What’s the Point?

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” -Isaiah 6:3

Good evening son,

You and I recently had a conversation about the battle between good and evil. We discussed how in recent years, evil has become more noticeable and more aggressive, if only in the headlines we read and how we’ve experienced it in this country, at least compared to what used to be not that many years ago. What I experienced fifty years ago and what you experienced twenty five years ago, is nothing compared to what your children are facing and will face today and in the future. During our conversation, I mentioned that Satan and God both desire our worship, and that this battle between good and evil is the result. You then asked, rhetorically I imagine, “What’s the point?” The short answer is, that in and through it all, God receives glory.

King Solomon struggled with the same question, and wrote about it in the book of Ecclesiastes. After he’d asked what’s the point or why, over and over again, he concluded that everything in this world is vanity, or meaningless, but at the very end of the book he wrote this, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) Since I’ve had time to ponder your question, here’s a longer answer with a bigger picture view as I understand it. To better understand this battle, you must first recognize the difference between the spiritual world, of which you’re familiar, and the physical world, in which we live. One being eternal and one being temporal.

Because of John’s writings in Revelation, we get a glimpse of how things are in that spiritual realm and how they ought to be here. Taken to heaven in the spirit, John wrote of what he saw there, of how all creation, constant and never ceasing, gives glory and honor and praise to the God of the universe. All creation, all living creatures, giving him who sits on the throne, glory and honor and thanks. Why? There are two main reasons. One, because of who God is:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

God has no beginning, no end. He is. Time was invented for our benefit. With God, there is no time. As he told Moses to tell the sons of Israel on whose behalf he was sent, “‘I AM has sent me to you.'” God has always been and will always be. There is only one Lord God Almighty, and he has existed forever.

The second reason God deserves all honor and glory and praise is because of what he’s done:

“Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

So, God created everything, for his glory. All the stars and planets and universes and solar systems, and every living thing, including and especially humans, he created. For his glory. Although there are many verses in scripture that describe God’s glory in creation, Paul sums it up well in Colossians 1:16. Speaking of Jesus, who was there at creation, Paul says, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” We have no problem worshiping, praising, honoring, adoring, rock stars, athletes, movie stars, and British royalty, simply because they can dunk a basketball or sing or act, and yet, how much more should we honor the God of all creation? The whole earth declares his glory, so why is it so hard for humans? I’ve described the good, all things God, but what about the evil? It is that evil which explains the answer to the previous question of why humans struggle so much to declare God’s glory.

Evil started in heaven, with that being we call Satan or Lucifer or the devil. At one point, Satan wanted to make himself equal with God, to steal some of God’s glory. Here is how Satan is described in Isaiah 14: 12-15:

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.”

God said this to Isaiah the prophet, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.” And because Satan tried to steal God’s glory, he was cast out of heaven. Here is how it is described in Revelation 12:7-9:

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

So, even though Satan was cast down to the earth, his desire for glory was not satisfied. His first act, after God had placed his creation in the garden, humans made in his image, was to corrupt Adam and Eve by deception and lying, as Satan is the father of lies. He questioned Eve as to what God had instructed her about eating from the tree in the middle of the garden and what would happen if she did, and then deceived her with the big lie, “You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And thus, sin entered into the world, separating man from God. And Satan continues to deceive man, in an effort to destroy him. He knows his eventual destination, hell, and wants to take as many humans with him as possible. Satan brought to earth all death, destruction, sickness, sorrow, pain, and suffering. All evil belongs to him.

Paul describes the spiritual world, and the ongoing war, in Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This battle rages all around us. The book of Job gives a glimpse into how Satan tries to turn humans away from God, and how he can only do as much as God allows him. And yet, after all Satan did to him and his family, Job did not lose his integrity and sin against the Lord. And through it all, God was glorified. And after a few thousand years of Satan corrupting the earth and man, God placed himself in the middle of it all, in the form of his Son, Jesus Christ, to solve the issue once and for all, to reconcile man back to himself. And what did Satan do? He tempted Jesus by offering him all the kingdoms of the world if he would just worship him (Matthew 4). But Jesus resisted. And when Jesus hung on the cross, Satan thought he’d won. But because of the resurrection, Satan and death were defeated, and Satan no longer has the power over man that he once did. We no longer have to fear the one who can destroy the body, but cannot destroy the soul.

So, what about America in the year 2024? Why is evil so prevalent now more than in the past. Jesus talked about what happens when a demon is driven from a man in Matthew 12:43-45, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through dry places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.” Year after year, more Americans turn away from God and go their own way. I believe a nation is much like that demon possessed man described by Jesus. As the nation turns away from God, his Spirit is quenched and loses its influence, and the resulting void is filled by evil spirits. We can see it happening all around us. A nation once filled with Christians, serious about their faith, a people who once gave glory to God, who once worshipped him and honored him, no longer do, and the country isn’t the same.

And in the midst of it, Christians suffer. Much like they have for centuries. Paul wrote to the Philippian church, encouraging them to, prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world... (Philippians 2:15) If we do, this too will glorify God.

Paul also wrote in Romans that our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God. Put another way, without evil, we wouldn’t know good. Apart from God, mankind cannot do good. Apart from God, man has no morals. It is only because of God’s influence that we aren’t living in a dystopian hell on earth. But as mankind chooses to turn away from God, as he has so many times throughout history, Satan becomes emboldened and evil flourishes.

So, what does it all mean? What’s the point? The end of the story has been written. Jesus will return and Satan will be cast into the abyss for 1000 years and then into the lake of fire and brimstone, to be tormented forever more (Revelation 20). And those who choose Satan over God will join him there. However, those who choose the Savior of the world, Jesus, will reign with him forever in God’s presence, in heaven. Meanwhile, Satan tries to deceive as many people as possible. And every time a sinner repents and gives his life to the Lord, God is glorified. And every time anyone resists the devil’s temptations, God is glorified. And when a man lives a life of integrity, as Job did, not letting Satan deceive him, God is glorified.

Paraphrasing your brother, this life is just preparation for a destination. The sad truth is, each of us chooses his own destination. God does not force us to give him glory and worship him, he gives us free will, but he does force us to choose. Over time, God has demonstrated who he is, good. Satan has demonstrated who he is, evil. The choice is stark. It isn’t ambiguous. And when someone chooses Jesus, God is glorified.

That’s the point, my son.

 If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also enjoy my book, Pondering God.

The Director

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players;” -William Shakespeare

A Story

With production nearing its final stages, the director gathers all the actors and crew together to review his final checklist. Surrounding him are men and women, in costume, ready to perform. With script in hand, he barks out commands and shouts questions, ensuring all the players know their lines and everything is in its proper place.

At one point, the director claps his hands and shouts into his megaphone, “I need to see all the soldiers first. Come on, all you Roman soldiers gather around.” Several men, wearing helmets and breastplates, with swords and spears in hand, circle around the director. “Okay, men. We’ve already been over the scene where you arrest Jesus, but I want to finalize a couple of the other scenes. So, when Jesus is in custody, awaiting trial, what are you men doing?”

One of the soldiers speaks up. “We’re to give him a beating.” Some of the men laugh, but quickly silence themselves when they receive the director’s angry glare.

Temporarily chastened, the soldiers stand around and wait, while the director flips through his script, reading the minute details, and then says, “Yes, that’s the gist of it. You give him a beating, but that’s not all. It says right here you’re to mock him, spit on him, strike him in the face…” He pauses as he reads further. “And it also says you’re to pluck out his beard.” Moans are heard coming from the soldiers. The director shakes his head and thinks, Pluck out his beard. That’s rough. He refers back to the script and continues, “Oh, hold on. Before you do all that, you must first scourge him.”

One of the soldiers says, “What’s a scourge?”

The director says, “You know, one of those whips with bits of stone embedded in the tips. It’s designed so that when you whip him with it, the sharp pieces rip his skin as each stroke of the whip is retrieved. The script says that his appearance must be marred. Can you gentlemen make sure his appearance is marred?”

In unison, all the men cry out, “Yes, sir!”

The director continues, “Okay I think we’ve got that down. So, the next scene is when he’s on the cross. Do we have a cross?” Someone in the back affirms there is a cross. The director reads more of the script. “It says here, he’s to be with criminals in his death. Do we have any criminals scheduled for crucifixion?”

One of his assistants says, “Yes, sir. There are two criminals scheduled for death on the same day.”

“Perfect! Okay then, we’ll have the two criminals hanging on either side of him. That will make a nice shot as the sun goes down in the background. Now, there’s one last scene for you men. When Jesus hangs on the cross, there are several things you must do. First, after hanging in the hot sun, he’s going to be thirsty and want something to drink. You’re to give him vinegar.”

One of the soldiers says, “Vinegar! Why vinegar?”

The director glares at the man, while slapping the script against his leg. “Because the script says so, that’s why!”

Noticing one of the men holding a spear, the directors says to him, “At some point, you take your spear and thrust it into his side. And make sure there’s plenty of spilled blood.”

One of the other men says, “We’re supposed to break his legs, too.”

The director shakes his head. “No, no, no. You don’t break his legs.”

The man hangs his head and says, “But why? We always break their legs. It helps speed up the dying process.”

The director says, “I don’t care what you always do, it says right here, no broken bones.” There’s a bit of mumbling, and as the men begin to disperse, the director says, “Oh, and one last thing,” as he grabs three stragglers, “I want you three men to cast lots for his clothes. Got it?” The three men nod their heads and the soldiers all fade into the crowd.

The director then calls out on his megaphone, “I need to see Judas.” When Judas arrives, the director says, “Now, you’ve been chosen to betray Jesus. How will you go about it?”

Judas says, “Well, I planned to go directly to the chief priests and the elders and offer to betray Jesus into their hands, for a price of course. I’m going to ask for a king’s ransom, since they seem determined to arrest him.” The director listens to Judas while reading the script at the same time. “You can ask for whatever you want, Judas, but it says right here, they’re only going to offer you thirty pieces of silver.” Judas, disappointed, shuffles off to await his big moment.

The director then calls out, “I need to see the disciples.” Once the disciples are gathered around, the director says, “Now, when Jesus is arrested, I want you men to scatter and hide from the authorities. And from that moment on, you’re to observe from a distance. You’re all afraid. Got it?” Peter starts to say something, but John elbows him, and Peter remains silent. The disciples all nod their heads and shuffle away.

The director now calls out, “I need to see the crowd. Those listed on the script as “members of the crowd,” please report to me now.” A few minutes pass and when the director is surrounded by a crowd of extras, he says, “You people have a couple of crucial scenes. First, when Pilate brings Jesus out and presents him to you, all of you are to shout out, “Crucify him!” repeatedly. Whatever Pilate says, you repeat that line. And do so vehemently, as if you despise him. This needs to sound authentic.”

One man in the crowd raises his hand. The director says, “What?” The man says, “Why should we despise him? He never did anything to us, except heal us and feed us and teach us. Why should we hate him without cause?”

Exasperated, the director flings his script onto the dusty ground. “You don’t need a reason to hate him! You people will do exactly as the script says. You’ll gnash your teeth and scream for his death, like those who despise the man. This is a crucial scene and I need everyone to feel the emotion. Do you understand me?” The crowd mumbles their assent.

The director continues, “Now when Jesus is hanging on the cross, you are to mock him and jeer at him and say, ‘Save yourself! You said you’re the Son of God, come down off that cross.’ And then add, ‘He trusts in God, let Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him.'” And looking to his left, he says, “You two criminals, while hanging on the cross, you’re to join in with the crowd and say the same things they’re saying.” The two criminals shrug their shoulders and nod their heads.

After several meetings, the day is nearly done. But the director still has one more player to meet. Jesus. Before he raises his megaphone to call out for him, Jesus is already standing before him. “Oh, it’s you. I assume you don’t have any questions, but I thought I would go over your scenes with you before the call to action. You don’t have many lines, but let’s run through this together, shall we?” Jesus nods. “So, when you are arrested, you offer no resistance, and when you’re brought before the authorities, you don’t defend yourself, but remain silent. And you have several key lines when you’re on the cross. Are you comfortable with your lines?” Jesus nods again. “Oh, and don’t forget, on the third day there will be some of your followers coming to the tomb. You must be gone before they arrive. Are you ready for this?”

Jesus, with a far away look in his eyes, says, “Your will be done,” and then turns and walks away.

The director, standing alone now, says, “I never heard a man speak like that man.”

All the players are now in their places, and as the director sits in the director’s chair, he’s confident that things will unfold exactly as he’s planned. Surveying the scene one last time, he raises his megaphone and shouts, “Action!”

Just outside of Jerusalem, a crowd of people line the road, waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Just then the director jumps out of his chair and shouts into his megaphone, “Cut! Cut! Cut! People, Jesus can’t enter Jerusalem on foot. This is his grand entrance. Who forgot the donkey?”

*The scenes in this story were all pre-written (the script), hundreds of years prior to the birth of the Messiah, with most of the prophecies coming from Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, but also from Zechariah and others. God, the Director, and Author of the script, left nothing to chance. Everything that happened surrounding the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, was by design. Nothing was accidental. As we celebrate Easter week, let each of us remember that the resurrection of Jesus is the culmination and fulfillment of all scripture. And because of God’s eternal plan, we who have placed our lives in Jesus’ hands have hope for a future. An eternity with God and His Son. And if you want to know the rest of God’s plan, I encourage you to read the script.

If you enjoyed this piece, you might also enjoy my book, Pondering God.

Cognitive Dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance: occurs when a person believes in two contradictory things at the same time.

I recently heard a sermon preached from the book of Hebrews that briefly touched upon this verse: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” -Hebrews 4:15

Him being tempted like we are, makes Jesus, our high priest, relatable to the common man, you and me. If he had sinned, he couldn’t be the perfect sacrifice for our sins and redeem us; he would be as flawed as we are. On the other hand, if he wasn’t tempted in all things as we are, our sin couldn’t be held against us and we might rightly say to him, “If you would have faced all the temptations I have faced, you would have sinned just like me.” However, he was tempted, just like us, and he didn’t sin, unlike us.

And then the preacher dropped in this verse from James: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” -James 1:13

This is where the speaker ran into trouble. How can this verse agree with the verse from Hebrews? If Jesus is God in the flesh, how was he tempted by sin, if God can’t be tempted? Are these two verses contradictory? The preacher did his best to explain it away and intimated that Jesus was tempted like we are in some ways, making the statement appear generally true. Which still doesn’t explain the meaning of the verse. So, here are the two questions to be answered: 1. Was Jesus God? 2. Was Jesus tempted in all things as we are?

First, was Jesus God? Through the testimony of many eyewitnesses, from the prophecies of long ago, and from the mouth of Jesus himself, we know that Jesus was both fully God and fully man.

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” (John 10:30) and “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8). He also said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:11) His miracles alone proved his deity.

And referencing a prophecy from Isaiah, written more than 700 years before his birth, is this passage from Matthew: “Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet (Isaiah 7:14) might be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.'” (Matthew 1:22-23)

“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus (or Joshua, from the Hebrew root meaning, “the Lord is salvation“), for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

“…For that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)

This testimony from one of the twelve apostles, “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

There are plenty of more verses from scripture that speak of Jesus’ deity, but I will stop here. In summation, if Jesus were merely a man, I wouldn’t worship him, nor would I place my eternity in his hands. As it is, I do, and I have.

Moving on to the second question. Was Jesus tempted in all things as we are? Let’s see from scripture.

In Matthew chapter four, we see Satan (described as the tempter) tempting Jesus to test God. Taking him to the pinnacle of the temple, Satan urged Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.'” Later, the tempter came at Jesus again and tempted him by promising him all the kingdoms of the world, “…if You fall down and worship me.” In each instance, Jesus did not give in to Satan’s temptation.

In the garden Jesus was tempted to thwart God’s will “…if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me;” but did not succumb to the temptation, “…yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” In front of Caiaphas and Pilate, Jesus was questioned and tempted to lie, knowing that if he said what these men wanted to hear, he would save himself. And yet he told the truth. While being arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, he was tempted to seek revenge and release, “Or do you not think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” And yet he allowed himself to be arrested.

Of course, Jesus wasn’t tempted by pornography, but as a man, he was tempted by those things that have always tempted mankind. Satan is strategic, and we’re not all tempted in the same way, but if I place myself in Jesus’ shoes (sandals in this case), I can see where he was likely tempted sexually; Jesus was often surrounded by women, some of them immoral (Mary, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery), who were physically (“…she began to wet his feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with perfume” -Luke 7:37-38) and emotionally (Martha and Mary when Jesus raised their brother Lazarus from the dead -John 11) intimate with him; he was tempted to lose his temper in anger and revenge (who wouldn’t be, after being mocked, beaten and spat upon); he was tempted by wealth, power, pride; in all things tempted as we are, and yet without sin. He was tempted in the flesh (fully man), but overcame temptation in the Spirit (fully God).

Paul talks about the battle between the Spirit and the flesh in many of his writings, but this passage from Galatians 5:16-18 sums it up well: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” Jesus, fully God (Spirit) and fully man (flesh) was led by the Spirit and walked by the Spirit, and because of this, he did not give in to the desires of the flesh.

I’ll share one other thought on this; if God can’t be tempted, in the person of Jesus, as we are, then God surely cannot die. Yet Jesus did die (in the flesh) but he overcame that as well (by the Spirit).-Romans 8:11

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my book, Pondering God.