death

Greatness and Glory Redefined

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32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:32-45 ESV

For the third time, Jesus reveals to His disciples what awaits Him in Jerusalem, including additional details that paint an even bleaker picture. They are making their way from the region of Perea to the capital city, and the procession is somber and silent. The disciples are no longer arguing over who is the greatest, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped thinking about it. They are still trying to process all that Jesus shared with them in Perea, and the last thing they heard Him say must have affected them.

“I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions…” – Mark 10:29-30 NLT

In a sense, Jesus told them that one reward for following Him was persecution. They each aspired to greatness, but Jesus had thrown cold water on those lofty aspirations, promoting a lifestyle of humility and service instead. In fact, He turned their expectations upside down by claiming, “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31 ESV).

So, as Jesus leads the way, the 12 disciples and a small contingent of other faithful followers tag along behind Him, confused and perplexed about what may lie ahead. Jesus, fully aware of their reservations about returning to Jerusalem, pulled the 12 aside and gave them one last reminder of His fate.

“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.” – Mark 10:33-34 NLT

Jesus was painfully explicit, refusing to hide the truth from His disciples. They are on the path that leads to Jerusalem, and Jesus reminds them that once they reach their destination, all hell will break loose. The religious leaders of Israel will allow their hatred of Jesus to come to an explosive crescendo, resulting in His torture and execution. The one the disciples believe to be the Messiah of Israel is telling them that He is going to die. Rather than being crowned the King of Israel, He will be condemned to death. Instead of being revered as the chosen one of God, He will be ridiculed and mocked as a common criminal, then killed.

But as before, the disciples miss the most important detail of His announcement: “after three days, he will rise again” (Mark 10:34 NLT).

What happens next is truly amazing, and it portrays the disciples in an unflattering light. But this isn’t the first time these men have revealed their true colors. In the previous chapter, Mark recorded their response to another one of Jesus’ attempts to explain His destiny in Jerusalem. It happened immediately after the disciples argued over which of them was the greatest.

This time, James and John are exposed for their insensitivity and apparent stupidity; they just didn’t get it. Nothing Jesus said seemed to register with them. Perhaps they were simply trying to avoid the awkward subject Jesus had raised. But, whatever their motive, their actions are difficult to comprehend or justify. Immediately after hearing Jesus describe His pending death in Jerusalem, these two brothers have the unmitigated gall to approach Jesus with a totally self-centered request.

“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” – Mark 10:35 NLT

These brothers were the sons of Salome, Mary’s sister. This made them half-cousins of Jesus, and it seems they believed their blood ties to Jesus qualified them for special treatment. In essence, they asked Jesus for a blank check; they wanted Him to affirm their request even before they made it known. But Jesus makes no such assurances; instead, He asks them to state their request, and what they share is truly remarkable and unfathomable.

“Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

Had they heard nothing Jesus said? Were they so incredibly dense that they couldn’t comprehend a single word He spoke? All His comments regarding greatness in the Kingdom of God had gone in one ear and out the other. They still expected Jesus to ascend the throne of David and establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, and they hoped to nab the two most powerful and influential positions in His administration. These two fishermen from Galilee demanded that Jesus reward them with royal postings that came with power and prominence. When they had heard Jesus say, “many who are first will be last, and the last first,” they misconstrued His meaning. They must have assumed that their lowly estate as fishermen made them the perfect candidates for these two highly prestigious roles. But they had no idea what they were asking.

When they mentioned Jesus coming into His glory, they pictured a throne, royal robes, and a restored kingdom of Israel. But Jesus referred to His glory as being His crucifixion. He told His disciples, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:23-25 ESV). 

The cross would be the means by which Jesus received glory from the Father. He would die, but then He would be raised back to life again. His death and resurrection would provide the final proof that He was the Messiah and the Savior of the world. That is why Jesus could say, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 ESV). John clarified what Jesus meant when he wrote, “He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (John 12:32 ESV).

So, when James and John asked for the right to sit on Jesus’ right and left when He came into His glory, they were unwittingly asking to take the place of the two thieves who were crucified beside Him. That’s why Jesus told them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” (Mark 10:38 NLT). 

Their understanding of glory was filled with images of thrones, crowns, royal robes, power, and prominence. But Jesus spoke of doing His Heavenly Father’s will. He would be “lifted up,” but to a cross, not a royal dais with a golden throne. Jesus’ path to greatness and glory would pass through the valley of death. He would drink the cup of God’s wrath and be immersed in the suffering that must accompany the sacrifice of His life for mankind’s sins.

James and John, still unable to grasp the meaning of Jesus’ words, boldly proclaimed their readiness and willingness to handle whatever responsibilities came with their new positions. But Jesus informed them that their time would come. They would have the opportunity to prove their allegiance by experiencing the same kind of harsh treatment from the world that Jesus was about to undergo.

“You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience.” – Mark 10:39 NLT

James was the first of the disciples to become a martyr for the cause of Christ (Acts 12:2). John was later exiled by the Roman Emperor to the island of Patmos. And it is believed that he too eventually suffered a martyr’s death. But both men would be glorified and reunited with Jesus in His heavenly Kingdom.

When news of what James and John had done reached the other disciples, they were incensed. Once again, the issue of greatness raises its ugly head as the remaining disciples fume over James and John’s attempt to secure for themselves the two best spots in Jesus’ royal administration. None of the 12 disciples could understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. Their anger reveals their jealousy and thinly veiled hope that they might be chosen for greatness. So, once more, Jesus tries to open their eyes to the truth by contrasting the ways of the world with the ways of God’s Kingdom. They are two diametrically opposed systems that promote completely different brands of leadership.

In the Gentile world, leadership is about power and domination, is maintained by wielding authority, and is motivated by self-promotion and the subjugation of others. But God’s Kingdom operates on a completely different paradigm.

“…whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.” – Mark 10:44 NLT

To make sure they understood what He meant, Jesus used Himself as the quintessential example of true greatness.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 NLT

Jesus was about to lay down His life for the sheep. Though He was the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel, He would make the ultimate sacrifice to pay the ransom for mankind’s sins. He would lead by serving, display His sovereignty by sacrificing, and achieve glory through dying. And when James and John later saw the two thieves hanging on either side of their friend and teacher, they likely remembered their awkward conversation with Jesus. There before them was the greatest display of what Jesus had been trying to tell them: the innocent Lamb of God dying for sinful men and flanked by two common criminals who deserved to die. In that moment, James and John must have realized that those were the two positions they had so arrogantly requested and so rightfully deserved.

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.

All According to Plan

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9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” – Mark 9:9-13 ESV

Being a disciple of Jesus must have been an emotional roller coaster. For three years, these 12 relatively uneducated men were exposed to mind-blowing, never-before-seen miracles and received a daily dose of profound, difficult-to-understand teaching that left even the scribes and Pharisees dumbfounded. Their time with Jesus was an adventure but also a head-spinning whirlwind of cryptic sayings and confounding experiences.

As Peter, James, and John made their way down the mountain, their minds must have been reeling from what they had just witnessed. Just minutes earlier, they watched Jesus transform right before their eyes. Suddenly, without warning or explanation, Jesus began to emanate a brilliant light. Mark described it this way: “his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them” (Mark 9:3 NLT). These three men had seen Jesus do many inexplicable and unprecedented things over the last three years, but nothing quite like this. Seeing Jesus walk on the water in the midst of a storm made a distinct impression. In fact, they had initially thought He was some kind of ghostly apparition. So what must have been going through their minds as they saw Jesus transfigured?

When the long-departed prophets Moses and Elijah suddenly appeared, the disciples seemed to begin putting two and two together. They knew that something spectacular was happening. As they took in the scene unfolding before them, they must have wondered if this was it — was Jesus getting ready to usher in His Kingdom? Had Moses, the great deliverer, come to help Jesus in His quest to free the people of Israel from their captivity under the Romans? Was Elijah’s appearance proof that the time had come? Was this the fulfillment of the long-awaited prophecy?

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” – Malachi 4:5-6 ESV

But the miracle on the mountain ended as quickly as it began. Suddenly, Elijah and Moses were gone, and Jesus stood before them just as He had been before. The glory was gone, but the moment’s impact lingered with the disciples. Peter, James, and John must have been bursting at the seams, eager to tell the other nine disciples what they had witnessed, but Jesus threw cold water on their plans, commanding them to keep it all to themselves until the proper time.

…he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. – Mark 9:9 NLT

Now stop and think about that statement for a moment. The disciples had just witnessed Jesus speaking to Moses and Elijah, and their minds must have been filled with thoughts of the coming Kingdom. Their hopes and dreams of Jesus being the long-awaited Messiah were about to come true. Yet He brings up the same topic He had raised before the transfiguration.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. – Mark 8:31 NLT

Peter found this news unacceptable and told Jesus so. But his verbal dismissal of Jesus’ words earned him a stern rebuke. Now Peter, James, and John were hearing Jesus bring up the same incomprehensible and objectionable subject again, and Mark makes it clear that they had no idea what Jesus was talking about.

…they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. – Mark 9:10 ESV

The disciples didn’t lack a concept of the resurrection; as Jews, they believed in a future resurrection of the dead. They were familiar with the writings of Isaiah and Daniel.

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
    and the earth will give birth to the dead. – Isaiah 26:19 ESV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. – Daniel 12:2-3 ESV

John would later record another occasion when Jesus told Martha that her dead brother Lazarus would “rise again” (John 11:23 ESV). She responded, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24 ESV). She believed in a future resurrection at the end of the age, and so did the disciples. But they struggled to understand how any of this related to Jesus establishing His Kingdom.

Confused by Jesus’ words, the disciples ignored them and focused on the scene they had witnessed on the mountaintop. They had seen Elijah with their own eyes, and this most likely had led them to believe that the prophecy of Malachi was being fulfilled. So, searching for clarification, they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?” (Mark 9:11 NLT).

Their question had a purpose. They had just seen Elijah, so they were asking Jesus to confirm that His messiahship was about to begin. One thing was meant to follow the other. Elijah had appeared; now it was time for Jesus to do His part. The disciples must have been thinking of another familiar Messianic passage from Malachi.

“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.” – Malachi 3:1-4 NLT

Malachi’s imagery seems to corroborate what the disciples saw on the mountaintop: the blazing Messiah, reigning from His temple, and restoring Israel to its former glory.

The disciples seem to have linked their sighting of Elijah to the timing of the Messiah’s appearance. They had just seen Elijah, so it must be time for Jesus to drop the charade and reveal Himself for who He really was: The Messiah of Israel. It was time for Him to get down to the serious business of ruling and reigning from David’s throne. They no longer needed miracles or difficult-to-understand messages.

Jesus assured them that their interpretation of Malachi was correct. “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready” (Mark 9:12 NLT). But the scribes and the disciples had left out an important part of the prophecy: Elijah would come first, but the Messiah would also have to endure great suffering. The people of Israel had conveniently ignored the many Old Testament passages that alluded to the Messiah’s death. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, King David wrote about how men would treat the Messiah.

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” – Psalm 22:6-8 ESV

Matthew records this prophecy’s fulfillment.

So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” – Matthew 27:41-43 ESV

The prophet Isaiah predicted the tremendous suffering and agony the Messiah would endure at the hands of sinful men.

See, my servant will prosper;
    he will be highly exalted.
But many were amazed when they saw him.
    His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
    and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. – Isaiah 52:13-14 NLT

He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care. – Isaiah 53:3 NLT

But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed. – Isaiah 53:5 NLT

He was oppressed and treated harshly,
    yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. – Isaiah 53:7 NLT

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that the same Scriptures that predict Elijah’s coming also predict the suffering of the Son of Man. So, He asked them, “Why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt?” (Mark 9:12 NLT). He wasn’t expecting an answer; He was making a point. God has a divine order; He has a plan, and every detail of that plan must unfold in order, including the Savior’s suffering. Then Jesus dropped the real news that must have exploded like a bombshell on the unsuspecting disciples.

“But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.” – Mark 9:13 NLT

Jesus wasn’t referring to the Elijah they saw on the mountaintop; He meant John the Baptist. The angel who visited Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, confirmed this in his message.

Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” – Luke 1:13-17 NLT

When Jesus and His disciples descended the mountain, John the Baptist was already dead, a victim of King Herod’s wrath. Jesus let the disciples know that John’s death would precede His own.

“…they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” – Matthew 17:12 ESV

The disciples’ experience on the mountaintop left them eagerly anticipating the long-awaited Kingdom. But something else had to happen first; the Son of Man must suffer and die. The cross had to precede the crown. Ridicule and rejection must come before resurrection and reigning. Jesus would have to endure the pain and ignominy of crucifixion before He could experience the joy of glorification. It was all part of God’s plan, and while it made no sense to the disciples, the apostle Paul later explained the method behind God’s seeming madness.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
   he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

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.

Blind to the Truth

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31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:31-38 ESV

When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was, Peter quickly answered correctly: “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29 ESV). But Jesus knew Peter’s understanding of what he meant was somewhat cloudy. Like the blind man Jesus had just healed, Peter vision of Jesus was initially fuzzy, and his understanding of Jesus’ identity was  incomplete. But Peter wasn’t the only disciple with a foggy perspective on Jesus.

So, in an attempt to add context and clarity to Peter’s answer, Jesus “began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.” (Mark 8:31 NLT).

When Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, he had none of those things in mind. The suffering, rejection, and murder of Jesus were not on his radar screen. His concept of the Messiah didn’t include any of these things and, without them, there was certainly no need for a resurrection.

This announcement from Jesus made no sense to the disciples. They knew He and the religious leaders didn’t get along, but they would never have dreamed that these holy men would attempt to kill the Messiah of Israel. Yet Jesus made it clear that “the elders and the chief priests and the scribes” would be the ones behind His death. These three groups comprised the Sanhedrin, the high council of Israel, which consisted of 70 members. The men who sat on this council were powerful, influential, and revered by the people. They were considered the spiritual elite of the day, and it was incomprehensible to think that they would conspire to kill Jesus.

Peter was appalled by this grim announcement and pulled Jesus aside to rebuke Him. Matthew tells us what Peter said.

“Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” – Matthew 16:22 ESV

It is hard to fully appreciate the force behind Peter’s statement. The NET Bible offers a more literal translation that shows how shocked and upset Peter was by Jesus’ words.

“God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” – Matthew 16:22 NET

This time, Peter didn’t understand what he was saying. He meant well, but his words were spoken rashly and without any thought as to their import. But Jesus’ response was quick and harsh. Mark indicates that Jesus looked at His disciples, and He likely saw eyes filled with fear and confusion. He could see the state of turmoil they were in and knew they shared Peter’s concern. But He quickly turned His attention to Peter and rebuked him in front of his peers.

“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” – Mark 8:33 ESV

Jesus accused the very man who had just confessed Him to be the Christ of being “Satan.” This public rebuke was meant to send a message, not just to Peter but to each of the disciples. By opposing God’s revealed will, Peter unknowingly aligned himself with the enemy. When Peter shouted, “God forbid,” it was as if he were demanding that God alter His plans. Jesus had just revealed the Father’s will for His life, but Peter didn’t approve. He found any mention of suffering, rejection, and death to be unfathomable and, therefore, unacceptable.

Matthew adds that Jesus accused Peter of being “a stumbling block,” using the Greek word skandalon to make His point. Peter’s rebuke was like Satan throwing a rock in Jesus’ path to cause Him to stumble. The enemy wanted Jesus to fail in His God-ordained mission and was using Peter to make it happen. Rather than help Jesus fulfill His role as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), Peter acted as an impediment. His well-intentioned desire that Jesus avoid suffering and death was more in line with the will of Satan than it was with God’s divine redemptive plan. Satan had been trying to derail the mission of Jesus from the beginning. Even after Jesus’ birth, Satan attempted to use King Herod to eliminate the Christ child. And more than 30 years later, after Jesus was baptized by John and led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Satan repeatedly tempted Jesus to disobey His Father’s will and abandon His mission.

Now, Peter, one of the 12, declared his opposition to Jesus’ divinely ordained ministry. Jesus had plainly stated that He must suffer, die, and then rise again. Every aspect of God’s plan was non-negotiable and necessary, and Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s will to the letter.

“I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.” – John 6:38 NLT

“My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” – John 4:34 NLT

“I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.” – John 14:31 NLT

Jesus told Peter that his perspective was skewed.

“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Mark 8:33 NLT

Without realizing it, Peter was demanding that his will be done. He had put his expectations and desires ahead of God’s. He could see no personal benefit from Jesus suffering and dying, and he had no need for a dead Messiah, or so he thought.

Peter didn’t realize that his wish for Jesus to escape death was actually a nightmare waiting to happen. Little did he know that without Jesus’ death, there would be no Kingdom or forgiveness of sin. Jesus had made it clear that He must be “lifted up” (John 3:14). Just as the bronze serpent was lifted up in the wilderness and brought healing to all those who were guilty of sin and facing death, so Jesus must be lifted up on the cross so that mankind’s sin debt might be paid in full. Only through Jesus’ sacrificial death could sinful men and women find restoration and redemption. Clinging to a living Jesus couldn’t save Peter; he was going to have to embrace the crucified Christ as his only hope of being reconciled to God.

Having rebuked Peter in front of his peers, Jesus expanded His audience by calling a crowd to join them. The message He delivered was meant to give Peter and the disciples further insight into His mission and their role in it.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” – Mark 8:34-35 NLT

Jesus was calling Peter and his companions to abandon their agendas. He knew they had all kinds of expectations concerning His role as the Messiah. They hoped that when Jesus finally established His Kingdom on earth, they would play vital roles in His royal administration. But Jesus was letting them know His Kingdom would come only through sacrifice. He would have to take up His cross, and they would have to do the same. He would willingly lay down His life so He could take it up again (John 10:17-18), and He expected them to follow His example.

Peter and the rest of the disciples couldn’t help but focus all their attention on the present. They were in it for what they thought they could get out of it. But Jesus had a much longer perspective. He realized that humiliation must precede glorification. Death had to come before life. Sacrifice was the key to obtaining the riches of God’s goodness and grace.

The disciples had short-term outlooks. They sought immediate gratification and hoped to enjoy their best life in the here and now, not the hereafter. Jesus’ emphasis on the soul was meant to realign their thinking by reminding them that there was a spiritual dimension to their lives. Their souls would outlast their physical bodies. They were eternal creatures living in a temporal world, and Jesus was trying to clarify their vision so they would embrace God’s plan of redemption with open arms and willing hearts.

Years later, long after Jesus suffered, died, was resurrected, and returned to His Father’s side in heaven, the apostle John wrote powerful words of admonition and encouragement to believers in the 1st Century AD. The members of his audience were facing persecution, suffering, and even death because of their faith in Christ. They were experiencing what it means to take up your cross and follow Jesus. But they were constantly being tempted to lose sight of the future and to pursue the pleasures of the present. So, John warned them:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Jesus closes His message with a sobering word clearly intended for the ears of His disciples.

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38 NLT

Jesus was not insinuating that Peter could lose his status as one of God’s chosen; He was simply warning Peter and the other disciples that they were about to face a difficult period that would test their allegiance and tempt them to abandon all hope. But Jesus assures them that, despite all that will happen, He was coming back. That was to be their focus. Yes, they will see Him arrested, tried, humiliated, crucified, killed, and buried. But they will also see Him raised back to life and watch Him ascend into heaven. And, at His departure, He left them with comforting words concerning His eventual return.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:1-3 NLT

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.

Here We Go Again

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1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha – Mark 8:1-10 ESV

There is the School of Hard Knocks, and then there is the lesser-known but equally popular School of Repetitive Lessons. The first provides unsolicited educational opportunities through difficult, often unexpected life experiences. These painful, often self-inflicted life lessons are a vital part of the human growth process. Friedrich Nietzsche said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

But many of us have spent more time in the second educational venue without even realizing it. Like the main character in the movie Groundhog Day, we wake up each morning with the eerie sensation that we’ve been here before. But we can’t quite put our finger on it. Everything feels a bit repetitive, almost as if someone has rewound the video of our life and hit replay. Like a child who must repeat second grade, we find ourselves reliving and relearning certain life experiences because we failed to grasp their significance the first time around. I affectionately call it God’s School for Remedial Slow Learners.

Today’s passage feels eerily familiar. As you read it, it’s hard to ignore the impression that we’ve been here before, because we have. In a sense, Mark lets us watch as the 12 disciples re-enter the School of Repetitive Learning, where they get a second chance to learn what they missed the first time.

Chapter 6 contains Mark’s account of the feeding of the 5,000. On that occasion, Jesus fed a large crowd, probably more than 10,000 people, with nothing more than five loaves of bread and two fish. He miraculously multiplied those meager resources so everyone in the crowd could eat as much as they wanted. When the people walked away full and satisfied, the disciples filled 12 baskets with the uneaten bread and fish. Those 12 baskets were a visual answer to Andrew’s question: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9 ESV).

Andrew deemed the five loaves and two fish insufficient to meet their needs. But in doing so, he failed to understand Jesus’ sufficiency. Even after Jesus proved His power to provide, the disciples failed to learn the lesson. Mark records, “they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:52 ESV).

So here we are again, watching the disciples reenter Jesus’ School of Repetitive Learning, and Mark makes sure we don’t miss the repetitive nature of this scene.

…again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat… – Mark 8:1 ESV

It was déjà vu all over again, but the disciples didn’t recognize they had been here before. So, Jesus sets up the scene for them.

“I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” – Mark 8:2-3 NLT

Jesus lobs them a softball, but they swing and miss. He graciously gives them a chance to prove they learned the lesson from the previous experience, yet one of them ignorantly responds, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (Mark 8:4 NLT).

The quiz had one simple question, and sadly, they revealed they had no idea what the answer was. They show no sign that they recognize anything familiar about this scene. So, once again, Jesus asks them to assess what resources they have.

“How many loaves do you have?” – Mark 8:5 ESV

All they can muster is a scant seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. By this time, you would expect at least one of the disciples to recall the earlier episode and make the connection. Surely Peter and Andrew could remember what Jesus had done with the five loaves and two fish. Wasn’t John smart enough to recognize what was happening and express confidence in Jesus’ ability to meet the moment’s need? Evidently not.

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. – Mark 8:6 NLT

Jesus performed yet another miracle and let His hard-hearted disciples participate; they became the means of distribution. The bread, broken and blessed by Jesus, passed from His hands through theirs. They took what Jesus provided and made it available to those in need. These slow-to-learn, quick-to-doubt men were given a glimpse of the future role they would play as Jesus’ ambassadors. The day was coming when His body would be broken for sinful men and women; the Bread of Life would offer Himself so the spiritually hungry might be satisfied. When that day came, the disciples would be tasked with distributing the Bread of Life to all who would receive it.

“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 ESV

Little did they know that these lessons were intended to prepare them for something far more significant and life-changing. They remained oblivious to the lesson that Jesus was trying to teach them. It would not be the last time Jesus used the metaphor of broken bread to convey the reality of His life’s mission. On the night Jesus celebrated His last Passover meal with His disciples, He revisited these two earlier experiences and connected the dots for them.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” – Luke 22:19 ESV

It had never been about loaves and fishes, satisfying temporal needs, or filling empty stomachs. Jesus had come to offer His life as a sacrifice for the sins of fallen mankind. And one day, these very same men would find themselves distributing the good news of Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection to the spiritually hungry. Jesus would offer His life to be broken, and they would have the joy and privilege of sharing the news of His gift with all who would accept it.

Jesus declared Himself the bread sent from heaven by God the Father.

“For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” – John 6:33 ESV

And He offered Himself as the means by which the hungry and thirsty might find satisfaction.

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger…” – John 6:35 ESV

So, as the disciples distributed the broken bread, they probably had the nagging sense that they had been here before. It all felt eerily familiar. The people ate, were satisfied, and, as before, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftovers. But they remained just as oblivious, having failed to learn the lesson Jesus was trying to teach them. But He would lovingly and patiently repeat the message because He knew the day was coming when the light would go on, and all the lessons would make sense. These men, who found themselves in God’s remedial school for slow learners, would become His primary means of distributing the Bread of Life to a spiritually famished world.

For the second time, Jesus fed a hungry crowd with a few loaves of bread. But that was just a picture of the day when His body would be broken so that a host of hungry sinners could find spiritual sustenance and new life.

“Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” – John 12:23-24 NLT

The apostle John records that the day after Jesus fed the 5,000, the people showed up again hoping to get another free meal, but Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you” (John 6:26-27 NLT). And people confirm Jesus’ suspicion when they respond, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31 NLT).

They were still looking for a handout, but Jesus warned them that they were missing the point. He replied, “My Father did…offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33 NLT). This message was intended for His disciples. He wanted them to understand His true identity and mission. 

“I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:49-41 NLT

The crowd and His disciples found His message confusing. His talk of eating His body and drinking His blood was hard to understand. But again, Jesus was trying to help His disciples grasp the real purpose of His incarnation.

“I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:57-58 NLT

Jesus had not come to fill stomachs and provide temporary relief from sickness; He was on a mission of redemption and restoration that would bring eternal life to those enslaved to sin and condemned to death. Yet, the disciples struggled to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. His actions and words left them confused and conflicted. But rather than giving up on them, Jesus lovingly, patiently, and methodically revealed His identity through His miracles and messages. And, one day, they would graduate from the School of Repetitive Lessons and hear Jesus give His commencement address.

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

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.

God Alone

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1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” – Mark 2:1-12 ESV

Mark has noted that Jesus “went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39 ESV). One of the miracles He performed on his ministry junket was healing a man with leprosy. Jesus physically touched the unclean man, removing all traces of the disease and leaving him completely whole and ceremonially pure. And though Jesus had warned him to tell no one, the man couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Eager to spread the news about his restored condition, “he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter” (Mark 1:45 ESV).

Eventually, Jesus returned to Capernaum, a small town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which served as His base of operations. But as news of His miracles continued to spread throughout the region, the crowds grew in number and intensity. They had heard rumors that Jesus had “healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons” (Mark 1:34 ESV). 

These unbelievable reports created hope and longing among others who suffered from sickness and affliction. Their desperate desire for healing and restoration drove them to seek this miracle-working Rabbi from Nazareth. Mark indicates that they showed up in Capernaum, surrounding the place where Jesus was staying. This was most likely the home of Simon and Andrew, where Jesus had healed Simon’s mother-in-law.

The emboldened crowd pushed its way into the home, filling it to capacity and spilling out into the street. Jesus took advantage of this captive audience by “preaching the word to them” (Mark 2:2 ESV). The Greek word Mark used is logos, which can be translated as “word,” but refers to the communication of a particular concept or idea. Earlier in his gospel, Mark indicated that Jesus had picked up the ministry that John the Baptist had begun by “proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15 ESV).

So, those who had crowded into the home of Simon and Andrew were forced to hear a sermon from Jesus. They came seeking healing but received a lesson on their need to repent. The good news was that the Kingdom of God was near, but the bad news was that they were not prepared to enter that kingdom; they had sins for which they needed to repent. That was the whole purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry in the Judean wilderness.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Mark 1:4-5 ESV

It seems likely that “the word” Jesus spoke that day contained ample references to the need for confession, but confession without forgiveness is insufficient. As John wrote in his first letter, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV).

Confession and repentance, while necessary, will not provide anyone with entrance into God’s kingdom. Without forgiveness, the stain of sin remains, leaving the confessor impure and unworthy to enter God’s presence. The entire Jewish sacrificial system was based on the fact that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV). Sacrifices had to be made. An innocent life had to be taken. Blood had to be spilled.

So, as Jesus preached to the people, He likely declared their need for forgiveness. They came seeking physical healing, but He made sure they understood their need for something far more significant. In God’s sovereign will, an opportunity presented itself to demonstrate what Jesus was trying to communicate.

As Jesus preached, four men showed up carrying their paralyzed friend on a pallet. When they found it impossible to get through the crowd packed into the small home, they went to the roof. In desperation, they cut a hole in the roof and lowered the pallet into the room where Jesus was speaking. The noise and debris must have brought Jesus’ sermon to an abrupt end. All eyes in the room turned to watch as the paralyzed man was lowered into the room.

What happened next is significant. Mark states that upon “seeing” the faith of the friends who had lowered the man into the room, Jesus spoke. But before we look at what Jesus said, we need to examine how He “saw” their faith. These men had come with a specific purpose in mind. They had carried their friend to the home, dug a hole in the roof, and lowered him into the room because they believed that Jesus could heal him. Their faith was evident in their actions. They longed to see their friend made whole, and they believed Jesus had the power and authority to do it.

They had heard that Jesus could heal and were confident He could restore their friend’s mobility. But they didn’t know Jesus could forgive sin. Their pressing need was the healing of their friend’s paralysis, but Jesus knew that physical healing was not enough.  But upon seeing their faith in action, Jesus spoke. He turned to the man laying on the pallet and said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:6 ESV). Rather than offering physical healing, Jesus declared him spiritually whole. He gave the man something no one in the room had come to receive, and Jesus’ words left the crowd in stunned silence. They didn’t know what to say.

But some Jewish religious leaders in the room heard what Jesus said and immediately declared Him a blasphemer.

“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” – Mark 2:7 ESV

These scribes were anxious to see whether the rumors about Jesus were true. Could he really perform miracles? But when Jesus offered the paralyzed man forgiveness for his sins, they were shocked and appalled. In the minds of the Jews, sickness was a byproduct of sin. Sickness and disease were considered punishments from God for sins committed against Him. The worse the disease, the more egregious the sin that caused it. They considered this man’s debilitating paralysis a punishment from God, and yet Jesus declared that his sins were forgiven. They must have keenly observed that the man remained completely immobilized and unable to move from his pallet.

Jesus, well aware of the impact of His words and the accusation of the scribes, posed a question: “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” (Mark 2:8-9 ESV).

In their minds, Jesus had committed the unpardonable sin. He had dared to place Himself on equal footing with God, who alone can forgive sins. But Jesus pointed out that forgiving someone’s sins was easy; anyone could do it. The question was whether He had the power and authority to do so. In their minds, the answer was no; Jesus had no business offering this man forgiveness for the sins that had caused his paralysis.

But to prove He had the power and authority to forgive the man’s sins, Jesus did the more “difficult” thing; He healed the man. But He made sure they understood the motive behind the miracle He was about to perform.

“So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” – Mark 2:10 NLT

Then He did something that left everyone in the room slack-jawed and surprised.

Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” – Mark 2:10-11 NLT

It required no effort for Jesus to speak those words; anyone could have done it. But when Jesus spoke, amazing things happened, and this time was no different than all the others. As soon as the words left Jesus’ mouth, “the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers” (Mark 2:12 NLT). In a split second, the man’s paralysis was completely gone; he had been miraculously restored to full health and vitality. If this man’s sickness resulted from sin, then his sins must have been forgiven. Everyone in the room could see that he was no longer under any form of divine punishment or condemnation.

Jesus’ actions did not confirm the scribes’ erroneous belief that illness is caused by sin. He demonstrated that He had the God-given power and authority to restore both physical and spiritual health. He could eradicate the effects of sickness and eliminate the condemnation of sin.

Jesus did not make the formerly paralyzed man sinless; He made him physically whole. The sad reality is that, in his newly restored state, that man went on to live a life marked by sin; it was inevitable and unavoidable. But by healing the man, Jesus displayed His divine power. If He could restore a paralyzed man’s ability to walk, He could also restore the spiritual health of a humanity paralyzed by sin, and that is why He came to earth.

The people “were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” (Mark 2:12 ESV). They were blown away by the man’s healing, but they missed the point Jesus was making. They saw healing as more difficult and more important than forgiveness of sins. The restoration of the man’s physical condition overshadowed Jesus’ renewal of his spiritual condition. No one in the room had come to receive forgiveness of sins; they longed for healing or the chance to witness a miracle. But all the signs and wonders Jesus performed were intended to demonstrate His power and authority over sin, death, and the grave. He was the Son of God and came to give sinful humanity a way to receive forgiveness for their sins and a restored relationship with God the Father.  Yes, He could heal diseases, but His real mission was “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV).   

“Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?” (Mark 2:9 NLT). The truth is, both are easy to say, but it takes someone with power and authority to back up their words with actions. Jesus spoke, and the man was healed. He forgave the man’s sins, and it was so. Because He had the power and authority to make the man whole, both physically and spiritually. 

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.

Run To Win

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6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV

It is important to maintain the close connection that links verses 5 and 6. Paul calls Timothy to “always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry,” and then adds a strong motivational clause: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” This was the important “why” behind Paul’s impassioned plea. Essentially, Paul was telling Timothy to take the baton from his hand and finish the last leg of the race. Paul was done. He wasn’t quitting or throwing in the towel, but he knew that his days were numbered. Confined to prison in Rome and awaiting trial before the emperor, Nero, Paul somehow sensed that his ministry was quickly coming to a close. He greatly desired that Timothy stand in the gap his departure would create.

Paul describes his life as a drink offering poured out as a sacrifice to God. This imagery would have resonated with Timothy and reminded him of the drink offerings used in the Jewish sacrificial system. God had ordained their use in His original instructions to Moses, given during Israel’s journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan.

“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.” – Exodus 29:38-41 ESV

There were a variety of different drink offerings, but they all shared the same fate. Prior to sacrifice, each lamb or bull was to be ceremonially slaughtered, with the blood being drained from its body. Once the animal was burned on the altar, the appropriate drink offering was to be poured out on the altar, “as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord” (Numbers 15:10 ESV). In a sense, the flour, oil, and wine mixture became a symbol of the blood poured out on behalf of the one offering the sacrifice. God told Moses elsewhere, “For the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible” (Leviticus 17:11 NLT).

Jesus picked up on this imagery on the night He shared a final Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room. He poured wine into a cup, then stated: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20 ESV). He was preparing to spill His blood so that they might have their sins atoned for.

This imagery would not have escaped Timothy’s notice as he read Paul’s words. His dear friend and spiritual father was telling him that he too was being poured out like a drink offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And to add a further sense of immediacy, Paul uses the Greek word, analysis to describe his pending death.

…the time of my departure has come… – 2 Timothy 4:6 ESV

This word conjures the image of a ship preparing to depart on a journey, with its ropes loosened from their moorings. Paul saw his death as inevitable and unavoidable, but he did not fear or dread its coming. In fact, he shared with the believers in Corinth his deep longing to be at home with the Lord.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. – 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NLT

Paul could face death with confidence because he knew what lay ahead, and he was at peace with his efforts for the kingdom. He had done his job well. He had served faithfully.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

Paul wasn’t bragging or boasting; he was simply expressing his confident assertion that his life had pleased God. And while he knew that his death would result in his appearance before Christ, he had no reason to be fearful when facing his Savior once again.

…we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT

Paul knew his death would come long before Christ’s Second Coming, but he was confident he would not miss a single moment of that great day. He would receive the final reward, the crown of righteousness, that awaits all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

…now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. – 2 Timothy 4:8 NLT

Paul knew all his effort for Christ in this life would be rewarded in the life to come. He believed, as did the apostle John, that his ultimate reward would be a life of sinless righteousness, like Christ’s.

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. – 1 John 3:2 BSB

That future hope is what kept Paul going in the present reality of his imprisonment and pending death. He could face anything because he knew his salvation and ultimate glorification rested on God’s unfailing love.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. – Romans 8:38 NLT

With that hope in mind, Paul continued to run his race well. He kept his eyes on the objective and knew the finish line was in sight.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:14 NLT

He wanted Timothy to run his race with the same intensity and intentionality. He knew there would be days when Timothy wanted to give up. His young friend and fellow minister of the gospel would face potential setbacks and difficulties. His strength would ebb, and his motivation would dissipate. But Paul knew from personal experience that the best way to survive the rigors of the race was to keep your eye on the prize.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 BSB

Paul was passing the torch to Timothy. He wanted his young friend to know the race was well worth running. There would be an end to the pain and suffering. The weariness and feelings of sheer exhaustion would one day cease. In the meantime, Timothy had to keep fighting the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. And as the author of Hebrews points out, Timothy was not the first and would not be the last to run the race of faith.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. – Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT

Others have run the race of life before us. They completed the course that God laid out for them and are now enjoying their promised reward. Their efforts were not in vain, and neither will ours be. So, we run with determination and an unwavering confidence that the final prize will be well worth the effort. As Paul told the believers in Corinth, “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT).

Father, just his morning, I received news of the death of another one of Your saints. He was a godly man and a leader in our faith community. But You have called him home. He finished his race. He crossed the finish line. And now, he is enjoying unbroken fellowship with You and Your Son. While I will miss him, I know I will see him again. I also know that he is cheering us on from the sidelines, encouraging us to keep fighting the good fight, finish the race, and remain faithful. None of us knows when our race will end, but we keep running because we value the prize You have promised. The race is not the point, the reward is. We are not hamsters on a wheel, running in circles but going nowhere. Our lives are not meaningless and headed into a void of non-existence. No, we are Your sons and daughters, and heirs of Your Kingdom. We know where we’re going and we run with eagerness to reach our destination. It isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it because, when our race is over, the prize will be priceless. Amen 

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.

Conflicted, But Confident

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18 Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. – Philippians 1:18-26 ESV

Paul opens this section of his letter by reconfirming his determination to rejoice in his circumstances. While news of his imprisonment had disturbed the believers in Philippi, for Paul it had been just another God-ordained opportunity to spread the gospel. If others attempted to take advantage of his situation by serving as messengers in his absence, so be it. As long as Christ was being lifted up, Paul was perfectly okay with it all, even if some of these people were motivated by envy rather than a sincere love for the lost.

Paul knew that any success he enjoyed in his ministry had not been because of his powers of persuasion, but because of the power of the gospel. In writing to the believers in Thessalonica, Paul reminded them of the treatment he and Silas had suffered in Philippi because of their preaching of the gospel. Not long after their arrival there, they had cast out a demon from a young slave girl. With the exorcism of the demon, she lost her ability to act as a fortune teller for her masters, and they lost a much-needed source of revenue. In an act of revenge, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the magistrates of the city, where the two men were severely beaten and thrown in jail. Paul reminds the Thessalonian believers that all of this had taken place just before he arrived in their town.

You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NLT

Despite all that had happened in Philippi, Paul and his companions boldly declared the gospel in Thessalonica, even in the face of opposition. They did so, not for money or the praise of men, but to please God as His faithful messengers. So, Paul was unconcerned with the motives of others. As long as they were preaching salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, he was satisfied and could rejoice. He was not in the ministry for what he could get out of it. For him, it was a calling, not a job, and He never saw himself as a gifted spokesman using his talents to further the Kingdom of God. He even describes himself as nothing more than a fragile clay jar containing the treasure of the gospel message (2 Corinthians 4:7). When he wrote to the Corinthian believers, he reminded them that their conversions were due to the power of the Spirit, not his own eloquence.

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NLT

But as Paul wrote to the Philippian believers from his house arrest in Rome, he divulged the tremendous internal conflict he was having. It had nothing to do with a fear of death; he knew that was a possible outcome of his pending trial before Nero, and he was perfectly at peace with that. In fact, he flatly stated, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23 ESV). He saw death as a reward, not a punishment. But he also struggled with the desire to continue his ministry among the churches he had helped to start. As much as he longed to be with the Lord, he also felt that his work on Christ’s behalf was far from over. That’s why he told the Philippians, “I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith” (Philippians 1:25 NLT).

One thing motivated Paul’s actions and attitude: bringing glory to the name of Christ. If he could do that through deliverance from prison and a continuation of his ministry, so be it. But if his trial resulted in a death sentence, he saw that as a gracious deliverance by God from this sin-marred world. When all was said and done, Paul simply wanted to honor Christ in all that he did, which is why he stated, “I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die” (Philippians 1:20 NLT).

Paul was not making much of himself. He was not bragging about his superior spirituality or attempting to set himself up as an icon of righteousness and religious virtue. He was attempting to encourage the believers in Philippi to share his perspective on life. He didn’t view his arrest and imprisonment as a setback or a sign of God’s disfavor; he sincerely believed that it was all a part of God’s will for his life. By maintaining his focus on Christ and trusting God’s will, Paul had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11 NLT). That is why he could say, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12 NLT).

He knew the Philippian believers were facing their own set of difficulties. They would have to struggle in their faith journey, just as he had. He wanted them to stay strong, to remain committed to the cause of Christ, and to see God’s sovereign hand in all that happened in and around their lives.

Paul was convinced that he would be released and would one day see them again. But in the meantime, he wanted to encourage them to persevere. Later in this letter, Paul writes these powerful words of testimony and encouragement.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us… – Philippians 3:14 NLT

Then he follows up this statement of personal conviction and commitment with a call for them to follow his lead.

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. – Philippians 3:17 NLT

In the verses that follow, Paul provides the Philippians with specific details concerning the conduct of all who claim heavenly citizenship as God’s children. Their journey of faith would be easy or trouble-free, but God had equipped each of them with the indwelling Holy Spirit and placed them in the body of Christ.  They had all the resources they needed to thrive, not just survive what lay ahead.

Paul was torn between two opinions; he was ready to see his Lord and Savior face to face, but he was also anxious to continue his ministry of exhortation and evangelization around the world. He was prepared to face the ongoing struggles of doing God’s will in a fallen world, but he considered death as a promotion, not a punishment. So, whether he faced a long life of service to God marked by pain, persecution, and opposition, or if his next step was heaven, he would rejoice because he was in God’s good and gracious hands.

Father, it’s difficult to understand how Paul could so calmly and confidently state his willingness to continue suffering for the cause of Christ or to face death by execution at the hands of the Romans. It makes him sound like some kind of super saint or, at worst, an overly zealous disciple with a death wish. But he was sincere and meant every word he said. I can’t imagine undergoing a fraction of what he suffered in serving You. I am quick to complain about the smallest setback and reluctant to do anything that might cause me the slightest inconvenience. Yet, as Paul suffered a prolonged confinement in Rome, he wrote some of his powerful and impactful letters. He regularly shared the gospel with all those he met, including the Roman guards who kept him imprisoned. He prayed, not for his release, but for the wellbeing of other believers as they attempted to navigate life in a fallen world. He was the consummate shepherd and a faithful messenger who took his role seriously. He loved life, not because of the personal pleasures it afforded him, but because of the opportunities it provided for sharing the gospel. He longed for death, not because it would provide an escape from the trials of this world but because it would reunite him with Your Son for eternity. Open my eyes, so that I might see life and death the way Paul did. I don’t want to simply admire his dedication and determination; I want to embrace it for as many days as You give me on this earth. Amen

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.

Free to Live and Love Like Christ

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1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. – Romans 7:1-6 ESV

In this section of his letter, Paul seems to be addressing his words to believing Jews in the church in Rome; to “those who know the law.” To drive home his point about freedom from sin and the law because of our death with Christ, he appealed to their understanding of how the law worked. According to the law, if a woman attempted to marry another man while her husband was alive, she would be a lawbreaker and guilty of committing adultery. But if her husband were to die and she remarried, she would not be committing adultery because his death would have freed her from the condemnation of the law. That particular law would no longer apply in her case.

So it is with those of us who have died with Christ. As Paul stated earlier, “our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6 ESV). Not only has the old self been crucified and put to death, but the condemnation of the law has passed away as well. That does not mean that when we sin, we are not breaking God’s law. When you lie, you are violating God’s command against lying. When you covet, you break God’s command: “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17 NLT).

But even when we knowingly or unwittingly break God’s law, there is no longer any condemnation. Paul makes that perfectly clear in the very next section of his letter.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2 ESV

For the believing Jews to whom Paul was writing, their lives prior to coming to know Christ were marked by a constant need to keep God’s law perfectly. To fail to obey all of His laws was to come under His just and justified condemnation, a fate that brought the penalty of death. Just prior to his death, Moses warned the people of Israel about the gravity of failing to practice perfect obedience to God’s law.

“If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed.” – Deuteronomy 28:45 NLT

Centuries later, James picked up on this warning in his letter to believing Jews.

But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. – James 2:9-11 NLT

That is why Paul refers to it as “the law of sin and death.” The law could not save; it could only expose and condemn. It could not sanctify anyone or make them more holy; all it could do was show them their sin. In fact, Paul states that very fact in verse seven of this chapter.

…am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” – Romans 7:7 ESV

As he stated in Chapter 6, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV). This ties back to his earlier statement in Chapter 5.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. – Romans 5:12 NLT

Adam’s sin didn’t result in the immediate termination of life, but it did result in the first couple being expelled from the garden and their loss of intimacy with God. Their relationship with God was permanently and irrevocably changed because they had chosen to disobey God’s prohibition against eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So the death Paul refers to is not just physical; it has a spiritual dimension. Violation of God’s law produces alienation from Him because He is holy. God had made His expectations of the people of Israel clear.

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2 ESV

“…if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – Exodus 19″5-6 ESV

Their holiness was non-negotiable. As God’s children, the Israelites were to live set-apart lives that clearly differentiated them from all the other nations. But God knew they would never live up to His righteous standards. That was the whole purpose behind God giving them the sacrificial system. He knew they would violate His law, so He provided them with a means for restoring their damaged relationship with Him. He designed the sacrificial system to provide atonement for their sins. The blood of innocent lambs and bulls had to be shed to pay for their sins. Breaking the law brought condemnation and a death sentence. And the author of Hebrews describes the redemptive nature of God’s sacrificial system

…under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. – Hebrews 9:22 ESV

Speaking to his Jewish brothers again, Paul reminds them that they had “died to the law through the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4 ESV). Like the widowed woman in Paul’s illustration, they had been freed from the law so that they could belong to another. In their case, their new “partner” was Jesus Christ. They were no longer obligated to keep the law because they had died to it. Through their death with Christ, they had been set free from the law. As a result, they were no longer condemned by the law.

In their case, they were the ones who had died. The law still existed, but their death had nullified their covenant relationship with the law. So now, when they violated God’s law, there was no longer a death sentence hanging over their head. All their sins, past, present, and future, had been paid for by the blood of Christ. He had paid the penalty for their sins with His own life. And their newfound freedom allowed them to “bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4 ESV).

Prior to their salvation, Paul’s Jewish brothers found themselves doing battle with the law and the flesh. While they knew what the law demanded of them, “the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death” (Romans 7:5 NLT). Despite knowing God’s laws, they ended up violating them and producing “fruit for death” (Romans 7:5 ESV).

But Paul reminds them of the good news of the gospel:

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. – Romans 7:6 ESV

Now we have the Spirit of God to convict us when we sin. Rather than condemning us, the Spirit provides us with a new way of responding to our sin.

…we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 NLT

The Spirit also provides us with a new capacity to refrain from sinning in the first place. St. Augustine wrote, “The doctrine through which we receive the commandment to lead an abstinent, virtuous life, is the letter. This kills unless there is with it the Spirit, which makes alive” (St. Augustine, Concerning the Spirit and the Letter).

Without the help of the indwelling Spirit of God, the law can only condemn us to death. But with the Spirit’s help, we can live according to the law, not out of a fear of condemnation or the threat of death, but out of love and gratitude for the grace of God as expressed through the gift of His Son.

Father, You haven’t lowered Your standards. You didn’t decide to grade on a curve or dumb down Your expectations. Instead, You offered Your Son as the solution to our longstanding problem with sin. He did what we couldn’t do; He kept Your law perfectly and established Himself as the sinless, unblemished sacrifice, worthy of shedding His innocent blood as atonement for our death sentence. As a result, we are no longer on death row awaiting the just condemnation for our sins against You. Instead, we are fully forgiven and totally acquitted of any and all crimes we have committed — for all time. We stand before You as righteous and pure because we have been covered with the blood of Christ. And You made it all possible. Thank You! Amen

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.22

Sin No Longer Has Dominion

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12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:12-14 ESV

It seems obvious that Paul knew the power and reality of indwelling sin. He would not have told his readers, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,” if the possibility of it happening had not existed. In verse 16, he writes, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16 ESV).

Each day, Christ-followers have the choice to give in to and be enslaved again by sin or to live in obedience to their God-given, Spirit-empowered new nature. The temptation to give in to sin is ever-present, and that’s why Paul warned his readers, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desire” (Romans 6:12 NLT).

There is a conscious choice that must be made. We can present our bodies to sin as instruments for unrighteousness or to God as instruments for righteousness. We can allow our sin nature to determine our actions, or, through the power of the Holy Spirit, use our bodies as instruments of God’s will. These physical bodies in which we live are the means by which we can accomplish God’s work in this world. With these bodies, we can love others as Jesus commanded, or we can lust after one another. We can use these bodies to accomplish God’s will or to selfishly fulfill our own.

Following the natural inclination of our sinful nature can produce some very damaging and destructive fruit. In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul described the outcome of a life in which sin is allowed to reign. 

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

If you allow sin to dictate and dominate your behavior, you will end up obeying its passions and desires. Paul understood the power of “the flesh” and took steps to keep his physical body in check.

I discipline my body and keep it under control. – 1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV

Paul stresses that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have died to sin; it was as if we were crucified alongside Christ.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24 NLT

The sinful passions and desires that emanate from our sinful nature no longer have control over us. And yet, our physical bodies constantly tempt us to satisfy our basest instincts. We have to fight the constant cravings and desires that stand opposed to God’s will for us. Paul put it this way:

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

But Paul also gives us the key to resisting the urges of our flesh:

…let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. – Galatians 5:16 NLT

We can choose to live under the Spirit’s control and influence, or we can allow our sin nature, working through our physical bodies, to dictate our behavior. That is why Paul so strongly encourages us to “put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world” (Colossians 3:5 NLT).

He warns us, “Run from sexual sin!” (1 Corinthians 6:18 NLT). He encourages us to “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT).

We belong to God. We have been purchased by the blood of His Son, and while these earthly bodies are temporary and will one day be replaced with new, redeemed bodies, we are obligated to use them for God’s service as long as we live on this earth.

At one time, Paul had used his earthly body to persecute Christians, throwing them into prison and even putting some of them to death. But once he was redeemed from his old way of life by placing his faith in Jesus, he radically reversed course. Having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, Paul determined to make his body his slave and to use it for the glory of God and the good of His Kingdom. Rather than live as a captive to his body’s desires, he made his body his slave, using it to accomplish God’s will.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul made his sin-prone flesh an instrument for righteousness. And that is God’s call for all believers. He has not yet redeemed our physical bodies, but He wants to use them for our good and His glory. Paul describes our current condition in these terms:

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

Sin’s dominion or control over us takes place primarily through our physical bodies. It is with our bodies that we fulfill our sinful passions. We use our tongues to lie and deceive. We use our eyes to lust and covet. We use our bodies to commit immoral acts. We use our hands to steal. We use our feet to take us places that are against God’s will for us. We use our brains to think inappropriate thoughts and plan unrighteous acts.

But as gospel-transformed, Spirit-empowered believers, we have the capacity to use these fallen bodies as instruments of righteousness. We can use our hands to serve others. We can use our eyes to see needs and meet them. We can use our bodies to accomplish God’s will. We can use our tongues to encourage. We can use our feet to take the gospel across the street and around the world. Because sin no longer has dominion over us.

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your lovingkindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

“Living Hope”, Phil Wickman, Brian Johnson, Bethel Music Publishing, Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, and Sing My Songs (administered by Essential Music Publishing

Father, every day is a battle. I sense Your presence and I am aware of Your Spirit’s prompting in my life, but I still feel those constant urges to give in to my sinful flesh. Anger can come far too easily and quickly. Improper thoughts can manifest themselves at the blink of any eye. Jealousy, envy, coveteousness, greed, pride, and revenge jockey for prominence and dominance in my life. And yet, I enjoy regular time in Your Word and an increasing awareness of Your Spirit’s power and provision. The truth is, this life can be a roller-coaster existence of spiritual highs and lows. But, as Paul said, sin is no longer my master. I don’t have to give in to my basest desires or buy the lies of the enemy that tempt me to prioritize my will over Yours. That is the power of the gospel. I am a new creation, and I have a new capacity to live in keeping with Your will. Not in my own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, it’s a daily battle, but one that I am able to win because Jesus has conquered sin and death. He has not only made my new life possible, but highly achievable. And I have You to thank. Amen

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.22

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

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18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:18-21 ESV

Paul continues his contrast between Adam’s one act of unrighteousness and Christ’s singular act of righteousness. Adam’s sin led to condemnation and death for all men, while Christ’s sacrifice led to “justification and life for all men” (Romans 5:18 ESV). But Paul seemed to know that some in his audience would question why God had bothered to give the law in the first place. Why would He have given a set of rules that no one could keep? Paul responds to that unstated question by stating that the “law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were” (Romans 5:20 NLT).

God provided His people with the law, not to eliminate sin, but to expose it. In Chapter 7, Paul writes, “it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, ‘You must not covet’” (Romans 7:7 NLT). But he also adds that “sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died” (Romans 7:8-10 NLT).

God gave the law to the people of Israel to prove that no man could live up to God’s holy and righteous standards. He had given them a comprehensive compendium of legal commands covering every conceivable aspect of life. He left nothing up to their imaginations or personal opinions. It was all in black and white, so they had no excuse and could not plead ignorance. They knew what God expected, but because of their sinful natures, inherited from Adam, they could not accomplish what God demanded of them. As a result, sin increased. They repeatedly and willingly violated the laws that God had laid out for them. 

But the good news is that “as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant” (Romans 5:20 NLT). Man’s guilt required God’s grace, and the wrath of God against the sins of man met the love and grace of God at the cross. It was there that God’s holy and righteous wrath was poured out against humanity’s sins and rebellion against Him.

God is a holy and just judge, and He cannot overlook or ignore sin. To do so would be an injustice and a violation of His own holy character. So, God had to punish man’s sins, and, as Paul states in the following chapter, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NLT). God required a proper payment for mankind’s sin debt, and that debt was paid by His own Son on the cross. God was required by His own law to punish sin, but the payment He required was the life of a sinless, unblemished sacrifice. The blood of a bull or goat would not suffice; it had to be a human sacrifice.

The book of Hebrews provides a detailed explanation for the necessity of Jesus’ substitutionary death on behalf of sinful humanity.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.” – Hebrews 10:4-5 NLT

It was the death of Jesus, the sinless Son of God, that propitiated or satisfied the just judgment of God against sin, and it all took place on the cross. It was there that the wrath and love of God were poured out simultaneously. His judgment fell on Jesus as He bore our punishment for sin, but His love was displayed as He provided a substitute to die in our place. As Paul stated earlier in this chapter, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). 

The amazing thing is that God’s grace abounded even as man’s sinfulness increased. He provided the law so that the scope and scale of man’s sin problem could be exposed. Earlier in his letter, Paul made it clear that even the Gentiles inherently knew God’s law and obeyed it because it was written on their hearts. It was wired into their DNA because all men are made in God’s image. 

Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. – Romans 2:14-15 NLT

Yet, both Jews and Gentiles had chosen to break God’s laws. They willingly violated what was written on tablets of stone and on their hearts.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. – Romans 3:23 NLT

Despite his gloomy assessment of mankind’s spiritual state, Paul provided the good news.

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for 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. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. – Romans 3:23-26 NLT

God had every right and even the righteous responsibility to deal with mankind’s sin. And yet, He delayed; He postponed judgment until such a time as He could send His Son to pay the debt mankind owed.

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. – Galatians 5:4-5 NLT

The grace of God, revealed through the life and death of Jesus Christ, is what makes it possible for men and women to be restored to a right relationship with Him. Rampant, runaway sin was no match for the grace of God. His grace super-abounds; it is more than sufficient. As the old hymn so eloquently puts it:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Grace Greater Than Our Sin, Julia H. Johnstone, 1910

Father, Your grace is greater. Greater than my sin. Greater than my doubt and disbelief. Greater than my stubbornness and constant reliance on my own self-sufficiency. Your grace exceeds my expectations and abounds far beyond anything I could ever earn or deserve. It is mind-boggling to think that You loved me enough to send Your one and only Son to die in my place. In a world where love is almost always reciprocal and a response to having been loved, Your selfless act of mercy and grace is difficult to comprehend. It seems illogical and inconceivable to us. And yet, as Paul so aptly puts it, You showed Your great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Your law exposed our sin and sealed our condemnation as law breakers. Yet, in Your love, grace, and mercy, You made a way where there was no way (Isaiah 43:16-19). You provided a means of salvation that satisfiied Your justice and made possible our justification. And I love You for it. Amen

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.22