Which Way Will You Go?

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt. 7. 13-14).

In my marriage my wife deals with the maps; I take care of the driving. Maps confuse me with all the different colors and the crazy lines. Which way am I even supposed to hold it? When you’re in a strange place it’s important that you have two things: One, a map and; Two, someone who can understand it and tell you where to go. The reason of course is that a mistake in direction can mean disaster.

This is similar to what Jesus is telling us in this passage. There are only two ways to go: Either the narrow gate which leads to life or the wide gate which leads to destruction. He has just laid out the map for us in the Sermon on the Mount. Those who follow Jesus cannot just relax and take the easy road. But we must live our lives in light of the Kingship of Christ. When we pledge our allegiance to Jesus we start on a new road. We live our lives in the present in accordance with God’s good future. Jesus’ teaching tells us what life looks like when the Kingdom breaks into his disciples’ lives. When Jesus becomes King this is how his servants live.

But he has not left us alone on the journey. Like my wife helping go in the right direction, Jesus has given us his Spirit through which he administers his rule from heaven. He has also given his life for us, choosing the hard road of the cross, ensuring us that our sins are forgiven through faith in his name. We have amnesty with this great King and we can live joyfully as his subjects in the present world. What a gracious king Jesus is!

He Doesn't Believe Jesus Is God But This Is What He Says...

I was reading through the book Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ and I found this surprising quote by John Hick who denies the deity of Christ:

"Traditional orthodoxy says that Jesus of Nazareth was God incarnate...who became man to die for the sins of the world and who founded the church to proclaim this to the ends of the earth, so that all who sincerely take Jesus as their Lord and Savior are justified by his atoning death and will inherit eternal life. It follows from this that Christianity, alone among the world religions, was founded by God in person. God came down from heaven to earth and launched the salvific movement that came to be know as Christianity. From this premise it seems obvious that God must wish all human beings to enter this stream of saved life, so that Christianity shall supersede all the other world faiths. They may perhaps have some good in them and be able to function to some extent as a preparation for the gospel, but nevertheless Christianity alone is God's own religion...It is therefore divinely intended for all men and women without exception. All this follows logically from the central dogma of the deity of Jesus."

He is exactly right. The deity of Christ is so offensive to our culture because it claims Christianity alone to be "God's religion". So how important is Christ's deity to us?

Christmas Tradition

I love Christmas. Yes I like the presents. I love the family. I love the food. I love going to my parents church, lighting candles and singing Christmas hymns. I love going to the Pilkey’s (family friends) on Christmas eve and thinking how it just seemed like yesterday that I was sitting in that same basement eating red Jello salad. Together all these things make up the Christmas tradition that I have come to know and I love it.

More recently, however, I have come to celebrate a new tradition. Whenever Christmas is approaching I start early with the Christmas music (Not the Santa kind but the Jesus kind. Handel’s Messiah is a favorite). I pick up a Jesus book (This year it’s Putting Jesus in His Place by Bowman and Komoszewski). I read through a gospel; and then I thank God for the Incarnation. I like this tradition and I highly recommend it!

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Matt. 1.23).

Written by Nick Mitchell © 2008 The King and His Kingdom Blog

Jesus Preached.

"And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan" (Matt. 4.23-25).

Throughout the gospels Jesus preaches. It is important to note that the gospel is a message that is to be spoken. We need to emphasize this in a culture where if you're not being 'preachy' then you're doing us all a favor.

With that said, Jesus' ministry is not characterized by preaching alone. It is often said that he heals the sick and casts out demons. In other words, he is helping those who are dealing with the sufferings due to living in a fallen world. He demonstrates, through his healing, what the kingdom looks like. This is what it looks like when Jesus becomes King.

Christians need to follow Jesus in this regard. However, we cannot say 'Im a Jesus follower' just because we do good things to people. Following Jesus does not simply mean doing good things. We need to accompany our good works with preaching. Giving food to a homeless person is not preaching the gospel. It can be interpreted a thousand of different ways. Yes, help people. Show our world what it looks like when Jesus becomes King! But then explain yourself.

The sad thing is we can give people a foretaste of the Kingdom and they can miss out on it all together if we never tell them how to enter in. As is evident in the Scriptures, people need their sins forgiven. They have offended the Lord of the world. Yet, as John Piper says, 'we can have amnesty with the King'. We can be sure that if we have faith in him that times of refreshing will come. So again, show people what it looks like when Jesus becomes King but don't let people miss out on the Kingdom.

Free Hymns

Covenant Life Church is giving hymns away for free!

Is Our Gospel Big Enough For Mary?

We need to heed the warning of Mark Dever when he asked the question at T4G 2008', "Is our Gospel too big?" We must be careful of calling everything gospel. But it seems to me that part of the good news, at least for Mary, was what Thomas Schreiner calls 'the great reversal' (as he says in his introduction to Luke in the ESV Study Bible). This is what it looks like when Jesus becomes king.

"'And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear himfrom generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thronesand exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his offspring forever'" (Luke 1.46-55 ESV).

Written by Nick Mitchell © 2008 The King and His Kingdom Blog

The Gospel According to Acts 1

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost (2:14-41)

• The Spirit was a key promise of the messianic age (i.e. the last days) and this Spirit has now arrived inaugurating the last days (vv.14-20).
• Jesus’ death did not mean that God had abandoned him. In fact, it was all part of the divine will (i.e. there is significance in Christ’s death). God was sovereign over Christ’s suffering (i.e. God is sovereign even over evil) and demonstrated his acceptance of Jesus by releasing him from death (vv. 22-31).
• Jesus has been exalted to the highest honour in heaven and now pours out the Holy Spirit on his people (vv.32-35).
• God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah (v.36).
• Because of this message people must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. They will receive the Holy Spirit. These blessings are for all people (vv.28-39).

The Messiah that was promised and prophesied in the OT has come. Jesus, the Messiah, is now reigning in heaven from his throne. The promises of the eschaton are now partially here (i.e. the Spirit is already here but the final consummation of the earth is not yet.). Jesus is the Lord and promised King who bestows end-time salvation in the present on those who call on him. Everyone who repents and turns to Christ receives the forgiveness of their sins and the eschatological gift of the Spirit. Peter’s gospel has a promise/fulfillment theme. It also highlights the Trinitarian work of God (i.e. God has made Jesus Lord and King and Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit.). We also see hints of the ‘already’ not ‘yet’. The Gospel is the announcement of who Jesus is and the salvation that is available through his name.

Written by Nick Mitchell © 2008 The King and His Kingdom Blog