Ministry Spotlight: The Second Coming of Elijah.

Malachi 4:5-6: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Overview: The Period Between the Testaments
The abrupt end to the Old Testament was marked by four hundred years of silence in regards to God’s divinely-inspired prophets. The period is of often referred to as “the Silent Centuries” because no divinely inspired prophets spoke during this period. Still, many significant events occurred during this time that helped to shape the events and currents of the New Testament.

With Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Holy Land in 332 B.C., the pressure of Hellenization began to have a dramatic impact on the Jews now living under the umbrella of the larger Greek empire.

Despite being convinced that Greek culture was the one force that could unite the world, Alexander himself was pretty lenient in regards to the Jews. He permitted them to observe their laws and even granted the exemption from tribute or tax during their Sabbath years.

When he built the great city of Alexandria in Egypt, he encouraged many of the Jews to live there and gave them many of the same rights that had previously only been conferred upon his Greek subjects. The Greek acquisition of the Holy Land led the way to the eventual translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, which became known as the Septuagint version, around 250 BC.

Alexander’s death in 323 B.C., led to the division of his kingdom between his generals, with the two chief dynasties emerging as the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria and Mesopotamia. These two rivals would fight for control of the Holy Land for over a century.

Shortly after Alexander’s death, his general Ptolemy I Soter conquered Jerusalem, providing great consideration to Jewish religious law and culture. This changed dramatically when the Seleucid ruler of Syria, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, (who gave himself the title of “God made manifest”), defeated Egypt and gained control of the Holy Land. Antiochus imposed a policy of radical Hellenization aimed at completely eradicating the Jewish religion. He attempted to destroy all copies of the Torah, (also known as the Pentateuch), demanded offerings to the Greek god Zeus, and prohibited many of the practices that were central elements of Jewish religious practice.

Opposition to the decrees of Antiochus quickly arose, led by an elderly priest named Mattathias and his five sons, Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan, Simon, John and Eleazar. This triggered the Maccabean revolt, a 24 year war lasting from 166-142 B.C. that resulted in Judean independence until the Romans took control in 63 B.C.

Roman rule was imposed over Jerusalem and all of Judea in 63 B.C., when the Roman general Pompey captured the Holy City after a three-month siege of the temple area. Pompey massacred many of the priests while they were performing their religious duties and further blasphemed against the Temple by entering the Most Holy Place. Thus was the beginning of Roman rule upon the Jews, in a way that they would neither forgive nor forget.

Overview: John & Elijah
Much has been said in the gospels concerning the second coming of the Christ, but it was the second coming of the prophet Elijah that was intended to prepare God’s people for the arrival of the Messiah.

God’s prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6 (see above) stated that before the coming of the Messiah, he would once again send the prophet Elijah to prepare the hearts of the people of Israel.

In Luke 1:17, the angel Gabriel links this prophecy directly to John the Immerser when he speaks to John’s father, Zechariah: “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Gabriel’s intent in bringing this message to Zechariah should not be missed at this point: “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” (Luke 1:13b-15).

John’s birth, like the birth of Jesus himself, is said by the angel Gabriel to be the source of great rejoicing among the people of Israel: Only in part is this due to his role as a forerunner of the Messiah: John’s own preaching is said to have brought “Many of the people of Israel…back to the Lord their God.” Luke 1:15 says further: “He will be great in the sight of the Lord.” It should be noted that this connection between the “not-as-of- yet” born John and the prophet Elijah would not quickly have been lost upon John’s father, who even then was performing his religious duties and serving as a priest before God (Luke 1:8).

The Jewish Understanding
The Jews in Jesus’ day may very well have taken this to mean that Elijah himself would soon reappear, especially since Elijah did not physically die, but was instead carried bodily to heaven in a whirlwind (2 King 2:1-11). This in and of itself placed Elijah at an elevated place among the prophets – in terms of all of God’s children, only Enoch is said to have “walked with God” and then been no more (Genesis 5:24).

From the discussion in Matthew 16:13-16, it is supposed by some that not only did the Jews expect that “Elijah” would physically reappear before the coming of the Messiah, but also Jeremiah and perhaps some of the other prophets. That the Jews expected that this would be the “real” Elijah (and not simply someone coming in “the spirit and power of Elijah,” as stated in Luke 1:17) can be seen in Jesus’ rather guarded comments about John in Matthew 11:14: “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.”


John’s Testimony About Himself
John’s testimony about himself no doubt only added to the Jews confusion about this point. In John 1:19-28, (when the Jews in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was), John told them plainly: “I am not Elijah!”

John also denied being “the Prophet” (John 1:21), most likely an allusion to the comments of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”

Notwithstanding this denial, John immediately proceeds to state (in John 1:23) that he was sent, as it was predicted that Elijah would be, to prepare the way of the Lord. In doing so, John’s intent seems to be that while correcting any false notions the Jews might have had about Elijah reappearing physically, he also clearly stated to them his true character – that the spirit and power of Elijah would be clearly manifest in his teaching and preaching of the word.

The Testimony of Christ
How did Jesus see it? Witness the connection between the two in Matthew 11:7-11: ‘As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus continues, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Jesus himself seemed to understand that there were many in Israel who would not accept this spiritual connection: Jesus also knew that this position would provoke controversy. “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:12-14; emphasis added).

Thus, we are left with a very confusing Scriptural picture: On the one hand, John himself denied being the Christ, Elijah, or even “the Prophet.” On the other, Jesus himself was now publicly saying that he was:

“And they asked him, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.’” (Mark 9:11-13).

The next question is: If the Scriptures tell us that John really was Elijah, in what sense was this meant? Adam Clarke in his commentary on Luke 1:17 observes that John resembled Elijah in his “austere manner of life, and in his zeal for the truth, even reproving princes for their crimes.” (Compare 1 Kings 21:17-24 and Matthew 14:4).

Certainly John dressed himself in the mantle of the prophet much like Elijah did (compare 2 Kings 1:8, Mark 1:6). John also understood his ministry to be one of reform and preparation; again, just like Elijah.

My own assessment is that there may be a deeper connection between the two men, one that is only barely hinted at in the Scriptures: What was one of the things that had been prophesized about John? Speaking in regards to John, Luke 1:15 says that, “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” (This is never said about anyone else in the entire Bible, not even the Lord. And it certainly could not be said of any of the other Old Testament prophets, whom the Spirit of the Lord would come upon only for a time, only to depart).

God’s Spirit filled up John even from birth and Elijah did not die. Remember that the prophet Elijah was carried bodily to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1-11). Jesus had said about John that he was “more than a prophet.” (Matthew 11:9).

Jesus also said in Luke 7:28, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Jesus’ words were not meant to disparage the impact of John’s ministry in connection to our own – rather, they were intended to elevate John among the greatest of God’s prophets: “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:14).

His Character: A Man of Courage. (Mark 6:14-29).
In the same manner in which Elijah opposed the wicked King Ahab, John the Immerser also was willing to confront sin when it existed among the political rulers of his day. “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” (Luke 3:19-20).

Mark 6:14-29 provides us with a much more detailed description of this event. John’s character is revealed in his willingness to stand up and rebuke a King because of his sin. John’s willingness to submit his own ministry to that of Christ (see John 3:29-30) takes on new meaning when we consider that in very short order he would soon endanger his own life for the sake of God’s message.

What was the situation? Herod had married his brother Philip’s wife, and because the two of them did not have the proper grounds for a divorce, John had been preaching to Herod – “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

When he hears of this, Herod apparently takes John somewhat seriously. Verse 20 says that he “feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a holy and righteous man.”

Herod’s new wife, Herodias however, was a scheming woman – Josephus in his writings comments about her ambition and how this was a marriage of opportunity; that she would have none of this. So she nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.

Ultimately, the fact that John wouldn’t back down in his preaching to Herod cost him both his freedom and his life.

Jesus himself spoke to the courage of John the Baptist in Luke 7:24-28: “After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.”

“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’” John’s continued faithfulness even in the face of death brings to life what is said in Proverbs 20:6 – “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?”

Conclusion: John 3:25-30.
We will close our discussion today with some text from John 3:25-30: “An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.’”

“To this John replied, ‘A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, “I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.”

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.’”

It is interesting to observe the joy John felt at hearing the bridegroom’s voice. Clearly, John’s whole life was spent in anticipation of the Messiah.

If we are to get only one thing out of John’s example, we should understand the wisdom of what John says in verses 29-30. When I consider the example of my own life, this is a lesson I am learning to deal with every day. “He must become greater; I must become less.”

John’s character revealed itself in the humility he showed in facing the decline of his ministry in favor of Christ, the courage he demonstrated throughout his subsequent arrest and imprisonment, and the overwhelming joy he felt at being in the presence of Christ.

In Luke 16:16, Jesus says, “The law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.”

John’s ministry was truly unique. Before there was Andrew, before there was Peter, before there was James or John or any of the other apostles – there was one man – alone in the desert, preaching Christ.

At the very least, John represented an important link between the Old and New Covenants – the last of the prophets, but the first to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was near.


Coming Next Issue: The Ministry of Christ (Issue 4) – “The Baptism of Jesus”

Ministry Spotlight: A Voice in the Wilderness

John 1:6-9: “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

Overview: (John 1:1-9)
The coming of the Messiah was proclaimed in advance by John the Baptist, a fiery orator who preached in the desert of Judea and proclaimed “a baptism of repentance” for the forgiveness of sins. John’s ministry was a forerunner of that of Christ. His purpose was to “prepare the way” for Christ, which he did, both in terms of his ministry and his message.

John’s character and humility can be shown in the manner in which he faced the fading away of his own ministry, (as people went over to Jesus), and his subsequent arrest, imprisonment and death. “He must become greater; I must become less,” (John 3:30), John had said – indicating his willingness to submit his own desires to that of the Messiah he proclaimed, “a man who sandals” he was not “worthy to untie.” (Acts 13:24-25).


John’s Family Tree: (Luke 1:5-25)
John’s father Zachariah belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5-7).

The Bible also identifies John’s mother Elizabeth as a “relative” of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36-37). The King James Version renders this as “cousin,” but this is unlikely because Elizabeth was old and barren at a time. Mary, however, was still young and a virgin while she was betrothed to Joseph. The Greek “sungenees,” can mean any “relation” or “kins-woman,” whether by marriage or by birth.

Luke 1:56 suggests that the ties between the two woman were particularly close: Mary stayed at Elizabeth’s home and apparently attended to her during the last three months of her pregnancy until John would have been almost born!

John’s Early Childhood:
As was true of Jesus, virtually nothing is known of John’s boyhood, except that “the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” (Luke 1:80). In Luke 2:52, virtually the same thing is said of Jesus during his childhood, although Jesus’ upbringing was apparently far less secluded: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

Both Jesus’ birth and John’s were miraculous in nature: Jesus, because he was born of a virgin and conceived through the Holy Spirit; John because his own mother was well advanced in years and considered barren (Luke 1:25, 36-37). The angel Gabriel appeared to both women Elizabeth and Mary before the births of their sons, and John’s birth like that of Jesus, was said to have caused the rejoicing of many in Israel (Luke 1:14). The births of both Jesus and John were thus announced and set apart by the angel Gabriel even before the children were conceived: (John to his father Zechariah in Luke 1:11-19 and Jesus to his mother Mary in Luke 1:26-38). Even the names of both children had been preordained by God (see Luke 1:13 and Luke 1:31).

John's Ministry: Compassion. (Isaiah 40:1-9)
This is hinted at in the two main prophecies that are made about him. Talk about an exciting message: John’s role was to comfort the people of God (verses 1-2) and bring good tidings to both Zion and Jerusalem (verse 9). He was to say the people of Zion, “Here is your God!” (verse 9). What a great task, to introduce God to the world! To “prepare the way” for the Lord and make straight paths for him! (Matthew 3:1).


There can be no doubt that John saw his ministry in these terms – as introducing God to the world. This was an encouraging message.

Isaiah 40:1-2. John’s ministry was intended to comfort the people of Israel. That their time of bondage was over. That the time of salvation was at hand. Because of John’s harsh rebukes of the Pharisees and the scribes, we can lose sight of this. But in Isaiah 40:2, the Scriptures say that John spoke “tenderly” to Jerusalem. His message was one of compassion.

John’s ministry of compassion can also be seen in another prophecy made about him, in Malachi 4:5-6: John’s role was to “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” John had no problem exposing hypocrisy when he saw it, but his role wasn’t to rebuke and condemn people. His role was to prepare the way for Christ. (Malachi 3:1).

All of this is confirmed in Luke 1:17: “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

John’s ministry was one of compassion. His mission was not simply to prepare a path for the Lord but also to prepare “a people” for him.


John's Message: Conviction. (Matthew 3:1-12).
John’s ministry, of course, began in the Desert of Judea; in the wilderness along the east side of the Jordan River. About 28-29 AD. John was the last and the greatest of all the prophets; so much so that Jesus says of him, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” (Luke 7:28).

John’s message was one of conviction (Matthew 3:1-12). John begins to preach, and the whole countryside comes out to see him. People from Jerusalem, and all Judea and the whole region alongside the Jordan River. John’s willingness to confront the religious hypocrisy of his time helped to convict people’s hearts and prepare their minds for the coming of Christ: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’” (verses 7-8).

It is important that we do not dismiss John’s warnings as unrelated to ourselves. If we are religious, we are vulnerable to falling into the same spiritual trap. All of us that seek God have to be careful not to put our confidence in the fact that we are religious. Or that we know all the right doctrines. Or that we know our Scriptures better than anybody else.

Observation: Jesus encountered the same thing in his ministry; (see Luke 18:9-14). One of the biggest dangers we face is being overconfident in our own righteousness. We need to talk to God about our sin with a genuine humility and train ourselves to do this on a regular basis. John’s message, like that of Jesus, was one of repentance (Luke 3:10-14). He taught people to make amends, to repair relationships and to get their hearts ready for the coming of Christ.

Ultimately, John’s message was a simple one: Matthew 3:1: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.” Compare John’s message with that of Jesus in Mark 1:14-15, when he began his ministry: “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus began his introduction to the people of Israel, his message was exactly the same as John’s.

Summary: (Luke 7:28-30).
Q: Why was John’s ministry and his baptism so important? John’s message was one of conviction; he laid a foundation so that when the message of Christ was preached later, people would respond to it. His preaching remains of importance because it exposes most clearly the dangers of religious hypocrisy. God is less impressed with what we know, than in how we live.

The significance of John’s baptism can be seen in most clearly in Luke 7:30: The Scriptures teach that those who were not baptized by John “rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.” (Luke 7:30). Although we are predestined in Christ, (Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:29-30) and indeed chosen by him (Ephesians 1:11), it is clear that we can also reject him and walk away from the paths that God has selected for us. We also can reject God’s purpose for ourselves. Give some thought to God’s purposes for your life – are you keeping in step with them? If not, John’s preaching and purpose may be as needed by us today as it was 2,000 years ago in the Desert of Judea.

Coming Next Issue: The Ministry of Christ (Issue 3) – “The Second Coming of Elijah”

Ministry Spotlight: The Word Became Flesh


This series was originally developed during the summer of 2003, while I was preaching at the Wauwatosa Church of Christ in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It emerged out of my conviction that while we in the church generally do a good job in identifying basic Biblical doctrines and concepts, and indeed, use the gospel accounts for the focus of much of our teachings, all to often we fail to miss the ministry of Jesus Christ himself – What was Jesus trying to accomplish? Why did Jesus do what he did?

As far as priorities go, the church today is the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23) – that is, it is our job to be his hands and his feet, indeed his very presence in the world today: “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

About once a week, I plan on posting these short articles on "The Ministry of Christ" to focus attention on the passions and priorities of Jesus Christ. His priorities need to be our priorities, and the things that Jesus was passionate about, we also need to be passionate about. Only then will we restore the power and the purpose of the New Testament church. By better understanding who Jesus was, we in the church will gain a better understanding of who we are supposed to be.


John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”


Overview: “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1:1)

John’s Gospel begins with the echo of creation in Genesis 1:1, in which the Scriptures tell us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Here, however, it is not the triune God, (Hebrew “Elohiym”), who is depicted as the driving agent in all of creation, but rather Jesus himself, “the Logos,” the Word.

Whereas the phrase, “in the beginning,” in Genesis 1:1 can be taken to mean the first actual literal moment in time, it’s usage here carries with it a much loftier station: Jesus here carries with him the evidence of pre-existence, “before all time,” and “before created existence” as can be witnessed by John 1:3: “Through him,” or through Christ, “all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.” (verse 3).

John’s gospel then begins with the message of pre-existence, a theme he records Jesus himself bearing witness to in John 17:5, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Evidence of Jesus’ involvement in the creation, and the Spirit’s too, can be found in the original text in Genesis 1: Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image in our likeness.’” The obvious question that is begged from this passage is, “Who is the ‘us’ referred to in Genesis 1:26?” It cannot refer to mankind – mankind has not been created yet. The obvious answer is that both the Father and the Son were involved with creation, although they had the same image. Notice from the text that both “us” and “our” are plural, (meaning more than one agent was involved in the creation process), but both “image” and “likeness” are singular (meaning that although the Son and the Father may indeed possess different forms, their essential “image” is the same. Genesis 1:2 completes this circle when it mentions that “the Spirit of God” was present as well, hovering over the waters.

That Jesus is hereby depicted as divine there can be no doubt, for “the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (verses 1b-2).

•It is important when we consider the character of Christ that we understand and recognize exactly who he is: that he is the creator of the universe and everything in it, that not only was he “with God,” but also that he was God; that Jesus himself did not simply “come into existence” when he was born of a virgin. Rather, Jesus (as the Logos) has existed since before the beginning of time. As Wycliffe so eloquently puts it in his commentary, “The Word did not become, he was.”


“Through him all things were made…” (John 1:3).

That Jesus is the author of all creation is spoken to directly in Colossians 1:15-16: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and things on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

God’s creation is meant to testify to us about the reality of his existence: “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 men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20).


“The Word Became Flesh…” (verse 14).
The Greek word, “Logos”, translated in John 1:1 and John 1:14 as “the Word” is unique to John’s writings in the Scriptures: the overriding feature here is that “the Logos” is also the Son of the Father, who became incarnate in order reveal God fully (John 1:14, 18).

John uses this same phrase earlier in 1 John 1:1 when he calls Jesus “the Word of life” and again in Revelation 19:13, when Jesus, “the faithful and true” horseman, dressed in a robe dripped in blood, is called “the Word of God.”

In proclaiming what they had seen and heard, John and the other apostles proclaimed, “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word (Logos) of life…” (1 John 1:1).

Jesus, as the Word, was incredibly real to these men, so much so that they could not help preaching about what they had seen and heard. The heart of why they preached can be seen in 1 John 1:3-4: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

John’s stated goal in his writings was that Jesus would become just as real to us as he was to them. By this, their joy would be made complete.

Questions to Think About:

How much time and effort then, do we put into “knowing” Christ? Are we willing to proclaim to others, “what we have seen and heard?”
Do we find our life in his purposes or is our fellowship of a lesser sort?


Coming Next Issue: The Ministry of Christ (Issue 2) – “A Voice in the Wilderness”

Was doing a bible study tonight on Luke 9:23 -- You know, the one where Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."

And I was thinking about how cool it would be if each one of us in the body of Christ applied this passage the same way that Jesus' disciples did 2,000 years ago, to own our lives. The Bible says that these guys were ordinary, unschooled men. (That means that they were just like us). And we can be just like them, if we see in Jesus's words something we are to live out. This is what faith means. Not that we just believe that God exists, but that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

During my Bible study, I imagined a conversation, going back in time a little bit, between myself and another disciple...

"Hey, hey, Jonas. What’s Jesus doing?"

(me) "I don’t know – Fishing for men? That’s what he’s always doing, right? I mean Luke 19:10 and all that, “seeking and saving the lost.” That’s Jesus, he’s committed."

"Yeah, but didn’t he call you to follow him?"

(me) "Well, yeah, I am following him; I go to church on Sundays now..."

"But he’s over there, fishing…"

(me) "And I’m over here, guarding the boat…"

"But he said to follow him, and he’s over there…"

(me) "Well, I just thought that I’d -- that I could follow him by staying here. (I’d follow him from a distance ... by not going)."

"But didn’t he just tell you to deny yourself, and take up your cross daily, and follow him?"

(me) "Well, to be honest, I kind of thought he was talking about somebody else."

"So how do you know that he didn’t just walk away?"

Just some thoughts that ran through my head as gas prices hit $4.29 a gallon here in Milwaukee today.

One of my favorite songs as a younger Christian was a song called "Give me oil in my lamp." Generally speaking, it was a fun song, upbeat and positive about the joys of being a Christian.

In some places, one of the lyrics though was "give me gas in my ford, keep me burning, burning, burning," which always made me cringe as a lyric that had no business being in a song honoring God.

Now, with today's gas prices, maybe praying that God gives us gas for our cars doesn't seem like such a bad idea...