living word spring 2016
DESCRIPTION
The Bible study magazine for those wishing to go deeper into God's Word.TRANSCRIPT
The centurion watching Jesus saw the earthquake, and
feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
2
In this issue:
3. United with Him in His Resurrection Ken Legg (Australia)
6. Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection Mathew Bartlett (UK)
10. Pontius Pilate: Behold the Man! Mathew Bartlett (UK)
14. Happy Mother’s Day Mathew Bartlett (UK)
15. The Returning Lord Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)
18. The Sufferings of Christ Mathew Bartlett (UK)
22. Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection Mathew Bartlett (UK)
24. The Exaltation of Christ Mathew Bartlett (UK)
Back: Britain’s’ Cheapest Gospel Tracts Bible Studies Online
www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
Living Word is published in the UK by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett
©Photos - above: Marcin Winnicki. Cover: © Philcold. Wooden background: Dave Bredeson Left from top: Jozef Sedmak, Connie Larsen, Jacob Gregory. Back Cover: © A. J. Cotton
3
When United with Christ in His
resurrection, Christians live by
grace. Grace is all about what God
has done for us and is doing in and
through us by His Spirit. Legalism
nullifies grace by making it all
about what we attempt to do for
Him, thus subtly promoting
reliance upon the flesh.
It was no different in the days of
the New Testament. For example,
the Galatians fell into this error
and Paul said to them, ‘Are you so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit,
are you now being made perfect
by the flesh?’ (Gal. 3:3). This is
why it is so important for
Christians to be clear about the
doctrine of their union with Christ.
In the last chapter we saw that our
salvation is certain because we
were baptised into His death.
Our judgement has taken place at
the cross. Not only did Jesus die
for us but we died with Him.
The old condemned person we
were in Adam has been crucified.
Sadly, many stop there. But Paul
says, ‘For if we have been united
together in the likeness of His
death, certainly we also shall be in
the likeness of His resurrection’
(Rom.6:5).
Having died with Christ, we have
been raised with Him as a new
creation. He is now our life. ‘I have
been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me’ (Gal.2:20). As Paul said, if we
have been united with Christ in His
death, we shall also be united with
Him in His resurrection.
If we believe the first statement is
true, then let us believe the
second is true also. Through the
finality of the cross we are forever
reconciled to God.
By means of our union with Christ
in His resurrection, we are
empowered for life and godliness.
‘And this is the testimony: that
God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son. He who has
the Son has life; he who does not
have the Son of God does not have
life’ (1 Jn.5:11-12).
Order ‘Grace: The Power to Reign’
PDF AUS $9 Print AUS $19
United with Him in His
Resurrection
By Ken Legg Image © James Steidl
Image © Bernard Dunne
Let’s Talk About Prayer
Though prayer is 'the Christian's vital breath' it raises many questions: if God is in control of everything what's the point of praying? how is prayer related to healing? what about 'unanswered' prayer?
In this remarkable book Tom Holland uses a series of conversations between a pastor and members of his congregation to help us think through these and other questions in the light of biblical teaching.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
4
Faithbuilders Bible Study Guide – Mark
Paperback £9.99
Kindle £4.99
The Prophet of Messiah: Zechariah
Paperback £9.99
Kindle £4.99
Faithbuilders Bible Study Guide – Matthew
Paperback £9.99
Kindle £4.99
Esther: Queen of Persia
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £3.99
Faithbuilders Christian Books
Massive Power Massive Love
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £3.99
A Garland of Grace
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £3.99
The Prophecy of Amos
Paperback £9.99
Kindle £4.99
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Paperback £6.95
Kindle £0.77
5
A Bouquet of Blessings
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £3.99
Let’s Talk About Prayer
Paperback £7.99
Kindle £3.99
The Emergence of Pentecostalism in Wales
Paperback £19.99
Kindle £9.99
Marital Imagery in the Bible
Paperback £19.99
Kindle £9.99
When was Jesus Really Born?
Paperback £4.56
Kindle £1.90
Feeding Minds AND Building Faith
The Pastoral Epistles
Paperback £6.99
Kindle £3.99
Hope for the Nations (Romans Commentary)
Paperback £19.99
Kindle £9.99
Coping with the Wobbles of Life
Paperback £5.99
Kindle £3.99
6
Every Easter Sunday we celebrate
Christ’s rising from the dead. But
that was not the end of the story.
The Bible says that Jesus appeared
again and again to his disciples in
various ways over the 40 days
following his resurrection, giving
them many infallible proofs that
he was alive. What was the
purpose of these post resurrection
appearances of Christ?
They Were Regenerating
When Christ appeared to Mary
Magdalene, the women, the
eleven disciples, and all the others
in the upper room after his
resurrection, his purpose was that
by believing in him (as the Christ
who had died and was risen) they
might be born again to eternal life.
This new birth is called
regeneration. In the upper room,
Jesus Christ breathed on his
disciples and through the
operation of the Holy Spirit they
were born again—or born from
above—with a new spiritual
nature, the nature of God.
It is the same for every one of us
today. Jesus died and rose again
for you. He wants you to believe
this even without seeing him.
There is enough power in his
resurrection to bring you from
spiritual death to spiritual life.
That is why the Bible says “if you
confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.”
(Rom. 10:9 ESV)
One of the apostles, Thomas, was
not with the others when Jesus
appeared to them on the first
Easter Sunday, and he refused to
believe their story without seeing
the risen Christ for himself. When
the Lord appeared to Thomas one
week later, he rebuked him for his
unbelief, and said "Have you
believed because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have
not seen and yet have believed."
(John 20:29 ESV)
Today when you believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ who died for you,
and who rose again and is alive
today, you will experience a
spiritual regeneration—you will be
born again and receive the gift of
eternal life.
You may remember that before
his crucifixion all of Jesus’ disciples
failed him. Not only did they fall
asleep in the garden of
Gethsemane (when Jesus had just
commanded them to watch and
pray), but they all forsook him in
his hour of need and fled for their
lives.
Whilst all of them had failed the
Lord, the one most keenly felt his
failure was Simon Peter. He had
followed Jesus to the High Priest’s
house where he saw the Lord
stand trial before the Sanhedrin—
but when challenged by a young
servant girl, Peter denied his Lord
three times.
Peter wept bitterly over his failure,
as Satan sifted him as wheat. But
Christ had spoken of his
restoration even before his failure.
When Peter declared “Lord, I am
ready to go to prison with you and
die with you.” Jesus answered,
“The cock will not crow till you
have denied me three times. But
the Lord said this “Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan demanded to have
you that he might sift you like
wheat, but I have prayed for you
that your faith may not fail. And
when you have turned again,
strengthen your brothers.” (Luke
22:31–32, 61)
Peter watched his Lord’s
crucifixion afar off. During the
three says that Jesus body lay in
Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection
Sermon Outline by Mathew Bartlett
Image © Connie Larsen
7
the tomb, he no doubt thought
that he had failed too miserably to
be restored. But he had not taken
into account the resurrection
power of Jesus—its ability to
renew and restore. After all, the
power that brings life from death
is able to transform any situation;
it will restore the failing, revive the
fainting, and renew the
backslider’s faith.
So on the first day of the week,
before he appeared to all the
disciples together, but after he
had been seen by the women,
Christ appeared privately to Peter.
We are not sure of the details of
this encounter. After Peter had
discovered the empty tomb, we
are simply told that he left,
wondering about what had
happened (Luke 24:12). But by
that night the apostles said “The
Lord is risen indeed and has
appeared to Simon!” (Luke 22:34)
They were not prepared to accept
the testimony of the women—but
Simon, whom they held as their
leader (after Christ), that was a
different matter.
Peter had experienced
regeneration, but there was more
work to be done. He now had to
experience restoration.
On another occasion when Jesus
appeared to them, quite early on
in those 40 days, Peter and some
other disciples were fishing on the
Sea of Galilee. The Lord stood on
the shore and called out “Children,
have you any fish” No they replied,
for although they had fished all
night they had caught nothing (see
John 21:1–14). In their hearts they
could remember the very first
time they had encountered Jesus
and were challenged to follow
him. On that occasion too they
had fished all night and caught
nothing. Following his resurrection
the Lord repeated the miracle that
had first convinced them that he
was the Son of God.
Christ had taken them right back
to the same place and the same
experience they had when they
first met the Lord. He has to do
the same for us sometimes. The
trials of life, and the problems we
encounter, can cause us to lose
faith, and lose sight of Jesus. But
how gracious our Lord is, the God
of restoration brings us back to
himself to restore our faith in God.
I notice the one great difference
between this second miracle and
the first miraculous catch of fish—
on this second occasion the nets
were not broken; a symbol of the
power which had conquered death
and of the person for whom
nothing is impossible. If Christ
wanted the nets to break they
would have; but if Christ said they
would not break, then they would
break not even if a hundred Great
White sharks swam into them.
When they got back to shore,
Jesus invited the disciples to have
breakfast with him, for he had a
fire already burning with hot coals
and the fish was already cooked.
Now, I wager anything that Christ
did not dirty his hands getting that
meal ready—it was spoken into
existence by the word of God—yet
it was real fish (had he not spoken
fish into existence on Day 5?) and
it made a very good meal.
Having ministered to the stomachs
of the disciples, refreshing them
after a night of toil with food and
friendship, Jesus turned his
attention once again to Peter,
whom he invited to walk with him
in private conversation along the
beach, a little out of earshot of the
others. Jesus did not want to
embarrass Peter in front of the
others. In the past Jesus had
rebuked Peter in front of them all,
but here was a matter to be dealt
with in private. It was between the
two of them.
Peter had denied his Lord three
times and the Lord knew how to
restore him. Three times he looks
into his soul and asks “Do you love
me most of all?” (John 21:17)
Peter was hurt that the Lord
demanded he say it three times.
When a wound scabs over, if it is
infected, it must first be reopened
before the poison can be taken
out. The Lord did not bring up
Simon’s failure because it had not
been forgiven. He was not telling
Peter that he needed to repent all
over again; he was simply healing
the wound. He was restoring Peter
so that he could start again. And
Peter responded to the
restoration.
The word of God tells us today
that those how fall into sin are to
be gently restored in this way—
the word used for ‘restore’ is the
same as that which is used for
setting a bone after it has been
fractured.
We have been forgiven so much;
we ought to help others find
forgiveness too. James writes that
“whoever brings back a sinner
from his wandering will save his
soul from death and will cover a
multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)
Even the adulterer at Corinth was
(after discipline) fully restored,
which was the intention of the
discipline all along—there was no
other reason for it. Paul said “I
wanted you to know the proof of
my love for you…Now you ought
rather to forgive him and comfort
him.” (2 Cor. 2:4-8)
If you have failed the Lord, or
failed in your faith, the risen Lord
Jesus Christ is still able to restore
your soul. As the scripture says, “If
we confess our sins he is faithful
and just to forgive our sins and
8
cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
God’s restoration is never partial,
only complete. In the words of an
ancient hymn “perverse and
foolish oft I strayed, and yet in
love he sought me, and on his
shoulders gently laid, and home
rejoicing brought me.”
Instructing
Luke recounts how after his
resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ
appeared to them over 40 days,
and spoke about the kingdom of
God. Whatever did he teach them
about? We have some of his post
resurrection teaching recorded for
us.
He instructed them in the
fulfilment of scripture.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus,
beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, explained all things that
were written about him in the
scriptures: “Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these
things and enter into his glory?"
(Luke 24:26) On appearing to his
disciples again he “opened their
understanding to the scriptures”
(Luke 24:45).
The preaching of the gospel
His opening their minds to
understand the scriptures meant
that now they could preach the
gospel. He instructed them in this.
He said, in effect, “I am sending
you just as my father sent me. I
am giving you a message of
forgiveness.” (see John 20:23) The
apostles announced the grounds
on which sins may be forgiven;
being at the same time
forewarned that their mission to
preach the gospel would
eventually reach every creature.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
And behold, I am sending the
promise of my Father upon you.
But stay in the city until you are
clothed with power from on high."
(Luke 24:49 ESV)
The Second Coming of Christ
As Jesus gathered his disciples at
the top of Mount Olivet, the last
time he appeared to them, with
over 500 present at once, they
asked him again “Lord, is this the
time you will restore the kingdom
the Israel.” To which Jesus replied,
“It is not for you to know the times
or seasons.” (Acts 1:6–8)
© Jozef Sedmak
It was at this time that “as he
went, behold, two men stood by
them in white robes, and said,
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand
looking into heaven? This Jesus,
who was taken up from you into
heaven, will come in the same way
as you saw him go into heaven.”
(Acts 1:10–11)
In the midst of all this post-
resurrection instruction, perhaps
the most famous part of it, was
the great commission.
Christ’s post-resurrection
appearances were commissioning
Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. He
who believes and is baptised shall
be saved and he who believes not
shall be damned. Teaching them
to observe all things whatever I
have commanded you. (Mark
16:15–16 and Matt. 28:19–20)
In the great commission Christ
gave his disciples:
Purpose
Go into all the world and preach
the gospel... We have a message
of salvation to proclaim and we
must proclaim it fearlessly to all
mankind, regardless of whether
they accept it or not. Theirs is to
accept or reject, but ours is to
proclaim it without prejudice. God
is not willing that any should
perish. Pentecostal pioneer
missionary and apostle William
Burton said when he arrived in
central Africa “We couldn’t got the
wrong place—we had to preach it
to them all.” For all our lives we
have a purpose.
Every little church across the
countryside, and the big churches
in the cities, all have an equal
share in this purpose—to make
the gospel message known to all
people so that they might be
saved. Let’s get on with the job.
Through platform preaching, tract
distribution, personal witness, and
in many other ways, the gospel
must be made known. Every
church should have a prayer
meeting and every prayer
meeting, whatever else it may
contain, must always contain
fervent prayers for the lost, for it is
God's heart and God wants us to
enter in and share his burden
through prayer.
9
Power
You will receive power after that
the Holy Spirit has come on you
and you will be my witnesses.
Having instructed them to preach
the gospel in all the world, Jesus
then delayed them. Remain in
Jerusalem until you have been
clothed with power from on high.
There is no point going to work
without your tools. And the tools
given by a supernatural Christ for a
supernatural task are necessarily
supernatural.
And these signs will accompany
those who believe: in my name
they will cast out demons; they will
speak in new tongues; they will
pick up serpents with their hands;
and if they drink any deadly
poison, it will not hurt them; they
will lay their hands on the sick, and
they will recover. (Mark 16:17–18)
So then the Lord Jesus, after he
had spoken to them, was taken up
into heaven and sat down at the
right hand of God. And they went
out and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the message by
accompanying signs. (Mark 16:19–
20)
The tragedy of evangelism today is
that many who go forth to preach
who have not yet received this
power from on high. They are like
men going to dig the road with a
tea spoons—they have not got the
proper tools for the job. Far
worse, it is disobedience to the
Lord Jesus Christ and irreverence
for God’s way of doing things.
When Paul preached he said my
preaching was not with wise and
persuasive words but with a
demonstration of the Spirit and of
power that your faith might not
rest in the wisdom of men but in
the power of God. When we
preach the gospel today we must
do so in the fullness and power of
the Spirit of God; we must expect
supernatural manifestation to
confirm God’s word.
Presence
Go into all the world…And lo I am
with you always to the end of the
age,
Wherever we go with the gospel,
whatever challenges we face, even
the rejection and persecution of
the people, God is still with us. The
Lord Jesus Christ accompanies us.
It was because of that presence
that the apostles could sing when
locked in jail, bleeding from a
beating. It was because of that
same presence that the earth
shook, the prison doors opened
and a number of souls were added
to the church.
We cannot stop the progress of
God. He will build his church and
no man can stop it. Let opponents
of the cross atheists write as many
books and produce as many films
as they like—no one can stop the
Lord from accomplishing his
purposes.
Let us be humbly encouraged by
this. We are weak but God is
strong. On one occasion, Moses
said to God “if your presence goes
not with us let us not go up
hence”, but God in reply assured
him “My presence will go with you
and I will give you rest.” (see Ex.
33:14-15)
To Joshua, the Lord said—as he
says to us—“I will be with you, I
will never leave you nor forsake
you.” (see Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews
13:5)
The Prophet of Messiah
The encouragement which Zechariah's prophecies brought to the Jews at the time of their return from exile helped them to rebuild not only their temple but also their national identity. Yet Zechariah's message of hope pointed beyond the glory of the temple to one greater than the temple: the Anointed One (Messiah) who would become both priest and king forever over all nations.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
The Prophet of Messiah: The Book of Zechariah
Paperback: £9.99 & free UK delivery.
KINDLE: £4.99
Available as an ebook in most formats.
10
Introduction
The name of Pontius Pilate will
always be associated with the
crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was Roman governor in Judea
at that time of our Lord’s
execution. Historians tell us that
he was a capable man of shrewd
judgment, trained in Roman law
and in the giving of correct rulings.
However when Pilate met Jesus, it
seems that he stood before him to
be judged than to judge; and when
Jesus Christ stands in the
judgment hall of our mind, heart
and will, we must all face:
I. An Inescapable Question
“What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?” (Matthew
27:22). As the Lord Jesus Christ
was brought before Pontius Pilate,
Pilate was faced with an
inescapable question. It is this very
same question that every man
must answer. God we see to it that
at some time in your life you will
be confronted with this question,
and your answer to this question
will affect your whole eternity. No
one can ever escape this question,
for put quite simply, “He who
believes on the Son has everlasting
life, he who does not believe the
Son shall not see life, for God’s
wrath remains on him.” John 3.36
God sent his only begotten Son
into the world to be the Saviour of
men. The one Pilate saw standing
before him is the One who came
into the world to save sinners. He
is none other than God of very
God. He created the world, and
sustains it by his power. Pilate was
wrong to suppose that he had
power to dispose of Jesus - but he
was right to recognize that he
could not avoid this question,
neither can you or I, for:
1) Jesus has the Foremost Place in
History
“What shall I do then with Jesus?”
(Matthew 27:22). Some have been
foolish enough to question the
actual existence of a man named
Jesus of Nazareth. But when Pilate
asked this question, Jesus himself
was standing in front of him in
person; he could neither ignore
nor avoid him.
In the same way, Jesus in an
unavoidable figure in history. Let
me illustrate. What year is it? It is
2014 A.D. - A.D. Stands for Anno
Domini or year of our Lord,
meaning it is 2014 years,
approximately since our Lord Jesus
Christ was born. Prior to that,
dates are given as years B.C. or
before Christ. We cannot look at
any event in history without
encountering Christ in the date.
We cannot look at art or literature
through the ages without realizing
how profoundly Christ has
influenced artistic and literary
history Just look at the vast statue
of Christ the redeemer towering
over Rio de Janero, or at Leonardo
Da Vinci’s painting of the Last
Supper. Consider classic books
written about him such as
Paradise Lost and Regained by
Milton, Ben Hur, a Tale of the
Pontius Pilate: Behold the Man!
John 19:5 Images © Philcold
11
Christ by Lew Wallace or even
Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, in which
the man cast away on a desert
island is converted to Christ.
We cannot consider the history of
civilization, without noticing His
stamp on culture and custom. For
example, my own land of Wales
has been mainly Christian, not
pagan, since the time of the Celts.
St. David lived in the 6th century,
when Christianity was already well
established.
The fact that faith in Christ
remained a predominant feature
in Celtic life can be seen by the
Celtic crosses such as those at
Margam and Penally which are
over 1200 years old. We could go
on and on, but wherever you look
there is no escaping Christ, for he
has the foremost place in history.
2) Jesus has the Foremost Place in
Eternity
“What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?” (Matthew
27:22). Whether or not Pilate
understood the full meaning of the
title “Christ” is not clear; but Jesus
endorsed His divine claims when
He told the governor that His
“Kingdom was not from this
world.” (Matthew 27:11). Jesus is
not of this world. He had ever
lived with God His Father in
heaven.
When God sent his son into the
world, he put on flesh, becoming a
man like you and I, yet without sin.
Even in this state of voluntary
humiliation, one could not help
but notice that everywhere Jesus
went, he was King. Not merely
King of the Jews, but the king of
eternal ages; king of kings and
Lord of Lords. The one standing
under the judgment of ate that
day was the one who will One day
appear to judge the living and the
dead. (Acts 10.42)
God has exalted His Son and given
Him the name that is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow, of things in
heaven and on earth and under
the earth, and every tongue will
confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God the Father. Since
Jesus has the foremost place in
eternity, we must be careful how
we answer the question “What
then shall I do with Jesus who is
called Christ.”
Did Pilate truly know who it was
who was standing before him?
There is some evidence which
suggests that Pilate knew more
than is generally supposed.
Alexander Whyte in his history of
Bible Characters claims that in one
of his reports to Caesar Tiberius,
Pilate had written: “Jesus the
Christ, as He is called, is worth
more to my administration than
any legion of my armed men. He is
the most peaceable and
inoffensive of men…I shall not lift
a single finger against this ‘King of
the Jews,’ as His disciples call Him,
till I am commanded by Caesar so
to do”
II. An Important Question
“What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?” (Matthew
27:22). Since Jesus Christ is the
most important person in time
and eternity, this is the most
important question you will ever
face,
Pilate realized that he had never
stood before anyone like Jesus
before. If we read just briefly the
account of his interview with
Christ, we get a feeling for the
perplexity Pilate faced. Even
though he claimed the power to
release or crucify Jesus, He ends
up as he stands before the
Saviour, trembling from head to
foot.
Consider:
1) The Witness Analysed
"You have brought this Man to me,
as one who misleads the people.
And indeed, having examined Him
in your presence, I have found no
fault in this Man concerning those
things of which you accuse Him;”
Luke 23:14 It was not the witness
of His disciples, nor of those who
followed Him, nor of the many
who had been healed during his
ministry. It was the witness of
those who were hounding Him to
death. Pilate, having analysed
their evidence, had to say, “I find
in him no fault at all” (John 18:38).
Pilate was saying, in effect, that
every claim that Jesus Christ had
made, for which they were
accusing Him of blasphemy, was
absolutely true. He was faultless.
Christ had claimed to be the son of
God, and even Pilate found no
reason to refute him.
Have you ever faced the fact that
the One who stands in the
judgment hall of your mind, heart
and will is not merely a man of
history, not some Jew in a far-off
land, not some obscure name, but
God Himself, the Saviour of the
world, the King of kings, the Judge
of all? This is the most important
issue you will ever face.
2) The Warning Verbalized
Even as Pilate sat on the judgment
seat, weighing up the whole
situation, a message came to him
from his wife, “Have nothing to do
with that righteous man: for I have
suffered many things this day in a
dream because of him” (Matthew
27:19). We do not know the
contents of her dream, but one
thing is certain: it was God-sent,
because it upheld the absolute
innocence of God’s beloved Son—
“that righteous man.”
12
I wonder if the heavens were
opened and she saw a throne, and
one sat on it who looked like a son
of man, from whose face the
whole earth fled away. Could it be
that she recognized this figure to
be Jesus of Nazareth, who was
now standing before her husband?
Did she hear the wails and cries of
those who called for the
mountains and rocks to fall on
them, and hide them from the
wrath of this lamb of God which
was about to fall on an unbelieving
world?
We read in the light of Christ’s
coming in judgment, the kings of
the earth, the great men, the rich
men, the commanders, the mighty
men, every slave and every free
man, hid themselves in the caves
and in the rocks of the mountains,
and said to the mountains and
rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from
the face of Him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the
Lamb! Rev 6:15-16
As Pilate stood before Christ, he
faced his most important decision.
The most important decision you
will ever face, is a decision you
must face tonight, “What will you
do with Jesus which is called
Christ?”
The decision cannot be put off
forever, for “Today is the day of
salvation.” None of us knows if we
have tomorrow. It is a decision
which will determine our whole
eternity. how shall we escape if we
neglect so great a salvation, (Heb.
2:3)
III. An Individual Question
“What shall I do…?” (Matthew
27:22). You may be in a crowd, but
Jesus and you stand alone at this
moment, as Jesus and Pilate did
on the memorable day. Yet his
attitude was:
1) Marked by Carelessness
With an air of indifference he
looks out on the mob and says,
“Take ye him, and judge him
according to your law” (Matthew
18:31). He thought he could rid
himself of Jesus with a snap of the
finger and a shrug of the shoulder,
but it didn’t work. It won’t work
for you either. You cannot ignore
the claims of Jesus. Your future
meeting with him is inevitable -
you could be called away to stand
before him at any moment. How
will you stand then?
2) Marked by Cowardice
“As soon as he knew that was
under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent
him to Herod” (Luke 23:7). Pilate
sends the pure and perfect Son of
God to Herod, a man totally
unrestrained in his sinful
indulgence; a man to whom Jesus
never spoke, but whom he called
“that fox” (Luke 13:32). Here is a
man who proved that there is a
point in time when God will cease
to speak.
The Lord said, "My Spirit shall not
strive with man forever,” (Gen 6:3)
But Herod sends Jesus back to
Pilate, and Pilate, hearing the
tramp, tramp of marching feet,
knows that he has to face Jesus
again. Fearing to face this
important issue did not get Pilate
off the hook, and it won’t do you
any good either. We must face up
to our solemn responsibility.
Christ's call is still repent and
believe the gospel.
3) Marked by Cleverness
"Which of the two do you want me
to release to you?" They said,
"Barabbas!" (Mat 27:21)
Knowing that at the time of the
Passover it was the custom to
release a prisoner to the people,
he reasons, “If I put Barabbas, the
robber, against Jesus, they will
certainly release Jesus. They would
not want to do less than stone
Barabbas to death.” But such is
the condition of the human heart
that they lift their voices and call
for Jesus to be crucified. So Pilate’s
cleverness fails. We cannot get out
of this decision by any amount of
cleverness.
Bring out all the arguments you
can against Christianity. Convince
yourself if you like, that there is no
God, or that evolutionary chance
created the world, but you will
never avoid your destiny. Let me
read it to you.
And I saw the dead, small and
great, standing before God, and
books were opened. And another
book was opened, which is the
Book of Life. And the dead were
judged according to their works,
by the things which were written
in the books. (Rev 20:12)
4) Marked by Compromise
So then Pilate took Jesus and
scourged Him. And the soldiers
twisted a crown of thorns and put
it on His head, and they put on
Him a purple robe. Then they said,
"Hail, King of the Jews!" And they
struck Him with their hands. Pilate
then went out again, and said to
them, "Behold, I am bringing Him
out to you, that you may know
that I find no fault in Him." (John
19:1-4)
Pilate stepped out on Gabbatha to
declare the absolute innocence of
Jesus Christ and then dares to turn
around and order that He should
be scourged. Then taking the
bleeding Christ of God, he sets
Him forth as a spectacle of
innocent suffering, thinking that
this would satisfy their thirst for
blood; but the people cry out for
His crucifixion.
13
So Pilate finds that carelessness,
cowardice, cleverness and
compromise have not worked. No
matter what he did he found that
he simply could not escape from
the Lord Jesus Christ—and dear
reader, you cannot escape from
Jesus either.
You may hide in the privacy of
your room, but Jesus will look
down on you there. You may
throw yourself into your work, but
Jesus will be there with you. You
may drink yourself stupid, but
when you wake up with an aching
head you will still hear those
words, “What will you do with
Jesus?”
Finally, when you plunge into the
river of death you will emerge to
meet Him—no longer as Saviour,
but as Judge.
What, then, will you do with
Jesus? The issue is important,
individual and inescapable. You
must either crucify Him or crown
Him. Ask Him to come into your
life as Saviour, Lord and King.
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall, Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all; Hearken! what meaneth the sudden call? What will you do with Jesus? Refrain: What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Someday your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?”
Jesus is standing on trial still, You can be false to Him if you will, You can be faithful through good or ill: What will you do with Jesus? Will you evade Him as Pilate tried? Or will you choose Him, whate’er betide? Vainly you struggle from Him to hide: What will you do with Jesus?
Will you, like Peter, your Lord deny? Or will you scorn from His foes to fly, Daring for Jesus to live or die What will you do with Jesus? “Jesus, I give Thee my heart today! Jesus, I’ll follow Thee all the way, Gladly obeying Thee!” will you say: “This I will do with Jesus!”
A Hymn by Albert B. Simpson (Public Domain)
Image © Philcold
14
In the United Kingdom this year,
Mother’s Day was celebrated on
6th
March.
But don’t worry if you live in
Australia, Canada, New Zealand or
the USA, you’ve still got time – it is
celebrated in your countries on 8th
May 2016. In fact, the only other
countries to share the UK date are
Ireland and Nigeria!
But whatever country you live in
(and Living Word is currently being
read on almost every continent on
earth—just no readers in
Antarctica yet!)—it’s never the
case that we should only honor
our mothers once a year.
When God created humanity in
the beginning he ‘created them
male and female, and told them to
‘be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis
1:27-28).
Since the time God created Adam
and Eve (the mother of all living)
every human being has had a
mother; without whom we would
not have come into existence (1
Corinthians 11:11).
That is why the word of God says:
"Honor your father and mother,"
which is the first commandment
accompanied by a promise,
namely, "that it may go well with
you and that you will live a long
time on the earth." (Ephesians 6:2-
3)
If we keep this particular
command of God, then we can
expect the blessing of a good and
long life without some of the
problems we might otherwise
face.
And let’s face it—we’ve only got
one mother, and they won’t be
with us here in this life forever. So
let’s make the best of them now.
By the way, the word ‘honor’ in
the original text carries the idea of
practical help and also financial
support. Our moms were their
when we needed them – can they
count on us to return the kindness
and be there for them?
To be honest, I don’t think I really
appreciated my mother until I
became a parent myself and
understood just what goes into
the parenting role.
Some of our mothers are already
in heaven with the Lord and
Saviour.
This Mother’s Day in our church,
we placed flowers in a simple
table ‘garden’ of resurrection to
remember each and every one of
them – until we see them again
when Jesus comes!
So happy Mother’s Day to all
Mothers, it’s not just once a year!
Image © Ruth Black
15
In this Bible study I would like to
share four aspects with you. The
Bible tells us that these are,
amongst others, signs of the
impending return of Jesus.
1. All things will continue as
they were from the beginning.
The disciples asked Jesus what
these signs would be. He warned
them not to consider disasters as
such since they would always
come – wars, rumors of war,
nation against nation,
earthquakes, and famines. Life
would be normal not abnormal –
people marrying, eating, drinking,
sleeping, or working. All these
things would go on right up to the
day of His coming, just as they
have to this day.
2. Jesus especially
emphasized that there would be
false prophets, false teachers, and
false messiahs.
Scripture speaks of the Antichrist.
Deceivers have always been an
active part of this evil world.
History is largely made up of such
individuals, who use the truth in a
distorted misinterpretation for
their sinister aims. Their satanic
character has been constantly
evident by their wickedness carried
out blasphemously in the name of
God. Wholesale murder, (which is
the contradiction of goodness),
became a pious act as an offering
to God. The persecution of good
men and women stains the pages
of history with their blood.
The 19th century saw an extension
of errors. In the West, aggressive
anti-Christian forces, calling
themselves ‘liberal’, arose.
Thousands of churches have
become sources of unbelief,
preaching against the Word of
God, denying the power of God.
Atheism, with its many unpleasant
faces, is now rampant.
Superstitions have taken deep root
while the truth is suppressed. The
horoscope has been edited in, and
the Bible edited out. Spiritist,
paranormal, pantheistic, and
mind-power cults have multiplied
by the hundreds. Others claim the
to be Christians yet deny every
Christian truth, such as the
Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and
the Moonies. All of them
“deceiving and being deceived” as
Jesus said.
The Returning Lord by Reinhard Bonnke Image © Grace21
16
The ground is well prepared for
any kind of Anti-Christ. He can
take into his system every Christ-
denying cult, every man- made
religion, and shape them into a
single universal anti- Christian
organization complete with false
miracles, signs, and wonders.
Everything is ready.
3. A revived Israel
In chapters 43 and 44 of Isaiah’s
prophecy, Israel’s future is
foretold. “I will gather you from
the west; I will say to the north,
‘Give them up!’ And to the south,
‘Do not keep them back!’” Then it
says “You are My witnesses,” says
the LORD.
Those who now put their trust in
the Son of God, Jesus Christ, are
also ‘chosen’, as Israel was chosen.
Jesus said “you did not choose Me,
but I chose you (John 15:16), and
you shall be witnesses to Me”
(Acts 1:8).
Jews are witnesses to the Lord
(Jahveh or Jehovah), and Christians
are witnesses to Christ, but both
together become a sign of the
times.
Jesus described it in this parable:
Now learn this parable from the fig
tree: When its branch has already
become tender and puts forth
leaves, you know that summer is
near. So you also, when you see all
these things, know that it is near –
at the doors! (Matthew 24:32-33).
We see today the fig tree
beginning to show the signs of the
coming summer of God. God has
brought about what He said. Israel
is now a nation in its own right,
and in its own homeland.
4. A revived Church
Then Isaiah foreshadows the sign
of a revived Church in chapter
44 verse 3
“I will pour water on him who is
thirsty, and floods on the dry
ground; I will pour My Spirit on
your descendants, and My blessing
on your offspring.” The promised
outpouring of the supernatural
blessing of the Spirit of God is,
according to Scripture,
characteristic of the last days,
when Israel is re- gathered. Joel
chapter 2 describes the presence
of Israel back in her homeland with
the land once more changed from
a desert to fertility. Then we read:
“Then you shall know that I am in
the midst of Israel: I am the LORD
your God and there is no other. My
people shall never be put to
shame. And it shall come to pass
afterward that I will pour out My
Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and
on My maidservants I will pour out
My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:27-
29).
This special outpouring began on
the Day of Pentecost. Peter
declared “this is what was spoken
by the prophet Joel.” At the
beginning of the 20th century, the
last century of the second
millennium, these two things
began to happen together – Israel
becoming a gathered nation
again, and the same wonders as
on the day of Pentecost taking
place, with ordinary people
speaking with tongues and
prophesying. There has been
enormous world-wide
development abundantly
fulfilling God’s promise.
The Church in the twentieth
century has seen its greatest
world-penetration since this
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in
signs and wonders. At present
reckoning about one in every ten
people on earth has been touched
by the Christian Charismatic-
Pentecostal revival.
Jesus said that “this gospel of the
kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the
nations, and then the end will
come” (Matthew 24:14). At that
time, it seemed only a laughable
hope, but today it is close to
realization. With it has come the
greatest witness to Christ, and also
the greatest bloodbath of Christian
suffering and martyrdom of all
time. It is the satanic testimony
to the nearness of Christ’s return.
He sees the signs of the times and
that, with the coming of Christ, his
freedom is coming to an end.
This tremendous twin sign of Israel
and the Church is put in a nutshell
in the book of James.
“Therefore be patient, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. See
how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, waiting
patiently for it until it receives the
early and latter rain. You also be
patient. Establish your hearts, for
the coming of the Lord is at hand”
(James 5:7-8).
The reference to early and latter
rains relates to the rains of the
Holy Spirit (Joel 2:23). In Israel, the
early rain fell in September, and
the latter rain between December
and May, with no rain from June
to August. The two seasons of rain
are those of the early church, and
of the times immediately prior to
the end before God puts in the
sickle, with a dry season during
those middle centuries. The latter
rains fill out the seedlings and
produce the final crop. This is the
harvest that Christ is coming to
17
gather. He will harvest the world.
John the Baptist, the last of the
great prophets of Israel said of
Christ: “He will thoroughly clean
out His threshing floor, and gather
His wheat into the barn; but He
will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12).
But what does this mean for us?
Apart from these signs, life on our
planet will proceed as usual. Jesus
made this very ‘normality’ a sign in
itself. He said:
“But as the days of Noah were, so
also will the coming of the Son of
Man be. For as in the days before
the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noah
entered the ark, and did not know
until the flood came and took
them all away, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be”
(Matthew 24:37-39).
Jesus also compared the last days
with the last days of Sodom and
Gomorrah: “Likewise as it was also
in the days of Lot: They ate, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they
planted, they built; but on the day
that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and brimstone from
heaven and destroyed them all.
Even so will it be in the day when
the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke
17:28- 30). This double reference
by Jesus to eating and drinking
seems to be based on another
prophecy:
“Look, this was the iniquity of your
sister Sodom: She and her
daughter had pride, fullness of
food, and abundance of idleness;
neither did she strengthen the
hand of the poor and needy. And
they were haughty and committed
abomination before Me; therefore
I took them away as I saw fit”
(Ezekiel 16:49-50).
Such words could be a perfect
description of the world today.
Pride has exalted human thought
above the Word of God. Never has
there been such fullness of food -
material affluence and
satisfaction. Leisure pursuits are
multiplied into major
preoccupations. This age has
twisted them all into abnormal
interests, and even perversions, as
a means of pushing God out of life.
God will not tolerate it forever. In
the days of Noah, God waited 120
years. In the days of Sodom, they
had years of witness by Lot and
Abraham. The coming of Christ will
mean great tribulation for the
godless, the Christ- rejecters, and
even the plain indifferent. For the
believer it means glory. Christ will
gather together His elect, the dead
and the living, from the four
corners of the earth, to be with
Him forever.
In this intellectual and arrogant
age, our Gospel message becomes
again the same as Paul preached
in Athens: “God...now commands
all men everywhere to repent,
because He has appointed a day
on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom
He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising
Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-
31).
What now?
Do you know this Coming One? Are
you prepared to meet Him now?
You will certainly meet Him one
day. The Bible tells you to repent –
in other words, to stop loving and
practicing sin. You cannot do this
on your own, only God can enable
you to turn to Him and away from
sin. If you are not a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Coming One,
yet know that you should be, then
say the following prayer and you
will be prepared to meet him.
Dear heavenly Father, I
come to you in the name of Jesus
Christ.
I come with all my sins, burdens,
and addictions.
Wash me now with the precious
blood of Jesus shed on Calvary.
Break the chains of sin and Satan
in my life and family.
Mark me with your precious blood.
I want to be yours, spirit, soul, and
body, for my time on earth and in
eternity.
I put my faith in you alone, Lord
Jesus Christ. You are the Son of the
Living God.
I believe with my heart what I now
confess with my mouth: You are
my Savior, Lord, and God.
Now I am born again – a child of
God. I believe it and receive it in
the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Article reproduced
with kind permission
of Christ for all
Nations
18
At the end of Luke’s gospel we
read how Jesus explained to two
of his disciples on the road to
Emmaus that the prophets had
foretold “the sufferings of Christ
and the glory that would follow”.
Nowhere is the truth of this
statement more readily seen than
in Psalm 22.
Although scholars have attempted
to identify the person spoken of by
David in this Psalm in different
ways, anyone familiar with the
New Testament should plainly see
that the Psalm could not describe
anyone other than the Lord Jesus
Christ.
The Psalmist, thousands of years
before Christ was born, describes
in even greater detail than any of
the writers of the gospels, the
sufferings of Christ, before going
on to speak of the glory that
should follow. Here then is a
Psalm of pure prophecy. In it we
shall consider:
The Persecution of Christ
Under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, David vividly describes the
persecution which Christ suffered
at the hands of sinful men. It is
Christ who speaks through David
and complains of being despised
and insulted by men.
He is despised and rejected by
men, A Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief. And we hid,
as it were, our faces from Him; He
was despised, and we did not
esteem Him (Isaiah 53:3 and v6).
The Psalmist describes Christ as
being hounded to death by his
enemies. In v12 we read of many
strong bulls of Bashan surrounding
and attacking the son of God. The
bulls of the fertile region of
Bashan were well known for their
size and strength. Humanly
speaking, the enemies of Christ
were too strong for him. They
were fat, in the sense that they
enjoyed prominence and the
goods of this world. But they were
brute beasts with no sense other
than to feed their own appetites.
Such men do not fear God or
regard godly things. It would be a
terrible situation for any man to
have to face even one raging bull
of Bashan. Yet Christ endured
greater hostility that this from
sinful men. The writer to the
Hebrews says
“For consider Him who endured
such hostility from sinners against
Himself” Heb. 12:3a
The enemies of Christ are
described in v13 as hungry lions
tearing their prey with wide open
mouths. Spurgeon says, “They
could not get the blasphemy out
of their mouths fast enough, so
they had to open their mouths
wider that they might gape on the
son of God.” These blasphemers
would not be satisfied until they
had devoured and destroyed
The Sufferings of Christ and the
Glory that Should Follow - Psalm 22 Image © Bernard Dunne
19
Christ body and soul. No wonder
that in v 16 they are also described
as dogs.
The dogs of the east are not
domestic pets, but vicious,
unclean animals, roaming in packs
to secure their prey. The Hebrew
title given to this Psalm will
perhaps shed further light on the
meaning intended here. It is “the
hind of the morning” and the
picture being painted is one men
beginning early in the morning to
hunt down and destroy their
innocent and harmless and
defenceless prey with packs of
bloodthirsty dogs. So now the
dogs are surrounding Christ, and
whilst they could only kill the body
and not the soul, their words
nevertheless caused tremendous
distress to the soul of the dying
Saviour.
Notice in v7-8 the taunts which
were made of Jesus as he hung on
the cross. It is terrible to laugh at
another’s misfortune, but to laugh
the dying Son of God is another
matter. Yet they arrogantly and
fearlessly slander him and touch
upon that which was more
precious to Christ than anything,
his relationship with God. (V7) In
the gospels we read..
Likewise the chief priests also,
mocking with the scribes and
elders, said, "He saved others;
Himself He cannot save. If He is
the King of Israel, let Him now
come down from the cross, and
we will believe Him. "He trusted in
God; let Him deliver Him now if He
will have Him; for He said, 'I am
the Son of God.'“ (Matt 27:41-43)
Then not only do we have set
before us in this Psalm the mental
sufferings of Christ caused by
persecution, but also His physical
sufferings. In v16 we see that the
same crowd who reviled him also
nailed his hands and feet to a
wooden cross. Psalm 22 vividly
describes the physical sufferings of
Christ.
v15 Speaks of the dehydration and
fever which would have taken hold
of the one being crucified as they
were exposed to the powerful
noontime rays of the Eastern sun.
Christ says my strength or my
vitality, literally my moisture, is
dried up like broken pottery and
my tongue swells with
dehydration and sticks to the jaws
of my parched mouth. All Christ’s
bones are put out of joint in the
violence of the crucifixion (v14),
the distension of his body making
them appear prominent (v17).
Christ describes himself as being
poured out like water and his
heart, having no more physical
strength in it, was melted within
him. Medical doctors believe that
the presence of water in the heart
of Christ indicates that He died of
a physically broken heart. Other
events surrounding the cross of
Christ are portrayed too. (v18) The
soldiers who crucified him casting
lots for his clothing
“And when they crucified Him,
they divided His garments, casting
lots for them to determine what
every man should take”. Mark
15:24.
John gives us a remarkable insight
into the crucifixion when he says,
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all
things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be
fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" John
19:28
Then they gave him vinegar to
drink in fulfilment of Psalm 69:21.
There is no doubt that the
Psalmist’s utterance indicates that
Christ would die, as it says in v16,
he is brought to the dust of death,
or the grave. Some have asked
why the spear thrust into Christ’s
side is not mentioned here, but
this is not a difficulty, because as
the prophet is speaking of Christ in
the first person, it would not be
reasonable to suppose that he
would refer to an incident which
happened after Christ was already
dead and had become insensible.
The Prayer of Christ
The prayer of Christ begins with
his cry from the cross v1. In spite
of all his sufferings at the hands of
men, the greatest suffering of
Christ was that which he endured
in being separated from God as he
took on Himself the sin of the
world.
At that time, when Christ
apparently needed God’s
deliverance more than ever
before, none was forthcoming. Yet
the power of the Holy Spirit within
Him enabled Him to endure even
these sufferings, for the cup which
the Father had given him had to
be drunk. So, through the power
of the Holy Spirit, He endured the
awful agony alone.
God remained aloof even when
Christ was reduced to wordless,
incoherent cries of agony and
distress, the roaring of v1. His
prayer was shut out from God
whilst he became sin for us. v2.
Yet even in that extremity of
experience he continued to trust
in God. He continued to hope on
the basis of God’s past dealings
with the nation of Israel and with
Himself personally.
In v3, He Israel’s God, is holy.
When the Ancestors of the Jews
had trusted in God, he delivered
them. They cried out to God and
he answered them and they were
not put to shame. (v5).
20
Yet Christ’s experience of God’s
provision and protection could be
traced back to before his birth. v9.
Indeed even as a tiny baby, God
had delivered his Son from the
plots of Herod when all the baby
boys in Bethlehem were killed.
With this confidence He prays in
v11,
“Be not far from Me, for trouble is
near; For there is none to help,”
and v19 -21, “But You, O LORD, do
not be far from Me; O My
Strength, hasten to help Me!
Deliver Me from the sword, My
precious life from the power of the
dog. Save Me from the lion's
mouth And from the horns of the
wild oxen!”
Christ’s prayer seemingly
remained unanswered as men
were allowed to vent their sinful
hate and fury on the Lord Jesus
Christ. Yet once death had spent
its fury on him, it was then that his
prayer was answered and that
Christ was fully vindicated by God
in his resurrection.
The Purpose of Christ
Of course, the purpose behind
Christ's death was that he might
make atonement for the people
and take away the sin of the
world. Christ died for every man.
He died for our sins. The
punishment that men deserved
was death and eternal separation
from God. But Christ has borne
that curse and punishment for us,
that we might be saved and
redeemed from the curse and
penalty of sin. His purpose was to
taste death for every man so that
he might “bring many sons to
glory”.
When he died Christ cried It is
finished. The work of redemption
had been done. In other words, on
the basis of Christ’s once and for
all sacrifice for sin, God is able to
forgive and justify men and
women who are sinners and to
give them eternal life, thereby
saving them forever, about which
the writer to the Hebrews goes
into much greater detail.
The Glory of Christ
The pause between which occurs
in v21 covers the three days
between the “It is finished!” of
Christ and the “Amen” of God
when Christ rose from the dead.
After illustrating the sufferings of
Christ the Psalm abruptly changes
in v22 to a song of victory. This
song heralds the glory to come
after Christ’s sufferings and
resurrection. What glory it is!
In Philippians 2 Paul writes that
because of his obedience to death,
Christ has now been raised from
death and exalted to the right
hand of God. He has been given
the name above every name and
that every knee shall bow to him
and every tongue confess him as
Lord.
Let is briefly examine the things
which accompany Christ’s
exaltation to Glory. With his glory
Christ has obtained:
The Spoil of Redemption
Spoil is what a victor takes as a
result of his victory. Christ's spoil is
that he is able to give everlasting
life to all who believe in Him. v26.
By his death he has redeemed
men and women and purchased
them for God with his own blood.
It was for this joy which was set
before him that he endured the
cross. Isaiah says that he shall see
the result of the travail of his soul
and be satisfied. We are the spoil
of redemption, and we belong to
Christ.
In heaven we shall realise the
extent of these spoils, for we shall
see countless millions, saved and
washed in the blood of Christ
standing perfect before the throne
of God, worshipping and serving
him without fear forever. When
Christ died, he alone was the son
of God.
But because of his death, we too
are called the sons of God; Jesus is
not ashamed to call us brothers
(v22), for we too have been made
holy through him. The death and
resurrection Christ have made it
possible for men and women to be
born again - born of God- that
they might become children of
God. (v30).
The Song of Redemption
v22b-25. In Revelation we read of
those in heaven that “ they sang a
new song,” Around the throne of
God the countless millions will
never forget the great cost which
bought them pardon and life
everlasting. What is the new song
which they sing?
“You are worthy, for you were
slain and have redeemed us to
God by your blood Out of every
Image © Philcold
21
tribe and tongue and people and
nation, And have made us kings
and priests to our God; And we
shall reign on the earth." Rev 5:9-
10.
It’s a song which even angels can
never sing. It’s the song of the
redeemed. We were sinners
condemned, unclean and on our
way to hell, but Christ has saved
and cleansed us.
The Scope of Redemption
The redemption which Christ has
purchased for man is available to
the whole world. In v 27 it says,
All the ends of the world shall
remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before You.
In Isaiah it says,
“Indeed He says, 'It is too small a
thing that You should be My
Servant To raise up the tribes of
Jacob, And to restore the
preserved ones of Israel; I will also
give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation
to the ends of the earth.'“ (Isaiah
49:6)
When Christ died he died for every
man. Today the gospel is being
preached worldwide so that, as we
read in Revelation, men from
every tribe and nation and kindred
and tongue will be among his
heavenly retinue when he returns
to reign as King of Kings and Lord
of Lords.
Throughout all nations, the
redemption of Christ is all
embracing. Whoever will call on
the name of the Lord shall be
saved. That is the scope of
redemption.
The Span of Redemption
“And He shall reign forever and
ever...” Rev 11:15.
Christ has purchased for us a life
that shall never end. He is the
founder of an everlasting
Kingdom, over which he shall reign
throughout all eternity. There shall
never be a time when the
redeemed of the Lord shall cease
to praise and serve him. Psalm
145.13 says,
“Your kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and Your dominion
endures throughout all
generations.”
Not only has Christ been exalted
to the highest place, he shall
remain there unparalleled and
unrivalled for ever. Before him
every knee shall bow. He is king of
Kings and Lord of Lords forever.
Conclusion
How grateful we are for the
sufferings of Christ which have
obtained so much for us, and how
worthy he is of the glory that
should follow. We too will share in
the glory which shall be revealed.
Yet there is an eternal glory which
is and ever shall be his alone. As
the apostle Paul says.
Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, to God who alone is wise,
be honor and glory forever
and ever. Amen. 1 Tim 1:17
The Prophecy of Amos
The virtually unknown prophet Amos bursts onto the pages of history with a warning relevant to his time. He confronts the nation of Israel with the unchanging nature of God and warns them to repent before judgment falls. As we study a period in the history of a nation that had turned its back on God, we draw disturbing parallels with our own time.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
The Prophecy of Amos: A Warning for Today
Paperback: £9.99 & free UK delivery.
KINDLE: £4.99
Available as an ebook in most formats.
22
Last Easter we
received an email
from an atheist
challenging us to
reconcile the
statements made in
the synoptic gospels
and John and by Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15
concerning the order
in which the post
resurrection
appearances of Christ
took place. Of course,
we only have SOME
of Christ’s
appearances, for he
appeared to them
over 40 days
speaking of the
things pertaining to
the kingdom of God.
Yet, for those of
which we have
record, it may be
useful to list them in
order, and so gain a
better picture of what
happened on that
resurrection Sunday
and in the days
subsequent to it.
Post – Resurrection
Appearances of Christ In the order they occurred by Mathew Bartlett. Image © Jgroup
23
(Matt. 28:1-2; Mark 16:1-4). Just
before sunrise, Mary Magdalene
and Mary (Mother of James
Mark 16:1) and Salome (whose
name Matthew omits) went to
anoint Jesus’s body with spices.
They witnessed an angel rolling
away the stone from the tomb.
This same angel tells them that
Jesus is alive, but in response:
‘Then they went out and ran
from the tomb, for terror and
bewilderment had seized them.
They said nothing to anyone,
because they were afraid.’ (Mar
16:8). At this time they did not
wish to share the information
directly with the disciples. It is
possible that they brought other
women with them to verify the
story first, for later other women
including Joanna arrive in the
garden (Luke 24:10).
It seems that Mary Magdalene
came back to the garden before
the others, still somewhat
shaken and unbelieving (John
20:11-16). There she met the
risen Christ, whom at first she
supposed to be the gardener.
She was not yet allowed to touch
Jesus; it is as if he has paused for
a moment before briefly
ascending to heaven, and then
returning to earth.
Soon afterwards, the other
women re-join Mary and enter
the tomb that they see an angel
(perhaps the same one) who
tells them again that Jesus is
alive and that they should tell his
disciples that he is risen. (Mat.
28:5-6; Mark 16:6-7 - Mark adds
Peter's name separately).
Luke records that they saw no
body in the tomb (Luke 24:3).
Until that time, Only Mary
Magdalene had seen Jesus, but
as the women were about to
leave, Jesus himself met them,
and this time permitted them to
touch him. (28:9).
The women now went to tell the
apostles, who refused to believe
them (Luke 24:11). However,
Peter and John ran to
investigate. Both saw the empty
tomb, which John describes
special detail, but they did not at
this time see the Lord and only
John was prepared to believe He
was risen (John 20:8).So these
disciples (Peter & John) went
back to their homes (John
20:10).
If Paul (1 Cor. 15:5) intends that
Peter saw Christ before the
other eleven (as Luke 24:34
implies) then this must have
occurred privately between his
return home and the evening
meal.
Luke 24:34 also implies that the
other apostles (except Thomas)
believed the word of Peter
(though not the women) BEFORE
they saw Christ for themselves.
Whether Peter returned to the
garden to try to figure out the
truth or whether Christ met him
where he was we have no
record.
Later that day Jesus appeared to
two of them on the road to
Emmaus (Luke 24:13). They did
not realize who he was until
evening when they ran back to
Jerusalem, where all present in
the upper room meet the risen
Christ (Luke 24:36). Thom was
absent (John 20:24).
Eight days later Thomas was with
the other disciples when Jesus
again appeared to them (John
20:26).
We are not given details of all
the 40 days of appearances, but
we know that when the disciples
returned to Galilee as Christ
commanded, they met the risen
Christ for the third time
collectively whilst they were
fishing and it was at this time
that Peter had his personal
interview with Christ.
The disciples had travelled to
Galilee at a pre-arranged
meeting place, where over 500
saw him at once and were given
the great commission (Matthew
28:16; 1 Cor. 15:6).
At some point during these 40
days, Jesus appeared to his
oldest brother James and to all
the 'apostles', which may be a
reference to EVEN MORE
disciples further to the 500 who
ALSO received the great
commission. So the risen Christ
must have been seen by MANY
HUNDREDS.
Then Jesus led them out as far as
Bethany, and lifting up his hands,
he blessed them. Now during the
blessing he departed and was
taken up into heaven (Luke
24:50-51). This Ascension Day
was 40 days after Easter Sunday.
At this time Jesus told them to
remain in Jerusalem until they
received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1).
There was to be one more
appearance, not in vision, but in
the same form seen by Peter and
the eleven; this was to Paul on
the Damascus road. Paul's words
in 1 Corinthians 15:8 imply that
this particular level of revelation
will not be repeated,
UNTIL WE ALL SEE HIM
FACE TO FACE.
24
David asks the question, "Who will
ascend the hill of the Lord? And
who will stand in his holy place."
Perhaps David had in mind the
worshippers who went up the hill
of Zion to the temple to worship
God. Who would God hear and
receive? Yet there is a greater
meaning here. For when David
asks, "Who shall ascend..?" he is
actually asking, "Who shall enter
into the very presence of God in
heaven and remain there, to
minister eternally before him?"
We are certain that there is only
one answer to this question. Only
one person in history has ever met
these requirements, and that is
the Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has not entered the holy
places made with hands, which are
copies of the true, but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us; Heb 9:24
In these verses we see that the
exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ
is entirely proper, right and fair.
1. The Justice of Christ's
Exaltation
Christ's Exaltation is Just because
of his Pre-Existence
It is not unreasonable to suppose
that since Christ is the mighty
Creator who came from heaven in
the first place, it is quite right for
him to return there. David begins
this Psalm with the words, "The
earth is the LORD s, and all its
fullness, The world and those who
dwell therein. For He has founded
it upon the seas, and established it
upon the waters. v1-2
Jesus Christ Himself is credited
with the act of Creation. The
Scripture insists that Christ is the
Son of God who was there in the
beginning. Speaking of Jesus, the
apostle John says, In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him,
and without Him nothing was
made that was made. John 1:1-3
In writing to the Colossians, Paul
says:
He is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn over all creation
[that is, begotten before all
creation, meaning He Himself was
not created]. For by Him all things
were created that are in heaven
and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or
powers. All things were created
through Him and for Him. And He
is before all things, and in Him all
things consist. And He is the head
of the body, the church, who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, that in all things He may
have the pre-eminence (Col. 1:15-
18). The writer to the Hebrews
says:
God has in these last days spoken
to us by His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the
worlds. (Heb. 1:2).
Jesus often referred to "coming
from Heaven" or "Coming from
the Father" and of "returning to
The Exaltation of Christ
In Psalm 22 Jesus was the lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Psalm 24 He is the exalted King, the Lion of Judah.
Mathew Bartlett
Images ©Rgbe, Josée Massicotte, Lee Torrens
25
the Father." e.g. Jesus said to
them, "If God were your
Father, you would love Me, for I
proceeded forth and came from
God; nor have I come of Myself,
but He sent Me. John 8:42
"I came forth from the Father and
have come into the world. Again, I
leave the world and go to the
Father." John 16:28
"And now, O Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself, with the
glory which I had with You before
the world was. John 17:5
It was fitting that Christ who knew
the glory of being as one with God
his Father in heaven should return
to the place where he came from.
And it is perfectly fitting that God
the son should be so exalted.
Christ's Exaltation is Just because
of his Sinless Perfection
Jesus Christ is the one person who
has never sinned in action- he has
clean hands. He is the only one
who has never sinned in thought
or motive - He has a pure heart.
He is the only one who has been
faithful to God in all
circumstances. Even in the desert
where He fasted alone for forty
days and nights being tempted by
the devil, when the tempter came
to Him and showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world and their
glory in a moment of time, saying
all these will be yours if you bow
down and worship me, Jesus
replied "You shall worship the Lord
your God and serve him only."
Nor was Christ ever guilty of
perjury. He never made a false
oath or told any lies whatsoever.
Even when Caiaphas the High
Priest had the audacity to put him
on oath to the Living God, Christ
answered honestly. Caiaphas said
"Are you the Christ, the Son of the
Blessed?" Jesus replied "I am. And
I tell you that henceforth you shall
see the son of man sat at the right
hand of God and coming on the
clouds of heaven."
Christ's Exaltation is Just because
of his Obedience
Christ Jesus, who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God, but
made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also has highly
exalted Him (Phil 2:6–9).
Jesus Christ always did the will of
his Father. The reason he left
heaven and was born as a baby in
Bethlehem was to accomplish his
Father's plan to save sinners.
Although Jesus was always perfect
with regard to his sinlessness, yet
by suffering death and sorrow he
has become perfect (all we need)
as the author of eternal salvation
for all who believe in him. It was
God's plan, not Christ's that he
should suffer and die on the cross
for our sakes. As a man, Christ had
a will of his own. But for our sakes,
in the garden of Gethsemane the
night before his crucifixion, he
prayed "Father, not my will, but
yours be done" and he went
through with the shame and agony
of the cross.
It is for this reason that Paul says
God has highly exalted him.
Summary
This great Christ, who is creator
and master of the universe, for our
sakes he humbled himself to
become a man and lived a life of
spotless purity, always doing what
pleased his father God in heaven.
He suffered all the pain and woes
that a human man can suffer, and
completed his obedience by dying
on the cross for the sins of the
whole world, so that we may have
eternal life. Little wonder, then
that such a mighty Saviour should
be in the words of Paul
Therefore God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9–
11)
2. The Triumph of Christ's
Exaltation
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because He has fulfilled the Word
of Scripture
Then He said to them, "These are
the words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all
things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of
Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms concerning Me." Luke
24:44
For hundreds of years before Jesus
came God had sent prophets with
His word, predicting the days
when God would send His Son to
earth to be our Saviour. They told
of His birth to a virgin (Isa. 7.14) in
Bethlehem (Micah 5.2). They told
of Herod's trying to kill Christ
when He was still an infant (Jer.
31.15). They told of His flight to
Egypt to escape Herod (Hos. 11.1).
They told of His living in Nazareth
as a boy (Matt 2.23) and of His
moving to Capernaum as a man
(Isa9.1). They told of his entering
Jerusalem (Zech. 9.9) on a donkey
and of his being betrayed by a
close friend (Ps 41.9) for thirty
26
pieces of silver (Zech. 11.13). They
told of his unfair trial (Isa 53.8)
and of his being handed over to be
crucified (Ps 22. 16). They also told
of his resurrection (Ps16.10).
Christ came as the fulfilment of
the words of the Scripture. After
all that had been written about
Him was fulfilled, we see Him
returning to heaven in triumph as
heaven's appointed King.
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because He has finished the Work
of Salvation
In Mark we read "When he had
spoken these things he ascended
to heaven where he sat down at
the right hand of God." This speaks
not only of taking up his rightful
place of authority, but of a work
completed.
The ascension shows that Christ
had by His death and resurrection
accomplished all that was
necessary for the redemption of
all mankind. John Baptist said,
behold the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world.
God so loved the WORLD. God is
not willing that ANY should perish,
that is why Christ has provided the
means of salvation for every man
and woman and child that has
ever been born.
Just as the resurrection gave God's
Amen to the "It is finished of
Christ", so the ascension and
exaltation of Christ give the Amen
to the great commission "to go
into all the world and preach the
gospel - make this full, free
salvation which I have obtained
known to everyone. And lo I am
with you always."
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because His Victory is
Unchallenged
It was usual in David's time and in
history since, for a victorious King
to return with his army in
triumphant procession with the
spoils of victory. In the battle of
Calvary, the Lord of glory has
fought and won on his own. He
has shown that he is strong and
mighty in battle. By enduring the
shame and agony of the cross, he
defeated death, and all the hosts
of Satan who - for all their
professed wisdom did not know
the wisdom of God which had
foreordained that Christ should
die for our sakes.
If they had, says Paul, they would
not have crucified the Lord of
Glory. (1 Cor..2:7-8)
So now this Psalm pictures Christ
returning in triumph to the ivory
palaces of heaven, the undefeated
and unchallenged victor, leading
the souls of the redeemed dead in
his procession to the shouts of joy
of millions of angels. The
everlasting gates of heaven, into
the presence of God himself, open
to Him of their own accord that He
might rightfully enter in.
3. The Blessings of Christ's
Exaltation
We have already mentioned that
the Lord Jesus has not returned to
heaven empty handed - he has the
spoils of victory. What His death
and resurrection have
accomplished for us, He is able to
bestow from heaven because of
His exaltation.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His Power
The exalted Christ has power to
give His church the gift of eternal
life. Jesus said, "I give them
eternal life, and they shall never
perish; neither shall anyone snatch
them out of My hand." John 10:28
"You have given Him authority
over all flesh, that He should give
eternal life to as many as You have
given Him." John 17:2
By His Power God brings us into a
relationship with Himself whereby
we share in His own nature and in
the divine life. "As His divine
power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him
who called us by glory and virtue"
2 Peter 1:3
By that same power, we are kept
eternally:
who are kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation 1 Peter
1:5
This blessed existence will never
end, and we shall know God and
enjoy fellowship with him forever.
If what you heard from the
beginning abides in you, you also
will abide in the Son and in the
Father. And this is the promise
that He has promised us--eternal
life. 1 John 2:24-25
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His
Presence
Paul is at great pains to show, in
Eph. 4.9-10, (as Peter also explains
in 1 Peter 3.19) that Christ when
absent from His body for three
days, descended into the lowest
place, the place of departed
spirits, and there proclaimed
deliverance for those saints, such
as David, who had lived and died
in hope of His coming, but who
had never seen it. Then in His
resurrection and ascension He
ascended to the highest place so
that He might fill all things.
When Christ walked as a man on
earth, as a man He could only be
in one place at a time. Yet now the
exalted Son of God is able to say
27
to His followers I am with you
always and everywhere in every
situation until the world ends. He
is able to say to countless millions
of believers all over the world at
the same time "wherever two or
three gather in my name, I am
there in the midst of them."
Notice that Christ is not saying
"The Holy Spirit will be there."
Although I'm sure that He is. He
says "I will be there" Christ in His
exalted glory is omnipresent -
everywhere at the same time,
although invisible to us, yet real
and tangible in His presence.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His Promise
Jesus taught His disciples about
many promises which God had
made, but there was one thing so
special that he referred to it as
"THE promise of the Father."
And being assembled together
with them, He commanded them
not to depart from Jerusalem, but
to wait for the Promise of the
Father, "which," He said, "you
have heard from Me; for John
truly baptized with water, but you
shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit not many days from now."
Acts 1:4-5
Jesus had often spoken publicly
about this promise: On the last
day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried out, saying,
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to
Me and drink. He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture has said, out
of his heart will flow rivers of living
water." But this He spoke
concerning the Spirit, whom those
believing in Him would receive; for
the Holy Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesus was not yet
glorified. John 7:37-39
Peter said "This Jesus God has
raised up, of which we are all
witnesses. Therefore being exalted
to the right hand of God, and
having received from the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, He
poured out this which you now
see and hear. Acts 2:32-33
Jesus had told His disciples "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
depart, I will send Him to you.
John 16:7
It is because of the exaltation of
Christ that we experience the
blessings of His promise through
the power and presence of the
Holy Spirit in our lives.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His Purpose
God's purpose for all who trust
Christ as Saviour is that they may
be conformed into Christ's
likeness. In order for this purpose
to become an on-going reality in
our daily lives, Christ has given
certain gifts to every member of
His body, so that the church may
build itself up in love, every
member growing into His likeness
until Christ may be seen in and
through us. (Eph. 4:7-13)
Every member of the church has
an important part in the fulfilment
of God's purpose. Let us never
despise the gifts God has given,
however insignificant some might
seem. We must use them for his
honour and the good of the
church of Christ (1 Pet. 4:10).
Through his exaltation Christ gives
us the blessings of his power, his
presence, his Promise and his
purpose. May we never fail to lay
hold of all these until we all come
to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of
the stature of the fullness of Christ
AMEN. Photo Lion © Sallytaz Lamb,
Leetorrens
Massive Power Massive Love
Shocking… heart-rending… inspiring… compulsive
reading.
Healed and saved from above! The autobiographical
book of Psalmic poems charting the journey of one abuse survivor to salvation
and healing through the mercy of Jesus Christ.
Karl Ayling’s honest and at times heart-rending poetry
tells the story of his life, and allows the reader to journey with him from the darkness of despair towards salvation
and eventual healing.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
Massive Power Massive Love
Paperback: £7.99 & free UK delivery. KINDLE: £3.99
Available as an ebook in most formats.
28
Contact us for details:
Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
Living Word Magazine and Bible Studies
Online are ministries of Sharon Full
Gospel Church. UK Reg. Charity No.
1050642 www.sharonchurch.co.uk
Tel: (+44) 01495 753561 Lines open 9am-5pm
Mon to Fri with answerphone.
Living Word digital magazine is available free
of charge. Print copies also available at cost
price from: www.biblestudiesoline.org.uk
Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
Britain’s Cheapest Gospel Tracts!
Buy Tracts Now – choose from 30+ titles
Available now for £1.99 per pack of 50 (includes UK postage) Rest of world,
contact for shipping price. Request samples.