What Did Jesus Do? (How do we respond to bullies?)

Recently in a discussion regarding bullying the question was asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, it is good to know what Jesus would do in response to various things in life we face, but in this situation we don’t have to ask the question WWJD, but rather WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?).  Jesus gave us a pattern to follow when it comes to responding to those who do us wrong.

 It was prophesied over 400 years ahead of time.

Isaiah 53:5–7 (NKJV) ⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Then it was confirmed by eye witness account under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:21–24 (NKJV) ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

If we answer the question, “How does God want us to respond?”  Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:8–12 (NKJV) ⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This is pretty amazing considering this is the guy Jesus had to tell to put away his sword.  (cf. Mt. 26:52)  His life and outlook had totally changed once he saw the risen Christ and was indwelled by the Holy Spirit!

OT Illustrations of the Just Living By Faith

Having seen the connection between Habakkuk and the theme of Romans "the just shall live by faith" we were challenged and have a greater understanding of the book of Romans, but our information does not end there.  On this side of the story we have the privilege to read of the saints who endured the captivity, the story of the remnants release, and the stories of their journeys home.  In other words, we get to see exactly how it all played out with the “just” lived “by faith.”  We read the stories and laments of Jeremiah, the prophet who stayed back in Israel, the stories of Ezekiel who was the prophet carried away, the four who refused to eat the meat of Nebuchadnezzar—three of which were thrown into a fiery furnace where four appeared and the other who was thrown to the lions, all without any harm.  We can read the story of Esther.  All of these stories were direct fulfillments of the prophecy put forth in Habakkuk 2:4 and can be carried into our understanding of Romans. 

The connection may not be so obvious at first, but if we keep Habakkuk in the back of our mind as we read Romans we will so more and more how it relates.  The structure of the epistle is such that justification and faith are defined in a prolonged explanation.  Indeed, this is what most of the first eleven chapters tell us.  To have in mind the real life examples given to us puts flesh to the bones of what would otherwise simply be doctrinal statements.  They are the life behind the definitions.  They are the stories that help us connect the dots and make direct applications to our personal lives.

It goes beyond this though too.  When we look at the end of Romans 8 we can scarcely make the connection between Paul’s words and those of Habakkuk 3.  Romans 8:33-39 (NASB)

33Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36 Just as s it is written,“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
         WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  May we each have the faith of these Old Testament saints.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/users/churchoflittleton   FW # 66

Christmas # 2 God's Christmas Plans in Isaiah

God’s plan for the salvation of mankind started before the foundation of the world, but God gradually over time revealed this plan to mankind until the “fullness of time was come”  (Gal. 4:4).

Eve learned of a promised “Seed” (Gen. 3).  Abraham learned of being a “blessing” to all mankind (Gen. 12).  David learned of an eternal kingdom (I Sam. 7:13).

As time went on God continued to reveal more specifics about this “Seed”.  Through the prophet Isaiah we were told in Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV), “¹⁴Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  This virgin would give birth to the Son of God.  Even in His name Immanuel which is interpreted for us in Mattthew 1:23 God reveals more.  The meaning of Immanuel is “God with us”.   God would indeed dwell with man.

Further prophecy in Isaiah gives us more specifics.  Isaiah 9:6–7 (NKJV) ⁶For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

 

This Son who would be a ruler would be a wonderful counselor.  It is Jesus who even as a twelve year old boy astounded the Jewish Rabbis with His wisdom in Luke 2:46-47.  Bill Crowder writes, “What is the evidence that Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor?  We see it fleshed out in a Person.  We read of, reflect on, and appeal for help from the One ‘who became for us wisdom from God.’ (I Cor. 1:30”

As Christ continued to minister publicly the question was asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom?” (Mt. 13:54) and Paul wrote in Col 2:3, that in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

This “Wonderful Counselor” is also the “Mighty God”.  As God, He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  As one who is Mighty, there is no other whose might can be comparable to His.  But this Son, Jesus, would not only have the power of God, but He would be the Power of God!

For each individual today that recognizes their failure to stand up and maintain God’s holy standards of righteousness, John gives us this promise, “But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name.”  (Jn. 1:12)

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton  

The Christmas Promise # 1 (Eve to David)

As Christmas day approaches many of us are making plans to either have relatives in or to travel to relatives homes.  Some of these plans may have been put into action weeks, months, or possibly over a year ago.  What many don’t realize is that Christmas, the day we celebrate Christ’s birth,  was a plan that had been in place for a very long time.

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God’s plan was in place “before the foundation of the world.”  Before God ever spoke into being the earth and the rest of Creation he had planned to send His Son.

God did not share all the details with man in the beginning, but over time he shared more and more until, as Galatians 4:4puts it, “the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”

God first began to reveal this plan to Satan, Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 where in response to the serpent deceiving Eve He prophesied, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  Eve seems to show some limited understanding of this promised seed in Genesis 4:1 where the Hebrew reads, “I have gotten a man, the LORD!” Though her understanding of the promise was wrong, for this child was Cain, her faith in the promise was correct.  God would indeed provide a Seed that would crush Satan’s head.

If we turn over to Genesis 12 we see further revelation regarding this long-time plan of God.  God promised Abraham in verses 3-2, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”   This Seed that had been promised to Eve would come through the line of Abraham.  Though it took many years God fulfilled his promise to Abraham and Sarah and gave them a son, Isaac, through whom this promise would continue.  

Isaac’s son Jacob had twelve sons, and at his death he prophesied of Judah’s descendants reigning, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.” Gen. 49:10.

In II Samuel 5 one of Judah’s descendants was placed as king over Israel.  His name was David.  To David God further shared his future plans regarding this Seed.  “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom…and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever…and your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.  Your throne shall be established forever.” (II Sam. 7:13)

Through these passages we see that this baby born on Christmas day was part of God’s plan before the beginning of time, and slowly He revealed more about this Seed as the ages passed.  Take time as you do your Christmas preparations to reflect on this promised Seed, Jesus Christ, and His reason for coming to earth.

The video version of this is available at www.youtube.com/churchoflittleton   Christmas special 1