The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, Classic Version, 2015Mfano

Jesus is Lord

Polycarp (AD 70–156) was a bishop during a time of bitter attack against the Christians. At the age of eighty-six, Polycarp was arrested for no other crime than being a Christian. All he had to do to avoid torture and death was to proclaim, ‘Caesar is Lord’.

Polycarp responded, ‘Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’ For Polycarp, the fact that ‘Jesus is Lord’ meant that he could not say, ‘Caesar is Lord’. Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs and was burnt alive at the stake on 22 February AD 156.

In the New Testament passage for today, we see the background to the extraordinary claim that ‘Jesus is Lord’. God is described in the Old Testament as ‘the Lord’. In the passages for today we see how central a relationship with ‘the Lord’ is.

Psalm 144:1-8

1. Jesus – the Lord who has come down from heaven

What battles are you fighting in your life? Temptation? Anxiety? Depression? Financial battles? Health battles? Work or relationship battles?

This psalm is a plea for help before battle. The original context was probably a physical battle. However, as we read it through the lens of the New Testament we can see it in terms of a spiritual battle.

There are times when we seem to be losing ground in the spiritual battle – for example, for our nation. But we must never give up. David praises the Lord his ‘Rock’, ‘fortress’, ‘stronghold’, ‘deliverer’, ‘my shield in whom I take refuge’ (vv.1–2).

The Lord is powerful. He is also ‘my loving God’. He involves us in his plan; ‘he trains me to fight fair and well’ (v.1, MSG). We are partners with God. God, of course, is the major partner but we have a part to play as well.

Then he goes on to say, ‘Part your heavens, O Lord, and come down … reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me’ (v.5a,7). This is exactly what God did in the incarnation, which we will be celebrating in a few days’ time at Christmas. The Lord Jesus came down from heaven and rescued and delivered us.

Whatever battles you are fighting today, spend time with Jesus praising him for who he is, calling on him for help and trusting him to deliver you.

Lord, today I cry out to you, my loving God, for help. Be my fortress and my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, my rescuer. Help, Lord!

Revelation 7:1-17

2. Jesus – the Lord at the centre of worship

One of the highlights of last year’s extraordinary Olympics and Paralympics were the opening ceremonies involving 225 nations coming together for a joyful celebration. Yet this pales in significance compared to what is described in this passage where we see a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language coming together before the throne of God.

The six seals we looked at yesterday, gave us a general view of history between the first and second comings of Jesus. Tomorrow, we will read of the breaking of the seventh seal. However, in the interlude of Revelation chapter 7, there is significant reassurance given to God’s people: ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God’ (v.3). Whatever may take place around us, our eternal security is not in doubt for we have been given ‘the seal of the Living God’ (v.2).  

It is likely that the 144,000 referred to in verses 1–8 and the unnumbered multitude in verses 9–17 are not two distinct groups, but pictures of the same group from two different angles. In the first, God’s people are assembled on earth, and in the second they are assembled before God in heaven with their struggles and battles behind them in the past.

It is very unlikely that the number 144,000 is literal. John sees them as ‘a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb’ (v.9). Rather, it seems that the number is symbolic of the entire people of God throughout history.

The people of God are described as those who have washed their clothes and made them white ‘in the blood of the Lamb’ (v.14). This is an example of non-literal metaphorical language. Robes would not be made white by being washed in blood! However, metaphorically, we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

The multitude ‘were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands’ (v.9). They are singing songs of worship to the Lord (v.10). The angels join the multitude and worship God (vv.11–12). Finally, the whole church, together with the angelic hosts, worships Jesus.

Earthly choirs and orchestras are rehearsing for the heavenly concert. ‘The Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd’ (v.17a). This is an extraordinary reversal of roles. The lamb has become the shepherd! We will never again be hungry or thirsty. We will be satisfied by ‘springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear’ from our eyes (v.17b). There will be no more pain or suffering or bereavement or tragedy.

Lord, thank you that we can look forward to an eternity in the presence of Jesus. Thank you that you will satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst and wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Malachi 2:17-4:6

3. Jesus – the Lord who refines and blesses

The book of Malachi, and indeed the entire Old Testament, ends with the expectation of the coming of the one who will prepare the way for the Lord: ‘I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents’ (4:5–6).

This is how John the Baptist is described (Luke 1:17). Jesus said that he is the Elijah who was to come (Matthew 11:14; see also Matthew 17:12–13, Mark 9:12–13).

In the Christian Bible, the last book of the Old Testament is the book of Malachi. It ends with an expectation of the coming of the Lord and of the one who will prepare the way for the Lord.

The people are called to prepare for the day of the Lord’s coming, which will be ‘like a refiner’s fire’ (Malachi 3:2). God wants to change our attitudes, desires, thoughts and conversations so that we will rid ourselves of selfishness and self-centredness. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Believe me, getting rid of selfishness takes some fire (difficult times) – and usually a lot of it – but it is worth it in the end.’

They are called to return to the Lord (v.7). In particular, they are called to get their giving sorted out (vv.8–12). Your attitude towards money is a barometer of your whole outlook on life.

The ‘tithe’ was a kind of ecclesiastical income tax, which went to the maintenance of the temple and its staff. In addition, people gave in a variety of other ways – through hospitality, gifts to the poor, and ‘free will’ offerings.

The prophet accuses them of robbing God by their failure to get their giving sorted out. He urges them, ‘ “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I do not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” ’ (v.10).

This shows how important your giving is in God’s eyes. If we fail to give generously, we are ‘robbing God’. If as a church community all give generously, then you can expect that God will, ‘throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that [we] will not have room enough for it’ (v.10).

However, it appears that they did get their priorities sorted out: ‘Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honoured his name’ (v.16). I love this verse. Sometimes, when we meet together we may not even get around to praying, but still ‘the Lord listened and heard’ because they ‘feared the Lord and honoured his name’ (v.16).

He promises, ‘for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall’ (4:2). Whatever our wounds, hurts and brokenness, God promises to bring healing, restoration and wholeness to our lives.

Lord, help us to be a generous community and not one that robs you by our giving. Help us all to get our giving sorted out and we pray that you will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we do not have room enough for it.

Lord, thank you for the great planning that went into your coming to this earth. Thank you that you are with us in our daily battles on earth and that one day we will worship you forever as part of the great multitude.

Pippa Adds

Revelation 7:17b

‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Thankfully God makes it all better in the end.

Notes:

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.