go after the root (Matt 5:29-30)

Matthew 5: 29-30

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Whereas the early church father Origen, followed these words literally and castrated himself, we can be confident that Jesus that jesus didn't expect us to be chopping body parts off! Our eye and hand does not cause us to sin, we could chop them off and the sin would still be there. Jesus shocking words show the serious attitude we should have towards our sin. Where we see sin, we should take action - not that we can defeat it in our own strength, but that our deepest desire is to follow Jesus. We tend to tolerate sin and prefer to just subdue it a bit rather than go after the root. We should be waging war on it. As John Owen says, "be killing sin, or sin will be killing you"

The Pharisees righteousness did not have a violent attitude to sin, it was happy to maintain an appearance of keeping sin at bay but was not concerned with going deeper and digging out the root. Our righteousnees needs to be greater than the Pharisees and that means looking below the surface of our sin. In our own strength, maybe we can keep the visible weeds at bay. Jesus attacks the root.

nothing happened (matt 5:27-28)

Matthew 5:27-28

You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus' previous example of how surface-level righteousness is not enough was murder, which is at least still recognised as wrong in our society, where as his second example of adultery may not be. Currently, people may not be bothered to be viewed as an "adulterer" and, although it does probably still carry some degree of shame for most people today, the audience Jesus was speaking to would be shocked at the accusation of adultery. They were no doubt proud that they had not broken the law because they had not committed adultery but Jesus again goes deeper and proves us all guilty of the same root sin by looking at others lustfully.

No doubt, we could excuse our "looking with lustful intent" and even harbour some sort of pride that no action has been taken and no "cheating" has taken place, but Jesus blows that idea out of the water. We are all guilty. At what point did David sin with Bathsheba? Was it only when they went to bed, or had it started long before that when a random glance at a roof turned into an inquiry and a meeting?

We may keep the letter of the law externally but we break it internally. We might make a distinction between the two but God doesn't.

I'm offended (Matt 5:25-26)

Matthew 5:25-26

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly I say to you, you will never get out until you pay the last penny

The selfish anger that Jesus attacks in this section of the sermon on the mount can drive a wedge between people. Christians will hurt each other, we will get offended and cause offense - that is guaranteed due to the remaining sin in our lives. However churches should be full of people who are seeking reconciliation when those things happen. Instead, churches are too often full of people holding onto grudges against their brothers and sisters or being more willing to stop attending church than attempt reconciliation. We, enemies of God, have been reconciled to God through Jesus death on the cross, should be seeking reconciliation with others. We, who have been shown mercy, should be showing mercy to others.

Jesus says our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. They were pleased that they didn't murder. We can not be satisfied that we managed to not hit/slap/bite/shout but repentant for the anger/contempt/passive aggressiveness that is in our heart and cry out to God for mercy.

anger affects your worship (Matt 5:23-24)

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Jesus has already pointed out that we are all guilty of selfish anger but we often feel like it's alright to hold onto it as long as it is internal and we don't act, or at least keep our angry acts to a minimum. But the person who holds a grudge and nurses an offense who faithful attends church, gives financially and never misses a bible study has not done enough good to offset the bad. Jesus says that person should work for reconciliation and come back to church later. To God, the anger that we have in our heart is more important than the outward show of religious practices that we might be able to maintain.

anger (Matt5:21-22)

Matthew 5:21-22

You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement." But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brohter will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says "you fool" will be liable to the fire of hell.

Not being a murder is often our favourite way of justifying ourselves. Start talking about sin and sooner or later someone will say "well, at least I haven't killed anyone". Jesus offends all of us when he says that anyone who is angry is guilty of the same sin - which makes all of us guilty.

This is not talking about righteous anger because Jesus himself got angry. But our anger is rarely righteous, it is much more likely to be self-centered - someone said something we didn't like, someone didn't treat us in the way we thought we should be treated etc.

there is a place for burning with anger at sin and injustice. Our problem is that we burn with indignation and anger, not at sin and injustice, but at offense to ourselves. In none of the cases in which Jesus became angry was his personal ego wrapped up in the issue... Let us admit it - by and large we are quick to be angry when we are personally affronted and offended, and slow to be angry when sin and injustice multiply in other areas.
DA Carson

  Jesus points the finger at this selfish anger - insulting others, calling them fools (Jesus called the Pharisees fools [Matt 23:17&19] but calling somebody a fool as a fact is different to saying it in contempt, in the same way that warning someone of the dangers of hell is different to saying "go to hell"). Indeed, we are assumed to be the guilty party in the applications - your brother has something against you, you are likely to be found guilty in the court room.

We are guilty of this anger and are in the same position as the murder before God, without excuse. But, while our anger is selfish, Jesus' anger was selfless. He was so angry with our sin that he dealt with it, out of love, by going to the cross. That sets us free, we no longer need to be enslaved to the selfish anger that bears grudges and gets offended.

you have heard it said (Matt 5:21)

Matthew 5:21

You have heard that it was said....

... But I say to you...

Jesus is not contradicting God's law or changing it, but showing that it goes deeper than they thought. The hebrew language had died out, people were reliant on the communication of God's law to them by the Pharisees. Jesus shows that the communication of external behavioural principles was not at the heart of the law, the law penetrates to the attitudes of the heart. The prophets of the OT would stand up and say "thus says the Lord". Jesus says "I say to you". This is not a man's speculation on God's will but God himself speaking. We should listen.

be more righteous (Matt 5:20)

Matthew 5:20

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

This would have been a shocking statement for Jesus' disciples and the crowds to hear. We might be used to thinking of the Pharisees as the bad guys in the story but, at the time, there would have seemed to be no group of people more committed to following and serving God. The Pharisees devoted their entire lives to God's law and went to whatever lengths necessary to avoid breaking it, making laws around the laws to avoid going anywhere near sin.

So if Jesus is saying it is necessary to be more righteous than that, who stands a chance? Exactly. I have not tried as hard as the Pharisees to be righteous and neither have you. But they were not righteous enough. The greater righteousness that Jesus talks about is not about going further than them - follow 700 laws instead of 600 hundred - but about going deeper. The righteousness that the Pharisees were concerned with was about modifying behaviour but Jesus looks beyond that into the heart. As he will go on to explain, Jesus says that it is possible to obey a command externally but break it internally with our attitudes. If you thought you're actions were ok, there's a deeper level were you fail. If you already thought your actions were bad enough, it's worse than you thought!

That is why it's such great news that God made him who knew no sin [Jesus] to become sin, so that , in him, we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

pick and mix (Matt 5:19)

Matthew 5:19

Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven

Jesus condemns the pick and mix attitude we often have to the bible. We take a hard line on the bits we think we can do, or that we think others should do, and we ignore or "reinterpret" the parts we don't want to do. That has the knock-on effect of teaching others to do the same, whether that is explicit instruction or implicit through our lifestyle. Jesus is clear in his high view of God's law. God defines righteousness and sin, not us. He speaks, we listen.

god's law (Matt 5:18)

Matthew 5:18

Truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished

Why should we believe the old testament? Because Jesus did. Jesus seems to think that every word matters - he says that neither the smallest greek (iota) or hebrew (dot) letter will pass from the law until everything has been accomplished. He says that heaven and earth will pass away before God's law - God's law being the constant by which we evaluate the culture of the particular time and place we live in, not our culture evaluating the bible. Treating the bible as our highest authority is unfashionable and counter-cultural, even in churches! But that's the attitude Jesus had and we should follow.

fulfilled (matt 5:17)

Matthew 5:17

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

When Jesus refers to the law and the prophets he is referring to the Old Testament. If Jesus came to abolish the OT then it would be of no use to us and it shouldn't be in our bibles, but he makes it clear he has not come to abolish it. If the Old Testament law still applied to us in it's entirety we would be on a path to despair as we tried to keep it, or would be forced to ignore parts, picking and choosing the sections we want to obey. But Jesus came to fulfill the OT, so it is not a burden and it is not pointless. It enriches our understanding of Jesus and the gospel.

We are no longer under the curse of failing to keep the moral law because He fulfilled it and died for our failure to keep it.

We do not need the sacrificial system because Jesus is our priest, our temple and our sacrifice. 

We don't need a king - Jesus is our King

shocking atitudes

The beatitudes turn the world's idea of happiness upside down. they also turn the religious establishment's idea of happiness upside down!

True happiness is found in:

• having no confidence in your own performance NOT self-esteem or self-righteous "achievements"
• being grieved over sin and repenting NOT ignoring and justifying our sin
• putting others first NOT looking after number one
• recognising our total dependance on God NOT self-sufficiency or God as a co-pilot
• showing mercy NOT demanding justice
• examining internal attitudes NOT perfecting external behaviour
• seeking peace NOT seeking comfort
• enduring difficulties because of an eternal hope NOT relying on present circumstances

Jesus says it isn't the self-sufficient, it isn't the self-righteous, it isn't the proud, it isn't the strong, it isn't the capable, it isn't the courageous, it isn't the confident, it isn't the satisfied, it isn't the angry, the powerful, the rebellious...who are going to come into the kingdom, it is rather the broken, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers and the persecuted and the reviled and the slandered who make up His kingdom. They're the real kingdom citizens. Well, this is an absolutely shocking message. John Macarthur

light (matt 5:14-16)

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

The world is in darkness and needs to see the light of God's self-revelation, culminating in Jesus. God's plan for that to happen is for the church to be salt and light in the world. Jesus is the true light. he is the sun, we are the moon, reflecting his light, but the moon still stands out in the darkness. Christianity is not designed to be a private faith- the church is to be a city on a hill, a lamp on a stand. Standing out as different and proclaiming the gospel so that the result is that some will glorify God. Is your christian community visible to others? Do others see the reflected light of Jesus, or are we ignoring the maker's instructions and putting the light under a basket because it feels a bit safer?

salty (Matt 5:13)

Matthew 5:13

you are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost it's taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet

Single grains of salt do nothing by themselves but as a community of Christians, the church should be like salt in society.

• purity - The church should hold up an example of purity. The Holy Spirit's work in our hearts does affect our behaviour, and that should be noticeable. But one of the main changes that should occur is in our attitude towards our own sin. Because we recognise our own sin is great, and our need is great, but we have been forgiven by a great saviour, we do not need to cover up our sin, we do not need to try and pretend that we are living a better life than we actually are. unfortunately, the church is often seen as pointing the finger at other people's problems while glossing over it's own. The example of Christians being progressively sanctified, not least through ongoing repentance, confession and reconciliation, stands out in an impure world.
• taste - The "life" outside of Jesus is not really life, it is just existence. You cannot really live outside of the kingdom of the author of life. Do people look at the church as people who have tasted and seen that the lord is good? As Jesus said in the previous verses, we can expect persecution and suffering, but Christianity should be characterised by a deep joy, the true happiness that Jesus describes in the beatitudes. "men have nothing in them but what is tasteless, till they have been seasoned with the salt of heavenly doctrine" Calvin
• thirst - The life of the christian community should create a thirst in those exposed to it for more. "I want what you've got" may sound like a cliche, but do people looking at the church think that they are missing something or do they think that they are better off without it?!
• preservative - The church should be a positive influence on society. Serving others, being generous, loving our enemies. If your church closed down, would the community miss it?

persecution (Matt5:10-12)

Matthew 5:10-12

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for you reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.

We should not be surprised to be persecuted for being a Christian. Whatever form that takes - mockery, isolation, rejection, financial, torture or even death - the prophets were persecuted, Jesus was persecuted and he said we would be as well. A life marked by the characteristics in the beatitudes will attract persecution in itself because it in itself is a criticism of the life lived outside of Jesus. Recognising our spiritual poverty is a criticism of other's pride. Mourning over our sin points out that there is such a thing as sin. Being meek causes selfishness to stand out. Being hungry and thirsty for righteousness is a comment on the other things people hunger and thirst for. Purity of heart highlights the impure. Making peace can cause conflict with those who don't want to. 

But not being surprised when persecution comes is a lot different to describing it as being blessed! True happiness can be found through persecution?! Jesus tells us to rejoice and be glad because of our great reward in heaven. Persecution makes us long for our future, it reminds us not to get too comfortable, it makes us more aware of our spiritual poverty, more mournful over our sin, more humble, more desperate for God.

We are not to be happy about the persecution itself, but the presence of persecution drives us to the source of true happiness - God. We might think that a life free from persecution would be happy, but there is far more danger that we would take our eyes off God. We look at the seen instead of the unseen and so persecution seems bad. But:

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 corinthians4:16-18)

peacemakers (Matt5:9)

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God

To be a peacemaker is not the same thing as wanting a bit of peace and quiet. It is not "anything for an easy life". That is essentially selfish. To be a peacemaker requires the selflessness already described in the beatitudes (meekness etc). Making peace will be difficult. It may often require some conflict, not pretending that the conflict isn't there. It may require words that are hard to say and receive instead of bruching things under the carpet. Peacemakers will be called sons of God. THE son of God came on a mission to bring peace between us and God. It involved him loving people who everyone hated, confronting religious leaders, violating social conventions, being hated by others and ultimately dying a brutal death on a cross. The peace that his death purchased for us should motivate a pursuit of peace with others.

pure in heart (Matt5:8)

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

The heart is what you are, in the secrecy of your thought and feeling, when nobody knows but God. 

Piper

Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. We try to look pure to impress others and maybe God. God requires a clean heart. A pure heart will result in seeing God, being welcomed in to his presence. So all those with a pure heart form an orderly queue!

If we think we meet this criteria, that is a clear sign that we don't - we haven't recognised our spiritual poverty, owned our sin, responded humbly and hunger and thirsting for God. If those things are true then we will cry out like David "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10). Fortunately, God can and will do that. The only person to ever live with a pure heart, died in our place so that we can be washed clean and enter into God's presence.

mercy (Matt5:7)

Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy

Is this works-based salvation straight out of the mouth of Jesus? If you want to receive mercy then make sure you're merciful? That can't be the case for a number of reasons. Firstly, it would not fit in with the message of the entire bible. Secondly, it makes know logical sense - if you showed mercy in order to receive mercy then you would have earned it... in which case it is no longer mercy! Thirdly, this comes within the context of the other beatitudes. The merciful person is someone who has recognised their own spiritual bankruptcy (v3), owned their sin and repented (v4), humbly entrusted themselves to God (v5) and recognised their absolute dependance on him (v6). Merciful people are people who have received mercy. If you don't recognise your need for mercy, you are unlikely to show it to others. 

This verse also does not promise that if you show mercy to someone they will return the favour. If it did then Jesus' own life would have disproved it - he was the most merciful person that ever lived, yet he was brutally murdered. But we are assured that we will recieve God's mercy for eternity. True happiness is found in a life marked by mercy - receiving and giving.

satisfaction (Matt 5:6)

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Satisfaction is the elusive goal that motivates the modern world. A wife, a husband, a different wife, a house, a different car, a job, a promotion, a reputation, more money, more power, more sex, more comfort, more control - these are the things we chase thinking that, when we have got them, we will be satisfied. But when they are achieved they leave us hungry for more.

Jesus says that those who will be satisfied are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is not people who want to appear righteous to gain approval from others or God, but people who have recognised they have no righteousness of their own and their absolute dependance on God. Not people who have a passing interest in theology or a vague belief in God but know they need God's word like they need bread, who know they need the Spirit like they need water. This is not Christianity as an beneficial add-on to life - it is life itself.

meekness (Matt 5:5)

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth

To be meek is to be gentle, humble, not pursuing our own agenda, seeking other's interests before our own (Phil 2:4). Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the meekest man on the face of the earth and the context of that chapter is Moses refusing to defend himself in the face of accusations and entrusting himself to God. Meekness is not weakness, Moses was the greatest leader of Jewish history. It is the opposite of self-centredness. It grows out of the first two beatitudes - when you recognise your spiritual poverty and take your sin seriously, you will be meek.

The meek will inherit the earth. This is the exact opposite of conventional wisdom. If you want to inherit the earth, if you want to achieve happiness and satisfaction, surely you've got to look out for number one? Surely you've got to aggressively pursue your own agenda because, if you don't look after yourself, who else will? Jesus says the opposite is true. True satisfaction, true happiness, true joy comes to the person who has been humbled  by their own brokenness and thrown themselves on God's mercy. We are then free to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

mourning (Matt 5:4)

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Surely mourning can not be part of true happiness? Maybe churchgoers have done their best to be mourn*full* but have done so out of a misguided notion of asceticism, not in an attempt to attain greater joy. Those who mourn take their own sin seriously, take other peoples sin seriously and are greived by a sinful broken world. The world might tell us to ignore this as much as we can - that you are a good person, that people are generally good - but when life doesn't match up to those ideas, things start to fall apart and we end up crumbling in despair or deluding ourselves.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  2 Corinthians 7:10

True happiness, true comfort is found in taking sin seriously and taking it to the cross. Repenting and knowing our sins are forgiven. Knowing that the sins against us and those we love can be entrusted to the one who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23). And knowing that one day "[God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

poor in spirit (Matt 5:3)

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Poverty of spirit is the personal acknowledgement of spiritual bankruptcy. It is the conscious confession of unworth before God. Carson

To be poor in spirit is to recognise our own sinfulness before God, to have no confidence in our own ability to make ourselves acceptable to God, to recognise that we need help, we can not sort it out ourselves. This is the starting point for understanding and recieveing the gospel, entering into the kingdom heaven where true life is found, finding true happiness.

To be proud or hold out some hope in our own goodness is to miss this entirely. To have confidence in ourselves is not liberating, it is enslaving. The advice of the world would be that you can change yourself, you can try harder, just believe in yourself. This places a crushing load on your back and leads to misguided self-righteousness if you think you're doing better than someone else, or despair as you repeatedly fail to meet the standards you have set for yourself, let alone those God has declared. Or maybe the world would say that you should cast off those moral expectations, true happiness is found in doing what you want to do, but this can not deal with the nagging guilt and shame. The church tends not to do much better, holding up religious performance, external efforts as the way to enter the kingdom of heaven, and happiness doesn't really have much to do with it.

Confessing our own failure and relying on Jesus performance, not ours, brings freedom, life and a happiness that is not dependent on whether we have had a good day or a bad day.

The sermon on the mount (Matt 5:1-3)

Matthew 5:1-3

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus sits down and opens his mouth to teach - what he is about to say is big. The sermon on the mount is one of the most important pieces of teaching ever delivered. It is widely admired, even outside of the Christian faith. The fact that Ghandi loved the sermon on the mount suggests that the sermon on the mount may be one of the most misunderstood pieces of teaching ever delivered as well as the most important! 

Two important ideas are introduced straight away:

• Blessed - Jesus is going to describe who is blessed, what being blessed is like. The greek word is makarios which means happy or fortunate. If we want to think of this as happiness, then we need to think of it as true happiness (Calvin) rather than the fleeting happiness of the world that is dependent on circumstances. This true happiness is not found in what is happening around you but it is a gift of God, it is God's favour shown towards you, God's approval shown towards you.
• The kingdom of heaven - In one sense, the whole universe is God's kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. But the kingdom described here is found within that wider kingdom, where Jesus rules and reigns, where true life is found. At the moment there is an overlap between this kingdom and the world but in the future this kingdom will endure forever. The kingdom of heaven is now and not yet (see Carson)

Jesus will talk about what it means to live in his kingdom and what it means to be blessed by God. His teaching will be quite different to what the world considers happiness to be

divided heart

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name

(Ps 86:11)

So often my heart is divided, I know the truth but I'm not walking in it. I fear man more than God. The opinions and approval of others become an overbearing weight and as a result my heart is divided. Lord, teach me your ways. Give me an undivided heart.

among the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12)

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore, I will divide him a portion among the many, and he shall divide the spoil among the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered among the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus is pictured here as a victorious king after a battle. the cross looked like a battle that Jesus lost, but it was actually where the greatest victory took place. It is not temporary, Jesus has won, we know the end result! 

  

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:8-11 ESV)

Jesus poured out his soul unto death, but the death was on our behalf - he bore the sins of many. He was numbered among the transgressors, although he wasn't one, and he make intercession for us. Jesus took our place, and stands in the gap between us and God, his death meaning we can enter God's presence again. That is the message about the suffering servant in Isaiah 53

trade (Isaiah 53:11)

Isaiah 53:11

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

The crucifixion was not easy for Jesus - he suffered. But he was ultimately satisfied, there are no regrets for him, his mission was accomplished.

By his knowledge - or the knowledge of him - there is an exchange: he bore our iniquities and the righteousness of the righteous one makes us righteous!

it worked (Isaiah 53:10b)

Isaiah 53:10b

when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

When Jesus cancelled our guilt through his death:

• "he shall see his offspring" - Jesus will "see" us because we are welcomed back into the family of God, no longer cut off
• "he shall prolong his days" - Jesus is raised and will reign forever. His death did mark the end of his kingdom but the next stage in his rule
• "the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" - this was God's plan and it has been successful!

Jereboam

Jereboam was a servant of Solomon, and God decided to make him king over the (divided) nation of Israel (1 Kings 11:26-40). Jereboam went from nothing to ruling a kingdom and it was a gift from God, he had done nothing for it. You would think that, of all people, Jereboam would realise that everything has been given to him by God, and that knowledge would lead to a life marked by trusting and following Him out of heart-felt gratitude. Unfortunately, once he had the kingdom, he starts to worry about losing it and relying on his own efforts to keep it (1 Kings 12:25-33). Before long this has ended up in nationwide idolatry - encouraging the people to worship 2 golden calves and setting up his own religious feasts and rituals.

It's easy to look at Jereboam and recognise his stupidity, but we do exactly the same thing! Everything we have is a gift from God. Your spouse, your house and your salvation are all gracious gifts from him. When we forget that, we start to worry about losing those things and hatching our own plans to control and keep them. Before long, we are worshiping and sacrificing at the golden calves of approval, finances or our own moral performance. Don't be stupid! God gave you the gift in the first place, worship the giver, not the gift.

according to plan (Isaiah 53:9-10)

Isaiah 53:9-10a

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief.

Jesus was condemned as a criminal although he was totally innocent in word and deed. He didn't just suffer, he died and was buried (with a rich man in his death - fulfilled by Jesus burial in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb, see Matt 27:57-60). Why did this massive "injustice" happen. It wasn't an accident. It happened because it was God's will - it was God's rescue plan.

Acts 2:23 this Jesus, delivered up according to  he definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

do you understand? (Isaiah 53:8)

Isaiah 53:8

By oppression and judgement he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

Jesus' generation saw his death happen, they heard him talk about it, they knew the prophecies. But they did not consider it - think about it, reflect on it, understand it's meaning. The same is true today. Most people are aware that Jesus died but don't know why. Maybe they've even heard that he died "for us" in someway but they do not consider why that matters. Without the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to the meaning of the gospel, we may hear it as a fact but will be blind to it's message.

He chose the cross (Isaiah 53:7)

Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Jesus could have spoken up in his own defense at his trial, as the accusations against him were false and conflicting. Jesus could have spoken a single word and, the same voice that brought creation into existence, could have destroyed his opponents, or called down armies of angels or brought himself down from the cross. Think about how outraged we feel when we have false accusations made against us. Even though none of them will come anywhere close to this situation, we are desperate to defend ourselves, to set the record straight. Jesus didn't. He remained silent. He chose the cross.

In Acts 8, the Ehtiopian eunuch is reading this passage from Isaiah and doesn't understand it. Phillip, starting from these verses, "told him the good news about Jesus." (Acts 8:35). Phillip probably said something similar to Peter's reflections on the same themes in 1 Peter 2:22-25

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

substitution (Isaiah 53)

sub·sti·tute 

a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.

to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.

The heart of the message of the cross is substitution. Jesus took our place. This is reinforced again and again in Isaiah 53:

• v4 surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows 
• v5 he was wounded for our transgressions
• v5 he was crushed for our iniquities
• v5 upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace
• v5 with his stripes we are healed
• v6 the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all
• v8 he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people
• v11 he shall bear their iniquities
• v12 he bore the sin of many 
   

There was an exchange. He took our sin. he gave us his righteousness. Amazing!

wandering (Isaiah 53:6)

Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

We are like sheep, wandering off from the shepherd, turning away from the one who cares for us, provides for us and protects us because we've seen some bit of grass that looks better than the piece we're currently on. Sheep are essentially stupid animals, and so are we. We don't realise that we are turning away from the one who gives us life, setting ourselves on a trajectory towards death. We have all done this. This verse is clear, every one of us has turned away from God. We deserve to be left wandering, but instead, the good shepherd came looking for us, and God laid our iniquity on him

wounded for us (Isaiah 53:5)

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

We start off in a bad place in this verse. We have transgressed - rebelling against our creator, wanting to go our own way. We are also in iniquity, guilty.  Everything we do is twisted and tainted by our selfish, sinful motives. We have not only failed God but also rejected him. 


But, amazingly, by the end of this verse we are in a much better position. We have peace - completeness, contentment, restoration of our relationship with God. And we are healed - brought from death into life.


How did this dramatic turnaround happen? It happened because Jesus was wounded, dying a brutal death in our place. It happened because Jesus was crushed and broken so that we could be restored. It happened because Jesus was chastised, taking God's wrath that our rebellion deserved.

That is God's great love for us. He suffered violence so that we can have peace. He died so that we can have eternal life.

we don't get what we deserve (Isaiah 53:4)

Isaiah 53:4

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

Often we can look at others and we want God to judge them, we want them to get what we think they deserve for their sin. We want to see God teaching them a lesson. No doubt the majority of the crowd at Jesus crucifixion were doing the same thing with Jesus. They judged that he was being punished by God for what he had said and taught. If that wasn't the case, if Jesus didn't deserve it, if he hadn't done anything wrong then why wouldn't God have protected him from this brutal death?

The reality is that Jesus didn't deserve the cross but he chose it, protecting us from the death we do deserve.

man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

• despised - I used to despise the name of Jesus, recoil a bit at it's use. The use of the name in a conversation makes often makes people uncomfortable. Would you sacrifice anything to rescue someone who despised you? He sacrificed his own life for those, including me, who despised him.
• rejected by men - we rejected him we should be rejected by him. Instead, he endured rejection so that we can be accepted.
• man of sorrows - the creator of the universe experiencing sorrow and shame so that we can have eternal joy
• acquainted with grief - God did not have to acquaint himself with grief, but he did so that the suffering we experience now is a light and momentary affliction compared to the eternal weight of glory that lies ahead
• men hide their faces - we did not want him, he pursued us. If he had not loved us first we would still refuse him!
• esteemed him not - though he deserves the highest esteem, honour and glory from us, we consider ourselves on a level with him. the creator says something but, even though I am a created being, I think I know better, I think that I'm a special case. I esteem myself more highly than God.

This is the shocking nature of what happened on the cross.

judging a book by it's cover (Isaiah 53:2)

Isaiah 53:2a

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Jesus didn't appear in power and glory but in humility as a baby that had to grow up, experiencing everything we experienced but without sin. The incarnation was like a root coming up out of dry ground - life in the midst of spiritually dead people, light in the midst of darkness.

Jesus' earthly life didn't happen as we might expect - 30 years in obscurity. 3 years of public ministry during which at times he was popular but at others offended the crowds that were following him. People welcoming him into Jerusalem as a king and then a week later shouting for his death. To an outside observer he was, at best, someone who had a bit of potential as a leader, but wasted it. Someone who needed a better pr manager. That's because man looks at the outside appearance but God looks at the heart - the substance. We judge success on how things look to the outside. Jesus kingdom, during the time of his earthly life, did not look powerful or impressive, but at the heart of it was the all powerful creator God carrying out his plan to rescue mankind from their own deliberate disobedience.

strong? (Isaiah 53:1)

Isaiah 53:1

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

The arm of the Lord is often associated with strength. Isaiah begins this section of his prophecy about the suffering servant with the question about who has believed and had the "arm of the Lord" revealed to them. the suffering servant sounds, and would appear, anything but strong. This seems like weakness. Who would believe it? But God's power is revealed in apparent weakness. The bruised, crushed, afflicted servant that Isaiah is about to describe is the greatest show of God's strength possible - God himself, become man to die in our place and destroy Satan, sin and death!

I am what I am (1 Cor 15:9-10)

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

For I am the least of all the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain.

"I am what I am" is a popular phrase used to excuse almost anything. Yes, I know I gossip/treat my spouse badly/react angrily to criticism/don't pray/don't read my bible/don't go to church if something better comes up... but that's just me, I am what I am! Paul tells the Corinthian church that "by the grace of God I am what I am". Is this justification for our self justification? God is gracious so who cares that I'm not? 

That is the opposite of Paul's meaning. He is astounded by God's grace that has taken him from persecuting the church and, as unworthy as he is, has made him an apostle. God's grace transformed Paul from someone trying to kill off the church to someone who would spend the rest of his life planting churches! Paul's cry of "I am what I am" is "can you believe God is so gracious that I am what I am?" not "don't expect me to change". 

God's grace towards Paul was not in vain. What about us? It changed him. Is it changing us?

witnesses to the resurrection (1 cor15:4-8)

1 corinthians 15:4b-8

...he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, although some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Jesus resurrection transformed people's lives.

• Cephas (Peter) was transformed from someone who was denying that he even knew Jesus into someone boldly proclaiming the gospel, despite the threats of the authorities.
• the Twelve were transformed from a fearful, uncertain and confused group into fearless witness  willing to die for the gospel.
• we don't know the individual stories of the 500 brothers Paul mentions, but he is pointing out to his readers that most of these people are still alive - ask them their story. Every one of them has been transformed.
• James, the brother of Jesus has been transformed from thinking his brother was insane to worshipping him as God!
• Paul was transformed from someone who was persecuting the church and seeking to arrest and murder Christians into the man who God used to take the gospel to the gentile world.

Jesus' life, death and resurrection changes everything!

Jesus is alive (1 cor 15:4)

1 Corinthians 15:4

... he was raised on the third day

Jesus is alive. Death couldn't hold him. No one else has conquered the grave. Because of that, anything that anyone else says about what happens when you die is just speculation. Jesus died and returned and He is not just speculating, we know that our future is resurrection with Him. Because He was raised we know that his sacrifice was effective, our sins are forgiven, it is finished, we are no longer wondering whether we have pleased God because we know Jesus already has. Because Jesus is raised we don't need to be afraid because we see his power that conquered Satan, sin and death and that same power is with us.

Every other "great" religious or political leader is dead or will die. Jesus is alive!

... in accordance with the scriptures (1 cor 15:3-4)

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

The gospel, the good news about who Jesus is and what he has done is in accordance with the scriptures. The gospel is biblical. It is not God's plan B, it is not a change of attitude or approach from the Old Testament. The whole Bible s about, as Shai Linne raps, "man's complete ruin in sin and what God has done through Christ to bring them together again". If we are not rooted in the biblical understanding of the gospel we are prone to make it about other things without Jesus' substitutionary death central. We can't operate on the basis of "it seems to me..." or "surely it wouldn't have happened like that". Jesus death and resurrection were in accordance with the scriptures and that is where we need to look to understand their implications.

substitute (1 cor 15:3)

1 Cor 15:3

For I delivered to you of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.

Jesus died FOR OUR sins. Substitution is the heart of the gospel. He took our place. He lived the life we failed to live. He died the death we should have died. He took our sin. He gives us His righteousness. It is the great exchange. This is not some generalised "he died for the sin of humanity" thing, but deeply personal. He died for MY sins. What a Saviour!

preach the gospel... using words (1 cor 15:1-2)

1 Corinthians 15

v1 Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you...

v2... hold fast to the word I preached to you.

The gospel is news that needs to be told. It can not be fully explained by actions alone, it needs to be spoken. The idea that preaching or telling people about the gospel is not massively important probably comes from a misunderstanding of what the gospel is. The gospel is not advice but news. If it was advice of what we need to do to be good people then that could potentially be sufficiently communicated by actions alone, but people need to be told about news.

"The gospel is news rather than instruction. The Greek term “gospel” (ev-angelion) distinguished the Christian message from that of other religions.
• An “ev-angel” was news of a great historical event that changed the listeners’ condition and required response (such as a victory in war or the ascension of a new king).
• So the gospel is news of what God has done to accomplish salvation through Jesus Christ in history. It is not advice about what we must do to reach God.
• We do not achieve this salvation. We only accept it."

Tim Keller, Gospel Christianity

remember the gospel (1 cor 15:1-2)

1 corinthians 15:1-2a

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand and by which you are being saved.

The people Paul is writing to in Corinth are Christians - Paul calls them brothers and says that they recieved the gospel. So why is he reminding them of the gospel? He is reminding them of the good news about Jesus life, death and resurrection because it is not just something that they heard and understood in the past, but it is also the thing "by which they are being saved". Their growth in the Christian life doesn't come from moving beyond the gospel but by going deeper into it.

• The way to overcome your habit of lying to cover up your mistakes is to understand that the gospel tells us that, although God knows every "mistake" we've made along with every sinful thought and attitude, He loves us and we are accepted by Him not because we stopped doing things wrong or successfully managed to cover them up but because of Jesus' death on the cross.
• The way to stop reacting in anger to your spouse is to understand how God is slow in anger but rich in love towards us, despite the fact that we constantly provoke Him by trying to take His place.

As Tim Keller says, "the gospel is not the ABC of Christianity, it is the A to Z"

rock and redeemer (psalm 19:14)

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Words and the heart behind them are both important. Sometimes we might just be focused on the right words - thinking that because we said the right thing, or didn't say something bad, then we're ok, even though the motives behind the scenes were wrong. Or maybe we go the other way and think the words we say didn't really matter because I didn't really mean them! Both are important. The words flow from the heart. They are both connected.

How do we change in this area? By looking at God. He is described as our rock. He is the only true, solid, stable foundation that we can rely on. everything else we lean our weight on can (and usually will) fail. It's common to hear people saying "they were my rock" but what happens when that person fails to give you what you need? I heard someone say that, for her and another person, "they were each other's rocks". That is nonsensical. How can you rest on someone who is needing you to support them? we need to recognise God as the Rock.

He's not just an unmoving foundation. We've chosen to leave the rock and stand on other things and become enslaved to sin, unable to help ourselves, unable to return to the rock. But God is also the redeemer. He brings us out of slavery. He acts to bring us back to Him. The fault was all ours, we sold ourselves into slavery, but he paid the price of his life to free us. That's the good news of the gospel!

breaking sin's dominion (psalm 19:13)

psalm 19:13

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

As well as our blind spots (v12) we also need help with the sins that we know are wrong and do them anyway. We are justified - freed from the power of sin and we will eventually be glorfied - freed from the presence of sin, but at the moment we are being sanctified - being freed from the power of sin. that is not done in our strength and so we should be regularly praying God for the areas that we know we are tempted in, the areas we know we are struggling. We should not only pray for forgiveness but also for the power of the Holy Spirit to beat sin.

blind spots (psalm 19:12)

Psalm 19:12

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults

We tend to easily notice the errors of those around us while remaining ignorant of our own. By definition, we can't see our blind spots. That is why we need God's word to warn us, why we need the holy spirit to convict us and why we need to be in community with others who will lovingly challenge us when necessary. What should we do when we are made aware of these things? Not try to justify them. Not try to ignore them. Not try to minimise them by comparing ourselves with someone else (that would be declaring ourselves innocent). Not think that we can change in our own strength. We should run to God, who has declared us innocent based on Jesus' work on the cross.

warnings with great reward (psalm 19:11)

Psalm 19:11

Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

God's law acts as a warning to us. Showing us our sin and warning of the consequences. This points us to Jesus, who fulfiled the law and provides a way for us to be rescued and restored despite the fact that we have violated God's law. But, as well as that, this psalm reminds us that there is great reward in following God's law. His commands are not there to give us a poorer quality of life but to give us the best quality to life possible. His commands are for our good.

God's word

In the Bible we find God's testimony about himself, His self-revelation to us, His laws and commands about the way life should work. In Psalm 19 this is described as:

• perfect - complete, providing everything that we need, no fault in it, no deficiency
• sure - not uncertain
• right - not only the opposite of wrong, but the correct way, the correct path
• pure - no bias, no blemish
• clean - clear, can be understood
• true - not a guess at truth like the world offers

do we believe all this. Are we convinced that the bible is perfect?

The effects of god's word on us are:

• it revives the soul - resurrects a dead soul set on destruction!
• makes wise the simple - shows us how life works
• rejoices the heart - gives us joy (in the gospel) despite our circumstances
• enlightens the eyes - letting us see things as they really are
• warns - shows us our sin

that is why it is better than the best thing you can imagine

better than... (psalm 19:10)

psalm 19:10

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

God's word, his revelation to us, is better than gold, sweeter than honey. What God says is better than the best thing you can imagine. The Bible isn't a weighty burden on us, it is good for us. It is the treasure in the field that was worth the man selling everything else he had. It is the pearl that was worth selling every other pearl. It is for His glory, but His glory is also our greatest good!

words that last (psalm 19:9)

psalm 19:9

the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

the fear, awe, reverence of God is something else that we learn from the Bible and it endures forever. People who we might be in awe of, say things that seem wise but those people die and their words are forgotten. God's word endures forever. His rules are true, in contrast to the deceptive "rules" or lack of them (which is a rule in the first place) that are given to us in society. Only God is righteous.

blind experts (psalm 19:8)

Psalm 19:8

the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes

God's revelation to us - about himself, ourselves and how life works - is right and pure, unlike the ideas we invent for ourselves about how we think the world does or should work. It would seem ridiculous for me to claim to be an expert in Physics compared to Einstein for example, but we all seem to think that we're an expert in life. Maybe God, the creator of life, can give us a bit of advice, but otherwise we've pretty much got it sorted! We are self proclaimed experts on life but we are actually walking around in darkness.

proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

"only in the commandments of God that we find the difference between good and evil laid down, and that it is in vain to seek it elsewhere, since whatever men devise of themselves is mere filth and refuse, corrupting the purity of the life. He farther intimates that men, with all their acuteness, are blind, and always wander in darkness, until they turn their eyes to the light of heavenly doctrine. Whence it follows, that none are truly wise but those who take God for their conductor and guide, following the path which he points out to them, and who are diligently seeking after the peace which he offers and presents by his word." Calvin

It's God's word that opens our eyes to see things asthey really are and that news - the depths of our sin but the wonders of his grace, should cause our hearts to rejoice.

reviving wisdom (psalm 19:7)

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, revivng the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

God's law revives! When we feel drained our burned out, we think we need "time off" from what God wants us to do, but it is what God says that will revive us. We see it as a burden, but it is the best way to live, it is lifegiving, it is designed by the author of life! Without Jesus it condemns us, but because Jesus fulfilled it, we can joyfully follow Him.

God's law also makes us wise. We don't apply our wisdom in order to interpret the Bible, it is the Bible that gives us wisdom. The Bible s a book that reads us!

the sun (psalm 19:4b-6)

psalm 19:4b-6

In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from one end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

David uses the sun as another example of creation teaching us about the creator. It is described as a bridegroom leaving his chamber, the newlywed "glowing" couple? Calvin says this refers to surpassing beauty, magnificent splendour. The sun allows us to see everything else but we can't look directly at it without being blinded due to its intense light. It is also like a strong man running a race, you can't stop it, it operates completely independantly from us, yet we are completely dependant on it. Nothing is hidden from its heat, nobody can choose to take the sun out of their life, it was there before us and will be there after us and we are able to live because it is there, not the other way around.

The sun teaches us about God  - he is so glorious that we couldn't stand to look directly at him, we are totally dependant on him for everything, we can't choose to opt out of living in his world (even though we act as if God is encroaching into our life!), we can't stop him, he does what he is going to do whether we like it or not. 

In revelation 21:23 we read about  "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light". As important and massive and powerful as the sun is, God is more important and massive and powerful, and when we go to be with him, we wont need the sun any more!

without excuse (psalm 19:3-4b)

Psalm 19:3-4b

There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

The thrust of these verses is that the "speech" of the universe telling us about the glory of God is everywhere and includes everyone. There is no one who has not heard this "voice". This idea is the key to the passage on idolatry in Romans 1:18-25

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

Let's listen to what the voice of creation tells us about the creator, instead of supressing the truth.

creation and creator (psalm 19:1)

The first verse of psalm 19 tells us that creaton tells us about the glory of God. It doesn't say that creation is God (pantheism). Creaton and creator are seperate things, with the creator obviously superior. The universe can tell us many things about the wonderful creator, but the universe is something God made, not something He is

daily reminders (psalm 19:2)

psalm 19:2

day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge

Creation is always telling us about the creator. Are we listening? We assume that one day will follow the next, but the regular pattern of day following night following day should remain us of the faithfulness and reliability of God. He is unchanging in his position towards us. Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful. We rely on many things to support us that can't promise anything. God is perfectly reliable. We have no need to look elsewhere.

the skies speak (psalm 19:1)

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims his handiwork

Everything we see tells us something about God. Creation talks to us about the creator. When we look up, we see the sky (which appears to go on forever) or space (which does go on forever) and we should be reminded that God is bigger. God made everything we see, he is powerful. We can't go anywhere to escape being under the sky or heavens, God is everywhere, we are never cut off from his presence, there is nowehere that is outside his sphere of control. The sky fascinates us with clouds, sunrises and sunsets and tells us that God is creative. 

Are we listening to the voce of creation? It points towards a creator. Someone bigger, someone better, someone behind everything, someone in control of anything - humbling us (looking at the sky or thinking about space reminds us of how small we are) but at the same time making us more secure (knowing that God is not out of control). Creation also tells us that God is good, he is worthy of praise, he is glorious - we are amazed, speechless, breathtaken, emotional, stimulated when we consider creation, which is just a shadow of the creator!

"When we behold the heavens, we cannot but be elevated, by the contemplation of them, to Him who is their great Creator; and the beautiful arrangement and wonderful variety... together with the beauty and splendor which are manifest in them, cannot but furnish us with an evident proof of his providence. Scripture, indeed, makes known to us the time and manner of the creation; but the heavens themselves, although God should say nothing on the subject, proclaim loudly and distinctly enough that they have been fashioned by his hands: and this of itself abundantly suffices to bear testimony to men of his glory. As soon as we acknowledge God to be the supreme Architect, who has erected the beauteous fabric of the universe, our minds must necessarily be ravished with wonder at his infinite goodness, wisdom, and power." Calvin

seeking our own interests

We have an in-built tendency to seek our own interests instead of others. It's called sin! We are happy enough to think about others interests when it doesn't affect us too much. Or we are willing to put ourselves out when we think there will be some sort of return later. Paul's letter to the Philippians instructs the exact opposite. He encourages a counter-cultural attitude when he says in Philippians 2:4, "let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others".

How does an obsession with my own interests affect my life?

• Do I have a high concern for my own comfort or, like Paul, am I viewing whatever happens to me as a way for the gospel to advance? (1:12-14)
• Do I feel a sense of rivalry with others or am I rejoicing that the gospel is being preached, even if those doing the preaching don't like me! (1:15-18)
• Am I living my life for something that will end when I die, or am I living my life for Jesus and look forward to being with him eternally (1:21-25)
• Do I see myself as more significant than others, or others more significant than myself? (2:4)
• Do I grumble and complain about most things? (2:14)
• Am I thinking about my own welfare or, like Timothy, genuinely concerned for the welfare of others? (2:19-22)
• Am I concerned about my own safety or, like Epaphroditus, willing to risk my life for the work of Christ? (2:29-30)
• Do I expect my own accomplishments to be impressive to others or God, or do I recognise them as rubbish and depend on Jesus' work instead of my own? (3:4-9)
• Is my mind set on earthly things or do I recognise that I am a citizen of heaven? (3:18-20)
• Am I anxious when things seem out of control, or do I pray and trust God (4:6-7)
• Do I think that getting something or achieving something will bring me contentment or have I learned to be content in any situation? (4:11-13)
• Am I generous with my money or do I give to support the needs of others? (4:15-17)

We probably don't do to well on this list. What's the answer? Look at Jesus. He was the one person who truly did not seek his own interests, but he gave everything up for us. He "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (2:5-11)". No matter how concerned we are with our own interests, we can't fix ourselves. Jesus took care of our needs, let's think about the needs of others.

philippians word clouds

chapter 1


chapter 2


chapter 3


chapter 4


whole book

focussed on grace (phil 4:23)

Philippians 4:23

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Paul finishes his letter to the Philippians in the same place he started - the grace of Jesus Christ. That is what it is all about. Grace gives him joy in prison. Grace affects Paul's approach to life and death. Grace is what we see in Jesus' incarnation and death. Grace is what motivates servants of the gospel like Timothy and Epaphroditus. Grace is what makes Paul count all his works as rubbish. Grace is what causes Paul to strive towards the goal of being with Christ. Grace inspires unity, humility and generousity. The message of the gospel, the grace shown to us through Jesus, is what defines the Christian life.

real people (phil 4:21-22)

Philippians 4:21-22

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caeser's household.

Paul always has (usually extended) greetings in his letters. This is a community of believers. This is not Paul discharging information through an academic paper distrbuted to faceless learners. It involves real relationships between real people. that is how the christian life operates.

every need supplied (phil 4:19-20)

Philippians 4:19-20

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen

God can and will supply every need we have. What we think our needs are may not actually be our greatest need. We think our greatest need is comfort, security, happiness. The greatest riches that God can give us is His glory, most clearly on display through Jesus Christ. My greatest need isn't for God to get me a job or a wife, my greatest need is to see who God is and what he has done in the purpose and work of Jesus Christ.

investment (phil 4:17-18)

Philippians 4:17-18

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have recieved full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

The talk about money in the last few verses is not a case of Paul trying to get rich but getting them to see that they are investing in the advanceof the gospel. Their investment is bearing fruit, the church is growing, people's lives are being transformed. This is worshipping God with money - an offering and sacrifice to God. This is the best thing to spend your money on. It is the only investment that lasts eternally.