We call it Maundy Thursday and Saturday’s holy,

Sunday’s known as Easter, but what shall we call Friday?

Shall we call it terrifying? A fearful, dreadful, horror?

When the rusted blood-stained nails shattered his wrists

and red rivers ran down his regal face from the thorny crown?

When he swallowed to the last drop the ocean of pounding fury,

wine-dark, well-mixed, and foaming with righteous wrath?

Shall we call it simply sad? A tragedy like none before?

For when we look upon the pierced we violently weep

like a bereft mother’s waterfall of tears over her only child’s grave.

We can’t bear the burden: sorrow to see the Father turn his face away

and hear the beloved Son, forsook, cry to an unhearing cosmos.

Shall we call Friday humble? A lowering below low?

A heel bruised, a champion cursed, hanging from a pole.

He’s a naked spectacle to our cruel ingenuity, we shrewd fools who,

knowing good and evil, find stupid, sickening glory in our shame.

The highest good occupying the lowest pit on earth.

Shall we call it beautiful? After all, you know,

the full weight of glory’s held by this dying man lifted up

from the earth. The teeming seas, the breathtaking skies, the supernovas,

can’t compare with the dazzling radiance of divine love

embodied in a bleeding lamb who beckons us with outstretched arms.

So, what shall it be? What is Friday’s name?

Not terrifying – though we tremble with joy at free forgiveness,

debts wiped clean and no holy anger left for me.

Not sad – though good sorrow controls those honest enough to hear

their voice among the fickle crowd crying ‘Crucify!’

Not humble – though lowly wisdom’s clay jar conceals the surprise

that “good” is found not in deeds as much as the mind set to die.

Not beautiful – though we stand here mesmerized by the shining face of love,

a kaleidoscope of eternal goodness and glory, streaming from that hill.

Yes, that’s it – Friday’s marked by good fear, good sorrow, good death, good awe

and we shall simply call it “Good”.

How do we “commune” with God?

Perhaps you have heard someone say that “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” Setting aside for a moment whether the second half of that sentence is completely true or not, how does one “relate” to God? Biblically speaking, if eternal life is knowing God in Christ (John 17:3), how does one experience eternal life in this lifetime?

Studying Scripture is an incredibly worthwhile activity but one can even study the Bible and fail to have a relationship with the God who reveals himself in its pages. What is at the heart of relationship and communion with God?

Answering that question comprehensively would be a massive undertaking but in this article, I’d like to briefly consider the foundation of Christian communion with God, namely the faithful reception of the Father’s love.

Our relationship with God begins with his love for us (1 John 4:19). As Christians, our fellowship with God is a fellowship of love. John Owen, in his classic work on communion with God encourages believers to commune with God by first receiving the Father’s love for them: “Let us look on him by faith, as one that hath had thoughts of kindness towards us from everlasting.”1 According to Owen, the key to spiritual communion with God is resting in his love for us. He writes, “Would a soul continually eye his everlasting tenderness and compassion, his thoughts of kindness that have been from of old, his present gracious acceptance, it could not bear an hour’s absence from him; whereas now, perhaps, it cannot watch with him one hour.”2 In this view then, the key to growing in relationally vibrant, true, living prayer is meditation and faithful reception of the Father’s love.

Prayer, and sanctification itself, are built on the beholding of the Father’s love. The apostle John encourages believers to savor the astounding love of God when he writes, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1) We could paraphrase John here as saying “see how astounding, of what kind and quality, is this love God the Father has for us!” He exhorts readers to “behold” (Gk. idete). This is no passing glance but a fixing of our eyes to gaze upon the astounding reality of God’s love for us.

Owen lays out four truths about the love of God the Father for believers that serve to ground the believer’s communion with the Father through Christ, our mediator. These four truths are incredibly soul-strengthening and soul-edifying.

1. God’s Love is Eternal.

Owen writes, “It was from eternity that he laid in his own bosom a design for our happiness.”3

The Father’s love for believers is eternal. Not only will it continue on into eternity and we will rejoice in it forever, but it has been eternal. God, the eternal Sovereign, has loved his children from eternity past. In Jeremiah 31:3 God tells his people that he has loved them with “an everlasting love”. In reflecting on this verse, Geerhardus Vos wrote, “The best proof that [God] will never cease to love us lies in that He never began.”4 Reflect on this amazing reality: God never began to love his children. There was not a moment when God began to hold affection for his people that wasn’t there before. His love for us is part of his being, which is itself eternal.

Even 1 John 3:1 hints at this with John’s use of the perfect tense. He invites believers to “see what kind of love the Father has given” (Gk. dedōken). The perfect tense refers to completed past action which often brings about an enduring state in the present. In other words, John is saying that God’s love given to us is not just something he is giving now, nor is it something he gave at one point. It is something he has given and which he continues to give. While this is not exactly what Owen and Vos are referring to, it certainly portrays a closely-related truth.

Because God’s love is eternal, it is not rising or falling with our performance or even our ability to receive and “feel” it. This is what both Johns (the apostle and Owen) are urging Christians to embrace. God the Father’s love is something to be received by faith. Whether we “feel” loved by God or not, faith trusts on and believes that the Father loves his children. The Father’s love “is not ours in the sweetness of it until it be so received.”5 We must believe that God the Father has eternally loved us in Christ from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4).

2. God’s Love is Free.

When Owen says that the Father’s love is “free”, he means that it originates from God himself and not from anything in the objects of his love (us). Owen contends, “He loves us because he will; there was, there is, nothing in us for which we should be beloved.”6

The Father’s love is fixed on us in Christ because of his own character, not our deserving. As a married man I can say that I love my wife. When asked “why?” I may respond by describing her endearing qualities or expressing my admiration for her character. I may describe how my heart felt to see her and spend time with her. In short, I would tell you that I love her because she’s lovely. But this is not the case with God the Father’s love. There is nothing lovely in the sinful, rebellious creature that should warrant the Father’s divine love. He does not love us because we are lovely. He loves us because he is love.

This truth also must be embraced by faith. Our reception of the Father’s love often waxes and wanes with how lovely we perceive ourselves to be. We may not say that we think God loves us more when we do well but we can certainly admit that we often subconsciously assume this to be the case. There are certainly times when we fail to rest in the Father’s love due to sin or lack of faith. But this does not mean that it is not there. Holiness rests in the Father’s love in a way that unholiness cannot. But that is not to say that holiness or unholiness warrant or remove the Father’s love. His love is free and bestowed upon his children because of his unchanging character. This leads us to our third point.

3. God’s Love is Unchangeable.

Owen reminds us, “Though we change every day, yet his love changeth not.”7 He points to the fact that even our sin does not dispel God’s love for us as the evidence of this reality. “Could any kind of provocation turn it away, it had long since ceased.”8 In other words, if our sin could change the Father’s love towards us, we would have long ago lost all his love and any hope of getting it back.

Performative Christianity is a deeply-rooted weed which must be dug up by the power of this truth. Our standing before God is not based on our performance. His love for us is not based on our performance, our attitude, or anything about us. The heart of God’s gracious work of sanctification is the outworking of his love received by faith. Many people seek to do good in pursuit of feeling God’s love for them. But this is upside-down and backwards. We receive God’s love freely and this transforms us to do what pleases God. Dane Ortlund puts it well: “There are two ways to live the Christian life. You can live it either for the heart of Christ or from the heart of Christ. You can live for the smile of God or from it.”9

Again, this must be embraced by faith. The love of the Father is unchangeable. I may be tempted to think that my performance, good or bad, can change the Father’s love. I must insist, in faith, on the truth that it cannot.

4. God’s Love is Distinguishing.

By this, Owen means that God does not love all the world in the same way he loves his children. The Father’s love makes distinction between his children and those outside his family. This is not to say that God does not love the world, for Scripture clearly says he does.10 But I can say that I love children in general and have a kind disposition towards them and yet distinguish my daughters from all other children as those whom I love distinctly and in a unique way.

Despite the initial resistance we may feel towards this aspect of the Father’s love, perhaps questioning whether a God of love can be fair and yet distinguishing in his love, a further moment’s reflection reveals how natural this is. We understand a husband who, though gracious in disposition and respectful of women all around, reserves a distinguishing love for his wife. We understand a man who appreciates the diverse cultures of the world but patriotically loves his country above them all in a unique way. It is not that God doesn’t love all people. It is instead that those in God’s family (believers) are objects of God’s distinguishing love.

This ought to hearten the soul of the believer. God does not just love the world in an abstract, general sense. He loves you, dear saint. He knows you by name. He has called you by name. You are his. His love distinguishes you from the masses. Receive this precious reality by faith.

Conclusion

Inspired by the call to “behold” the Father’s love and experience transforming grace as a result, I have sought recently to meditate on these four aspects of the Father’s love each morning before and during my prayer time. Communion with our Heavenly Father is nurtured through the reception of his love by faith. John instructs his readers to “see what kind of love” they have from God the Father. It is this daily, moment-by-moment faith-filled gazing that draws us into deeper fellowship with God in Christ.

The New Testament opens with the declaration that Jesus is King. By designating Jesus as the “son of David” in Matthew 1:1, Matthew identifies Jesus as the long-awaited king of Israel who, as “son of Abraham”, also blesses the nations.

Matthew’s gospel, like the other three, is concerned with more than just giving us an itinerary of Jesus’ travels or even a laundry list of his “greatest hits” in terms of miracles or teachings. The gospels are concerned with the identity of Christ, his person, his work, and providing readers with a presentation of Christ that leads to imitation and the forming of Christlike virtue through faith.1 Some of the prominent themes of Jesus’ identity that Matthew wishes to highlight in his gospel are these two which are found in the very first verse: Jesus’ kingship (as son of David) and his blessing of the nations (as son of Abraham).

In fact, the well-known story of the pagan and gentile magi in Matthew 2 is an early and striking illustration of both of these themes. Infant Jesus receives the adoration of gentiles early on in Matthew’s narrative. This shows both his kingship and the universal (i.e. gentile-inclusive) nature of his kingship. More examples of Jesus as son of David and son of Abraham in Matthew’s gospel could be given. In this article, however, I’d like to press into the question of what kind of king Jesus is. His kingship is clearly presented in Matthew, as well as the scope of his kingship (cf. the bestowal of all authority to Jesus in Matthew 28:18). But Matthew is not just interested in these essential facts. He also gives us a window into the character of King Jesus. The character of King Jesus in Matthew is a striking surprise to the people of Jesus’ day who sought for David’s son with expectations that fell short and differed from Jesus’ kingship. Perhaps we too have inaccurate expectations or understandings of Jesus’ kingship today. So the critical question remains: what kind of king is Jesus?

In some sense, Matthew’s whole gospel is answering that question. But one particular passage gives us a surprising picture of the truth.

After Jesus has challenged the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law (and the Sabbath) in the opening verses of Matthew 12, Matthew tells us that this causes the Pharisees to conspire against him (Matthew 12:14). In response, Matthew tells us that,

Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

(Matthew 12:15-21)

This is the longest quotation of Scripture in Matthew’s gospel and it is rich with theology. It helps us answer the question of what kind of king Jesus is.

Jesus’ awareness of the Pharisees’ hostility cause him to withdraw from that location. He will confront the Pharisees quite openly later on in the gospel but now is not the time. Instead, we are told that Jesus does three things: 1) withdraw (anachōrēsen), 2) heal (etherapeusen), and 3) warn (epetimēsen - the original word in Greek is stronger than the ESV’s “charge”). These are the three verbs attributed to Jesus in vv. 15-16 (besides the participle of “knowing” of the Pharisees conspiracy). Matthew tells us that “this” (Jesus’ three actions in vv. 15-16) fulfill what Isaiah spoke of and he then cites Isaiah 42:1-4.

Jesus’ withdrawal fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy in the sense that he will not “quarrel” (erisei). It seems that Matthew uses this word intentionally in light of Jesus’ strategic retreat from the Pharisees.2 Matthew portrays Jesus as a king who is not bent on waging war. He has a mission from his Father. This mission will include confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders as Matthew makes clear in later chapters. But Jesus is not a man easily distracted from his mission. As John’s gospel makes clear, Jesus is a man who knew his “hour”, both when it came (John 12:23) and when it had not yet come (John 2:4). While he understood that the climax of his mission would necessitate strong conflict with the Jewish religious establishment, he also understood that his mission required more than polemical clashes with them. It is this pattern of wisdom that prompts Matthew to see a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the mission-minded Servant of YHWH who will “not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth” (Isaiah 42:4).

Skipping over Jesus’ healing for the moment we see Matthew indicating that Jesus’ “charging” the people not to make him known is a fulfillment of the Servant’s not being known in the street. The sense of v. 19 is not that Jesus will be publicly silent for of course Matthew has already shown us plenty of times that Jesus is a public teacher. Instead, v. 19 speaks to Jesus’ lack of publicity-seeking. He is not attempting to draw the biggest crowds and amass the most power and influence. He has already, in Matthew’s gospel, shown a strange pattern of “hushing” those he heals (cf. Matthew 8:4; 9:30). The word used in these cases denotes a strict prohibition an stern warning. The time will come when what the disciples have heard in secret they will proclaim on the housetops (Matthew 10:27). But like the climactic confrontation with the religious establishment, that time has not yet come. Jesus knows (from experience, see John 6:15) that the expectations of the masses do not align with his Father’s mission. The Jewish people are not seeking a king who will die, suffering the shameful death of crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. They are expecting a warrior who will overthrow and decimate the Romans. His attempts at tempering the groundswell is indicative of his recognition of this discrepancy between his Father’s mission and the people’s expectations.

It is these first two points which surely surprised and challenged Jesus’ contemporaries. A king who doesn’t “quarrel”? A king who doesn’t rally his supporters and announce his mighty wonders through a megaphone? What kind of king is this?

It is, of course, no accident that Matthew cites Isaiah 42, a passage looking ahead to the vicarious suffering of the Servant of YHWH in Isaiah 53. Nor is it coincidental that at both Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration divine witness is given that Jesus is “the Beloved (ho agapētos)…in whom I [the Father] am well pleased (eudokēsa)”, just as in v. 18 here. The designation of Jesus as the “Beloved” may be an echo of Genesis 22:2 LXX where Isaac is referred to as “the beloved” (ho agapētos). In light of the sacrifice of Isaac and the suffering of the Servant of YHWH in Isaiah 53, Matthew’s use of these Scriptures are theologically profound. Jesus is a king who will die. His identity as King and his identity as Suffering Servant and Lamb of God are not contradictory. As confusing as it was to Jesus’ contemporaries, this king would not conquer by means of military might but rather by means of enduring death and triumphing over evil by accomplishing vicarious atonement. This would have been puzzling to Jesus’ contemporaries because it mixed categories that the Jews would have found impossible to mix (cf. John 12:34). In fact, God planned it this way (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25).

But the surprises go deeper.

The third point of fulfillment is Jesus’ healing. This exemplifies the tenderness and compassion which characterizes the Servant of YHWH revealed in his not breaking bruised reeds and not quenching smoldering wicks. In those days these objects would’ve been recognized as useless: bent measuring reeds cannot properly measure and smoldering wicks are past use for lighting. R.T. France writes, “The imagery thus describes an extraordinary willingness to encourage damaged or vulnerable people, giving them a further opportunity to succeed which a results-oriented society would deny them.”3 D.A. Carson agrees: “What is pictured is a ministry so gentle and compassionate that the weak are not trampled on and crushed until justice, the full righteousness of God, triumphs.”4 This king is a healer who is moved with compassion for the weak and helpless (cf. Matthew 9:36). He brings justice (to the gentile nations according to Isaiah 42!) but does so gently. As the Spirit-anointed king (v. 18b) he will announce good news to the poor (cf. Isaiah 61:1-2).

Perhaps this is what most surprises us about King Jesus. We certainly ought to recognize that our expectations of Christ’s reign often look more like the 1st-century Jews’ than we care to admit. He does not come debating every small issue on social media. He does not come with a bullhorn and a publicity-seeking shock and awe marketing campaign. Modern American Christianity is entangled in both of these false expectations. However, on a personal level, it is this king’s compassion towards broken and struggling people that may be the greatest cause for surprise.

How does Christ the King appear to you? Not when you look for him on the wide fields of the world. But when he stands before you as your king? How do you perceive his reign in your own heart? Is it demanding? Disappointed? Impatient? Are you painfully aware of your king’s eagerness for you to get over your entangling sins, your storming doubts, your faltering grace? J.C. Ryle described the honest Christian’s experience as a “bruised reed” and “smoldering wick” when he wrote, “the Holy Ghost is here describing persons whose grace is at present weak, whose repentance is feeble, and whose faith is small.”5 How do you perceive your king when your grace is weak? When your repentance is feeble and fallible? When your faith is small and shaking? Does your wick’s smoking invite the frown of your king, the one to whom you should be faithfully allegiant and entirely submitted?

Ryle marks the surprising truth when he concludes: “Towards such persons the Lord Jesus Christ will be very tender and compassionate.”6 He assures the despondent Christian: “know that weak faith gives a man as real and true an interest in Christ as strong faith, though it may not give him the same joy.”7 Yes, your faith is small, your repentance feeble, and your grace weak. Yes, your sins are many, deep, dark, and seem to be prevailing. Yes, your king sees all of this. And yet what kind of king is he? He is the king who will not break bruised reeds nor quench smoldering wicks. The grandeur of his Davidic royalty and the scope of his Abrahamic blessing do not prevent him from applying tender care and healing to the most damaged subject of his kingdom.

In commenting on this passage (Matthew 12:20) the Puritan Richard Sibbes says this: “Faith pulls off the mask from [Christ’s] face and sees a loving heart under contrary appearances.”8 What do we do when the false spectre of a berating king assaults the eyes of our hearts? According to Sibbes, we must see with the eyes of faith. We must take God at his word. We must go to passages like Isaiah 42:3 and Matthew 12:20 to see the God-revealed truth of what kind of king we have. We must accept his word on the matter. We must trust him rather than our own perceptions. In this way, faith reaches up and removes the mask from his face and exposes the loving heart that lies concealed by our doubts and sin-laden assumptions.

If we pull out our calendars and start with Christmas Day 2025 and move to Easter 2026, we will pass over just beyond 100 days that lie between the two. Of course, over three decades separate the events of the original Christmas and the original Easter. But no matter how long of a separation we observe, it is essential that we do not disconnect the theological realities of Christmas and Easter in our minds and in our faith.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is not like President’s Day. It is not just the birthday of a notable historical figure. It is that, but also far more. Christmas is the celebration of one of the most profound mysteries in the entire cosmos: the incarnation of God. At Christmas we celebrate the reality that the Apostle Paul writes of in Philippians 2:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8, ESV)

In the context of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, this paragraph serves to illustrate the kind of humility and others-focused love that Paul wants the Philippians to be characterized by (cf. 2:1-4). The ultimate example that Paul can give is that of Jesus Christ himself. His heart shines through the humiliation he willingly embraced in emptying himself, taking the form of a servant, and being born in the likeness of men. The incarnation (and therefore Christmas) makes up the essence of this.

Of course we must be clear on this: in “emptying” himself, Christ in no way lost any of his divine nature or attributes. Mark Keown expresses it well: “Christ’s incarnation, service, and death are not a renunciation of any element of divinity; they are a demonstration and revelation of what the divinity is — in a most surprising way.”1 In not “grasping” (for personal gain) onto the glory of his heavenly privilege, Christ indeed revealed and manifested God’s glory to the world (cf. John 1:14-18). The Son, second person of the Holy Trinity, lost nothing in his incarnation. Rather, it was a matter of “subtraction by addition”. The supreme and transcendent God “emptied” himself by taking on human nature.

Three “Christmas” Observations From Philippians 2

While we can barely scratch the surface of this passage, of which one commentator contends that “There is no more important passage in the N[ew] T[estament] to come to grips with”2, we must make a few observations that will help us connect this “Christmas” passage with an “Easter” passage later in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

First, we ought to pay regard to the implicit anthropology that simmers beneath the surface of Philippians 2:6-8. In his incarnation Christ takes on human nature and in doing so, joins the human race. On one level, this is simply astounding condescension by our loving eternal God. The words Paul uses are striking in light of all of Scripture.3 He writes that Christ “was born in the likeness of men” (en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genomenos). Much glorious truth resides in the word homoiōmati. For this is the same root word used in Genesis 1:26 LXX when the Triune God announces his resolve to create humankind according to his image and his likeness (kath’homoiōsin). The stunning reality is this: God creates mankind in his image and likeness and then himself, in the incarnation, takes on the likeness of mankind!

Second, Christ’s incarnation leads into his life of obedience. This is another “step down”, so to speak. Paul is narrating the descent of God as he lowers himself for our salvation and the manifestation of his own glory. There has already been a hint of an echo back to Adam in Paul’s phrasing in verse 7. Now, another aspect of Christ’s Adamic role is related in the record of his obedient life. Where Adam disobeyed, Christ obeyed perfectly.

Third, Paul moves from Christ’s humiliation to his exaltation. In verse 9, he proceeds with an emphatic “therefore”. Because of Christ’s faithfulness to take on human flesh, live obediently, and suffer to the point of crucifixion, submitting himself to the Father’s will, God has “highly exalted him”. It is imperative to note that this exaltation does not “undo” the incarnation. Christ does not shake off human nature, glad to finally be rid of it. His humanity is not a costume he wears while he plays the part only to shed it with relief the moment he retreats backstage. The incarnation is eternally permanent. Christ has taken on the likeness of humankind and will never again live without it.

Let’s put these three observations together. 1) Christ’s incarnation is God existing in the “image of man” so to speak, an incredible act of loving condescension. As such, Christ is a new Adam. 2) In his incarnate state, Christ obeys his Father where Adam failed. Thus, our salvation and standing before God is based on human obedience. Not ours, by the incarnate Christ’s. 3) Christ, as incarnate God in human flesh, is exalted in his resurrection and ascension because of his work.

Moving to Easter

Now we can move ahead to Philippians 3:20-21 to connect this great “Christmas” truth with the great “Easter” reality of Christ’s resurrection, before making some “Advent” application.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:20-21, ESV)

While it may not be immediately obvious in the English translation, the number of parallels between these verses in Philippians 3 and the Christ Hymn in the preceding chapter are numerous and profound. The connections become apparent when we read the Greek.

Here is a summary: Jesus left his heavenly glory and humbled (etapeinōsen) himself by taking the form (morphēn) of a slave and human form (schēmati) so that he might transform (metaschēmatisei) us from our humble (tapeinōseōs) body into conformity (symmorphon) with his glorious (doxēs) body.

At least three parallel emerge in the Greek wording of the two passages. There is the shared element of “tapein-” (Christ humbling himself [2:8], our body of humiliation [3:21]); “morph-” (Christ takes the form of a slave [2:7], brings us into conformity with him [3:21]); and “schēma-” (Christ being found in human form [2:8], transforming our bodies [3:21]). (There is also the shared element of “glory” though 2:11 refers to the glory of the Father and 3:21 to the glory of Christ’s body which is shared with believers.)

This body of glory which Christ will bring believers into conformity with is none other than that which is spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44: the body imperishable, glorious, powerful, and Spiritual (pneumatikon). Paul’s own words a few verses later in 1 Corinthians 15:48-49 summarize the promise of Philippians 3:20-21 well:

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:48-49, ESV)

We shall bear the image of the man of heaven. This is essentially the substance of what Paul says in Philippians 3:20-21. Christ will return to transform our lowly bodies (perishable, mortal, weak, natural) to be like his glorious body (imperishable, immortal, powerful, Spiritual). We shall share in his resurrection. We shall share in the resurrection and exaltation of human nature which began when the incarnate Christ was exalted as a human being, having taken human form and sanctified it.

Christmas and Easter must not be separated. Jesus came into the world to be “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). But he also came to be the perfect Man: perfectly obedient and gloriously resurrected.

In short, Jesus became like us to make us like him. He came to those “lost and ruined by the fall”4 so that he might “bring many sons and daughters to glory” (Hebrews 2:10).

Easter (and the subsequent Ascension) is the completion of the work of Christ begun at Christmas. Patrick Schreiner points out: “the ascension fulfills and completes the goal of the incarnation. Jesus descended in the flesh and rose in the flesh to redeem flesh.”5

We have been made “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) and this by manner of Christ first becoming a partaker of human nature and uniting us with himself. Therefore, Charles Wesley is right to exult: “Jesus is our brother now, And God is all our own.”6

Christ came from heaven to earth and returned, bringing us back with him (cf. Ephesians 2:6).

Our Advent Application

In light of this great truth, how shall we then live?

Part of the answer is found in what Paul says in Philippians 3:20. He writes that Christian believers are “citizens of heaven” who “await” from heaven a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. In other words, Christians are to be waiting people. God’s people have always been a waiting people. In the years before Christ, God’s people looked ahead with yearning hope to the advent (coming) of God’s deliverance. In the years since the first Christmas, his people have looked ahead with yearning hope for the second advent of Christ and the resurrection which will accompany it. Paul directly connects the resurrection with Christ’s second coming in Philippians 3. We “await” our Lord and Savior who will transform our bodies (i.e. resurrect them).

Despite all the joy of the Christmas season, the brokenness of the world does not take any time off for the holidays. We are still faced with relational struggles, financial strains, physical health concerns, and family tragedies. This month alone I have already attended one funeral and officiated another, with another funeral to officiate soon. These moments of grief are reminders that, while Christ is remaking the world, the great restoration is not done yet. We are still waiting. We are still yearning. We are still crying out, “come thou long expected Jesus!”

Amidst the winter troubles that mar the Christmas season, we must remind ourselves that Christmas is not merely a brief reprieve from the world’s brokenness fueled by lights, gifts, beloved traditions, and nostalgia. It is the stage-setting for the glories of Easter. It is the bold and blaring declaration that the restoration of all things is begun, that flesh is redeemed because the Redeemer took on flesh, and that “God the Word was made man [so that] that very nature which had sinned, fallen, and become corrupt should conquer the tyrant who had deceived it.” (John of Damascus)

In Isaiah 50:4 the Servant of the LORD declares that God has “given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.” The words of Jesus sustain the weary. And that applies to those who proclaim the words of Jesus.

In one sense, all Christians are called to proclaim the word of God. All believers are called to know Scripture and apply it to the lives of others, whether encouraging and exhorting fellow believers or proclaiming and speaking the truth to unbelievers, inviting them to place their faith in Christ for salvation.

In another sense, the proclamation of God’s word is a special activity of preachers. These are disciples called by God to the task of proclaiming his word to his people and to unbelievers. This commission is a serious and weighty one. Paul’s commission to Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2) is given as a charge in the “presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1). This is a heavy charge indeed. It is a charge given before the face of God himself and the ascended Jesus Christ, the judge of all people who will appear again and whose kingdom will not end.

Preaching is a high, noble, and weighty calling. It’s hard work to exegete a passage of Scripture, draw theological principles, properly contextualize the personal application to a contemporary audience, illustrate difficult biblical concepts clearly, and structure it all in a memorable and meaningful way. Especially for those who preach week-in and week-out, sometimes with only the most subtle signs of progress or impact, the work of preaching can be “wearying”. In an effort to encourage my own heart as I prepare to preach I assembled a list of 18 biblical encouragements for preachers. May these be the words of Christ to sustain those who are weary.

1. Faith comes from hearing the word preached.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:14-17, ESV

Preachers should find encouragement in the biblical reality that faith — the means and material substance of each believer’s life — comes through faithful preaching. Paul works backwards from calling on the Lord (cf. Romans 10:13) to believing (trusting in, having faith in) to hearing to preaching to being sent. Paul’s words here do not rule out the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing faith to bloom in the heart of veteran believer and newly-converted unbeliever alike. But he does insist that God’s word preached is the primary means of stirring up faith in people.

2. God’s word accomplishes its purpose.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11, ESV

In this passage preachers are reminded that when they proclaim the word of God, it does not return “empty”. It accomplishes its purpose. Among many purposes for God’s word, stirring up faith is a primary one (see #1 above). Therefore, we can trust, as preachers, that our labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). God’s word, faithfully proclaimed, will do a work in people.

3. God’s word accomplishes new creation.

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6, ESV

Here preachers are encouraged by the reminder of God’s power in bringing souls to new life through the Holy Spirit’s use of the preached word. When preachers preach “not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord”, the Holy Spirit uses this faithful preaching to bring new life and new creation to dead hearts. Paul alludes to Genesis 1 and parallels God’s original act of creation with his act of new creation in individual lives. The light has shone in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. As we hold out the light of Christ, revealed in God’s word, to people, the Spirit accomplishes new creation.

4. God opens eyes as we open the Scriptures.

And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:31-32, ESV

The context of these verses is Jesus’ encounter with his two disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. These two disciples “were kept from recognizing him” (v. 16), implying a work of God which concealed Jesus’ identity to them. However, as they discussed with Jesus the things happening in Jerusalem, Jesus revealed to them that all these things had happened in fulfillment of the Old Testament (vv. 25-27). After breaking bread with them, Luke tells us that “their eyes were opened” (v. 31). The concealment was lifted and they recognized him as he vanished. And yet, the disciples also saw with more than just their physical eyes. They asked one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he…opened to us the Scriptures?” In this case, both the disciples’ eyes and the Scriptures are described as being “opened”. One could draw the conclusion that the opening of the Scriptures and the opening of the eyes are being related by Luke. If that is the case, then preachers can find hope that as they open the Scriptures in sermon after sermon, the Lord will open the eyes of their listeners: some to the very light of the gospel (see #3 above), others to new insights, new convictions of sin, new comforts amidst pain, or new gleams of the glory of God.

5. Preaching is the overflow of a delivered heart.

I have told the glad news of deliverance

in the great congregation;

behold, I have not restrained my lips,

as you know, O Lord.

10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

from the great congregation.

Psalm 40:9-10, ESV

While the previous encouragements have been focused on what God does through our preaching, that is, what follows our preaching, this one is focused on what precedes our preaching. The psalmist (David) assures God that his own personal deliverance will not be forgotten or taken for granted. Instead, he will speak of “your faithfulness and your salvation…[in] the great congregation.” What is pictured here is a public proclamation of God’s salvation by one who has experienced that same salvation. When preaching becomes a chore, the preacher ought to examine whether or not he has lost the thrill of the message he heralds. It’s easy to do given busy schedules, complex exegetical studies, and our own sinful hearts. The psalm brings us back to the simplicity of telling the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation and preaching from the overflow of a delivered heart.

6. God’s word brings revival, wisdom, joy, and light.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

Psalm 19:7-8, ESV

Here again David delights to praise God for the perfection of his word. He gives four truths in these verses: 1) God’s word (the law of the LORD) brings revival to the soul, 2) God’s word brings wisdom to the simple, 3) God’s word brings joy to the heart, and 4) God’s word brings light to the eyes (see #3 above). We stand before believers every week whose souls are in need of reviving. They are weary, worn, and wandering. We stand before those who are “simple”, straying after their own way and searching for guidance from God. We stand before people whose hearts are grieving or heavy with sorrows and just plain apathy. We stand before people who are walking in darkness. God’s word brings exactly what each of these people need to hear. What an encouragement to faithfully preach it!

7. Christ, proclaimed by the God-empowered and hard-working preacher, brings his people to full maturity.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Colossians 1:28-29, ESV

Like in 2 Corinthians 4:5, Paul is very clear here: the substance of the preacher’s preaching is Christ. Him we proclaim. This proclamation also takes the form of warning and teaching for the purpose of presenting believers in full maturity. Paul then goes on to say in v. 29 that this work of preaching is one which he struggles in, empowered by God’s own energy. Christ brings his people to maturity (see Ephesians 5:25-27) and he does this as preachers work hard in the power of the Holy Spirit. Once again, the encouragement is this: God works through our work. Our hard work in the study and in the pulpit is God’s means of doing his eternal work of salvation and transformation for his people.

8. The preaching of Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God displayed to the elect.

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24, ESV

The gospel of Christ crucified (and risen) is the heart of the preacher’s message. In every passage of every book in every sermon. (This is not to deny the wonderfully diverse ways that Scripture reveals this message and the diverse applications it has to our daily lives.) Paul reminds the Corinthians — enamored by the eloquence of philosophers, orators, and rhetoricians — that the act of preaching (not to mention the message preached!) is folly to the world. But, to those who are called, the preaching and the message is the very power and wisdom of God himself. This frees preachers from needing to come up with a new snazzy sermon to dazzle and delight every week and instead focusing on preaching the Scripture right in front of them. Duane Litfin summarized the crux of the preaching task this way: “The herald’s task is not to create a persuasive message at all, but to convey effectively the already articulated message of another.”1

9. The preaching of the gospel cuts to the heart.

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 2:37, ESV

This verse reminds preachers of a consistent theme throughout the passages mentioned above: God word does something to its hearers. Or, perhaps more accurately, God does something through his word when it is proclaimed. When Peter preached the gospel of the resurrected Jesus on the day of Pentecost, his listeners were “cut to the heart”. God’s word is elsewhere described as “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The preacher enters the pulpit armed with the most powerful weapon in the universe: the word of God. His faithful proclamation of it cuts to the heart of those who hear. That cutting may not always be as visibly manifested as on the day of Pentecost but we can trust that it is real nonetheless.

10. Preaching is the expression of a heart’s wonder at the glorious works of God.

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:19-20, ESV

In the context of this verse Peter and John have been charged by the Jewish council to not preach about Jesus. But rather than being silenced, Peter and John admit that they cannot help but speak about the glorious work of God in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Like #5 above, this encouragement is less about the aftermath or impact of preaching and more about the root of preaching. When we are filled with wonder at God’s glorious work in Christ that wonder naturally overflows in our preaching. This is an encouragement to be filled with wonder!

11. The Holy Spirit fills people to preach with boldness.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31, ESV

There are many reasons why preachers need boldness. Our task is one for which no one is naturally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 2:16). The word of God does not accommodate sinful human inclinations. Teachers will be judged with a stricter standard (see James 3:1). Reasons galore! And yet, the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, supplies this boldness that we need. He does this in response to our prayers. Oh may we pray for more of the Spirit!

12. God watches over his word and his prophets.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

declares the Lord…

They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Jeremiah 1:8,19, ESV

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

Jeremiah 1:12, ESV

In the opening chapter of Jeremiah we read about God’s call on the young prophet’s life. Amidst the uncertainty of youth, Jeremiah is reassured by God’s twofold promise: he will watch over his prophet (vv. 8,19) and he will watch over his word (v. 12). Preachers can find great hope in the promise that God has them in his hand and will preserve them amidst opposition. He is also watching his word to accomplish the purpose for which he sent it (see #2 above). Both are inspiring reminders to those who may doubt God’s preservation for themselves or for his message’s effectiveness.

13. Preaching proceeds from an encounter with the glorious God.

Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel 1:28, ESV

Gospel preaching proceeds from more than just good exegesis and theological reflection. It takes more than parsing Greek verbs, analyzing literary structures, or finding memorable stories to illustrate our sermon points. Preaching (and prophecy in the OT) proceeds from an encounter with God in his glory. This is true of Ezekiel who receives his commission to preach/prophesy after beholding the likeness of God’s glory on the Chebar canal. It is true of Isaiah (see Isaiah 6). It is true of Moses (see Exodus 3). It is true of John the Revelator (see Revelation 1). It is true of each preacher as well. We speak God’s word from a heart that has encountered the glory of God in such a way that we cannot but speak of it (see #10 above). We may not be given dazzling visions of thrones and cherubim or the Lord himself but we have seen the ultimate manifestation of God’s glory in the person and work of Jesus Christ (see John 1:14,18). And that is more than enough of an encounter to give us something to preach about!

14. Preaching is a solemn commission from the glorious God which is undertaken in faithful obedience.

And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 2:3-7, ESV

The context of these words is Ezekiel’s prophetic commission (Ezekiel 1-3). Also relevant are the sobering words of Ezekiel 3:16-21 where God reminds Ezekiel that if he fails to warn the wicked and speak God’s word faithfully, even when opposed or ignored, that God will require an account and that the blood of the wicked will be on his hands because he failed to warn them. Ezekiel’s commissioning is a solemn business. He is commissioned to the sobering task of speaking God’s words of judgment to the “rebellious house” of Israel. Ezekiel is told that many will refuse to hear his message but he must not be afraid and he must speak faithfully. The commission to preach is not one accepted lightly but neither is it one accepted on our own terms. It is a solemn commission from our sovereign God that must be accepted with a submissive attitude of faithful obedience: “yes Lord!”. Though many may not listen, though many may oppose, that doesn’t change our marching orders.

15. Christ is able to guard what is entrusted to preachers until the day of his return.

…But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

2 Timothy 1:12, ESV

Preachers have the painful privilege of frequently seeing how insufficient we are for the job God has given us. That’s why I find so much comfort in the letter of Paul to Timothy that goes by the name 2 Timothy in our New Testament. I read this epistle weekly and find much encouragement for the work of preaching, shepherding, leading, and serving in the church. Despite the many sufferings of his ministry, Paul was not ashamed because he know the power and character of Christ. He had been convinced that Christ was able to guard and keep his deposit (cf. 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:14). Paul uses the Greek perfect tense for his belief and confidence (Gr. pepisteuka and pepeismai) signifying that this trust and confidence in Christ was a once-for-all decision on his part that has brought him into an enduring state of trust and confidence. Preacher, resolve to live with the same definitive trust and confidence in Christ’s ability to guard the deposit of your doctrine, your preaching, and your shepherding.

16. The preaching of God’s word produces worship.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:5-6, ESV

The proclamation of God’s word produces worship in God’s believing people. Preachers can find encouragement and confidence in the reality that, over time, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the preached word does lead to greater adoration for God among his church. In the revival recorded in the book of Nehemiah, God’s word led the way. Revival is a work of God’s Spirit but the primary tool he uses is Scripture proclaimed faithfully.

17. God’s word produces repentance and revival.

Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.

2 Kings 22:10-11, ESV

The principle of this encouragement is really embedded in all of 2 Kings 22 and 23. The revival under Josiah was sparked by the word of God being found in the temple and being read to the king. Josiah responded to the word with heartfelt repentance followed by concrete reformation and restoration of God’s prescribed laws and customs in Judah. Our world and the church are always in need of revival and reformation. Each individual believer is always in need of daily repentance towards God and restoration by his grace. This important work happens through the reading and preaching of God’s word, among other things. The preacher can stand confidently knowing that the word he preaches brings revival and reformation as it stirs up good conviction and repentance in God’s people.

18. God saves through the folly of what we preach.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:21, ESV

Preachers can find great encouragement in the biblical reality that God has purposed to use the foolish delivery (see #8 above) of a foolish message to save men, women, and children from eternal destruction and save them for everlasting life with him. Though the sermons pass by week-after-week and minimal fruit seems to appear poking through the soil, God is using the preacher’s work to save a people for himself. This is so worth remembering and ought to give preachers (and all Christians who speak God’s word to others [i.e. all Christians!]) great comfort, assurance, encouragement, and inspiration. Christ will build his church and one of the tools he uses to do so is preachers and preaching. What a privilege to play such a role in the grand purpose of God!

One of the great joys of reading Scripture is seeing how all of it connects. God’s revelation is a unified whole and should be read as such.

Many Christians are familiar with the “excellent woman” of Proverbs 31. In the last chapter of Proverbs, a king named Lemuel records an “oracle that his mother taught him” (Prov. 31:1). Lemuel’s mother instructs her son to pursue justice and to act royally. She concludes by describing the kind of woman who is worthy of being the wife of a king. This woman is an “excellent wife” or ishah hayil. We could translate this as “woman of strength”. This exact phrase is used once elsewhere in Proverbs (12:4) where the “excellent wife” is the “crown of her husband”. It is also used in one place outside the book of Proverbs: the story of Ruth.

The book of Ruth is another popular and well-loved portion of Scripture. It tells the story of the filling of empty Naomi and the “resurrection”1 of her family through the sacrificial hesed love of Naomi’s daughter-in-law Ruth and Naomi’s relative Boaz. In Ruth 3:11, after Ruth asks Boaz to act as kinsman-redeemer and marry her, Boaz assures Ruth that the honor would be all his. After all, he says, she is a “worthy woman” (ishah hayil). This puts Ruth, the foreign Moabite widow, on the same level as Boaz himself, designated in Ruth 2:1 as a “worthy man” (gibbor hayil).

The fact that the phrase “worthy woman/excellent wife” occurs only in Proverbs 31:10; 12:4; and Ruth 3:11 should indicate that Proverbs 31 and Ruth should be read in a mutually-interpreting way. They should be read together. Perhaps Ruth is a narrative that illustrates what Proverbs 31 describes: biblical femininity in all its glory. Ruth is the biblical picture of the “Proverbs 31 woman” and thus the picture of biblical womanhood itself.

This mutually-interpretive reading of Ruth and Proverbs 31 is strengthened by the canonical placement of Ruth in the list of books of the Old Testament. Although the book of Ruth is placed in our Bibles between Judges and 1 Samuel, this has not always been the case. Some ancient copies of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Christian Old Testament) placed Ruth directly after the book of Proverbs. This has significance for the connection between Ruth and the last chapter of Proverbs: chapter 31. As Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell point out: “The canonical placement [of Ruth] next to Proverbs suggest that Ruth the Moabitess is to be viewed as a real-life example of the piety taught in Proverbs and embodied in the exemplary woman of Proverbs 31.”2

With this connection in mind, I’d like to take a brief walk through Proverbs 31:10-31 and see how Ruth illustrates the substance of these verses.

The Worthy Woman’s Industry

One of the themes of Proverbs 31:10-31 is the industrious strength of the ishah hayil. The word hayil can be translated “strength”. This strength can certainly be strength of character (as it likely is in the book of Ruth) but it can also mean physical strength! We are told that the “excellent wife” of Proverbs 31 “works with willing hands” (31:13, ESV). She industriously provides food for her household (31:15). She “does not eat the bread of idleness” (31:27). She “makes her arms strong” (31:17). Overall, we get the picture of an industrious, capable, resourceful, and physically strong woman who looks after feeding and managing her household.

We see this exemplified in Ruth. She takes initiative to feed herself and Naomi in Ruth 2:2. She shows industry and diligence while gleaning in the field of Boaz (2:7).3 She is capable of carrying a large measure of barley up the hill from the threshing floor to Bethlehem, a measure large enough that Boaz had to help her get it in place (3:15). Reading the story, we get the impression that Ruth was physically strong, diligent, capable of working long days in the field, and had an industrious spirit that took initiative to care for the needs of her household, in this case her mother-in-law Naomi.

The Worthy Woman’s Generosity

The excellent wife is not only strong and industrious on behalf of her family, she shares what she has with those in need. She “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (Proverbs 31:20). In all her economic competence she does not neglect to show compassion to those in need. While being a competent household manager, she does not let the needs of her family blind her to the needs of those outside.

We see a similar generosity in Ruth. While Ruth herself is in the place of “need” rather than “plenty” in the book of Ruth, she shows generosity with the little she has. Boaz is a picture of radical generosity. He shows stupendous generosity and grace to Ruth in the field in Ruth 2. He even invites this impoverished Moabite gleaner to join him at his table and eat of his food. The text says that Ruth ate until she was satisfied and that she had some food left over (Ruth 2:14). What did Ruth do with this leftover food from Boaz’ table? Ruth 2:18 tells us that she gave it to her mother-in-law. Even in her destitute circumstances as a poor childless widow in a foreign land, Ruth gave what little she had out of a spirit of generosity.

The Worthy Woman’s Wisdom

Proverbs 31 tells us that the excellent wife is wise. There are a number of ways this is communicated. She “opens her mouth with wisdom” (Proverbs 31:26). In other words, she teaches wisdom. But her wisdom is expressed in more than just words. She is a woman who plans ahead wisely in such a way that the future is not an intimidating chaos. She laughs at the time to come (31:25). She does not fear “snow” because she has prepared (31:21). Biblical wisdom is not just words and knowledge. It is practical. It is the virtue of knowing how God has made the world and being able to live and make decisions in light of that knowledge. The excellent wife exemplifies this.

Although we don’t get to see Ruth in action much in the book of Ruth, given the story’s brevity, we see glimpses of wisdom coming through in her character. Naomi is the originator of the “holy scheming” that happens in chapter 3. But Ruth, in her own right, shows wisdom in her encounter with Boaz at the threshing floor and exhibits in her own way the call to be as “wise as serpents” and as “innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

The threshing floor scene in Ruth 3 is loaded with sexual tension. Naomi’s master plan for prompting marriage between Boaz and Ruth (with all its redeeming implications) is risky, if not a little risque: Ruth is to make herself attractive (Ruth 3:3), go to the “threshing floor”4, wait until Boaz had lain down to sleep, go to him and uncover his “feet”5, lie down next to him, and then wait to see what would happen. In this daring plan we see Naomi’s hesed love for Ruth (see 3:1) play out in a “street-smart” kind of wisdom. The fact that Ruth follows through with this risky operation and goes beyond Naomi’s instructions to directly ask Boaz to marry her (3:9) is not a sign of recklessness but of faith working through wise love. Ruth’s actions at the threshing floor are both “wise” and “innocent”.

While we don’t see many examples of Ruth displaying natural wisdom from herself, we do see many examples of her following the wise instruction of her elders: both Naomi and Boaz (e.g. 2:21-23 and 3:5). She gives us no impression that she is a naive or unaware fool that needs constant redirection from Naomi and Boaz. Rather, she gives the impression that she has a ‘good head on her shoulders’.

The Worthy Woman’s Kindness

Kindness, hesed, is one of the core themes of the book of Ruth. Hesed can be translated a multitude of ways: steadfast love, unfailing mercy, unceasing kindness, faithful and loyal compassion, etc. Bruce Waltke quite simply defines it as “help to the helpless”.6 Hesed “is a kindness of a radical and controversial sort”7. It is mercy shown to the underserving, not sporadically, but with a strong, lasting commitment. Steadfast love is a good way of putting it. It is love shown in a steadfast, loyal, faithful way. It is not an incidental “random act of kindness” but a committed disposition of mercy towards those who need it most.

Of course, God’s hesed is the model for all human hesed (see e.g. Exodus 34:6). The excellent wife of Proverbs 31 exhibits it through her words and actions. We are told in Proverbs 31:26 that “the teaching of kindness [hesed] is on her tongue”. The book of Ruth presents us with case after case and example after example of human hesed in action. Ruth in particular exemplifies the excellent wife’s character of kindness in her undying commitment to her mother-in-law Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17). Given the opportunity to return to her family, she instead binds herself to Naomi and commits to cleave to her until ‘death do them part’. In fact, in the original wording, Ruth’s commitment is even more extreme: “Ruth is determined that nothing, not even death, shall separate them.”8 The language used alludes back to Genesis 2:24 and casts Ruth’s commitment to Naomi as the same kind of commitment required of a husband and wife in marriage.9

We may conclude, therefore, that not only is the “teaching of kindness” on Ruth’s tongue but the heart of hesed patterned after God himself is displayed and put into action by Ruth throughout the story. This hesed is recognized by Boaz (2:11 and 3:10).

The Worthy Woman’s Reward

Speaking of Boaz’ recognition, we see that Ruth enjoys the same reward that the excellent wife of Proverbs is given. Proverbs 31:31 pronounces the blessing that this ideal woman’s works would “praise her in the gates”. This seeks public recognition for the woman’s character and accomplishments. Her industry, competence, generosity, wisdom, kindness, and more lead to public recognition and appreciation from her children and husband (31:28) and the community at large (31:31).

Likewise, Ruth receives the same recognition and praise. The women of the town tell Naomi that her daughter-in-law is “more to you than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15). The witnesses of Boaz’ legal proceeding at the city gate bless Ruth and pray that she would take her place as a matriarch in Israel’s history (Ruth 4:11). Boaz himself bestows on Ruth the dignity of being a “worthy woman” (ishah hayil). But even in this, it is not Boaz alone. For Boaz tells Ruth that “all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman” (Ruth 3:11). The original wording makes the “gate” connection with Proverbs 31:31 clear. “Fellow townsmen” translates a phrase that means “my people at the gate”. Not only are those who are at Boaz’ “gate” well aware of Ruth’s reputation as an ishah hayil but they end up praising her as such in 4:11. Together, Boaz and Ruth are blessed as a “strong” couple and enjoined to “act worthily” in their new marriage.

Conclusion

This has just been a brief sampling of the ways that the book of Ruth connects with Proverbs 31 and exemplifies the character and competence of the “excellent wife” in the character of Ruth.

While popular notions of Christianity often characterize it as a religion of “do’s and don’t’s” and rules, true Christian ethics is not about strict adherence to an external moral code but instead about conformity to the character of God. Being a “worthy” woman (or man) is less about following a set list of procedures and more about cultivating virtues based on the holy nature of God himself. We see an ideal picture of these virtues described in a particularly feminine form in Proverbs 31:10-31 and we see them demonstrated in the character of Ruth from the narrative book of Ruth.

The book of Ruth is about more than just providing an example for moral emulation. But it is not less than that. The book of Ruth has much to teach both men and women about emulating and displaying the character of God in distinctly and complementary masculine and feminine ways. I hope this exercise in reading two biblical passages “in unison” has presented the harmony of all of Scripture and a beautifully practical snapshot of the Bible’s vision for God-imaging femininity.

In the Old Testament, God’s kingdom was established through a series of covenants.1 God’s redemption of humanity is promised in Genesis 3:15 and is revealed progressively through the covenants that God made with Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David. However, David’s sons failed to keep the covenant and Israel as a whole failed in their covenant responsibilities. So God sent judgment through the gentile kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. These judgments were announced by the prophets, who also looked ahead to a time when God would restore his people and make a new covenant with them. A number of passages in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament expound this promise of a new covenant.

Eventually, Jesus Christ came to fulfill all of God’s promises and inaugurate the promised new covenant. The New Testament is filled with the theme of fulfillment. The day of the new covenant is here! (See Mark 1:15)

The letter of 1 John is written with this awareness of God’s fulfilled promise in Christ. After preaching through 1 John, I realized just how fundamental the fulfillment of the new covenant was to John’s message. The new covenant is never mentioned explicitly in 1 John but, like the foundation of a house, it stands underneath the surface as a critical underlying truth.

Here, I’d like to unpack how John presents the new covenant as fulfilled in Christ in his letter and what it means for Christians today. We will look at two OT prophetic passages that promise the new covenant (Ezekiel 36:26-27 and Jeremiah 31:33-34) and how John alludes to these prophecies in his letter.

Introduction to 1 John

First, some introductory matters related to 1 John will help us set the stage before we examine the way John sees Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31 fulfilled.

John likely wrote 1 John to a church he knew well (perhaps the church in Ephesus). He wrote to them to complete their joy (1 John 1:4), warn them about false teachers (2:26), encourage them in holiness (2:1), and to assure them that they possessed eternal life in union with Christ himself (5:13, cf. 5:20).

Although the nature of the false teaching that John opposed is uncertain, some have suggested that the false teachers taught an early form of docetism, a Christological heresy that denied the true humanity of Jesus Christ. As is always the case with aberrant doctrine, the ethical teachings of the false teachers were threatening to lead astray the believers in John’s church.

John’s purpose in writing is to “destroy the false assurance of the counterfeit as well as to confirm the right assurance of the genuine.”2 However, one must keep in mind that John is writing to the remaining believers in the church: those who have not followed the false teachers who have left (cf. 2:19; 4:1). He writes to them that they may know that he indeed have eternal life (5:13). As one scholar puts it: 1 John is “targeted to increase the audience’s adherence to values it already holds.”3 In his first letter, John writes self-consciously to Christian believers. While his gospel’s purpose is to engender belief (cf. John 20:31), his first letter is meant to reinforce it.

The Marks of New Life in 1 John

John writes to believers so that they would know that they have eternal life through the Son of God (1 John 5:12-13). He lays out three primary marks of this life throughout the letter and returns to them over and over again. Christians who have life in the Son are characterized by:

• True Doctrine/Belief/Faith: Believers are those who believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3) and is both God and man. Those who believe and confess that Jesus is the Messiah are true believers (1 John 2:21-22). The new birth is evidenced by this belief and doctrinal orthodoxy (1 John 5:1,5)

• Love for the Church: Eternal life is externally marked by a love for one’s brothers and sisters. This is a prevalent theme in John’s letter (see 1 John 2:7-11; 3:11-24; 4:7-21).

• Holiness and Obedience to Christ’s Commands: A life marked by union with Christ will be characterized by an imitation and obedience to Christ in his commandments (see 1 John 2:3-6; 3:4-10; 5:3).

These three marks are fundamental to Christian assurance. And yet, there is something more fundamental than these. It is not just that a “saved” person exhibits these qualities. It is that faithful belief, brotherly love, and holiness are all fruits of an inner transformation that truly distinguishes the child of God from the child of the devil (1 John 3:9-10).

1 John 3:9

To illustrate this, let’s look at 1 John 3:9.

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (ESV)

In context, this verse is talking about the distinction between children of God (3:1) and children of the devil (3:10). John is also expounding on the mark of holiness in the believer (cf. 2:29; 3:3-10). John has told believers that they are children of God (3:1-2) and that as God’s children, they are characterized by righteous behavior (2:29; 3:7). Sin is characteristic of the devil (3:8) and marks his “children” (Greek: ek tou diabolou, literally: “[those] from/of the devil”).

Verse 9 then presents a contrast between the children of God and those of the devil. Namely, the children of God do not sin. Much has been written about what exactly this entails and how to understand this verse in tension with the claim that John makes in 1:8 and 1:10 that no one can truly claim sinlessness. That is not the point of our discussion. Instead, we simply want to notice the structure of verse 9 and what it has to say about this fundamental reality underlying all the marks of assurance that John gives.

The verse is structured as a chiasm (a grammatical ‘sandwich’ if you will):

A. No one born of God (Gr. gegennēmenos ek tou Theou)

B. Practices sin

C. For God’s seed abides in him

B’. He cannot go on sinning (literally “is not able to sin”)

A’. Because he has been born of God (Gr. ek tou Theou gegennētai)

According to this structure, the language of being “born of God” brackets the entire verse. Reference to ceasing from sin provides the next layer in and the prized center of the chiasm is held by a reference to God’s “seed” abiding in the believer.

It is not just that believers are supposed to not sin and thus “prove” their salvation and possession of eternal life. It is that their relationship with sin has been forever changed (regardless of how you actually interpret v. 9’s references to not sinning). The ground for this change is the new birth. The one who does not practice sin in v. 9 is the one “born of God”. This idea of new birth is related to all three of the marks of assurance in 1 John: righteousness/holiness (2:29; 3:9; 5:18), faith/belief (5:1,4), and love (4:7). In every case, when referring to the believer, John uses a perfect-tense form of gennaō. This means that the new birth is a decisive, completed action in the past that endures with a present status.4 In other words, the new birth is just that: a birth. We are born once but our one birth leads us into a state of life outside the womb that continues until we die. Likewise, our spiritual rebirth, by the Holy Spirit, is the fundamental reality upholding the marks of a true Christian which John expounds in his letter. We might paraphrase 1 John 5:13 therefore and say that John writes to believers so that they may know that they have been born of God.

As John Stott points out, this new birth also entails a “continuing reciprocal indwelling of God and his people.”5 But where does this doctrine of the new birth come from? And how does it point to the fulfillment of the new covenant?

The Biblical Background of the New Birth

John’s theology of the new birth in his first letter is drawn from his gospel. There, in John 1:12-13 we are told that to those who believed in Jesus’ name, God gave the right to become his children. John hastens to add that these children were not born of any human means or will but they were born of God (Gr. ek Theou egennēthēsan). Later in John 3, as Jesus speaks at night with Nicodemus, he tells the Pharisee leader that “unless one is born again [Gr. gennēthē anōthen] he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Again, Jesus says in John 3:5, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit [Gr. gennēthē ex hudatos kai pneumatos], he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” These two verses are parallel and “born again” is parallel with “born of water and the Spirit”. Though there is debate about what these verses refer to, D.A. Carson has argued that Jesus’ reference to being “born of water and the Spirit” is an allusion back to the Old Testament, particularly the new covenant promise of Ezekiel 36:25-27 where God promises, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27, ESV)6

If Carson is right, and I believe he is, then the new birth in John 3 is built upon the blessings of the new covenant.7 (Ezekiel 36 is a “new covenant” promise passage.) Ezekiel speaks on behalf of Yahweh, promising a day when God will sprinkle clean water on his people (v. 25) and will give them a new heart (v. 26). In fact, he will put his own Spirit within them (v. 27).

This Ezekiel background to John 3 enables us to connect the dots: 1 John speaks of believers being “born of God” which is drawn from John 1:13 and John 3:3,5. This new birth in John’s gospel is in turn influenced by Ezekiel’s prophecy of the new covenant blessing of the Spirit and an inner transformation which will occur when God puts a new heart and his own Spirit within his people. Thus, 1 John grounds the believer’s assurance in the fruit produced from this new covenant blessing of the new birth.

Jeremiah 31 in 1 John

But there is more to John’s theology of the new covenant fulfillment in his letter. He also alludes to the most direct new covenant prophecy in the Old Testament: Jeremiah 31, the only place where the phrase “new covenant” is used in the Old Testament. Below is the text of Jeremiah 31:31-34.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (ESV)

I have highlighted in bold certain phrases in the passage that are relevant to 1 John.

First, John notes that Christian believers can have assurance that when they confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive them (1 John 1:9). Though this probably does not contain enough evidence to be an intentional allusion to Jeremiah 31:34, it is still a blessing of the new covenant which John says has come in Christ.

Second, Jeremiah 31:33 promises that God will put his law “within” his people by writing it on their hearts. It is likely that John alludes to Jeremiah 31:33 in 1 John 5:20 where he writes, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given [Gr. dedōken] us understanding [Gr. dianoian], so that we may know [Gr. ginōskōmen] him who is true;”. In this verse, John uses the Greek verb didōmi (to give) and the Greek noun dianoia (heart/understanding). The only place that these two words are used together in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) is Jeremiah 31:33. In Jeremiah, these words are used to translate the original Hebrew for God’s promise to “put” [give, dōsō, form of didōmi] his law into his people’s “minds” [understanding, tēn dianoian]. Furthermore, the reason for seeing a connection/allusion is strengthened by noting that in 1 John this “understanding” which God has “given” is for the purpose that we might “know” him. In Jeremiah, the result of the “giving/putting” of the law in the people’s “minds/understanding” is that they might “know” the LORD (v. 34).

In light of this allusion, John is saying that the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:33 has come in Christ who has given his people “understanding” (the word is elsewhere translated “heart” or “mind”) so that they may know him. The knowledge of God in Christ, which Jesus defines as eternal life itself (cf. John 17:3), is a new covenant blessing mediated to believers through the covenant-inaugurating work of Jesus Christ upon the cross (cf. Luke 22:20). John will even go on to say later in 1 John 5:20 that Christ is himself “the eternal life”. Karen Jobes summarizes it this way: “To know the true God, one must acquire new covenant understanding through Jesus Christ.”8

Third, this same passage and the same promise of knowing God is picked up and likely alluded to by John earlier in his letter. He writes in 1 John 2:18-20,

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” (ESV)

Here, John warns his readers about the rise of “many antichrists”, defined as those who deny that Jesus is the Christ (cf. 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 7). He explicitly refers to the heretical false teachers in v. 19 as those who went out from the true church and proved they never truly belonged in the first place. In v. 20 he presents a contrast between the heretics who have left and the believers to whom he is writing. He says that “you” (the believers) have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” The Holy One here is likely a reference to Jesus Christ (cf. John 6:69, the only other place this exact phrase is used by John in his writings).9 What the “anointing” (Gr. chrisma) is, is a matter of debate. It could refer to God’s word, the Holy Spirit, the illumination of the Holy Spirit, or some combination. If nothing else, the word implies the illumination of the Spirit.10 John Stott is right to note the close relation between God’s word and his Spirit.11 However, it is my view that the “anointing” from the Holy One does indeed refer to the Holy Spirit, with whom all God’s new covenant people have been anointed.12

John’s warning about antichrists (v. 18), declaration about the spiritual identity of the false teachers (v. 19), and the contrasting reassurance about believers (v. 20) serve to distinguish the anointed believers from the antichrist false teachers. But once again, it seems that Jeremiah’s promise of the new covenant is a fundamental element in John’s thinking. D.A. Carson has argued that Jeremiah 31:34 serves as the background of John’s claim in 1 John 2:27 that believers need no one to teach them.13 They all have the anointing and knowledge (v. 20). Therefore, they do not need any mediating teachers between them and God, as they did in the old covenant. Carson argues this on the basis of the Jeremiah context where the old covenant’s mediating structure (Jer. 31:29) is contrasted with the new covenant’s structure of direct knowledge of God (Jer. 31:30). The people do not need specially-anointed prophets, priests, and kings to mediate their relationship with God in the new covenant because they will all “know” the Lord, from the least to the greatest (Jer. 31:34). This picks up on various other Old Testament expectations that God’s Spirit would be poured out indiscriminately on his people in the last days (cf. Joel 2:28-29; Num. 11:29). The fulfillment of this promise has come in the new covenant, John says. And it is for this reason that the Spirit-anointed believers do not need the false teachers to stand between them and God, mediating a “special” knowledge that God himself has not revealed.

Conclusion

Believers today can find much comfort in the letter of 1 John. Though our heart condemns us and we are assailed by doubts, God is greater than our hearts and has given us the first letter of John to direct our eyes to the grounds of assurance found in Christ alone. He has given us a new birth and has given us new hearts so that we may know him. He has anointed us with the Holy Spirit so that we may know God directly, without need of any other mediator besides Christ himself.

What John writes in his letter has a rich background in the Old Testament promise of a new covenant. Ezekiel and Jeremiah looked ahead to the day when God would do a mighty work of his Spirit in his people, to enable them to know him and to walk in his laws. John, writing after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is able to comfort and encourage Christian believers in light of the fulfillment of this promise. As we have seen, John’s theology of the new birth undergirds his theology of assurance and this new birth is the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy of God’s cleansing his people with water and filling them with his Spirit (Ezek. 36:25-27). John’s theology of knowing God in Christ draws on the new covenant blessings promised in Jeremiah 31, which John sees fulfilled in the believer’s reception of a new heart to know God and the anointing of the Spirit.

Last week, we examined Haggai 1 and experienced the biblical reminder that our self-serving efforts fall without a devotion to God and a pursuit of His glory and purposes.

This week, another “new year” encouragement comes to us from Haggai 2. Now, the people of Israel who have returned from exile have, in obedience to YHWH, begun to re-construct the temple.

The second temple did not match the glory and grandeur of Solomon’s temple which had been destroyed by the Babylonians before the exile. In their work to rebuild the temple, the people were facing discouragement at the loss of this glory. The LORD speaks through Haggai to encourage them in their labor:

“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.”
- Haggai 2:2-5, ESV

Is it not as nothing in your eyes?

Like Israel, we may be tempted to view our labors for the Lord and conclude that, in our eyes, it’s as nothing.

In the context of the new year, Haggai 1 warns us against the danger of focusing on our own plans and neglecting God’s kingdom in favor of our own. Likewise, Haggai 2 has a message for us as we embark on a new year: don’t despise the day of small beginnings.

This notion of the day of small beginnings comes from Haggai’s contemporary prophet Zechariah: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” (Zech. 4:9-10)

Zechariah was prophesying about the rebuilding of the temple, just like Haggai. And despite the “small things” that the people were witnessing that appeared “as nothing” to their eyes compared with the glory of the past, God was working and was fulfilling His purposes.

Haggai tells us exactly what God’s purposes were:

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”
- Haggai 2:6-9, ESV

God promises His discouraged people that the “latter glory of this house [the temple] shall be greater than the former”. To humans, who look outwardly at the appearance, and things such as stone and gold, this doesn’t make sense. But God is not promising an architectural glory. He is promising a revelatory glory. For it was the second temple that God Himself walked into as a man in the person of Christ Jesus.

As we enter the new year it may be tempting to view our labors in the Lord with discouragement or skepticism or impatience. But God is doing a marvelous work through our daily walk that we cannot imagine.

Let us keep plowing ahead in hope (1 Cor. 9:10) with confidence and trust in God’s perfect and unassailable purposes, knowing that in whatever “small things” we do today, our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58)!

As a new year dawns many of us find ourselves looking intently at our lives, seeking blind spots and other shortcomings, and creating plans to improve ourselves and reach new goals.

The new year provides a natural break and a new beginning. And self-reflection and intentional planning are gifts of wisdom from God.

However, there is at least one danger we want to guard against. As we seek to improve our selves, it’s possible to slip into a very self-absorbed worldview, and furthermore, a self-confident one.

The truth is, life is not all about self-improvement or reaching our own personal goals. There is a danger that as we seek to grow our own selves and the projects we love, that we neglect to seek God’s kingdom first.

This is well-illustrated in the small book of Haggai in the Old Testament. At only two chapters, this book is one of the smallest in the Old Testament and the whole Bible. But this small book has much to teach us.

Haggai 1 starts by revealing the ultimate futility of our human efforts when we seek to build our own kingdoms and neglect God’s.

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes…You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.”
- Haggai 1:4-6, 9, ESV

Haggai’s original audience were returned exiles from Babylon who had come home to Jerusalem and faced the task of rebuilding the great city of Zion. While they toiled to build their own houses, the Lord’s house, the temple, lay in disorder.

But it wasn’t just about buildings. The people of Israel were living with great neglect towards the things of the Lord. They were seeking their own “kingdoms” first.

As a result, in spite of their busyness, they face constant futility. The Scripture describes it as putting money into a bag of holes, only to watch the money fall out. This tedious futility is directly attributed by God Himself to the Israelites’ neglect of His house.

In fact, God tells the people that He is actively frustrating their self-serving efforts. He tells them that “I blew it away” (v. 9). He reveals that “the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce” (v. 10), a reality clearly orchestrated by His sovereignty. He tells them that “I have called for a drought…on all their labors” (v. 11).

God is jealous for our affections and heart. He will not give His glory to another (Isa. 42:8). As His people, we cannot neglect Him and expect Him to pour out blessing upon our undertakings.

As we embark on a new year, with new resolutions and goals, let’s keep this principle from Haggai front of mind: our best self-serving and self-powered efforts will fail ultimately when we neglect God’s place in our lives as Creator, King, Redeemer, and Father.

Even if we succeed at our goals, as much of the world indeed does, the lasting impact we seek will not be achieved outside of God’s kingdom. It is only through the power of Christ’s resurrection that our labor is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:56-58).

In the next newsletter, we’ll examine Haggai 2 and see how God takes small things and makes them great and glorious!

Many people are familiar with the story of Jesus turning water into wine at a Jewish wedding in the town of Cana. What is the significance of this event? John, the only gospel writer to record this miracle, calls it a “sign” (John 2:11). So, if it is a sign, what does it point to? What does it signify?

I believe that the first sign of Jesus in Cana is an illustration of what John writes earlier in John 1:17: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The sign in Cana illustrates how the coming of the Messiah exceeds the giving of the Law as much as the best wedding wine exceeds water for purification.

The significance of this, beyond the simple miraculous turning of water into wine, is hinted at when Jesus’ mother tells him of the situation and he responds surprisingly:

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
- John 2:3-4, ESV

Wine & Weddings

As we examined last week, Jesus’ “hour” refers to the time of his death and the aftermath, including his resurrection and ascension. Some may interpret Jesus’ response to Mary as a claim that his time to begin his ministry and “show himself to the world” has not yet come but I do not believe this is the case.

If, in John 2:4, Jesus’ hour is a reference to the beginning of his public ministry, it would seem that Jesus flatly contradicts himself in the course of the rest of the chapter. He claims that his hour has not yet come but then he begins his ministry with a sign, albeit one that only a few select people are full witnesses to. Besides, in a sense, Jesus has already begun his public ministry by gathering his disciples, recorded in John 1.

Based on the other references to Jesus’ hour in John I believe we should view Jesus’ response as an allusion to the cross and the “hour” of his glorification through his death and subsequent resurrection and ascension. So what does he mean by responding in this way to his mother in the context of wine running out at a wedding?

To understand this, I believe we must take into account what wine symbolizes in Scripture. There are various ways that wine is used symbolically in the Bible, including judgment. But specifically in the context of Jesus’ death, which is the context here, it points to the Lord’s Supper. Christ gives his disciples wine at the Passover and tells them that it is “my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26:28)

Particularly, in the context of a wedding, wine brings joy and merriment. Bringing these two ideas together we see how the cross purchases, by forgiveness of sins, the bride of Christ from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). Jesus looks ahead to his own wedding day, if you will, where the people he ransomed will be united to him in everlasting joy (see Rev. 21).

When Mary tells her son that the wedding has run out of wine, Jesus responds by making a claim about his ultimate purpose in coming to earth: ransoming his own bride by his own blood. The “wine”-blood of the new covenant will redeem the bride of Christ.

Greater Than Moses

This only takes us so far though. This only considers what Jesus says to his mother when she approaches him and tells him that the wedding feast has run out of wine. What does Jesus do next?

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
- John 2:6-8, ESV

Here, Jesus gives direction to the servants who faithfully follow according to what Mary herself told them to do: obey whatever Jesus says (v. 5).

John makes a point to indicate that the water used in this miraculous sign comes from six stone jars for purification. The Mosaic Law gives ample instruction on washing oneself for the purposes of ceremonial cleanness (see Leviticus 15 for example). This water was used for ceremonial washing and purification. It did not of course purify sins. It was simply an expression of the Law, which came through Moses.

While much could be said about the law, we ought to hold this in tension: the law is perfect (Psalm 19:7) and is holy, righteous, and good (Rom. 7:12); but it is also incapable of accomplishing what Jesus does: our salvation and the reconciliation of God and man (Rom. 8:3). So we can read the Old Testament law and rejoice in the revelation of God that it provides, while simultaneously looking ahead to the better and fuller revelation of God in Christ (see Hebrews 1:1-4).

This is why I believe that this first sign in Cana in Galilee is an illustration of what John writes in John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” To put it another way, Moses brought water which is good in its own right, but Christ has brought the wine.

The observation of the master of the feast is significant:

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
- John 2:9-10, ESV

It is intriguing that John records the master of the feast referring to “poor wine”. In Greek, the word for “poor” speaks of lower quality or inferiority. In fact, it is translated “inferior” in Hebrews 7:7. Strikingly, the issue of “rank” also exists in John’s context where John records John the Baptist as saying that after him comes “a man who ranks before me” (John 1:15, 30). Yes, John the Baptist’s ministry preceded Jesus’ own ministry but John, as the last of the Old Testament prophets, is the “poor wine” and the best wine (of the new covenant) comes after.

Conclusion

Much more could be said about the first sign of Jesus’ ministry in Cana and this passage in general. But here we lay claim to at least two foundational truths about our savior Jesus Christ: he died to ransom his bride with his blood and to usher in an age of grace and truth that abundantly exceeded the age of the law of Moses, as beautiful as the law was in its own right. The wine of the new covenant is better than the water of the old.

As we approach Christmas and reflect on Christ’s incarnation, let us remember that he came to rescue his bride and fill us with joy from the new wine and a new covenant in his blood.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”
- John 13:31, ESV

As early as the second chapter of John’s gospel we read about Jesus referencing his “hour” (John 2:4). This is the first of eight references to Jesus’ hour specifically, marked by phrases like “his hour” or Jesus speaking of “this hour” in reference to his “hour”.1

The first three references to Jesus “hour” are in the context of it not coming yet. In John 2:4, 7:30, and 8:20 we are told in one way or another that Jesus’ hour “had not yet come”. The other references from John 12:23 onward refer to the arrival of Jesus’ “hour”. Of course, the word “hour” in Greek (hōra) is used throughout John’s gospel to refer to other things besides Jesus’ hour.

The Length of the “Hour”

The very fact that Jesus says in John 12:23 that “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” and says again in 17:1 to God, “Father, the hour has come;” is an indication that we are not to understand the “hour” as a literal sixty minutes. John 12:23 occurs a number of days before 17:1 and yet Jesus says in both cases, and the uses of the phrase in between these, that his/the/this hour has come.

The word “hour” has a more general meaning in the gospel of John and elsewhere in Scripture. It refers to a moment or time of shorter but indefinite length. Of course, it is also used to refer to literal hours such as the use in John 4:52 (the official’s son was healed at the seventh hour) or 11:9 (there are twelve hours in a day).

We review all of this because it is important to understand that Jesus’ hour is in the first category of the word’s usage described above: a “moment” or “time”, rather than a literal sixty minutes.

The Meaning of the “Hour”

This leads us to ask, “what is Jesus’ hour?” What is the meaning of this phrase as Jesus (and John) uses it?

It is helpful to list out at least a few of the usages of this term so we can discern how Jesus uses it and what meaning he gives it:

• And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.” (John 12:23, 27)

• Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

• When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,” (John 17:1)

In these instances, Jesus refers to his hour as the time of his glorification (12:23), the accomplishment of his purpose in coming to the world (12:27), his departure out of the world (13:1), and once again, his glorification (17:1).

While it is appropriate to view Jesus’ glorification as culminating in his resurrection and ascension, I believe the “hour” of Jesus’ glorification in John’s gospel is clearly his death on the cross. Earlier uses of the term in the gospel help provide us with this clarity:

• And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4)

• So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. (John 7:30)

• These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. (John 8:20)

In these instances we are specifically told that Jesus’ hour had not yet come. Particularly, John 7:30 and 8:20 are helpful because we are told that the intention of the Jews to arrest Jesus was thwarted by the fact that his hour had not yet come. When his hour does come, Jesus is arrested and this culminates in his crucifixion.

The usage in John 2:4 is perhaps more intriguing. More must be said about the sign of Jesus turning water into wine at Cana but it can’t be said here. The essence of the sign is a living illustration of what John writes in John 1:17: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” When Jesus tells his mother that his hour has not yet come, he is not referring to the hour of his ministry beginning, for indeed, that time had come! Instead, he is referring to his “hour” of glorification at the cross. In linking Jesus’ “hour” of death with the sign of water turned to wine, John makes an important observation about the deep significance of this first sign at Cana.

Glorified at the Cross?

It may seem strange to us that the hour of Jesus’ glorification was the moment when he hung on the cross, dying on a cursed tree. How is this “glorification”? Is it not humiliation?

The concept of glorification is somewhat hard to define but we can think of it, at least in one sense, as the display or expression of beauty. And this is exactly what the cross is. It is a portrayal of the beauty of our God’s being, his character, his perfections, his heart, and yes, his glory.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones observes a number of God’s perfections displayed in the gospel, specifically the cross-death of Christ. These include his righteousness, holiness, mercy, compassion, justice, power, and wisdom.2

The cross was meant, not only to save men, but to glorify God in Christ. In fact, one could say, as Lloyd-Jones himself does, that this is the primary purpose of Christ’s death on the cross.

Conclusion

In the gospel of John, when Jesus mentions that his hour has come we are to understand this as an indication that the whole process of gospel salvation has been set in motion. This encompasses Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father.

David desired “one thing” and that was to “gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Psalm 27:4). May this also be our one, all-consuming desire! Let us do this very thing by transfixing our gaze upon the cross of Christ where we see all the beauty and perfection of God displayed: his wrath, justice, love, holiness, mercy, power, and glory.

Oftentimes our struggles against indwelling sin are plagued with frustrating setbacks. It seems like we lose ground just when we appear to be seeing victory.

The Bible clearly commands Christians to fight and flee sin actively. But we can become very frustrated and despair if we believe that it is entirely up to us in our own power to defeat our indwelling sin. This is something that must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us.

1 John 3:9 expresses this well: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” In this verse we see that it is the new birth, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, (being “born of God”) that leads to victory over habitual sin.

The Chiastic Structure of 1 John 3:9

This verse is structured as a chiasm, meaning that it repeats parallel words, phrases, or ideas in reverse order. We can outline the structure of 1 John 3:9 in the following way:

A. ‘born of God’
B. does not go on sinning
C. God’s seed abides in him
B’. does not go on sinning
A’. ‘born of God’

In other words, the idea of one being ‘born of God’ shows up at the beginning and end of the verse, the idea of not sinning habitually (i.e. making a ‘practice of sinning’) is tucked under these two bookend references to being ‘born of God’, and the keystone in the center is the idea of God’s seed abiding in the believer.

To help us understand this structure visually, I’ve repeated the verse below and used underlining, italics, and bold font to distinguish the various parts of the chiasm.

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

The central idea of 1 John 3:9, both structurally and conceptually, is that God’s ‘seed’ abides in the believer. This prevents the believer, who has been ‘born of God’ to continue in defiant habitual sinning.

Defeating Sin in the New Birth

We know from 1 John 1:8-10 that John does not expect complete and utter sinless perfection of his readers. Denying the indwelling sin that we face is self-deceptive and blasphemous. However, John’s concern is to help his readers practice righteousness, obey Christ, and not sin (1 John 2:1).

1 John 3:9 plays an important role in John’s intent because it expresses how we can overcome sin. It is not through white-knuckling in our own strength (although discipline and active obedience is required). It is an outworking of the new birth we have experienced as those “born of God”.

In fact, righteousness, obedience, and ultimately love for the brothers and sisters in the church is the definitive mark of someone who has God’s seed abiding and growing and producing fruit in them. Consider how John writes in the immediately succeeding context in chapter 3:

• “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)

• “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14)

• “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

Much more could be said about the topic of assurance of faith and salvation in 1 John. The entire epistle is pervaded with the phrase “by this we know”. But for our purposes here we mainly want to focus on the idea of being “born of God” and how this rebirth specifically plays out in our lives as we conquer sin and grow in Christlike love and righteousness.

Like Father, Like Son

The phrase “like father, like son” is used to describe the idea of a child taking after their father. Other common phrases that express this thought include “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Both physically and personality-wise, children resemble their parents in many ways. The same is true for spiritual birth and rebirth.

John tells us that we “take after” our Father in heaven when we are “born again” of the Spirit (1 John 3:7). Likewise, those who are still dead in their trespasses and sins take after their father, the devil (1 John 3:8, cf. John 8:44).

Conclusion

Our process of ongoing sanctification requires intentional obedience and discipline on our part, there’s no doubt about that. We are called to play an active role in the fight against sin and our growth into greater conformity to the image of God in Christ. We can’t just lie down and expect God to sanctify us with no change on our part.

However, as John reminds us, it is ultimately the power of the Spirit working in our reborn spirits that gives us the power to obey God, love our brothers and sisters, and fight sin. We cannot keep on sinning and making a practice of defiant, habitual sin, because we have been reborn by the Spirit as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3: “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)

We must be born again! Thanks be to God who works this rebirth in our hearts and brings us to the light of new life in Christ.

There is no doubt that the book of Revelation uses the Old Testament more than any other New Testament book. Although John never explicitly introduces his use of the OT with a phrase like “as it is written”, the vast majority of the book of Revelation draws on OT imagery, textual allusions, and themes.

One OT book that John uses particularly often is the book of Exodus. Exodus’ description of God’s deliverance of His people, judgment on Israel’s enemies through plagues, their establishment as a kingdom of priests, and the themes of Israel’s tabernacle and priesthood are all things that come up in Revelation.

An Allusion to Exodus in Revelation 4:1?

The allusions to Exodus span the entire book of Revelation: from Revelation 1:6 which applies Exodus 19:6 to John’s readers to the tabernacle imagery in Revelation 21. However, of particular interest to me in this newsletter is John’s use of Exodus in the opening lines of chapter 4 and how this might also provide insight on how John structures Revelation.

After relaying the messages of Jesus to the seven churches of Asia Minor in chapters 2 and 3, John moves to a new vision in chapter 4:

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
- Revelation 4:1, ESV

It is possible, if not likely, that John is alluding to Exodus here. The command to “come up here” appears to echo God’s command to Moses in Exodus 24:12:

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”
- Exodus 24:12, ESV

The same verb root is used in both Exod. 24:12 and Rev. 4:1 but this does not present solid evidence for an intentional allusion by itself, especially considering how common the verb “come up” is in both the NT and the Greek translation of the OT.

Contextual Evidence of an Allusion

To provide further proof of an allusion we must address the context. The context of Revelation 4 does in fact seem to support a connection between John’s ascent into heaven and Moses’ ascent up Mount Sinai in Exodus.

For one thing, the vision of the heavenly temple and God’s glory that John sees following verse 1 is drawing on the theophany of God at Sinai (as well as other OT texts).

For example, Revelation 4:5 references “flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder”. Likewise, “thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast” are present at Sinai in Exodus 19:16 (cf. Exod. 20:18).

Given the other allusions to theophanies in Ezekiel and Daniel, it would be short-sighted to see Revelation 4 as only alluding to Exodus, but that it is alluding to Exodus is clear and key to grasp.

Furthermore, the phrase “come up here” is repeated again in Revelation 11:12, this time addressed to the two witnesses. While space here does not allow for a full analysis of the two witnesses, it is clear that Revelation 11 is filled with allusions to the OT, centered around the figures of Moses and Elijah (see Rev. 11:6). For our purposes here it is worth noting that both Moses and Elijah are figures associated with encountering YHWH on Mount Sinai/Horeb (the same mountain). This is certainly not conclusive but it adds credence to the notion of a Sinai allusion in Revelation 4, particularly in 4:1.

Implications for Revelation’s Structure

Hopefully the preceding notes have demonstrated that an allusion to the Sinai account in Exodus is likely present in Revelation 4.

Now, we turn to the implications regarding the structure of Revelation. Peter Leithart has proposed a structure to the book of Revelation based on John’s four uses of the phrase “in the Spirit” which occurs in 1:10, 4:1, 17:3, and 21:101. Leithart points out that these four uses of “in the Spirit” appear to follow Israel’s journey in Exodus. The first use in 1:10 occurs on the island of Patmos where John is in exile/bondage, corresponding with Egypt. The use in 4:1 occurs in the context of heaven and, as we have seen above, is connected with Sinai. The third use in 17:3 occurs in “the wilderness” and corresponds with Israel in the wilderness following the theophany at Sinai. Finally, the fourth use occurs in 21:10 in connection with the New Heavens and New Earth, the new creation promised land, corresponding with Israel’s possession of their inheritance in the book of Joshua.

Conclusion

While more study needs to be done to clarify if this structure is intentional and if so, what the implications are for interpreting Revelation, it appears at the outset at least to make sense.

One thing is quite clear: John uses the book of Exodus a great deal in Revelation as he portrays the redemption and deliverance of God’s people in the latter days.

This newsletter will conclude our brief exploration of the relationship between Israel and the church. (Past installments can be found here, here, and here.) To summarize where we’ve been so far: we’ve seen how Israel itself was chosen by God in the Old Testament to fulfill a role that looked back to Adam and looked ahead to Jesus Christ. We saw, furthermore, how Christ fulfills Israel and sums it up in Himself. We also noted how the gentile church is grafted into Israel by nature of its union with Christ as the True Israel.

Now we turn to the question of the future. What promises, if any, remain to be fulfilled to ethnic or national Israel?

This is essentially the heart of the question. Has God replaced Israel as His chosen people? Are there still promises from God that apply to ethnic Jews?

The theology of dispensationalism says yes. God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants after him in the Old Testament are still in effect, and unfulfilled, for ethnic Israel today. The promise of the land of Canaan is enduring and will ultimately be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom when Jesus comes back and reigns on David’s throne in the city of Jerusalem.

In contrast to dispensationalism, various forms of covenant theology propose that the land promise of Canaan was a type and shadow pointing to the greater fulfillment in the New Heavens and the New Earth: the “promised land” of God’s new covenant people. Covenant theology maintains that ethnic Jews have no promises outside of Christ and the church.

In other words, ethnic Jews receive the promises of God made to Israel by their union with Christ and their inclusion in the church as the new covenant community.

This position is very much in line with what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:

So then you [gentiles] are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
- Ephesians 2:19, ESV

A few verses earlier (in v. 15), Paul says that Jew and gentile have been reconciled, in Christ, in one new man. Elsewhere, the New Testament affirms that, in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and gentile (see Gal. 3:28, 1 Cor. 12:13, Col. 3:11, Rom. 10:12, John 10:16).

There is no ethnic distinction in the kingdom of God. This does not abolish or erase ethnic differences any more than it does gender differences (cf. Gal. 3:28). Ethnic Jews are still Jews and ethnic gentiles are still gentiles. But the point the NT makes repeatedly is that the ethnic distinction is erased as far as salvation is concerned. God relates to believing Jews and believing gentiles in the same manner. He does not distinguish between the two.

Therefore, we should not expect that there are special promises held out to ethnic Jews that are off-limits to ethnic gentiles. Jesus Christ has secured the New Heavens and New Earth through His death and resurrection on our behalf. That inheritance is not for a select few ethnic Jews, but for all believers.

Indeed, the NT (and even parts of the OT) speak of Israel’s inheritance and land promise in global terms:

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
- Romans 4:13, ESV

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
- Matthew 5:5, ESV

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God…But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
- Hebrews 11:9-10, 16, ESV

In these passages we read of Abraham’s inheritance as being the whole world. The land of Canaan was only the first step in God’s plan, a type to point forward to the glory of the New Creation.

If the land promise is not an enduring inheritance for ethnic Jews, then is there any future for ethnic or national Israel?

I believe there is. I believe that Romans 11:26 entails that the future of ethnic Israel is salvation in Christ. The future for ethnic Israel is that they will be saved, by faith union with Christ and inclusion in the new covenant and thus the church.

While Romans 11, and specifically verse 26, is the subject of much debate among Christians, I believe that Romans 11:24 can help shed light on God’s future purposes for ethnic Israel:

For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
- Romans 11:24, ESV

The later part of this verse points ahead to a future “re-grafting” of the branches that have been broken off (unbelieving Jews). They were broken off because of unbelief (v. 20) but they can be grafted in again by faith (v. 23, cf. the gentiles “standing by faith” in v. 20). Ethnic Israel will be grafted into “true Israel” again “if they do not continue in their unbelief” (v. 23).

This is key: the promises come to Israel by faith, for all believers regardless of ethnicity. God has graciously revealed His plan to save ‘all Israel’ including countless numbers of gentiles and a vast number of ethnic Jews in the future, before Christ’s return.

This is ultimately where we land when it comes to the question of Israel and the church: we desire to see ethnic Israel saved. God has not replaced Israel with the church per se but God’s promises to Israel do find their fulfillment in Christ first and then, through union with Christ, the church. Ethnic Jews can enjoy the inheritance promised to their forefathers by doing the most Jewish thing possible: believing in the Messiah, Jesus, and receiving eternal life.

In the last two newsletters (here and here) we’ve discussed the relationship between the Church and Israel.

Particularly, in the last newsletter, we saw how Israel itself was established as God’s chosen people to bring the covenantal blessings of God to the entire creation. They were given the role of a corporate Adam to spread God’s blessing to all nations and being a kingdom of priests (Exod. 19:6).

Ultimately, this role was further clarified to be fulfilled by the king of Israel, specifically a son of David. God makes a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7 which builds on both the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants. Samuel Renihan writes that, “the Davidic Covenant focuses the kingdom into one person through whom obedience must be rendered and through whom blessings and curses will fall on the nation.”1 In this way, the covenant with David sets up the Davidic king as the representative of Israel and the one through whom the covenant promises will find fulfillment.

However, as Stephen Wellum points out, the Davidic covenant is also conditioned upon the covenant faithfulness of the Davidic king.2 Wellum writes, “What [2 Samuel] 7:14-15 teaches, then, is that the covenant will be fulfilled not by a faithful Father alone (i.e., Yahweh acting unilaterally) but also by a faithful son (i.e., the king obeying Yahweh’s Torah).”

In other words, Israel inherits the role of Adam as a corporate kingdom of priests to mediate God’s blessing to the nations and the climax of this is found in the Davidic king who sums up Israel in himself and serves as priestly king over the nations. This notion is found repeatedly in the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 2:7, 110:1-4, etc.).

The books of Kings, Chronicles, and the prophetic OT books show how both Israel as a whole and the line of David fail to remain faithful to God’s covenant. Over and over again, this failure is highlighted. The people of Israel turn to other gods and reject the true and living YHWH. The kings of Israel lead the people in this idolatry. The prophets foretell God’s judgment against His people for their rejection and unfaithfulness and call Israel back to right relationship and worship of YHWH, with little success.

We ought not gloss over the failure of Israel and her kings in the Old Testament. This failure is meant to point us to the need for a faithful covenant partner.

This is the role that Jesus fulfills. The OT covenants with Israel are all fulfilled in Christ. He is the seed of Abraham, the true Israel, and the greater Son of David. For our purposes in this series on the church and Israel, it is especially important to see how Jesus is the true Israel.

A number of passages apply OT texts about Israel to Christ:

• Matthew 2:15 applies Hosea 11:1 to Christ: “Out of Egypt I called my son”.

• Matthew 12:18-21 applies Isaiah 42:1-4 to Christ: while this Isaiah passage speaks of the Servant of YHWH and much could be said about the identity of this servant, Isaiah 49:3 identifies the Servant with Israel itself.

• The gospel of Matthew in particular is structured in such a way that portrays Christ as the true Israel. He is called out of Egypt (Matt. 2:15), led by the Spirit in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1) after crossing through the waters of baptism (Matt. 3:13), and this culminates in His ascension of the mountain to give the law (Matt. 5:1).

• Some have pointed out how Matthew’s genealogy presents Christ as the climactic fulfillment of Israel’s story.3

• Christ is repeatedly portrayed as the last and antitypical Adam, meaning that He is the fulfillment to which the type of Adam (and Israel) point forward to. This is explicitly stated by Paul in Romans 5:14.

• John records Jesus’ statement that He is the “true vine” (John 15:1). The “vine” imagery is OT symbolism often used for Israel. To say that Jesus is the “true” vine is to say that He is the antitypical or substantial vine whereas Israel is a type and shadow.

In all these ways, we see that Christ is the true fulfillment of Israel. He sums up Israel in Himself and is Himself the True Israel.

What does this mean for the church?

The church is the community of people who are in union with Christ by faith. Therefore, in union with Jesus Christ, the church comes to be identified with, and as, the true Israel of God (cf. Galatians 6:16). G.K. Beale writes, “the fulfillment [of God’s promises to Israel] happened with the initial advent of Jesus, who as true Israel began to realize the promises. The church then participates in this fulfillment as the continuation of true Israel through its identification by faith with Jesus as the continuation of authentic Israel.”4

Likewise, Paul uses the metaphor of an olive tree in Romans 11 that represents True Israel. While this text is surrounded by much debate and certainly requires more attention than we can give it here, it is worth noting that believing gentiles are “grafted into” the olive tree and unbelieving Jews are broken off. This is not to say that the gentile church as “replaced” Israel as if God were digging up one tree and planting a new one as dispensationalism seems to propose. Instead, Christ is the true Israel and those grafted into Him by faith are included in true Israel while Jews who reject Him are broken off.

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, in His role as the promised Messiah, makes Him the substance of true Israel. He succeeded where Israel and all her kings had failed so miserably in the OT. Those united to Christ by faith, that is, the church, share in this identity through Him. Much more could be said about this amazing reality but space does not permit us to explore it further at this time.

In the final installment of our series on Israel and the church we will consider what this has to do with the end times and the promises made to Israel that some contend have yet to be fulfilled.

In the last newsletter, we opened the question of the relationship between Israel and the Church. Are they the same thing? Has the Church replaced Israel? We closed last time with three questions and we pick up this week by looking at the first of those questions: What is the biblical context of Israel being “God’s chosen people”? What implications does this have for Christ and the church in the new covenant?

The heart of the question is about God “choosing” Israel. Part of the wider debate over the relationship between the Church and Israel is over the identity of “God’s chosen people”. Is ethnic Israel still “God’s chosen people”? Has the Church “replaced” Israel as God’s “chosen people”? Is there a third perspective?

Zooming Out

To answer this, we have to zoom out and discover what it means for Israel to be God’s chosen people in the first place. Placing this reality in its biblical context helps us understand the relationship of the Church and Israel today.

The Old Testament is overwhelmingly preoccupied with the nation of Israel. Out of 929 chapters in the OT, the story of Israel starts in the 12th and continues on through the rest of the testament. Perhaps the book of Job can be considered an exception. But every other book of the OT has to do with Israel (or in the case of Genesis, “pre-Israel”).

The story of Israel, and God’s chosen people, begins in Genesis 12 when God calls Abram and promises to bless him, make his name great, and make him into a great nation. He also promises to give Abram’s children the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7). Over the next ten or so chapters of Genesis, God confirms these promises to Abraham. Then throughout the rest of Genesis, God confirms the promises again to the chosen offspring of Abraham: Isaac and Jacob. Jacob is the father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel and by the end of Genesis, Israel and his family have moved to Egypt.

Defined By Covenant

When we pick up the story in Exodus, Israel as a people is growing and multiplying in the land of Egypt. The book of Exodus then lays out the narrative of God’s redemption of His people from bondage to Pharaoh and His establishment of His covenant with them at Sinai.

In Exodus 19:5-6, God calls Israel His “treasured possession among all peoples” and a “kingdom of priests”. It is here at Sinai that Israel’s national identity as God’s chosen people takes shape. But it is important to note that God’s “choosing” of Israel began all the way back with Abraham. Israel, as a kingdom of priests, is commissioned with the role of fulfilling the Abrahamic “blessing” to the nations.

But this goes back even further. The first eleven chapters of Genesis are not inconsequential to the story of Israel. And Abraham is not the “first” of his kind. When we read of Abraham we are meant to look back to Noah and further back to Adam.

Another Adam

Adam was commissioned to fill the earth, be fruitful, and multiply. He was placed in the garden to “keep it and work it”, words used for priestly activity later in the OT. This demonstrates that Adam was a priest-king over creation in his own right, by God’s commission and design. He is also described as the “son of God” (cf. Luke 3:38).

In these things, Israel follows suit. Israel is described as “fruitful and increas[ing] greatly” (Exod. 1:7). God calls Israel His “son” (Exod. 4:22, cf. Hos. 11:1). God defines Israel as a “kingdom of priests” (Exod. 19:6). In all these ways, Israel is presented to the reader of the OT as a corporate or national “Adam”.

The Bible presents God’s redemptive plan to restore what Adam lost in the garden. Because of Adam’s sin, the kingdom of God in creation has been marred. But from the very beginning, God promised that redemption and restoration would come (see Gen. 3:15). And Genesis and Exodus clarify the next steps in how God is going to restore creation.

Conclusion

Based on Abraham’s call and commission, as well as the identity of Israel established by covenant at Sinai, it is clear that Israel has a role in bringing blessing to the nations of the earth and restoring creation. This is the God-ordained purpose of Israel in the biblical story.

How does this impact Israel’s relationship with the church? In the next newsletter we will consider how Israel points ahead to the person and work of Jesus Christ and what this means for the Church.

The question of the church’s relationship to Israel is a hotly-debated one. In this newsletter (and the next couple as well) I’d like to tackle this question, lay out the various views, and consult what the Bible has to say on the question.

In this newsletter, we’ll lay the foundation by understanding what the essence of the question is, and what various answers have been proposed.

The Nature of the Question

The question of the church’s identity compared with Israel is really a question of how much continuity there is between the Old Testament people of God (i.e. Israel) and the New Testament people of God (i.e. the church).

In the Old Testament, God’s chosen people was the nation of Israel, the Jews, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There were promises made to this people that included the land of Canaan and blessing as a nation.

Does the church, as the New Testament people of God, inherit those promises? Are the promises made to OT Israel fulfilled in the NT church? Does God have a plan for Israel apart from the church?

These are the questions we are really asking when we wonder if Israel and the church are the same thing.

Various Views

A number of views have developed that address these questions.

First, dispensationalism asserts discontinuity between the church and Israel. In other words, dispensationalism asserts that the church and Israel are not the same and that the land promises made to ethnic Israel in the OT remain largely unfulfilled. Dispensationalists argue that God still has a distinct plan for ethnic Israel, one which He will fulfill in the end times and the Millennium after Christ’s return.

Second, covenant theology asserts basic continuity between the church and Israel. Sometimes this view is called “replacement theology” by dispensationalists because they see it as asserting that the church has “replaced” Israel in God’s plan. More accurately, covenant theology includes a spectrum of views that see the OT plan and promises for Israel finding fulfillment in the church. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the church has been replaced by Israel but rather that the promises made to Israel in the OT find their fulfillment in the NT church. Covenant theology would deny that God has a distinct or separate plan for ethnic Israel in this age.

Finally, in some elements of covenant theology, as well as movements like progressive covenantalism, a more nuanced approach is taken. The church does not directly fulfill promises made to Israel but rather Christ does. This view asserts that Christ is the true fulfillment of Israel and that this identity reaches the church through the church’s union with Christ.

Answering the Question of Israel and the Church

In order to answer the question, we must reframe it. The question of whether the church has replaced Israel is the wrong question. It implies that God is changing his plans and promises mid-history and rejecting his people of old (something which Paul explicitly rejects in Romans 11:1). A better question to ask is: “do the promises God made to his chosen people (Israel) in the OT find their fulfillment in the NT church? Does the church inherit the same promises?”

This question cannot be answered by going to one Bible passage with a definitive answer. It requires a survey of the entire counsel of God and his plan from beginning to end. Over the next few newsletters we will address this question in the following ways:

1. What is the biblical context of Israel being “God’s chosen people”? What implications does this have for Christ and the church in the new covenant?

2. What is the identity of Jesus Christ, viewed in context of the entire counsel of God? What implications does this have for our question of Israel and the church?

3. What promises were made to Israel and how is the fulfillment revealed in the whole counsel of God? What future promises are awaiting fulfillment and to whom will they be fulfilled?

We are told that believers are “predestined to be conformed to the image of [Jesus Christ]” (Rom. 8:29, ESV). When will this take place?

Full conformity to Christ’s image comes ultimately when we are gloriously resurrected on the last day, the day of Jesus’ second coming. But the process of conformity begins in this life.

Therefore, we are living in an “already-not yet” paradigm. We are already being conformed to Christ’s image and reborn in the image of the new man. But we have not yet experienced the consummation of this.

Our relationship with sin has been changed through the work of Christ at His first coming. And what is begun in our earthly lives now will be brought to completion at Christ’s second coming.

We see this in 1 John 3:2-5.

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
- 1 John 3:2-5, ESV

Here, the apostle John references both Christ’s first and second coming within just a few verses of each other. He actually refers to the second coming first, telling his readers that “when he appears” they shall “be like him”, conformed to Jesus’ glorious image.

Then in verse 5, he reminds them that Christ came first to “take away sins”. This certainly has a role to play in our sanctification and conformity to the glorious and holy image of God in Christ.

In between the two advents of Christ, Christians press on in sanctification through the Spirit’s power, union with Christ, and the hope of future glory. In 1 John 3:3 we read that “everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure”. This is an ongoing present-tense action. And it is grounded in the “hope” of Christ.

John encourages Christians to walk in holiness with an eye to the future advent of Jesus Christ (see also 1 John 2:28). At this second advent of Christ, “we shall be like him”, transformed gloriously by resurrection power and, according to John, by the very sight of Jesus Christ.

John’s view of the two comings of Christ and their relevance to Christian holiness looks something like this:

First Coming (he appeared…(v. 5) → Taking away of sins
Second Coming (when he appears…(v. 2) → Perfect conformity to Christ (We shall be like him)

The author of Hebrews also speaks to this already-not yet paradigm.

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
- Hebrews 9:28, ESV

In both 1 John and Hebrews we are told that Christ’s first coming had to do with dealing with sin. He bore the sins of many and took away sins. Both authors agree furthermore that Christ’s second coming will lead to salvation and “becoming like him”.

What the work of Christ at the cross began to inaugurate will be consummated at His return. And this is true of our sanctification and conformity to His character as well.

Our union with Christ in His death and resurrection has made a definitive break with our old sin nature. We’ve been given a new heart and God has put a new spirit within us (Ezek. 36:26). While we remain in an ongoing fight against indwelling sin, we have victory over the power of sin in our lives. One glorious day, we will be conformed fully to Christlikeness “when he appears”.

Who is the antichrist?

That question has led some into wild speculation about which contemporary politician may be the great end-time oppressor and ruler of a one-world government. As culture changes more and more, people find themselves wondering: are we in the last days? Is the antichrist among us now? What is the mark of the beast and what if I accidentally receive it?

Unfortunately, these fears and questions arise more from a pop culture Christian eschatology based on works of fiction like the Left Behind book series than from serious biblical exposition. Words like “antichrist” and “mark of the beast” get used without any anchoring in the actual usage of these terms in the Bible itself.

This is true, for example, with the case of the antichrist. Eyes nervously watch the next rising political star for signs of the antichrist and in the search for this infamous figure, much search has been made of Middle Eastern current events. But what does the Bible actually say about the antichrist? And how is that phrase specifically used in Scripture?

When we explore this, we may be surprised to find that the cultural understanding of the antichrist is rather different than the biblical picture.

Where is the Antichrist Spoken of in Scripture?

Believe it or not, the phrase “antichrist”, or antichristos in Greek, never appears in the book of Revelation, the book most commonly associated with the “end times”.

In fact, antichristos, only appears in two books of the Bible: the epistles of 1 and 2 John.

While the book of Revelation does refer to the “beast”, commonly associated and identified with the antichrist, the apostle John never actually ties the two together. It is a wide cultural assumption that the beast and the antichrist are the same but this is not the case biblically.

Instead, the antichrist is defined quite plainly by John in his epistles. The word antichristos only appears in four verses and it’s simple to discern the meaning by looking at all the ways John uses it.

How John Uses Antichristos

First, the very word itself is built on the root christos which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, meaning “anointed one”. The “anti” prefix means “against” so antichristos simply means “against Christ”.

Let’s now review the four places that John uses this word:

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
- 1 John 2:18, ESV

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
- 1 John 2:22, ESV

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
- 1 John 4:3, ESV

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
- 2 John 7

In none of these instances does John mention a “beast” or even explicit persecution against Christians, a covenant with Israel, a rebuilt temple, or anything else associated with the antichrist in today’s Left Behind culture.

Instead, John writes about the antichrist always in the context of false teaching, apostasy, and the denial of Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God.

We know from 1 John 2:18 that we can expect a great “antichrist” but that this opposition to the truth of Christ was already inaugurated in John’s own day!

In the other three verses, we see that the antichrist is contrasted with the confession of Jesus Christ as the divine-human Messiah. In 1 John 4:3, John defines the spirit of the antichrist as “every spirit that does not confess Jesus”. In 2 John 7, the antichrist is defined as those deceivers “who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh”. In 1 John 2:22, John defines the antichrist as the one “who denies the Father and the Son” and he immediately contrasts this with the one who “confesses the Son” (v. 23).

Strikingly, John is drawing contrasts around confession of the core doctrines of Christology and Christianity: Jesus is divine (i.e. “from God”, 1 John 4:3), Jesus is human (i.e. he came “in the flesh”, 2 John 7), and Jesus is the divine Son of God, the second person of the Trinity (see 1 John 2:22-23).

Conclusion

While much more could be said, it’s clear from these few verses that John’s “antichrist” figure is not a one-world government politician intent on planting barcodes in people’s foreheads and wrists.

The antichrist is a spirit of false teaching, apostasy (see 1 John 2:19), and denial of the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ and His identity. To deny Jesus is in fact to be an antichrist oneself.

Time does not allow us to dive into the role of the antichrist in the climax of history leading up to Christ’s return. But by way of application, we can make a few observations:

First, John’s definition and discussion of the antichrist remind us that anyone who is not “for” Christ is against Him. John’s epistles, in numerous places, draw a dualistic picture of the world, one in which Christ is the dividing line. John’s view of the world is black and white. There are two sides. We see this throughout John’s writings. In the book of Revelation one is either a saint or an idolatrous earth-dweller. There is no middle ground.

Second, the antichrist passages remind us to “hold fast our confession” (Heb. 10:23). The antichrist is the one who does not “confess” the truth about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And in contrast, John tells us that “Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:23) This confession is not something we hold to separately either, it is a common confession. Three times in the book of Hebrews, the author refers to the confession as something corporate: “our confession” (3:1, 4:14) and “the confession of our hope” (10:23).

The best thing we can do to oppose the power of the apostate antichrists of this world is to believe the truth of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture and hold fast this confession together in strong community.

In John 5:39 Jesus tells the Jews that the Scriptures testify about Him. The Scriptures in reference here are the Old Testament Scriptures since the New Testament was not written at the time when Jesus said these words.

This is crucial to understand. Jesus claims that the Old Testament testifies about Him. There are a number of ways the Old Testament does this. There are prophecies about Him like Isaiah 9:6-7 which speak of a child born who will reign forever on the throne of David. There are messianic expectations and prophetic doxologies like Psalm 110 which speak of a coming king whom God will set over His enemies and who will bring victory to His people. And there are typological foreshadowings of Christ in the people, events, places, and things of the Old Testament story.

One such type of Christ is the character of Noah. In what way is Noah a “type” of Christ Jesus? I will lay out three ways in which we can see Jesus Christ prefigured or “typified” in Noah.

1. Relief From the Curse

We are first introduced to Noah in Genesis 5.

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”
- Genesis 5:28-29, ESV

An ESV footnote indicates that Noah sounds like the Hebrew word for rest. Lamech names his son in the confident expectation and hope that God will bring about relief from the curse through him.

This curse of course is the curse on creation that resulted from the sin of Adam and his wife in Genesis 3.

Indeed, Noah is chosen by God to lead as a new Adam in a new creation. And while the curse is not entirely washed away by the flood of God’s judgment, God does bring renewed shalom to the earth through Noah and his family.

Of course, this only serves to point ahead to Jesus Christ, the greater One who came to truly redeem creation from its bondage to corruption (see Rom. 8:21).

2. Deliverance From Judgment

Another element of Noah’s typology of Christ is in the role he played in the deliverance of people and animals from the just judgment of God.

In the face of great human wickedness, God judged the world by sending a flood. But in His kindness and mercy He appointed Noah to build an ark and this served as a refuge for numerous animals and eight human beings.

At this point it is worth noting that typology in the Old Testament is often progressive. In other words, it is not random and one-off. It reveals the mystery of God’s plan (revealed fully in Christ and the new covenant) in progressive narrative patterns.

This can be seen clearly in the typology of the “waters of judgment” and the process of entering new creation. God judges the world with water (the flood) and a new creation emerges on the other side. This pattern progresses throughout the biblical story.

For instance, the nation of Israel symbolically passes through the “waters of judgment” when they cross the Red Sea on their way into the Promised Land, a type of the new creation.

We know that this typology exists not because we are trying to be clever or imaginative and find things in the text of Scripture that God didn’t put there and don’t belong. Instead, we understand this typology because the New Testament writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, point it out.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Peter 3:18-21, ESV (italics added)

Here the apostle Peter draws a three-way parallel between 1) Noah and his family passing through the waters of the flood, 2) Christ’s death and resurrection, and 3) the death and resurrection (new creation) symbolized by Christian baptism. In all these cases the entrance into new creation is preceded by passing through judgment.

In other words, Noah’s ark passing through the flood waters is typological of Christ’s resurrection as He emerged victorious from the grave and from the death He died to suffer God’s judgment on sin. It is also typological of our union with Christ’s death and resurrection, symbolized in baptism.

3. Dominion in the New Creation

One final way that Noah prefigures and points ahead to Jesus Christ is in his role as a second Adam.

God’s kingdom, besides being ruled by God, is ruled by a human king. God has always chosen a human “vice-regent” to mediate His blessed reign over His kingdom. Adam was this original king, tasked with exercising dominion over creation (Gen. 1:28).

As we all are painfully aware, Adam failed in this commission. But God promised that a coming seed of the woman would exercise dominion where Adam had failed by crushing the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15).

Noah is an early expression of this hope. He is given the same blessing and commission from God as Adam was (Gen. 9:1-7). The text of Genesis presents many indications that the author is intentionally presenting Noah as a new Adam figure.1

And sadly, like the first, the second Adam fails. We read later on in chapter 9 of Genesis that Noah became drunk and this led to shameful nakedness, much like Adam’s sin did.

Here again, typology is progressive. Each new “Seed of the Woman” type in the Old Testament successively fails to usher in God’s full redemptive plan. Israel is disobedient. David sins grievously. Solomon turns away from God. Of course, this is no accident, unforeseen by God. Through a long line of constant human failures, God is pointing ahead to a perfect human fulfillment of His plan in Jesus Christ. He is the seed of the woman who does indeed succeed where Adam, Noah, Israel, David, and all others failed.

And just like Noah, Christ is a new Adam who reigns over the new creation. And He invites us into the dominion mandate, now “reframed” as the “great commission”. We are to go into all the earth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that God commands (Matt. 28:18-20). Indeed, Christ’s dominion will extend until the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).

Conclusion

God is a master storyteller. We ought to take the account of Noah literally, fully appreciating the reality of his historical existence and the place he occupies in the narrative of Genesis. But we also must look beyond the immediate context and consider how Noah points ahead and serves as a type of Jesus Christ. We must ask ourselves, to use the language of John 5:39, “how does Noah ‘testify’ to Jesus Christ?”