son of man

There remain some phrases in the Bible that I'm not sure about. Like Jesus getting baptized "to fulfill all righteousness." And the self-designation "son of man."

Here is a great passage from Herman Bavinck's The Wondrous Works of God that talks about the label: 

All the same the term seems not to have been a common name, and seems not to have had a fixed significance. No such fleshly expectations could be connected with this name as with the name, Son of David, King of Israel. Hence this name was most suitable for Jesus, for it gave expression, on one hand, to the idea that He was the Messiah promised in prophecy, and, on the other, to the idea that He was not this according to the prevailing idea of the Jewish people. 

This can be proved by the use which Jesus makes of the name. He uses this title in reference to Himself in two series of places, namely in such texts as those in which He speaks of His poverty, suffering, and humiliation, and in those in which He speaks of His might, majesty, and exaltation. Thus, for example, He says in the first kind: The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). In the other kind, He declares before the high court that He is in very fact the Messiah, and He adds to this the statement: Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64).

...

And in that name He comprises the whole Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah. 

Normal Christianity #2

Most days I feel my set-apart-ness slipping away. I laugh at the same jokes and complain the same complaints as everyone else. Sometimes though it takes an oldie-but-a-goodie to bring you back to what it’s all about.

On the train ride back from Connecticut my phone decides to play Hillsong United’s Salvation Is Here. Wow, I couldn’t imagine how refreshing that was. It was surprising given my recent foray into the works of John Owen, whose writing can only be described as having a lumbering literary gait. But this song makes its point clear and fast: God has brought salvation in our midst (Matthew 16:18, 28:20, Luke 17:21).

No other religion has this claim, that salvation is not just a future thing but a very near present thing. Nay, salvation is a person.

It is this person, Jesus Christ, who will be with us until the end of the age, and all the while we are his instruments in proclaiming the gospel. By this gospel will the kingdom be ushered and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. Ye Christian brethren, may our lives reflect the courage worthy of these promises.

Normal Christianity #1

One retreat that impacted me like none other was Bethel's winter retreat in 2009, titled, "Christianity A to Z." Pastor Hank blew open my mind, and soon after my heart, to the way God revealed the person of Jesus in every story of the Bible, from Abraham to Moses to David. This supposedly basic Christian teaching was a hard thing to swallow, in large part because of its peculiar absence in my initial Christian years when I would ostensibly be learning the "basics."

And so it is with all "basic" Christian teachings. We never stray too far from our baby "spiritual milk" (1 Corinthians 3:2) because sin is never too far in grounding us (Genesis 4:7).

All that was to really preface this first reflection in how I am attempting to live out normal Christianity in my maturation to full independence. I mean "independence" in the sense that the student environment provided many guards and brackets that shielded worldly temptations I now face, and "normal" in the sense of a "basic" Christian walk.

The first basic principle I must remind myself overandoverandover again is that every individual -- of the thousands that surround me everyday -- is in part a reflection of the eternal God (Genesis 1:27). Let's start with that. The implications are as such:

    There is a beauty about every individual because of God's own beauty.
    There is a respect due unto every individual because of God's own authority.
    There is an infinite value ascribed to each individual because of God's sovereign purposes.

This principle has been most effective in my everyday relational attitude. How can I disrespect any individual if God himself is imaged in him? How can I not have compassion on any individual if God sacrificed his son to bring him close? Innate human dignity is an epic level-setter that vertically silences my righteous heart and molds it into a vessel of grace for its daily horizontal transactions.

Not a mite

At the Flushing Chinese church I attended yesterday, there were some special needs children in attendance. These precious children were tended to as they fidgeted, uttered sounds, and stared off during the worship service.

O LORD! How wonderful a depiction you’ve given us of our helpless estate - at every moment. Not a mite of my own doing, my own efforts, have added to the blessing of knowing you. Nay, it was me that constantly hesitated to run to you, made sharp complaint, or looked to lesser rust-friendly pleasures. I was especially handicapped (read: dead), and so only your extravagant love has buttressed our relationship. You embraced me when I fought back, my rebellion putting you on that cross. You interceded amidst my shout to “crucify him," groaning on my behalf as I pierced you. As I looked to free Barabbas, you looked to the joy set before you in expectation of bringing me into your kingdom. It’s all so one-sided.

Had two communions yesterday. Emotionally wrecked during both.

Confusing verses in John, Pt.III

Pilate is schizo.

Confusing verses in John, Pt.II

Chapter 11:

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazaruswas ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16  So Thomas, called the Twin,said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

One of my favorite narrative passages from the gospels. The climactic miracle before Jesus’ death and resurrection:

• The ESV uses the word “so” to begin verse 6. Less literal translations will have something misleading. Therefore, we see him quite explicitly “permitting” an “evil” because he loves his children, and what’s best for them is more of him and his power. God will use what seem to be defects in the world to accomplish his mission of bringing people to belief. God is not a God that he is man-centered but God-centered. We see the same principle in John 9:3 with the blind man and finally culminating to greatest evil of Jesus’ death sentence.
• I once went to a Charismatic conference where the speaker took a question of God permitting suffering and he (immaturely) replied, “That’s bullsh—. God is good and his will is always to heal people.” Let me point out that this statement is - lightly put - extremely unhelpful and completely unbiblical. We see that God’s concern is not solely our worldly prosperity (healing and physical life can indeed be counted in that category). We need more reformed churches down south and out west, that is all.
• Verse 9: Jesus uses the analogy of limited time left in the day to his waning time left on earth before he was to be crucified - simultaneously referring himself to the light of the world like the literal sun. Compare with the “stumbling” Judas who departed during the darkness of night to betray Jesus (John 13:30).
• Thomas is a cynical troll.

Confusing verses in John, Pt.I

Chapter 10:

33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

One can extract the following theological truths from the passage:

• The reference is Psalm 82:6, where the judges of God were called elohim (literally “god”) because of their divine function. Jesus is using the analogy to show he is the ultimate judge because his works are directly reflecting the Father’s will. In layman’s terms: “Don’t hate cuz I say I’m the son of God. Check dem credenshals.”
• This shows that any part of the Old Testament has the same authority as the traditional “law” as per the Pentateuch definition. Jesus pins his entire argument on one word in one minor psalm.
• The trinity relationship has each part of the Godhead “in” each other. Not simply “one” (Greek neuter) in purpose but one in essence and fullness of divine nature; aka Christianity is monotheistic. If one more Jehovah’s Witness comes to my door..

Christ the creator

The Savior hanging on the cross also upholds the cross on which which he hangs (Colossians 1:16-20).

Let that sink in.

Now worship.