bad news

Dark Days Ahead

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1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

If Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to encourage Timothy, this section seems to veer wildly off course. In it, Paul shares a rather bleak and pessimistic view of the conditions Timothy can expect to find in the days ahead. Essentially, he is warning his young friend that things are going to get worse before they get better. In his efforts to spread the gospel and instruct the saints, Timothy should not expect the world to be transformed into heaven on earth.

With his use of the term, “last days,” Paul is referring to the time period that began with the birth of the church at Pentecost and will continue until the Lord returns for His bride at the Rapture. In his first letter, Paul had already warned Timothy to expect an increase in apostasy and demonic activity.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. – 1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT

And  Paul was not alone in his gloomy assessment of the final days. The apostle Peter also shared a rather dismal outlook for the future.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?” – 2 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

And Jude echoed the words of the apostles, warning his readers to expect the last days to be marked by an increase in “scoffers” – those who stand opposed to Christ, His followers, the things of God, and the truth of the gospel.

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. – Jude 17-19 NLT

If Timothy was successful in helping believers to live lives that were set apart from the world, they would act as bright lights in the darkness, exposing the sinfulness of those around them and accentuating the glaring difference between holiness and wickedness.

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. – Ephesians 5:11-14 NLT

Timothy could expect difficult days ahead because of the increasingly wicked context in which he would carry out his ministry. He would find himself sharing the good news of the gospel in a world filled with evil people with bad motives. And Paul shares a long and far-from-flattering description of what Timothy can expect to encounter in these last days.

…people will love only themselves and their money – Vs. 2

People will be plagued by selfishness and self-centeredness. They will be narcissistic and self-consumed, refusing to love others and spending all their time and energies on loving themselves. And they will use money as a means to gratify their own desires. They will chase the almighty dollar in an attempt to satisfy their insatiable appetite for pleasure, possessions, power, and prominence.

They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God… – Vs. 2

Their growing affluence will make them self-sufficient and arrogant, as they glory in their own greatness. Their self-made success will cause them to dismiss the very idea of a sovereign God of the universe. They will see themselves as the masters of their own fates and the captains of their souls. Mankind will inculcate the values expressed by Napoleon Hill in his classic work, Think and Grow Rich.

“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct, and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” – Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich (1937)

King David wrote a psalm that describes the very nature of these kinds of people.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. – Psalm 14:1-3 BSB

Money will become a substitute for God, serving as the primary source of comfort, provision, and purpose for life.

And Paul goes on, describing the world’s inhabitants as “disobedient to their parents” (2 Timothy 3:2 NLT). Each of these descriptions stands in stark contrast to the Ten Commandments. Rather than honoring their fathers and mothers, people will treat them with disdain by disregarding their God-given authority.

Ingratitude will become commonplace. And this ungratefulness will be primarily directed at God. A spirit of dissatisfaction fueled by unmet expectations will run rampant. People will never be happy with all that they have and will refuse to give thanks to God for all that He has done. Paul expressed this problem in his letter to the church in Rome.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. – Romans 1:21 NLT

And it gets worse.

They will consider nothing sacred… – Vs 2

Paul used one Greek word to describe these individuals: anosios, and it means unholy or wicked. Their lives will be marked by a complete disregard for all that God has deemed holy. While Christ-followers are called to live set-apart lives, the rest of humanity will share the common distinction of being unholy because they will not belong to God. They will stand in rebellion against Him.

And their antipathy toward God will reveal itself in a range of godless behaviors that expose the destructive nature of their chosen lifestyle.

…unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. – 2 Timothy 3:3-4 NET

The last days will be marked by love of self and hatred of others. This narcissistic, self-consumed lifestyle will have corporate consequences. No one will truly care for anyone other than themselves. The world will become an increasingly selfish place where everyone looks out for their own self-interests, at the expense of all others. It will be every man for himself. Disunity, discord, dissension, and division will be the order of the day. Everyone will care only for themselves, a trait Paul describes as self-love that is motivated by self-pleasure.

If it feels good, do it. That will be the mantra of the day. And the love of pleasure will replace the love of God. The quest to fulfill sinful desires will overwhelm any sense of living in obedience to the will of God. But Paul warns Timothy that this will not be an irreligious time. In fact, people will pursue all kinds of spirituality in the form of a wide assortment of man-made religions. But they will all prove unprofitable because they will lack any transforming power. Paul states that people “will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly” (2 Timothy 3:6 NLT).

The pursuit of godliness apart from God is impossible. The desire for contentment, significance, and meaning in life can never be fulfilled apart from a relationship with God. Man’s tireless quest for pleasure at all costs will always fall short because true joy is unattainable without God. And a restored relationship with God is impossible apart from a belief in the saving work of Jesus Christ. So, as Timothy continued to do his work of preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, he was to avoid all those who displayed a persistent and stubborn rejection of the truth. The self-righteous and falsely religious were not interested in what Timothy had to offer. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they viewed themselves as spiritually whole and in no need of a Savior. They pridefully viewed themselves as healthy individuals who did not require the services of the Great Physician.

But there would always be those who understood their need for healing. Timothy would always find that there were some who recognized their sickness and were unashamed to seek the help of the Savior. So, he was to keep on teaching, preaching, and proclaiming the good news of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Convicting Power.

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And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:8-11 ESV

Jesus had just told His disciples that it would be to their advantage if He went away, because when He left He would send them the Holy Spirit to indwell them. So in place of Jesus’ physical presence, they would have the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. Then Jesus told them one of the aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry: He would convict the world. What is important to remember is that Jesus had already told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would live within them, not just among them. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17 ESV). I think it is essential to keep these two thoughts together as we examine this passage. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would indwell His followers. But He also said that same Holy Spirit would convict the world (the lost) concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.

It would seem that Jesus is saying that the power of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within the lives of believers would have a convicting influence on the lives of the lost. The Spirit within us provides us with the power to live free from slavery to sin and capable of living righteously and rightly before God. The very presence of Christ’s followers living in the power of the Holy Spirit gives proof of the gospel and brings conviction on the lost. Paul echoed this thought when he wrote, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 ESV).

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul told them, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 ESV). But how were they to expose them? Paul provides the answer. “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:13-16 ESV). Our lives should have a convicting influence on the lost living around us. Our God-given capacity to live righteously, provided by the Holy Spirit within us, will expose the sin and unrighteousness of those who do not yet know Christ. We will live out the truth of the gospel, giving proof of its efficacy.

But our lives, as a result of the Spirit’s presence within us, will also convict the lost world of righteousness. The Greek word Jesus used in this passage was elegchō and it means “to bring to the light, to expose.” It can also mean “to refute” and “to show one his fault.” It would seem that Jesus is saying that the righteousness of His disciples, made possible by His coming sacrificial death and the Spirit’s indwelling presence, would expose the false righteousness of the world. Self-righteousness can never measure up to Christ’s righteousness. And it is only Christ’s righteousness that makes us right with God. It is not what we do as Christians that makes us right with God, but what Jesus did for us on the cross. Our positional righteousness before God, made possible by Christ, and our practical, everyday righteousness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will convict the lost of their false righteousness. Which then leads to the Spirit’s final point of conviction: Judgment.

Without the righteousness Christ provides, the lost have no hope. They are condemned and destined to an eternity separated from the love of God. But our presence among them provides proof that forgiveness is possible and the gift of grace made available through Christ’s death on the cross is free to all who will accept it. But those who refuse will suffer judgment. One of the primary ways in which the lost will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment is through the sharing of the gospel. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been commissioned to spread the good news regarding His death, burial and resurrection and the free gift of salvation He has made possible. What makes the gospel “good news” is the fact that it stands in direct opposition to the “bad news.” Man is sinful, unrighteousness and stands condemned and convicted of rebellion against a holy and just God. He has no way of fixing his problem, apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. As we share the good news regarding God’s love as revealed in His sacrifice of His own Son, it will bring conviction on those who hear. And as we live out the life-transforming reality of that message in our daily lives, we will be light, exposing the darkness and convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.

Ehpesians 2:11-18

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Without God. Without Hope.

Ephesians 2:11-18

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. – Ephesians 2:12 NLT

As believers, it’s sometimes easy to focus on our status as God’s children, member of His family and heirs of His kingdom. And there is certainly nothing wrong with dwelling on that reality. We have much for which to be grateful and our status before God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us is something we should never take for granted. But Paul also wants us to have a firm grasp on that from which we have been delivered. There is a benefit to focusing on our new-found standing as forgiven and righteous sons and daughters of God. But there is also a real benefit to remembering our pre-conversion condition. Paul writes, “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts” (Ephesians 2:11 NLT). The Greek word Paul uses is mnēmoneuō and it means, “to be mindful of, to remember, to call to mind.” We are to call to mind and reflect on what our condition was like before coming to Christ – and this is something that is true of each and every believer in Christ, regardless of their background. Paul is writing to Gentiles or non-Jews, and he tells them that they were at one time “outsiders” or those who lived outside or excluded from the Hebrew people. They were viewed as “uncircumcised” and, therefore, inferior. They lacked the physical mark that would have set them apart as God’s chosen people. Not only were they not Jews, they were apart from Christ and completely separated from God. They were God-less and hopeless.

In a way, as Gentiles or non-Jews, they were doubly cursed. They were outsiders when it came to national identity. Only the Jews were considered the people of God. Only the Jews had been hand-picked by God as His prize possession. And God had not chosen them because they were special or somehow deserving of His favor. In fact, it was just the opposite. “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT). God had chosen the Israelites, in spite of them, not because of them. And yet, the Gentiles were not included. They had no clue of the promises God had made to the Israelites, and even if they did, they were not included in them. On top of that, they didn’t know Christ. So they were non-Jews and non-believers. As a result, they were enemies of the Jews and enemies of God. They were without hope in the world. Not exactly an encouraging statement.

But…

Here Paul goes again. There is good news to go with the bad news. “But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13 NLT). Just when things couldn’t seem to get any worse, they get amazingly better. All because of the death of Jesus Christ. These hopeless, helpless, God-less individuals had been made right with God, brought near to Him, because of what Jesus had done for them. The truly amazing thing is that God has not just reconciled men to Himself, He has reconciled men to one another. Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. even Jews and Gentiles, in spite of their long-standing animosity for one another, were now able to unified through Christ. “He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups” (Ephesians 2:15 NLT). God replaced the requirement of the Law with the gift of grace made available through His Son’s death. God leveled the playing field. He removed any requirement for salvation other than faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Now Jews and Gentiles can have a restored relationship with God and with one another, through the redemptive, reconciling work of Jesus.

The truly incredible thing is that every single one of us, Jew or Gentile, were in the same boat at one time. None of us could have saved ourselves. The Jews, who had the Law, couldn’t keep the Law. The Gentiles, who had not been given the Law, were still condemned by the Law, because it was the revealed will of God for all men. So we were all God-less and hopeless. And yet, God, in His great mercy and grace, brought us near to Him through the death of His own Son. Christ’s death in our place restored us to a right relationship with God. And none of us deserved it. “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us” (Ephesians 2:18 NLT). That is a reality we should never forget. The Good News is great news because the bad news was so devastatingly bad. God has done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. He made possible the impossible. And that is something we should never forget.

Father, give us strong memories. Never let us forget all that You have done for us. Never let us gloss over just how bad things were when You revealed Your Good News to us. My gratitude increases every time I recall the gravity of my condition before Christ saved me. I was God-less and hopeless. And I was powerless to do anything about it. But You did what I could not do. You provided what I could not provide on my own. You accomplished the impossible and provided the unattainable. Thank You!  Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 3

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Good News. Bad News.

Romans 3

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. – Romans 3:22 NLT

We’ve all heard plenty of “good news – bad news” jokes. They usually start out with the statement, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.” In a way, that is exactly what Paul is saying in his letter to the Roman believers. Except that his message was anything but funny. He had good news for them, which they had already heard and believed. But he also wanted to make sure they grasped the bad news that “all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin” (Romans 3:9b NLT). Paul was addressing a common misconception that still exists today. In his day, the Jews believed that because they were the chosen people of God, they were exempt from God’s wrath. They saw themselves as a privileged people and because of their position as God’s chosen race, He was somehow obligated to protect and preserve them, regardless of what they did. They put so much stock on the faithfulness of God, that they twisted it into some kind of blind allegiance to them, that would overlook their failures and bless them, in spite of them. In other words, their sins would somehow be ignored by God, just because they were His chosen people.

But Paul doesn’t mince words when he exposes the fallacy in their argument, and he uses the writings of King David to make his point. “No one is righteous – not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away, all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). That is the bad news. And just to make sure that there is no confusion as to just how bad the bad news is, Paul reinforces it with these familiar and powerful words: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). You can’t make it any clearer than that. Everyone has sinned. There are not exemptions and exceptions. All men have failed to live up to God’s glorious standard. The Jews, because they had been given the law by God, somehow thought that was enough. Earlier in this letter, Paul had addressed the Jews directly. “You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law” (Romans 2:17-18 NLT). But here’s the problem: “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it” (Romans 2:23 NLT). They knew the law, but didn’t keep it. They knew what God expected, but failed to meet those expectations. And they stood condemned, just like the Gentiles.

But here’s the Good News. In spite of all men, whether Jew or Gentile, having sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous standard, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:24-25 NLT). All men can be made right with God, not by keeping the law, but by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Their sinfulness was rebellion against a holy God, and Romans 6:23 tells us that the penalty for that rebellion was death. Yet Jesus paid our penalty in full with His own life. He took our place. He bore our burden. He died the death we deserved and then made available to us a righteousness we could never have achieved on our own. He made us right with God. “He declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:26b NLT). That is incredibly Good News. And it all that much greater when we realize just how bad the bad news really is. None of us deserve God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness. None of us can boast, because we have done nothing to be accepted by God. The restoration of our right standing with God is all the result of His grace and Christ’s sacrifice. “We are made right with God through faith” (Romans 3:28 NLT). Now, that truly is Good News!

Father, never let me take for granted the Good News about Jesus Christ. Don’t let me ever assume that I somehow deserved Your grace and mercy. Keep my former sinful state seared into my brain. Yes, I am forgiven, redeemed and restored to a right relationship with You. But don’t ever let me forget that it was my sins that sent Jesus to the cross. It was for my sins that He died. My sins required that You give up Your own Son and that He willingly sacrifice His own life. I deserved death, but He took my place. My condemnation was real. My guilt was deserved. But I am right with You, because of what Jesus did for me. Thank You. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Romans 1:1-17

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Right With God.

Romans 1:1-17

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:17 NLT

It’s not hard to tell what Paul has on his mind as he launches his letter to the believers in Rome. Seven times in seventeen verses he brings up the topic of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This was a favorite topic of Paul’s and he never grew tired of writing and talking about it. But his interest was far more than academic. The Good News truly was great news to Paul because it had transformed his life in a real and radical way. At one time he had been a paid persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ, arresting Christians and throwing them in prison. He was determined to destroy Christianity and everyone who confessed to follow the teachings of Jesus. He was on his way to the city of Damascus to continue his personal vendetta against “The Way,” when he had a personal encounter with the resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His recounting of the story is recorded in Acts 26, where he is on trial before King Agrippa. “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the son shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

“‘Who are you, lord? I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.'” (Acts 26:12-18 NLT).

At that moment, Paul’s life was radically changed and he would never be the same man again. He became one of the greatest witnesses for the transforming power of Christ and spread the message of the Good News found through faith in Christ throughout the known world of his day. Paul knew the power of the Good News. He had experienced it first hand. He had been called and commissioned by Jesus Himself to tell of this Good News to each and every person he met, and he did so unashamedly and unapologetically. The essence of the Good News and what makes its message great is that it contains the key to men being made right with God. Paul knew that apart from the Good News, there was nothing but bad news in store for all men and women. Throughout this letter, Paul would remind his readers over and over that there was only one way for them to be made right with God. And it was through faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of good works, religious efforts, or behaviorial change would fix what was wrong between them and God. They were all sinners and all faced the same dire prognosis. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). They all faced the same fate. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a NLT).

But Paul had Good News. “…but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b NLT). The Good News was that God had provided a way for men to be restored to a right relationship with Him. He had provided a solution to the problem of sin and the penalty of death. He had sent His own Son to die in the place of men, sacrificing His own sinless life in order to pay the penalty for their sins and satisfy the just demands of a holy, righteous God. And all anyone had to do was accept the reality of that fact and believe it to be true for them – by faith. Paul will spend the rest of his time in this letter, painting the very real picture of the bad news and proclaiming the unbelievable reality of the Good News. This letter will be deeply personal, incredibly theological and highly practical. It will reveal the incredible mind of the apostle Paul and his passionate desire to see all believers grow in their knowledge of Christ and experience the full scope of the life-changing nature of the Good News. Read it slowly, thoughtfully and deliberately. Ask God to give you a deeper love and appreciation for the Good News than you have ever had before.

Father, make the Good News truly great in our lives. Don’t let us become complacent about this greatest of all gifts. Drive into our minds the reality of the bad news so that we might better appreciate the unbelievable beauty of the Good News. We have been made right with You and we played no part in it whatsoever. Don’t let us take that for granted. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 69 – Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45

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So What’s the Good News?

Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hand of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” – Matthew 17:22-23 NLT

For the second time, Jesus reveals some very disheartening and confusing news to His disciples. He gets them alone and tells them that He is going to be betrayed and killed, but then He will be raised from the dead on the third day. Mark tells us that the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, but they were afraid to ask Him to explain Himself. Probably because they didn’t really want to know. Jesus had talked about this before, and they didn’t like it any better now than they had then. Luke tells us that the significance of Jesus’ statement was hidden from them. It would not make any sense until after Jesus had actually died and been raised from the dead. The significance of it all would never really hit them until they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But that comes later in the story.

At this point, they were simply confused and saddened. They didn’t like what they were hearing. They didn’t want to think about it. It didn’t fit into their understanding of how things were supposed to work out. They were still thinking that Jesus was going to set up His kingdom on earth and that they would be ruling alongside Him as His faithful assistants. All this talk of betrayal and death was not what they wanted to hear. They didn’t even hear the part about Jesus being raised from the dead. Their attention turned off at the word “killed.” The reality was that God’s plan for Jesus didn’t mesh with their plan for Jesus. Their view of the Kingdom didn’t coincide with God’s view of the Kingdom. They were thinking temporal and earthly. Jesus was thinking eternal and spiritual. He came to set them free from the rule and tyranny of sin. They simply wanted Him to set them free from the rule and tyranny of Rome. God’s plan was so much bigger, grander, and comprehensive. But they couldn’t see it. They were blind to it. They were stuck in temporal mode. And the truth is, we can find ourselves in the exact same spot. Even though we live on the other side of the resurrection. We know it happened and we know why it had to happen. And yet we can still find ourselves struggling with God’s plan. It may be that we don’t particularly like this process called sanctification. We struggle with having to grow in Christ-likeness. It takes dedication, effort, obedience, trust, faith, and a total dependence on the mercy and grace of God. It is a slow and sometimes difficult process. It tends to reveal our weaknesses and exposes our sins. Which none of us like to see. Submitting to the Spirit’s authority in our lives is difficult for all of us. We have to daily die to our will and submit to His. We have to let go of our agendas and willingly follow His. Sometimes it seems that God requires of us things more than is fair. His plan for us seems uncomfortable and unattractive. We don’t like all the talk about taking up our crosses and dying to self. But that is part of the plan. It is God’s will. We have to learn to trust Him that He knows what is best for us. The disciples were learning the same thing. The idea of the death of Jesus was distasteful to them. They didn’t want to think about it. But it was essential if God’s redemptive plan was going to be fulfilled. Without His death, there would be no payment for sin and therefore, no forgiveness for sin. Without His death there would be no need for a resurrection, and without His resurrection, we would have no hope. We would still be in our sins and separated from God for eternity. God’s plan is not always easy to understand. It’s sometimes even harder to submit to. But we have to trust that He knows what He is going. He is not done yet. But He is always faithful and He is always right. No matter how it may appear to us.

Father, thank You for Your perfect plan. Forgive me for the many times I doubt it, fight it, reject it, or attempt to replace it with my own. You have always proven Yourself faithful and Your plan perfect. Help me trust You more. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org