I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth . — Matt. 8:11-12
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be our opportunity to bear witness. — Luke 21:12-13
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. — Luke 21:24
Excerpts from book
Page 369 - We must not stumble over God’s unusual way of pursuing the nations for the glory of his Son.
Page 370 - But he did not intend to bring the kingdom the way they thought. His intention was to suffer and die for their sins before he would reign as their king. This was their only hope of eternal life. Jesus focused his mission on the Jews, giving them every opportunity to know him and believe in him.......And at one point he said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24).
We may think this a roundabout way to reach the nations. But God has his reasons. There are lessons the nations must learn from the failure of Israel to trust God and welcome a suffering Messiah......In the Jewish Scriptures that Jesus knew and loved, the prophecy was clear: The Son of God would one day inherit the nations.
Page 371 - Again and again in these Scriptures we read the promise that all the nations would one day bow down and worship the true God, and that his Servant-Son would be a light to the nations....When Jesus came as the light of the world, though his focus was on Israel, he began to make it clear that the kingdom he was bringing through suffering would bless the nations and that Israel herself would be, for a season, left to the side.
The mystery is opening. Gentiles—the nations—are going to inherit the blessings of Israel. Jesus had signaled this in his very first sermon in his hometown of Nazareth.
Page 372 - More and more it became clear, for those who had ears to hear, that Jesus had come to save all the nations as well as Jews.....There is no maybe here. The mission that he gives to his followers to go and make disciples of all nations will come to pass. “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice” (John 10:16).....The mission to make disciples of all nations will succeed.
Page 373 - So even though God focused his redeeming work on Israel for many centuries, everything was preparation for the global mission to the nations. This was there from the first promise to Abraham....This is the promise that is coming true in Jesus’ command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”... This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 21:43 when he said, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [Israel] and given to a people producing its fruits.” That new “people” is the church gathered from
all the nations.
His Final Demand: “Make a Global Claim on My Behalf” Jesus’ final demand is that we never lose sight of the global scope of his claim on the human race. He is not a tribal deity. He is the Lord of the universe. Every knee will one day bow either willingly or unwillingly (Matt. 25:31-32). All judgment is given to him (John 5:22). The demand is that his followers reach the nations with “all that he has commanded.”.
Page 374 - The certainty of success is guaranteed (Matt. 24:14). Jesus will see that it gets done. But it is in our hands to do it. We do it by prayer and by the word and by suffering for others. Jesus said, “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” (Luke 10:2). We must earnestly pray that God will do what he promised he would do. Promises do not make prayer superfluous; they make the answer certain.
Then we must open our mouths and speak the truth of Jesus to all nations..... And don’t be ashamed.....Finally, in all our praying and speaking we must be ready to suffer....Jesus was sent to suffer. We will not be able to make disciples of all nations without taking up our cross and following Jesus on the Calvary road of sacrificial love (Mark 8:34). This is the light of Jesus that the world can most clearly see (Demand #48).
Jesus does not call us to an easy life or an easy mission. “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you,......
Page 375 - .....This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12-13). There will be no wasted suffering. In the short run, it will always be an occasion to speak and show the reality of Jesus. In the long run, it will lead to eternal life.....Therefore, in all your suffering for the advance of Jesus’ mission you are increasingly rewarded.
That reward is the enjoyment of the inexhaustibly glorious Jesus forever and ever.
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be our opportunity to bear witness. — Luke 21:12-13
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. — Luke 21:24
Excerpts from book
Page 369 - We must not stumble over God’s unusual way of pursuing the nations for the glory of his Son.
Page 370 - But he did not intend to bring the kingdom the way they thought. His intention was to suffer and die for their sins before he would reign as their king. This was their only hope of eternal life. Jesus focused his mission on the Jews, giving them every opportunity to know him and believe in him.......And at one point he said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24).
We may think this a roundabout way to reach the nations. But God has his reasons. There are lessons the nations must learn from the failure of Israel to trust God and welcome a suffering Messiah......In the Jewish Scriptures that Jesus knew and loved, the prophecy was clear: The Son of God would one day inherit the nations.
Page 371 - Again and again in these Scriptures we read the promise that all the nations would one day bow down and worship the true God, and that his Servant-Son would be a light to the nations....When Jesus came as the light of the world, though his focus was on Israel, he began to make it clear that the kingdom he was bringing through suffering would bless the nations and that Israel herself would be, for a season, left to the side.
The mystery is opening. Gentiles—the nations—are going to inherit the blessings of Israel. Jesus had signaled this in his very first sermon in his hometown of Nazareth.
Page 372 - More and more it became clear, for those who had ears to hear, that Jesus had come to save all the nations as well as Jews.....There is no maybe here. The mission that he gives to his followers to go and make disciples of all nations will come to pass. “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice” (John 10:16).....The mission to make disciples of all nations will succeed.
Page 373 - So even though God focused his redeeming work on Israel for many centuries, everything was preparation for the global mission to the nations. This was there from the first promise to Abraham....This is the promise that is coming true in Jesus’ command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”... This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 21:43 when he said, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [Israel] and given to a people producing its fruits.” That new “people” is the church gathered from
all the nations.
His Final Demand: “Make a Global Claim on My Behalf” Jesus’ final demand is that we never lose sight of the global scope of his claim on the human race. He is not a tribal deity. He is the Lord of the universe. Every knee will one day bow either willingly or unwillingly (Matt. 25:31-32). All judgment is given to him (John 5:22). The demand is that his followers reach the nations with “all that he has commanded.”.
Page 374 - The certainty of success is guaranteed (Matt. 24:14). Jesus will see that it gets done. But it is in our hands to do it. We do it by prayer and by the word and by suffering for others. Jesus said, “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” (Luke 10:2). We must earnestly pray that God will do what he promised he would do. Promises do not make prayer superfluous; they make the answer certain.
Then we must open our mouths and speak the truth of Jesus to all nations..... And don’t be ashamed.....Finally, in all our praying and speaking we must be ready to suffer....Jesus was sent to suffer. We will not be able to make disciples of all nations without taking up our cross and following Jesus on the Calvary road of sacrificial love (Mark 8:34). This is the light of Jesus that the world can most clearly see (Demand #48).
Jesus does not call us to an easy life or an easy mission. “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you,......
Page 375 - .....This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12-13). There will be no wasted suffering. In the short run, it will always be an occasion to speak and show the reality of Jesus. In the long run, it will lead to eternal life.....Therefore, in all your suffering for the advance of Jesus’ mission you are increasingly rewarded.
That reward is the enjoyment of the inexhaustibly glorious Jesus forever and ever.
2 comments:
In one sense I'm overwhelmed by the demands. In the other sense, I am confident that all 50 demands flow out of the Holy Spirit working in my life to both will and act according to His good purpose.
What say you?
What say I? I say I agree to the point that we have to learn to observe the demands; to learn to discern between the demands of the Holy Spirit and those of our flesh and those of Satan's tempting; to listen to the Spirit's yearning for me to worship Him with every breath.
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