Son of God

So Much Better Than…

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , , ,

A dozen sweet, freshly baked donuts that beg to be eaten… Items collected in an online “wishlist” quickly ordered with only a few keystrokes… Exciting, binge-worthy television shows ready to be watched for hours… We all have our little temptations. They often take the form of food, stuff, and comfort. And while those previously suggested temptations may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, they nevertheless can become major problems for health, finances, or relationships. Moreover, when it comes to serious temptations, the stakes are even higher. The dangerous deception of a temptation is not simply that it causes us to question God’s character, but scarier still, that it leads us to respond in selfish disobedience. Yet, in Luke 4:1-13, God’s beloved Son provides us with a wonderful example of how to live a victorious Christian life.

In its surrounding context, the temptation of Jesus confirms that the Father’s approval expressed at Jesus’ baptism was warranted and properly placed in His beloved Son. When the Father exclaimed, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22), it was an expression that demonstrated Jesus’ readiness to defeat sin and begin His undaunted, submissive journey that would lead Him to the cross and fulfill His Father’s redemptive plan.

So, as the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days, Luke’s account brings to mind another temptation account that took place approximately 1500 years earlier, when Israel grumbled their way through the wilderness after their flight from Egypt. Yet, Jesus’ submissive faith stands in stark contrast to Israel’s repeated failure. He is better than Israel!

Furthermore, He is better than Adam (Lk 3:38; Rom 5:12-19). Jesus experienced the full force of Satan’s assaults and responded to each with undaunted trust in God, His character, and in His written Word. Every temptation our Savior experienced – from the three Luke records, the others that constituted His time in the wilderness, as well as the many that He would face on His way to Golgotha – were as real as every temptation that we face. They were powerfully custom designed by the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:1-3) to entice Jesus to seek comfort, pursue fulfillment, and find care outside of God’s will. So, as the incarnate Son of God, Jesus was fully human, a high priest “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). This is a big deal! In short, because He is both the perfect, eternal high priest and the once-and-for-all sacrifice (Heb 7:26-28). He is the only means for salvation. There is no other!

But there is also a very practical, daily application of Jesus’ victory, because His wilderness encounter gives us a model for success in the midst of a sinfully seductive world that aims to win our affections (1 Jn 2:15-16). When the enemy dangles the shiny lures of this world in front of our noses in an effort to coax us from the protective shadow of our Hiding Place, let’s draw upon the stored-up Word (Ps 46:1-11; 91:1-2; 121:1-8) and trust in our Sustainer, Shepherd, and All in All. In other words, we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).

Psalm 91:1-2 (ESV) – “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

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Drawn to God’s Presence

Matt Otto D-Groups , , ,

Many of us are familiar with the idiom “home is where the heart is,” yet most of us are less acquainted with its origin. The idiom communicates the sentiment that home is the place you are drawn to because it is where you find the people you love and who love you. It further carries with it a sense of wellbeing, comfort, and safety. Whether the idiom’s origins go all the way back to the first century and the Roman statesman Gaius Plinius Secundus – also known as Pliny the Elder – or not, its appearance in English literature can be traced back to an unsigned poem published in 1828 named ‘Tis Home Where’er the Heart Is. The poem beautifully develops the heart’s powerful longing for home.

Jesus, as a good Jewish boy, grew up with parents that impressed upon Him the significance of the temple. As the sinless Son of God, He also had an innate understanding of its importance in relating to His Father. Similar to the Garden of Eden and the Israelite tabernacle, the temple served as the place where heaven and earth met or, better yet, where the presence of God met humanity. So in Luke 2, the author connects Jesus to the very presence of God by placing Him in the temple. It is here that He is presented and joyfully recognized by Simeon and Anna, and it is here that, at age twelve, the Son of Man is found among the theological elite confounding and mystifying the great minds of His day with His understanding and answers. The sinless God-Man is entirely unencumbered by sin’s effects on His mind. Without a sin nature, Jesus’ mind was never clouded or fatigued, never inconsistent or distracted, and never misinformed or forgetful.

So like the learned rabbis, we too are amazed, because we find the young man sitting in the temple completely at home. As a matter of fact, upon finding their son after frantically scouring the city for three days, Jesus informs His parents that He “must be about [His] Father’s business” (v. 49, KJV). Jesus came for a distinct and life-altering purpose. The Apostle John hints at this when he says that Jesus “made his dwelling [tabernacled] among us” (Jn 1:14). Did you notice what John is implying? Jesus came to us to be the Temple (Jn 2:18-22; Col 1:19)! He came to us so that by His death and resurrection He might usher in the New Covenant through which the dividing curtain between God and man might be torn in two (Matt 27:51) and the temple expanded beyond a single building.  Now God, the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:26) not only makes His home with us, but in us (1 Cor 3:16-17). The people of God, the Church, now become a temple able to experience the presence of God at all times and in all places (Eph 2:19-22).

As mentioned at the outset, the poem ‘Tis Home Where’er the Heart Is describes the heart’s overwhelming desire to be where it is loved. But the poem goes further by shedding light on the heart’s yearning to be renewed, and to be free. Jesus, the perfectly sinless Son of God has come to mingle among those made of mud and blood – you and me. The glory of God Himself has been revealed in the flesh, visible for all to see (Jn 1:14; Lk 1:1-2; 2:30). Both Simeon and Anna recognized infant Jesus during His presentation at the temple. In Jesus, they and millions have found where their heart has found a home, their life has been made new, and the shackles of their sinful past have fallen off.

Come home! Run to Jesus! He is your comfort and salvation. And, be like Simeon and Anna who embraced Jesus and gratefully spoke of Him to all who would listen.

Isaiah 40:1-5 (NIV) – “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

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The All-Powerful Valiant King

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , , ,

In days of yore kings and leaders were frequently given impressive names in connection to their character or accomplishments. For example, Richard I of England is commonly referred to as Richard “the Lionheart” because of his courage and cruelty. President Abraham Lincoln was sometimes called “The Ancient One” because of his sage wisdom. More recently, Margaret Thatcher, who served as Britain’s Prime Minister from 1979-1990, was known as the “Iron Lady” for her resolute politics and leadership style.

Similarly, in biblical times, ancient kings were described by names like those listed in Isaiah 9:6. The prophet wrote to warn Judah of God’s impending judgment as well as His promised salvation through an anointed king or messiah. Based on the descriptive terms listed in Isaiah 9:6, expectations looked forward to a king with extraordinary wisdom, great strength, and peaceful influence. This king would set all things straight upon his arrival, crushing enemies in the process. He would do this, because he would be chosen and empowered by God’s zeal (v. 7). So God’s people anticipated a king like Saul, imposing in stature, a king like David, mighty in battle, or a king like Solomon, amazingly wise. A political leader whose glory and might would eclipse even the most revered kings of Israel’s history. As one song writer put it, they thought he would “come with a crown of gold, a string of pearls, and a cashmere robe … [that he would] clinch an iron fist, and rain like fire on the politics.”[1] The title, Mighty God, only bolstered these expectations. The name brings to mind one deserving of great honor and fame as well as one exhibiting power in authority and leadership.

How unbelievable it must have been for the long-awaited king to be born in such a low estate. To think that the King who made all things, owns all things, sustains all things, and reflects the complete radiance of God’s glory (Heb 1:1-4), nevertheless took on the human journey as a vulnerable and dependent baby is astonishing (Isaiah 7:14)! Speaking of the incarnation of Jesus, Charles H. Spurgeon beautifully describes the union of the divine and the human, the extraordinary and the common:

They never cease to tell the astonishing story, and to tell it with increasing astonishment too, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, and became a man.

Is He not rightly called Wonderful?

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.

Jesus is the Mighty God described in Isaiah 9:6. He is the Son of God and the Son of Man, fully divine and fully human. He is the Hero who was sent “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isa 61:1-3). As God and man, King Jesus has the authority and capacity to reclaim sinners and pardon the condemned. Through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection He satisfied the just demands of the Father, paid the debt that we owed and took the penalty we deserved (Col 2:13-15). He wins! Satan, sin, and death no longer have claim on those whose king is Jesus. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV) – “‘[Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

[1] “Baby Son” by John Mark McMillan, 2018

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The Incomprehensibly Wise King

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , ,

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

It is a familiar idiom that encourages us to persevere in the face of failure. Often it reminds us that failure is not the end, and that we should not give up on our goals or aspirations, but rather to keep trying until we succeed. Yet, are there ever circumstances that prohibit success and make failure inevitable? Certainly! The truth is that there are certain things that we are incapable of doing. In particular, physically and intellectually we all have limitations that no repeated “trying” will overcome. This is even more profoundly true when it comes to our spiritual condition. We find ourselves walking in gloom and in deep darkness (Is 9:1-2; see also Is 59:9) deserving only of God’s judgment. Even more disturbing is that we cannot improve or remedy our condition no matter how hard we try. Is there any place we can turn to escape seemingly certain failure?

Yes! The answer is found in Isaiah 9. Here the prophet reminds us that our rescue comes from the God of the angel armies. It is His intense love, unstoppable devotion, and relentless commitment that ultimately accomplishes His redemptive purpose: “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7).

How is this possible? How does this extraordinary God engage with ordinary humans like you and me? In the well known and deeply loved Christmas carol, “What Child Is This?”, the writer, W. Chatterton Dix, beautifully answers this mystery by posing a rhetorical question of his own:

What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

God enters our world as “King eternal” (the Son of God) and as “King birthed” (the Son of Man). He is worshiped by the armies of angels and adored by insignificant herdsmen. He is both extraordinary and ordinary; both completely unlike us and yet just like us. “In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9). What an incomprehensibly wise King! He is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses … tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). In his sermon entitled “Vision of a Transcendent God”, Dr. D.A. Carson asks,

How do you describe a God who is purer than the driven snow, who is more magnificent than the most stunning sunset, who is more entrancing than a million twinkling stars, who is more nourishing than the best of foods, who is more loving than the ideal parent, who is more awesome than all of the unleashed forces of nature? How do you describe a God like that?

This is the amazing context of the familiar names that describe the character of King Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6. What we are unable and incapable of doing, Jesus does, beginning as our Wonderful Counselor – the incomprehensibly wise King. He is worth trusting, obeying, and confiding in.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (ESV) – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”

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What? Come Again?

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , , ,

Certain events and ideas significantly alter the course of history. The Industrial Revolution, the Reformation, and World War II transformed society, religion, and politics as we know them. Similarly, the invention of the printing press, electric light, and the discovery of antibiotics revolutionized the world in which we live.

On an even grander, cosmic scale the second coming of Jesus is destined to change everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! The entire timeline of human history and God’s overarching redemptive story has been moving persistently toward this event and its terrifyingly glorious results. Still, the cynic scoffs at the notion that God is present in this world and that He cares about the chaos and anarchy that is swelling into an overwhelming tidal wave. The notion of Jesus, the Son of God, coming back to this earth seems to be an absurd and irrational dream. However, that is exactly what God has promised: the Suffering Servant will return as the Victorious King!

The final chapter of Zechariah gives a few details that will characterize the radical changes Jesus’ return will bring at His second coming. While the Bible is clear that “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 24:36), the event and its effects are absolutely certain. Luke writes:

“And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:10-11).

So, what changes will Jesus’ return accomplish? First, He will execute judgment (Zech 14:12-15). All of God’s enemies will be subject to Him and ultimately destroyed (1 Cor 15:24-26). Second, He will rule (Zech 14:16-19). His authority will be unquestioned and His truth will be clear. His presence will be welcomed and He will be worshiped with thankfulness and joy. Finally, He will make all things new (Zech 14:20-21). Every aspect of life will be made righteous and holy. Even the most common, mundane, vulgar activities of life will shine and shout for His glory!

His coming will change everything about the world as we know it. Are you ready and eagerly anticipating His return? Don’t let complacency set in. Expect it! Live it! Share it!

2 Peter 3:4-5, 9 (ESV) – “… scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ … The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

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