David Bahn – Reflections

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:1-10

What if God’s grace is truly the ultimate cause for praise? What if God’s grace is the sine qua non for life? What if God’s grace is more precious than gold or silver? What if God’s grace is an inexhaustible source of hope, joy, peace, purpose, meaning, and significance? What if we fail to view life through the lens of God’s grace we become like pagans: in search of a means by which we may manipulate God to do good for us, and get him on our side? What if God’s grace is all there is to keep us from a life of abject hopelessness, meaninglessness, and insignificance?

What if, indeed. Paul lists here a number of spiritual blessings that flow from our God of grace: we are chosen, destined for holiness, blamelessness, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, and lavished by his love, kindness, mercy, and grace. What an amazing list of blessings! Any one of them would be enough to fill the hearts of the most sinful man or woman. But we have them all! By God’s grace.

Grace may be defined as:

• God’s
• Riches
• At
• Christ’s
• Expense.

Those riches are abundant. And this is a wonderful way to think of grace. But we have only scratched the surface of the meaning of this rich word.

Wikipedia defines grace as, “a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. … No one can return to the presence of God without divine grace.” Not bad. But if you want a fuller exploration of the term, consider this article from the Bible Study tools website.

The New Testament term, charis [χάρις], is rich in meaning. Unmerited favor, kindness, and good will freely given and without merit on the part of those who receive it. Grace is completely dependent on and flowing from God. He is the source of grace and the One who provides it richly to all people. Those who receive this grace are saved (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). Moreover, Jesus is the one full of grace and truth.

How does this relate to everyday life? We need look no farther than Paul himself who wrote so eloquently and emphatically about grace.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

God’s grace sustains us in times of trial and trouble and is the source of blessings and joy we experience each day. If you would read the article referenced above from the Bible Study Tools website, you might begin to appreciate this rich gift more fully. In the meantime it is enough that we look at all of life through the lens of God’s grace.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:1-10

I’ll admit it: it is an outrageous claim. I’m not certain any notable theologian has postulated this in this exact way. And I believe it better than I can explain it. But I believe the little phrase, “to the praise of his glorious grace,” (Ephesians 1:6) holds the key to the meaning of all of life and of the universe as a whole. I believe if we look at the Bible as a whole, and seek to understand the span of history in view of God’s glorious grace in Jesus Christ we have the very best perspective from which to understand God, Scripture, and life.

When it comes to understanding God, we do well to let him speak for himself. We listen to his word. And by that I mean his literal words: And God said, “Let there be light.” Jesus said, “There is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.” God’s act of creating was an act of grace. God’s grace is shown in Jesus’ joy over sinners who repent. We understand God best when we attribute to him grace, kindness, and love.

Look at God through the lens of Grace: his unmerited love, kindness, mercy, and favor. Consider all that he does as flowing from and seeking to lead us to himself in order to save, redeem, comfort, and be in relationship with us. When you struggle with God’s presence, or his seeming uncaring attitude toward you, consider his grace. Remember his redeeming love. Think of him in light of his good will for you and all people. Praise him not just for his majesty, glory, sovereignty, or might, but for his love, goodness and grace.

Read the Scripture with the lens of God’s grace. This is not a book of rules and principles for living successfully, or achieving holiness. This is a book of God’s redeeming love, his delight in his creation, and his desire that all would be saved. That’s why Paul writes the words, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” God is a God of blessing: all by his grace. And when it comes time to focus our praise – and God’s intent and desire for such praise – we are pointed to “his glorious grace.” We should pour over every word of Scripture in search of God’s grace. It is the key to understanding and lens that provides clarity to the intent of God’s word.

So to with life. When we view life through the lens of God’s grace, for if we do not we are in danger of adopting pagan perspectives to faith, love, and good works. And to that we will turn tomorrow. D.V.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Matthew 16:21-28

I recall very few fights when I was in high school. One I do remember occurred when two young men get really testy with one another and the one took a piece of chalk and put it on his shoulder and demanded, “Go ahead, knock it off. I dare you: knock it off!” It was a testy moment. Lots of adrenaline and testosterone: a dangerous combination!

The custom is an old one. The New York newspaper Long Island Telegraph reported on 20 May 1830 “when two churlish boys were determined to fight, a chip would be placed on the shoulder of one, and the other demanded to knock it off at his peril” (wikipedia).

There is no chip involved here, but in some circles calling someone “Satan” would certainly provoke a fight. In the vernacular, them’s fighting words! Unless.

If a man is a man of honor he will not immediately react to such an accusation thoughtlessly. Even if he is prone to fits and fights, a man will do well to consider any reprimand carefully. It is not impossible that we are sometimes tools of Satan in spite of ourselves. Against this we must always guard.

The unholy trinity of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh war against God and his proper rule and reign. We may unwittingly thwart Jesus’ rule and reign of grace and truth by well-intentioned ideas, words, and actions. We may even war against the fullness of Jesus’ rule and reign by giving in to sin’s temptation and Satan’s enticements.

We might have to utter such words in our own battles against Satan himself. He is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He’s the thief who comes to steel, kill, and destroy. But one little word will fell him. Jesus has promised it is so. And sometimes he does come calling. Whether in a direct attack on faith and godliness, or in a subtle deception to turn us away from a difficult but vital task for his kingdom, he can be thwarted if we but stand up to him.

Our fighting words, therefore, must always be the same as Jesus’, “Get behind me Satan.” For when we confront him in Jesus’ name he will flee.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Matthew 16:21-28

I am a terrible speller. If it were not for those little squiggly red lines under misspelled words, I’d be sunk. I consistently make words more difficult to spell than they are. And does that word have an “i” or an “e” in it? I’m hopeless. I don’t know how those who spell well keep it all straight!

When Diane and I were first dating we held to Romans 8:28 as a promise and had a motto: “We can’t lose.” Only I regularly spelled it, “We can’t loose.” Sad. She finally pointed that out to me and I was able to keep that one straight.

The idea of gaining life by losing it, however, is not merely a matter of keeping the spelling straight. It’s a matter of comprehending the paradox of the Christian life. When we seek to hold onto life, making sure we get all that is coming to us, we will end up losing the very thing we seek. We will be more miserable than if we suffer gravely as a follower of Jesus. Suffering as a follower of Jesus – losing life because we are committed to being faithful to him – will yield a life of purpose and meaning greater than the greatest success can ever deliver.

This has been a key value and belief of mine for many years. I am convinced that meaning, purpose, and a true sense of significance if sound in serving others. We can try to succeed. We can seek to be famous. We can strive to be recognized. And all these vie for our hearts. But none will satisfy. Only when we give ourselves to following, serving, and living for Jesus’ sake and glory will we find true life, joy and meaning.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Matthew 16:21-28

For a period of time my uncle was involved in tractor pull contests. In the early days of the competition, tractors would pull a sled along a course which was lined with men on either side. As the sled would come by them, each one would step on the sled. That would make it heavier and result in greater drag. Eventually even the most powerful of tractors would be unable to continue. Today the sled is more sophisticated, and much more controlled. I’ve seen signs on these sleds that say, “We’re coming after you.” The message is obvious: “Coming after” meant pursuit in order to conquer. It will stop the tractor it was coming after.

Jesus speaks of people coming after him in quite a different manner. We may pursue him. That is a high calling. But we’re not coming after him in order to put a stop to him. We pursue Jesus in order to be close to him. We come after him in order to be where he is.

Make no mistake here: coming after Jesus is not for the faint of heart. He is marking himself as radically different from the pagan gods of Caesarea Philippi. Those gods required their followers to appease them by sacrificing to them. Gaining the pagan gods’ favor was a process of manipulating them and appeasing them.

Jesus’ call to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him sounds like a call to sacrifice. And it is. But this sacrifice is not in order to appease him. We are not seeking to manipulate him. We are seeking to be close to him. At least part of this call, however, is to make the point that following Jesus is serious business.

Perhaps Jesus had in mind the casual disciple – like those who would leave when Jesus’ teachings took on a sharper edge (cf. John 6:66-69). Maybe he wanted to discourage casual discipleship (cheap grace). It could be he was making certain his followers were truly all in: gaining a fuller commitment from them before they ultimately sign on the dotted line.

One thing for sure: Jesus’ path will take him to the cross, to horrific suffering, unjust treatment, and moments of deep angst. He will go there for us and for our salvation. Coming after him will take us to those places of challenge and even pain. But it will lead us ultimately to glorious salvation and eternal splendor. This is our ultimate destiny if we come after Jesus.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Matthew 16:21-28

I recall learning how to do an in-depth study of a Bible text. The process is called hermeneutics. There are several facets of that art: word meaning, grammar, syntax, author, purpose and context. Context has much to do with author, purpose, audience, and placement in the overall work itself. It’s really simple, actually. But it is not easy. As with any art, one can spend a lifetime honing the craft of Bible interpretation.

Too easily our own biases can turn exegesis (mining the text) into eisegesis (seeding the text). A thorough study of the context helps prevent such reading in, and helps one gain a fuller and better understanding of the actual meaning of the text.

In the case of this section of Matthew’s gospel, this brings great enlightenment to our task of understanding. The event took place at Caesarea Philippi. One of the notorious facts associated with this place is the spring that emerged from the large cave became the center of pagan worship.  Beginning in the 3rd century B.C., sacrifices were cast into the cave as offerings to the god Pan.

There were other gods associated with this place as well. So when Jesus asks who do people say I am, and then once the confession comes, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus is then set to show his followers just how different he is from other gods. Rather than asking that they throw their sacrifices (including, reportedly, live infants{!}), he will offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world – including the sins of the pagans who worshiped their false gods in this area.

The practice must have been abhorrent to the disciples, and anyone who would honor God from his heart. To think that Jesus would be treated as a sacrifice was beyond anything they could imagine. So Peter says what the others surely must have been thinking: No! Jesus, you’ve got to rethink this!

But Jesus had thought it through. This was his plan – together with the Father and the Holy Spirit – from the foundations of eternity. It had to be. I suspect that he chose to make his point here so that the full impact of his suffering and death would be experienced before he even entered Jerusalem for that last time.

Man’s thoughts would design a different plan. But God’s plans exceed man’s by both scope and span. Jesus would die for the sins of the world. His death would bring blessings that would span eternity. Within that context we are now living. Surely we can gain some insight about life and love, work and play if we pay attention to it. It may not be easy, but it is simple, and it’s worth a lifelong of pursuit.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” – Matthew 16:21-28

Peter was among the first of Jesus’ apostles, and one of the inner circle of three. He often said what others were thinking, and expressed thoughts and ideas that sometimes would better be left unexpressed. We might say of him, he took his foot out of his mouth only to change feet! 

Immediately before this exchange, however, Peter gets it right. When Jesus asks who do the disciples think he is, Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Right on the mark. A beautiful expression of faith. So beautiful and right on that Jesus tells them that this conviction and confession is not by the power of human reason or strength. This is a revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, however, Peter too quickly abandons the influence and leading of the Holy Spirit and begins to lecture Jesus about what he must and would do: No not you, Lord! This can’t be what’s in your future.

How wrong he was. Jesus has said it: “It is necessary…” The Greek word is δεῖ (dei). And that little three-letter-word is powerful and absolute. It. Is. necessary. If we are to be redeemed, Jesus will have to face unjust treatment. He will die. Although Peter thinks he knows better, he does not. This is God’s plan. It will be.

My heart is with Peter. I don’t want to imagine being with Jesus and hearing him speak about such doom and suffering, torture and death. But my desire does not serve the greater cause of God’s redemption and our salvation. Let’s stay with Peter as he gets it right about who Jesus is, and let Jesus do the work he came to do. In the end we will rejoice with Peter and all sinners when Jesus rebukes us and calls us back to himself, forgiving us and calls us to a higher purpose than our own comfort or sensibilities might suggest.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. – John 1:6-8

My friend and classmate, Dr. Jeff Gibbs, is a seminary professor. He is reported to have told his classes over the years, “Gentlemen, the world needs a Savior, and you’re not him.” It’s very similar to the two rules of life:

1. There is a God.
2. You’re not God.

To that we may add a third rule: When in doubt, refer to rule #2.

Clearly John knew these rules – or at least the essence of those rules. This is John the Apostle’s testimony about John the Baptist. John is the forerunner of Jesus. He is the voice in the wilderness crying, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

John the Baptist is so important that the Apostle breaks into his account of the Word, the One who was with God in the Beginning, God himself, the Creator of all that exists. The Apostle tells us that this one who came, came as a witness to the Light. He was not the Light. He was witness to the Light.

Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest man born of a woman. John, however, was not the Light. He bore witness to the Light. He proclaimed that Jesus was so much greater than he, that he was unworthy to untie his sandals.

It is far more challenging than we might imagine to keep it straight. Are we to be savior or witness to the savior? It should never be a question in our mind. But it is. So let us remember: We’re not the Savior. That’s the Word’s calling. But at our best we are witnesses to the Savior.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1-5, 9-14

Perhaps you heard of the man who was one of many stranded passengers at the airport gate counter. He pushed his way to the front of the line and demanded attention. “Don’t you know who I am?!?” he demanded. Without missing a beat the gate agent got onto the PA and announced: “There is a man here who doesn’t know who he is. If anyone can identify him, please come to the counter. Your help will be greatly appreciated.” I would love to see that in real life!

Imagine God saying to Jesus: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:1-3)

This would never happen: for two reasons. First of all, Jesus never needed to be taken down a notch. He was faithful, humble, completely submissive to his heavenly Father’s will, and perfectly obedient to God’s law and commandments. And when he was subjected to the most cruel and unjust treatment he did not cry out in despair. He would pray to be sure. He would cry out, “My God, my God…” But he did not give up his faith. He was perfectly and faithfully obedient unto death. 

The other reason? Jesus was there. The Word, which took on human flesh in the form of Jesus was there. All things were made through him. Apart from him nothing was made that has been made. He was with God in the beginning. He was God. He knew who he was, who he had been and who he would be for all eternity. God – for a little while disguised in human flesh – but God nonetheless.

When he stilled the storm his disciples marveled: “Who is this that even the wind and waves obey him?” (Matthew 8:24-27) When he raised Lazarus from the dead he was showing his complete reign and last word over death (John 11:40-43). When he forgave the paralyzed man, he was showing the authority he had over all things (Mark 2:10-11). When he gave the Great Commission he was exercising the “all authority” that had been given to him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

When we worship Jesus we are worshiping the True God and giver of eternal life (1 John 5:20. He is worthy of all glory and praise now and forever.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1-5, 9-14

It’s all about the light. Early morning sun kissing a field of Texas wildflowers, or breaking through the clouds over the Gulf of Mexico is the making of great photographs. Take away the light and you have no photo. But go into the darkroom and the tables are turned. It’s still all about the light, but it’s about keeping the light away from the film as you load it into the developing tank. It’s all about controlling the way the light falls onto the photo paper under the enlarger.

Yes, it’s all about the light. It’s not about the darkness. Darkness cannot overcome light. Light invades darkness. Darkness cannot invade light. Darkness is the absence of light. Jesus describes the place of eternal judgment as a place of outer darkness. Where Jesus is not present, no true light shines.

There are times, however, when light can be glaring. Intrusive. Distracting. Overbearing. Like being in front of a high-riding pickup truck whose headlights just manage to find that spot in your rearview mirror. Not welcome at all.

Sometimes people make the light of Jesus into a glaring, intrusive, overbearing, and distracting thing. In that case, however, they are not shining the true light of Jesus. For he is full of grace and truth. To blind someone with the truth of God’s word without the love of God is a glaring intrusion. To shine a rosy light on sin and godlessness is deceptive and not truly loving.

But when the light of Jesus’ love shines upon the truth of our need we see a picture of true grace and gracious truth: the stuff of faith, hope, and love. Such is the soft and gentle light of the spiritual birthing room of God’s kingdom into which we, his children, have been born. It’s all about the light.