Meaningful to God

Meaningful to God

Psalm 116:15, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

 

My intent is never to be insensitive or indelicate, but to carefully offer a truth that is helpful and life-shaping to believers in Christ.

Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

God regards our lives and deaths, His faithful “saints,” as highly valuable, deeply priceless, and closely administrated by Him. Originally the Hebrew word “precious” means “valuable,” “costly,” “prized,” “heavy,” “splendid,” or “weighty”. This indicates that our lives and our homecoming hold enormous significance to the Lord. 

It is true of all saints—their death is precious to our God because it means they are with Him in glory. But it was never more true than in the case of the Lord Jesus. His death was precious to His Father because it provided a righteous basis upon which He could justify ungodly sinners.^[1]

The psalmist, knowing that the Lord cares intensely about the death of His saints, acknowledged that he was a servant (vv. 15–16) of the Lord and would praise Him publicly (vv. 17–19). The death of a saint is not something the Lord considers as cheap; He does not let His people die for no reason.^[2]

All of this brings profound comfort, though it is often misunderstood.

What Do We Need to Know?

• Again, God sees “saints” death as “precious” categorizing them as “high worth,” or a “highly valued treasure.” God does not regard the passing of His servants lightly.
• “His saints” point to those who are in a faithful, covenant relationship with Him (His devoted followers).  “The death of God’s children is precious in His sight.”^[3]
• This is NOT a matter of God delighting in our suffering and pain. God does not rejoice or takes pleasure in the ache of death. Instead, it means that because of our deep value to Him, God oversees our journey and ensures that our crossing over into His presence is highly significant and carefully guarded.
• This truth is designed to be a source of comfort in times of grief. This promise, frequently used during Christian memorial services and funerals, offer support assuring loved ones that the deceased are intensely cared for by their Creator God. 
• God’s presence in pain, hurt, suffering, and death is wisely stressed. God emphasizes how He remains intimately involved in the lives and deaths of His faithful ‘servants,’ promising ultimate peace and an end to our suffering and toil.

Though no man lays it to heart when the righteous perish, God will make it to appear that he lays it to heart. This should make us willing to die, to die for Christ, if we are called to it, that our death shall be registered in heaven; and let that be precious to us which is so to God.^[4]

Again, the passing of God's faithful followers (saints) is not a light or insignificant matter to Him. Instead, it is deeply valued, carefully watched over, and “precious” because it marks the moment we enter His direct presence. 

David Rehearsed this Truth for Our Enrichment!

Considering the entire psalm of thanksgiving, David very recently escaped a life-threatening predicament (recorded verses 3–8). His contemporaries often thought that if a person nearly died, God simply didn't care…he was indifferent and uninvolved.

So, by stating the death of His saints is “precious,” David was affirming that God is entirely sovereign over our years. The Lord is profoundly involved in our life, and He will not allow us to face death prematurely or without His watchful care. David saw fit to punctuate this truth for our benefit!

We are Helped by Embracing the Magnitude of this Encouragement.

From a God-fearing perspective, David offers great assurance to believers. This truth reminds us that:

1.     Death is not a random occurrence. God controls the exact timing and circumstances of a believer’s passing.

2.    Transition into God’s presence is significant. Because believers are precious to Him, our departure from this earthly life marks a wonderful passage directly into the presence of our Creator God. Beloved, this is huge…. It’s a big deal!

Through his experience the psalmist learned that the death of one of his “saints” (godly ones) is precious in the sight of Yahweh, i.e., their death is not a matter of indifference to him.^[5]

Beloved, choosing God’s perspective here is a bit challenging, but not insensitive to our grief, suffering, or pain. It forces us to appreciate another way of looking at death and especially the death of faithful believers. It clearly expands our view, strengthens our evangelistic efforts, and comforts us when a committed child of God graduates to glory to be with the Lord. We can truly mean it when we whisper to our deceased loved one, “I’ll see you again.”

So, Why Are We Reluctant to Accept this Truth?

Perhaps the following ideas have clouded our appreciation of this concept:

1.     Selfishness is likely one reason…we want people to live and stay here with us. We simply don’t want to let them go because we cherish them…. We can’t seem to live without them.

2.    An incomplete view of eternity or a misunderstanding of our finality. We simply are frightened by our partial ignorance of our future. We don’t trust what we don’t know.

3.    Healing is regarded as evidence of God’s blessings and goodness. We fail to appreciate all God reveals about Himself favoring the more comfortable ideas.

4.    Another perspective threatens, undermines, or even reveals our own insecurities regarding the future and our associated assumptions. Life really does not fit into the nice, neat box we try to force it into for our own delusion. Once again, we must trust the Lord with our lives and even the apparent chaos.

5.    Their departure forces our acceptance and leaves us feeling less in control than we are contented with. The truth is we were never really in control anyway…God is!

6.    Our loved ones’ leaving reinforces the need to change, grow, and get out of our comfort zone. God is super motivated to sanctify us always. 

7.    Death reminds us to reach our loved one before it is too late for them or us. We must become evangelistically motivated and charged sharing the hope of Christ with others!

The death of His saints is no trifling matter with God; He does not lightly suffer it to come about; He does not suffer His own to be torn away from Him by death.^[6]

Perhaps these are a few of the reasons hindering our own acceptance and celebration of a life lived for God’s glory. Beloved, you are meaningful to God! Yes, we are correctly humbled by this reality, but life takes on real purpose and meaning when we embrace this idea. Remember He offers this truth to aid your commitment to Him and to give structure…shape to your life in Christ.

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 732.

^[2] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 877.

^[3] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 2 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 842.

^[4] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 911.

^[5] James E. Smith, The Wisdom Literature and Psalms, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1996), 407.

^[6] Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 5 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 716.

God’s Superior Messenger (Part 2)

 

Lesson Two

God’s Superior Messenger

Heb. 1:6-14

 

Theme: Christ is Superior to the Angels as God’s Spokesman and Revealer (1:4). 

Therefore, we must seriously listen to Him, carefully obey His counsel, and diligently nurture the great salvation we have in Him.

a.      Jesus is Superior as Deity (1:6–9). A third way in which Christ is greater than the angels is that He is to be the object of their worship, whereas they are His messengers and servants.  None of the angels are called God, and no angel is worshiped by his fellows. Yet Jesus is given the name of God, and the angelic hosts worship Him.

                                                    i.     He is worshipped by the angels (v. 6).

1.      When He came into the world, the angels worshiped Him. God commanded them to do so, which proves that Jesus Christ is God; for none of God’s angels would worship a mere creature.

2.      This passage could also look forward to the time of the Second Advent of Christ (Matt. 13:39–42; 25:31, 32; 2Thess. 1:7, 8) when the kingly prerogatives of the Son will be recognized with the public worship of angels (Ps. 97:7).  Jesus Christ must be God, because the Father commanded these angels to worship Christ. To worship any creature is idolatry, and God resents idolatry more than any other evil. Yet God here commands that the Lord Jesus Christ should be worshiped by the angels. This can only mean that He is God.

3.      In any case, angels are not to be worshiped (see Col 2:18; Rev 19:1-10). It is idolatry to worship any but the true God. We should not regard any spiritual beings, spiritual guides, intermediaries, or authorities as greater than Christ. Jesus is God. He alone deserves our worship. He alone should be our ultimate leader. The angels of God are wonderful, but they are inferior to the Son. They are His angels, they are His ministers, and they are His worshipers. They worship Him. He does not worship them.

                                                  ii.     He is served by the angels (v. 7).

1.      This is a quotation from Psalm 104:4. The Hebrew and Greek words for “spirit” are also translated “wind.”

a.      Angels are created spirits, note the word “maketh.” They have no bodies, though they can assume human forms when ministering on earth (Gen. 18-19; Judg. 6:11-23; 13:3-23). The emphasis is upon the variableness of the angelic nature. They are what they are at any time according to the purpose of God, fit for any special service by this characteristic.

b.      The point is that the angels are not merely servants, but of such a nature that God makes them according to the needs of His service—they are changeable, in marked contrast to the Son who is their ruler, and unchangeable.

2.      Angels at times served our Lord when He was on earth (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43), and they serve Him and us now (Heb. 1:14).

                                                 iii.     He is God enthroned and anointed (vv. 8–9).

1.      He is the eternal Sovereign; His throne lasts forever and ever. His kingdom shall indeed “stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.”

a.      “Thy throne, O God.” This is God the Father calling God the Son God! Do you want to deny that Christ is God manifest in the flesh? If you do, then may I say that you are contradicting God Himself. God called the Lord Jesus God. What are you going to call Him? I don’t know about you, but I am also going to call Him God. He is God manifest in the flesh. He is superior to angels because He is going to rule over the universe. He is the Messiah. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is going to rule over the earth some day. –McGee, J. Vernon

                                                                                                                i.     In some false cults this quotation from Psalm 45:6–7 is translated, “Thy divine throne,” because cultists dislike this strong affirmation that Jesus Christ is God. But the translation must stand: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.”

                                                                                                              ii.     Angels minister before the throne; they do not sit on the throne.

b.      One of the main teachings of Psalm 110 is that Jesus Christ, God’s Anointed (Messiah, Christ), is now enthroned in glory. Jesus Himself referred to this important psalm (Mark 12:35–37; 14:62), and Peter used it on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:34–36). Our Lord has not yet entered into His earthly kingdom, but He has been enthroned in glory (Eph. 1:20). Our Lord’s throne is forever, which means He is eternal God.

2.      He is the righteous King (v. 8-9).

a.      The psalmist speaks of Him as wielding a scepter of righteousness, which is a poetic way of saying that this King rules in absolute honesty and integrity.

b.      His personal uprightness is evident from the fact that He has consistently loved righteousness and hated iniquity. This doubtless refers primarily to His thirty-three years of life on earth, during which the eye of God could find no flaw in His character and no failure in His conduct. He proved His fitness to reign. –MacDonald, William

c.      “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” is a tremendous statement. Imagine this old earth being ruled by One who loves righteousness and hates iniquity!

3.      He is anointed with the most excellent joy.  When Christ ascended and entered the heavenly glory, He was anointed for His heavenly ministry with “the oil of gladness” (Heb. 1:9).

a.      This probably refers to Psalm 16:11, which Peter referred to at Pentecost: “Thou shalt make Me full of joy with Thy countenance” (Acts 2:28). What a joyful scene that must have been!

b.      Psalm 45 is a wedding psalm, and our Lord today is the heavenly Bridegroom who experiences “the joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2). Angels praise Him, but they cannot share that position or that joy.

b.      Jesus is Superior as Creator (1:10–12).

                                                    i.     He is Eternal Lord (v. 10). Eternal and “for ever and ever” (v. 8) seems to point to unlimited duration.

1.      Like the angels (who are immortal, not knowing birth or death as we do) Jesus will outlast the universe; He is eternal (Rev.  1:4–8; 11:17; 22:13).

2.      Unlike angels, however, He was there “in the beginning” when He laid the foundations of Creation. Angels change and grow in knowledge as the centuries unfold God’s plan, but Jesus remains the same; as God He knows all (Ps. 119:152).  But all of this suggests Christ’s past eternality.

3.      Note also the Father is addressing the Son as in verse 10 as “Lord.” 

a.      … God here in verse 10 addresses His Son as Lord, that is Jehovah. The conclusion is inescapable: the Jesus of the NT is the Jehovah of the Old. –MacDonald, William

b.      The context of Ps. 102, from which these verses are taken, clearly indicates that the LORD is the One who would appear in the future to Israel and the nations (see Ps. 102:12–16). Thus the psalm can only refer to Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, the only One who would become incarnate. Jesus is God become man. –Nelson Study Bible

c.      Acts 4:33; 16:31; Luke 2:11; Acts 9:17; Matt. 22:43–45. It is true that this term is used of men, e. g., Acts 16:30—“Sirs [Lords], what must I do to be saved?” John 12:21—“Sir [Lord], we would see Jesus.” It is not used, however, in this unique sense, as the connection will clearly show. In our Lord’s day, the title “Lord” as used of Christ was applicable only to the Deity, to God. … So when the New Testament writers speak of Jesus as Lord, there can be no question as to what they mean.”—Wood. –Evans, William

d.      The Son, then, is Lord and has created both earth and the heavens (Heb. 1:2).  The unchangeable and eternal power and majesty of the Son, spoken of in verses 11, 12, find their basis in the fact that He is the One who laid the foundation of the earth and fashioned the heavens.

                                                  ii.     He is the Changeless Creator (vv. 10–12). This long quotation comes from Messianic Psalm 102:25–27; it presents the Lord Jesus in his Creative work and in his final triumph.

1.      The angels did not found the earth, for they too are a part of creation. Jesus Christ is the Creator, and one day He will do away with the old creation and bring in a new creation. Jesus stands alone as the unchangeable One among changing things in a changing world.

2.      Everything around us changes, but He will never change. He is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Creation is like an old garment which will one day be discarded in favor of a new one.

c.      Jesus is Superior in Destiny (1:13-14).

                                                    i.     Christ is Destine to Rule as the Sovereign (v. 13).

1.      Here the writer sums up the function of the angels as compared to that of the Son. He is the highest dignity, a co-ruler with God. They are His servants, appointed to minister to the heirs of redemption. –Wuest, Kenneth S.

2.      Again, Psalm 110:1 is quoted. The fact that Jesus Christ is now at the Father’s right hand is mentioned many times in the New Testament (see Matt. 22:43–44; 26:64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33–34; Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). This signifies a position of highest honor and limitless power. This reality will be manifested in the earth in the Millennial Age.

3.      No angel was ever invited to share the rule of the universe as God’s equal. But for God to picture Jesus “on My right hand” indicates that Jesus shares God’s rule even now.

a.      In every way Jesus is superior—and thus it must be that the revelation He brings, and the salvation He offers is superior to the fragments offered in the Old Testament. There is no need to look elsewhere.

b.      In Jesus we have the whole truth—and in Jesus the best possibility of being made whole.

4.      To have all one’s enemies as a footstool signifies universal conquering and comprehensive dominion. Psalm 110 is used to highlight the final victory of the Son over all His enemies. If the Son is to have an eternal throne (Heb. 1:8), such a victory obviously must transpire. But the victory is His and not the angels. Their role, by contrast, is to serve those who will inherit salvation.

                                                  ii.     Angels are Destine to Minister as the Servants (v. 14).

1.      Angels are the ministering spirits who serve the Lord seated on the throne. The mission of the angels is not to rule but to serve. They are spirit beings whom God has created to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation.

a.      To be “heirs of salvation” (1:14) includes reigning in the throne with Christ for faithful believers; it is the potential share in the Son’s triumphant dominion, in which He has “fellows” (Heb. 1:9) or companions (Rom. 8:17, 18; Gal. 3:7,9,29; Js. 2:5).

b.      The Lord Jesus Himself, while on earth, spoke much of His future kingdom and the participation of His faithful followers in that reign (Luke 12:31-32; 22:29-30).

2.      It would be impossible to do away with the evidence presented in these quotations. Jesus Christ is greater than the angels, and this means He is also greater than the Law which they helped deliver to the people of Israel.

 

To be continued in the next post.... 

The Ascension of Christ

Text: Luke 24:25-27, 45-51; 1Cor. 15:12-23; Acts 1:1-3, 10-11; Eph. 4:7-10; Heb. 2:9; 7:22-28

Memory Verses: 1Tim. 3:16                                                                

Theme: We believe the Lord Jesus literally arose from the dead and ascended back to Heaven.   

Aims: I hope to deepen your convictions, fuel your worship, and enlarge your appreciation for the resurrection and ascension of Christ. May God help each of us to respond appropriately to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Relevance:

Why is the  Ascension of Jesus Christ so important?

 Much of the Lord Jesus’ ascension will remain a mystery if we don’t understand what He did and why He did it. We need to know what Jesus did and why He did it, or these acts will be shrouded in mystery. He and the significance of these events will remain a puzzle to us. We will not have as much personal trust in Him, as much appreciation for Him, or as much confidence in sharing Him with others as we could have.

It is important for us to understand what Jesus is doing now so that we don’t feel alone and helpless as we live, and so that we don’t get the impression that things are out of control and God doesn’t have a plan that He is working out. God does have a plan.

Why do we need to know about the ascension of the Lord Jesus?

If we don’t believe what Jesus accomplished, the consequences are much the same as the ones that were mentioned in previous studies. We are at odds with the Bible, we deny either the need for salvation or the possibility of salvation, we lose all hope for guidance in this life and for life after death, and we have no encouraging words to share with others who are seeking the answers to life’s most difficult questions.

Introduction:

   The ascension is the dramatic departure of the risen Lord Jesus from earth to heaven for the benefit of Christians. Our Lord Jesus’ ascent marked the end of His earthly humiliation, His return entrance into Heaven, and the beginning of His heavenly exaltation as the God-Man. The limitations of His full glory have been removed and His essential brilliance is obviously visible (Acts 9:1-8; Rev. 1:9-20).           

Lesson:

I.              The Ascension & Present Ministry of Jesus Christ—Where is Jesus Today?

Now that He occupies His rightful place at the Father’s right hand, He can fulfill and execute other vital ministries on behalf of His people, through His churches, and in the world at large.

A.    The Fact of Christ’s Ascension—How can we be sure Christ has ascended to God?

1.Biblical statements of Christ’s Ascension (Mark. 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9).

                                                                    i.            Christ literally, bodily, physically, traveled back up to heaven.

                                                                  ii.            The point and place of departure was from the Bethany side of the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12).

                                                                iii.            Christ defied the natural laws with His gradual upward movement—he did not suddenly disappear and His ascension was not long.

                                                                iv.            The ascension was necessary because of the nature of His resurrection body, to present His redemption blood to the Father in Heaven once and for all (Heb. 9:11-14), to provide an explanation for where the body of Christ is after His resurrection (Acts 2:29-36), and in order that Christ might become the ideal Object of universal worship for the entire human race.

2.Christ anticipated His ascension and spoke specifically of it (Jn. 6:62; 7:32-36; 20:17)

3.Christ ascended to a place—Heaven itself (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11; 7:55-56; Jn. 14:2-3). In addition, He literally passed through the Heavens (Heb. 4:14; 7:26; Eph. 4:10), the domain of evil principalities and powers who inhabit the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12).

4.Christ was exalted and honored in Heaven as the God-Man (Jn. 17:5; Acts 2:33; Phil. 2:9; 1Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:4; Rev. 5:12). Upon Christ ascension, God gave Christ the place of power and authority at the Father’s right hand (Eph. 1:20, 21).

B.     The Fact of Christ’s Present Ministry—What is Jesus doing in Heaven?

1.Biblical statements of Christ’s Present Ministry (Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12, 13; 12:2; 1Pet. 3:22)

2.Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven (Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:20-21; 1Pet. 3:22).

3.Presently Christ’s ministries include High Priest, Savior, Model, Head of the Church, Advocate, Intercessor, and Lord of all.

C.    The Purpose of Christ’s Present Ministry—What does Christ current ministry mean to us?

1.To be our Forerunner (Heb. 6:19, 20). Christ’s ascension foreshadowed our future ascension into heaven with Him (1Thess. 4:17). A “forerunner” was like the herald announcing the coming of a king; it implies that others will follow. We will follow Him to Heaven some day.

2.To prepare a place for believers (Jn. 14:2). His ascension assures us that our final home will be with Him in heaven.

3.To share and extend His authority to believers over the universe in a limited way (Eph. 2:6; 6:12; 2Cor. 10:4).

4.To give spiritual gifts to His followers (Eph. 4:10-14). Christ like a mighty Warrior conquered and spoiled His enemies and shares the booty as gifts to His own people.

5.To offer encouragement to His followers and a Model for running the Christian race patiently by faith (Heb. 4:14-16; 12:1-3)

6.To Intercede as our Great High Priest (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25-27; 8:1; 9:24). As our faithful High Priest our ascended Lord sympathizes, aids, helps, and gives grace to His people as they need it.

                                                                    i.            Acting as our Intercessor because of the weaknesses and frailties of believers (Luke 22:31, 32; Heb. 7:25)

                                                                  ii.            Acting as our Advocate because of the sins of believers (1Jn. 1:9; 2:1; Heb. 9:24; Rev. 12:10). Christians enjoy peace, hope, and security because Christ is their Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).

7.To send the Promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16-18; 16:7-15; Acts 1:4; 2:33)

8.To lead and care for His churches—He is the Head of the Body (Eph. 1:20-23; 5:26, 29; Rev. 1:10-3:22)

9.To work through His people (Jn. 14:12)

10.        To wait until His enemies are subdued (Heb. 10:12, 13)

Conclusion:

As the little chorus goes, “He paid a debt He did not owe, we owed a debt we could not pay.” We have one hope: Forgiveness. And that hope lies in Jesus. No, His life was not meaningless. His was not the futile eruption of an overzealous optimist. He is God, who came to earth and became a man and died in our place for our sins. Because of that, we can know God and be with Him forever through faith in Christ. When we repent believing the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as payment for our sins, we are rescued from the eternal sufferings our sins deserve and afforded a relationship with God. Forgiveness of our sins is secured, a new eternal home in Heaven is ours, and peace with God is assured. How wonderful! What words can we use to say “Thank You” to God? What can we do to show our appreciation? Giving back to Him the life we owe is the only measure complete enough. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ accepting Him alone as your Savior?