1. The Forerunner of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

This sermon was preached on 3/1/2010

Each of the Four Gospels tells the story of Jesus Christ but each begins in a different way. Matthew begins with a genealogy that identifies Jesus as the one promised to Abraham and to David by God; Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus; John begins by saying that Jesus is the eternal Word who always existed with God the Father; Mark begins by stating that Jesus was the Son of God. As he begins his letter, Mark does not refer to the birth of Jesus or to his childhood.

It is appropriate for us to contemplate reasons for this variety. One helpful suggestion is that in his introduction each Gospel writer suggests his particular focus on Jesus and the introduction becomes a pointer for readers to see where the author is going in his account. Mark begins with a statement indicating the divine dignity of Jesus and then describes the ministry of his forerunner (only an important person sent messengers ahead of him). Then Mark says that Jesus went through a self-humbling experience when he chose to be baptised. So we are being told by Mark that he is going to describe the humble service of the Son of God during the three years of his public ministry. In this connection, it is helpful for us to note the number of times that Mark uses the word ‘immediately’ of Jesus – such a word suggests a life of service.

Another interesting detail connected to Mark’s Gospel is his friendship with Peter. Mark is with Peter when the latter writes his first epistle (1 Pet. 5:13) and there is suggestions from the period of the early church which say that Peter was the source of much of the contents of Mark. It has been observed that reference is made to Peter quite often in Mark and you may spot interesting aspects of some incidents if you look out for references to Peter.

A third detail to note is that this Gospel is written by one who had made a big mistake early on in his Christian life. Mark had been with Paul and Barnabas on the First Missionary Journey but had returned home during it. Paul refused to take Mark on the second journey because of his previous lack of dedication. Nevertheless Mark recovered spiritually and eventually had a prominent role in the Christian church. So the existence of this Gospel is a reminder of the restoring grace of God.

Fourthly, looking again at the first verse, we can see that Mark describes his account of Jesus’ ministry as the beginning of the gospel. We may think that he is starting of his record by saying something like ‘the first thing I will mention is John’s ministry’. That is not what Mark means by ‘beginning’ – instead he means that his whole account is the ‘beginning’, with the rest of the story being what happened after the Saviour returned to heaven (Mark 16:20), which is continuing still.

The role of John the Baptist

Many people are searching for a role that will give them significance. With some the desire merely expresses self-interest, although with others the desire is connected to helping those in need. When we consider characters in the Bible we can see that they also had various roles, some more important than others. While it is not possible for us to grade them all, a good case can be made for saying that the person who had the greatest role, prior to the appearance of Jesus in public ministry, was John the Baptist. His role is great because he was the forerunner of Jesus and the Saviour mentions this when he says that no-one had been born of women who was greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:11). Jesus was not referring to John’s wealth, to John’s intellect, to John’s influence – rather he was referring to John’s role as the forerunner.

Mark mentions several details that highlight features of John’s significance in this regard. First, his role had been prophesied by two Old Testament prophets – Isaiah and Malachi. There are not many individuals apart from Jesus whose ministry was predicted in such a way. None of the apostles, apart from Judas Iscariot, were predicted in the Old Testament, but John was.

These Old Testament references refer to a common activity in ancient times. When a royal visitor was about to arrive in a location, he would send ahead of him a messenger to tell the inhabitants that the important person was due to arrive. The messenger was sent so that the inhabitants would prepare for the ruler’s arrival by tidying up the streets, by making provision for his entourage, and by appearing impressed by him. This illustration informed the readers that John’s role was to prepare his listeners for the coming of the King. How did he do so?

Second, John prepared the people by preaching a message that called for a visible expression of repentance. We have to remember that he preached to an audience who had a good grasp of Old Testament teaching, who were anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. Most of them did not need new information about God and his purpose; what they needed was a correct response to the information they already possessed, and that correct response was repentance. In this regard, they are similar to many people who attend church on a regular basis – they already have the information about Jesus and what they need to do is repent of their sins and trust in him.

We can use religious words and not appreciate what they mean and perhaps some of us are unsure about what repentance was and is. Repentance is a response made by one who has done wrong. When connected to a response to God it is an admittance by a person that he has broken God’s laws. Yet we have to distinguish repentance from two closely related responses – mere regret and mere resolutions.

Regret can be experienced because the disobedience has brought problems, but there may not be any regret about the disobedience itself. If the problems had not occurred, then there would be no regrets. A sinner may regret that his disobedience will result in divine punishment, yet he may enjoy the disobedience. Repentance is more than regret in that the former includes an awareness that sin itself is a problem as well as its consequences.

Resolutions indicate a person is looking ahead, determined to change his way of living. At one level, this is an appropriate response indicating maturity as a person gives up pointless activities. At another level it is more serious because it is an attempt to block out the past and live in a new way. With regard to the demands of God, resolutions may be an attempt to avoid repentance.

So what is repentance? Repentance includes recognition of sin, regret for sin and resolve to cease from sin. True repentance is the response by a sinner who realise he is a sinner. Repentance is also a turning to a merciful God who forgives sin through Christ – repentance is not marked by despair nor is it marked by an uncertainty about God’s character. The penitent sinner may find fault with his depth of repentance, but he does not find fault with God.

We noticed earlier that John performed on his hearers a visible sign indicating cleansing from sin – baptism with water. John’s baptism was not Christian baptism – this is confirmed by Paul’s rebaptising of some disciples of John in Ephesus who came to believe in Jesus. The baptism by John was a temporary arrangement whereby individuals could identify themselves as those preparing for the arrival of the Messiah.

It is worth observing here the benefit that comes from making a public statement about one’s faith in Jesus. Obviously it would have been possible for a person to prepare secretly for the arrival of Jesus, but such a response would have prevented meaningful fellowship because others would not know what was going on. Quite often, a person’s initial response after believing in Jesus is to keep it secret. This response may be due to personal temperament (shy) or to a desire to ensure the faith is genuine. Yet the most helpful response by such a person, both for himself and for others, is to tell humbly that he has faith in Jesus.

Thirdly, people found John’s message interesting. Normally today the church has to take the gospel to the world, and obviously such activities are expressions of obedience to Christ. Yet it was different with John because the people went to him, and they went in large numbers. James Stalker comments on this type of response and says, ‘No obstacles can keep people away when a voice sufficiently charged with the Holy Ghost is heard.’ In addition to the Spirit working in the preacher, the Spirit must be working within the listeners for such a response to take place. We should pray that the Spirit would lead individuals to find the gospel attractive and take whatever steps is needed to hear it.

Fourthly, John chose a lifestyle that matched his mission. His lifestyle is seen in his attire and in his menu. He had a message that spoke of another world and of a heavenly kingdom – and his lifestyle did not contradict his message. He took his role as the forerunner seriously and determined that none could accuse him of hypocrisy. They may have called him extreme or cranky, but they could not say he was inconsistent. In this response he is a model for his followers to copy, not in the sense of wearing the same clothes and eating the same food, but in the sense of ensuring that observers recognise the world we are living for.

Fifthly, John expressed his assessment of his role in a humble manner (vv. 7-8). The greatest born of women knew that in contrast to Jesus Christ he was small. Yet he did more than deduce it, he also gladly confessed it. When people heard John, they did not see the messenger instead of hearing the message. John ensured that his demeanour conveyed the impression that Jesus was great. We should note how he describes himself when he says that he is not worthy to stoop down and untie the sandal of Jesus. Such a task was usually the role of the lowest slave, but John puts himself below such a person. From his comment we can deduce that those who are great in God’s kingdom have humble estimation of themselves.

Sixthly, John exalted his Master. He referred to the power that the Messiah would possess and intimated that he would baptise his followers with the Holy Spirit. No doubt John amplified what he meant. We, looking back, can see that John was referring to what Jesus would do on the Day of Pentecost when he poured forth the Holy Spirit on his people. Jesus was going to give the Spirit in a universal way (Joel says that the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh), in a saving way (he would bring sinners into God’s kingdom through the Spirit), and in a life-transforming way (he would make sinners into holy people by the power of the Spirit).

What lessons can we deduce from this passage? First, God can be relied upon to fulfil his own Word (as he did regarding prophecies about John). Second, God often does his work in out of the way places just as he did through John in the desert. Third, the preparation for meeting with Jesus is repentance for our sins. Fourth, the way that Jesus works in his kingdom is through the Holy Spirit.

1. Greetings (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

This sermon was preached on 3/1/2010

The church in Thessalonica was a young church, having been founded by Paul, Silas and Timothy only a few months previous to the writing of this letter. Shortly after the church had been founded, Paul and Silas had been forced to leave the city because of the strength of the opposition (Acts 17:10). They were taken to Berea, after which Paul went on to Athens and Silas waited for Timothy, before joining up with Paul. In Athens, the team were concerned about how the young church was doing and eventually they sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to find out how the church was getting on (1 Thess. 3:1), and since Paul was left alone, perhaps Silas went back to Berea. They rejoined Paul after he had moved to Corinth (Acts 18:5). Timothy came back with a very good report in the main, and the team wrote this letter in response. He had also identified some problems, such as wrong ideas about the second coming of Jesus, and these are corrected in the letter.

In looking through this letter, we will see many features of church life. Although it was written in the first century, and to a city which was very different to modern cities, the letter is relevant for today. While there will be cultural aspects that are no longer in existence, and even doctrinal problems that no longer exist (for example, the Thessalonians were concerned about benefits those of their number who had died would receive when Jesus returned), there are many principles that we must implement if we want to qualify as a New Testament church.

We should observe something that is so obvious, yet we often fail to spot it. This book is a pastoral letter, not a theological treatise. Paul and his colleagues are responding to real situations, not hypothetical ones. This letter is written from the heart as well as from the mind. There is a bond between them and their readers, a bond created by God through the gospel. We will see this bond several times as we proceed through the letter.

A question worth asking is whether we can call this a letter from Paul given that he mentions his two colleagues as co-senders. The answer is that we can, and for two reasons at least. First, Paul agrees with all that is in the letter and, secondly, he utilises his apostolic authority in 5:27 where he says, ‘I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.’ So it is appropriate to say it is a letter from Paul.

Because it is a letter, the customs of the time are followed, which is that the senders are identified, as are the recipients, and a statement of good wishes begins the letter. The senders are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy; the recipients are the church in Thessalonica; and the good wishes are the blessings of grace and peace. Then as became customary in Paul’s letters, the greeting is followed by information about his prayers for those to whom he was writing.

The Senders
As we can see, they are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. At the time of writing, they are on a preaching mission during what we call Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Some scholars suggest that the men are listed according to age, which may be the case, but I suspect that they are listed according to spiritual authority. Paul was an apostle, Silvanus was a prophet (Acts 15:32), and Timothy was an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:3).

In passing, we have to watch how we understand these roles because we use these words with different meanings today. For example, if someone was to ask you what the word apostle meant in the book title ‘Apostle of the North’, what would you say? I don’t know what ‘apostle’ means in that title, but it cannot mean that Dr Macdonald had the same function as Paul. An apostle had special authority in the church and the number of them was limited to those who had witnessed the risen Christ. A prophet spoke under divine guidance, and therefore would speak infallibly, whether he was addressing a present issue or a future one. Today, an evangelist is a person who travels around preaching the gospel, but in New Testament times he was an apostolic delegate who was sent to oversee churches (Timothy and Titus are two examples).

The point I want us to note is that this team ministered together in harmony. They had different gifts, but they functioned as a unit. How were they able to do so? I would suggest that their description in this same verse of the church in Thessalonica gives us a clue. They worked in harmony because they realised that God was their Father and Jesus was their Lord. Harmony was maintained because they recognized they were brothers in the same divine family and servants of the same gracious Master. Out of their own experience, they exhorted the Thessalonians to appreciate the same realities, to live with one another as members of the family of God and to join with one another is submitting gladly to the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. A harmonious leadership will encourage a harmonious congregation.

The Recipients
They are described as the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The term ‘church’ may cause different ideas to come to our minds, but I suspect that the basic meaning of the original word will not be one of them. I suppose we have all heard of the word, ekklesia; after all it is in our language in the word ‘ecclesiastic.’ The word originally meant an assembly of people that were called together to meet an important person. We can see how this applies to a church gathering – we are summoned together to meet with God. This is an essential aspect of church life that we should remind ourselves of each Lord’s Day.

These people are said to have two locations, one geographical and the other spiritual. The geographical one is Thessalonica and the spiritual one is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. A year previous to the writing of this letter they only had a geographical location. But the gospel had come there, they had heard the good news of Jesus Christ and his offer of mercy, and when they repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus, they obtained another location.

Why does Paul mention two locations? I will give two possible answers. First, as they had their physical resources in Thessalonica, so they had their spiritual resources in the Father and in the Lord Jesus. They would go to the shops in Thessalonica and purchase what they needed for physical life; they would go to the Father and Jesus and obtain freely what they required for spiritual sustenance. Second, physical life in Thessalonica was very insecure (they were undergoing persecution), but spiritual life in the Father and Jesus was eternally secure.

All disciples of Jesus have to remind themselves that they live in two worlds simultaneously. We can only live properly in our Thessalonica (Inverness) if we are drawing spiritual resources from the Father and Jesus.

The Greeting
The team in Corinth wanted the congregation in Thessalonica to experience two blessings – grace and peace. Grace is divine favour and is a broad term covering all that God can provide. Peace is a specific term and concerns the atmosphere of the congregation as well as inner experience. Perhaps peace is highlighted because it is always liable to be removed whether by conflict between church members or my disturbances in one’s own heart.

This greeting suggests two comments. First, it reminds us that the church is always a needy community. It is essential for us to remember Paul’s encouraging words to the Philippians: ‘My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). Second, the greeting states what normal Christian living is – dependence on the heavenly Father and Jesus – and what normal Christian priorities are – living in grace and peace.

An important lesson
Hopefully we have taken note of several important lessons for church life from these introductory verses of this letter. Yet if there is one lesson that stands out above the rest it is this – we should always point others to the Father and to Jesus. This is the case whether we are preaching the gospel to sinners or encouraging believers to continue in the Christian life. We tell sinners that there is forgiveness available from the Father because of the work of Jesus on the cross; we tell saints that all they will need for their Christian journey, summarised as grace and peace, is available from the Father and the Son.

4. Jonah, the Regretful Prophet(Jonah 4:1-11)

This sermon was preached on 27/12/2009

In this chapter we have a dialogue between a despondent prophet and a determined God. I use the word ‘determined’ because this book clearly shows that the Lord will not leave a task unfinished, be that task a pagan city in need of forgiveness or a moody prophet in need of restoration.

It is also worth reminding ourselves that, in all likelihood, this account was written by Jonah himself, so we can say that he was an honest reporter. As Hugh Martin observed, ‘Let us not forget, therefore, that he has with much simplicity and frankness owned all his sin in this matter.’ This leads to the obvious question: how do we describe ourselves when we are part of a story we are telling? Do we exaggerate our good contribution and play down our sinful involvement?

Jonah informs us of his response to the repentance of Nineveh. He was more than angry – he regarded their repentance as an absolute disaster. Perhaps he had not expected them to repent, and had assumed that his predicted judgement would be fulfilled in just over a month’s time. Instead they had repented, and Jonah was disappointed, to say the least.

Yet it is important to note what angry Jonah did – he prayed (4:2). This at least is an improvement on his initial response to God’s command to go to Nineveh with his message. On that first occasion, he did not pray. Now, he does pray, which is a reminder to us that when things happen we do not understand, we should pray to God about it.

1. Jonah’s wonderful description of God (4:2)
Although in a bad mood Jonah gives one of the most beautiful descriptions of God that is to be found in the entire Bible when he says that God is ‘gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster’. We are familiar with the five points of Calvinism. Here is another set of five points, except they are five points about God and if we grasp each individually and all of them collectively, we will understand who God is and why he does what he does. Let us consider these details because they are the key to understanding the way that God acts.

First, God is gracious. This is his goodness towards the undeserving. Israel had not deserved any of the great blessings that God had given to them. Jonah had forgotten that the only way a person can have a relationship with God is by grace and not merit. We are familiar with the acrostic G(od’s) R(iches) A(t) C(hrist’s) E(xpense).

Second, God is merciful. This is his forgiveness of the guilty. All have sinned against him, including Jonah’s own people. If he had dealt with Israel as her sins deserved, she would have been punished. Instead God had shown mercy. To be a recipient of mercy should lead to the desire that mercy should be shown to others. Jonah had evidently forgotten that God delights to show mercy, even to citizens of wicked cities.

Third, God is slow to anger. This is his attitude to the impenitent. Our God is long-suffering towards the wicked. Why was God slow to anger with the Assyrians? One answer is that they were ignorant of his requirements. He describes them at the close of the chapter as not knowing the right hand from the left. It may be that most people in our society are ignorant of God and his ways, and therefore he delays his judgements to give them an opportunity for repentance.

In passing, we can note that ignorance is not an excuse for sin, nor does it make people not responsible for their actions. Yet we know that Jesus used the ignorance of the soldiers who were crucifying him when he prayed that the Father should forgive them (Luke 23:34). And Paul says that he obtained mercy because his awful actions prior to his conversion were done ignorantly (1 Tim. 1:13).

Fourth, God is faithful to his commitments. This is his attitude towards those who trust in him. This is the way he displays his love. He is ever loyal to them, which was just as well for Jonah. The reason why the inhabitants of Nineveh were not judged immediately was God’s long-suffering, the reason why Jonah was not judged immediately was God’s loyalty to his own promises to his people.

Fifth, God responds to those who repent. This is his response to those who heed his warnings. The heinousness of their sin did not prevent forgiveness once Nineveh repented. What wonderful grace God shows to sinners! This is not evidence that the Lord changes his mind depending on how individuals respond to his warnings. Rather it is a reminder that God’s offers of mercy are genuine.

There was nothing wrong with Jonah’s theology, although there was plenty things wrong with Jonah himself. We can compare Jonah’s attitude to another man who discovered a lot about God, but who did not respond to God in the manner that Jonah did. Years ago, John Newton penned his hymn, Amazing Grace. Newton did not become like Jonah because he did not forget what he had been. On his study wall, Newton had a plaque which read, ‘Remember you were a bondsman in the land of Egypt.’ One essential requirement for living in grace is to keep a good memory. Peter complains about those who have forgotten that God pardoned their sins (2 Pet. 1:9). What a sad description of a believer!

2. Jonah’s wrong response to God
Most preachers would give anything to experience only a fraction of converts that Jonah had been given. 120,000 people had responded to his message of repentance and a heathen city had turned to God. Yet Jonah was not overjoyed, in fact it was the opposite. His response is a reminder that sin and rebellion in the heart of a believer can occur in a spiritually prosperous situation.

We noted in previous studies that it was likely that nationalism was part of the problem with Jonah’s attitude and we can see evidence of his mind-set in his description of Israel as ‘my country’ (v. 2). He is almost saying that God has forgotten his special relationship with his people, whereas what has happened is that Jonah has forgotten God’s intention for Israel to be a light to the world.

I think we can identify one or two other negative features in his outlook. One is a spirit of petulance, which is particularly seen in his outburst after the gourd was destroyed. This spirit is also displayed in his attitude to God. Jonah was angry with the God who refused to punish sinners. This attitude seems to have been a natural trait in Jonah’s character because he was irritated by the demise of the gourd.

It is easy for our natural traits to be transferred into religious outlooks and cause us to sin. An impatient person will be an impatient Christian unless he or she deals with the matter. The best way to deal with a flaw is to replace it with its opposite. Jonah, therefore, should have been praying that the city’s repentance would continue; he should have been praising God for showing mercy to it; he should have thanked God that his delay in getting to Nineveh had not caused judgement to come on the city. Of course, I wonder how many people died in Nineveh the day before Jonah arrived and therefore did not hear his warning because he arrived late.

A second negative feature may be a concern for public appreciation. If Jonah had returned to Israel having announced a message of judgement on Nineveh that took place forty days later, he would have been welcomed as a hero in his homeland. Now he faced the prospect of having to return with the reputation of bringing a message of mercy to the enemies of his country.

A third negative feature is his attempt at self-justification (v. 2). How often even believers can engage in this outlook, often after they have been shown to be wrong. Even if Jonah was perplexed by God’s dealings with the Assyrians, it does not excuse his attempts to justify himself. Instead he should have acknowledged that God’s ways were higher than he could grasp.

Jonah is an example of how unlike God a believer can become. When God saw the city’s repentance he was moved with compassion; when Jonah saw it he was moved with anger. Sinclair Ferguson notes that geographically Jonah was outside Nineveh, chronologically he was in the middle of a revival, but spiritually he was almost back to square one. Instead Jonah should have imitated the God he knew how to describe.

3. God’s gracious instruction of Jonah
This chapter recounts how the Lord responded to Jonah’s state of soul, and we can picture Jonah as he records each detail. He writes as one who has tasted the pardon of God and he therefore records for our benefit how the Lord restored him.

First, God listened to the sinful response of his servant. Remarkably, the prayer of angry Jonah is heard by God. Sometimes the best response to a confused person is merely to listen. This is what Job’s friends did initially before they spoilt it by starting to assess the situation. It is wonderful to know that, in times of confusion, we have a listening God.

Second, when Jonah walked off in his rage to the outskirts of the city, the Lord followed him. Perhaps we would have let Jonah go and mope by himself, but God did not do so. Instead he followed on behind him and providentially arranged for his comfort. The Lord showed his goodness to a froward servant.

Third, the Lord gave Jonah an object lesson from the gourd that he had provided for Jonah’s comfort. God removed the gourd, which was Jonah’s protection against the hot sun. In the story Jonah feels sorry for the plant. From this incident, the Lord indicated the appropriateness of his concern for the people of Nineveh.

Fourth, the Lord asked Jonah several questions, designed to cause him to reflect on his own angry attitude and on the Lord’s forgiveness of Nineveh. The Lord did not accuse him, even although he was guilty. Instead he worked on Jonah’s mind in order for Jonah to realise his own folly.

In many ways, the Lord’s response to Jonah anticipates some of the ways that Jesus interacted with his disciples. He comforted disobedient disciples, gave them simple lessons, and asked helpful questions. Each of the Lord’s responses to Jonah reveal patience and concern.

Some lessons to learn
First, Jonah’s experiences warn us about the danger of a wrong concept of God. In his case, the wrong concept was nationalism. It was not the case that Jonah was ignorant of the character of God, but he had not allowed his intellect to affect his attitude. His knowledge about God did not cause him to understand God. He knew God was gracious, yet did not think he should be gracious to Nineveh. There is a real danger of having a detached knowledge of God that does not transform us into his image.

Second, God would not let Jonah go on in his downward path. He took steps in providence to arrest that descent as well as interacting with him personally. In a way, this is probably the most encouraging message of the book as far as the personal lives of believers are concerned. If you belong to God, he will not let you go. He may allow you to begin a descent, but he will not let you go down to the bottom. Eventually he will restore you. And he will not do so only once. Again and again he will restore his people.

Third, Jonah is an example of a preacher not being blessed by his own message. This is a danger that faces all preachers and may not be recognised by their hearers. No doubt, his converts in Nineveh were thanking God for Jonah’s ministry, yet Jonah was not interested. He had preached with benefit to others, but with no benefit to himself. It is important that you pray for blessing on the ministry from this pulpit, but you should also pray for blessing in the pulpit.

Fourth, can a reason be suggested for Jonah having this sinful attitude after his successful ministry in Nineveh? I would suggest that one cause of his outlook was a failure to engage in ongoing repentance. It was not enough that he repent inside the sea creature about his disobedience to God’s will. His response to God in chapter 4 reveals that he had allowed the wrong attitudes of nationalism and resentment to re-appear in his heart. Jonah should have continued to ask God to keep down these sinful tendencies. The same applies to us. Why do particular sins re-appear in our lives? Because we sometimes do not take their presence seriously and fail to pray penitently about them.

Fifth, we can be encouraged by realising that God can use a disobedient servant. This does not justify disobedience, but which of us is perfect? Our gracious God sidesteps the barriers that we erect and continues to use us in his service.

The book closes with God asking Jonah a question regarding the fate of the thousands in Nineveh. One assumes that Jonah realised the suitability of closing the account with a question. I suspect he finished his story in this way in order to help his readers grasp the most important detail of his book. If we come away saying that the most amazing feature of this story is the provision of a whale, we have missed the point of the book. Instead we are to focus on the amazing fact that the God of Israel blessed repentant pagans with mercy. The reason the book closes with an unanswered question is because the Lord wants us to give our answer to what he will do in our Nineveh.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6)

This sermon was preached on 27/12/2009

It is common for leaders to make promises of peace. I suppose if we could ask people what they most wanted to see in 2010, many of them would say peace because we live in a world in which peace is lacking in many areas of life. Yet I suspect that if we asked them to define what they mean by peace, a variety of answers would be given. Some would intend external peace whereas others, who live in fairly steady circumstances, would desire internal peace.

When we look back into history, we can see that peace has eluded many who sought for it. Sometimes a form of peace was imposed on other nations who had been conquered by a dominant country, yet its rule was resented by its subjects. Its peace was merely an absence of war. When we look around our world today, we conclude that politicians cannot give peace (despite their genuine attempts at times), prosperity does not bring peace (materialism cannot satisfy the heart), advances in technology have not brought peace (instead it has developed many methods of preventing peace), increase in knowledge has not brought peace (we know much more than our ancestors did).

The people to whom Isaiah initially delivered his prophecy faced a situation in which there was no prospect of peace on a national level. Ahead of them was exile under the sway of a foreign power. Yet to them, Isaiah had a message of peace when he predicted the coming of the prophesied Messiah. He reminded them that this peace could never be found in their circumstances, even if they changed and the exile came to an end. Instead he told them to look ahead to the birth of Jesus if they wanted to experience personal peace and anticipate an environment marked by peace. His message is the same as far as we are concerned.

Need of peace
When we think about our need of peace, we have to first realise why peace is absent. If we need the peace that Jesus brings about, then we should ask ourselves what there is about us that requires God to send his Son into the world to bring this peace to us. So the first question to ask is this, ‘To whom does Jesus offer peace?’ The answer is that he offers peace to sinners.

When the Bible describes sinners, it uses a wide range of pictures. For example, sinners are said to be lost in a dangerous location (lost sheep in a hostile wilderness). Or they are regarded as rebels who have disobeyed God’s laws (he is the sovereign whom they have disobeyed). They are also depicted as being in a state of enmity with God. Enmity is not a word we use often today, but it means the presence of hostilities between two or more parties. When hostilities are present, there is no peace between the opposing groups.

With whom are we as sinners at enmity? The Bible’s answer to this question is twofold: there is enmity between God and us and there is enmity between ourselves and others. So if Jesus is going to provide peace for us, he has to do it in both areas. He has to make peace between God and us and make peace between people.

Missing the opportunity of experiencing the peace of Jesus
When Jesus was born, angels came from heaven with a song for the shepherds to hear. Part of the song declared, ‘on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased’ (Luke 2:18). Their song was, in a sense, a continuation of the prophecy given to Isaiah. The one he had predicted had arrived and the angels declared that his coming was a declaration of peace from heaven. Yet we also know that his birth caused great consternation in the palace of Herod, so there was no peace there. In addition, the inhabitants of Bethlehem, near where Jesus was born, did not seem to experience peace and the reason for this failure was their indifference. He had been born a king, as the wise men testified. Still it looks as if the arrival of the Prince of peace had not much effect, apart from giving hope to a few people here and there.

The Gospels highlight for us incidents from the life of Jesus when he helped many people who were in trouble of various kinds. Yet even when he performed outstanding miracles for the benefit of others, often they were not followed by experience of peace. Take the time when he fed thousands of people from a very small supply of fish and bread. Despite personally experiencing such amazing provision they soon became disgruntled and rejected Jesus. After the feeding of the crowd they wanted to make him a king, yet their desire was not for peace.

Or we can observe the response of those who observed Lazarus had been raised from the dead by Jesus. The fact that peace had been restored to the family in Bethany did not create a sense of peace in those who heard about this mighty act. Instead they were highly disturbed by what had occurred and the religious leaders decided to try and kill Lazarus. They were aware that Jesus had shown his power over the cause of the greatest distress possible – death, and they remained hostile.

These incidents show that it is possible to be close to the presence of Jesus, to experience the effects of his provision, and to observe great displays of his power, and never come to experience his peace. In a sense we can say that each of these aspects occurs in a church service – here we are near to Jesus, perhaps feeling the effects of blessings he gives, and observing the witnesses of his saving power. Can some of us be so near to the experience of peace and yet ultimately not receive it?

The obtaining of peace by Jesus
It is obvious that if peace is to be obtained, then the obstacles to peace have to be removed. With regard to experiencing peace through Jesus, there are two obstacles we can focus on, one on our side and the other on God’s side. On our side is the need of forgiveness by God for our sins; on God’s side, his wrath against us because of our sins has to be borne. The way that Jesus dealt with these obstacles was his suffering on the cross. There he paid the penalty for the sins of his people and endured the wrath of God that they should have experienced. This work of atonement becomes the basis of us receiving forgiveness from God.

Jesus has done more than placate the wrath of God. In addition he has become the messenger of peace, as Paul reminded the Ephesians when he wrote that Jesus ‘came and preached peace to you who were far off and to you who were near’ (Eph. 2:17). Paul did not mean that Jesus literally went to Ephesus and preached there. Instead he sent servants with the message of peace and they told their listeners what Jesus had achieved on the cross. When these listeners responded by faith in Jesus, they were reconciled to God and entered into a state of peace.

The contents of the peace of Jesus
We have all heard of shalom, the peace described here. Shalom is more than the absence of hostilities because it also includes wholeness. A person does not have shalom merely because he is living in a country that is not at war; in addition he must have inner peace, a sense of satisfaction. Jesus gives shalom to all who trust in him. Can we identify features of this sense of inner and outer wholeness? Here are three of them.

First, there is the realisation of forgiveness by God. There is both an objective and a subjective response to the reality of divine pardon. Objectively, we understand that we are forgiven by God because of the work of Jesus on the cross. The gospel offers this pardon freely and this offer does not change. Pardon never comes by any other way. The outcome of our initial pardon was to enter into a state of peace with God. Subjectively, a sinner experiences various emotions as he/she grasps what has happened. His conscience ceases to condemn him because he realises pardon comes through Christ. Repentance flows from a heart touched with the gospel of peace and is a sweet experience. Faith is a glad dependence on a loving Saviour. All these inner responses contribute to a sense of subjective peace.

This initial experience of peace through pardon opens the way for further experiences of Christ’s peace as we make our way through life. There is something very unusual about the peace of Christ in our hearts – we sense his pleasure when we do our best for him and, simultaneously, we sense his pardon as we confess our best was marred by sin.

Secondly, we should appreciate an aspect of this wholeness when we enjoy the harmony that marks the church of Christ. In the verses we already referred to from Ephesians 2, the obstacle that had been removed was a combination of religious and racial prejudice. The Jews despised the Gentiles because they were pagan idolaters – there was hostility. Yet Jesus through his gospel of peace brought conflicting races into a relationship of peace. A Jewish believer in Jesus and a Gentile believer in Jesus could walk together through Ephesus, and they would experience wholeness rather than conflict in their hearts.

There are other obstacles in today’s world that prevent harmony – social levels, age, degrees of intelligence, roles in life. The list can go on and on. Yet in the church, these obstacles should not exist. A person’s status in the church is not based on his status in the community – I remember reading of a wealthy nobleman who was a member in a church; he was not an elder in it, but his footman was. The point I am making is that the church should be a community of peace, of wholeness – a community that displays clearly the evidence that Jesus is its Lord. Every gift we have, every contribution we put together, every decision we make, has the goal of peace in our local branch of the kingdom of Jesus. Living in such an environment results in a sense of wholeness. It is a great blessing to serve him in an atmosphere of peace.

Thirdly, we should anticipate a future aspect of wholeness connected to the return of Jesus. Many a person crossed land and sea because they looked for a better location, and sadly they never found a perfect place. The reason for such a failure is that the perfect world is in the future. It will not come until Jesus brings into existence the new heavens and new earth. When that occasion comes, his people will be transformed into his likeness and will be ready for the life of glory. But what will be the ongoing experience of the world of glory? It will be peace, a peace of which Isaiah says in verse 7 there will be no end of its increase. The increase will be both outward and inward.

We cannot understand what this will mean. But we should aim to have foretastes of it in this life. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4 that the way to obtain the peace that passes all understanding is to pray with a thankful spirit. Is this not what we should be doing, praying for pardon thankful that we can have it, praying for harmony thankful it is possible, and praying about the glory to come thankful we can anticipate it.

9. The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)

This sermon was preached on 23/12/2009

Adoption is a doctrine that is not appreciated as it should be by Christians. It describes a greater blessing than even justification because while the latter explains how we become right with God, the former is concerned with becoming members of his family. Obviously both doctrines are very important and it may be that justification is often in our thoughts because it is often preached about. Yet from a theoretical point of view, we can see how a sinner could be justified and not receive the further blessing of adoption. There was no obligation on God to adopt saved sinners into his family, but the reality that he did so is a reminder of his amazing grace.

It does seem to be the case that awareness of adoption is one of the privileges of New Testament believers. Old Testament believers were in the family of God, but how well they realised this relationship cannot really be discovered because we would have to be one in order to know what they thought. They looked forward to the coming of the Saviour, but their understanding of his achievements was limited, which is not surprising since they lived before he came. This explains why there is little reference in the Old Testament to membership of the family of God.

In justification, God functions as a judge who passes sentence on sinners who have rebelled against him. His verdict is that our debt has been paid by Jesus on the cross and our life of obedience to his law provided for us by Jesus in his life of obedience. In adoption, God functions as a father who adopts the forgiven rebel into his family. We can imagine a judge in the ancient world, after releasing a man whose friend had paid his debt, deciding to adopt the released man. If he adopted him before the debt was paid, he would have adopted a person who was unsuitable for his family, which would have been against the custom of adoption at that time. Sometimes we give the impression that God adopts sinners who have not been made suitable for his family. Yet we should remember that he only adopts those who have already been forgiven when they were justified by him.

Adoption has many privileges, not least that his sons have received the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption. We noticed in our previous study that it was likely that the phrase ‘the Spirit of slavery’ probably referred to the way the Holy Spirit worked during the Old Testament dispensation. It can be described as ‘slavery’ because of the contrast with the liberty that has been given by the Spirit to believers since the glorification of Jesus. We noted how the Old Testament ritual, although given by God, was burdensome; we saw also how much of the meaning of the Old Testament was hidden from God’s people, even from his official servants the prophets.

Since the ‘Spirit of bondage’ refers to the Spirit’s work in the Mosaic economy, the phrase ‘Spirit of adoption’ must refer to his work in the New Testament dispensation. Although the phrases are set in contrast, we are not to think of one as wrong and the other as right. Rather the contrast points out the difference or progression that has come since Jesus was glorified. The contrast particularly concerns how we respond to God. The result of the Spirit’s work in the Old Testament seems to have been fear of God, whereas the climax of the Spirit’s work in the New Testament is the cry ‘Abba, Father.’ This does not mean that the New Testament believer does not fear God; rather it means that the believer realises that the God he fears is also his Father. There has been progression in understanding and in experience.

We can see this harmony of reverential fear and awareness of sonship displayed in perfect balance in the attitude of Jesus. We are told by some that the meaning of ‘Abba’ is the childish term ‘Daddy’. It is the case that a Jewish child would use the word when addressing his parent. But so also would a Jewish adult when addressing his father. The Jewish adult was not saying, ‘Daddy.’ What he was doing was affirming his father’s role, status and authority. When we think of Jesus addressing the Father, we should note the adjectives he uses. The most common one is ‘heavenly’, but in John 17 he also uses terms such as ‘holy’ and ‘righteous’. In Matthew 11:25, Jesus calls him, ‘Father, Lord of heaven and earth.’ There is a combination of reverence and sense of sonship.

And we can see the proper attitude in Paul, a disciple who attempted to follow closely the example of Jesus, when he writes in Ephesians 3:14: ‘For this reason I bow my knees before the Father.’ Again we see a combination of reverence and awareness of sonship.

As is often the case in Christian experience, we are people of extremes. We look at some Christian groups and they seem to have no sense of the fatherhood of God but have a strong sense of reverence; we look at others and they have a strong sense of being God’s children but seemingly little awareness of reverence. We may be tempted to say that we would rather be with those who stress the reverence. But that would only be choosing the better of two wrongs. The true response is to have both elements in our outlook. A mature Christian will call God his heavenly Father in a reverential manner.

Paul also seems to indicate here that this cry is a corporate cry when he uses the plural pronouns ‘you’ and ‘we’. Obviously there is a sense in which this relationship is an individual one and I don’t mean to minimise this aspect at all. This is only a suggestion, but the occasions when the Old Testament ritual system can be seen as ‘slavery’ are public events such as worship in the temple or when people gathered to hear God’s word being taught. We know that it was possible for individuals, such as David, to see more than other Israelites understood. But in the main, their public meetings, as we look back to them, did not have the light that we have. I suspect Paul is here contrasting the Old Testament experience with those of Christians as they drew near to God in a public manner.

This suggestion can draw support from the verb Paul uses, which is krazw, a strong word that suggests enthusiastic, buoyant calling upon God. While it obviously includes the internal feelings and confidence a person has when stating that God is his Father, it also points to vocal utterances, and normally they would be made in the presence of other believers.

This is a reminder that the church, from a biblical perspective, is a family gathering. The church meets as children of God. I think this is an aspect that we often fail to appreciate. Now we know that unconverted people come to church services. Yet we are to keep a biblical perspective when we think of the church. In any given locality, it should be a gathering of those who profess to be God’s children. So what features of church life lead to profound experiences of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption, experiences that enhance our awareness of our relationship with God?

The prophetic office of Jesus
As God’s children gather together, they are educated by the Son about the Father. It was predicted of Jesus, in Psalm 22, that he would declare the Father’s name to his brothers. Jesus is our prophet who instructs us in the things of God. He teaches us through his servants when they interpret his Word, or he teaches us through personal meditation on the Bible. We are in the best school, with the best Teacher who is our Elder Brother.

What are some of the details he tells us about the Father? First, he tells us that the Father has a purpose. This purpose is eternal, which means it is as old as God. The details of this purpose express both the wisdom and the power of God’s abilities. The Father’s plan is the best plan because he is the wisest of beings, and he can accomplish it because he has the power to achieve it. God’s wisdom cannot conceive a plan that he is unable to perform. His power is never left with nothing to do. All his attributes work together and bring about his will.

Jesus also tells us that it is a plan of love on the Father’s part. The Elder Brother tells us that in eternity he lovingly received a gift of love from his Father. This gift was his people, which he accepted gladly. But they were given to him as sinners, so unlike himself. They were accepted in the knowledge that the Father’s will was that his Son should suffer and redeem them. At great cost to himself, the Father revealed his love.

The Son tells us that the Father, in order to bring about the salvation of those sinners, prepared a body for his Son. In that body he was to live a life that pleased the Father. But our Teacher tells us that in that body he would also die, undergoing the Father’s wrath. The Father would abandon him in order that the future sons would not be. Of course, Jesus goes on to tell us, he was raised from the dead by the Father, and then ascended back to the Father where he was enthroned at the Father’s side. In a real sense, the contents of the Bible are all about the will of the Father, and Jesus teaches us about what his Father planned. After such an education, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’

The effects of the indwelling Spirit
Not only are we educated by the Son as we gather together, we are also empowered by the Spirit to worship in exultation. Within our hearts, their arises a great sense of thankfulness, of joy. This comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit who has liberated us in order to express our love to God, who directs us to show our delight in the Father. In his presence, as the Spirit applies to our minds and hearts the education of the Son, we exult with praise that is marked by fullness of glory. As the Psalmist puts it in Psalm 43:4: ‘Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.’ We say with Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:15: ‘Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!’ We join Paul and say, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’ (Eph. 1:3). We cry strongly, ‘Abba, Father.’

As we listen to the great things that God has done, as the Spirit empowers us to praise him with enthusiasm, we learn to pray to the Father in expectation of an answer. There should be an element of confidence and anticipation, combined with a sense of submission. The Father has given us great and precious promises, and as we scan the dimensions of them we should cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ Our submission to his will is not because we imagine he may deprive us of something we need, but because we know he both withholds and gives for our good. But as we experience his answers throughout our wilderness journey, we gladly say as we meet again to pray, ‘Abba, Father.’

There are many other features that should mark our lives as those who have ‘the Spirit of adoption’. For example, our evangelistic witness should include references to the Father. But I will conclude by mentioning that the Spirit creates within us as a body a longing for the Father’s inheritance. And before we will receive that marvellous kingdom, which will be the Father’s good pleasure to give us, we will enjoy the Father’s welcome to the Father’s house as we will stand in the presence of Jesus and hear him say to the Father, ‘Look, I and the children you gave me.’ Then we will say together, ‘Abba, Father.’

3. The Restored Prophet (Jonah 3:1-10)

This sermon was preached on 20/12/2009

The book of Jonah is well-known for God’s miracles that occurred in the realm of nature: the storm and the fish. Yet in this chapter we have the third miracle of grace in this book. The first was the conversion of the sailors in the first chapter; the second was the change of Jonah’s heart in the second chapter; the third is the conversion of a pagan city in chapter 3. While the miracles of nature may be more spectacular in a sense, the miracles of grace are more important.

As we consider this third miracle of grace, it is useful for us to remind ourselves of four important details connected to the repentance of the city of Nineveh. First, it was a fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant in which the Lord had said that he would bless the Gentile world through the witness of his people Israel. Throughout Old Testament history the Lord had brought outsiders to himself. We are familiar with individuals such as Rahab and Ruth, Naaman and the Magi. There were also groups of people such as the Gibeonites. And here is a pagan city turning to the Lord.

Second, the conversion of the city of Nineveh was a foretaste to the Old Testament church of the great ingathering of the nations that would take place when the Messiah set up his kingdom. Nineveh may have seemed a very unlikely location for God’s blessing to be known, but it was no more unlikely that any other Gentile city. In the inhabitants of this wicked city, we see examples of the inhabitants of the great cities and other communities of our modern world.

Third, the conversion of this city is a powerful example of the effectiveness of the sovereignty of God. It was a city entrenched in wickedness, seemingly under the control of Satan, with its inhabitants heading for a lost eternity. Yet in a very short period of time, it was changed. For a few years, the holiest city on earth was not Jerusalem or Samaria, but Nineveh.

Fourth, it is sometimes said that if the repentance of Nineveh was genuine, why is there no record of it in Assyrian history and why did the effects of it not last into the future? For example, one hundred and sixty years later, during the time of Nahum, the Assyrians are marked for their cruelty towards other nations. The fact that an earlier repentance is not mentioned by later historians should not surprise us; how many history books describe the religious revivals that Britain has known? Similarly, these periods of revival in Britain were followed by periods of decline, indicating that in some cases there were no long-lasting effects. In fact, it is often the case that the societies which are most hardened against God are the descendants of people who experienced revival. So these two objections are invalid. There is no reason not to believe that a genuine spiritual revival took place in Nineveh.

As we look at our society today this account of a revival in Nineveh should give us great encouragement. Our God can work today and do something similar on a vaster scale.

The restoration by God of his servant (vv. 1-2)
The first point I would like us to notice is the fullness of the restoration of Jonah by God: ‘Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” ’

One of the questions that concerns God’s people a great deal is, ‘Does God use in the future those of his people that were failures in the past?’ Does he give to his people a second chance? The answer from the experience of Jonah is yes. But there are other examples in the Bible.

Think first of Moses, the man whom God knew face to face. In some way he had sensed that his destiny was to deliver his people from the bondage of Egypt. So he showed his sympathy with them by slaying an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite slave. That was not the manner of deliverance that God in mind. Moses’ action made no impression of his countrymen, indeed he had to flee to Midian for forty years. But the Lord then appeared to him in the burning bush and restored him to service. Moses’ sin was probably that of trusting in the flesh. But his failure did not prevent the Lord using him again.

A second example is David, the man after God’s own heart. We know about his terrible sins of adultery and murder, and he himself was apprehensive that he would lose the presence of the Holy Spirit. David’s initial sin was that of laziness, because he stayed in the palace instead of going to war. But his failure did not prevent the Lord using him again.

When we turn to the New Testament, we see similar divine dealings with the disciples of Jesus. Think of Peter when he denied his Master three times with oaths and curses. Surely such a failure could not be used again. His sin was linked to self-confidence and cowardice. But his failure did not prevent the Lord using him.

These examples are recorded for our learning and encouragement. They are a reminder to us not to ever write off a backsliding believer or to think that he or she can only be restored to a low place in Christ’s service. To have such thoughts is to make worldly conclusions and not gracious ones.

Another question that is asked is this: ‘Why did Jonah obey God this time?’ There were at least three ways in which the prophet’s response was different from his initial refusal to obey God. First, he had been rebuked by God. Jonah had experienced to some degree the terror of the Lord and it is those who have known this divine way of dealing who are able to speak with authority about the awful judgements of God.

Second, Jonah had repented before God. We noticed in a previous sermon that until Jonah was a penitent prophet he could not be a profitable preacher. True repentance always is a catalyst for genuine obedience from the heart. Now he was in a fit condition to be used by God.

Third, Jonah had been restored by God. In private Jonah was enjoying renewed communion with God before he spoke for God in public.

A further question that can be asked is this: ‘Did God change the details of his plans for Jonah now that Jonah was restored?’ We have already seen that God has used many servants who failed in one way or another? It could be suggested that Jonah should be sent to another location other than Nineveh since he had a personal distaste for that city. The response of God in this case was to give Jonah almost the same command. In his wisdom, the Lord knew that Jonah was the one to send there.

The message of Jonah similar to the gospel of Christ
As we listen to Jonah’s message we should be struck firstly by the straightforwardness of the divine message: ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.’ Nobody in Nineveh could say that the message was not clear and concise. It is the same with the gospel. Take John 3:16, for example. There is nothing difficult in that verse. (Of course, it is a profound verse, deep enough for theological elephants to swim in it. But it is also simple enough for a child to understand). None of us will be able to say that the gospel was complicated. This is a timely reminder to some of us. We can confuse others by focussing on our spiritual speculations and hide the simplicity of the gospel.

Secondly, we should note that Jonah’s divine message had significance for all of the inhabitants of Nineveh, including the king. Nobody in that city, even the ones who may not have taken part in the overt sin of the city, could afford to ignore the message. The same is true of the gospel of Christ. It has application to each of us whether or not you were drunk or sober last night, whether or not you prayed or did not pray before you went to bed. The gospel addresses the self-righteous and the openly sinful and promises them deliverance from perishing if they will believe in Jesus.

Thirdly, we should note the size of the city in the estimation of God. In verse 3, it says that ‘Nineveh was an exceedingly great city’ – ‘exceedingly’ is literally ‘to God’. As far as God was concerned, Nineveh was important not because of its military power or political wealth but because it was inhabited by many perishing sinners. And this feature is also an essential part of the gospel. The Father gave his Son because he was concerned about a perishing world. Does it move you when you realise that the heavenly Father was concerned about you and sent to you the gospel, a sign that he does not want you to perish?

The repentance of the city
As we consider the repentance of Nineveh, I would mention four details concerning it. First, it was popular in the sense that it involved the entire city, including the government. Second, it was public in that all the inhabitants donned sackcloth and sat in ashes. The evidence of true penitence will always be seen by others, and is often an encouragement to others to repent. Third, the repentance was also deeply personal because each person was fully involved in confessing his or her sins. Fourth, their repentance was prompt because they did not wait until the thirty-ninth day to repent; instead they repented immediately.

What elements made up their repentance? They took seriously the word of God, they acknowledged the sovereignty of God, they stressed the necessity of earnest supplication to God, they stressed the need to cease from current known sins, and they hoped for the salvation of God. In other words, their repentance was genuine because it was marked by fear of God, apprehension of his judgement, separation from sin, and grief for their own sins.

The response of God
‘When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.’ Repentance brought blessing from God instead of the threatened judgement. Of course, this change of God’s plan is described from a human perspective. As far as God’s knowledge is concerned, he had always been aware that the city would repent. But the story is told from a human perspective in order to help us as we respond to God’s promises and warnings.

The wonderful message for us is that if we turn from our sins God will have mercy on us, even if we have been as great sinners as the inhabitants of Nineveh. God desires to have mercy on sinners and is delighted when they repent.

Jesus is the Everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6)

This sermon was preached on 20/12/2009

This third title in the fourfold name of Jesus may puzzle some because it can give the impression that Isaiah confused the persons of the Trinity by giving the name of the first person (the Father) to the second person (the Son). How much Isaiah knew about the Trinity cannot be known because it is primarily a New Testament teaching about God. Of course, because we read the Old Testament through New Testament eyes, we can see aspects of the Trinity in the Old Testament and we may have misunderstandings about this title that would not have occurred to Isaiah. In any case, we will see that Isaiah is not giving to Jesus a name that belongs to the heavenly Father.

Each of these titles of Jesus highlights one of his attributes and uses it in a particular way. ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ highlights the wisdom of Jesus as he governs all things; ‘Mighty God’ stresses the power of Jesus as he performs great and heroic exploits; ‘Prince of peace’ emphasises that his rule is permeated with peace; ‘Everlasting Father’ focuses on his possession of the attribute of eternity, but his possession of eternalness is to be considered in the way he functions as a father.

We find it very hard to understand the concept of anything that is eternal. Normally we think about it from the viewpoint of endless existence, but that is only part of its meaning. In addition to its length, there is in the concept of eternity, when applied to God, a reminder of the wealth of God. His endless existence cannot be separated from the location in which he lives. So when King Jesus is here described as eternal, we have a reference to his everlastingness (the length of his reign) and to his resources (what he can use throughout his reign).

Yet as we think about his eternalness, we have to remind ourselves that Isaiah has just described this future King as a child who would be born. This title, as with the others, reminds us that here we are dealing with a unique person. Of course, with New Testament understanding we can explain who he is accurately, but I sometimes think that while we can do so we have also lost the sense of wonder and amazement that should be a major element in our response to him.

He is Father because he is the author
One way to interpret the term ‘Father’ is to take it as meaning author or originator. That is a way the word is commonly used. If a man begins something, he is usually recognised as the father of that organisation. He may have a blueprint for it and its future development will be according to his plans. ‘Everlasting Father’ can be translated as ‘Father of eternity’, and if we take ‘Father’ as meaning author or originator we can say that eternity belongs to Jesus and that he has a blueprint mapped out for it. In other words, Jesus as king is the author of the future development of his kingdom. This point has been referred to already in the set of titles mentioned by Isaiah – in his kingdom he displays his wisdom and his feats of power. But it is important to recall that his kingdom exists because he brought it into existence. We serve a king who has great plans for his kingdom.

He continues as Father because he is indestructible
Often a kingdom flourishes as long as its initial ruler survives. This is true of many empires in the history of the world – they seemed invincible as long as the original ruler was there, but they quickly declined and lost centre stage once he was gone. Isaiah reminds his listeners that this would not happen to the Messiah’s kingdom because he himself would be indestructible. How can a child become indestructible? Of course, we can answer that question by saying that the child is God and therefore cannot be destroyed. Yet there is more to the answer that his deity. Unlike Isaiah’s first listeners we know what happened to the child. He grew up and was killed. So how can we say that he is an indestructible Ruler of an endless kingdom?

We know the answer to this question as well. The One who died was not on a path away from his throne, but on the path to his throne. As the God/man, he travelled through this world on the journey to his throne. His disciples imagined that his throne would be in earthly Jerusalem and they were devastated when he was arrested and put to death. At that moment, they thought the journey of the Messiah was over. But the fact is that his death was a crucial stage in his journey. On Calvary, the man travelling to his throne dealt with the sin that would have prevented others from entering his kingdom. When he arose from the dead three days later, it was the proof that his work had been accepted, and he continued on his journey, except now he was alive from the dead, possessing an indestructible life. Jesus cannot die again. Therefore he will survive as the father of his kingdom.

His manner of reigning will be fatherly
We know that an earthly ruler can reign for a long time and possess great resources. When that scenario occurs, the matter that will concern his subjects is the character of the ruler. For example, Isaiah refers to earthly emperors who reigned for a long time and had great supplies from which to draw throughout their reigns. Yet their characters were cruel towards their subjects and they treated them harshly. What is the characteristic of King Jesus that Isaiah speaks about? The prophet declares that the eternal reign of Jesus will be marked by fatherliness. Isaiah takes this common, everyday concept and applies it to the way Jesus will govern his affairs throughout his eternal kingdom. The way Jesus will rule will display his tenderness and his compassion. In what ways does Jesus reveal fatherly care?

1. The fatherly pardon
The first example of fatherly care shown by Jesus is his willingness to pardon his subjects. This response is revealed at different stages in their history. They experience it for the first time when they come to him as rebels in great need of his forgiveness. When they confess their sinfulness to him, he immediately pardons them. The basis of their pardon is his work on the cross when he paid the penalty required of them for their sins. Although the price was high for him, he freely forgives them.

Then they experience his fatherly character as he pardons them throughout their lives in this world. Although forgiven by him when they come initially to him, they are not made sinless. This means that they will continue to sin, even when trying to obey his laws as their King. Sometimes they sin and dislike their own actions, at other times they may sin because they have become cold in heart towards him. Yet when they repent of their sins, he shows his fatherly care by forgiving them again and again.

A third way in which King Jesus will show his fatherly care with regard to the pardon of his people will take place in the future, on that momentous day when he will sit as Judge of all intelligent creatures. It will be awesome day, when he appears in glory. Although he will be so exalted, his heart will burn with great desire to announce, and that publicly, concerning each of his people, that their sins have all been pardoned. Sometimes we try and imagine the looks on our faces when this great announcement will be made, but we should also think about the look on his face as he makes this amazing declaration. It will be a wonderful insight into how fatherly the heart of Jesus is.

A further way of revealing his fatherly care concerning our sins will be the way that Jesus will not refer to them throughout the endless ages. We will refer to them as we praise him for paying the penalty for them. Yet he will never say to any of us, ‘You lived a terrible life,’ or ‘You were such a failure.’ Instead we will be treated as those who have been pardoned.

2. The fatherly provision
Jesus cares for his people as they make their way through this world. An earthly father will always take care of his children as best he can – usually their needs will take priority over all else. It is the same with Jesus – the needs of his church are always before his eye. Whatever needs such may have at this moment, Jesus knows about them. We may not be aware of our own needs, but in a sense that does not matter. What is important is that he knows what we need.

My earthly father did his best for me, but I know there were many situations in which he would not have been able to help me. He could not give to me what was needed to pass language exams or give to me co-ordination in order to pass my driving test. For these matters, I was dependant on others. Yet even my father and all other helpers together could not provide for all my needs. In total contrast to them, Jesus can. We are familiar with the wonderful words of Paul in Philippians 4: : ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Jesus sees what I need, selects the appropriate grace from the heavenly storehouse, and applies it to me personally by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus knows our needs, has the resources to provide them while we are in this world, and in addition he will meet their needs throughout the eternity to come. Because we will be creatures always, we will be in need always. One of the images used of Jesus in this regard is that of Shepherd. As the Shepherd, he suffered on the cross (Zech. 13:7), he finds them lost in and ruined by sin (Luke 15:3-7), guides them throughout life (John 10:7-9), and will lead them eternally to the fountains of the waters of life (Rev. 7:17). He will show his fatherly care as the permanent Provider.

3. His fatherly protection
A third way by which Jesus reveals his fatherly heart is his constant protection of his people from their powerful enemies against whom they are powerless in themselves. He protects them in different ways: sometimes he stops the devil from tempting them, at other times he enables them to defeat the devil through the spiritual armour described in Ephesians 6. One aspect of their armour is calling upon the Lord in prayer, and when they do he answers them and delivers them. From one perspective, the Christian life is a pilgrimage, from another it is a warfare involving many battles in which they need the ongoing protection of their King. And the day will come when they will fight their last battle and find themselves in the presence of their caring, protective King forever.

4. His fatherly praise
No doubt, Jesus encourages his people in life by reminding them of his promises. An earthly father’s heart always aims to encourage his children. When they have done their best, even if they did not come first, he says to them, ‘Well done.’ And Jesus is yet to say to his servants, when they reach their heavenly home, ‘Well done, good and faithful servants. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Encouragement regarding the past and the future given on the day of judgement from the fatherly heart of Jesus.