Playdough Scripture Hebrews 11:1-2

Now faith is being sure of our systematic theology what we hope for and certain that our Biblical worldview is truth of what we do not see. This is what theologians in recent centuries have worked hard to figure out for us the ancients were commended for.

Hebrews 11:1 - 2 (Playdough Version)


What do you think? Have we re-defined what faith is?

Is our faith more like a box of answers or like an unfinished puzzle?

Jesus Models How to take Up Cross

Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Matthew records Jesus saying something like this twice, and Mark once.

So what is Jesus asking of us? Should all Christ followers be crucified?

Or is this another image of what it means to make Jesus Lord? Deny oneself - allow God's will to be done instead of our will. The type of cross or sacrifice will likely be different, but it will be something that fits into God's grander plans that we don't see clearly.

And then we see Jesus model this attitude for us before he takes up His cross.

Luke 22:42

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

And Paul explains this further in Romans 6. When we are baptized with Christ, we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. We go with our sins to the cross with Christ. Our selfish ways die, and we find new life with Christ.
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Polycarp the Atheist

Just read about the Martyrdom of Polycarp, who is regarded as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers.

Quotes taken from here: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/martyrdompolycarp-hoole.html

9:2 Then, when he had been brought in, the proconsul asked him if he was Polycarp. And when he confessed, he would have persuaded him to deny, saying, Have respect unto thine age, and other things like these, as is their custom to say: Swear by the fortunes of Caesar; Repent; Say, Away with the Atheists. But Polycarp, when he had looked with a grave face at all the multitude of lawless heathen in the arena, having beckoned unto them with his hand, sighed, and looking up unto heaven, said, Away with the Atheists!

I find it interesting that the Christians were called Atheists in this period. Why would Christians be called Atheists? Was it because they did not believe that Caesar was Lord? Interesting.

9:3 And when the proconsul pressed him, and said, Swear, and I will release thee, revile Christ; Polycarp said, Eighty and six years have I served him, and in nothing hath he wronged me; and how, then, can I blaspheme my King, who saved me?

So the story goes that Polycarp was burned in the arena at 86 years of age, but the fire could not kill him so they killed him with a sword. All because Polycarp remained faithful to his King.

His final words:

"O Lord God Almighty, Father of thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received our knowledge concerning thee, the God of angels and powers, and of the whole creation, and of all the race of the just who lived before thee, I thank thee that thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and hour, that I should have my portion in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, unto the resurrection of eternal life, both of the soul and body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. Among these may I be received before thee this day as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as thou hast prepared and made manifest beforehand, and hast fulfilled, thou who art the unerring and true God."

Polycarp saw this as partaking in the cup of Christ. His Lord's words to take up his cross and follow Him were very real. I also see a similarity here to Paul in Romans 6 where we learn that those who are baptized into Christ died with Christ on the cross and are raised into new life with Him.

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Slaves to sin or God

What's our relationship to sin now that we are part of the kingdom of God?

Paul describes it well in Romans 6. This is just my attempt to internalize Paul's teachings.

We used to be slaves to sin. We used to let our own selfish ways rule in our lives.

Now with Jesus on the throne, we are now ruled by His will, guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul uses the word slave, and in a sense we are slaves to God. (Yet I think God still gives us a free will, and at any point we can go back to our own selfish ways - so the slave analogy breaks down.)

So what happened to the sin that once ruled our lives? It died on the cross as we died with Jesus on the cross... That's hard to imagine, but in some sense my sins and I died with Jesus on the cross. My being baptized into Jesus means I am united with Him. In some mysterious way I died with Him, and rose victorious over sin with Him, and will live with Him for eternity.... Wow.

It would be foolish to let our selfish ways reign in our lives again. We know that our selfish ways lead to death, and that our selfish ways have been put to death on the cross... so why would we go back to being slaves to death when we've been given the Holy Spirit which will guide us in ways that lead to holiness and life.

Don't just take my word for any of this, read how Paul describes it in Romans 6.

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Is Caesar Lord?

Who is Lord? Caesar or Jesus?

This was the question for the early church. The Roman Emperor claimed to be Lord. Romans were asked to declare "Caesar is Lord". The title King of Kings and Lord of Lords was a title reserved for the Emperor.

Into this time and place comes Jesus preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God. That He is King... but that His kingdom is not of this world, it is not a kingdom one can say "10 miles north and you'll find the kingdom of God". The kingdom is mysteriously within those who follow Him.

What was different for those who followed Jesus the messiah was that they confessed that "Jesus is Lord". Jesus ruled in their lives. His Holy Spirit lived in them and through them, and they were members of this body of Christ, this kingdom of God.

These Christ followers refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord but insisted that Jesus was Lord. It is said that many were so stubborn about this that they were martyred as a result of this confession.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the God who is Love and light wants you to be part of His Kingdom. That's great news! ...but not necessarily easy news.

So the question still is: Who is Lord?
You? Some mortal man/woman? Your selfish ways? Or some other idols in your life?
Or is the loving God of the universe sitting on the throne of your life?

Not only was this the essence of the good news of the kingdom of God that Jesus and His disciples preached, it was a central belief of the early church. Here's a collection of related verses and the apostles creed.

2 Cor 4:3-5 (NIV)

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake."

Philippians 2:11 (NIV)

"and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Romans 10:9 (NIV)

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

1 Corinthians 12:3 (NIV)

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 8:6 (NIV)

"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."

Eph 4:4-5 (NIV)

"There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism;"

Acts 2:21 (NIV)

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 2:36 (NIV)

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Philippians 2:8-11 (NIV)

"And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

Apostles' Creed

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and life everlasting.

Amen.

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Christmas Introduction to Gospel of the Kingdom

In a previous posts we have Angels proclaiming to the shepherds that He is Christ the Lord. In another an angel tells Mary that Jesus will reign on the throne of David, and that His kingdom will never end.

Here is a third miraculous event in our Christmas story that introduces us to the good news of the kingdom of God.

Matt 2:1-6 (NIV)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Here at His birth are three miraculous stories introducing Jesus as King or Lord.

The gospel message that Jesus and His disciples shared was that Christ was King, that He can reign in our lives now and into eternity. God's power is available to us. We don't have to do everything in our own strength and wisdom. If we allow God to rule in our lives, instead of our selfish ambitions He will restore our lives to what they were intended to be.

At Christmas reflect on who is on the throne in our lives. Do our selfish ambitions reign, or are we acknowledging that Christ is King?

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