September 16, 2018 NOTES NOT EDITED
Pt3, Back to the
School of Faith: Jesus Christ
Jn. 1:1-18; 47-51
SIS: The most important person you will ever know
is Jesus Christ because He alone can give you eternal lfie.
Today, I want us to
jump right into our study of the Doctrine of Jesus to squeeze out everything we
can about Him in the few minutes we have together. We will examine the Eternal Jesus, the
Historical Jesus, and the Triumphant Jesus.
1. The Eternal
Jesus (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:1)
Last week I told you
that God was a title, and that God had a name.
His Name was “Yahweh,” meaning the Eternal One. Yahweh is introduced to us in the first verse
of the Bible by the title: El’Ohim, or
God the Creator. We read in Gen. 1:1: In the
beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.
Recall that the little word, “the,” that appears in English translations does not appear in the Hebrew. It simply says, “In beginning God.” The, “the,” is missing to stress the eternal nature of Yahweh. He was “before” the beginning. He was “eternal.” Notice how John 1:1 parallels Genesis 1:1: In the beginning was the Word
Again, take special note that the “the” we have in English translations does not appear in this part of John. It simply says, “In beginning was the Word.” This again stresses the eternal nature of Jesus Christ.
In mathematics we have a principle called Euclid’s General Axium that states, “Two things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other.” Mathematically the formula is: A=C; B=C; therefore, A=B. Theologically we have the same principle: Yahweh equals Eternal God; Jesus equals Eternal God; Jesus equals Yahweh. There is absolute equality between Yahweh and Jesus. They are the same Being, yet separate persons. Likewise, the Holy Spirit, as we will see is also God. Immediately, we come to one of the most important, yet most difficult to comprehend concepts in the Bible—One Being Who Exists in Three Persons. There is no model for this nor even a word for this concept in human experience or human language. Oneness and Threeness are two completely separate concepts in human experience. To say that “Three is one” sounds completely illogical and absurd. Yet, lets see what the Scriptures say about this relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
First, nothing is more solidly set in stone in regard to God than that “Yahweh is One God and the Only God” (One and Only). The most significant verse of Scripture to an orthodox Jew is Deuteronomy 6:4
Shema Yisrael, YHWH nu elohe, YHWH ehad. Hear O Israel, Yaweh Our God, YHWH [is] one.”
Any attempt to explain the essence of God that “divides” the Three Persons of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) or diminishes any of the Three Persons in any way is at the least incorrect and at the worst heresy. God is One! This is the most significant concept in Judeo-Christian theology and the concept that revolutionized religion in the Ancient Middle East. God is one, yet the Bible from the very beginning describes Him using plural terms. Return again to Gen1:1:
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Recall that the little word, “the,” that appears in English translations does not appear in the Hebrew. It simply says, “In beginning God.” The, “the,” is missing to stress the eternal nature of Yahweh. He was “before” the beginning. He was “eternal.” Notice how John 1:1 parallels Genesis 1:1: In the beginning was the Word
Again, take special note that the “the” we have in English translations does not appear in this part of John. It simply says, “In beginning was the Word.” This again stresses the eternal nature of Jesus Christ.
In mathematics we have a principle called Euclid’s General Axium that states, “Two things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other.” Mathematically the formula is: A=C; B=C; therefore, A=B. Theologically we have the same principle: Yahweh equals Eternal God; Jesus equals Eternal God; Jesus equals Yahweh. There is absolute equality between Yahweh and Jesus. They are the same Being, yet separate persons. Likewise, the Holy Spirit, as we will see is also God. Immediately, we come to one of the most important, yet most difficult to comprehend concepts in the Bible—One Being Who Exists in Three Persons. There is no model for this nor even a word for this concept in human experience or human language. Oneness and Threeness are two completely separate concepts in human experience. To say that “Three is one” sounds completely illogical and absurd. Yet, lets see what the Scriptures say about this relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
First, nothing is more solidly set in stone in regard to God than that “Yahweh is One God and the Only God” (One and Only). The most significant verse of Scripture to an orthodox Jew is Deuteronomy 6:4
Shema Yisrael, YHWH nu elohe, YHWH ehad. Hear O Israel, Yaweh Our God, YHWH [is] one.”
Any attempt to explain the essence of God that “divides” the Three Persons of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) or diminishes any of the Three Persons in any way is at the least incorrect and at the worst heresy. God is One! This is the most significant concept in Judeo-Christian theology and the concept that revolutionized religion in the Ancient Middle East. God is one, yet the Bible from the very beginning describes Him using plural terms. Return again to Gen1:1:
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The word used for
this One God is the word, “El’Ohim.”
The word, “El,” is a common Middle Eastern
description for God. The significance is
that in this verse the One God is described with a plural term. The suffix “im” in Hebrew is the
equivalent of adding an “s” to the end of a word to make it plural in
English.
So, a plural word describes a single Being. This has been called by various descriptions in scholarly literature such as the “Plural of Majesty.” Often, in Middle Eastern languages, the plural can denote an enhanced quality, rather than an increased quantity.
Throughout the Bible, we see the Threeness of the One True God represented. When we come to the formal introduction of Jesus to the world at His baptism by John we read (Mk. 1:10-11):
10 As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You!
So, a plural word describes a single Being. This has been called by various descriptions in scholarly literature such as the “Plural of Majesty.” Often, in Middle Eastern languages, the plural can denote an enhanced quality, rather than an increased quantity.
Throughout the Bible, we see the Threeness of the One True God represented. When we come to the formal introduction of Jesus to the world at His baptism by John we read (Mk. 1:10-11):
10 As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You!
Jesus, God the Son,
comes up out of the water. The Spirt, in
some wistful, fleeting manner (like a dove) descends or is present. The Father speaks from Heaven. We do not know exactly what the Spirit
appeared like in a form in this passage—if they saw any distinct form at all. The
text expresses a unique union between the Son and the Spirit. The words, “to, or on Him,” have
significant meaning in regard to the idea of union (Theological Dict. of N.T.).
What we do know about God is that He is One Being Who Reveals Himself as Three Persons—a Being for which we do not have the mental capacity to fully comprehend nor adequate words to fully describe. The best word used to describe One Being in Three Persons comes from about 200 years after Jesus died and rose again. A theologian by the name of Tertullian first used the word, “Trinity.” Earlier theologians, as early as at least 110 A.D. described the Threeness of the One true God (Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, 100-165 A.D.). The word, trinity, does not appear in the Bible but the concept of God’s Oneness and Threeness appears from Genesis 1:1 throughout the rest of the Bible. By 325 A.D. the Early Church established once for all that the Doctrine of the Trinity is a fundamental—the fundamental—doctrine of the Church. The Nicene Creed describes Jesus as, “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
What applies to Jesus Christ and His being coequal to God also applies to the Holy Spirit, but we will deal with that later.
There are two major heresies in regard to the Deity, (that is, full equality of Jesus with God the Father), of Jesus Christ. The mark of any false Christ will be that they follow one of these two great heresies (or both). The first is the heresy of “modalism.” (Associated with Sabellius in the 3rd century). This heresy has God taking three different roles in regard to man. In one mode, God plays the part of the Father. In another mode, He plays the part of the Son. In yet another mode, He plays the Holy Spirit. In some of these heresies, the Holy Spirit is not even a person but a “mysterious power.” The second great heresy is that of “demigods.” A demigod is a being, or person, God creates for some purpose—a subordinate assistant if you will. In this heresy, Jesus is “less than Almighty God.” Jesus may be extremely important, but He is not co-equal with God. Arius is associated with this heresy (about 350 A.D.) Nearly every modern cult has some version of this heresy in their dogma, including Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons.
In regard to the doctrine of Jesus Christ it is essential to affirm that whatever applies to God the Father in regard to nature and essence, applies to Jesus, and further, whatever applies to God the Father and Jesus, applies to the Holy Spirit. Any Jesus who is NOT affirmed as the Co-equal, Eternal God is a false Jesus leading you straight to hell.
2. the Historical Jesus (14-18)
What we do know about God is that He is One Being Who Reveals Himself as Three Persons—a Being for which we do not have the mental capacity to fully comprehend nor adequate words to fully describe. The best word used to describe One Being in Three Persons comes from about 200 years after Jesus died and rose again. A theologian by the name of Tertullian first used the word, “Trinity.” Earlier theologians, as early as at least 110 A.D. described the Threeness of the One true God (Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, 100-165 A.D.). The word, trinity, does not appear in the Bible but the concept of God’s Oneness and Threeness appears from Genesis 1:1 throughout the rest of the Bible. By 325 A.D. the Early Church established once for all that the Doctrine of the Trinity is a fundamental—the fundamental—doctrine of the Church. The Nicene Creed describes Jesus as, “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
What applies to Jesus Christ and His being coequal to God also applies to the Holy Spirit, but we will deal with that later.
There are two major heresies in regard to the Deity, (that is, full equality of Jesus with God the Father), of Jesus Christ. The mark of any false Christ will be that they follow one of these two great heresies (or both). The first is the heresy of “modalism.” (Associated with Sabellius in the 3rd century). This heresy has God taking three different roles in regard to man. In one mode, God plays the part of the Father. In another mode, He plays the part of the Son. In yet another mode, He plays the Holy Spirit. In some of these heresies, the Holy Spirit is not even a person but a “mysterious power.” The second great heresy is that of “demigods.” A demigod is a being, or person, God creates for some purpose—a subordinate assistant if you will. In this heresy, Jesus is “less than Almighty God.” Jesus may be extremely important, but He is not co-equal with God. Arius is associated with this heresy (about 350 A.D.) Nearly every modern cult has some version of this heresy in their dogma, including Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons.
In regard to the doctrine of Jesus Christ it is essential to affirm that whatever applies to God the Father in regard to nature and essence, applies to Jesus, and further, whatever applies to God the Father and Jesus, applies to the Holy Spirit. Any Jesus who is NOT affirmed as the Co-equal, Eternal God is a false Jesus leading you straight to hell.
2. the Historical Jesus (14-18)
Look at verse
14: 14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as
the One and Only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
Most people do not
have a great appreciation for the historical Jesus because they don’t have a
real appreciation for the value of history in general. Let me give you a little history test to see
how you do. We may get by if we don’t have a great grasp of the history of the
world, but we will fail eternally if we do not have a sufficient grasp of the
historical Jesus. Jesus came into our
history so that we could become a part of “His
Story” of redemption. All we
need is to surrender to Him.
Q:
What kind of lighting did Noah use for the ark?
A: Floodlights! Q: What do Alexander the Great and Kermit the Frog have in common? A: The same middle name! Q: Why were the early days of history called the dark ages? A: Because there were so many knights! Q: Who made King Arthur's round table? A: Sir-Cumference Q: Why is England the wettest country? A: Because the queen has reigned there for 65 years! Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? A: At the bottom!
A: Floodlights! Q: What do Alexander the Great and Kermit the Frog have in common? A: The same middle name! Q: Why were the early days of history called the dark ages? A: Because there were so many knights! Q: Who made King Arthur's round table? A: Sir-Cumference Q: Why is England the wettest country? A: Because the queen has reigned there for 65 years! Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? A: At the bottom!
History is important. The story of the redemption of mankind is not some fanciful myth created in the mind of a cross-legged, humming guru but is a story firmly established in the concrete of human history. Had Jesus remained merely the Eternal God of Heaven, there would be no salvation. No more succinct and stunning verse in all the Bible so vividly describes the essence of Christianity, and the distinctive difference between Christianity and all other world religions than the phrase: “The Word became flesh.” It would be correct to say, “The Word burst into human history.” He was born of flesh. He lived in the flesh. He was crucified in the flesh; and He split the grave wide open in the flesh.
Jesus was born into history; walked through history; died at a moment in history; rose from the grave in history; and one day in history He is coming again to “receive the elect as His own” (Jn. 14:3).
Jesus, as we examined
briefly, is Almighty God. The life of
Jesus depicted His deity from the first miracle of turning water into wine. His Divine Holiness was demonstrated when He
refused to surrender His righteousness to the Devil simply to fill His empty
stomach with a loaf of bread made from a rock (Mt. 4). Jesus demonstrated His deity at every turn
from “creating meals for multitudes from
two fish and five loaves to a feast feeding 15,000 Mt. 14).
Jesus never ceased to be Who He was—that is God. Someone said, “Jesus became what He never was without giving up what He has always been.” Jesus is the God-Man. Not part God and part man. Jesus is All God and All man All the time! Jesus is not a “third” kind of being. Jesus is one being with two complete natures—God and Man. John makes it abundantly clear: “The Word was God” and, “the Word became flesh.”
Jesus was not “mostly God and partly human.” Jesus was totally God and totally human. Because Jesus was totally human, He can completely UNDERSTAND our human frailties and failings. Paul describes this understanding of the human condition when He says of Jesus Christ (Heb. 4),
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.
Jesus never ceased to be Who He was—that is God. Someone said, “Jesus became what He never was without giving up what He has always been.” Jesus is the God-Man. Not part God and part man. Jesus is All God and All man All the time! Jesus is not a “third” kind of being. Jesus is one being with two complete natures—God and Man. John makes it abundantly clear: “The Word was God” and, “the Word became flesh.”
Jesus was not “mostly God and partly human.” Jesus was totally God and totally human. Because Jesus was totally human, He can completely UNDERSTAND our human frailties and failings. Paul describes this understanding of the human condition when He says of Jesus Christ (Heb. 4),
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.
Because Jesus was
fully human, He can understand our frailties and our sin. Because Jesus is fully God, he can actually do
something about our sin—He can give us “mercy and grace.” We will say more about the importance
of Jesus human nature when we study the Doctrine of His Death next week, Lord
willing.
It is a heresy to make Jesus less than Almighty God. It is equally a false teaching to make Jesus less that absolutely human. Jesus is not only the God OF history, but more importantly, the God IN history.
Most church-goers do not truly follow a “historical” Jesus. Many more church-goers follow what I call a “hysterical” Jesus. “Hysterical” is described as, “a psychoneurotic condition marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychogenic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions.” Now, let me break that down for you. Most church-goers follow a Jesus that provides momentary opportunities to escape thinking and get warm and fuzzy feelings in their bellies. People love an “hysterical Jesus” that does not actually interrupt their lives by making real-life, everyday demands, but simply gives them an opportunity to escape reality for a moment to get a weekly fix of “hysterical feel-goodness.” That’s the “hysterical Jesus,” not the “historical Jesus.” The historical Jesus came to show us the Way of sacrifice and obedience. In fact, the first nickname for the followers of Jesus was not “Christians,” but, “The Way.”
Acts 24:14 But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers’ God according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets. (see Acts 9:2).
It is a heresy to make Jesus less than Almighty God. It is equally a false teaching to make Jesus less that absolutely human. Jesus is not only the God OF history, but more importantly, the God IN history.
Most church-goers do not truly follow a “historical” Jesus. Many more church-goers follow what I call a “hysterical” Jesus. “Hysterical” is described as, “a psychoneurotic condition marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychogenic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions.” Now, let me break that down for you. Most church-goers follow a Jesus that provides momentary opportunities to escape thinking and get warm and fuzzy feelings in their bellies. People love an “hysterical Jesus” that does not actually interrupt their lives by making real-life, everyday demands, but simply gives them an opportunity to escape reality for a moment to get a weekly fix of “hysterical feel-goodness.” That’s the “hysterical Jesus,” not the “historical Jesus.” The historical Jesus came to show us the Way of sacrifice and obedience. In fact, the first nickname for the followers of Jesus was not “Christians,” but, “The Way.”
Acts 24:14 But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers’ God according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets. (see Acts 9:2).
Jesus walked in
history showing us “the Way” to love and serve God as we walk through our
little stretch of the historical countryside. A great preacher once said this, “Many church-goers want to SERVE God, but
only in an advisory position.” (AR). The defining moment of the life and
ministry of the historical Jesus was not His inauguration as a king among men,
but His death on a cross between two common thieves. It is the historical event of the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ that defines the importance of His place in our
lives. Sacrificial obedience, even to
the death on the cross, is the essence of the life of Jesus Christ in history.
The historical Jesus
changed history. All of history has been
divided according to the life of Jesus Christ:
B.C., before Christ; A.D. In the Year of Our Lord. Jesus changed history forever, but more than
that, Jesus came into history to change “us” forever. When we could not get to Him with thousands
upon thousands of sacrifices and thousands upon thousands, millions upon
millions of failures, God came to us.
History is “His Story.” That’s
what the historical Jesus means to us.
We must know the
Eternal Jesus. We must know the
Historical Jesus. And we must know:
3. The Militant
Jesus (Jn. 1:47-51)
The same Jesus who
came into history, the first time, will just as certainly, come a second time.
The Jesus Who came first as a Suffering Servant, will come again Sword-swinging
King on a Great White Stallion.
John chapter 1, which introduces us to Jesus Christ, ends with a
peculiar encounter between Jesus and a future disciple, Nathaniel. Philip had told Nathaniel about Jesus and invited
Nathaniel to come meet Jesus. Here’s
what took place when Nathaniel met Jesus for the first time:
47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, “Here is a true Israelite; no deceit is in him.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. 49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then He said, “I assure you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, “Here is a true Israelite; no deceit is in him.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. 49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then He said, “I assure you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Basically, Jesus told
Nathaniel, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” The
best is yet to come. This passage could easily be a sermon by itself. It causes us to think back to the O.T. when
God visited Jacob one night in a dream (Gen. 28:12-17). In that dream Jacob saw a ladder with angels
going up and down from heaven. I used to
sing a Sunday School song: We are climbing Jacob’s ladder // We are
climbing Jacob’s ladder // We are climbing Jacob’s ladder // Soldier of the
cross.
That’s a sweet song, but the theology is a bit weak. It was actually an old slave song. We don’t climb a ladder up to God, but God climbed the ladder down to us. Remember, we talked about the historical Jesus who climbed down the ladder to us in a moment in history. Jesus came to us BECAUSE we could never get to Him on our own.
Well, the first time He came as the Suffering Servant. He is coming down the ladder again, but the next time He is coming as the Militant King. Jesus promised He would come again
That’s a sweet song, but the theology is a bit weak. It was actually an old slave song. We don’t climb a ladder up to God, but God climbed the ladder down to us. Remember, we talked about the historical Jesus who climbed down the ladder to us in a moment in history. Jesus came to us BECAUSE we could never get to Him on our own.
Well, the first time He came as the Suffering Servant. He is coming down the ladder again, but the next time He is coming as the Militant King. Jesus promised He would come again
Acts 1 10 While He was going, they
were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by
them. 11 They said, “Men
of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been
taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him
going into heaven.”
When most people think of Jesus, they think more of someone like Mister Rogers than someone like General George Patton driving tanks over the enemy as they pressed Eastward over Europe smashing both the resources and the resolve of German troops. We prefer a “tame” Jesus to a “Triumphant” Jesus. We want a Jesus like Mister Rogers, the kind of person you want to climb up onto his lap and be cuddled. Jesus for many is “Mister Rogers with a beard.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against Mr. Rogers. I also know that Jesus does give us cuddles and comfort when we need it. But a Mr. Rogers, Jesus is not! When He comes again—and He will come again as He promised as surely as He came the first time as promised—and when He comes, He will come with “fire in His eyes and sword in His hands!” (Rev. 19:11-15)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on His head. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. 13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp sword came from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations with it. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.
Jesus came into history exactly as it was recorded by the prophets of the O.T. According to the very same prophets—and with the exacting, certainty, Jesus is coming again as the Militant King of Kings to crush Satan once and for eternity. Jesus didn’t come to tame us and make us religious lap dogs for the Kingdom. Jesus came to set us free to be “soldiers of the cross” wielding the sword of the Spirit to set free those enslaved by sin.
The Christian life is a battle for souls. I think it is far past the time that we get a little “militant” about the Devil and his evil plans.
There have been 3520 Medals of Honor given in the history of our military. Most of them have been given “posthumously,” that is, after death. When we bestow this high honor, we remind ourselves what it takes to win a war. April 8, 2008, President Bush presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Navy Seal Michael Monsoor. On Sept. 29, 2006, Michael Monsoor made the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike’s chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options: to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body.
When most people think of Jesus, they think more of someone like Mister Rogers than someone like General George Patton driving tanks over the enemy as they pressed Eastward over Europe smashing both the resources and the resolve of German troops. We prefer a “tame” Jesus to a “Triumphant” Jesus. We want a Jesus like Mister Rogers, the kind of person you want to climb up onto his lap and be cuddled. Jesus for many is “Mister Rogers with a beard.” Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against Mr. Rogers. I also know that Jesus does give us cuddles and comfort when we need it. But a Mr. Rogers, Jesus is not! When He comes again—and He will come again as He promised as surely as He came the first time as promised—and when He comes, He will come with “fire in His eyes and sword in His hands!” (Rev. 19:11-15)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on His head. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. 13 He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp sword came from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations with it. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.
Jesus came into history exactly as it was recorded by the prophets of the O.T. According to the very same prophets—and with the exacting, certainty, Jesus is coming again as the Militant King of Kings to crush Satan once and for eternity. Jesus didn’t come to tame us and make us religious lap dogs for the Kingdom. Jesus came to set us free to be “soldiers of the cross” wielding the sword of the Spirit to set free those enslaved by sin.
The Christian life is a battle for souls. I think it is far past the time that we get a little “militant” about the Devil and his evil plans.
There have been 3520 Medals of Honor given in the history of our military. Most of them have been given “posthumously,” that is, after death. When we bestow this high honor, we remind ourselves what it takes to win a war. April 8, 2008, President Bush presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to Navy Seal Michael Monsoor. On Sept. 29, 2006, Michael Monsoor made the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike’s chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options: to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body.
We are in a war
against evil as followers of Jesus. He
is our Supreme Commander. We need to
know Him. We need to trust Him. We need to serve Him. He is Eternal. He is Historical. He is Militant.
There is no one more important in this life or in all of eternity than Jesus Christ.
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