Tag: Theology

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The Ascension House

Long ago, our Father in Heaven had a plan. His plan was to create the world as a theater to display his glory. The world was to be a house that reflected his name. The Shekinah glory was to remain there forever. But through many dangers, deceit, and downfalls, the house slowly lost the purpose the Builder had for it.

But you see, God’s construction plans are not like our building projects. His ways are not our ways. He was going to restore, rebuild, and reclaim his own house. This time, the house was not going to be built on spiritual adultery or religious idolatry. It would be built on the Rock, which was Christ.

In the life of Jesus, the foundation was poured on the earth. In his death, the wall and roof were placed to cover and shade the world. In his resurrection, fresh, clean water is available to the nations. He is the fountain of everlasting life. But there is one part of this earthly construction that is missing. There is a foundation, a roof to protect you from the storms, and running water to shower and quench our thirst, but now we need to turn the house on. We need the power to turn the refrigerator, stove, microwave, air conditioner, heater, fan, laptops, cell phones, etc., whatever it is to make this a functional operation. If this will be the kingdom’s headquarters, we need it on! We must activate the house so everyone can live with a purpose; we must ensure that the priesthood of the house is equipped to spread the story of the household far and wide.

The Ascension of Jesus is that singular event in history that gives life to everything; that sets everything into motion. It is the power that the Church needs to disciple the nations.

Without the Ascension, we are living in an almost finished property. But with the Ascension, the kingdom is not just ready, it is eager to be inhabited once and for all. The power is on. We can now move in together as a Church and take care of it. Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the ascension of the master of the House; the reigning King, Jesus Christ.

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Baptism Does Something

Baptism on Pentecost by Niels

Baptism does something. One of the tendencies of evangelical churches is to spend 98% of the time telling us what Baptism doesn’t do and the other 2% informing us what it might do.

That approach stems from fear and not biblical courage. Christians should not fear the language of the Bible. For example, we should not fear what the Bible says about the role of husbands and wives in the home, the limitations of government in politics, and the function of the church in society. Christians should never apologize for biblical language, and neither should we shy away from what it says, even if it makes other Christians uncomfortable. Yes, there are poor interpretations about Baptism, but we should build our theology based on what the Bible says and then defend it from false interpretations. I fear that pattern has been reversed for too long.

There is no new variety of covenant relationships in the New Testament; there is only continuity of signs and symbols and seals. God blessed and incorporated children into the covenant in the Old, and he has not changed his parenting style in the New. The promise is to you and your children in Genesis 17 and Acts 2.

Baptism does something.

The Bible teaches us that Baptism is a divine act. The pastor may be a mere man, but Christ’s act is ultimately authorized by Him and performed by Him. Baptism is what the Lord does to and for His people. Though this is a simple act, there is nothing simple about what this act means. This is not a mere dedication, but God Himself– Father, Son, and Spirit– embracing and claiming officially those who are his.

Suppose that at this Baptism ceremony, alone among all the baptisms that have been performed through the Christian ages, we were granted to witness Baptism in all its behind-the-scene glory. Just as the Minister was preparing to begin the act, a great tearing sound caused all to look up. The ceiling and the sanctuary roof were parted, and down through the opening descended the Lord Jesus himself. Seraphim hovered above his shoulders. The people of God were on their faces before him, but He told them to rise to their feet and to observe what he was about to do.

He brought little children and a young father near unto him and pronounced the divine Trinity over them, he made the promise of His gospel and covenant to each by name, and by name summoned them to the life of faith and godliness. He spoke a few words to the parents about the sacred stewardship he was entrusting to them and how they would answer to him on the Great Day for their children’s faith and life. Then he poured water on the head of each one, blessed them, handed them back to the parents, and ascended back through the parted roof and with a loud crash, the roof came back together, and everything was as it had been.[1]

That Baptism would become a great memory even though some would have no active recollection of it. Scarcely a day would pass without parents reminding them that the Lord Christ himself had taken them in his arms as children and declared that these little children belonged to him from the headwaters of his life!  As these children grew up, they would remain under the mercy and the specter and the glory of that Baptism. Their whole life would be colored and shaped by it. When they disobeyed, the memory of it would correct him. When he was discouraged, it would comfort and inspire him. Could anyone see such a baptism and not know for a certainty that Christ would be attending to the life of that child and that his blessing would rest upon him? That is what Baptism does, and that is its effect, or should be. But we see through a glass, darkly, not yet face to face. This is no small act, but it is precisely what is happening today to these dear saints.

[1] Mainly taken from Robert Rayburn.

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Charge to Athanasius Presbytery

The life of the ministry is a life of theological self-giving. The minister gives away wisdom, learning, and life in everything he does. The very clerical collar he wears is a sign of that sacrificial life.

Paul’s words to Timothy fit this profile:

…give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

A minister must rightly divide the word of truth. He must be a compelling interpreter, a respecter of the Word’s purity, internal logic, and redemptive flow. This is the standard for ministers as they come to be examined, and it is the expectation of those must give an account to our Great Shepherd.

Among the pastoral candidates who came for ordination in Geneva under the tutelage of the Company of Pastors, the vast majority were properly equipped theologically; they were not ashamed of the Word and their calling. However, some of them lacked theological gravitas prompting pastor Antoine de La Faye to say that a few were not even “qualified to watch goats.” Those were often sent home to study for a season or encouraged to find other professions. It reminds me of the advice my old professor Steve Brown gave to a young man after hearing him preach: “Young man, can you do anything else?” This is far from a harsh assessment; indeed, not many should be teachers.

Calvin viewed ministerial preparation as essential to developing a healthy city; thus, putting into place learning academies and offering opportunities for theological growth became an essential component of the city’s learning revolution. Calvin’s zeal for proper training of pastoral candidates came from what he viewed as a lack of equipped pastors in the day. Further, there were some clear signs that “vagabond ministers” traveling around Europe were causing dissension and assuming leadership positions “without oversight.”

The impetus for pastoral training was an outworking of the general premise Calvin had for regular Christian living. One could say that for Calvin, the process of doing theology was to adore God, and one could only adore God rightly by learning theology.

The training process equipped candidates to endure the lengthy but careful ordination process, which included examining piety and theology. “The Venerable Company” had a disposition towards candidates whose training included the liberal arts, biblical exegesis, theology, and practical experience. The preparatory season occurred in community settings where candidates were encouraged to attend Hebrew and Greek lectures and sharpen their rhetorical and dialectic skills.

Certain days were set aside for pastoral candidates to deliver sermons in the presence of members of the Venerable Company and test their abilities to debate issues confronting the civil and ecclesiastical scene of the day. With the learning process completed, Calvin and Beza, and other members of the Company of Pastors led the ordination process. Biblical knowledge took a central focus in the examining process under the assumption that if a candidate did not know his Bible well, his ministry would not prosper under God’s guidance.

The ordination examination had three sections. First, there was an examination for the candidates, which lasted for about two hours on various theological issues about the biblical text. Second, following the principles laid in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, the pastoral candidate underwent examination concerning his moral standing in his familial and public life. Finally, there were trial sermons where the candidate provided an astute presentation of a text to reveal his ability to properly divide the word of truth and his skills to handle the text. The process was long and tedious, but Calvin believed that if a new reformation was to inundate the land, ministers should be men of learning committed to the authority of the Bible and pious servants of the great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

It is our privilege today to continue with the next three candidates for pastoral ministry. The examining committees have affirmed that these men have shown enough knowledge in all these fields to come before the presbytery. And they have assured me that they are equipped to enter into Gospel ministry. We hope that these examinations will serve more as additional confirmation of their call, and we are eager to rejoice that God has called these brothers to share in the life of theological self-giving for the sake of the flock.

Let us pray: O God of eternal praise, you have equipped and called these your servants to the frontlines of Gospel activity in your holy church. Remind them of the gracious call to serve your flock, and give them the wisdom to remember, rejoice, and reflect on your kindness through Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd, Amen.

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Becoming a Radical

An esteemed friend I have loved for many years recently stated that he was radicalized during COVID. His antennas became more attuned to the shenanigans of the state. Similarly, I think it is safe to say I have been radicalized in the academy of no-non-sense against leftist ideology. There were simply too many issues to test our theories. And every time I did the scientific experiment it ended with the same results.

But, of course, I was already a radical by the very nature of my affiliations and theological affinities. But practically, my expectations will be much of the same and more of the same and the same of more when it comes to specific institutions. I have no doubt many of these folks, especially those who cherish the Nicene Creed, are of good nature and take their trash out to the curb on Thursday nights, and I am also sure they have a sweet disposition towards their children, but I will no longer assume as I did once that they want biblical authority to permeate everything.

I believe that places like Christianity Today are not institutions of theological integrity. I firmly believe they wish to lead the Church in a direction that does not lead back to Machen and Van Til and Sproul but to Schleiermacher and mainline-ism.

Mark Galli’s recent statements that CT writers are more interested in the approval of the New York Times and other “respectable” magazines is an indication that the Billy Graham era is over and CT has become just another tool to propagate whatever is most classically unconservative. This has been true for some time, but sometimes institutions make themselves abundantly clear. Suffice to say, CT is headed towards oblivion, and the respect they think they will earn from MSNBC as whistleblowers for true orthodoxy will quickly evaporate.

I am desensitized to these cowardly attempts at respectability. I am no longer shocked or dismayed. I will join critiques of Mark Driscoll on a host of issues, but I will not accept that the best critics of Driscoll are leftist mainline female priests or ambulance chasing feminists or CT’s book awards. What these folks are looking for are examples of abuse anywhere to destroy conservative causes everywhere. While they may have good intentions, their telos is absolutely malicious. They do not lead to a “Jesus-loves-me-this-I-know-for-the-Bible-tells-me-so hermeneutic. Instead, they eagerly embrace critical hermeneutics to matters regarding race like classic liberalism welcomed higher criticism to the issues regarding inerrancy. They are seeking to domesticate Jesus, and in doing so, they domesticate his word.

Jesus has no patience for expertise religiosity and scribal law-making; he eagerly takes them apart for their cunning ways and fashionable statements. Our Lord eagerly overthrows their tradition-painted tables and mocks them in derision. The way to avoid this blabbering of foolishness is to stay close to those who share the sentiments of the healthy iconoclasts like Luther and Machen. Eat together. Laugh together. Eat at the table of our Lord together. Sing Psalms together, and on this latter point, I am not aware of any institution that sings imprecatory psalms that fall for this 1st grade understanding of ethics and politics. If we keep cultivating biblical authority in the little acts, we too will be radicalized towards more biblical fidelity.

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Deaths and Resurrections

God is a God of deaths and resurrections. His world is a constant refrain of repetitive themes. We might say that God is gloriously repetitive. He repeats themes because his creation reflects his thematic ability to kill and make alive. God gives us and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

The practicality of such historical imperatives is that phases of history come to an end, and God brings new stages fresh from heaven. Humans experience this often in daily life. Parents, in particular, see these transitional phases occurring with frequency. Diapers, potty training, speech, and sicknesses are all a part of the grand scheme of transitions in the home. Little deaths provide new liberties.

In very tangible ways, the Church is transitioning as well in our day. Many whose commitment to the sacred scriptures was a vital part of their DNA have had two years to navigate their convictions to test their loyalties. In the process, many things have died, and many new things are flourishing. The natural quest for neutrality is over! In fact, the game is over. Neutrality is a myth, but beyond that, it’s a death—the good kind. Some deaths are needed in the Church to awaken her to her responsibilities and plant her in new pastures.

As I have said throughout this season, men need to put away their baby bottles and dust off their wedding glasses and pour the real, unadulterated stuff in them. It’s time to man up, love up, and serve up! Neutrality is dead!

This entails that church life needs serious invigoration in the days ahead. The kinds of churches that prepared you for tea parties won’t survive another generation. The types of churches that prepared you for martyrdom will shine like the sun. Deaths are coming, but resurrections are in high demand, and God loves when we petition him to raise the dead.

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The Case for Children in Worship, Part 6

We love our children! We love being with them when they wake up and we love their snuggles at night before bed. There are so many magical moments of parenting. But let the parent who speaks always smilingly of parenting throw the first stone! Don’t tell me you don’t long for that bedtime with fierce determination; don’t tell me you don’t long for some precious time with your spouse!? Don’t tell me you don’t long for conversations with big people for a change?

We shouldn’t feel guilty about this…no, not once. We pour our hearts into our little ones, but if sleep cycles didn’t exist, none of us would be a parent for longer than a week. In much of our conversation about parenting, we tend to fall into pious overload mode and treat parenting as if it were so easy that anyone could do it well with a little prep time and a few tips from our favorite parenting guru. But anyone putting on their reality glasses understands that parenting is much more complicated and that we need additional times when life isn’t a liturgy of diapers and breaking up squabbles and cleaning mushed green beans from the floor.

I have thus far encouraged parents to keep their squiggly bundle of energy with them during the entire service. Aren’t I asking for a little too much? Shouldn’t I be content with simply allowing parents to enjoy a precious 75-90 minutes of pure and uninterrupted bliss of worship without keeping them on their feet…again on the Lord’s Day?

I promise I am not a tyrant; I am a benevolent pastor who sees your woes because I am fairly self-aware of the work I do as a father and the double/triple work my wife does when I leave those doors to the office in the morning and the remarkable job a single mom does who doesn’t have that additional voice to harmonize her strategies.

So, the final argument essentially ponders why a parent would have to sacrifice fellowship time catching up with good friends for an additional hour of navigating the wants of tiny people who incidentally want a lot. The answer is that we need to view our worship service as fellowship with the Triune God who invites our little children to come unto Him. Ultimately, that is worship.

There are plenty of opportunities for more substantial fellowship that will require some sacrifice. Perhaps dad stays home a night or two while mom spends some time with friends and vice-versa. We should allow Sundays to function as a day where we fellowship in a unique way (in the context of worship), but build the rationale for fellowship in a more intimate way outside the Sunday environment.

As a pastor, I usually have 20-25 different conversations before and after worship, but most of them involve catching up, and if there is a need for something more intimate, a parishioner and I will come to an agreement about what day to meet and discuss certain matters. Similarly, Sunday should function not as a time to have real conversations that must exclude children, but it should be used as an opportunity to make plans to meet in a more favorable environment.

Again, children shouldn’t be a hindrance to such fellowship. Certain phases of life mean that our conversations take place in a particular way. I often say that parents fellowship on the basis of fragmented sentences. We have this unique opportunity to begin conversations and then continue them 10 minutes later after dealing with whatever “emergency” our children may have.

In sum, I firmly believe that none of these reasons should distract us from healthy community life, and in fact, children provide an abundance of opportunities for beautiful learning and growing together in grace in the context of worship and fellowship.

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Church Vaccine Mandates

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Last Monday, I had talked about the expansive demand among churches to require vaccine proof before parishioners walk into their building to worship. Some inquired if this even existed. No one inquires now. I argued that these pastors need to be defrocked and that there was a legitimate rationale to leave these churches in good standing. I and many other pastors would demand a letter of transfer and take you in as a refugee.

I am certain that a majority of us would never have fathomed at the beginning of this brouhaha that there would be church officers demanding proof of a vaccine at the entrance door before worship. The reality is creeping in like a leviathan. Its movements are heavy and felt everywhere. It is not a 1/1 correspondence, but you can easily see that the majority of these same congregations produce woke waters among them and show incredible fondness for leftist politics/causes. The rule of thumb is, “If Al Sharpton likes it, then run for the hills.” If that seems a little too far off of an example, try this one: “If Russell Moore speaks positively of it on Morning Joe, go the other direction.” Again, the numbers are not exact, but it is significant to make a pattern and from that pattern, you can draw ducks, and if it quacks like a duck, it’s a leftist leaning church.

Now, if these conclusions seem too absurd to you, then you and I are drinking very different whiskey or sweet tea. There is a high likelihood that you are perceiving these movements as absolutely neutral and that such decisions have no impact on theological discourse. Well, I have been alive long enough to know that when Herodias puts on a party, she’s got some nefarious intent in mind.

I am old enough to remember when REVOICE was only an attempt at celibate Christianity, but now it’s become the lingua franca among too many once faithful churches. Who knew that to be gay and Christian could be uttered in the same sentence in the local Presbyterian church?

There is a 100% chance that these same churches, once bastions of Reformed orthodoxy, are also the ones compelling people to show them the proof before you come in to sit in those pews. I am not a gambling man, but that has never prevented me from putting some money on a monopoly game. These are the same churches advocating for racial reconciliation on the basis of the “Woke Church” textbook during Sunday School. They are the same guys endorsing White Fragility events.

And now you may wonder: will restaurants and rotary clubs do the same? You betcha and they already are. As churches go, so go Walmarts. They will do it with utter ease, and many will gladly go along with it. In case you are wondering, “What would I do in such situations?” Thanks for asking. Well, whether vaccinated or not, I would stay away from any restaurant or church that requires vaccination proof. They will not get a cent of my devotion or dinero. It’s a principle. I am not boycotting, for boycotting would mean I don’t like the moral direction of an institution, but what I am saying is that I don’t like an institution requiring me to put something inside my body unless it is the food they offer. Here, ethics has become existential and applicable. Boycotting is too nice to describe what I am proposing.

What is my best-case scenario from this turmoil?

That institutions will grasp ever more significantly that an inch thou givest a mile they takest.

That institutions will be re-invigorated to think more carefully about governmental overreach.

That new institutions will be formed from this and that they will have the backbone layered with courage.

That institutions will know henceforth that little acts based on compassion do not produce truthful institutions, but perhaps undiscerning bodies.

In some ways, we live in a day where there is competition among platforms of good works. Everyone states that what they are doing stems from a heart of goodness towards their neighbor. But the end result has been catastrophic. Not all good works are made equal; some are made out of naivete. That nice guy you let into your house to rest his body from a long journey took all your belongings during the night. But you could have seen it if you had just asked him a few questions the night before, but you preferred to love thy neighbor like a cheesy Hallmark card. 

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Sweating and the Sonic Worker

So there we were enjoying an afternoon of 96 degrees at a soccer field with my boys. Afterward, we decided to compensate our efforts with a Sonic slushie, which is a combination of refreshing sugar mixed with ice. When we arrived, the booths were half full, and so we calmly paused our sweaty bodies to order. But no one answered. We tried three, nay four other booths, but to no avail.

We decided to get out of the car and get close to the action to ensure we enjoyed our predestined goodie. As we arrived, two young folks were vaping their way through life as one does on a 96-degree afternoon. The young lady and I began a conversation and she kindly decided to abandon her smoke break and personally get our drinks. I began to question the young man about their understaffed workroom. As we talked, several drivers decided to express their ingratitude with choice words and a symbolic thumbs down. The poor fella began to opine about the lack of workers, and his frustration with his full-time work that barely pays the bills, while some of his friends decided to pull some line about being incapable of work to receive government goods, even doubling the amount of money he makes working.

The entire thing is a pity of epic distortions. The reality, as POLITICO informs, is that the workforce since June of 2020 has not changed much. The four million Americans who dropped out of the workforce during Tropical Storm Covid continue on the sidelines.

Just in the last two weeks, I have heard multiple stories about owners frustrated with the lack of stability among employees. They come and quickly discover that work is not a thing they would like to invest in. Solomon says a lot about this topic, and among his sayings, he observes that those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. “Chasing fantasies” is a good way to express many who have abandoned the workforce. They continue to indulge in a world that is a complete set of “fake news!”

The motivating factor, which was already low, has gotten even lower, and the vast array of teenage mutant non-ninja turtles are walking their way through life with a beer gut that belongs to men my age. But they fantasize about their porn while enjoying the nutrition of giants as they greet their own friends at the fast-food lines using the money Uncle Joe sent them with an attached emoji.

Most certainly what we are experiencing are the psychological consequences of a poor work ethic among millions, and reflecting clearly in a Biden administration who despises prosperity. This group of charlatans in the White House make a mockery out of sweat. In fact, there is no greater bliss than the bliss of sweat among thorns and thistles, and the White House economic team knows it and does not want it.

~~I know there are exceptions to such things, but the word on the street is that exceptions doth not a rule make.~~

We have reached a point in society where a young working man at a Sonic vaping in 96-degree weather is now the symbol of perseverance. The Puritan work ethic is now rolling in its grave and John Owen would wish to write his 20th volume on Hebrews just to address this ethical famine in our land.

My exhortation to you on this glorious Monday is to add a word of encouragement to the waiter, the mechanic, and the handyman whom you meet. Praise the man who works and let him know that he is doing a good deed, even when his three roommates are sleeping in ’til midday. The righteous Sonic worker shall inherit the earth.

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The Case for Christian Education

One of the more audacious positions of Providence Church (CREC) is that it does not speak adoringly of public education. Our Book of Memorials says the following:

“Government schools tend to be, by decree and design, explicitly godless, and therefore normally should not be considered a legitimate means of inculcating true faith, holy living, and a decidedly Christian worldview in the children of Christian parents. Therefore, we strongly encourage Christian parents to seek alternative ways of educating their children, whether by means of Christian schools or homeschooling. In cases, where Christian education is an impossibility, parents must be active and diligent in overseeing the education of their children.”

In my southern context, most evangelical churches have a host of children populating local public schools. And as I understand it, opposing public schools is not the sort of topic that grants pastors awards in local ceremonies. Now, mind you, we are not speaking here of the responsibility to bear witness by some mature Christian adults who sense a calling to instruct and minister in that environment. Indeed, I know many who do great work in the public corridors. I bless them with every ounce of my being.

What we are arguing against is the intentionality of sending covenant children to learn under almost always ungodly curriculums. The responsibility God places upon parents to provide a Christian education is too abundant (Deut. 6, Eph. 6), which means that indoctrination is a means of grace to our children. We teach in order to inculcate a particular form of training for our local collection of arrows (Ps. 127-128); the kind that pastes on their foreheads all thoughts of Jesus applied to the earthly terrain of Mathematics and Moravian culture. You may say, “But education is neutral; we can just train them when they get home at night.” Well, I applaud your enthusiasm, but there are intellectual corpses all over the Red Sea of those who followed that logic.

Of course, no education is foolproof. Education A does not necessitate Godliness A. But Christian Education A offers a type of godliness in learning, logic, and leisure that benefits the cause of Christendom. Now, I have been advocating for this for over 15 years. Back then, it wasn’t that popular, but in our day, some have come to the obvious conclusion that such opposition to public education is the right one because the Democrats are eager to give transgender students the option of choosing their bathrooms and locker room and are enforcing mask mandates on little children. If this caused you to jump on the Christian education train now, I am grateful. Whether for pragmatic reasons or not, do it. And the hope is that pragmatism becomes dogma. Find your local Christian school or homeschool co-op in your town and go for it with every Herculian strength you have left.

In our congregation, we try to live out these principles by dedicating some money to help parents follow what we believe to be biblical and true about education. So, if parent A says, “Look, you all are speaking from a position of luxury. We can’t afford to put our children in a Christian school or to bring mom back home to homeschool,” we offer some economic encouragement to aid members to make that decision much simpler. But the one thing we wish to also do if you think this is still an impossibility is to help you –assuming you inquire–to look at your financial priorities on the table and analyze whether that iPhone 12 pro-max is really worth more than a semesters’ worth of books, or whether that middle-age crisis vehicle is really as important as a faithful education for your offspring.

Obviously, there are some nuances to this conversation and some exceptions, but the bottom line is that the longer you look at the exceptions and nuances, your answer will always be the same. But if you begin to look at the principle as the thing you pursue doggedly, then suddenly the exceptions and nuances become lesser things than they were just a day or two ago.

And speaking of nuances, if a family desires to keep their kids in the public school system for whatever reason, but still love our body enough to endure my occasional meanderings about the dangers of public schools, they are welcome to join our church as members, so long as they eagerly seek the well-being of the body and are not divisive. In my estimation, what we are after is not adherents of Christian education, but adherents of Christendom who believe Christ died to make us whole as students and servants of the kingdom. We happen to believe that Christian education best serves that purpose.

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The End of the Serpent’s Sting

There is a venomous snake in the garden. While the great Messiah and his disciples enter the garden, a certain snake-like figure named Judas knows precisely where the faithful are. He enters the garden knowing that this was a place of constant fellowship and peace. But Judas is not a man of peace and his fellowship with the Messiah has been broken. He is now a man at war and his loyalty is with the darkness.

In the Garden of Eden, the Great Serpent entered the garden to bring about chaos; to tempt the first Adam. Indeed he was successful. The first Adam failed in his loyalty to Yahweh, being deceived by the serpent in the garden, and thus, thrusting all mankind into a state of sin and misery. Now in John 18, the New Serpent enters the garden. He is possessed by the same devil that possessed the serpent in Genesis. It is this precise battle that is unfolding before us in this text. The question is: “Who owns the garden?”

Does Judas with his new found commitment to darkness and evil own the garden or does Jesus own the garden? As the text reveals to us we see that Judas, the son of perdition, seems to have the upper hand in this sacred dispute. In verse 12 we read:

So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.

Jesus is arrested and bound. They take him out of the garden bound like a defeated enemy. Now, in every conceivable scenario, this would be the historical determination that Jesus has lost. But if the Messiah is to bring this unshakable and unmovable kingdom with his coming, then how does this binding, this apparent defeat in the garden connect with this glorious kingdom? The answer to this question is: paradoxically. The coming of the kingdom is paradoxical. The kingdom does not come in the way and in the expression that many expected.

Now if the kingdom of God comes paradoxically, in a way unknown to the first century, then there may be a different way of understanding this garden scene. In this text, Jesus is not being bound because of defeat; he is being bound because of victory. Jesus’ arrest is his release. His arrest is not his binding, it may appear to be, but it is ultimately the binding of the evil one, the father of lies, Satan himself. This is why the gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus is the One who bound the strong man. He is the One who arrested the Serpent and dragged him out of the garden. Jesus owns the garden, not Judas or His master, Satan.

This arrest and this binding of Jesus in the garden is not a plan gone awry, it is exactly what has been planned. In one sense, this arrest is the cosmic Trinitarian conspiracy against the kingdoms of this world. When evil leaders and governments think they have the Son of Man trapped, he fools them. As Psalm 2 says, “God laughs at their plans.” The conspiracy of the cross is that the cross is Christ’s sword to defeat evil. But the serpent does not know this. He is virtually blinded to the Messianic plan and nothing will stop Jesus from conquering evil and bringing in a new world, a new creation. The garden belongs to him, because the garden is where his people gather, and eat, and fellowship. The garden is the sacred space, the place of peace. Make no mistake, we are a warring people, but we war against the enemies of Messiah. In the garden, the King, Master, and Messiah says, “the gates of hell shall not prevail. Death dies once and for all and victory will come and we will celebrate it this Sunday. Today, though we fast, it is only a prelude to our coming feast. Jesus’ death marks the end of the serpent’s sting of death.

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