Daily Gospel: 4/30/11

Christ speaks the same message in both the Old and New Testaments because He is speaking to the same people - those who by faith are His. That He is Captain of the army of the Lord is grace to Joshua and grace to us because by the same grace we are made soldiers in that army. The same grace in turn ensures the victory. He is our Captain. He, not Joshua, brings down the walls of Jericho. He, not Joshua, storms the very gates of hell. He, not Joshua, takes captivity captive. He, not Joshua, is Lord of lords and King of kings. And we, because He loves us, march in the victory parade with Him.

 - R.C. Sproul Jr., The Victory Parade We Don't Deserve, Tabletalk Magazine, April 2011, p. 27

This says it all about the royal wedding...

"Plus this world is in such a sad state, isn't this a wonderful way to distract us from what's going on in the world?"

 - A Syracuse, NY watcher of the royal UK wedding.

It would be really easy for me to get all cynical about the above quote, but "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18). Let's go with that.

I agree with the woman who said, "...this world is in such a sad state...". It is. The world truly is in a sad state. If I had to guess, this is what I think would be on her mind: recent unrest across many countries, carnage from tornadoes, seemingly unending wars, and many other things which presently dominate the headlines. Or maybe she was wrapped up in these sorrows: the death of a loved one, a struggle to pay rent, the everyday stress of life, etc. Earthly sorrows abound for all people. Earthly joys also grace our lives. But overall, what can be said about the world? Is there a certain hope or not?

A common remedy to assuage the pain of sorrows is to simply distract the mind with more light, happy, and often fleeting things. In this case it is a marriage celebration clothed in grandeur. But can temporary distractions give a mind lasting happiness and hope? Obviously not. What can? Doesn't the Christmas-time song go like this: "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!" The hope that the world longs for is the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.

So enjoy a fancy wedding for now. Nothing wrong with that. But don't ever seek relief from the sorrows you face by gripping to anything other than the hope which is found in Jesus.

Daily Gospel: 4/29/11

O for an overcoming faith
To cheer my dying hours;
To triumph o'er the monster Death,
And all his frightful powers!

Joyful with all the strength I have
My quiv'ring lips should sing-
Where is thy boasted vict'ry, Grave?
And where the monster's sting?

If sin be pardoned, I'm secure,
Death hath no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power;
But Christ, my ransom, died.

Now to the God of victory
Immortal thanks be paid,
Who makes us conquerors while we die,
Through Christ our living head.

 - Isaac Watts, Hymn 17

Sojourn Community Church recently put out a CD of hymns of Isaac Watts. I highly commend it.

Daily Gospel: 4/28/11

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

 - John 18:37-38

What is truth? What is the truth that Jesus bore witness to?

When the Pharisees were seeking to kill Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath (John 5:18), Jesus confronted them with some cutting words about who he was. There is much talk about bearing witness and testifying in John 5. In Jesus' address to the Pharisees, he said that the testimony of John the baptist was true (John 15:32). John the baptist was giving the crowds a big helping of straight talk - straight talk directly from God to the people about the Christ. Jesus knew this and said that John has "borne witness to the truth" (John 5:33). John was a truthful prophet (which is somewhat of a redundant phrase).

But the testimony of Jesus is greater than John's testimony (John 5:36). Jesus was testifying about himself, he was a single person whose testimony was self-authenticating because of the works that he was doing. These works were given to Jesus by the Father (John 5:36). Furthermore, even apart from Jesus' self-verifying testimony, the Father and the Scriptures all testify about Christ and validate his works, message, and person (John 5:37-39).

So, what is the bottom line truth that Jesus was bearing witness to? I propose it is this: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life (John 5:39-40). Jesus' testimony is about himself. It is about how he alone brings eternal life. This is the truth that Jesus bears witness to. How much more striking is it that Jesus tells Pilate that life is only found in him as Jesus closes in on his earthly death.

Daily Gospel: 4/27/11

First, we must notice that it is a reliable message. Both of those words are important, reliable and message. The gospel is not the same as asking Jesus into your heart. The gospel is not a program for becoming a better you. The gospel is not a series of ethical commands. The gospel is not an experience of generic spirituality. The gospel is the good news that God so loved the world that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to fulfill the law, to suffer as a man, and to die on the cross, bearing the penalty for sin the we deserved, and being raised on the third day that we might be declared innocent and righteous before God. The gospel is a message.

 - Kevin DeYoung

Via TGC

Daily Gospel: 4/22/11

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

 - Romans 4:5

"does not work"
"believes in him"
"justifies the ungodly"
"counted as righteousness"

These are foundational phrases for the doctrine of salvation, specifically justification. They are unique to the Christian faith. They go against everything in self-justifying heart of man. Yet they are the truth, and indeed the only glorious way which one can be saved - justified.

Do you work? Or do you believe? (A necessary caveat: believing is not a work that man meritoriously performs. See Machen's What is Faith? for multiple addresses to this topic.)

Come, you ungodly, and be justified by Jesus' blood.

Daily Gospel: 4/21/11

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

 - Psalm 100

I was brought back to Psalm 100 by this post over at The Resurgence. I had always read Psalm 100 mainly as a call to serve and worship God, but I am seeing how this Psalm can greatly soothe the doubting heart. Yahweh is God. Jesus is God. Know this. This is a fact. No questioning about it, God is God. He made all of humanity, all the creation. Moreso, he owns us, not as mere trinkets, but as cared and loved sheep. We, the redeemed Church of God, are especially cared for in his mysterious electing grace. Take comfort in this. I know it helps me. It puts ballast in the shaky boat of my heart.

Daily Gospel: 4/20/11

“Tears of sentimentality and pity are nowhere so much out of place as on Calvary. While resigning ourselves to such emotions, we mistake the Lord Jesus — nay, even degrade Him, and as regards ourselves, miss the way of salvation marked out for us by God. Hence the Savior exclaims, once for all, ‘Weep not for me!’ (Luke 23:28).”

 - F. W. Krummacher, quoted by Philip Graham Ryken in Luke (Vol 2) (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2009), 573

Via OFI

Daily Gospel: 4/19/11

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

 - Before The Throne of God Above, Charitie L. Bancroft

Via Cyberhymnal

Daily Gospel: 4/18/11

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

 - John 19:30

Wonderful preaching yesterday at Missio Church on John 18-19. Take some time today and meditate on the words of our Lord: It is finished. His grace is sufficient for you. Know this. Preach this to your heart.