Jesus did not stray far from John the Baptist. He too believed that repentance should be followed up by certain actions, but those actions were mixed with the wonderful news that the Kingdom of God had arrived. His was more of a celebration because the Kingdom of God was present, more than a lifelong struggle to live in holiness before God.
And yet...
- John the Baptist demanded that people bring fruits of repentance before he would baptize them. Jesus had no such demands. Jesus did, however, pare down his followers by breaking down their false notions about him (John 6).
- John the Baptist warned about the coming kingdom, which came as the judgment and the wrath of God purging the land. Jesus celebrated the arrival of the kingdom of God that had been long awaited.
- John the Baptist had nothing to say to those who rejected him. Jesus condemned the cities that rejected him because in rejecting him, they were rejecting God's kingdom that had come.
- John the Baptist preached that the fires of hell came with the coming kingdom and the "one who was to come." Jesus preached that those fires came later at the final judgment, which most believed was very close. However, Jesus did see that through his ministry, he was kindling that fire (Luke 12:49-59).
-John the Baptist preached that the fires of hell would be for those who did not bring forth the fruits of repentance. Jesus said it was for those who rejected him and his kingdom, and for those who neglected the needs of the poor and the powerless.
So repentance was demanded by both John and by Jesus, but John's carried with it a different meaning. It was what my friends and I use to call "fire insurance," keeping people from the fires of God's wrath. For Jesus it was more of a welcoming in celebration.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
The Beginnings of Community - Repentance According to John the Baptist
To enter the kingdom of God, repentance was absolutely necessary. It was commanded by John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and Paul. Although it is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, one could easily conclude that it was demanded by all of the apostles.
Repent means literally, "to turn around." Jesus wanted his followers to turn from self centered living to a more community lifestyle. John the Baptist asked people to share their food and clothes with others, he asked soldiers to back off from abusing others and to stop complaining about their pay, he asked tax-collectors to back off from taking too much from others, and he asked religious leaders stop focusing on who they were and focus more on what they did. These were ways that people could live out the end result of their repentance.
Today, churches that emphasize repentance usually focus on personal relationship with God, which is good; but by focusing only on God, they neglect what John the Baptist and Jesus focused on - turning away from self seeking and building good relationships and sharing within the community of faith as well as with those who stand outside of God's kingdom.
A John the Baptist model for building biblical relationships today would take the form of giving sacrificiallly to those who do not do as much as we do. It would mean turning away from opportunities for profit that use or hurt other people. A John the Baptist model would put helping others above personal goals and self service. It would mean that the best Christians would be defined not so much by being born again, or being filled with the Spirit, or how gifted and talented they were, as much as it would be defined by serving and loving others.
Repent means literally, "to turn around." Jesus wanted his followers to turn from self centered living to a more community lifestyle. John the Baptist asked people to share their food and clothes with others, he asked soldiers to back off from abusing others and to stop complaining about their pay, he asked tax-collectors to back off from taking too much from others, and he asked religious leaders stop focusing on who they were and focus more on what they did. These were ways that people could live out the end result of their repentance.
Today, churches that emphasize repentance usually focus on personal relationship with God, which is good; but by focusing only on God, they neglect what John the Baptist and Jesus focused on - turning away from self seeking and building good relationships and sharing within the community of faith as well as with those who stand outside of God's kingdom.
A John the Baptist model for building biblical relationships today would take the form of giving sacrificiallly to those who do not do as much as we do. It would mean turning away from opportunities for profit that use or hurt other people. A John the Baptist model would put helping others above personal goals and self service. It would mean that the best Christians would be defined not so much by being born again, or being filled with the Spirit, or how gifted and talented they were, as much as it would be defined by serving and loving others.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Ethics in the Kingdom of God - Balaam and The Christian Attitude
ATTITUDE
The Bible (Numbers 22) talks about a man from Moab named Balaam who had amazing prophetic powers. Whatever he said happened. If he cursed people, bad things happened; if he blessed them, good things happened. His powers were renowned.
In all likelihood, he was a prophet for Moab, in the tradition of Biblical prophets. In other words, as Israel had their prophets like Elijah, Samual and Nathan, Moab had their's. Israel's good prophets served the spiritual interests of Israel, which meant that they sought God's favor for Israel through fasting, supplication, and warnings. They also communicated God's messages and direction for Israel, helping them to serve God and thereby to prosper.
As Israel had their prophets who sought to help with Israel's interests, Moab had theirs, who sought the wellbeing of Moab and her spiritual interests. We don't hear about them in the Bible, because they are of little concern for Israel. But we do hear about Balaam because he was called by their king (Balak) to bring a curse upon Israel. Balaam's word was powerful; whatever Balaam pronounced came to be. If he pronounced cursing, disaster came about; if he pronounced blessing, good times came. If Balaam could curse Israel, Israel could only face certain doom.
One thinks that it should not be that hard. Isreal struggled in the wilderness with idolatry, fornication and rebellion. They were every leader / every pastor's worse nightmare. There were divisions in Israel, as well as constant complaining about God's provisions and his leaders; they wanted to set up other gods to lead them back into Egypt to become slaves again. Israel even complained about Moses' second wife because she was black. All of these should have made Balaam's job easy. On one occasion, God ran out of patience and sought to let Israel perish in the wilderness giving Moses the honor of becoming the father of a nation. But Moses would have nothing of it. He prayed for Israel, seeking God's forgiveness and longsuffering. He convinced God to back off from destruction, he convinced God to let the people live.
So what happened when Balaam went to curse Israel? He could only bless the people of God, he could say nothing evil.
From the inside, the Church looks like a mess; but from God's point of view, it is blessed.
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
Who accuses the people of God? The Bible tells us that Satan does.
Who prays for, supports and loves the Church, giving his life for the Bride of Christ? Jesus.
We stand at a crossroad. We can accuse, complain, and point out the faults of fellow Christians (there are many); or we can love the Church, pray for the people of God, and seek to protect it, warn the Church and encourage it, knowing that it is the Bride of Christ, bought with the blood of Jesus, the Body of Christ, called out of the world and presented before a holy God.
Before we can get into Jesus' teachings on right and wrong behavior within the community of God, it is important to begin with this: Love the Church, love the people of God.
The Bible (Numbers 22) talks about a man from Moab named Balaam who had amazing prophetic powers. Whatever he said happened. If he cursed people, bad things happened; if he blessed them, good things happened. His powers were renowned.
In all likelihood, he was a prophet for Moab, in the tradition of Biblical prophets. In other words, as Israel had their prophets like Elijah, Samual and Nathan, Moab had their's. Israel's good prophets served the spiritual interests of Israel, which meant that they sought God's favor for Israel through fasting, supplication, and warnings. They also communicated God's messages and direction for Israel, helping them to serve God and thereby to prosper.
As Israel had their prophets who sought to help with Israel's interests, Moab had theirs, who sought the wellbeing of Moab and her spiritual interests. We don't hear about them in the Bible, because they are of little concern for Israel. But we do hear about Balaam because he was called by their king (Balak) to bring a curse upon Israel. Balaam's word was powerful; whatever Balaam pronounced came to be. If he pronounced cursing, disaster came about; if he pronounced blessing, good times came. If Balaam could curse Israel, Israel could only face certain doom.
One thinks that it should not be that hard. Isreal struggled in the wilderness with idolatry, fornication and rebellion. They were every leader / every pastor's worse nightmare. There were divisions in Israel, as well as constant complaining about God's provisions and his leaders; they wanted to set up other gods to lead them back into Egypt to become slaves again. Israel even complained about Moses' second wife because she was black. All of these should have made Balaam's job easy. On one occasion, God ran out of patience and sought to let Israel perish in the wilderness giving Moses the honor of becoming the father of a nation. But Moses would have nothing of it. He prayed for Israel, seeking God's forgiveness and longsuffering. He convinced God to back off from destruction, he convinced God to let the people live.
So what happened when Balaam went to curse Israel? He could only bless the people of God, he could say nothing evil.
From the inside, the Church looks like a mess; but from God's point of view, it is blessed.
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
Who accuses the people of God? The Bible tells us that Satan does.
Who prays for, supports and loves the Church, giving his life for the Bride of Christ? Jesus.
We stand at a crossroad. We can accuse, complain, and point out the faults of fellow Christians (there are many); or we can love the Church, pray for the people of God, and seek to protect it, warn the Church and encourage it, knowing that it is the Bride of Christ, bought with the blood of Jesus, the Body of Christ, called out of the world and presented before a holy God.
Before we can get into Jesus' teachings on right and wrong behavior within the community of God, it is important to begin with this: Love the Church, love the people of God.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Ethics and the Kingdom of God
What we do in the Kindgom and for the Kingdom is far more important than we are led to believe in many of today's churches.
JOHN THE BAPTIST
When people came to John the Baptist for baptism, he oftentimes told them to go away and show the fruits of repentance before coming back to be baptised. When people asked him what to do, he gave them specific ethical instructions that related to their jobs and/or position in life.
1. He told soldiers to be content with their wages and to stop using their position to bully others.
2. He told religious leaders that they could not depend on their identification with God, neither the rituals that marked them as God's, nor their nationality.
3. He told the tax-collectors (who were business men) not to take advantage of shady opportunities just because they could.
4. He told everybody to share - if someone had 2 coats, they were told to give one to a person who had none. John also told them to do the same with meat. John used these as examples to say that we should be sharing everything we have with those who have less. The early church followed this rule for a short time (Acts 2:44 & 4:32). Eventually this practice was given up.
THE APOSTLE PAUL
John the Baptist was not the only biblical figure to demand works to demonstrate repentance. According to Acts 26:20, even Paul the Apostle demanded good works from followers of Jesus (Paul is best known for his emphasis on grace and faith - it is the gift of God, not works lest anyone should boast). When Paul stood trial before King Agrippa he summed up his ministry and his message: "I preached that they (the Gentiles) should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (literally translated = works)."
While emphasizing grace and faith in his most famous passage in Ephesians, Paul stated that we are not saved by good works, but by faith. However, Paul's thought does not end there. In Ephesians 2:10 Paul said that the entire purpose that God saved us by faith was so that we would do good works.
The Reformation rediscovered the truth of grace and faith as the entry point of salvation, but in an over-reaction to a work centered church of the day, many (even today) didn't get that we are saved by faith for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Works are crucial to the Christian life.
JUDGMENT DAY
Just about every time the final judgment is mentioned in the Bible, works are the defining factor of where people spend eternity. Again, being saved by grace, in Romans 2:6, the Apostle Paul says that we will be judged by what we do in life: "God will give to each person according to what he has done (literally according to their works [Romans 2:6]).”
Jesus likewise emphasized the importance of good deeds on judgment day, when he told his followers that if they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, or visit the prisoners and the sick; they are doing so to Jesus himself; and as a result, securing eternity with him. However, when they neglect the same, they neglect Jesus, and for that will be seperated from Christ for eternity (see Matthew 25:31-46). In other words, the deeds/we do to and for others determine where we will spend eternity. If we do good to and for others, it will go well for us; but if we neglect the needs of others, we will face severe consequences.
Revelation follows the same thought. Seeing a vision of the Judgment Day, John wrote, "The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books (Revelation 20:12)."
All of these passages are using the same Greek word that translates as "works," which is the same word that Paul used when he told us that we are not saved by works, but by faith.
JAMES
James faced people who were overfixated with grace and faith, and played down the importance of works. He responded to these people by saying in effect, "If you have faith, it will be demonstrated by works; so until I see your works, I do not believe you have faith." For faith always produces good works.
CONCLUSION
Paul and James were not set apart in their outlook about the importance of works. Each one attacked the side that was doing the greatest damage among their own followers - Paul was faced with those who relied on works for salvation and James was faced with those who believed works were not so important.
Works that are not the result of repentance, grace and faith are the types of works that leave us empty of God. One is never saved by the works that they can do. Good works that God looks for are works that are the result of grace, faith and repentace. The right kind of good works are born in repentance, grace and faith.
JOHN THE BAPTIST
When people came to John the Baptist for baptism, he oftentimes told them to go away and show the fruits of repentance before coming back to be baptised. When people asked him what to do, he gave them specific ethical instructions that related to their jobs and/or position in life.
1. He told soldiers to be content with their wages and to stop using their position to bully others.
2. He told religious leaders that they could not depend on their identification with God, neither the rituals that marked them as God's, nor their nationality.
3. He told the tax-collectors (who were business men) not to take advantage of shady opportunities just because they could.
4. He told everybody to share - if someone had 2 coats, they were told to give one to a person who had none. John also told them to do the same with meat. John used these as examples to say that we should be sharing everything we have with those who have less. The early church followed this rule for a short time (Acts 2:44 & 4:32). Eventually this practice was given up.
THE APOSTLE PAUL
John the Baptist was not the only biblical figure to demand works to demonstrate repentance. According to Acts 26:20, even Paul the Apostle demanded good works from followers of Jesus (Paul is best known for his emphasis on grace and faith - it is the gift of God, not works lest anyone should boast). When Paul stood trial before King Agrippa he summed up his ministry and his message: "I preached that they (the Gentiles) should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (literally translated = works)."
While emphasizing grace and faith in his most famous passage in Ephesians, Paul stated that we are not saved by good works, but by faith. However, Paul's thought does not end there. In Ephesians 2:10 Paul said that the entire purpose that God saved us by faith was so that we would do good works.
The Reformation rediscovered the truth of grace and faith as the entry point of salvation, but in an over-reaction to a work centered church of the day, many (even today) didn't get that we are saved by faith for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Works are crucial to the Christian life.
JUDGMENT DAY
Just about every time the final judgment is mentioned in the Bible, works are the defining factor of where people spend eternity. Again, being saved by grace, in Romans 2:6, the Apostle Paul says that we will be judged by what we do in life: "God will give to each person according to what he has done (literally according to their works [Romans 2:6]).”
Jesus likewise emphasized the importance of good deeds on judgment day, when he told his followers that if they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, or visit the prisoners and the sick; they are doing so to Jesus himself; and as a result, securing eternity with him. However, when they neglect the same, they neglect Jesus, and for that will be seperated from Christ for eternity (see Matthew 25:31-46). In other words, the deeds/we do to and for others determine where we will spend eternity. If we do good to and for others, it will go well for us; but if we neglect the needs of others, we will face severe consequences.
Revelation follows the same thought. Seeing a vision of the Judgment Day, John wrote, "The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books (Revelation 20:12)."
All of these passages are using the same Greek word that translates as "works," which is the same word that Paul used when he told us that we are not saved by works, but by faith.
JAMES
James faced people who were overfixated with grace and faith, and played down the importance of works. He responded to these people by saying in effect, "If you have faith, it will be demonstrated by works; so until I see your works, I do not believe you have faith." For faith always produces good works.
CONCLUSION
Paul and James were not set apart in their outlook about the importance of works. Each one attacked the side that was doing the greatest damage among their own followers - Paul was faced with those who relied on works for salvation and James was faced with those who believed works were not so important.
Works that are not the result of repentance, grace and faith are the types of works that leave us empty of God. One is never saved by the works that they can do. Good works that God looks for are works that are the result of grace, faith and repentace. The right kind of good works are born in repentance, grace and faith.
...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
What Is the Kingdom of God?
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE
I believe the people of Jesus' day had different views of what the kingdom of God was, nevertheless, there were several areas of agreement among the views.
1. The promised kingdom was earthly in nature.
2. Israel would be delivered from foreign oppression.
3. Israel would be ruled by justice.
4. Israel would be on top of the nations as the wealth of the world would flow into Israel's dominance.
5. The promised kingdom would look very much like the days of Solomon.
6. The kingdom would bring peace and prosperity to Israel.
7. The kingdom would last forever with a King in charge at all times from the line of David.
People had different opinions about certain things:
1. Some thought the kingdom would swiftly come as a result of God's miraculous intervention; in other words through a huge act of God, the armies of the world will surrender to the armies of Isreal. Some thought it would have to be built under the direction of the messiah, a prophet, or a king who would lead them into victories over the Roman armies.
2. Some groups believed that they alone were to receive the blessings of the coming kingdom, or that they alone would rule above the rest of Israel and the nations.
WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE KINGDOM
1. The Kingom of God was already beginning to be established through the ministry of Jesus.
2. The Kingdom of God would not come all at once, but gradually grow.
3. There would be a final completion to his kingdom when this end of the world would take place.
4. The kingdom would be established through his ministry and the ministry of his disciples.
5. Jesus taught that the Old Testament prophecies about the end time kingdom pointed toward his kingdom.
CONCLUSION
1. The Kingdom of God began with the ministry of Jesus and will come to completion when Jesus returns.
2. The Kingdom of God grows as the Word of God is spread and people enter into the kingdom through repentance.
I believe the people of Jesus' day had different views of what the kingdom of God was, nevertheless, there were several areas of agreement among the views.
1. The promised kingdom was earthly in nature.
2. Israel would be delivered from foreign oppression.
3. Israel would be ruled by justice.
4. Israel would be on top of the nations as the wealth of the world would flow into Israel's dominance.
5. The promised kingdom would look very much like the days of Solomon.
6. The kingdom would bring peace and prosperity to Israel.
7. The kingdom would last forever with a King in charge at all times from the line of David.
People had different opinions about certain things:
1. Some thought the kingdom would swiftly come as a result of God's miraculous intervention; in other words through a huge act of God, the armies of the world will surrender to the armies of Isreal. Some thought it would have to be built under the direction of the messiah, a prophet, or a king who would lead them into victories over the Roman armies.
2. Some groups believed that they alone were to receive the blessings of the coming kingdom, or that they alone would rule above the rest of Israel and the nations.
WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE KINGDOM
1. The Kingom of God was already beginning to be established through the ministry of Jesus.
2. The Kingdom of God would not come all at once, but gradually grow.
3. There would be a final completion to his kingdom when this end of the world would take place.
4. The kingdom would be established through his ministry and the ministry of his disciples.
5. Jesus taught that the Old Testament prophecies about the end time kingdom pointed toward his kingdom.
CONCLUSION
1. The Kingdom of God began with the ministry of Jesus and will come to completion when Jesus returns.
2. The Kingdom of God grows as the Word of God is spread and people enter into the kingdom through repentance.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
What Types of People Are in the Kingdom of God?
There were two types of people in the Kingdom of God - the good and the bad which are metaphorically described as the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares, and the mustard seed and the leaven (Matthew 13:24-33). Through parables, Jesus let us know that both should be allowed to grow together in the Kingdom of God until the last day when God would divide the wheat from the tares. This does not mean churches should not be without discipline (that's another issue for another forum). It just means that there will be both good and bad in the Church and that it is not for us to be spending all our time trying to purify the Church. Besides, when people spend their lives focused on purging the Church, it isn't too long before somebody else tries to purge them from the Church.
Although different authors in the New Testament have different answers for what kinds of people are in the Kingdom of God, Matthew, Mark, and Luke share one thing in common: For all 3 of them, people in the Kingdom have heard the word of God and have allowed the word to grow strong despite persecution, trials, temptation, worry and daily life issues (Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8). In all of these Gospels the sick, sinners and outcasts are also part of the Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, despite these similarities, there are differences as well.
For Matthew, the Kingdom of God is populated with the broken, the meek, and those who are persecuted because they belong to the Kingdom.
For Mark, the Kingdom is for those who recognize not only that Jesus is the Christ, but that his mission, as ours, is mixed with suffering as well as with victory.
For Luke, the Kingdom is for the poor, the hungry, those who sorrow and those who are hated because they belong to the Kingdom.
For John, the Kingdom is for those who have been "born again," who love others, walk in the truth, who follow Jesus, who see and walk in the light, who believe in Jesus, and hear from and obey God .
For Paul, the Kingom belongs to the foolish, the weak, the despised, the nobodies, and the lower classes (1 Corinthians 1;26-29).
For James it is for the poor of this world (James 2:5).
And for the Book of Revelation, the Kingdom of God belongs to those who overcome and endure.
The common theme throughout the New Testament is this: The Kingdom of God belongs to the world's low class outcasts, misfits who decide to follow Jesus and stick with him no matter what may come.
Although different authors in the New Testament have different answers for what kinds of people are in the Kingdom of God, Matthew, Mark, and Luke share one thing in common: For all 3 of them, people in the Kingdom have heard the word of God and have allowed the word to grow strong despite persecution, trials, temptation, worry and daily life issues (Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8). In all of these Gospels the sick, sinners and outcasts are also part of the Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, despite these similarities, there are differences as well.
For Matthew, the Kingdom of God is populated with the broken, the meek, and those who are persecuted because they belong to the Kingdom.
For Mark, the Kingdom is for those who recognize not only that Jesus is the Christ, but that his mission, as ours, is mixed with suffering as well as with victory.
For Luke, the Kingdom is for the poor, the hungry, those who sorrow and those who are hated because they belong to the Kingdom.
For John, the Kingdom is for those who have been "born again," who love others, walk in the truth, who follow Jesus, who see and walk in the light, who believe in Jesus, and hear from and obey God .
For Paul, the Kingom belongs to the foolish, the weak, the despised, the nobodies, and the lower classes (1 Corinthians 1;26-29).
For James it is for the poor of this world (James 2:5).
And for the Book of Revelation, the Kingdom of God belongs to those who overcome and endure.
The common theme throughout the New Testament is this: The Kingdom of God belongs to the world's low class outcasts, misfits who decide to follow Jesus and stick with him no matter what may come.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Entering Into the New Community
BAPTISM OF REPENTENCE
For the Apostle Paul, baptism was a rite of passage that stated there was a total break from one's identity and life to a new identity and life in Christ. Baptism said that a person was leaving one's national, political, and religious identity and placing one's identity soley with the risen Jesus Christ.
For John the Baptist and for Jesus, however, the break was not so absolute. For John the Baptist and Jesus, the break was not away from, but a returning to the Law of Moses - from disobedience (doing one's own thing) to obedience (obeying the Law).
Baptism was also a statement of rejecting the established leaders' interpretation of the Law (which focused on the finer details in behavior toward God) in favor of a new interpretation (focusing less on God's personal needs and focusing more on community). According to Jesus and John the Baptist, this new direction of focus was what God wanted all along.
For John the Baptist and for Jesus, however, the break was not so absolute. For John the Baptist and Jesus, the break was not away from, but a returning to the Law of Moses - from disobedience (doing one's own thing) to obedience (obeying the Law).
Baptism was also a statement of rejecting the established leaders' interpretation of the Law (which focused on the finer details in behavior toward God) in favor of a new interpretation (focusing less on God's personal needs and focusing more on community). According to Jesus and John the Baptist, this new direction of focus was what God wanted all along.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
How the Kingdom Begins - Social Necessities
MOVEMENT IMPERATIVES
The first generation of any movement is unusual. No other time in the movement's history will there be such expectation, such hope, and such promise. No other time in its life as a group will it have such excitement, vision, and promised answers to any number of problems.
The beginnings of a movement also includes a certain pride, possibly even arrogance, that suggests that the movement is superior to all other movements and because the movement is superior, the people in that movement have a special place in history, because they are a part of something incredibly important.
For a new movement to begin, there are several factors that must happen.
1. People who are not yet followers of the movement have to be very dissatisfied with the life and the solutions they are given.
2. The new movement must promise to give a great deal more of what people want.
So if people are unhappy with the government, they may be open for a better one; and if people are unhappy with their church or religion they may be open for a new one. Even so, people don't trust or like too much change, so the dissatisfaction of the old must be very strong, and the promises of the new must be very powerful and idealistic.
Sometimes change may be drastic, such as a Western Catholic becoming a Hare Krishna, or a Capitalist becoming Communist - but these are not common. More commonly, people make smaller changes such as, a Catholic becoming Protestant, or a Republican becoming a Democrat.
THE FIRST CENTURY SETTING
In Jesus day people were tired of poverty, losing houses and land, and scrounging for food. People were also tired of a religion that served the religious elite at the cost of the poor who were the vast majority (90%), through tithes and offerings.
People were also looking for dignity and pride they weren't getting from the political and religious leaders of their day. People need a sense of pride in who they are and what they do. Instead, religious and political leaders became arrogant and took dignity from the masses while looking down on them as is clearly seen by the words of the Pharisees in John 7:49:
This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God's curse is on them!"
Although people were ripe for change, most did not want to leave their roots in Judaism. People weren't ready to leave their identity as it related to the stories of the past - Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah and Isaiah, but they were ripe for messiahs and self-proclaimed prophets who promised freedom from the political and religious elite through the hand of God.
The prophets and promised messiahs provided direction for those who joined them. The stories and speeches that could be used to find followers were easy to get. They were everywhere. People grew up on the stories of God's work in the past - stories that told of great feats of the past - times when God took people out of bondage and into freedom. Those stories gave followers identity and direction. The stories were easy to find, however, people need more than words to propel them into following and into action. They need leaders who can use those same stories and words to bring people into their cause and propel them into action.
There were many such leaders in Jesus' day - messiahs and prophets who drew people into groups. But most of those messiahs and groups died before they were able to get out of the First Century. For some strange reason, the group called Christians who followed a messiah called Jesus, not only broke free from the First Century but endured until this day.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE JESUS' MOVEMENT
People began following Jesus for different reasons, most of which were probably self-centered. While Jesus healed to show that he had power over sin, over the world of the clean vs. the unclean, or over nature, people simply saw that their personal needs were being met. Jesus' healings and miracles said something about who he was, but people only saw his works as deeds that served national and personal interests. John spells this out very clearly after Jesus fed the 5,000 when the people wanted to make Jesus a king, so he could feed them regularly like Moses fed the people in the wilderness.
In Mark 8, Peter came to realize that Jesus was the messiah. But after being told by Jesus that he understood this because the Holy Spirit revealed it to him, Peter showed us all that his understanding was centered on the interests of himself and his nation and not on God's interests.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men (Mark 8:33)."
When Jesus knowingly or unknowingly began his movement, people were expecting to find in him, a leader who would solve their own problems and meet their own interests and needs. According to Mark, even the closest disciples fell into the same ideological trap.
John tells us that several times, Jesus pared down his own following by what he said, in order to strip away many of those who were following for reasons of self survival, self interest, or national self interest.
CONCLUSIONS
Jesus gained a following from those who were unsettled in life, looking for something better, looking for better chances of survival. Even though Jesus' miracles and healings were designed to say something about who he was, people followed him only because Jesus met their own needs and interests. The disciples themselves were also guilty of this.
It took the cross to bring people closer to understanding the real Jesus.
The first generation of any movement is unusual. No other time in the movement's history will there be such expectation, such hope, and such promise. No other time in its life as a group will it have such excitement, vision, and promised answers to any number of problems.
The beginnings of a movement also includes a certain pride, possibly even arrogance, that suggests that the movement is superior to all other movements and because the movement is superior, the people in that movement have a special place in history, because they are a part of something incredibly important.
For a new movement to begin, there are several factors that must happen.
1. People who are not yet followers of the movement have to be very dissatisfied with the life and the solutions they are given.
2. The new movement must promise to give a great deal more of what people want.
So if people are unhappy with the government, they may be open for a better one; and if people are unhappy with their church or religion they may be open for a new one. Even so, people don't trust or like too much change, so the dissatisfaction of the old must be very strong, and the promises of the new must be very powerful and idealistic.
Sometimes change may be drastic, such as a Western Catholic becoming a Hare Krishna, or a Capitalist becoming Communist - but these are not common. More commonly, people make smaller changes such as, a Catholic becoming Protestant, or a Republican becoming a Democrat.
THE FIRST CENTURY SETTING
In Jesus day people were tired of poverty, losing houses and land, and scrounging for food. People were also tired of a religion that served the religious elite at the cost of the poor who were the vast majority (90%), through tithes and offerings.
People were also looking for dignity and pride they weren't getting from the political and religious leaders of their day. People need a sense of pride in who they are and what they do. Instead, religious and political leaders became arrogant and took dignity from the masses while looking down on them as is clearly seen by the words of the Pharisees in John 7:49:
This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God's curse is on them!"
Although people were ripe for change, most did not want to leave their roots in Judaism. People weren't ready to leave their identity as it related to the stories of the past - Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah and Isaiah, but they were ripe for messiahs and self-proclaimed prophets who promised freedom from the political and religious elite through the hand of God.
The prophets and promised messiahs provided direction for those who joined them. The stories and speeches that could be used to find followers were easy to get. They were everywhere. People grew up on the stories of God's work in the past - stories that told of great feats of the past - times when God took people out of bondage and into freedom. Those stories gave followers identity and direction. The stories were easy to find, however, people need more than words to propel them into following and into action. They need leaders who can use those same stories and words to bring people into their cause and propel them into action.
There were many such leaders in Jesus' day - messiahs and prophets who drew people into groups. But most of those messiahs and groups died before they were able to get out of the First Century. For some strange reason, the group called Christians who followed a messiah called Jesus, not only broke free from the First Century but endured until this day.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE JESUS' MOVEMENT
People began following Jesus for different reasons, most of which were probably self-centered. While Jesus healed to show that he had power over sin, over the world of the clean vs. the unclean, or over nature, people simply saw that their personal needs were being met. Jesus' healings and miracles said something about who he was, but people only saw his works as deeds that served national and personal interests. John spells this out very clearly after Jesus fed the 5,000 when the people wanted to make Jesus a king, so he could feed them regularly like Moses fed the people in the wilderness.
In Mark 8, Peter came to realize that Jesus was the messiah. But after being told by Jesus that he understood this because the Holy Spirit revealed it to him, Peter showed us all that his understanding was centered on the interests of himself and his nation and not on God's interests.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men (Mark 8:33)."
When Jesus knowingly or unknowingly began his movement, people were expecting to find in him, a leader who would solve their own problems and meet their own interests and needs. According to Mark, even the closest disciples fell into the same ideological trap.
John tells us that several times, Jesus pared down his own following by what he said, in order to strip away many of those who were following for reasons of self survival, self interest, or national self interest.
CONCLUSIONS
Jesus gained a following from those who were unsettled in life, looking for something better, looking for better chances of survival. Even though Jesus' miracles and healings were designed to say something about who he was, people followed him only because Jesus met their own needs and interests. The disciples themselves were also guilty of this.
It took the cross to bring people closer to understanding the real Jesus.
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