Couldn't Help Noticing

“They had been with Jesus.”

In preparation for the soon-to-be-expanded Briefing blog (stay tuned!), I've been spending a bit more time in the blogosphere looking at other blogs and seeing what people are up to. On one blog, I bumped into a comment on Acts 4:13. Acts 4:13 records the bit in Acts where the first-century Jewish leaders who persecuted the early church are astonished by the evangelistic boldness of Peter and John, recognizing that “they had been with Jesus”. The blog commenter wrote:

I find that phrase such a challenge and such an inspiration. “They had been with Jesus.” It is inspiring to know that the source of the disciples' boldness and confidence was not anything in themselves, but was a direct result of the time they had spent with Jesus.

Now it so happened that I had just read this snippet from Martin Luther's Table Talk a day earlier:

I know nothing of Jesus Christ but only his name; I have not heard or seen him corporally, yet I have, God be praised, learned so much out of the Scriptures, that I am well and thoroughly satisfied; therefore I desire neither to see nor to hear him in the body. (Table Talk, ‘Of Jesus Christ’, CCXXXII.)

Like Luther, I'm not persuaded that having been with Jesus in his incarnation is of any great spiritual advantage. Nor, I think, did the disciples themselves see it this way. I appreciate Matthew's honesty when he records the disciples' response to Jesus' resurrection: “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted” (Matt 28:17). Jesus himself said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).

The mystery of the disciples' boldness is unlocked not by looking at the time they spent with Jesus when he was on earth. After three years with Jesus under imminent threat, the boldest disciple turned out to be Judas. He, more than any of the others, showed great initiative and independent thought—by going to the High Priest with an offer to betray his Lord.

On the other hand, the disciples became bold because of Jesus' promise. He said “[Y]ou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This same boldness is available to anyone who trusts Jesus for forgiveness and receives his Holy Spirit.

Psalm 2

In an effort to clear heart and mind, and do a much needed rethink about ministry from a fresh angle, I've been reading Martin Luther's Table Talk in the last few days. The blessing of reading Luther is that he helps us rethink ministry and life itself by pointing us back to Scripture. Here is him commenting one of his favourite Psalms, Psalm 2:

The second Psalm is one of the best Psalms. I love that Psalm with my heart. It strikes and flashes valiantly amongst kings, princes, counsellors, judges, etc. If what this Psalm says be true, then are the allegations and aims of the papists stark lies and folly. If I were as our Lord God, and had committed the government to my son, as he to his Son, and these vile people were as disobedient as they now be, I would knock the world in pieces. (Table Talk, ‘Of God's Works’, CXI.)

This is typically violent and passionate language from the great German. But where did he get this extreme mode of speech? Read and learn:

Why do the nations rage
  and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
  and the rulers take counsel together,
  against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
  and cast away their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
  the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
  and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
  on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
  today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
  and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
  and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
  be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
  and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
  lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
  for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

(Psalm 2)

How wonderful it is that we too can find refuge in this Son who rules with a rod of iron (vv. 9, 12)!

Explaining the gospel

Last week Gordon mentioned the way that Roman Catholics tend to use words differently (particularly the word ‘grace’). Mark Gilbert has written a set of very helpful evangelistic Bible studies which explore the content of the gospel while avoiding the confusing words or terminology. This makes them ideal for working through with Roman Catholic friends or family. The studies are called The God Who Saves and you can find more information about them in our online store. There are also leader's notes for the studies which are available for free. Read a review of them at Your.SydneyAnglicans.net.