Reversal Theory of Atonement

Guest Theologian: William Higgins!



My presentation is a modified version of the classic Christus Victor understanding of the atonement - the idea that Jesus conquers the powers that hold us captive, thus setting us free. My theory emphasizes the concept of reversal as this is articulated by Jesus as the way that the kingdom of God comes to earth. For instance:
􀂃 Luke 6:20/24 – “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. . . . But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”
􀂃 Luke 13:30 – “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
This, then, is how Jesus gains victory over the powers and freedom for us.

I. The Four-fold Pattern of God’s Salvation
I want to begin with this pattern, that repeats itself in different ways throughout the Scriptures, as a background. It is the pattern of God’s covenant mercy, judgment and salvation.
The pattern shows up in Judges chapter 2 quite clearly. God acts in mercy to bring Israel into relationship with him:
1. But there is unfaithfulness to the covenant (2:12). The people “abandoned the Lord” and “went after other gods.”
2. This provoked God’s anger (2:12). Thus in judgment God gave them over to the power of the nations around them (whose gods they worshipped) and they suffered (2:14).
3. But then “the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them” (2:18).
4. God, then, raised up a deliverer to defeat the oppressors (God’s instruments of judgment) and to set the people free (2:16-18).
This pattern shows up in the exile and release from Babylon – where Cyrus is raised up to defeat God’s instrument of judgment – Babylon because of their oppression over Israel, and it can be seen in numerous other places, including the Exodus event.

II. Why an Atonement? or What’s the problem?
Here we see the first three parts of this pattern play out. We were all created out of God’s mercy and love to be in relationship with God.
1. But, whether you want to think specifically of the Mosaic covenant or more broadly of a creational covenant, we are portrayed as all having broken accountability with God.

2. According to the pattern, then, we are given over to foreign powers to be slaves since we have turned away from God.
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The more explicitly apocalyptic framework of the New Testament brings out the cosmic powers behind the nations even more clearly. The powers include human systems and the spiritual powers behind them. I will focus on four of these powers (that often show up in texts related to atonement or Jesus’ death) – that I call the judgment system:
􀂃 We are under the condemnation of the Law
􀂃 We are given over to the power of Sin
􀂃 We are given over to the power of Death
􀂃 We are given over to Satan [Note #1: Satan in Scripture], who is the administrator of this judgment system – with both spiritual and human agents of authority under him (i.e. governments – Romans 13).
We are all in bondage under this system. We are all slaves to Satan, Sin, the condemnation of the Law and Death. This slavery extends even to the whole creation - Romans 8:20-21. [Note #2: Slavery] This is the essential problem. We are separated from God – held in bondage by these powers.
3. The third part of our pattern, then, is that God has compassion on us as he sees us miserable and given over to death. God has a change of heart. God desires to open a door for all who want to escape from his judgment.
This sets up the question of atonement or “at-onement.” How can God act to affect a reconciliation and renewal of relationship with humanity given this situation?

III. The Obstacle to our Deliverance – The Judgment System
Why can’t God just forgive us? The simple answer is that it doesn’t just involve God. There is the third party of the judgment system that has a say in this. And the powers have no place for mercy – only accusing and punishing with death. They keep hold of their subjects like a strong man guarding his plunder (Matthew 12:29). Their claim on us before God is that sin must be dealt with. They can quote God on this:
􀂃 Genesis 2:17 – “in the day that you eat of (the tree) you shall surely die."
􀂃 Deuteronomy 27:26 - "Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.”
They are the instruments of God’s judgment and we have indeed sinned. So they demand to keep us. Its like God saying to the Ammonites, “I’m done with you oppressing Israel now, would you please stop?” No, God had to raise up a deliverer to set Israel free (step #4 in the pattern of salvation). The powers hold on to us and have no intention of letting us go.
And regarding humanity, the powers keep us deceived and ignorant so that we don’t even seek to be free or forgiven or know what this might mean (2 Corinthians 4:4). So from both sides the powers keep God and humanity apart.
Now, it is true that God does often forgive people of specific sins. But this is not an adequate solution, at least in this case. These acts of mercy are only temporary and partial. The larger systemic problem remains – we are given over to the powers and eventually we all will succumb to death. (Even those whom Jesus forgave and helped during his ministry were not fully freed
from the judgment system). To truly save us God must address the larger issue - the powers and their claims on us.
This seems to be acknowledged by Paul when talks about our former sins merely being “passed over” or not fully dealt with (Romans 3:25; see also Acts 17:30). And also the author of Hebrews who says that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The full pattern of salvation must be played out in the larger cosmic arena by God at some point.
As can be seen in all this, the powers are not truly on God’s side. The judgment system performs a function in God’s administration of the universe – punishing evil, but the powers have their own agenda of opposing God. They are hostile powers who seek our destruction despite what God wants for us.

IV. God raises up a deliverer – The Story of Jesus
This is step four in the salvation pattern. God sends Jesus to bring about a series of three reversals that bring us salvation – and defeat to the evil powers that seek to hold us captive.
Jesus was born into a situation where Satan was on top. Satan says of the nations of the world – “all this authority and their glory . . . has been delivered to me” (Luke 4:6). The whole world is under his control since it is all under judgment.
Jesus ministered in a context whether the judgment system enslaved all. Jesus engaged and opposed the judgment system. He proclaimed God’s mercy. He opened people’s eyes to understand God’s righteousness and called them to live by this new way of the kingdom of God. Even though the judgment system remained in place, he gave a picture of what the kingdom is like through his activities of forgiving, healing and casting out demons by the power of the Spirit.
Jesus suffered under the judgment system as it opposed and persecuted him. It did not like being challenged and responded with violence. Jesus was slandered, verbally abused, shamed, tortured and then executed. Even though he was innocent, Jesus accepted this suffering and responded with love and nonresistance to his enemies.
The turning point: This comes on the cross as Jesus calls out to God for vindication (Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:1) and then he dies.
It seems hopeless, but Jesus’ mission did not fail. Jesus’ death exposed the judgment system as evil. The judgment system had no right to punish Jesus. For other acts of oppression the powers could at least say, “God we’re only doing what you told us to do – finding sin and punishing it!” In killing Jesus they were finally exposed as truly evil, for Jesus had no sin.
God saw this and God acted for Jesus. God always acts to raise up those who suffer and yet trust in him. God therefore acted to lift Jesus up and vindicate him (Acts 3:13-15; 5:31; 13:27-30). And God acted to put down the judgment system. Just as Jesus said:
􀂃 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
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􀂃 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life . . . will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

God did this with three reversals:

Reversal #1: Although the judgment system condemned Jesus, now it stands condemned for what it did to him. This is what allows us to be set free from it; free from Satan, Sin, the Law’s condemnation and Death.
Thus Jesus’ death is seen as a ransom – a price paid to set us free from slavery. Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." [Note #3: Jesus’ death as a ransom]
But this concept of ransom and paying a price has caused much confusion. The word itself can mean paying a price to set someone free – for instance to redeem a slave is to pay for their release. But it does not always mean literally paying a price to someone (the Exodus; I Peter 1:18).
In the case of Jesus we have to say that the price was not paid to anyone – Satan or the Law or God. Yes, Jesus paid a price in that he had to suffer unjustly under the judgment system in order to expose it and undo it. The price was his life; his blood; his dying. It was his personal price or sacrifice which led to the setting aside of the judgment system – which leads to our being able to be set free. So it is not a quid pro quo – (this for that) a price paid to someone that sets me free. It is a price paid, which brings about the condemnation of the judgment system, which makes possible my freedom.
An analogy: Its like a person who engages in civil disobedience. They pay a price in their suffering. But their suffering exposes the system as unjust and leads to change which brings freedom from oppression. The price is not literally paid to anyone, for instance, to the oppressive government. But it indirectly leads to freedom for everyone. And you can even say that our freedom was bought with a price – their suffering.
Point of Contrast
􀂃 Classic Christus Victor: He paid a price – Satan accepted it and let us go free = quid pro quo
􀂃 Reversal Christus Victor: He paid a price – which led to the undoing of the judgment system – which leads to our freedom
In this context, Jesus’ death can also be seen as a substitute – he died in our place. But this idea of substitution has also caused confusion. First of all, phrases like - “he became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13) and “he bore our sins” (I Peter 2:24) do not mean, for instance, that he took on specifically my sins and yours. It means in general, he bore the penalty of our sins - he was punished by the judgment system and he died – the penalty for sin.
The basic idea of substitution is that Jesus, even though innocent, bore the penalty that should have been ours. And we, who are guilty, receive the result that Jesus should have received – life and blessing.
But just as with the concept of ransom, this substitution is not a quid pro quo – he takes my sins, I get his righteousness. There is an indirect, but causal connection. By bearing the penalty that I should have received, he
condemned the judgment system, which allows me to be free and experience the life and blessing he should have received. So we can say, “he took my place” or “he took what I should have received” – but recognize that there is no legal claim or court analogy being made; no quid pro quo. [Note #4: Jesus’ death as substitutionary]
Point of Contrast
􀂃 Penal/Satisfaction: Jesus took on my sins and since he paid the price, I don’t have to = quid pro quo
􀂃 Reversal Christus Victor: By taking the penalty I deserved, Jesus brought down the judgment system, which means I get the result Jesus should have gotten – life and blessing.
So the first reversal is that, although the judgment system condemned Jesus, now it stands condemned for what it did to him. And this allows for our freedom from it.

Reversal #2: Although the judgment system kept us from God, now Jesus brings us into relationship with God. If the first reversal speaks to coming out of what held us in bondage, this one speaks to the positive side of salvation as relationship with God.
First of all, Jesus’ death is seen as buying us out of slavery to become God’s servants. This is a part of the idea of ransom. To be set free from slavery by someone places obligations on the one who receives this. You now are owned by your redeemer. As I Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (Acts 20:28; Revelation 5:9). The redemption that we have in Jesus brings us into relationship with God – as God’s servants.
Jesus’ death is also seen as establishing a new covenant, which sets the parameters for our new relationship as servants of God. It is a covenant sacrifice (Matthew 26:28; I Corinthians 11:25) like what took place in Exodus 24 (the same phrase “blood of the covenant” is used). [Note #5: Jesus’ death as sacrificial] It establishes a “new” system (Hebrews 9:15) or it can be seen as establishing the promises originally given to Abraham (Galatians 3).
We receive the covenant blessings: We are now free of the judgment system, sons of God, that is, inheritors of the promises (both women and men). We are given the promised Spirit to empower us to do God’s will. And when we fail and repent we are forgiven. Mercy prevails. We are given a whole new basis for our relationship with God.
But we also have accountability: God disciplines us lovingly as children to teach us his ways. We are only given back to the judgment system if we continually and willfully refuse to submit to God – which is a leaving of the covenant relationship on our part - Hebrews 10:26-29.

Reversal #3: Although Satan was on top and the authority over humanity, now Jesus is Lord.
Just before his ascension, “Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” - Matthew 28:18. This is a clear narrative reversal from the beginning of the story. 5
􀂃 While Satan lost his place in heaven (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7-9; John 12:31) now Jesus is resurrected, ascends, and is enthroned at the right hand of God. All powers and authorities are below him (I Peter 3:22; Philippians 2:9-11).
􀂃 While Satan had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14) now Jesus has the keys to death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).
Jesus is the new arbiter of human destiny now. He is the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). [Note #6: Reversal & Jesus’ death: The parable of the tenets].
There is still a process unfolding in terms of the fullness of this redemption coming to pass (Romans 8:23; Ephesians 4:30). But it is secure and established through what Jesus has done.

IV. A Reflection: This was God’s Plan
In Acts 2:23 Peter tells us that Jesus’ death happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” The powers have never understood God’s wisdom and God’s ways. If they had, as Paul says, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8; See also Acts 13:27).
God knew how Satan and the judgment system would respond to Jesus. God used the judgment system’s own lust for power and violence to bring about its condemnation and the release of its captives. As Paul said, God “catches the wise in their craftiness” (I Corinthians 3:19). God used the evil actions of his enemies, who sought to thwart the coming of the kingdom, to establish his kingdom on earth.

V. A Reflection: This was God’s Justice
From another angle God’s mercy in sending Jesus can be seen as an act of God’s justice. For in situations of oppression God’s mercy and justice are the same thing (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Leviticus 19:33f; Zechariah 7:9-10; Isaiah 30:18).
God knew the evil of the hostile powers. God saw the joy they took in our misery and the extent of their oppression. Like the Babylonians who came as God’s judgment on Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness, but were themselves judged because of their cruel oppression and arrogance, Jesus’ death is then what “filled up the measure” of the sins of the powers and moved God to act against them. So this was an act of justice because it allowed those who are weak and in slavery to escape oppression and find peace or wholeness with God.

VI. Other contrasts with the Penal Satisfaction Theory
I have already made one contrast with the traditional Christus Victor theory. For now I will draw out points of contrast with the popular penal/satisfaction view:
1. Jesus’ death does not satisfy the demands of the Law, it condemns the whole judgment system so that it is set aside. Not satisfaction, but
being ransomed, or liberated is the key. [Note #7: Romans 3:21-26 paraphrase with comments]
2. God is the initiator of salvation, not waiting on someone to placate him. In fact, it is Satan or the powers who demand legal satisfaction in this theory.
3. Jesus does not bear God’s wrath in his suffering and death. His death shows that the judgment system is not doing God’s will (even though their sin plays into what God knew they would do and thus fulfills his plan for redemption).
4. Jesus’ ethical behavior is the key to the reversal that brings salvation, not incidental or ancillary as is the case for the satisfaction theory.
5. As I noted before, there is substitution, so all the verses that seem to point to this can be accounted for under this theory. But there is no issue with how one person’s death can stand in for the sins of the whole world – a quid pro quo - and the lack of legal analogies for this. It is an indirect, but causal substitution.
6. God’s justice is seen in retribution for sin for those who persistently refuse God’s mercy. But God’s justice is also expressed in releasing us from the judgment system because it is corrupt and oppresses us.

VII. The Atonement and Peacemaking
1. A general point - Jesus’ work of atonement would not have happened without his nonresistance and love of enemies. This shows how absolutely crucial these are as aspects of our discipleship. We too should love our enemies and work toward peace with others even to the point of our own suffering.
2. Jesus’ work of atonement was a nonviolent act of justice on the part of God in putting down oppressive powers - both human and cosmic - that brought peace to those who were oppressed. And we can follow in his footsteps and achieve similar results. As Paul says in Colossians 1:24 – “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”
Jesus shows us the way with his teaching on nonresistance (Matthew 5:38-42), and the example of his life and death. He shows us how to encounter and overcome hostile powers – human and cosmic authorities.
􀂃 Just like Jesus - we lower ourselves to serve others. We engage various human embodiments of the judgment system in order to give mercy and we call people to live by God’s kingdom righteousness.
􀂃 Just like Jesus - when we are persecuted by evil authorities – we accept it and return good for evil.
􀂃 Just like Jesus - we call out to God for justice and trust that God will act for us.
􀂃 Just like Jesus - God will act for us. As Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied” - Matthew 5:6. For sure, sometimes God will not fully act until the final day. And in general God is longsuffering and merciful because he wants evildoers to repent. Sometimes, however, God will intervene in the
here and now in decisive ways to put down the evildoers and deliver us. This is not just an otherworldly reality.
3. This approach to the powers can be applied to our own situations – the context of Matthew 5. Or, we can be proactive like Jesus was and enter into the suffering of others, suffer with them, and work toward bringing down unjust authorities for them. This is intercessory suffering. It is a part of the process of bringing liberation and peace which will be completed when Jesus returns.
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William S. Higgins – www.Jesusteach.us
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Notes Page
#1: Satan in Scripture
􀂃 Satan is connected to the cosmic dragon (Leviathan, Rahab, Yom) who seeks to destroy God’s creation – Psalm 74:13-14; Revelation 12:9.
􀂃 Satan was defeated at creation and has been domesticated and put to use in God’s administration – Psalm 89:9-10; Job 41:1-6; 1 Chronicles 21:1 = 2 Samuel 24:1.
􀂃 Satan is now the tester, prosecutor, or accuser who seeks out sin to bring it to God’s attention – Job 1-2; Zechariah 3:1; Matthew 4:1; Revelation 12:10.
􀂃 Satan is the punisher who has the power of death to destroy God’s enemies - Hebrews 2:14.
􀂃 Satan is evil – a murderer, liar and deceiver – John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:10.
􀂃 Satan is the supreme ruler of this world system that is apart from God - Luke 4:6-7; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; I John 5:19.
􀂃 Satan has an administration under him: spiritual powers - he is the prince of demons – Matthew 12:24 who are also the gods of the nations - 1 Corinthians 10:19-21. Through these powers he has human powers under him – the governments of the nations - Deuteronomy 32:8; Daniel 10:13, 20.
Note #2: Slavery
This speaks to the condition from which we need to be saved. Specifically we are in slavery to the judgment system. Different aspects of this system are highlighted in different texts. All of these are seen as hostile powers that block our reconciliation with God:
1. Slavery to Satan: we are given over to the power and authority of Satan and the powers to control us and make us miserable.
􀂃 Matthew 12:29 - Jesus speaks of Satan as the “strong man,” who has people as plunder in his house. This refers specifically to those who are demonized, but also to the whole generation of Jesus – Matthew 12:45.
􀂃 2 Timothy 2:25-26 – regarding false teachers – “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
􀂃 Ephesians 2:1-2 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience . . ..”
􀂃 Galatians 4:3/8 We “were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.”
􀂃 Acts 26:18 – Jesus’ commission to Paul – “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God . . ..”
􀂃 1 John 5:19 – “. . . the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
2. Slavery to Sin: we are given over to the power of Sin to control us and make us miserable.
􀂃 John 8:34 - Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
􀂃 Romans 6 - Paul speaks several times of our old lives in terms of being “slaves to sin” or being under the dominion of “Sin,” seen as a cosmic power that controls us.
􀂃 Galatians 3:22 – “But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”
􀂃 2 Peter 2:19 – False teachers, who entice by passions of the flesh, promise, “freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
3. Slavery to the Law’s condemnation: The law is holy and good, but it holds us in slavery. It itself cannot bring salvation and in the broader context of the corrupt judgment system it is used to oppose God’s desire to give mercy.
􀂃 Matthew 5:25-26 - Jesus speaks of sin as a debt we owe to God (Matthew 6:12). He also uses the image of a debtor’s prison for those who sin and are judged. They are placed in the debtors prison with no way out. “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the
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judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Also, Luke 12:57-59; Matthew 18:32-35)
􀂃 Galatians 3:23 – “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.”
􀂃 Galatians 4:3-4 - parallels slavery to the powers with being “under the Law.”
􀂃 Romans 7:14-25 is a portrait of bondage to the judgment system with special emphasis on the Law as a power that condemns us.
4. Slavery to Death: we are given over to Death as a power that overcomes each of us eventually.
􀂃 Hebrews 2:15 speaks of “those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
􀂃 I Corinthians 15:24-26 speaks of death as a hostile power.
􀂃 Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned . . ..”
Note #3 : Jesus’ death as a ransom
Jesus’ death is seen as ransom or redemption – a price paid to set us free from slavery to the hostile powers. To be set free is to be saved.
General texts:
􀂃 Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
􀂃 I Timothy 2:5-6 – “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”
􀂃 Galatians 1:4 - Jesus “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”
􀂃 Revelation 5:9 – “you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
1. Set free from Satan/the powers:
􀂃 Matthew 12:29 – “How can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” Jesus is seen as this one who binds the strong man.
􀂃 Hebrews 2:14 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil”
􀂃 Galatians 4:8-9 – “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”
􀂃 John 12:21 – “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”
􀂃 1 John 3:8 – “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
􀂃 Colossians 1:13-14 - “God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
2. Set free from Sin as a power:
􀂃 John 8:34-36 - Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. . . . if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
􀂃 Romans 6:17-18 – “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”
􀂃 Revelation 1:5 – “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”
􀂃 Titus 2:14 - Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
􀂃 Romans 8:2 – “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
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3. Set free from the condemnation of the Law:
Satisfaction of the demands of the law or freedom from the condemnation of the Law? When we look at our relationship to the Law and our forgiveness from God – language of satisfaction or appeasement of God does not show up, rather redemption or liberation language does.
􀂃 Colossians 2:13-15 – “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” God forgives us by canceling our record of debt, not by satisfying the demands of the Law. The powers are disarmed without the condemnation of the Law. They no longer have any claim on us. As Romans 8:33; 38-39 says– “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? . . . For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
􀂃 Ephesians 2:14-15 – “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace . . .. “ Jesus’ death does not satisfy the Law, it sets it aside so that there is peace.
􀂃 Galatians 3:23-25 – “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian . . ..”
􀂃 Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us (or set us free) from the curse of the law . . ..”
􀂃 Galatians 4:4-5 – “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
􀂃 Ephesians 1:7 – “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses”
􀂃 Galatians 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
􀂃 Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
􀂃 Hebrews 9:15 – “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them (or sets them free) from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
4. Set free from death:
􀂃 I Corinthians 15:21 – “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.”
􀂃 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 – “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
􀂃 2 Timothy 1:10 – Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”
􀂃 Romans 8:2 – “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
􀂃 Romans 8:23 – “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
􀂃 Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
􀂃 1 Thessalonians 5:10 – Jesus “died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”
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Summary: Freedom from God’s wrath - By being released in all these ways we receive God’s mercy and we are set free from the judgment system, which is God’s wrath. Jesus’ death is not a satisfying of God’s wrath. It is the means to being set free from God’s wrath; it is escaping from a system that is judging and being judged. All who leave the judgment system with its sin and rebellion receive God’s mercy through what Jesus has done.
Note #4: Jesus’ death as substitutionary
Vicarious suffering: First of all, Jesus’ death did not just concern himself – it was for us. It was “vicarious” or for our benefit.
􀂃 Romans 4:25 - “who was delivered up for our trespasses”
􀂃 1 Corinthians 15:3 – “Christ died for our sins”
􀂃 Galatians 1:4 - Jesus “gave himself for our sins”
􀂃 2 Corinthians 5:14 – “one has died for all.”
􀂃 Titus 2:14 - Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us.”
􀂃 Hebrews 9:28 – Christ was “offered once to bear the sins of many.”
􀂃 1 John 2:2 – Jesus “is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
􀂃 1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us”
􀂃 1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.”
Substitution texts: The idea of substitution goes a bit further and says Jesus died not just “for us,” but “in our place.” Here are texts that point to this:
􀂃 Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
􀂃 Romans 5:8 – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
􀂃 1 Corinthians 11:24 - Jesus said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
􀂃 Galatians 2:20 – Jesus “loved me and gave himself for me.”
􀂃 Ephesians 5:2 – “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
􀂃 1 Thessalonians 5:10 – Jesus – “died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”
􀂃 Matthew 27:26 – This substitution is seen in the narrative itself - “Then Pilate released for them Barabbas (a murderer), and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”
􀂃 John 11:50; 18:14 - “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish." This is seen as a prophecy. Again - “It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.”
􀂃 Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’”
􀂃 1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
􀂃 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Note #5: Jesus’ death as sacrificial
Jesus’ death is spoken of with sacrificial language. For instance, Ephesians 5:2 says - “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” There are several different images of sacrifice connected to Jesus’ death – a sin offering, a Passover sacrifice and a covenant sacrifice to mention a few.
But what does this mean? What does this say about how Jesus’ death saves us? There are different understandings of sacrifice. My understanding of sacrifice is that it is a giving of a gift to God (Hebrews 8:3; Matthew 5:23). It is rooted in the ancient near-eastern context of approaching a king. One needed a gift to honor the king, according to the occasion of the visit
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– a gift of apology, a gift of thanksgiving and so forth (Exodus 24:30; Malachi 1:6-9) It is a way of maintaining relationship and gaining favor.
Jesus’ sacrifice was not a ritual sacrifice, like the temple sacrifices. It was literally his obedience to the point of death. The sacrifice of his life. This was the gift that Jesus gave to God. As the author of Hebrews says, - “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book'" - Hebrews 10:5-7. God was not interested in more ritual sacrifices (and certainly not a ritual human sacrifice that appeases wrath). What God really wants is faithfulness at all costs. This is what Jesus gave to God.
How does this bring salvation? It fits into the understanding of salvation as redemption or setting free. Jesus’ obedience/sacrifice honored God more than any other gift God has received. It thus elevated his relationship with the King, so that Jesus is now the Lord of all creation. He has God’s complete favor. Or to put it negatively, his sacrifice was so astonishing and pure that God immediately acted for Jesus to bring down the judgment system that condemned him – for Jesus, not they, did God’s will. The indirect, but causal result of this sacrifice is that we are now able to be set free from slavery.
This same language of sacrifice is also used of Christians. We are also to offer up our lives as a sacrifice to God – Romans 12:1. We are also to bring sacrifices to God of our acts of obedience, justice and mercy (Amos 5:22-25; Hebrews 13:16; Philippians 4:18) and our thanksgiving (Psalm 50:14; Hebrew 13:15). These are all gifts we give to God as a part of our relationship with God.
Note #6: Reversal & Jesus’ death: The parable of the tenets
– Matthew 21:33-44
The same story of reversal is told in terms of a particular human, earthly context rather than from a cosmic perspective: (I owe this reading to Steve Kimes)
􀂃 The tenets are placed over the vineyard - the Sadducees, Chief Priests, Pharisees and Elders were given charge over God’s people.
􀂃 But they resisted God and when God sent prophets they rejected and killed them.
􀂃 Finally God sent his Son, but they killed him thinking, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.”
􀂃 But God acts to judge the evil powers – they are thrown out (destruction of Jerusalem 70 C.E.).
􀂃 And God exalts the stone that was rejected. Jesus becomes the cornerstone and the leader of God’s people.
Note #7: Romans 3:21-26 – paraphrased with comments
“But now the righteous character and action of God has been manifested apart from the Mosaic law – (the judgment system which demands punitive justice) although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – it is the righteous character and action of God (that gives right standing with God) through faith in Jesus Christ – for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all, both Jews and Gentiles have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are declared to be in right standing with God by his grace as a gift. This right standing comes through the setting free that Christ Jesus has brought about - whom God put forward as a way of cancelling out our sins by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteous character and action because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sin (like with Abraham and David – chapter 4). It was to show God’s righteous character and action at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Comments: God overlooked sin in the past and he sets free from sin in the present when he declares us right before him - as a gift. How is God still righteous? Doesn’t our sin demand punishment? God shows forth a different kind of justice in the coming of Jesus – one that does not simply rely on punishment, but that liberates from oppression those who will receive it by faith. God uses Jesus to liberate us from the oppression of the judgment system. That’s what it means when it says – we have right standing with God because Jesus set us free - 3:24.
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This is a liberating and restoring kind of justice. It is this justice of God that is revealed in the coming of Jesus.
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Peace On Earth: The Practice of Shalom

Because of God’s tremendous compassion for everyone, I beg you, my dear family, to put your congregations on the altar, as a still living but holy sacrifice to God. This is what is acceptable to God, your sincere act of loving devotion among your congregation. Don’t be formed by the thinking of this era—that of stereotypes and judgment— but be re-created, having your minds rebooted to the will of God, and so proving by your actions what the good and pleasing and complete will of God is. I was given a message from the Lord to share with all of you: Don’t consider yourself to be better than others in everything. Be sensible, and admit that each one of you has granted each one of you a measure of faith, even if that faith looks differently….Our congregations are to be characterized by sincere love for one another. We are all to be rid of the evil in our congregations, but to grasp onto the good. We are to have affectionate love for each other. We are to be diligent without procrastination. We are to be enthusiastic in character. We serve the Lord. We rejoice in hope. We endure in suffering. We persist in prayer. We are to give to the needs of the saints. We are to practice hospitality. As the representatives of Jesus, you know already that we are to bless those who persecute us—we speak well of them and do not verbally destroy them. As Jesus, we rejoice with the joyful and mourn with the weeping. Well, this is how we should behave to other groups of Christians, as well as those outside the faith. We aren’t to be arrogant over other Christians, but we are to associate with the lowly and the weak among us. Don’t be self-important. Just because you’ve got the money, don’t think that you can tell the others what to do. Just because you’ve got the word of God, that doesn’t mean that you can order others around. Just because you’ve proven your faith, it doesn’t mean that everyone has to listen to your opinions. Nor does it give anyone the right to attack others, no matter what they’ve done to you. If someone does something evil to you, don’t act immorally back to them. Instead, spend time thinking ahead of time about how you can do good to everyone. With all of your ability, live in peace and community with ALL people—even fellow Christians who disagree with you. Romans 12

We Got to Start Somewhere, But There’s Just So Far To Go
What can we do? We live in a world rejecting shalom, pursuing materialism, sexual gratification and false philosophies and calling it happiness. In the midst of their self- authentication, self-actualization and self-gratification, the people of the world has destroyed well-being for others around them. The world ignores the needs of those around them, they avoid thinking of the harm they have caused others and they do all they can to shore up their hope that someday, somehow, their lives will be okay.
This wouldn’t be so bad if the church was really any different. Instead, we live in a church that has bought what the world had to say about truth and joy for 1800 years. The church flies on a pendulum which swings from a drive to punish all those irresponsible and filled with self-interest to being wholly accepting and supporting people even in their drive to destroy themselves and others.
The answer to this is the shalom of Jesus. Jesus calls us to communities of shalom—a disciplined grace which leads to peace on earth. But how can we—when all the governments and churches and non-profits in the world have failed—succeed in creating peace where only chaos and hatred has reigned?

Creating Shalom
1. Understand our baptism
First, we must understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus. To be baptized is to die, to have our old life, with its philosophies and materialism cast aside, no longer living in it. And we must live the principles of Jesus. Jesus is faithful, and we can live in that faithfulness. We must realize that being a follower of Jesus isn’t a matter of belief, but of lifestyle. So we must pursue Jesus—the real Jesus as presented in the gospels—surrender our lives and live for Him.

2. Live the principles of shalom
Then, as Jesus teaches us, we understand more and more the principles of peace that he taught us. We will learn his principles of purity, of faithfulness, of devotion to God and love of others. In all this, we will become more like the people who can create shalom in the world because we will embody shalom.

3. Accept the Anawim
As we learn Jesus’ way, we find that so many of the world’s categories no longer apply. Those which the world rejects—even for good reason!—we will welcome and offer God’s love and peace. Those who are blamed because of their poverty we will receive and share with. Those who are hated we will love and offer hope and community through Jesus.

4. Join a community of shalom
It is not enough for us to enact shalom as individuals, we must be in a community of shalom. This means participating in a group of baptized faithful in Jesus who are allowing God to transform them into shalom-makers. This must be a community welcoming to the outcast and a community ready to participate in koinonia.

5. Speak prophetically
As we live out Jesus’ life and community of shalom, then we must share with others the principles of shalom as we live them out. We cannot speak them if we do not live them, but we must share what Jesus has taught us and we do live out. We do not speak this in order to judge others, but in reality to warn them of Jesus’ judgment against those who oppose shalom.

6. Live in trust and patience
It is easy to get discouraged. We can look at the world and see what a big task it is to transform it. We can look at the church and see how faithless and fear-peddling it is. We can look at our failures to live out shalom, and throw up our hands in despair. But this is where the faith of Abraham (and of Jesus) comes in. Abraham, despite his own failures and weaknesses, despite the impossibilities of the promise God gave him, Abraham trusted that God could and would do it. He never forsook God, but continued in patience, even as he suffered for those who suffered due to their rejection of shalom. Even so, when it looks like all has failed and God is no where to be found, we need to be patient, and give room for God to work in His own time.

7. Pray for God’s shalom
Finally, Jesus tells us to pray for God’s kingdom to come, for the shalom to happen on earth. Ultimately, if peace and justice are to rule the earth, if shalom is to break into anyone’s life, it must be done by God’s work. If that is the case, then our main task is that of asking God to cause shalom to come. Pray for others, that they may experience God’s full shalom. Pray for the church, that they may understand and live out God’s full shalom. And pray for the world that it might be transformed into God’s kingdom.

Peace On Earth: The Principles of Shalom

So if there’s anyone listening, let me say this to you: Have compassion on the bad guys of your life. Be nice to the mean ones. Answer well those who cuss you out. Pray blessings on those who insult and abuse you. If a cop pushes you, give him the opportunity to beat you up. If a creditor steals money from you, offer him the rest of your account. If the government demands something from you, give it freely. And if a cop steals what is yours, don’t demand it back. In whatever good way you want people to treat you, treat them that way, no matter how badly treat you.
Look, if you only feel good about those who feel good about you, do you think God will bless you for that? Everyone, no matter how bad they are, love those who love them. If you do good things only to those who do good to you, do you think God will bless you for that? Everyone, no matter how evil, does the same. If you loan out money only to people who will pay you back, do you think God will bless you for that? Evil people loan out money for a return, plus interest.
You can do better than that. Love the people you find most unlovable. Act with compassion toward them and lend them money—yes, I know you won’t get the money back. Just do it, knowing that you won’t get anything back for it, not even a thanks. But you will get more back than you would ever expect, but that from God. If you do this, you will be acting like God, the Lord of the Universe—because He, too, does compassionate acts for those who never thank Him and who do the very worst acts on earth. So be compassionate to the same extent God is.
Don’t condemn others and you won’t be condemned by God. Don’t punish for punishment’s sake and you won’t be punished by God, either. If you release someone from a grudge, God will release you. Give freely to those in need—no matter who they are—and God will give freely to you. It’s kinda like a keg party. Take, let’s say a third of keg of beer and give it to your friends. They will take it, shake it up until it fills the keg and then pour it all over you—much more than you gave them! Even so, the amount of compassion you give to those who don’t deserve it will be poured right back on you!
Luke 6:25-38, SKV

Jesus IS the Prince of shalom, the emperor through which peace and justice comes. Not only does he bring it physically, among his people, but Jesus also has given some principles upon which shalom can be built among his people.

Community
Jesus didn’t come to deliver individuals into shalom, but to create a nation of shalom. We cannot see the grace of God as only visiting individuals, but God is creating a community through Jesus who will be able to make a community of peace and justice among themselves.

Be ready
The people of God are to keep one eye on this world and one eye on the world that is to come. The meeting point between these two worlds is the judgment of God. Those who showed themselves faithful to Jesus and God will be delivered into God’s kingdom of shalom. So to be ready, we must follow the other principles of shalom to show that we are ready to be a part of God’s shalom.

Faithfulness
The first principle of life is faithfulness to God. If we live with our eyes on God, always concerned with our faithfulness and devotion to Him in all aspects of our lives, then we will be ready to experience God’s shalom, instead of the shalom of the world. We also maintain faithfulness to others—our spouses, friends, family and all others. Whatever promises or commitments we have made to them, in our relationship with them, we keep.

Do not harm
We make a point not to do anything hateful to another, with a purpose to harm them. No matter what they have done to us, we do not do harm in return. This may put us in a position of vulnerability, but we must trust that God will care for us and avenge us when necessary, not taking such actions on ourselves.

Treating others with respect
Some we are obligated to respect—our betters, our leaders. But we are also to respect those whom the world does not respect, the outcast and shamed. If we provide respect to all, then all will receive welcome and hope and shalom.


Meeting other’s needs
We are not just to not give harm, but to offer respect to others, but we must also give compassion to others when they are in need. We need to feel their pain and seek to do what we can to help. Then, we should share what resources we have to help others. This empathy and open handedness is summarized in the Greek word, koinonia.

Equality of justice
Finally, Jesus emphasizes that these community principles—faithfulness, no harm, respect and koinonia—are not just for those like us, but for everyone, even if some fail, even if some are irritating, act hatefully occasionally and are occasionally faithless. Respect and assistance is to be granted to everyone without exception.

If we are in Jesus, we are to live out these principles, create communities that live these principles out and teach it to others. In this way, we are to accomplish God’s shalom for ourselves, our communities and, eventually, the entire world

Peace On Earth: The Progress of Shalom

Without exception, everyone has done wrong before God and become offensive to Him. But we all have been given the opportunity to be right before God through the deliverance from the slavery to sin and death which can be found in the Messiah Jesus. When the Father raised Jesus from an official execution, he showed him to be the path to be forgiven of our sins and to have a relationship with God. God proved his justice—which was called into question by him overlooking sins in the past and because of his patience—by making acceptable the one who enters into the devotion of Jesus, and so He proved his actions just….Jesus was given to the authorities to be punished because of our wrongs before God and Jesus was raised from his execution so that we could be made acceptable before God. Therefore, since we have been made acceptable by committed devotion, we have the shalom of God through our King, Messiah Jesus. It is because of Him that we have the right to speak to God and receive the blessings of God, on which we depend on for our very well-being. We boast in our confidence in being a part of God’s glory. You see, we can boast in the sufferings we receive—even as Jesus did—because we know that our suffering gives us the opportunity to stick with God. And sticking with God in the midst of suffering—even as Jesus did— is the test of our true devotion to God. And if our devotion is tested, then we have confidence—because if Jesus was raised by His enduring devotion, so will we. And this confidence will never be dashed because God’s love fills us through the Holy Spirit, given by God, to help us endure in the midst of our struggles. (Romans 3:23-26; 4:25-5:5)

Got World Peace?
Peace, according to the Bible is not just an absence of violence or a peaceful, easy feeling, but it is well-being in a community. When the Bible promises “peace on earth to those obtaining grace”, it is not speaking of a lack of war, but of a ruling principle and nation who would provide for all in need and offer justice and peace to everyone, without exclusion. This well-being and justice is called “shalom” in the Bible.

Stuck With Whirled Peas?
If there is one thing the world lacks, it is peace, meaning shalom. If shalom is a world-wide community in which everyone experiences well-being, acceptance, mutual assistance, and equal justice for all, then we have never experienced it. In every nation, in every era, the poor have been oppressed. The outcast have been thrown out because of arbitrary cultural mores. The religious have judged and rejected all people who did not accept their narrow guidelines. The non-religious have judged and rejected the religious because of their devotion to God. And all people purpose to harm all people who stand in the way of their culture controlling and manipulating all others.

Life on earth is not shalom. It is anti-peace.

Everyone wants peace. Most of us in the world recognize that we are all in trouble, that we don’t have peace, and all of us want to obtain it. Or create it. Or force it on others. To create shalom where there is no shalom is what the Bible calls “salvation.” Frankly, it is a utopian ideal, just like democracy is, just like capitalism is, just like communism. The difference is that the Bible claims that salvation—the creation of shalom in the world—is something that only God can do. Peace and justice cannot come simply from human effort or from anarchy. It must be a work of God that humans join with. But it is initiated by God.

Getting Better All The Time
The first step of God’s shalom-making was creation. God saw the chaos, the pointlessness of the world and made it again. And, according to Scripture, after God’s peace-making, He established humanity to rule over His creation and to keep it in shalom. This plan failed when humanity chose rebellion and chaos instead of God’s shalom.

Another step in God’s shalom-making was choosing Abraham. Abraham was not a perfect man, but he was a person who sought God alone, being faithful to Him, and trusting in Him when all else seemed chaotic. God chose Abraham because of his trust in God and said that whoever would obtain shalom, in all the world, they must be like Abraham and choose his path of trust. This plan failed because people thought that following the ritual of Abraham or being born into the family of Abraham obtained this shalom.

Another step in God’s shalom-making was to create a community of shalom with very specific rules. He chose for His people a nation in slavery—the outcast—so they would know how to treat those who were outcast. And He taught them His ways of love and shalom for all his people. This experiment failed in different ways, over the years. First, the people didn’t believe that God could really give them shalom. Then, they sought out other spiritual powers to grant them shalom. Then, they oppressed the poor, forgetting that they were once poor themselves. And finally, they took God’s rules and make them so burdensome that it became impossible to live them out.

Love Reign O’er Me
Finally, after all of these temporary experiments, God began his final plan for shalom. He sent his Son to be emperor of the world, ruler of his people. First, Jesus displayed shalom by setting people free from spiritual judgment, offering them freedom from diseases and mental illnesses and offering them a new life in God. Then he told the people the life of shalom in God, living by the principles of shalom. Then, finally, he allowed the rulers of God’s people—the priests and elders—to kill him, treating him as an outcast of God’s people. But God vindicated his Son as the only way to God’s shalom, the great Truth-teller. And a new people was created under Jesus, living Jesus’ shalom-principles and testing the world with their message of destruction of the anti-shalom and the establishment of God’s shalom.

Underground Revolution
Through Jesus, God is continually creating communities of shalom—some big and some small. These communities are made up of those who were rejected by the world and who are baptized in Jesus—namely, those who have committed themselves to being citizens of Jesus’ new nation of shalom. These baptized are committed to Jesus’ principles of peace and justice. But these principles are not enough in and of themselves, because we all are too weak, as humans, to maintain shalom. So the Emperor has allowed us to receive the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness to maintain shalom, even when we do not have the strength to live it out.
Then God sent these Jesus communities out into the world. They preached the kingdom— the nation of shalom—and displayed the power of the Spirit. Communities were in this way tested—would they accept the good proclamation of shalom through Jesus, or would they reject God’s shalom? Would they practice shalom with the needy of Jesus, or would they reject them?

This time of testing continues on even today. Many communities of the world—even many who claim Jesus to be Lord—reject Jesus’ principles of shalom. Many in Jesus’ name harm and kill others. Many in Jesus’ name refuse to help the needy. Many in Jesus’ name even reject the true God and seek a distant Spirit who is unobtrusive and will never give anything, let alone shalom.

Peace On Earth: The Promise of Shalom

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:1-13)

A Really BIG Idea
The Hebrew word for “peace” is “shalom”. Shalom is used most often as a greeting in Hebrew culture, even as its equivalent “salaam” is the greeting in Arabic. To express “peace” to someone is to express one’s intent to not do violence and to give peace of mind to another. However, “shalom” in the Hebrew sense is much more than what “peace” means in English.
“Shalom” in the Hebrew Bible is used for the well-being of all of one’s physical needs, such as having sufficient food, rest, shelter, health, longevity, and even a good death, without pain. Shalom also reflects one’s social needs, such as participating in a supportive community and being accepted by that community. Shalom also has to do with one’s relationship with God, such as God approving of one’s actions and of God forgiving our sins. Shalom also has to do with the well-being of a community, such as security, justice, a lack of disasters and reconciliation between those separated by anger. And lastly, shalom applies to the destruction of all those who want to destroy shalom. So when we speak of “peace” biblically, it means a complete well-being, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually and justice within one’s community.
And where does shalom come from? People can create some aspects of shalom, but ultimately, shalom comes from God. As it says in Judges 6:24: “Yahweh IS shalom”. In the New Testament, we find that the peace and justice of God is found through Jesus alone. God gives this shalom to his people, yet we must enact this peace in the world through these gifts of God:
• through the faith of Jesus (Romans 5:1)
• through the Spirit (John 14:26-27),
• through the word of Jesus (John 16:33),
• through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7),
• and through his people (I Thessalonians 5:13)

Promise of Shalom
Yet it seems that God has withheld his peace from the world. The world is filled with disease and destruction and mental illness and hatred. If the source of peace is God, why has he withheld it?
First of all, God did promise shalom very specifically:
Psalm 37:11-- the Anawim will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant shalom
Psalm 119:165-- Those who love the law have great shalom
Isaiah 9:6-7-- The coming king will be the Prince of Shalom, there will be no end of the shalom he brings
Isaiah 57:19-21-- Peace to him who is far and near, but no shalom for the wicked
Luke 2:14-- Glory to God in the highest and upon earth peace among men who are favored
From these verses we can see a few things: First, that God doesn’t provide peace immediately. He doesn’t wave a magic wand and amazingly peace appears. Rather, God’s people have to go through a period of waiting in trials without peace before He gives shalom. Secondly, God, in these promises, say that his peace will come through one individual—His emperor who will establish shalom among his people.
And lastly, we see that shalom is not offered to everyone in the world. We quote the passage, “Peace on earth” as God’s promise, yet that promise is not to everyone, but those who are given God’s grace. Frankly, not everyone is ready for God’s peace. The people who are opposed to peace for some of the world cannot have peace. Nor can the people who are opposed to God, since the Lord is central to God’s shalom. And those who are opposed to God’s king, the Prince of Shalom—Jesus— will also not be able to experience God’s peace, for they reject God’s means of bringing shalom.

The Faith Is The Life Is The Cross

Significance of the Cross
All Christians, all around the world, wholeheartedly affirm this statement: The death and resurrection of Jesus has given us life. Without Jesus’ willing participation in his death, we would have nothing—no relationship with God, no forgiveness of sins, no reason for hope for the future. The cross is the beginning of everything important for us, and we remind ourselves of this every time we take the Lord’s supper, giving thanks to God for Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Jesus was the great martyr, the Lamb of God, the great sacrifice, the one that made all sacrifices obsolete. Jesus is the author and completer of our faith.

The Cross did not end with Jesus
But there is a mystery about the cross in the New Testament. It is clear that although Jesus suffered for us, the suffering of the church did not end. If anything, the church has suffered more than Jesus did himself. Stephen was martyred, forgiving his murderers. The church was scattered abroad. Paul suffered three stonings, many beatings, shipwrecks and much more. What is more, Paul dared to write down what would be considered blasphemy by most Christians today—“I rejoice in my sufferings for you and I am completing what was lacking in Christ’s suffering” (Colossians 1:24). For some reason, Paul did not consider the cross to be the end of the sacrificial work done for others. Yes, Jesus began the work and he is the authority of his people, but, somehow, there is still salvation work to be done. The cross is not yet complete.

Living out the Cross
Although in our modern theologies, this passage of Paul may seem to be a mystery—and the clear meaning of it has been denied by many—yet in Jesus’ teachings, it is clear. Jesus himself said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” The cross was not supposed to simply be the “work of Christ” and then honored from a distance for centuries after. Rather, the cross that Jesus himself carried was a way of life for anyone who claimed to be a Christian. To follow Jesus is to carry the cross. Therefore the only true Christian is a believer in cruciformity—one who believes in and lives out the way of the cross in their lives.

The Atonement and Cruciformity
Does living out the cross deny the work of Christ? Not at all. The main purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus is to establish the kingdom of God (Romans 14:9). To allow various peoples of the earth to be forgiven of their sins, be released from their captivity and to become the one people of God that will be welcome in God’s kingdom. But will anyone and everyone be accepted? Although the salvation of Jesus is offered to everyone equally, it is also true that most people will reject the offer and only a few will receive it. Why is this? Because of the condition of faith. Because everyone who enters the kingdom of God must have faith.

Believing and faith
But what is faith? The Christian minimalists will point to the multitude of verses that claim eternal life or salvation for everyone who “believes” in Jesus, which they understand as a basic cognitive acceptance of Jesus’ death for all or Jesus’ deity. However the translations “believe” or “belief” for the Greek words “pistis” or “pisteuo” in most contexts of the New Testament only communicates a partial understanding of the word. To “believe” in many of these contexts require obedience, surrender, complete devotion and endurance through suffering. Cognitive activity is only one small part of the whole that is communicated by “pistis”, which is why many translations also use the word “faith” or “having faith” as a more complete translation than “believing.”

Paul and Faith
Paul has especially been mistranslated. In Galatians, the book primarily looked to as teaching what Protestants understand to be “salvation by faith”, that understanding is gained from chapters 2 and 3 which uses the phrase “faith in Christ Jesus” to speak about the basis of receiving God’s promises. However, a literal Greek translation would then be “of Christ Jesus.” This shift is significant, because what it shows is that Paul was not seeing the salvation of God based in a cognitive understanding of who Jesus is or what he did, but of having the same faith that Jesus did. And in Galatians 2:20, that faith is described as one by which Jesus “loved me and gave himself for me.” As can be seen throughout Galatians, Romans and the Corinthian epistles, Paul understood faith as being not just an intellectual belief, but as a whole life, which begins at baptism, is fleshed out by love of others in the church, and has an ethical component, at the heart of which is sacrificial love.

The paradigm of Jesus
The Christian faith, therefore, is not just a simple belief, but it is the very basis by which Jesus himself sacrificed himself on the cross. There are seven main components of faith, all of which Jesus displayed—in his life and especially on the cross— and both Jesus and the writers of the New Testament:

1. Devotion to God alone
The follower of Jesus not to be involved in worshipping or serving other powers or gods or authorities apart from God and his Son Jesus Christ. Some good things, such as the Mosaic Law or money can be substituted for God or for Jesus, but our love needs to be focused on God alone.

2. Obedience to God through Jesus’ words
To show devotion to God as the one true King of the universe is also to obey him in all things. Jesus is God’s one Teacher, and no one else presents God’s truth as purely as he. Therefore, however one may interpret Moses or Paul or other teachers, we are to obey the commands of Jesus as the clearest understanding of God’s commands.

3. Trusting that God will fulfill his promises
Many of God’s promises have not been fulfilled, and this tears down God’s reputation. The true people of God, however, firmly hold to God’s promises and know that they will be fulfilled in His time. They not only believe this in their head, but they act on the promise, relying on what they cannot yet see.

4. Boldly speaking the truth of Jesus
The disciple of Jesus speaks of the truth of Jesus and announces it in every appropriate circumstance, and sometimes in inappropriate ones. The disciple of Jesus will speak the truth of Jesus, no matter what the consequences, even if they have the possibility of being harmed for it.

5. Inclusive, sacrificial love
The follower of Jesus to do good to everyone, not just those we like or are part of the “in group”. And in loving others, we are to sacrifice our comfort levels and at times our own person for others.

6. Humility
The follower of Jesus is to lower himself or herself to a lower status than others, doing work for others even to the degree as being seen as a slave for other’s sake.

7. Endurance through trials
Faith is not just a one time act, but it is facing a great difficulty and acting in pure trust of God through the difficulty.

The Christian Life
Thus, to be “saved by faith” is not just agreeing with an idea, but it is a life to be lived. It is not only a doctrine, but it is an ethic. The ones who truly are followers of Jesus are not only those who proclaim Jesus name, but also live out the principles of his life. Salvation is not given to those who give lip-service, but those who provide real service—real actions—of devotion to God alone and of love for everyone.

How To Treat A Worldly Government

What to recognize about governments

The government is appointed by God
Every government only gains its authority from God—even evil governments. Although governments may misuse or even abuse their authority, the authority itself comes from God. Thus, we need to respect the authority of the government, no matter who is using it. (John 20:11)

The government represents God
The government is meant to do some of God’s work on earth—specifically, to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do good. This does not mean that the government is God’s servant, necessarily. Satan also punishes the evil at God’s bidding, but he is not an obedient servant of God. But ideally, the government does God’s will. (Romans 13:1)

The government will be judged by God
Men do not have the right to judge governments. Even as a government’s authority and work has been given to it by God, so it is God who evaluates and determines the fate of governments. Often, God is patient and willing to wait for change. But some governments will be destroyed by God immediately: specifically those treat the needy badly and those who do much unnecessary violence. (Psalm 82)

There is only one truly godly government
The only government that has been appointed, approved and having passed testing by God is the kingdom of God, led by Jesus. No other government can call themselves approved by God. Nor can any other government call itself truly “Christian.” (John 18:36)

What not to do
Resist them when they do injustice against you
We do not resist authorities, but we are supposed to submit to them. We don’t need to complain against them, hate them or speak evil against them. Instead, if a government does us wrong, we pray about it and ask God for justice. (Matthew 5:39)

Judge them for not following the laws or principles of God’s kingdom.
Although the governments represent God, they do not understand the principles of God, except in the most general notions. And so it is not our job to judge them or condemn them for what they do not know. We can inform them of what God says, but it is God’s right to judge them and to punish them if they were inadequate. (I Corinthians 5:9-10)

Rebel against the authorities
We don’t need to do evil to the government. If the government is to be fought against, then we can pray for God to judge them, according to his will.
(Romans 13:2)

Obey them when they tell you to disobey the principles of Jesus.
We must take care to always place God and God’s will in our lives above the government’s will and desire. We submit to governments in all things except when they tell us to disregard the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. (Acts 4:19)

What to do
Give honor to whom honor is due
Government officials require that we speak politely to them, with the proper titles. Whatever honor is expected, we should give it. (Romans 13:7)

Pay taxes when you are required to
All governments require us to pay taxes to them. Even if you feel that the government isn’t representing you or doing what you think is right, you still have to pay the taxes that they demand of you. (Romans 13:7)

Pray for the leadership
We need to pray for government officials so that we will show respect for the officials, and also so God will direct the authorities to have wisdom to create a society of peace, so the church can do what God is directing them to do. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

Submit to authorities, even when you come to harm
We are to submit to authorities, even if they do evil, even if they irritate us, even if they harm us. This is how we show that we are fully submitted to God and will do good, even if others do us evil. (I Peter 2:13-24)

Obey all laws, unless they tell you to disobey God
Since the governments have the authority of God and act for God, we need to obey them. Even if you think the law is wrong or unjust, obey it. The only time we disobey, is if they tell us to disobey God. (Colossians 3:22)

Do good to those who do harm to you
When government officials do harm to us, we are to respond with blessings and prayers for their benefit. We do not curse them or abuse them, but instead do what we can to benefit them. (Romans 12:17-21)

Warn them away from God’s judgement by encouraging them to repent
If governmental officials do evil in God’s sight—especially if they are enacting unnecessary violence or harming the needy—they need to be warned that God will judge them unless they repent. (Ezekiel 33:9)

What you don’t have to do
Participate in the government
Many feel that it is one’s civic duty to vote in governmental elections, sign appropriate petitions or to participate in neighborhood meetings. However, since we, as Christians, belong to the kingdom of God, we should focus our attention on participating with God’s people, not a secular government. (James 4:4)

Agree with any particular politics or politician
Some Christians feel that a certain politics is the only real Christian choice, or that a certain politician is the “godly candidate.” However, we do not need to support any policy, politics or candidate. Rather, we need to focus on policies and decisions within the church and among those who represent Jesus. (Ephesians 4:17-19)

Call the nation we live in “our country”
The nation of all those who follow Jesus is not the one they were born in or the one they live in—it is the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God has no king but God and no lord but Jesus and no realm on the earth. The non-godly government we live in the midst of is not “our” country. It is the country we live in . Our nation is only the kingdom of God. (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

Protest injustices
The ungodly governments of this world will do unjust and evil things sometimes. We do not need to protest them, although we might warn them what God will do in response. Some might choose to protest, and receive what persecution comes with gladness. But it is not necessary. However, when some in the church who represent God does open evil, then we need to respond. (I Corinthians 5:9-11)

Honor government leaders, but focus on God’s will among God’s people.

Psalm 22, Jesus and the Anawim

For the overseer; According to "The Deer of the Dawn"; A Psalm of David
This is a psalm that is spoken of as being David’s. However, we do not know if it was written by David himself, speaking of one of his times of failure, a psalmist trying to write like David, or a descendent of David. We do know, however, that it is not just speaking of David. It is speaking of whoever finds him or herself in a situation that is described. In the Christian tradition, this psalm is most often related to the death of Jesus. In fact, the description of Jesus’ death in the gospels is closely related to this psalm, beyond all other passages in the Old Testament. This is probably the best prophetic description of Jesus’ death there is.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so distant from delivering me; from my roar?
My God, I cry by day but You do not answer.
By night and there is no rest.
The psalm begins with a complaint to God. The psalmist is in terrible trouble, and continues to cry out to God, but hears nothing from Him. The psalmist is not claiming that God has forsaken him because the psalmist isn’t experiencing a mystical sense of God—rather, he is proclaiming God’s rejection of him because God hasn’t helped him yet. The psalmist is in dire circumstances, being attacked unjustly and God is just doing nothing.
This passage is one of the most famous in the psalms because of Jesus’ declaring the same expression as he was on the cross (Mark 15:34). Some claim that Jesus is declaring his separation from God due to his “becoming sin”. However, the only way that Jesus “became sin” is the same way the psalmist did—he was unjustly hated and destroyed by his fellows. Those who should have honored him, shamed, hated and abused him. He was declared sinful despite his evidence. And, like the psalmist, while Jesus was on the cross, God did nothing. He allowed the evil death sentence be carried out.

Yet You are the Holy One
Enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our ancestors trusted in You
They trusted and You delivered them
They cried out to You and escaped;
They trusted in You and were not disappointed.
Here, the psalmist remembers the stories of his forefathers in the past. The ancients, such as Jacob, Joseph and Moses, were often in dire circumstances, such as the psalmist, and God was there for them. They waited on God, trusted in Him, and prayed to God—and then God answered. The psalmist then is implying—you did it for them, why not me? If you are the God of deliverance, why haven’t I been delivered?

But I am a worm and not a man
A reproach of men and despised by the people.
All who see me, mock me;
Sneer with the lip and shake with the head.
"Commit yourself to Yahweh-- let Him deliver Him;
Let Him save Him because He cares for him."
The psalmist then answers his own question—he is not delivered because he has been completely rejected by his fellows. The very people who have been delivered by God—they are the ones who have rejected this poor man. He is being so thoroughly rejected by God’s people that he can no longer even call himself human—now he is an insignificant, disgusting, worm. No one would say a good word to him. Everyone who sees him makes fun of him. They know that he claims Yahweh to be his savior—“So” they say, “why isn’t Yahweh delivering you? If God really cared that much about you, then shouldn’t you already be delivered?”
Even so was Jesus rejected and mocked like this. It was God’s own people, given the authority of God to judge sinners among the people, who claimed that Jesus was a blasphemer—claiming to be one who sits next to the throne of God. Crucifixion itself was the indication of the curse of God, and everyone who walked by was to participate in this cursing. The rulers of God’s people came to Jesus and, knowing that the power of God flowed through him, said, “If God’s power is with you, why hasn’t He saved you? Why don’t you come down, by God’s power? Obviously, you are the one cursed by God.” (Matthew 27:42-43; Mark 15:36) Even though Jesus was innocent.

Yet you brought me out from the womb,
Made me secure at my mother's breasts.
From birth I was cast into Your care;
You have been my God from my mother's womb.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near
And there is no one to help.
The psalmist reminds God now that Yahweh had selected the psalmist, even from birth. The psalmist asks for God’s help now, because the psalmist has depended on Yahweh his whole life, even before he was weaned. Again, the psalmist is wondering why God has left him in this persecution, although he doesn’t deserve it.

Mighty bulls surround me
The mighty of Bashan have encircled me.
They open their mouths against me
Like a tearing, roaring lion.
Now the psalmist returns back to his troubles, speaking of his oppressors. He compares them to bulls—Basham bulls, which were the strongest, most ferocious of the land. He also compares them to lions. These are animals that gore and kill— they are both mutilators. The psalmist is feeling torn apart by his enemies. It is not enough for them to kill him—no, they have to tear his flesh apart, bit by bit, torturing him over a period of time.

This is more literally what happened to Jesus. First he was beat, then he was whipped—with bits of his flesh being torn off of his body. Then he was crucified. Crucifixion is about killing, but more than that, it is lengthening the death as long as possible over an entire day. Crucifixion is death by asphyxiation—slowly cutting off oxegon until the victim, exhausted, ultimately allows himself to be strangled by his own body, unable to pull himself up to breathe anymore.

I am poured out like water;
All my bones give way
My heart is like wax;
Melting within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd;
My tongue cleaves to my palate;
You lay me in the dust of death.
The psalmist speaks poetically of his personal experience. He is so fearful, he is emotionally poured out, unable to keep his composure. He trembles and collapses. He is literally dried up, completely dehydrated, because of his fear. His tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth. And he knows this is it—he’s dead.

For dogs surround me
A band of wicked close me in;
They pierced my hands and feet;
I count all my bones
They look, they stare at me.
They divide up my clothes among them
And cast lots for my garments.
And why is the psalmist in this terrible state? Because of his enemies—the so-called “people of God” who are prepared to destroy him. They are closing in, surrounding him, prepared to attack him like a pack of dogs. They have attacked him—beginning with his hands and feet, but it is certain that they do not stop there. Because of the suffering they have already caused him, he can see all of his ribs. They have taken his clothes from him and divide them amongst themselves. So there he is—naked, wounded, tortured, and shamed. So what can be done for him? Will he be delivered by God? Or is God in agreement with the attackers? What will be done? To find out the end, we have to read the rest of the psalm—which we will do next time.

But what has all this to do with Jesus death? What meaning do we get of Jesus’ death in this passage? Jesus’ death was not an attack from God, to pour out God’s wrath on mankind’s sin. Rather, Jesus’ death has to do with human sin and judgment—the fact that people attack the innocent if they get in the way of their own plans or ambitions. But with Jesus, we have a conclusion to the story. Jesus didn’t just die because we were sinners and more focused on the world’s ambition than God’s desire. He died to be resurrected—to establish a new kingdom, a new people, who would be focused on God’s power than on worldly power or pleasure. People who experienced God’s deliverance and are ready to depend on Him for their life—even like the psalmist.


But You O Yahweh, be not distant.
My strength, hasten to my aid.
Deliver my life from the sword
My only life from the dogs power.
Save me from the lion's mouth,
From the horns of the wild oxen deliver me.
The psalmist now, in the most dire of circumstances, cries out to God. Up until this point in the psalm, the psalmist has not actually asked God for help. He complained to God that God hadn’t saved him yet, but he has not asked for help. Now the psalmist is direct in his request. He knows that no one can save him but God. God is his knight on shining armor, his Dudley Doright, coming to save him in the last minute. Before in the psalm, the psalmists enemies are describes as dogs—because they are encircling him—as a lion—because they attack with intent to kill—and as bulls—because of their mauling him. Now he is asking God to deliver him from these three creatures.

I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you.
You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!
All you descendents of Jacob, honor Him!
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendents of Israel.
For He has not spurn or abhor the plight of the anawim
He did not hide His face from him
When he cried out to Him for help, He listened.
From you comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
If God delivers him, the psalmist makes a promise—he will glorify God before his people. Obviously, it is not all of God’s people attacking the psalmist. Perhaps only a select group of leaders. But God always leaves a remnant of people who truly love him and worship him. This remnant is whom the psalmist is really family with—the anawim. The anawim are those who have faced terrible troubles, but still trusted in God through them. Perhaps his own family rejected him, but God has given him one who really love and serve God. And among these people, the anawim will declare his deliverance. They will not be left in the midst of these enemies—delivered to death and torture. No, they will be delivered by God, and able to proclaim God’s true nature.
God is not the God of forsaking—He is the God of deliverance. God pays attention to the innocent and abused, the anawim. He does not leave them alone. Sure, it may seem that God has left the anawim alone for a period of time, but in the end God will save them and punish the ones who destroy his innocent people. The anawim cry out to God, and expect his deliverance. And so, when the deliverance comes, they give praise to God’s name, who acted for them!

The anawim will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise Yahweh
May your hearts live forever!
These anawim are the true people of God. Yes, they all go through terrible circumstances at times. They are persecuted, they suffer, they are hated, they are torn apart—but God delivers them. And after that deliverance, God gives abundance. They have abundant food, and they are able to praise God. Only those who have experienced deliverance can praise. Only those who gain their hearts desire express joy. And this joy isn’t just for a period of time—it is eternal. The people of God—those who are destroyed by the evil, but stick with God throughout the ordeal—will be kept alive by God forever, secure and safe.
This is the promise of Jesus. Not eternal life for everyone who claims Jesus or who loves God. Rather, eternal life for those who suffer and stick with God (Mark 8:34-37; Mark 13:13). God will resurrect those who died suffering for Him. And they will have joy in place of suffering, communion instead of hatred, exaltation instead of humiliation.

All the ends of the earth take note and turn to Yahweh;
The clans of the nations bow down to You.
For the kingdom is Yahweh's
And he rules over the nations.
Not only is this promise for those among Israel, but it is for all who love God, no matter what nation they are of. All peoples will have an opportunity to love God, serve him, and receive of his salvation. They, too, were abused by God’s people and so they will be delivered, if only they trust in Him. And God will give the opportunity.
Jesus, through his suffering, opened up the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not just for those born in the nation of Israel. Many immigrants, many hopeless of all the nations, will be welcomed into God’s people and given an opportunity to live for Him.

All who wallow in the ashes of the earth will eat and bow down;
All who go down to the dust will kneel before Him;
Even he who cannot keep his life alive.
The anawim, however—those who were humiliated and abused because they stayed with God—they are God’s special people. They cannot help themselves, so God will help them. God is there for them and will keep them alive for all time because they worshipped Him in their terror, their destruction, their death. God loves them and keeps them forever.


Their descendents will serve Him;
It will be told of Yahweh to future generations.
And they will come and declare his righteousness
To a people not yet born that He does act.
Not only do these whom God love, the anawim, have a special place before God, but so do their children. The descendents of the anawim will make a new people. This new people will go from generation to generation, praising God for what He has done for their forefathers. They will all remember God’s deliverance, praise him for it, and God’s name will be declared to all the world for the sake of His deliverance.

So, although Psalm 22 begins as a complaint, it ends as a hymn in praise of God’s deliverance. Because God is the God of the anawim, God is the God of deliverance. God is always ready to act, the psalmist declares, and even in the face of death, he proclaims God’s power and love. This is why Jesus quoted Psalm 22 on the cross. Not because he was declaring God’s rejection of him. Just the opposite. He was proclaiming his unity with the anawim, and their resurrection and the beginning of God’s kingdom. Although he only stated a line—as much as he could state during his time of oxygen deprivation—he was referring to the whole. Not just the complaint of the anawim, but the promise of deliverance due to the suffering for the sake of God.

The Fortunate Few

How fortunate are the anguished due to poverty because they will rule God’s kingdom!
How fortunate are the sorrowful, because God will cheer them up.
How fortunate are the lowly, because God will give them the earth.
How fortunate are those who desperately desire justice, because they will get just what they want.
How fortunate are those who act in compassion, for God will be compassionate to them.
How fortunate are those single-minded on God, for they will see Him.
How fortunate are the creators of peaceful communities, for God will make them rulers.
How fortunate are the sufferers for righteousness, because they will rule God’s kingdom!

How fortunate you are when your enemies verbally abuse you and do and speak evil against you because you follow me. When that happens, you are like the prophets of the past who suffered for their message they received from God. Even as they are now rewarded by God, so will you be. So when you are persecuted for me, be happy about what you will receive—jump up and down in joy and praise God!

You are essential for the world. But if you lose the basic qualities that make you important, you cannot regain them. You will be useless, cast out of God’s kingdom and trampled.

You are God’s glory and truth in the world. You are the kingdom of God to come, and you cannot be hidden. Nor should you be hidden—God’s glory should be displayed, not hidden. So display the true righteousness of God before everyone, so that people will see your acts of God and so glorify the Father.

Could You Hum the Tune?
It seems familiar, but the words just aren’t quite right… That’s right. You know it, but it is certainly stated in a different way—the above is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes, the salt of the earth and the city on the hill. Many people complain, “But what about the words we’re familiar with? The poor in spirit? Hunger and thirsting for righteousness? The pure in heart? The salt of the earth? Why change it?” I am not interested in taking anything away from the words that you are familiar with. Rather, I want to lay out just what they mean in context. After all, what does “poor in spirit” really mean? Or the “pure in heart”? Frankly, what does “blessed” mean? Let’s examine the context and see if we can find it out.

Lucky Bloke!
First of all, the term “blessed.” In the Greek, it literally means “happy” and its root in Hebrew literally means “to walk straight”. However, in most contexts this phrase means, “You lucky dog!” It means that the person is fortunate, is lucky in some way. This doesn’t mean that they are blessed by “luck”. All of the promises Jesus offers are actually blessings that God would grant. So the object of Jesus acclaim is the lucky receiver of God’s grace, God’s blessing, the good fortune that comes directly from God.
What kind of rewards are these folks promised? The coming kingdom of God. Of having all of their needs met. Of being in a close relationship with God. Of being content with their lot. This is really good stuff, these promises. Especially if you don’t have your needs met—and who does?
But these folks aren’t just lucky because they are getting good stuff in the future. Also, they are essential to the present. Jesus says that these folks are essential for the world as it is. Without these folks, the world is lacking something necessary for survival. These people of God are like your daily nutrition intake—without them, the world would starve spiritually. The world would be empty, lifeless, hopeless, merciless.

The Uncommon Christian
So just who are these important folks? Essential for life today, and the recipients of tomorrow’s hope? Jesus describes them in detail. First, let’s find out what Jesus thinks are the basics of discipleship. If we are going to follow Jesus, what should we look like?
Pure in heart—We should be ready not just to look good on Sundays, to claim to believe the right things and to avoid the really bad sins that makes us bad people. Actually, Jesus wants us to be inwardly right with God—confessing our sin and devoted to God in all of our ways. Our prayer and religious deeds are just outward show, but we sincerely are seeking a relationship with God.
Merciful—Jesus expects us to be compassionate as He was compassionate on earth. His disciples need to be loving to everyone, even those who bug us! He wants us ready to help anyone and everyone in need, even when inconvenient.
Peacemakers—Jesus expects us to be active in reconciling people to God, to each other and to life. He expect us to be a part of creating a society that is just and right with God, even if that society has to be apart from the world.
We don’t see many Christians like this today. But the church keeps producing folks like this, and these are the heart of the church—heck, they are the heart of the entire world! And they will receive God’s promises for the future.

The Big Surprise
But in the Beatitudes, we are still skipping one part—the most amazing, fantastic, mind-blowing concept of Jesus. He saved it for the very beginning of his teaching, to emphasize its importance. Nevertheless, it is something we have a hard time getting a grasp of. These lucky folks, these fortunate few, these salt-of-the-earth, these essential daily vitamins are also the rejects of society.
Poor in spirit—These are the ones who are anguished due to their poverty, and suffer greatly because of their lack of normal life.
Mourning— These are those who have suffered great loss and so mourn due to it.
Meek— These are the ones who have nothing in this life to depend on and don’t have a leg to stand on to get justice in their lives.
Hungering and Thirsting for Justice— These are the ones who are desperately seeking justice because all they have received is injustice and rejection.
Persecuted— These are the ones who have been rejected and hated and beaten and despised and treated as outcasts.
Why are these great folks treated so poorly? Why do they suffer so? Some of them suffer because they just aren’t accepted. But most of them aren’t accepted because they stand with Jesus. Because they insist on being right with God in their heart more than their social standing. Because they insist on being merciful, even when it hurts themselves. Because to reconcile people when they want to continue in hatred is dangerous and a hated profession. Because the one who talks about Jesus is readily accepted—but the one who acts like Jesus is easily rejected.

No Big Surprise
Although we have great shock at first that the very folks God accepts are those the world rejects, we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, look at who God chooses:
He chose Noah who was rejected by his neighbors because he did what God told him to.
He chose Abraham, but only after Abraham set aside the inheritance of his father’s house.
He chose Joseph, but the man had to suffer hatred, slavery, jail time and people forgetting him before he received God’s promise.
He chose the children of Israel, but they had to endure years of slavery and genocide and desert-wandering before they were ready for God’s promise.
He chose David, but the future king had to be threatened and chased all over the wilderness before he received God’s promise.
He chose Jeremiah and Ezekiel, but they had to be ignored and rejected their whole lives, only to not receive the promise.
He chose Jesus, who had to be condemned, judged and crucified before he was vindicated.

Honesty, if we look at the Bible as a whole, we can finally understand that God’s people always have to face the worst difficulties before receiving what God has in store for them. In Hebrew there is a special name for these folks—people who suffer rejection and poverty, but still expect God to deliver them—they are called Anawim. God has always—without exception—given his promise of blessing to the Anawim. And it is the Anawim who are God’s chosen.
Psalm 22:24—God has not abhorred the oppression of the Anawim, nor has he hidden his face from them; But when they cried to Him for help, he listened to them.
I Samuel 2:8—He raises the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobels.
Psalm 37: 11—The Anawim will receive the land and live in abundant prosperity

God has always focused on the needy who live for him, and He always will.

So how should we treat God’s special chosen? How should we treat the homeless who are standing with God? How should we act toward the working poor, crying out to God for justice? We should treat them as God does—with honor, with respect, with assistance. We should listen not only to their needs, but their counsel. After all, how we treat these folks is how we will be treated on the final day!

Basic Theology

A Bible professor approached Jesus, wishing to test his teaching. He asked, “Teacher, what should I do to obtain God’s life that never ends?” Jesus said, “What does it say in the Bible? How do you understand it?” The professor answered, “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind. And you will love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus, impressed, replied, “This is correct. Live this out, and eternal life is yours.” But knowing he had not lived this out—and had no intention to—but wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “But, really, who is my neighbor?” Jesus sighed and responded, “There was a man traveling from Washington D.C. to New York and some terrorists kidnapped him, stripped his clothes off and beat him half to death, leaving by the side of the road, helpless. Now it so happened that a Mennonite pastor passed by, and he saw him. But, thinking he was a homeless bum, he ignored him and went on his way. Then a Baptist worship leader drove by the same spot, but since he was in a hurry to make it on time to his worship service, he also ignored him and made it to the service on time. Then a Muslim drove by and saw the man laying on the side of the road. Compassion welled up in his heart and he stopped, got out his first aid kit, covered his wounds, put him in his car (getting blood all over the new seats) and drove him to the hospital. There he told the doctor, “If he doesn’t have any insurance, here’s my credit card number—just take it from my account.’ Now,” Jesus concluded, “Which of these was the neighbor to man attacked by terrorists?” The professor said, “The M- the one who had compassion on him.” Jesus smiled and looked him in the eye, “Now you do the same.”

Do terrorists and Muslims really belong in this story?
Actually, they do! The Greek word “lestes” is often translated “robber.” But it actually means one who uses violence to achieve economic or political change, so one might translate it either as “revolutionary” or, possibly, “terrorist.” The Samaritans, on the other hand, are those who were similar to Jews—they worshipped the same God and had many of the same stories. But they had different centers of worship and they considered each other heretics. So if the original Jewish victim became an American Christian, who would the Samaritan be but a faithful Muslim? As far as D.C. and New York for Jerusalem and Jericho… well, that might be stretching it a bit.

The Th- Word
At some point or another, everyone has to deal with theology. It sounds scary (especially if you’ve heard of such words as dispensationalism and superlapsarian), but really its pretty simple—theology is just what we can say about God. Of course, Jesus then had a lot to say about theology. But whenever he wanted to get to the basics, to talk about what is most important to God and most important about our relationship with God, he gets back to these two commands: Love God and love your neighbor. That’s as basic as it gets.



Just Do It
But whenever any professor of theology or dogmatician tries to talk about theology, they do it on very different terms. They always speak of “a doctrine statement” or a “confession of faith”. They emphasize what it is we believe about God. And that’s fine, as far as it goes. But whenever Jesus spoke about theology, he spoke about action and relationship. Either he is speaking about what God does for us or what we do for God. Even his most basic statement “God is spirit” is followed by a command, “And those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24). According to Jesus, God isn’t just someone who sits in heaven—he’s a person who interacts with his people, “God with us.” And we aren’t to be people who observe God like we would a tv screen—we are to be active participants with our theology. If we just believe about God in our head, that isn’t enough—we’ve got to have faith in our hands and feet. And so Jesus talked about a faith that is enacted in obedience and an obedience that is informed by faith. Just like sex and conception, you can’t have one without the other.

Two Relationships of Theology
So when Jesus tells us about theology, he says that in every aspect of it, there are two relationships. Theology, he says, isn’t something that happens in our head, it is a connection between (at least) two beings. First, there is the relationship between the human and God. And this relationship is defined by “love”, so whatever else you can say about this relationship, it is supposed to be positive, and not simply duty-based. Yes, we already know that there is obedience involved—after all, Jesus gave us commands—but the relationship behind these commands aren’t just that of slave to master. Rather, we are to have a positive relationship with God, one in which we both benefit from the process.
The second relationship is that between human and human. This is what is really odd. I mean, Jesus is speaking about theology—what we can say about God—and the very thing that Jesus puts in there is our relationship with other people. What do other people have to do with God? Well, two things. First of all, God is very concerned about people. I mean, He made them, and he gave them the earth to rule (Psalm 8). And he claims to love them all (John 3:16). Also, in this command, God is trying to help us PUT God into every relationship. Jesus is saying, “in your relationship with your neighbor, God is commanding it to be benefitial.” Thus, the relationship between human and human becomes theological, because God is forcing himself into that relationship (Ah, I know people like that…)
But what we need to realize in this basic of theology, is that Jesus is putting God and other human beings in everything we do religiously, theologically and spiritually. We cannot have a spirituality without God, according to Jesus. And we cannot have a faith without other people. If we claim to be doing something for God and it does not benefit others, then we do not have Jesus’ faith. Even so, if we attempt to do something for others and do not include God, then we do not have Jesus’ faith. Jesus’ theology is completely balanced between these two relationships—all has to do with both God and other people. To exclude one is to exclude true spirituality.

What is love of neighbor?
Well, we’d like to say more about loving God, but our teaching here by Jesus doesn’t give us any more than that it is love and it is God and well, that’s all that’s said. But the rest of the passage does talk quite a bit more about the love of neighbor. What exactly does it say?

Love of Neighbor isn’t exclusive
The professor wanted to exclude from the command everyone he didn’t like. Maybe he wanted to exclude heretics, or those who didn’t live in his country, or sinners or folks who did him wrong. But when Jesus asked his question, he made the professor answer that it was the Muslim—the heretic, the sinner, the foreigner, the persecutor—who was the neighbor. This means that if he was a neighbor, then EVERYONE is a neighbor, without exception. So the command involves every single human relationship we are in, without exception.

Love of Neighbor is demanded
Secondly, in Jesus’ story, he gave examples of two “good Christians” who didn’t follow the love of one’s neighbor. Thus, in Jesus’ story, although these people had a certain kind of faith, it wasn’t the kind that God was looking for. Their faith was practical and very pious, but it was wrong-headed. Because they thought that the love of God excluded them from the love of neighbor, then they were okay was NOT okay for God. God demands that the people who love Him also love those around them.

Love of Neighbor is compassion
The word that most defines the love of one’s neighbor is “compassion”. The Greek word for this is “splachna” which literally means “the feeling in your guts.” In other words, love is the gut-wrenching feeling you get when you see someone who is in need. To love someone is to recognize their need and to have compassion for it. No matter how evil they are, no matter how wrong-headed, compassion prevails in our attitude towards another.

Love of Neighbor is practical benefit
Lastly, when Jesus spoke about loving one’s neighbor, he was saying that the love was practical. The Muslim didn’t just pray a positive prayer for the man lying on the road. He didn’t just think good thoughts. Rather, he went out of his way to help him out in whatever way he could. He sacrificed his plans, his money and his vehicle to assist the stranger in need. Love doesn’t just stay in the heart (or the guts), but it gets out the pocketbook and gets dirty. Without being of practical benefit, it isn’t really love.

To have right faith is to present a benefit to everyone you meet