Category: Christology (The study of Jesus Christ)

The word “Christology” comes from the two Greek words: Christos – meaning “anointed one,” and logos – meaning “study.” Christology is essentially the study of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Zephaniah

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Zephaniah

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Zephaniah

Zephaniah: Theme

Zephaniah 2:3

“Coming Judgment”

God announces to Judah the approaching day of the Lord.

 “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.”

Christ-Focus in Zephaniah

Implications from Zephaniah

Hooks from Zephaniah

The Son of Man is coming to judge.

 “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

 – Acts 17:31

Let’s encourage one another to live in the light of Christ’s imminent return.

 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

 – 1John 2:28

Do you look forward to the Lord’s return, or do you fear it?

 What might be causing fear?

 Do you want God to remove sin from the world, or would you like to play with it a little longer?

 What makes sinful behavior attractive to you?

 In what will you take confidence on the coming day of judgment?

 How is your relationship with Christ?

 Is it growing deeper or are you growing apart?

 What is causing this?

Book Review: Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Phil Ryken

Jesus’ Loves Like No One Else – Perfectly! 

One of the biggest battles that we all face (if we are honest with ourselves) is that we are incurably selfish, self-absorbed, and idolatrous at the very core of our hearts. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he addresses this core reality that leads to all the problems or symptoms affecting the church due to this foundational problem – a lack of love for God and for one another. Phil Ryken has written a very convicting, and yet practically helpful book that exegetes from the context of 1 Corinthians 13 (Biblical Exegesis) but also walks you through the Gospels (giving a Biblical theology of love) and demonstrates how Jesus exemplifies the genuine love that is being described in Corinthians.

The reason that this book and applying this book and the Bible is so challenging is captured well by Ryken mid-way through the book where he writes:

“Unfortunately, many of our attitudes and actions are exactly the opposite of what they ought to be, and as a result, our hearts are constricted. This is one of the reasons why 1 Corinthians 13 is such a challenge for us. All of the things it tells us that love does are almost impossible for us to do, whereas all of the things it tells us that love never does are things we do all the time. This is because we love ourselves more than we love other people or even God.”

Ryken brilliantly and helpfully shows how Jesus does what we can’t do – love perfectly like Him. He shows how each aspect of love in 1 Corinthians 13 (e.g., patience, kindness, not envious, etc.,) is modeled from the Gospels in the life, death, resurrection, and future coming of Christ and how we can be receivers and reciprocators of this kind of love. Though the book is very convicting, it is also very encouraging because it demonstrates that in the gospel – even when we fail to love like Him – he never fails to love us in the deep ways described in 1 Corinthians 13.

I highly recommend this book in order to come to a deeper understanding of godly love, Christ’s love for us, and how to grow more in your love for God and others. Ryken has given us a Biblical Theology of love manifested in Christ, and reiterated in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth – something we desperately need to apply in today’s church as well. One of the great features of the book is that it contains a very thorough study guide in the back of the book for discipleship or small group discussion.

*I received a free copy of this book by Crossway Publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Habakkuk

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Habakkuk

 “From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Habakkuk

Habakkuk: Theme

Habakkuk 3:19

“Comfort in God”

God is my only comfort in life and in death in a world of seemingly unchecked evil.

 “God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”

Christ-Focus in Habakkuk

Implications from Habakkuk

Hooks from Habakkuk

Jesus offers true comfort and rest to those who come to him.

 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 – Matthew 11:28-30

In any trouble, we may find comfort in God and in his care for us.

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

 – 1 Peter 5:7

When things go wrong, where do you turn for comfort?

 What are the amazing things God has done for his people, and for you, in the past?

 Does God change?

 Do you really believe that God knows what he is doing?

 Do you believe that you know best?

 Are you able to believe in God’s power and wisdom when things don’t go as you want?

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Nahum

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Nahum

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Nahum

Nahum: Theme

Nahum 1:7-8

“Judge of All”

The Lord is sovereign over all and will judge Ninevah.

 “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.”

Christ-Focus in Nahum

Implications from Nahum

Hooks from Nahum

God has raised up Jesus to be the righteous Judge of the living and the dead.

 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 – Acts 10:39-43

 

 

The righteous Judge bore our judgment himself, so that we are free to serve him without fear.

 “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

 – 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Why should God not judge is for our offenses against him?

 Has God dismissed our sins through faith in Christ, or has he judged our sins through our faith in Christ?

 How are Nineveh’s sins like ours before we are Christians?

 What are the opposites of Nineveh’s sins that we can see in the life of our Lord and, hopefully, increasingly in our own lives?

 Who ultimately calls the shots in our lives?

 Is our professed submission to God observable in our treatment of others?

 Do we rely on God’s strength or our own?

 How might the way we are living as Christians indicate how we regard the return of the one who will judge the living and the dead?

What Does A Healthy Follower of Jesus Look Like?

Ten Traits of a Healthy Disciple of Jesus Christ

((Adapted from Stephen A Macchia, Becoming A Healthy Disciple, pp. 18-19)

(1) Experiences God’s empowering presence. The healthy disciple understands the role of the Holy Spirit and lives daily with a fresh reality of His power and presence. But the Helper the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26

(2) Engages in God-exalting worship. The healthy disciple engages wholeheartedly in meaningful, God-focused worship on a weekly basis with the family of God. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. – John 4:23

(3) Practices the spiritual disciplines. The healthy disciple pursues the daily disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and reflection in the quietness of one’s personal prayer closet. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. – John 15:4

(4) Learns and grows in community. The healthy disciple is involved in spiritual and relational growth in the context of a safe and affirming group of like-minded believers. When they did [obey Jesus], they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. – John 21:6

(5) Commits to loving and caring relationships. The healthy disciple prioritizes the qualities of relational vitality that lead to genuine love for one another in the home, workplace, church, and community. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:12-13

(6) Exhibits Christlike servanthood. The healthy disciple practices God-honoring servanthood in every relational context of life and ministry. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. – John 13:15

(7) Shares the love of Christ generously. The healthy disciple maximizes every opportunity to share the love of Christ, in word and deed, with those outside the faith. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

(8) Manages life wisely and accountably. The healthy disciple develops personal life management skills and lives within a web of accountable relationships. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. John 9:4

(9) Networks with the body of Christ. The healthy disciple actively reaches out to others within the Christian community for relationships, worship, prayer, fellowship, and ministry. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. – John 17:23

(10) Stewards a life of abundance. The healthy disciple recognizes that every resource comes from the hand of God and is to be used generously for kingdom priorities and purposes. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. – John 12:24

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Micah

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Micah

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Micah

Micah: Theme

Micah 7:18

“Justice and Mercy”

God will punish his rebellious people, but promises future salvation.

 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Christ-Focus in Micah

Implications from Micah

Hooks from Micah

Jesus bears our judgment so that we can experience God’s mercy.

 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit”

 – 1 Peter 3:18

 

 

 

Christ died for us so that by his Spirit we may live for him, practicing justice and mercy.

 And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard Christ according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the unrighteousness of God.”

           – 2 Corinthians 5:15-21

Are you carrying around a load of guilt?

 Are you afraid of God’s justice?

 Do you feel unworthy of God’s mercy?

 Are you unwilling to let Jesus be your representative in matters of divine justice and mercy? Why?

 What is the motivation for your life, fear or gratitude?

 Where do you look to see what real justice and mercy look life?

 How do you let the Spirit guide you in the exercise of justice and mercy?

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Jonah

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Jonah

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Jonah

Jonah: Theme

Jonah 4:2

“Extended Compassion”

The Sovereign Lord’s compassion extends beyond Israel.

 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

Christ-Focus in Jonah

Implications from Jonah

Hooks from Jonah

Jesus is the good shepherd, who gathers his sheep near and far.

 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”

 – John 10:14-17

Let us clothe ourselves with the compassion of Christ as we spread his good news to those near and far.

 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 – Colossians 3:12-17

What does your life say about God’s compassion?

 Do you put limits on the exercise of compassion?

 What should God’s compassion look like in your circumstances?

 Like Jonah, do you, at times, run away from your responsibility to communicate divine compassion?

 Do you push yourself to extend to those who are different from you (perhaps even hostile to you) the good news of the compassion of God in Jesus Christ?

 To whom do you have the most difficulty showing compassion?

 Why might this be so?

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Obadiah

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in Obadiah

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Charts adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Obadiah

Obadiah: Theme

Obadiah 10

“God’s Vengeance”

God will avenge Edom’s mistreatment of Israel.

 “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.”

Christ-Focus in Obadiah

Implications from Obadiah

Hooks from Obadiah

 Jesus, the true Israel, did not take matters into his own hands when he was mistreated, but rather waited patiently for God to avenge the injustice.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

 When he was reviled, he did not reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

 – 1 Peter 2:21-24

 

 Entrust your life to Christ and his justice.

 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,

 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord.”

 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

 – Romans 12:17-21

 Whom do you trust more to judge fairly, yourself or God?

 How would you fare if you judged yourself the way you judge others?

 How would you fare if God let happen to you what you want to happen to others?

 What is the problem with taking matters into your own hands?

 What happened when you were in control of your life instead of God?

 How should you put perceived injustices into God’s hands?

Paul David Tripp on What We All Hate: Waiting!

5 Reasons Why God Calls Us to Wait – By Paul David Tripp

In ministry you will be both called to wait and also find waiting personally and corporately difficult. So it is important to recognize that there are lots of good reasons why waiting is not merely inescapable but necessary and helpful. Here are a few of those reasons.

(1) Because We Live in a Fallen World

We are called to wait because the broken condition of the world makes everything we do harder. Nothing in this life or in your ministry really functions as originally intended. Something changed when sin entered the world, and in rebuking Adam, God summarized that change: “cursed is the ground . . . through painful toil you will eat of it. . . . It will produce thorns and thistles for you. . . . By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food” (Genesis 3:17-19). Sin brought friction and trouble and pain and sweat and a thousand other “thorn and thistle” complications to absolutely every aspect of life. We find ourselves waiting because everything in a fallen world is more laborious and entangled than it really ought to be.

Sin also put greed and fear and arrogance and jealousy and self-worship into the souls of all who live this thorn-and-thistle life. We must wait because, by being selfish, impatient, competitive, driven, anxious, and angry, we make life and ministry harder for one another in an endless variety of ways. This is why the seemingly easy leadership conversation becomes the full-blown conflict, why the once-sweet ministry relationship gets stained with hurt and acrimony, and why the church at times sadly functions as a tool of personal power rather than an instrument of worship and redemption.

Processes and people are all affected—everything and everyone has been damaged by the Fall. We must wait, because in a world that is broken, everything we do is harder and more complicated than it was ever meant to be.

(2) Because God Is Sovereign

We must wait because we are not writing our own personal and ministry stories. Life does not work the way we want it to, in the time we want it to. You and I do not live in the center of the universe. That place is forever occupied by God and God alone. Our individual stories and the stories of our churches are part of the great origin-to-destiny story that he alone authors. Waiting becomes immediately easier when you realize God is sovereign (and you are not) and when you further reflect on the reality that he is the ultimate source of everything that is wise, loving, and good.

Waiting, therefore, is not a sign that your world is out of control. Rather, it is a sign that your world is under the wise and infinitely attentive control of a God of fathomless wisdom and boundless love. This means you can rest as you wait, not because you like to wait, but because you trust the One who is calling you to wait.

(3) Because God Is a God of Grace

Waiting is one of God’s most powerful tools of grace. It’s important to realize in your ministry that God doesn’t just give us grace for the wait. The wait itself is a gift of grace. You see, waiting is not only about what you will receive at the end of the wait. Waiting is about what you will become as you wait.

In calling us to wait, God is even rescuing those of us in ministry from our bondage to our own plan, our own wisdom, our own power, our own control. In calling us to wait, God is freeing us from the claustrophobic confines of our own little kingdoms of one and drawing us into a greater allegiance to his kingdom of glory and grace. Waiting is more than being patient as situations and other people change. Waiting is about understanding that you and I desperately need to change, and that waiting is a powerful tool of personal change. God is using the grace of waiting to change us at the causal core of our personhood: the heart. Now, in ministry, that’s a good thing!

(4) So We Can Minister to Others

Waiting is central to any ministry activity. If you are truly committed to being part of what God is doing in the lives of others, you will be willing to wait. Personal heart and life change is seldom a sudden event. Usually it is a process. You and I do not determine when and how the winds of the Spirit will blow, and people do not often become what they need to become overnight.

This means that in ministry we are called to have the same conversation again and again. We are called to pick that person up after each failure, to be willing to forgive and forbear, to remind him or her once more of God’s presence and grace, and to be willing to have our lives slowed down and complicated in the process. People of grace and love are always people who are willing to wait.

(5) For the Increase of God’s Glory

Finally, we are called to wait because everything in life and ministry exists not for our comfort and ease but for God’s glory. The whole redemptive story is written for one purpose and one purpose alone: the glory of the king.

Waiting is hard for us because we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often are tempted to live and minister for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure. So when God’s glory requires that these things be withheld from us—things we look to for identity, meaning, and purpose—we find waiting a grueling, burdensome experience.

Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to his glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives you opportunity to forsake the delusion of your own glory and rest in the God of awesome glory. Only when you do that will you find what you seek, and what you were meant to have: lasting identity, meaning, purpose, and peace in Christ. In this way waiting is is much more than a burden for you to bear; it is a precious gift for you to receive with joy.

Dr. Paul David Tripp is the president of Paul Tripp Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement is “Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.” Tripp is also professor of pastoral life and care at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and executive director of the Center for Pastoral Life and Care in Fort Worth, Texas. Tripp has written many books on Christian living that are read and distributed internationally. He has been married for many years to Luella, and they have four grown children. *This Article originally appeared on the Gospel Coalition Web Site on October 24, 2011.

The “Jesus Focus” in the Book of Amos

Reading The Bible Through The Jesus Lens in the Book of Amos

“From Biblical Book to Biblical Hook”

Chart adapted from Dr. Michael Williams Book

Title for Amos

Theme of Amos

Amos 5:24

“God’s Justice”

God judges his people for their social injustice.

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live.”

Christ-Focus in Amos

Implications from Amos

Hooks from Amos

Jesus demonstrates God’s compassion, mercy, and justice.

 “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

 – Matthew 9:35-36

 As those called to Christ-likeness, our behavior should communicate truth about God’s compassion, mercy, and justice.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep fro the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. – Matthew 25:31-46

How do others see God’s compassion, mercy, and justice by your behavior?

 How would someone describe God if they only had you, his representative, to go by?

 Have you given false testimony about God’s character by the way you have lived?

 How might you modify your behavior to better communicate truth about your God?

Do you regard social justice as something you must do, or how you must be?

 Are you relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to transform you from the inside out?

Do your interaction with others flow out of a grateful heart, or are you looking to your good deeds to earn points with God?