Given a name by Jesus

Perhaps when Andrew took his brother Simon to meet Jesus, they wondered what he would say to them. The time that Andrew had spent with Jesus on the previous day had thrilled him because he had realised that he had found the Messiah. He had spent the previous evening with the One whom Abraham had looked forward to seeing, whom David had sang about, whom Isaiah had prophesied about. And there they were, he and Jesus, and probably John, speaking back and fore with one another. The time passed much too quickly.

 

Given what we know of Simon’s character, he may have said to Andrew, ‘I would like Jesus to speak with me soon.’ Whether he said that or not, he did meet with Jesus very quickly because the first thing that Andrew did was arrange for that meeting. No doubt, Simon had met many kinds of people previously, but none had ever spoken to him in the way that Jesus did.

 

What did Jesus say to Simon? He basically said to Simon, ‘I am going to make you into a different man.’ Jesus indicated this by giving to Simon another name – the name Peter. This new name meant that one day Peter would be like a rock. When we think of rocks, we may think of boulders. But Jesus perhaps had in mind the large rocks you can see in the desert that people can climb up and so be safe from wild animals and other forms of danger.

 

Simon the fisherman would become Peter the apostle. Instead of providing fish for people to eat, he would be remembered for his spiritual activities. Throughout his life on earth, despite his occasional failings, he would be one who would lead Christians into a deeper knowledge of what it is possible for Christians to know. He would spend his life explaining who Jesus is and what he did and does. Simon the fisherman would even become a biblical writer, with two books from his pen in the Word of God, and in them he shows the place of spiritual safety.

 

What is the message of Simon Peter? It is that no-one knows what Jesus can enable a person to become. In order to find out, we have to follow him.

A good man

Stephen is normally remembered by us because he is the first person martyred in the Book of Acts. His experience of death was a remarkable one because, as he was dying, he could see into heaven. In particular, he could see what Jesus was doing. The Saviour was focussed on welcoming Stephen into heaven. 

The way he died was similar to the death of Jesus in some ways. One similarity is that Stephen asked that those stoning him would be forgiven. Jesus had asked that the soldiers who crucified him would be forgiven. The person in charge of the death of Jesus was forgiven and so also was the person in charge of the death of Stephen. Saul of Tarsus was the one overseeing the death of Stephen, and not long afterwards Saul became a Christian. The death of Stephen was a powerful witness, but maybe the prayers of the dying Stephen had longer effects.

While we remember Stephen for his martyrdom, those who knew him would remember him for what he did when he was involved in the work of the church. Two things are mentioned in that regard. One is that he was a preacher, competent especially in silencing the Jews who tried to argue with him about Jesus. The other is that he was chosen to be a member of the group of spiritual men who looked after the temporary crisis connected to widows in the church in Jerusalem. We could summarise both roles by saying that Stephen was a good elder and a good deacon.

We have no information about how Stephen was converted. Yet we are told that he lived a good life and died a good death. He was a servant to admire and imitate. No doubt, he heard from Jesus the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ While we may not have the gifts of Stephen, we can imitate the dedication of Stephen, and in so doing, we will please the Lord.

Speak, Lord

When Jesus passed through Jericho on his journey to Jerusalem for the last time, there was a man there called Zacchaeus who had an interest in Jesus, but who wanted to keep that interest a secret. He even devised what he imagined was a clever plan by which he could see Jesus and remain hidden. So he climbed a tree and perched himself on a branch.

Zacchaeus was pleased that he had such a good view of Jesus, but what he did not realise was that Jesus had a better view of him. Jesus knew about Zacchaeus’ secret interest, but he had no intention of letting Zacchaeus keep it a secret. The problem of having a secret hiding place is that Jesus knows how to turn it into a place of public witness to him. Zacchaeus who had wanted to keep his mouth shut with regard to Jesus found himself having to speak about Jesus. 

The tax collector also discovered that Jesus wanted to spend some time with him. Jesus did not intend to climb up the tree and speak to Zacchaeus there. Instead, he wanted to chat to Zacchaeus as they walked together along the road. Not only did Jesus want to speak with him on the public thoroughfare, Zacchaeus discovered that Jesus wanted to speak with him right along the street on which he lived. Jesus wanted all of Zacchaeus’ neighbours to know that their neighbour had a secret interest in Jesus. 

But Zacchaeus was to discover more. Not only did Jesus want to speak to him outside, he also wanted to speak to him inside the house. The possessions of a tax collector would be interesting. But we are not told what they were. Instead, we are told that the effect of Jesus speaking to Zacchaeus was to cause Zacchaeus to want to speak to Jesus. Whatever else can be said about his words, they express his intention to do what Jesus would want him to do. That is normally the effect of spending time listening to Jesus.

Talking was not yet finished, because Zacchaeus discovered that Jesus now wanted to speak about him to those within range of hearing. Although he was speaking about him, Jesus was also speaking to him because his words of commendation were also words of assurance. And that is still the way of obtaining assurance – do what pleases Jesus and he will bless.

Imagine what Jesus would want to say to you and what you would want to say to him. And then think about what he could say about you that would give you assurance. Because he still speaks.

Bartimaeus, our example

Bartimaeus is an amazing character because he could see spiritually before he could see physically. Although he had never seen Jesus, he knew who Jesus was, and he knew what Jesus could do for him. There are many lessons that we can learn from him. Here are three.

One lesson is that he placed himself where he knew that Jesus would pass by. It was the time approaching the Passover and travellers to Jerusalem from Galilee would take the road that went through Jericho. So Bartimaeus would have realised that at some stage during that week Jesus would come along the road. He may have had to wait a couple of days, but he was prepared to do so. The lesson for us is that we should go to where we know Jesus will be. He will be present in church services and in other gatherings of his people, and there we can receive his blessing.

Another lesson is that we should be deaf to some things as well. When he started crying out to Jesus, some in the crowd told him to stop. Maybe they imagined he would be annoying Jesus. Instead Bartimaeus ignored their opinions and cried louder. The lesson is that we should not listen to assumptions about what Jesus will like or not like. The only information we have about Jesus is in his Word and anything else is an assumption. There is no evidence that Jesus objects to valid interruptions. Indeed, he always responded to such with mercy. No doubt, there was quite a bit of noise in the crowd following Jesus, but the noise that pleased him most was the noisy cry of Bartimaeus for mercy.

A third lesson from the incident is that the best time to commence following Jesus is right away. Being a formerly blind person, it was inevitable that Bartimaeus would make some mistakes as he started walking behind Jesus. But what did that matter as long as he was going in the right direction. The reason why he wanted to follow Jesus was gratitude for having received his mercy. A person who has received mercy from Jesus should make his situation public as soon as possible. That is what Bartimaeus did, and he is our example.

Let God bring a question

We are told several times in the Bible to wait upon the Lord. The allusion is to the role of a servant waiting to receive an instruction from his master. A servant may discover that his master may ask unusual questions from him. One servant whose story is in the Bible is Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer of the Persian emperor. He no doubt would often be asked to taste the wine, just in case there was something in it that would not be good for the emperor. Perhaps every question he heard from the emperor was to do with his role as the cupbearer until one day he heard a totally different question. ‘Why is your face sad?’

Clearly Nehemiah was not a man to hide his feelings. The reason he was sad was because of the state of Jerusalem. He had been informed by his brother that the city was in a bad state of repair, and there did not seem to be anyone who could do anything about it. So he resolved to do something about it. It seems as if suitable information was all that he needed in order to have a simple resolve. The big barrier to his hopes was the emperor because Nehemiah knew that he himself could not begin a conversation about it. Therefore he prayed to God and asked him to intervene. 

We are not told whether Nehemiah had any ideas about how God would do this. Probably he did not have any because he would have realised that it was not his job to tell God what to do. Here Nehemiah was, unable to tell God what to do and unable to tell the emperor what to do. Mind you, Nehemiah did not assume that his situation was insurmountable. He realised that the way round the problem was for God to cause the emperor to start a process which would enable Nehemiah to get involved in restoring Jerusalem.

What big idea did God put into the emperor’s mind? He did not put any big idea there. Instead, he led the emperor to ask a simple question, ‘Why are you sad?’ Without the emperor realising it, he was led by God straight to the concern that Nehemiah had. It was all so easy. As Proverbs tells us, the king and his decisions are in the Lord’s hands. 

There were tough days ahead for Nehemiah as he became involved in restoring Jerusalem. But each subsequent step that he was enabled to take was because his God had been able to lead the emperor to ask a simple question that opened doors of opportunity for service. 

There are many big situations in the church that need solving, but the biggest problem might be that we expect God to begin solving the situation by doing something spectacular. Instead, he may decide to use a simple request to commence the process. Maybe someone beside us will ask such a question, but we need to be ready with the answer. After that, who knows what doors God will open.

Nathaniel - a man to imitate

Commonly regarded as the same person as the apostle Bartholemew, Nathaniel already possessed an honest heart when Philip told him about Jesus (John 1:43-51). 

Bishop Ryle says of him: ‘Nathanael, there can be no doubt, was a true child of God, and a child of God in difficult times. He was one of a very little flock. Like Simeon and Anna, and other pious Jews, he was living by faith and waiting prayerfully for the promised Redeemer, when our Lord's ministry began. He had that which grace alone can give, - an honest heart, a heart without guile.’

John tells us that Jesus had his eye on Nathaniel before they met. The Saviour mentions that he saw Nathaniel under a fig tree. This was a common way of describing meditation on the things of God. Nathaniel was amazed that Jesus knew this detail about him, perhaps because he engaged in it privately. Jesus commended Nathaniel for his meditation and maybe discussed the particular passage of his thoughts when speaking about Jacob and his dream.

Albert Barnes says of this awareness of Jesus ‘that he judges of our character chiefly by our private devotions. Those are secret; the world sees them not; and in our closets we show what we are. How does it become us, therefore, that our secret prayers and meditations should be without "guile" and hypocrisy, and such as Jesus will approve!’

Moreover, Nathaniel possessed an ability to absorb spiritual truth quickly as seen in the names he uses for Jesus. As he interacted with Jesus here, he was able to put things together from Old Testament passages and so confess that Jesus is a teacher, a divine person, and the Messiah of Israel. Is there a connection between his speedy grasp and his regular practice of meditation?

Meeting with Jesus did not result in a static experience for him. Nathaniel was promised that he would discover and enjoy many more things about Jesus. The promise by Jesus describes Nathaniel’s life on earth before he died, his life in heaven after he died, and his life in the glory to come after the resurrection. He now knows that Jesus keeps his promises. No doubt, his redeemed spirit is still meditating on what he discovers about his teacher, the divine Son who is the Messiah.

Some thoughts about Mary

Mary has become famous and highly regarded because of her role as the mother of Jesus. She had been called to this role by God, and she knew that he had highly favoured her. Although her role was specific and very different from our callings, yet her calling contains several features of how God works in the lives of his people as he leads them to obey a plan he has for them. So what are they?

The first detail is that often God’s call to fulfil a role comes in a surprising way to an individual. In Mary’s case, it was delivered by an angel. That will not happen to us. Instead, sometimes God uses the words of a discerning person or he may use something we read in the Bible or in a book. However God does it, his call can be surprising.

Mary shows what we should do with such a surprising message - she was submissive to it and agreed with it. Imagine what would have happened if she had responded differently! When someone wise says something specific to us that surprises us about a role connected to serving God, it is important not to dismiss it, especially if we have the ability to do the task.

A third detail is that God had secretly prepared Mary for her role. He had done so in different ways, with one way being in her heart. It is very likely that the first words Jesus heard about God came from the lips of his mother. It is clear from her response to the angel’s message about the birth of Jesus that Mary knew how Hannah had responded to her call to serve God in raising the prophet Samuel. The point is that God always secretly prepares those who serve him.

The fourth detail is that Mary knew how to respond to her call - she sang about it. While she had her unique role, it is a fact that serving the Lord brings great happiness to one’s heart, and a refusal to serve removes that degree of joy from us. 

Mary will receive a great reward on the Day of Accounts. Although she was a sinner she was glad to serve God when he called her. Her calling did bring pain as well as joy, but up in heaven now she does not regret that she responded with her whole heart to God’s will. And neither will we if we follow her example and serve God in the specific way or ways that he wants us to serve him.

Genealogies in the Bible

What should we do when we come across lists in the Bible containing the names of people? After all, we know that those verses are inspired by the Holy Spirit and, as Paul reminded Timothy, they are written to help us live for God. So here are some suggestions.

The first detail is that after Jesus is born no more genealogies are given. So when we read them, we should say that God was at work, ensuring that the family line from which Jesus would come would be preserved through all the circumstances that occurred.

A second detail is that God remembers who people were. Most of the names in the lists have been forgotten by later generations, yet God has not forgotten who they were or what they did. This goes for those who served him and those who did not.

Some of the genealogies remind us of individuals and groups who served God in difficult times. Think of Jabez, who is commended for his prayers. Or what about the people mentioned in Ezra who heeded the call from God to return from Babylon and rebuild the city of Jerusalem in order for God to be worshipped?

When we go to a war memorial, we see a list of names for whom we show respect. If they had not done what they did, we would live now in a very different set of circumstances. The same is true of many of the people in the lists in the Bible. They were not only serving themselves, but their faith looked ahead to what God would yet do. And that perspective enabled them to engage in the fight of faith in their day.

The genealogies also remind us that one day all that will be said of us will be included in a line of a list. People will not remember what we said or did. Most of us don’t know anything about our great-grandparents. But they contributed to who we are, perhaps by praying for their descendants. And such prayers should be part of our spiritual outlook because God can show mercy to a thousand generations.

Priscilla and Aquila

Priscilla and Aquila served the Lord together for a considerable period of time. It is generally assumed that her name is mentioned first because she came from a higher rank in society than her husband. Nevertheless, they were both devoted slaves of Jesus Christ.

They are mentioned six times in the New Testament and on each occasion they made use of current providences to serve the Lord. One of those providences involved getting thrown out of Rome because of trouble connected to the Jews there (Acts 18:2). That eviction may have been costly for them, yet when they reached Corinth they continued serving the Lord. They did not regard adverse providences as a reason for reducing their level of commitment.

One feature that is stressed is the way they used their property for extending the kingdom. They lived in Corinth, Ephesus and Rome at different times, and in each place their home was used as a meeting place for Christians. Perhaps they moved about because they were flexible, or maybe they had branches of their business in each location. Whatever the reason, it is obvious that they regarded Jesus as the owner of their possessions.

Another commendable feature about them is the way they thought of and dealt with people. In Corinth, they were glad to have Paul stay with them. Later on, when they met Apollos and discovered his lack of knowledge about Jesus, they spoke wisely and privately to him and helped him discover the complete account of the work of Jesus. Through them, Apollos became a very competent teacher of the faith. Afterwards, when they had moved to Ephesus, they sent through Paul hearty greetings to the church in Corinth, a church in which they had invested so much and which had descended into errors. They could have expressed annoyance, but instead they expressed love even in the greeting that they sent.

Moreover, their service was not hindered by peril. In Romans 16, Paul mentions that at one time they had been willing to lay down their lives in order to rescue him from a very real danger. The fact that they were willing to have the church in Rome meet in their house – the place from which they were thrown out a few years before – also showed they had great courage in serving the Lord.

The final detail to note about them is that they were precious. This is shown in at least two ways. One is the description given of them in Romans 16 which says that all the churches of the Gentiles gave thanks for them, an exceptional degree of appreciation. The other is the greeting Paul sent to them in 2 Timothy 4 – this is the last recorded greeting that Paul sent, which is an indication of who he was thinking about as he awaited his own departure to heaven.

Priscilla and Aquila have left us an outstanding example of how to serve the Lord.

(Reflections after a sermon preached about Priscilla and Aquila earlier today.)

Perspectives on Abraham

One of the outstanding characters of the Bible is Abraham: (a) he is a central figure in the history of redemption: to him God gave promises of blessing concerning his spiritual seed; (b) he is a Pauline example of the doctrine of justification by faith; (c) when Jesus teaches the Sadducees about the meaning of the resurrection, he refers to Abraham, mentioning how God was still in a personal relationship with Abraham long after he had died (Matt. 22:32); (d) he is mentioned of with regard to heaven; Jesus said that heaven would involve sitting down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matt. 8:11); (e) James tells us that Abraham is an example of a person who showed his faith by his works of obedience to God.

Clearly, Abraham is an example for believers today and here are four details about him, each of which is important for us.

What his neighbours thought of him. We discover this in the story connected to Abraham attempting to buy ground in which to bury Sarah. Abraham by then had been living in Canaan for six decades, so his neighbours had ample time to assess his character. This is what the Hittites said of him in Genesis 23:6: ‘Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.’

Abraham gained this testimony not by isolation from those with whom he lived – he was among them. Yet they realised he was not of them. He maintained a distinction without being remote. The words ‘mighty prince’ can be translated ‘prince of God’, perhaps pointing to their awareness of God’s blessing on his life.

What his wife thought of him. In order to discover this, we have to go to Peter’s first letter (3:6), where he says, ‘Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.’ This is a reference to Sarah’s response when God told Abraham he would have a son. She said within herself, in Genesis 18:12, ‘After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?’

Note that this assessment was from within her. It was not something she was compelled to say. This was her heart attitude towards him. Further, this was her assessment despite Abraham’s failings. We know that twice he had put Sarah into danger because of his fear. She was aware of his weaknesses, yet she still valued him highly. She forgave him his failings, and because she did so there was domestic harmony.

What his God thought of him. We discover this in the book of Isaiah, several centuries after Abraham had died. In Isaiah 41:8, God says, ‘But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend.’ The friendship began with God’s sovereign initiative, when he appeared to him in Ur of the Chaldees and brought him into a saving relationship with himself. It continued throughout a variety of experiences. On God’s side, the friendship involved promises, protection and power. On Abraham’s side, the friendship involved worship (he built altars to the Lord), loyalty and obedience.

What Abraham thought of himself. We can look at this in two different ways. When he approached God, Abraham likened himself to dust and ashes (Gen. 18:27). In contrast to God Abraham was insignificant and unclean. He knew he was both a creature and a sinner. This was said despite all the previous blessings Abraham had known.

When he spoke to those who lived alongside him, Abraham described himself as an alien and a stranger (Gen. 23:4), even although he was living in the land God had promised to his descendants. He knew he was an exile from Heaven and he was looking forward to going there.

Think about these four areas of Abraham’s life: his public life, his home life, his relationship with God and his opinion of himself. Do our contacts sense that we have their good at heart, are our homes places where forgiveness and respect exist, is our walk with God that of two friends, and do we see ourselves as nothing in comparison to God and are we looking forward to heaven?

Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea showed his love for his Saviour at a crucial time and buried him in his own tomb. He is a reminder to us that God has his person for every emergency. Joseph is an example of a person who has been in the background spiritually but who comes to the fore when the cause of Christ seems to have been abandoned by everyone else.

The only details we have about Joseph are in the incident recorded in connection with Christ’s burial. No mention is made of him elsewhere in the New Testament. Arimathea, his hometown, has not been found with certainty. His life can be summarised as follows: he was a prominent man because he was an honourable counsellor; he was a pious man because he is described as being good and just; and he was a hopeful man, waiting for the coming of the kingdom of God.

Joseph served Jesus at an unlikely time. The cause of Christ was at a low point. All his disciples had fled. There seemed to be no one to take care of the body of the Saviour. Despite all the good he had done, it was too dangerous to identify with him.

Joseph was an unlikely disciple. He was an important man, a member of the Sanhedrin. He was also a rich man. He had his reputation to think about. Yet he used his position for Jesus – he had access to Pilate and so he went and asked for permission to take down the body of Jesus from the cross.

John’s Gospel was written last of the four Gospels. By the time it was written, about AD 90, Joseph is not remembered for his status in society or for his riches, but for what he did for Jesus. At the end of the day, that is what each of us will be remembered for.

Joseph was also an unlikely disciple from another point of view. Involving himself in the burial of Jesus would have made Joseph ceremoniously unclean, so he was depriving himself of participating in the Passover. This was an important occasion, something that he no doubt valued. But he was prepared to put Jesus before his own interests. In this he is a challenge to us.

Joseph’s actions also involved him in taking part in an unusual gathering. When he and Nicodemus went to the cross they would have met there the Roman centurion and the penitent robber. It is not too much to imagine that they would have told Joseph all that had taken place. The penitent thief could speak of his assurance of heaven because of the promise of Jesus. The centurion could describe how watching Jesus led him to realise that he was the Son of God. Nicodemus would recall his evening meeting when Jesus spoke to him of the new birth. In a sense, this gathering was just like a church, in which different people tell what Jesus has done for their souls. It is a picture of the spiritual unity that exists, between Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, noble and ignoble, all forgiven by the Saviour who died for them.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist by Edward Payson

1.       From this subject we may learn who are, and who are not, the real preachers of the gospel, the true ministers of Jesus Christ. You need not be told that among those who claim this title great differences prevail. Some preach one thing, and some another; and it is of infinite importance, of no less importance than your everlasting happiness, that you should be able to ascertain who are right; who are the true guides whom God hath appointed to conduct you to heaven. By attending carefully to the conduct and character of John the Baptist, you may learn how to do this.

2.        We know that he was divinely commissioned and taught; for we are told that he was a man sent from God; that he was a prophet and more than a prophet. We may therefore conclude that all, who are sent of God to preach the gospel, will resemble John in their preaching. And what did he preach?

3.     I answer, he preached repentance toward God. ‘I, indeed,’ says he, ‘baptize you with water unto repentance.’ ‘In those days,’ says the evangelist, ‘came John the Baptist preaching and saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ This he preached to all classes and characters alike. He also taught his hearers to manifest their repentance by a corresponding life: ‘Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance; for the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.’

4.        But while he inculcated repentance, he taught his hearers not to trust to their penitence, nor to baptism, nor to any outward privileges for salvation, but to Christ alone. To exalt Christ and turn the attention of sinners to him, seems to have been the great object which he always kept in view. Especially was he careful to teach his disciples that he could not himself save them. All who came to him he sent to Christ. He seems to have considered himself only as a waymark, whose business it was to stand with extended finger and point to the Saviour, crying, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.’ He told the people that they should believe on him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. In all his preaching still he held up Christ to view as all in all, and like St. Paul testified to all his hearers of every description, repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

5.   That they might know how repentance and faith were to be obtained, he taught them the necessity of divine influence, of being baptized with the Holy Ghost as a purifying fire; and informed them that Christ alone could baptize them in this manner; that without this they would be no better than chaff, and as such would be burnt up with unquenchable fire.

6.     Thus he made Christ the whole subject matter of his preaching, and represented him as the beginning and ending, the author and finisher of our faith. Thus then will all preach who, like John, are sent of God. They will determine to know and to make known nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, and will teach all men to honour the Son even as they honour the Father. They will not seek their own glory but the glory of Christ. They will strive to draw disciples not to themselves but to him, and will feel no apprehension of exalting or teaching others to exalt him too highly. Nor will they fail to insist much on the necessity of divine influences, of being baptized with the Holy Ghost, saying with our Saviour, ‘Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

7.    In the second place, all true ministers of the gospel will imitate John in their temper and conduct; especially in his humility. Highly honoured and distinguished as he was, you see how meanly he speaks of himself in comparison with Christ. He felt his need, as a sinner, of being baptized with his baptism. He felt unworthy to stoop down and loose the lachet of his shoes, a plain intimation of his readiness to cast himself and all that he possessed at his Saviour’s feet. Similar will be the temper of all who truly preach the gospel. They will learn of their Master to be meek and lowly in heart; and though, in consequence of his removal from this world, they cannot perform menial services for himself in person, yet they will be ready, in imitation of him who washed his disciples’ feet, to perform the meanest and most laborious offices of kindness for the lowest of his followers.

8.    Such, my friends, will be the mode of preaching, such the temper and conduct of the true ministers of Christ. When you find such you may safely follow them, for they are the followers of John, of the apostles, and of Christ; and those who refuse to follow such guides would have refused to follow Christ and his apostles, had they lived in their day.

Elijah, the preacher

In 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah appeared suddenly to Ahab, passed on the Lord’s message and then went and lived in another obscure place. Yet his short message has lessons for us as preachers. The first is Elijah’s understanding of who the Lord is.

It is clear from Elijah’s opening words that he knew that his God was alive and aware of what was going on. The prophet knew that his God was not like the inert gods of the pagans. But he also knew that his God was not like the impressions that were being given about him in the northern kingdom of Israel at that time. The rulers of Israel for several decades had imagined that they could manipulate God and his ways for their own ends. They had their own reasons for erecting and supporting alternative places of worship in Dan and in Bethel. Yet all they were doing was demeaning the authority of the living God and their actions revealed that they were indifferent to what he regarded as important. All this flowed from the fact that they did not believe he was alive.

Second, Elijah recognised that he was accountable to God. We can see this outlook in the prophet’s words, ‘Before whom I stand.’ We are not told where Elijah was when said this – he may have met Ahab in a royal dwelling or he may have met him in an open space. The one thing that is clear is that Elijah did not worry too much about being in the presence of an earthly king. Standing includes the idea of showing great respect and Elijah recognised that he was accountable for his actions. So he never forgot that he was in the presence of God, no matter who else was in the room.

This self-description by the prophet also highlights the sense of authenticity that he had. Elijah knew he was different from the false prophets, whether of Baal or any other god. He had stood and heard more than once the Lord’s call to him to serve in particular ways, and this awareness made him brave in his actions. He had no doubts about the role God had mapped out for him.

There is another element that this self-description reveals about Elijah and that is his consciousness of the authority he had as the Lord’s messenger. The Lord had given him a message to say, and a difficult message at that, and this was sufficient authority for Elijah. When a person senses this authority he will speak to anyone, even if the message from God is threatening, as it was here.

Third, his message from God confronted the sins of the time. It is obvious that Elijah had a message of judgement, but we can ask, ‘Why was there a particular form of judgement involving the dew and the rain?’ The answer is that the message about Baal claimed that he was in charge of the seasons, that he was able to control the elements in order to give good harvests. We can see how the prophet’s short message spoke directly to the situation facing the people of Israel. As Elijah was later to ask them, the choice was between Baal and its worldview and Yahweh and his covenant commitments. God’s message always confronts contemporary culture – that was the case in Elijah’s day and it is the same today. The promised judgement, passed on by Elijah, showed that Yahweh was mighty and Baal was non-existent. We must do the same. There is little point in preaching about the threats of a century ago (unless they are still here). We have to be relevant when calling people to repentance.

Hosea the preacher

What was Hosea like as a preacher? Here are some suggestions from Hosea 1 and 2.

Before the word of the Lord spoke through Hosea (1:2), it had to come to Hosea (1:1). Obviously, this had to be true in a sequential sense, but it is also true from a proclaiming sense. A true preacher should not declare a message (1) that he has not received from God, (2) that has not spoken to him first, (3) that has not become part of his outlook.

The names of the kings in Hosea 1:1 inform the reader that changes in the political world did not cause Hosea to adjust the message he had received from God.

The changes also reveal that he was sent by God to the last generation of Israel (1:4 describes the collapse of the house of Jehu when Jeroboam II died, which set off a sequence of short reigns in Israel before it went into captivity in Assyria). The reigns of the mentioned kings was a time of great prosperity for some, but marked by oppression, injustice and poverty for others. Syncretism in religious worship was widespread. Political changes, social conflict and popular religious declension meant it was a difficult time for Hosea to be God’s servant.

Hosea’s lifestyle had to be in line with his God-given message. A servant of God must have divine authority for unexpected actions. Hosea probably had to endure lots of comments about his family life, even from pious people. In order to persevere, he needed clear divine guidance in his own mind.

Hosea as the Lord’s servant had to feel in measure what the Lord felt regarding the waywardness of his people when they wandered away.

It is also the case with Hosea that his message had to include references to the emotional experiences of God, especially with regard to how he felt at his people’s rejection of him. God was disappointed, angry, longing to forgive and to restore.

Hosea had to discover the awfulness of sin before he could declare his message. Sin, especially among God’s people, is the spiritual equivalent of infidelity (which stresses its heinousnes).

Eventually, after years of obedience to God’s requirements (performing obligations that indicated divine judgement), Hosea was given a great promise of future divine blessing (1:10-11). The fulfilment was far in the future, and came in a manner perhaps not anticipated by Hosea (Rom. 9:25-26).

The message Hosea was given about God, as far as chapter 1 is concerned, was that he is a God of justice who will punish sinners, that he is a God of sovereign mercy who chooses to forgive sinners (1:6-7).

God, in telling Hosea what to say, also tells him how he is to say it. In 2:2, God twice tells Hosea that his manner of preaching has to be pleading. Clearly, this is an Old Testament equivalent of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:20: ‘Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.’

First in More Than One Way

The first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared was Mary Magdalene, one of his devoted followers (John 20:11-18). He had delivered her from seven demons and in response she used her wealth and provided material help for Jesus and his disciples. She had shown recently that her devotion was much stronger than that of Jesus’ male disciples – she had remained at the cross until he died and then followed his body to the tomb where he was buried.

 

It does not seem to have entered the minds of the male disciples to do anything about the body of Jesus that had been placed in a borrowed tomb. Yet Mary and her female friends, marked still with tender love for Jesus, had resolved to engage in a last act of love for him. They did not mind the potential danger of helping one who had been crucified as a criminal. Nor did they have a clue as to how to remove the large stone from the entrance to the tomb. Love does not have excuses for not honouring Jesus, and so they made their way to the garden of Joseph. Jesus was their world, even when they thought they could no longer have it.

 

Why did Jesus appear first to Mary? I think that those who suggest it was because of her deep love for him are correct. If there is one feature in the lives of his disciples that the risen Jesus will not resist, it is overflowing love. True, Mary’s love was uninformed, yet it was pouring out of her heart.

 

Before she came to the tomb that morning, she had been sad because her hopes had been dashed. But in the garden she is still miserable, even although she has both the evidence of the empty tomb and the angelic explanation of the resurrection of Jesus. Sadly she had not listened carefully to the words of the heavenly messengers. That is evident in her continued belief that Jesus was still dead. Sorrow can deafen our ears to the words of comfort. Neither had she fully absorbed the significance of the empty tomb, although it was enough to convince John (John 20:8). Sorrow can blind our eyes to what may be obvious to others.

 

But there was another cause for her sorrow. The reason why she was crying was because all these helps could not make up for her the sense she had of the absence of Christ. As David McIntyre pointed out, ‘The historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is quite convincing to the historian, but the lover of Jesus may crave for something more intimate.’

 

It was not enough for Mary that she had known Jesus in the past; she wanted more than a memory of what once had been her contact with Jesus. And she had not forgotten why she had come to the tomb, which was to care for the dead body of Jesus. Spiritual love at times be may be irrational, but it is better than clinical theology. Such love is always marked by a desire to serve, and Mary wanted to serve Jesus by taking care of his body (similar to the way a devoted servant will look after the affairs of his dead master).

 

After Mary had repeated her desire to take care of the body of Jesus, he spoke to her personally. He called her by the name her intimate friends would have used, ‘Miriam.’ This was the voice of the Good Shepherd calling his own sheep by name.

 

She responded to Jesus with an expression of great love. When she says, ‘Rabboni,’ she means ‘my dear Master’. It expresses deep affection. According to Leon Morris, no-one would use the title in speaking to another human; instead it was used in addressing God. So Mary was marked by devout adoration. She virtually says the same as Thomas did later on when he addressed Jesus as ‘my Lord and my God’.

 

In her heart, there was recognition of Jesus. How often had she heard his sweet voice speaking personally to her! One word from Jesus removed the darkness from her soul and replaced it with eternal light. In her heart also there was rejoicing. The sweet voice that had comforted her and guided her before was still speaking to her. One word from the risen Jesus removed the sorrow of her soul and replaced it with great joy.

 

So Mary had the great privilege of hearing the first words spoken on earth by the resurrected Christ: ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ These words echo down to us in our sad situations and ask us, ‘What are your priorities?’

 

Are there any lessons for us from this incident? Surely it tells us not to stop with the messengers (angels) but to persevere and meet the risen Master; it tells us not to stop at the sign (the empty tomb) but to seek the risen Saviour until we are satiated with his joy; it tells us that the greatest privilege is to serve the risen Christ in whatever way he chooses for us.