The Bible The Lord Jesus And You

[Resource Manager]

Sin and Guilt

 

This lesson had been taught by God from earliest times. When Adam and Eve had sinned, they had become aware of guilt. For the first time they felt ashamed. They took immediate steps to hide. They covered their nakedness with a cloak made of leaves, but this was not sufficient.

 

God replaced it with a better covering. It was one that involved death, the death of an animal. It showed the principle that sin results in death. Blood must be shed before sin can be effectively covered. God made them coats of skin.

 

In the generations that followed faithful men worshipped God by means of animal sacrifices. It was not that the animals could save them. They did not imagine that God would accept innocent animals, unaware of right and wrong, in place of the sinner. There would have been no justice in such an arrangement.

 

The New Testament says:

 

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)

 

In such sacrifices, however, the offerer saw himself. The animal represented him. He was often closely associated with it, placing his hand on its head and confessing his sins. In the animal’s death, he saw his own death. It was a demonstration of what he deserved. It was also a demonstration of his faith that God would provide a perfect sacrifice. That sacrifice would be able to remove sin for ever. On that faith God took his sin away.

 

When the faith was not present the sacrifice was useless. God condemned what became mere ritual. Faith in His willingness and ability to provide a perfect sacrifice pleased God. He regarded that as man’s righteousness.

 

The perfect sacrifice could not be a dumb animal. It had to be something capable of sin, yet sinless. It needed to be one who, given the freedom to choose, chose what was right. It had to be one who, from willingness, honoured God by keeping His laws.

[Resource Manager]

Only One Perfect Sacrifice

 

It was Jesus. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus met all the necessary qualifications. He was described by John the Baptist.

 

“The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

 

The battle in which Moses played such a vital part spoke of God’s continual fight against sin. Sin, and its consequence death, are the arch‑enemies of God. He yearns for the salvation of those who love Him. It must be on His terms for He hates sin. Yet He loves the sinner who repents and turns to Him.

 

In this we see two aspects of God’s character working for us. His righteousness and His love were both needed to save men and women from death.

 

There is a great gulf between God and men. Sin divorces us from God. It keeps us apart. It is the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ which bridges the gap. He “reconciles” us to God.

 

When a marriage breaks down there may be faults on both sides. Reconciling the parties will mean that both must be willing to forgive. Both may need to make concessions. With God there is no sin. Men and women have moved away from God. He is entirely righteous.

 

The sacrifice of Jesus, therefore, had to demonstrate God’s righteousness.

 

The Bible says of Jesus:

 

“whom God set forth to be a propitiation by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness,..” (Romans 3:25)

 

This was done by condemning the human nature which Jesus shared:

 

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)

 

Jesus was in the likeness of sinful flesh even though he did not personally sin. God condemned sin in the flesh, that is, in the man Jesus Christ. That is why the apostle says again:

 

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked words, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy,..” (Colossians 1:21‑22)

 

Jesus’ death, undertaken voluntarily, was an offering for sin. It provided atonement, making us at one with God. It upheld the righteousness of God. God was right to condemn sin and require atonement for it. It is in this way that we are reconciled to Him.

 

“when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,..” (Romans 5:10)

 

This vindication of God’s righteousness is important as being the basis of our being at one with God. In addition to His righteousness God also displayed His great love. He made the supreme sacrifice. He gave His only son to save men and women.

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

 

Jesus too made the sacrifice of his own life. He could have avoided death if he had wished. He could have called legions of angels to his assistance to escape. He said:

 

“As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:15)

 

He was the lamb of God and yet a shepherd, giving his life for others. He was the sacrifice and yet a priest making the offering of himself.

 

Jesus knew when his time had come. He was not caught unawares. He had completed all that God had wanted him to do. When the soldiers came with Judas Iscariot, Jesus was ready to go.

[Resource Manager]

A Rigged Trial

 

He was taken first to the High Priest. Meekly Jesus suffered the taunts and ill treatment. The prophet Isaiah had said:‑

 

“He was oppressed and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

 

So Jesus remained silent, listening to them contradicting one another. They argued and lied. Jesus spoke only when commanded by oath to do so. He suffered their spitting and a beating.

 

He was taken to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate could find no reason for passing the death sentence. He knew that it was jealousy that had resulted in his being charged.

 

Then Pilate learned that Jesus belonged to the province of Galilee. He therefore sent him to King Herod’s Jerusalem quarters. Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus similarly. He was subjected to more abuse and contempt and sent back to Pilate.

 

No Escape For Pilate

 

The governor made some attempt to secure his release. He could see that Jesus was innocent. When mention was made of reporting the matter to Caesar, however, Pilate gave in. He washed his hands to signify that he wanted nothing to do with the affair. Yet he delivered Jesus to the mercy of the Jewish leaders. Pilate’s soldiers took him away to a criminal’s death at Calvary.

 

Jesus was unable to bear the weight of his cross. The soldiers compelled someone to help him carry it. At the end of the road the nails were hammered through the Lord’s hands and feet. The stake was hoisted and dropped roughly into its hole. Still it was his love and not the nails which held the Lord there.

[Resource Manager]

Calvary

 

There were two others there too, one on either side of the Lord. I am often asked about the thief on the cross. Why did Jesus promise that he would be in paradise? How can we say that baptism is important when this man was not baptised?

 

Here is the Bible record of what was said, starting with the thief rebuking the other criminal:‑

 

“‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom’. And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:40‑43)

 

Notice the steps that this man takes in what he says:‑

1. He admits that he has sinned and deserves death.
   
2. He admits that Jesus has done nothing wrong. He is sinless.
   
3. He believes that Jesus can save him and asks his help.
   
4. He believes that Jesus will come again as a king.
   

These are things that the Bible shows are essential before people are baptised. They must recognise that they have sinned and want forgiveness. They must realise that Jesus did not sin and can save them. They must also express their faith in the kingdom of God which Jesus is to bring at his coming.

 

The thief did all the right things, but could not be baptised. Yet he did something better. He died with Jesus. Baptism is a symbol of dying with Jesus. The Bible says:‑

 

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?... knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:3,6)

[Resource Manager]

True Baptism

 

Baptism is like the people of the Old Testament putting a hand on their animal sacrifice. It is the way in which we associate ourselves with Jesus’ sacrifice. He has done his work. We must be related to what he has done in the way he commanded.

 

What we do in this symbolic way, the thief did in reality. We “die” with Jesus, by a momentary burial in water. The thief died literally with the Lord he had just owned. He is the exception that proves the rule. He is the one who shows the importance of baptism.

 

No wonder then that Jesus made so great a promise to him. Many wild speculations have been made about what Jesus meant. One common assumption is that paradise is heaven, though the word only means a garden. Jesus did not go to heaven that day. He went to the grave (the Bible calls it hell) for three days.

 

His promise to the thief was a reassurance that his conversion was accepted. Adam had lost the garden of Eden through his sin. God had said that in the day he sinned, he would die. Corruption resulting in death set in from that very day. His fate was sealed when he disobeyed God.

 

Jesus had been obedient. He had succeeded where Adam failed. He had won back the blessings of Eden. From that day, the victory was assured. Jesus told the thief that he too could share it. He will share it when Jesus comes in his kingdom.

[Resource Manager]

Prophesied Long Before!

 

So many of these events at the cross took place exactly as the prophets had said. Jesus would find comfort in seeing God’s word come true. In the most remarkable detail the psalms and prophecies had spoken of what would happen. They had spoken of the tearing and sharing of his clothes. They had foretold that the soldiers would throw dice for his cloak, woven in one piece. They had mentioned the mocking. They had said he would be offered a pain‑killing drink. All these precise details came true.

 

No‑one could have foreseen their accuracy when they were written hundreds of years earlier. The prophecies pointed to death by crucifixion. Yet the Jews did not practise this. To them it was abominable. Crucifixion was the Roman method of execution. No‑one could have foreseen that at the time of Jesus the Romans would occupy the Jews’ land.

 

Even more amazing is the fact that all this could happen at all. The Jews were expecting a Messiah. They had been many years awaiting his coming. Who would have imagined that when he came they would reject him? Yet this too was foretold in the scripture.

 

The irony of the situation is that those same scriptures denounced the Jews for this act. They spoke of their wickedness in murdering the Son of God. Yet it was those same scriptures that the Jews guarded so jealously. They had preserved the very documents that condemned them. Here is another evidence to the truth and reliability of the Bible.

 

At the foot of the cross others watched. The leaders watched with jaundiced eyes. They sneered, satisfied at having achieved their purpose. They were heavily prejudiced against the Lord and glad to be rid of him.

 

The women watched out of love and sadness. They remembered the wonderful miracles. They thought of his gracious words. They were prejudiced in a different way. They mourned the loss of a leader, a friend, their Lord.

 

The Roman centurion watched too. He was a hard‑bitten soldier, tough leader of a hundred men. This was just another job of work to him. His was the most unbiased observation.

 

“Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, ‘Certainly this was a righteous man!’” (Luke 23:47)

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 28

 

THERE is something in our house we call “Mug’s Law”. That’s the law which, if I’m late for work, says that all the traffic lights will be on red! The same law is in operation if I break a plate. It is sure to be one of a set that cannot be replaced!

 

There are many other principles in Mug’s law. Visitors will always arrive when the house is in its worst state of chaos! Rain is most likely on my day off! And so on...

 

In some houses it goes by a different name, but I think you will recognise Mug’s Law. Every home knows its effects. I have never seen it written out anywhere. I imagine, however, that there is also a clause about accidents. I would guess that if you were looking for witnesses, Mug’s Law would see to it that there were none. Everyone would have blinked at that exact moment or have looked the other way.

 

The Greatest Miracle Ever

 

There was no shortage of witnesses who saw the risen Lord however. It was to the embarrassment of the Jewish leaders that there were all too many. Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

 

It will not do to pretend that experienced Roman soldiers made a mistake. It makes no sense to claim that he was examined and certified dead, but was not. It is foolish to suggest that a man so cruelly treated could revive after three days in a freezing tomb. It would have been impossible anyway for him then to roll away the huge stone door. Four women had debated who might shift its great weight for them.

 

It is nonsense to suggest that the disciples could have removed the body. The disciples were frightened men. Perplexed and disillusioned, they tried to come to terms with Jesus’ death. They had placed so much trust in him. They had thought he was Messiah. Then their hopes had been dashed and their own lives put in danger.

 

Peter, especially, was overcome with remorse at having denied his Lord. It is laughable to believe that they could have got past the special guard on the tomb. It is fanciful to claim that they could then have convinced the world that Jesus was alive. It is just plain silly to accept that they would then suffer and die to support such a trick. Even though this was the version of the story the Pharisees preferred, it was clearly far from true.

 

It is clutching at straws to suggest that the Pharisees themselves removed the body. Why then did they have to struggle to stifle the work of the disciples? Why could they not just produce the body? That would have ended all preaching about the resurrection.

[Resource Manager]

Where Was It?

 

There is no doubt that the body of Jesus had miraculously disappeared. It could not be accounted for. There is no reasonable explanation of its disappearance. That is why some have called the resurrection the best attested fact of history. Here is what the Bible says:.

 

“...Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again. the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all he was seen by me also,..” (1 Corinthians 15:3‑8)

 

When Paul wrote these words, over half of those he mentioned were still alive. There were at least 250 people who could be contacted and questioned. Three days after his death, Jesus Christ was alive again.

 

No Doubt Who It Was

 

He was a recognisable Jesus too. He was not a mere spirit form which might have been imagined. It was the body that was missing from the tomb. It was in that body raised to new life and made glorious that Jesus appeared.

 

It was not a body still emaciated by the effects of torture and execution. It is not now a body fed by blood cells subject to disease and death. It is a body energised by God’s spirit, undying and eternal. Yet it is a body.

 

Jesus came to his disciples. He came when the door was locked. He appeared in the room. He invited Thomas to touch him. He could have felt the marks of the nails in his hands or the place where he was speared.

 

Jesus appeared on the road to a nearby village. He said the grace at a meal with two of his disciples. They recognised his characteristic gestures and realised who he was.

 

He appeared on the sea shore. He had lit a fire there and prepared a meal for some of the disciples. He ate with them there.

 

It is this risen Lord who is our Lord. It is the risen Christ who gives our lives meaning and hope. It is in Jesus that we can live.

[Resource Manager]

The Reality of Death

 

Death is an unpleasant fact. There is no escaping its reality. Yet there is a way out. God has shown what that way is by raising Jesus.

 

There is no comfort in believing something that is not true. Unfounded speculation, not supported by the Bible, is no help. The idea of living on at death is outside Bible teaching. The possibility of the soul going to be with God in heaven is not in the scriptures. The true hope of the Christian lies in resurrection.

 

The Bible promises that those who love God will be raised to life again. That life will not be the sad frustrations of mortality. It will be an eternal happiness based on the pattern of their Lord.

 

Jesus was the first. The Bible describes him as the first‑fruits. It is a phrase that anticipates more to come. It looks forward to a harvest of believers.

 

“But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first‑fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first‑fruits, afterwards those who are Christ’s at his coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:20‑23)

 

Many find this teaching about resurrection incredible. Yet Abraham, Job, David, Jesus and others believed it. Elijah, Elisha, our Lord, Peter and Paul raised people to life.

 

Solomon spoke of the grave never being satisfied. It has “gobbled” men and women up all down the ages, but now the tables are turned. God has overcome the enemies of sin and death through the work of Jesus. Death itself is “swallowed up” in victory. That victory we can share.

 

That is why the apostles speak of people who have “fallen asleep”. It is not a polite veiling of brutal facts. It is the way God sees the issue. Those who ignore God die for ever. Those who love God merely “sleep”, awaiting the time when Jesus will raise them.

 

Waiting For Life

 

Their waiting is not hard. They know nothing at all. Death is an unconscious state of sleep. Their wait will not seem long.

 

Faith in God’s promise of resurrection is important. It affects the present as well. It means that death is not the cause of so much sorrow. It may be a time of grief for those who are bereaved and have to face life alone. Yet we can see our loved ones again if we and they “are Christ’s at his coming”.

 

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you should sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑14)

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 29

 

IF you have ever travelled by air you will know that there are a number of security checks. One involves placing your handbag or briefcase on a conveyor belt. It then goes through a little tunnel. The contents are X‑rayed and show up on a little screen nearby. It’s fascinating to see the inner depths of your bag revealed without it being opened.

 

Some years ago a group of us were touring a confectionery works. A similar machine was in use there. Packaged goods were examined before despatch. The “camera” could see through the cardboard outer, the wrapper and the inner foil. The bare biscuits were shown neatly stacked and no sign of any “foreign bodies”!

 

I imagine the judgment of Jesus to be a little like that. We shall not be put j through machines of course, but we shall not be able to hide from him. His piercing eyes will penetrate our hearts and minds. Everything will be clearly visible to him.

Yet there are verses in the scriptures which say things like this:

 

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,..” (Jude 1:24)

 

Judgment by God

 

Imagine it! The searching glory of God is thousands of times more powerful than any LIM light or X‑ray. Yet we can be found faultless in its beam. The word means without a flaw. There will be nothing untoward shown up.

 

It’s not that we are faultless, but that Jesus is able to present us in that way to God. Even now he is a priest in heaven. He pleads with God for us so that when we are sorry for our sins we may be forgiven. He is a mediator, or middleman, between God and ourselves. He is there to intercede for us. By this means we can be at one with God.

 

This is why, when we pray, we should pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. We sinners have no access to God’s presence in our own right. We are able to come to God only because of the work of Jesus. When, in prayer, we say “for Christ’s sake”, we acknowledge this. It is a shortened way of saying that we ask that God will hear us for the sake of Christ.

[Resource Manager]

Eternal Life or Death?

 

When Jesus raises the dead at his coming it is to hold judgment. He will judge men and women and divide them. Some will be judged fit for eternal life and some not. Jesus’ teaching and parables make this very plain. The idea of judgment is considered old‑fashioned today. However, it is part of God’s purpose whatever we may think.

 

Jesus will be concerned with effort more than with achievement however. If we are associated with his sacrifice through true baptism, our sins will be erased. His righteousness will save those who through faith and love have done their est.

 

No‑one will be good enough on their own, of course! No‑one will deserve His blessing or be able to earn His favour. The blessing is God’s gift. It will be stained only by His grace.

 

Not everyone will be raised and judged. There are some who have never known of God. Some have not had the opportunity that we enjoy of learning bout Him. Some have not the ability to understand. It would be unjust to hold them responsible. It would be unfair to condemn them as guilty. Their life and memory is a thing of the past and will stay so.

 

Not all those who are raised will be given Jesus’ blessing. It makes a mockery f judgment to believe that everyone will automatically be saved. They will not. Jesus taught plainly that the majority would not. He said there would be few.

 

This is why we should never worry about being in a minority. Some people find it hard to accept that so many can be wrong. They feel unable to stand out from the crowd. They are uneasy about belonging to a small group.

[Resource Manager]

Not Everyone

 

Time and time again, however, the Bible reminds us that faith is a minority thing. Only Noah’s family were saved at the flood. Only Lot and his family came out of Sodom (and not all of them). We have to take seriously the words of our Lord:­

 

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13‑14)

 

There are many people today who would not be comfortable in the presence )f Jesus. They do not want him in their lives now. They would not be happy with him then. They will not be in his kingdom either.

 

It was the kingdom of God that was uppermost in the minds of the disciples is they talked with Jesus. It was about six weeks after the resurrection. Jesus had led them out once again to the mount of Olives.

 

“... they asked him, saying, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

 

Jesus pointed out that the times are in God’s hands. They had work to do )r him. He gave them their commission to be witnesses and to preach. Then e ascended to heaven.

 

They were not wrong about the kingdom, however. Jesus had many times woken of it and of his return. Here is one example:­

 

“A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” (Luke 19:12)

 

As Jesus was taken from the disciples, angels repeated the same promise:‑

 

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

 

The significance of those words has been lost on many people. Of those who regard themselves as believers, few actually expect Jesus to come back. Some feel that the disciples were naive and mistaken. Others think that Jesus was referring to the holy spirit. A few claim that the Greek word “coming” really refers to a spiritual appearance.

 

This is very sad. Jesus and the disciples spoke plainly enough. Their words lead us to expect that Jesus will return literally and in person to the earth.

[Resource Manager]

The New Testament word for “coming” can refer to a spiritual presence. It is also often used in a literal way. Paul was comforted by the coming of his friends through their company, not through his imagination of them. Jesus sent the holy spirit to strengthen and assist his disciples in their work. Even after that had come, however, they still expected Jesus himself.

 

We have read the promise of the angels in Acts chapter 1. The holy spirit was received in Acts chapter 2. Now here are some words of Peter from Acts chapter 3:‑

 

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God has spoken…” (Acts 3:19‑21)

 

Jesus is in heaven only until God sends him back to restore all things.

 

Jesus ascended from the mount of Olives, taken up into heaven in a cloud. This same Jesus will return as he went, a literal Jesus, in a cloud. He once said:‑

 

“... and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)

 

One of the prophets said:‑

 

“And in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east, And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley;” (Zechariah 14:4)

 

This simple message has‑been further confused by the modern idea that the kingdom of God is also a spiritual concept. Some feel it will exist only in the hearts of believers. They teach that those who accept Jesus as their ruler and head are his kingdom.

[Resource Manager]

The Real Kingdom of God

 

It is right that we must make Jesus our king now, but there is more to the kingdom than this. Jesus has been promised the throne of David in Jerusalem. God promised Abraham that all nations of the earth would be blessed through him. Jesus said that the “meek shall inherit the earth”. He taught us to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth…”

 

Nor will this be brought about by man’s efforts. It cannot be the result of a gradual process. Prayer alone cannot make the world a better place. God has shown that the world will get worse. Jesus will come at a time of unprecedented trouble. The kingdom will only be the result of divine intervention.

 

After the resurrection and judgment Jesus will rule the world. Those he has counted as righteous will help him. They will enjoy the blessing of immortality, Their bodies will know no ageing process and no disease.

 

Yet the kingdom is only a bridge. It is not the end. There will be others to whom God gives the opportunity to know Him. They will still suffer mortality. They will be sinners still needing to learn God’s ways. Those who have been made immortal will teach and rule them. The Bible describes their work as kings and priests with Christ.

 

This kingdom of God under Jesus will last for a millennium, or thousand years. At the end of that time sin will be entirely removed for ever. Even death will be abolished. God Himself will then be able to live with immortal men and women. He will be everything in everyone.

 

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death ... Now when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24‑28)

 

This completes our brief survey of the life of our Lord. He was a child of promise. Miraculously born of the virgin Mary, Jesus was son of man and Son of God. We have looked at some of his gracious work and considered the challenge of his teaching. We have glimpsed some of those who met him and loved him, and have shared their experiences.

 

We should marvel at his obedience to the Father’s will. We should be moved by his perfect life, his willing death as a sacrifice for sin and his glorious resurrection. Jesus sits now in glory at the right hand of God. He bears God’s name and is worthy of all praise and honour.

 

Jesus’ last words are contained in the book of Revelation. This is a message about the events which would result in his return and kingdom. It shows that there will be momentous events facing the nations. Those who understand the truth and belong to Christ have no need to fear. They can say with the writer of that book:‑

 

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

[Resource Manager]

AND YOU

 

CHAPTER 30

 

JAYNE looked at me amazed!

 

We had been talking about creation. I had pointed out that God made everything for His own pleasure. Jayne had obviously not thought about that before because she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

 

Did I really mean to say that we are only here to please God?

 

I replied that I thought that was the purpose in our being created. Somehow Jayne could not quite come to terms with that. I suppose she is fairly typical of a lot of people. It has just never occurred to them that we may not be alive to please ourselves.

 

To most people life is just for us. Its aim is to find happiness, to live well, to look after self. If, on the way, we may do a good turn for others as well, then many will be glad to do that. But for Mr. Average, life is for him.

 

No wonder, then, that it is something of a shock to find that life is not about ME after all! So what is life about? What is its purpose? Why are we here?

 

This is a very basic question. It is surprising that it needs to be asked. It is even more surprising that so few appear able to answer it.

 

The Secret of True Happiness?

 

I once heard that a brains trust were asked what was the secret of true happiness, and were stumped! Think of it! Some of the best brains in the country, able to answer the most amazing things, but beaten by something as important and elementary as this.

 

If we want to know why anything has been made it is sensible to ask the one who made it. Nothing is created without a reason. From a cake to a car or a pot to a palace, there is reason behind its manufacture.

 

Someone once said that we should have nothing in our homes which we do not “know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. That may, or may not, be good advice. Most of the things we make, however, fall into one of those two categories. They are made either to be useful in some way. Or they are made as objects of admiration and beauty.

 

And to serve either of those two purposes, things have to be designed. There has to be thought. Planning goes into their creation or construction. Materials are prepared. Work is done in a particular order. Mistakes will spoil the end product. If it is neither useful nor beautiful when finished, we shall not want it. The chances are it will be broken up or thrown away.

 

The Bible speaks of God making man in this way:‑

 

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26)

 

Both things we have mentioned are involved here. First, God wanted to make man in His image. That means He wanted man to be like Him in some way. Today we speak of being “Godly”. The word has been shortened and means God‑like.

[Resource Manager]

Why God Created Man

 

God wanted men to be like Him. That would give Him pleasure. It gives all fathers pleasure to see a son following in their footsteps. God wanted His children to honour Him.

 

Secondly, man was created to be useful. God was to give him dominion over everything else He had made. Man was to have a satisfying role in charge of God’s creation.

 

When man was put to the test, however, he failed. There was nothing wrong in his make‑up. God made everything “very good”. Man was well designed and fitted for his work. Yet he was not willing to co‑operate with God.

 

The test was a very simple one. God gave man abilities that no other created thing had. He gave him the power to reason. He gave him the ability to love and He gave him the freedom to choose. God wished the man to be like Him, but He wished the man to do this out of love.

 

God would feel honoured if man chose to copy Him. There would be no satisfaction in man’s obedience if he had no choice. He would become a mere puppet with God pulling the strings. A simple commandment was given and the man was put on trial.

 

Man considered other suggestions. He reasoned. He did not consult God. He made his choice. He did not love God sufficiently to obey Him completely. Man disobeyed. God did not allow Himself to force the man to love Him. Today we cannot force people to love us if they do not. And man did not. He pleased himself rather than God.

 

The result of this was that man was no longer God‑like. He had been made in the image of God, but he had spoilt that image. It had been marred by sin, shame and guilt. Sin had made man different from God. It had driven them apart. In addition man was now deprived of his true function. He lost his dominion over creation. He rules it now only with difficulty. He rules it with weapons and force.

 

That is the point at which most of us would have given up. We would have destroyed what we had made. God is different. He is full of love. He began at once to seek to save men rather than destroy them. It was right that man should be punished. God condemned him to death as He had warned man He would. He also gave him first the opportunity to be sorry and make amends.

 

God’s Plan For Salvation

 

God’s plan to save man involved Jesus Christ. He was in the image of God being born the Son of God. He was also God‑like in his way of life. In this way he regained the privileges and responsibilities that man had lost. He is over all creation. We may ultimately share the dominion that God intended man to have, through Jesus Christ.

 

Now when Jayne stopped in her tracks that evening, it was because all this was new to her. She had been talking about her job which she did not find very satisfying. She was anxious to fulfil herself in terms of her ability. Yet she was missing what life is really all about.

 

Real “job satisfaction” can only be felt when we understand why we were made. It is no use using a garden spade to cut bread or a spoon to dig a field. The bath isn’t going to get me into town and the bus won’t make my lunch. We shall only find true happiness when we are doing what God created us for.

 

The purpose of life does not lie in private ambition or selfish gain. It lies in being Godly.

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 31

 

IT was one of those cold but sunny winter afternoons. A number of people were out walking along the sea front, blowing away the cobwebs. They were all muffled up in coats and scarves. Children and dogs ran around to keep warm.

 

The sea was rough. Huge white horses crashed on top of each other racing towards the promenade. Then the seething foam sucked at the sand and pebbles as if to swallow the whole beach only to be drowned by the next mighty wave.

 

Suddenly there was a general commotion; screams and shouting, people running, and all attention was riveted on one spot. Three lads had been playing at dodging the waves, standing near the water and running up the beach as each wave came in. Now one of them was several yards out being mercilessly tossed and pounded by those huge breakers.

 

No‑one seemed to know quite what had happened. Had he fallen? Had one of them pushed him? Had he got too close and been dragged by the sheer force of the tide? One or two tried to wade in, but it was impossible to reach the boy. Each wave seemed to take him further away.

 

Some had run out on a breakwater, but they too tried in vain to help. If the lad was still conscious, he could not hear or respond to their yelling. I was in my teens at the time and remember still my amazement at the strength of that swirling, surging water. The ease with which it had ripped the clothes from the young boy’s back had to be seen to be believed.

 

Eventually the lad was dragged clear. At almost the same time a helicopter arrived from a nearby R.A.F. station and the lad was airlifted to hospital. Sadly we learned a day or two later that he had not survived the ordeal.

 

It was a tragic end to a pleasant afternoon and a sober lesson. I had often diced with the waves in that way myself. My sister and I often played at daring the waves to reach our feet as we scrambled backwards out of their way. I don’t think we ever played when it was quite as rough as it was that day. I don’t remember ever falling in. But I know we did get splashed and even soaked once or twice.

 

Do I hear you say, “It’s only childlike”?

 

The problem is that most grown‑ups play the same game! Not at the seaside, I don’t mean, but with life. They dice with temptation. They court disaster. They go looking for trouble. They play with fire. The fatality rate is very high.

[Resource Manager]

Playing With Fire

 

Sometimes we can see it coming. We watch someone make a dead set at another who may be married. We know what the result will be. Yet those involved do not appear to sense the danger. The man who repeatedly takes risks in his business; we can see what will happen. Yet we cannot convince those closest to the situation that anything is wrong.

 

The Bible has a proverb:‑

 

“Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27)

 

The New Testament uses a graphic phrase that always reminds me of that tragic afternoon by the sea. It speaks of those whose clothes are “spotted by the flesh” and of “pulling them out of the fire” as we had vainly tried to tug that young lad from the grip of the ocean.

 

There are a thousand ways in which we all place ourselves in the way of temptation. They may be less important than those listed above. They may be less obvious. For those serious about finding true happiness, however, we spend a lot of time doing the wrong things.

 

The whole aim of the game is to get as close as you can to the waves without letting them get to you. In life that is not the right approach. We ask the wrong questions. We go to the wrong places. We try to see how far we can go without actually getting into trouble.

 

So the boy in school tries to see how far he can push the teacher but still get away with it. The courting couple want to see how far they can go without doing something they might be ashamed of. The person at work wants to see how much they can get away with not doing and still keep the boss sweet.

 

That is human nature. It is something we all share. Yet the end can be as tragic. We are running a risk in a matter of life and death. We are wasting precious time seeing how far we can go with God. If we appear to get away with it, we push a little harder or go a little further.

 

It may sound boring to walk along the promenade and not play games, but it is safe. It is also surprisingly pleasant. The child will not believe it. The grown‑up knows there is as much pleasure to be found in the walk and the view.

 

It is the child who is still asking: “How near to the danger can I go?” The question really ought to be: “How far away can I get?” “How much closer to God can I draw?” “What steps can I take to put His wisdom into practice in my life?” If it sounds boring, it is because we have not grown up. Walking to please God can be pleasant and more rewarding than our pointless games.

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 32

 

JACK and Phyllis were very kind. They liked to have a bit of company in the evenings. In return they were happy to provide a bit of supper about 10 o’clock. Invariably they watched the television news about then.

 

Jack often talked about the news. He found it difficult to accept some of the things he heard. “It’s not like when I was a lad;” he would say. Then he would launch into reminiscences of his youth and how times had changed.

 

“Where will it all end?” he would ask. “I don’t know what the world is coming to:” “It makes you fear for the next generation:” On such occasions we would often get to talking about the Bible. I would explain how such terrible times had been foretold. They would ask me about my faith and why I thought we were living in the last days.

 

There was one particular occasion when I think they were a little offended. We were sipping our cocoa as usual. The news had included some tragedy involving the deaths of innocent people. “Why did it happen?” Jack had wanted to know. “Why did people like that have to die?”

 

I began to show that it was because of sin. “Death is the wages of sin,” the Bible says. We serve Master Sin too well and we all of us earn death. Even apparently innocent people are no different. We all collect our wages at some time. We are all sinners.

 

All Sinners?

 

It was at this point that Phyllis sat up stiffly in her chair. She looked quite hurt and said in a very affronted voice: “Do you mean to say you think we’re sinners too?”

 

I suppose there are plenty others like that. To them sin means the big things. It is the crimes that hit the headlines of our daily newspapers. Somehow we feel that those who try to live decent and honest lives can’t be sinners. Like Jack and Phyllis we may be offended at the suggestion that we come into that category.

 

But we do. The Bible makes it very plain that we do. In God’s book, sin is disobedience of His commands. It is not only concerned with the large things that we think of as sins. It is anything that goes against God’s ways. That includes us all.

 

This is most important. Christianity is about a saviour. That means recognising that we need saving. Jesus himself said that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. In other words, he did not come to those who felt they were good. They would not see any need for him in their lives. He came for those who accepted that they needed help and wanted to change.

 

This is the great difference between Christianity and other religions. People often ask me how I can be sure that Christianity is right. How do I know that the Muslim faith is not right? How can I be sure that the Koran is not as good a guide as the Bible?

 

The answer is that only Christianity offers a saviour. Other religions see the need to be good. They provide great inspiration to their followers to lead a better life. They encourage to greater spiritual heights. They have sometimes been led by very good men. They have teachers and prophets to aid this endeavour. But they all begin with the assumption that man is basically good. They believe that, with effort, in time he can achieve great things, perhaps even perfection.

[Resource Manager]

The Need For a Saviour

 

Christianity is unique. Its starting point is quite different. It is alone in teaching that man is basically wicked. There is no way in which, by himself, man can effect his own salvation. He can never reach perfection or eternity on his own. He needs more than just prophets and teachers. He needs a saviour to rescue him from himself and his sins.

 

This is hard to accept, but it is the teaching of the Bible. God demands humility. We have to face the grim facts about ourselves before He can help us. We have to admit the unpleasant truth about our personal wickedness before we can be saved from it.

 

Talking to a friend recently I asked him if he had ever found this difficult to accept. He admitted that he had. It had been a long time before he had really thought of himself as a sinner. Like others he mistook respectability for righteousness. For an ordinary honest bloke like himself he couldn’t see the need.

 

What convinced him?

 

“Three thousand people;” he said. “I don’t know the name of one of them;” he added, “but 3,000 people is a lot and I could see that they were right:”

 

By way of explanation, he opened his Bible at Acts chapter 2. Peter the disciple is talking to a crowd on the day of Pentecost. He says clearly and boldly that they were responsible for the death of Jesus. These men came from all over. Many of them may not have been in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. They did not feel personally responsible for his death. Yet Peter shows that they share the guilt:­

 

“Him, (Jesus) being delivered by the carefully planned intention and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” (Acts 2:23)

 

Our sins, yours and mine, are as much a contributory factor in his death. It was the Jews who killed him. Yet we cannot pretend that the situation would have been any different if we had been there.

 

It was this conviction that made so many accept what Peter said:‑

 

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’” (Acts 2:37‑39)

 

Three thousand of those who heard were baptised. Three thousand could see the truth of what Peter had said. They confessed that they were sinners ‑ even if only in little things ‑ and needed a saviour. Peter said many other things and encouraged them: “Be saved from this perverse generation:”

 

The message is for us too ‑ to “all who are afar off”. We also are invited to confess our need of a saviour. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a good home, nice clothes, kind friends, a decent life put us right with God. They do not. He has provided the saviour we need. He requires that we leave behind what we have made of ourselves and become what He alone can make of us.

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 33

 

PEEPING at me from behind the armchair was Emma’s cheeky smile. This was her favourite game.

 

“You can’t see me,” she would call. Then she would pop up from behind a piece of furniture and shout “boo”. My job was to feign surprise. It was all part of her fun. Then it was round the end of the piano that she hid. I had been jumped out at several times from there. My pretend heart failures had caused fits of giggles.

 

But Emma was running out of hiding places. She sidled up to my armchair and stood by my knee. Carefully she turned her back on me and put her hands over her eyes. “You can’t see me,” she called!

 

In childlike simplicity Emma had assumed that if she couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see her. There are a lot of people who think like that. They imagine that if they hide from a problem in some way, the problem will disappear. Turning a blind eye to difficulties does not make them go away.

 

If I had begun this chapter by talking about death, many people would have turned the page. Others would have switched off mentally. Death is an unpalatable subject. It is a topic about which people do not like to talk. When it has to be mentioned they prefer to use other words. They use terms like “passed away” to soften the blow or hide the facts.

 

The true Christian has to be a realist. We need to face the truth about a situation before we can remedy it. If we have not understood the problem, our answers to it will be pointless.

 

The Truth ‑ However Unpleasant

 

The Bible tells us the truth. It does not lull us into a false sense of security. It makes clear when our plight is desperate. It makes plain the need for urgent action. Here are some words of the apostle Paul. They show what many would regard as the “brutal truth”:‑

 

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned..” (Romans 5:12)

 

Immediately people look for a way out of this. Surely it cannot mean what it says? Or, perhaps death is not the end?

 

So the ugly truth is replaced by something more comforting. Death is the gateway to a better life. It opens up a new and brighter existence. The corpse is only part of the story, the soul or the spirit lives on. These are but myths invented in a bid to escape unpleasant facts.

 

They do not help, however. They are a way of covering the eyes and pretending that the problem has gone. This may provide short term comfort to the bereaved. It does nothing to solve the real problem. Indeed, it leads men to trust in a falsehood. By fooling ourselves about death, we deny ourselves the truth of how it can be conquered.

 

The “one man” of the Bible verse above was Adam. It was his disobedience that resulted in death. The matter had been made plain enough to him. Disobeying God meant “you shall surely die”. It was the serpent who invented the falsehood still so popular today: “You will not surely die.”

[Resource Manager]

Sin Brings Death

 

Adam’s sin led to his death. The death sentence was God’s judgment of him. Is it likely then, since it was a punishment, that death was the start of something better? The word of God is:

 

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it were you taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)

 

The account of how man was “taken out” of the ground is in Genesis chapter two. There is no “get out” clause here either. These are the words:

 

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

 

When Adam had breathed his last he ceased to be a living being. He became a dead being. There is no suggestion that any part of him escaped God’s sentence. Nothing is said about anything living on.

 

The breath that God gave Adam is life. It is the life we all share. Animals share it too. They have no immortal soul. Neither do we:

 

“For what happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.” (Ecclesiastes 3:19‑20)

 

This is a sad picture. It may seem “hard” when we have to leave loved ones at the graveside. But it is true. As Paul said, all have sinned and all die. There are no exceptions.

 

An Inevitable End

 

Yet we persist in living as though there are. In my present job I see at first hand how many people want to go on living. They want to be remembered. Councillors and politicians like to have things named after them. It may be a street or a building. Some will dedicate money for a park bench to their memorial.

 

This is not a modern phenomenon. Human nature has always been the same. This is what the Psalmist saw in his day:

 

“Their inner thought is that their houses will continue for ever, And their dwelling‑places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honour, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:11‑12)

 

Life is short and precious. Men will go to great lengths to save it. Yet so few enjoy it. Covering their eyes to the situation they act as though life is for ever. Tomorrow will be like today, and better, they say.

 

I expect you have witnessed, as I have, the man who works all hours for his retirement. He goes flat out for something in the future, but dies before reaching it. I am not thinking of some who struggle to make ends meet. There are plenty who will take on extra work or responsibility to make life more comfortable. They want a little more set aside for a “rainy day”. Sadly, they never get to enjoy it.

 

They are unaware of James’ warning:

 

“...whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)

 

It vanishes. It doesn’t start again somewhere else. If the soul enjoys bliss in heaven, as some think, it will be pointless Jesus coming back to earth. Yet the Bible teaches that he most certainly will.

 

Supposing, then, that we face the truth squarely. What then?

[Resource Manager]

Life After Death?

 

Job was a realist. He too had stood by the graveside and mourned. He also knew what the future held. He had no vague hopes of heaven, but a firm faith.

 

He expressed it like this:­

 

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And he shall stand at last on the earth: And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,” (Job 19:25‑26)

 

God spoke to Daniel of resurrection:­

 

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2)

 

Paul makes the matter quite clear:

 

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

 

There is nothing fanciful about this idea. Resurrection is not about spirits, or floating around on clouds. It is resurrection to a real person and real life.

 

It involves, as it did for Jesus, a tangible body. He was alive. He could be touched. He discussed with his disciples. He ate with them. But the body was different. Instead of blood being the life of that body, it lived by the spirit of God. It was no longer susceptible to pain or disease. It was immortal. Jesus lives still.

 

Such a resurrection is promised to those who please God. Willingness to share Christ’s death can enable us to share his resurrection. We can be like him.

 

It is no problem to God, who made men and women, to recreate them. It is of no consequence how we meet our death. So, as Paul said to one of the rulers of his day: “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?”

 

This chapter has used a lot of Bible verses. It has used only a few of the many which could have been used on this subject. There is such as overwhelming weight of Bible evidence for life after death by resurrection. Why is it men prefer to believe a lie? Why do they close their eyes to the reality of death and lose this glorious God‑given hope? Why go on pretending?

[Resource Manager]

CHAPTER 34

 

WE sat, staring out of the little windows, unable to see a thing. It was not my first flight, but neither was I a seasoned traveller by plane. It was the first time I had encountered fog like this.

 

Stomach and ears told us that we were descending rapidly. The landing gear was ready for touchdown. Everyone strained to get a glimpse of something through the thick grey of our surroundings. Suddenly treetops and roofs appeared, but we were clearly in the wrong place. With a violent lurch the plane began to rise steeply. There were gasps and sighs. Hearts thumped. Then we sat back and waited.

 

The Captain’s voice announced that we would circle for a while and wait. If the fog did not clear we would have to fly on somewhere else. For a long time we flew around, banking, turning, circling.

 

Almost an hour later the Captain announced that we would try again. I don’t think that plane had a large number of religious people on board. However, I know there were several who uttered silent prayers just then.

 

Isn’t it strange how often people will turn to God in a crisis of that kind? People who do not normally pray suddenly feel the need. When, ten minutes later, we were safely on the ground, life resumed its normal face. People began rushing for connections. Some thought of facing the customs men. Others had relatives to meet. How many then thought of prayer it is hard to say.

 

God ‑ A True Friend

 

A friend in need is a friend indeed, we say. That is true enough. The best friends are those who will help when the chips are down. Friendship is especially valuable when things are going wrong.

 

We would not expect to “use” our friends only at such times, however. There has to be give and take. We expect our friends to be friendly all the time. We would not be happy to see them only when they needed help. And we recognise the need to be the same ourselves. It would be selfish and wrong to pretend friendship occasionally to our advantage.

 

Yet this is how so many of us behave with God. God is a God of love, it is said. So men treat Him rather like an over‑indulgent old grandfather. In the minds of many He is there for emergencies and nothing else. This is unreasonable.

 

It is true that God is a God of love. It is also true that He is a God of justice. He is fair and righteous. It is not true that God will turn a blind eye to every wickedness for ever.

 

A God of Love and Judgment

 

It may be that past generations were threatened by “blood and thunder” sermons. They may have been wrongly terrorised by talk of God’s judgments. The present generation, however, appears to have had an overdose of permissiveness. It basks in the thought of a God indulgently smiling on its folly and ignorance.

 

It is time to straighten out our thinking about God. We need to know the God of the Bible. We need to obtain the balanced picture that the Bible portrays.

 

There are genuine difficulties which people have in knowing God. I have been asked by countless people why God seems different in the Old Testament from the New. Some have written to me troubled by this question. In the Old Testament God appears so strict. He is a God of judgment, angry and severe. In the New Testament He seems more merciful. Jesus is gentle and kind and came to show what God is like. How are we to resolve this puzzle?

[Resource Manager]

God Does Not Change

 

Let’s get one thing clear; God is not changeable. He does not suffer from moods or depression. There is no “shadow of turning”; the Bible says, with Him.

 

That means that He does not have double standards. It also means that we cannot do things behind His back as it were. We are always in His sight. He is faithful and consistent.

 

There are examples, of course, of God’s kindness and mercy in the Old Testament. The law of Moses, strict as it seems, was founded on very merciful principles. If it had been kept properly, it would have resulted in a clean, caring and just society. Provision was made for everyone down to the very poorest of the people. Even the humane treatment of animals was provided for.

 

Why then was there this idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? How does this square with the very different teaching of Jesus? Did not Jesus tell us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us?

 

Yes, he did. Indeed it was Jesus himself who invited us to make this comparison. He first mentioned this difference between established teaching and his own word.

 

We need to know first, however, what the “eye for an eye” idea meant. This is not the licence to retaliate that it sounds to be. It was concerned with the operation of justice.

 

Think back to the last argument you heard. It probably began with something quite trivial. Before long, however, it escalated. Something was said that evoked a retort. That provoked another comment which, in turn, led to a slightly stronger reply. Gradually the two sides forced each other further apart. Each answer became a little more extreme. Soon people were saying things that were exaggerated and which later might be regretted.

 

That is always the case. Human nature always has to go one better (or one worse). The tendency is to hit back harder. “He has blacked my eye, I’ll black both his:”

 

It was exactly that which the law was designed to prevent. It was not so much a permission as a restraint. First the wrong had to be established. When that was done, punishment had to be administered. But the punishment must fit the crime. It was not literally the gouging out of eyes, but a just measure of punishment.

 

Jesus plainly said that he did not come to destroy the law. He did not change it to mean something else. What he did do was to take the principles of the law a step further.

 

For example, he pointed to the law which said a man must not murder. Jesus looked at what gives rise to murder. He considered the root cause. He said that a man should not be angry with another. If a man controls his anger he will not commit murder.

 

Jesus drew attention to the commandment not to commit adultery. Again, he saw that the basic failure of man in this sin was his lust. Jesus instructed that a man should control his lust. He taught that the desire and planning of such an act was wicked. It was as bad as the act itself if only the opportunity to carry it out was missing.

 

So with the law which permitted a punishment equal to the crime. The law restricted the retaliation. It was far better, as Jesus taught, if man could overcome his desire to retaliate altogether. He should love his enemies and do good to those who hated him. Vengeance should be left to God. He will see that true justice is done ultimately.