The Messenger and the Messiah

There are many similarities between Jesus and his direct predecessor, the man commonly known as John the Baptist. In Matthew 11:11, Jesus says of John, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” Think of what it means for Jesus to say this. Think of Moses, of Joshua, of Isaiah, of Jeremiah – Jesus says John rises above all of these. Outside the similarities between him and Christ, this statement alone makes John a worthy individual to study.

Similarities Between the Messiah and His Messenger
Luke 1 records John’s miraculous birth. We read of his father Zechariah serving in the temple and being addressed by an angel who foretells his son’s birth and the name by which his son would be known. We also read of Zechariah’s doubt. Already, there are similarities between Jesus and John in the circumstances surrounding their births. Similarly, both are contained in prophecy. Malachi 3:1 speaks of both the coming of the Lord and the messenger to prepare His way. Malachi 4:5 then speaks of the coming of Elijah prior to the Day of the Lord. Gabriel tells Zechariah John fulfills these prophecies.

Like Jesus, John was not only prophesied about, but both are also prophets themselves. Luke 1:76 records Zechariah calling his unborn son a prophet of the Most High. Both are public teachers who have followings and disciples, and both baptize. In John 3:22-23, both are recorded baptizing and teaching concurrently, and both teach to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" – Jesus in Matthew 4:17 and John in Matthew 3:2. Finally, both teach prayer according to Luke 11:1. Perhaps all of this gives us more insight into Jesus’ statement in Matthew 11:11.

The Messenger, the Preparer
This John prepares the way – not the groom but the friend of the groom. In John 1:19-23, John says of himself that he is not the Messiah but the one preparing the way. He is the voice in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord. John reminds his disciples of this in John 3:25-30, saying Jesus must increase while he decreases. John knows his place in God’s plan.

In Matthew 11:7, Jesus initiates a conversation about John, asking His followers what they thought they were seeing out there in the wilderness, calling John more than a prophet. Jesus then quotes Malachi 3:1, speaking of the one who would prepare the way for the Lord. Here was a man bearing a difficult message in a hostile environment to a resistant audience, and this is the man to whom Jesus bestows such great honor.

The Kingdom and the Messenger
In all of this, Jesus appends something to His praise of John: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he,” and Jesus uses harsh imagery to then describe the effort it will take to enter into that kingdom. This kingdom comes in Acts 2, and Paul says of those converted to Christ, in Colossians 1:13, that they are brought out of darkness to be the kingdom of the beloved Son.

Jesus speaks of John in highly elevated terms, but we have an opportunity he never had. We may be sons of God. The kingdom is no longer at hand; it has come. Our baptism is more than repentance; it is a transformation, a redemption, and a complete remission of sins. We have a better message in Christ, not preparing the way for one greater but who spoke the very words of God. We have a better covenant containing better promises. We have access to things John could only anticipate. This is not something to approach casually or lightly. It is a precious opportunity. Today, we can be greater than John by becoming a part of that kingdom for which Jesus died.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Pushing Away and Reaching Above

When watching a yoga DVD, I was trying to participate in an exercise where the instructor wanted me to raise my arms up over my head and get on my toes. He put it this way: “Push away from the floor.” When he said this, my mind was very focused on that floor underneath my feet, and I was very focused on keeping my shaky balance and not falling back down. I was pushing away from the floor, but it was a tedious and unbalanced thing.

When we are first converted, we are focused on the life we once led, and we try to push away from that life of sin. I Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to push away from every form of evil, and I Peter 2:11 calls on us to push away from the passions of our flesh. We are trying to walk away from the world and lift ourselves to something higher. Just as with yoga, however, our balance may not always be great, and we will need to change our focus.

Reaching Up Versus Pushing Away
In the video, the instructor changed from pushing away from the floor to reaching as high as possible. The activity was the same, but now the focus was different, and that change is a necessary step in our maturation as Christians. When we begin actively reaching upward, then we begin to make real progress. Then we can stop focusing on what is behind us.

Romans 12:1-2 appeals to us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, being transformed from the world and conformed to the perfect will of God. We renew our minds in this by asking better questions of ourselves, by changing our focus from the physical to the spiritual. I Corinthians 9:24 then speaks to the discipline required for any athletic activity, and we must have that same endurance and discipline in our Christian race. We must press on to the finish, and Hebrews 12:1-2 calls on us to lay aside the weights of this world when running this race, keeping our eyes on our goal.

The Benefits of Reaching
When reaching forward, we become more engaged as a whole. Pushing away from something will put the focus on the parts doing the pushing, but reaching requires our whole body. Jesus, in Matthew 16:21-23, rebukes Peter for not being fully engaged in the things of God, releasing focus on the things of this word; and Matthew 22:37 calls on us to love our God with heart, soul, and mind – completely and totally engaged in following Him. Romans 8:6-11 tells us setting our mind on spiritual things is life and pleasing to God.

Also, once we begin reaching, we find we can go further than we think. We put limits on ourselves that don’t really exist, and when we put our entire focus on God, we can break past those limits in our service. Hebrews 4:11-16 talks about reaching and striving for rest in God, drawing near to His throne with confidence, knowing the mercy He has for us. I Timothy 6:9-12 encourages us to change our focus, fleeing the things of this world and pursuing, or reaching toward, things above. I Peter 1:13-16 simply calls on us to set our hopes on Christ, striving to be holy as God is holy.

Finally, when we are focused in our reach, the pain that comes with pushing away from the world seems less intense. II Timothy 2:22-23 calls on us to flee youthful passions and to chase after faith, peace, love, and righteousness. It can hurt to leave those passions behind, but the fruits of the spirit ease those pains. I Peter 3:11 calls on us to pursue peace, and I Timothy 4:10-16 encourages us to devote ourselves to our persistent spiritual progress, regardless of age or place in life.

Conclusion
When we reach toward something, rather than simply push away, we become more engaged in our mission. We find that we can push past the limits we thought we had, and the pain of the initial push away from the world goes away. Where is your focus? What are you reaching for? How much further can you reach? How can you better serve God on a daily basis? You may surprise yourself.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

-Colossians 3:1-2

lesson by Donn Koonce

God's Speed

As of June 1, 2011, our evangelist of nearly seven years, brother Tim Smelser, has moved on to tend to a new flock. He will be joining the Powers Ferry Church of Christ as their full time preacher, and, while we wish him and his new church family all the best, we will miss Tim very much. He has been a wonderful influence to our congregation, and I don't think we'd be the solid, close-knit group we are today without his presence. We are each better Christians because he has been in our lives.

Personally, Tim is more than a brother in Christ; he is also my cousin – a cousin I barely knew when he started working with us those years ago. In that time, he has shown me what it is to be a Christian husband and father. He has been an example of standing firm in the faith while demonstrating mercy and kindness when needed. He has helped me through spiritual challenges of my own, and I hope now I can help others as he helped me.

For the time being, we are not actively pursuing a replacement for brother Tim. Brother Ben Lanius will be doing much of the preaching for our flock in the coming weeks. Others (myself included) will also be doing some of the lessons as opportunity arises. As always, I'll continue to document those lessons here, and you will still see lessons from brother Tim as well. I'm far from caught up on his most recent sermons, and I'll occasionally dig into my archives to post notes from the days before this blog's existence.

While Tim Smelser may be moving on to work with another Christian family, this family will keep him in their hearts, and we will continue to work to live up to the standard he always held before us in God's word.

But as for you, O man of God…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses…

…O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.

- I Timothy 6:11-21 (excerpts)

by Robert Smelser

Stop, Look, and Listen

Note: This lesson was the first presented by our current preacher when he joined our work six-and-a-half years ago. Now he delivers it again as he prepares to join another work.

We have signs that are posted at dangerous intersections and crossroads, and one of those many signs reads: “Stop, Look & Listen.” We come to crossroads time and again in our lives, and, whenever we reach those crossroads we should always remember to stop, look, and listen. We need to stop our worldly disagreements; we need to look up, out and around; and we need to listen to one another and to God.

Stopping, Looking, and Listening

Stop Grumbling. John 6:41-51 records Jesus speaking to a multitude trying to understand His teachings about His being the bread of life and the eternal refreshing coming from Him. In this context, He tells them to stop their grumbling, and we must do likewise. We must stop complaining. We must stop our arguing. It accomplishes nothing but discouragement, and Galatians 5:15 warns us against consuming each other in negativity. Instead, we should be edifying and encouraging each other.

Look Up. In John 4:31-38, the apostles are urging Christ to eat, but he asks them to redirect their attention, to lift up their eyes and look at the people all around them in need of the gospel. We need to look up and look out for opportunities and for each other as in Philippians 2:4. We should be putting self interest aside, and we must be involved in the needs of others. Then, we need to be looking up as in Colossians 3:1-2. Instead of being focused on the things of this life, we need to set our eyes and our minds on things above. That is the goal forever in front of us. That is the promise we have no matter the pains, distractions, and sorrows of this life.

Listen. James 1:19 calls on us to be swift to hear and slow to speak. We need to listen with open ears and closed mouths, listening to understand, not to rebut. We come from different perspectives, different levels of maturity, different backgrounds, different convictions. This type of listening is imperative if we are to grow as a Christian family. Also, John 10:27 reminds us that we need to listen to our Shepherd. We need to take His word and absorb it. We need to make that word a part of us because we listen to it so intently, desiring understanding.

Conclusion

After we stop, look, and listen, we need to move forward as one with the Lord. If we do this, then any crossroads we face are only temporary. Any separations we experience are only for a time, for we can make that crossing knowing our destination, knowing we will all be reunited one day with our God in Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser