____________________________________________________
THE GOSPEL OBSERVER
____________________________________________________
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20).
____________________________________________________
January 13, 2008
____________________________________________________
Contents:
1) Biography of Jesus (Don Martin)
2) "Day of the Lord" (Robert F. Turner)
____________________________________________________
-1-
Biography of Jesus
by Don Martin
A study of different biographies can be most rewarding.
The word "biography" is a compound word from the Greek
consisting of bio, meaning life and graphe, meaning to write or
a writing. Hence "biography" means a writing of someone's life.
I immensely enjoy reading the biography of George Washington
Carver. Mr. Carver was born in abject poverty, the son of a
slave woman. In his late twenties he struggled to obtain a high
school diploma and, when he was thirty-four, obtained a degree
in agricultural science. In 1894 he received his master of
science degree. Thomas Alva Edison is also an inspiring example
of overcoming severe handicaps. Edison received less than a
year of formal schooling; notwithstanding, he has immeasurably
affected and changed the lives of all of us.
Beloved, while there are many excellent biographies to
consider I suggest there is one biography which transcends all
biographies as far as the quality of the one considered and the
contributions which he made to mankind, the man Christ Jesus.
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power," Peter states, "who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him" (Acts 10:38).
Jesus Was Obedient
To motivate the Hebrews to a higher and more constant
level of obedience, the writer often employed the example of
Jesus. Please consider such an instance: "Though he were a Son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:8,9). The very essence of
Jesus' life was to obey his Father. He expressed this desire in
this manner: "...my meat is to do the will of him that sent me,
and to finish his work" (John 4:34). Jesus could truthfully
say, "for I do always those things that please him" (John
8:29). Jesus "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin" (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was obedient -- even to the
death of the cross (Phil. 2:8).
Partook of Word
Necessarily involved in the acquiescence of Jesus to his
Father was his dependency on the word of God. When Jesus taught
and engaged in controversy, as he often did, he did not refer
to his subjective feelings or to objective sources such as the
teachings of the rabbis as his authority. He quoted Scripture
(Matt. 19:4-6,8)! When the devil amassed every particle of
power and persuasiveness at his disposal to defeat the Lord at
the very outset of Jesus' ministry, the Lord relied on
Scripture. After each of the devil's appeals through the lust
of the flesh, pride of life, and the lust of the eyes, Jesus
cogently responded: "It is written" (Matt. 4:4, 7,10). Jesus
believed in the total indispensability of the word. Hear him:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).
Jesus Desired Unity
In the shadow of the cross, Jesus' primary concerns were
not exclusively for himself. Consider his prayer, "That they
all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that
thou hast sent me" (Jn. 17:21).
Concerned one, Jesus did not believe in nor practice our
modern ecumenical unity. Jesus did not place "unity" over
truth. In fact, Jesus -- because he insisted on truth
regardless -- often caused division among his brethren (Jn.
10:19). Our Lord, I am convinced, would not be very successful
as a modern "Church of Christ Preacher"! Jesus desires unity
based on a conformity to the word of God (Jn. 17:8,14,17,19,
20).
Jesus Loved Truth
One cannot help but be impressed with the profound love
Jesus possessed for the truth. While the religious world, and
more and more within the body of Christ, are clamoring for the
suppression of truth, or at least parts of truth, Jesus
unshackled the truth found in the Hebrew Scriptures and
enunciated new, revolutionary truths (Matt. 5:21-48; Jn. 14:6).
When in the presence of error, Jesus could not remain silent,
even though such outspokenness would later cost him his life
(Jn. 8:31-59). Jesus did not "just love to argue." Jesus loved
the truth! Beloved, truth was not any more popular in Jesus'
day than it is in our day. It was Jesus who told his brethren,
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." And,
"But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the
truth" (Jn. 8:45,40).
Returned Good For Evil
Jesus taught: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). As we
have seen, Jesus practiced what he preached. Jesus restored
Malchus' severed ear -- one in the ungodly mob which had come
to ruthlessly apprehend and later murder Jesus (Lk. 22:51).
While suspended between heaven and earth on the cruel cross,
Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do" (Lk. 23:34).
Intelligent reader, please be informed that while Jesus
taught and exhibited returning good for evil, he did not
advocate nor practice passivity. Allow me to explain. Jesus
taught that when one has been personally sinned against, he is
to rebuke the trespassing brother (Lk. 17:3,4). However, such
action is not retaliatory, but for the reclamation of the
erring brother (Lk. 17:3,4).
Good Citizen
Jesus' conduct relative to civil law was exemplary. It
would seem that because Jesus had developed a reputation of
being a "rebel" the tax collectors in Capernaum did not expect
Jesus to pay tribute (Matt. 17:24-27). However, Jesus did pay
his taxes.
Jesus was under the close scrutiny of all. They all with
one accord were desperately seeking to find some fault in him
(Matt. 12:10,14; 16:1). Jesus had exposed their sins and errors
and they desired his destruction (Matt. 21:45,46). Jesus'
hypocritical brethren could not fault him and could not answer
his arguments (Matt. 22:46). Hence, envy was evoked on their
part (Matt. 27:18). It was this envy coupled with their severe
hatred which caused them to crucify the Lord. What is my point?
My point is this: if they could have established one infraction
either from God's law as such or from civil law, they would
have!
Jesus Was Prayerful
Yes, even the incarnate Son of God depended on prayer.
From an examination of Jesus' life, you find Jesus regularly
engaging in prayer to his Father (Jn. 17; Matt. 11:25-27).
Jesus customarily prayed before he made important decisions
(Lk. 6:12ff).
Jesus did not pray as many of his brethren did. His
prayers were not pretentious and formalistic (cf. Matt.
6:5-15). Jesus prayed earnestly, sincerely, and fervently (Lk.
22:44).
Kind reader, when we consider biographies such as Carver's
and Edison's, we are moved to believe that we similarly can
overcome hindrances. We admire these men's determination and
refusal to accept defeat. Moreover, when we consider Jesus'
biography, if you please, we are moved to partake of godliness.
Jesus, you see, is our exemplar (1 Pet. 2:21, 22). We need to
consider him more and marvel at his wonderfulness (Heb. 12:3).
Truly, "Never a man spake like him" who "did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth" (Jn. 7:46; 1 Pet. 2:22).
-- Via Guardian of Truth XXXII: 5, pp. 131-132, March 3,
1988
____________________________________________________
-2-
"Day of the Lord"
by Robert F. Turner
In ISA. 13:6,9-ff we read, "Howl ye; for the day of the
Lord is at hand... Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel
both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate and
he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars
of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their
light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the
moon shall not cause her light to shine. ...therefore I will
shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place,
in the wrath of the Lord of host, and in the day of his fierce
anger."
Surely this refers to the end of time -- but wait -- the
chapter begins: "The burden of Babylon," and vs. 17-19 says, "I
will stir up the Medes against them ... and Babylon ... shall
be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." This does NOT
refer to the end of time -- but to the destruction of the power
of Babylon.
In ISA. 34:2-f. we read, "For the indignation of the Lord
is upon all nations ... and the mountains shall be melted with
their blood. And all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved,
and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all
their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth...." Verse 8
says, "It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of
recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams
thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into
brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It
shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go
up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste";
etc. Is this the end of time? NO, this is God's punishment of
Idumeans (vs. 5).
God, through Jeremiah, foretold the overthrow of Egypt by
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (JER. 46) and called this "the
day of the Lord God of hosts." God foretold judgment upon
Israel (JOE. 1:1-f.) calling it "the day of the Lord (vs. 15),
preceded by "the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood" (2:31). The destruction of Jerusalem, as
foretold in ZEC. 14, is called "the day of the Lord" and says,
"Then shall the Lord go forth...." It should come as no
surprise to students of the Old Testament when Jesus foretells
the destruction of Jerusalem (MAT. 24) that he uses the same
sort of language saying "there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." The sun will
"be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the
stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken" (MAT. 24:7-34).
Clearly, not every "Day of the Lord" is the final judgment
day, the final coming of the lord. The Lord has "come" many
times -- in judgment upon nations, cities, people. Almost
without exception, his "coming" is pictured in strong, colorful
figures, with many references to the sun, moon and stars. Their
"falling" evidently refers to the overthrow of government and
great military powers. Perhaps all these figures portend the
final and literal coming of the Lord described in 2 PET.
3:10-f. With such examples of His power and warnings, we should
prepare for His certain coming.
-- Via Plain Talk, June 1974
____________________________________________________
MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
1022 Myrtle Street
Denham Springs, LA 70726
(225) 664-8208
Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 PM
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com
web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go
____________________________________________________