Paul’s Kingdom Tour - NOW: The kingdom of God begins with God’s rule - the victory of Jesus on the cross and the forgiveness of sins available in him alone! By faith in Jesus, we receive the kingdom when our sins are cleansed and the Holy Spirit dwells in us - making us the temple place of God! From that moment forward, we become God’s kingdom people who learn to love God once more by walking with him in obedience and love others in the way we interact with His kingdom family. This is how the kingdom of God comes to earth as it is in heaven!

Paul’s Kingdom Tour - NOT YET: Paul’s challenge to us exists in the tension that God’s kingdom can be made a reality here on earth “NOW” while still waiting for the “NOT YET” final judgment of sin and the permanent establishment of God’s kingdom. The “NOW” message offers a life of intimacy with the Creator of the Universe, true and meaningful life change through Jesus’ conquering of sin, and tremendous kingdom purpose on this earth through the Holy spirit. The “NOT YET” message offers hope for an eternal existence without sin or suffering!

Question: How does the life of Saul → Paul encourage you? In what ways can you live with the kingdom in mind here on earth NOW? In what ways can you live with the kingdom in mind that has NOT YET been fully realized? How do you reconcile those two concepts?

Hebrews and the High Priest: If the Old Testament explains the Old Covenant way we are brought back into the presence of God, Hebrews explains the New Covenant way paved by Jesus! Jesus, who is God in the flesh, sacrifices his eternally spotless body and blood so that our sins may be permanently covered and that we would have access to God to experience His loving kingdom rule in our lives!

Question: What is the relationship that you see between the Old Testament and Hebrews? Based on what you have seen from these two books, what would you say to someone with the common objection about why Jesus HAD to die?

The General Epistles: Jesus is calling us into his own lifestyle of love and obedience to his authoritative rule as God’s kingdom place as we love His people. Since we live in a fallen world, we should expect to experience suffering, but we are continuing to learn how to choose obedience to God’s kingdom rule above what is temporary on this earth.

Question: What are some of the challenges you are experiencing right now and how do these verses give you hope for the future? What is God calling you to do that requires your obedience, even if it means suffering?

3Crosses Church 7/12/23 3Crosses Church 7/12/23

4. A New Kingdom Posture Towards Life

Week 9 • Day 4

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Kingdom Posture: Obedience
Kingdom Posture: Follow Me
Kingdom Posture: Love One Another
The Flesh vs. The Spirit
Share the Gospel

As I started to prepare this lesson on the general epistles (James / 1st and 2nd Peter / 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John / Jude), I did not think I would detail out many scriptures. I collected several references but wondered if everyone would gain better clarity if they read and highlighted the scriptures which spoke to them individually, in their own Bibles. But as I was reading these epistles back-to-back I started to recognize a very clear and central message. The beauty of this message is evident in the repetition of the concept, over and over again.

As a result of the gospel of the kingdom, the general epistles clarify what it means to live the ‘kingdom life’ of (1) loving God with all of our hearts and (2) loving others even in the midst of terrible suffering.

It felt almost like the Holy Spirit was highlighting the text for me and burning it into my soul. I would like to invite you now into that same experience. Will you read these verses and write a brief reflection before we jump into today’s lesson? What is the Holy Spirit telling you?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - James 1:19-22
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. - James 2:17-19, 26
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. - James 4:7-10
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. - 1 Peter 1:6-9, 22-23
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. - 1 Peter 2:21-25
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. - 1 Peter 4:12-19
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. - 2 Peter 1:3-7
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. - 2 Peter 3:10-16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. - 1 John 2:15-17
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. - 1 John 4:7-12, 19-21
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - 1 John 5:1-5
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. - 2 John 1:6
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. - 3 John 1:5-8
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. - Jude 1:17-23

Here is what the Spirit has shared with me.

As we have seen, there is a tension between our status as saved kingdom people “NOW” in Jesus Christ and our existence in a world that is marked by the effects of the serpent kingdom that has “NOT YET” been fully redeemed. How are we called to live in the world and in our own flesh that will be hostile to the kingdom of God?

As God’s kingdom ambassadors, there is a posture we are called to take and guiding principles describing why we take that posture. It was modeled for us by King Jesus himself. It’s incredibly easy to see in the scripture and incredibly easy to recite. Yet, it is incredibly difficult to live. Let’s explore this together by reminding ourselves of the “red letter” words of Jesus and digging a little deeper into the scriptures listed above!

KINGDOM POSTURE: OBEDIENCE

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” - John 14:23–24

Right away I noticed the need to be obedient. We were created with free will, so obedience is a choice. Thus, the first step of this humble kingdom posture has always been to listen, obey, and trust God’s rule about what is “good” and “bad” through what He says in the scriptures. We are faced with these kinds of choices every step of the way; the choice to consider suffering joy (James 1:2) and with that knowledge obey what the scripture says even when it hurts (James 1:22). We are challenged to humble ourselves (James 4:10) and accept that we will suffer (1 Peter 1:6). This should not be a surprise considering our fallen world that has been affected by the serpent kingdom and his minions who will do anything to keep us from the victory of Jesus (1 Peter 4:12). Therefore, it is not enough to merely state that we love Jesus but completely disregard him as Lord. Instead, if we truly love Him, our love ought to flow towards a spontaneous and radical obedience to the commands of God’s rule (2 John 1:6). This posture of obedience to the Holy Spirit while anticipating suffering and still choosing to represent God’s kingdom love to the nations is one that we are most certainly not inclined to do. Rather, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience no matter what comes our way.

KINGDOM POSTURE: FOLLOW ME

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
And after saying this he said to him, “Follow Me” - John 21:15–17, 19

It is also very clear that Jesus modeled the behavior of complete obedience for us. Throughout his ministry, Jesus chose to obey even though it led him to a brutal death on the cross. All the while, Jesus committed no sin, told no lies, did not retaliate to insults, and made no threats to those who inflicted the worst kind of suffering upon him (1 Peter 2:21-25). Thank the Lord that Jesus did fully place His trust in His Father - who would one day judge fairly - otherwise Jesus may not have followed through with God’s grand plan that he could not see. Yet because Jesus did follow through all the way to the cross, Jesus is able to provide everything we need to live for YHWH in this life if we come to place our faith and trust in him (2 Peter 1:3). Like Peter, since we have been “born again”, we as Christians are called to a kingdom posture of following Jesus because the living and enduring word of God has been written on our hearts via the Holy Spirit living inside of us as God’s kingdom place (1 Peter 1:23).

KINGDOM POSTURE: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34–35
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:43–45

Finally, it is clear that we ourselves are able to model ‘kingdom love’ no matter what suffering this world brings us. Everyday on our journey toward becoming a servant of all, we are called to look to Christ and the Holy Spirit to fuel us for these kinds of servant-hearted actions. (Jude 21) In this process, we can’t rely on the appetites of the world; for everything of the world (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life) comes NOT from the Father, but from the world (1 John 2:16). Everything in this world will pass away, but only those who do the will of God will live forever (1 John 2:17). Based on biblical descriptions – the times of judgment on those who reject and oppose God will not be pretty or fun (2 Peter 3:10-11). Focusing on God’s love for us, reminding ourselves He is the source of love, and remembering loving each other allows His love to be made complete (1 John 4:7-12, 19-21). These things are the true food for our souls. His love allows us to remain faithful to our Christian brothers and sisters in our greater mission to spread God’s glory to the nations (3 John 1:5-8), to show mercy to those who remain clouded by doubt, and to even be fearless showing mercy and love to our enemies. In so doing, we model the ‘kingdom love’ of Jesus as God’s kingdom people even while we suffer in every kind of situation.

THE FLESH VS. THE SPIRIT

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14:15–17.
These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. - John 14:25–26.
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. - John 15:26.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. - John 16:8–11.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. - Jn 16:13–14.

Why is this kingdom posture still so hard to live by?

I have a friend and we were having a conversation about being house blind. You know – you have a pile of mail on the table, and it starts to grow. You aren’t really using that table, so the pile keeps growing. Eventually you eat at a different table, and you don’t notice the mail anymore. You start piling up catalogs on the current table you are eating at. Finally, company comes over, and you realize – when you can’t serve them dinner at either table, that you have all this mail and all these catalogs. You’ve actually become so used to them; you’ve forgotten they were piling up. House blind. Depending on your comfort level, you might panic and clean the tables before the company comes, or you clean 1 table, or you have company eat with you on the sofa in front of the tv.

I wonder, have we become house blind to comfort? Even that thought sounds ridiculous. Yet, as Christians, we are supposed to expect discomfort. We are taught to endure suffering and trials and consider them joy, while we are modeling Christ’s love to the marginalized in the world; and not to worry about fitting into this current world. The bible advises that in the last days it will be more important than ever to lean into the Holy Spirit, as there will be those who are ungodly scoffing at our way of life and trying to divide us. As we have lived in a nation with generally more than enough food; and jobs; and cars; and technology – have we layered comfort after comfort onto our lives? Have we become so comfortable, we only understand discomfort if it is egregious to us personally – a terminal illness, a major wrong against us, a decision that doesn’t go our way?

I am not advocating a complete turnaround and abandonment of all the things that bring us comfort in our lives, but what if we started peeling back some of those layers, to get closer to the suffering mentioned in the bible. The suffering as a result of living more like Christ. Walking in obedience to His commands – the greatest of which are to love God more than anything (including our comfort) and to love our enemies as ourselves – no matter what it might cost us! Are we doing this as a church, or are we clouded by the comfort we experience? Lord, I pray that whoever reads these words might go into the world boldly following your Spirit, no matter what it may cost them.

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33.

Regardless of the circumstances and what it may cost us, this is the kingdom posture we are called to take in this fallen world as we await the return of Jesus. But the general epistles also remind us that there are tremendous blessings to be had when we set our thoughts on the “Day of the Lord” that is coming; where sin and suffering will be no more and God’s rule will be made complete! In our final week, we will explore the book of Revelation. Get ready because it is always thrilling to learn more about the hope we have in the fully realized kingdom to come!

Share the Gospel: Jesus is calling us into his own lifestyle of love and obedience to his authoritative rule as God’s kingdom place as we love His people. Since we live in a fallen world, we should expect to experience suffering, but we are continuing to learn how to choose obedience to God’s kingdom rule above what is temporary on this earth.

3Crosses Church 7/12/23 3Crosses Church 7/12/23

3. Our Greater High Priest

Week 9 • Day 3

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Share the Gospel

If Paul’s letters explain the kingdom implications of what Jesus has done for us, the book of Hebrews explains how Jesus’ work on the cross was actually able to accomplish what God had in mind!

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. - Hebrews 1:1-4
“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” - Hebrews 2:9-10

Since the beginning, God has been making a way for His image-bearers to be a part of what He is doing. God also knows that we have always been prone to bend the knee to the serpent, to trust ourselves first, and to act on our own fears instead of trusting His rule of “good” and “evil”. As humans, we have the tendency to pursue what seems best for us in the short term.

In response, God had made a covenant with the likes of Abraham, Moses, and David promising them that if they continued to follow God’s rule, they could experience a close relationship with Him and share in the gospel of the kingdom. As we saw way back in Leviticus, these rules contained an entire set of priestly rituals that were designed to symbolize purity, the cleansing of sins, and a commitment to love God and love others. These Levitical laws involved sacrificing animals, which were extremely precious and valuable, they required consistent offerings so that one could be symbolically cleansed from their sins, and they required a priest who knew all the logistics to help them thank God, ask something of God, or be cleansed by God. This was the Old Covenant, the set of rules that the ancient Israelites sharing in God’s kingdom adhered to while they looked forward to the coming of someone who would be the ultimate, once-and-for-all champion over the serpent.

Jesus is that champion! In the book of Hebrews, the anonymous author explains how Jesus’ life and death on earth fulfilled every requirement for the serpent to be completely defeated. On top of this, the author describes how his resurrection and ascension into heaven paved the permanent way for us to share in God’s kingdom!

The opening chapter of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is God. The signs, miracles, and testimonies of people around him proved that Jesus possessed the powerful rule of God that could not be stopped. He was the greater Moses that we had been looking for since Deuteronomy, he was the greater Joshua who led people into their victory into the promised land of sabbath rest, and he was the High priest from the mysterious line of Melchizedek (meaning “King of Righteousness” in Hebrew) in order to inaugurate an even greater covenant!

For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. - Hebrews 3:3–6
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. - Hebrews 4:8–11
This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. - Hebrews 7:22–28.

If Jesus is God, and by definition in perfect alignment with God’s kingdom rule, we also know this means he was sinless. He came to earth and lived a completely perfect life. Therefore, when he sacrificed his life, he took on the role that prized and unblemished animals used to play in the Old Covenant. This time, the eternally spotless body and blood of Jesus had the power to wipe away sin permanently. In this New Covenant, we do not need to live in mourning because of our failures, in a ping-pong game of sin and sacrifice, or in fear of death and separation from God. Jesus’ perfect and divinely valuable sacrifice perfectly fulfilled the promises made in the old covenant and permanently paves our pathway to God!

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” - Hebrews 9:12-14
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. - Hebrews 10:10, 14-18

Jesus fulfilled all the obligations of the Old Testament rituals and fulfilled them in abundance. Instead of using the blood of animals, he laid down his own powerful rule to use his own lifeblood. Instead of the holy place inside the earthly temple built by human hands, he went directly to the throneroom of God to present himself before the very presence of God in heaven. Instead of requiring a priesthood to understand the minute details of how to connect people with God, Jesus himself intercedes on our behalf in perpetuity giving us direct access to YHWH. In doing this, Jesus ushered in a greater covenant promise and a new way for us to be a part of God’s kingdom.

If you were an Israelite, it would be easy to ask what has God been doing for 2000 years or so before sending Jesus? The book of Hebrews shows us the arc of humanity’s relationship with God by looking at the history of Israel. God has been foreshadowing the gospel of the kingdom from the very beginning and giving His people the language to fully understand the depths of His love. EVERYTHING was pointing to Jesus! In fact, God has always been in communication with us, speaking to His people specifically in their context and in their time, and informing them of the gospel of the kingdom!

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” - Hebrews 1:1-2

Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and humanity. He is fully God, divine and eternal, and present both at the creation and in heaven. And yet Jesus came to earth as fully human, enduring all the humiliations and defeats that we experience daily. Hebrews frequently reminds us that he experienced our struggles, temptations, and knows what is feels like to be betrayed, used, and tempted to take the easy way out:

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:17–18
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:14–16

He knows how hard it is to remain focused on God’s kingdom in the flesh, and he offers his hands of mercy and deliverance through His Holy Spirit. It is such a relief to know that we serve a God who understands what we go through, who can comfort us in our pain and bolster us in our courage, and who continues to empower us to live redeemed lives under God’s rule with God’s people who have become God’s kingdom place.

“What has not been assumed by Jesus has not been redeemed…He took the worst upon himself to make us a gift of the best.” - Gregory of Nanzien [Remarks about the FULL human incarnation of Jesus]

Jesus is victorious over sin and death and is the only way to enter the eternal kingdom of God. Yet He loves us so much that He brought His kingdom to earth in order to enter into relationship with us, give our lives new purpose, and help us as we struggle with the effects of sin.

What does this mean for our lives moving forward, then?

Hebrews tells us that “by faith” (Hebrews 11) in Jesus’ rule as our high priest and his new covenant promises, we too can be saved! Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit (place) we ought to “fix our thoughts on Jesus” (Heb. 3:1) and “hold unswervingly” to our commitment to God’s kingdom (Heb. 4:14, 10:23). Finally, as God’s people, we are called to encourage each other every day, remembering to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 3:13, 10:24) as we walk through life together.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God [rule] with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly [place] to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on [people] toward love and good deeds.” - Hebrews 10:19-24

The Old Testament and the old covenant aren’t just difficult things to understand from a different culture, they show us that God has always, since the very beginning, been making a way for us to be a part of His kingdom, and they point to the amazing, specific victory that Jesus won for us. Everything in the Old Testament that seems strange or confusing to our culture today paints a picture of the tension that exists between our own priorities and God’s priorities, and of the lengths to which God will go (and the amount that He will forgive) to bring us back under His good and loving rule in His Kingdom place as His beloved kingdom family of people. Here, we experience God’s immense love for us as He rules us, guides us, and shapes our futures for His kingdom purposes.

Share the Gospel: If the Old Testament explains the Old Covenant way we are brought back into the presence of God, Hebrews explains the New Covenant way paved by Jesus! Jesus, who is God in the flesh, sacrifices his eternally spotless body and blood so that our sins may be permanently covered and that we would have access to God to experience His loving kingdom rule in our lives!

3Crosses Church 7/12/23 3Crosses Church 7/12/23

2. Paul’s Kingdom Tour - NOT YET!

Week 9 • Day 2

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Yesterday, we launched our kingdom tour alongside Paul as he cast a vision for God’s rule in God’s place over God’s people to a series of local churches. Paul’s vision of this ideal kingdom community seems nice, but the contextual issues amidst each church community highlights a major question Paul’s letters attempt to address. The question is simple: How do we actually achieve this “pie-in-the-sky utopia” particularly when we account for our fallen world and our fallen flesh that still suffers from the effects of the serpent’s kingdom?

Exactly like the example of Jesus, Paul encourages God’s people to embrace suffering that will inevitably come our way since our world and our flesh remains marked by the lingering effects of the serpent. Paul predicts that those in opposition to the gospel of the kingdom will inevitably remain hostile to the faith and possibly grow in their disdain toward this new Jesus movement called the church. In light of this reality, Paul challenges followers like Timothy to endure in a letter written right before Paul faces his own death.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. - 2 Timothy 1:8-10

Regardless of what faced God’s people, the gospel of the kingdom is too good to be contained and too important to not share! That is why Paul exhorts all disciples to spread the message that Jesus’ rule has crushed the serpent, that by faith we have been set free from sin and death, our hearts have become God’s dwelling place, and God’s people can now live their lives (1) loving God in obedience and (2) loving others by ministering the message of salvation found in Jesus alone! Whatever the fallen world and the fallen flesh throws our way, our sights must remain set on sharing the gospel of the kingdom found in the scriptures because it is “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. - 2 Timothy 3:12–4:5.

Even though the gospel of the kingdom addresses the source of the problem (the serpent) and explains how the kingdom breaks through on earth today (the church), we face the reality that all things have “NOT YET” been fully cleansed from the serpent who remains a “venom-less” foe now that sin and death have been conquered. This is why creation and humans alike continue to groan as we await the complete restoration of all things. In light of this, recall that the gospel of the kingdom concludes when Jesus comes back a second time to fully restore all things and dispose of the serpent once and for all. The prophets have referred to this final phase of the gospel of the kingdom as “the coming day of the Lord” in which judgment will be distributed by God against all the remaining faithless enemies under the serpent kingdom. These topics mentioned in the major and minor prophets alike greatly concerned the local church of Thessalonica - our next stop on Paul’s kingdom tour!

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 1:9-12

God’s kingdom people have always been filled with a hope that is foreign to the world. The church looks forward to a brighter day in which God rules by judging the serpent and his kingdom. At the same time, followers of Jesus eagerly anticipate the day in which the Spirit of YHWH that brought Jesus back to life - the same Spirit that has now made His residential place in our hearts - will resurrect His people from death to eternal life. God’s kingdom people have always been able to hope for these promises by faith and say things like “to live is Christ and to die is gain,” (Phil. 1:21) as they look forward to a new resurrected body that has not been defiled by the serpent and will bow to no one but YHWH!

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” - 1 Corinthians 15:50-55

What a glorious future hope we have in the gospel of the kingdom! In light of Jesus and the power of his resurrection, death will actually be gain for those who have faith in Jesus! Remember, though, that Paul suggests that this shouldn’t motivate us to escape this life. Instead, Paul also says that to live is Christ! As we hope for the “NOT YET” future restoration of all things, we live in this broken world “NOW” as Jesus’ kingdom representatives who use our restored delegated rule to reconcile all things back to God. How do we do this? We go into the world sharing the message about Jesus’ rule that was reestablished by crushing the serpent when he died on the cross for our sins and defeated death 3 days later. We then live as God’s renewed temple place since we have been cleansed of all sin, since His law has been written on our hearts, and since the Holy Spirit empowers us to follow Jesus. As a result, God’s people come together as a church to (1) love God by walking with him in obedience and (2) love others by living in harmony with one another. The gospel message of Jesus and the resulting kingdom of God goes out to the nations of the world in order to extend His blessings and His glory!

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:16-20

If our delegated rule in God’s kingdom is anything like it was in the garden, we should expect to see humanity on the road back to peace, harmony, and shalom with God and with one another through this “ministry of reconciliation”. Paul’s vision of the church is a kingdom community that is driven by a lifestyle that involves walking in truth, obedience, and a loving relationship with God as we trust in His wisdom of “good” and “evil”. Here is what Paul says to two of his own disciples about how the church ought to stand out in our fallen world:

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. - 1 Timothy 3:14-15
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14

Finally, Paul demonstrates how powerful the kingdom can be in this fallen world when we love others in the same way Jesus loved us! Sure, the gospel of the kingdom has “NOT YET” been fully realized, but at the same time, our lives empowered by the Spirit of God shows us that the gospel of the kingdom is a reality that can be lived out “NOW”! Following God’s rule brings harmony even to the most destructive of relationships involving image-bearing people. The book of Philemon is Paul’s example of the kingdom breaking through when the relationship between a 1st century runaway slave (Onesimus) and his master (Philemon) are reconciled.

I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ” - Philemon 10-18

My guess is that if you are a Christian, you have always understood the importance of your own personal salvation from the serpent and your own justification! Praise God that Jesus did crush the serpent, that Jesus is our substitute, that by faith in Jesus your sins are forgiven, and that he has defeated death. In fact, if you have been a Christian for a while now, you might even recognize your need for ongoing sanctification. Praise God that Jesus rose from the grave and sent us the Holy Spirit to progressively deal with our sinful nature. Near the end of this series, I wonder if you are now beginning to see that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the source of a much larger gospel of the kingdom! Yes, the good news is all about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and sending us the Holy Spirit to work out our salvation. However, let us not let the good news stop there!

The gospel of the kingdom has always been headed toward king YHWH’s powerful rule over His people who have become His kingdom place! This kingdom community is defined by its purpose as we (1) love God in relationship and obedience and (2) love others well as servants of all.

We started our kingdom tour with a passage from Ephesians. Now we will end our tour by revisiting the church that Paul spent the most time with! When speaking about the nature of the church, Paul suggests that it is “the eternal purpose” of God that “He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord”. In essence, Paul is suggesting that this kingdom community called the church has been “plan A” all along and is the desired result of Christ’s work on the cross. That is why Paul can claim that the church was established so that the manifold wisdom of God might be known to all! Why? Paul explains that by the power of the Holy Spirit (place), God’s people work together to (1) unite under Christ’s rule and (2) build each other up in the Kingdom!

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. - Ephesians 3:8–12.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. - Ephesians 4:11–16.

Now that you have seen how the gospel of the kingdom cashes out on this kingdom tour, how do you think Paul would encourage you if he were writing you a letter? My hunch is that if you call yourself a Christian, you have placed your faith in Jesus’ powerful rule who has crushed the serpent by defanging him of sin and death ALL on your behalf. Our prayer is that the gospel of the kingdom not only heightens the depth of your satisfaction in Jesus’ forgiveness, but it also encourages you to zealously continue forward in life fully dependent upon the powerful rule of the ascended King of Kings. Are you letting Jesus reign on the throne of your life today? Are you allowing him to intervene and dictate what is “good” and “bad” in your life as you move forward in His kingdom? In a similar way, my guess is that many Christians have already trusted that Jesus has paid the ransom for you and sent the Holy Spirit to you in order to adopt you into His kingdom family of people. Our prayer is that the gospel of the kingdom not only elevates your gratitude for the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross, but it also exhorts you toward becoming a more integral part of your local kingdom family of people called the church. Are you deeply connected to and invested in a local body of believers? If not, I hope you are realizing that the church community was God’s plan all along! So what are some things you can do to become an active contributor to the local church family? Finally, I’m sure most Christians realize that we have become God’s kingdom place when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. Our prayer is that the gospel of the kingdom not only challenges you to engage in prayer and other disciplines to communicate with the Holy Spirit on a personal level, but it also motivates you to live out your kingdom purpose in life alongside others in the kingdom who are also filled with the Holy Spirit. What is God calling you to do to (1) strengthen your relationship and obedience with Him? How can you use your unique spiritual gifts to (2) become the servant of all in the body? What can you do to take God’s kingdom place and spread His glory to the nations?

If you have been challenged in this series, the gospel of the kingdom includes the idea that in the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been given a heart of repentance to start living this kingdom way “NOW”. Please don’t wait another day! The message of Jesus is too good, too important, and has eternal ramifications! At the same time, until Jesus returns, we will all continue to wrestle with the spiritual forces of our fallen world that want to hold the kingdom at bay because the kingdom is also “NOT YET” fully realized until the defanged and venom-less serpent and his demon offspring are put away once and for all.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. - Ephesians 6:10–18

Until then, have you committed to following God’s kingdom rule as a part of His kingdom family of people on a kingdom mission to spread God’s place to the ends of the earth?

Share the Gospel: The kingdom of God begins with God’s rule - the victory of Jesus on the cross and the forgiveness of sins available in him alone! By faith in Jesus, we receive the kingdom when our sins are cleansed and the Holy Spirit dwells in us - making us the temple place of God! From that moment forward, we become God’s kingdom people who learn to love God once more by walking with him in obedience and love others in the way we interact with His kingdom family. This is how the kingdom of God comes to earth as it is in heaven!

3Crosses Church 7/12/23 3Crosses Church 7/12/23

1. Paul’s Kingdom Tour - NOW!

Week 9 • Day 1

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I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. - Ephesians 1:16-22

Last week, we saw that the last half of Acts documents Paul’s journeys to reach the rest of the Mediterranean world with the gospel of the kingdom! Over the next two days, we would like to take you on a “kingdom tour” alongside Paul as he travels from region to region and writes a variety of letters to God’s kingdom people meeting together in the local meeting of Jesus followers called the church. These selections will capture the essence of Paul’s conversations with these local churches with a particular focus on how Jesus has made the way to establish God’s rule over God’s place as it expands through God’s people of faith.

We pray that on this journey your heart may be enlightened to the hope of salvation found through the forgiveness of sins made possible by the powerful rule of King Jesus who crushed the serpent on our behalf, the riches of becoming a member of God’s kingdom family of people, and the victorious life-giving power of being filled with the Holy Spirit as we become God’s temple place here on earth!

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. - Romans 14:17

Let’s begin our kingdom tour in Colossae! For Paul, it makes complete sense for the entire story to start with Jesus. If he was in fact the long awaited serpent-crusher, then everything revolves around him! In opposition to a variety of other religious claims which included philosophy, empty deceit, human traditions, and the worship of other spiritual beings, Paul points the Colossians to the reality that Jesus claimed and proved to be God in the flesh when he rose from the dead. This Jesus is the one who makes “peace by the blood of his cross.”

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Colossians 1:15-20

Jesus, as the “image of the invisible God”, is the only one in history who could overcome the schemes of the serpent. Therefore, true life - whether it be spiritual vitality or earthly fulfillment - can be exclusively found through placing our faith and trust in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to crush the serpent on our behalf. For those who trust in this New Covenant promise, Jesus’ powerful rule is able to forgive our sins and send the Holy Spirit to make YHWH’s kingdom place in our hearts forevermore. Thus, followers of Jesus become God’s redeemed kingdom people as we form new communities across the world “NOW”. In Colossae, we learn that this gospel of the kingdom results in a new type of garden-like community who would (1) love God by walking in a deep, mysterious, and unified relationship “with Christ in God” and (2) love others by dying to the temptations of the flesh and living in harmonious shalom with one another! This kingdom of people that has been forgiven by Jesus and united by the Holy Spirit would be the “body” that spreads God’s glory as it blesses the nations by following the rule of the Father!

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:3–17

In theory, this kingdom idea seems nice, but there are very real obstacles. Although the serpent has been crushed and lost its venom of sin and death, the lingering effects of the serpent’s kingdom continue to create hostility in our world. In order to wrestle with our remaining serpent-like sinful human condition, let’s now follow Paul’s letter to the Roman church. In the 1st century, the church in Rome that had been established by a band of Jews was now severely divided when the founding Jewish members were exiled out of Rome by Emperor Claudius leaving the remaining Gentiles to lead the church. When the Jews were allowed to return 5 years later, the community inevitably had to settle its own internal disputes between the two factions. Watch how Paul speaks directly into to this messy situation by leveling the playing field based on the fallen sinful nature of humanity!

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. - Romans 1:18-32
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. - Romans 3:19-20, 23-25

Paul had recognized that God’s image-bearers who remained in the fallen flesh had grown in their pride and elevated their hearts over their brothers and sisters, just as God had warned regarding the kings of Israel years ago. In response, Paul points out everyone’s corrupt sinful nature in order to humble the entire church and remind the Romans that following Jesus meant denying the throne of our own flesh and placing God on His rightful throne in our lives by following the Spirit!

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? - Romans 7:21-24
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. - Romans 8:1–4.

The entire gospel of the kingdom begins with the reestablished rule of the Davidic Messiah over the serpent who had been defanged of sin and death. Romans affirms that for anyone who believes in the sacrificial work of Jesus, there is now “no more condemnation” as our sins have been eternally forgiven and we have now become God’s place through the power of the Holy Spirit in this life and the next. The result is a new type of kingdom people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit “NOW” to (1) love God through sacrifice and discernment and to (2) love others, even amidst this divisive situation between Jew and Gentile! Once again, the faith of this kingdom community would be the vessel that spread God’s blessing to the nations.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:1–2
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:9–21

Yet what happens when the situation is so dire that it is hard to live this kind of kingdom lifestyle? In situations where the “spirit is willing” but the “flesh is weak”, it is so crucial to hold onto key phrases, songs, creeds, or sayings that remind us of the gospel of the kingdom. Near the end of his kingdom travels, Paul found himself locked in prison several times. On one occasion, Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to hold onto this beautiful song which may have encouraged Paul while he was in prison.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11

The King of this heavenly kingdom is incredibly humble! Jesus willingly let go of his powerful rule as God in order to become human and pay the penalty that was due for ALL sins on the cross. Later in the letter, Paul goes on to remind the Philippians that by faith in this New Covenant sacrifice and promise, we can share in the righteousness of Jesus as our sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit dwells in us forever! The song also reminds us that as a result of Jesus’ actions, God took his “suffering servant” and exalted him as the victorious ruler of all things. Today, this early christian hymn is a reminder for all of those who now possess the Spirit of God (place) that they are kingdom people being empowered by the same Spirit that empowered Jesus to (1) love God and (2) love others. Therefore as Christians, we can use our renewed delegated rule to overcome the schemes of the serpent kingdom, conquering our pride in this life (just as Jesus did) and experiencing resurrection in the next (just as Jesus did)!

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3:7–11
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. - Philippians 4:8

As a result of the gospel of the kingdom, disciples of Jesus are entirely free to live righteously through the power of the Holy Spirit “NOW”. However, one challenge the early church faced was reconciling what this new freedom meant for the 613 + Jewish laws that the religious leaders strictly enforced on the community of Israel. Paul’s letter to the Galatians reminds this local church that the righteousness of people like Abraham was and has always been based on faith in the covenant promises of God made at the time. Now, in light of the promises of Jesus and the New Covenant work on the cross, Paul’s true and simple gospel invitation is that anyone can come to Him by faith in his substitutionary sacrifice - an act that the law had always been foreshadowing (see Leviticus)!

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:19-20
Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. - Galatians 3:6–9

Now that Jesus has crushed the serpent and reestablished his rule, the New Covenant promise was that the people of faith would have their sins washed away and the law of God would forever be written on their hearts via the Spirit of God! Instead of being coerced to do something by an enforced law, the Holy Spirit lives in us (place) to fuel and empower His people to (1) love God by walking in obedience to His ways and (2) love others via the “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives. This type of kingdom lifestyle speaks volumes to the surrounding community and can have a tremendous impact and blessing to all of the nations!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. - Galatians 5:1, 13
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. - Galatians 5:16–26
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. - Galatians 6:9–10

Are you seeing the pattern here? Yes, the gospel of the kingdom starts and is entirely dependent upon Jesus crushing the serpent on the cross and defanging it of sin and death! However, don’t miss that the gospel of the kingdom continues on through God’s people who have become God’s place and have developed a craving to follow God’s good kingdom rule! The faithless nations who continue to suffer under the serpent kingdom, will undoubtedly be blessed by this new and alternative kingdom community that wields a message of freedom and victory over the serpent by faith! Yet as we have seen, there can be so many serpent-like factors that remain a part of our fallen world that keep us from this kingdom of God. Consider the book of 1st Corinthians set in the city of Corinth which is rather comparable to the Bay Area. In this port city and central hub for culture, wisdom, and religious thought, Paul goes out of his way to remind the church that the beautiful wisdom of God is found in the cross (hopefully you can see that by now). However, in the eyes of the world, the message of an impoverished Jewish servant who died a horrific death and claimed to rise from the dead is outright foolishness. That is why when the Corinthian followers of Jesus had fallen prey to the “wisdom of the world”, Paul reminds the church of their true spiritual identity!

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

The wisdom of the cross is that Jesus has established the rule of YHWH by crushing the power of sin and death wielded by the serpent! By faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, our sins are eternally forgiven so that God’s place becomes our hearts. As 1 Corinthians reminds us, our bodies literally become the living temple of God! As a result, we become God’s people who are “NOW” empowered to (1) love God by obeying Him and spread His message and (2) love others by utilizing the gifts of the Spirit we have been given to serve in the family of God!

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19–23.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body… Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. - 1 Corinthians 12:4-20, 27.

The kingdom of God begins with God’s powerful rule - the victory of Jesus on the cross and the forgiveness of sins available through him alone! It is only by faith in Jesus that we receive the gracious blessings of the kingdom when our sins are cleansed and the Holy Spirit dwells in us - making us the temple place of God “NOW”! From that moment forward, we become God’s kingdom people who learn to (1) love God once more by walking with him in obedience and (2) love others in the way we interact with His kingdom family. This radical love becomes the signal that the kingdom of God has come to earth as it is in heaven and can continue to break through “NOW” in this fallen world!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. - 1 Corinthians 13:1–8.

3Crosses Church 7/5/23 3Crosses Church 7/5/23

5. Share the Gospel + Life Group Discussion Questions

Week 8 • Day 5

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Week 8 Life Group Discussion Questions

We are two weeks away from finishing! Hang in there!

This week we talked about the serpent-crushing messiah named Jesus! However, many people struggle to believe that Jesus is nothing more than a 1st century carpenter and a good teacher. This week, we encourage you to watch a video from the world renown program named Alpha that discusses who Jesus is.

Share the Gospel Video:

Watch on YouTube

Week 8 Life Group Discussion Questions

PROJECT: Have 2-3 people share their Old Testament kingdom discoveries
Question: What observations / reflections / or prayers stood out to you this week?

Jesus Origins: Jesus, the descendant of Abraham from the line of David, has been identified as the Bible’s next candidate to bring salvation to God’s people under the reign of sin in order to bring them back to God’s family under God’s rule in God’s presence. The 4 gospel accounts document Jesus’ life so that you would come to believe that He is the promised serpent-crusher!

Question: Given our time meditating on the Old Testament, is your reaction to Jesus any different? If so, how? If not, explain why? How would you speak to someone who says that the Old Testament is now irrelevant or there is a difference between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New testament?

Jesus Life and Death: When Jesus walked the earth, he gave his followers a picture of what his kingdom powerful rule looked like and how it can be used to love others and share the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom. Moreover, just as Jesus delegated his kingdom powerful rule to his followers over 2000 years ago, he has delegated his power to his followers today. Let’s be encouraged to use the power that Jesus has given us to go out and share the love of God through physical acts and the good news of his kingdom with everyone we meet.

Question: What does being empowered by Jesus mean like to you? How can you be a part of God’s plan to reveal Jesus and his kingdom here on earth? Ask God to reveal to you how He wants to use you to share the love of Jesus and the kingdom of God with others!

Jesus Resurrection, Ascension, and Return: The Gospel of the Kingdom is centered on the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Without each of these elements Jesus would be just another man. Instead, Jesus is able to reign as the king of kings because of his victory over the serpent, sin, and death. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is establishing a kingdom of people who routinely deny the flesh, trust the rule of his Spirit, and live as God’s place with His presence in them. One day, Jesus will return to reverse all things marked by the kingdom of sin! This is the gospel of the kingdom!

Question: At the beginning of this series, we asked you to define the gospel message. Now that we have discussed Jesus, how would you define the gospel? What in your mind has been solidified or clarified about your understanding of the gospel? What has changed (if anything)? What has been the most satisfying aspect of the gospel for you considering where we have been so far?

Acts: Acts seeks to answer this question; how would a strictly Jewish message about a Jewish King become good news that is meant to spread “to the nations” considering the surrounding cultural and traditional differences in God’s cosmic place? The kingdom of Jesus is not exclusive to any race, language or culture – His place is composed of those from every tribe, tongue and nation. It is the reality that wherever you come from, the Holy Spirit cleanses you of your sin and you are adopted into God’s kingdom family of people. Then, you yourself become God’s place and His representative in your community!

Question: Where do you think God is recalibrating your understanding of His kingdom? How is that recalibration motivating you to participate in the unstoppable work of the Holy Spirit as His kingdom spreads on earth as it is in heaven?

3Crosses Church 7/5/23 3Crosses Church 7/5/23

4. The Multi-Ethnic Kingdom Place

Week 8 • Day 4

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Share the Gospel

“Paul had come to believe that Jesus couldn’t simply be added on to the earlier picture of God’s rescuing kingdom. The shocking unexpected events of the Messiah’s death and resurrection, coupled with the dramatic sense of personal renewal for which the only explanation was the outpoured divine spirit, meant that everything had changed. A new world had been launched. And if people were trying to live in that new world while wanting at the same time to put on a good face before people who hadn’t realized just how radical this new world was, they were precisely ‘putting on a face,’ playing a part, covering up reality with a mask. They were, in short, play acting.’ The Greek word for ‘playacting’ is hypokrisis, from which we get the English term ‘hypocrisy’.” - Paul, A Biography by NT Wright, p. 145-146

After the resurrected King Jesus ascends to take His throne in victory over the kingdom of sin and death, he proceeds to initiate the final phase of the gospel of the kingdom that we have been tracing throughout this series: that His kingdom place would extend far and wide and take His blessing and glory to all nations! The book of Acts shows us how Jesus turns the nations into His kingdom place through the message of Jesus and the gospel of the kingdom. One by one, God was on a mission to adopt the nations into the kingdom family of people and establish His loving rule over them as the everlasting King of Kings.

The book of Acts seeks to answer this question; how would a strictly Jewish message about a Jewish King become good news that is meant to spread “to the nations” considering the surrounding cultural and traditional differences in God’s cosmic place?

Recall that even Jesus’ disciples had a Jewish Kingdom in mind! Here is the answer that Jesus gives his disciples when they ask the question about the kingdom:

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:6-8

Jesus is anticipating something BIGGER and cosmic in scope! Verse 8 outlines the journey the disciples would take as they proceed to extend God’s place to the ends of the earth. As many Jews traveled from around the area to Jerusalem for the Feast of Firstfruits, this happens:

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. - Acts 2:4

God establishes His kingdom place not by living in a tabernacle or a temple. His Spirit now resides in the hearts of His people who have faith in Jesus! Anywhere His people go, He would dwell with them and establish His rule there. That is good news!

The Holy Spirit brings the same loving and powerful kingdom rule that Jesus had on earth. Love, truth, and restoration begin to flood Jerusalem through the disciples. In the following chapters, we see Peter miraculously breaking out of prison, healing the lame, and boldly proclaiming the good news that cut to the heart of many listeners:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” - Acts 2:37- 40

As the Holy Spirit drew more and more people to himself, small kingdom communities began to form offering a new way of life centered around the loving and purpose driven rule of Jesus. God’s kingdom place was spreading on earth as it is in heaven in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. - Acts 4:32-35

A new kind of multi-ethnic familial community of people centered full of love, generosity, and purpose! That is good news!

The Jewish religious leaders, who had thought they had overcome this Jesus movement, were not happy that their religion was being undermined by someone who had claimed to fulfill it. Stephen, one of the men who was chosen to serve the growing “church” network, says this to his Jewish audience:

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” - Acts 7:51

Stephen became the first martyr for these comments at the hands of the religious leaders forcing the now persecuted Christians to flee. Yet, the Holy Spirit could not be stopped as His kingdom place scattered! In fact, God used this persecution to bring the gospel to Samaria and an Ethiopian Eunuch through Phillip. And oh by the way, Saul, the religious leader who led the stoning of Stephen, God miraculously grabs hold of him too!

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. - Acts 9:3-9

From here on out, Acts shows how the kingdom of God begins to “break loose” as it moves into various non-Jewish (Gentile) places. Here is what Peter, one of the most prominent Jews, hears when dealing with Cornelius, a Gentile who had come to fear the God of the Jews.

But the voice spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean’” - Acts 9:3-9

The cleansing of sins is now available to all nations! That is Good News!

This merging of places between the Jewish tradition and the Gentile world, however, was anything but smooth and easy. Paul writes in Galatians 2 about a confrontation between himself and the Apostle Peter over Jewish customs and traditions that Paul believed must now be seen in the light of the free justification provided through Christ’s death and resurrection.

“But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision” - Galatians 2:11-12
“I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?” “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law” - Galatians 2:14b-16

It was going to take a special effort to reconcile the various cultures and traditions in order to unite the Jews and the Gentile world in one kingdom place. Yet once again, the Holy Spirit could not be stopped! After the famous Jerusalem council affirmed the Spirit’s work amongst the Gentiles, the second half of Acts goes on to follow Paul, formerly known as Saul, who sets out on 3 different missionary journeys to share the message of Jesus and the gospel of the kingdom to anyone and everyone who would listen across the empire place of Rome! As a Jew, Paul is able to speak into their culture, yet as a citizen of Rome, he is able to empathize with the cultural influences that had been permeating each society in the Roman Empire.

To the Jews I became a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:20-23

Through this radical and revolutionary theme - the salvation of the nations - that the Holy Spirit unfolds in the book of Acts, as well as from my experience in cross-cultural missions and the Bay Area, I have come to love and celebrate the multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-lingual expression of the kingdom of God! I believe that this truth about God’s kingdom has direct implications in modern-day American culture, as well. The kingdom of Jesus is not exclusive to any race, language or culture – His place is composed of those from every tribe, tongue and nation. It is the reality that wherever you come from, the Holy Spirit cleanses you of your sin and you are adopted into God’s kingdom family of people. Then, you yourself become God’s place and His representative in your community!

The book of Acts concludes with Paul reaching Rome to preach the gospel in the midst of one of the most powerful earthly kingdoms the world has ever known.

He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. - Acts 28:30-31

The kingdom of God was being established right under the roof of the Roman Empire place. We are left to wonder, would the most powerful earthly kingdom place be able to quench the work of the Holy Spirit as God works to spread His kingdom place? Which kingdom would ultimately prevail?

Share the Gospel: The Gospel of the Kingdom is centered on the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Without each of these elements Jesus would be just another man. Instead, Jesus is able to reign as the king of kings because of his victory over the serpent, sin, and death. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is establishing a kingdom of people who routinely deny the flesh, trust the rule of his Spirit, and live as God’s place with His presence in them. One day, Jesus will return to reverse all things marked by the kingdom of sin! This is the gospel of the kingdom!

3Crosses Church 7/5/23 3Crosses Church 7/5/23

3. Creating a New Covenant People

Week 8 • Day 3

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Jesus as Our Ransom and Victor
God’s People - The New Covenant
God's Family of People
Jesus as the King of Kings
The Kingdom of Jesus vs. The Kingdom of the Serpent
Share the Gospel

Doesn’t death seem so final? In death, there is no more movement, words, wisdom, fun, affection, you fill in the blank. But if we look at the loved ones in our life who have died, do we really believe that their stories end so abruptly? There’s got to be more, right?

I still remember the stories of the people in my life who have died. My grandad would wash the ice off of a popsicle and sit with me on the front porch. My grandma would tell me how she used to do her chores when she lived on the farm. Sure their legacy will live on, but they continue on only as stories that my family shares with one another. But have you ever wondered what will happen 100 years from now when my grandparents, their stories, or even you and I are all but forgotten?

The death of Jesus on the cross must have seemed so final in the eyes of his followers. They probably asked how can the one who claimed to be the promised messianic king die such a horrific death? Didn’t he claim to be God? Was he lying to us or maybe even crazy? Will he too fade into history as yet another distant memory?

Jesus’ impact and legacy only gets better after his death.

After living an earthly life as the all-powerful king over all things and laying down his own life to die a sacrificial death on the cross, we now move on to His resurrection!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. - Luke 24:1-8

JESUS AS OUR RANSOM AND VICTOR

Jesus knew that whenever His image-bearers bent their knee to the serpent, the penalty they would face is death. Death is the ultimate end of the personal choice to bow down to the serpent and abandon the one true God who sustains life itself. Combine that personal choice with the reality of God’s wrath against all things unholy and you wind up with a rather ugly final destination - eternal condemnation in a place called hell. All this to say, Jesus knew that in order to redeem God’s people from the fangs of the serpent, he would need to pay the ultimate price. If he was going to become an adequate substitute for sinners, Jesus would need to “allow the serpent to bite his heel” and taste death. Additionally, Jesus would need to experience the total abandonment of God the Father on behalf of all sinners who would walk away from Him, pledge their allegiance to the serpent, and take their own thrones. That is why on the cross, Jesus both gave himself as a ransom payment to the serpent and drank the cup of God’s wrath against all sinful actions on behalf of all of those who would align their ways with the enemy serpent kingdom. Needless to say, this was not a cheap ransom to pay to rescue God’s people.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” - Mark 15:34
You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. - 1 Peter 1:18–19

But here is the good news: death did not have the final word! After Jesus was buried, some of his followers went back to his tomb hoping to finish preparations for the corpse of Jesus (per their customs). When they got there, however, something was different. Jesus was not there! Soon, His followers would be reminded of Jesus’ teachings on the events that were destined to take place. Jesus predicted that he would rise from the grave into resurrected life.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” - Luke 24:44–47

You might be skeptical about a real human being - who also claims to be God - rising from the dead. Is it necessary to believe in something as outlandish as a Jewish man who lived 2000 years ago named Jesus who cheated death in order to believe in the gospel of the kingdom?

In short, the answer is a resounding YES! Why? If the consequence of sin is death and Jesus remained dead, then it would be reasonable to conclude that the serpent still ruled over Jesus. His sacrificial act would be all for nothing because Jesus, like the rest of the Old Testament saints, could not conquer sin and the kingdom of the serpent. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, it would mean that the serpent bit his heel and Jesus did not reciprocally crush the serpent's head. However, since Jesus did rise from the grave in His own power, it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus’ sacrifice had worked! Jesus truly had no sin in him and death would not be able to maintain its grasp on Jesus! Death had been defeated and through the victorious risen Jesus, the serpent and sin had been conquered once and for all!

Even though Jesus let the serpent bite his heel on the cross, Jesus used the opportunity to crush the head of the serpent once and for all! This was God’s plan all along! Jesus climbed out from the pit of death and has emerged victorious over the kingdom of the serpent!

But wait…the good news gets even better!

It’s a beautiful reality that Jesus - the long awaited Messiah from the line of David - has crushed the serpent! But what does the resurrection of Jesus have to do with the rest of humanity? It’s nice that Jesus defeated sin and death, but would anyone else be able to taste that victory alongside of him? How would God bring forth the gospel of the kingdom through this act on the cross? Where do God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule fit into all of this?

GOD’S PEOPLE - THE NEW COVENANT

Recall that the Hebrew Bible anticipates the formation of a New Covenant embedded in the hearts of God’s people. This New Covenant takes place when the hearts of men and women are cleansed of their sin so that God would be able to put a new Spirit in His people. Sure enough, right before he heads to the cross, Jesus mentions that it is better that he “goes away” so that this Helper-Spirit would come!

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. - John 16:7-15

However there is one major problem. The lesson that we learned from the tabernacle and the temple is that God’s holy presence (in this case the Holy Spirit) amongst things that are either impure or unholy brought destruction rather than blessing. That is why it is so crucial that first, anything sinful or impure in the lives of humanity must be washed away.

Here is the AMAZING reality! Yesterday, we mentioned that the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus takes on the punishment due our past, present, and future sins. In Jesus, our sins have been washed away. Now, we see that the spotless lifeblood of Christ can simultaneously prepare our hearts to receive the promised Holy Spirit. Thus in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit quite literally turns our bodies into God’s kingdom place where He resides permanently!

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - Matthew 26:28
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… - Acts 2:1–4

Remember how Jesus commissions His followers to go out into their communities, towns, cities, and to the whole world in order to meet the deepest needs of all image-bearers? Now we see that along the way, the Holy Spirit would use His rule to live inside of His Kingdom people and empower them with the same powerful rule that Jesus had in his ministry.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. - John 14:12–14

As a result, this kingdom mission that had begun on this mountaintop in Galilee would fulfill the ultimate purpose of the kingdom that the Hebrew Bible had long been anticipating: God was going to bless all the nations through the promised descendant of Abraham! God’s newly rescued and restored people would live with God’s reestablished powerful rule written on their hearts and with the Holy Spirit dwelling inside them making them God’s kingdom place!

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:6-8

So here is the million dollar question…how does someone become a member of this kingdom family of people!

GOD’S FAMILY OF PEOPLE

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. - John 3:14-18

Here is the question the Bible asks of us — in whose kingdom will you and I put our faith? Will we place our trust in the kingdom way of the serpent who tempts us to become like God by adhering to our own knowledge of “good” and “evil”? Or will we be like Noah who trusts in God’s kingdom way when he was called to build an ark, Abraham when he was called to sacrifice his promised son, Moses when he was called to lead Israel out of Egypt, Joshua or David when they are called to rule God’s people in the promised land? Each of these figures were given unique commands and/or promises from God so that they may have the opportunity to place their trust in the ways of YHWH.

In the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus, we have all been given a new set of promises. Will we put our faith in Jesus, that he is the powerful ruler who lived the sinless life that we could never live, that he died the death we deserve to rescue His people by conquering sin and death, and is now leading us to become temple places of His Holy Spirit?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved - Romans 10:9

By faith in the gospel of the kingdom; through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you and I can exist under God’s loving rule, as part of God’s family of people living as God’s place wherever we go!

But wait…the good news gets EVEN BETTER!

JESUS AS THE KING OF KINGS

Not only did Jesus pay the penalty of sin that we deserve, rise from the dead, forgive our sins, and send us the Holy Spirit on this earth, but Jesus’ final act was to ascend into Heaven to sit on the throne as the living King over all things on earth at the right hand of God!

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight… - Acts 1:9-11

The gospel of the kingdom is completed as Jesus steps past the crushed serpent and climbs back up the steps of His cosmic temple to take His throne once more! Jesus reigns over ALL! The serpent's head has been crushed! And if we have faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit lives in us - the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead - we too will experience victory and life abundantly…not only in this life, but for THE REST OF ETERNITY!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. - Romans 8:11
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25–26

You may be wondering if Jesus defeated the kingdom of the serpent and he reigns over all, then why do we still experience sin in this world? Why wait so long to give us this glorious life and existence? Here is where we can once more note that the gospel of the kingdom through Jesus addresses the deepest root cause of all issues: crushing the serpent. Yes, Jesus has defeated the source of all sin, yet for the time being, God has saw fit to maintain His world with the effects of the serpent kingdom still intact. This includes the curses of Genesis that were cast on the ground by God, the same dust of the earth that makes up our flesh and is responsible for so much temptation, strife, and decay. However, now that we do live in this state of tension between the Holy Spirit inside of us and the brokenness of the flesh around us, each of us faces a new garden-like choice daily. Every day we are faced with different opportunities to bring glory to God by denying our flesh and placing our trust in the Spirit of God! As a result, this present suffering of denying the flesh in favor of following the Spirit actually becomes the catalyst that leads to a deeper and more abiding relationship with God. As all of creation, then, continues to move toward the final restoration of all things, the ascension of Jesus reminds us that he is (and always has been) on the throne at the right hand of God as King of Kings.

But wait…the good news DOESN’T END HERE!

THE KINGDOM OF JESUS VS. THE KINGDOM OF THE SERPENT

In the earliest passages of Acts, the Bible tells us that one day Jesus will return to utterly destroy the kingdom effects that the serpent had left behind in his wake! The final piece of good news is that not only has the serpent’s head been crushed today, but the effects of the serpent kingdom will one day be completely restored!

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:9-11

So what do we do until He returns? Simple: we follow Jesus! We (1) love God with everything we have and (2) love those around us in everything we do! In everything we do, we have our sights set on becoming “fishers of men” as we boldly proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and to make disciples of the King. How are you “fishing” for your neighbors and coworkers? Have you ever shared the reason why your life isn’t so “serpent-like” in the flesh and more “Jesus-like” in the Spirit? This week, help one other person take their next step toward freedom from the kingdom of the serpent and freedom to live in the kingdom of Jesus by following his Spirit. Maybe it is your nephew who has just put his faith in Christ, helping him understand the love of Christ. Maybe it is your next door neighbor who has been following Christ for a few years, teaching them how to share their faith with others. Whoever it is and whatever their next step is, help them take that next step by helping them understand how Jesus is the powerful ruler we have been looking for, how Jesus died as our substitute so that we could be adopted into God’s family of people, how Jesus paid the full price and rose in victory over sin so that we could possess the Holy Spirit to become His kingdom place wherever we go, and how Jesus reigns over all things as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

3Crosses Church 7/5/23 3Crosses Church 7/5/23

2. The Powerful Rule of Jesus

Week 8 • Day 2

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Jump to:
God’s Rule - Reversing the Effects of the Serpent
God’s Rule - The Forgiveness of Sins
God’s Rule - Restored Delegated Rule of Humanity
Jesus as Our Moral Example
Jesus as our Serpent-Crushing Substitute
God’s Rule in Our Lives
Share the Gospel

Up to this point, God’s kingdom people have been suffering the consequences of their original choice to submit to the kingdom of the serpent. As a result, this serpent-like heart posture has caused God’s image-bearers to engage in rampant sin bringing hurt, suffering, pain, and ultimately death into the world. Humanity had abandoned God’s kingdom rule, were excluded from God’s kingdom place, and longed for the day that God would restore all things. However,...

The serpent proved to be no match against the power of God found in Jesus; the true ruler of all things!

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” - Matthew 9:35-38

GOD’S RULE - REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE SERPENT

The miracles, restorations, and healings performed by Jesus are AMAZING examples of God’s powerful kingdom rule over our fallen world that has been marked by the kingdom of the serpent. Luke, a physician in the business of physical ailments and care for the marginalized, spends an inordinate amount of time recording Jesus expressing powerful kingdom rule by healing every kind of disease and sickness.

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” - Luke 4:40-41
And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. - Luke 7:22

Matthew writes his gospel account highlighting the deep Jewish roots of Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule. That is why many of the miracles that Jesus performs are grounded in the imagery of the long awaited messiah that have been painted in the Hebrew Bible.

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” - Matthew 8:16-17

John documents several of Jesus’ miraculous works so that all people might believe that Jesus is the Christ - the one who wields the powerful rule over all things.

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. - John 6:9-11

Finally, the earliest gospel written by Mark, a co-worker of Peter, had a vested interest in portraying Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule over all things in his Roman context. Even the spiritual realm that animated the nations - including the Roman Empire - could not withstand the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” - Mark 1:23–27

GOD’S RULE - THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

While these miracles, healings, and wonders are REMARKABLE signs of the rule that Jesus had over the realm controlled by the serpent, the Hebrew Scriptures help us recognize that the truest and deepest extent of Jesus’ powerful kingdom rule would come through the “healing of the heart”. From the beginning, Jesus’ kingdom mission was not solely aimed at physical restoration and the healing of the flesh. Rather, these ailments and diseases were outward symptoms caused by a deeper spiritual problem; namely that all of humanity had followed Adam and Eve and had succumbed to the serpent. Therefore, Jesus uses his rule to reach all the way to the source of the issue in order to COMPLETELY dethrone the serpent. Jesus’ kingdom rule was so powerful and reached so deep into the heart that he even had the ability to wipe away sin whose fangs had gripped the hearts of God’s image-bearers since the very beginning!

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” - Mark 2:5-7
And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” - Luke 7:41–50
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” …“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. - Matthew 9:2-3, 6–8
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. - John 8:10-11

It would be these localized acts of forgiveness that affirmed Jesus’ identity as the greater Moses and the greater Elijah who would rescue God’s people from the rule of the serpent back into God’s kingdom!

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him….He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. - Matthew 17:2, 5

GOD’S RULE - RESTORED DELEGATED RULE OF HUMANITY

Recall that God has two desired outcomes for His image-bearers whose sins are forgiven and who choose to follow God’s kingdom rule. First, God desires to restore the intimate and loving relationship that humanity once experienced with God. Establishing God’s kingdom rule meant restoring a garden-like relationship with YHWH; one in which God walks alongside His people and God’s people reciprocally trust His wisdom to discern good and bad in this world. Second, flowing out of a relationship with God, God’s desire is to see His people live in shalom with one another as they are fruitful and multiply. Establishing God’s kingdom rule meant restoring a garden-like relationship with each other; one in which humans lovingly cooperate with one another as they work with the raw materials of creation around them to advance human civilization in harmony.

In essence, God’s image-bearers have always been called to use their renewed delegated rule to (1) love God and (2) love others. In fulfilling this purpose, God’s people of shalom spread God’s blessing and glory to all of the nations. Sure enough, Jesus’ teaching ministry is centered precisely on these fundamental kingdom ethics! Yes, Jesus would heal ailments, forgive sins, and reverse many effects of the serpent in his lifetime, but the gospel of the kingdom suggests that this was all aimed at reestablishing God’s rule in God’s place over God’s people!

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40

JESUS AS OUR MORAL EXAMPLE

Have you wondered what it would be like to walk with God in a perfectly loving relationship and radically trust in His rule? Have you wondered what it looks like to truly love others well? Jesus uses His delegated rule as fully-human and fully-God to live a life without sin. In other words, Jesus followed the ruling commandments of God the Father to perfection! That is why Jesus becomes our example of what it means to live as a restored kingdom image-bearer here on earth!

First, Jesus uses his delegated rule to perfectly love God. Jesus listens, obeys, and trusts the ruling commands of God the Father as he walks with Him, even when Jesus humanly did not want to follow through with what God was asking. By obeying God’s commands with full and complete trust in God’s rule, Jesus becomes the human who would never bend the knee to the kingdom of the serpent. This is why Jesus can authoritatively teach his disciples that loving God, abiding in him, and obeying his commands are inextricably intertwined.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17–18
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” - John 5:19
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” - Mark 14:8-6
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. - John 14:30–31

Teaching

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - John 15:4–11

Second, Jesus uses his delegated rule to perfectly love others. Jesus makes it a priority to meet the needs of other people around him, particularly the outcasts and marginalized of society. By becoming a servant of all, Jesus sets the example of a new and radical kind of selfless love for others and shalom amidst His kingdom family of people! This is also why Jesus can authoritatively teach on what it looks like to love others according to his standard.

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand... If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” - John 13:5-7, 14-15

Teaching

...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Mark 10:43b - 45

These two factors make Jesus’ life the standard of righteous living in God’s kingdom. Jesus is our moral example! If you want to know what it’s like to use our delegated rule as image-bearers to love God and love others, look to Jesus! If you want to know whether you are using your delegated rule to love God and love others well, ask yourself if your life looks like you are following Christ! As Colossians 1:15 says, “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…”

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28–30

JESUS AS OUR SERPENT-CRUSHING SUBSTITUTE

According to the gospels, it wasn’t merely his healings and wonders, moral fortitude, localized acts of forgiveness, teachings, or blameless life that allowed Jesus to dethrone the serpent. Jesus’ life only showed that he possessed the ruling power to overcome the schemes of the serpent kingdom. However, Jesus’ blameless life does set the stage for his ultimate act! Since Jesus is sinless as fully man and also eternally sinless as fully God, he qualifies as the eternally spotless lamb who can offer himself for the sins of ALL humanity once and for all time!

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! - John 1:29

In the ultimate act of humble love for God’s image-bearing people and perfect obedience to the rule of his Heavenly Father, Jesus willingly lays down his life in order to become the sacrifice that would provide the spotless lifeblood needed to eternally atone for ALL sins across ALL time. Since Jesus was eternally righteous, he did not deserve to die. Death is the inevitable consequence of sin. Without sin, there is no death. On the other hand, all sinners who have ever bowed their knee to the serpent deserve the death that is coming for them. So why did Jesus die? Jesus, the promised son of God, willingly and humbly laid down his own life as a substitute so that God incarnate could eternally take the place of sinners globally.

At the cross, Jesus took upon himself the punishment that all of humanity deserves so that we may not have to. Hallelujah!

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the world. - John 15:13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 2:2

Jesus’ ultimate act as the ruler over all things was one of humility. Essentially, Jesus hands over all his power for the sake of rescuing His kingdom people everywhere from the kingdom of the serpent once and for all. At the cross, we receive the clearest picture of the type of loving king Jesus actually is! At the same time, the gospel of the kingdom had been set in motion. On the cross Jesus allowed himself to be struck on the heel by the serpent. Little did the serpent know, JESUS WOULD HAVE THE LAST WORD!

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. -- Mark 8:31-33

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” - John 10:17–18

GOD’S RULE IN OUR LIVES

If you are a follower of Jesus, you too have had your delegated rule restored so that you as God’s image-bearers might (1) love God by obeying His commands and (2) love one another by becoming servants of all! How do we do this? Simple: we follow Jesus! Just as Jesus had compassion on the people because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd, we ought to pray compassionately for those who are harassed, put down, living in poverty, marginalized, oppressed and on the fringes of life. Then, as we pray, we ought to listen and obey fully trusting that God will lead each and every one of us to participate in the gospel of the kingdom on earth. Followers of Jesus can become servants of all by the actions we take to meet the physical and emotional needs of others around us!

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….” - Matthew 6:9–10

At the same time, we know that the powerful rule of Jesus was targeted to crush the serpent - the deepest spiritual heart issue of our world today! That is why the overarching command (or commission) of God is to share the core message of the gospel of the kingdom - that the serpent has been crushed, that Jesus has died as an eternal substitute for us as sinners, that a rescue hatch has been opened for us to return to the Kingdom of God, and that true life and satisfaction can be found by becoming a disciple of Jesus!

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20

How do we get people to grasp the gospel of the kingdom? We can know and trust that if you are part of God’s kingdom, God will be with you to the end of the age! We will explore this idea more tomorrow. For now, it is wonderful to meditate on the powerful rule of Jesus’ that allowed him to (1) love God with a trust that led him to a cross and (2) love others with a love that drove him to become the servant of all. As Jesus was locally preaching, teaching, healing, and forgiving, he had his sight locked onto the ultimate liberation of ALL people from the kingdom of the serpent. In the same way, followers of Jesus have been given the power to make Jesus and his kingdom known through generous acts of power and love, yet our sights ought to remain on the message of the gospel of the kingdom found in Jesus that addresses the core issue of humanity! Thus, as we use our own delegated rule to love God and love others in the power of Jesus, the kingdom of God comes to earth as it is in heaven through us!

What does this look like? Although we may not be able to calm a storm on the sea as Jesus did, we do have the power to calm an argument between our spouse and ourselves and even others. We may not be able to feed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread as Jesus did, but we can find ways to feed, cloth and help those who are hungry, tired and in need. We may not be able to walk on water, but we can do things that we would not be able to do within our own strength! And most of all, we weren’t the ones who died on a cross to save a world full of people, but we can share the gospel of the kingdom with others because the message of Jesus has the power to free anyone from the kingdom of the serpent!

Share the Gospel: When Jesus walked the earth, he gave his followers a picture of what his kingdom powerful rule looked like and how it can be used to love others and share the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom. Moreover, just as Jesus delegated his kingdom powerful rule to his followers over 2000 years ago, he has delegated his power to his followers today. Let’s be encouraged to use the power that Jesus has given us to go out and share the love of God through physical acts and the good news of his kingdom with everyone we meet.

3Crosses Church 7/5/23 3Crosses Church 7/5/23

1. The King is Here!

Week 8 • Day 1

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Share the Gospel

Let’s soak it all in for a moment! Here is what - or “who” rather - the entire Hebrew Scriptures has been anticipating up to this moment:

The seed of Eve who will crush the serpent and allow the serpent to strike his heel.
The Abel and Noah-like servant of God who would remain faithful to God’s rule of “good” and “evil” amidst a sinful generation.
The descendant of Abraham who will extend God’s blessings to all nations.
The substitute ram of God who would be sacrificed in the place of Abraham’s children of promise.
The Isaac-like promised son who would willingly give his life as a sacrifice in obedience to his father trusting that God would raise his life from the grave.
The Joseph-like ruler who would rise from the pit of death to the throne of power.
The king from Jacob who will take the scepter to rule from the tribe of Judah.
The Moses-like prophet who will rescue God’s people from their serpent enemy.
The eternally blameless “passover lamb” whose blood will forever atone for sins.
The new High Priest who will grant God’s people permanent access to the Lord’s dwelling place and intercede on their behalf.
The one who will give Israel a new heart to listen and obey (shema) the ruling commands of God.
The Joshua-like leader who will conquer the enemies of God and lead His people back into His promised kingdom place.
The Judge, the Lawgiver, and the King who will be chosen by God to eternally rule from the lineage of David with true justice and righteousness.
The David-like King who will conquer temptation and pride then humbly seek after God’s own heart all the days of his life.
The Solomon-like King who will lead God’s people to the incredible blessings, splendor, wisdom, and peace of God in God’s kingdom place.
The Good Shepherd who will protect and lead God’s people by inaugurating a New Covenant which places God’s Spirit in their hearts to rule over them.
The Suffering Servant who would bear the iniquities of sin and lead His people to the New Temple place in which “God is there!”
The Everlasting Messiah who will be like a son to God.
The Servant of God who is full of wisdom and will remain faithful to his covenant “hesed” relationship with YHWH even in the bleakest of circumstances.
The one like a Son of Man who will approach the throne of God on behalf of humanity and establish an everlasting kingdom over the kingdom of the serpent.
The King who will rebuild God’s kingdom place that would bless all people from every nation, tribe, and tongue by living under God’s good rule!

The Old Testament reveals that all of human history has been pointing to the gospel of the kingdom that is entirely dependent upon the one who would rescue God’s people from the kingdom of the serpent, return them to His kingdom place, and restore them towards becoming image-bearing rulers who follow His reestablished rule of what is “good” and what is “evil”.

This week, we meet the “anointed” (Hebrew Messiah / Greek Christos) serpent-crusher who ushers in God’s powerful rule over God’s people in God’s place so that YHWH’s blessings and glory might extend to the ends of the earth.

GOD’S RESPONSE - JESUS

It is true that throughout the Old Testament, we have seen glimpses of the gospel of the kingdom “breaking through” a myriad of people. None of these people, however, had the ability to fully overcome the serpent and his kingdom of sin. Now, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John testify that the one we have been looking for is finally here!

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31

There are three very important points to take with us into today’s journey.

Jesus is a real person. He is fully human!
Jesus is truly divine. He is fully God (what a marvelous mystery)!
God keeps his promises.

I love to read fictional books, especially when I’m on vacation. When it comes to books, I’m a thriller fan. I love a good murder mystery and find myself getting so into the book that sometimes it’s hard to separate characters from reality. One incredibly well-written book is one that we have access to - you guessed it; the Bible. I think one of the most important parts of reading the Bible is the truth that we are not reading some fiction thriller! In particular, the gospel accounts were meant to be read as eyewitness testimonies about real events that happened to real people in real places (see week 1)!

1. Jesus is a real person. He is an actual human who is part of history!

At the start of the New Testament - the first 16 verses of Matthew to be exact - we get to walk through the genealogy of Jesus. Jesus was a real person, with a real family and a real bloodline. It also states, incredibly clearly, that Jesus is from the line of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah, and from the line of David. Take a look at his genealogy and watch how the Hebrew Bible comes to life in Jesus Christ!

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah (this is Bathsheba), and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. - Matthew 1:1-16

Let’s not get too excited, though. We have seen a countless number of messianic candidates who have had the proper bloodline yet have all failed to overcome the kingdom of the serpent and sin. All we have to do is flip to the book of kings, remember? What makes Jesus any different from all the other sons of David? It is at this point that we must realize that…

2. …Jesus is God Himself!

From the start of his gospel account, Mark equates Jesus with the Son of God mentioned in the Psalms. Moreover, John immediately identifies Jesus as the Word of God made flesh who was simultaneously with God and was God from the beginning. In fact, the gospel of John records some of Jesus’ strongest claims as the great YHWH (or “I am”) including Jesus’ usage of the Son of Man title found in Daniel or Jesus’ other divinity claims which put routinely put his life in jeopardy because he - a mere mortal man - was claiming to be God.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God… - Mark 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1, 14
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” - John 1:48-51
“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. - John 8:58–59
“I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” - John 10:30-33

If Jesus truly is YHWH in the flesh, consider this AMAZING news! God loves us so much that He Himself - the God of the universe and the creator of all things - has come to us to rescue, return, and restore you and me. And if Jesus is God, then Jesus must immediately rise to the top of our candidate list as the one who would reestablish God’s rule by fully overcoming the temptations of sin and the serpent! Sure enough, before Jesus starts any ministry, the gospels record Jesus and the serpent going head-to-head in the spiritual arena!

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ”
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”
And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. - Luke 4:1–13

Could Jesus finally be the messianic serpent-crusher all of human history has been anticipating? In case there was any doubt, the gospel accounts continuously show that the story of Jesus is one of prophecies fulfilled. We read example after example of the promises found in the Hebrew Bible having life breathed into them in the coming of Jesus - the Word of God becoming human flesh.

Isn’t it incredible that even prophecies completely out of his control - such as the events of his birth and death - were perfectly fulfilled? Hopefully, it’s becoming abundantly clear that Jesus is the one the Hebrew Bible has been anticipating! And if you believe that Jesus is the long-awaited messiah, you will start to see that Jesus’ ministry was all about fulfilling the gospel of the kingdom.

Jesus is the serpent-crushing “Christ” who would set us free from the shackles of the serpent so that we may have renewed kingdom life as God’s family of people under God’s rule in God’s kingdom place!

3. God keeps His promises!

Something I value immensely is integrity. When someone tells me what they’re going to do, and then they do it - trust is created. The faithful remnant of Israel had constantly read about this new era of hope, trusting that YHWH would bring to them this source of renewed kingdom life. Now, from the outset of His ministry, Jesus constantly follows through on his word as God incarnate.

And he went throughout all Galilee [kingdom place], teaching in their synagogues [kingdom rule] and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people [kingdom people]. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. - Matthew 4:23-24

What an incredible freedom to know that our King has always been in control. He is not frantically pacing, worried, anxious, or surprised by anything that has happened over the course of human history. He remains seated on His throne, steady and secure with plans to establish His rule over His people in His place through Jesus!

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” [Freedom from serpent]
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:17-21

A lot of this may feel far fetched or unlike any history book you have read. However, the authors of the gospel wrote these books to implore you to confidently believe and trust that Jesus IS real, that Jesus IS God in the flesh, and that Jesus IS the Messiah that we have been looking for to fulfill the gospel of the kingdom! Centuries of prayer, longing, and hoping have led to this moment. It’s no coincidence that when Jesus finally delivers his primary message in ministry, it is all about the arrival of the gospel of the kingdom!

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - Matthew 4:17
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. - Mark 1:15
I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose. - Luke 4:43b
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17

Yet one question remained, especially amongst the Jews in the 1st century. What would this kingdom actually look like? In the Hebrew Bible, you may have noticed a close intersection between the restoration of God’s people from the serpent and the liberation of the nation-state called Israel. Would this be a national resurgence of Israel? Even Jesus’ 12 disciples believed that his primary kingdom mission was setting up his throne of justice and righteousness in the temple at Jerusalem and liberating Israel from the thumb of the serpent-like Roman empire!

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” - Acts 1:6

Jesus did not correct or rebuke his disciple’s understanding. We have seen throughout the Bible that there is something unique about the kingdom place and people of Israel in the plans of God. However, Jesus knew that the ultimate key to unlocking the full blessings of the gospel of the kingdom was to primarily set his sights on crushing the serpent - the very source of all problems in God’s cosmic temple place. As we have seen in the Hebrew Bible, everything revolved around the prophecy of the seed of Eve who would crush the head of the serpent while allowing the serpent to strike his heel. Once the serpent was defeated, Jesus could set up his rule of justice and righteousness over the entire cosmic temple place and in the temple of the human heart to transform His people. Over the next two days, we will continue to see whether or not Jesus would finally be the one to crush the serpent once and for all!

Share the Gospel: Jesus, the descendant of Abraham from the line of David, has been identified as the Bible’s next candidate to bring salvation to God’s people under the reign of sin in order to bring them back to God’s family under God’s rule in God’s presence. The 4 gospel accounts document Jesus’ life so that you would come to believe that He is the promised serpent crusher!

3Crosses Church 6/28/23 3Crosses Church 6/28/23

Checkpoint #3 (Final Checkpoint)

Checkpoint #3

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Intertestamental Period (Optional)
400 Years of Silence - The Priesthood
400 Years of Silence - The Rise of the Greek Empire
400 Years of Silence - Cultural Advancements
400 Years of Silence - The Serpent Emerges
400 Years of Silence - God’s Response
400 Years of Silence - The Rise of the Roman Empire

Kingdom Project - CheckPoint #3

At this point, you should have been able to read one Old Testament book in its entirety. Take this time to schedule your presentations for NEXT WEEK (perhaps based on which book everyone has chosen and their order in the Hebrew Bible).

Next week, we officially arrive at the New Testament, each person in your group will be encouraged to briefly share their findings based on the following 5 questions.

How did the book contribute to the Kingdom of God story (People, Place, Rule)?
What excited/challenged you the most as you were reading the book?
In what ways did you feel like the book was pointing to Jesus?
What are some of the ways the book might speak into the members of your group?
What questions do you still have about the book?

Intertestamental Period (Optional)

This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. - Daniel 2:36–40

At the conclusion of the Hebrew Bible, Israel has been swept into exile by the hand of king Nebuchadnezzer and the Babylonian empire (head of gold). 70 years later, n Ezra and Nehemiah tell us that Israel was set free by king Darius and the Medo-Persian empire who took over the Babylonians (chest and arms of silver). It is at this point in history that the Bible goes silent about any the 3rd kingdom of bronze and 4th kingdom of iron and clay that would overtake them all. All of a sudden, without any background information, we open the New Testament and are told that the Roman Empire is in charge and the community of God’s people have been severely divided into different sects (i.e. Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes). In the blink of an eye a totally different culture has emerged.

If you are interested, let’s take a moment to explore what happened in the 400 years of silence between the Chronicler (or his contemporary the prophet Malachi) and the gospel of Matthew. In order to do this, we will look at some extra-biblical resources that were not included in the inspired canon of the Hebrew Bible, but are still considered to be reliable sources of history (the anonymous book of the Maccabees and the writings of the historian Josephus). When we look at this 400 year gap, we see that even in these silent years, God was orchestrating events in a way that prepared for the spread of the gospel of the kingdom!

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE PRIESTHOOD

Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. - Haggai 2:4.

The temple is the kingdom location where all 3 of our themes merge. It is the place where God dwells, the throne over which God rules, and God’s people surround it, starting with the high priest. That is why one of the best ways to trace the 400 years of silence is by following the history of the temple and its leadership. The 400 years start with Joshua, the high priest who served in Israel after the exile.

And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” - Zechariah 3:6–10.

This statement made to Joshua sounds a lot like the covenant stipulations given to Moses and David after him. Would the priesthood follow through? If you have been following the predictable pattern of humanity, you already know the answer. The priesthood was still marked by sin and we still long for the serpent crusher.

Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. - Ne 12:10–11.

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE RISE OF THE GREEK EMPIRE

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Daniel 8:5–8
And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. - Daniel 8:21–22

In 330 B.C. A young man by the name of Alexander rose to power and would become one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. Interestingly, legend says that as Alexander approached Jerusalem, the high priest Jaddua came out in white priestly garments and shared this vision in Daniel. Alexander was humbled and showed tremendous favor toward Israel after seeing himself as the 3rd kingdom of bronze that would take over the Persian empire and become great.

Unfortunately, this peace did not last long as Alexander died at the age of 33 with no successor except his unborn baby. Initially, Alexander's commanders decided to wait for the newborn son to rise up and take his place, but the power hungry officials put to death the son along with his wife. Thus, the kingdom was divided into 5 which would turn into 4 after a pact was made to take down one of the existing generals.

The unity that Alexander was able to bring to the world under his reign would pave the way for the gospel of the kingdom to be spread and understood across the nations! However, from this moment forward, the promised place of Israel became a pawn in a much larger battle between the Kings of the North (Seleucus dynasty Syria) and the Kings of the South (Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt) precisely according to Daniel’s prophecy

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - CULTURAL ADVANCEMENTS

The new Greek empire brought significant changes to everyday life as it united the known world. These changes brought about important elements that made up the setting for the gospel of the kingdom! First, there was a new wave of energy to learn and engage with philosophy much like the 16th century renaissance that sparked the reformation. This season of Greek influence is best exemplified in our next priest named Simon the Just.

Simon the Just was inspired by the culture to return back to the traditional ways of the Hebrews. He brought many changes that took the Jews away from the false temple worship of Mt. Gerizim in favor of returning back to their holy status as God’s set apart people in God’s promised place under God’s rule. Unfortunately, not everyone was on board with the sweeping reforms Simon the Just was making, setting the table for the New Testament cultural divisions.

As the Jews struggled to figure out their new identity in this time of transition, culture continued to develop in favor of learning, hellenization, and organization. It has been rumored that Simon the Just was the first president of the newly formed Sanhedrin, was the final editor who cemented the order of the Old Testament, and became the first Rabbi mentioned in the Mishna teachings which explain the Rabbi’s interpretation of the scriptures.

At the same time, the Israelites were split on how to treat their foreign overlords. Some would be sympathetic to the Syrian rule while others would be drawn to the advancements made by the Ptolemy regime in Egypt. In fact, many of the Jews who had been taken to Egypt over the course of time helped Ptolemy Philadelphus translate the Old Testament from a dying Hebrew language to a more centralized and national Greek language. The bright side is that in 284 B.C., 70 translators (or LXX in Roman Numerals) came together at the library of Alexandria in Egypt to translate the Hebrew Bible into the Greek Septuagint. The dark side is that the translation was more focused on using the scriptures as a tool to learn about the Hebrew culture as opposed to passing down orthodox doctrine. This desire to retain historical data was why the apocrypha was added to the Septuagint and the books were rearranged into what we see in our Old Testaments today. This is how the Septuagint would be the same Bible that was circulated across the known Greek-speaking world during the New Testament!

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE SERPENT EMERGES

At the same time, some of the advancements were not so helpful. Under the priesthood rule of Onias II, the young son of Simon the Just, Israel had fallen into tremendous debt. In response, Onias II sent a man named Joseph son of Tobias to pay back Ptolemy Eurgetes (Egypt in the South). On the way to Egypt, Joseph overhears the brilliant plot of a few merchants to scheme their way into riches and convinces king Ptolemy to allow him to farm taxes for the king over the people of Israel. This is the origin of the 1st army of despised tax collectors in Israel.

As we have seen in the scriptures, the serpent only needs one small opening to create chaos. Over the course of a significant amount of time and regime changes, the kingdom of Israel continued to drift further away from YHWH in favor of loyalties to either the northern or the southern kingdoms of Syria and Egypt. Regardless, Israel was on its way to becoming more hellenized under these two nations within the Greek empire. Then, Joseph’s son named Hyrcanus schemed his own father out of his tax-collector position creating two distinct loyalties within the priesthood. This small window of friction boiled over when governor Appollonius (Northern Kingdom) requested the ill-gotten money from the temple treasury and was denied. Before Onias could meet the king to defend his case, the previous ruling king died giving way to Antiochus Epiphanes (Northern King of Syria).

Antiochus Epiphanes used the division in the temple to garner loyalty from the Jews. After the party he sided with was attacked upon the rumor Epiphanes had died, Antiochus Epiphanes marched into the holy land, killed 40,000 people, carried off the important vessels of the temple, built an abominable idol on the altar of burnt-offerings, sacrificed an unclean pig in the temple, spread its broth across the temple space, profaned the sabbath, and filled the temple with the worship of Olympus. The serpent was very much alive and well during these 400 years!

Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. - Hebrews 11:35–38.

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - GOD’S RESPONSE

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” - Daniel 8:13–14

These abominable acts of Antiochus Epiphanes took place in 171 B.C.. Approximately 2,300 days later in 164 B.C. the commissioner of Antiochus Epiphanes tried to make the Jews worship other gods but instead sparked a revolt led by a man named Mattathias! Mattathias inspired the Jews to take a stand until he passed the torch of rebellion to his son Judas Maccabeus. Judas Maccabeus led Israel to some major defeats against the governor of Samaria and the armies of the north who outnumbered the Israelites by a ratio of about 7:1.

At the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabeans worked to cleanse the temple place, rebuild the wall that protected God’s people, and fought their way to many victories under the protection of God’s rule. Judas Macabbeus seemed to be a potential serpent-crushing savior in every way, that is until his next move: an attempt to make a peace treaty with the growing empire of Rome.

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

The final stages of the 400 years of silence were inspired by the descending chaos caused by the serpent. Over the course of time, Israel’s new leaders from the Maccabean line would place their allegiance in the kingdom around them that had the most power. First, Johnathan Maccabeus threw his loyalties to the southern kingdom of Egypt when they rose to power. This eventually failed when they were captured by the northern Syrians. One generation later, Simon Maccabeus threw his hat into the ring with Demetrius Nicator of Egypt in hope of defeating the northern Syrian kingdom that had taken out his brother. Unfortunately, that did not work either as they were imprisoned by the Syrians and were killed

Under the Syrian rule, the priesthood was temporarily handed over back to the Jews. Unfortunately, the priesthood had also become divided between the Pharisee separatists and the Sadducee hellenizers. Moreover, violence increased as Aristobulus murdered his brothers to consolidate power over the priestly throne of Israel as proverbial “king of the Jews”. Similarly, Aristobulus’ son named Alexander Janneus followed suit by slaying his brothers and crucifying a vast number of men, women and children in order to force the Pharisees to make a treaty with Syrians. Although it was a hostile time, this also was the setting in which Phanuel lived, the father of the prophetess Anna!

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. - Luke 2:36–37

At the end of Alexander Janneus' life, more splits occurred over disagreements of who should take the throne of Israel; Aristobulus II or Hyrcanus. In order to settle the dispute, the Israelites turned to general Pompey in Rome (the coming kingdom of iron). Pompey originally sided with Aristobulus II, but changed his mind after an Edomite man named Antipater teamed up with Hyrcanus and pleaded on his behalf. This forced Aristobulus to flee and surrender to the Romans to receive a prison sentence. However, the Jews who had followed Aristobulus fought against his enemies but failed to secure the throne. This final act of division ended Jewish independence and officially made the region of Judea a Roman province! Pompey, the Caesar of Rome, would eventually plunder the temple place of its treasure, a puppet governor would rule over Judea, and the priest over the people of Israel would be a Roman puppet named Hyrcanus, the good friend of Antipater.

The politics of Rome would shift when Julius Caesar rose to power and freed Aristobulus, hoping to spark disruption, division, and chaos to fight against Pompey in the region of Israel. This time, Antipater aligned himself with Julius Caesar! For his actions, Antipater would be assigned the role of procurator over Judea. Antipater had two sons, Phasael would be appointed the governor of Galilee and Herod who was appointed the governor of Jerusalem! Herod violently stifled any rebellions that were made against his rule and put to death all but two members of the Sanhedrin. However, Herod would simultaneously play the hero after receiving orders from Julius Caesar to rebuild Jerusalem and her temple right before Caesar was assassinated. Now, in the latest vacuum of power, one last attempt to overthrow Herod was squashed thanks to the military prowess of Marc Antony who had now appointed Herod to act as King over the land of Judea. Herod made sure that no one would rise up by killing his wife and killing the last surviving daughter of the Maccabean line. All the while, Herod and the Romans contributed to society by building the world’s most complex system of roads and restoring the temple to beauty. Herod then set Antipater to succeed him in the Iduminean tradition as Rome would become the 4th empire of iron under their new Caesar Augustus….

However, little did Herod know that everything that had happened up to this point paved the way for one starry night that would change the rest of history: the beginning of the gospel of the kingdom!

3Crosses Church 6/28/23 3Crosses Church 6/28/23

5. Share the Gospel + Life Group Discussion Questions

Week 7 • Day 5

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Week 7 Life Group Discussion Questions

Congratulations on finishing an overview of the entire Hebrew Bible!!! This week, we will take some time to explore some videos about the writings!

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Week 7 Life Group Discussion Questions

Icebreaker: Have you thought any more about the OT book for our project?
Question: What observations / reflections / or prayers stood out to you this week?

The Writings (Emet): When read in the context of the exile, the writings would have influenced the Israelites to remember that one day God will send His David-like Suffering Servant / Good Shepherd ruler, God will restore the wisdom and blessings that made up the Solomon-like “golden age” kingdom place, and God would restore His people with a Job-like faith that surrendered to the Lord’s definition of what is “good” and what is “evil” regardless of what suffering may come!

Question: Which one of the Emet writings is your favorite and why? What is your experience reading the Psalms? / Proverbs? / Job? Does the Hebrew Bible ordering help you understand the book a little better than before?

The Writings (Megillot): The Hebrew collection of writings in the emet and the megillot suggest that no matter where God’s faithful people find themselves, they can rest in the fact that God sovereignly rules over all things. YHWH is lovingly pursuing His lost people like a husband pursues his wife, even if it does look like terror is falling upon the righteous and the wicked alike. The writings challenged the Jews to remember what it was like in God’s kingdom place so that they could fear Yahweh as king instead of the chaotic circumstances of foreign kingdoms!

Question: Which one of the Megillot writings is your favorite and why? What are some situations in your life where you really felt the “hesed” love of God in your life? In what ways is God calling you to reexamine your life and return to Him?

Daniel: How does one sing the Lord’s song in a foreign place? Are God’s kingdom promises that were made through the prophets and envisioned in the writings going to come true? Daniel knew that God’s people were in need of a divine act to rescue them from their circumstances. It would take a miracle for the promised King to deliver God’s people from the kingdom of sin and bring them back into God’s glorious land under God’s rule.

Question: What is your favorite action sequence in the book of Daniel and why? What is your experience with the book of Daniel and what are some of the challenges you have faced when trying to interpret this prophetic text? How might Daniel encourage you to take a stand for the Lord in your context?

Ezra - Nehemiah / Chronicles: Even though Israel returned from Babylon to their promised land right on schedule, they still could not defeat the kingdom of sin! Ezra and Nehemiah showcase makes us question whether this return is the gospel of the kingdom we have been looking for. The Chronicles remind us one last time that the gospel of the kingdom would be fulfilled through the promised son of David!

Question: What are some of the patterns in your life that you keep repeating over and over again? What are the things God is calling you to do that you are avoiding or ignoring? How might your group be able to help you carry out some of the things God is calling you to do?

3Crosses Church 6/28/23 3Crosses Church 6/28/23

4. Another Return to God’s Kingdom Place

Week 7 • Day 4

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Ezra - Nehemiah - God's Place
Ezra - Nehemiah - God's Rule
Ezra - Nehemiah - God's People
The Chronicler - One Last Kingdom Review
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This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.” - Ezra 1:2-4

After 70 years in EXILE, God’s people were allowed to return to the kingdom place that He had promised to Abraham years ago! The book of Ezra reveals God’s faithful rule as He fulfills His promise of salvation and restoration of His kingdom people. Just look at how the 70 years of exile fulfills this exact prophecy from Jeremiah:

For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope… - Jeremiah 29:10-11

God shows His hesed love for His people and wants to bring His blessings to the nations through them! He restores their future and gives them hope! At last, could this FINALLY be the generation that experiences the gospel of the kingdom?

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S PLACE

Do you remember a time you were wounded? Maybe it was from a hike, a sport, or even in your heart. I remember one time I hurt my knee really bad and needed to have surgery in order for it to be fixed. The initial pain was awful, but then I had to face months of recovery. Everything was upside down and I kept asking myself “what if?” Then finally the day came where I could truly walk, it was glorious!

In a lot of ways God’s people felt broken and cut off, but our God wants to give His family a hope and a future! So how would all of this turn out? Would the people take advantage of the opportunity God had given them to repent from their sin? Would this be the era when the son of man in Daniel’s vision comes to take the throne? When God’s people head back to the promised land led by Zerubbabel (descendant of David), the first thing they attempt to do is rebuild the temple to God’s kingdom place. Here is what happens:

And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy. - Ezra 3:11b-12
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” - Ezra 4:1-3

We are never told that the Lord takes up His residence in this new temple place. Furthermore, the community is slow to complete the project (see Haggai) while the elders complain that it is not as nice as Solomon’s temple. Instead of the nations being welcome to participate in the blessings of God, they are turned away. Perhaps this is not the gospel of the kingdom that we have been anticipating!

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S RULE

Next, Ezra returns to Israel and is passionate about re-teaching the commands of God’s rule. Would this effort restore God’s kingdom rule over His people? Here is what happens:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. - Ezra 7:10
While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. - Ezra 10:2-6

In His law, God commanded Israel not to intermarry with foreigners (Deut. 23:1-4). At the same time, God’s heart breaks over divorce (Malachi 2:13-16). Here we have both! Tragically, in their zeal to keep the law, we see God’s people sending the most vulnerable women and children away from participation in God’s kingdom family. Perhaps this is not the gospel of the kingdom that we have been anticipating!

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S PEOPLE

Finally, Nehemiah’s passion was to rebuild the walls of the great city of Jerusalem. Perhaps if the city walls were rebuilt, then Israel could become the mighty city of people it once was. Here is what happens

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. - Nehemiah 1:2-11
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. - Nehemiah 4:7-8

Instead of a wall-less kingdom that would bless the nations with peace (see Zechariah 2:4-5), the wall sparks conflict between God’s people and the nations. Perhaps this is not the gospel of the kingdom that we have been anticipating! Even after spending 7 days reflecting on the laws given to Moses, God’s people continued to neglect the Sabbath, their temple duties, and set up markets around the walls. God’s kingdom people had a fundamental misunderstanding of what it meant to live under God’s kingdom rule and in God’s kingdom place. Instead, this generation remained under the power of the serpent kingdom.

This pattern may feel so repetitive to you by now, but the Old Testament is written this way to describe who we are as humans. I am sure there have been plenty of times where you have said “that will never happen again”, or “Lord if you give me _____, I will never____”. I am constantly reminded of this kind of rebellion not only in myself, but as I raise my kids. As a parent, there are consistent moments of correction yet my children do not always listen. I show them what to do and what not to do, but they still want to touch the stove even when it’s hot.

Yet no matter how much we may mess up or try our best to just fail again, God in His mercy is still moving His kingdom story forward! Who would be the son of man that would come and put a stop to this ugly pattern of sin?

THE CHRONICLER - ONE LAST KINGDOM REVIEW

Surprisingly, the Hebrew Bible concludes with the collection of Chronicles. Have you ever noticed that reading the books of Kings and Chronicles back-to-back can feel so repetitive? That is because they are meant to be. However, when you read the Old Testament in the order of the Hebrew Bible, the Chronicles now become instrumental pieces of literature written to restate the history of Israel one last time before heading into the silent 400 years and the New Testament.

The Chronicler approaches Israel's history from a bird's-eye perspective centuries after the Babylonian Exile. The anonymous author has a fuller picture of the entire Old Testament and uses his perch to restate genealogies, retell the stories of David, and zero in on the stories of Judah’s kings to prove that the one we have been looking for - the seed of Adam and the woman, the descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Judah, the Moses-like prophet from the line of David, the Good Shepherd, the Suffering Servant, and the Son of Man - has still not appeared. While it may seem that the Chronicles are repetitive, the author places minor nuances in the stories to emphasize that the promise made to David had yet to be fulfilled.

At last, we come to the end of the Hebrew scriptures! I hope you have learned a lot along the way, namely that understanding of the Old Testament drives you to a desperate longing for the promised serpent crusher and his kingdom.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” - Luke 24:44

That is why it is no coincidence that the Hebrew scripture ends with a message of HOPE for this promised messiah! At the tail end of Chronicles, we are reminded of the gruesome events of the Babylonian exile.

Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.
He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. - 2 Chronicles 36:17–21

In case you were wondering why the Lord decided upon a 70 year exile, now you know that it was because the land of the promised place had missed 70 sabbaths. If the Israelites were supposed to let the land rest every seventh year, that means for 490 years, the land had missed its sabbath rest. Let’s pull out the calculator one more time!

The Babylonian exile was completed in 586 B.C.

Ancient Hebrew 360 day calendar → 490 years x 360 days = 17,6400 days
17,6400 days = 483 years and 105 days on the modern Gregorian calendar
586 B.C. + 483 years and 105 days = 1070 B.C.

1070 B.C. is approximately the beginning of the monarchy in Israel along with the return of the ark of the covenant (see 1 Samuel 3-7)

The suggestion is that the exile cleansed the land of all rebellion from the moment Saul took the throne all the way until the completion of the Exile. Additionally, the 490 year motif also triggers thoughts about Daniel’s prophecy of the return of Israel! Lo and behold, the Chronicles recounts the Decree of Cyrus which brought Israel back into the kingdom land and set in motion a timeline of rebuilding started by Nehemiah’s generation. As we await the promised Messiah and deliverance from sin, pause for a moment and compare the last sentence of the Hebrew Bible to Ezra 1:2-4 listed at the very top of this entry!

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ” - 2 Chronicles 36:22-23

You will notice that the last sentence of Chronicles is cut off. It is as if the Chronicler is telling us to start the countdown as we long to meet the son of man!

Share the Gospel: Even though Israel returned from Babylon to their promised land right on schedule, they still could not defeat the kingdom of sin! Ezra and Nehemiah showcase makes us question whether this return is the gospel of the kingdom we have been looking for. The Chronicles remind us one last time that the gospel of the kingdom would be fulfilled through the promised son of David!

3Crosses Church 6/28/23 3Crosses Church 6/28/23

3. The Prophecy of Israel’s Return

Week 7 • Day 3

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Daniel - God’s Faithful Remnant of People
Daniel - God’s Everlasting Rule
Daniel - God’s Kingdom Place
God’s Response: The Gospel of the Kingdom
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How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? - Psalm 137:4

Over the last couple of days, I wonder if you ever had the feeling that most of our readings from the Emet and the Megillot seem like they do not fit. Perhaps this is what makes these books so difficult to trace when we think about the story of God’s rule in God’s place over God’s people.

Ironically, the next book in the Hebrew Bible order is all about not fitting in. In our traditional ordering of the Bible, the book of Daniel is introduced to us alongside the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel…). Already, the book of Daniel seems to be a misfit amongst the collection of writings. However, the writings do in fact end with the voice of one last word from a prophet who himself did not fit into his community. The Hebrew authors place Daniel (c. 605 - 535 B.C.) at this location in the Writings because while all these promises from the Major and Minor prophets are exciting and all these “call-backs” from the emet and the megillot are helpful thought exercises, the reality is that Israel is still in exile. Israel is still in the foreign place of Babylon under the rule of a foreign government in which the Hebrew people had been scattered all over the known world!

The question is simple: How does one sing the Lord’s song in a foreign place? Are God’s kingdom promises that were made through the prophets and envisioned in the writings going to come true? How would God finally rescue and restore His kingdom people, return them to His kingdom place, and reestablish His rule?

DANIEL - GOD’S FAITHFUL REMNANT OF PEOPLE

After a long stretch of stories in which God’s people consistently pollute God’s land with sin, we are introduced to a character named Daniel (“God is my judge” in Hebrew). You would figure that someone who lived in a foreign place under a foreign ruler would be enticed to fall away from faith in the God of Israel. However, like Noah or Joesph before him, Daniel becomes an embodiment of the suffering servant who remains faithful amidst heavy persecution. Daniel is presented to us as one of His people who “passes the tests” of faith that were given to Him!

The Daniel Fast

Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief. - Daniel 1:8-9
At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams…And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. - Daniel 1:15–17, 20

The Fiery Furnace

There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”...
…Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
…Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. - Daniel 3:12, 16-18 , 28

The Lion’s Den

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”...
…Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. - Daniel 6:10–12, 19-23

DANIEL - GOD’S EVERLASTING RULE

It was one thing for Daniel to be faithful to God as an individual. However - with foreign kings sitting on the throne over God’s people and with the serpent sitting on the spiritual throne in the hearts of God’s people - it would be another thing entirely for God’s people to collectively return to God’s righteous ways and watch as God reestablishes His rule once and for all.

A core feature of the book of Daniel is the “unveiling’ (or apokalypsis in the Greek) of God’s plan to destroy His enemies and establish His rule over His kingdom people. Similar to Joseph in the book of Genesis, God works through Daniel by giving him the ability to interpret the dreams and visions of the governing authorities. All of these particular visions had to do with the fate of their earthly kingdoms. In these visions, pay close attention to the hope and security found in YHWH’s rule over all the kingdoms of the earth no matter who is in charge. Then, pay attention to why Nebuchadnezzer is restored but Belshazzar’s is destroyed.

King Nebuchadnezzer and the statue fo Gold, Iron, Bronze, and Clay

“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. - Daniel 2:31–35, 44-45

King Nebuchadnezzer and the Mighty Tree

It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and
I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. - Daniel 4:22–27, 33-37

King Belshazzar and the Mysterious Hand Writings

And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. - Daniel 5:22–28, 30-31

Nebuchadnezzer received restoration for acknowledging YHWH’s rule while Belshazzar was destroyed for not turning from his wicked ways. Yet while it may be nice to see foreign kings come to a place of repentance, our kingdom journey has been priming us to look for that one King who would remain entirely faithful to YHWH and crush the serpent…ENTER DANIEL 7!

In Daniel’s first apocalyptic vision, Daniel sees 4 “animalistic” kingdoms rise to power. He is then transported to a scene in which he sees God Himself as “the Ancient of Days” take his seat before a series of thrones ready to judge all people. Here, Daniel sees a vision “one like a son of man” standing before the Ancient of Days (without being utterly destroyed) and being given all power and dominion to rule over all things on behalf of the Ancient of Days!

Could this son of man finally be the serpent-crusher and rule on God’s behalf?

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. - Daniel 7:13-14, 17-18, 27

DANIEL - GOD’S KINGDOM PLACE

The final chapters of Daniel offer two more apocalyptic visions about things that are yet to come. Counting from his first vision in Daniel 7, the second of Daniel’s mysterious visions imagines the history of the Persian empire that would overtake Babylonians, the Greek empire and the great horn of Alexander the Great that would overtake Persia, and the Syrian empire that would be an offshoot of the Greek empire and would boast Antiochus Epiphanes IV. In the 2nd century B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes IV utterly destroyed Jerusalem, intentionally sacrificed impure animals on the altar of the second temple, and made human sacrifices to the newly erected a statue of Olympus in the middle of the temple (Daniel 8).

The third and final vision that Daniel receives adds a supernatural element to these upcoming historical conflicts by revealing the archangel Michael who defends God’s people against the powers of darkness animating the nations. What follows is an extraordinarily detailed vision from the perspective of “the glorious land (v. 16)” and adds incredible detail to the political maneuvers that take place within the rise and fall of Persia and Greece. Then, we read about these back-and-forth maneuvers involving the kings of the north against the kings of the south, explaining the precise political turmoil that would take place between the Seleucid empire in Syria in the north and the Ptolemy empire of Egypt in the south.

Near the end of this vision, Daniel sees a great king who rises to prominence completely independent of and in direct opposition to God and his righteousness. Regardless of whether the true identity of this powerful King of the North is the Roman Emperor or the Antichrist in Revelation, the reader of Daniel is left with an “unveiled’ vision of hope until the time of the end when God’s people would return to the glorious land!

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. - Daniel 11:36–39
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” - Daniel 12:1–4

GOD’S RESPONSE: THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

While these jaw-dropping acts of God and these visions gave hope to the kingdom people, it still doesn’t change the fact that they remained in exile. When would this story of desolation and sin ever stop? In one of the most poignant scenes in the entire Hebrew Bible, God’s faithful servant in exile takes it upon himself to pray for the unfaithfulness of the entire nation. After realizing that the 70 year prophecy of Jeremiah was almost completed, Daniel prays and takes the responsibility of the nation's sin upon himself in the hope that the Lord would keep His kingdom promises that He has made up to this point.

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.”

O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” - Daniel 9:3-5, 16-19

Daniel knew that God’s people were in need of a divine act to rescue them from their circumstances. It would take a miracle for the promised King to deliver God’s people from the kingdom of sin and bring them back into God’s glorious land under God’s rule. In response to Daniel’s plea for God to move, the archangel Gabriel appears swiftly to Daniel and offers an apocalyptic timeline of God’s plan revolving around 70 weeks. Time to pull out the calculators!

Daniel 9:24–27

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

Hebrew translation is literally “70 7’s” or 70 sets of 7 weeks

70 x 7 = 490

Estimated by scholars to be a reference to 490 years

Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks.

According to Nehemiah 2, the decree of King Artaxerxes specifically commissions Israelites to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C.

7 weeks = “7 7’s” or 7 sets of 7 = 49 years
Ancient Hebrew 360 day calendar → 49 years x 360 days = 17,640 days
17,640 days = 48 years and 120 days according to our modern calendar
445 B.C. - 48 years and 120 days = 396 B.C.

The first 7 weeks signals the rebuilding of ALL Jerusalem which finished c. 396

Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.

According to Nehemiah 2, the decree of King Artaxerxes specifically commissions Israelites to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C.

7 weeks = 49 years (see above)
62 weeks = “62 7’s” or 62 sets of 7 = 434 years

49 years + 434 years = 483 years

Ancient 360 day calendar → 483 years x 360 days = 173,880 days
173,800 days = 476 years 25 days according to our modern calendar
445 B.C. - 476 years and 25 days = 33 A.D.

An anointed one “shall be cut off and shall have nothing” in 33 A.D.

And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

Possible allusion to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Possible allusion to the prophetic time clock going “to the end”.

Thus far 69 of the 70 sets of 7’s have taken place. 1 final set of 7 remains
War and Desolations are decreed until “the end”...but when is the end?

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

At “the end” Daniel has a vision of the final “week” of 7 years. This final week likely explains the end time period of “tribulation” (see Matthew 25; Revelation)

This “tribulation” will feature the 7 year presence of “the prince” who will end sacrifice and offering.
In the middle of the tribulation (3.5 years), the abomination of desolation will come much like Antiochus IV profaned Jerusalem and the temple.
The end of the tribulation will result in final judgment on the desolator.

Share the Gospel: How does one sing the Lord’s song in a foreign place? Are God’s kingdom promises that were made through the prophets and envisioned in the writings going to come true? Daniel knew that God’s people were in need of a divine act to rescue them from their circumstances. It would take a miracle for the promised King to deliver God’s people from the kingdom of sin and bring them back into God’s glorious land under God’s rule.

3Crosses Church 6/28/23 3Crosses Church 6/28/23

2. The Writings (Megillot)

Week 7 • Day 2

Printable Version (PDF)

Jump to:
Song of Songs (Sabbath of Passover + Passover Meal)
Ruth (Feast of Weeks)
Lamentations (Destruction of Temple)
Ecclesiastes (Feast of Booths)
Esther (Purim)
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The 2nd set of writings is called the Megillot (“scrolls” in Hebrew). This collection of seemingly miscellaneous writings were compiled together because they are sung during festivals in the Jewish calendar. While the order of thi collection is debated, each entry carries the kingdom narrative forward in unique ways!

SONG OF SONGS (Sabbath of Passover + Passover Meal)

Whether it’s the harlotry imagery of Ezekiel, the marriage of the prophet Hosea to Gomer the prostitute, or the contrasting nature of Lady Wisdom and the Adulteress women in Proverbs, there is no shortage of language that compares God’s covenant hesed love for His people to a husband-and-wife marriage relationship that was never meant to be torn apart – imagery established all the way back in Genesis 2! Given this context, the passionate language of Song of Songs written in the wisdom tradition of King Solomon - who himself succumbed to lust and was led astray by the gods of his foreign wives - fits into the kingdom narrative as a window into the deep covenantal affection between God and His people! After God’s people have abandoned His rule and are now outside of the Kingdom place, we await to see if the Lord will pursue His covenant partner. We are invited to watch as these lover’s pursue each other through various “phases”

Dating / Engaged Phase

On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. - Song of Songs 3:1–5

Marriage / Consummation Phase

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! - Song of Songs 4:9–10
Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits. I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. - Song of Songs 4:16–5:1

“Trouble in Paradise” Phase

I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. - Song of Songs 5:2–6
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. - Song of Songs 5:2–6

Mentoring / Learning Afresh Phase

We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace. - Song of Songs 8:8–9.
O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. - Song of Songs 8:13–14

RUTH (Feast of Weeks)

Ruth steps onto the scene of the Hebrew Bible as a foreign woman from the country of Moab, Israel’s historic enemy. In the opening scene of the book, Ruth tragically loses her husband but decides to remain faithful to her Jewish mother-in-law along with her God.

Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. - Ruth 1:11-14

Through amazing circumstances, Ruth and Naomi coincidentally stumble upon a family redeemer in Boaz who is able to become their caretaker and marry Ruth. Because of her faithfulness, Ruth, a foreigner and a sufferer, would forever be cemented in the story of God’s kingdom! Look at the lineage of Ruth’s son…

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. - Ruth 4:13-17

You may have gotten to the book of Judges and expected Ruth to come next. According to the very first verse, this placement makes complete sense. In the days when the judges ruled… - (Ruth 1:1A) In the midst of Israel’s complete rebellion against God’s rule during the time of the judges, God decides to work through one of his faithful foreign people who experiences a story of restoration and enters into God’s kingdom narrative by becoming the great grandmother of king David! It follows, then, that Ruth traditionally acts as the precursor story to the books of Samuel and Kings which document the life of King David!

However, the ancient Hebrews compilers decided to place the story of Ruth much later in the writings. Why? In the same way the Psalms “call-back” to the great king David, we are called to remember that it was the faith of a foreign Moabite woman that brought about the Davidic line. This would have been an incredible encouragement to the exiles existing in a foreign place; that God can still work through His people no matter where they find themselves. Additionally, with Lady Wisdom and the Wise Godly-Wife of Proverbs fresh in our mind, it makes complete sense to immediately meet Ruth. This Hebrew Bible placement as well as some key words that link together makes Ruth the “worthy” and “excellent” personification of Lady Wisdom and the Proverbs 31 woman!

LAMENTATIONS (Destruction of Temple)

Jeremiah’s lamentations are sung to remember the sack of God’s kingdom place by the Babylonians (and eventually the Romans in the 1st century). Jeremiah continues the hesed love imagery by comparing the fallen city to a widow.

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe. - Lamentations 1:1, 5
Her uncleanness was in her skirts; he took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. “O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!” - Lamentations 1:9
They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am. “Let all their evildoing come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint.” - Lamentations 1:21–22

As we reminisce on Israel’s lowest moment, we are called to be confident in the God of the Israelites because YHWH is the God whose “lovingkindness indeed never ceases” and whose “mercy never comes to an end”. Jeremiah reflects on this hope and says that because God has revealed Himself to be slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, it is good for man to be patient and faithfully wait upon Him rather than, “offer complaint in view of his sins”.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” - Lamentations 3:21-24
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. - Lamentations 3:25–27

Instead, Jeremiah advises that any horrific loss ought to cause God’s people to patiently reexamine themselves and look for God’s powerful rule over the situation.

Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: “We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. - Lamentations 3:40–42
The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people. - Lamentations 4:10
This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous. - Lamentations 4:13

Jeremiah concludes his lamentations by offering his broken and contrite heart to the Lord, not necessarily having all the answers to his questions, but coming out of his lamentations hopeful of God’s hesed lovingkindness. That is why Jeremiah pronounces a prophecy in favor of YHWH’s kingdom place in Zion and against the serpent’s kingdom place in Edom. Even though the events of Israel’s exile are tragic, the events of tomorrow are favorable.

The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins. - Lamentations 4:22
But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days? Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old— unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. - Lamentations 5:19–22

ECCLESIASTES (Feast of Booths)

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. - Ecclesiastes 1:1–2, 12-14

The writings place Ecclesiastes within arms reach of Job and Proverbs as a skeptical book about the “meaninglessness” of all things under the sun - a sentiment that must have been strong amidst the Israelites in exile. In the book of Solomon’s Proverbs, we are presented with nuggets of wisdom that lean toward a “cause-and-effect” relationship in the world. If you sow good actions, you will reap good results. The skeptic of Ecclesiastes, however, begs to differ. Ecclesiastes resents a skeptical teacher who observes the randomness of the world and wonders if the Proverbial cause-and-effect conclusion is actually true or if everything is simply meaningless?

I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom…I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself… I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine…I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem…Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 1:16 - 2:11
There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 8:14-17

How cynical must God’s people have been to see YHWH hand them over to exile! The teacher uses this same cynical lens to make his own observations about the world. For example, since the teacher believes that God appointed timing cannot be thwarted (Eccl. 3:1-11), he exposes the need to concern over toilsome labor.

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. - Ecclesiastes 3:9–13

In the same way, the teacher exposes evildoers in political positions who are supposed to bring about justice, acts of oppression from authorities, rivalries and endless work created by those who labor, loneliness in day-to-day life, and poor wise men replacing old foolish kings in positions of leadership. At this point, one might expect the teacher to abandon any notion of God. However, in a weird way the skeptical teacher concludes that the randomness and meaninglessness of life actually should motivate us to fear the God who rules over everything.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. - Ecclesiastes 5:1–2

Considering the meaninglessness of everything under the sun, the teacher confirms a particular finding that is scattered throughout his work: that man should gladly eat, drink, and rejoice in one’s activities as a gift from God.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? - Ecclesiastes 5:1–2
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man….So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? - Ecclesiastes 3:12–13, 22
Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. - Ecclesiastes 5:18–20
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. - Ecclesiastes 9:7–10

It may have been impossible to figure out God’s reasoning behind the exile. In a similar stream of thought, the narrator of the book steps in and offer this warning about pursuing a life of all-knowing - a life in which we take the throne of our own kingdom. Instead, he encourages us to fear God on his throne and follow his rule that tells us what is “good” and what is “evil”.

Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:9–14

ESTHER (Purim)

Esther, which is a book that is notoriously written 100 years after the Babylonian exile and famously never mentions the name of God, is full of so-called coincidences! Even though the family of God may have forgotten how to acknowledge Him, He continues to orchestrate all things for His people!

In the kingdom of Persia around 480 B.C., a young Jewish woman named Esther wins the affection of King Ahasuerus and becomes queen in a foreign land. It just so happens that her cousin Mordecai, son of Kish from the tribe of Benajamin (the exact same lineage as king Saul) uncovers a plot to assassinate the king putting him in good favor with the king. This is important because later, Mordecai is persecuted by the king’s assistant named Haman who rolls a dice (pur in Hebrew) to decide the day of destruction for Mordecai and his Jewish people.

It just so happens that the King has a dream and remembers Mordecai’s kind act and intends to honor him instead of Haman. It just so happens that Esther exposes Haman’s plot to the king leading to Haman’s destruction. And it just so happens that the day of the purim becomes the day where the Jews are saved and restored!

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” - Esther 4:13-16

Why does God allow His people to suffer? Is there still hope for God’s people in exile? Or is it all just meaningless? The Hebrew collection of writings in the emet and the megillot suggest that no matter where God’s faithful people find themselves, they can rest in the fact that God sovereignly rules over all things. YHWH will lovingly pursue His lost people like a husband pursues his wife, even if it does look like terror is falling upon the righteous and the wicked alike. The writings challenged the Jews to remember what it was like in God’s kingdom place so that they could fear Yahweh as king instead of the chaotic circumstances of foreign kingdoms! The path forward is to align our delegated rule with God’s kingdom with the utmost reverence, respect, and fear for His supreme authority as the God above the entire universe! And if that means we perish, then we perish.

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding. - Job 28:28
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

God continues to mercifully orchestrate things for His good and glorious will! The writings gave Israel, and continues to give us today, hope of a rescue from exile, where God’s rule will be reestablished over His restored people once more, and where God will return us to His kingdom place!

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! - Psalms 99:1-5

Share the Gospel: The Hebrew collection of writings in the emet and the megillot suggest that no matter where God’s faithful people find themselves, they can rest in the fact that God sovereignly rules over all things. YHWH is lovingly pursuing His lost people like a husband pursues his wife, even if it does look like terror is falling upon the righteous and the wicked alike. The writings challenged the Jews to remember what it was like in God’s kingdom place so that they could fear Yahweh as king instead of the chaotic circumstances of foreign kingdoms!

Gospel of the Kingdom

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Week 10 • Day 1

Week 9 • Day 5

Share the Gospel Video:

Week 9 Life Group Discussion Questions

Week 9 • Day 4

KINGDOM POSTURE: OBEDIENCE

KINGDOM POSTURE: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

THE FLESH VS. THE SPIRIT

Week 9 • Day 3

Week 9 • Day 2

Week 9 • Day 1

Week 8 • Day 5

Share the Gospel Video:

Week 8 Life Group Discussion Questions

Week 8 • Day 4

Week 8 • Day 3

JESUS AS OUR RANSOM AND VICTOR

GOD’S PEOPLE - THE NEW COVENANT

GOD’S FAMILY OF PEOPLE

JESUS AS THE KING OF KINGS

THE KINGDOM OF JESUS VS. THE KINGDOM OF THE SERPENT

Week 8 • Day 2

GOD’S RULE - REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE SERPENT

GOD’S RULE - THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

GOD’S RULE - RESTORED DELEGATED RULE OF HUMANITY

JESUS AS OUR MORAL EXAMPLE

JESUS AS OUR SERPENT-CRUSHING SUBSTITUTE

GOD’S RULE IN OUR LIVES

Week 8 • Day 1

GOD’S RESPONSE - JESUS

Kingdom Project - CheckPoint #3

Intertestamental Period (Optional)

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE PRIESTHOOD

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE RISE OF THE GREEK EMPIRE

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - CULTURAL ADVANCEMENTS

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE SERPENT EMERGES

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - GOD’S RESPONSE

400 YEARS OF SILENCE - THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Week 7 • Day 5

Share the Gospel Video:

Week 7 Life Group Discussion Questions

Week 7 • Day 4

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S PLACE

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S RULE

EZRA - NEHEMIAH - GOD’S PEOPLE

THE CHRONICLER - ONE LAST KINGDOM REVIEW

Week 7 • Day 3

DANIEL - GOD’S FAITHFUL REMNANT OF PEOPLE

DANIEL - GOD’S EVERLASTING RULE

DANIEL - GOD’S KINGDOM PLACE

GOD’S RESPONSE: THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

Week 7 • Day 2

SONG OF SONGS (Sabbath of Passover + Passover Meal)

RUTH (Feast of Weeks)

LAMENTATIONS (Destruction of Temple)

ECCLESIASTES (Feast of Booths)

ESTHER (Purim)

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