1. What
does it mean that the Bible is inspired?
When people speak of
the Bible as inspired, they are referring to the fact that God divinely
influenced the human authors of the Scriptures in such a way that what they
wrote was the very Word of God. In the context of the Scriptures, the word
“inspiration” simply means “God-breathed.” Inspiration means the Bible truly is
the Word of God and makes the Bible unique among all other books.
While there are
different views as to the extent to which the Bible is inspired, there can be
no doubt that the Bible itself claims that every word in every part of the
Bible comes from God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This view of
the Scriptures is often referred to as “verbal plenary inspiration.” That means
the inspiration extends to the very words themselves (verbal)—not just concepts
or ideas—and that the inspiration extends to all parts of Scripture and all
subject matters of Scripture (plenary). Some people believe only parts of the
Bible are inspired or only the thoughts or concepts that deal with religion are
inspired, but these views of inspiration fall short of the Bible’s claims about
itself. Full verbal plenary inspiration is an essential characteristic of the
Word of God.
The extent of
inspiration can be clearly seen in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work.” This verse tells us that God inspired all Scripture and that it is
profitable to us. It is not just the parts of the Bible that deal with
religious doctrines that are inspired, but each and every word from Genesis to
Revelation. Because it is inspired by God, the Scriptures are therefore
authoritative when it comes to establishing doctrine, and sufficient for
teaching man how to be in a right relationship with God. The Bible claims not
only to be inspired by God, but also to have the supernatural ability to change
us and make us “complete.” What more can we need?
Another verse that
deals with the inspiration of the Scriptures is 2 Peter 1:21. This verse helps
us to understand that even though God used men with their distinctive
personalities and writing styles, God divinely inspired the very words they
wrote. Jesus Himself confirmed the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures
when He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the
truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law...” (Matthew
5:17-18). In these verses, Jesus is reinforcing the accuracy of the Scriptures
down to the smallest detail and the slightest punctuation mark, because it is
the very Word of God.
Because the
Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, we can conclude that they are also
inerrant and authoritative. A correct view of God will lead us to a correct
view of His Word. Because God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely
perfect, His Word will by its very nature have the same characteristics. The
same verses that establish the inspiration of the Scriptures also establish
that it is both inerrant and authoritative. Without a doubt the Bible is what
it claims to be—the undeniable, authoritative, Word of God to humanity.
2. What
was the Garden of Eden like?
Eden was the name of
a region of the earth when God first created the world. The Hebrew word
translated “Eden” is taken to mean “pleasure” or “delight.” In this area God
planted a garden:
“Now the Lord God
had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had
formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that
were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were
the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river
watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four
headwaters” (Genesis 2:8–10).
From this brief
description, we note several things about the Garden of Eden: 1) it was planned
and planted by God Himself; 2) it was mankind’s first home; 3) it contained
incredible variety, with “all kinds of trees”; 4) it was a beautiful place, as
the trees were “pleasing to the eye”; 5) it was a fertile, fruitful place; 6)
it provided nourishment and nutrition, as the trees were “good for food”; and
7) it was naturally well-watered. Later, we read that there were all kinds of
animals in the garden (Genesis 2:19–20). We also have the note that Adam and
Eve were unclothed in the garden (Genesis 2:25), indicating that they needed no
protection whatsoever—the environment, including the climate, was perfectly
suited for humanity.
We do not know the
exact location of the Garden of Eden, but the Bible’s description of the area
associates it with four rivers and an abundance of resources, including fine
gold and gemstones (Genesis 2:11–14). We also know these things about Eden:
The Garden of Eden
was a place where man could meet God. The Creator “was walking in the garden in
the cool of the day” in Genesis 3:8, and Adam and Eve could be with Him and
converse with Him.
The Garden of Eden
was a place of total provision. God had seen to every detail in designing a
home for humanity, created in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Adam and Eve lacked
nothing and were “free to eat from any tree in the garden” (Genesis 2:16),
except for one. Their diet was vegetarian (Genesis 1:29).
The Garden of Eden
was a place of unity and fellowship. Eve was created in the garden and brought
to Adam (Genesis 2:21–22). Thus, Adam had “a helper suitable for him” (Genesis
2:18). The unity and fellowship enjoyed by the human couple was a reflection of
the unity and fellowship they both enjoyed with God.
The Garden of Eden
was a place of work and fulfillment. When God placed Adam in the garden, He
gave the man a task: Adam was “to work [the garden] and take care of it”
(Genesis 2:15). What God had planted, Adam was to maintain. This task was in
addition to Adam’s mandate to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth
and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over
every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:29). Mankind was
blessed by God, given responsibility, and provided work that was meaningful,
creative, and beneficial.
The Garden of Eden
was the setting for the first marriage. It’s in the Garden of Eden that
marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman who have left their
parents to form a new family unit (Genesis 2:24).
The Garden of Eden
was a place of innocence. Originally, there was no sin in the garden and
nothing that would cause anxiety or unrest. Adam and Eve’s nakedness (Genesis
2:25) “suggests that they were at ease with one another without any fear of
exploitation or potential for evil” The Garden of Eden was a place of life. “In
the middle of the garden [was] the tree of life” (Genesis 2:9), and Adam and
Eve had free, unhindered access to it.
The Garden of Eden
was a place of testing. Also in the middle of the garden was “the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9), the fruit of which God had said Adam
could not eat: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). It was
the one prohibition in the Garden of Eden. God had created Adam and Eve to be
free, with a moral sense and the ability to make decisions and choose for
themselves. The presence of a forbidden tree provided the opportunity for Adam
and Eve to make a real, necessary choice to either obey or disobey.
Unfortunately, Adam
failed the test. The serpent in the garden, used by Satan, tempted Eve with a
false promise of blessing, and the woman ate of the forbidden fruit. She in
turn gave the fruit to her husband, and he also partook. Both were disobedient
to the word of God, and the consequences of their sin were disastrous for them
and for all their descendants (Genesis 3:1–19). They lost their fellowship with
God, they lost their home, and they lost their innocence.
The Garden of Eden
became a place of atonement and hope. The sin of Adam and Eve was met with
God’s judgment, but in the midst of the judgment was mercy. God covered their
nakedness—of which they were now ashamed—with animal skins (Genesis 3:21). And
He gave them good news: in His judgment on the serpent, God said, “I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will
crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse
acknowledges the curse on mankind and the related strife, but it also promises
God’s provision of a Savior who would do battle with the serpent and win. This
Savior would be the “offspring of the woman”; eventually, Jesus, the
virgin-born Son of God, came “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). From the
beginning, God had the plan of salvation in mind, and no sooner had sin entered
the world than He informed us of that plan.
The Garden of Eden
is a place to which we long to return. God had to force Adam and Eve to leave
the garden, and He posted a formidable cherubim to guard against unauthorized
re-entry: “The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden. . . . After he
drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim
and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of
life” (Genesis 3:23–24). The loss of our paradise garden has stayed with us and
forms part of our deep longing for what is good and pure and eternal (see
Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The Garden of Eden
will be restored. Our access to the eternal garden of God is based on our
restored relationship with God through Jesus Christ (see Luke 23:40–43). The
One who laid down His life for us has defeated the serpent and opened paradise:
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the
one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). In the New Jerusalem, there
is “a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne
of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each
side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a
fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
No longer will there be a curse upon anything” (Revelation 22:1–3a, NLT).
The Garden of Eden,
that place of pleasure and delight, we lost because of our sin—and God, in His
mercy and grace, will restore it to us on Christ’s behalf.
3. If Matthew 6:31 is true, why do millions of
people have nothing to eat, drink, or wear?
If we are not to worry about what we will eat, drink, or
wear (Matthew 6:31), why do millions of people have nothing to eat, drink, or
wear?
In Jesus’ Sermon on
the Mount, He says, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall
we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Matthew 6:31–32). In
understanding this passage, it’s important to identify what Jesus is not
teaching and what He is.
Jesus is not
teaching the miraculous eradication of worldwide hunger and poverty. In fact,
Jesus later said that “you will always have the poor among you” (Mark 14:7,
NLT). He is not issuing a blanket promise that everyone in the world will
always have the staples of life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is
specifically addressing His disciples, not the general public (Matthew 5:1–2);
that is, He is speaking to those who were committed to Him and had made His
teaching the basis of their lives. Those who follow Christ are not to be
anxious about food and clothing.
Even to His
disciples, Jesus is not promising a constant, uninterrupted supply of food,
drink, and clothing. He is only teaching in Matthew 6:32 that God in heaven is
aware of all their needs. The knowledge of God’s awareness of our needs is
meant to have a calming effect in our lives. There is no circumstance in which
our worry is validated. We may lack certain necessities for a time, but we do
not fret, complain, or resort to worldly scheming.
The apostle Paul is
an example of a child of God who lacked food and drink many times: “I have
known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food” (2 Corinthians
11:27). His physical deprivation was, in fact, according to the will of God: in
Acts 9:16, God says, “I will show [Paul] how much he must suffer for my name.”
Even in his discomfort, Paul always had enough of what he needed to serve the
Lord.
The book of Hebrews
describes people of faith who likewise endured persecution to the point of
being destitute: “Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and
imprisonment. . . . They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute,
persecuted and mistreated” (Hebrews 11:36–37). Jesus’ promise in Matthew 6 is
not that we will always have everything we need to be comfortable, only that
our Heavenly Father is worthy of our trust, even in the lean times.
What Jesus is
teaching in Matthew 6:31–32 is that God’s children have no reason to worry. God
knows the need, and God is good. He will not allow true needs to remain
unfilled but will, in His providence and in His time, see to His children’s
welfare.
Also, Jesus is
teaching His disciples to prioritize their lives. They are to place matters of
eternity before their own earthly needs: “But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew
6:33). Put the Lord first; seek to lead a holy life, and “all these
things”—your temporal, material needs in this world—will be granted to you.
God, who is in absolute control, will make sure that you have all you need for
your own good and His glory.
How we define
necessity is often influenced by purely subjective considerations. Jesus
mentions food and clothing—anything beyond that starts moving away from true
essentials (see also 1 Timothy 6:8). It’s important to allow God to determine
our “necessities”; He will deem what is best for us.
There are many cases
of destitution and privation in the world. None of them, however, are the
result of God’s failure to keep a promise. On an individual level, some lack
food and clothing as a result of gambling, drunkenness, slothfulness,
covetousness, etc. On a national level, even greater numbers of people suffer privation
because of inept governments, corrupt leaders, or unjust wars. God is not
responsible for such evils (see 1 John 1:5).
God is good, He
knows our needs, and He is perfectly capable of providing: “I was young and now
I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children
begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). The Lord’s promise that He is with us is the
source of our contentment: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
4. What
is the significance of Jesus saying, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ (John
18:36)?"
During Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the
Roman governor asked the Lord, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33).
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this
world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over
to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36, ESV).
As Roman governor in
Judea, Pilate’s primary responsibility was to maintain peace and order. The
Jewish high council wanted to put Jesus to death, so they sent Him to Pilate
because he alone held the power to pronounce a death sentence (John 19:10). The
high priest Caiaphas had to convince Pilate that Jesus was a troublemaker and a
threat to Roman stability. He accused Christ of claiming to be a king—a charge that
would insinuate Jesus in the crime of recruiting rebel forces to launch a
revolution against Roman authority (Luke 23:2–5). Caiaphas hoped that, to avoid
a rebellion, Pilate would determine to put Jesus to death.
When Jesus answered,
“My kingdom is not of this world,” He was, in essence, telling Pilate that He
needed no earthly defense because His kingdom wasn’t from the world. Christ
admitted He was head of an empire, but not one that Rome needed to fear as a
political rival. If His kingdom were of this world, His servants would have
been fighting to defend Him. But Jesus had restrained His disciples from
preventing His arrest (John 18:10–11).
Pilate realized that
Jesus had no interest in stirring up a rebellion. He posed no threat to Rome.
Directly following this conversation, Pilate told the Jewish leaders, “I find
no basis for a charge against him” (John 18:38).
“My kingdom” refers
to a spiritual kingdom of truth where Jesus reigns as Lord over the lives of
His people. Jesus told Pilate, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and
came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize
that what I say is true” (John 18:37). Jesus did not come to earth to rule over
a mortal empire. He came to bear witness to the truth of who He is—the Messiah,
Savior of the world. Everyone who loves and recognizes this truth is a citizen
of Christ’s kingdom.
The Jewish high
council wanted Pilate to condemn Jesus under the pretense that He was raising a
rebellion against Rome and proclaiming Himself “king of the Jews.” But that
scenario was inaccurate, and Jesus cleared up the distortion, saying, “My
kingdom is not of this world.” The Lord hit on the word truth as if to say,
“The real truth is this, Pilate: they want me dead because they are horrified
by the truth of my claim—that I am ‘I Am,’ the promised Jewish Messiah.”
Jesus offers the
truth of intimate fellowship with the only true God. He was born into this
world for this purpose: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3,
NLT). His kingdom presents the opportunity to know the truth that sets us free
from sin and death (Romans 8:2; John 8:32). Only those who are born again can
see Christ’s kingdom (John 3:3). And only those who are born of water and
spirit can enter His kingdom (John 3:5).
Once, Jesus told the
Pharisees, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am
not of this world” (John 8:23). To His disciples, the Lord explained that the
world and the “prince of this world” held no power over Him (John 14:22–30).
The world hates Christ and His followers, “for they are not of the world” (John
17:14, 16).
The statement, “My
kingdom is not of this world,” relates to the origin and nature of Christ’s
kingdom, not the location. The authority and power of Christ’s kingdom are
drawn from a source outside of this world—from God, our heavenly Father.
Christ’s headship is not of human origin but divine.
Christ’s kingdom is
unlike any on this earth: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and
drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans
14:17). Other kingdoms are rooted in the realm of this world, but Christ’s is
unique. His kingship is spiritual. It comes down to us from heaven and gives
life to the world (John 6:33).
While not of this
world, the Lord’s kingdom is most certainly in this world, exercising authority
over this world and impacting this world. Jesus Christ and all of His disciples
take orders from above, not from below. We are to set our minds “on things
above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). When it comes to obeying the
law, the apostle Paul said, “We must obey God rather than any human authority”
(Acts 5:29, NLT).
As believers in
Jesus, we are subjects of Christ’s kingdom. This world is not our home (Hebrews
13:14; Philippians 3:20; 1 John 2:15–17). We are citizens of heaven, and we owe
our highest allegiance to our ultimate authority—King Jesus. Just as He
declared, we, too, can say, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
5. What
does it mean that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts
17:28)?"
In Acts 17:22–31, we find Paul’s masterful
sermon before the Aeropause in Athens. The missionary apostle begins by
presenting a totally “unknown god” to his proud and intellectual pagan Greek
audience. Next, Paul introduces the God of the Bible, who is Creator of the
Universe, Giver and Sustainer of Life, Ruler of the Nations, and the One True
God who is close enough to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. Then, quoting
directly from ancient Greek poetic literature, Paul says, “‘For in him we live
and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said” (Acts 17:28).
Paul, greatly
distressed by the idolatry he saw in Athens (Acts 17:16), was moved to share
the good news of salvation with these people. It wasn’t long before he was
presented with perhaps the greatest opportunity of his entire ministry—to share
the gospel with the legendary high council of Athens, the Areopagus. With his
extraordinary gift for knowing how to address every crowd he faced, Paul uses a
quotation from the sixth-century BC Cretan poet Epimenides of Cnossos to help
illustrate his teaching to the highly sophisticated philosophers at the
Areopagus.
Sin separates us
from God, “yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live
and move and have our being,’” preached Paul (Acts 17:27–28, ESV). He cited the
crowd’s own poets to capture their attention and expose the contradiction in
their thinking. He wanted the Athenians to know that God is not a lifeless idol
fashioned by human hands of wood, gold, silver, or stone. He is a living God,
and in Him we live. The word live is a translation of the classical Greek word
for the physical vitality of life. It expresses the reality that living
creatures rise up and move with distinctive energy, unlike idols that merely
sit still. They cannot move about except by human power and will.
Paul’s next
statement, “We are his offspring” (verse 28), also the words of an ancient
Stoic poet-philosopher, further developed this idea. Humans are children of
God. He is their Father in the natural sense (Genesis 1:27; Malachi 2:10; Luke
3:38; Ephesians 3:14), thus proving that the living God is far superior to dead
idols.
Even though in Him
we live and move and have our being is a secular quotation, it is no less
biblically accurate.
In Him we live.
No other words more
perfectly express our constant dependence on God. He is the original fountain
and source of life (Psalm 36:9). Scripture tells us that God is the giver of
life and breath (Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:25). Humanity owes all the qualities and
capacities of life to God.
Jesus said, “Now he
is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him” (Luke 20:38,
ESV). Believers experience the fullness of life through a relationship with God
in Jesus Christ (John 6:33; Colossians 2:6–15; Romans 6:3–11). Jesus, who is
God in the flesh, is “the resurrection and the life.” Anyone who believes in
Him receives His life (John 11:25), and He gives life to anyone He wants (John
5:21).
In Him we move.
Our strength, both
physical and spiritual, comes from God (Psalm 68:35). “He gives strength to the
weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their
strength” (Isaiah 40:29–31). Again, these words communicate our absolute and
continual reliance on God. Even to perform the slightest motion, we are utterly
dependent on Him.
If in Him we move,
all that we do, ought to be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) because God is
love (1 John 4:8). As we depend on God, every move we make should be carried
out for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
In Him we have our
being.
Life is a gift. We
owe our continued existence to God (Ecclesiastes 5:19; Romans 6:23). He upholds
us every moment; He sustains us by His powerful Word (Hebrews 1:3). We are all
created by God, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17). We
cannot exist apart from Him.
In Him we live and
move and have our being means our entire existence depends wholly on God.
6. How are the steps of a man ordered by the
Lord (Psalm 37:23)?
In Psalm 37, David
writes that the righteous can trust God to sustain them (Psalm 37:17) and that
the inheritance of righteousness will never end (Psalm 37:18). The righteous
are given righteousness and salvation from the Lord (Psalm 37:39). It is a psalm
that reminds us of God’s faithfulness, and it encourages us that we can trust
Him and that He is worthy of our trust. In Psalm 37:23 the psalmist observes
that “the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord”. Earlier in the psalm, David
explains that, when we commit our way to the Lord, He will bring about our
righteousness. In Psalm 37:23 David proclaims that God orders or directs even
the individual steps of the person, and God takes delight in that person.
The term translated
as “ordered” or “established” in Psalm 37:23 is from a Hebrew verb that can
also mean “to guide, direct, or make reliable.” In other words, the person who
has committed his way to God will have his steps made sure by God. He will
guard them and ensure that they are solid steps. How encouraging to know that
even our small, seemingly inconsequential steps are not too insignificant for
God! He loves and cares for us so much that He actually takes pleasure in
guiding our steps. When we fall, we won’t fall to destruction because the Lord holds
our hand (Psalm 37:24). Because the law of God is in our hearts, our steps or
our path won’t be slippery (Psalm 37:31). What an incredible truth to know that
God is right there, ready to establish our walk if we will simply commit our
walk to Him! Even more incredible, perhaps, is that He delights in doing that.
To think that God—the almighty Creator—takes pleasure in walking with each of
His people in that way!
David knew better
than most that there would be dark days in this life—it was David who wrote
that, even though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he
didn’t need to fear evil because His heavenly Shepherd was with Him (Psalm
23:4). From psalms like Psalm 23 and Psalm 37 we learn that God is with us,
that He delights in fellowship with us, and that we can trust Him with our very
lives. Even a simple observation that the steps of a man are ordered by the
Lord represents an amazing truth that we matter to God. When we are
encountering hardship or difficulty, or if we simply feel alone as if no one
cares about our well-being, we can have confidence in knowing that He loves us
and wants to walk with us and guide us through those difficulties we face.
7.
What does it mean that the coming of the
Son of Man will be as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37)?"
After Jesus
explained to His disciples what would take place at the end of the age, during
the tribulation, and at His second coming, He gives several illustrations of
what the end of the age and His coming will be like. In one of those
illustrations, Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man will be “as it was
in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37).
Before Jesus
compares His coming to the days of Noah, He illustrates His coming with a
parable of the fig tree. By observing the growth of the fig tree one can
determine that summer is near (Matthew 24:32). In the same way, by observing
the signs (the things Jesus mentioned in the earlier part of the chapter), one
can recognize that His coming is near (Matthew 24:33). The generation of people
who are alive when these things begin to happen will see them completed
(Matthew 24:34), as they will happen swiftly. And, while Jesus’ words are
totally reliable (Matthew 24:35), He said at that time that no one knows
exactly when the events will take place except for His Father (Matthew 24:36).
Against the backdrop
of the fig tree illustration, Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man will
be “as the days of Noah were” (Matthew 24:37, NKJV). This is an important
statement for several reasons. First, Jesus identifies Himself as the “Son of
Man,” the one in Daniel 7:13–14 who is given an eternal kingdom. With that
identification Jesus is claiming to be the rightful King over all. When the
King—the Son of Man—comes, it will be as in the days of Noah. In those days,
the people were going about their lives, eating, drinking, and marrying, until
the flood came swiftly (Matthew 24:38). They were ignorant about what was
coming until it came upon them and took them away (Matthew 24:39). In the same way,
when Christ returns to earth as the Son of Man—the King—He will bring judgment
with Him. Even though the signs of His coming will be obvious to anyone who is
paying attention, apparently few will be looking.
It is worth noting
that, while there are some similarities between the event Jesus describes in
Matthew 24 and the event we call the “rapture” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17), these
are two different events. The events of Matthew 24 result in Christ coming to
earth with people being taken in judgment, while the rapture event has Christ
only coming to the clouds and taking up people to be in heaven. The rapture
event takes place before the tribulation period described in Matthew 24 (as the
rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4 precedes the day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians
5), and the coming of Jesus in Matthew 24 occurs after the tribulation period
(Matthew 24:29–31).
Even though Jesus’
coming would not be during the lifetime of the people He was addressing in
Matthew 24, He prepares them for what would take place so they would be on the
alert because of the certainty of the events and the uncertainty (from their
perspective) of the timing (Matthew 24:42). Jesus provides His listeners an
outline of the future so they will know that God’s plans will come to fruition
and that He has given His disciples a stewardship with which to be faithful. We
also need a sense of urgency. Even if these prophesied events don’t begin to
happen in our lifetime, we have only a limited time to use for Him. We should
strive to make the most of the time He has given us (Ephesians 5:16). The
coming of the Son of Man will be as it was in the days of Noah.
8.
How will rivers of living water flow from
believers (John 7:38)?"
In John 7:38, Jesus
makes a seemingly odd metaphorical statement: “Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Yet, as
it turns out, the statement isn’t so odd, because Jesus actually had much to
say about the idea of water and new life.
Earlier, Jesus had
told Nicodemus that one had to be born of water and the Spirit in order to
enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Most likely, Jesus’ reference to water
here was simply to physical birth, in contrast to spiritual birth (John 3:6).
In John 4:10 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He could give her “living
water.” This was in contrast to the physical water that the Samaritan woman
came to the well to retrieve. That physical water would run out, and she would
need to continually return to get more. But Jesus offered the woman water that
would never run out—water that would become within the believer “a spring of
water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Jesus later would return to this
theme when He stood up in public and said, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to
Me and drink” (John 7:37). In this way, He was again offering Himself as the
water of life and telling all they could come to Him and receive that
never-ending life.
After making the
offer of life-giving water, Jesus adds that rivers of living water would flow
from the heart of the believer (John 7:38). Jesus alludes to Isaiah 55:1 and
Isaiah 58:11—passages that similarly present the Messianic hope in terms of
life-giving water (cf. Exodus 17:1–6; Psalm 78:15–16; 105:40–41; Proverbs 18:4;
Isaiah 12:3; Ezekiel 47:1–11; and Zechariah 14:8). Jesus was not simply using
metaphor to liken His own life-giving ministry to that of water. He was
actually claiming to be the fulfillment of Scripture’s water allusions and
prophecies. Because He was the Life-giver, those who believed in Him would have
eternal life within them and would no longer need to seek for life from
external sources. Later, it is revealed that God would put His Spirit within
each believer (Romans 8:9), and each believer would have eternal life (John
6:47) and the evidence of life (in the Holy Spirit) within. It is in that sense
that “rivers of living water” would flow from the hearts of believers.
Later, Paul would
describe that in love Christ sanctifies His church, washing her with the water
of His word (Ephesians 5:25–26). The writer of Hebrews continues the theme,
noting that our hearts are sprinkled and “our bodies washed with pure water”
(Hebrews 10:22). Peter adds that believers are cleansed as if by water (1 Peter
3:20–21). Finally, in a beautiful portrayal of Jesus’ ministry, John says that
the Lamb would be the Shepherd, leading His people to the water of life
(Revelation 7:17). This is reminiscent of David’s song of Psalm 23 in which the
Shepherd leads David beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2) and restores his soul.
Just as each of these writers recognized, we need to understand that Jesus is
the One who gives life eternal and free.
9. Why
did John the Baptist proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’
(Matthew 3:2)?"
For several reasons,
it is significant that John the Baptist was preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2, ESV).
Malachi 3:1 is a
prophecy that a messenger would come who would prepare the way for Israel’s
Messiah. When the Messiah came, that would signal the arrival of the King, with
the Day of the Lord to follow and, when that was complete, the beginning of the
Messianic Kingdom. John was that messenger, and his mission was to prepare the
people to receive their Messiah. John’s call for the people to repent indicated
that they needed to change their minds. From Jesus’ own preaching of that same
message (e.g., Matthew 4:17), we find that the people thought they were
righteous and would have access to the kingdom of God because of their relationship
to Abraham and Moses and because of their outward obedience to the laws God had
given Israel through Moses. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), Jesus
makes it clear that the people needed to change their minds about how a person
becomes part of His kingdom. Their self-perceived righteousness was not
enough—their heritage and works were not what God required. Instead, God
required that the people have a true, internal righteousness that they didn’t
yet possess. Not only did they need a king, but they needed a savior;
unfortunately, many of them did not realize that need.
In order to make the
need clear, John and Jesus proclaimed that the people needed to “repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” or “has come near”. God has an eternal kingdom
that currently resides in heaven. But passages like 2 Samuel 7 and Revelation
19—20 prophesy that God’s kingdom will one day come to earth in a physical
form. Because this will be a heavenly kingdom changing location to earth, John
and Jesus (as recorded in Matthew) usually refer to it as “the kingdom of
heaven” (or, literally, “the kingdom of the heavens”).
The kingdom was “at
hand” or “near” in Jesus’ day because the King had come. But the people weren’t
ready yet for the kingdom because they hadn’t yet understood their need for the
righteousness that the King would provide. Because of that lack of
understanding and the arrival of the King, John’s and Jesus’ message was
vitally important—the people truly needed to repent (change their minds about how
they could enter the kingdom). While many individuals did change their minds
about how they could be righteous, the leaders and the nation as a whole did
not (Matthew 12—13), and they rejected Jesus as their King. As a result, Jesus
delayed the kingdom and died to pay for the forgiveness of sins so that those
who believe in Jesus can be part of His kingdom forever.
In Revelation 19—20
Jesus returns to earth as the King, and He sits on a throne ruling over Israel
for one thousand years. After that thousand years, He fulfills His role as
Judge, and after judgment is fulfilled, His kingdom continues in a new earth
for eternity. Because of what the Bible tells us about the future, we know that
we also need to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We need to
change our minds about how we become righteous and rely on God’s grace and
Jesus’ saving work on the cross, not on our own works and efforts. For those
who have believed in Him, we have already been transferred to His kingdom
(Colossians 1:13), but because His kingdom isn’t here yet—because the King
isn’t here yet—we need to set our mind on the things above where He is, rather
than on the temporary things of earth (Colossians 3:1–4).
