Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 3

 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16–21 ESV).

 

It is essential to understand which came first of grace and free will. Reformers, following Paul in our reading today, emphasize that believers are a "new creation" in Christ, having transitioned from a worldly view to a spiritual one. Central to this is the doctrine of justification, where Christ takes on human sin in His death on the cross, allowing believers to receive his righteousness. It is a foundational text for the ministry of reconciliation, emphasizing the imputation of righteousness and God's initiative in reconciliation. In a famous sermon on Romans 8 that John Calvin later quoted, Augustine once preached:

 

“Yes, you act and are acted upon. And if you are acted upon by one who is good, then you act well. The Spirit of God who acts upon you is the helper of those who act. The name ‘helper’ indicates that you also do something… Grace does not destroy the will but rather restores it” (Sermon 156, on Romans 8:12–17, discussed memorably in Calvin’s Institutes II.V.15).

 

I have often used this principle when I teach people the difference between “I’ve got to do…” and “I get to do…” the will of God. Augustine again wrote: "To will is of nature, but to will aright is of grace". He emphasized that grace is essential for salvation and precedes all human initiative. The cross made this a possibility. Without the atonement Jesus made and thereby imputing His righteousness on to us, we would be as lost as Adam and Eve were after eating the forbidden fruit.

 

Still today we find ourselves wandering  through this great creation of our heavenly Father sewing together fig leaves to cover our nakedness and not realizing we have Jesus’ robe of righteousness that covers completely and perfectly. Listen to Augustine again: "O Lord, everything good in me is due to you. The rest is my fault …No greater gift has been bestowed by God". Dwell on that as we continue our walk to Calvary!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 2

 

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:1–9 ESV).

 

It is easy to be lulled into complacency when we think of the Cross of Christ. However, the Reformers, particularly Martin Luther, thought much differently. He viewed our reading today as a critical defense of justification by faith alone, highlighting that the Spirit is received through hearing the Gospel, not by works of the law. Luther argued that believers are justified through faith and that true spiritual life begins and continues by trusting in Christ’s finished work in His death on the cross. In his Lectures on Galatians (1535), he wrote:

 

“Therefore a man becomes a Christian, not by working but by listening. And so anyone who wants to exert himself toward righteousness must first exert himself in listening to the Gospel. Now when he has heard and accepted this, let him joyfully give thanks to God, and then let him exert himself in good works that are commanded in the Law; thus the Law and works will follow hearing with faith.”

 

The Christian faith has a central event that connects heaven and earth. That event is the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul understood the significance of the cross as being the main thing. The cross shows victory, forgiveness, power, and freedom. The Galatians had lost sight of the cross, so Paul reminded them “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” He then asked, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:1-2). The Galatians’ focus was on what they could do instead of what Christ had already done for them on the cross, and how the Holy Spirit could now guide them.

 

We must reassert our focus on what God has done on our behalf. The Gospel is of no effect if we are not both preaching it and listening to it. This is the only means of life!

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt. 1

 

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10–12 ESV).

 

We are but three weeks away from Easter. In these days I pray that looking through the lens of some of the great reformers we may be able to see the glory of this great gift God has given us through the work of Christ. The first of these takes us to our reading today and a quote from Thomas Brooks, who lived from 1608 to 1680. He was a prominent English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author known for his vivid, practical, and highly illustrative writing style. Often referred to as a "doctor of the soul," his works are celebrated for their deep spiritual insight and simple, accessible language that continues to influence Reformed thought today. He wrote in A String of Pearls the following:

 

“A believer’s inheritance, his glory, his happiness, his blessedness, shall be as fresh and flourishing after he hath been many thousand thousands of years in heaven as it was at his first entrance into it… There is a worm at the root of all earthly inheritances that will consume them in time. All earthly comforts and contents are but like a fair picture that is drawn upon the ice, which continues not; or like the morning cloud, that soon passes away. But a believer’s inheritance endures forever. When this world shall be no more , the inheritance of the saints shall be fresh, flourishing, and continuing.”

 

The Apostle Peter speaks of the things that await us as a result of our redemption as “things into which angels long to look” (v. 12). Can you imagine? That which is our gift because of the work of Christ are things the angels long to look at. These great celestial creatures who surround the throne of God have a desire to see these things because of their greatness. The Greek language is especially helpful here. Literally Peter writes the “eagerly peer into or study” the mysteries of the Gospel, specifically the salvation of humanity, the sufferings of Christ, and the subsequent glories. This signifies an intense angelic interest in God's grace, mercy, and wisdom in redemption, which they witness from an outside perspective. We have been given all of the benefits of that work of grace! That is the measure of God’s love toward us.

As your journey seems to be filled with difficulties and challenges, spend a moment and remember that which awaits you. It is so incredible, even the angels long to see it!

 

Joseph's Bones - Our Eternal Hope

 

So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Genesis 50:22–26 ESV).

 

At the end of his life, Jospeh makes his brothers swear an oath to “carry” his bones with them when they leave Egypt and return to the land God had given them. For many readers of this story this verse (v. 25) is almost ignored. Yet it carries with it one of most incredible examples of Joseph’s faith which gave him his unshakeable hope in the future. In fact, in Reformed theology, this verse is interpreted as a profound demonstration of faith in God's covenant promises and a rejection of settling in Egypt. John Calvin commented that this act signaled that the "eternal covenant" did not die with Joseph. It highlights that Joseph's hope was not in his position or comfort in Egypt, but in the future, greater fulfillment of God’s plan.

 

According to D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Joseph's direction to “carry his bones home” was an incredible declaration of faith in the promise of God. Even after living in the luxury of Egypt for years, Joseph’s heart was never truly there. His request to have his bones moved was a final, physical witness to his belief in God's promise to Abraham. Lloyd-Jones also emphasizes that Joseph died with absolute certainty that God would "visit" His people and deliver them, even if it took centuries. It highlights God’s sovereign governance. Joseph trusted that even though he died in a foreign land (Egypt), God’s plan to bring His people to the Promised Land remained certain.

 

What this means for us today is that whatever this world is, it is not our home. As much as we may have, or as little as we may have, it is merely temporary. We are being prepared to be taken to our eternal home by Jesus Himself.

NOTE: Full essay of this study is available by request (please email request to oldag71@yahoo.com). 

 

Joseph - the Great Reunion with His Father

 

He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. (Genesis 46:28–31 ESV).

 

It’s strange, but at the worst or best of times in their lives, people sometimes say, like Jacob, that they are ready to die. Earlier in his life Jacob had said he would welcome death because he had lost his favorite son, Joseph (cf. Genesis 37:35). However, though he mourned and mourned and refused to be comforted, Jacob did not die out of grief.

 

Now, reunited with Joseph and ecstatic to have this dear son in his arms again, Jacob repeats that he is ready to die. But this time, rather than grief, he expresses joy at having been reconciled to his sons, both to his son lost in slavery and to his sons who betrayed their brother.

 

Let’s note this tender moment: Joseph, so eager to see his father, orders his chariot to be prepared and races out to meet Jacob in Goshen. As soon as he arrives, Joseph wraps his arms around his aged father and weeps “for a long time.” What delirious joy! In this way, over 20 years of aching separation comes to an end.

 

Many of us have also struggled with aching separation in our lives. And the worst kind is separation from God. But that ended with the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. Jesus said it this way:

 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:1-7 ESV).

Joseph - Restoration Leads to Reward

 

When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’” (Genesis 45:16–20 ESV).

 

When redemption finally comes, it can surprise us with sudden blessings and delights. It’s as if there’s a cloudburst of goodness. The stream of healing renews everything along its course! We watch Joseph throw his arms around Benjamin. Then, with kisses of friendship and more weeping, he shows forgiveness to all his older brothers. And they talk with him, catching up on years of news about their families, and, of course, their father too. How sweet it is!

 

In addition, Pharaoh, whose country has been spared and even strengthened by God through Joseph, is pleased when he hears that Joseph’s brothers have come. His grateful heart pours out a cavalcade of bounty: the best of everything in Egypt suddenly becomes theirs!

 

Pharaoh also invites Joseph’s brothers to bring their father and all their families to Egypt. So, they head back to Canaan in wagons heaped with more surprises: clothing, grain, bread, provisions, and silver.

 

Can you believe that God’s blessings in abundance exist on the other side of repentance? What joy forgiveness and reconciliation can bring! It may be hard to imagine, but it’s true!

 

Joseph - Repentance that Leads to Restoration

 

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. (Genesis 45:4–15 ESV).

 

The repentant heart of Judah brings him to a beautiful conversion. In one of the most eloquent speeches in Scripture, he pleads with Joseph to accept him as a substitute—and to spare not only Benjamin but also the life of his aged father. Judah knows his father’s heart: if Jacob loses Benjamin, it could bring him to his grave in sorrow. So this once proud, now broken man sincerely offers up his life as a slave, to spare a favored son and a devoted father. What a change from the Judah who said they should sell Joseph, their father’s favorite, into slavery! Now he offers himself as a slave in place of the remaining favored brother, Benjamin.

 

Our reading today reveals a deeply emotional Joseph who finally tells his brothers his identity, forgiving them for selling him into slavery. This passage is significant in many ways. Perhaps one of the greatest of these is how Joseph sees God’s providence in using their actions to preserve life during the famine. He instructs them to bring their father, Jacob, and their families to Goshen in Egypt, for safety.

 

We should look at this carefully! Here we have another picture of the mission of Christ. This offer of Judah points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, who, knowing the Father’s ardent love for us, took “the very nature of a servant [slave]” (Philippians 2:7) — to rescue us from our slavery to sin and wondrously to spare his Father the unbearable grief of losing us, his dear children! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Is this not the great message of our celebration of Easter!