The Meaning of Advent - "Coming" or "Arrival"

During this Advent season, we are breaking from our usual sequential readings and taking smaller sections from throughout the Bible that point to the coming of the Messiah. These readings can point to Christ's first coming in the flesh, which we celebrate through Christmas; they may also point to the second coming of Christ as the King of kings.

The season of Advent is one of thanksgiving, expectation, longing, and hope. We remember how Christ, the Lord of all the earth, came in the flesh to rescue us from sin and death. We also look forward to the day of His victorious return, when He makes all things new, and when He wipes every tear from our eyes.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1-7).

We have this hope and expectation because He came the first time, and changed everything. He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into His kingdom (Col. 1:13). Let us look back with thanksgiving on what He has already done for us, and let us look forward with joy at what He is about to do.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

JOHN 16:5-15 - So Close, Yet So Far Away

This past weekend, Joe taught from John 14 about how the Spirit is our help from God to love and obey Christ. The Spirit empowers us to live a life of worship that honors our Savior. Our response are either to be led by the Spirit, to ignore the Spirit, or to deny the Spirit. This week in our L3 readings, one of the passages we read was in John 16, where Jesus continues to teach about the Holy Spirit, who would come to the disciples after His death.

The Advantage

In this passage, Jesus goes so far as to say, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you (John 16:7)". He is telling His disciples that it is better for Him to leave them than it would be if He had stayed in the flesh. Why is that? How could it be better for Him to go away? I can only imagine the questions that the disciples had to be feeling after having spent three solid years physically walking with Jesus. It had to feel, in a way, like He was abandoning them. However, that couldn't be further from the truth.

God With Us

In his book The Problem Of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote something that has always stuck with me in regards to the distance and nearness of God. He says this: "God is both further from us, and nearer to us, than any other being" (The Problem Of Pain, p. 33). In the context of this quotation, Lewis is discussing the relationship between the Creator and the creature. As the Creator, God is very different than His creation. He is infinite, we are finite. He is omnipresent, we are in one place at a time. He is perfect, we are sinful. In these ways (and many others), God is very far from us. 

However, Lewis also speaks of how near God is to us (also called His "immanence"), in that He supplies every breath that we breathe, and any powers we have in this life are supplied by His endless power and energy. This divine nearness is further amplified by the Spirit's presence with us when we are in Christ. He is truly God with us. Before Christ's death and resurrection the Spirit was only given positionally to those who were leading God's people (kings, prophets, and priests). But, because Christ died in our place for our sins, we stand before God in Christ's perfect righteousness, and therefore His Spirit can dwell in us. Everyone who trusts in Christ has the Spirit.

In the Spirit, God is nearer to us than would be possible in any other way. This is why it was better for Christ to "go away," because rather than having only His physical presence in the flesh, we have His Spirit dwelling in us every moment of every day, empowering us to live a life that loves and obeys Christ, giving Him the glory He deserves as our Savior!

The Bottom Line

With the Spirit dwelling in us, we can follow His leading to love, honor, and exalt Jesus. We have God's continual presence in our lives, teaching us, transforming us, and making us holy. This work will be completed when we finally see Jesus face to face. Praise God for the gift of the Spirit, and may we never take His presence with us for granted.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

John 10:1-18

This past week in our L3 readings, we have been reading through John 10 and John 11, and we have been getting a clearer picture of who Jesus really is. In one section of these readings, Jesus used the analogy of a shepherd to describe Himself, as well as others who would try to fill His role for His people. In this post, we will examine some of the imagery that Jesus uses, so that we can better understand what He means when He calls Himself the "Good Shepherd."

The Shepherd

The first and dominant image Jesus uses is that of the shepherd. In relationship to the sheep, the shepherd is the sole source of guidance and provision for the sheep. Sheep are lost without their shepherd telling them where to find food and providing shelter for them. They are truly helpless on their own.

Another related image we see early in this passage is that of the sheepfold. It was usually made of stones or branches (as in the image above) to provide protection from predators or thieves during the night. Many times it was even in a cave with these elements set up in front. In this protective barrier, the shepherd would often leave a gap, or "door," through which the sheep and the shepherd would enter and exit. We will focus more on this aspect later, but Jesus' point at the beginning is that the real shepherd enters and exits by the door, which is the right way. Anyone else would have to break in or use some other way of entering, which would not be the proper way. It would reveal them as false shepherds, or worse.

In 10:3-5, Jesus also refers to His sheep knowing His voice. This is a testament to how sheep connected with their shepherd. Sometimes several flocks of sheep would reside in one pen overnight, and a shepherd's sheep recognize his voice so well that they would follow only when he would call. If anyone would even try to imitate their shepherd's voice, they would scatter in fear. Their attachment to their own shepherd is truly uncanny.

Also, as the true Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus says that He lays His life down for the sheep. He was willing to die to rescue them from danger. He would give up His own life for their benefit. His love for His sheep knows no limit, and He would spare no expense of Himself to save them.

Thieves and Robbers

The next image is that of thieves and robbers, which have very specific meanings, respectively. Both of these are contrasts to His role as the Shepherd for His people. According to A "thief" here means someone to deceives or tricks the prey. A "robber" implies violence and and plundering (from "The Expositor's Bible Commentary" on John). In each case, those who would try to come to the sheep by some other, improper means come only for one purpose: harm to the sheep.

The Door

The third main image is that of the door (some translations use "gate"). When Jesus used this word, He was referring to a specific practice of the shepherds of His day. Once all of a shepherd's sheep were in the sheepfold for the night, and he was sure his pen was secure, he would lay down in the gap at the entrance and literally be the "door." If anything was going to enter the sheepfold, it would have to go through him. To come into the fold, we literally have to go through Jesus.

The Hired Hand

The last major image that Jesus uses is that of the hired hand. This is the second image that He uses as a contrast to Himself. Jesus is probably referring to the religious leaders here. These leaders do not have ill-will for the sheep, and may guide them to provision and protection, but they are certainly more concerned with their own well-being than that of the sheep. They will not risk their own lives for the sake of the sheep. When trials come, they will run and leave the sheep to fend for themselves.

The Bottom Line

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who cares most for us and knows how to lead us and guide us through life. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and cares deeply for us. He is the one who laid down His own life willingly for our benefit and salvation. He laid down His own life to rescue us, and He has taken His life up again by His own authority, and He reigns forever as our Good Shepherd.

May we each trust in His care and love for us. May we know His voice and hear Him when He calls us and leads us. May we trust in His life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, so that we may live with Him forever, with a quality of life beyond imagination.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

John 8:48-59

Abraham

This week, we have been reading John 8:12 - 9:41, and have seen Jesus declare some important truths: He is the Light of the World, the truth will set the knower free, and the Jewish leaders' father was the devil. Perhaps most significant, however, is Jesus' comparison of Himself with Abraham, who is considered the father and founder of the Jewish faith, and the first man to be given a covenant from God. He is considered THE ancestor of all Jews. He is the one of the first real pictures of a lifetime of faith in the Bible (before Abraham, all we catch are glimpses and moments of faith). He trusted God, left his home for an unknown land, believed God's promise of a son and a lineage for he and his barren wife, and then willingly offered that son as an offering to God when asked to do so. God told Abraham that the number of his descendants would equal the number of the stars (Gen 15:5). This man trusted God, perhaps like no other. We don't really see him perform any miracles, but we see him witness miracles that God performed for him. We see him trusting and walking with the Lord in all his endeavors. In terms of knowing the Lord and truly walking with the Lord in faith, there really is none before Abraham.

The Kicker

Jesus knew full well who Abraham was, and what he meant to the Jewish faith. In reality, Jesus cared more about Abraham than any of the leaders by whom He was being questioned. When Jesus said that the one who keeps His word would never see death (Jn 8:51), the Jews accused Him once more of having a demon, because Abraham and the prophets all died. By saying this to the Jews, Jesus was claiming to be greater than Abraham and the prophets, which was a preposterous claim to the Jews because there was no one greater than Abraham and the prophets. Jesus responded, 

"If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' But you have not known Him. I know Him. If I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and I keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad (Jn 8:54-56)."

Which raises the natural question: "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham (Jn 8:57)?" Indeed, how could someone around thirty years of age claim to know the thoughts of Abraham, who lived centuries ago?

Jesus' answer: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM (Jn 8:58)."

The Jews responded by trying to stone Him to death, because this was blasphemy to them.

I AM

Why was this statement so controversial and blasphemous to the Jews? What exactly was Jesus saying about Himself here? Why did He say it like this?

Because Jesus just said that He is God. We've all probably heard someone argue that Jesus never called Himself God or the Messiah, and that that was only something other people said about Him, but this is not true. It's right here, plain as day. We just need to understand the context.

Let's head over to Exodus 3, where Moses encountered the Lord in the burning bush. When Moses asks the Lord for His name, God responds, "I AM who I AM... Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you' (Ex 3:14)." God proceeds to give another name, with which we hear more often: "Yahweh (YHWH, usually translated by most versions as "The LORD")." All of these names stem from the verb that means "to be." What His names say of Him is that He is eternal, always self-existing, and the source of all life and being in all of creation. There is nothing that exists apart from Him. He IS.

Some translations try to add a "he" to the end of Jesus' sentence (so it would say "I am he"), but that is not in the original language. Jesus simply says of Himself, "I AM." He is equating Himself with the one who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The one who is eternally self-existing. The one who is the source of all life and being. Jesus IS. Not only had Jesus seen Abraham--He made Abraham. He gave Abraham life, and made the covenant with Him. You can see these truths echoed throughout the New Testament, like we see in Colossians 1:15-20. This is a massive statement by Jesus, and we need to pay attention.

The Bottom Line

Jesus is one with the Father. He is not only our Savior and Friend. He is worthy of our worship and lives' obedience. He is to be exalted above everything else. There is no one who compares with Him. Jesus is God.

May we all worship Him like He deserves to be worshiped!

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

John 7:37-39 and the Water from the Rock

This week in our L3 journals, we read about something Jesus said on the last day of the Feast of Booths. He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (Jn. 7:37). He continued, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (Jn. 7:38). What is not readily obvious to us here is that Jesus is referring to a particular narrative from the book of Exodus, and it will help us understand the work of the Spirit in believers.

The Feast of Booths

The Feast of Booths is a celebration of God's protection and provision in the wilderness after the Hebrew people crossed the Red Sea. They would set up "booths," which were shelters built from branches, to remember God's protection and shelter; then they would take a pitcher of water out of the Pool of Siloam and pour it out to remember God's provision of water from the rock. In Exodus 17:1-7, we find that God's people were thirsty and began complaining against God and against Moses (as they often did in the wilderness), and they looked back favorably upon their time of slavery in Egypt. They accused God and Moses of bringing them out into the wilderness to kill them. When Moses prayed to the Lord for help and for guidance, God told him to go ahead of the people with the elders, and to strike a rock at Horeb. When Moses did this, water came flowing from the rock. This was a miracle of God's provision.

A Different Story

Later, in Numbers 20:2-13, we see a similar, but different, scene. God's people were thirsty yet again, and again they were complaining against God and against Moses. This time, however, God told Moses "to tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water" (Ex. 20:8) Instead, Moses chided the people and struck the rock twice with his staff, and the water came out. God counted this as sin, and it is the reason Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land with God's people.

Why was this an issue? Why was this a sin? Well, on the Sinai peninsula and the surrounding areas, rain seeps down through the rocky plateaus and mountainous regions, and forms mineral deposits on the sides of the rock. Bedouin people, even today, can find these deposits, knock them off of the rock, and drinkable water will come out.

The first time God told Moses to strike the rock, He was teaching Moses how to find water for the people. The teaching was the miracle then. In this second occurrence, Moses speaking to the rock was supposed to be the miracle God was going to perform. God was going to get the glory that way, because it wasn't something Moses could do. Instead, Moses settled for his own, lesser glory, and took the credit for himself by making a show of it. This is why it was a sin before God. Moses knew that striking the rock would produce water, so he did it his way. He wanted the glory for himself in that moment. God responded to Moses' actions by saying, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them" (Ex. 20:12). Moses did not trust God to do what He said He would do.

The Work of The Spirit

This idea translates to the work of God that Jesus is speaking about in John 7. Whoever believes in Jesus will have "rivers of living water" flowing from his heart. If we believe in Him, He will give us the Holy Spirit, and our hearts will be changed, and we will have "living water" (the outflow of the Spirit's work in and through us) to share with those around us. We will be conduits of God's blessing to others, as we share His love and mercy, which was shown to us through the cross of Christ.

Notice, however, that John clarifies: the Spirit is only given to those who believe in Jesus. Not everyone has the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, we see the Spirit coming and going from certain "anointed" people (usually kings and prophets), such as Saul and David. Now because of Christ, the Spirit comes and remains with those who believe in Him. When we are in Christ, we have the Spirit, and the miraculous work of God in us. This is not something that can be manufactured or faked before God. He knows what is really happening within us. He knows if we truly believe, or if we are putting on a show. He can see it by what is flowing from our lives.

The Bottom Line

The real question for each of us is this: what is flowing from our lives? Is it the living water of Christ, or something else? Do we truly believe in the saving work of Jesus on the cross in our place for our sins, and giving Him all the glory for our salvation? Or are we faking it, and still attempting to make it into His favor by our good works, and really taking the credit for ourselves inside? Which is it? We cannot have it both ways.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

John 5:1-17 - The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath

(A modern-day model of what the Pool of Bethesda looked like in 1st century Israel)

This past week in our L3 journals, we read about Jesus' healing on the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-17. In this post, we will look a little deeper into what happened that day at the pool, and why it is significant. 

The History

In the first century where we find Jesus encountering this man, the Pool of Bethesda was a place of healing. Located near the Temple mount, hundreds of "blind, lame, and paralyzed" (Jn 5:4) would lie in the colonnades and wait. What were they waiting for? The angel of the Lord. Every so often, the angel of the Lord would come down and stir the waters of the pool, and the first one in the water would be healed of his or her infirmity. 

The Man

The man who we find laying at the pool in this story "had been an invalid for thirty-eight years" (Jn 5:5). He had probably been waiting for a long time, as Jesus knew that the man "had already been there for a long time" (Jn 5:6). My guess is that Jesus saw the man laying there the last time He was in Jerusalem, or even at Passover the year before. Remember that Jesus did not live in Jerusalem, but only came occasionally to minister there and to celebrate the Passover. It was probably during one of these prior trips that Jesus had seen this man laying at the pool. The man's problem was that he could not get himself into the water before anyone else when the angel of the Lord would stir the pool's water. He could not even move. He required the help of someone else, and that was something he didn't have.

The Great Physician

Enter Jesus. He knew the man's predicament, but asked anyway, "Do you want to be healed?" The man told Jesus about his situation, and Jesus bypassed the pool altogether: "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." Can you imagine the surprise of the crippled man? What kind of questions ran through his mind when Jesus said this to him? Based on the verses that followed, he had no idea who Jesus was. Therefore, the crippled man had no reason to believe that Jesus had any power to heal. He had not been able to move himself for thirty-eight years, yet now he was supposed to just get up and walk? That is exactly what happened; the man was healed immediately, stood up, picked up his bed, and walked away (Jn 5:9), still clueless about the real identity of the one who healed him.

Is There A Problem?

The Jews (mainly the Jewish leaders) had a problem with Jesus doing this, because it happened on the Sabbath. You see the Jews took the written words of the Torah (law) very seriously (notice I did not say they took the spirit of the law...). When Exodus 20:8-10 says,

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

they took that to the extreme, and continually updated the list of what was considered "work" and what was not. For instance, the Mishah (a collection of first century rabbinic teachings) has a list for this purpose. Here's a list of some of the things that qualify as "work" (for expanded explanations, see here):

1. Planting
2. Plowing
3. Reaping
4. Gathering
5. Threshing/Extraction
6. Winnowing
7. Sorting/Purification
8. Grinding
9. Sifting
10. Kneading
11. Cooking/Baking
12. Shearing
13. Scouring/Laundering
14. Beating/Combing Wool
15. Dyeing
16. Spinning
17. Warping
18. Making two loops
19. Weaving
20. Separating two threads
21. Tying
22. Untying
23. Sewing
24. Tearing
25. Trapping
26. Slaughtering
27. Flaying
28. Curing/Preserving
29. Smoothing
30. Scoring
31. Measured cutting
32. Writing
33. Erasing
34. Building
35. Demolition
36. Extinguishing a fire
37. Igniting a fire
38. Applying a finishing touch
39. Transferring between domains

As you can see from this list, the rules were exhaustive regarding what was permissible and impermissible on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders who were getting angry with Jesus were merely trying to uphold the rules of their religion, the Torah. What they failed to see, however, was the reason for the rules and for the Sabbath. As Jesus said in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." The law was given by God for the benefit of humanity, to help us live the best life possible on this earth by loving God and loving others. The law was meant to show mankind what that looked like. The Sabbath was created so that we would rest and trust God. Even God rested, and He created us with a need to rest. If someone doesn't sleep for days, he will go crazy, because we need to sleep and rest. When we rest on the Sabbath, and cease from our work (using common sense when considering what is work, and not going to the excess of the Mishnah), we are essentially expressing our trust in God's sovereignty. We are trusting that God will continue to provide for our needs, even though we aren't working for it. We are trusting that He is good and gracious, and that He is true to His promises. 

When Jesus spoke and healed the man, He was in complete keeping with the purpose and spirit of the law (Rom 2:29). He was fulfilling God's purposes. The Jewish leaders could not see God's heart behind the law, and could only see the written rule, and tried to reduce the law to a checklist which they could control and understand. The spirit of the law requires much more of ourselves than merely completing a checklist of do's and don't's. It requires our love. Paul said it this way, "the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal 5:14).

The Bottom Line

Fulfilling God's calling and will in our life may mean doing something we don't understand fully. It may involve doing something that makes us look foolish to others. It may draw insults and derision from friends or family. So, what is the point? What is the goal here? To give all glory and honor to God, and to share His gospel of salvation with the people we encounter in this world (1 Cor 10:31, Col 3:17). Whatever it takes to give glory and honor to God, whatever it takes to share His gospel of salvation with others, that is what we are to do. That is what Jesus did in this situation. Jesus healed the crippled man to give glory to God the Father and to proclaim the gospel of salvation to him.

Let us follow in Jesus' footsteps, and let us lay aside our pride and our reputation to glorify God and to proclaim His gospel to the people we encounter.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

John 4:1-45

(Jacob's well from John 4 - in a Greek Orthodox church building that has been built around the site)

In our L3 journals this past week, we read John 2 through John 4. In John 4, we read of Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan women at Jacob's well, on the outskirts of Sychar. As Joe shared this weekend, Jesus, exhausted from His journey and the noonday heat, began the conversation by asking her for a drink, then spoke of the "living water" that only He could offer, and then launched into telling the woman her own life story. When she realized that Jesus was a "prophet" (which, at the least, meant that she knew He was 'gifted'), she began to discuss the differences in the theology of the Samaritans and the Jews, specifically in reference to the place of worship.

The History

Around 400 B.C., the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim (see the location in relation to Sychar on the map below, and read Deuteronomy 11:29-30 and 27:2-7, 12 for context), which was destroyed in the 2nd century B.C. by Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus of Judea as their empire expanded north. This only served to increase the mutual animosity between the Jews and Samaritans. Despite the destruction of their temple, the Samaritans continued to worship on Mt. Gerizim. 

(The well is located near Sychar, along the road north from Jerusalem to Galilee)

No Mountain Necessary

When the Samaritan woman raises this subject, Jesus responds by telling her, "the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father" (Jn. 4:21). In other words, the previously assigned locations for worship will soon be superseded by a better way for those who worship the Father. Then, Jesus speaks of the nature of divine revelation in the two people groups: the Samaritans only believed that the first five books of the Old Testament (aka the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were divinely-inspired Scripture, while the Jews held the entire Old Testament (the Tanakh) was divinely-inspired. In John 4:22 Jesus tells the woman that the Samaritans worship what they "do not know" (i.e. they are "outside the stream of God's revelation" [D.A. Carson - The Pillar New Testament Commentary on John, 223]). Inversely, He tells her that the Jews worship what they know, "for salvation is from the Jews" (Jn. 4:22). He is saying here that Jews know the person and work of God because they have believe all of God's revelation in Scripture, and know that the Messiah (thus, salvation) will come from the Jewish line and according to the prophecy of the entire Old Testament.

The New And Living Way

Then, in John 4:23-24, Jesus once again shows how this way of worship is superseded by a better way. he says to her, "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." What is Jesus saying here about worship? He is saying that a new era has dawned with His own coming. He is saying that "this worship can take place only in and through Him; He is the true temple" (Carson, 224) (remember Jn. 2:19-22). Jesus is the turning point between the old way and the new way. He is the cause and the means for true worship.

To worship "in spirit and truth" is not dependent on a location, but on a person, Jesus Christ. John 4:24 says that "God is spirit"--invisible, not limited to a specific place, divine, and somewhat unknowable "unless He chooses to reveal Himself" (Carson, 225)--and therefore He must be worshiped in a manner that goes beyond physical things and comes from the depths of one's being. Tied to this is the idea of worshiping in "truth." The idea of truth is connected to God's Self-Revelation and Self-Expression in Jesus. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Word of God. Both of these ideas ("spirit" and "truth") share one preposition in the original Greek ("in"), and are inseparable. We cannot have one without the other. So it is that "unless they are born from above, unless they are born of the Spirit, they cannot see the kingdom of God, they cannot worship God truly" (Carson, 225).

The Bottom Line

"The worshipers whom God seeks worship Him out of the fullness of the supernatural life they enjoy ("in spirit"), and on the basis of God's incarnate Self-Expression, Christ Jesus Himself, through whom God's person and will are finally and ultimately disclosed ('in truth'); and these two characteristics form one matrix, indivisible" (Carson, 225-226). True worship of God is only made possible by the person and work of Jesus Christ, the "Truth" who reveals to us who God (being "spirit") truly is. True worship encompasses all of who we are as His people, redeemed and born-again because of His death and resurrection.

May we worship the Father in spirit and truth each and every day from here to eternity!

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

Over this past week, we read through the first chapter of the Gospel of John. As Joe said this weekend, John's Gospel starts out in a different way when compared with the other three Gospels (aka the "synoptic gospels"). He describes who Jesus is and what His incarnation accomplished. Here's a list of some of what we can learn about Jesus from John 1:

• Jesus (the Word) was in the beginning with God (1:1, 2).
• Jesus (the Word) is God (1:1).
• Everything was made through Jesus, and without Him, nothing was made that was made (1:3).
• Jesus' light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (1:5).
• All who receive Jesus have been given the right to become children of God (1:12).
• The Word, Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among mankind (1:14).
• Jesus, in the flesh, reveals the glory of God (1:14).
• Grace and truth come through Jesus (1:17).
• While no one has ever seen God, He has been made known through Jesus (1:18).
• Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (1:29).
• Jesus is the Son of God (1:34).
• Jesus is the Christ (literally, "the Anointed One," or "Messiah") (1:41).
• Jesus is the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote and prophesied (1:45).

This chapter is packed with powerful truth about the person and the work of Jesus. As we continue through John's Gospel, we will see these descriptions and titles developed as Jesus begins His ministry to mankind, and His journey to the cross for our redemption.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship Arts Pastor

Over the past few months, we have been singing a song in our worship services called "Son Of God," in which we sing the words, "Son of God, prophecy of old/ You alone, redeemer of my soul/ Come again, and lead Your people home/ Come lead us home." As we have been reading through the Gospel of Matthew in our L3 journal, Matthew has been very intentional about pointing out how Jesus has fulfilled the words of the prophets as the promised Messiah, or Christ. Let's take a look at a few examples (all from the ESV):

1. The virgin birth - Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:23 - "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel."

2. Jesus' birthplace - Micah 5:2/Matthew 2:6 - "And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel."

3. Jesus' escape to and return from Egypt - Hosea 11:1/Matthew 2:15 - "Out of Egypt I called my son."

4. The slaughter of innocent children - Jeremiah 31:15/Matthew 2:18 - "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

5. About the ministry of His cousin John - Isaiah 40:3/Matthew 3:3 - "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight."

6. Jesus' eventual hometown of Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali - Isaiah 9:1, 2/Matthew 4:15 - "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."

7. Jesus' quiet ministry, telling the recipients of healing not to tell about Him - Isaiah 42:1-3/Matthew 12:18-21 - "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope."

8. Jesus' listeners' lack of understanding of his message - Isaiah 6:9-10/Matthew 13:14-15 - "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them."

9. Jesus' teaching in parables - Psalm 78:2/Matthew 13:35 - "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

Isaiah was written around 700 years before Jesus was born. Jeremiah prophesied more than 580 years before Jesus' birth. Hosea died around 725 years before Jesus was born. Micah wrote around 700 years before Christ. 

Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. The book was based on the science of probability, and examined the odds of any one man in all of history fulfilling even only eight of the 60 major prophecies fulfilled by the life of Christ.

The probability that Jesus of Nazareth could have fulfilled even eight such prophecies would be only 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

Stoner claims that that many silver dollars would be enough to cover the face of the entire state of Texas two feet deep. With these odds, it would mean that a blindfolded man, heading out of Dallas by foot in any direction, would be able, on his very first attempt, to pick up one specifically marked silver dollar out of 100,000,000,000,000,000!

God used these prophets to tell of the coming Messiah, and their accuracy is nothing short of supernatural. They could not have done this in their own power or knowledge. It had to be the work of God, revealing Himself and His plans to these men. As we continue to read through Matthew, we will see more proofs that Jesus is the true Messiah. May these prophecies only serve to confirm for us that Jesus is truly the Messiah, and He is the only one worthy of our worship and faith.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

The Gospel to the Hebrew People
This week in our L3 Journal, we have begun reading the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew's Gospel is often considered to have been written to the Hebrew people, with the aim of demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah, promised in the Hebrew scriptures. Part of Matthew's tactic is compare Jesus with the greatest prophet in Jewish history: Moses. While all other prophets heard the voice of the Lord through dreams and visions, Moses spoke with God face-to-face. He performed the greatest miracles in the history of the Hebrew people, freeing them from slavery in Egypt, providing food in the desert, and giving them the guidelines that would direct their walking with God for centuries.

A Greater Prophet
In Deuteronomy 18:15-19, as Moses is recounting the law for the Hebrew people, he tells of a greater prophet that would come after him. This prophet would be greater because the people would actually listen to him, and for anyone who did not listen, God would have stiff consequences.

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen--just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' And the Lord said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise pu for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.'"

Making the Connection
In the first five chapters of this gospel, Matthew goes to great lengths to show the similarities between Moses and Jesus. While Moses delivered the first Law, Jesus brought the New Law--the Law that would be written on the hearts of believers. Here are a few of the connections that Matthew makes:

• Both were descendants of Abraham (and therefore Jews)
  • Moses was the son of Amram, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham (1 Chronicles 23)
  • Jesus genealogy in Matthew 1 shows that He is a descendant of David, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham (see verses 1-6)
• Both fled their homeland
  • Exodus 2:11-15
  • Matthew 2:13
• A slaughter of innocent children surrounded their births
  • Exodus 1:16
  • Matthew 2:16
• Both came out of Egypt
  • Exodus 13:3
  • Matthew 2:15
• Both went through the water
  • Exodus 15 (the Red Sea crossing was considered a "baptism" in 1 Corinthians 10:2)
  • Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus was baptized)
• Both went into the wilderness immediately after going through the water
  • Exodus 15 and following
  • Matthew 4 (Jesus' temptation in the wilderness)
• Both went "into" the mountain to deliver the Covenant Law
  • Exodus 19:3; 24:18 ("anebe eis to oros" in Greek)
  • Matthew 5:1 ("anebe eis to oros" in Greek)

Into the Mountain
This last point is possibly one of the most significant, because it directly equates the authority of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to the authority of the prior Old Testament Law of Moses. This is something that is not readily apparent in the English translations, but it something that happens in the original languages. In Exodus 19:3 and 24:18, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, uses a curious directional preposition to describe how Moses went up the mountain. It says that "he went into the mountain" ("anebe eis to oros"). This phrasing is only used in the Old Testament when referring to Moses and his receiving of the Law from God. Here, in Matthew 5:1, Matthew writes that Jesus, "seeing the crowds, went into the mountain" ("anebe eis to oros"). This is the only place this peculiar phrasing is used, and it is used for a special purpose. Matthew is telling us and all of his Jewish readers that Jesus is the prophet that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18. Jesus initiated the New Covenant, and the new "law" that is a part of that covenant. 

The New Law
This new law is the law of the heart, which is impossible for man to fulfill on his own. It can only be accomplished through the inner transformation that God works in us through His Spirit, as we are born again through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Notice two statements in particular, Matthew 5:20 and 5:47-48, which bracket Jesus' discussion on the common perspective of the Old Testament Law as compared with His divine perspective on the Law.

Matthew 5:20 - "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds (literally, "is more than") that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:47-48 - "And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

The scribes and Pharisees stuck to every single letter of the Law. They were so diligent, they even tithed from their spices. Jesus told His disciples that their righteousness must exceed perfection as measured by the letter of the Law. It must be more than that. It must be a righteousness that pervades our being, and that comes from the inside out--the kind of righteousness that comes from love rather than fear.

May we trust Jesus' word. May we hear Him and follow. May we pursue the righteousness that comes from love and not from fear. May our righteousness be more, not for our own sake, but to honor the One who loved us and gave Himself up for us.

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12 comes on the heels (not surprisingly) of Hebrews 11, the great hall of faith chapter. Therefore, in light of the testimony of such a great cloud of witnesses (think Hebrews 11 and the faithfulness of God), we can be sure of things hoped for and certain of things we do not see. Hebrews was written to a group of people who were on the fence between Judaism and Christianity. They liked Jesus, liked the body of Christ, but were scared and hesitant to leave behind their heritage, not fully understanding that Jesus was the fulfillment of their faith. The writer of Hebrews is telling them to let go. Their heritage of faith (Hebrews 11) has pointed them to this, and now it is time to pursue Christ by...

Throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...what are the things in your life that are keeping you from abundant life in Christ? This is not a trick question. Name them. If you are being honest, you know them easily. Name them. Confess them to God and find a brother or sister in Christ to walk life with you, keeping you accountable and celebrating growth in your life.

Run with perseverance the race marked out for us...God is trying to get you to a point B. You started at point A, and he is taking you to the location he has destined. IF YOU ARE LUCKY, this road will NOT be easy. Suffering in life, times of wilderness and desert are invitations to hold tightly to the hand of God. There is no greater moment in your life to run with perseverance, or be transformed in your faith, than when times are tough. We do not rejoice in the sufferings themselves, but in our God who can get us through. Run your race. I know that for many of us, we are going through tough situations, tough decisions and real pain. I am in no way belittling these experiences, just merely calling you to follow hard after the one who is able to save.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...The rest of the verse describes his greatness and worthiness, but he must be our gaze. When he is not our vision, our lives are dictated by lesser things. CS Lewis calls this "lovers less wild." Our eyes must be on Jesus, because he is our standard. Our eyes must be on Jesus, because there is no one else worthy to be followed. Our eyes must be on  Jesus because only through him, will our lives have value.

Our circumstances might be different than the 1st century Jews, but our call is the same. This week in our homes, in our schools, in our places of business, may we pursue Christ above all else.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

In the epistle of Hebrews, we find a portrait of Jesus primarily as our Great High Priest. The author of Hebrews describes various aspects of His priesthood throughout the letter.

1. As our High Priest, Jesus makes complete atonement, and secures eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:11-15).
Several times in the epistle of Hebrews, the author points to Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross as being the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial system from the old covenant. In the times of the Old Testament (which is another word for "covenant"), the high priest entered the Most Holy Place in the temple once a year to offer sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the nation of Israel. The blood from this sacrifice was sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant, on which the Mercy Seat (Heb. 9:5) was located. The word that is used in Hebrews for "Mercy Seat" is the same word which is translated as "propitiation" in Romans 3:25. It basically means "the place of atonement," where God's righteous wrath against sin is satisfied, sin is forgiven, and the sinner is justified before God because of His grace toward us. The writer describes it as the perfect, "once for all" sacrifice. There is no need for another sacrifice, because Jesus' giving of Himself on the cross is enough. Our Great High Priest leaves nothing to be desired in terms of redemption--His sacrifice on our behalf is perfect, and through it, Jesus was "securing an eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:12) for us.

2. As our High Priest, Jesus intercedes for us as our Mediator (Hebrews 7:25; 8:6).
The author of Hebrews says that Jesus "always lives to make intercession for" the ones who "draw near to God through Him." This is a statement of part of Jesus' purpose. He lives to intercede, which Merriam-Webster defines as, "to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences, to mediate."Jesus speaks to the Father on our behalf, and because of His perfect sacrifice in our place, declares us as righteous and the penalty for sin as satisfied. He mediates our new covenant with God, which is based on His sacrifice rather than imperfect sacrifices we could make on our own behalf. God is both a God of justice and of love, and Jesus is the perfect visible example of these two attributes of God. He went to the cross to satisfy the divine penalty for sin, and He gave Himself up willingly for us because He loves us. Our Great High Priest is for us!

3. As our High Priest, Jesus understands us and sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Because He walked among us on this earth, and experienced life as we experience it, Jesus understands us. The writer says that Jesus "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). He went through trials and difficulties, and sin approached Him throughout His life to tempt Him, yet He did not sin. He came through His life without dishonoring or disobeying God the Father in any way. Rather, He always honored, always obeyed the Father. The effect is two-fold: first, Jesus can relate to our weaknesses and struggles, and He can minister to us and for us in ways that we do not even realize. He is compassionate and loving. He is a better friend and help than we could ever realize on this earth. Second, because He lived this life without blemish, He can lead us to holiness by His own example (not to mention that His sinlessness is the reason His sacrifice in our place for our sins was sufficient - He had to be the spotless Lamb). Ultimately, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can "then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus is able and willing to help us live this life to the glory of God.

4. As our High Priest, Jesus has made the way for us to have direct access to the holy places (Hebrews 10:19-25).
Prior to Jesus' death on the cross for us, there was only one man who could enter the holy presence of God, in the Holy Place (aka the "Most Holy Place," the "Holiest of All," or the "Holy of holies") contained in the innermost part of the Temple: the High Priest. Read Leviticus 16 to get an idea of how seriously God's presence is to be taken. The High Priest was only allowed to enter once a year (Lev. 16:34), on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). When the High Priest did enter the presence of God through the curtain on that day, he did so with fear and trembling. He had to ceremonially wash properly beforehand, wear the correct holy garments, present the correct offerings, and make an offering to atone first for his own sin (if he did not do this, he would die when he entered God's presence). After he made atonement for himself and his family, he proceeded to make offerings to atone for the sin of the people. If he did anything wrong, he would die. God is serious about sin and about His holiness. Fast forward to the book of Hebrews now. The writer says that "we can have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh." Jesus has opened the way for us to God through His death in our place, so we can go to God "in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). We have nothing to fear when we go to God. We do not have to worry about dying because of unconfessed or unknown sin in our lives. Rather, we can have confidence that our status with God is secured by Jesus, and not by our own good works. Jesus was perfect in our place, and He has counted His righteousness as our own when we trust and believe Him. Therefore, He has made a way for us into His presence. He has removed the barrier that was there before, and has opened it to all who believe Him.

These are just four of the ways that Jesus cares for us and ministers to us as our Great High Priest. May we trust Him and praise Him for all that He does for us.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor

Luke 22:42 – “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Few statements in Scripture are more selfless. Jesus, facing the cross, a death of great shame, distress and agony, was staring down a moment where He would become sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and take sin’s full penalty and the Father’s divine wrath upon himself. The mental strain of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders got to him as he wrestled with God through prayer. Yet, he did not back down. He did not hide. He laid down his desire, his will, his comfort to obey his Father.

That is the heart of humility. Christ is the God-Man. He is fully human, fully divine and uniquely qualified to be the atoning sacrifice for sin because he had no sin. Death was not something that he deserved. He laid down what he deserved for the will of his father and a world condemned by sin.

On account of the grace of Christ’s humility, we have the opportunity to have life through belief in him, his death and resurrection. How then should we respond?

With humility.

There are times where we have to give up things we may feel like we deserve (comfort, possessions, time) to accomplish the will of God in and through our lives. This is exemplified very clearly in presenting the Gospel. There are many reasons we can list as to why we don’t share our faith with our neighbors, family and friends, but usually at its heart is some level of pride. What will they think? What will they say? How will they respond?

Humility tells us not to worry about ourselves, but to be more concerned with others. Christ was more concerned with others when he chose to obey his father. We can demonstrate the same type of humility when we overcome our fears (by wrestling in prayer with God) and share His story with those around us.

And what great timing it is. Easter week. Sunday’s coming. What a great chance to share your faith and invite that person to church.

Be strong and courageous. Humility comes before honor.

Brian Tryhus
FBC Family Pastor

(Over the next few posts, we will be catching up on some of the high points of the Gospel of Luke from our L3 readings this month. We’ll begin here by taking a look at our reading from April 3rd, Luke 5.)

From the beginning of Luke’s Gospel until chapter five, we have witnessed the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. He has just begun proclaiming the truth about Himself and the kingdom of God, and healing the sick and casting out demons. At the end of chapter four, Jesus just finished a long day of preaching in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth, and He ended His day of ministry in the house of Simon (before Jesus had called him to be His disciple). While Jesus was there, he healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a debilitating fever, cast out demons, and healed the sick. As we pick up in chapter five, Jesus is preaching near Lake Gennesaret, where Simon and his business partners had been fishing all night without success. This is the context of our passage.

When Jesus arrives at the lakeshore, Simon and his fellow fishermen are washing their empty nets. As Jesus preaches, the crowd begins to close in on Him, and He steps into Simon's boat and asks him to take it out a short distance from the shore so He can preach without being overrun by the people who are so anxious to hear Him and to see Him perform miracles. After Jesus finishes teaching, He makes an odd request of Simon, when He tells him, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon’s response reveals his doubt about the request: “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” Keep in mind that Simon had just witnessed numerous miracles the night before, so He was probably more willing to entertain strange requests from Jesus. However, it didn’t change the fact that what Jesus was asking was actually irrational.

You see, in first-century Israel, there were three types of nets used for fishing: cast nets, drag nets, and trammel nets. The cast net (Greek - amphiblestron) of their day was very much like the ones we use today, which is a small circular net with small weights attached all around its margin and the center attached to a small cord for drawing it in. This type of net was made of a fine mesh, so the fish would not see it in the daylight. We find the cast net used in Matthew 4:18 and Mark 1:16. 

The second net, the drag net (Greek - sagene), was made of similar material as the cast net, but was around 400 meters long and reached down to the floor of the lake or sea to leave the fish nowhere to go. These are much like we see the commercial fishermen using today in the ocean. This type of net was also for daylight use because the fish could not see it. We find the drag net in use in Matthew 13:47. 

The third type of net, which is the one we find in this particular passage, was the trammel net (Greek – diktuon), which was constructed of three nets suspended on a rope, 200-250 meters long, and 3 meters deep. It was used not far from shore, and it was used only at night, because fish would see the obvious, heavy cotton net. The trammel net appears 12 times in the gospels, in Matthew 4:20, 21; Mark 1:18, 19; Luke 5:2, 4, 5, and 6 (our passage); and John 21:6, 8, 11 (twice). Simon’s reply to Jesus fits the usage of the net, as he and his team were fishing all night.

When we take the type of net into account, we see that what Jesus was asking was probably very confusing to Simon. To paraphrase, this is what He told Simon: “I know it’s the bright of day now, but go back out to the deeper water, and put down the night nets, which the fish will obviously see and avoid, and go catch some fish. Simon must have thought Jesus was just ignorant about fishing, or joking, or about to prove a point of some kind. Surely Jesus didn’t think Simon was going to catch anything! Simon knew that Jesus was asking was unreasonable, and bordering on crazy. Whatever he was thinking about Jesus’ request, it is clear that Jesus had earned enough trust and respect from Simon that Simon agreed and did what Jesus asked of him. The result?

Against all logic and reason, Simon and his buddies caught a ridiculous amount of fish. This was not only irrational—this was impossible! Why would the fish swim into a net that they could obviously see? How could this happen? The miracle was not primarily that they caught so many fish that they almost sunk two fishing boats; the main miracle was that they caught any fish during the daytime with that thick and obvious net that was designed for use only at night. Just for good measure, Jesus made sure there was no mistaking this as a coincidence. They not only caught fish during the day, but they caught two boatloads of fish! Jesus not only went against all common sense, He completely disregarded it and did whatever He wanted, because Jesus is Lord of all. Simon Peter’s response should also be our response when we see Jesus as He truly is, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Simon Peter witnessed Jesus’ power and authority, and recognized his own sinfulness in light of who Jesus is.

The takeaway for us: Jesus is not subject to our reason or common sense. He is Lord, and we are subject to Him. He may use situations or other things in our lives to do something amazing and completely against what we think is possible, reasonable, or practical. What He asks of us is obedience—not necessarily understanding. When He calls us to do something, our responsibility is to respond with obedience, despite our doubts. When we respond with faith and obey in trust, Jesus will take care of the rest.

In the Son,

Bill Horn
FBC Worship & Arts Pastor