His Word Today

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“ (Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

I threw my phone out of the window, I’m so over it
Weight on my shoulders, every day another stone to lift
I’m standing at the ledge
My foot’s about to slide
What if it takes the fall for me to learn to fly
I try to run from what I’ve done
And it cost me everyone, all it left me was feeling numb.

Sunrise stayed up ’til the morning
Eyes stay bloodshot from the smoking
Another round and I’m locked and loaded
Faith has faded
Living on the edge one foot in the coffin
Lord knows I don’t pray too often
Knees down when the devil come calling
Ain’t no saving.

A dead man walking.
A dead man walking.

I am not a fan of country music, so it may surprise you that I am quoting lyrics from a song by country rap/country rock singer and composer Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord). The lyrics to his song Dead Man Walking, even in part, are compelling and honest. They are also devoid of any hope; especially when he says Ain’t no saving a dead man walking.

Ephesians 2:5 says otherwise. Even though the Apostle Paul acknowledged that sinners are dead men walking (Ephesians 2:1-3), there is hope for a resurrection. That hope is solely found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—.“ God the Father made deadened sinners alive. The phrase made us alive together (συζωοποιέω; syzoopoieo) describes an active work by God at a particular point in time in a particular sinner’s life.

This new life joins every believer. There are no other options. It is found solely in Jesus Christ. He alone is the sinner’s redeemer, reconciler and justifier (Romans 3:21-26).

This is because Jesus Christ took upon Himself the unbeliever’s sin while on the cross and suffered the just and rightful wrath of God the Father on the sinner’s behalf. In exchange, by grace alone, through faith alone, the believing sinner is declared righteous with the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone (Rom. 4; 2 Cor. 5:21).  Jesus Christ is the object of saving faith. Jesus Christ is the only hope for dead men walking. Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

God the Father’s motivation for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to this fallen world to save dead people walking was His sovereign grace alone. It was His unmerited favor. God did not give sinners what we deserve but rather what we do not deserve. This is why believers in Christ praise Him for His glorious grace (Eph. 1:3-14).

Consider the lyrics from another song. It’s also entitled Dead Man Walking. Its composer is Jeremy Camp.

Freedom was something I never found
Trying to find six feet underground
Under the weight of all of my sin
Fighting the fight that I couldn’t win
Then You rescued me
Now I can breathe.

I look for the words but cannot explain
A new kind of love ran into my veins
You are the key to all of my chains
To all that I was now I’m not a slave
Then You rescued me
And now I can breathe.

I was a dead man walking
Until I was a man walking with You
I was a blind man falling
Until I felt the life You’re calling me to
Pulling me out of the darkness
Pulling me out of the lies
Putting the beat in my heart again
I was a dead man walking
Until You loved this dead man walking back to life.

I have tasted and I’ve seen the wonders of Your heart
I do not deserve a thing, but that’s just who You are.

Are you a dead man walking? Which song best describes you today? The only hope for dead men walking is found in Jesus Christ (John 14:1-6; Acts 4:12).

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“ (Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

“We must have the full message. . . ‘deliver the whole counsel of God’. . . . It starts with the Law. The Law of God … the demands of a righteous God, the wrath of God. That is the way to bring men and women to conviction; not by modifying the Truth…. We must confront them with the fact that they are men and that they are fallible men, that they are dying men, that they are sinful men, and that they will all have to stand before God at the Bar of Eternal Judgement….And then we must present to them the full-orbed doctrine of the Grace of God in Salvation in Jesus Christ. We must show that no man is saved ‘by the deeds of the Law’, by his own goodness or righteousness, or church membership or anything else, but solely, utterly, entirely by the free gift of God in Jesus Christ His Son.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

When believers in Christ speak of salvation, the unconverted may commonly respond by saying, “Saved from what?” The concise answer is “Saved from the wrath of God” (Rom 1:18; Eph. 2:1-3).

Salvation is God’s way of providing people deliverance from sin and death. Scripture reveals God but it also reveals His plan to save sinners. In that sense, salvation is a major theme in the Scriptures.

“In classical Greek the verb sozo (“to save”) and noun soteria (“salvation”) are used for the concept of “rescue,” “deliverance” or “salvation,” and even “well-being” or “health.” The Septuagint most frequently uses Sozo to render the Hebrew Yasha’ (“to save”), and the NT primarily employs Sozo and its derivatives for the idea of salvation,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

A subsequent question often is, “Saved by whom?” For many individuals, they trust in their own good works or religious observances to endear themselves to the holy God of the Bible. Unfortunately, our righteous works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). No one is declared righteous before God on the basis of their own abilities or good intentions (Romans 3:9-20).

What then is the hope for sinful mankind? How can God deliver them from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin and not compromise His holiness? Today’s text provides the answer.

Salvation from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin is from God. He is the Lord. In contrast to the previously mentioned spiritual condition of sinners (Eph. 1-3), He is the One, True, Holy God (Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Isaiah 45:5-7). He is the creator and sustainer of the universe (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-2; Hebrews 1:1-3).

God is also rich in mercy. Being rich (εἰμί πλούσιος; eimi plousios) means to be abundantly wealthy. God presently, actively exists in the state of being wealthy. Wealthy in what form? In mercy. Mercy (ἐν ἔλεος; ev eleos) is to be in union with pity and compassion. Mercy is God not giving to sinners the punishment they deserve.

Additionally, God is love (I John 4:7-11). “Because of the great love with which he loved us.” God’s mercy is accompanied by His great love (Πολύς ἀγάπη; polus agape). This is the Lord’s great self-sacrificial love of the will towards sinners who hated Him and were His enemies (Rom. 5:10), transgressors and filled with iniquity (Isaiah 53:5-6), and spiritual debtors in need of redemption (Matt. 6:12; Rom. 3:21-26).

He saves sinners even when they exist in spiritual death (Eph. 2:1). How was, and is, this salvation accomplished. It is through solely one Savior; Jesus Christ. This fourth element of the Gospel will be studied next time.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)

“There is something wrong with our world, and even with ourselves as human beings. But what is it? People have given different answers to that question. Some say the problems are primarily economic, others that they’re social, and still others that they’re psychological. Certainly, these answers may give some insight into some of the symptoms of our travail, but the Bible teaches that the disease is something far deeper and more profound. In a word, the problem is sin—rebellion against the creator God who created us,” explains Pastor Greg Gilbert.

The problem of sin is not superficial. Sin is ingrained deep within the individual’s soul. Mankind’s sinful condition began at each individual’s conception (Psalm 51:5). We are not sinners because we sin. Rather, we sin because we are sinners.

Today’s text explains that our sinful condition is called spiritual death. Sinners are separated from God because of their trespasses and sins. God’s wrath, or judgment, is set upon us (Rom. 1:18). Our spiritual death condition involves three specific areas: the world, the devil and our fallen, sinful nature the Apostle Paul called the flesh. An examination of each is necessary.

The world. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world.” To walk (περιπατέω; peripateo) is a present, active reality of life and living. It is the sinner’s behavior that is in harmony with the course (αἰών; aion) or the age of a sinful system of thinking; a fallen worldview. The Bible calls this the world (κόσμος; kosmos) or the world order.

We witness the philosophy of the fallen world at home, at work, at school, in our neighborhoods, as we travel, and when watch the evening news or access the news on our mobile devices. The secular media, news and entertainment, embraces and advocates for the secular worldview and increasingly opposes biblical Christianity.

The Devil. “Following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”  While the name Satan, or the devil, is not explicitly referred, the text implicitly refers to our enemy. He is a ruler (ἄρχων; archon) who possesses authority and power (ἐξουσία; exousia). He is a created spirit being (πνεῦμα; pneuma) who is evil and who opposes God. However, the devil’s authority is delegated to him from almighty God.

The Flesh. “^”Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body.” The flesh (σάρξ; sarx) is the sinner’s human nature. It is not inherently good but rather inherently evil. This fallen nature displays itself by all manner of unrighteousness behavior and thinking (Romans 1:24-32).

The result of this sinful condition and behavior is that unconverted sinners are under the righteous wrath of God. The holy and righteous judge who is the Lord of the universe has condemned sinners and sentenced them to eternal damnation.

“The consequences of Adam’s sin were nothing short of catastrophic. God had promised that if the humans ate from the forbidden tree, they would surely die. What He meant was not just physical death, but also—and more horribly—spiritual death. This was a just and right punishment,” continues Pastor Gilbert.

“Even worse, when Adam sinned, he did so as the representative of every human being. So Paul wrote to the Romans, “Many died through one man’s trespass” (Romans 5:12-21). That is why each of us ratifies over and over again Adam’s act of rebellion against God with our own sin. We, too, long to be free of God’s authority and rule, and so we give ourselves to the pursuit of pleasure and joy in created things as ultimate ends. In the process, we declare that God is not worthy of our worship, and thus we prove ourselves worthy of the curse of spiritual death that God pronounced in the beginning.”

What hope is there for this sinful, fallen world? There only hope is that the One, True God would save sinners from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin. Thanks be to God that He has sovereignly and graciously chosen to do so.

It is this gracious deliverance that we will examine when next we meet. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:17 (ESV)

In our examination of a biblical definition of the gospel, we begin with the truth that God exists. The gospel speaks of the truth of the existence of the biblical God; the God of the Bible. The God who is the creator of the universe, has chosen to reveal Himself through His creation in His inerrant Word: The Bible (Psalm 1; 19; 119).

The second truth of the gospel is that sin exists. What is sin? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” 1 John 3:4 says, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”

Sin is not only committing evil against humanity, society, others, or oneself, but also against God. Therefore, the biblical doctrine of God contains a multi-faceted meaning for sin. “Other gods, conceived of as capricious and characterless, exercised unlimited power in unbridled behavior; they engendered no such sense of sin as did Israel’s one God, holy, righteous, and utterly good,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

The most frequent biblical words for sin speak of violating the holy character of God. The Hebrew word hata’ and Greek hamartia meant originally “to miss the mark, fail in duty” (Rom 3:23). As Lawgiver, God sets limits to man’s freedom; another frequent term (Hebrew, ’abar; Greek, parabasis) describes sin as “transgression,” “overstepping set limits.”

Other terms include pesha’ (Hebrew), meaning “rebellion,” or “transgression”; ’asham (Hebrew) denotes “trespassing God’s kingly prerogative,” “incurring guilt”; paraptoma (Greek) means “a false step out of the appointed way,” “trespass on forbidden ground.” “Iniquity” often translates ’aon (Hebrew, meaning “perverseness,” “wrongness”), for which the nearest NT equivalent is anomia (Greek, “lawlessness”) or paranomia (Greek, “lawbreaking”).

In the Book of Genesis, sin was a deliberate rebellion against God-given freedom. It was disobedience by Adam of a single prohibition (Gen. 3:1-7), which also affected Adam’s descendants (Romans 5:12-21).

The Prophet Ezekiel stressed the individual’s responsibility for their sin (Ezek. 18). The Prophet Jeremiah explained the need for an inward  cleansing if outward behavior is to be reformed; the divine law must come from be within an individual if sin is to be overcome (Jer. 31:29–34; Ezek. 36:24–29).

“Psalm 51 offers a keen analysis of the inner meaning of sin. By affirming “in sin did my mother conceive me,” the psalmist confessed that his life had been sinful from the first. His whole personality needed “purging”; he was defiled. Ritual sacrifices offer no solution. Only a broken, contrite heart can prepare a sinner for God’s cleansing. The only hope, the sole ground of appeal, lies in God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy. In spite of its rigorous view of sin, the OT also contains gracious assurance of forgiveness (Ps 103:8–14 Isaiah 1:18; 55:6–7),” states the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

There does seem to be much good news in examining the reality of sin. However, there is more to come. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)

In our examination of a biblical definition of the gospel, we must begin with the truth that God exists. This perspective in sharing the Gospel was first brought to my attention when I was in seminary and we had a guest speaker in chapel: Dr. D. A. Carson, co-founder of The Gospel Collation.  He challenged us seminarians that prior to our sharing about the person and work of Jesus Christ, we must articulate the truth of God’s existence.

Now, many people will immediately ask the question: What God? The many gods of Hinduism or other ancient Far Eastern religions? The god of Islam known as Allah? Or how about the Mormon god? To which God do I refer to and to which does the gospel refer?

The gospel speaks of the truth of the existence of the biblical God. The God of the Bible. The God who is the creator of the universe, who has chosen to reveal Himself through His creation and also has chosen to reveal Himself in His inerrant Word: The Bible (Psalm 1; 19; 119).

What does the Bible say and reveal about God? While we may not have the space to delve into the deep well of knowledge the Bible reveals about the person of God, here are but a few of the biblical truths regarding the One, True God who exists.

The Bible declares that God is Spirit and those who worship Him are to do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17). The Bible also declares that God is light or pure and righteous (Isaiah 60:19; James 1:17; I John 1:5), love (I John 4:8-16), invisible (Job 23:1-9; John 1:18; 5:37; Colossians 1:15; I Timothy 1:17), unsearchable (Job 11:1-7; 37:23; Psalm 145:1-3; Isaiah 40;28; Romans 11:33), and incorruptible (Romans 1:23).

The Bible also declares God to be eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:1-2; Revelation 4:1-10), immortal (I Timothy 1:17; 6:16), Omnipotent or all-powerful (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:1-3), omniscient or all-knowing (Psalm 139:1-6; Proverbs 5:21), omnipresent or everywhere present (Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:23), immutable or never changing (Psalm 102:26-27; James 1:17), only-wise (Romans 16:27; I Timothy 1:17) and glorious (Exodus 15:1-11; Psalm 145:1-5).

Additionally, the Bible teaches that God is the most high God (Psalm 83:18; Acts 7:48), that He is perfect (Matthew 5:48), holy (Psalm 99:1-9; Isaiah 5:16; 6:1-7), just (Deuteronomy 32:1-4; Isaiah 45:21), true (Jeremiah 10:10; John 17:1-3), upright (Psalm 25:1-8; 92:15), and righteous (Ezra 9:15; Psalm 145:17).

God is also good (Psalm 25:1-8; 119:68), great (2 Chronicles 2:1-5; Psalm 86:10), gracious (Exodus 34:1-6; Psalm 116:1-5; Ephesians 2:1-10), faithful (I Corinthians 10:13; I Peter 4:19), merciful (Exodus 34:1-7; Psalm 86:1-5), longsuffering (Numbers 14:18; Micah 7:1), jealous (Joshua 24:19; Nahum 1:2), compassionate (2 King s13:23), and a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

There is none beside Him (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 44:1-6), none before Him (Isaiah 43:10), none like Him (Exodus 9:14; Deuteronomy 33:26; 2 Samuel 7:22; Isaiah 46:1-9; Jeremiah 10:1-6), none good but He (Matthew 19:17), and the one who fills heaven and earth (I Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24).

Balancing the evidence for God’s existence from the information in the Scriptures are the philosophical arguments supporting the idea of God’s existence. Admittedly, these arguments may not convince those antagonistic to the Christian faith of its validity. However, they do provide a thought-provoking response to those who contend that Christianity does not contain any assemblage of reasoning or logical thought. 

Finally, there is the biblical teaching that God is triune or a trinity who as one God exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1–2 (ESV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1–3 (ESV)

Please familiarize yourself with the various attributes of God which detail His existence. This is where we must begin when we share the gospel of God. When next we meet, we will examine the second truth of the Gospel; the existence of sin.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!  

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” (Romans 1:1 (ESV)

For the next week, we will suspend our study of the Gospel of Matthew in order to answer the question, What is the Gospel? It’s a simple question but requires a serious and biblical answer. The reason I believe this question is so simple, but significant in how we answer it, is because many people, including professing and church going Christians, get it wrong. You read that correctly. Many people in the culture, but also many people in the church, are getting the gospel wrong.

Christian Smith, a sociologist and professor at the University of Notre Dame, coined the term moralistic therapeutic deism in describing what American youth religiously believe. Breaking down the title, we can see that for many American youth, religion, or the gospel, is about something far different than what the Bible teaches.

First, for many the gospel is about being a good moral person. Do unto others as they would do unto you. It’s the so-called Golden Rule. The good moral person believes in the existence of someone called God and seeks to live a life that will be pleasing to this God they acknowledge exists. However, who this so-called God is probably has more to do with their own imagination of who they believe God to be as opposed to what the Bible says and reveals Him to be.

Second, for many the gospel is about feeling good. That’s why you go to church, to feel good about oneself and about one’s relationship with other people. You sing and listen to high energy music, hear a ten minute story from the pastor or worship leader and go home feeling energized and excited. It is a form of therapy which doesn’t cost as much as going to a psychiatrist. Put your five bucks in the offering plate and you are good to go. At least until next Saturday night, or Sunday morning, when you will need another high energy concert fix. Church becomes about hearing what you want to hear, and not what you need to hear.

Thirdly, for many the gospel is about a Deistic God and not the God of the Bible. Deism was a religious philosophy formed in the 18^th century which basically taught that while God created the world, afterwards He then left the world on its own. Therefore, God does not intervene in the world He created. Mankind has to figure out what it has to do to solve its problems. The world should not expect any help from God so we look to entertainers, politicians or television personalities, Oprah anyone, to help us solve our problems and to give us a purpose for living. 

Dr. Steven J. Nichols comments, “Sociologist Christian Smith coined the phrase moralistic therapeutic deism to describe the prominent religious view of American youth. His description sticks, but how should we respond? To simply cater to such tastes is to pander. In doing so, the gospel and the demands of the Christian life are lost.”

How then do we respond, as Dr. Nichols asks? Do we throw up our hands and say “to each his own?” Or how about, “your truth is your truth and my truth is mine.” Do we reject the biblical gospel which propositions absolute truth to a culture which rejects absolute truth? Even though in rejecting absolute truth claims, the culture in doing so makes its own absolute truth claim. Or how about continuing to do what many churches are doing? This is because moralistic, therapeutic deism works for many and having auditoriums filled with people has for many pastors become more important than filling pulpits with biblical truth.

If the church in general, and Christians in particular, are to make any impact in the culture in which we live, the answer does not lie in becoming more like the culture. That road leads to a dead end with the culture setting the agenda, rather than the Scriptures.

Instead, the answer is to proclaim and live out the biblical gospel: both and, and not either/or. Churches and believers must clearly articulate the gospel, but at the same time they must also live it out in everyday circumstances. One cannot be done without the other. Both must be lived out in a delicate and consistent balance. Both are equally important and equally necessary.

Jesus said as such in His familiar statement known as the Great Commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus said we are to make disciples, baptize these disciples, and then teach them how to live for the glory of God. In other words, we are to proclaim the gospel and then disciple new converts into how to live out the biblical gospel while at the same time they are verbally sharing the gospel to others who do not know God.

This then leads me back to my original question. What is the gospel? In the next several days, we will examine what the Bible says, and how it illustrates, the gospel of God. There are four major truths to explore. We will examine all of them.

I trust if you already know these truths, you will be strengthened and encouraged as to their veracity. If you’re are wondering what exactly are the truth claims of the gospel, my hope and prayer is that you will become convinced of not only what these truth claims are, but you will also become committed to share them: not only verbally but also in the way you live your life for the glory of God.

Let’s begin!

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁵ “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV)

Matthew summarized in today’s text the teaching, preaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5-9). The apostle also introduced the mission discourse of Matthew 10. The following excerpt is from Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi.  

So far Matthew has been interested to record in his gospel the words of Jesus’ wisdom and the display of His power.  He has shown us that the crowds enthusiastically respond to Christ, and that the Pharisees are antagonistic toward Him in their opposition of the Lord Jesus. 

From this point on in Matthew, Matthew is not only going to show you the outward results of Jesus’ ministry, he going to start with revealing to you the heart motions, the heart motivations of those who were the central story of the gospel.  Here he is going to show you the heart of Jesus.  Why is it that Jesus is going about village to village healing?  Because He had a heart of compassion for these people who were like sheep without a shepherd. 

But he’s also going to start revealing to you the heart of the Pharisees, the heart of the disciples and the hearts of those who are following at the fringe.  In this passage, Matthew begins to show the emotional forces motivating the leading characters in the gospel story.  And so, Christ’s ministry is seen now as a bitter struggle, and gradually the cross is revealed more and more.  But Christ, here in this passage, looks at the ignorant multitudes and He responds not with derision but with love and compassion.  As He looks at these people who were in rebellion against God and their lives are a wreck, He looks upon them not with disdain but with love, and longing to see them restored to God. 

This passage is so important for us, because when we feel our sin as we ought, our natural tendency is to desire to run away from the judgment of God, but Christ here beckons those who feel themselves sinners to come to Him, for He has compassion, for He sees that we are sheep without a shepherd.  This passage is also so important for the free offer of the gospel, for here He calls on us to go into the field of harvest and call those to Him with a serious, well-intentioned offer that all those who will come to him will find rest. 

This whole passage shows us that Christ is the proper object of faith, which is to trust into Him, and to believe His claims.  This passage shows us that faith is the instrument by which we receive the benefits of Christ’s work, that is, it’s not the source of the blessings which Christ gives us, it’s the means, it’s the vehicle whereby He gives us those blessings.   And this passage shows us that we have good warrant to trust in Him, for it reveals to us, and gives us confidence in Him because of the heart He shows to us here. 

Embrace Christ in all His fullness.  If you come today sorrowing and weak, embrace Him in His fullness.  If you come in an awareness of your sin, embrace Him, for He longs to restore the scattered sheep to the fold of the one true shepherd.  Let us look to him in prayer. 

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁵ “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV)

Matthew summarized in today’s text the teaching, preaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5-9). The apostle also introduced the mission discourse of Matthew 10.

“Matthew tends to arrange the information about Jesus’ life topically. Chapters 5–7, for instance, collect Christ’s teachings about His own authority. In like manner, the evangelist devotes chapters 8–9 to material that depicts Jesus’ authority apart from His actual instruction on the subject. Instead, Matthew focuses on miracles that illustrate the Savior’s control over the natural (8:1–27; 9:18–31) and the supernatural (8:28–34; 9:32–34),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Jesus then saw the need of the people. He called them a spiritual harvest. But a harvest needs harvesters. It needs laborers. Jesus’ disciples would have understood this image because Israel was an agricultural nation. It remains so today.

Jesus’ observation was particularly striking. He said, “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  

The crowds were vast. Therefore, Jesus prepared his disciples to become shepherds and laborers with Him. Yet, instead of calling for volunteers Jesus called for prayer.

I recently taught a class on evangelism at my church. One of the lessons focused on the necessity of prayer as a prerequisite to sharing the Gospel. God calls the church to pray for lost souls (I Timothy 2:1-3). However, as today’s text teaches, God also calls individuals to pray for those who will share the Gospel to those lost souls. Prayer is indispensable.

Praying for the souls of the harvest, and laborers for the task of harvesting souls, is completely dependent upon the sovereignty of God. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone to the glory of God alone.

⁵ “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:5–9 (ESV)

Pray today for those lost in their trespasses’ and sins. Pray also for laborers into the Lord’s, harvest. May the Lord be glorified as He answers our prayers.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁵ “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35–38 (ESV)

Matthew summarized in today’s text the teaching, preaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5-9). The apostle also introduced the mission discourse of Matthew 10.

The Old Testament background Jesus drew from was Ezekiel 34:1-6. It was the LORD’s scathing rebuke of the faithless prophets and priests to Israel. Jesus compared the people as sheep without a shepherd.

“The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ⁴ The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵ So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; ⁶ they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.” (Ezekiel 34:1–6 (ESV)

Another comparison Jesus used of was a land ready for harvest without laborers to bring in the crop. Jesus said the harvest of souls was great but the laborers were few.

“This little passage forms a bridge between the account of Jesus’ ministry in chs. 5–9 (summarized in v 35) and the extension of that ministry to his disciples in ch. 10. The need was too great for Jesus to meet alone, so he called on some of his closest followers to help him meet it. The basis of this mission was in compassion, a strong word for an emotional response which always results in caring action. The imagery of harvest (like that of fishing in 4:19) suggests also the call to win new disciples. This is the concern of God, as Lord of the harvest, and so he may properly be appealed to for the necessary workers. It is worth noting that those who are here called to pray are in the next chapter sent out themselves,” explains commentator Richard France.

“Christ, the Good Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), has enlisted many to help care for His flock and field, as we also see in today’s passage (Matt. 9:37–38). Clearly, says Jerome, “an abundant harvest represents all the believing multitude. The few laborers imply the apostles and their imitators who are sent to the harvest,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Where do you see a spiritual harvest of souls that needs the Lord’s laborers? Are you ready, willing and able to be such a laborer for the Lord? Have a blessed day in Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!