Ryan Higginbottom | Knowable Word

Context Matters: My Cross to Bear

April 25, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about the crosses they bear. They might mention chronic pain, their role as a long-term caregiver, or trauma they’ve suffered at the hand of another. Your friend might carry a heavy burden, but if they believe that God is in control, they may affirm his call to follow Jesus with this weight on their back. “That’s just my cross to bear!”

For Christians, the cross brings to mind specific events and theological realities. Does the Bible speak about followers of Jesus also bearing a cross? Does it describe that cross-bearing in this way we commonly hear it?

Context matters. Many words and phrases may sound religious, but we should take care in our speech. When we learn to read the Bible carefully—and not just as a grab bag of holy words—we’ll find that God’s call on our lives is more comprehensive than we may have assumed.

Not in Scripture

Let’s dispense with one question up front. Referring to an acute challenge as a “cross to bear” is not in the Bible. God tells us a lot about suffering and burdens, but we don’t find this specific phrase in Scripture.

By itself, that doesn’t mean this saying should be discarded. The phrase “in the world but not of the world” is nowhere in Scripture, but it captures some important truths in a helpful way. Perhaps the same could be true of “my cross to bear.”

The closest we come to this phrase in Scripture is a sentence in Luke.

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25–27)

Let’s consider this passage in its context in Luke.

Discipleship in Luke

As Peter has pointed out, Jesus starts to head toward Jerusalem in Luke 9:51. Until he arrives, Jesus talks about the nature of his kingdom and, by extension, the nature of discipleship.

Jesus teaches about the cost of following him (Luke 9:57–62). The 72 disciples are sent out and they return (Luke 10:1–20). He teaches his disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1–13) and about the folly of anxiety (Luke 12:22–34). He uses parables and metaphors to teach about God’s kingdom (Luke 13:18–30).

In the immediate context of Luke 14:27, Jesus is speaking about the cost of following him. Specifically, he mentions three requirements—anyone who neglects these cannot be his disciple.

Disciples must, having come to him, hate their family and their own life (Luke 14:26).
Disciples must bear their own cross and come after him (Luke 14:27).
Disciples must renounce all that they have (Luke 14:33).

In the midst of these requirements are two stories about the need to count the cost (a landowner building a tower, a king engaging in battle). Disciples of Jesus must know what they are getting into.

Jesus has used the language of the cross before.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23–24)

The cross was a Roman instrument of torture and execution, so Jesus did not invoke it lightly. Those who heard would have known exactly what Jesus meant when he brought up a cross.

Jesus called his disciples to hand their lives over to him. To save their lives, they were to lose their lives for his sake. They were to renounce everything, including their closest family members.

Both Good and Bad

There may be a good intention behind the phrase “my cross to bear.” A person might be striving to be faithful in the midst of God’s difficult providence. If they know this responsibility is part of God’s calling on their life and they’ve handed their lives over to God, they embrace this burden as a disciple.

And yet, using this phrase could have the effect of compartmentalizing Jesus’s call. Referring to a particular aspect of one’s life as a cross to bear may soften the blow of Jesus’s expectation that in every aspect of our lives we are to bear our cross and follow him. We do not just give up our comfort, time, or opportunities—we are to renounce everything.

This call from Jesus is heavy, but we must not forget it is also joyful. We only need to turn the page in Luke to see the celebration we are welcomed to as repentant sinners following King Jesus (Luke 15:1–32). Jesus calls us to bear our cross, but that is not any one particular duty or condition. Bearing our cross means giving control of everything—family, possessions, vocation, life—over to our wise Master.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

How Should We Handle the Unnamed in Scripture?

April 11, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Names and titles are important in the Bible. Paying attention to these details is a key step during the observation stage of Bible study.

Adam named his wife “Eve” because “she was the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). As God made his covenant with Abram, he changed his name to Abraham, “for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5). The angel told Joseph in a dream that his son should be named Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). In these examples we have an explanation for each name, but there are scores of other named figures in the Bible where the name sheds light on some part of their story.

But, as you may have noticed, not every character in the Bible has a name.

If names are so important, why does it seem like some names in the Bible are missing? And, practically, how should we approach passages in which unnamed characters play a key role?

Let’s take a look at two examples.

The Redeemer in Ruth

My pastor just finished preaching through the book of Ruth, so we were confronted by the unnamed redeemer in chapters 3 and 4. Ruth and Naomi are aware that Boaz is a redeemer for Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband. However, there is a closer redeemer—a closer relative—who should receive the option to redeem Elimelech’s land and family name before Boaz is given the opportunity. (See Ruth 3:9–13; 4:1–6.)

For a character that spends so much time on the page, it seems strange that this redeemer isn’t named. And yet, this seems like an intentional choice by the author. Boaz tells this relative that when he serves as a redeemer for Elimelech, he will acquire Ruth, and any children he has with Ruth will bear Elimelech’s name (Ruth 4:5). This man refuses, saying he does not want to “impair [his] own inheritance” (Ruth 4:6).

This closer redeemer refused to lay down his concerns for another. He wanted to preserve his own name and inheritance. So, the author of Ruth serves up some poetic justice by omitting his name from the Biblical record. (This same reasoning may lie behind the fact that we know so few of the names of those building a tower in Babel in Genesis 11.)

The Believing Criminal

While not occupying as much of the biblical story as the reluctant redeemer in Ruth, some of the people who played important roles at the crucifixion are also unnamed.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One criminal mocked Jesus, but the other showed evidence of faith in Jesus as the king who could save. Jesus responded, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Wouldn’t it be nice to have the name of this believing criminal?

However, Luke gives us all the information we need about this man: He is a convicted criminal who confesses Jesus. Luke’s Gospel is full of Jesus extending invitations to the poor and the forgotten, to those outside the boundaries of polite Jewish society. The religious leaders put Jesus to death, and the last person to trust Jesus before he dies is a condemned criminal. We don’t need his name, because Luke has made his point: Jesus is the king and savior of the world, welcoming all who believe.

Why Are Some Unnamed?

When a character in the Bible is unnamed, one of two things is true. That name is either unknown by the biblical author or withheld from us. But since God is sovereign over the writing and preservation of his word, we can be confident that we are not lacking anything we need.

Those who are named in the Bible, are named for a reason. And those who are unnamed in the Bible, are unnamed for a reason. Though we may be missing their names, we often still know the most important things about them—their actions, their characteristics, or their roles. The biblical authors use these details instead of names to contribute to their main point in writing.

When we lack a name in Scripture, we shouldn’t react with frustration, grumbling, or speculation. It’s a good excuse to sharpen our observation skills as we try to understand how the biblical author is using this character in the story.

Individual Impressions Are Inevitable

March 28, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

I studied the book of Lamentations with my small group during most of 2021. Through thinking about lament in general, and the book of Lamentations specifically, God taught me so much more about grief, prayer, trusting him, and his faithfulness than I could have predicted. It’s no exaggeration—I think I grew more spiritually by studying Lamentations than I have through any other book study in the last five years.

However, not everyone in my Bible study felt the same! A woman in my small group could not wait for us to move on to study something different. She found Lamentations repetitive and deflating (despite all my cheerleading). I’m sure most of my small group friends fell somewhere in the middle.

The Bible lands on each of us differently because God works with different people in different ways. We see this in several places in Scripture.

Shouting and Weeping in Ezra

After King Cyrus of Persia sent a group of Israelite exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, their first order of business was to construct the altar. After this was accomplished, the people offered burnt offerings and celebrated the prescribed feasts (Ezra 3:3–6). They hadn’t been able to do this for decades!

After the altar, the Israelites laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:10). This was a time for worship and singing.

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”
And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:11–13)

There was a loud, joyful shout from some people and loud weeping from others. Despite the celebratory occasion, some of the older Israelites mourned because they had seen the original temple (and they had also seen it destroyed). Each person’s history and experience shaped their reaction to this event.

It’s not unusual for God’s people to come away with different responses when he acts.

Surprise, Not Everyone Is Like Me!

When I have a strong reaction to something I expect others share my conclusions and enthusiasm. This is especially true when learning from God’s Word. I think everyone should be convicted in the way I’ve been convicted and focused on the same applications as me. I’m the center, and I’m the standard.

When I get some distance, I can see that my thinking is ridiculous. There is so much that determines how a Bible passage affects a person. Their background, interests, social circles, vocation, experience, and spiritual maturity all play a role.

I need to remind myself frequently that this is a good thing. My church would be boring and unbalanced if everyone took identical impressions and applications away from a Bible study, class, or sermon.

The Value of Application Questions

God works by his Spirit in large crowds with largely uniform responses. (The apostle Peter’s sermon at Pentecost seems to be an example of this.) But God also knows and works with each of us as a loving father trains his children individually according to their needs and disposition.

Bible study leaders can trust God to produce the fruit he wants in each Christian. We guide and lead our friends through observation and interpretation to understand the meaning of a passage, and we should press our friends toward application. But we cannot broadly dictate application to individuals.

This is one reason (among many) that I advocate for asking application questions. It may be better, through such questions, to suggest areas for our friends to consider than to list specific options. The Holy Spirit often helps us examine our lives in light of those questions, convicting and directing us.

Two people at the same study may come away with very different applications of a Bible passage. Bible study leaders can plant and water, but God gives the growth.

Context Matters: The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things

March 14, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that our hearts are deceitful, wicked, and sick beyond all cure. You’ve been taught that our desires should always be questioned and our impulses should always be doubted. Anything we want—because that want blooms in our heart—should be suspect.

This is no inspirational teaching, so you won’t spot it on posters or mugs. But I see this verse dashed into arguments like salt in soup. Are we using using this verse properly? When we learn to read the Bible like a book and not as isolated bullet points, we’ll see that some familiar phrases don’t mean all that we’ve always assumed.

The Immediate Context

The verse in question is found in Jeremiah 17:9. Here it is with some surrounding context.

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:5–10)

We first observe the connection between a man’s heart and his trust. A “man who trusts in man” is one whose “heart turns away from the Lord” (Jer 17:5). This man is cursed. In contrast, the man is blessed who “trusts in the Lord,” and from the structure we infer that his heart does not turn from the Lord.

This connection is essential to a proper understanding of this passage, and it is evident throughout Jeremiah’s prophecy as well. (More on this later.) This is also true in the larger context of the Bible—the heart is not primarily the origin of feelings; it is the control center for trust and worship.

We further see that the question asked in verse 9 (“who can understand it?”) is answered in verse 10 (“I the Lord”). Even if man cannot know his own heart, the Lord understands it well enough to treat everyone “according to the fruit of [their] deeds” (Jer 17:10).

Before moving on, we should examine the paragraph just prior to this passage. God is speaking, and he says that “the sin of Judah” is “written on the tablet of their heart” (Jer 17:1). The children of Judah have altars and Asherim (wooden idol-worship poles) “beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country” (Jer 17:2–3). Turning away from God involves both turning to other people and turning to idols.

The Broader Context

In Jeremiah 16, the Lord tells Jeremiah what he should say when others ask what sin the people have committed against God.

Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. (Jeremiah 16:11–12)

The primary way that God’s people rebelled against him in Jeremiah’s day was to forsake him, turning to and serving other gods. As we can see from earlier in this prophetic book, it is the people’s hearts that lead them astray.

The “people [have] a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.” They do not fear the Lord (Jer 5:23–24).
The people “stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them” (Jer 9:14).
“This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them” (Jer 13:10).

There are numerous other examples in the first 16 chapters of Jeremiah which mention Israel’s idolatry and turning away from God. (Most of Jeremiah 10:1–16 is a contrast between the Lord and idols, showing just how ridiculous it is to prefer idols over God.)

Conclusion

Modern Christians like to seize upon the word “heart” in Jeremiah 17:9; they point it as an accusing finger and waive it as a grand caution flag. But this verse was written to a particularly idolatrous people in a specific time. Jeremiah had exhorted them repeatedly about the tendency of their hearts to prefer other gods to the Lord.

This does not mean that 21st century Christians are exempt from warning in this passage. God’s people were led by their hearts away from him before, and the same can (and does!) happen to us. We also must watch our desires, our trust, and our security. But this verse does not teach that we must be suspicious of our every thought or emotion.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

The Dangers of Recycling Bible Studies

February 28, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

As a teacher, there is a huge difference between teaching a class for the first time and teaching a class for the second (or third) time. When I’m new to a class, I prepare each class meeting from scratch—the lectures, the discussion questions, the activities, and the assignments. It’s a lot of work.

When I teach a class that’s not new, I can breathe a little easier. I can anticipate the common pitfalls, I know which lessons need to be improved, and my previous notes serve as a starting point.

Bible teachers may feel this same way. When teaching a lesson they’ve been through before, they think preparation will be a breeze. I’ve thought this same thing. And those have been some of the worst studies I’ve ever led.

What’s the Danger?

The biggest danger with recycling Bible studies is assuming that gaining information is the most important goal in a Bible study. A leader can think that if they’ve saved their earlier notes, they only need to brush up on the particulars and walk a familiar path. Surely the truths in the Bible haven’t changed, so if the study worked last time, why change a thing?

A leader with this mindset is missing a vital ingredient of teaching the Bible. Effective Bible teachers must be transformed by the text. A Bible study should aim much deeper than a mere transfer of knowledge.

If there is too much time between when I wrestle with the application of a Bible passage and when I teach that passage, I lose much of the power of my transformation to help others. My friends cannot see as clearly how the passage has changed me, so their application may lack the teeth it otherwise would have had.

I’ve even experienced this on those rare occasions when I finish my Bible study preparation “too far” in advance. If I don’t revisit all parts of the lesson before the meeting, the discussion can be weak and tepid. I try not to use this as justification for procrastination, but I know that my studies are generally more lively and the learning more lasting when I complete my preparation within a few days of the meeting.

Should We Avoid Recycling?

I don’t think we need to draw a line in the sand and insist on preparing every Bible lesson from scratch. However, we need to take great care when taking “old” material to new settings. Here are some practices that might be helpful in reusing old Bible studies.

We should prayerfully consider using recycled material in the first place. We need to weigh the risks against the benefits and take time to minimize those risks. And, yes, all of this should not just be done deliberately, but prayerfully.

As much as possible, we should approach the Bible passage fresh. Even though we’ve previously studied the passage, we should read it several times and, without looking at our old notes, try to understand what the passage says. In some ways, we should consult our previous work as we would use study Bible notes or a commentary. (This is good motivation for making and preserving decent notes when preparing Bible studies!)

After we’ve gotten a good handle on the structure and main idea of a passage, we should turn to personal application. Remember, the most effective leaders are the ones who have been transformed by the passage they are teaching. We skip this step at great cost to ourselves and our Bible study group members.

One note here about application. It may be helpful to include details on personal application when writing our leader’s notes for a study. (We just said they might be valuable in the future!) But, we rarely encounter a passage the same way twice. We are different people from month to month, so our application will—and, likely, should—change. We may have different people in our lives, different temptations to resist, different challenges with which we need to trust the Lord. So, our notes from a previous study will describe how God changed us last time, but that won’t be as powerful as sharing how God is changing us now. (There is a similar lesson here for preachers about recycling sermons, but I’ll leave that for someone else to tackle.)

Seek the Spirit’s Warming

When we prepare to teach the Bible, we need the Spirit to warm us—to change us—by his word. And if we teach that material again in the future, we need to ask the Spirit to bring us close to the heat and transform us anew. This gives us the best chance to share the fire with our friends.

Essential Resources for Bible Teachers

February 14, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

When corresponding with a friend last month, I recommended some Knowable Word resources for teaching the Bible. In this short post, I’m sharing those same recommendations with you. (These recommendations were at the top of my mind because I use them frequently myself. We have many posts on the blog about teaching and leading.)

Classroom or Small Group Study

While not identical, these resources can be used to prepare for either a class or small group setting. My first two recommendations are series of posts which live at the core of this website.

When teaching the Bible, the first and most important step is to understand what the Bible is saying. This blog was created to help with this goal! Start with this page on OIA Bible study.

Because we want to help people lead Bible studies, we also have a series of posts dedicated to this sort of training.

Helpful Worksheets

When preparing to teach or lead a Bible study myself, there are two worksheets that I use regularly. (You can find these and more on our Resources page.)

Teacher Preparation Worksheet — Once I’ve studied a Bible passage, this worksheet helps me organize my thoughts and create a plan for the class or small group. It also reminds me to apply the Bible to myself as the most effective way to help my friends apply it. I explain all of the details of this worksheet in this post. (I have updated this worksheet since I first posted it so that it now matches our other worksheets in appearance. Quite fancy.)
Question Writing Worksheet — One of the keys to a good class or small group is crafting engaging questions. This is hard work! I introduced this worksheet in this post, which followed a series on how to ask good questions in a small group setting.

Teaching the Bible is a great joy. It is also a great responsibility, one which we should not take lightly. It is our hope at Knowable Word that these and other resources might help you in this noble work.

Context Matters: Righteous Deeds Are Like Filthy Rags

January 31, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Adapted from Erich Ferdinand (2010), Creative Commons

Perhaps you’ve heard that all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before God. You’ve been taught that God looks at our works and sees something unclean, a pitiful offering not worthy of his attention.

This phrase is often used to urge sinners to embrace Jesus’s work instead of their own for salvation. But is this a correct use of Isaiah’s words? When we learn to read the Bible as a book and not a loose collection of verses and phrases, we’ll see that some familiar sayings take on different meanings than we’ve always assumed.

No Salvation by Works

This memorable phrase comes from Isaiah 64.

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

I often hear this verse cited to emphasize the emptiness of pursuing salvation by works. The speaker usually comments on how the “polluted garment” may be the Old Testament version of a menstrual cloth—a vivid and effective image. (In my memory, this was an ingredient in the first presentation of the gospel to which I responded!)

The problem, as you may have guessed, is that this verse is often pulled out of context. And when that happens with this particular phrase, young disciples may be left questioning their efforts to obey God. If God views our deeds as bloody rags, why should we try to do anything righteous?

The Meaning of “Righteous”

How could God hate righteous deeds? We only need to look at the surrounding verses to answer this question.

You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? (Isaiah 64:5)

The first clause in verse 5 shows that God is not against every attempt at righteousness. Further, this helps us understand that the “righteousness” in Isaiah 64:5 cannot be the same as the “righteous deeds” in Isaiah 64:6. God cannot embrace what he calls unclean.

The “righteous deeds” of verse 6 must be ceremonial tasks (or something similar) done by those who have been in their sins a long time (Isaiah 64:5–6). God hates these deeds because they are not righteous at all.

God Our Father

Another key observation about this passage is how the Lord is being addressed. Yes, the people have sinned and turned away, but the prophet (on behalf of the people) is calling on God as “Father.” (This shows up twice in Isaiah 63:16, and also in Isaiah 64:8.)

The rebellion of God’s people can be so great that “righteous deeds” are like polluted garments. This would not be a surprise to Isaiah’s audience, as it formed the spine of his argument in Isaiah 1:10–17. God wanted offerings, incense, and assemblies to stop because the people did them in vain, with their hands full of blood. Going through the motions without love for the Lord is worthless.

God’s people were privileged to call him “Father,” and as their father he wanted their whole-hearted worship. Offering disjointed obedience to the Lord after being seduced by sin is offensive to the One who has been compassionate and merciful (see Isaiah 63:7–14).

In the modern church, the phrase about righteous deeds being like filthy rags is often used to persuade unbelievers. But in the context of Isaiah 64, God’s people are in view. Unlike unbelievers, they knew what righteous deeds were, but they carried them out with cold hearts.

The Dangers of Sin

There are several passages that could be used to instruct unbelievers about salvation by faith alone. That is a glorious truth, and the church should teach it! But we need not resort to pulling this colorful simile out of context to make the point.

The sobering truth of this passage is that God’s people can be deluded. We can chase after sin so much that our attempts to worship and glorify God are offensive to him.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Psalm 91: Salvation for Those Who Make the Lord Their Dwelling Place

January 17, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Some psalms are on everyone’s list of favorites. They contain evocative phrases and describe jaw-dropping promises.

Sometimes we love these psalms—or portions of these psalms—without looking at them carefully. Today we’ll take a close look at Psalm 91.

To Dwell and Trust

The first two verses of Psalm 91 function as a summary of the entire poem.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1–2)

For those that know and love the Lord, closeness to him is precious. Given the cause-and-effect in verse 1 (dwell in his shelter then abide in his shadow), the reader naturally wants to know, How do I dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

This question is answered at several points in the psalm, including in the following verse! In part, we dwell in God’s shelter by trusting him as our refuge and fortress (Psalm 91:2). This means we trust God for rest (as our refuge) and protection (as our fortress).

Deliverance from Snares and Fears

In Psalm 91:3–8 we read some of the implications of abiding in the “shadow of the Almighty.”

God will deliver from traps and disease (Psalm 91:3). Like a mother bird, he will protect his children (Psalm 91:4). Because he is our refuge, he will take away fear of attack and sickness (Psalm 91:5–6). Though tragedy may strike many nearby, it will not touch us (Psalm 91:7–8).

One quick observation. We can follow the structure of this psalm by paying attention to the pronouns. After the header (verse 1), the psalmist speaks to the Lord (“my God”) in verse 2. Then in Psalm 91:3–13 the author writes of God in the third person (“he”) and addresses a reader (or perhaps himself) in the second person (“you”). In the final section of the song, Psalm 91:14–16, the Lord speaks in the first person (“I”) and discusses a loyal follower (“him”).

No Evil Will Befall You

In the next section (Psalm 91:9–13), the psalmist continues to enumerate the blessings of being protected by the Lord. Yet the stakes (and the help) are not just more of the same.

In verse 9, the poet reiterates that God shows his goodness to those who have made the Lord their dwelling place. If that is the case, no plague will come near, and no evil will befall you (Psalm 91:10). Why? Because God will command his angels to take care of you (Psalm 91:11–12). Think how dear his people must be in order for the Lord to deploy his heavenly army for protection! (If you’re curious about how these verses are used by Satan to tempt Jesus, read this article.)

From scores of Bible passages we know that Psalm 91:10 is not a promise of an easy, curse-free life. The language of this psalm, particularly as it escalates in these verses, points us to eternal rather than temporal fulfillment of God’s promises.

This section discusses evil and angels, so the psalmist has not just earthly but cosmic conflict in mind. Verse 13 may pick up on that theme. A blessing of dwelling with the Lord is trampling on the young lion and the serpent (Psalm 91:13). So God may be enlisting his children (and foreshadowing the Lord Jesus) in turning back evil.

Blessings of Holding Fast to the Lord

In the final stanza of the psalm we read of God’s blessings from his perspective. We also have a fuller answer to our earlier question of how someone would dwell in God’s shelter.

God gives three indicators in these final verses of how to be blessed. Such a person must hold fast to God in love, he must know God’s name, and he must cry out to God in trouble (Psalm 91:14–15). In response, the Lord promises blessing upon blessing: he will deliver, protect, be with, rescue, and honor him. The final verse of the psalm is the culmination of all these blessings: “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16).

We must not forget Jesus as we interpret any portion of Scripture. To “hold fast” to God demands that we do so as he stipulates. And Jesus tells us that we must abide in him (John 15:4). The good news of the gospel of Jesus is that our blessings depend on his faithfulness, not ours.

Application From a Favorite Psalm

It’s easy to see why this psalm is a favorite. Especially for those who are fearful and those who need protection, God gives deep and sweeping promises. What is the psalmist’s main point?

There is salvation for those who make the Lord God their dwelling place.

What are some possible applications? For personal/inward application, I landed on some challenging questions. Here’s just one: Do I trust the Lord and treat him as my refuge and fortress? If I am failing to trust the Lord, it might be helpful to list as many reasons as possible—from the Bible and my walk with God—that he can be trusted to provide rest and protection. Remember, it is God’s faithfulness that is a shield for us (Psalm 91:4).

There are numerous outward applications as well. Our friends and neighbors may dwell in the shelter of many things aside from the Lord. Whether we have a Christian or non-Christian friend in mind, Psalm 91 offers a compelling argument to make “the Lord your dwelling place” (Psalm 91:9).

You Don’t Have to Read the Whole Bible This Year

January 3, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Priscilla Du Preez (2016), public domain

We’re at the beginning of another year, a prosperous season for the gym, diet supplement, and daily planner industries. Something about the beginning of January makes many of us reconsider the rhythms of our lives.

Along these lines, many churches and Christian organizations will suggest you consider a read-through-the-Bible plan at this time of year. This is a worthy goal and can be a fruitful practice. (We have our own Bible reading challenge underway!) But Christians have a tendency to turn this nourishing habit into something sour. Completing such a plan becomes a trophy for those who succeed and a source of shame for those who don’t.

Let’s state it plainly. Reading through the entire Bible in a calendar year is not a Scriptural command.

No Special Status

We must not lay extra-Biblical commands on one another. Reading the Bible is a glorious privilege; it is entirely worthwhile; it is revealing and convicting and strengthening and encouraging in ways we can barely imagine beforehand. But in the Bible itself we do not find any prescription for the amount we must read each day or year.

When I hear some Christians talk about annual Bible reading, I think there is a deeper issue here than mere Bible reading. To think there is a privileged status among the people of God for those who meet some arbitrary goal (or a second-class status for those who don’t) is a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel.

Those who belong to Christ are his fully and forever. Period. There is no inner circle. There are no merit badges. Your Bible reading record will not make God love you any more or any less. His love for his children is perfect.

The Role of Discipline

I am not advocating that, with respect to Bible intake, we should do whatever we want. Reading the Bible is a healthy practice and discipline is necessary part of Christian growth (1 Timothy 4:7).

Every redeemed person has an internal struggle—old man versus new, flesh versus spirit (Ephesians 4:17–24). As we grow in discipline we are increasingly able to nurture the spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13).

As we consider Bible reading for the upcoming year, we should be mindful that growth will likely require discipline. But the motivation for pursuing any goal is often more important than the goal itself.

Why Read the Bible?

Why do we read the Bible? Ten Christians might give ten different answers, and some of our motivations might lie far enough beneath the surface that we don’t see them.

Some read the Bible because they fear God’s displeasure. Others maintain their Scriptural practices to impress fellow Christians, to feel good about a regular habit, or to impress God. None of these are Biblical reasons for Christians to read God’s word.

When we consult the Bible about Bible reading, we find more carrot than stick. Instead of finding commands and regulations, in his word God describes the benefits of drawing near to him through the Scriptures. He entices us—he does not scold or scare us.

God’s word revives the soul, rejoices the heart, and enlightens the eyes. His rules are to be desired more than gold, sweeter than honey, and in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:7–11).
Consider the “blessed” man of Psalm 1. He delights in God’s law and meditates upon it day and night. He is fruitful, rooted, and prosperous (Psalm 1:1–6).
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2–3)
“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.” (Colossians 3:16)

This is just a sample. God wants us to read and study his word because it is good for us and for others to do so!

A Rich Opportunity

In our Bible intake this year, let’s reframe the enterprise. Instead of trying not to disappoint God, or trying to impress him or others, let’s consider the opportunity we have.

With every additional day God gives us, we have the chance to know him better, to learn about his character and his acts in history. We can study and delight in the glorious truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can learn to respond to God’s love for us with love for him and neighbor.

If that takes you all the way through the Bible this year, that’s wonderful! But if it doesn’t—well, that’s far from a failure.

The Overlooked Origin Story of Jesus

December 6, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

As the calendar flips to December, many Christian churches turn to the birth story of Jesus in their teaching and preaching. And though there are four Gospels, one is far underrepresented from the pulpit during this season.

Matthew and Luke both contain the narratives about Jesus’s birth, so the early chapters of these Gospels are in heavy rotation for sermons. We hear from the opening verses of John as well, as the lyrical description of Jesus as the Word made flesh practically jumps off the page. All the while, Mark’s Gospel seems to stay closed.

Beginnings Matter

Beginnings matter, particularly the beginnings of books of the Bible. There the author has the chance to frame their work and set up their argument.

For the sake of this article, let’s refer to “Act 1” of each gospel as all that precedes the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. What does Act 1 of each gospel look like?

In Matthew, Act 1 stretches through Matt 4:11, a total of 76 verses. There, we read Jesus’s genealogy (Matt 1:1–17), his birth (Matt 1:18–25), the visit of the magi (Matt 2:1–12), the flight to Egypt to avoid Herod’s murderous decree (Matt 2:13–23), John preparing the way for Jesus (Matt 3:1–12), Jesus’s baptism (Matt 3:13–17), and Jesus’s temptation by Satan (Matt 4:1-11). Along the way, a careful reader will notice just how much Matthew’s narrative is driven by fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

Act 1 of Luke is the longest of all, lasting until Luke 4:13, a total of 183 verses. After his dedication (Luke 1:1–4), Luke writes about the predictions of John’s (Luke 1:5–25) and Jesus’s (Luke 1:26–38) births, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and song of praise (Luke 1:39–56), John’s birth and his father’s prophecy (Luke 1:67–80), Jesus’s birth and the immediate reaction (Luke 2:1–21), Jesus’s presentation at the temple (Luke 2:22–40), his twelve-year-old venture to the temple (Luke 2:41–52), John preparing the way for Jesus (Luke 3:1–22), Jesus’s genealogy (Luke 3:23–38), and Jesus’s temptation by Satan (Luke 4:1–13). In these opening chapters, Luke shows how God’s blessing is extended beyond physical Israel.

Act 1 of John is shorter, only the first 34 verses of chapter 1. There we read of the Word made flesh (John 1:1–18) and the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:19–34). After this, Jesus calls his first disciples and followers (John 1:35–51) and then performs his first miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–12).

Compared to these accounts, Act 1 in Mark is miniscule, a mere 13 verses.

Act 1 in Mark

If you haven’t already read Peter’s excellent interpretive outline of Mark, by golly do so post haste. Mark’s aim throughout his Gospel is to show Jesus as God’s king. In the opening act of his book, Mark introduces us to Jesus so that we will see this king.

One of Jesus’s titles in Mark 1:1 is “the Son of God,” a royal title that looks back to 2 Samuel 7:12–16. This king has a long-promised messenger going before him, preparing the way of the Lord (Mark 1:2–3). This messenger, though looking a little rough, was in the wilderness baptizing, preaching, and telling of the glorious one to come (Mark 1:4–8).

Mark doesn’t spend a lot of time in character development. In the same way that John “appeared” (John 1:4), Jesus simply showed up and was baptized (Mark 1:9–11). No human backstory accompanies either man, and yet we do hear from Jesus’s father at his baptism. A voice from heaven calls him “beloved Son” and says “with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).

The Spirit that came upon Jesus at his baptism (Mark 1:10) then drove him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan (Mark 1:12–13). There is quite a cosmic hue to this initial chapter, as we read about the Spirit, Satan, and angels (Mark 1:13).

Finally, John was arrested and Jesus begins to proclaim “the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). Notice that Jesus is taking part of his preaching cue from John (compare Mark 1:15 to Mark 1:4).

Jesus’s Origin in Mark

The opening to Mark’s Gospel doesn’t make Advent sense. We don’t know what to do with a story that jumps so quickly into the action at a time where the church calendar says we should be learning to wait.

But because Mark’s is one of the four Gospels, this is one of the ways we should think about Jesus’s beginning. He had a royal herald smooth the way before him and let everyone know of his greatness (Mark 1:7). Jesus was anointed for his kingly mission with water and the Spirit, and he was declared the beloved Son of God, the king (Mark 1:11). He was victorious over the devil in the wilderness and ministered to by the angels (Mark 1:13).

Finally, at the end of Act 1 in Mark, Jesus himself sums up his origin story and his enduring message: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

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