Imagine the following situation:  You are in a church service listening to a sermon on the sin of pride.  Soon the Holy Spirit convicts you regarding this very failure in your own life.  Sitting there you inwardly confess this sin and determine to remedy it.  But just how does one go about this?  Are there certain steps to take in becoming humble?

Will you be like the man who wrote a book entitled, Humility and How I Attained It, which included a dozen pictures of the author with the final chapter boasting on how proud he now was of his humility?!

Actually, the antithesis of pride is not humility, but rather that of thanksgiving.  This is simply to say a thankful person is automatically a humble person.  Suppose a total stranger sees you in a shopping area carrying a large bundle of packages, attempting to open a door.  He quickly runs over, picks up the packages you have dropped, and opens the door for you.  Of course you thank him for this.  Why?  Well, because he was performing an act of kindness that you did not deserve or expect.  In essence, you are saying, “I appreciate this so much.  We’ve never met and you were under no obligation whatsoever to do what you did!”

In fact, thanklessness was the single one sin that caused the ancient world to degenerate into both idolatry and immorality.  Note Paul’s sad commentary on this:

“. . . . since they knew God but did not honor Him as God, nor did they thank Him.  Instead, their thoughts became total nonsense, and their ignorant hearts were darkened.  While claiming to be wise, they became fools; they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortals, and of birds, and of four-footed animals, and of crawling creatures.  And so, as they followed the lusts of their hearts, God handed them over to live immorally by dishonoring their bodies with one another.  He did this because they traded the truth of God for this lie, namely, they worshiped and served what was created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen! 

That is why God gave them up to shameful lusts.  Their women have even exchanged natural relations for the unnatural.  And men likewise have given up the natural relations with a woman and burned with lust for one another, men doing shameful acts with men and suffering in themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion”  (Rom. 1:21-27, New Evangelical Translation). 

The following perhaps says it best:

·         Be Careful (Anxious) for NOTHING!

·       Be Prayerful for EVERYTHING!

·         Be Thankful for ANYTHING!

Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26).

Jesus began this miracle by placing His hands on the man and spitting in his eyes.

The Savior: “Do you see anything?”
The sightless: “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

Jesus touched the man’s eyes, causing him to now see clearly and completely.

SIGNIFICANCE

● This is Jesus’ only miracle accomplished in two stages.

SPIRITUAL TRUTHS

● The spiritual application here is crystal clear and sorely needed today.  We need that second touch by Jesus, allowing us to see “every man clearly” as God does.

● As can be seen later, Jesus’ disciples would often see men as “trees.”

1. Despicable trees

“And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village” (Luke 9:52-56).

2. Bothersome trees

“And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein” (Luke 18:15-17).

3. Competitive trees

“And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:38-41).

4. Sinful trees

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1-3).

5. Unclean trees

“On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (Acts 10:9-15).

● As can be seen today, Jesus’ disciples do often see men as trees.  Thus:

1. As a Christian leader, do I view my staff and associates simply as servant trees whose main task is to help me in building my own personal kingdom?

2. As a Christian layperson, do I view my family members and friends merely as enabling trees, existing primarily to meet my needs and enhance my goals?

This is illustrated by the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17-44).

Standing outside the tomb that contained the body of Lazarus, Jesus gives some specific and pointed instructions:

Here we see an example of that desired cooperation God seeks between the Savior and the soul winner in raising dead sinners to newness of life.  Jesus issued three commands in accomplishing this miracle.  The first and third were directed toward the friends of the corpse, while the second was given to the corpse itself.  Note:

1. ”Take ye away the stone” (John 11:39).  The job of the soul winner is to first remove all human barriers so that Christ can come in direct contact with a lost person.

2. ”Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43).  Only Christ, of course, can do this.

3. ”Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44).  In a word, this speaks of discipleship, that is, ministering to the new convert.

Today there is much discussion and scientific research in regard to the origin (big bang?), size and shape of our universe.  Here is the Divine Author’s account:

A. Who created the universe?

1. According to David, the Father created all things.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psa. 19:1).

2. However, John declares the Son did it.  “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:3-4).

3. Finally, in other passages, the Holy Spirit is said to have performed the initial act of creation.  “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:1, 2).

4. What are we to believe?  The answer is, of course, that all three persons in the Trinity had a part.  As an illustration let us consider an important executive who determines to build a spacious and expensive home.  He, thus, employs an architect to design the necessary plans for this home.  The architect then secures a competent contractor to follow his blueprints.  In this illustration the executive is the Father, the architect is the Son, and the contractor is the Holy Spirit.  The following verses then refer to the work of this Divine Contractor.  “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth” (Psa. 104:30).  “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent” (Job 26:13).  “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (Job 33.4).

B. How vast is our universe?  It is so vast that it takes a beam of light (which travels some 700 million miles per hour) over 100,000 years just to cover the distance across our galaxy called the Milky Way.  But our galaxy is only one among many billions in the known universe.  To illustrate the size of our universe, consider the following examples:

1. Paper tack model

● Let us say the thickness of a sheet of paper represents the distance from the earth to the sun (some 93 million miles).
● To represent the distance to the nearest star we would need a stack of paper 71 feet high.
● To cover the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy would require a stack 310 miles high.
● To reach the edge of the known universe would demand a pile of paper sheets 31 million miles high.

2. Orange and grain of sand model

● Here an orange would represent the sun.
● A grain of sand is the earth, circling the orange at a distance of 30 feet.
● Pluto, the most remote planet in our solar system, is another grain of sand, circling the orange at ten city blocks away.
● Alpha Centauri, the nearest star, is 1,300 miles away from the orange.

C. How minute is our universe?  Simply stated, it is as unbelievably small as it is big.  Consider the following:

1. All material in the universe consists of atoms.  Atoms in turn are made up of three “building blocks,” which are protons, neutrons (which two go to make up the center of an atom called the nucleus), and electrons (which circle the nucleus as our earth does the sun).

2. On the tip of a ballpoint pen are so many atoms that if they were carried by an army, marching four abreast, an atom to a man, it would take over 20,000 years for a march-past.

3. It would take 25 trillion protons laid side by side to span a linear inch.

4. There are as many protons in a cubic inch of copper as there are drops of water in the oceans of the world or grains of sand on the seashores of our earth.

5. The size of an electron is to a dust speck as the dust speck is to the entire earth.

6. The space between an electron and the nucleus is 10,000 times as great as the size of that nucleus.  For example, if the outer shell of electrons in an atom were the size of the Houston Astrodome, the nucleus would be the size of a ping-pong ball in the center of that stadium.

What was truly unique concerning Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 In the Old Testament two specific factors were involved in the offering up of an
 acceptable sacrifice.  The first was the service of a qualified priest (from the
 Tribe of Levi, Num. 3:5-8) and the second involved an acceptable victim (from
 the list of clean animals, Lev. 20:25).  

 On the cross Jesus functioned as both priest (even though He came from the
 Tribe of Judah, Heb. 7:14), and acceptable victim!

Author Ray Stedman writes:

 As a priest, Jesus Christ could find no unblemished sacrifice that He could offer except Himself, so He offered Himself as a sacrifice; there was found no other priest worthy of offering such a sacrifice, so Christ became both Priest and Victim.
 (What More Can God Say?, Regal Press, p. 115)

This dual arrangement can be seen by listening to His seven final sentences
while on the cross.  The first three demonstrate His priestly ministry while the
final four speak of His sacrificial role.

A. His priestly ministry.
 1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
 2. “Verily, I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
3. “Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26, 27).

 B. His sacrificial ministry:
  1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
  2. “I thirst” (John 19:28).
  3. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
  4. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

When did Jesus Christ die?

 A. Historically speaking, He died on Friday (many believe), March 30, A.D. 33 at 3:00 P.M.
  “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost”  (Matt. 27:50).

  “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost” (Mark 15:37).

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

 B. Theologically speaking, He died before the foundation of the world.  At least four New Testament passages bring this out:

  “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:4, 7).

  “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:4-7).

  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

  “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Stated another way, in the mind and plan of God, the last Adam was already on the cross of Calvary before the first Adam was in the Garden of Eden!

 Henry Thiessen writes:

The death of Christ has a prominent place in the New Testament.  The last three days of our Lord’s earthly life occupy about one-fifth of the narratives in the four Gospels.  If all the three and a half years of his public ministry had been written out as fully as the last three days, we would have a Life of Christ of some 8,400 pages!  Torrey claims that the death of Christ is mentioned directly in the New Testament more than 175 times.  Since there are 7,959 verses in the New Testament, this would mean that one out of every 53 verses refers to this theme.

The death of Christ is the essential thing in Christianity.  Other religions base their claim to recognition on the teaching of their founders; Christianity is distinguished from all of them by the importance it assigns to the death of its Founder.  Take away the death of Christ as interpreted by the Scriptures, and you reduce Christianity to the level of the ethic religions.  Though we would still have a higher system of ethics, were we to take away the cross of Christ, we would have no more salvation than these other religions.  Napoleon said, when banished to St. Helena, that Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and he had founded mighty kingdoms on force, but that Jesus Christ had founded his on love.  This is true, if we mean love expressed in his substitutionary death.

It is of Supreme Interest in Heaven.  The death of Christ is the subject of supreme interest in heaven.  We may expect those who have gone to heaven to have a fuller and truer conception of life’s values than those who are still limited in their vision by their existence in the body.  We are told that when Moses and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, they conversed with Christ about the decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30-31).  We also find that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sang the song of redemption through the death of Christ (Rev. 5:8-10).  Even the multitude of angels around the throne, though not in need of redemption themselves, joined in the song of the Lamb that was slain (Rev. 5:11-12).  Since those who have the veil of human limitations completely removed from their eyes—those who have entered into the fuller fruits of redemption through the blood of Christ—extol Christ’s death above everything else, we mortals ought to study into the true meaning of that death.
(Systematic Theology, pp. 313-314)

Consider the importance of Jesus’ death as viewed from another perspective.

A. There is a total of 89 chapters in the four-fold accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

B. Of these 89 chapters, only 4 are given over in recording the first thirty years (Luke 3:23) of Jesus’ earthly life (Matt. 1, 2; Luke 1, 2).

C. Of these 89 chapters, no less than 13 describe (in detail) those events surrounding His death (Matt. 26, 27; Mark 14, 15; Luke 22, 23; John 13-19).

D. We may thus correctly conclude that, according to the space afforded it in the divine record, the death of Jesus Christ was considered more than three times as important than the first thirty years of His life!

E. Unlike any other person in history, Jesus’ greatest gift to humanity was not His life, but rather His death!  Thus, He was born in Bethlehem that He might die at Calvary.  The manger would become the door leading to the cross!

Who were the parties involved in the death of Jesus Christ?
In reality there were seven secondary sources and three primary sources.

 A. The seven secondary sources:
  1.  Satan–And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it  shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”  (Gen. 3:15).

 2. Judas (Matt. 26:14-16, 47-50)
      a. Judas sold Jesus to His enemies for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16).
      b. Judas identified Jesus for His enemies in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:47-50).

 3. Annas and Caiaphas (John 18:12-14, 19-24; Matt. 26:57, 62-65)
  This wicked former High Priest (Annas), and his ungodly current
  High Priest (Caiaphas) ordered the arrest of Jesus, and, after
  shamefully mistreating Him, voted to put Him to death.

 4. Pilate (Matt. 27:15-26)
  After ordering Jesus to be cruelly scourged (knowing full well of His
  innocence), Pilate releases the Savior to be crucified!

 5. The Jewish leaders (Matt. 26:3, 4, 59-61: 27:1)
  “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death” (Matt. 27:1).

 6. The Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:27-35)
  “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and  gathered  unto him the whole band of soldiers … And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots” (Matt. 27:27, 35).

 7. All sinners
 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

 “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him” (Heb. 2:8).

 B. The three primary sources:
  1. God the Father!
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted … Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:4, 10).

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

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

  2. God the Son!
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:18).

“I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25).

  3. God the Holy Spirit!
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).

II. What kind of emotional suffering did Jesus Christ endure for our redemption?

 A. The kind that came from His friends.
  1. One apostle denied Him (Luke 22:54-62).
  2. One apostle betrayed Him (Matt. 26:14-16).
  3. All the apostles forsook Him (Matt. 26:56).

 B. The kind that came from His foes.
  1. From the political world.  Both Pilate and Herod refused to give Him a fair trial (Matt. 27:22-26; Luke 23:6-12).
 2. From the religious world.  The High Priest (Caiaphas) and the Jewish leaders plotted against Him (Matt. 26:57, 59).
3. From the military world.  He was taunted and ridiculed by the Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:27-31).
4. From the demonic world.  There is evidence that Satan attempted to kill Jesus in Gethsemane, perhaps to prevent Him from going to the cross (Mark 14:32-36; Luke 22:39-44).

 C. The kind that came from His Father.
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).

III. What was truly unique concerning Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 In the Old Testament two specific factors were involved in the offering up of an acceptable sacrifice.  The first was the service of a qualified priest (from the Tribe of Levi, Num. 3:5-8) and the second involved an acceptable victim (from the list of clean animals, Lev. 20:25).  

On the cross Jesus functioned as both priest (even though He came from the Tribe of Judah, Heb. 7:14), and acceptable victim!

Author Ray Stedman writes:

 As a priest, Jesus Christ could find no unblemished sacrifice that He could offer except Himself, so He offered Himself as a sacrifice; there was found no other priest worthy of offering such a sacrifice, so Christ became both Priest and Victim.
 (What More Can God Say?, Regal Press, p. 115)

This dual arrangement can be seen by listening to His seven final sentences while on the cross.  The first three demonstrate His priestly ministry while the final four speak of His sacrificial role.

A. His priestly ministry.
 1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
 2. “Verily, I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
3. “Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26, 27).

 B. His sacrificial ministry:
  1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
  2. “I thirst” (John 19:28).
  3. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
  4. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

IV. When did Jesus Christ die?

 A. Historically speaking, He died on Friday (many believe), March 30, A.D. 33 at 3:00 P.M.
  “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost” (Matt. 27:50).

  “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost” (Mark 15:37).

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

 B. Theologically speaking, He died before the foundation of the world.  At least four New Testament passages bring this out:

  “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:4, 7).

  “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:4-7).

  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

  “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).

Stated another way, in the mind and plan of God, the last Adam was already on the cross of Calvary before the first Adam was in the Garden of Eden!

V. What were the results of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?

 The effects of His victorious death were ten-fold!

 A. In relation to sinners—Redemption

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).

  “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

 B. In relation to the saved—Sanctification
  “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal. 1:4).

 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all … Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Heb. 10:10, 19, 20).

C. In relation to the Father—Reconciliation
 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:10).

 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18, 19).

 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity hereby” (Eph. 2:16).

 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20).

D. In relation to the Savior—Expectation
 “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb. 10:12, 13).

E. In relation to the devil—Destruction
 “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15).

 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

F. In relation to the Law—Completion
 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matt. 5:17).

 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).

G. In relation to the Nation Israel—Restoration
 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1).

 “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”
 (Rom. 11:26, 27).

H. In relation to the sin nature—Condemnation
 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:1-6).

I. In relation to sin itself—Purification
 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:5).

J. In relation to the wrath of God—Protection
 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”
 (John 3:16-18).

 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain” (1 Thess. 5:9). 

There are exactly 1189 chapters in the English Bible.  I believe it can be rightly concluded that the first eleven of these chapters are some of the most important ones.  Certainly they comprise the foundation upon which the remaining 1178 securely rest.  The following attempts to offer a unique and (hopefully) useful overview of these Bible verses.

He stood up, spoke out, and sat down (1:1-2:3)

• The One who stood up was God.  The words He spoke out brought all things into existence.  Following this He sat down, for the work of creation was complete.

• All it required was six sovereign “Let there be” commands, and there was!
• But the divine language regarding the second part of the sixth command suddenly changes from “Let there be,” to “And God said, let us make man in our own image … and let them have dominion over all the earth.”  Thus, God’s final act was to create a TAKE CHARGE CREATURE MADE IN HIS OWN IMAGE!

A Somber Warning followed by a Sensational Wedding (2:4-25)

• The somber warning: Here was God’s tale of two trees which He invited Adam to partake of the tree of life, (and all other trees) but forbade eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

• The sensational wedding.  Following Adam’s naming of the animals the wedding took place.  It was not only history’s first, but the most unusual of all in that the groom gave birth to the bride he married!

“TRUST ME,” he said, “go ahead, you won’t die!”  So they did and they did!  (3:1-24)

What a tragic and shameful story we have here of deceit, disobedience, despair, and     spiritual death.  But the account concludes with God cleansing and clothing His erring         children, along with the promise of a future Savior who would do the same for all who       would accept it.  Just think of it—long before the star of Bethlehem, Christmas is       anticipated in the Garden of Eden!  Marvelous and mysterious are the ways of God.

A farmer and a shepherd: Why the first murdered the second (4:1-26)

The reason was tragically simple: the farmer (Cain) had offered God a bloodless sacrifice and his brother, the shepherd (Abel) had presented a blood offering.  The first was rejected by God, the second accepted by Him.  For this, the unrepentant Cain is driven from God and becomes the founder of a godless Cainite civilization.

History’s First Obituary Column, listing those who died and the one who did not (5:1-32)

·         Those who died: Eight names of the deceased ones (not counting Noah and his three sons) are listed, along with their age at death.  Among these eight was history’s oldest human being (before or after) Methuselah, whose final birthday celebration required 969 candles on his gigantic cake!

·         The one who did not die: speaking of Methuselah, the one who did an end run of death, the first to get out of this life alive, was his father, Enoch!

Why and How the Creator Destroyed His Creation: A tale of madness and mercy, of punishment and protection (6-8)

·         The madness:  In the days of Noah, gross sin and universal iniquity had reached the level that could not be tolerated a moment longer by a holy and righteous God.  

·         The mercy:  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (6:7, 8).

·         The punishment:  The divine method of destruction would entail no less than a global flood, meant to destroy all humans and animals with the exception of those gathered in a huge floating barge which Noah was commanded to build. 

·         The protection:  Exactly one week fter Noah and his family, along with a male and female of all animals (7 pairs of the clean ones) were safely aboard the Ark, the rains began to fall in Niagara-like torrents. 

A Sign in the Sky and a Sot in a Tent (9)

·         The sign:  A rainbow now appears as a reminder of God’s promise never to destroy the earth again by a global flood.  Question: Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?  Spiritually speaking, in God’s case, the answer is YES, and that rainbow is the Redeemer who assures His own that they need never fear divine judgment of any kind!

     “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world

     through him might be saved” (Jn. 3:17).

·         The sot:  “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent”

     (9:20, 21).

Descendants by the dozens!  What a family tree it was!  (10:1-31; 11:10-30)

·         There were three main branches extending from this tree, namely, the descendants of Noah’s three sons, Japheth, Ham, and Shem.

·         If you read the record closely it will reveal your lineage!                             

How, when, where, and why the Gate of God would become the City of Confusion (11:1-9)

• Following the flood some descendants of Noah’s three sons began construction of a tower and city on the fertile plains near the Euphrates River.  The city would be known as Babel. 

        The Gate of God!  But the God of Heaven viewed this as a wicked attempt rebellious      people to unify against Him.  Acting swiftly He stopped the project in its tracks by           confounding and confusing their common language, breaking it into many dialects.  Thus      was the meaning of Babel changed from Gate of God to City of Confusion.

Were both God and Satan involved in the temptation of Christ?  Is this the case also when we are tempted?  The answer to both questions is yes.  The reason for this is seen in the two-fold meaning of the word temptation.

1. First meaning—To test in a good sense with the goal of confirming one in matters of righteousness
a. As experienced by Jesus—“Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matt. 4:1).  “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
b. As experienced by believers—“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him,, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am” (Gen. 22:1).
 2. Second meaning—To entice one into evil
a. As experienced by Jesus—Satan made a desperate attempt to entice Jesus into evil.
b. As experienced by believers—“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1).  “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:13-14).
 
In light of this, is it ever (or always) a sin for the believer to be tempted?  It all depends upon just who has led us into the temptation itself!

1. If our guide has been the Holy Spirit (as was the case here in Matt. 4), then it can be said that not only is temptation not a sin, it is actually both an honor and an opportunity.
a. It is an honor because it demonstrated that God can trust us.  He knows just how much we can withstand (Psa. 103:13-14), and will not allow the temptation to go beyond that limit (1 Cor. 10:13).  This is why both James and Peter could describe temptation in such a positive light.  “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations … Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:2, 12).  “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
b. It is an opportunity because we can use it to grow spiritually and to strengthen our faith.  Paul writes of this: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

2. If, however, our guide has been the old nature (as is often the case with us), then the temptation will prove harmful and even disastrous.  James had this kind of guide in mind when he warned: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:13-15).

 James was saying that we should not “tempt” temptation.  Note the admonition of Solomon: “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent” (Prov. 6:27-29).

 It has been correctly observed that while a believer may find it impossible to control himself under certain circumstances, he or she can always control the circumstances themselves. 

 An airline captain who had flown gigantic Boeing 747 passenger jetliners for years was once asked to define what constituted a great pilot.  He replied: “A great pilot is an expert flier who never allows his plane to encounter those flying conditions which would require all of his greatness and expertise.”