Gospel of John, Part 4

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Should the resurrection of Jesus be considered one of the "signs" of the Gospel? Why or why not? (This is not asking you if the resurrection is important to Christianity.)

John’s Gospel records seven of Jesus signs before His resurrection and one sign after His resurrection. These signs were displayed by Christ to manifest His glory, turn unbelief to belief,[1]  test faith,[2] and proclaim His deity.[3] John’s eight signs, however, were not the only ones Jesus performed. Surpassing even these miraculous signs was Christ’s resurrection: a miracle demonstrating His power over His own physical body and over the sting of death.[4] The resurrection should be considered one of the signs of the Gospels because it also accomplished the same results as the other signs.

In the resurrection, Christ manifested His glory by demonstrating that He had power over death.[5] Satan thought He had conquered Christ by slaying His human body, but just as God had promised hundreds of years before, Christ would crush the Serpent’s head by His resurrection.[6] After His resurrection, Christ’s glory was displayed even more fully in His ascension to the right hand of the Father.[7]

The resurrection was one of Christ’s signs to turn unbelief to belief. Though Jesus had often spoken of His death and resurrection to His disciples, they didn’t not understand it nor grasp the full meaning until His ascension. The resurrection was meant to bring about ultimate saving faith in those who would believe.[8] The disciples did eventually believe. The women who followed Jesus believed. The centurion at the cross believed. The thief crucified with Christ believed. Countless others also followed the Savior and many gave their lives because of this one sign. The other eight signs recorded by John were meant to bring about faith in a Person. The resurrection was a sign of that Person meant to confirm faith.

The resurrection tested the faith of Christ’s followers. Mary, blinded by her emotions, had her faith tested when the “gardener” spoke to her. Peter’s faith was tested through his denial. The disciples were tested in the Garden of Gethsemane and during the three days and nights after the crucifixion. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were tested by Jesus Himself when He scolded them for not remembering the words of the Old Testament Prophets. Thomas faith was tested when he saw the Lord’s pierced hands and side. The resurrection was the one great sign that tested faith to the utmost, determining whether a person’s faith would stand or fall. Many had believed in Jesus previous signs and wonders, but the sign of the resurrection laid the foundation for saving faith. Without saving faith, there is no salvation, forgiveness from sins, or eternity with Christ.[9]

The resurrection, like Jesus previous signs, also proclaimed Jesus’ deity. Only the Giver of Life could break the chains of death and work a physical and spiritual miracle in raising Himself from the grave. No other had done this, and no others would. In raising Himself from the dead, Christ demonstrated His equality with the Father, for God is the Author of Life.[10]

The resurrection was Christ’s greatest sign to believers and unbelievers alike, that Jesus is the Christ.[11] Those who believe today don’t have the blessing of seeing Christ’s physical miracles. Though John and the other Gospel authors recorded the miracles of Christ, our faith today rests completely on what Christ has already done and in our faith in the miracles that others witnessed. Thomas had the advantage of seeing in order that he might believe, but we are blessed because we haven’t seen, yet we believe.[12] The resurrection was also written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing we might have life through His name.[13] The resurrection stands in the past, present, and future as the greatest sign of the Bible.[14]

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[1] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, 208.

[2] Merill Chapin Tenney, Topics from the Gospel of John, 157.

[3] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, John 1-11, 83.

[4] 1 Corinthians 15:54-55.

[5] 1 Corinthians 15:26-27.

[6] Genesis 3:15.

[7] Philippians 2:9-11.

[8] Merill Chapin Tenney, Topics from the Gospel of John, 158.

[9] Leon Morris, Jesus is the Christ, 186.

[10] John 2:18-22.

[11] John MacArthur,  The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, John 12-21, 386

[12] John 20:24-29.

[13] John 20:31.

[14] 1 Corinthians 15:1-20.

Psalm 1

I began reading through the book of Psalms on Sunday. I memorized Psalm 1 when I was very little, and while I don't know that I could recite it perfectly anymore, it is a Psalm that has stuck with me many times. It's short (only six verses), but powerful. Take some time to read and meditate on it. :)

    Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor siners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

His Day: The Lord's Day!

For the Son of man is Lord 
even of the sabbath day.

Matthew 12:8

In response to the "Announcement" Anna posted previously in June on Facing the Waves, one of our readers requested a post regarding Sunday worship. This was not a topic I had consciously thought about (hence the very late post), though I did for a short time a couple months ago. So, I went to Scripture and sermons to refresh my mind.  

Likely, we have all grown up with slight differences in how we observe Sunday. Many people want to know "What can't I do?", rather than focusing on the heart and asking "How can I best worship the Lord on His day?". Dividing this post into two sections, I will attempt to explain what the Lord's Day should mean to believers in the 21^st century. 

What Sunday is not...

Sunday is not the Sabbath. The Sabbath Day was given to the Jews--the Israelite nation. Sabbath was the day on which the Lord rested after He spoke His creation into being. This day was one of rest for God which served as a day of remembrance for the Israelites--a reminder to worship God as Creator. The Lord commanded the Israelites that the 7^th day of the week was to be a day of rest for the Jews and pointed to certain judgment if God’s laws were not kept. (Exodus 31:13-17)This day was to be one that was set-apart; it was marked for sanctification. Israel was not to act like the other nations around them; this Sabbath day was one created specifically for them—a sign of sanctification and rest, in order that they would remember their Creation, His creation, and their sinfulness.

Sunday is not a day in which we commanded to observe the Old Testament rules. The Lord laid out clear laws that the Israelites were to follow, and among those rules were many pertaining to the Sabbath day. They were not to collect manna on that day, and they were not to go on any long journeys, to name a couple. And whoever violated the Sabbath day was to be put to death. (Exodus 31:14) Through these laws, man was to recognize that Creation was marred and that man was filled with sin, and that the only way they could receive forgiveness was by keeping the law.

Sunday is not identified on Judaism’s calendar. The Sabbath day was the 7^th day of the week; one that was to be a reminder to the Israelites that God rested on this day. Not because He was weary, but because it was His day to enjoy His creation and bless all that He had made. (Genesis 2:3) The Sabbath day was a memorial to the original creation—a reminder that Paradise had been lost and forfeited by man’s sin and that there was now judgment if they disobeyed God’s law. The Sabbath was a sign to the Israelites connecting them with the Fall of Man and reminding them that the only way to regain a taste of that Paradise was by observing a day of rest—the 7^th day. The Sabbath was only a shadow of the substance (His rest), and yet it was a promise of future salvation.

What Sunday is…

Sunday is the 1^st day of the week! This is the day that approximately 2000 years ago, Christ victoriously conquered death, paid for the sins of mankind, and provided redemption, justification, and sanctification for all those who would believe in Him. (Luke 23:53-12:1-12) This is the day that Christ appeared to His disciples, showing them that He is risen—proving that all His past ministry and death made sense, that the Old Testament was broken once and for all, and that the Father affirmed His finished work on the cross. He also promises to His followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit after He had been received up into heaven. (John 20:19-23) Again, on the first day of the week (a different Sunday ;), the disciples received the Holy Spirit and were given the gift of speaking in tongues, and Peter preached the first “Sunday sermon”. (Acts 2:1-4, 14-43)

Sunday is a day in which we are no longer under the bondage of the law.  When Jesus died, He eliminated the priesthood, sacrifices, and holy days—including the Sabbath. Sunday was the day Christ arose and overthrew the law. He eliminated the need to work for salvation by following the law.  Believers rest from the works approach to righteousness, because we have entered into the new covenant—the one where Christ is our ultimate rest. The law only pointed to Christ—and Christ was the fulfillment of that law through His atoning work on the cross. We are not under the bondage of the law anymore, but rather, we are bondage of grace; and through grace, we have freedom in Christ. (Romans 14:1-6) (Galatians 4:9-11) The Sabbath laws were mere shadows of the hope to come; Christ’s resurrection is the hope. (Colossians 2:16-17) And while, Sunday on this earth is still only a shadow of the rest to come, we now have the promise of salvation. If we try to hold on to the old laws of God, then we make His finished work of no avail. No longer are we only left with a shadow of rest as the Old Testament provided, we now have the substance: Christ, and He is our complete rest. To paraphrase John MacArthur’s words: When Jesus picked the 12 disciples, He left the Old Testament leaders behind; when He picked the 1^st day of the week, He left the 7^th behind.

Sunday is a day in which we worship Christ as Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. We observe this day because this is the day when our Lord proved His deity and the sufficiency of His fulfillment of the law. After all, He was the one to demonstrate the throwing aside Pharisaical laws by healing and working on the Sabbath. (John 5:3-18) He isn’t honored with the keeping of some day of the week; He is honored in our worship of Him on the Lord’s day. While the other Old Testament commands are repeated in the New Testament, there is never a command to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was done away with, so the disciples came together on the first days of the week (And not just the first days! Sometimes they worshipped together for days in a row.[Acts 2:46]) , without the bondage of the law. This is the day when we glorify Christ as Redeemer; not worshiping old creation, but the new! This is “the Lord’s Day”: set-apart for Him. (Revelation 1:10)This is the day when the disciples gathered together to break bread, worship, sing, preach, and embrace the truth of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) This is not a day that is just a “stop-off” in the middle of the week; it’s a day to remember the glory of your salvation. We are not forbidden to work or play—but, remember, this is the day that God named as His own. Surely, we can give Him—He who created us, died for us, and saved us—one day of the seven He gives us. We are commanded not to forsake the assembling of believers, and especially as the coming of Christ draws nearer by nearer, so our communion with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ should increase. (Hebrews 10:25). Celebrate His resurrection and atoning work, by filling the Lord’s Day with worship, preaching, and fellowship; and rest in Christ and in the reality of your salvation. This is our day to find greatest delight in Christ and to fellowship with brothers and sisters in the Lord, because He rose from the grave, victorious over death, and  is now seated at the right hand of the Father, living to intercede for His chosen ones.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

In Christ,

Kaleigh