Celebrating Calvin

It’s John Calvin’s 500th birthday today. I think Calvin is such a compelling figure. Why?

(1) Calvin’s Theology

Dr. J. I. Packer describes Calvin as “the finest exegete, the greatest systematic theologian, and the profoundest religious thinker that the Reformation produced. Bible-centered in his teaching, God-centered in his living, and Christ-centered in his faith, he integrated the confessional emphases of Reformation thought – by faith alone, by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, for God’s glory alone – with supreme clarity and strength.”

The structure of Calvin’s theology hinged on one great conviction: God is all! On this premise, he penned The Institutes of the Christian Religion (which, by the way, only accounts for 6.8% of his total literary output – amazing!). It consists of four books: (1) the revealed truth about God the Creator, and our need for that revelation; (2) the revealed truth about Christ the Mediator, and our need for Him; (3) the revealed truth about the grace of Christ, and the salvation He brings through the Holy Spirit; and (4) the revealed truth about the means of grace, given in the church, and what is involved in using them. Since 1536, when it was first published, The Institutes has been one of the most influential doctrinal statements within Protestantism.

(2) Calvin’s Piety

In his First Catechism, Calvin writes, “True piety consists… in a sincere feeling which loves God as Father as much as it fears and reverences Him as Lord, embraces His righteousness, and dreads offending Him worse than death. And whoever has been endowed with this piety dare not fashion out of their own rashness any God for themselves. Rather, they seek from Him the knowledge of the true God, and conceive Him just as He shows and declares Himself to be.”

Clearly, for Calvin, true piety is affective piety. He confirms this in The Institutes, stating, “Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law.” It’s the impression of God’s greatness and goodness upon the soul. It’s a sensible (or inclinational) knowledge of God that’s summed up in Augustine’s cry, “How sweet was it to me on a sudden to be without these sweet vanities! You, Lord, who are the true sweetness, did take them from me and enter in yourself, who is more pleasant than all pleasure, and more clear than all light.”

(3) Calvin’s Ministry

Calvin suffered from kidney stones, for which his doctor prescribed horseback riding. Can you imagine? He suffered from hemorrhoids, which would have made the horseback riding unbearable. He suffered from a spastic colon, asthma, and gout. He suffered from severe indigestion. It was so bad that he could only eat one meal per day. He suffered from tuberculosis. On one occasion, he spit up so much blood that he had to spend the next eight months in bed. He suffered from debilitating migraines. In a word, Calvin was a physical wreck. Often times, the church elders carried him in a chair from his bed to the pulpit, so that he could preach. Yet, despite his physical ailments, he accomplished so much in his relatively short lifetime. He preached every other day. He carried on mass correspondence with Christian leaders throughout Europe. He wrote numerous books and treatises. “He was intense in the service of the Lord, to whom he had given his heart fully” (Unknown).

Summary

As we remember this man of God, we would do well to heed the words of Theodore Beza: “Since it has pleased God that Calvin should continue to speak to us through his writings, which are so scholarly and full of godliness, it is up to future generations to go on listening to him until the end of the world, so that they might see our God as he truly is and live and reign with him for all eternity.”


Quotable: “Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law” (John Calvin).

God is Back

The Enlightenment was a movement in philosophy, science, and theology (17th and 18th centuries) that placed humanity at the center of reality. It rested on the conviction that man’s reason and man’s goodness were sufficient to secure progress. Its goal was fourfold: freedom from God, freedom from authority, freedom from history, and freedom from evil.

The Enlightenment spawned two revolutions with two very different views of religion. The first was the French Revolution, which championed a critical view of religion. It viewed all religion (along with monarchy and aristocracy) as detrimental to society. The second was the American Revolution, which assumed a benign view of religion. It never vilified religion like its European counterpart.

These two “revolutions” produced a schism in Western thought. On the one hand, Europeans (and Canadians to a great extent – though it pains me to say it) have postulated that modernity and religion can’t co-exist. They assume that modernity will increasingly marginalize (perhaps even eradicate) religion. This is evident in the fact that religion is rarely tolerated in the public sphere. On the other hand, Americans (apart from a few academics) have assumed that modernity and religion can (and do) co-exist. While vehemently defending the separation of church and state, Americans have never banished religion from the public sphere. On the contrary, one merely needs to look at the role religion plays in American politics – a scenario that’s unthinkable in either Europe or Canada.

In God is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge argue that the American view has proved right. They declare, “Today an unsettling worry nags at Western liberals: what if secular-Europe (and for that matter secular Harvard and secular Manhattan) is the odd one out? They are right to be worried. It now seems that it is the American model that is spreading around the world: religion and modernity are going hand in hand… It is not just that religion is thriving in many modernizing countries; it is also that religion is succeeding in harnessing the tools of modernity to propagate its message. The very things that were supposed to destroy religion – democracy and markets, technology and reason – are combining to make it stronger” (p. 12).

With that said, Micklewait and Wooldridge set out to accomplish four objectives (p. 26). (1) To explain why Europe and America have evolved in such different ways (pp. 31-142). (2) To examine the way that religion is thriving in today’s America (pp. 143-212). (3) To examine how America is exporting its brand of religion (pp. 213-264). (4) To examine the spread of wars of religion (pp. 265-351). The book is organized into four parts, in which the authors deal with one of these issues.

While not endorsing every detail, I recommend God is Back as an astute analysis of current world-trends in religion. In the coming weeks, I plan to interact with the authors' analysis.


Quotable: “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything” (G. K. Chesterton).

Jesus and a Doubting Christian

This is the final chapter from Thomas Wilcox's Three Heavenly Discourses...

Jesus: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).
Christian: O Lord, I am a poor, heavy laden sinner that would come unto thee, but cannot come.
Jesus: It is true, O soul, no man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him (Jn. 6:44).
Christian: How then shall I come unto thee?
Jesus: I and my Father are one (Jn. 10:30), and we give power to the faint, and to them that have no might, we add strength (Is. 40:29).
Christian: Lord, I am altogether without strength; therefore, draw me unto thee, and I will come.
Jesus: I will draw thee unto me with the cords of a man, with bands of love (Hos. 11:4), and with lovingkindness (Jer. 31:3; Jn. 12:31).
Christian: But, Lord, now I look upon myself; I feel I am unworthy to come unto thee; yea, unworthy of the least of thy mercies.
Jesus: So said my servant John the Baptist (Matt. 3:14), and Jacob (Gen. 32:10), and others (Matt. 8:8; Lk. 7:7), yet do not judge thyself (as the Jews did) unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46).
Christian: If such men as John the Baptist and Jacob did judge themselves unworthy; how many thousand times more unworthy am I, a wretched and wicked sinner?
Jesus: It is true neither they nor thou could be worthy of yourselves, but yet I am willing to account you worthy (Lk. 20:35; 21:36; Rev. 3:4).
Christian: But, Lord, if there were anything that were good in me, it might a little encourage me to come unto thee, but I find nothing but evil in me.
Jesus: Dost thou know that without me thou canst do nothing (Jn. 15:5), and that a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven (Jn. 3:27)? Why then dost thou stay away from me who must work all thy works in thee (Is. 26:12)? And because thou seest nothing but evil in thee, thou shouldst the rather come unto me, who am the fountain wherein thy unclean soul must be washed (Zech 13:1). Unless I wash thee, thou canst not be clean, nor have any part in me (Ezek. 36:25; Jn. 13:8).
Christian: True, Lord, thou art the fountain and well spring of life, and it is thy blood (and nothing else) that can wash away my sins; but how can I come near to thee, who am so wicked, that for ought I know, have counted thy blood an unholy thing (Heb. 10:29).
Jesus: Thou poor, dear and doubting soul, what if thou hadst had a hand in crucifying me (as the Jews had), yet cannot I forgive thee, as I did many of them (Acts 2:36,41)? But thou hast not counted my blood an unholy thing, for thou desirest to have thy sins washed away by it.
Christian: What the Jews did they did ignorantly; but I have sinned against knowledge, which makes my sins worse than theirs.
Jesus: If thou hast sinned against knowledge, yet thou hast not sinned so, but that thou mayest be forgiven; for my dear disciple Peter sinned against knowledge, when he denied with an oath that he knew me not (Matt. 26:72).
Christian: O, but yet my sins are worse than his, for his sin was but one sin, and that a sudden and short sin; but I have sinned many sins and continued long in them.
Jesus: So did my beloved servant David (who was a man according to my own heart) commit several sins together, as murder, whoredom, etc., and continued a while too in his sins.
Christian: O, but Lord, those servants of thine, though they sinned against thee, yet they expressed a great deal of sense of their sins, and sorrow for them; but I can neither be sensible of, nor sorrowful for, mine.
Jesus: O sweet soul, thou mistakest and forgettest thyself, for thou dost often confess thy sins before me with sense, shame, and sorrow. And I hear thee daily bemoaning and complaining and saying, “I have sinned against the Lord. Woe is me for I am undone” (Job 7:20; Ps. 51:4; Lam. 5:16).
Christian: O good Lord, it is not without a cause that I cry, “woe is me I am undone,” for I think there is no soul in such a dangerous and desperate condition as mine is in.
Jesus: Why dost thou think and say so?
Christian: Because I have sinned that unpardonable sin against thy Spirit.
Jesus: O, thou poor and precious soul, thou dost but think so; but tell me how canst thou sin that sin against my Spirit, and yet pray for more of my Spirit, and so much prize my Spirit as thou dost?
Christian: O Lord, I have often grieved and quenched thy Spirit, and is not this to commit the unpardonable sin?
Jesus: My own dear and loving children may and do sometimes grieve my Spirit by sinning, and quench the gracious motions of it, and yet do not sin that unpardonable sin (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19).
Christian: O, but I can think no less but that I have committed that sin, for I have had hard, cruel, and desperate thoughts in my heart against the Holy Spirit.
Jesus: Though, my child, thou hast had such thoughts in thy heart, yet thou hast not spoken evil of my Spirit (as the Jews did) which is the sin of blasphemy, and that unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:24-31; Mk. 3:22-30).
Christian: Lord, I am not sure but that I have spoken evil words of thy Spirit, for I know I have many times uttered vile, bitter, and cursed words.
Jesus: Notwithstanding, thou didst through the violence of thy temptations, and in the bitterness of thy soul, speak such words, as my servants Job (Job 3:10; 10:18; 23:15-16), David (Ps. 31:22; 116:11), Jeremiah (Jer. 20:14), Jonah (Jon. 4:3,9), and Peter (Matt. 26:27,74) did, yet thou hast not done despitefully (nor sinned maliciously and willfully) against my Spirit of grace as reprobates do (Heb. 10:29).
Christian: O, I have been and still am very willful, and have often sinned willfully, and thou sayest in thy word that if any sin willfully after they receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (Heb. 10:26).
Jesus: Thou dear soul, have not I heard thee often in prayer complaining of, and
bewailing, thy sins, and begging earnestly for power against them? Therefore, it is rather against thy will, than willfully, that thou dost sin.
Christian: O, but I find sin in power in my soul, which if I were a saint, it would not be so.
Jesus: My servant Paul found sin so strong in him that he confessed he was carnal, and sold under sin, and that he found a law in his members, warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin (Rom. 7:23).
Christian: O, but neither Paul, nor any other saint, hath sinned presumptuously as I have done.
Jesus: My servant David prayed that he might be kept from presumptuous sins, for he was subject thereunto, and so are the best of my saints.
Christian: But, Lord, I have rebelled against thee.
Jesus: So did my servants of old (Is. 1:2), but I have received gifts for the rebellious (Ps. 68:18), and to me belong mercies and forgiveness, though thou hast rebelled against me (Dan. 9:9).
Christian: O, but my rebellion is the worst rebellion of all, for I have rebelled against the light; I have professed thee, and yet I have belied thee, and made a hypocritical profession; I seemed like Judas, to be thy friend, while in my heart I did not love thee.
Jesus: The house of Israel and the house of Judah dealt treacherously against me (Jer. 5:11,12,18), the Lord, and belied me, and Ephraim, my dear son, compassed me about with lies (Hos. 11:12), yet was I gracious to them (Jer. 23:6; 31:20).
Christian: But, Lord, Ephraim was never so wicked as I am, and guilty of such lukewarmness, hypocrisy, and backsliding, as I am guilty of.
Jesus: Yea, Ephraim was a cake not turned. And Ephraim fed upon wind and provoked
me to anger most bitterly, yet my bowels still worked toward Ephraim, that I could not destroy him (Hos. 8:8; 11:8; 12:1,14).
Christian: But I increased in sin, and the more mercies received, the more my heart was exalted.
Jesus: Even so did Ephraim sin more and more, according as he was filled, so his heart was exalted (Hos. 13:2,6).
Christian: But, Lord, what didst thou do to Ephraim?
Jesus: I drew them with the cords of a man, and with bonds of love, and I was as the dew unto them (Hos. 11:4; 14:5).
Christian: O, but I have forsaken the Lord, and back-slided from thee.
Jesus: So did Israel and Judah (Jer. 2:13; 3:6; 4:16).
Christian: But, Lord, I find that my heart is bent to continual back-sliding, yea, my back-slidings are increased.
Jesus: So were they (Jer. 5:6; Hos 11:7), yet I healed their back-slidings; so will I heal thine also (Jer. 3:14,22; Hos. 14:4).
Christian: But I have fallen into gross sins that have dishonored thee, and caused thine enemies to blaspheme.
Jesus: So did my servant David (2 Sam. 12:14) and others of my saints.
Christian: But then he did mourn and repent greatly for his sins, but I cannot do so, for I find my heart hard as an adamant.
Jesus: So my people Israel’s hearts formerly were as hard as a rock, adamant and flint (Jer. 5:3; Ezek. 3:9).
Christian: O, but I have been long (yea ever) troubled with this hardness of heart.
Jesus: What tho’, yet I am exalted to give repentance unto you (Acts 5:31).
Christian: O, but I do not find I am sensible enough of my sin, for if I were, I should mourn and be ashamed for all the wickedness, which I have committed against thee.
Jesus: When thou dost see me, whom thou hast pierced (Rev. 1:7), and when thou seest that I am pacified toward thee, then thou shalt mourn, loathe thyself and be ashamed, for all thy sins and abominations, which thou hast committed against me (Ezek. 6:9; 16:63).
Christian: But, Lord, I am a very great sinner, and I would fain see the nature and number of my sins, that I might truly repent me of them, and be humbled for them.
Jesus: If thou seest all thy sins, with their nature, number and aggravation, thou canst never look upon them but with despair as Cain (Gen. 4:13) and Judas (Matt. 27:3-5). And it is not so much the sight of sin, as the sight of my love, grace, goodness, and glory, that will lead thee to repentance, and humble thee for thy sins (Zech. 12:10; Lk. 7:42,47; Rom. 2:4).
Christian: O Lord, I know I am as wicked a sinner, and as ungodly a wretch, as ever lived; but though I know this, yet methinks I am not broken with the sense thereof, I cannot weep nor shed tears for my sins. O no! I go many times to prayer, and to hear sermons, and there is no more working nor relenting upon my soul than if I were a dead stock or stone.
Jesus: O, my dear soul, do not thou belie thyself, for I have heard many a sorrowful sigh coming from thy heart, and I have seen many a tear drop from thine eyes (Ps. 34:17; Ezek. 9:4); and I will yet pour out more of the Spirit of mourning upon thee (Zech. 12:10-12). But what if thou didst not find these things in thyself, yet I have offered up strong cries and tears unto my Father for thee (Heb. 5:7).
Christian: O Lord, that I had but faith to believe that for myself.
Jesus: Have faith in me, and be not faithless but believing (Jn. 20:27).
Christian: Lord, I find so much atheism and unbelief in my heart that I have oftentimes questionings in myself concerning God and concerning the Scriptures and [the] word of God.
Jesus: These are the temptations and suggestions of Satan, and my own disciples were and are troubled with them (Lk. 24:25).
Christian: O Lord, I am troubled with a thousand temptations.
Jesus: Yet fear not, my loving and dear child, though thou hast divers temptations (Jas. 1:2), for it is that which my best saints have had, and I will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able (1 Cor. 10:13), but I will succor thee in thy temptations (Heb. 2:18), and I will make a way that thou wilt escape and be delivered out of temptations (2 Pet. 2:9).
Christian: But I think no saint hath such temptations as mine, for sometimes I am tempted to kill myself, and sometimes to kill others, insomuch that I cannot look upon any weapon, waters, or the like, but I am ready to make myself away therewith.
Jesus: Satan tempted me to cast myself off the pinnacle of the temple (Matt. 4:5), and he also tempted many of my dear children to destroy themselves; but do not thou hearken to the accuser, for he doth accuse thee to me and me to thee (Rev. 12:10), but rather say unto him, “Satan it is written [that] my Lord Jesus hath overcome thee, and I hope through his blood, and through his might and spirit to overcome thee likewise.” Say also, “My God hath commanded me not to kill another (Ex. 20:13), nor to do hurt or violence to myself (Acts 16:28); therefore, get thee behind me, thou liar, murderer, and enemy, for I will put my trust in Christ, though he kill me (Job 13:15), and I will endeavor to live to serve him, though he should afterwards damn me.”
Christian: O, but this doth much trouble me, that I do not find any love in my heart to thee.
Jesus: What though thou dost not, yet I will circumcise thy heart and thou shalt love me; and when thou apprehendest my love to thee, thou wilt love me again (Deut. 30:6; 1 Jn. 4:19).
Christian: I have sinned, Lord, against thy mercies, and abused thy love, yea loved my
sins more than thee; therefore, I cannot think that ever thou wilt look upon me with any love or delight.
Jesus: So did my servant David (2 Sam. 12:8-9) and my people Israel (Hos. 2:5), yet as I loved them, so will I love thee freely, and betroth thee to me in lovingkindness and mercy (Hos. 14:4).
Christian: But, Lord, I have not only sinned against thy mercies, but against thy corrections and chastisements also.
Jesus: So did my people Israel formerly, for when I smote them, they went on forwardly in the way of their evil hearts, but I led them, and restored comforts to them (Is. 57:17-18).
Christian: Aye, but my condition is worse than all that, for I have been long under the means of grace, and yet I am altogether fruitless, and like the barren fig-tree.
Jesus: Thou troubled soul, in me is thy fruit found, and I will purge thee, and thou wilt bring forth fruit abundantly (Jn. 15:4), for they that are planted in my house shall flourish and be fat, and [be] like a green olive tree (Ps. 92:12-14).
Christian: Aye, Lord, it is true if I were a branch in thee, and a true member of thy house, then I could believe these promises of thine; alas I am neither of both, but separated from thee and thy people.
Jesus: Do not say that thou art none of mine, for I have bought thee with my blood, and do not speak that thou art separated from my people, for I will give thee in my house, and within my walls, a place and a name of sons and daughters (Is. 56:3,5).
Christian: Surely, if I were not an outcast and a reprobate, I should not be thus, as I am, in a wilderness condition.
Jesus: Israel was counted as an outcast, and she cried out, yet I was then a God to her, and she a people to me (Jer. 30:16,17,22).
Christian: O, if I were but one of thine, I should then count myself the happiest in all the world.
Jesus: Fear not my spouse, for I am thy husband and thy father.
Christian: If I were one of thy children, thou wouldst not hide thyself from me as thou dost.
Jesus: I have hid myself and my face from some of my prophets and people of old, and yet it was in love to them, and so it is to thee (Ps. 88:14; Is. 8:17; 94:7).
Christian: But thou hast hid thyself from me, and thou seemest also to be angry with me (Is. 54:7).
Jesus: Fury is not with me (towards thee) and, though I be angry, yet my anger is but for a moment (Is. 27:4; 54:8).
Christian: Yet, Lord, thou hast been angry with me a long time, for thou hast forgotten me.
Jesus: Zion did say so, “the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me” (Jer. 51:5); yet I had not forgot her; for she was graven upon the balms of my hands (Is. 49:15-16).
Christian: But, Lord, if thou hast not forgotten me, thou wouldst never have left me in such a wilderness and barren condition as I am in.
Jesus: I have allured thee into the wilderness, that I might speak comfortably unto thee (Hos. 2:14).
Christian: I have been many years in trouble and terrors, and wanting peace in my soul, which could not possibly have been, if I had truly believed in thee.
Jesus: But now I will speak peace unto thee, and I will guide thee into the way of peace (Ps. 85:8; Lk. 1:79).
Christian: Lord, wilt thou speak peace unto me, and guide me in the way of peace?
Jesus: I will create the fruit of thy lips, “peace, peace,” and my Spirit shall be in thee, and his fruit shall be peace unto thy soul (Is. 55:12).
Christian: But, Lord, thy word [says] there is no peace to the wicked.
Jesus: No, not to a man that will persist in his wicked way, and doth not, nor will not believe in me; but thou art one of those that I bore chastisement of thy peace, and one of the children of peace (Is. 53:5; 54:13).
Christian: But, Lord, how can I have peace, seeing a man cannot have peace before (and without) he doth believe?
Jesus: Thou shalt have faith and peace, and I will give peace through believing (2 Thess. 3:16).
Christian: But, Lord, then I must know that I am one of thine.
Jesus: Thou shalt know that I am the Lord, thy God, and that thou art one of my people (Ezek. 34:30).
Christian: O, how shall I know that?
Jesus: My Spirit shall bear witness with thy spirit that thou art my child (Rom. 8:16).
Christian: But how shall I know that it is thy Spirit that beareth this witness, and that it is not the spirit of delusion?
Jesus: Thou mayest know by its power in working in thy heart, which no other Spirit can work alike; as also by the earnest and fruits thereof (2 Cor. 5:5; Gal. 5:22-23).
Christian: Lord, what else shall I believe, besides being one of thine?
Jesus: Dost thou believe that?
Christian: Yes, Lord, I do believe that thou art Jesus, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world (Jn. 6:69; 11:27; Acts 8:37).
Jesus: But dost thou believe that I am thy Savior?
Christian: Lord, I do believe that there is no other way to be saved but only by thee (Acts 4:12).
Jesus: But dost thou believe that thou shalt be saved by me?
Christian: Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief (Mk. 9:24).
Jesus: To thee it is given to believe (Phil. 1:29).
Christian: Now, Lord, I do believe.
Jesus: What dost thou now believe?
Christian: I believe that thou lovest me, and didst give thyself for me (Gal. 2:20), and that thou art my Lord and my God (Jn. 20:28), and that I am justified and shall be saved by grace (Acts 15:11).
Jesus: How camest thou to believe this?
Christian: Lord, it is by thy gift and work that I do believe it (Eph. 2:8; Heb. 12:2).
Jesus: Well now [that] thou dost believe, what wilt thou do?
Christian: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do (Acts 9:6)?
Jesus: If thou lovest me, keep my words (Jn. 14:23).
Christian: What are those words of thine?
Jesus: Search the Scriptures, for they are able to make thee perfect and wise unto salvation, and to furnish thee for every good work (Jn. 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Christian: But, Lord, how shall I understand thy word?
Jesus: I will make known my word unto thee (Prov. 1:23).
Christian: But, Lord, is there no danger of my departing and falling away from thee now I do believe?
Jesus: No. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee (Is. 54:10; Jer. 32:41).
Christian: Lord, I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart (Phil. 1:19,29).
Jesus: I have redeemed thee that thou shouldst serve me without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of thy life (Lk. 1:6).
Christian: Come ye children and I will declare what the Lord hath done for my soul (Ps. 34:11). My soul shall make her boasts [in] the Lord; the humble shall hear this and be glad; O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together (Ps. 34:2-3).

Quotable: “I am always going into the far country, and always returning home as a prodigal, always saying, Father, forgive me, and thou art always bringing forth the best robe” (Valley of Vision).

We Wish to See Jesus

(1) The Request (Jn. 12:20-22)

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There are Greeks (Gentiles) at the Passover in Jerusalem. They must be proselytes. They approach Philip, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Their motive. Why do they want to see Christ? Between verses 19 and 20, several days elapse. During that time, Christ cleanses the temple: “the Court of the Gentiles.” He engages the Jewish religious leaders in debate on various issues. He foretells the destruction of the temple. He points to the final judgment. What impact does this have on these Gentiles? Something has caught their attention. They want to know more.

Their approach. These Gentiles approach Phillip. Why? John mentions that Phillip is “from Bethsaida in Galilee.” Perhaps these Gentiles are from the same region. Perhaps there’s a previous connection. At any rate, they don’t presume to approach Christ on their own. In effect, they’re seeking permission. It points to their humility.

Their desire. They aren’t merely asking to catch a glimpse of Christ. Undoubtedly, they’d already seen Him in that sense. There’s more going on here. They’re seeking. They’re searching. They want to speak with Him, so that they might know Him.

(2) The Answer (Jn. 12:23-33)

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Christ responds with a discourse, in which He makes an announcement (Jn. 12:13-24). His hour has come. Previously, He has made it clear that His hour hasn’t come. On several occasions, the Jews seek to arrest Him, but they can’t (Jn. 7:30; 8:20). But now, His hour has come – the hour for Him to be glorified. He explains how by way of a simile. For a grain of wheat to bear fruit, it must die. Similarly, for Christ to bear fruit, He must die. By His death, He gives life to His people. Christ is “troubled” (tarasso) as His hour draw nears (Jn. 12:27). Years ago, I was in Kilkenny, Ireland, preaching at a Bible conference. We stayed with friends, who had two young girls. One morning, we were out, walking in the countryside. It was peaceful and beautiful. We crossed a footbridge over a small pond. Suddenly, one of the girls began throwing rocks from the bridge into the water. The water became agitated. That’s the idea, behind this term. It’s found back in Jn. 5:7, where we read about the pool of Bethesda. When the waters were stirred up, the sick would enter, hoping to be healed. We find it in Jn. 11:33 – Christ is troubled, as He faces Mary’s grief. We find it in Jn. 13:21 – Christ is troubled as He faces Judas’ treachery.

Here, Christ is troubled as He faces the cross. He’s going to take man’s sin upon Himself; man’s sin is repugnant to His nature. He’s going to take God’s wrath upon Himself; God’s wrath is repugnant to His person. And so, He asks, “What shall I say?” There are two options.

Shall I say, “Father, save me from this hour?” No! “For this purpose I have come to this hour” (Jn. 12:27). We may shrink from an experience that we’re still determined to undergo. Christ is troubled by the cross, but He doesn’t turn back.

Shall I say, “Father, glorify your name?” Yes! The Father responds in an audible voice. The crowd is uncertain as to what they’ve heard (Jn. 12:29). Christ says, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine” (Jn. 12:30). The Father’s voice confirms His approval of His Son. He declares that He has already glorified His name in Christ. How? Christ’s signs! He declares that He will again glorify His name in Christ. How? Christ’s death! It will accomplish three things (Jn. 12:31-32). (1) The world will be judged. (2) The ruler of this world will be cast out. (3) Christ will “draw all men” to Himself. By His death, Christ will defeat Satan, thereby loosening His grip on the nations. Christ will sovereignty draw “all” to Himself. By “all,” Christ means His people from among the Jews and Gentiles. What’s the context? The Gentiles’ request, “We wish to see Jesus.” They will see Him by virtue of His glorification at the cross.

(3) The Command (Jn. 12:25-26)

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In the midst of this discourse, Christ utters a command. The simile in verse 24 continues into verse 25. For a grain of wheat to bear fruit, it must die. For Christ to bear fruit, He must die. For us to bear fruit, we must die. There are two different words for life in this verse: I must hate my life (psuche) in order gain life (zoe). In other words, I must die to self – my rights, ambitions, and desires – in order to gain abundant life in Christ. What does this look like? George Mueller expresses it well: “As a young man, I had a great many ambitions, but there came a day when I died to all those things, and I said, ‘Henceforth, Lord Jesus, not my will but Thine,’ and from that day God began to work in and through me.”

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What a challenge! May God give us the grace to die to self, that we might live for Christ!

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Quotable: “There is a defect, even a fatal defect, in the life of the church in the twentieth century: a lack of true discipleship. For the genuine Christian, discipleship means forsaking everything to follow Christ. But for many of today’s supposed Christians – perhaps the majority – it is the case that while there is much talk about Christ and even much furious activity that is supposed to be done in his name, there is actually very little following of Christ himself. And that means that in some circles at least there is very little genuine Christianity” (James Boice).

Jesus and a Pharisee

Then one of the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” (Jn. 6:28).
Jesus: This is the work of God, that thou believest in him (viz. me) whom he hath sent (Jn. 6:29).
Pharisee: But, Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (Matt. 19:16).
Jesus: If thou wilt be saved by doing, then keep the Ten Commandments.
Pharisee: I have kept them all from my youth (Matt. 19:20).
Jesus: Then, thou art no sinner.
Pharisee: Yes, we are all sinners; but I thank God that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican (Lk. 18:11).
Jesus: Why? What dost thou more than this publican?
Pharisee: I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess, and concerning the Law, I live blameless (Lk. 18:12; Phil. 3:6).
Jesus: Hast thou never read that they, which followed after the Law of righteousness, have not attained to the Law of righteousness (Rom. 9:31)?
Pharisee: No. I never observed that, but I remember another text, where God saith, “I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them” (Ezek. 20:11).
Jesus: Dost thou think to go to heaven by doing?
Pharisee: Not by doing only, but by doing good and departing evil.
Jesus: But doth not the Law say, “Cursed is he that observeth not all things that are written in the words of the Law to do them” (Deut. 27:26).
Pharisee: Yes, that is whosoever breaks the Law is accursed unless he repents for it.
Jesus: The Law doth not say that unless men repent for breaking it they are accursed, but it says absolutely that they are accursed (Gal. 3:10); and I say, whosoever keepeth the whole Law, and yet offendeth in one point, he is guilty of all (Jas. 2:10; Matt. 5:19).
Pharisee: I say so too, that except men keep the Law of Moses they cannot be saved (Acts 15:1,24); and whosoever know not and keep not the Law, they are accursed (Jn. 7:49).
Jesus: Dost thou know the Law?
Pharisee: Yes, I know the Law, for I am instructed daily out of the Law, by our doctors of the Law and holy priests.
Jesus: The priests have done violence to the Law, and they that handle the Law know not the Lord.
Pharisee: Jehovah hath said that the Law shall not perish from the priest, for the priest’s lips is to keep knowledge, and we are to seek the Law at his mouth (Jer. 18:18; Mal. 2:7).
Jesus: God hath said also that the Law shall perish from the priest, and that they shall not every man teach his neighbor any more, for all will know the Lord from the least to the greatest (Jer. 31:34).
Pharisee: I perceive thou goest about to destroy the Law.
Jesus: Think not so, for I am not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17; Lk. 16:17).
Pharisee: Aye, Sir, I like that, that we should fulfill the Law, that we should perform it.
Jesus: Yes. Moses gave thee the Law, but none of you keep it (Jn. 7:19), but thou hast been partial in the Law (Mal. 2:9). Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith (Matt. 23:23).
Pharisee: It is true, we may come short in some things, but he that keepeth the Law happy is he.
Jesus: Thou that restest in the Law, and makest thy boast of the Law (Rom. 2:17,23), through breaking the Law, thou dost dishonor God, and causest many to stumble at the Law (Mal. 2:8). Verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt be judged by the Law (Rom. 2:12).
Pharisee: No. I hope rather to be justified than to be judged by the Law.
Jesus: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, by the deeds of the Law, there shall be no flesh justified in God’s sight (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:11).
Pharisee: How then shall I be justified?
Jesus: The righteousness of God without the Law is manifest, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 3:21).
Pharisee: What righteousness is that?
Jesus: Not a man’s own righteousness (Phil. 3:9), which is called the righteousness of the Law (Rom. 2:26), but the righteousness which is of God by faith (Rom. 4:13).
Pharisee: What difference is there between the righteousness of the Law, and the righteousness of faith?
Jesus: Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law thus, that the man which doth those things which the Law requireth shall live by them; but the righteousness of faith saith, “whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom. 10:5,6,11).
Pharisee: How can men be saved by believing in thee, for thou art but one?
Jesus: As by one man’s offence death reigned (Rom. 5:9), by one much more, they which receive abundance of grace and of the gifts of righteousness, shall reign in life by me,
who am the Son of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), and made by God my Father to be righteousness unto men (1 Cor. 1:30).
Pharisee: Thou bearest record of thyself (Jn. 8:13).
Jesus: Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true (Jn. 8:14). My Father also beareth witness of me, and this is his witness, that he hath given life, and this life is in me, his Son (1 Jn. 5:11).
Pharisee: But what sayest thou? How was our father, Abraham, and his seed, who lived before thee, justified and saved?
Jesus: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad (Jn. 8:56), for I was before Abraham, and he and his spiritual seed were justified and saved by faith in me (Rom. 4:3,11,13,16; Gal. 3:14,18,20).
Pharisee: But was not Abraham justified by works?
Jesus: If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God; for what saith the Scripture? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).
Pharisee: If I be not justified by my good works, to what end should I perform them?
Jesus: Though thy good works cannot justify thee before God, yet they may glorify God, and be profitable unto men (Matt. 5:16; Ti. 3:8).
Pharisee: Well then, I am glad my good works are good for something.
Jesus: Yes, thy good works would be good for something if thy faith (like Abraham’s) did work with thy works (Jas. 2:22), but thou dost not believe, and all thy works thou dost to be seen of men (Matt. 23:5).
Pharisee: No. I do not my good works to be seen of men, but to please God.
Jesus: I tell thee that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Pharisee: But God hath said that, if a man doeth well, he shall be accepted.
Jesus: It is not for their well-doing that men are accepted with my Father, but they are made acceptable in me, and their works are accepted for my sake (Eph. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:6).
Pharisee: But am I no nearer heaven, that perform good works, than this sinful and ungodly publican?
Jesus: Thou hypocrite that justifiest thyself, and judgest another. I tell thee that publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of heaven before such as thou art (Matt. 7:5; 21:31).
Pharisee: O, untrue and false doctrine, to say that those cursed men who know not the Law should be saved before us, who are the children of Abraham (Jn. 7:49; 8:33).
Jesus: Thou blind and self-conceited Pharisee, understandest thou not the Scripture? “‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice:’ for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:13). And I say unto thee, unless thou dost believe in me, thou art not the child of Abraham (Gal. 3:26).
Pharisee: I believe in the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, whose child and servant I am.
Jesus: If thou didst believe in God, thou wouldst also believe in me, but thou art the child of the devil, and in bondage to this day (Jn. 8:44; Gal. 4:25).
Pharisee: How am I in bondage?
Jesus: Thou art under the curse of the Law, and under the power of sin and Satan; and canst never be made free unless I make thee free (Jn. 8:34-36).
Pharisee: How dost thou free men?
Jesus: By my death and sufferings I satisfy the Law (Gal. 3:13); by the power of my resurrection, I overcome death (1 Cor. 15:55-57); and by my Spirit, I cast out Satan and subdue sin (Matt. 12:28; Rom. 8:2).
Pharisee: Sir, I hope to be freed another way, to wit, by my sacrifices, prayers, and good works.
Jesus: Thy sacrifices and thy prayers are an abomination unto me (Prov. 15:8; 28:9; Is. 66:3), and thy works are not found perfect before God (Rev. 3:2).
Pharisee: What, dost thou think to beat me off from my long prayers and good works? I hope by these, together with my fasting and mourning, to lay a sure and happy foundation for my soul forever.
Jesus: Thou worker of iniquity, that dost practice hypocrisy (Is. 32:6). I tell thee thy prayers are sin (Ps. 109:7), thy works are done to be seen of man. Thou also fastest for strife (Is. 58:4-5), and thy mourning is but hypocritical. Therefore, instead of laying a sure and happy foundation, thou heapest up wrath to thyself against the day of wrath (Job 36:13).
Pharisee: Sir, I am not a hypocrite, but a true child of God, and I hope I shall be saved, for I know most good men take me for a godly and righteous man.
Jesus: Though thou dost outwardly appear righteous unto men (Matt. 23:28), yet within thou art full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Thou seed of the serpent, thy hope shall perish, for thou canst not escape the damnation of hell (Job 8:13).
Pharisee: I do not fear what thou sayest, for I am better persuaded of myself.
Jesus: Though thy seared conscience, and hardened heart, hinders thee yet from fearing, yet fear, terror and trembling shall surprise and fill thy spirit (Is. 33:14), and thou shalt roar in flames of fire, and in everlasting burnings (Deut. 32:22; Mk. 9:43,44,46; Lk. 3:17).
Pharisee: I have joy and comfort in my spirit often from my performances, and I know that God will hear my prayers that I make publicly and privately unto him.
Jesus: Thou painted sepulcher, hast thou not read that the joy of a hypocrite is but for a moment (Job 20:5), and that a hypocrite shall not come before God (Job 13:16)? And dost not thou restrain prayer before God (Job 15:4). And when thou prayest, dost thou not do it publicly to be seen of men (Matt. 6:5)?
Pharisee: I pray in private also.
Jesus: Then it is either when some punishment is upon thee, or else to quiet thy carnal conscience (Is. 26:16).
Pharisee: Master, why dost thou reproach me in saying this?
Jesus: Thou dissembler that seekest honor of men (Jn. 5:44), and not the honor which cometh from God: thou art to expect nothing but shame and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:2).
Pharisee: Sir, thou judgest rashly.
Jesus: No, as I hear I judge, and my judgment is just and true (Jn. 5:30; 8:16,26).
Pharisee: How knowest thou that I am what thou so judgest?
Jesus: I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works (Rev. 2:23).
Pharisee: When thou judgest the world, what difference wilt thou make between us that serve God and the heathens that served him not?
Jesus: The difference will be this, that your condemnation will be greater (Matt. 23:14), because, though ye know God, yet ye served him selfishly and hypocritically (Is. 57:4; Matt. 15:9; Mk. 12:40; Lk. 20:47).
Pharisee: Good Master, I would escape this condemnation, for I believe it will be great, and thy words begin to terrify me already.
Jesus: I have told thee already that there is no other way for thee to escape it, but only by me, yet thou dost not believe in me (Jn. 10:25).
Pharisee: How wilt thou have me believe in thee?
Jesus: First, I will have thee see thyself to be the greatest and vilest of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), and then see all thy own righteousness, services, and performances, to be as filthy and menstrual rags (Is. 64:6). And after thou hast denied and abhorred thyself (Ezek. 36:31), then cry out, “Master, save me, or else I perish,” for the whole need not a physician, but those that are sick (Matt. 9:12).
Pharisee: I do see myself a sinner, and am sorry for my sins. And doth not God say that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy?
Jesus: I say unto thee, thou lukewarm professor, except thou eatest my flesh and drinkest my blood, and submittest unto my righteousness, thou canst not be saved (Jn. 6:53-54).
Pharisee: Well then, if I cannot be saved by my own works and righteousness, Master, let me be beholding to thee to save me.
Jesus: Hast thou not read that salvation belongeth only to the Lord (Ps. 3:8), and that men are saved by grace without the works of the Law? Why then dost thou so lightly esteem the Rock of thy salvation (Deut. 32:15) by seeking to be justified and saved (as it were) by thy own works (Rom. 9:32)? I tell thee again, thou must deny thy own righteousness wholly, and look to be found in my righteousness only, else thou canst not be saved (Phil. 3:9).
Pharisee: Indeed, Master, thou makest the way to heaven very hard.
Jesus: It is so hard that many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able (Lk. 13:24).
Pharisee: If it be as thou sayest, I am afraid many of our best Scribes and Pharisees will come short of heaven.
Jesus: Thou mayest be sure of that, for verily I say unto thee that except thy righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, thou shalt in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20).
Pharisee: But, Master, there be some that do great works in thy name. Shall not all such be saved?
Jesus: No, for many will say unto me hereafter, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” And then will I profess unto them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22-23).
Pharisee: But why should not such rather be saved than cast away?
Jesus: Because they (as thou dost) do all those things to be seen of men, and to gain honor unto themselves, and so build their salvation upon this false foundation, as the foolish builder built his house upon the sand, which in time of flood and wind could not stand, but fell (Matt. 7:26-27).
Pharisee: I see thou dost reject me. I thought to be one of thy disciples, and to follow thee.
Jesus: No. I do not reject thee, but am very willing to receive thee; but first consider what thou dost, and what it will cost thee, if thou wilt be my disciples and follow me.
Pharisee: What will it cost me, Master?
Jesus: Thou must hate thy father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and thy own life also; yea, thou must go, and sell all that thou hast and take up thy cross daily and follow me, else thou canst not be my disciple (Lk. 14:26-27).
Pharisee: This is a hard saying, who can bear it (Jn. 6:60,66)?
And he went away sorrowful, and followed him no more (Matt. 19:22).


Quotable: “Refuse to be content with the shell of religion without the inner core of prayer” (Joel Beeke).

Jesus and a Publican

For the past few months, I’ve been researching a treatise, entitled, Three Heavenly Discourses. In it, Thomas Wilcox (17th century) relates three “imaginary” conversations with Jesus. This brief work provides a valuable glimpse into pastoral ministry. I’ll provide the three conversations over the next week or so. Here is the first. Enjoy!

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink’” (Jn. 7:37). “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him” (Lk. 15:1). And he said to one of them:
Jesus: Poor publican, what makes thee draw near to me?
Publican: Because they say, Lord, that thou art a friend of publicans and sinners (Matt. 11:19).
Jesus: So I am, and thou art welcome my beloved friend. Sit down, therefore, with me and my disciples (Matt. 9:10).
Publican: Good Master, though I am unworthy to come into thy presence, yet, through thy leave, I will sit here at thy feet to hear thy gracious words (Mk. 7:25; Lk. 10:39; Jn. 12:3).
Jesus: How knowest thou that my words are gracious?
Publican: Lord, I have heard thee say that publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of heaven before the Pharisees, which think themselves far better than us (Matt. 21:31; Lk. 18:11-12).
Jesus: And what say the Pharisees to that?
Publican: They murmur among themselves, and say, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Lk. 15:2).
Jesus: Didst thou ever hear me preach besides that time?
Publican: Yes, once besides, and it was the best and most comfortable sermon that ever I heard.
Jesus: Dost thou remember any of it?
Publican: Yes. Though I have a bad memory, yet I remember thou didst say [that] if a man had a hundred sheep, and did lose one of them, he would leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which was lost, until he find it; and when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing; and when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”
Jesus: Is that all thou canst remember?
Publican: No, I remember somewhat more. Thou didst speak of a woman that had ten pieces of silver. When she had lost one piece, she sought for it till she had found it; then, she called her neighbors together to rejoice with her. Also thou didst speak of a man that had two sons: the one that lived still at home, and was obedient to his father; the other that went away from his father, and spent his father’s means among harlots till he came to poverty; and yet, when he returned to his father, his father received him willingly, and gave him great welcome and entertainment.
Jesus: Well done, my friend. Thou hast well remembered; but dost thou know why I speak these comparisons?
Publican: No, Sir, I do not well know that.
Jesus: It was to comfort and encourage the publicans and great sinners that did heard me, and to silence the Jews that did murmur, because they came to hear me, and because I received them.
Publican: It is true, Lord. There were many of us there then, but we did not know what thou didst mean by the lost sheep, the lost piece, and the wicked son.
Jesus: I did mean thy countrymen and companions (the publicans, harlots, and sinners) that are in a lost condition; because of your sins and wickedness in the eyes of others (as the Pharisees) quite lost, and adjudged to perish forever.
Publican: But who was it, Lord, that didst seek for the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver?
Jesus: It was I, who am the Savior of sinners, and the Shepherd of the sheep. I am come to seek and to save that which is lost (Matt. 18:11; Lk. 19:10).
Publican: Lord, I am one of those that are lost. What shall I do to be saved (Acts 16:31)?
Jesus: I am the way, and the door. If any man enter in, he shall be saved. Whosoever believeth on me, shall not perish but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:15-16; 10:9; 14:6).
Publican: Lord, canst thou save a sinner as I am?
Jesus: Yes. I have power to save and power to destroy (Jas. 4:12), but I came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them (Lk. 9:56).
Publican: And art thou willing, Lord, that I should be saved?
Jesus: Yes. I am willing that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:5).
Publican: But, Lord, I am a wicked and sinful man (Lk. 5:8).
Jesus: I know, dear son, that thou art so; but I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:13).
Publican: But, Lord, I am not an ordinary, but an extraordinary, sinner.
Jesus: Notwithstanding, poor man, hearken for thy comfort: There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both (Lk. 7:41-42).
Publican: But, Lord, I am a greater sinner than either of them both, for I have nothing but sinned all my lifetime.
Jesus: What tho’, I am come to deliver those that were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb. 2:15).
Publican: Lord, be merciful to me, being a sinner, for I think there is not a greater sinner upon earth than I am (Lk. 18:13).
Jesus: I am merciful, and I will be merciful, and I will pardon thy sins (Jer. 3:12; Heb. 8:12).
Publican: Lord, I am such a sinner that I deserve no pardon, for I have wearied thee with my sins.
Jesus: Though thou dost not deserve pardon, and though thou hast wearied me with thy sins, yet I will pardon thy iniquities for my own name’s sake (Is. 43:25).
Publican: Lord, I do think my sins are so great that it is impossible for them to be pardoned.
Jesus: Do not think or say so, for all things are possible to him that believeth (Mk. 9:23).
Publican: But my sins are so red. I think all the water in the sea cannot wash them away.
Jesus: Though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Is. 1:18) (if thou wilt turn to me from them), for my blood can cleanse thee from all sin (1 Jn. 1:9).
Publican: But, Lord, if I should turn to thee from them, yet they are still written down, and thou wilt not blot them out (Jer. 18:23).
Jesus: I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake (Is. 43:25). I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: Return unto me; for I have redeemed thee (Is. 44:22).
Publican: But if I should return unto thee, yet when I sin again, thou wilt remember my sins.
Jesus: No. I will pardon thee, and thy sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Heb. 10:17).
Publican: O Lord, I am the child of wicked parents, and thou hast said [that] thou wilt visit the sins of the father upon the children, to the third and fourth generation.
Jesus: If a wicked father begets a son that seeth all his father’s sins, which he hath done, and considereth, and doth not such like, that son shall not bear the iniquity of the father (Ezek. 18:14-17).
Publican: But, Lord, were there any wicked parents that had good children?
Jesus: Yes, many, as wicked Ahaz had good Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 16:20; 18:3). So idolatrous Amon had zealous Josiah (2 Kgs. 21:21-22; 22:2), and ungodly Saul had godly Jonathan.
Publican: Lord, what if I be a bastard, and the child of whoredom?
Jesus: That doth not hinder thee neither to be saved, for my servant Jephthah was a bastard (compare Jgs. 11:1 with Heb. 11:32); so was my servant Phares, who is reckoned in my own genealogy (compare Gen. 38:18,29 and Ruth 4:12 with Matt. 1:3).
Publican: But, Lord, is there not such a Scripture that [says] a bastard shall not enter into thy congregation until the tenth generation?
Jesus: Yes, there is such a Scripture (Deut. 23:2), and [it] should make people shun the sin of whoredom, but that doth not exclude men that are born bastards after the flesh, if they be born again of the Spirit, either out of my church on earth (now in the days of the gospel) or yet out of heaven.
Publican: But what, Lord, if my father was a bastard?
Jesus: Neither doth that hinder, for Zarah, the brother of Phares (who was a bastard), begot my two wise and godly servants Ethan and Heman (compare Gen. 38:30 and 1 Chron. 2:6 with Ps. 88 and 89 – the titles of both being “of Heman” and “of Ethan”).
Publican: O Lord, I am a very old sinner, and have one foot already in the grave, and I fear it is too late for me now to be called.
Jesus: No, it is not too late, for I call some at the ninth hour, yea some at the eleventh hour (Matt. 20:6,9). And I will pour out my spirit upon old men in these gospel days (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).
Publican: But, Lord, I have committed such great and heinous sins, both by speaking and doing, that I am afraid it is in vain for me to seek for mercy.
Jesus: Though thou hast spoken and done evil things, as much as thou couldest (Jer. 3:5), yet return unto me, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon thee, for I am merciful.
Publican: How shall I look upon thee, gracious Lord, for I have multiplied sins against thee?
Jesus: As thou hast multiplied sins, so will I multiply pardons, if thou wilt return unto me, the Lord (Is. 55:7).
Publican: O, but Lord, I scarce think that any so wicked as myself were saved, for I was an idolater, an adulterer, a thief, a drunkard, and what not that was wicked.
Jesus: Such were many of my servants that are now in heaven, but I according to my own kindness and pity to them, saved them by washing, sanctifying, and justifying them by my own name, blood, and Spirit (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Ti. 3:3-7).
Publican: O, but merciful Savior, I was a ringleader of others into sin, and I enticed, and drew many into wickedness, and therefore my case is far worse than others.
Jesus: As thou wast a ringleader and enticer of others into sin, so I can make thee a guide and leader of others into, and in the way of, righteousness, as I made thy countryman, Levi, and others.
Publican: But that which makes me fear most is because I was a blasphemer, reviler, and persecutor of thy people, yea many of thy saints did I shut up in prison.
Jesus: Yet thou shalt have mercy, because thou didst it ignorantly through unbelief (1 Tim. 1:13).
Publican: But, Lord, I find my heart is so hardened through the deceitfulness and custom of sin that I cannot hope it will ever be otherwise.
Jesus: I can and will take away the stony heart out of thy flesh, and I will give thee a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26).
Publican: Lord, wilt thou do all for me?
Jesus: I must do all for thee, for without me thou canst do nothing (Jn. 15:5; Phil. 2:13).
Publican: Lord, what then shall I do?
Jesus: Before I teach thee what thou must do, I will first show thee what I have done and suffered for thee.
Publican: Good Master, I desire to know that.
Jesus: (1) I left my own glory, and came into the world to save thee, and such sinners as thou art (Jn. 17:5; 1 Tim. 1:15). (2) Though I was the only Son of my Father, and in his own form, and equal to him, yet I took upon me the form of a servant, for thee and thy brethren’s sake (Jn. 1:14; Phil. 2:6-8). (3) Though I was Heir of all things, and Possessor of heaven and earth, yet I became poor and hungry, that thou mightest be made rich (Gen. 14:19; 2 Cor. 8:9; Heb. 1:2). (4) Though I deserved honor and glory, yet I was reviled, threatened, and persecuted by my own creatures, and all for my good will to thee (Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:23). (5) Though I had no sin, yet I was made sin that thou, poor sinner, mightest escape sin (2 Cor. 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:22). (6) Though I was a Law-giver and Law-maker (Is. 3:13; 33:22), yet I became under the curse of my own Law, that I might redeem thee from that curse. (7) [Though] I had power over my own life, and no man could take it from me, yet I laid it down for thee, that thou mightest have life (Jn. 10:18; om. 5:6,9; 1 Jn. 3:16). (8) Though I was my Father’s delight, and an object of his love from everlasting, yet I became an object of his wrath, for my love to thee (Prov. 8:30; Ps. 102:10). (9) When thou wast an enemy, and a stranger to God, my Father, I made peace between him and thee, and reconciled thee to him by my death and sufferings (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:20-21; Eph. 2:12-13). (10) When thou wast a slave to the devil (2 Tim. 2:26), and a fire-brand of hell (Am. 4:11), I did rescue thee from the power of the one (Heb. 2:14), and redeem thee from the plague and punishment of the other (1 Thess. 1:10).
Publican: O Lord, I did not deserve any of this from thee.
Jesus: True, thou didst not deserve it, but yet I did it freely and out of love to thee (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 5:2).
Publican: Are all my sins, Lord, satisfied for, and done away, by thy death?
Jesus: Yes, they are perfectly satisfied for, and absolutely done away out of my Father’s sight, never to be imputed again to thee (2 Cor. 5:19).
Publican: And is there nothing now in the way that hinders me to be saved?
Jesus: No, there is nothing, for I have taken all things out of the way, that hindered thee to be saved (Col. 2:14).
Publican: And am I to do nothing to be saved?
Jesus: Nothing at all towards thy own salvation, for I have bought thee from death, and purchased thee life and salvation (1 Cor. 6:20; Eph. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:18).
Publican: Shall I then be saved, Lord?
Jesus: Yes, if thou wilt believe, and trust wholly and only upon me, and upon my righteousness and merits, thou shalt be saved (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 9:33; 10:9,11).
Publican: Lord, I would believe, but I partly am afraid to believe; and partly I am so weak I cannot believe.
Jesus: Thou poor fearful heart, fear not, but be strong. But tell me why thou art afraid.
Publican: Lest I should presume, or lest I should believe, and have no ground for my faith.
Jesus: It is not presumption for thee to do what I command thee, but it is obedience, and is not my word of promise a sufficient ground for thy faith (1 Jn. 3:23; Jn. 5:24)?
Publican: Dost thou then, Lord, command me to believe?
Jesus: Yes. Fear not, believe on me, and thou shalt be saved (Lk. 8:50; Acts 16:31).
Publican: But, Lord, though thou commandest me, yet I have no power to believe.
Jesus: I will write my laws in thy heart (Heb. 8:10), and will enable and give thee power to believe (Matt. 12:21).
Publican: Lord, if thou wilt also give me power to believe, I will acknowledge I am nothing, but what I am in thee, and that I have nothing, but what I have received from thee.
Jesus: Dost thou now believe?
Publican: O yes, now, Lord, I believe (Jn. 9:38).
Jesus: This is the work and gift of God that thou dost believe; for flesh and blood hath not wrought this in thee (Jn. 6:29; Eph. 2:8).
Publican: O Lord, I do acknowledge it to be thy work, but I am afraid I shall lose this faith again.
Jesus: I, that am the Author of thy faith, will also finish it (Heb. 12:2). Be, therefore, of good cheer, for thou art one of my Father’s children, and of my saints, and my spirit shall abide in thee forever (Jn. 1:12; 4:14; 7:38-39).
Publican: Lord, I have sinned against thy Father, and against thee, and I am unworthy to be called either his son or thy servant (Lk. 15:21).
Jesus: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee; sin no more (Lk. 5:23; Jn. 8:11).
Publican: Lord, I am afraid I shall sin again, though I desire and resolve never to do it; but what, Lord, if I should sin against my will?
Jesus: Thou canst not sin willingly and willfully, for my seed of grace will remain in thee (1 Jn. 3:9), and if thou sinnest through weakness and frailty, I will be an Advocate, and a propitiation for thy sins (1 Jn. 2:1-2,12).
Publican: Is it thy will, Lord, that I should have forgiveness of my sins, and doubt no more?
Jesus: Yes, surely, for these things have I spoken that thou shouldest have a full assurance, and doubt no more.
Publican: But what if Satan, when he sees me sin, shall tempt me to doubt again?
Jesus: Say unto him that I am faithful and just to forgive thee thy sins, and that my blood cleanseth thee from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
Publican: But, Lord, wilt thou not have me to confess my sins?
Jesus: Yes, I will have thee to confess them, and forsake them (Prov. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:9).
Publican: But, Lord, is it thy mind that I should always be sorrowful?
Jesus: No, but it is thy mind, rather that thou shouldest always rejoice, and have strong consolation (Phil. 4:4; Heb. 6:18).
Publican: O Lord, I cannot choose but cry and mourn, and be ashamed, and hate myself for all my former wickedness and ungodliness (Ezek. 16:61).
Jesus: Thou mayest do that, and yet hold fast thy confidence, for the spirit of mourning, and the spirit of grace and adoption, may be in thy heart at once, and the one not destroy the other (Zech. 12:10).
Publican: Lord, how is that?
Jesus: Thou mayest mourn at the sight of thy sins, as they were committed against me, and for thy denying, selling and crucifying me, and yet thou mayest believe (because I have said so) that they are all pardoned. As Joseph’s brothers cried and complained for their guiltiness in selling him, yet they were glad that he was alive, and could help them
in their distress (Gen. 42:21-22).
Publican: Now, Lord, thou hast taught me what I should do in respect of myself, but now, Lord, I would do something for thee.
Jesus: Come, then, and follow me (Matt. 9:9).
And he arose and followed him."


Quotable: “If you had got all the world, you would have got nothing after your coffin lid was screwed down but grave dust in your mouth” (C. H. Spurgeon).

The Lord of Glory

Christ restores Lazarus to life. Like all of His signs, this reveals His natural excellence (His authority, sovereignty, and power) and His moral excellence (His lovingkindness, goodness, and faithfulness). Without question, He’s the Lord of glory. How do people respond? Some believe (Jn. 11:45). Some don’t believe (Jn. 11:46). From here, the narrative focuses on three individuals.

(1) Caiaphas (Jn. 11:47-57) – The Evil of Expediency

Some of the witnesses run to the Pharisees, who respond by gathering the Council. “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs” (Jn. 11:47). They don’t dispute the reality of the sign. Lazarus was dead four days; everyone knows it. Lazarus is now alive; everyone knows it. They can’t deny the sign. Yet, they refuse to accept what the sign confirms; namely, Christ is the Son of God. Why are they so obstinate? Messianic fever is spreading. If it continues, the Romans will get upset. They’ll come, and take away “our place” (Jn. 11:48). And so, Caiaphas remarks, “It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (Jn. 11:50).

Expediency is the enemy of true faith. How many people fall into this trap? They value something more than Christ. Believers aren’t immune to the evil of expediency. The preacher, who refuses to tell people the truth, because it isn’t expedient; he might lose his salary. The politician, who refuses to take a biblical stand on controversial issues, because it isn’t expedient; he might lose votes. The college professor, who keeps his Christian worldview to himself, because it isn’t expedient; he might lose the respect of his colleagues. The Christian, who refuses to confront her family members with Christ’s claims, because it isn’t expedient; she might lose their approval.

(2) Mary (Jn. 12:1-3) – The Beauty of Devotion

Six days before Passover, Christ is in Bethany. There’s a dinner. Christ is reclining at the table with His disciples. Mary knows Christ is going to die. He has said as much. She knows the Jews hate Him. She knows the Jews are plotting against Him. She has a “pound of expensive ointment.” She has set it aside for His burial. She decides she won’t wait until then. She wants to express her sorrow, devotion, love, and appreciation, while He’s still alive. And so, she enters the room, breaks the container, and anoints Christ’s head (Matt. 26). The “fragrance” fills the room. The ointment pours down His body to His feet. Then, Mary does the unthinkable. She loosens her hair to dry Christ’s feet.

That’s highly significant. According to 1 Cor. 11:15, a woman’s hair is her glory. Why does Mary do this? (1) She does it to demonstrate her humility. She knows she’s in the presence of the Lord of glory. She’s keenly aware of her own nothingness. (2) She does it to demonstrate her gratitude. She’s thankful for what Christ has done in raising her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. His resurrection points to a far greater reality – spiritual resurrection. Christ is life. Mary knows it. She has experienced this life. (3) She does it to declare her love. She knows something of Christ’s inestimable worth. She offers her most valued possession to Him. There’s nothing too valuable for Christ.

Mary knows Christ. Luke tells us that “Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (Lk. 10:39). Mary loves Christ. He says to Martha, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk. 10:42). Mary esteems Christ. She offers her most prized possession. “One hardly knows what to admire most, the irrepressible character of Mary’s devotion or the lavish nature of her sacrifice” (William Hendriksen).

(3) Judas (Jn. 12:4-8) – The Danger of Apostasy

According to Matt. 26, the disciples question Mary’s actions. “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” Their concern for the poor isn’t wrong in itself, but it’s certainly misplaced. They’ve lost sight of Christ’s worth. Nothing is more important than Christ. He says, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”

According to Jn. 12, Judas objects to Mary’s lavish display of devotion. Like the other disciples, he expresses concern for the poor. But there’s a difference. The other disciples are confused. Judas is devious, covetous, and envious. He thinks he has wasted three years of his life, following Christ. He doesn’t have anything to show for it. He’s simmering. And now, Mary wastes this valuable ointment on Christ. He resents it. “The murmuring of Judas right after the worship of Mary is most solemnly significant. True valuation of Christ always brings out the hatred of those who are of Satan” (A. W. Pink).

Judas was Christ’s disciple. He had forsaken all to follow Christ. He had heard Christ’s words. He had seen Christ’s miracles. On top of that, he had been given authority to perform miracles. Yet, Christ identifies Judas as “one who did not believe.” What a hard lesson! Proximity to Christ is no guarantee of union with Christ. In other words, it’s possible to be close, yet lost.


Quotable: “How differently would the heathen look on our endeavors if the hardy and suffering spirit of primitive times were to descend again on the silken age into which we have fallen, and if they perceived in us that love which led them to endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (A. N. Groves).