Today we are tackling an issue that Christians have struggled with and, at times, misinterpreted for a long time—what is the unforgivable sin that Jesus mentions in Matthew 12:31-32 as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Let’s work our way through this controversial passage and attempt to discover what the unforgivable sin is.

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

The context surrounding these verses helps us to understand the dynamics at play: Jesus heals a blind and mute man (v.22), the multitudes were amazed saying, “Could this be the Son of David?” (v.23), the Pharisees, however, accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons (v.24), and Jesus—knowing their thoughts—gives a strong rebuke to the Pharisees stating that the kingdom of God has come upon them because He is casting out demons by the Spirit of God, not by Beelzebub (v.25-30). Interestingly, the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit in the healing of the blind and mute man through Jesus led the crowds to ponder an important question about Jesus as the Son of David. But notice the Pharisees reaction of unbelief and blaspheme is completely opposite of the crowd’s “amazement.” With the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work
before them all they could do was to accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Calling the clear supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (miraculous healing of the blind and mute man) the activity of Satan is at the heart of the blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.

What makes the unforgivable blaspheme in Matthew 12:31-32 different than other blasphemes? The answer comes from the designation that the Lord gives to Himself—the Son of Man—describing the Lord’s humanity. A person’s perception may not allow him to see more than the Lord’s humanity if he misjudges Him at a human level. John MacArthur says it well, “when a
person rejects Christ with less than full exposure to the evidence of His deity, he may yet be forgiven of that sin if, after gaining fuller light, he believes.” But, when someone—by persistent and determined hardness of heart, refuses to believe in Jesus Christ despite all the evidence necessary in the Spirit’s activity to a complete understanding—they have followed the pathway
to the unforgivable sin in the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees highlight what it looks like for someone to commit the unforgiveable sin—they saw the working of the Holy Spirit through Jesus but willfully refused to accept the revelation of God—even beyond rejection—they attributed the power of Jesus displayed in healing to Satan.

Can a believer in Jesus Christ commit the unforgivable sin? The answer is a resounding “no!” My brother and sister in Christ, once you have placed your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior you are His child! ALL your sins have been forgiven because of the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross! Oh yes, at times we might FEEL like we are distant from our Father, but the truth is that we are His beloved children in Christ. His love is set upon us, His life is inside of us, His grace covers us, and His purpose drives us!

Walking in grace, Pastor George

Watching all that is going on today in our world can be upsetting. The sickness and protests can bring a sense of uneasiness. Worries and anxiety can build as we talk about the future. However, in a time and a world filled with much more anxiety than ours, the Lord led the Apostle Paul to write these words of comfort, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  Paul wrote these words from prison in Rome.  He wanted to encourage the believers in Philippi to continue on in the faith despite their difficulties and trials.  What an encouragement from a guy in jail!  

One of the many things I love about these verses is that the first phrase about worry is in the imperative—in other words “Stop worrying!”  Beloved, perhaps you need to stop pacing the floor and start opening your heart to the Lord about what hurts in life. Maybe God is whispering to you today to stop worrying and start praying.  

Paul then gives us the answer to anxiety and worry— place it before the Lord Jesus in “…prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving”.  Believe me, the result of doing this is incredible—the peace of God!  Take a look at the description of the peace of God in this verse.  First, it is beyond understanding.  That means that when the storms come and things look bad, God holds His tender hands over your heart and mind and reminds you of His precious promises.  Second, the Lord guards our hearts and minds with His peace.  He protects us and upholds us by His great power and word.  Third, all of this is possible only “in Christ”.  That is to say that because we are believers in Jesus Christ we have access to the incredible peace of God in times of trouble.  

Dear friend, seek out the Lord today and find the wonderful peace that only comes through being a child of God.

Our question today dives into deep theological waters: Did Jesus become subordinate to the Father in His earthly ministry, is He still subordinate today, and has Jesus always been eternally subordinate? What does this mean for the doctrine of the Trinity, which says that all the persons in the Godhead are coequal? Let’s take the leap into these deep waters today!

First of all, in answering our question we acknowledge the established biblical teaching of the Trinity—meaning that God consists of three equal and eternal persons in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is equal in their nature as God, but differ in how they relate to one another and to the world. Theologians talk about the Trinity in terms of the ontological Trinity and the economic Trinity. The ontological Trinity simply deals with what God IS in the three persons of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all co-equal in nature and essence as God. When we talk about the economic Trinity we are referring to what God DOES. This allows us to begin to get a grip on our question—although the nature and essence of the Trinity is equal, their roles and functions are quite different. In looking at the relationship between the Father and the Son, we see a submission of the Son to the Father that is throughout the New Testament. For example, the Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10), the Son came down from heaven to do the will of the Father (John 6:38), the Father gave the Son (John 3:16), and the Father made Jesus an offering for sin (2 Cor. 5:21). So, we can say that although each of the three holy members of the Trinity are fully God in nature, they have different roles in their relationship and there is an abiding submission of the Son to the Father.    

The question that must be asked is—has Jesus always been the eternal Son of God within the Trinity? The short answer according to Scripture is yes. There are definitive statements from the pages of God’s Word that the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit—have eternally been in this type of relationship. The prayer of Jesus in John 17:5 pulls back the curtain about the relationship between the Father and the Son before the world began, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Here we have a statement from Jesus about His past relationship within the Trinity before the creation of the universe—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This same relationship is also placed at the end of the age when Jesus will reign in His full and glorious place within the Trinity as subject to God—"Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:28). This means both at the beginning, in eternity past, and in the culmination of the ages, Jesus was and is the exalted God the Son within the glorious relationship of the Trinity.
My brothers and sisters, when we talk about the Trinity we are certainly wading through deep waters! In fact, this subject contains a purity and holiness that limits our finite and human mind to the plain statements of Scripture. With that said, here are my take-aways from this deep subject:

1. God never changes—Praise God! He was, and is, and is to come!

2. The plan of God is bigger and more profound that we can ever imagine! Talking about the relationship between God the Father and God the Son gets deep quickly! Thank God that He has saved us according to His glorious grace in Jesus Christ!

3. There is so much glory in eternity that our tongues or thoughts cannot describe. Although we are given statements about the Trinity in Scripture, it still remains a glorious mystery!

Today’s question involves the meaning and biblical accuracy of a big theological word—transubstantiation. This word is common among the Roman Catholic Church because it is part of their doctrinal belief that the elements of the Lord’s Supper—the bread and the wine—actually transforms into the body and blood of Jesus Christ with the blessing of the priest. The definition of transubstantiation is: “the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remaining.” Obviously, this sounds more like magic than a biblical remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ. Let’s take a look at the heart of the matter in the upper room with Jesus and His disciples on the night before His crucifixion.

The biblical text that we are looking at today comes from Matthew 26:26-29. The setting is, of course, the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples. While they were eating the meal “Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Here Jesus is driving home an important truth on the night before His suffering—His body and blood opens the way to a new relationship with God through His sacrifice on the cross.

The nature of the language that Jesus uses at the Last Supper has confused many throughout the centuries. After all, such a meaningful command should be taken seriously and followed. There are a few lines of thought, however, that help to clarify the meaning of what Jesus was saying on that important night. First, as you read through those verses there is no indication that the words were meant to be literal. Did Jesus really mean to prescribe to His church down throughout the ages to eat His literal flesh and drink His literal blood? The simple answer is no. As you read the words of Jesus you begin to understand that in that moment as they were all gathered together turning the bread into flesh and blood would miss the point of this being a supper! They were gathered to eat a meal not to eat flesh and drink blood. Second, Jesus refers to the “fruit of the vine” at the close of this powerful moment reminding us all that this was still wine—not blood. If Jesus did not transform the wine into His blood in that powerful moment, then what makes us think that He would want us to try to do it now?  Finally, the emphasis of the Lord’s Supper is on a perpetual remembrance throughout the ages of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Our Lord didn’t prescribe a magic trick for His church, but a solemn remembrance and reflection on what He did to save us from our sin.

Beloved, let us come to the Lord’s table with a profound humility as we remember all that Jesus did for us when He died once for all to save us—the Just for the unjust—so that we can come into the presence of God by faith through His perfect sacrifice for sins.

By Thom Rainer
Evangelism is dying in many churches today.

No, that’s not an overstatement. I am not speaking hyperbolically.

Evangelism is dying.

Look at the data. Measure almost any group of churches today versus thirty years ago. You’ll likely find that only one person is being reached with the gospel for every forty to sixty church members. You will find that conversions have declined precipitously. And where you find numerical growth, you are more likely to find that the growth is transfer of Christians from one church to another. That’s not evangelism. That’s sheep shuffling.

Pastors and other leaders must fall on their faces before God and ask Him to reignite their congregations with an evangelistic passion. When evangelism dies as a priority in the church, the church has already begun to die.So why should evangelism be one of the highest priorities in your church? Though the reasons are many, allow me to share seven of them.

Because Christ commanded it. We typically refer to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 as our evangelistic and disciples-making command. But there are many other places in the New Testament where the priority of evangelism is clearly evident. Christ commanded it. We must do it.

Because Christ is the only way of salvation. There is no way around it. Salvation is exclusive. There is only one way. Jesus could not have made it clearer in John 14:6: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” Jesus had an urgent message. He had an exclusive message. We must be conveyors of that narrowly-defined hope.

Because Christ died for the world. There is a reason John 3:16 is the most familiar and most quoted verse in the history of humanity. Jesus died for the world. He is the only way, but He has provided a way for everyone. That is a message that is urgent and worth telling. Indeed it’s the greatest message ever.

Because churches that are not intentional about evangelism typically are weak in evangelism. Many pastors and church leaders will affirm this article. They will give mental assent to the priority of evangelism. But they do not practice the priority of evangelism in their churches. What are you doing today to make evangelism a priority in your church?

Because churches tend to obsess inwardly when they fail to move outwardly. Where has a lot of your church’s energy been expended lately? Business meetings? Expressions of petty church preferences? Worship wars? Power struggles? Those are inward obsessions. Lead your church to an evangelistic priority and watch the focus shift for the better.

Because churches become content and complacent with transfer growth. Some churches are growing. Others are adding members without significant numerical growth. But many in both categories are growing at the expense of other churches. Some may be reaching unchurched Christians. That’s good, but that’s not evangelism. We can fool ourselves into thinking we are evangelistic when we are simply recirculating the saints.

Because evangelistic Christians actually grow stronger as better discipled Christians. Those who are evangelistic are obedient to Christ. Being obedient to Christ means that we are following His teachings and becoming a better fruit-bearing disciple.

Most churches are busy with activities, programs, and ministries. Few churches are truly sending out their members to evangelize those in their communities. The Great Commission has fast become the Great Omission.

Evangelism is dying.

Churches are dying.

People are going to hell without Christ.

It is perhaps the greatest tragedy today.

What are you doing to lead your church to become more evangelistic?

The question for this week comes from the Sunday morning message. After preaching Isaiah 14 and highlighting the epic crash and burn of Lucifer/Satan someone asked me if Satan has anything to do with world leaders. This is something that I meant to share this past Sunday, but didn’t have the opportunity to highlight in the message. Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about satanic activity and world leaders.

Let’s start with the passages that we talked about this past Sunday about Satan—Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Both passages are oracles against earthly kings (Babylon and Tyre) and are prophetically illustrated by satanic influence working behind the scenes with these leaders. The king of Babylon is described as an “oppressor” and one who “ruled the nations in anger” so that he “struck the people in wrath” (Isaiah 14:5-6). Here, Babylon’s king is pictured as a ruthless ruler that violently punishes people into submission. What can be more devilish than that! No wonder Isaiah was led by the Spirit to compare this violent king with Lucifer. Interestingly, the king of Tyre is not described in terms of violence but pride, beauty, and wealth. Here in chapter 28 the prophet Ezekiel calls out the king of Tyre for thinking he is a god (v.2, 6), condemns his abundance of gold and silver (v.4-5), and how his “heart is lifted up because of his treasures” (v.5). Following this description of the king of Tyre, the prophet illustrates the downfall of the king with the story of the fall Satan. What we can see is that Satan can influence people through violence and oppression like the king of Babylon or he can manipulate people by the abundance of wealth and possessions as in the case of the king of Tyre.

Scripture goes further in talking about Satan’s engagement in spiritual warfare to influence generations and nations against God and His people. For example, in Daniel 10 the angel Gabriel is sent to Daniel to give him understanding and the angel says that he was delayed because of the satanic stronghold of the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Daniel 10:13). This prince was an evil angel (or Satan himself) that had a powerful grip on the Persian kingdom and attempted to thwart God’s plan by fighting against holy angels (Gabriel and Michael) in trying to stop communication from God to Daniel. The ultimate example, of course, is in the Antichrist of Revelation 12. Scripture says that the Antichrist will rule with satanic power and demand all people to worship him as god. He will be supernaturally energized and empowered by Satan himself.

So, what can we say about Satan and his targeting world leaders? The answer to our question today is an unequivocal yes—Satan takes the opportunity to influence and indwell those who give themselves over to evil—especially those who have power over others. We can see this devilish plan for Satan’s influence in world leaders lived out in evil leaders like Nero, Joseph Stalin, or Adolf Hitler.        

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,” 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Today’s question gets at the core of our salvation in the Lord—how is Jesus Christ fully God and fully man? Why would it be heretical to not believe in such a hard concept?

The early church considered the question of the incarnation of Jesus Christ to be one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith and sought to clarify a biblical understanding of this vital truth by the Chalcedonian Creed. This early statement (451 A.D.) set forth a biblical definition of the incarnation of Jesus Christ—and answers our question of how Jesus could be fully God and fully man.

Let’s examine the main truth in this powerful statement that summarizes the biblical teaching on the incarnation. The creed begins where the Bible begins in defining the incarnation—Jesus has two natures: God and man. Scripture is clear about the deity of Jesus: Titus 2:13 says that believers are “…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” When Thomas saw and touched the resurrected Christ he cried out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). There are countless statements in the New Testament that clearly communicate the omniscience (Matt.16:21; John 4:29), omnipotence (Matt. 28:18; Rev. 1:8), eternality (John 1:1; 8:58), and the fullness of deity in flesh (Col. 1:19, 2:9) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God period.Just as compelling as the deity of Jesus is the humanity of the Lord. The apostle John says it beautifully in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” You see, Jesus was a baby (Luke 2:7), He got tired (John 4:6), He was hungry (Matthew 4:2), and He mourned the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35). Jesus was fully man and experienced the fullness of living on earth.

When you read this you probably understand that Jesus is fully God and fully human but wonder how someone could live with two natures in one person. In fact, the early church struggled with this idea and came to understand it as the fullness of God and the fullness of humanity living in the person of Jesus. He wasn’t dual-minded or bi-polar as He lived life on earth. Here is the key to putting this together: the entirety of God and the fullness of humanity did not mix together inside Jesus with His humanity but rather each nature dwelt in fullness without changing the other. In other words, His deity did not make His humanity superhuman and His humanity did not make His deity diminished to a lesser god. The full essence of both the deity and humanity dwelt in Jesus Christ. He is the God-man sent from the Father to save us from our sin!      

So why is important to hold firmly to both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ? You see, without Jesus being a man we have only a shade of salvation and not the real substance. What I mean is that without the humanity of Jesus we don’t have a blood sacrifice for our sins! If Jesus was simply a ghost or a spirit then you and I lose out on the payment of our redemption and the victorious hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead. Is it really important to hold to the divinity of Jesus? Absolutely! In fact, our redemption would have been impossible without the perfect life of Christ. Only God could have lived a life of perfection, paid the price for our sins, and rise up victorious from the dead!

Bruce Ware sums it up so well in his book “The Man Christ Jesus”—"Therefore, the only one who can save us from our sin is the sinless God-man—one who is fully man, as we are, but one who is fully God, so that His payment for our sin can satisfy the infinite demands of God’s justice against our sin.”

Praise God that He sent His Son in the flesh to save us!

Our question today is: what is the sin unto death that the apostle John talks about in 1 John 5:16-17? If there is a sin unto death how can I avoid it? Let’s take a look at what the verses say and then work our way through them to the answer to our question.

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.” 1 John 5:14-17

Now, to start out, the first thing we can say about these verses is that God takes sin seriously—so much so that there is here described a “sin leading to death.” Sin is not a light-hearted thing before God. Quite the opposite, sin is viewed by God as something that assaults the soul and smears the witness of His children. All sin committed by believers will be disciplined by the Lord but, if one of His children chooses to continue in a lifestyle of sin in an unconfessed and unrepentant way, according to the apostle John, God may decide to end their lives on earth. This principle is illustrated in the New Testament in the cases of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1-11, of the immoral man in 1 Corinthians 5:5, and with those who had taken part in the Lord’s Supper in an irreverent way in 1 Corinthians 11:30.

Of course, the contrast in these verses includes “sin not leading to death.” So, what is the difference between sins that the Lord deems worthy of death and those He does not. Simply put, the “sin which does not lead to death” is sin that is confessed and repented of before the Lord. The prime example of a godly man sinning—and yet confessing and repenting of those sins is King David. He lusted after Bathsheba, committed adultery with her, murdered her husband, and covered it up for almost a year. If ever someone deserved the death penalty by God for his actions, it would have been David! Instead, we find the mercy of God being poured out only after David’s confession saying, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then the prophet Nathan issues the pardon from the Lord — “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Following this encounter there is discipline from the Lord because of David’s sinful actions, but the sweet psalter of Israel does not die.

My friend, these verses teach us that there is great danger in a believer in Jesus Christ continuing to live in a lifestyle of unconfessed and unrepentant sin. The answer to our question today should have a profound impact upon our walk with God—When you and I stumble and sin in our walk with the Lord, may we be quick to confess and repent of that sin. It is the highest principle of wisdom to keep short accounts with the Lord when it comes to dealing with our sin. May the Lord keep us ever close to His side!

Today’s question comes from the modern day problems with race—what does the Bible say about race? Before we answer our question today we need to understand one thing—the Bible is not a political book. The Bible is God’s Word and therefore carries the authority and voice of God on any subject it speaks upon. So let’s take a look at what God has to say about race.

First of all, we need to say that God created all races of people. This is clear from many passages throughout Scripture but the one that comes to mind is Acts 17:26-27 where the Apostle Paul says of God that "He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us,". What is amazing about these verses is that God created all races of people in His image to dwell on the face of the earth through one man and one woman. It is interesting how we often view race as a dividing factor in our time but the truth is, we all come from the same blood in Adam and Eve. So, as much as we might highlight our differences, the reality is that we have much more in common than our differences might suggest.

Second, because all peoples come from a common parentage in Adam and Eve, every race on earth has a sin problem. Scripture says that the sin of Adam was passed down to all peoples—in every race. The biblical account of creation tells us that once Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they fell from their perfect relationship with God and with one another. The result of this initial transgression is that sin has been inherited by all peoples throughout time, expressed in innumerable evils (Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:22). This is the context where we understand the evil of racism. Valuing one race of people above another is evil and its roots are found in our fallen and sinful nature inherited by Adam. The poisonous fruit of this heart of sin is shown in our hate toward God and one another.            

Finally, we need to understand that God created all races of peoples to love them! The notable Bible verse in John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Take a look at the people that God loves—the world. God loves all people and desires for them to turn from their sin and trust Jesus Christ as their only Savior and Lord. In fact, Scripture portrays the inhabitants of heaven as “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10). In other words, all the different races of peoples who place their faith in Jesus Christ are included as part of the people of God worshiping the Lord in heaven. What an incredible thing!

My brothers and sisters, let us rejoice that our God saves sinners from every tribe, tongue, and nation—all for His glory!

Today our question is no joke—Is there extraterrestrial life or aliens on other planets? Many folks today are answering this question with a resounding yes! Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about the existence of aliens and the implications for us.

Let’s be clear—our culture is obsessed with aliens. This fascination extends to TV shows (V, The Neighbors, Another Life, Dr. Who, X-Files), to countless movies (Edge of Tomorrow, Pacific Rim, Battleship, Cloverfield, Ender’s Game, Extinction, Arrival) and to area 51 in the Nevada desert. Some people believe aliens to be so real that they have committed suicide in order to ascend to a non-existent spaceship orbiting the earth (Heaven’s Gate cult). We can also see this interest in our magazine and newspaper covers that tell of the unending interest in extraterrestrial life in Time magazine, Popular Mechanics, Air and Space magazine with newspaper headlines in the Washington Post, New York Times, and BBC. With so much attention given to this subject, we desperately need a biblical answer to this question today!

In answering this question, we start with the fact that the Bible does not mention extraterrestrial life on other planets. The Bible is focused on God’s redemptive events on earth. The only mention of space or stars in the Scripture is to give praise and glory to God for creating such a glorious thing! This is instructive for us—God gave us what is necessary for life and godliness in the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:3), so it must not be essential to our spiritual growth and development to know about the possibility of life on other planets!

Going further in our biblical understanding we can follow a line of thought that brings us closer to an answer about our question. First, we can conclude that since all of creation fell when Adam sinned, then any/all life on other planets have been subjected to that same futility by God through the curse (Gen. 3:17-19; Rom. 8:19-22). In other words, just as our world is fallen, so also their world would have to be fallen—because ALL creation remains under the curse including the vast galaxies of the cosmos. It follows then that if aliens were made to be in relationship to God like we are created to be, then they would need the Savior—the Lord Jesus—to die for their sins. This brings us to yet another barrier to the possibility of extraterrestrial life on other planets—the Bible says that Jesus Christ died “once for all” in order to redeem sinners. The apostle Peter says that “Christ also suffered once for sins…” (1 Peter 3:18), the apostle Paul says that Jesus “died to sin once for all” (Rom. 6:10), and the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice for sins “once for all” (Heb. 7:24-27, 9:11-12, 9:24-26, 10:10). If God did make life on other planets in His image, then it would require them to believe in the same sacrifice of Christ that we do.

Finally, with all of this attention on aliens and extraterrestrial life let’s remember one critical thing—there is no scientific evidence for life on other planets. All of this focus and noise about aliens is completely unfounded in scientific reality. It might make for good entertainment, but it is certainly not grounded in truth. My friends, today we can be certain that the spotlight of the universe is on the earth—the beautiful planet where the God of all creation decided to create a being that would have the spiritual ability to have a relationship with Him. How good is that?

Today’s question revolves around the origin of the devil. Where did he come from? Let’s take a look at how evil found a home in the demonic angel called the devil.

Let’s start at the beginning—"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is the statement that opens the Bible. Here at the beginning we find a Creator speaking all things into existence. We are not told about the creation of angels in the creation account in Genesis but we are told in Job 38:7 that they all sang as the Creator did His powerful and glorious work in bringing life to the earth and universe. God created all the angels as good and glorious creatures intended to serve and glorify Him. This description would also include Lucifer (the angel who would later become known as the devil) as a holy angelic servant of the Lord. You see, the Lord did not create Lucifer as an evil being. In fact, he occupied a privileged place of service before the Lord prior to his fall.

Ezekiel 28 says that Lucifer was a “covering cherub” that was “perfect in beauty” and established by God with an incredibly special and holy purpose; however, he also describes in that same chapter Lucifer’s fall as his “heart was lifted up” against God because of his beauty. Lucifer’s pride also included “violence within” and, according to Isaiah 14, a desire to usurp God in saying, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” We are not told how this sin was discovered or how it was expressed by Lucifer, but because God knows all things, we can gather that it was seen by God. Following the rebellion of Lucifer, the Lord God casts him out of heaven and he becomes the devil (meaning accuser) or satan (meaning adversary). Enter his first appearance in Scripture in the Garden of Eden embodied in the serpent deceiving Eve to disobey God.

So, what can we take away from the record of Lucifer’s fall in becoming the devil? Well, of the many applications we could make, the one that stands out to me is that no matter the beauty or the position—God calls us to humbly serve and glorify Him. Our lives are to reflect His image and redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. Lucifer is an epic example of how pride will destroy and corrupt completely. Oh, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s walk humbly with our God today!

Strange as some things are in the Bible, they all have a meaning and message to share. Today our question is about a little verse in Mark 14:51-52 that tells of a young man that fled naked from the garden of Gethsemane at the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Who is this guy? Why is he there? Why was he naked? Let’s take a look at this strange scene and try to make some sense out of it.
 
In Mark we read:
“46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then they all forsook Him and fled. 51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.” Mark 14:46-52

Let’s take a shortcut to the answer to our question today—though we cannot know with absolute certainty, most scholars believe that the naked man in Mark 14:51-52 was the writer of the gospel himself—Mark. The reason for this answer comes from the fact that Mark is the only gospel that records this strange story—and it comes straight out of the blue sky! This is also supported by the fact that we know that John Mark's mother lived in Jerusalem (Acts 12), and so it is possible that Mark was wakened by the noise of the soldiers leaving the city during the night of Passover to arrest Jesus. After all, the man was described as wearing only a linen sheet—the typical sleeping garments of this time period. The scenario would go something like this—Mark left his mother's home and followed the soldiers to the Garden. Once he was grabbed, Mark ran away naked, leaving his linen sheet in the hands of soldiers. It seems that Mark recorded the account in his gospel, perhaps as a form of confession for having abandoned the Lord in this way.

But there is a bigger view here in this passage about what exactly happened in the garden of Gethsemane. That is, this man running naked away from the arrest of Jesus is a dramatic picture of the terror the disciples felt as their Master and Lord was taken into custody before their eyes. Can you imagine how frightening that moment was? Peter’s swipe at the head of one of the soldiers with a small sword had put every one of the disciples in jeopardy of being arrested and charged. So instead of staying with Jesus, the disciples decide it was better to run away from Jesus than to lose their lives with Him. Only after the Lord was resurrected did they understand that all these things brought about the fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Oh, my brother and sister in Christ, may we not shrink back from following after the Lord Jesus wherever He leads!

Today’s question looks back to the Old Testament and asks why did God permit polygamy for some of the patriarchs of the faith? Is polygamy God’s will? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about this question.

Let’s start with the beginning at the creation of the first man and woman. What we notice in the first two chapters of Genesis is a picture of the perfect standard of the Creator—one man with one woman following their Creator God in the garden of Eden. Everything was perfect—in biblical terms God looked at the finished creation and said it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). These words should tell us that everything was just as the Creator designed it to be for all creation—including Adam and Eve. Of course, Genesis chapter 3 tells us that the disobedience of our first parents in sinning against their Creator plunged them, and the whole of the human race, into a fallen world full of fallen people—enter the first murder in Genesis 4—and a whole world full of wickedness in Genesis 6. The story that unfolds from this point on throughout the Bible involves the Creator calling people—sinful people—to follow Him in faith.

We should note that because of the sinfulness of the people, the culture becomes corrupted by wickedness. The decisions and values of the culture become increasingly sinful and end up perverting the good things of God—in our case, marriage between one man and one woman. Combine this with the low social status of women in the ancient near east and you can see how this twisted practice would spread. This is the environment that the patriarchs were born into and eventually called out of by God.

Speaking specifically to our question, the practice of polygamy seems to have started with the descendants of Cain named in Genesis chapter 4 with Lamech in verse 19, “Then Lamech took for himself two wives” (Genesis 4:19). The practice of having multiple wives carried over after the flood with patriarchs like Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon. To be fair, although these notable people of the Bible had multiple wives, it worked out badly for them. In the case of Abraham it led to bitterness and anger between Sarah and Abraham, Jacob’s wives had epic jealousy between each other, David’s multiple wives led to a family situation that included rape and murder, and King Solomon’s wives “turned away his heart” from the Lord. In each case polygamy brought the painful fruit of not modeling the created design.

If the created design is to be followed, then where does the Bible speak against polygamy? There are a few commands in the Law about having multiple wives—having one wife after another dies (Leviticus 18:18; Deuteronomy 21:15), or the direct command not to have multiple wives to the King of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:17). The early patriarchs of the Old Testament seem to have been highly influenced by the culture around them in adopting this practice. There is a point in time about when the prophets became prevalent that the practice of having multiple wives fell out of use. By the time Jesus comes on the scene in first century Israel, the polygamy has vanished from the Jewish culture. Although polygamy was not prevalent in Israel at the time, Jesus still confirmed teaching of one man and one woman in the marriage relationship (Matt. 19:8; Mark 10:6). Also, the apostle Paul preaching to Gentiles through the known world would often likewise endorse the original design of the Creator in Genesis of the marriage relationship between one man with one woman in his epistles (1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:33).            

What is the answer to our question concerning multiple wives by the patriarchs in the Bible? We can say that God calls sinners into relationship with Himself and that those sinners, at times, can struggle and stumble in various ways. The choices made by some of the stalwarts of the faith to have multiple wives proved to be a great hindrance and stumbling block to their obedience to the Lord. May we learn how to follow the Lord without giving in to the cultural morals around us today.    

Today’s question has been asked by every generation. It is about the meaning of the number 666. Is this an evil or unlucky number? Is 666 the devil’s number? In order to answer our question, we will have to take a look at the book of Revelation.

Let’s start with the difficulty of the apocalyptic nature of the book of Revelation. The apostle John speaks in metaphor about what he sees and hears in this vision from God. This means that careful interpretation of the book of Revelation should be followed in gleaning the meaning and application for today. With that said, there is a direct statement about the number 666 by the apostle John in Revelation 13:18, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

In order to answer our question today, we need to understand the context of the false prophet’s role in the evil regime of the Antichrist. Just prior to verse 18 John says there is a mark that the Antichrist will demand everyone to receive and the false prophet will carry out the will of the Antichrist by setting up an image of the beast throughout regions of the world that will issue this mark in order to buy and sell. The key link between the number 666 and the mark of the beast is found in verse 17 where John equates “the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” So, whatever the number 666 means it is equal to the mark and name of the Antichrist.

One further line of thought is needed before we come to a conclusion on the meaning of the number 666. The Bible has special meanings behind numbers—and no, it’s not a “code” but a unique symbolism that I think will help us answer our question. For example, the number 7 has a special meaning in the Bible that speaks to the perfection of God (in the 7 days of creation or “the seven-fold Spirit of God” in Revelation). At times, the Bible highlights numbers that point to a message and I believe this is true of the number 666. As you recall, man was created as the pinnacle of God’s creation on day 6. The apostle John affirms the number 6 as man’s number in our verse by saying, “for it is the number of man.” If the symbolism is accurate that the number 6 is the number of man then what can we say about there being a repetition of the number 6 in describing the name, mark, and number of the Antichrist? Repetition is used by God in the Scriptures to provide emphatic emphasis such as “Holy, Holy, Holy”—meaning the God is the ultra holy. Repetition here with the number 6 would also have the same meaning—the Antichrist will be the greatest man on earth. Think about it, there will be a propaganda machine that the false prophet will lead in receiving the mark of the Antichrist because he is the greatest man in the world—can’t you hear it now!

So at the end of the day, the number 666 serves to describe the Antichrist as the best man on earth—nothing more, nothing less. Praise God that no matter the greatness of the Antichrist on earth, we serve the sovereign holy God of Heaven who is the Eternal King of all! Amen!

Today’s question comes from a little guy—did Adam have a belly-button? This might sound like a silly question but the core idea comes across as very profound—Did the original creation look like it does today?

Let’s cut to the chase with an answer to that question and then we can explore the reason why: we can say no—Adam and Eve did not have belly buttons.

Now let me give the answer why with two different explanations. First let’s take a look at the biological answer. Your belly-button or navel is a sign that you were once connected to your mother in the womb. The umbilical cord is a necessary part of growth and development between baby and mother during pregnancy. Since Adam and Eve did not come into being like that, they did not have belly-buttons.
 
Second, let’s see the spiritual principle at work. God’s creation had full functionality of from the beginning. What this means is God created Adam and Eve in mature form. When Adam was created, he had the appearance of a mature adult, fully able to walk, to talk, and to care for the garden. Fruit trees were already producing fruit. God’s creation was at the apex of development from the beginning. Another affirmation of this principle would be the commands given to our first parents—commands of exercising dominion and multiplying to fill the earth. Again, this would indicate that Adam and Eve were mature enough to perform these commandments and to procreate and bear children.

So, did Adam have a belly-button actually has an interesting and profound truth at its core: God creates life fully functioning and never lacking in the ability to do what He commands. If this is true at the beginning, it is true now in Christ. Scripture says that in Christ we are a new creation. Yes, we are newborn babes at the first but we have all that we need to grow into full maturity through the Spirit and according to His Word. What amazing wisdom God has given right from the start!

Praise the Lord!

Today’s question is something that many people are talking about these days—the timing of the return of Jesus Christ. Specifically, if Jesus is God then why didn’t He know when He would come again while He was on earth?

The Scripture that sparks this question is Matthew 24:35-37, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.”

Let’s start with the biblical truth that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. He was divine and human in the same person. The theological term for the coming-together of the two natures of Christ is called the hypostatic union. Jesus Christ was the only person that ever lived who had two natures merged into one person—all of God and all of man in Him. Scripture testifies to this truth in various places like Colossians 2:9, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

So, if Jesus was fully God then why didn’t He know when His second coming would take place? In order to answer our question today we need to look at a critical passage that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. As he wrote to the church about the humble spirit of service and love that believers should exhibit toward one another, the apostle gave us one of the most powerful passages in all of the New Testament about the incarnation of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:5-8. Paul tells us how Jesus “…emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men…” as the King of Kings took on human flesh to save us from our sins. Let’s zero in on a couple of words—"emptied Himself” and ask what did Jesus empty Himself of when He was on earth? What we can say is that as a man, Jesus cooperated with the limitations of being a man. This would explain verses like Luke 2:52 that says, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Therefore, at this point in His ministry He could say He did not know the day nor hour of His return. This does not diminish the deity of Jesus but simply affirms His full humanity.

However, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a different matter. Following His resurrection, with His full glory restored to Him, He knew all things as the glorified King of Kings! Remember, BEFORE His death and resurrection Jesus said the Father alone knew the day and hour of His return. But AFTER His death and resurrection His omniscience was restored to Him. Think of all the things Jesus was able to do after His resurrection—He could appear and disappear at will—He knew all things—He could transport Himself anywhere without walking—amazing! It was Peter that made a statement about the omniscience of Jesus on the shore in John 21:17b, “And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you.” There was no rebuke from Jesus because it was a true statement after His death and resurrection.

My friends, only God knows where the finish line of history is and exactly when He will come back. Let’s “look for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” (Titus 2:13).

The question we will be answering today comes from the very cross of Christ: what was written on the sign on the cross? All four gospel writers give us information about the writing posted on the cross above Jesus. The problem we run into is all four gospels have different statements about what is written. So, what was written on that sign on the cross of Christ?

As we begin to take a look at the gospels, we need to note that it was Pilate that wrote this writing in stating the crime committed by Jesus in claiming to be “King of the Jews” (Matt.27:11). This is the statement that Pilate had nailed on the cross above the head of Jesus (Matt. 27:37). The chief priests of the Jews protested this action by Pilate without success as the Roman ruler said to them: “What I have written I have written.” (John 19:22). Also, according to Luke, the writing above the head of Jesus was written in three different languages: Greek, Latin, and Hebrew (Luke 23:38). Since this statement was written in the known languages of the world, it could be read by all people attending the crucifixion of Jesus.

So let’s take a look at what each specific gospel says about the sign on the cross of Christ:
 
·        Matthew 27:37 - "And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

·        Mark 15:26 - "And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

·        Luke 23:38 - "And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

·        John 19:19-20 - "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin."

Let’s start out with what is similar—they all report that the sign above the head of Jesus said, “The King of the Jews.” This is an important agreement between the gospels. You see, the gospel writers communicated to us not only a record of events but, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gave us the understanding of what all of this means. By their agreement in this statement they were all emphasizing that Jesus IS King of the Jews—He is the fulfillment of the Davidic prophecy that will have a descendant of David rule upon His throne forever! This kind of belief and proclamation of the Kingship of Jesus only a week earlier on Palm Sunday is what so infuriated the Jewish religious leaders.

It is amazing to have the different styles of writing in the gospels and yet, have complete agreement. In many ways, the four Gospels constitute parts of a modern newspaper: Matthew contains the announcements and advertising, Mark carries the headlines, Luke has the special features of songs with the birth of Christ, and John has the editorial section telling us of the bread of life and the true vine. All of these divine testimonies, however, have agreement about what Pilate wrote in full and had nailed above the head of Jesus: “This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.”

To this we can say, “Amen!”

Today’s question has to do with the activity of Jesus before His resurrection from the dead—Did Jesus go to Hell before His physical resurrection? If Jesus did go to Hell prior to His resurrection, what did He do there? Since this idea has led to a variety of theological errors, let’s see the truth from the Scripture.    

The passage at the heart of this question is 1 Peter 3:18-20. In particular, we will be dealing with Peter’s statement in verse 19 “…by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison…” The context of this passage is necessary to understand the bigger point that Peter is making: Peter is helping Christians to understand that suffering for righteousness’ sake will result in blessing from God. Peter presents Christ as the ultimate example of One who has suffered: “once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” and thus providing salvation for sinners who call on the name of Jesus. Now if we just examine these verses it is clear that Peter has in mind the saving work of Christ on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection from the dead which result in bringing sinners into a right relationship to God. This is his major point in writing to Christians who are experiencing suffering and persecution for their faith in Christ.

In order to responsibly interpret our phrase that answers our question today, we cannot disconnect the meaning of verse 19 from Peter’s previous teaching about the suffering of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In order for us to dig down into the meaning of our phrase we will have to go piece by piece. First, Peter says “by whom also He went…” and notes that He went in the Spirit after His death on the cross. Second, the apostle notes—“He preached”—that is, according to the Greek word (kerusso) used by Peter here, Jesus made a proclamation of His victory over death and the grave. Third, Peter says that Jesus made this proclamation “to the spirits in prison” who disobeyed the Lord back in the days of Noah. When we put these pieces together what we discover is that Jesus did, in fact, go to Hades (the place of the dead) and made proclamation to those demons who were imprisoned because of their wicked disobedience long ago.

Why would Jesus do this? Well, my friend, there are many clues in the Bible that point to the same truth—salvation has now been accomplished for God’s people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it is this truth that God desires to proclaim throughout the earth—throughout the heavens—and yes, even from the bottom of Hell! Praise the Lord!

Today’s question has to do with those who were on Golgotha during the crucifixion of Jesus. Who exactly was there? Let’s run down the facts to answer this question.

There were a great many people that attended the crucifixion of our Lord. In the Gospel of John we see the mother of our Lord (Mary) and her sister, Mary of Clopas, Mary Magdalene (John 19:25), and Mary the mother of James and John (Matthew 27:56). Luke records many other women there “looking on from afar” (Matthew 27:55). Roman soldiers are also stated by Matthew (27:54), Mark (15:39), and Luke (23:47). All four gospels also mention the two criminals crucified on either side of Jesus (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32; John 19:18). Of course this crowd included the chief priests, scribes, and elders who comprised the Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:41-43; Mark 15:31-32; Luke 23:35; John 19:20).

The list of people at the crucifixion of Jesus we have seen in Scripture is, up to this point, devoid of disciples. I have left this roster spot until last largely because there is only one disciple at the crucifixion of Jesus—the “disciple whom Jesus loved”—the apostle John (John 19:26-27). That’s right, of the twelve disciples that Jesus spent the bulk of His time with during His three year ministry, only John is on Golgotha comforting the mother of our Lord during the crucifixion. All the other disciples forsook the Lord and fled (Matthew 26:56) including Peter after denying Jesus three times.

Now that we have a complete roster to work with, let me share with you what all of this means. First, the presence of this group at the crucifixion of Jesus was important for the purpose of witnessing the real death of Jesus on the cross. They could testify of the grim reality that Jesus really died—and therefore attest to the incredible miracle of the resurrection three days later.

Second, their attendance at the crucifixion of Jesus spoke of their devotion to the Lord. They loved Him and their place was with Jesus—even in His death.

Finally, those who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus saw something extraordinary—they heard and saw Jesus paying for their sin with His death on the cross. Only later would they understand this by the illumination of the Holy Spirit…but still, there was something supernatural about the events of the crucifixion of Jesus and they were there to see and hear it happening!

No doubt this was a difficult event to witness. But sometimes the most difficult things in life can be the most meaningful. No truer words could ever be spoken regarding the crucifixion of Jesus. My friends, I would ask you today to remember the precious price that purchased the forgiveness of your sins and the redemption of your soul. These witnesses could tell you—although it was difficult to experience, it was the best gift ever given to sinners!

Today’s question deals with angels. Specifically, does Matthew 18:10 say that there are guardian angels for children? If ‘guardian angels’ are for children does that mean that we ‘grown’ Christians still have guardian angels? Before I address this question in Scripture let me say this, there is a vast amount of information—mostly unbiblical—about angels in today’s world. Beliefs about angels range from fantasy to superstition to religious (not necessarily biblical). My point is that answering this question does not involve a feeling, experience, or opinion regarding angels. The Bible gives us the undisputed truth about the role that these glorious creatures have in the plan of God and that is more than sufficient for us. Having said that, let’s move on to tackle the question of guardian angels in this verse of Scripture.

One of the most essential parts of interpreting any passage or verse involves understanding the context. Prior to verse 10 we have clues as to the meaning that Jesus is driving at: He teaches that anyone who wants to enter the kingdom of heaven must become as a child. Those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior come to Him with a child-like faith and humility. From this point forward Jesus refers to those who come into the kingdom as “little ones.” Whoever receives one of these “little ones” receives the Lord Jesus Himself. Those who cause one of these “little ones” to stumble and sin will be punished. Also, immediately after verse 10 Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. This parable has a powerful punch at the conclusion as Jesus remarks “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matt. 18:14).

Since we understand “little ones” to be ordinary Christians who come to Christ with child-like faith, let’s deal with our question today. Matthew 18:10 says, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Jesus is speaking to His disciples that anyone—much less other Christians—should not “despise” one another by treating them unkindly or indifferently. And when believers in Jesus Christ are mistreated the care of the Father will be exercised through the activity of angelic hosts. The phrase “their angels” has a collective sense in the pronoun used and refers to the fact that believers are served and helped by angels. Here we are reminded that Hebrews 1:14 mentions about angels being “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” Jesus says that angels “always see the face of My Father” and stand at the ready to receive the command of the Father to bring supernatural aid to His “little ones” who are being mistreated. So then, this verse of Scripture doesn’t teach us about guardian angels, better than that—Jesus tells us that when His followers (“little ones”) are mistreated or neglected the Father sends His divine help through the angelic hosts of heaven! Let this encourage your heart today, dear friend—God knows exactly where you are today and His supernatural help will give you exactly what you need when you need it! What a mighty God we serve!

Today’s question has to do with the methodology of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Why did Jesus tell those whom He healed to remain quiet and not to tell anyone about what He did? Why would the Lord want us to proclaim the Gospel now but those who were made well back then to be quiet? What is going on with this methodology of the Jesus’ ministry? Although we don’t have a direct answer in Scripture, there is some solid evidence that we can look to in Scripture in order to understand the Lord’s methodology.

Before we can get a grasp on this question, let’s take a look at the cultural expectations in Israel during the ministry of Jesus. Most of the nation was looking for a political revolutionary as Messiah. This expected king would free Israel from Roman rule and establish a dynasty that looked like a lot like Solomon and David’s kingdom. Distracted by this expectation, Israel looked past the clear prophecies about the Messiah that point to salvation accomplished through the atoning death of the Christ (Is. 53, Ps. 22). Since the political and religious environment in Israel was saturated with this kind of anticipation for the Messiah, Jesus was very careful to distinguish the real work and message of the saving work of the Christ from the populous’ way of thinking.

The first thing we observe about the practice of the Lord in the matter of commanding those who were healed to remain quiet is that the Lord didn’t mean to keep people away from coming to Him to hear Him preach the gospel. In fact, Jesus desired for the people to come to Him and hear the Word of God in His preaching and teaching (Luke 4:18). So why not advertise His power to heal? Because the primary purpose of the Lord Jesus was not healing but preaching the good news of the gospel (Mark 6:34). The fame of Jesus due to His compassionate healing ministry actually served to make it difficult for the Lord and His disciples to preach the gospel because of the crowd’s frenzied focus on healing and miracles. We get this kind of flavor from Jesus in John 6:26, “…you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” The people became more interested in the immediate benefits of being healed or fed than hearing and obeying the Word of God.

Second, Jesus’ method seems to reflect a very practical purpose—the availability to move freely for ministry. For example, Mark 1:44-45 tells us about a man who was healed from leprosy and went off “proclaiming it freely” in disobeying the command to keep quiet from the Lord. This resulted in great restriction of the ministry, “Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.” His suffocating popularity limited His freedom to teach the Gospel.

Finally, the approach of Jesus in commanding quiet comes back to a very personal reason for the Lord and His disciples—rest and focus. Again, the popularity of Jesus made it difficult for quality time with His disciples. Mark 9:30-31 says, “Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them…”. It is reasonable to think that Jesus would need and desire time alone with His disciples. In fact, it is often the case that the explanation of the various teachings of Jesus to the disciples happen when they were alone. This might explain the exhausted Lord on the boat or the sleepy disciples in the garden.Although this wasn’t a strictly enforced rule of Jesus (Luke 5-The demoniac in a Gentile area was told to ‘go home and tell what the Lord has done for you’), it was nonetheless an effective and practical method for doing ministry in a politically and religiously expectant environment.        

Today’s question has to do with a verse of Scripture that has found a home as an idiom in our culture “casting your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). What exactly does it mean when Jesus says “not to give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine”? At first sight, this is such a weird, almost random phrase. However, there is more meaning than what we can see on the surface.

Let’s start by taking a look at the animals mentioned in this short verse: dogs and swine. In the ancient near east, dogs would be viewed much different than the beloved household pets we have today. Although a small population of dogs were domesticated and used to herd sheep, the greater number of these animals were known to be scavengers. They were wild, dirty, and dangerous animals. Swine were considered to be the ultimate picture of uncleanness. Although there were gentiles who had herds of swine, most pigs were like dogs—wild scavengers that foraged for food at the garbage dumps at the edge of town. Neither of these animals were something a traveler would want to encounter on his journey.

Now to what is told about the things given to these animals: what is holy and pearls. It would be incredibly profane for a Jew to have given a piece of holy meat that had been sacrificed in the Temple to wild dogs. Similarly, pearls were considered the rarest and most valuable of jewels and had no place with pigs.

When we add these two things together we begin to understand the profound meaning of this saying of Jesus: certain truths and blessings of our faith are not to be shared with people who are totally antagonistic to the things of God. They have no appreciation for that which is holy and righteous. They would take that which is “holy” and the “pearls” of every precious truth of God’s Word as foolishness and as an insult. Just as a wild animal that scavenges for food would trample under his feet the one offering the “food” of precious jewels or even the holy things of God, so also those who are enemies of the Gospel and ridiculers of the things of God will scorn and slander the precious truths of Scripture and attack the very faith of believers who offer that Word to them (“lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”).

I really like John MacArthur’s application on this saying: “When people not only reject the gospel, but insist on mocking and reviling it, we are not to waste God’s holy Word and the precious pearls of His truth in a futile and frustrating attempt to win them. We are to leave them to the Lord, trusting that somehow His Spirit can penetrate their hearts.”

Dear friend, if you have someone in your life like this I would encourage you to pray for the Lord to open their heart to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Today’s question comes from one of the most glorious experiences in the ministry of Jesus on the mountain where He was transfigured before three of His disciples. How did Peter, John, and James recognize Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration of Jesus?

Before we answer the question of how Peter knew it was Moses and Elijah with Jesus during that glorious event, we need to understand what led up to this experience. Luke places the transfiguration eight days after an intense ministry and teaching cycle—the twelve sent out to preach, the five thousand fed, the confession of Peter, and teaching about the cost of those who follow Jesus. Often times in the gospels we see Jesus take time with His disciples in prayer after such concentrated periods of ministry. This prayer time is the setting of the transfiguration of Jesus in Luke 9, Matthew 17, and Mark 9. It was “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, His robe became white and glistening.” (v.29). The word “glistening” literally means “emitting light” which suggests a brilliant flashing light. Now that is a glorious scene! This incredible experience doesn’t end there—the trio of disciples saw two men talking with Jesus—Moses and Elijah!

But how did Peter and (presumably) the other two disciples know it was Moses and Elijah that were talking with Jesus? Some have commented that it was their appearance—with Moses looking like Charleston Heston (long white beard) and Elijah looking like an older and hairier John the Baptist. Maybe…but there might be more at work here to aid us in understanding how they were identified. First of all, all three gospels place the revelation of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God” eight days prior to the transfiguration. The key dynamic in this profession revelation is the identity of Jesus revealed by the Father—not put together by the intellect of Peter. The identity of Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration of Jesus could have been revealed in the same way as the identity of Jesus was—through the revelation of the Father.

Second, and more probable, the identity of the two men talking with Jesus was discovered as they talked with the Lord. The gospel of Luke is the only witness to what the two men were talking about with Jesus—the departure of Jesus. The central term “decease” (NKJV) or “departure” (ESV) is the Greek word “exodos”. This means that the conversation between Moses (who led the people of Israel in an exodus from Egypt) and Elijah (who departed in his exodus from life in a fiery chariot) talked with Jesus about His coming “exodus” in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This is how Peter most likely recognized that it was Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

What an incredible experience of seeing the glory of God with Christ at the center and beloved saints with Him!

The most popular question for people—especially from young people—is about where and when are dinosaurs in the Bible. Specifically, when were dinosaurs created and do we see them mentioned in the Scriptures?

Let’s start at the beginning with creation. The Bible says that God created all things. This would include dinosaurs on day 6 in Genesis 1:21, 25 (“great sea creatures” and “beasts of the earth”). Also, since sin was absent from the garden (and death along with it), all animals were created as herbivores in the garden. This gives us a very different vision of the fearsome T-Rex than what we see in the movies! However, with the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, not only was there a break in the relationship between mankind and God but also between mankind and creation. Their sin brought death into the world and this changed everything. No longer would life characterized by harmony with God and creation but it would be a vivid picture of struggle, pain, and death. This change would impact the Earth and all the creatures in it—including dinosaurs.

The flood of Noah’s time destroyed most of the dinosaurs on earth. Today we can see evidence of this in the buried and fossilized remains of the dinosaurs of past ages. The amazing part of this story is that 2 of each kind of dinosaur survived on Noah’s Ark (Gen. 6:19-20) during the flood. Can you imagine that year-long cruise with baby dinosaurs on board! There is biblical evidence that dinosaurs roamed the Earth after the flood. Job, a man that lived between Noah and Abraham, mentions dinosaurs in the book that bears his name in the Bible. Job 41:1 mentions the presence of a great sea creature (Leviathan) unlike anything that exists today. Isaiah 27:1 also refers to this great serpent in the sea. Job 40:15-24 describes an enormous creature called a Behemoth (Sauropod?) which has a tail like a cedar tree and is an herbivore. What a time to be alive during the age of the dinosaurs! Even though all of these incredible creatures have died out long ago, we can still appreciate the power and wonder that they must have had during their time.

Yes, dinosaurs were awesome creatures! Yet, the best thing about these incredible creatures is that they were created by our majestic and all-powerful God! Even as we think about these incredible creatures called dinosaurs we can give praise and glory to our awesome God!

Our question this week centers on the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. These verses can be confusing and difficult for believers to grasp. Why would Jesus need to be baptized by John? Since Jesus was perfect and sinless He didn't need to express repentance so why would He do this? 

The Bible is clear-God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. He did this through a public ministry of preaching and baptizing. His baptism was a public way of preparing the people of Israel to repent of their sins and ultimately to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Of note to us is the description of John's baptism - "a baptism of repentance" (Acts 19:4). This description helps us understand John's role as forerunner to Jesus. But the question still remains 'Why did Jesus have to do this?'

In answering this question we need to understand that there was a larger purpose that Jesus had in mind by being baptized by John the Baptist. Although Jesus was sinless and thus without the need to repent, there was still profound meaning in what He did to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15). Specifically this means that Jesus was here identifying Himself with sinners. He will ultimately fulfill and complete a sinless life with a spotless righteousness by bearing our sins on the cross and be raised on the third day. It is this perfect and complete righteousness that Jesus accomplished that will be imputed to us (2 Cor. 5:21). The act of baptism by John the Baptist was a necessary part of His full righteousness He secured for sinners. Other powerful dimensions to this first public event of the ministry of Jesus include:

1. It pictured His death and resurrection
2. It therefore prefigured the significance of Christian baptism
3. It marked His first public identification with those whose sins He would bear
4. It was a public affirmation of His messiahship by testimony directly from heaven. The Father's command to hear His Son and the Spirit's confirmation officially inaugurated Christ's ministry.

So, as always, God had in mind something much more profound and meaningful than we see at first sight. Praise God!