessing is about me, but it doesn’t stop with just me. God’s purpose for blessing me is a prelude to blessing the world. God revealed that when He blessed Abram:

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed’” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Yes, God was concerned to bless Abraham, and He began to do that with Isaac, the child of promise. God started a river of blessing that began small and has since grown into a tremendous flow of blessing. It led to the creation of God’s chosen people, the Jews. It led to the written Scripture, the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms. It led to their fulfillment in Jesus, the Messiah, His crucifixion and resurrection. Then Jesus poured forth His Holy Spirit upon the church, beginning the evangelization of the world. What will come next is still greater: the restoration of Israel and life from the dead. God’s blessing always goes beyond personal blessing.

David found out that his sufferings were actually part of God blessing him so that others would trust in the Lord and also become blessed:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3).

When God saves David, other people will see and will themselves put their trust in the Lord. His example of trusting God influences others to do the same. The principle is that our lives are intended by God to be significant. We were created to be blessed by God, to affect others for good, so that we bless others. That’s why Jesus said it is more blessed to give than receive. We get to participate in God’s blessedness by becoming blessed and then being a blessing to others.

It helps to define a thing by its opposite.

The opposite to blessing is cursing. What is cursing? It is the power of God to oppose, to harm, to make bad, to destroy.

Is there any state in between blessing and cursing? God wants the best. The devil wants the worst. Blessing is binary: It’s a matter of eternal life and eternal death. It’s all or nothing at all.

You want to be definitely and certainly blessed by God forever. You don’t want to be temporarily and uncertainly happy, as a result of time and chance and your hard work. You certainly don’t want to be cursed. Anything less than eternal life is a stay of execution.

What are the things that make for blessing? That’s the subject of my next blog.

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for then in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

I wrote a Christmas song years ago, imagining Joseph’s perspective. I was at the start of a late night drive, listening to Christmas music in mid-December. Here’s a couple verses of that song, “O Joseph.”

An endless line of headlights on Interstate 5

300 miles before me on my midnight drive

And I can’t help but think about those travelers long ago

Who made their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem of old

The road was choked with refugees, the weary and the worn

And the world was all in shambles in the year that He was born

Peace was just a memory, and hope had all but died

But He broke the darkness the moment that He cried

An honest, historical survey of what Mary & Joseph encountered as they traveled crowded roads with other displaced people would make it clear that indeed, the “world was all in shambles” in those days. This scene evokes empathy in us all.

Yet, as this chosen couple entered Bethlehem, where Joseph had family, no welcome mat was rolled out. No uncle or cousin opened their door. No VIP suite was prepared. No staff of medical professionals. Instead, we find “highly favored” Mary taking up temporary residence in an unfavorable shed, barn or cave. Then Mary said, “It’s time, Joseph.” The Savior of the world, THEIR Savior, was born in that crude environment.

But that was central to Jesus’ mission. He needed to be deeply embedded as Emmanuel, “God with us,” not basking in luxury at a safe distance, looking down from an ivory tower. He would start and stay at “street level” where we live. Brace yourself, Mary. The stage was finally set. The players were all in place. Gabriel, you can cue that heavenly choir.

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and shall bring forth a son, and shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).

“She shall bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Perhaps one of the toughest tasks in early parenthood is choosing the name our children will carry with them through their lives.

My wife, Joy, and I have four children whom we carefully and thoughtfully named. Bethany was named for the city where Jesus’ greatest miracle took place. Shannon was named after a beautiful river in Ireland. Jeremy’s is another form of the Biblical name, Jeremiah. Starlin, the name of our youngest daughter, means “beautiful star.”

Thankfully, the naming of God’s Son was not a decision Joseph and Mary had to make. The angel instructed them both…“Call Him Jesus.”

But wait! Jesus had lots of names. Isaiah 7:14 said, “Call Him Immanuel.” Isaiah 9:6 goes over the top on the names, adding five more: “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Paul, in Philippians 2:9-10, simply says God gave Jesus the “name above all names.” A name is more than the personal word your mother uses to call you to dinner. Your name speaks of how people see you, your reputation and character. To call Jesus “by His name,” is to understand that He’s all we need. He’s the One with the highest integrity, character and capability. He has an exalted name, a good name, a trusted name. His name is “wonder-filled, wisdom-filled, peace-filled.” He is the perfect, eternal and powerful Father. And that name, “Jesus.” That one is where it all starts. That name means “Savior.” Start there. Call on that name; then let Him be all He came to be.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

This Child would change everything. His purpose was set from eternity. He was the One, not only the Jews were looking, longing and praying for, but also the “superhero” the whole world was looking for. History tells us that other civilizations and people groups believed a savior was coming from above. Honestly, the people of the world have always known that “we need help” from above or beyond. Various cultures look for shamans, lamas, imams, gurus, gods and “spirits in the sky” to come and fix this mess we’ve made.

So it was in those difficult days of King Herod and Caesar Augustus (his name meaning “majestic,” “venerable,” “the great one”) that God slipped into the world past the “deity detector” of all who were waiting for their version of the “deliverer.” “A Child was born, a Son given,” a wonderful, wise, mighty, eternal provider of peace who would establish an eternal kingdom.

All of this was about to begin around 5 B.C. as the Son of God moved in among us, and we stepped over the threshold from hopelessness into hope. Thirty years later, He would begin teaching, preaching, healing and gathering a band of disciples. Three and half years after that, He would die for the sins of the world, opening wide the gate of heaven to all who would believe in Him and enter this kingdom that will never end.

And all of that would be wrapped in swaddling clothes.

“Therefore also that holy thing that will be born to you shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

That was the King James Version. Let me be quick to say all other Bible translations, translate the phrase “Holy thing,” either “Holy One” or “Holy Child.” Clearly, Luke is not suggesting Jesus was a “thing.” He was a child, a boy, the precious only begotten Son of God.

Yet I was taken by surprise when reading through a devotional book by E. Stanley Jones, to find that after 47 years of reading the Bible, had missed the word “thing” in Luke 1:35 when referring to Jesus.

We’ve settled the issue of the proper and intended understanding of this verse, yet it’s still true that the entire “thing” of the incarnation; when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” was indeed a “Thing.” It was a “God Thing.” There may be some fine theological words like “hypostatic union” that attempt to describe this wonderful mystery, but most of us are content to gaze into these marvelous diorama of the Christmas story and declare, “This is a beautiful and holy God thing.”

It was a holy thing for God to intervene in our hopeless, sinful bondage by giving His only begotten Son.

It was a holy thing to place that Son, in embryonic form, in the womb of a humble and favored young Jewish maiden. The stable was a holy thing. The manger was a holy thing.

And the holiest thing of all jut might be the offer God extends to us to step into His holy presence through His grace afforded, extended through that “Holy Thing that is called the Son of God.” Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts.

As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should remember that this momentous event is the culmination of a rich prophetic tradition, which has its roots deeply planted in Jewish soil. The birth of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. The Jewish Messiah, born from the line of David, in the town of Bethlehem, has come. At this same time of year, Jews around the world celebrate the festival of Hanukkah, often called the festival of lights. There is much that we can learn from each other during these times that will enrich our understanding of the Scriptures and the holiday season.

Darkest Before the Dawn

Unfortunately, the richness of this festival is often lost on a Christian audience who lacks a proper understanding of the historical context. This history has impacted Jewish identity and thought ever since. It is important we do not lose this aspect of our Judeo-Christian heritage and the ability to see how it connects to the Messiah at this time of year.

In the year 175 BC, a largely unknown time “between the testaments” for many Christians, a man named Antiochus IV ascended to the throne of the Greek Empire. He was an eccentric ruler known for his cruelty. He took the title Antiochus Epiphanes (“God manifest”). A title that should grab our attention as we celebrate Emmanuel – “God with us.” However, this self-appointed divine title didn’t fit well with many, and he was often given the nickname Antiochus Epimanes (“The Mad One”), a play on the word Epiphanes. Antiochus was especially cruel toward the Jewish people outlawing many Jewish laws and customs. Upon hearing premature reports of Antiochus’ demise, the Jews revolted in a failed attempt to take back Jerusalem. The book of Maccabees records:

“When news of what had happened reached the king, he took it to mean that Judea was in revolt. So, raging inwardly, he left Egypt and took the city by storm. And he commanded his soldiers to cut down relentlessly everyone they met and to slay those who went into the houses. Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaughter of virgins and infants. Within the total of three days eighty thousand were destroyed, forty thousand in hand-to-hand fighting; and as many were sold into slavery as were slain” (2 Maccabees 5:11-14).

Antiochus went to great lengths in his attempt to Hellenize the Jewish people and destroy their unique identity. He outlawed sabbath observance and the festivals; he confiscated Torah and Jewish books, put his own priests in the temple who filled it with idols, and often murdered people as well. The final act for the Jews was when he desecrated the Holy Temple. Josephus records:

“And when the king had built an idol altar upon God’s Altar, he slew a swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice neither according to the law, nor the Jewish religious worship in that country. He also compelled them to forsake the worship which they paid their own God, and to adore those whom he took to be gods, and made them build temples, and raise idol altars, in every city and village, and offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their sons and threatened to punish any that should be found to have transgressed his injunction.” (Antiquities of the Jews 6:12).

The Revolution Begins

One of these cities was called Modi’in, and when the Greek soldiers arrived, they built an alter and insisted that the priests sacrifice a pig on it. The priest of this city was called Mattathias; he had five sons. He refused to do what the soldiers asked, and instead, he turned on the soldiers and killed them, knocked down the pagan alter and cried out; “Follow me, all of you who are for God’s law and stand by the covenant” (1 Maccabees 2:27).

These words inspired a rebellion. Mattathias and his sons fled to the mountains followed by the faithful of Israel. Mattathias was now the leader of a rebel army. Using the terrain and local knowledge to their advantage, they engaged in guerrilla warfare against the enemy. At his death, he handed over control of the Jewish resistance to one of his sons – Judas. His courageous leadership, powerful speeches, along with his faithfulness to the Torah, earned him the name Judas the Maccabee (Y’hudhah HaMakabi) – a nickname meaning the Hammer!

Cleansing the Temple

After many victories, Judas set his sights on Jerusalem, in order to purify the Temple. Finding the Holy Temple in an appalling condition Judas and his followers began to purify the Temple. Upon construction of a new menorah for the temple they found only a single cruse of oil with the seal of the high priest on it. This was enough oil to keep it burning for only one day, and it would take seven days to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil. The Talmud (Shabbat 21b) records that a miracle occurred, and they were able to light the menorah for eight days with this tiny amount.¹ Thus, the festival also became known as the Festival of Lights. The feast of Hanukkah (meaning dedication) begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts eight days. The message of Hanukkah is one of redemption, sacrifice and faithfulness. With the menorah once again lit in the Temple Israel could fulfill her purpose and become “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 49:6).

This is where we begin to see the deeper meaning in the Festival of Lights and how this prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled. Israel was soon to bring a servant into this world who would be the true light of life (John 8:12). This is our link with the Christmas season; If God had not intervened to preserve Jewish identity, there would not have been a Jewish virgin called Miriam to bring the promised child into this dark world. As it is often said; without Hanukkah there would be no Christmas.

We will continue with part two for the conclusion of the story.

Notes:

¹ This traditional part of the story is debated amongst historians as the “miracle of oil” is not recorded in the Book of Maccabees or by Josephus.