In between book devotional...Bible reading week 28, day 1

Today's devotional is an in between books devotional.  We will be going from Haggai to Zechariah, the next book in the Bible for our morning times together starting on Wednesday.  This one is sparked by the point made yesterday that Jesus is praying and an article titled "What Is Jesus Doing Now?"

Let me cover the 5 points of this article written by Graham Cooke who is the Dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois where he is also Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology.  He is originally from Australia.

Dr. Cooke brings up that we focus much attention on Jesus on the cross and the empty grave, in which we should because this crucial to understanding salvation and the gospel, but we kind of leave Him there stuck in time.  We don't paint the picture for the congregation of what Jesus is doing now while the end of the age is waiting to come.  He gives 5 points.

The first point is:  Jesus Is Ruling The Universe

Cooke says, "To own the name 'Christian' with understanding is to confess that we live under the present reign of Christ."  1 Corinthians 15:25, 26 says, "For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy to be abolished is death."

I wonder how the typical "American" Christian would do if dropped into a society that was hostile with grave consequences to holding to the name "Christian."  My guess is that our numbers would shrink with those who really believed in the reign of Christ over our lives now rather than just something in the future with us reigning now with what we think and feel as our determining factor of how we live.  There would probably be many who would denounce what they once proclaimed to conform and escape the consequences.  Jesus' rule and reign is now and forever and His Word is for now and forever.  We can not pick and choose what we want of Jesus.  If He is our Lord than we belong to Him and we follow after Him who is reigning over the universe and our lives right now.

The second point is:  Jesus Is Sending Out The Gospel

Cooke says, "Jesus is directing the progress of the gospel even now."  The book of Acts ends with chapter 28:30, 31 saying, "Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house.  And he welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance."

Jesus is doing now what He was doing then after His life, death, resurrection and ascension.  After all of that He converted and commissioned Saul, also known as Paul, on the road to Damascus to become a great Apostle and missionary of the faith.  He opened Lydia's heart who opened up her home for a church to gather there.  He brought on board Timothy and Titus and Aquila and Priscilla and a host of other names we see in the latter pages of the New Testament to go out with the gospel.  Jesus was and is actively making sure that people hear the gospel.  He is specifically calling those pastors, church planters and missionaries to go into our countrysides, cities and countries to spread the good news of Him.  He has commissioned His church to disciple those who attend and some will be called by Him to fulfill positions that proclaim Christ as a profession and vocation equipping us all to speak of Christ.  

The third point is:  Jesus Is Saving Sinners

Cooke says, "In the 1890s people who responded to the gospel said that they were saved.  By the 1930s it became popular to say that you had been converted.  Then in the 1950s the language of having made a decision became prominent.  Today saying that you have made a commitment seems to be the common response."  1 Timothy 1:15 says, "This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance:  'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'--and I am the worst of them."

Do you notice that sometimes how we describe salvation with our words is more about us than about Jesus?  We have went from saved which means another is involved and we are dying if someone didn't intervene to being converted, making a decision, and making a commitment.  These latter expressions focus on us and what we have done rather than on the One who is throwing the life saving ring to us.  The focus can easily go heavy on our decision over what He has done for us and the fact that He is the One who saves us and not we ourselves.  Just as His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts so are His actions higher than our actions.

The fourth point is:  Jesus Is Interceding

Here is where the sermon links up with this article.  Cooke cites a passage I referred to yesterday, Hebrews 7:25 which reads, "Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede from them."

In this verse we see the saving and the interceding of Jesus.  He is the One saving those to God through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave and He is also praying for those who are saved.  To intercede is to speak or act on behalf of others.  To intercede is to interrupt what is going on like our illustration of Jesus stopping our spiritual funeral to bring us back to life.  Jesus is standing in our place, even now before Father God.  

The final point is:  Jesus Is Overseeing Churches

Cooke says, "Lastly, Jesus is evaluating church life even ours."  He cites the Scriptures and the addresses to the 7 churches in the book of Revelation.  These were evaluations of these churches of what was right and what was wrong.  Jesus put together our guidelines for those who overseer the local church and the character that they are to hold to.  The scary part is that Jesus is commissioning sinners, now saints, to lead the church and those saints can still sin and do at times.  The church endures scandals today just as it did in ancient times when the Israelites turned their backs on God and His instruction.  In the New Testament we have illustrations of this like the church of Corinth going sideways on some points that get them back worshiping themselves rather than worshiping God.  Church discipline is given by Jesus so that we can use His direction to govern the holiness of His family.  

We sometimes bristle at rules but God's rules we are not to ignore.  When we ignore them in the light of the church body, the damage can be tremendous on those involved and for years to come.  When we hold fast to the rules of God, it is amazing what a body of Christ can walk through and its effects can reach around the globe.  There is a good reason why Jesus is still overseeing His church to be as He calls it to be.

Cooke ends with, "So as we wait and as we hope we can be assured that our Lord reigns, directs, saves, intercedes, and evaluates.  This is a matter of faith not sight but a day is coming when faith will give way to sight.  On that day every knee will bow."  Let us pray.

"Lord, thank You that You are very active.  Your ascension into heaven to be at the Father's right hand is not in an easy chair.  You are intervening.  You are interceding.  You are watching over.  You are saving.  You are calling and commissioning.  You are orchestrating the advancement of Your gospel.  In the midst of all of that, You know my name.  May I be humbled by that thought today.  Amen."

Pastor Adam

Here is the link to the original article:  https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-is-jesus-doing-now/