____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ July 11, 1993 ____________________________________________________ "Son Of" by Tom Edwards I heard a preacher once making a comment that the Jewish people during the days of Christ did not have many adjectives to choose from when describing various individuals so they would often use the phrase ``son of,'' along with a noun, that would choicely express idiomatically or figuratively something about the person's character, temperament, etc. For example, the apostles referred to Joseph (a benevolent man during the early church who sold a tract of his land to help the needy) as ``Barnabas,'' which actually means the ``Son of Encouragement'' or ``Son of Consolation'' (Acts 4:36,37). This does not mean that his father was ``Mr. Encouragement'' or ``Mr. Consolation''--but rather it is describing Joseph's (Barnabas') character. In similar manner, Jesus called James and John the ``Sons of Thunder'' (Mark 3:17). Again, we are not to assume that their father was ``Mr. Thunder''; rather, this phrase seems to be expressing the fiery temperament or zeal that both James and John had formerly possessed in the beginning of their calling. If you remember, it was James and John who once asked the Lord if He wanted them to ``command fire to come down from heaven and consume'' the Samaritan village that was not willing to receive Christ because they could see that His face was ``set toward Jerusalem'' (Luke 9:51-56). Other passages that use this type of expression are Luke 16:8, in which mention is made of those who are ``sons of light,'' and Ephesians 2:2, where the opposite type of character is depicted as those who are the ``sons of disobedience.'' In the Old Testament, ``children of Belial'' (Deut. 13:13; KJV) is translated in some margins as ``naughty men.'' The New American Standard Version uses the phrase ``worthless men.'' Others render this phrase as ``corrupt men'' (NKJ), ``wicked men'' (NIV), and ``base fellows'' (ASV). This should help us to better understand why so many of the Jews had become greatly upset over any claims or allusions toward Christ being the ``Son of God.'' Surely, they viewed themselves as being children of God, but this expression pertaining to Christ was indicating something much stronger than what it meant for a person to simply be a child of God--it meant that Jesus was fully characterized by Deity; He was and is God! As Paul stated to the Colossians, ``For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form'' (2:9). When Pilate gave Jesus over to the crowd for crucifixion because he himself could find no fault in Him, the crowds responded by saying, ''...We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God'' (Jn. 19:6,7). In John 10:33, the Jews told Christ that ''...For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.'' How was the Lord doing this? Let us consider Jesus' response to the Jews' charge: ``do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, `You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'?'' (v. 36). Do you see how this ties together? The Jews had charged Jesus with making Himself out to be God because He had said He was the ``Son of God.'' Jesus was perfectly human as the Son of Man and perfectly Deity as the Son of God. He was not just partially man nor partially God, but fully man and fully God. No one today can justifiably claim to be the Son of God in the same sense in which Jesus is. For He is the ``Word'' who was with God in the beginning--and was God--and through whom all things came into being (John 1:1-3). As Jesus asked Philip in John 14:10, ``Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?'' ...and to Thomas, He said, ``If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also..." (v. 7). Sometimes, we still hear that old expression ``like father, like son.'' How ultimately true this is seen in our precious Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the ``Son of God.'' ___________________________________________ Tell Them Of My Way by Darrell Hymel I had a dream the other night the judgment day was here. It came in the twinkling of an eye; I had no time for fear. I found myself in one great line, with men from every land. Men from every race and age stood like grains of sand. Christ held the book within his hands and God was on the throne. He set about to judge each man by the things which each had sewn. Then Christ took the book of life and read the names, therein. There were many that once were there but were blotted out by sin. And I wondered if I'd find mine still for it had once been there. Would my name be covered with stain, or would my name be bare? I stood in fear before the throne and thought back on all my life, How I fought to keep God's word and flee from sin and strife. I never failed to worship God on Sunday and Wednesday night, I often traveled many miles, to hear a word of light. I gave my goods to feed the poor and never ceased to pray. I'd always kept my tongue in check until this very day. So surely the Lord will know me and tell me to walk on in. But Lord, please have mercy on all these lost in sin. And as I thought, the crowd moved up, and I was fifth in line. The men that stood before me were ready to pay their fine. The first man stepped to meet the Lord, and fell upon the floor. Then I saw just who it was. It was the man next door. Jesus took the book of life but could not find his name. My neighbor said, ``I have not heard.'' I knew, I was to blame. Next in line was sister Anne who once in Christ had been. Because I failed to admonish her, she continued in her sin. Her name had once been written in the pages of that book, But I never even took the time to see why she forsook. Then a black man came before the throne. He had worked with me for years. He knew his name would not be there and his eyes filled with tears. This man had never learned the truth and neither had his kin, For I would not talk with them for the color of their skin. And then the man before me I suddenly recognized, And as he stepped before the throne he looked into my eyes. He was my roommate from college days--he had been my greatest friend. We'd always helped each other out, down through thick and thin. But I never told him of the Lord--it seemed so trivial then, For we were young and had plenty of time to talk of God and sin. And finally upon the judgment day, I met with him once more, But now there's nothing I can say to open him the door. And now I stood before the Lord, my soul was filled with fright. ``Why hadn't I taken the time to teach them what was right!'' Again the Lord, he took the book and looked there for my name. Where once had been a pure white page, my brother's blood now stained. And then the Lord he said to me, ``I've found here one dark blot. You hid my names from all these men. Depart, I know you not. You met them every day in life and knew they were astray, But you never even cared enough to tell them of my way.'' ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________