Jesus sometimes used the figures of dark, hidden, darkness when referring to his teaching. See Matthew 10:27, Mark 4:22, Luke 8:17, 12:2-9. The Matthean text occurred prior to sending the Twelve on their preaching tour. He charged them to preach only and exactly what he gave them—a warning to all preachers in every age. Those who stand behind "the sacred desk," Ken Lester's favorite description of the pulpit, must accept the limitation the Holy Spirit imposes on them: say only what God says. Which automatically opens the world of knowledge to preaching since scripture contains the "wide and long and high and deep" love of God that "surpasses knowledge" Ephesians 3:18-21.
The scriptures in Mark and Luke refer to Christ's use of parables. Though challenging at first to understand, and only incrementally absorbed into the brain, they build spiritual maturity in the student. That challenges all Christians: expect, desire, seek and demand that your preacher stay above you spiritually, never descend to your spiritual level, but always invite you to rise to his and provides the teaching that raises you. The Holy Spirit uses God's words to illuminate the listener's mind as it empowers the preacher's words. That way, both you and he together grow into Christ's likeness. Oswald Chambers wrote an insightful discussion of the subject, but as a relevant application of the above points, not an exegesis of the texts. I leave it as a footnote. Complete Works, p. 987.
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The Master’s flawless insight into and persuasive explanation of Psalm 110 stunned the leadership into silence. Unfortunately, not into faith. If nothing in 3 ½ years convinced them, his brilliant exposition of David’s Psalm wouldn’t.
Their distrust of Jesus, beginning at the start of his Early Judean Ministry, continued as every issue surfaced the differences between them. More than a year before this confrontation their spiritual depravity considered him a stooge of Satan. The very idea brought Christ’s scathing rebuke, but didn’t change their view. Judas himself a year after this encounter had also become an activist tool of Satan against Jesus. And nothing changed his view. Indeed, on the very day Jesus confounded the leadership, they had determined to kill him Matthew 21:38-39. Today’s unbelievers usually take softer positions on Jesus, but nothing that leads them closer to his true Identity. While considering him a good man, maybe one of the best men ever to live, they flatly refuse to accept him as the God-in-the-Flesh MAN! That refusal characterized the leaders of his generation. Which is why they said NOTHING in reply to his question, “Whose son is the Christ?” Its trenchant edginess unsettled them. His clear, rational, logical interpretation of the Psalm posed the most unwelcome question possible: with him expressing sovereign powers of insight into their most sacred texts; with him brilliantly deciphering perhaps the most important of all prophecies of the Christ’s Identity, could he be the Lord whom God addressed through David? Indeed, was it even remotely possible that a mere mortal from Nazareth could BE the National Messiah and—even more incredible—the Son God sent for some mission beyond all their imaginations? Both ideas made them regurgitate: first, that a peasant should rule the aristocrats of Israel. (They conveniently ignored the peasant David being their greatest king. If he, why not his descendant Jesus of Nazareth?); second, since they couldn’t imagine God’s concern for Gentiles, they would never anticipate a role for Jesus, since they would never accept him as Messiah—and, even more distasteful and blasphemous—the Son of God, since they could never conceive of God having a Son. When spiritual innovation rammed into religious tradition, offering a new, better, superior way to God, tradition moved more persuasively. They sipped Christ’s wine, but swallowed none of it. For they considered “the old is better” Luke 5:37-39. It’s the same issue today. Many toy with Jesus, claiming him as this or that or the other thing, but braking to a halt before him being God-in-the-Flesh! They claim to respect Jesus. They say they admire Jesus. They even say they love Jesus. They won’t say they worship Jesus as the GOD-MAN! Leaving them merely infatuated with Jesus, and always secondary in their affection, not in love with him alone, whatever. Leaving them outside God’s grace, wanting to belong, but refusing to pay the admission price. Desiring the victory God assures all who believe in Jesus as his Son, but not willing to join the team. And, like the Pharisees, outside God’s Presence, in spiritual darkness, regretting that God hadn’t agreed with them; determined never to believe what God dictated. The mournful regret of Whittier’s poem is theirs, “For of all the sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been’”! Fini God called Abraham to Canaan to prepare the world for Monotheism. God sent Jesus from Heaven to proclaim forgiveness of sin to all who accepted him as the Only Son of the Only God. As Messiah of the Jews Jesus offered himself as the ENMITY in whom God personalized his love for sinners and hatred of sin. Though the nation rejected his offer, God honored Jesus as both Messiah and His Son (remember that the Jews had him crucified for claiming to be God’s Son John 19:7.)
The essential point: the ENMITY—God-in-the-flesh—began his work as Jewish Messiah to prove himself Moses’ successor and fulfilled it as the Son of God dying to forgive human sin. As we cannot consider Jesus a good man while denying his Deity, we can’t say he fulfilled his purpose as the son of David while denying his sacrificial death for sinners. For the Christ came as God’s Son to be God’s powerful, universal, forceful and spiritually-violent presence against all the universal sin corrupting all humanity. However, it’s Christ as God’s final, universal, avenging Authority in human form that diverse America cannot accept. In that role he remains an unceasing irritant to unbelievers and comforting anodyne to believers. He constantly depresses unbelievers as he stimulates believers. Diversity—the voice of 21st America—shouts its rejection, “How can one Person, founding ONE religious Faith, have answers for ALL people, different as they are?” Well...Christians know...while the argument seems logical, IT ISN’T! While it makes sense to many, it’s nonsense to God. For the whole idea of human diversity demanding multiple ways to God collapses on a BASIC FACT: since all humans descended from one couple—a MAN and a WOMAN, humans are naturally and viscerally afflicted by their EGOTISM against God. It’s the single, continuing SIN against God’s will. For example, what was Eve’s sin against God? Eyesight? “When she saw....?” Genesis 3:6. No...she exalted her EGO over God’s prohibition, “You must not eat....” Genesis 2:17. For example, what was the Sin of Shinar? Ambition? “Let us...build...?” Genesis 11:4. No...they exalted their EGO over God’s express command, “Be fruitful and...fill the earth” Genesis 11:8. For example, what was Nebuchadnezzar’s sin against God? Pride? “Is not this great Babylon I have built?....” Daniel 4:30. No...he exalted his EGO over God’s SOLE AUTHORITY, “Your royal authority has been taken from you...until you acknowledge...the Most High” Daniel 4:28-32. Every person, in every culture, in every generation, continues to flaunt his EGO over God’s word. Which is why, when Jesus spoke of discipleship, instead of publishing a long catalogue of transgressions, he condemned the SOURCE of all sin—the EGO. And he eliminated the ego by commanding our DENIAL of it as the decision-maker of life. Denial of it, death of it, crucifixion of it—not fulfillment of it, or gratification of it or aggrandizement of it Matthew 17:34-37. Humanity’s sins are multiplied, for sure, but are simply MULTIPLES of ONE—the Original Sin of exalting human opinion over God’s revealed word. Which has shamed, disgraced, humiliated and cursed every generation since Adam and Eve began the torturous trail from God’s Presence into depravity! Now...to show how Jesus demonstrated in his own life what he demands of every disciple, remember Philippians 2:9-11. The Glory of having every knee bowing to him came AFTER denying himself. That being true, God’s blessings never come to us by living our EGO; by wanting something he said we can’t have; by not acquiring what God says we must have. End Part VIII The Baptist questioned the value of Christ’s teaching/pastoral ministry when he didn’t continue the wrecking-ball attacks his initial Temple cleansing promised. Nevertheless, knowing that his entire ministry modeled the strong teaching and active compassion God wanted from Messiah, Jesus appealed to John’s initial faith to power him through his doubts Luke 7:18-23,John 1:29-36.
Jesus never had that opportunity with the leadership. They never had faith in him. Not when he began, not as he continued, not as he systematically shredded their every effort to match insights with him, not as he silenced them with the question of Messiah’s identity. Nothing he said or did surfaced even a hint of belief. Jesus had no illusions. His Parable of the Tenants proved that he knew their intention: “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance” Matthew 21:38c. From Psalm 110, however, Jesus offered the gathered leaders insuperable scriptural proof of his true Identity. First, if the Christ had been only a descendant of David, he, under the Spirit’s inspiration, would certainly have called his offspring son. But he didn’t. Second, instead, the LORD—Jehovah—said to David’s Lord—Adonai—“Sit at my right hand....” David didn’t talk to anyone. He recorded only what YHWH said to Adonai—God the Father to God the Son. Inescapable conclusion then: the ONE revealing the prophecy’s meaning stood before the leaders as the embodiment and interpreter of all Scripture: Jesus, called the Christ. Indeed, as Gabriel made clear to both Joseph and Mary, he called Jesus the Son of God before referring to his descent through David Matthew 1:21,23, Luke 1:31-33. Since in that culture no father yielded allegiance to his son, David’s Lord is none other than the Son of God, David’s sovereign, not merely his descendant. The Holy Spirit as a dove proved Jesus God’s Son John 1:31-34. The Resurrection of Jesus proved Jesus God’s Son Romans 1:4. Two historic events 3 ½ years apart. One a message to Israel: Here is your Messiah. The other a message to the world: Here is your God. Jesus embodied the Kingdom of God as Robert E. Lee embodied the Confederate cause in 1861-1865. Jesus embodied a living, successful, spiritual cause and Lee but a failed, cursed national hope. Jesus embodied the Kingdom of God in Israel and the kingdom of God world-and-history-wide. And on into eternity as the Forever-High Priest interceding with God for his Chosen Saved. End Part VII This part relates to clarifications of important issues in Psalm 110. For example, the Hebrew text for verses 1 and 4 used LORD when Jehovah-JHWH spoke and Lord when Adonai was addressed. So no misunderstanding occurs, the NIV uses Lord for both, leaving no doubt that God the Father talks to God the Son.
It also corrects satanic lies about Psalm 110. First, it’s nonsense to think that David had no awareness when speaking under the Holy Spirit’s direction. That contradicts his claims in II Samuel 23:2-7 and II Chronicles 28:11-19. Like Paul, David knew the difference between a decision his God-given discretion made and God’s Spirit-breathed into his mind. That Jesus pointedly noted David’s awareness of the Spirit’s guidance in writing strongly implies that his prophecy related to his future descendant, not to Solomon’s inauguration. Second, it’s blasphemy to think the Son of God deceived himself when claiming he actually fulfilled non-existent prophecy so the disciples would trust him. Especially to trust him when he would be punished by the leaders, beaten, spit on and, at their behest, crucified. In a culture where no one envisioned a suffering Christ, and certainly none of a crucified Christ. Who indeed believed that the “Christ will remain forever” John 12:34. Third, it’s also nonsense to think that Jesus didn’t believe the Holy Spirit dictated the words to David, but pretended faith in them as a concession to men who did. That approach is a favorite trick of liberals. They suggest this or that as the explanation in place of obvious hermeneutics—the Occam’s Razor principle that says the simplest explanation is the likeliest. The liberals refuse the simplest explanation because they constantly cultivate doubt in God’s word and, naturally, in the Holy Spirit’s Presence dictating it. They instead subtly suggest a possible alternative they feel is better, and certainly agreeable to their humanistic approach to scripture. In that way, increment by increment, they undermine confidence in God’s Word. As a result, instead of believers holding Rock-Hard confidence in the Bible, they find their mouths full of gravel from wrecked foundations of faith with only debris left on which to grind their teeth to the gums. All of these lies propose exactly the opposite of the truth: that an undisciplined teacher of theology in Nazareth somehow wandered into fame by bungling his way through ministry as a hapless idealist, then staggered his way to the cross where he died as a failed visionary! Never let the supposition of error in Scripture take root in your mind, Christians. Its fruit is toxic to mind, emotions and spirit. End Part VI Through angel Gabriel God identified Jesus as God’s Son to both Mary and Joseph, Luke 1:32a, 35, Matthew 1:20-23, before calling him David’s son Luke 1:32b. In that priority God stressed Christ’s Greater before his Lesser Identity.
Which is the essence of Christ’s question to the Jewish leaders, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42. They had peppered him with questions on Tuesday of his Last Week. When they finished he posed that single question to them. They nevertheless felt confident in repeating what generations of scholars had taught from Psalm 110:1: “The Messiah is the son of David.” Their reply reduced the Christ to a mortal descendant of the great King. A greater mortal than they had ever seen, perhaps, but only exactly like themselves. When Jesus responded with, “How is it then that David....”, they instinctively shuddered. It was a companion piece with his other devastating questions. “Haven’t you read what David did?” Matthew 12:3; or, “Haven’t you read in the Law?” Matthew 12:5; or “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Luke 14:3; or “why are you thinking these things? Which is easier....” Mark 2:9, etc., etc. “How is it then?” Words they knew would once again surface his never-ending expansive knowledge and understanding of Scripture. That would reveal he not only SAW deeper into Scripture than all of them, but UNDERSTOOD all he SAW! Nor did he leave them any “wiggle room” in interpreting the passage. No one could say it wasn’t messianic. For all agreed that David wrote it as he had been inspired by the Holy Spirit. (The Holy Spirit had been in the vocabulary of all pious Jews for generations. See Psalm 51:11 as but one Old Testament example and Luke 1:15 as his first New Testament mention. John would later write that Jesus would give the Spirit as “streams of living water” flowing in believers, but only after Christ’s resurrection. The “streams of living water” was the gift of the Holy Spirit granted after being baptized into Christ Acts 2:38. The Holy Spirit, then, first mentioned in Genesis 1:2, returned in many manifestations throughout the Old Covenant.) And, by the way, scripture-writers repeatedly declared the Spirit’s presence in them as they wrote Isaiah 8:11, Jeremiah 1:2, 9, I Peter 1:10-12, II Peter 1:19-21, I Corinthians 2:9-10, Ephesians 3:2-6, Revelation 1:1-5 as a few examples. End Part V With the accumulated intellects of Judaism gathered, the Pharisees felt confident when their usual nemesis posed what seemed an innocuous question, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42.
The son of David, they replied,” sure they had finally stood on ground common to all. Psalm 110 had for centuries been a non-controversial, God-given promise of his Messiah’s appearance in Israel. It defied debate or denial by any orthodox believer. And TRUE, because it embodied the Messianic pedigree of Israel’s long-awaited Christ. Furthermore, it was satisfactory to all the scholars then gathered around Jesus. To their surprise, not satisfactory to him. And...a problem they never solved...in almost 3 ½ years of constant exchanges of views, his One Mind mastered more in-depth understanding of Moses, Prophets and Psalms than the accumulation of all Jewish thought in the previous 1500 years, that generation’s included. Blinded by their pride of ownership of all things religious, they couldn’t see in him the NEW MIND of a NEW SPIRITUAL AGE. Nevertheless, true to God and himself, he endeavored to broaden and deepen into a spiritual understanding what had been historically catechetical answers to rote questions: “Whose son is the Messiah? David’s son. ” To the leaders, the greatest compliment a mortal could have. As being considered in the class of the prophets offered Jesus the highest compliment the populace gave him Matthew 16:14. After all, only ONE Of Israel’s luminaries would have the privilege of being the Chosen descendant of David to rule a newly-reconstituted Jewish state. Besides, while no leader had acclaimed him as David’s chosen descendant—even Nicodemus’ half-hearted defense of Jesus lacked any punch of conviction John 7:50-51—the popular view left no doubt. They either wondered if he could be, or voluntarily declared him the “Son of David” Matthew 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15. That adult enthusiasm for the Nazarene even inspired children in the temple to shout, “Hosanna to the son of David” Matthew 21:15. While it enraged the leaders, they admitted Jesus had impressed the people—those the leaders considered as hopelessly naive, unclean and cursed John 7:49, 9:34. However, standing apart and above them all, Jesus refused to strip-mine scripture where its depths promised MORE. His deep-drill mind penetrated it, surfacing golden truths available only to its author. End Part IV Jesus spent part of Tuesday of his Last Week fielding and answering questions from the leaders. Questions about: his authority, tribute to Caesar, the doctrine of resurrection. All interspersed with his parables that warned them not to commit national spiritual suicide by rejecting him. Having mastered all their inquiries, all of which were inexcusable given his entire 3 ½ year ministry, the Lord posed a single question to them: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42.
His single, penetrating interrogative may be the most important of his entire ministry...since it’s still the most critical question in history by reason of its importance. And all because it focuses on the Identity of Jesus Christ. Now...the Jews have been historically, and continue being today, the only people who object to Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. An amazing contradiction since only one nation in history, and that nation in a period of 33 years—never before and never again—produced the greatest person ever to live. Yet, that nation refuses to accord him the honor he deserves and to which all other nations would BEG to offer him. The Greeks delight in producing Socrates, the Jews Abraham, the Germans Luther, the English Churchill, the Americans Lincoln. How possibly could the Hebrews flatly refuse to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, their King, their Son of Man? In retrospect, it’s perfectly understandable given their relationship with all their prophets, beginning with Moses and down the centuries to Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son and their last prophet. Their refusal had to be forceful since he had proven a titanic FORCE in the land. Their rejection had to be open, hateful and derogatory since he had brought heretofore unimaginable mightiness in authority, miracles, teachings, exorcisms and claims. Let us remember that in weighing today’s attacks on God’s Word. Satan attacks it viciously and unconscionably since it alone poses a threat to his deceit, assumptions and future. Because God’s Word alone reveals the ENMITY God sent to pulverize—crush Satan’s head, while only being slapped—struck in heel by the enemy. End Part III Psalm 110:1-2, 4 later predicted the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15. Its New Testament fulfillment occurred in, who else, the life of Christ on Tuesday of the Master’s Final Week.
Wherever Jesus encounters us he’s always the only AWESOME—reserve that word for him and his Father—person in history. Though he clearly revealed his purpose—he came to seek and save the lost Luke 19:10—HIS person, nature, identity remains unfathomable. Revelation 19:12 refers to that. He’s deeper than all studies have plumbed. Greater than all Christian discipleship has experienced. Immeasurably beyond any immensity mortals can calculate. As we accept him in whatever way he reveals himself, or comes to us, or leads us, we find him always persistent, never periodic; always mighty, never minute; always energetic, never lethargic; always TRUE, never false. Nevertheless, of a personal magnitude beyond our comprehension! May we in faith, that always understands what knowledge fails to grasp, see Christ’s very UNKNOWN DEPTHS as a stimulus to greater trust in him, never to increased doubt about him. End Part II The second definition of mystery in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, is something not understood. It’s something not fully explained by having too little information about it.
For example, Sir Walter Raleigh’s third expedition to America established a colony at Roanoke, Virginia, under John White, in 1587. Knowing how fragile settlements in the new world were, White returned to England promising to return within a year with supplies. European events prevented his return for three years. On arrival at Roanoke White found only empty chests and the word Croatoan carved on a tree. They found nothing and no one when they searched that nearby island. A mystery never solved. In 1975 a man in upstate New York dropped his wife at a doctor’s appointment. When he returned for her, she had disappeared, no trace found, and finally given up for dead. In October, 2017, 42 years later, New York City detectives found her at an assisted living residence in Lowell, Massachusetts. They never discovered why she disappeared 42 years previously. Where she had been since. Why she had established residence in the Massachusetts home. A mystery partly solved. A Bible mystery is something different. It’s a fact, a teaching, an event, a promise Hidden in God’s Word and Will UNTIL...revealed in Christ! And no longer a mystery, but KNOWN and EXERPIENCED! It isn’t surprising then that, in Genesis 3:15, on the same day Adam and Eve sinned, and before they knew why they needed his help, God promised recovery from sin focused on the ENMITY he personalized in his Son Jesus the Christ. The word implies the kind of hatred of sin that prompted Christ’s every forceful, violent spiritual response to every satanic power or presence in humanity. Jesus didn’t come to excuse and make exceptions for sinners, but to forgive their every trespass. He didn’t come to compromise with Satan but to demolish him. (That’s been the subject of the last few Sunday messages, though stated in different ways.) With all the spiritual violence in his Perfect Love for God Jesus assaulted and destroyed every evidence of Satan he encountered. End Part I |
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