Shadows of Christ in 2 Samuel 15

On several occasions,  Jesus made the claim that the entire Old Testament (OT) is about Him (Lk. 24:44-48; Jn. 5:39).  I believe that the Old Testament speaks of Jesus in a number ways, but primarily by direct prophecy, foreshadowing, and typology (i.e. where an event or person represented or reflected something that was to come in the life of Jesus).  With this view of the OT in mind, I came across an interesting episode in the life of David that foreshadows an event in the life of Jesus.

2 Samuel 15-19 contains the narrative of the rebellion against King David by his son Absalom.  In chapter 15, we read about Absalom’s (whose name ironically means “My father’s peace”) conspiracy, his coup, and his march toward Jerusalem, David’s capital city.  The second half of the chapter (vv.13-37) record David’s flight from Jerusalem.  The text notes that during David’s flight he crossed the brook Kidron (15:23) and then went up the Mount of Olives (15:30).  There on the mount, David is met by Hushai, a man the text specifically labels as David’s friend (15:37).  Hushai, in his loyalty to David returns to Jerusalem and plays a vital role in downfall of the rebellion (see 2 Sam. 17).

Interestingly, Jesus, the long expected Son of David (Mt. 1:1; Lk. 1:32-33; Rev. 22:16), experienced an event much like this one from David’s life.  When Jesus came to earth, He was a King (Jn. 18:33-37) who found Himself in the midst of a rebellion.  As David’s son, his own flesh and blood rebelled against him, it was humanity, those whom Jesus created in His own image that were in rebellion against Him (Jn. 1:10-11; Rom. 5:8-10).  Like David, in a desperate time, Jesus and his closest followers left Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron (Jn. 18:1) and  ascended the Mount of Olives (22:39).  While on the mount, Jesus also was met by one he called a friend (Mt. 26:50).  Yet, unlike Hushai, Judas came to betray his master.  While David re-entered Jerusalem as the victor, Jesus re-entered the city in bonds.  While David defeated Absalom’s rebellion with military strength, Jesus defeated the rebellion of sin by dying on a cross and rising again on the third day.

Now, some may argue that Jesus and David traveling the same route, being met by a friend, and the like is not much more than mere historical coincidence.  After all, no one Gospel presents all the details as I have reconstructed them above.  Yet, despite these and other arguments that could be made to the contrary, I contend that no detail in the text of Scripture is coincidental, and that what we have going on in these events in the life of David is an intentional foreshadow to a similar event in the life of Christ.  Perhaps the Gospel writers even  included the details they did to make a subtle connection for their reader’s to this OT account.  The question then remains, so what?

I would say this foreshadowing accomplishes three things.  1) It demonstrates that David’s life, not just his writings and the promises made to him, point to Christ.  Thus we ought to read these accounts with an eye for theology, not just looking for a nice, neat moral interpretation.  2) It demonstrates that all Scripture bears witness to Jesus Christ.  3) It causes us to look for the one Son of David who suffered rebellion, yet defeated it and brings peace in chaos, forgiveness to His enemies, and healing to brokenness.  This we find in Jesus, the One who ties all Scripture together.

Easter: More than Cadbury Eggs and Bunnies, it’s Hope

Today, I attended the funeral of a dear follower of Jesus, who recently passed away after  a long battle with cancer.  Going to a funeral this close to Easter was a pretty unique experience for me, and it brought the practical realities of Jesus Christ’s resurrection into sharp focus.  The effects and implications of Christ’s death on the cross for our sin and His subsequent resurrection are incredibly numerous, but here are a few apects that have really stuck out to me as I and my church family have mourned the loss of a fellow Christ-follower.

First, Jesus’ resurrection brings hope in the face of death.  Death is unnatural.  It is the result and penalty of human sin, our rebellion against God.  Death also brings hurt and grief when it comes to those we love, and it often rouses fear when we face it ourselves.  But, the good news of Jesus’ resurrection is that He has conquered death.  This means that death does not have the final word, it is not the end.  So, while it is fitting to mourn the death of those we love (as even Jesus wept at the death of a close friend), for those who follow Jesus, we mourn with hope.  We mourn with hope knowing that those who have trusted Christ in this life, when they die they are present with Him, and that His resurrection guarantees that when Jesus returns their bodies will be raised to new life to dwell with Him for eternity.  So, Jesus’ resurrection gives hope to death, because it demonstrates that there is life in Christ after death.

Second, Jesus resurrection gives hope in our suffering.  Let’s be honest, life is at times very hard.  We go through trials and experience pains and sorrows that are often deep and heavy.  Jesus’ death and resurrection show us that God, Himself, identifies with our sufferings, trials, pains, and sorrows because He experienced all of those things Himself, when He became a man in the person of Jesus Christ.  So, we don’t suffer alone, Jesus walks with us through our suffering, encouraging and caring for us, because He has been there.  The sweet lady whose funeral I attended lived the last eight years of her life in terrible pain from her cancer and treatments, as many others also have.  But, since she trusted in Christ’s resurrection, she was able to suffer well, never allowing her trials to consume her, though they were difficult for her.  Instead, she used her suffering to glorify Christ, by sharing His love and joy to others, despite her pain.  So, Christ’s resurrection lets us know we don’t suffer aimlessly, and that we have a God who can identify with our sufferings and so bring us great comfort.

Lastly, Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope for this life.  On the one hand, the resurrection signals that sin and death are defeated; our penalty for sin has been paid by Christ, we have forgiveness!  This means that those who trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior are able to live as they were created: to love, worship, and obey God.  So, the resurrection of Christ brings meaning to life.  On the other hand, Christ’s resurrections shows us that there is more to our existence than simply breathing, accumulating stuff, and dying and that life in this sinful, broken world with all of its hurts and sorrows is not all there is.  The resurrection allows us to live with radical passion for Christ, worshiping and serving Him now, with the assurance that whenever our life on this earth ends, there is life on the other side with Him.  So then, the resurrection allows us to live with hope because it gives purpose and meaning to this life, as well hope for a life come.

Easter, then is about more than lilies, chocolate bunnies, Peeps, and delicious cream filled eggs; it is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Easter doesn’t just signal the arrival of Spring, it signals hope for all people, because Jesus died, and is alive, calling everyone to leave sin, love and treasure Him, and so truly live.  This is the gospel, that we have hope in one savior, Jesus Christ.  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

I Never Had an Easter Basket Like This…But I Guess Everything is Bigger in Texas

This morning I read an article about a give-away that a church in Texas is doing to attract people to their Easter services this weekend.  Basically they are giving away gift bags, bikes, flat-screen TV’s and 15 cars, in hopes that people will come, and then learn from the stuff they win that Christ is a way better treasure.  I encourage to read the whole article here.  Now, while I not questioning the hearts and motives of this church (I hope they genuinely want people to come to know Christ), I do question the legitimacy and effectiveness of this type of “outreach”.  When I read the article, it really made my heart ache, for a lot of reasons but here are three big ones:

1. This type of thing obscures the gospel, because it takes the focus off of Jesus and puts it on stuff.  In other words, the draw is not the message about Christ, but the stuff you can get for showing up (or from another angle it isn’t about what Christ has done for you but what cool things Jesus can give you).  Once during His ministry on earth Jesus rebuked the crowds that came to Him for just this sort of thing.  The people came to Jesus because the day before He had fed them through a miracle.  Jesus rebuked them because they weren’t seeking Him in order to worship, serve, love, and obey Him, but rather to get another free meal.  I fear events like the one in this article encourage people to make that same mistake; the gospel gets lost in stuff.

2. This type of event devalues the gospel of Jesus.  When you begin trying to draw people in by giving them stuff, you are implying that you don’t believe the gospel is compelling enough on its own to attract hearers.  So, you have to sweeten the deal by offering TV’s, cars, and goody bags.  Maybe if the world doesn’t find the gospel compelling it is the fault of the messengers and not the message.  As followers of Jesus (and I include myself here) we need to remember that the gospel itself is compelling.  What is dull about the fact that the creator God became a man, lived a perfect life, died on cross in our place, to pay the price for our sins, and rose again 3 days later so that we can live as we were created: to love, worship, and obey Him?  If you don’t believe that this message is still compelling on its own, watch the History Channel this week and see all the specials where people will try to explain away this message. People want to understand this message about Jesus, it compels them to listen and find answers.

3. Events like this promote misguided generosity.  While the people who gave money and goods to this event were certainly being generous, I think it is a bit misguided.  Instead asking people to give sacrificially with no promise of getting something back, they give with hopes of seeing more people at church, and the possibility of winning something themselves. Perhaps a better use of the funds would have been to buy some cars or other goods, find individuals and families in the community who really need them, and then the church simply give them to those people, no strings attached, just to show the radical, generous love Christ. Moreover, giving away TV’s and the like does more to fuel consumerism than it does to meet practical needs, in my opinion.  So, while people give money, and people get things, are needs really being met by such generosity?

In the end, I think the majority of people leave events like this satisfied in the stuff they get and not in Jesus, and it brings them back hoping for more stuff, not for more of Jesus.  Let me be clear, I think as Christians we ought to be wildly generous with our resources, and sacrifice far more than we often do to advance the gospel and meet real needs and address real injustice for the cause of Christ.  But we also must avoid replacing the gospel with gimmicks and the compelling nature of the Christ with the contentment of stuff.  My prayer this Easter is that in all churches (even the one in the article!) and in lives of individual Christians that the risen Jesus would be glorified as the only Savior, the only thing that can satisfy, the One who is more than enough.

From the Shelf: The Art of Biblical Narrative

In this edition of From the Shelf I’ll be taking a look at Robert Alter’s The Art Biblical Narrative, an interesting an influential little book on the narrative techniques of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

Originally published in 1981, Alter’s little tome was a bit of a watershed moment in Old Testament studies, exerting an influence that is still felt today.  In this work, Alter takes an approach to the text of Scripture, that for a non-evangelical (or non-conservative Jewish) scholar was rather radical: that the books of the Hebrew Bible ought to be viewed as carefully and skillfully composed texts, as opposed to simply a patchwork of contradicting ancient sources, which were haphazardly thrown together.  In this regard, this book has greatly shaped literary approaches to and studies of the Bible.

Thus, Alter employs his skills as a literary critic and Hebrew scholar to explore the various techniques that the Hebrew authors used to convey their message in Scripture. Persoanlly, I found chapter 5 on repetition and chapter 8 on the omnipotent narrator to be the most helpful and insightful.  Especially intriguing is Alter’s discussion of how the slightest change of a word or phrase in otherwise verbatim repetition carries with it some shade of meaning. These two chapters alone are worth the price of the book.  Further, his critiques of the shortcomings of historical-critical scholarship are accurate and valuable, especially coming from a non-evangelical scholar.

While I appreciate Atler’s respect for the texts of the Old Testament as unified, purposeful documents, his careful reading of those texts, and keen eye for detail, there are a number of issues where I disagree with him.  Primarily, Alter and I disagree on our foundational presupposition of the text.  I clearly view the text of Scripture as the inspired, inerrant, Word of God.  Dr. Alter, on the other hand, approaches the text as merely the creation of men, containing irreconcilable contradictions, and oscillating between being either “fictionalized history” or “historicised fiction.”  He does, however, insist that these texts convey the theology and worldview of ancient Israel, so hold value for reader today, and can give insight and meaning into life.  This, however, proved to be a valuable exercise on my behalf, because it forced me to critically ask myself, “If I agree with Alter about a certain technique, how do I reframe my understanding or articulation of that point so that it agrees with my view of Scripture.”

Overall, if you’re interested in learning more about how OT narrative “works” to convey its message, I would commend this work to you.  The authors of the OT were brilliant writers and masters of their language, and Alter really brings out that point.  While I don’t agree with everything Alter says or his fundamental view of Scripture, on the whole his book encourages us to be more careful readers of the text of Scripture, and that is never a bad thing.

Out With the Old in With the New? Christians and the Old Testament

Recently, I’ve noticed a rather disturbing trend in the way that lots of Christians view a large portion of the Bible, what we call the “Old Testament.”  Since the Old Testament (OT) comprises 39 of the 66 total books in the Bible (roughly 60%), it seems we might want to have a correct understanding of those books.

It seems to me, however, that a majority of Christians have one of two responses to the Old Testament: either they simply moralize the text or they just neglect it all together.  After all, (the thought goes) it is “old” so what do we need it for anyway?  Don’t we have something “new” and better?  Unfortunately, these two “approaches” to the text of the OT trickle down into books, Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, and sermons.  Even the mention of the OT often conjures up images of crusty old scholars in dusty offices droning on monotonously about ancient Hebrew culture.  So why spend our time on that, when we can just skip to the good stuff?

For example, a popular book on how to study the Bible claims that less than 2% of OT prophecy is messianic (i.e. about Jesus Christ), less than 5% describes the New Covenant age (i.e. all the time after Christ came), and less than 1% concerns events yet to come in our time (Stuart & Fee, How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, 182).  If that’s the case, then no wonder people ignore it.  What does have to do with us anyway? (Not to mention that gives a pretty shaky foundation on which to build a belief that Jesus is the promised Messiah). But, since there are still a lot of words there, we should talk about it some, and there are nice stories, so let’s just read the nice stories and talk about how they tell us to be better, nicer people.  But, there is something flawed with this view: it doesn’t at all agree with the New Testament’s (NT) take on the OT.

First, and foremost, we need to realize that the OT is theology.  Far from being a collection of nice moral stories, it is the self-revelation of who God is and what He is up to in His creation and in history.  That being the case, it is better to ask of any OT passage, “What does this teach us about God and about humanity?”  And from there we can apply the text to our own lives.  In that way, we let the theology of the text teach us, instead of simply trying to find the “moral” of the story.  For example, maybe the account of David killing Goliath is less about how God can use anyone to do His work if we just let Him, and more about God demonstrating His power and sovereignty and zeal for His glory.

Second, to neglect the OT in favor of the NT leaves us with a less than complete understanding of the NT.  Neglect is wrong because as Paul makes clear, all Scripture is inspired by God and useful (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  Moreover, the OT is foundational for understanding the NT, because in it we read about where we came from, how we got in the mess we’re in, and God’s plan to do something about it through Christ.  And, with all due respect to the gentlemen named above, more than a small percentage of the OT is about Christ: all of it is.  Jesus (Luke 24:44-49), John (John 5:39-40), Paul (Acts 26:22-23), and Peter (1 Peter 1:10-12) seem to agree that all of the OT testifies about the life, death, resurrection, and continuing mission of Jesus Christ.  Now, this does not mean that every single word of the OT is about Christ, but that every book -whether narrative or poetry- points to Christ in various ways, some obviously more direct than others.  These verses instruct us that Christ is the lenses through which we are to now read, interpret, and study the OT.  Christ is the great theme of the OT, the one through whom God will accomplish His mission of redemption. In others words, not only does the OT teach us theology, but it is supremely Christology.

If that is the case, then the OT has much to say to the church today.  It gives context to what is revealed in the NT.  It explains why the Good News of the Gospel is actually good news.  In fact, the NT writers were so throughly entrenched in God’s Word (our OT), hardly a paragraph goes by in the NT without some reference or allusion to the OT.  So, how do we best understand the NT?  How do we better come to know the God we worship, lovingly obey, and serve?  By reading the OT.  So, let me encourage you to spend some time in the OT, reading it, studying it, wrestling with it.  It is the foundation of our faith, it is a treasure trove of Christ.

Narrative Technique and Genesis 12

Recently, while doing some translating, I came across an interesting little feature in the narrative of  Genesis 12:11-20.  This passage records the account of Abraham’s journey to Egypt during a time of severe famine in his new home of Canaan.  Abraham’s wife, Sarai, was very beautiful, and he feared that the Egyptians would kill him and make her one of Pharaoh’s concubines.  So, to allay his fears, he convinced Sarah to lie and tell everyone that she was Abraham’s sister.  A tension then arises in the text, as the lie goes into effect and Sarah is taken into the house of Pharaoh.

What caught my eye was the way in which the narrator (Moses, I would say) chooses to refer to Sarai throughout the account.  Sarai is only referred to by name twice in the account, once when she is first mentioned (v.11) and again in the pivotal v.17.  Throughout the rest of the narrative (10 times) she is referred to by the Hebrew term ‘ishah, which can mean either “wife” or “woman”.  I would suggest that by playing on the varied meanings and identical sound of ‘ishah, the author is highlighting, by literary means, the tensions and ambiguities brought about by Abraham’s lie.  To illustrate this, let’s look at each occurrence of ‘ishah in this passage.

In v.11 Sarai is introduced as Abram’s (Abraham’s name before God changed it) wife (‘ishto).  Abram observes that Sarai is a beautiful woman (‘ishah).  Then, in v.12, as he paints the hypothetical scenario necessitating their lie, Abram anticipates that the Egyptians will realize this beautiful lady is his wife (‘ishto), and so kill him.  So, far the uses of ‘ishah are pretty straight forward, which sets the stage for a reversal of meaning in v.14.

In vv.14-15, Abram’s fears are realized as the Egyptians see Sarai, believe the lie and spare Abram, and take Sarai to Pharaoh’s house.  However, in these verses Sarai is referred to merely as “the woman” (ha’ishah).  It is here, I suggest, that we see the author’s literary skill.  By previously referring to Sarai as Abram’s “wife” (‘ishah), the narrator introduces an ambiguity here by referring to her as “the woman” (‘ishah).  The effect of this subtle wordplay is to heighten the tension of the situation.  From the Egyptians’ perspective (and from what they are told), this attractive lady is just some woman (‘ishah), yet we the reader know she is actually Abram’s wife (‘ishah).  The use of the identical Hebrew word, then, brings the reader much more into the messiness of this tense situation.  A word with a possibly ambiguous meaning is used to heighten the ambiguity of the scene.

In v.17, Sarai is once again named, as she is referred to as “Sarai, the wife of Abram” (‘eshet Abram).  It is here that the narrative turns, and Abram’s lie is foiled, as the Lord sends plagues on Pharaoh’s house because of the lie.  I would say that Sarai is referred to by name, in order to highlight the fact that the jig is up, the lie is exposed, and everyone knows that Sarai is not an eligible woman, but Abram’s wife.

For the rest of the narrative (vv.18-20),  Sarai is referred to four more times, each by the term “wife” (‘ishah).  The play on the term ‘ishah is especially brought to the fore in v.19, when Pharaoh exclaims that he was going to take Sarai as his wife (‘ishah).  After all, as the reader is well aware, he assumed she was an available woman (‘ishah)!  Then, to drive home the deviousness of Abram’s lie Pharaoh tersely proclaims, “Behold your wife! (hinneh ‘ishetka) Take her and go!”.    The ambiguity now gone, Pharaoh declares the truth of Sarai’s identity and brings the force of the wordplay fully to bear, as if to say, “She’s not just a woman, she’s your wife!  Now take your lying self and go!”

While no great theological point is at stake if we miss this wordplay, I think this subtle tool reveals a lot about the way that the inspired Biblical authors operated.  First, it demonstrates that they were masters of their language, able to faithfully recount historical events in a way that artfully and cogently expressed the truth and message in those events.  Second, it reminds us to be careful readers of the text of the Bible.  Third, it demonstrates how God chose to reveal His truth in both a meaningful and creative way (and that is just cool to me).

You don’t need to know Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek to be a careful reader (although those are good, helpful things).  If we will slow down, and become observant readers, aware that the authors used the literary techniques at their disposal, we will gain a deeper and fuller understanding of the Bible’s truth.  So, read on, read with care, and remember in the Bible, nothing is written by accident, even the little things matter!

A Quick Punch in the Gut to Start My Day

This morning I got a nice shot to the gut while reading 1 Peter 1:14-16: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ( ESV)  I’m not exactly sure why, but these verses really hit me, and two things stood out.

First  is the phrase “in all your conduct.”  Conduct here means the totality of your daily way of life.  And that little word “all” makes this phrase so pesky.  It is generally easy to be holy (removed from sin, and focused on Christ) in the big things.  But, big things aren’t everything, they aren’t “all.”  So, this really made me ask: “Am I being holy in the little things of my daily life?”  Am I holy in how I use free time, or am I generally lazy and wasteful?  Am I holy when I get tired, stressed, and frustrated, or do I get irritable, angry, and short tempered?  Am I holy in the check-out line at Target, or am I impatient and rude?  Am I holy in my conversations with others, or am I distant, dismissive, and arrogant?  “All” is a big word, and it is way too easy to overlook the small things and not live holy there.

Second, I was reminded again why as followers of Jesus we are to live holy lives.  It is not to make us better people, it is not to make us more religious, it is not to earn God’s love, favor, and acceptance.  No, we are to live holy lives as a response to what the holy God has done for us.  Look at what Peter says, “as the one who called you is holy, you also be holy,” that means we already have God’s love, favor, and acceptance in Christ.  We have been called.  We have been forgiven.  We have been accepted.  All in Christ.  So, in response to God’s grace given to us on the cross of Christ, we live holy lives to show Him our love and thanks (John 14:21).

So, some days I guess a punch in the gut is what I need.  It helps clean out those nooks and crannies in my life, where there is still unholiness.  And it helps me remember I can’t earn God’s favor, it’s mine in Christ, and for that, I owe Him all my love, all my conduct, all my life.

Reflections on 2 Corinthians 5:17

I recently had a friend ask what I thought it meant that Christians are “in Christ.” As I thought about how to answer that, my mind went quickly to 2 Corinthians 5:17. Since I’ve been studying through 2 Corinthians, here are the thoughts I shared with me friend:

I see two big truths to being “in Christ”, the first is the “positional” or “objective”  truth. By this I mean that when we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are now positionally viewed by God as being in Christ: our total identity, who we are, is found not in our sin nor our works, but solely in Christ. Thus, when God views, judges, and loves us, it is based on Christ’s finished work on the cross and not our sin or anything else we do.

As a result of this “positioning” in Christ we share in the benefits of His work on the cross and resurrection. We have peace with God, we are co-crucified, co-buried, co-resurrected, co-ascended, and co-seated with Christ (Eph. 2:4-7; Gal. 2:21). Our life is hidden with Christ (Col. 3:3), and when we die, we die in Christ and so are with Him, and will be raised in His power (1 Thess. 4:13-18). There are certainly many other positional truths to being in Christ, like being adopted as God’s children, but these are the big ones for me. These positional truths don’t only effect our standing with God and our eternal destination, but also revolutionize the way we live here and now.

The second big truth I see as being “in Christ” is the “practical” or “subjective” truth. By subjective I don’t mean “uncertain” or “only true to you”, I mean truth as it applies to your personal experience. So, those who are in Christ are enabled, by the power of the Holy Spirit to live and love like Jesus. In Christ, we have renewed minds (Rm. 12:2), so we can see people as Jesus does (Mt. 9:36), and we can make ethical and moral decisions in a way that honor God. In Christ, we are free to resist temptation, and so can choose not to sin (1 Cor. 10:13). Not that we always live in these ways, but when we are in Christ, we have the ability to choose to live for God’s glory in all we do, and to find our total fulfillment in Him alone.

So to be in Christ revolutionizes our eternity and our now. We find our significance, motivation, reason and model for life, power for living, and salvation all from being “in Christ”.  In short, being “in Christ” calls us to live radical lives for the glory of God and His Kingdom.

From the Shelf: Death By Love

In my From the Shelf series I will give a quick review of the books I’ve been reading. The first installment looks at Death By Love by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. Enjoy!

When you’re a seminary student, you accumulate a lot of books.  This particular book comes from my “Books of Christmas Past” collection.  I finally had some time to read, and am glad I did.

This is the fourth book I have read by Pastor Mark Driscoll, who is the founder and teaching pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle.  In this work, Driscoll explores the meaning behind 12 aspects of Christ’s work on the cross, and then explains how each aspect affects our daily lives.

The format of the book is interesting, as each chapter is written in the form of a letter to someone Pastor Mark has interacted with in his ministry.  This makes for very conversational reading, and allows Driscoll to distill complex theological concepts in a way that anyone can understand and relate to.

First and foremost, this book is theologically orthodox.  Driscoll displays his skill as a Bible teacher to take the historical, orthodox beliefs of the church and communicate them in a way that connects with today’s culture.  Anyone who teaches would do well to learn from Mark Driscoll on this point.

Along with its theological depth, this book is also incredibly pastoral.  By this I mean you really see the heart of a man who cares deeply for the people to whom he ministers, and desires to see nothing more than they find their total life and fulfillment in Christ.  Driscoll reminds readers that the cross must be central in the lives of Christians, and that everything should come back to the cross.  This is a needed reminder and challenge in the church today: to help people find satisfaction in the cross and Christ alone.

This work is also brutally practical. Driscoll deals with real people, who are real sinners, as we all are.  That makes this book difficult to read at times, because sin is uncomfortable.  But I think that is the point.  This book will make you hate the sin you read about, and hopefully make you face and hate your own sin.  Also, Driscoll is direct, and pulls no punches.  He demonstrates well how to tell the truth in love, even when that might just hurt someone’s feelings.

Overall, I would commend Death By Love to you.   For followers of Jesus, it is a great reminder and demonstration of the centrality of the cross in all of life.  If you aren’t a follower of Jesus, I think this a great introduction into why Christians worship a man who was killed on a cross.  This book demonstrates why I think Mark Driscoll has the potential of being this generation’s C.S. Lewis, in terms of his ability to communicate timeless truth in timely and accessible ways.  Happy reading!

Perhaps My Least Favorite Billboard

Driving in NC you see some pretty amusing billboards.  Some of my favorites are the ones for JR, some discount store that claims they have the best and cheapest selection of every item in the world.  Then there are the signs for the pride of SC, South of the Boarder, which begin on I-95 just south of VA and culminate just across the NC/SC line.  If you’ve never done it, take an afternoon and drive that wonderful route of tackiness.

East of Raleigh, somewhere on I-40 you’ll see this billboard, and it bugs me every time I see it.   It’s hard to miss, I mean the ominous hand pointing at me in the shape of a gun, as if  getting ready to zap my tires and cause a catastrophic blow-out at 70 mph’s makes me want to repent of everything I’ve ever done.  But before I go into what I dislike about this sign, let me make a few things clear.

Do I believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and need to repent of that, turn to Jesus in faith and accept His work on the cross for their salvation?  Yes.  Do I believe that anyone who doesn’t repent  and trust in Jesus in this life will suffer eternity in the torments of hell?  Yes.  Do I think there are times we need to be direct with people in confronting them with their sinfulness, the need to repent now and embrace God’s grace?  Yes.  Do I believe one day Jesus will triumphantly return in victory for the church and judgment and wrath for the rest of the world?  Yes.  Do I think God can use even this sign to draw people to Jesus?  Yes.  But, my problem with this sign is it doesn’t tell the whole story, and so ends up misrepresenting Jesus, and ultimately, may make people cold to Christ.

The big issue for me is that this sign presents Jesus as a wrathful, vindictive guy off in the colds somewhere, waiting for you and me to mess up, so he can get his ultimate joy in frying us with lightning from his finger.  In other words, this billboard assumes that people can be scared into repenting from something.  The problem is, this sign doesn’t tell viewers what to repent of and who to turn to after repenting.

In contrast to this, Scripture tells us that it isn’t being freaked out that God will zap us that leads to salvation, but that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4-5).  Now, these verses speak of God’s wrath, but it notes that it is stored up because people don’t respond to God’s kindness (displayed on the cross of Christ) in repentance.  A little later, Paul says that it is the love of Christ that compels him to plead with people to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

So, it comes down to this: fellow disciples of Jesus, are we proclaiming the Gospel of Christ’s love?  Are we calling people to turn from sin (repent) and turn to live for their created purpose: to worship and obey God?  Are we living, speaking, and serving in ways that say to people “Christ loves you” or instead “watch out before you get what you deserve, sinner”?

If you are reading this and aren’t a follower of  Jesus, please hear my heart.  The Bible is clear that everyone, me included, are sinners and so deserve only God’s judgment and wrath (Rom. 3:23).  But, because God loves us, He sent Jesus to die for our sins, so we can turn from them and live for Jesus, not having to fear punishment and wrath (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:9-10).  I pray that you will read these passages, and that Jesus will reveal Himself and His love to you, and you can turn to Him in faith and repentance and escape the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10).

This sign, though I dislike it, is a reminder to tell the whole message of the Gospel.  God is in His great love and grace is calling out for us to escape wrath and condemnation by trusting in Jesus for our salvation (Jn. 3:17).  Is the wrath of God coming?  Yes.  But thanks be to God that we don’t have to fear it, if we place our faith in completed work of Jesus on the cross!