Seven Sayings: I Thirst

Soon Jesus would be dead. The four last statements of Jesus seemed to happen in quick succession. The fifth word of seven is, “I thirst.”

John 19:28-29

²⁸After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

²⁹Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

He did this to fulfill another scripture. Everything Jesus did was in the will of God and no breath, no action, no word was wasted.
- John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The prophecy referenced here is Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.”

Two drinks

Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23 speak of a drink offered to Christ at the beginning of the crucifixion that was mixed with gall. He would not take it. Gall was used to dull pain.
The second time, here, it was simply vinegar, the drink of the commoner.
- Why was vinegar there? It was popular among the Roman soldiers. They would mix vinegar and water to prevent scurvy and other water born diseases. It was also better at quenching thirst. Think of it as the Gatorade of Jesus’ day.
Jesus would drink the bitter cup that he asked the Father to let pass from him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

A man like no other.

Matt. 27: 48-49, “And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him”
Matthew 27:50-54, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
2 Peter 2:22-24, “21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

What do we see and are challenged to follow?

Jesus’ physical humanity.
Jesus’ knowledge of the scriptures.
Jesus’ commitment to fulfilling the Father’s will.

Seven Sayings: My God, My God, Why hast Thou Forsaken Me

Jesus was on the cross for six hours at this point. It was about 3pm (the ninth hour of the day). Up to this point, we have seen a great bit of detail about the physical side of Jesus’ crucifixion. In this fourth statement, we are now fully introduced to the deeper anguish pressing down on the Savior.

Matthew 27:46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Fully God – Fully Human

The suffering was very real, it was more than a feeling. However, it is difficult for us to understand. Jesus who had always been with the Father for all eternity is now feeling separation with God.
He had all power and was without sin being fully God.
But, with our full humanity, he bore the weight of our sin and punishment under the intense pressure of cross and the shame and reproach. He suffered our physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional pains.

Psalm 22

Jesus was not speaking random words. Nothing He said or did was with waster breath. We find this statement in Psalm 22 and a deeper reading here finds many similarities to what Jesus was experiencing. I will highlight some of the easier ones to see.

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

²O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

³But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

⁴Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

⁵They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

⁶But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

⁷All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

⁸He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

⁹But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

¹⁰I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

¹¹Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

¹³They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

¹⁷I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

¹⁸They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

¹⁹But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

²¹Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

²²I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

²³Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

²⁴For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

²⁵My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

²⁶The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

²⁷All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

²⁸For the kingdom is the Lord‘s: and he is the governor among the nations.

²⁹All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

³⁰A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

³¹They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

We so much messianic prophecy being fulfilled from this Psalm in the crucifixion of Jesus. I believe it also helps us see what is happening.
When Jesus went through the temptation in the wilderness and the intensity of the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Angels came to minister to Him and restore His strength (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). Help was always near.
Jesus cries out on the cross, and from the content of Psalm 22, speaks of desperation for God’s presence and help. However, on the cross, it was not there. Why?

Christ became Sin, who knew no sin.

Christ was not forsaken from communion with God. He did not cease to be the second person of the triune God. Even Psalm 22 shows a still confident faith in who God is and trust in His character.
The sinless Son of God who had been, from all eternity, in an intimate relationship with His Father, is now spiritually separated from Him as we are when sin is present in us. When the sins of the world were put upon Jesus there was, for the first time, a separation between the Father and the Son. The Bible records something happened between them that we can only understand through the eye of faith.
- That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).
The Father was placing the sins of the world upon the Son in order that everything in the universe that had been affected by sin could again be made right with God. Jesus was suffering the pain and separation that we deserve:
- For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In order for this to occur, the Father had to forsake the Son and allow our punishment to fall on Christ as our substitute.
At this time, Jesus is standing not before God as Father (abba), but God (el) the righteous judge of sin.
May we grow in greater appreciation of Christ giving His life for us.
Christ was forsaken so we can have confidence before God in saying, “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Most Read Posts of 2018

We just wanted to send out a message to thank everyone for another wonderful year on our blog. The following lists show the ten most-read posts this year. Looking forward to another year of serving and writing!

10. Christian Baptist Camp Meeting 2018

9. Three reflections on the Old Testament Tabernacle.

8. Don’t Quit!

7. Get out of the cave!

6. A pre-history of Christian Baptists.

5. Apps for small Churches.

4. But, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

3. Camp Meeting Time!

2. New Research Publication

1. Reasons for going to youth camp.

Get out of the cave.

Last weekend, my wife and I took our children to Carter Caves and toured Cascade Cave. The guided tour was 75-minutes long and included 225 stair steps. Our children loved it, and we did too. At least, the older two that stayed awake. Our youngest fell asleep towards the end and was carried through pretty much the entire trip.

When we came out of the cave, our signal returned to our phones and messages and voicemails came on them. We missed a lot of what was going on and valuable communications. The experience reminded me that we can enter into spiritual caves in our lives. The cave is not evil itself and is something that somehow provides protection and a place of solace. However, it is not a place we are meant to stay. Let’s look at a couple passages of Scripture to learn more.

David.

1 Samuel 22

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

3And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. 4And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. 5And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

Elijah.

1 Kings 19

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

15And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

The Rest of Us

John 16:33 reminds us, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” I am thankful that God has provided grace that is sufficient for all our needs. Thankfully we can experience His grace during our times of grieving and other overwhelming emotions. While our feelings can betray us, we must still understand that God has created us with these capabilities. Emotions are just some of the ways the Lord has given us the power to cope with all the ups and downs of life.

However, as far as the emotions associated with sadness and anger go, we must not stay there too long. In the passages above, we see that David and Elijah went to the caves in time of despair and depression. However, both were not there for very long. It allowed for a moment of profound soul-searching.

We can do this deep searching of the heart during this time because typically we find seclusion. For Elijah, it was a time where God could speak to Him in a mysterious, yet miraculous way. Saints of old have called these times the dark night of the soul. These are times when we feel withdrawn and numb in our emotions. Communication with God may be foggy at best. However, it is during these times that we can hold on to God’s Word alone by faith and in the end find out that He still reigns. This is the peace that Jesus talked about in John 16:33. We can have trouble and should expect it. However, we can overcome and have peace because of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. That triumph extends to every arena of life.

Don’t Quit

This is the recent preaching outline I used for a sermon called “Don’t Quit.”

Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

Who do you know right now that you would like to tell them not to quit? Was there a point in your life, maybe even now, that you wish you had someone to say to you, don’t quit?

Job’s background and Introduction

He had great possessions, his family, his health, and his marriage.
However, beyond his control, he suffered great loss but remained faithful to the Lord. God blessed his faithful in the end.
We experience these cycles in almost every arena of life. The cycle move from the promises to problems and many of us never see the prize of being faithful because we quit during the problems. God help us to not give up. To not quit.
Like Job said, we don’t go very long in life without trouble popping up.

The Promises

The first day on the job, honeymoon & marriage, children (Job. 14:1), health, home, education, etc.
Each of these

The Problems

We tend to settle or surrender.
We then quit, give up.
- Gal. 6:9 and reiterated in 2 Thess. 3:13, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
To not quit, we need to ask ourselves the question, “what wrong things do we need to quit so we don’t quit on the right things?”

The Prize

God rewards faithfulness in life.
The ultimate reward of faith is eternity with the Lord.

1 Cor. 9:24-27, Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Heb. 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

F.A.S.T. Church Leadership

What is leadership? Some understand leadership is Influence – Every person is an influencer. Good leaders motivate others for the others right. Bad leaders manipulate others for the leaders good. Another way of understanding leadership is through the actions of a person during stressful situations. In either stream, local churches are in need of godly leadership. Sometimes pastors go into churches, and there are few to no leaders, and they need help to share the ministry with others fast. Selecting and further development of these leaders are essential where there is lack. This is a model that I have been implementing.

F.A.S.T Church Leadership

This model is about identifying leaders in the congregation. The four areas are essential qualities of each leaders quality that help you see future growth.
This model is about equipping people. It’s not enough to identify leaders. They need to grow, and you need to provide them with help for that growth.
This model is about shared leadership. Each quality is more than a personal pursuit. Leaders work in tandem with other people, not alone. No one is a leader without anyone willing to follow.
This model is about Christian leadership. FAST reminds us of the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting is about mental fitness, not physical (Mt. 17:21; Mk 9:29). Ultimately, the unnamed requirement is the person has an obvious relationship with the Lord. Don’t make the mistake of being desperate enough to just put warm bodies into positions of leadership. Especially if they have not repented of their sin and professed faith in Christ.

Faithful

As implied by the previous section, leaders need to have a personal relationship with God. This means they are faithful to God (Pro. 3:5; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; Heb. 10:23) and committed to the Church (Acts 2:42, 20:28; Heb. 10:25, 13:17). It also implies they are available to answer the call to lead in the local church (Is. 6:8; Mk 1:17-18).

Accountable

As stewards of the Gospel and church, leaders need to be held accountable. They are responsible for honesty (Pro. 11:3; 1 Jn 1:6, 3:18), responsibility (Rom. 12:6-8; Gal. 6:5; 1 Cor. 3:8), accountable to the church (Pro. 17:17; Gal. 6:1-2; James 5:16).

Servanthood

Servant leadership is a great model to follow for further development. However, in identifying your next leader, there should be some hints of servanthood already. They should be a servant first, leader second (Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17) They need charisma, but not by the typical definition of an outgoing personality. Instead, charisma in that they are other-centered (1 Cor. 10:24) Finally, they need to be content in knowing their identity is found in Christ (Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1)

Teachable

The final quality is that this person has a holy discontent with their current state and want to be taught and developed further. They learn to listen (Pro. 1:5, 19:20, 25:12; James 1:19). Learn the learning process of action, reflecting, and changing, (Pro. 1:7, 9:9; 10:17). They pursue learning opportunities intentionally (James 5:12; 1 Pet. 2:2). Leaders are open to not only instruction but also correction (Pro. 18:13; John 8:32, 16:13; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17).

Not willing that any should perish.

Last evening in service we had one of our directors of a foreign mission field. It was great to hear of the work being done, challenged by devotion despite oppositions, and the significant needs across the world. The greatest need of all is the salvation that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord is currently providing the opportunity if people would only receive him. In Scripture, we see that is a free choice of individuals to make.

2 Peter 3:3-10,

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Christ will set all things right (vs. 3-7, 10)

One of the oldest positions of skeptics is that the return of Christ has taken far to long. Peter was acquainted with this critique and provided his response. He noted that the flood took place as part of God’s previous judgment. With the certainty of the flood, Peter assures his audience that God’s next judgment was ready at any moment. Christ will return but it will not be expected. It will arrive like a thief in the night. However, instead of a flood, the judgment would be an intense fire.

The Lord is not willing that any should perish (vs. 8-9)

In the meantime, Peter provides an answer as to why the coming of the Lord has not happened yet. He first remarked in verse eight that time does not impact God as it does with creation. Many take this to be a literal understanding of time with God, but the truth is that whether a day or a thousand years takes place, God is not affected. He is eternal. Peter paraphrased Psalm 90:4 which stated, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” Again, the notion is that the Lord is eternal and exists outside of time.

Peter associates the eternal nature of God with incredible patience when it comes to acting in time. Especially concerning the return of Jesus Christ. The reason for God’s patience toward us is that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God desires all to be saved. However, we also understand that not all are not saved. To understand this dilemma, two solutions are considered. First, the Calvinist redefines the words “any” and “all” to only mean the elect. Or, the second, is to understand that God has given free will and does not force salvation on any or all people. Instead, he receives any, and all that will freely choose His Son, Jesus Christ.

God is waiting patiently to send His Son to set all things right because He longs for people to repent and receive His salvation. If you are not saved, the time you have right now is a gift of mercy because the Lord is patiently waiting. If you are saved, then be busy about the Father’s business, not wanting any to perish, but working to help all come to repentance.

Push-Through

“Push-Through” is a saying that I grew up hearing. It was immensely valuable and still is today. To me, it carries encouragement and challenge. Let me ask you a question. How do you approach God? If the Old Testament teaches us anything, it is that there is a right way to approach God. And, the New Testament echoes it. Clearly, in the OT this would seem to happen by purity laws and sacrifices, but what we know the New Testament does not focus on these works? Instead, a connecting theme to both testament, and the through behind the idiom to push-through, is faith. Faith is the thread, from Abraham to Christ today.

Let’s look at two individuals who had to approach Christ in faith in their most desperate hour. In Luke chapter, a man comes to Jesus to heal his sick daughter. Moved by the humility and hope of this man, Jesus follows him. However, a woman pushed through the crowd that surrounded these men. She was there for her own healing. Read the next passage to see what took place:

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Luke 8:46-50

Did you notice that both of these people are exhorted to have faith? Verse 49, “Daughter be of Good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. Verse 50, “Fear not: believe only and she shall be made whole.” Faith from the Greek word πίστις (pistis), and believe from πιστεύω (pistoue) are connected foundational.

The woman with the issue of blood, who was healed, had to push through a crowd to get to Jesus. It is a picture of what it is like to have faith. The man, Jairus, found out that his daughter died while he and Jesus were on their way. No doubt, the advice to not trouble Jesus seemed sound. But, the Lord said to him to basically push through the grief, shock, and fear. To keep believing and as we read on, she really was made whole.

You need to push through. Keep your faith in Christ. Romans 10:9-14 talks about salvation and makes the statement, “whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Even during the most challenging situations, we need to keep the faith and push through. Living as though Scripture is true and God is really real.

Holidays

When it comes to holidays, both sacred and secular, I’ve heard the statement, “I don’t need a certain day to tell me to observe something.” For example, with a day like Thanksgiving, some well meaning person may quip, “We need to be thankful everyday. Not just one day out of the year.” While this sentiment is true, these observances do serve a purpose. First, let’s take a look at Scripture to get our bearings. Then, we will look at the practical implications. Maybe, holidays can be under stood as more than time off. Then again, maybe I am thinking to much.

Religious Feasts of Israel

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, Old Testament Israel observed seven feasts: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles or Tents). The question of “so what” may be asked.

First, God said so in Leviticus 23:1-2, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.” However, if you continue to read you will see repeated a call to teach on these days their unique meanings. This was done to pass on the generational values and for the people of God, the theological underpinnings of God’s work through sacred actions.

Education & Refocus

So, while we may know the importance of of a particular value or theological typology, the same can not be said of everyone. Holidays stand as days to educate children and outsiders to a culture. It also serves as an opportunity to refocus our lives with what is important. No one is above the distractions of life and getting pulled away from what is essentially the right things in life.

Or, again, I am just thinking to much. 🙂

A great history.

One of my favorite things about things about family reunions is hearing the history of our family. Even now, I will pull out a video of my grandfather telling stories about his youth and the history of our family. Some of the most memorable are the funny ones. Then there are the ones that are hard to believe and amazing. Some stories that are embarrassing, but they are essential to understanding the dynamics of our family.

We could say the same thing about our Christian heritage. Sadly, it seems that many people want to neglect anything that has happened between the end of the New Testament and their personal walk. Some may include the history of the local church or perhaps even the network or denomination of Churches that they might belong.

Some might believe that the Old Testament is not relevant to know since we have the New Testament. You might hear them say, “We are New Testament Christians around here.” Or, when they do go into the Old Testament, there is an awkward sense of unfamiliarity.

You may know several of the critical stories. The problem is many could not put these stories in order. Instead, they have a disorganized mess in their mind when it comes to our family history. Yes, the Old Testament and the New Testament, along with the almost two millennial between us is our Christian family heritage. All of it is our story.

Why is it essential to have a basic understanding of our history? For one, it helps us know our place in the family. We have a long family history that is rich in wisdom. Read the next few verses to get the sense that the Church is our family.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” -Ephesians 3:14-15

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” -Galatians 6:10

“Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,a testifying to what would be spoken later. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.” -Hebrew 3:3-6

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” -Galatians 3:29

“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” -Romans 4:16

The family is prominent but so is faithfulness to God’s Word. Knowing what Scripture teaches is vital to the Christian life. Essential to our personal walk and our local churches is an understanding of Church history. Many things in our extended family tradition teach us how to be faithful in uncertain times and the consequences of straying from Scripture.

Themes that run throughout history also helps us understand the nature of God. Ideas like redemption, holiness, faith, love, and justice run through Scripture and history as the threads of a tapestry. They weave together our point in time with others in the past and future.

By gaining a better sense of our Christian heritage, you will be humbled by its immensity and beauty. Use what you learn to be a better decision-maker in your Christian walk and local Church.

Tag: Old Testament