The Triumphal Entry

This Sunday many will celebrate Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. This event, also known as "the Triumphal Entry," involves one of the most astonishing passages in the entire Bible. The book of Daniel, which was written centuries before the birth of Christ, predicts the exact day that Jesus would make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.The story behind Palm Sunday begins, not in Jerusalem in the time of Christ, but in Babylon several hundred years earlier. The prophet Daniel, who was among the Jews who were taken captive by the Babylonians, was reading in the Book of Jeremiah. He understood that the seventy years of servitude were almost over and he began to pray for his people. The Angel Gabriel interrupted Daniel's prayer and gave him a four-verse prophecy that is unquestionably the most remarkable passage in the entire Bible: Daniel 9:24-27.

The Meshiach Nagid

The first verse of the prophecy, Daniel 9:24 says:

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy Place."

This verse is essentially an overview of the entire prophecy. The idiom of a "week" of years was common in Israel. The prophecy encompasses seventy weeks, that is, seventy times seven years, or 490 years. However verse 26 indicates that there is an interval between the 69th and 70th weeks.A very specific prediction occurs in the next verse: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times (Daniel 9:25)."This includes a mathematical prophecy. The Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars used a 360-day year; 69 weeks of 360-day years totals 173,880 days. In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. The "Messiah the Prince" in the King James translation is actually the Meshiach Nagid, or "The Messiah the King."

The Countdown Begins

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 BC. (The emphasis in the verse on "the street" and "the wall" was to avoid confusion with other earlier mandates confined to rebuilding the Temple.) But when did the Messiah present Himself as a King? During the ministry of Jesus Christ there were several occasions in which the people attempted to promote Him as king, but He carefully avoided it, saying "Mine hour is not yet come." Then one day He meticulously arranges it. On this particular day he rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey, deliberately fulfilling a prophecy by Zechariah that the Messiah would present Himself as king in just that way:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Zechariah 9:9

Whenever we might easily miss the significance of what was going on, the Pharisees come to our rescue. They felt that the overzealous crowd was blaspheming, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah the King. However, Jesus responded by saying "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (Luke 19:40)."This is the only occasion that Jesus presented Himself as King. It occurred on April 6, 32 AD. When we examine the period between March 14, 445 BC and April 6, 32 AD, and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days exactly, to the very day! It is amazing to realize that Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem was predicted, to the very day, hundreds of years in advance. This is one prophecy that reinforces one's faith.

Speaking Truth

Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:22-25

It would seem strange to most Christians that Paul had to tell the members of the church at Ephesus to "speak the truth". There is a reason for this. For we are members of one another. Falsehood destroys relationship within the body. The Bible is telling us that we have to put away lying and deal truthfully with our neighbors.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 15:17-19:

"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and so passes on? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man..."

Satan is known as the Father of lies. In the kingdom, the use of false witness and slander (untruth) is on the same level as murder and adultery. We must always be on guard for the ways that slander can destroy a church. We don't want to be a church like in Corinth where the apostle Paul had to write to them in 2 Cor. 12:20 and tell them:

"For I fear that perhaps I may come and find you not what I wish, and that you may find me not what you wish; that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. "

Our goal is to strive for the unity of purpose of our mission to seek and save the lost. When we unite to serve Jesus Christ based upon our relationship with him, there is a blessed fellowship that breaks out that heals relationship. We become a family of God based upon love for Him and for each other. The forces of evil are opposed to this. Satan knows that the fastest way to destroy that relationship is with falsehood. He did it in the Garden of Eden with Eve. The same thing happens in our lives every day. When it happens within the church it becomes a great tragedy. Lives can be ruined with the slip of the tongue.

So what is our goal? Psalms 133:1 says it best:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

A Symbol in the Snow

It seems appropriate on this first day of Spring to take one more look at winter before we move on. So in the middle of planning Easter and getting ready for all the comparisons of spring renewal to spiritual renewal, how about one more spiritual application to winter?

The snow was draping the barren wood with a white veil when the scene was highlighted by the red of a cardinal bouncing from tree to tree. The more the surroundings became pure white, the more brilliant in contrast was the crimson bird who had now seemed to absorb my attention in a calm stare from which I could not look away. I thought of my Lord’s purity descending upon a rough hewn cross turned red by his precious blood. And I can’t take my eyes off this symbol of God’s merciful love.

In the symbolism of this colorful scene I found the contrasts of life and death, hope and despair, salvation and devastation. The contrast of a fallen world, with the vision of a time renewed. The contrast of the burden of sin and guilt, with freely offered forgiveness. The contrast of the pain and suffering, with a reconciliation when every tear will be dried. The contrast of a helpless hopeless dark lost world searching for meaning, with the sense of purpose in the wisdom of an everlasting God of peace. The contrast of lonely people needing a place to belong, with a family nestled in the loving arms of their eternal Father. And I can’t take my eyes off this symbol of God’s merciful love.

The little scarlet creature eventually winged away leaving only the beauty of unstained white, even as Jesus after his sacrifice left us with the gift of complete removal of sin. We need not ask him back for the price has been paid, and need never be paid again. It is mine to realize through the eyes of faith the application of his grace. And I can’t take my eyes off this symbol of God’s merciful love.

Remember the lyrics of Fanny Crosby?

Though your sins be as scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though your sins be as scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they be red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

Or the great song by Gleason Whitey, “His Grace Reaches Me,”

Deeper than the ocean and wider than the sea,
Is the grace of the Savior for sinners like me;
Sent from the Father, and it thrills my soul,
Just to feel and to know,
That His blood makes me whole.

Higher than the mountains and brighter than the sun,
It was offered at Calv'ry for ev'ry one;
Greatest of treasures, and it's mine today,
Though my sins were as scarlet,
He has washed them a way.

His grace reaches me, yes,
His grace reaches me,
And 'twill last through eternity;
Now I'm under His control and I'm happy in my soul,
Just to know that His grace reaches me.

Father, help me to ever keep my eyes on Jesus and the cross where you continue to show me your love.

How to be "Holy"?

It would probably come as a surprise to many believers to discover that there are a number of Biblical experts who regard the Book of Leviticus as the most important book of the Bible. The book of Leviticus focuses on the subject of holiness. Charles Spurgeon once said, "If I had my choice of all the blessings I can conceive of I would choose perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus, or, in one word, holiness." True happiness begins with holiness (Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 5:6). Holiness isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Nor is it limited to "the Jews in ancient Israel." Leviticus instructs New Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. We seem to want Jesus to solve our problems and carry our burdens, but we don't want to allow Him to work in our lives and transform our character. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:15, 16

What is holiness?

It is the primary emphasis in the Bible. This word occurs 87 times in Leviticus alone. The Hebrew word for "holy" used in Leviticus, qodesh, means "that which is set apart and marked off; that which is different; separateness; apartness; sacredness." The English word "holy" comes from the Old English word halig, which means "to be whole, to be healthy." The related word "sanctify" comes from the Latin sanctis, which means "consecrated, sacred, blameless." Anything that God said was holy had to be treated differently from the common things of life. The Sabbath was holy because God set it apart for His people. The priests were holy because they were set apart to minister to the Lord. Their garments were holy and could not be duplicated for common use. The tithe is holy.

Holiness Revealed

How did a Holy God reveal Himself and His holiness? The pagan religions were notoriously immoral and involved occultic idols, temple prostitution, and the like. God commanded His people to stay away from their altars and shrines and to refuse to learn their ways. You never call any of the heathen deities "holy." But the "Holy One of Israel" is one of the most oft-repeated names of YHWH in Scripture (30 times in Isaiah alone). In both declaration and demonstration, YHWH made it clear to the people of Israel that He is a holy God, righteous in all His works and just in all His judgments. He also gave them a Holy Law that contained both promises and penalties, of which the Ten Commandments are the essence. It taught them right from wrong, defined things both clean and unclean, and declared the penalties of disobedience. There was no "value relativism" here! The requirements of holiness are uncompromising. Near misses don't count. "The wages of sin is death," and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

God's Predicament

God hates sin, but He loves sinners. And because He loves sinners and wants to forgive them, He provided a substitute to die in the sinner's place. The whole sacrificial system declared to Israel that a substitutionary death would be required to die in the sinner's place. All this was a prefiguring of a promised Savior who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. What is the "Gospel"? It is God's proclamation of a plan of mercy to sinners. The very definition of the "Gospel" is built on these very specifications: "That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 The death of Jesus Christ was not a tragedy; it was an achievement. He didn't just die: He fulfilled the myriads of precise specifications detailed in the Scriptures that pointed toward this most significant event in the universe.

Relevance of This Book to Us Today

Leviticus is the definitive revelation of the character of God. And God has not changed. It is the revelation of the fundamental conditions of true religion. These spiritual truths still abide: there is for sinful man no citizenship in the kingdom of God apart from a High Priest and Mediator with a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. Beyond the self-offering of the worshiper of God stands the constant testimony that it is only through the shedding of blood - not his own - that man can have remission of sin. We can't appreciate Christ as the solution until we understand the requirements which had to be met. The Epistle to the Hebrews lays down the principles upon which we are to interpret Leviticus. The typical character of the ordinances is affirmed that the Tabernacle was an "example and shadow of the heavenly things"; the sacrifices prefigured "better sacrifices than these," even the one offering of Him who "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; and, that the holy times and sabbatic seasons of the law were "a shadow of things to come." The Book of Leviticus cannot be "read"; it has to be studied.

Biblical Idiots

We don't often quote the LA Times here; but, the following article I thought was interesting:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-prothero14mar14,0,5385607.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

Even some some non-believers see the benefit of Biblical Study!

Put Your Head Down and Keep Going

I called, not sure what I would say, and when the “hello” came through the phone, inspiration did not come, and I stammered something. I finally identified myself and said I was sorry. I did not know what else to say.

His wife went in to see the doctor after the lump detected in her breast had been removed. They had received the assurance that they need not be concerned, it appeared to not be what they dreaded. But they sat in shock as they heard the report, and now, a double mastectomy was scheduled with radiation and chemotherapy to follow, and reconstructive surgery.

We had been in that same meeting, ours, not theirs; but our news was different. I was relieved, thankful, elated; but now, now, on the phone, I felt like I had cheated. I felt hurt for them, and I didn’t know what to say. A preacher, who has been in countless waiting rooms, helping when doctors break the bad news with words of comfort and prayer, but somehow this was different. On the phone with a long time friend across the country, I wanted to drop the phone and catch the next plane and cry with him and his wife. But I mumbled through the call and tried to say how I felt, but it wouldn’t come out. He helped me out, as he always had, “We will just have to put our heads down and keep going.” I love him for that. He has done it before, and he has helped me do it before, and he was even doing it now as I hung up the phone. His courage and faith were evident, not a brave face, but real faith in the face of awful news. He will be there for his wife and they will put their heads down in prayer and they will make it through and they will bring glory to God in the process. And they will help others build stronger faith in the process. And along the way, he may need to talk to his friend from long ago far away across the country, who will have something to say, because that friend will have been inspired by his friend who put his head down and kept going.

Having the Agenda of Not Having an Agenda, or Not Talking about the Elephant

I have only taught one class in the new quarter so far in the series of lessons on, “The Upper Room Worship Experience,” and I am already in the need of addressing a topic that I so much do not want to become the central focus of the class. It is the elephant in the room that can no longer be walked around. It, and the fact that some would think that it is my hidden agenda, which not being the case, has forced me into making it my agenda to point out that it is not my agenda. Okay, enough of talking around the gargantuan obstruction among us and time to dive into the deep dark waters of communal anxieties. “Instrumental music,” there I said it and it will be the topic of my class this week, to which I will have to spend too much, but not near enough, time explaining. Yes, it is an important part of a class that is intended to bring a greater understanding of worship principles and practices, but the fact that it carries such significance to our basic concepts of the heart of a worship discussion speaks volumes to our historic view of unity more than it does to our philosophy of praise. So then, in addressing the topic from the viewpoint of determining its rightness or wrongness of practice, it becomes my supposed agenda, with all parties wondering where it will take us in application; when actually the real agenda is to approach the subject of being united, while different, as we get to the real topic of worship that reaches beyond the question of whether or not our singing can be with accompaniment.