These are the kinds of things that make lesser men frustrated to the point of boiling over with anger. We know right from wrong, yet we have spurned the Lord and Creator of all that is right. His power is immutable, as are all His other qualities. Sowhat does it mean when John says they are condemned already?, It means that there are some who will never believe. All desires and all hobbies, all people and all family must be His second fiddle. We meet another similar such example when Gabriel visits Zachariah in the temple and tells him about how his wife Elizabeth is going to bear a child he is aghast at Zachariahs reaction unbelief. Across the margent of the world I fled, And troubled the gold gateways of the stars, Smiting for shelter on their clangd bars; Fretted to dulcet jars. Leave here does not mean forsake, for the author clarifies by stating not laying again a foundation, in other words you need to start building on the foundation. If you were in the garden, in the courtyard, at the temple, you would also have betrayed Christ. How does it get in your mouth? but thats for future Sunday mornings! [v] John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief, Pg. The solid food they need is a development of the themes of repentance and faith, resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment, in the light of the authors exposition of the high priesthood of Christ.. Plenty of people understand the ABCs of what Jesus did. If we are brothers, then we are sons, and heirs also. This only serves to reiterate the tension Christ was causing within the Jewish establishment, and show forth that miracles alone are not able to soften a mans heart, the plain truth is, that mans unbelief is a far more deeply seated disease than it is generally reckoned says Ryle. Sproul has a marvelous explanation of this, especially as it pertains to Pharoah in his book Chosen by God. He hears the feet of Jesus beating after him as Jesus calls, "All things betray those who betray me.". Behold, the church is Christs Eden, watered by the river of life, and so fertilized that all manner of fruits are brought forth unto God; and he, our second Adam, walks in this spiritual Eden to dress it and to keep it; and so by a type we see that we are right in supposing him to be the gardener.. What the text teaches is that everyone who believes in Christ will be saved.. Certainly one of the most difficult things for us humans to deal with is the truth that God, in His eternal purposes, has allowed, yea even willed, for terrible calamity to befall those whom He loves. 313. That we cannot, on our own, raise ourselves from this death, That we need and depend on the life-saving life-giving power of Christ to raise us from the dead and that He does this of His own initiative, That Jesus Christ is the sole source of this power He is claiming exclusivity here. Moses tells us that the Lord God placed the man in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [xiii] Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. This is a beautiful place! When we are called to His side, when we are asked to do something, do we obey? [13] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. There is everlasting life and peace with Jesus. He leads me beside still waters. What an amazing display of forbearance. Thats where you need it! That is why we have the fellowship of the church. Peter not only denied Jesus, he did so in public. Heaven and earth were concerned in this event; it was the turning point of the ages. Spurgeon: I must confess, he says, that I never would have been saved if I could have helped it. The Man standing before her was the one whos words sent cosmos flying into existence. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Do you welcome and surround yourself with sinners who need saving? In fact, they just left and went back to their homes leaving Mary at the tomb with her sorrow. I have been to this very spot where Jesus is said to have called these men to shore for breakfast. This is the one question that every human being will eventually have to wrestle with. No eye except that of the angels had as yet rested upon His form. This discerning is shorthand for living in such a way that reflects Gods work within you it means loving others and God, and is the result of a renewed mind and transformed heart. They come to church every week and never apply their minds past the elementary truths. [36]So the Jews said, See how he loved him! [37]But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?. My goal was to show that salvation is from first to last from God and by God, and that He alone deserves glory for salvation. Paul says this in Romans 10: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ", But Thompson also knew the unrelenting love of Jesus, the hound of heaven. So when Christ says, let us go to Judea again we can perhaps understand the nature of the disciples concernthey knew full well the danger of what Jesus was suggesting. Sproul describes this unique part of Post-millennialism: What distinguishes postmillennialists from amillennialists and premillennialists is the belief that Scripture teaches the success of the Great Commission in the age of the church. The Catholic church (so-called) does not encourage the reading of Scripture, in fact it is the greatest rationer of spiritual nutrition in all the world. It is simply this: their reality, their perspective was heavenly. John probably views the death and resurrection of Christ as inaugurating the long-awaited kingdom of the end times predicted by Daniel, which will now continue throughout the church age. The second thing that struck me like a lightening bolt was John notation of what time it was. [26] And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. God is treating you as sons. In our recent Bible study there was a passing comment about Spurgeon describing God as the "hound of heaven", citing that God relentlessly pursued him until Spurgeon finally surrendered to him. The theme itself is a venerable one. For the longest time I didnt understand exactly how this worked. Section 3 The Sovereign Power of the Son of God. This is what we do, he says. John 3:16 may perhaps be the most famous Bible verse in the world. Spurgeon called Human Inability and that can be located by clicking here. Listen to what God says to Isaiah about the hearts of men: Our deeds are evil, and we love our sinful ways. Also, God works from a different plane of reality here. 20:8-9 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 11:1-2 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. I know my own and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. He is faithful, He will lift you out of the mire you find yourself in and set your life upon solid footing for eternity. Carson summarizes, Whatever potential for future service he (Peter) had therefore depended not only on forgiveness from Jesus, but also on reinstatement amongst the disciples., I Agape your Phileo and Raise you an Agape. Heres what he says: I am ascending is part of the message Mary is to convey, not part of the reason Mary should not cling to Jesus. (John 14:6, ESV), He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. Ironically, and scornfully, those who claim direct papal descent from this man are the ones starving the church of its food. By asking God to change our hearts desires to match that of His Sons. In his love for us Jesus acts like a hound-dog, intense and focused as he pursues the hunt. It is therefore comforting and of no small importance that upon His victory the Lord refers to His disciples as those who will participate in the rewards of His triumph. For later he would go on to say: Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvationif indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. It is, preeminently, the history of salvation.[v], The kingdom of God, therefore, is to be understood as the reign of God dynamically active in human history through Jesus Christ, the purpose of which is the redemption of Gods people from sin and from demonic powers, and the final establishment of the new heavens and the new earth. (Revelation 3:20-21). While futurists await a future literal earthly kingdom (which we all look for), the way in which we speak about and think about Gods exercise of power and authority over the world, and the souls of lost people is important. This is a trait of a true follower of Christ. It has been a few months since you studied these passages, so let me just remind you that Jesus had come into Jerusalem riding on a colt people triumphantly praising His arrival, which John details in chapter 12. In Eden, God sought Adam; in Gethsemane, the last Adam sought God! Sometimes God gives us the desires of our heart in order to show us that they are foolishness. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. (Romans 8:15-17), For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. Before Jesus came, believers in the truth God existed mainly in Israel. Ironically, Christ did this very thing in order make those who werent His family part of His family by sovereign adoption. [32] It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.. Wesley's Journal, Vol. [17] But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! THE HOUND OF HEAVEN 569 and friend of Francis Thompson, always assures me that The Hound of Hearven must be looked upon as an autobiography of the poet's life. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Section 1: vs. 1-16 The Plans of God for the Glory of Christ, Section 2: vs. 17-27 Abramatic Faith & Ego Eimi, Section 3: vs. 28-44 The Sovereign Power of the Son of God, Section 4: vs. 45-57 Heart of Darkness: The Power of Unbelief, Section 1 The Plans of God for the Glory of Christ. In this phrase Christ is claiming that, not only does He have the power to raise lost souls from the dead, but He has a plan for them after that we were saved from something, but also for something. They just kept on rebuilding! [vii] Bruce Ware talks about how people see Christ intellectually, but they dont see him as glorious. Caiaphas was more astute politically than those around him, and what he was trying to explain here was that if they (the Jewish leadership) played their cards right, they could sacrifice Jesus on the alter of politics and have for themselves a scapegoat to be able to show to the Romans as if to say to them hey this man is the one responsible for all the hubbub around Jerusalem, if you get rid of him well all be a lot better off and you wont have to worry about anyone causing disruptions. In this way Caiaphas figured he could satiate the Roman authorities growing unrest with the disruptions among the Jewish people. Were all perishing physically, and the larger context of the chapter addresses the nature of the soul and our need for eternal salvation.[ii]. Also, in his book Gods Greater Glory Bruce Ware tackles this same text in Exodus with great wisdom and care. This really puts me to shame. And they were all together in Solomons Portico. Likewise, the miracle that were about to read of bolstered the faith of the disciples and those who were near Christ. His tripartite restoration of this impetuous man mirrored the three-fold denial which Peter had so shamefully displayed just days before. Often it is very easy to get caught up in viewpoints about the millennium, and I do not want to detract from the importance of the millennium. Frame says, Similarly, the first death is the physical death of human being; the second death is the condemnation of the wicked, a death that believers do not experience.[xiv]. [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Assuredly, dear brethren, we can trace them to no other source than this, the corruption and vitiation of the affections. Post-mills also agree with Amils on the binding of Satan during Christs ministry and his release for a short time before Jesus return. The main thing to realize coming into this chapter is that Jesus is in complete control over that plan, and over every hour and indeed every moment of His life. He doesnt try to run to a new secret location knowing that Judas is on the loose etc. I love how Christs perfect timing crushes our doubt and shows us that He alone holds the keys to truth and life. If they walked in his statutes, the kingdom was to endure from generation to generation, without end, "as the days of heaven on earth." For instance, here they make the false assumption that if Jesus would have continued His ministry that everyone (would) believe in him. This is simply not the case for even those who saw and witnessed His miracles, including this one, first hand did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. 177. No man would put themselves in harms way like this (almost certain death) for the lives of people who werent his family. But feel free to keep in touch, you can contact us directly at info@sdgclothing.com or on the contact form on the home page. [14] And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, [15] so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. Christ was ushering in His spiritual kingdom in a way that no man could deny. (Romans 8:31-39). His sovereignty is manifested in ordaining, and indeed bringing about, the salvation of those who seemed (by all worldly standards) to have wandered beyond the reach of salvation. Consider Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith. As far as condemnation goes, John says that Jesus didnt come to condemn the world yet in verse 18 we read that those who dont believe are condemned! That is why we say: Come Lord Jesus! 11:4 But when Jesus heard it he said, This illness does not lead to death. In Eden, Adam fell; in Gethsemane, the Redeemer conquered. Im not saying that the Postmillennial view is perfect, but their mindset on the nature of the kingdom certainly seems to make more sense and align more Biblically to me. The consequence of the resurrection is not small. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But they also shape how we live our lives as Christians especially what kind of mindset we take toward events here on earth and circumstances in our personal lives. This certainly reminds of 9:4 where Christ says, We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. And 9:5 actually ties nicely in with verse 10 here, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.. The New Testament church has become the Israel of God. (John 13:1), The Powerlessness and Futility of Our Efforts. Christ was omniscient, and yet the human side of Him never was bitter for what He knew in explicit detail would one day be His demise. Jesus had appeared to them prior, but apparently had not spent a lot of time in one-on-one discussion, or extended teaching of them yet (as in Acts 1:3). The mob is looking for the man Jesus. Make no mistake, Satan desire nothing more than to kill you (Gen. 3:15 speaks of enmity between us and Satan), though his spiritual power is significantly limited now that the gospel has been unleashed upon the nations, he still rules this world. We must notice three things about the Father: 15:25 Now his older son[10] was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. The Hound of Heaven - Wikipedia I have sung How Great Thou Art at full tilt with other men and women in the small chapel that sits firmly ensconced upon that shore. And thats what this is about. He was going to use His disciples to proclaim this gospel of peace to all the nations in order that He might gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad., This process of spreading the gospel and blessing the nations through the spread of the gospel is the same as gathering into one the children of God, because when a person believes in Christ they are united with Christ and are adopted into His family. The power of God was with Peter, look at what Luke tells us in the next chapter (Acts 5): [12] Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. She didnt realize she was talking to Jesus! What a fantastic claim! 28). Sin is not simply what we do, its who we are we are sinners. Well I think its because it probably never occurred to her that Christ could or would raise someone from the deadperhaps her mind never got that far. They like their sin. He knows the details of your life because He ordained the details of your life. And thats been the case since His saving work began. Douglass Kelly says, The exercise of this heavenly authority over all lesser powers is the main thing that is happening in this age between the two comings of the Lord; which, as we shall seek to demonstrate, is the prime meaning of the millennium. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV). But what Caiaphas meant to say, and what God used Caiaphas to say here were obviously two different things, and perhaps a little more than irony. May we do the same. Even the loss and the letdown. However, not all theologians and pastors had to wait until the bloody events of the 20th century to object to Postmillennialisms optimistic theology. The outline was already in place; theyd done it before. November 13, 1907 Heaven's Hound Got Thompson. Now, let this be a stimulus to your fruitbearing, that Jesus is the gardener. Let him go up. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23 ESV). Yet soon they would realize the truth that the Scripture was fulfilled that he must rise from the dead.. Theres not record of their reaction to her message, but it doesnt seem likely that they were any more disposed to believing her than they were earlier, and so they wait and think and do nothing. This prayer is typically called The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus.. Believing on the name of Jesus is believing in what that name represents salvation. greatly increases our love of time with the Lord and grows us in unexpected ways. The overpowering presence and revelation of the Son of God brings them to their knees. Read by Richard Burton.Subscribe to our Yo. In fact it was common knowledge that there would be a resurrection of the dead on the day of the Lord. Furthermore, you werent the one who ordained salvation, and neither will you have to maintain it. [i] Old verse 16 notes that I didnt get to include: What has become, however, a sad commentary in our current day is that many have distorted this verse and taken it out of context. The Hound of Heaven. [21] Why do you ask me? Do you believe this?. These are not two separate items. In the poem Jesus pursues Thompson with "unhurrying chase, and unperturbed pace, deliberate speed, and majestic instancy [or urgency]." You must trust yourself, your heart and your soul and your entire life to His command. love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5]or rude. Thats consequently why I teach expositionally! I dont want to spoil the ending but above I've taken a snippet of how the poem starts, which I think is an apt description of how we started out before truly knowing Christ. God is the One responsible for our salvation from first to last. Its hard to say what Mary was feeling at the time, but its safe to say she was alarmed. Jesus has been taken away and in this passage of Scripture is brought before Annas and then before his son in law Caiaphas. As long as ever I could, I rebelled, and revolted, and struggled against God. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But He goes on: [20] I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, [21] that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. We might hide in the illicit romances of actors and actresses, but . The Spurgeon Library | Heaven and Hell That the world lies under condemnation from its own sin, That Gods love and plan for salvation extends far wider than simply to the people of Israel, That Jesus is the chosen instrument through which mankind will be saved from eternal damnation. D.A. (quoting Ladd)[vi], He goes on to say, The Kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history.[vii]. But what John is highlighting here by leaving this part in about Peter is to say that humanly speaking we try so very hard to be in control. Annas is not currently the high priest, but has been in the past, and is so powerful that he is actively involved in the affairs of temple and his son in laws administration of things. The power is invisible to you but for a flash of light and then the power surges through all your electronic gear until your stuff is completely fried by the magnitude of that power. I think its rather amusing that John had to mention this almost to get a little dig in on Peter (I always knew I was faster!). In answer to their question about the kingdom, Jesus gave the fundamental mission of the church. Their minds are continually thinking how can I please God in my actions? They are obsessed with that! So Davids Son and Lord, crossed the Cedron while Judas was betraying Him to His foes. John tells us of this later: and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. Here are seven reasons Spurgeon longed for heaven, and why you can long for heaven, too. John simply says, Jesus wept. But we also read that when Jesus hears what Mary has to say, his spirit is greatly troubled. His troubled soul is noted at two different points in this passage. [14] It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. All of this can be comprehended by identifying how the Bible speaks about the kingdom of God and the reign of His Christ in other places, and how we are to understand this in light of what we read in chapter 20. The Jesuit J.F.X. Apart from Christ, before you are saved, you love sin in fact you cannot NOT love your sin. In a recent biography of John Stott, Stott refers to Thompson's poem. The purpose is so that his prayer and plan might come to pass for us. By continual hearing of the Word and submitting your lives joyfully to its teaching. What had they seen? Such is the love the father had for his son. It was here that I found the poem The Hound of Heaven by English poet Francis Thompson. They were vexed to see even more unanswerable proofs that Jesus was the Christ, and irritated to feel that their own unbelief was more than ever inexcusable.. Was it because they had never heard of the resurrection? And those who do not believe in the name of the Son of God will not be saved from that condemnation. Its not a very long poem, and I have to admit that I got a little emotional at the end! Hound of Heaven is a popular song by Tweito | Create your own TikTok videos with the Hound of Heaven song and explore 0 videos made by new and popular creators. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Ill say more about that in a moment. Why are his children still wandering hither and thither through a maze, when a solitary word from his lips would bring them into the centre of their hopes in heaven? However, I think that this emphasis on the future nature of Christs kingdom does injustice to His victory at Calvary, and does not fully comprehend the fullness of Christs current reign. However it is the learned man or woman who confidently asserts opinion where angels dare not tread. You have no merit on your own. As we see Christ face the cross with utter certainty that the Father is with Him (John 17), we can take with us the promise that He is always with us no matter where we go, or what we go through (Matt. Well, we certainly make that decision, but not until we are born again otherwise we would never desire to choose to believe. Surely He knows more than anyone how to speak with His Father. We see here that there is a transformational effect from simply beholding the glory of the Lord. John explains in his epistles that: Beloved, we are Gods children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. Remember what side of the cross Peter is on. For help and support, please email help@spurgeon.org. In addition to his sermons, he wrote many books, including a four-part autobiography, a massive seven-volume series on the Psalms called The Treasury of David, books on prayer and other . Now, there are other (MANY other) interpretations that range from the bizarre to the more plausible. Into those years was crowded a world of experience which enabled him in his subsequent ministry to probe the secrets of many hearts. For we continually point people to the foundation points of the gospel and we too need to be continually reminded about them and revel in their glories! What makes it beautiful is multi-dimensional. [3] I appreciate the teaching of Tony Romano who brought this question to my attention two years ago during a campout when he spoke on this passage. 118. John sees clear fulfillment of OT scripture and its just as clear that the apostle Peter did as well. Pink says is emblematic of that black stream through which He was about to pass. The brook was on the east side of the city and eventually flows into the Dead Sea. [xi], The Amillennial position, which holds some points in common with both of the premillennial positions, believes that the church age is the kingdom age prophesied in the Old Testament. This account includes the restoration of the Apostle Peter. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. It is used to justify all manner of incoherent and incorrect doctrine, especially Universalism and Pelagianism.
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