In the midst of this whole confusing scene, Jesus is obviously still in complete control, to the point where He issues and a command that the mob let His disciples go. You must trust yourself, your heart and your soul and your entire life to His command. He has been given all power by the Father to execute His life-saving mission here on earth (see chapter 5). Now Jesus, the great Shepherd of His flock, begins his interactions with Peter by asking him if he loves him more than these. In this context Jesus likely means these as the disciples. They also provide us with a solid reason for faith in His word and in our future with Him. In order to do that, we must be knowledge about what He says in His Word. Jesus doesnt promise an easy road, but He promises life instead of death. o Read Good Christian Authors: Many of us spend our time reading all fiction, or all one field or another. 103. The Catholic church (so-called) does not encourage the reading of Scripture, in fact it is the greatest rationer of spiritual nutrition in all the world. C.H. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here. Pride, anger, resentment had no place in this mans heart. Vain were ceremoniesvain as empty wells to the thirsty Arab. Of my own mind, and in the midst of tears. But what Caiaphas meant to say, and what God used Caiaphas to say here were obviously two different things, and perhaps a little more than irony. This is a great insight for us because it shows us firstly that the priorities of heaven are not the priorities of earth. More likely still, they would not have removed them at all, since it would have been easier to transport the body it if were still wrapped. Only the Holy Spirit can effect that change in a mans heart. 8) He will radically finish the job simply by the great revelation of His character and person, 11:41-42So they took away the stone. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, (Hebrews 2:11), It is for discipline that you have to endure. Here are my notes for John 21:8-17. Francis Thompson (1859-1907) 239. And parry He doesmuch more than this He overcomes! Thirdly this verse tells us that Jesus is the intended way of salvation for all those who believe upon His name. We all must stand in debt and awe that the Hound of Heaven has chased us down, has set His great and mighty love upon us, and though we deserved it not, has rescued us from certain death. The covenant of grace is not a charter of exemption from consumption, or rheumatism, or asthma. John simply says, Jesus wept. But we also read that when Jesus hears what Mary has to say, his spirit is greatly troubled. His troubled soul is noted at two different points in this passage. This 11th chapter of Johns gospel reveals to us the power and glory of Jesus Christ. And ill can brook delay; We must give great time and energy to studying and spending time in the Word of God. Lets take one at a time. 103. In Eden, Adam fell; in Gethsemane, the Redeemer conquered. We have a heart problem when it comes to learning about God and it is only through the implanted Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are changed and transformed. [xii]. But when I look at my family and home and those I love and realize he is working to destroy those things and those people, only by Gods power can I love this enemy of mine. She needed that money to run her household. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. (2 Corinthians 4:4, ESV). Peters rush to do something in the moment turns out to be the wrong thing. [3] He restores my soul. To do that effectively, he made a point of using examples that related to their life experience.[6], In this case, the woman who lost her coin represents God. Carson weighs four major opinions on the matter and comes to the conclusion that the best way to understand this is through the prism of what is going on in each situation with each individual. He knew what it was to walk on this earth. He is ruling here He is involved in our lives His rule is not detached. There were two trials one from the Jews, and one from the Romans. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. [17] Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [15] We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For those of you who are believers, we must cling to the promises of God, and abide in His truth, knowing that He is faithful. [22]But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you., As we look at Marthas response to the presence of our Lord it seems at first blush that she is placing a tremendous amount of faith in Him, and indeed her faith here is a beautiful thing. Why then are we here? [11]For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. [12]For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. Peter learned that fateful evening that though the spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak. While I greatly admire Thomas bravery and loyalty, I also want us to see that we follow Christ not out of a motivation toward blind duty, but a duty that is motivated by the love He has shed abroad in our hearts (a key concept in ch.15), and for the joy that lies before us in eternity. Make no mistake, every man, whether spiritually alive or spiritually dead, will face the judgment of Christ when He comes back in glory. The second thing I want to note here is that Martha is the one who comes running to Jesus when word reaches their home that the Lord is on His way, and is nearing the village. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 15: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show Gods truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. Sproul describes this unique part of Post-millennialism: What distinguishes postmillennialists from amillennialists and premillennialists is the belief that Scripture teaches the success of the Great Commission in the age of the church. You must either give up your sins or give up all hope of heaven. Jesus, who has dwelt with the Father in unapproachable light from eternity past has cracked open a smidgen of His glory and its enough to level a mob. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 1110. This is why His raising Lazarus from the tomb was a major sign (A major wake up call to Satan also) of the ushering in of His kingdom this was the warning shot across the bow of Satan. We just need to glean a few things to understand the context, Needless to say these great truths these are deep truths and they arent going to make a whole lot of sense to someone still stuck on the basics. Believing in the Son glorifies God because it gives proper due to who the Son is, and it magnifies Him. The shepherd goes to great lengths to rescue the lost sheep. Angels celebrate when we repent and are saved. The difference between Peter after Pentecost and before is manifested in a big way here in John 18. They will do nothing of the kind. [iv] Owen is right to cite 1 Corinthians 2 which says, It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me[46] not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. (John 6:45-46). (Ezekiel 34:11-16). Jesus had appeared to them prior, but apparently had not spent a lot of time in one-on-one discussion, or extended teaching of them yet (as in Acts 1:3). Jesus is the shepherd in this parable, and he is seeking a specific sheep. Charles H. Spurgeon. All those who boldly proclaimed headship over their lives will suddenly realize the oxygen they suck has been a precious gift from the one who upholds all the planets by the power of His word (Heb. Sowhat does it mean when John says they are condemned already?, It means that there are some who will never believe. But why? [9] And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, [10] being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Christians who carry out the fruit of their salvation in love toward others give glory to God. This is a passage I had preached a sermon on some time ago, so the notes were the same and can be found by clicking here. [21] But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.. Jesus gospel is simple and life changing. [32] This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. "Catholic Poetry", McNamara's Blog, Patheos, November 16, 2013, Fox News' Highly Reluctant Jesus Follower, "Watch: Stephen Colbert Stuns Phoebe Waller-Bridge with His Interpretation of the 'Fleabag' Fox", "Stephen Colbert's Theory About The 'Fleabag' Fox Leaves Phoebe Waller-Bridge 'Completely Blown Away', R. H. Ives Gammell: The Hound of Heaven by Elizabeth Ives Hunter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Hound_of_Heaven&oldid=1147762583, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, A short passage from the poem appears in chapter four of, "The Hound of Heaven" inspired Norwegian composer, Thompson's poem is mentioned and quoted in, "The Hound of Heaven" was used as an example of the hero's "refusal of the call" to adventure in. The Pursuit of God the Hound of Heaven - Jul 13, 2016 | Sharing Bread (John 14:6, ESV), He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. He arrived at some knowledge of his own heart and some knowledge of God's heart. All else, all other priorities fade for the moment, and the search consumes everything.[8]. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. It is but human nature, fallen human nature, that man should love this present life better than the life to come. In verse 11 we read that He was going to drink of the cup that the Father had for Him. Side note: for those more advanced in prophetic study or curious about these things, one of the things Beale and other see in Revelation is that at the beginning of some of the major sections/division there is a reference or allusion to something from Daniel chapter two (1:1, 4:1, and 22:6) Beale says that a pattern definitely emerges, John is employing the same allusion as a literary device to give structure to his whole book.. And that is the great love of our undiscriminating God. He knew the Fathers will; He sought the Fathers mind on all things through prayer. [24] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. We can see the importance of this idea of the reign of Christ in how it manages to seep into how pastors and theologians comprehend the overarching theme(s) of this book. I year or so ago I had the opportunity to teach through John 11 in my sunday school, and recently this past Monday I was able to revisit this chapter and spend two hours going through each verse with a ladys Bible study group at my parents home church. He could have said to Himself I am really dying for this? but He did not. Jesus came to usher in a kingdom whose power would forever be emblazoned on the lives of His followers to the point which death would be no match. If Adam represented us in the garden, Peter represented us in the courtyard: Liars. All men will one day give account for their behavior during this life. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. And again, we repeat it, until these affections be renewed, and turned into a fresh channel by the gracious drawings of the Father, it is not possible for any man to love the Lord Jesus Christ. I expect a blessed transplantation of all these flowers below to a clearer atmosphere above, away from all this smoke and fog and damp, up where the sun is never clouded, where flowers never wither, where fruits never decay. The answer is-they are here that they may live unto the Lord, and may bring others to know his love. When you are lazy in your learning, you hurt the body of Christ and cause other people (and yourself) pain in at least two ways: 1. Specifically, we see in the word so at the beginning of verse six, that Christs motivation for staying is born out of verse fives love for the Bethany family. They have lavished grace and peace and in the life to come riches beyond measure. So waiting four days to raise Lazarus from the dead would have crushed their superstitions. It is always interesting when Scripture uses such a specific number to describe something. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. The power is invisible to you but for a flash of light and then the power surges through all your electronic gear until your stuff is completely fried by the magnitude of that power. Remember what side of the cross Peter is on. However it is the learned man or woman who confidently asserts opinion where angels dare not tread. [viii] These are foundational truths, as John MacArthur says, the phrase is equivalent to the gospel of salvation by faith rather than works. [34] For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, [35] until I make your enemies your footstool. [36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:23-36). it is the discovery of this divine excellency of Christ that makes them constant to Him: for it makes so deep an impression upon their minds that they cannot forget Him; they will follow Him whithersoever He goes, and it is in vain for any endeavor to draw them away from Him. The specific link can be found here: http://www.reformationtheology.com/2009/04/world_johns_ten_uses_of_the_wo.php. 15:14-15 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. We need to be diverse in our reading, but first and foremost we need to read good Christian authors (Im not talking TD Jakes or Joel Olsteen), slowly working our way up to deeper more mature reading. It is possible for a man to be taken to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, though he has but just believed in Jesus. [18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:4-5 ESV), Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. That is what is going on here Jesus has come to usher in the exodus and as He does this, He establishes His kingdom. Remember, He is not speaking to those who do not believe, but rather to those who love Him. [x] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Pg. In contrast to our love for sin, His love is seen as extravagant. The love she has for Jesus, and the painful reality of her loss are intersecting in a mass of emotion that simply cannot be held back. We must therefore look to the power of the Man in the garden, and realize that we can trust that He is who He says He is. In Eden, God sought Adam; in Gethsemane, the last Adam sought God! And it is His working in and through us that will help us do so. 824. The Heaven of Heaven | Answers in Genesis So the word world is here used to refer to those achieving salvation the elect. We must trust in His promises as Jesus trusted in the Father until the final breath of. Once again, Luke 19:10 serves as a wonderful guide to understanding this chapter, Forthe Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost., 15:1-2 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. This is what transforms us by constant practice., Matthew Henry rightly states, The word of God is food and nourishment to the life of grace: As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.. in the hearts of his people). You are completely impotent as a comforter to those who are hurting, in need of wisdom, or exhortation. We have the benefit of looking back 2,000 years later and closely and slowly examining the sequence of events and the words of the Lord and the OT prophets. You were dead. Each moment listening for the voice, Notice also that Jesus is the one who begins the confrontation with the soldiers. It was included in the Oxford Book of . Yet soon they would realize the truth that the Scripture was fulfilled that he must rise from the dead.. Lastly, as Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, it was a clear indication that the kingdom of God was upon them. A God who could have sat back and ruled the world from on high, but instead who chose to come down to us. It is so bold, so new, so fearless. [i] Ligonier has a devotional published about the kingdom of God which cites these verses in Ephesians: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/seated-at-gods-right-hand/, [ii] John MacArthur sermon on Revelation 20 (Part 1): http://www.gty.org/resources/print/sermons/66-73. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:17-20), He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. [iv] In fact, we as gentiles ought to praise the God for including us into his promises. I would just add a disclaimer that they are my raw preaching notes. This is not to say that we dont cherish the foundation, of course. Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go.. Add content to this section using the sidebar. 239. The Hound of Heaven - Collection at Bartleby.com He is finally in his right mind he sees reality for what it is. o Memorize Scripture:[xiii] Chuck Swindoll says, I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways. 11:1-2 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Not only did Christ trust in the will of His Father and in the plan they had formulated from before the creation of the world, but He also looked forward in hope (Heb. Impotency and Sufficiency: Relying on the Supernatural Power of Christ for Life and Strength. The mob is looking for the man Jesus. As we continue on, remember the power He displayed here, and marvel at His obedience. He is the center of the Bible and indeed of all human history. [50]Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. [51]He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, [52]and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. (1 John 3:2). Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. I think that so often we underestimate Thomas. It seems that they had already agreed upon raising Lazarus, and that now Christ is thanking God the Father for hearing Him and for granting this miracle so that He may be glorified that people might believe. For if many died through one mans trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. This view robs the church of important teachings concerning the kingdom that are clearly set forth in the New Testament. We remain on earth as sowers to scatter good seed; as ploughmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds publishing salvation. [2] For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. Carson notes how some theologians remark that this power seemed to be so awful (awe-inspiring) that had He not specified the name of Lazarus that all dead people everywhere would have had to obey His fiat. And those who do not believe in the name of the Son of God will not be saved from that condemnation. PDF The Hound of Heaven - Hope Christian Church 3:12)[ix]. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Heres the link: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/why-we-read-the-bible. Yet, there are many people who read of the fall in Genesis, and they think, If I were there I would have done better! But thats just the thing you wouldnt have done better. It was made into a movie. Earlier in Johns Gospel we read the following: For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. (John 10:17). And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. The answer is that this: we need a supernatural change of heart. You really get the feeling from chapter 17 that there is a plan that is unfolding hour by hour here, that the Father and the Son who is filled with the Spirit are working in complete coordination on the unfolding of their glory in a way that will seem terrible and confusing to any bystander unacquainted with Jesus teaching. is possibly represented by the woman in the second parable Pg. It was here that I found the poem The Hound of Heaven by English poet Francis Thompson.