Resource Review: The Cross of Christ

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Last month, we looked at the good old celebration of Valentine’s Day and explored its links to Christianity. Christian’s firmly believe that God is love and that he clearly demonstrated his love by sacrificing his life as a human (Jesus Christ) by dying on a cross for our rebellion. John Stott, who is a world renowned theologian and scholar, writes very pervasively on the implications of Jesus death on the cross. I strongly recommend this book to all audiences, Christian and not.

The universal symbol of the Christian faith is neither a crib nor a manger, but a gruesome cross. Yet many people are unclear about its meaning, and cannot understand why Christ had to die.

In this magisterial and best selling book, John Stott explains the significance of Christ's cross and answers the objections commonly brought against biblical teaching on the atonement.

John Stott's modern classic is as sharp and pertinent as ever it was. It combines an excellent biblical exposition, and a characteristically thoughtful study of Christian belief, with a searching call to the church to live under the cross.

IVP Book, 448 pages
Price: Approx. $10.95 (Koorong)
Price: Approx. $17 (Amazon)

Who was Jesus (4): Great business man, brilliant teacher or something more?

A better title for this article would be ‘who is Jesus’, but to maintain continuity in the series, I will retain ‘who was Jesus’. This is now the fourth part in the ‘Jesus’ series. If you have missed the first three articles here are links to these (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). Initially, I was going to write about the resurrection (see Christians Believe Part 4 if you can’t wait), which I will do in the next article, but I thought it be good to wrestle with the notion of absolute truth.

As I have already stated in previous articles, I studied at University. At uni, I learnt that modern philosophy has experienced a push towards post-modernism, which purports that there is no absolute truth. I, like many of my peers, simply accepted this understanding without surveying the vast amount of literature, which clearly argues against this theory. In time, I learnt through the bible and other great philosophers like C.S. Lewis that there is truth and we can possess this truth. I found that the claims of post-modernismists, i.e. that there is no absolute truth, are in actual fact making absolute truth claims, which they claim doesn’t exist – think about it! Is there absolute truth; absolutely yes!

The Jesus of today

Jesus, who lived about 2 000 years ago, made many massive claims which have changed the world. One of the popular views held today about Jesus is that he is one of the greatest teachers of all time. What do you think about this view? Jesus taught many great things, these would include loving your neighbour, turning the other cheek and so on. But is that it? What does the bible have to say about this?

Can we trust the bible?

Before we examine what the bible has to say about Jesus teachings, I want to address some of your presuppositions towards the bible. Firstly, the bible was written between 10 to 70 years after Jesus lived. That is easily within memory range for the authors to accurately remember the events of Jesus. Secondly, the bible is one of the most, if not the most reliable historical document on earth today. The historical events addressed in the bible align with ancient history. The shear amount of manuscripts, historical data and archaeological evidence available to scholars make it virtually one of a kind. Thirdly, our English transitions of the bible a fantastic. The bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). The English bible has been translated directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek manuscripts. You can even buy copies of the Hebrew and Greek bibles. The bible is sound and very reliable from a historical point of view. Even scientifically, the bible is solid (check out Science and Jesus Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5).

Jesus the great teacher or something more?

So, let’s return to the principle argument, was Jesus simply a good teacher? In my opinion, the major problem with this view is that Jesus makes many massive claims. Firstly, he claims that there is absolute truth and secondly, that he is that very truth. Therefore, if you hold to the philosophy that there is no absolute truth, then Jesus, in your opinion cannot a good teacher. Take for example, the discussion between Jesus and Pontius Pilate in John’s gospel (John 18:33-38):

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

Crunch time for the truth

At this point in the gospel, Jesus had been arrested and put on trial by Pilate, who was the Roman governor in Jerusalem. Pilate eventually sentences Jesus to be crucified on a Roman cross. The point that I am trying to make by using this passage is that Jesus claims three massive things:

• Firstly he claims to be God -
  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." (John 18:36)
• Secondly, he claims to have come into the world to be crucified –
  "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born (John 18:37), and
• Thirdly, he claims to bear witness to the truth,
  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." (John 18:37)
• Finally, the very same author of this text adds that Jesus is that very truth he came to bear witness to
  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17)

Sadly, in this discourse, Pilate makes a massive error, which is the very same error that modern day philosophy makes, that truth is transient and not fixed. Jesus is clearly in opposition to this notion when he says “I came to bear witness to the truth”, as he firmly teaches the existence of truth, which is found in him only!

Do you still think Jesus was a good teacher because if you do, I want to challenge you with the four points listed above. Jesus clearly taught that he is the truth and that he was crucified for this. So what is this truth? Jesus, who is fully God, came into human history to die for broken sinners like you and I. As a result, his death cleanses us from all our guilt if we trust in him and live for him. Was he a good teacher? My answer is a firm yes, because he is my life! So, I challenge you to put your trust in Jesus, who is the truth!

Who was Jesus (3): The Man on the Cross

How cool are action heroes? Superhuman people doing amazing things like jumping out of speeding trains or flying planes, rescuing the poor damsel in distress. Without doubt, Predator is my favourite action movie starring the Govenator Arnie who heads up a team of Special Forces soldiers. They travel into the South American jungle in search of a missing platoon, only to find that they had been ripped to shreds by some unknown force, which you soon discover is an alien from another planet (A must if you have never seen the movie). Arnie defies the odds by using his intellect and physical strength to defeat the alien, which mind you is far superior in intellect and strength then he is. We leave the movie thinking “Is there anyone that can stop Arnie”?

What about our national sporting hero’s like Steve Waugh or Cathy Freeman or Michael Jordan? They have risen to a new level in our eyes by achieving great results in the midst of huge adversaries. Children and adults alike follow them like gods. We all have our heroes; people that we aspire to be like. Only yesterday, I noticed a sign on the side of a bus promoting the English Premier League, which read “Most religions have one god, we have many”.

Heroes Forever?

We all have our heroes, those people we look up to. But when it all comes down to it, they are regular people just like you and I. They eat, sleep, get tired, feel down and in need, and ultimately, will sadly die. They go through highs and lows, make huge mistakes like we do, and when their sporting or movie prowess comes to close, they basically fall off the map of fame. Our heroes in the end are just like you and I.

The Superhero

There is however, one hero who stands out above all others. A man who lived a perfect life, faced all the challenges that we face and now lives as king of the universe. He died a brutal death to rescue his people from eternal hell, the God-man Jesus. In my last two posts, we explored who Jesus was (see Who was Jesus Part 1 & Part 2) and there we established that he is the one and only living God, who came down from heaven as a man. He lived perfect life and yet died a rebel’s death.

Today I would like to examine the reason why Jesus stepped off his throne in heaven and came down to earth. Firstly, it is important to point out that we have all disobeyed God and live our own lives independent from him, this is called sin (see Christians Believe 2). Our purpose in life and biological design is to live in relationship with God and each other, yet as a result of sin, these relationships have been severed. We only need to look at the world around us and our lives to see evidence of this. God would be justified to leave us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion, but out of his great mercy and love, he decided to step into history in human form to pay the fine for our rebellion. Have you ever heard what it would be like to be crucified on a cross? Check out the movie below:

Blood, guts and core

Why did he do this?

As I explained earlier, we have all fallen out of relationship with God. God, because he loves us, set in motion a plan to fix the problem that we have created through our sin. This plan commenced in the Old Testament of the bible, by God making a contract with a group of people called Israel (Genesis 9:9). Through this contract God established the law by which these people were to live by and worship him (The 10 Commandments; Deuteronomy 17:19). If the people of Israel broke one these laws, they were to offer a sacrifice in their place to make atonement (pay the fine) for their sin. This was a practice established by God to demonstrate that justice must be made for those who break a perfect and holy God's laws.

If you take what the bible says literally concerning the state of humanity, then you will conclude that the human condition is marred by sin (John 8:34; Romans 3:11-12). Am I suggesting that we re-establish a sacrificial system as we have all broken God's laws? Absolutely not, as God, lovingly, has offered a complete and perfect sacrifice for us; this is the Good News- the Gospel. Jesus message brings Good News, which is that he (God in the flesh) has offered himself as the sacrifice for us. This good news, which may not sound like good news (a man being brutally murdered), is that we are forgiven through Jesus suffering and death on a cross and therefore offered freedom from this slavery to sin:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)!

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus, a perfect man who never sinned, took all of our sin on himself and offered his body as a sacrifice. Think of all the actions and deeds that you have committed or that you should have done; Jesus accepts these things and dies for them, then he gives you his perfection. This is what the bible calls grace (Psalm 86:6; Zechariah 12:10; John 1:16-17; Romans 3:24- there are so many more references but I will cut it short for for sake of brevity). He now offers forgiveness to those who accept this free gift and cleansing from all their sin as he absorbed the wrath that God has towards your sin (Romans 1:17; John 3:14-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3: 21-25).

Heroes are everywhere but there is one eternal hero and that is Jesus. He died a brutal death to die for those who were against him. So, what does Jesus death accomplish? His death offers accomplishes everything- for us freedom from ourselves and a new life driven by purpose with the God who created us. My prayer is that this will touch your heart and therefore I plead with you now to turn to Jesus now. It is written in the bible:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Why not turn to Jesus with a simple prayer and confess to him that you have lived in opposition to him. Ask for forgiveness and he will forgive you (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). Check out his bible and why not check out a church (see Christians Believe 5). Jesus loves you and he is waiting.

Gospel (2): What is the Gospel?

What would you do if you knew that world was going to end? I know some people would probably quit their job, head to the pub, buy a stack of beer and booze the remaining nights away. What if you knew that there was one location on earth that would guarantee your survival from end the world? Would you (a) continue to drink up, (b) drink up and then do something about it or (c) gather as many people as you could and rush them to safety?

There is a growing cloud of answers to the mystery of life (see Religion 2). Almost everyone can see that the world is not the way it is supposed to be. All religions and philosophies have a take on the answer. There are even people who claim to be believers in Jesus that offer conflicting answers to this problem, i.e. it's about being good or spirituality is the answer. Today, I want to take the first step to ordering this out. Let’s go back a moment and remember our “end of the world” sequence. The bible makes this claim that one day, we will meet our maker and have to give an account (Romans 2:12; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 11:18). Let me ask you now, how do you think you will go on that day? Judging from my actions, I will be in a bit of trouble, unless there was another way to survive:

Jesus claims that his death and resurrection is our only hope of surviving the oncoming calamity (John 14:6; see Gospel 1). This is the core message of Christianity that he [Jesus] has rescued those who trust him, and because we trust him, we will therefore work to obey him. This is not always easy and that is why we rest on his cross. I plead to you now, come to Jesus today and be rescued! It is the only way.

Resource Review: Vintage Jesus

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This is a brilliant book for those investigating Jesus and Christianity. Easy to read and funny throughout, Vintage Jesus tackles the myths and false views created through two thousand years of religion. I strongly recommend this book as we head into the ‘Who was Jesus’ series.

Some two thousand years after he walked the earth, Jesus Christ is still a hot topic. And for all the ridiculous, twisted, Da Vinci Code-esque- conspiracy theories and lies about Jesus that have permeated popular culture and even the academy over the years, the truth about his character, nature, and work has not changed. So what exactly is the truth about Jesus Christ?

That's the question the authors of Vintage Jesus seek to answer by breaking it down into a number of sub-questions about Jesus, including
• Is Jesus the only God?
• Why did Jesus come to earth?
• Did Jesus rise from death?
• Why should we worship Jesus?

Nonbelievers and new Christians looking to sit down and delve into the topic of Jesus, asking the toughest, most confounding questions they can think of, will find solid, biblical answers presented in a relevant, accessible way.

176 pages from Re: Lit
Price: Approx. $21.95

Resource Review: God’s Big Picture

If you have been stirred by Christians Believe (6), why not have a read of God’s Big Picture. Very easy to read outlining the basic points of Christianity.

Sixty-six books written by forty people over nearly 2,000 years, in two languages and several different genres. A worldwide bestseller published in countless sizes and bindings, translations and languages. It has been sworn by in court, fought over by religious people, quoted in arguments. The Bible is clearly no ordinary book. How can we begin to read and understand it as a whole?

In his excellent overview, Vaughan Roberts gives the big picture - showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. He gives us both the encouragement and the tools to read it with confidence and understanding. He points us to the Bible's supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him.

160 pages
Price: Approx. $16.95

Gospel (1): The Glorious Gospel

The Gospel is our hope and joy. I ask you, what is the gospel? Is it relevant to you?

About five years ago, I went surfing at Cronulla beach with some mates. There had been large storms around the days prior to our outing. When we arrived at the beach, the surf was massive and there were sign placated all over the beach- “BEACH CLOSED”. My mates and I ignored the warning signs because we thought we knew better. We trusted in our swimming ability, which as a result failed us. Both my friends were swept out by a rip and were in a dangerous situation. Only through the grace of the life savers who were, mind you off duty, came out and rescued my friends. If it were not for the life guards, who knows where my friends would be today?

Firstly, what is the gospel? God has presented to us, in his scriptures, the state of humanity and the answer to our humanities problems- this is the gospel! We all are created in the image of God (Genesis 1 & 2), loved and prized by him. We are made to honour, serve and ultimately, follow him. In hind sight, you probably could say, I do that! I lead a good life, work hard, haven’t murdered anyone- God just wants me to be happy- right?

This is partly true. By living a good life we will honour him, but I ask you how many of us truly honour him? Ok, are you a good person?
• Have you ever lied?
• Have you ever stolen? (Anything?)
• Have you had sex with someone you aren’t married to?
• Have you ever wanted to have sex with someone you aren’t married to?
• Do you idolize people (athletes, movie stars etc) or possessions?
• Do you honestly live for and worship God whole heartily?

I have taken these from the 10 commandments (read Deuteronomy 6 in the Old Testament). This is exactly what Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader, that we have all sinned and we are all spiritually dead as a result (read Ephesians chapter 2 New Testament of the Bible). We are lost, stranded and broken (needing a life saver). Jesus, in the Gospel of John (chapter 3) goes on to explain, that he is God the Son, who came down from heaven to rescue us from all of our sins. Jesus, the God-Man, who lived a perfect life and loves you dearly, died a sinner’s death on the cross for you so all your sins may be taken away. He then rose from the grave three days later so that those who trust in him may have NEW life (born again- spiritual life= eternal life).

If your neighbour’s house was on fire, would you yell and shout for their rescue? This friends is no different. Our world is on fire by sin and our only answer is the Gospel- Jesus who died on the cross for you. I ask you now, would you like to be forgiven. Repent (turn) and come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. The bible empathically says that he loves you and is faithful to forgive. There are communities of people who want to live for Jesus just like you- this is called the church. If you are a Christian and read this, ask God the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and lead us to Jesus our Lord and Saviour. We all need him!

If you would like to get in contact with me or find some great resources to explore further or even pose a question, please email vintagejc@hotmail.com . I will post a list of websites shortly, that have great resources for those who would love to further explore the Kingdom of God.

Over and out until next time! Praise God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Love: The Essential Ingredient

For the past two weeks, I have been reading Romans. I have found Romans 12:9-10, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection", very convicting. Rich, Christ centred fellowship and brotherly love is so essential to our walk with Christ, and emotionally as people. Jesus died to join us with God and each other in fellowship (1 John 1).

When sin entered into creation (Genesis 3) not only was Adam and Eve's relationship with God severed, but also their relationship with each other was severed (Genesis 3:7). Sin destroys love and relationshipships. So destructive is sin, that all of humankind turned from being in perfect relationship with each other and with God, to conflict and death as evident with Cain and Abel (Genesis 4). Demonstrations of this in our culture are seen in divorce, domestic violence, crime etc.

As children born again through the atoning work of Christ, we (as the church) are being regenerated back into the image first intended by God. The bible often uses the phrase 'fellowship with one another' to speak of relationship. The Greek word for fellowship basically means a deep relationship / participation in each others life. This rich fellowship is made possible by God the Holy Spirit, drawing us together to the point that we may confess our sins and be cleansed by Jesus (1 John 1:9), and therefore grow in love for both God and one another.

It is evident that throughout Romans the church in Rome was experiencing division inregard to heap of issues (i.e. food, special days etc). Paul, so clearly presents to the church in Rome the answer to the division is the gospel, demonstrating to them that they no longer live separated by sin, but rather live by the Spirit who unifies them under Jesus. We too must head this teaching as we strive to have fellowship with God and each other.

Love is the essential ingredient for rich fellowship, which is only made possible through Jesus.

So I leave you with these questions:

* First of all, is Jesus your Lord and Saviour?

* Secondly, do you engage in rich fellowship?