gospel

Empowering of the Holy Spirit

The prophet Ezekiel spent a considerable amount of time warning God’s people about the impending disaster of Jerusalem’s fall, but he also encouraged them by talking about the future hopes and trials that were coming (Introduction to the book of Ezekiel). After pronouncing judgments on the surrounding nations (Ezekiel 25-32), Ezekiel said the Lord GOD would seek out his people “as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered” (Ezekiel 34:11).

The LORD’s concern for his reputation among the nations caused him to take action to vindicate his holiness by implementing a new covenant that would change the people of Israel’s ability to do what he wanted them to. God said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Jesus promised his disciples the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before he was crucified. Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper. The Greek word that is translated Helper, parakletos (par-akˊ-lay-tos) means “an intercessor” (G3875). The Holy Spirit helps believers do what God wants them to, to walk in his statutes and obey his rules (Ezekiel 36:27).

Just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). Jesus was talking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit (G1411), the work of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for believers to obey Jesus’ commands and become more like Christ. “For Jesus, obedience is not optional. Jesus makes obedience the evidence of our love for him. Jesus knows, however, that obedience to his commands is so hard that it is impossible on our own. That is why as soon as he tells us we must obey as proof of our love for him, he promises a Helper in that obedience. One of the central functions of the Holy Spirit is to assist believers to obey Jesus (cf. John 14:21, 23)” (A Theology of Biblical Counseling, Lambert, p. 169).

The empowering of the Holy Spirit is necessary to know Christ and obey him. The Apostle Paul admitted his own lack of ability to do what Jesus wanted him to in his letter to the Romans. Paul said, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out…Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:18, 24). Paul identified the root cause of every believer’s problem with obedience in his letter to the Galatians. Paul said, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:17). Paul indicated the solution to this problem was keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Paul used the analogy of marching in military rank to illustrate the need for believers to conform themselves to the mind of Christ. Keeping in step represents submission of the heart to the Holy Spirit, the means of unity and harmony in the Church. As believers depend more and more on the Spirit, they are empowered by the Spirit to know more and more of the love and fullness of Jesus Christ himself (A theology of Biblical Counseling, Lambert, p. 171).

Dunamis, the miraculous power that the Holy Spirit imparts to believers, is “power in action” (G1411). Paul indicated that this power resides in the gospel and is what causes people to be saved (Romans 1:16). Jesus said his disciples would be his witnesses after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. We see this beginning to take place in Acts chapter three when Peter and John healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:1-10) and then, preached the gospel to all the people who came to see what had happened. Afterward, Peter and John were arrested and asked the question, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:7). It says in Acts 4:8 that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he replied, “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well” (Acts 4:10).

Peter and John’s boldness was a result of them being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Because Peter and John were depending on the Spirit to make them more and more like Christ, they were able to perform a miracle and to testify to the power of the Holy Spirit that was at work inside them (Acts 3:11-12). Paul understood that his own abilities didn’t do him any good when it came to telling others about Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Paul told the Corinthians that God had intentionally made him suffer to keep him from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

The punishment of eternal fire

The Bible makes it clear that God’s judgment is inevitable and there is only one way to escape punishment, humble yourself before God and receive salvation by faith (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Ephesians 2:4-10). James and Peter agreed that humbling ourselves before God is necessary because we have an adversary that wants to destroy us and the primary means he uses to do accomplish his purpose is pride. James said to, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7). Drawing near to God means that we worship him with a heart that is devoted to him above all else. In return, God helps us through the aid of his Spirit and grace (G1448).

The short book of Jude focuses primarily on the judgment of false teachers. “Both Peter and Jude were alarmed at the great number of false teachers that were being accepted in the churches…Serious apostasy, similar to the one of which Paul has spoken (cf. Acts 20:29-31), seems to have been prevalent in Jude’s day (Jude 1:4). Therefore, Jude urged these believers to ‘contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1;3)” (Introduction to Jude). What Jude likely meant by contend for the faith was to engage in spiritual warfare (G1864), to resist the devil and draw near to God. Spiritual warfare is often referred to as a contest or a struggle because it has to do with the destruction of the inner man’s affection for and devotion to God.

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians contained a brief description and explanation of the judgment that will take place at Christ’s coming and a reference to the Antichrist, whom Paul identified as “the man of lawlessness,” an individual who will oppose and exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Paul said of the coming judgment:

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10)

Paul said the purpose of God’s judgment was to inflict vengeance on those who do not know him or obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this instance, knowing God means to have a relationship with him (G1492). God’s vengeance is intended for those who have known about his free gift of salvation, but have rejected it because they don’t want anything to do with him.

Jude used several examples to convey the point that God’s judgment was meant for those who have consciously, intentionally rejected salvation. Jude said, “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 1:5). Jude connected God’s rescue of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt with Jesus and said that they were destroyed because they didn’t believe in him. Throughout history, salvation always has and always will be connected with Jesus sacrificial death on the cross. Jude indicated the reason people have rejected salvation was they didn’t believe that they needed a savior. They mistakenly thought they could redeem themselves or didn’t believe that sin of any sort would result in a punishment of eternal fire (Jude 1:7).

Jude concluded his discussion of the judgment with a quote from the apocryphal book of Enoch that referred to the second coming of Christ. This ancient prophecy indicates that Abraham’s faith came after God’s plan of salvation had already been revealed to mankind. Enoch prophesied, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed  in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage” (Jude 1:14-16).

The Greek word that is translated convict in Jude verse 15 is exelegcho (ex-el-engˊ-kho) which means “to convict fully, i.e. (by implication) to punish” (G1827). The root word elegcho means “to shame, disgrace, but only in Classic Greek. In the New Testament, to convict, to prove one in the wrong and thus to shame him” (G1651). When Jesus comes to execute judgment, there won’t be any dispute about who is guilty of sin. Jesus will execute judgment on all and will convict all the ungodly of all their deeds, “and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 1:15). In Revelation 20:15, the punishment of eternal fire is referred to as “the lake of fire” and Revelation 21:8 tells us that this is the second death. It states, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Turning back

The Apostle Paul said at the end of his life that he had fought the good fight, he had finished his course (2 Timothy 4:7). Not all Christians make it to the end of their course. Jesus said in his explanation of the Parable of the Sower that when tribulation or persecution comes into a person’s life, some fall away (Matthew 13:21). The Israelites were notorious for wanting to turn back after they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. Shortly before they crossed the Red Sea, it says in Exodus 14:10-12, “When Pharaoh drew near the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’” When they reached the Promised Land, the people rebelled again. It says in Numbers 14:1-4:

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

God responded to the Israelites lack of faith by making them wander in the wilderness for forty years. The LORD said the people had rejected the land that he wanted to give them and would therefore be punished for their sin (Numbers 14:32, 34). God said, “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:33). Later, the Israelites were sent into captivity for seventy years because they were not willing to repent and turn to God for forgiveness (Jeremiah 25:1-14).

Hebrews 6:4-6 focuses on the problem of turning back after a person has made a profession of faith. It states:

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

“This much-debated passage likely discusses unbelievers who have ‘fallen away’ (v. 6) by consciously rejecting the spiritual enlightenment they have received (v. 4). They had experienced a taste of God’s goodness (v. 5) and may even have been part of the assembly. They had given intellectual assent to the truth of Christianity, but their apostasy demonstrated that their professed faith was not genuine. In turning away from the sacrifice of Christ, perhaps to return to the Judaism they previously espoused, they rejected the only means of salvation that God has provided. Their deliberate apostasy was so severe that they could not be ‘restored’ (anakainizein [344]) to repentance. Judas Iscariot is an example of one who, although outwardly associated with the things of the Lord, ultimately chose to turn away” (note on Hebrews 6:4-6).

Restoring someone to faith after they have turned back is impossible because unbelief is a conscious decision to reject the truth of God’s word. The person understands the gospel and knows that it is true, but doesn’t want to repent and seek God’s forgiveness. The person’s decision is made evident by their behavior such as when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). Hebrews 6:7-8 explains, “For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”

The Apostle James warned believers against hearing the word of God and not doing what it tells us to. James said, “But be doers if the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For is anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25). Perseverance is the ability to stay near to God even when he is disciplining us or testing our faith. Jesus said that we must abide in him if we want to be able to produce fruit and receive God’s blessing. He stated, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:4-8).

The worthless shepherd

Jesus described himself as the good shepherd and said, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John10:11). Along with himself, Jesus identified another character who would interact with God’s people whom he likened to helpless sheep. Jesus said of this other shepherd, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1). Jesus indicated that the other shepherd would gain access to God’s people by climbing into the sheep pen by another way rather than using the door. Jesus said of himself, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). This comment suggests that the other shepherd will not be concerned with the salvation of people’s souls but will steal and kill and destroy by replacing Jesus’ gospel message with another form or means of godliness. Jesus told his followers to “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Jesus alluded to the other shepherd being a wolf when he said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them” (John 10:12).

The other shepherd that Jesus warned his followers about is mentioned in the book of Zechariah in the context of the Messiah, the coming King of Zion. Zechariah 9:9-17 predicts Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (cf. Matthew 21:4-7; John 12:14, 15). “Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the people’s rejection of him marked the end of Daniel’s sixty-ninth ‘week.’ Zechariah’s prophecy then continues with a discussion of the period of God’s dealing with Israel in the seventieth ‘week’ of Daniel. In the end times, Israel will no longer rely on military power but on the ‘Prince of Peace’ who will exercise worldwide dominion” (note on Zechariah 9:9-17). Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the other shepherd is recorded in Zechariah 11:15-17. It states:

Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.

“Woe to my worthless shepherd,
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm
    and his right eye!
Let his arm be wholly withered,
    his right eye utterly blinded!”

Zechariah identified the other shepherd as God’s “worthless shepherd.” The worthless shepherd is raised up by God to show the people of Israel the error of their ways. Zechariah 11:15-17 “is a description of the Antichrist that will come (cf. Revelation 13:1-10). The prophecy does not end, however, without revealing the doom of the Antichrist (v. 17)” (note on Zechariah 11:15-17). The Antichrist is referred to in Revelation 13:1-10 as “the beast.” It says in verses 5-8, “And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”

Daniel’s vision of the end times (Daniel 9:24-27) took place during the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the return of God’s people to the Promised Land after they had been in exile in Babylon for 70 years. “Daniel had been praying about the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the return of his people. God gave Daniel a time frame for all his dealings with Israel. The prophecy pertains to Daniel’s people and the holy city (Daniel 9:24), and the beginning of the prophecy’s fulfillment was marked by the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25). The seventy ‘weeks’ (Daniel 9:24) refer to years. Some biblical scholars suggest that the sixty-nine ‘weeks’ until the Messiah would come (Daniel 9:25) began with the decree that was issued to Nehemiah in 445 BC and ended 483 years later on Palm Sunday (based on 360-day years; see Revelation 11:3; 12:6; 13:5). The phrase ‘an anointed one shall be cut off’ (Daniel 9:28) is a reference to the crucifixion of Christ. There is likely a gap, a feature that is characteristic of some prophesies, between the sixty-ninth and seventieth ‘week.’ If this is the case, then the ‘prince who is to come’ (Daniel 9:26) refers to the Antichrist, who will make a treaty with the Jews and then break it (Daniel 9:27). Jesus stated that the ‘abomination of desolation’ (referring to Daniel 9:27) would take place at the end of the age (Matthew 24:15)” (note on Daniel 9:24-27).

Zechariah’s prophecy about the coming King of Zion preceded a prediction about the restoration of Judah and Israel and a discussion of God’s flock being doomed to slaughter. God said:

My anger is hot against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;
for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
    and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
From him shall come the cornerstone,
    from him the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
    from him every ruler—all of them together.
They shall be like mighty men in battle,
    trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. (Zechariah 10:3-5)

God’s reference to the shepherds in this passage has to do with the lack of spiritual leadership among his people. Ezekiel’s prophecy expanded on God’s condemnation of the shepherds of Israel (Ezekiel 34:1-10) and talked about Jesus’ ministry of seeking the lost, bringing back the strayed, binding up the injured, and strengthening the weak (Ezekiel 34:14-16). Ezekiel went on to talk about the LORD’s covenant of peace that would be established during the millennial reign of Christ. Ezekiel said, “They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 34:28-31).

Zechariah’s prophecy about the worthless shepherd indicated that Antichrist “does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs” (Zechariah 11:16). This suggests that the ones who are most vulnerable to Antichrist’s attacks are believers who are spiritually fat or rather, well-versed in the Scriptures. This was true of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, they knew the Scriptures backward and forward, and yet, they did not see their own hypocrisy in condemning Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands when they ate (Matthew 15:1-6). Jesus said to these men:

“You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:7-9)

Jesus explained to a woman he met at a well in Samaria that worship is not about where you are worshiping, but about who you are worshiping. Jesus said, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24).

Revelation 13:8 indicates there will be believers on the earth during the reign of Antichrist, but they will not worship the worthless shepherd even though he has been given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation (Revelation 13:7). It’s not clear whether these believers are among the 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel (Revelation 7:4) or are non-Jewish believers who are converted during the tribulation. It says in Revelation 20:4 that those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands were beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God. At the end of the tribulation, these faithful worshipers of God will be resurrected and will reign with Christ for a thousand years. It says in Revelation 20:5-6, “The rest of dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

A matter of the heart

The Bible views the heart in a much different way than we typically do. The first mention of the heart is in Genesis 6:5 where it says, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” What we think in our minds is important with regard to spiritual activity. If all we ever think about is evil, we will not be able to do what God wants us to. Jesus told his disciples, “Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:18-20).

Moses instructed the people of Israel to “love the LORD your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The Hebrew word that is translated heart, lebab (lay-bawbˊ) is “a masculine noun meaning heart, mind, inner person. The primary usage of this word describes the entire disposition of the inner person that God can discern…It is also used to describe the place where the rational, thinking process occurs that allows a person to know God’s blessing (Joshua 23:14); to plan for the future (1 Kings 8:18); to communicate (2 Chronicles 9:1); and to understand God’s message (Isaiah 6:10). Like the English usage, it often refers to the seat of the emotions, whether it refers to joy (Deuteronomy 28:47); discouragement (Joshua 2:11); comfort (Judges 19:8); grief (1 Samuel 1:8); sorrow (Psalm 13:2[3]); or gladness (Isaiah 30:29)” (H3824).

Deuteronomy 10:16 talks about circumcising the foreskin of your heart. Circumcision was what distinguished the Israelites from all other people. When God established his covenant with Abraham, he said, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:10-12). Moses later told the people of Israel, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).

Jesus used the illustration of a tree bearing fruit to explain the connection between our hearts and what comes out of our mouths. Speaking to the Pharisees, religious leaders who were known for their religious hypocrisy, Jesus said:

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)

The Greek word that is translated give account is logos (logˊ-os), which means “something said,” and in this instance refers to a discourse or conversation (G3056). Jesus indicated that God’s moral accounting system is based on our speech, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Justification means that you have a right standing before God. You are legally free from the guilt and the penalty of sin. “As a matter of right or justice: to absolve, acquit, clear from any charge or imputation” (G1344). John identified Jesus as “the Word,” logos, indicating that he is the moral standard by which our words will be judged.

Paul talked about God’s judgment in his letter to the Romans. Paul said, “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:12-16). Paul indicated that the work of the law is written on the hearts of believers. In other words, the scriptures that reside in believers’ hearts cause them to do what the scriptures state.

Jesus said in his parable of the sower (Luke 8:5-8) that God’s word, or as Paul stated, his gospel, is sown like seed in people’s hearts. Jesus explained:

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:11-15)

Jesus said God’s word must be held fast in our heart, or more specifically, lodged in our minds, for it to bear fruit. Another way of thinking about this is that we must first comprehend God’s word before it can be translated into action.

Paul argued that circumcision was of no value to the Jews if they did not obey God’s commandments. Paul said, “For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart by the Spirit, not by  the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. Being a Jew inwardly means that you are committed to living according to God’s word. This commitment is referred to as conversion and is our response to being regenerated by God or as Jesus put it, “born again” (John 3:3)

The book of Isaiah recounts God’s judgment of Israel and Judah and provides us with an example of how the whole world will be judged when Jesus returns. In Isaiah 29:13-16, the LORD said:

“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
    whose deeds are in the dark,
    and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
    “He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
    “He has no understanding”?

God said the people had turned things upside down by denying him as their Creator, and in a very little while he intended to intervene (Isaiah 29:17).

Paul rebuked the Romans because of their unrepentant hearts and said, “You are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). Later in his letter, Paul talked about salvation being available to everyone and encouraged the Romans to confess their sin and be saved. Referring them back to Deuteronomy 30:1-14, where Moses talked about God circumcising the people’s hearts, Paul asked, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:8-10).

Miserable comforters

Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to show him sympathy and comfort him (Job 2:11), but they thought Job’s suffering was punishment for sin (note on Job 11:1). The things that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar said to Job caused him to lash out against his friends (Job 16:11-17) and to declare, “miserable comforters are you all” (Job 16:2). The Hebrew word that is translated comforters, nacham (naw-khamˊ) is properly translated as “to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console” (H 5162). Nacham is also translated as to repent. “To repent means to make a strong turning to a new course of action. The emphasis is on turning to a positive course of action, not turning from a less desirable course. Comfort is derived from ‘com’ (with) and ‘fort’ (strength). Hence, when one repents, he exerts strength to change, to re-grasp the situation, and exert effort for the situation to take a different course of purpose and action. The stress is not upon new information or new facts which cause the change as it is upon the visible action taken.” The reason why Job said his friends were miserable comforters was because they were telling him things he already knew (Job 12:3; 13:2). Job’s friends weren’t helping him turn to a new course of action but were increasing his emotional grief and the brokenness in his heart (Job 9:28).

David wrote about a similar situation in his life in Psalm 69. David began this psalm by crying out to God for relief from his suffering. David cried, “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink deep into the mire, where there is no foothold; I have come to the deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God” (Psalm 69:1-3). David went on to say:

You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none. (Psalm 69:19-20)

The verse that follows these, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Psalm 69:21) pertains to Jesus Christ. All four of the gospels state that Jesus was given sour wine to drink while he was hanging on the cross (Matthew 27:48; Luke 23:36; John 19:29), although Mark refers to it as “wine mixed with myrrh” (Mark 15:23). John tells us that this was done to fulfill Scripture and occurred just before Jesus said, “’It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

It says in Hebrews 4:15 that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus knew that his disciples would struggle at times to make sense of what they were going through in their lives and would need help fulfilling the assignment of spreading his gospel throughout the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus told his disciples that they would be given “another Comforter” (John 14:16, KJV) that would dwell within them and would be in them (John 14:17). Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:25-26, KJV).

Jesus implied that he was his disciples’ Comforter when he told them he would give them another Comforter (John 14:16, KJV). Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach his disciples all things and would bring to their remembrance all that he said to them (John 14:26). Jesus spoke words of comfort to his followers throughout his three-year ministry. Jesus’ words were comfort to the disciples because they helped them to re-grasp the situation, and to exert effort for the situation to take a different course of purpose and action (H5162), which was to turn the world upside down with the message of the gospel (Acts 17:6). The Greek word that is translated gospel in Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 24:14 and 26:13, euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghelˊ-ee-on) means “a good message” (G2098). When the disciples preached the gospel in the book of Acts, it was identified as euaggelizo (yoo-ang-ghel-idˊ-zo) or “to announce good news” (Acts 8:12, 35; 10:36; 13:32; 14:15). It says in Hebrews 4:3 that the works of the gospel “were finished from the foundation of the world, but “those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:6). Disobedience means to disbelieve or “not to allow oneself to be persuaded or believe” (G544).

Job tried to convince his friends that they were wrong about his situation, but they would not be persuaded. These miserable comforters continued to berate Job until the LORD stepped in and “answered Job out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1). Chapters 38-42 of Job “record more than seventy questions that God asked Job. These questions were not given to answer the mystery of Job’s suffering or to vindicate God himself. They were intended to help Job realize that God’s ways are higher than man’s ways and that he is worthy of complete trust even in the most desperate of circumstances” (note on Job 38:1-42:6). Following the LORD’s discourse, Job concluded, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). The Hebrew word nacham, which was translated comforters in Job 16:2, is translated here as repent, indicating that the LORD was successful in his effort to comfort Job.

The power of darkness

Jesus framed his betrayal and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane as the exercising of authority. Jesus asked the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come out against him, “Have you come out against a robber with swords and clubs?” (Luke 22:52). The religious leaders were treating Jesus like a dangerous criminal, but he said to them, “When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me” (Luke 22:53). The chief priests and officers of the temple and elders wanted to put Jesus to death, but they feared the people (Luke 22:2). Jesus had become well-known among the Jewish people and his miracles were recognized as signs of his divine power (Luke 23:8). Jesus acknowledged the religious leaders authority when he said, “But this is your hour and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). The phrase your hour indicates that the authority of the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders was temporary and it had been given to them from the power of darkness. It says in Paul’s letter to the Colossians that God delivers believers from the domain of darkness and transfers them “to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). The Greek word that is translated domain, Exousia (ex-oo-seeˊ-ah) is also translated power in Luke 22:53. Exusia refers to “the power of doing something, ability, faculty…with the meaning of strength, force, efficiency” (G1849). Exusia also refers to the power of doing something or not doing something in the sense of “license, liberty, free choice.” Acts 26:18 associates the power of darkness with Satan. Jesus told Paul when he was on the road to Damascus, “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those to which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:16-18).

Jesus said that our eyes must be opened in order for us to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). From this we can assume that the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders were not aware that they were acting under the authority of Satan and had come out against Jesus because they actually believed he was breaking God’s law. Luke tells us that “Satan entered into Judas” and then, he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Jesus to them (Luke 22:3-4). Satan and the demons who follow him (Luke 8:32) have the ability to enter into people and take control of their bodies and minds (Mark 9:22; Matthew 16:23). In these kinds of situations, the power of darkness is in complete control of a person’s thoughts and actions. Jesus told Peter, “’Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.’ Peter said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death. Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me’” (Luke 22:31-34).

It says in Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The initial state of the earth when it was created was darkness. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God told his people, “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all things” (Isaiah 45:7). The Hebrew word that is translated calamity, ra’ (rah) means “bad or (as a noun) evil…This word combines together in one the wicked deed and its consequences. It generally indicates the rough exterior of wrong-doing as a breach of harmony, and as breaking up of what is good and desirable in man and in society. While the prominent characteristic of the godly is lovingkindness (H2617), one of the most marked features of the ungodly man is that his course is an injury both to himself and to everyone around him” (H7451). After God created the heavens and the earth, we are told in Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. The fact that darkness preceded light, suggests that it is was the combination of light and darkness that produced a good result.

The Apostle Paul viewed the interaction between light and darkness from a human perspective to be a struggle that he described as a type of spiritual warfare. Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Paul said that believers need to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Standing against the schemes of the devil means that we do not let him trick us into believing a lie. Paul identified six pieces of spiritual armor that enable believers to stand firm when the power of darkness confronts them: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17).

Jesus’ conversation with a man named Nicodemus led to a clarification of what it means to be born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Jesus went on to say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:16-19). Jesus later told his disciples, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). The Greek word that is translated light in this verse is phos (foce), which means “to shine or make manifest” (G5457). Jesus was speaking of himself as “the great Teacher and Savior of the world who brought life and immortality to light in His gospel,” but also, figuratively of “moral and spiritual light and knowledge which enlightens the mind, soul or conscience; including also the idea of moral goodness, purity and holiness, and of consequent reward and happiness.”

Jesus said “people loved darkness rather than light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). Typically, we don’t want our sins to be revealed to others because of the shame and guilt we will feel as a result of the truth being made known to them. Paul explained in his second letter to the Corinthians that preaching the gospel is like shining a flashlight into the darkness of people’s consciences, but sometimes people don’t see anything because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul went on to compare the gospel with the light that shined out of darkness when God first commanded, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). Paul said, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake. For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:5-6).

The scribes and Pharisees tried to convince Jesus’ followers that he was casting out demons by using the power of darkness against Satan’s own kingdom (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22). Christ answered the accusation that his power to cast out demons came from Beelzebub, the prince of demons be asking the question, “How can Satan case out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand .but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house” (Mark 3:23-27). With this statement, Jesus was making it clear that light and darkness do not come from the same source and that one has to overcome the other in order to prevail. Jesus encouraged his followers to overcome the power of darkness so that others could draw closer to God. Jesus said, “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light” (Luke 11:33-36).

Preaching the gospel

Mark’s gospel opens with a statement that sets the context for the rest of his message. Mark informs his readers that his message is about, “The beginning of the gospel Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). In other words, Mark was saying, this is how it all got started, we were told that the Son of God is here. Mark went on to talk about John the Baptist’s preparation for Jesus’ arrival (Mark 1:2-8), and then, recounted how John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Mark said:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11)

Mark indicated that it wasn’t Jesus who informed the people of Israel about his identity, but God himself who said, “You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11). Mark also clarified that it wasn’t Jesus’ story that was being told, but “the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). Mark stated, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Mark used the Greek word kerusso (kay-roosˊ-so) to describe what Jesus was doing. Kerusso means “to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel)…Especially to preach, publish, or announce religious truth, the gospel with its attendant privileges and obligations, the gospel of dispensation…’To preach Christ’ means to announce him as the Messiah and urge the reception of His gospel” (G2784). Kerusso is translated as both preached and proclaiming in Mark chapter one. Jesus’ brief message, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15), suggests that there was a simple formula for accepting Christ as one’s Savior, “repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark’s gospel is the most simple and direct of the four gospels. Mark seems to cut to the chase and doesn’t waste any time trying to convince people of the truth. Mark just states the facts and then, lets people draw their own conclusions.

Mark briefly described what a typical day for Jesus and his disciples probably looked like in Mark 1:35-39. Mark stated:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus indicated that he came out in order to preach the gospel. The Greek word that is translated came out, exerchomai (ex-erˊ-khom-ahee) is derived from the words ex “denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds)…primarily meaning out of, from, of, as spoken of such objects which before were in another, but are not separated from it, either in respect of place, time, source, or origin” (G1537), and erchomai “in the sense of to come forth before the public” (G2064). This seems to suggest that it was necessary for people to see Jesus, who was described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as “the image of God,” in order for the gospel to be preached.

Paul explained in his second letter to the Corinthians that the gospel is veiled or hidden from those who are perishing. Paul stated:

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:2-6)

Paul referred to the devil as the god of this world and said that he has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). The mind is where perception comes from and is what makes it possible for us to think and plan our activities. Without our minds, we wouldn’t have the ability to understand the world or people around us. When Paul said that the devil has blinded the minds of unbelievers, he meant that the devil could skew their perception by making them conceited, proud, arrogant; unaware of their need for a Savior.

Matthew’s gospel tells us:

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30)

Jesus said no one knows the Father except the Son, “and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). The Greek word that is translated chooses is boulomai (booˊ-lom-ahee). Boulomai has to do with exercising the will, being willing to do something (G1014). The Apostle Peter indicated that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV). Therefore, it can be assumed that the rest of Jesus’ statement is an explanation of how people get to the point of repentance. Jesus said that we must 1) come to him, and that we must 2) take his yoke upon us, and 3) learn from him; and then, Jesus added as a word of encouragement, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

The harvest

In spite of Jesus’ attempts to keep his supernatural work under wraps, his fame was spread abroad throughout the countries surrounding Jude’s during his short three-year ministry by those who were healed of their various diseases, disabilities, and demon possessions. It says in Matthew 9:30-31 that on one occasion, after Jesus restored the sight of two blind men, he “straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it,” but, instead these men departed and “spread abroad his fame in all that country.” According to Matthew’s record of Jesus’ ministry, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35). It’s not surprising that Jesus became famous since there were no sickness or disease he couldn’t heal, but that wasn’t the purpose of his ministry. Jesus wanted people to get saved. He wanted them to believe his message about God’s kingdom and receive eternal life.

Jesus referred to the end of the world, or the time when the saved and unsaved would be separated for eternity, as the harvest. Speaking of this, it says in Matthew 9:37-38, “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” The Greek word translated labourers, ergates (er-gat’-ace) means a toiler and is used figuratively to describe someone that teaches God’s word (2040). Referring back to Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-8), God’s word is like seed that is scattered throughout a field and lands on different kinds of soil. The seed that lands on good soil brings forth fruit, “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:8). The connection between the fruit and the labourers is that fruit cannot harvest itself. God’s word needs to be studied and discussed in order for it to become or stay alive within us. It seems as though the harvest could be an ongoing process that continues until we enter into eternity. Otherwise, there would have been no need for labourers when Jesus was still on earth.

One of Jesus’ primary objectives in spreading the gospel was that it taken to the whole world. There seems to be a connection between his message being fully dispersed and the timing of the harvest. In his explanation to his disciples of the parable of the tares of the field (Matthew 13:36), Jesus said, “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end this world” (Matthew 13:37-40). The Greek word translated end, sunteleia (soon-tel’-i-ah) means entire completion (4930). When the effect of Jesus’ message (salvation) has spread throughout the entire world, then Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth will be completed and the opportunity for people to be saved will no longer exist, and as Jesus stated, “there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew13:42) by those that rejected him.

Follow me

At the start of his ministry, Jesus chose several men to accompany him as he traveled preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. It seems likely that the first two men that followed Jesus were Andrew and John. It is recorded in John 1:35-37 that these men were originally disciples of John the Baptist, but began to follow Jesus after John declared him to be the Messiah. After spending only one night with Jesus, Andrew was convinced that he was who he claimed to be and invited his brother to become Jesus’ disciple also. John 1:40-42 states, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

Matthew’s account of Andrew and Peter’s calling focused on the forsaking of their work as fisherman. He said, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20). The Greek word translated followed, akoloutheo is used as a particle of union and refers to a road. Akoloutheo is properly translated as “to be in the same way with” or to accompany on a road. In other words, Andrew and Peter went with Jesus on his road trip. Matthew went on to say that Jesus also called James and his brother John, “And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:22). Matthew, who was a tax collector, later recorded his own calling by Jesus, and said of himself, “he arose, and followed him” (Matthew 9:9).

Jesus’ calling of Philip and Nathanael didn’t focus on the forsaking of their occupations, but merely showed that they were available and interested in God’s kingdom. The only thing John told us about Phillip was that he was from Bethsaida, the same city where Andrew and Peter lived (John 1:44). After Jesus said to him “Follow me” (John 1:43), it says in John 1:45-47, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Jesus comment was intended to show that Nathanael’s skepticism was appropriate and that his followers needed spiritual discernment in order to identify him as their Messiah. After this revelation, Nathanael proclaimed, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:49).