Three Tabernacles

Luke 9:28-36 records the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus had gone up on a mountain with Peter, James and John. The three disciples fell asleep and awoke to find Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah.

This would have been an incredible sight for the disciples -- Jesus, their Master, with two of the great figures of Jewish history. Peter reacted quickly to this scene. "'Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah' -- not realizing what he was saying" (Luke 9:33).

Peter's intentions were good. He simply wanted to honor these great men. But his initial response would not have pleased God. The Father answered, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (Luke 9:35). The one left after this statement was Jesus (Luke 9:36). Moses and Elijah were great men who played important roles in Jewish history. But Jesus was the one they were to honor and listen to.

We need to learn from Peter's example here. We should not act without first knowing what God's will is. Peter intended to build these three tabernacles for good. But it would not have been good in God's eyes. We need to be careful not to carry out our good ideas before we know whether or not they are good works.

The proverb writer warns, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus spoke of some who would do things in His name, but would be guilty of lawlessness (Matthew 7:22-23). They thought their works were good, but Jesus classified them as iniquity, or sin.

We are to be "zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). But we must remember that good deeds are defined by God in His word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Peter had the voice of God from the cloud to correct Him. We do not have this today. But we do have the word of God. So before we act, let us be sure that the thing we intend to do is pleasing to God.

"Hail, Rabbi!"

Judas is one of the most infamous characters in the Bible. Most people with at least a limited knowledge of the Bible know who Judas was. He was the one who betrayed Jesus.

How could Judas betray Jesus? After all, he was one of the 12 disciples. He had been with Jesus throughout His public ministry. Why betray Him?

We may have a clue given in the betrayal account for one of the reasons Judas could have betrayed Jesus. Notice Matthew's account:

"While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, 'Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.' Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, 'Hail, Rabbi!' and kissed Him" (Matthew 26:47-49).

Did you notice what Judas called Jesus? He called Him, "Rabbi."

Rabbi meant teacher. While it may have been a title of honor, it was also used to refer to many religious leaders and teachers (Matthew 23:6-7). Jesus, of course, was different than all these other men. He was more than a teacher. He was the Son of God, Savior, and Lord.

Did Judas view Jesus as just another teacher? Possibly. It is interesting that earlier, when Jesus tells His disciples that one of them would betray Him, Judas' response was different than the others. The eleven asked, "Surely not I, Lord?" (Matthew 26:22). Judas asked, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" (Matthew 26:25).

The other disciples certainly recognized Jesus as a teacher (John 9:2; 11:8), but they also knew He was the Lord. We don't see Judas calling Jesus "Lord." All we know from the gospels is that Judas saw Him as a teacher. We don't know any more than that.

There are many today who see Jesus as a great teacher who had some good things to say, but not as the Son of God and Lord. Failure to recognize the Lordship, and therefore, the authority of Jesus, leaves us with no strong motivation to obey Him. If Jesus was merely a good teacher among many, we can take some of His words and reject others, just as we do with other men's words.

We cannot treat Jesus as if He were just another man. He was (and is) special. He was God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23; Colossians 2:9). If we wish to be saved, we must obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). This means obeying all of His commands, not just the ones that sound good to us (Matthew 28:20).

Love for Others

King David is described as a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). While there are many qualities of David we should emulate, I want us to consider just one in this article -- his love for others.

David showed love for a broad range of people. We can see the love and kindness he shared with his friends, namely Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1; 2 Samuel 1:26). He loved his enemies, sparing Saul's life twice when he had opportunity to kill him (1 Samuel 24:1-4; 26:2-11). Both instances came when Saul was pursuing David in order to kill him. We also see David's love given to those in need with the example of him caring for Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9).

We must demonstrate love for our friends and brethren (1 John 4:11). But like David, we must do more than this (cf. Matthew 5:46). We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). We must show love and kindness to those who are in need (Ephesians 4:28; Romans 12:20). David shows us an example of love. Christians are to be recognized as such by their love (John 13:35).

David was a man after God's own heart. So while we can learn from his example of loving others, we should remember that God is our perfect example. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). He demonstrates His love for His friends, which Jesus said are the ones who follow His commands (John 15:14), by saving them. Jesus is "to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:9).

God loves His enemies. Paul said that it was "while we were enemies [that] we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:11). "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16), and this came when the world was not on friendly terms with Him.

God also loves the needy -- not just those who are monetarily poor (James 2:5; Matthew 11:5), but those who are "helpless" in their sins (Romans 5:6). God offers salvation to all those who need it, before we are worthy to receive it. Because in reality, we will never be worthy of God's grace. He offers to save us because He loves us. Let us respond to His love appropriately, by submitting to His will in humble obedience (John 14:15), and "be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us" (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Liberty in Christ

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17).

This is a popular verse for those who like to pervert the gospel and try to condone or ignore sin. They say we have liberty in Christ, so therefore, we do not have to concern ourselves with obedience or following the New Testament pattern.

The New Testament teaches that through Christ we are free from the Old Law (Col. 2:14), sin and death (Rom. 6:6-7), and following the commands of men (Col. 2:20-22). But we are not free from following the instructions of Christ and His word (Heb. 5:8; 2 Th. 1:8).

It is a mistake to use liberty as a justification for sin. Just as Paul wrote to the Galatians, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh” (Gal. 5:13).

Some Thoughts from 2 Timothy

In February we're going to start studying 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus in the Sunday morning Bible class I teach. Tonight I've been working on the study guides. When I write a study guide, I divide them up a lesson per chapter. At the top of the page in each lesson I list a key verse in the chapter that states one of the main points.

After I finished 2 Timothy, I noticed a pattern in the verses I had chosen. 2 Timothy 1:13, 2:15, 3:16, and 4:2.

What are we to do?
"Retain the standard of sound words" (1:13). Hold fast the pattern and live by it, no matter what the cost.

How do we do this?
"Be diligent (study, KJV) to present yourself approved to God...accurately handling the word of truth" (2:15). Study the word. That is our standard. We cannot retain the standard if we are not familiar with it.

Why should we do this?
"All Scripture is inspired by God" (3:16). Why bother following the Bible and not some other standard? Because the Bible is the only book that is from God. Nothing can compare with it.

What should we do with it?
"Preach the word" (4:2). Do not hide the truth. Do not insert your opinions or those of others. Simply preach the pure, unadulterated word of God.

These instructions were written to the evangelist Timothy. But all Christians can learn from this. Hold to, practice, study, preach and teach the word because it is in fact from God. The more we work at these things, the more we will please Him.

His Name is John

Luke records that an angel appeared to Zacharias, a priest serving in the temple. The angel told Zacharias, "your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John" (Luke 1:13). The angel went on to tell Zacharias that this child would grow up and be the forerunner of the Messiah, as prophesied by Malachi (Luke 1:17; Malachi 4:5-6). Zacharias did not immediately believe the angel, so he was struck with silence until the time the child was born (Luke 1:20).

After the child was born, their neighbors and relatives gathered to rejoice over the birth (Luke 1:57-58). The question came up about what to name the child. The friends and family suggested naming him Zacharias, after his father (Luke 1:59). Elizabeth said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John" (Luke 1:60). The others, however, could not see any reason to name the child John, and essentially questioned Elizabeth's decision (Luke 1:61).

Then they asked Zacharias. Since he still could not speak, he wrote, "His name is John" (Luke 1:63). Luke then records, "at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God" (Luke 1:64).

Zacharias' statement was worded in a way to show that this was already determined. Not, 'he will be called John,' but 'he is John.' Before and while others were discussing possible names, the child's name was John. Why? That was God's will. No suggestion from anyone else could change what God said.

This must be our attitude in all things relating to our service to God and response to His word. When God's word instructs us to do something, we should determine that that is what we will do, even before the situation arrives that requires us to act and regardless of what others think.

Right is right. Sin is sin. No amount of deliberation will change that. "His name is John." That is what God determined. That is the way it is.

Unless You Believe

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).

Belief in Christ is essential for salvation. But the belief that Jesus mentions here is more than just a belief that he existed, came to earth, died for our sins, rose again from the dead, and ascended back into heaven. Yes, we must believe those things about Jesus. But if that is the extent of our belief, we will die in our sins.

If you read this verse in your Bible, where Jesus says, "unless you believe that I am He," the word "He" is probably in italics, differentiating it from the rest of the words. The reason for this is that the word was added by the translators. It is not in the original text. What Jesus actually said is, "unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins." This clearly points back to Moses' conversation with God when God called Himself the "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). This is also not the only time Jesus used this phrase in this way (John 8:58).

So what Jesus is actually teaching here is that unless we believe that He is God, we will die in our sins. That means we must recognize Him as our God and humbly submit to His will in faithful obedience (Hebrews 5:9). If we truly believe in Christ, that He is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16), we will do what He has instructed us to do.

"Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26), and a dead faith will ultimately result in us dying in our sins.

Concepts or Carefulness?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others" (Mt. 23:23).

Jesus mentions two ways in which one might serve God. One way is to take the larger principles (justice, mercy, faithfulness) and go through life trying to live by those principles. The other way is to pay close attention to the smallest detail (tithing of herbs), no matter how insignificant it may seem to others.

Some have tried to take this verse and say we must choose whether we will serve God through right principles or through following the strictest details. Actually, Jesus says we must do both - "these are the things you should have done [concepts of justice, mercy, and faithfulness] without neglecting the others [carefulness of strict adherence to the Law]."

The Pharisees were condemned by Jesus for many things. As a result, it is sometimes easy to associate everything about the Pharisees as being wrong. But the Pharisees were NOT condemned for trying to strictly adhere to the Law in this instance. Their strict adherence did not cause them to neglect the "weightier provisions" either. They were just negligent in these areas and needed to be corrected.

So what is the point of the verse? Not that we must choose to focus on principles and attitudes OR precepts and actions. But that we must strive to strictly follow all of the Lord's commands while allowing our hearts and minds to be guided by the greater concepts of the gospel of Christ.

True Love

Love is a favorite topic for many in the religious world. While it is good for us to talk about love, John warns us not to stop there. “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 Jn. 3:18) That is, we must display love in our actions, not just our words.

In the surrounding context, John is pointing to the examples of God and Jesus as motivation for us to show love. God demonstrated His love by sending His Son to die on the cross (1 Jn. 4:10). Jesus demonstrated His love by willingly sacrificing His life for us (1 Jn. 3:16). So John says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 Jn. 4:11)

It is important that we demonstrate our love toward one another. When Jesus was asked what was the “great commandment”, He answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt. 22:36-37) John said that if one says he love God, but not his brother, “he is a liar” (1 Jn. 4:20). We cannot fulfill the “great commandment” and not fulfill “the second [which is] like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mt. 22:39)

But how do we fulfill the command to love God? Demonstrating our love for our brethren is part of it. But John explained how we are to love God. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 5:3) Jesus said, “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Jn. 14:15) It is not enough to simply talk about how much we love the Lord. If we truly love Him, we will obey His word.

Glorifying God

In John 17:4, Jesus prayed to the Father, "I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." Likewise, since Christians "have been bought with a price", they must therefore, "glorify God in [their] body." (1 Cor. 6:20)

How do we glorify God? People may invent many different ways to try and glorify God. But instead of doing what we think will glorify God, let's look to Jesus, our perfect example (1 Pet. 2:21). How did Jesus glorify God? He "accomplished the work" which was "given [Him] to do." (Jn. 17:4)

We glorify God by doing what He intends for us to do. The wise man summed up God's intention for us in the statement: "fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." (Eccl. 12:13)

God's intention for Christians is that "whatever [we] do in word or deed," we must "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 3:17). This does not mean we invent our own ways to glorify God and claim that we're doing them in the name of Christ. Those who do this will be condemned (Mt. 7:22-23). Jesus said that by doing this, they are not glorifying God, but rather are practicing lawlessness.

We glorify God by doing His will. His will has been revealed in Scripture (1 Cor. 2:10-13). Doing these things not only brings glory to God (Mt. 5:16), but will also result in our eternal reward from Him (Mt. 7:21).

“A Good Work” - Really?

Religious people often attempt to authorize their religious practices and programs by labeling them "good works." This label is too often attached, not upon the basis of Bible authority, but upon the basis of human preference, and of the end justifying the means. These folks reason that if some good is accomplished by their action, then God must be pleased with it. Of course, this is human reasoning, and it arrogantly assumes that man’s approval of a thing makes it approved also by God! Jesus taught the danger of this reasoning in Matthew 7:22, 23. He said that "many" will stand before Him in the day of judgment and claim justification on the basis that they had performed "many wonderful works." The modern day my-work-is-a-"good-work" crowd might assume that such people will most certainly be admitted into Heaven, but not so! Jesus said that He is going to tell these people to "depart from" Him, for He "never knew" them! What had they done that was so wrong that they will be barred from Heaven? They had worked "iniquity" (lawlessness) (vs. 23). Though their works were esteemed as "wonderful" by them, they were not so esteemed by God. Jesus classified these so-called "wonderful works" as acts of rebellion against God. It is sinful to invent "good works" and perform them "in the name of" Christ.

The Bible teaches that the "good works" that saints are to practice have been "prepared beforehand" by God (Ephesians 2:10). They are not human inventions, but divine inventions. They were not designed by men, but by God. They reflect, not man’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom. But, where do we learn of these works? Paul answers this question in his words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. After describing the Scriptures as being inspired and all-sufficient, Paul says that the Scriptures "thoroughly furnish us unto every good work." If one wishes to know what works are "good works" he must consult the "Scriptures." He does not consult other humans (Matthew 15:9), nor does he turn to the desires of his own heart (Prov. 14:12; Jeremiah 10:23). Men work "iniquity" when, in the name of Jesus, they produce and practice their own "religious" works and activities.

- Tim Haile

[This article appeared in the Bowling Green Daily News on January 5, 2007 courtesy of the Parkway church of Christ.]