Some thoughts on "Crucifying the Flesh"

What did Jesus mean when He told His disciples to crucify their flesh? From the start of Jesus' ministry, He told His followers to stop what they were doing, leave their home, deny their old ways, and follow Him whole-heartedly. He told the tax collector to stop gathering the taxes and follow Him; He told the man that wanted to bury his father to let the dead bury their own but for him to follow. These are just two examples of Jesus essentially telling them to pick up their cross and follow Him. Jesus repeats this same statement through the N.T., in Matthew 16:24, and Mark 8:34 for example. His message was to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, to choose life (Him) over death (sin). He walked out an example for all of us as He fasted and prayed, did not give in to the tempting of Satan, and was crucified on the cross. In the garden of Gethsemane He prayed that the Farther would "take this cup" from Him but proceeded, "not my will but Yours be done" (Matthew 26:39). Jesus did not want to suffer, He did not want to die, but He crucified His flesh (because He was both humanity and divinity) and fulfilled His purpose by carrying His cross. Jesus was telling us to not allow our fleshly desires to rule us and sway us, but to crucify (kill) those things inside us that draws us away from Him. Jesus came to tear the veil separating us from God, and wanted all of His disciples (including us) to know that the only thing that would separate us is our own sin. He made a way to the Father through Him, but we still have the choice to allow sin to separate us from God. I believe He was saying, "Carry your cross- lay down the self that separates you from me, and pursue your God given calling. Each step you take away from your own ambitions will draw you closer to me." I do not view it as Jesus telling us to let go of the "fun things" in life, but rather Him wanting us to find true joy in life by following closer to Him and going on adventures with Him. What if the disciples did not follow Jesus? Would they have seen the lame walk, the blind see, or the dead raised? Probably not. Would they have been able to receive the Holy Spirit by staying in Jerusalem for Pentecost, like Jesus instructed, if they told Jesus to take a hike upon telling them to leave all that they knew to follow Him? Certainly not. Sure being a fishermen for the rest of your life isn't all that bad right? It pays the bills, puts food on the table and fills your time, but is that all you want for your life? The disciples were probably happy where they were, but they knew deep down there was more for them. The natural skill was just the beginning, but Jesus took their ability to catch fish and expanded it to fulfill the purpose of the kingdom by being fishers of men. Jesus took His followers on adventures and He wants to do the same with us, if only we would let go of the things of this world and follow Him. Daniel talks about in the last days we will do adventurous exploits. Maybe I am just more inclined to jump in when I hear the word "adventure" but I do not want to miss the signs and wonders, and miracles because I did not want to pick up my cross- let go of what others might think, let go of what satisfies my wants and needs, and follow Jesus. I believe deep down we all want to go on an adventure, so what are you waiting for? Don't let the temporary flings that the world offers take you away from the everlasting glories that Jesus has and still is offering. Pick up your cross and follow the man that leads to kingdom adventures! Yes, I mean now!

The Kingdom of God Is Like:

Below is a paper I wrote for my New Testament Bible course. God gave me some great revelation for this paper and I wanted to share it! Enjoy! :)

The Kingdom of God Is Like

            In this essay, I will discuss the different aspects of the kingdom of God. We will look at the teachings of Jesus concerning the nature of the kingdom as well as the role He played in bringing it forth.

            In the article, “And Finally...the Kingdom of God Is Like This…” Tame encourages students to take practical life occurrences; even ones unrelated to the kingdom of God and describe it with a correlating feature. This is seen to enable one to realize more aspects of the kingdom of God in light of the world around them (Tame, 2005). With the subject in mind, and the world of experience at ones fingertips, metaphors that describe an aspect of the kingdom of God can form very quickly. One example given in her article is the constant process of reading a computer manual to better understand how to operate it properly. If one desires to know the full capacity of a computer, a great deal of constant studying must take place. The same is true to the kingdom of God, one must study the aspects presented in scripture to understand all that it holds (Tame, 2005). Jesus revealed so much of the nature of the kingdom of God while on Earth. He displayed the foundation upon which the kingdom was laid, the material to which it was built, and the décor that filled its courts, so to speak. Jesus reveals that God is the foundation and His word is what holds up the walls (John 1). Moreover, the virtues of a servant’s heart for the lost filled the inner parts of the kingdom, which made it strong (Luke 19:10).         

            Duling points out in his article, “The Kingdom of God in the Teaching of Jesus” one way to see the kingdom of God is as a “tensive symbol” (Dennis, 1982 p. 10). What Duling is saying is that the kingdom cannot be condensed, or expressed in simple terms. The kingdom of God can only be explained by the example set by Jesus Christ. He explained the kingdom of God in many parables, and was a living representation of the kingdom. In his article, “Messianic Ethics: Response to the Kingdom of God” Wiebe lists three important ethical principles Jesus displayed to the Jews. He covers the ethics of fulfillment, the ethics of repentance, and the ethics of community. The first speaks of the new possibilities of the kingdom, one not strictly about following the law but the importance of relationship with God and the outflow of the relationship being obedience to His commands. The second speaks on the importance of repenting of the sins of their hearts not merely the actions of their hands. Lastly, he talks about the importance of one believing in the proclamations of Jesus and spreading it to the community so others might believe (Wiebe, 1991). The kingdom of God is wanting those desiring a relationship with their Creator, repenting of the sin of their hearts, and believing whole-heartedly. Not stopping there but igniting a spark in the people around them so that they will believe and be saved as well.  

Jesus teaches that He is the provider in Matthew 15 with the bread and fish; He also taught how to heal when the blind came and they could see, the lame could walk, and the mute could speak again in His presence. He gave the signs of error in Matthew 16, warned about sin in Matthew 18, and revealed the power of forgiveness when one is repentant in John 7. These are all pictures of how Jesus desired His people to walk in authority and not allow obstacles such as self-righteousness in works, sin, and un-forgiveness to keep you from the kingdom of God. All His acts, everything that He taught revealed the servant-hood of the kingdom. The kingdom of God was about giving not taking, bringing life, and destroying death. Niswonger points out in his book, “New Testament History” that the Gospels dedicate a fair amount of text to the week that Jesus is crucified (Niswonger, 1988). This tells even more that the kingdom of God is one that serves, by giving on behalf of the world. Jesus died so that humanity might live free from the payment of sin and the separation from God. After Jesus is raised from the dead, He again walks amongst His people and serves them once more before leaving. Presenting himself to His disciples, He exemplified to them that He is The Rock. The diamond is the rock of rocks, and the significance in a diamond is that nothing except itself can penetrate it. Jesus taught that in order to enter the kingdom of God one must believe in Him and only through Him could one find God. He gave His own life, raised Himself from the dead, and returned to the Father all on His own accord. Just as a diamond is the only way to enter into another diamond, Jesus is the only way to enter into the kingdom of God.    

In conclusion, the kingdom of God is not one that can be explained in simple terms, yet can be seen in all aspects of life. Jesus revealed that the kingdom of God and the role He played, as the Messiah was one of servant-hood. Jesus came as a living representation of the kingdom of God to humanity and revealed that He was the door to the kingdom.  

Reference

Duling, D. C. (1982). The Kingdom of God in the teaching of Jesus. Word & World, 2(2), 117-126. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000791249&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Niswonger, R. (1988). New Testament History. United States of America: Zondervan Publishing House.

Tame, K. (2005). And finally … The Kingdom of God is Like this …. Expository Times, 116(7), 252. doi:10.1177/0014524605052454 http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=19459087&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Wiebe, B. (1991). Messianic ethics : response to the kingdom of God. Interpretation, 45(1), 29-42. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000835299&site=ehost-live&scope=site

The Beginning of You:

Is it enough to say you are clean 

Because water has touched your skin, 

Or is purity of heart the real sign of cleanliness?

Is it enough to claim your guiltless just 

Because your hands remain sinless, 

Or are thoughts of the mind the initial action?

Is it enough to believe you are strong 

Because you do not feel weak,

 Or is strength only found in the arena of fault?

Is it enough to feel alive

 Because you are still breathing,

 Or does true life only sprout from death? 

Jesus taught that outward rituals do not prove righteousness.

Nor does the appearance of knowledge tell of ones understanding.

Lip service appeases the ears of the hearer, 

But Jesus desired a closeness of heart.

Even if your hand did not commit a crime, 

If felt in the heart the deed was done. 

Jesus taught that He is the strong foundation

The steady rock that could not be moved.

Remain in me, and I in you...

Steer clear of the traps set before you 

And cling ever more to me when you fall.

Life and Death.

Before you is a choice...

Choose Life.

For Death has been defeated.

Life is what became of one dying innocently.

 

My plea is this-

That as I follow in His footsteps

Life would sprout from each blow 

That draws me closer to the 

End of Me

And the 

Beginning of You!