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John

John, the son of Zebedee, and one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ is thought to have been the author of this book. His gospel is different by nature from the other three. It is an interpretation of the facts of Jesus’ life rather than a presentation of its facts in historical sequence. His purpose in writing is unique, as is his interpretation of the life of Jesus. He emphasizes the deity of Jesus, as well as focuses on the words “signs” (miracles), “believe”, and “life”. John’s gospel is evangelistic and written so others might believe. He also writes for the believers that they may be sanctified, as he speaks of the promise of the Holy Spirit, the truth that Jesus is the True Vine, and Simon Peter’s denial and restoration. Most think this was the last gospel to be written, perhaps while the “beloved disciple” of Jesus Christ was at Ephesus about A.D. 85.

John 1

1:1-5 The Word
1:6-18 The true light
1:19-34 The testimony of John the Baptist
1:35-51 The first disciples

John 2

2:1-12 The miracle at Cana
2:13-25 Christ cleanses the temple

John 3

3:1-21 The new birth
3:22-36 John the Baptist testifies of Christ

John 4

4:1-23 The Samaritan women at the well
4:24-42 “God is a Spirit”
4:43-54 Christ heals a nobleman’s son

John 5

5:1-16 The pool of Bethesda
5:17-38 The Son’s relationship with the Father
5:39-47 “Search the scriptures”

John 6

6:1-14 Jesus feeds five thousand
6:15-21 Christ walks on the water
6:22-30 Teaching in Capernaum
6:31-65 “I am the bread of life”
6:66-71 Peter’s confession

John 7

7:1-53 Christ causes division

John 8

8:1-11 Jesus forgives an adulteress
8:12-30 “I am the light of the world”
8:31-47 Abraham’s true descendants
8:48-59 “Before Abraham was, I am”

John 9

9:1-41 Jesus heals one blind from birth
John 1010:1-21 “I am the good shepherd”
10:22-42 “I and my Father are one”

John 11

11:1-16 Jesus raises Lazarus
11:17-46 “I am the resurrection, and the life”
11:47-57 The Pharisees fear Christ

John 12

12:1-11 Mary anoints Jesus
12:12-19 Christ enters Jerusalem
12:20-50 We would see Jesus

John 13

13:1-20 Jesus washes his disciples’ feet
13:21-30 Christ foretells his betrayal
13:31-35 The new commandment
13:36-38 Peter’s denial foretold

John 14

14:1-14 Jesus the way to the Father
14:15-31 The promise of the Holy Spirit

John 15

15:1-17 The vine and the branches
15:18-27 The hatred of the world

John 16

16:1-3 Jesus warns of persecution
16:4-15 Jesus speaks of leaving and coming Comforter
16:16-24 Sorrow to turn into joy
16:25-33 “I have overcome the world”

John 17

17:1-26 Jesus prays for his own

John 18

18:1-14 The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
18:15-18 Peter denies Christ
18:19-27 Christ before the high priest
18:28-37 Christ before Pilate
18:38-40 Christ sentenced to die

John 19

19:1-15 Crucify him!
19:16-30 The crucifixion
19:31-37 Jesus’ side pierced
19:38-42 The burial of Jesus Christ

John 20

20:1-10 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

20:11-18 Christ appears to Mary Magdalene
20:19-23 Christ appears to his disciples
20:24-31 The unbelief of Thomas

John 21

21:1-14 Jesus appears to seven disciples
21:15-19 “Feed my sheep”
21:20-25 The beloved disciples

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How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1993. 265 pages, softcover.

Critiqued by Kathy L. McFarland

Fee and Stuart’s book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth guides the beginning Bible student into the world of exegesis and hermeneutics in a practical approach that encourages a deep study of Scripture. It confronts a popular but faulty approach to the modern-day interpretation of Scripture that focuses upon philosophical analysis to make existential significance of Scripture to today’s world that is changing the definition of hermeneutics from a systematic study of the principles of interpretation of Scripture.[1] These “new hermeneutics” confuse the definition and encourage a man-centered interpretation allowing society to change the meaning of the Word of God.[2] Fee and Stuart’s book counteracts that error-prone hermeneutical interpretation effort as it guides students of the Bible with a progressive development of solid study tools that are designed to orientate readers to Scripture themes in each Book, then offers advice and tools in navigation with exegetical and hermeneutical context that provide a solid foundation to base Scripture interpretations upon.

The modern-day faulty approach to hermeneutics is tamed by the authors as they separate the exegesis of Scripture from the second process of hermeneutical analyses; this narrows the definition of hermeneutics considerably and provides a solid foundation for Scripture interpretation to occur. Fee and Stuart’s division of the hermeneutical processes into two parts allows exegesis to determine what was said back then with an analysis of the original intent of the author and only then apply the hermeneutics examination of its connection of God’s Word to the here and now.[3] Their approach to good exegesis requires the reader to carefully read the text and then form the right questions to fully understand context (historical and literary) and content (common meaning and grammar) to evaluate a good translation of Scripture text properly.[4] Then the hermeneutic efforts of interpretation are ready to be applied to a foundational truth-filled exegetical analysis of Scripture that contributes to application development from good interpretation from its meaning. This gives students of the Bible opportunity for applying the Word of God with a better understanding and obedience to Scripture, as well as placing the significance of its results in present-day applications that are separated from the examination of the role of the author and original readers.[5]

The nature of the Bible as being the revealed, inerrant Word of God given to human beings in their language creates a tension between the eternal relevance and its historical particularity.[6] While the original authors wrote specific words for a certain time, they were writing those words through the inspiration and direction of the LORD God; it is He that chose to express eternal truths in common vernacular words with a connection to particular circumstances in human history.[7] These eternal truths remain valid today, and give application to Christians’ lives when the words are evaluated with full attention paid to the author, the audience, and the purpose of words delivered to a specific people in specific times for specific purposes. According to the Fee and Stuart, that process follows exegesis, and progresses into hermeneutics, to give surety to the application of God’s Word with modern day understanding, association, and connection that was given to mankind through forty inspired authors in a 1500 year period from the time of Moses of the Old Testament to the times of the Apostles Paul and John of the New Testament era.

It is the full examination of the different genres that leads the reader on the path of hermeneutical application taught by Fee and Stuart to encourage the reading of the Bible and then living His Word. They fully develop their exegetical hermeneutical process through the detailed examination of the character and God’s intentions concerning the Epistles (pg. 55-88), Old Testament Narratives (89-106), Historical writings (107-126), the Gospels (127-148), Parables (149-162), Laws (163-180), Prophets(181-204) , Psalms (205-224), the Wisdom Books (225-248), and Revelation (249-264). They also offer comparisons concerning the different translation choices (33-54) with a bias toward their preferred TNIV translation, and a handy appendix that evaluates both Old and New Testament Commentaries (265-275).

Epistles

Scripture epistles are difficult to interpret, according to Fee and Stuart, because of their occasional nature that answers problems of an audience that the modern-day interpreter might be unaware.[8] The effective tools developed by them to address this epistle issue are to examine the historical event through contextual evaluation with a Bible dictionary and commentary, followed with a reading and re-reading of the letter.[9] A literary evaluation should then be performed through a focused examination of paragraphs within the epistle to determine their specific reason for being written.[10]

Fee and Stuart believe this controlled exegesis is beneficial because it relies upon context within the document, without the need to go outside of the epistle to determine meaning of the specific words and ideas.[11] But, this benefit seems unclear since a consultation of historical commentaries is recommended before the exegesis of the specific literary contexts of the epistle. It seems the exegetical analysis would be more effective if the reverse were applied; first, attention paid to the Scripture according to its words, sentences, and then paragraphs, with a consultation of historical accounts to supplement the questions developed in the word study from the start. Also, their diversion from specific word meanings to paragraph exegesis might remove the likelihood of the deeper things of God from discovery by placing the epistles into a category of merely historical letters without the supernatural revelation of God contained within them.

Accordingly, the authors appear to recognize the deficient position of analyzing epistles through the lens of an occasional document; thus, they form rules that make real sense to focus upon the meaning of text to the original audience, and keep that meaning throughout the exegetical process when the same meanings that are shared in modern-day.[12] But, those rules do not prevent exegetical mistakes especially in the case of extended application in situations that are not shared with the original receivers of the letter that live in a different culture than us.[13] So, Fee and Stuart throw out any sense of extra-revelatory Scripture in the epistles, questioning its veracity by concluding that any extended application alone might not be the Truth of God.[14]

Narratives

Fee and Stuart define the most prevalent genre of narratives in Scripture as “powerful stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present.” With this definition in mind, they identify three levels of narrative within Scripture, identified as the metanarrative that deals with the universal plan of God through creation, the narrative of the first covenant that God made with His chosen people, and then the first level narrative that combines them both.[15]

Once again, Fee and Stuart remove any sense of mystery from the exegesis of narrative Scripture; they reject hidden meanings within narratives and the connection of narratives to moral lessons.[16] They encourage the interpreter to be aware of the implicit teaching of the narrative that contains elements that are explicit elsewhere in Scripture.[17] The consideration of the narrative as a story with scene, characters, dialogue and scenes is beneficial to the interpreter, but, Fee and Stuart warn against the common errors of allegorizing, decontextualizing, selectivity, moralizing, personalizing, misappropriation, false appropriation, and false combination.[18] Most important to Fee and Stuart’s technique of exegesis is the avoidance of consideration that the Bible narrative was specifically written about you[19] thus possibly restricting the possibility of the Word of God speaking to a person’s heart through the moving of the Holy Spirit by just literally stating the facts.

Historical

The historical Book of Acts follows the same hermeneutical goals as the narratives in Fee and Stuart’s assessment with an important assumption that unless Scripture explicitly tells us to do something, we cannot assume that it is so.[20] However, some of their general principles in evaluating the Book of Acts address the condition of relationship that exists between a believer and His Spirit that can reveal an inspired message that is not of primary doctrinal significance that is explicitly stated in Scripture.

It is in Fee and Stuart’s careful explanation of the difference between primary and secondary doctrinal issues that holds some room for the teachings of the Holy Spirit to inspire believers through the Word of God; but, admittedly, Fee and Stuart take great care in avoiding the act of interpretation based upon this personal religious insight.[21] In that regard, the authors develop specific principles to govern valid illustrative, experience, and repeated patterns experienced through Christian relationship with God that connect with His Word, with strict guidelines of accountability first and foremost to literal Scripture reference.[22]

Gospels

The four Gospels of Jesus Christ were written by four different men that were not connected with each other in their writings, yet they are harmonized in their presentation. A horizontal reading with historical context and literary contemplation is encouraged by Fee and Stuart, with a vertical reading that considers both Christ and the evangelist as each playing an important part in the accounts. [23] They encourage the same cautious exegesis based upon a literal, historical evaluation with the Gospels as they do for the evaluation of narratives; their tools used for Old Testament Scripture analysis work just as effectively with the teachings of Christ. But there is one important detail that must be noted; the Kingdom of God and Christ’s relationship to it must be understood fully if the full Truth of God is to be realized.[24]

Parables

The parables are unique in hermeneutical interpretation because of their nature that presupposes the original audience understood exactly the meaning through their immediate connection to them. Fee and Stuart surprisingly recommend a retelling with modern inclusions to have the same type of impact they had on their original audience.[25] They also stress the nature of parables that always portray the Kingdom of God through Christ’s teachings, and important point that must be heeded when interpretations of parables are undertaken.[26]

Other Genres

Fee and Stuart have prepared reliable tools and cautions for the hermeneutical application through careful exegesis of the Laws, Prophets Psalms, Wisdom Books, and Revelation. Each genre demands a different approach in some of their unique aspects; however, as a whole, the tools used for the Epistles, Narratives, and Gospels apply equally to them. Fee and Stuart encourage the use of careful exegesis based upon historical and literal examination of the original author’s intentions to deliver a specific message to a specific people for a specific reason in a specific time.

Conclusion

Fee and Stuart have developed specific tools to guide interpretation of Scripture with scientific precision in order to discern the intentions of God through the authors of His Word to their audiences. These tools are excellent for determining the literal meaning of Scripture, a necessary act if the Truth of God is to be known. However, Fee and Stuart are weak in their explanations of the contribution of the Holy Spirit within a believer to guide interpretation to greater depths that bring the mysteries of God to light. Probably, there are no tools that can be developed in this regard, since the relationship between a believer and their LORD God is governed by the Holy Spirit on a very individual basis. Fee and Stuart wisely approach the interpretation of Scripture by developing tools that can be used consistently and correctly by readers of the Bible without need of additional theological instruction and training.

If the Bible is read for all it’s worth, based upon the tools provided by Fee and Stuart, it is unlikely that there will be error within Scripture interpretations. It is also unlikely that you will have a Spirit filled journey of deep learning and experience the Mysteries of God that permeate His Inspired Word and await the Holy Spirits infusion into the mind and heart of the Believer, if their tools are used without relationship with Him. But, mere humans cannot make rules for that supernatural process since it is controlled by God alone. So, Fee and Stuart seem to have gone as far as they can in offering the best tools for the hermeneutical expression of the Word of God in the modern-day lives of believers, with careful exegesis rules and repeatable steps towards applying the Word of God in today’s Christian walks based upon sure exegesis of Scripture.

Bibliography

Fee, Gordon D., & Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, Robert L. Hubbard. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2004.

Shealy, Brian A. “Redrawing the Line between Hermeneutics and Application.” Master’s Seminary Journal 8, (1997).

Footnotes

[1] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2004), 6.

[2] Brian A. Shealy, “Redrawing the Line between Hermeneutics and Application,” Master’s Seminary Journal 8, (1997): 83-105.

[3] Gordon D. Fee, & Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 23.

[4] Ibid., 23-29.

[5] Ibid., 29.

[6] Ibid., 21.

[7] Ibid., 22.

[8] Ibid., 58.

[9] Ibid., 59-62.

[10] Ibid.64-67

[11] Ibid., 67.

[12] Ibid., 74-75.

[13] Ibid., 76-87.

[14] Ibid., 76-77.

[15] Ibid., 91.

[16] Ibid., 92.

[17] Ibid., 92-93.

[18] Ibid., 103-105.

[19] Ibid., 105.

[20] Ibid., 119.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid., 123-125.

[23] Ibid., 135-139.

[24] Ibid., 145.

[25] Ibid., 160-161.

[26] Ibid., 162.

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Luke

Luke was Paul’s physician and one of his missionaries and the author of one of the four Gospels contained within the Word of God. He writes with the Greek mentality in his view points. His writings are distinct and specific in the recording of events, and he is thought of by many as a true historian of his time. Although he was not an eyewitness to the gospel events, he had access to both the actual eyewitnesses and the writings concerning the things of Jesus Christ. He expertly recorded and preserved the facts of Christ, as he laid the factual ground and gave meaning to these events. Luke stresses the perfect plan of the LORD GOD and the connection between Israel, Christ and the church. He puts special emphasis on the salvation of the faithful, and he gives special attention to women, children, the poor and the disreputable. He stresses the Holy Spirit, both in the life of Jesus and the early church. In his exact and commanding way, Luke covers the suffering and death of Jesus Christ in detailed writings, and presents God’s saving Will and Works to the “Gentiles” and “Greeks” of the world.

Luke 1

1:1-4 Introduction
1:5-38 The birth of John the Baptist foretold
1:39-45 Mary visits Elisabeth
1:46-56 The Magnificat
1:57-66 The birth of John the Baptist
1:67-80 Zechariah’s prophecy

Luke 2

2:1-7 The birth of Jesus
2:8-20 The shepherds and the angels
2:21-24 The presentation in the temple
2:25-40 Simeon and Anna give praise
2:41-52 The boy Jesus in the temple

Luke 3

3:1-20 The preaching of John the Baptist
3:21-22 John baptizes Jesus
3:23-38 The genealogy of Jesus

Luke 4

4:1-15 The temptation of Jesus
4:16-30 Jesus teaches in Nazareth
4:31-44 Jesus heals many in Capernaum

Luke 5

5:1-11 The miracle of the fishes
5:12-15 Jesus heals a leper
5:16-26 Who can forgive sins?
5:27-29 Jesus calls Levi
5:30-39 The scribes and the Pharisees question Jesus

Luke 6

6:1-11 Jesus and the Sabbath
6:12-19 Jesus chooses the twelve
6:20-26 The Beatitudes
6:27-36 Love for enemies
6:37-42 Judging others
6:43-45 A tree is known by it’s fruit
6:46-49 The house built on a rock

Luke 7

7:1-10 Jesus heals a centurion’s servant
7:11-18 Jesus raises a widow’s son
7:19-35 John the Baptist asks about Jesus
7:36-40 Jesus is anointed by a sinner
7:41-50 The parable of the creditor

Luke 8

8:1-3 Jesus ministers widely
8:4-15 The parable of the sower
8:16-18 The parable of the candle
8:19-21 Christ’s true kin
8:22-25 Christ quiets a storm
8:26-40 Christ casts out demons in Gadara
8:41-56 Christ raises Jairus’ daughter, heals a woman

Luke 9

9:1-6 The twelve are to preach and to heal
9:7-9 The death of John the Baptist
9:10-17 Christ feeds a multitude
9:18-22 Peter’s great confession
9:23-27 The terms of discipleship
9:28-36 The transfiguration
9:37-56 Lessons for the disciples
9:57-62 Tests of discipleship

Luke 10
10:1-16 Jesus sends forth the seventy
10:17-24 The return of the seventy
10:25-37 The parable of the good Samaritan
10:38-42 Martha and Mary

Luke 11

11:1-13 Jesus teaches about prayer
11:14-28 A divided house cannot stand
11:29-36 Greater than Jonah
11:37-54 Christ denounces the Pharisees

Luke 12

12:1-12 Whom to fear?
12:13-21 The parable of the rich fool
12:22-30 Care and anxiety
12:31-40 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”
12:41-48 The unfaithful servant
12:49-59 Peace or division?

Luke 13
13:1-5 Repent or Perish
13:6-10 The parable of the barren fig tree
13:11-17 Christ heals a woman on the Sabbath
13:18-19 The parable of the mustard seed
13:20-30 The parable of the leaven
13:31-35 Christ laments over Jerusalem

Luke 14

14:1-6 Jesus heals a man with dropsy
14:7-14 Christ teaches humility
14:15-24 The parable of the great supper
14:25-35 Counting the cost

Luke 15

15:1-7 The parable of the lost sheep
15:8-10 The parable of the lost coin
15:11-32 The parable of the lost son

Luke 16

16:1-18 The parable of the dishonest steward
16:19-31 The rich man and Lazarus

Luke 17

17:1-6 Jesus teaches forgiveness
17:7-10 The servant’s duty
17:11-19 Christ heals ten lepers
17:20-37 When will the kingdom come?

Luke 18

18:1-8 When will the kingdom come? (continued)
18:9-14 The parable of the Pharisee and the publican
18:15-17 Jesus receives children
18:18-30 The rich young ruler
18:31-34 Christ foretells his passion
18:35-43 Christ heals a blind man

Luke 19

19:1-10 Jesus and Zaccheus
19:11-27 The parable of the ten pounds
19:28-40 Christ enters Jerusalem
19:41-44 Christ weeps over Jerusalem
19:45-48 The cleansing of the temple

Luke 20

20:1-8 The question of Jesus’ authority
20:9-18 The parable of the wicked husbandman
20:19-26 The question of the tribute money
20:27-38 The question of the resurrection
20:39-47 The question of David’s son

Luke 21

21:1-4 The widow’s two mites
21:5-24 Signs of the end
21:25-28 The coming of the Son of man
21:29-33 The parable of the fig tree
21:34-38 Watch and pray

Luke 22

22:1-6 The plot against Jesus
22:7-23 The last supper
22:24-30 Who is great?
22:31-38 Christ foretells Peter’s denial
22:39-46 Christ prays in the garden
22:47-53 Jesus Christ is betrayed and arrested
22:54-65 Peter denies Christ
22:66-71 Christ before the council

Luke 23

23:1-12 Jesus before Pilate and Herod
23:13-25 Jesus Christ sentenced to die
23:26-49 The crucifixion
23:50-56 The burial of Jesus

Luke 24

24:1-12 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
24:13-35 On the road to Emmaus
24:36-48 Jesus Christ appears to his disciples
24:49-53 The ascension

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Mark

Mark was the traveling companion of both Paul and Peter, and wrote this Gospel from the Roman perspective. He was a seasoned veteran of the Christian walk, well versed in apostolic teaching, and had extensive missionary experience under wise guides. He was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and participated in early stages of Paul’s first missionary journey. For some reason he did not finish the journey, but went back to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). Later on, Paul would not have Mark on his mission team because of this desertion (Acts 15:38). Yet in later years he and Paul were reconciled (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). Paul regarded him as one of the few who were faithful to his ministry to the end (2 Timothy 4:11). There is good evidence that this gospel reflects Peter’s contributions, and that they had close ties (1 Peter 5:13). Tradition holds that Mark wrote primarily for a largely Gentile audience resident in Rome, as he seeks to encourage them to follow and keep following Jesus Christ.

Mark 1

1:1-8 John the Baptist prepares the way
1:9-11 The baptism of Jesus
1:12-13 The temptation of Jesus
1:14-20 Jesus calls four fisherman
1:21-28 Jesus casts out demons
1:29-34 Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law
1:35-39 Jesus on preaching tour
1:40-45 Jesus cleanses a leper

Mark 2

2:1-12 Jesus heals a palsied man
2:13-14 Jesus calls Levi
2:15-17 Jesus eats with sinners
2:18-22 The question about fasting
2:23-28 The purpose of the Sabbath

Mark 3

3:1-6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath
3:7-12 Many healed at the seaside
3:13-21 Jesus chooses his disciples
3:22-30 The unpardonable sin
3:31-35 Jesus’ true kin

Mark 4

4:1-20 The parable of the sower
4:21-25 A candle under a bushel
4:26-29 The parable of the seed
4:30-32 The parable of the mustard seed
4:33-34 Jesus’ use of parables
4:35-41 Jesus quiets the sea

Mark 5

5:1-20 The Gadarene demoniac healed
5:21-43 Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter and heals a woman

Mark 6

6:1-6 Unbelief in Nazareth
6:7-13 Jesus sends the twelve to preach and to heal
6:14-29 John the Baptist is beheaded
6:30-44 Jesus feeds five thousand
6:45-52 Jesus walks on the sea
6:53-56 Jesus heals many at Gennesaret

Mark 7

7:1-23 Jesus explains what defiles
7:24-30 The Syrophoenician woman’s faith
7:31-37 Christ heals a deaf and dumb man

Mark 8

8:1-10 Jesus feeds four thousand
8:11-13 The demand for a sign
8:14-21 The leaven of the Pharisees
8:22-26 Christ heals a blind man
8:27-30 Peter’s confession
8:31-38 Christ foretells his death
Mark 9

9:1-13 The transfiguration
9:14-29 The powerlessness of the disciples
9:30-32 Christ again speaks of his death
9:33-41 Who is the greatest?
9:42-50 Temptations to sin

Mark 10

10:1-12 Jesus on divorce
10:13-16 Christ blesses children
10:17-31 The rich young ruler
10:32-34 Christ again speaks of his death
10:35-45 The request of James and John
10:46-52 Blind Bartimeus receives sight

Mark 11

11:1-11 The triumphal entry into Jerusalem
11:12-14 Christ curses a fig tree
11:15-19 Christ cleanses the temple
11:20-26 The lesson from the withered fig tree
11:27-33 Christ’s authority questioned

Mark 12

12:1-12 The parable of the wicked husbandmen
12:13-17 The question of tribute to Caesar
12:18-27 The question about the resurrection
12:28-34 The great commandment
12:35-37 The question of David’s son
12:38-40 Christ denounces the scribes
12:41-44 The widow’s offering

Mark 13

13:1-23 Signs of the end
13:24-37 The coming of the Son of man

Mark 14

14:1-2 The chief priests plot against Jesus
14:3-9 Christ anointed at Bethany
14:10-11 The conspiracy of Judas
14:12-25 Jesus Christ eats the passover with his disciples
14:26-31 Peter’s denial foretold
14:32-42 Gethsemane
14:43-52 The betrayal and arrest of Christ
14:53-65 Christ before the high priest
14:66-72 Peter denies Jesus

Mark 15

15:1-5 Jesus Christ before Pilate
15:6-19 Christ sentenced to die
15:20-41 The crucifixion
15:42-47 The burial of Jesus

Mark 16

16:1-8 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
16:9-13 Christ appears to his disciples
16:14-18 Christ commissions the eleven
16:19-20 The ascension

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Bible Search!

Witnessing Christ to a “good” person, she points out that she was raised by the best parents, learned to control the few sins she was born with, and was 99.9% sin-free. She stressed that her parents were the best sinless parents in the world, and when they died without Christ, God still saw their goodness and assumed them into Heaven. If her good parents are NOT in Heaven, then it could NOT be worthy of her presence either.

What Scripture verses would you use to show her God’s Truth through His Word concerning salvation and her need for Christ?

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Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament by Christopher J.H. Wright. Grove, Ill: Intervarsity Press, 1992, 256 pp, softcover.

Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright introduces the importance of the Old Testament to New Testament Christians by presenting the unfolding prophetic events that accompany the arrival of the Son of God that are fulfilled perfectly, but in a manner that Israel does not fully understand. The reader is introduced to the mindset of Jesus Christ whose spiritual growth and understanding to His identity, purpose, and destiny unfolds through His reflection and revelation of the Old Testament. Christ is prophetically expressed as the promised Messiah, and according to the author, fulfills Israel’s covenants through the establishment of His church.

Summarization of the Book

The author presents the need to examine the self-understanding of Christ through His connection with Old Testament exegesis that He fully interprets as His self-identity is revealed to Himself and Believers. Wright develops his major theme of the absolute need to understand the Old Testament connection with the Lord Jesus Christ to understand Christ fully. The Lord’s teachings in relationship to Old Testament Scripture are expounded, and His New Testament instructions are shown to be the fulfillment of Law, rather than a new faith requirement separate from the older Testament. He also stresses that the fulfillment of some prophesy associated with Israel should not be interpreted literally, but rather, understood as an unfolding of events leading to the coming of Christ in ways not understood by the initial receivers of the promises made by God. Consistent throughout the book is the idea that Israel is replaced by the Church through the full development of the Covenant that is difficult for the original holders of the promises to understand.

The Lord Jesus Christ is presented in humanistic terms with a focus upon discoveries of His fulfillment of Old Testament promises,[1] His self-identity discoveries, [2] His Old Testament mission carried forth to the New Testament,[3] and the development of His Old Testament Values.[4] Wright constructs his arguments for Christ’s human revelations with the backdrop of specific Scriptures within the Old Testament that plausibly influence His development as the Son of Man; he also lists specific examples used by Christ to teach Believers the will of His Father. Dr. Wright also carefully constructs a covenant line that shows his belief of the fulfillment of the promises given to Israel but realized and completed through Christ’s church.

Dr. Wright’s major thesis is that “the Old Testament tells the story which Jesus completes,”[5] Christ is the climax of the unfolding Old Testament story,[6] and it is His deep spiritual roots in handling the Hebrew scriptures that is the “most essential key to understanding who he was, why he came and what he taught.”[7] The thesis of Jesus Christ’s humanness is woven throughout Wright’s writings, with the declaration that in Christ is the end time climax of Old Testament promise and the reason for the words of the Old Testament from the beginning.

Critical Interaction

Dr. Wright’s position reflects Replacement Theology, declaring the Church as the replacement to Israel, which is a popular view of the early church that predates Covenant Theology,[8] but also continues from the middle of the second century A.D. to today as a consensus among many churches.[9] Also, prominent theological concepts of salvation, redemption, and the choosing by God are addressed with both the Old Testament and New Testament promises.

Wright leans toward Replacement Theology, also known as Supersessionist Theology; this is the teaching of both the Roman Catholic Church and Martin Luther, who said “The Jews have lost this promise, no matter how much they boast of their father Abraham….They are no longer the people of God.”[10] While he is not as blatant in his statements, his position reflects his belief that Christ chose the Gentiles as His people, arguing against the idea that the Jew remains the Chosen People separated from Christians by their Covenant with the LORD God.

Wright rejects the literal two-covenant system where the Jews have one promise through their Covenant and the Gentiles another through Christ; instead, he believes that Jews can only be saved through acceptance of Christ as their Messiah and Lord, with the resulting salvation through faith required by all those who desire redemption and eternal life.[11]

Dr. Wright effectively presents his views, and develops an understandable progress of Christ as fulfillment of Israel’s covenants with His arrival. While Wright avoids the terminology that is familiar to the Replacement Theologists, his end conclusions do not fully support Christ’s intentions with Israel as recorded in the Word of God. Thus, his argument is presented soundly, but it has flaws that need to be defended further through solid Scripture exegesis.

Also, footnotes were deliberately omitted by Dr. Wright in his authorship of this book. The lack of references was glaringly apparent when a deeper theological examination became necessary; this forces readers to refer to the Bibliography and try to guess where many of these opinions originated.

Critical Weaknesses of Wright’s Views

One factor in applying a Replacement Theology removes the original promises and covenants that the LORD God made with Israel, and reapplying those covenants to Christian believers. Matthew 21:43 is an important verse for the replacement system, because theorists claim this proves that Christ invoked a transfer of the Chosen people of God from Israel to the church.[12] It is critical for proof of this position to prove that a permanent rejection of Israel is the meaning of this verse, and that this “nation” will be given to the church, not the Jews. While most Theologists agree that a rejection of Israel is made by Christ, there is vast disagreement of the length of time this will occur; those who believe it is only a temporary rejection leave open the chance for future restoration.[13]

Also, Christ believes in a future restoration of Israel; Matthew 19:28 shows Christ speaking to His disciples about the thrones from which they would occupy in their judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel.[14] When these two criteria are applied, Wright’s position of the replacement of Israel does not conform fully to Christ’s stated view from the Word of God. Matthew 23:37-39 shows Christ looking toward the future restoration of Israel using the word “until” that shows Israel will one day come to Him for blessings. Stanley D. Toussaint writes, “It is extremely important for one to note that Christ’s rejection of Israel is not an eternal one. The word ‘until’ of verse thirty-nine together with the following statement affirms that Christ will come again to a repentant nation to establish the promised millennial kingdom.” [15]

Summary of other Reviews

The most scholarly of three discoverable full-text reviews of Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament contrasts Wright’s writings with two other books concerning this subject. Frank Thielman points out that Wright believes “Jesus is God’s Son in the Gospels in the same way that Israel is God’s son in the Old Testament, with the crucial difference that whereas Israel rebelled against its Father, Jesus was obedient.”[16] Stanley Horton identifies the theology of Wright as reflecting a replacement theology in the expression of his belief in the relationship of Jesus with the Old Testament.[17] Also, Long believes strongly that Wright accomplished his thesis to prove the Old Testament reflective of the heart of Jesus.[18]

Author David E. Holwerda wrote Jesus and Israel: One Covenant or Two? (Eerdmans, 193 pp.). This book identifies Israel as Jesus fulfilled, but stresses that there still remains ethnic differences between Christians and Jews. Holwerda believes that unbelieving Jews continue to hold a special place in God’s saving works. [19] The Messiah in the Old Testament, by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (Zondervan, 235 pp.) finds references to the Messiah in numerous Scripture of the Old Testament, and charges that Israel would not understand these references because they were like the two on the Emmaus road, “ignorant and slow in heart to believe everything the prophets spoke” (Luke 24:25).[20] All three books enlighten believers substantially in the fulfillment of Christ that is fully reflected in the first and oldest Testament.

Students, scholars, laymen, pastors, and believers would do well in both reading Wright’s book, and analyzing its contents. From a scholar’s perspective, Wright’s work is not complete; however, the general ideas expressed about Jesus as reflected in the Old Testament are worthy for contemplation and application. Pastors would benefit by forming a discourse of many of the concepts within this book, especially those that bring Christ’s human being in fuller light. Scholars must surely start with the thesis of this book, to form a beginning place of meeting Christ in the places He dwelled, both spiritually and mentally. Care should be taken, however, that exegesis of the concepts of Israel replacement by the Church is expressed with Biblical soundness.

Conclusion

Dr. Wright says that Christians cannot fully know the Lord Jesus Christ unless they examine the Old Testament influence upon Him. He effectively presents the need for Christians to connect the Old Testament with the New Testament and realize the necessary symbiosis between the two as a requirement for the Messiah and Lord Jesus Christ to come forth. However, his replacement theology, though seemingly more politically correct than most, is flawed when examined by Scripture; Christ’s words reflecting the future restoration of Israel in Matthew 23 disagree with the thesis development of Wright. While Christ may well be the fulfillment of Israel’s covenants, the author needs to contrast his views with the views of Replacement Theologists, and explain his position with scholarly reference that can be integrated fully with the Truth of the Word of God.

Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright received his Ph.D. from Cambridge; he is a mature biblical scholar who has a great deal of classroom experience in teaching critical theological issues.[21] He is the director of John Stott Ministries (Langham Partnership International). He is also the author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God.

Footnotes

[1] Christopher J.H. Wright, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament (InterVarsity Press, 1992), 55-101.

[2] Ibid., 103-129.

[3] Ibid., 136-179.

[4] Ibid., 181-248.

[5] Ibid., 2.

[6] Ibid., 7.

[7] Ibid., 3.

[8] H. Wayne House, “The Future of National Israel,” in Bibliotheca Sacra(Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 2009), 467-468.

[9] Michael J. Vlach, “Has the Church Replaced Israel in God’s Plan?,” in Conservative Theological Journal(Fort Worth, TX: Tyndale Theological Seminary, 2000), 7-8.

[10] House, 467-468.

[11] Wright, 176-177.

[12] Vlach, 18.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Stanley D. Toussaint, Behold the King: A Study of Matthew (Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1980), 265-266.

[16] Frank Thielman, “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament,” Christianity Today 40, no. 3 (1996): 61.

[17] Stanley M Horton, “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40, no. 2 (1997): 287-22.

[18] V Philips Long, “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament,” Presbyterian 19, no. 1 (1993): 61-62.

[19] Thielman: 58.

[20] Ibid., 61.

[21] Ibid.

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Matthew

Matthew is one of four Gospels that records the life of Jesus Christ. His emphasis on the Old Testament preparation for the Gospel makes it an ideal “bridge” from the Old to the New Testament. Matthew, the Hebrew tax collector, writes for the Hebrew mind. He presents a portrait of Jesus with his own characteristic focus, that gives comparison to the other three books, Mark, Luke and John, that form the Gospel of the Word of God. Although the book of Matthew is anonymous, most Faithful and tradition believe that Matthew, the disciple of Jesus, is the author. Matthew presents the Good News of our Redeemer and Savior, as well as the arrival of the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. It was written so readers would come to believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life according to the perfect plan of the Will and Grace of the LORD God.

Matthew 1

1:1-17 The genealogy of Jesus Christ
1:18-25 The angel appears to Joseph

Matthew 2

2:1-12 The visit of the wise men
2:13-23 The flight into Egypt

Matthew 3

3:1-12 The preaching of John the Baptist
3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus

Matthew 4

4:1-11 The temptation of Jesus
4:12-17 Jesus begins his ministry
4:18-22 Jesus calls four fisherman
4:23-25 The fame of Jesus spreads

Matthew 5

5:1-12 The Sermon on the Mount : The Beatitudes
5:13 The salt of the earth
5:14-16 The light of the world
5:17-20 Christ on the law
5:21-26 Jesus and anger
5:27-30 Jesus’ teaching on adultery
5:31-32 On divorce
5:33-37 On oaths
5:38-48 Love for enemies

Matthew 6

6:1-4 Jesus’ teaching on almsgiving
6:5-15 Jesus’ teaching on prayer
6:16-18 Jesus’ teaching on fasting
6:19-21 Treasures in heaven
6:22-23 The light of the body
6:24-34 Trusting one master

Matthew 7

7:1-11 Judge not
7:12 The golden rule
7:13-14 The strait gate
7:15-20 False prophets
7:21-23 I never knew you
7:24-29 The two foundations

Matthew 8

8:1-4 Jesus heals a leper
8:5-13 A centurion’s servant healed
8:14-17 Peter’s mother-in-law healed
8:18-22 Some tests of discipleship
8:23-27 Jesus quiets a storm
8:28-34 The Gergesene demoniacs
Matthew 9

9:1-8 Jesus heals a paralyzed man
9:9-13 Jesus calls Matthew
9:14-17 The question about fasting
9:18-19 The ruler’s daughter
9:20-26 The woman touching his garment
9:27-31 Two blind men receive sight
9:32-35 A dumb man speaks
9:36-38 Few laborers for the task

Matthew 10

10:1-4 Jesus chooses the twelve
10:5-15 The mission of the twelve
10:16-23 Warning of persecutions
10:24-33 More instructions for the disciples
10:34-39 Not peace, but a sword
10:40-42 Rewards

Matthew 11

11:1-19 John the Baptist asks about Jesus
11:20-24 Jesus foretells judgment
11:25-27 Who is wise?
11:28-30 The great invitation

Matthew 12

12:1-8 Jesus on the Sabbath
12:9-14 The man with the withered hand
12:15-21 The chosen servant
12:22-32 A house divided cannot stand
12:33-37 Good and corrupt fruit
12:38-45 The sign of Jonah
12:46-50 Jesus ‘ true kin

Matthew 13

13:1-9 The parable of the sower
13:10-17 Jesus explains the purpose of the parables
13:18-23 Jesus explains the parable of the sower
13:24-30 The parable of the wheat and the tares
13:31-32 The parable of the mustard seed
13:33 The parable of the leaven
13:34-35 Jesus’ use of parables
13:36-43 The parable of the wheat and tares explained
13:44 The parable of the hidden treasure
13:45-46 The parable of the pearl of great price
13:47-50 The parable of the net
13:51-52 Treasures new and old
13:53-58 Christ rejected at Nazareth
Matthew 14

14:1-14 John the Baptist beheaded
14:15-21 Christ feeds five thousand
14:22-33 Christ walks on the water
14:34-36 The sick in Gennesaret

Matthew 15

15:1-20 The things that defile
15:21-28 The Canaanite woman’s faith
15:29-31 Many people are healed
15:32-39 Christ feeds four thousand

Matthew 16

16:1-20 The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
16:21-28 Christ foretells his passion

Matthew 17

17:1-13 The transfiguration
17:14-23 The disciples’ unbelief
17:24-27 The question of the tribute money

Matthew 18

18:1-5 Jesus explains greatness
18:6-10 Temptations to sin
18:11-20 The lost sheep
18:21-35 Christ speaks of forgiveness

Matthew 19

19:1-12 Christ on divorce
19:13-15 Christ and children
19:16-30 The rich young ruler

Matthew 20

20:1-16 Workers in the vineyard
20:17-19 Jesus again foretells his passion
20:20-29 A mother asks greatness for her sons
20:30-34 Christ heals two blind men

Matthew 21

21:1-11 The triumphal entry into Jerusalem
21:12-16 The cleansing of the temple
21:17-22 The cursing of the fig tree
21:23-27 Christ establishes his authority
21:28-32 The parable of the two sons
21:33-46 The wicked husbandmen

Matthew 22

22:1-14 The parable of the marriage feast
22:15-22 God and Caesar
22:23-33 The question about the resurrection
22:34-40 The great commandment
22:41-46 The question about David’s son

Matthew 23

23:1-36 Jesus denounces the scribes and the Pharisees
23:37-39 Christ mourns over Jerusalem

Matthew 24

24:1-28 The destruction of temple and signs before end
24:29-31 The coming of the son of man
24:32-35 The parable of the fig tree
24:36-44 No man knows the day
24:45-51 The unfaithful servant

Matthew 25

25:1-13 The parable of the ten virgins
25:14-46 The parable of the talents

Matthew 26

26:1-5 The plot to kill Christ
26:6-13 Christ anointed at Bethany
26:14-16 Judas Iscariot betrays Christ
26:17-30 The last supper
26:31-35 The denial of Peter foretold
26:36-46 Christ in the garden of Gethsemane
26:47-56 The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
26:57-68 Christ before the high priest
26:69-75 Peter denies Christ

Matthew 27

27:1-2 The chief priests take Jesus to Pilate
27:3-10 Judas kills himself
27:11-14 Christ stands before Pilate
27:15-21 Barabbas’ release
27:22-31 Jesus sentenced to be crucified
27:32-56 The crucifixion
27:57-61 The burial of Jesus
27:62-66 Sepulcher made sure

Matthew 28

28:1-10 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
28:11-15 Tomb guards bribed
28:16-17 Eleven disciples witness Resurrected Christ
28:18-20 Christ commissions His disciples

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Malachi

The prophecy of Malachi delivers stern rebukes to the people and priests to call them to repentance, and to promise future blessing. His theme is God’s love for Israel in spite of the sins of the priests and the people, and is testimony to the graciousness of the LORD God in condescending to answer man’s foolish and childish statements.

Malachi 1

1:1-5 The Lord’s love for Jacob
1:6-14 The Lord rebukes the priests

Malachi 2

2:1-17 Israel’s unfaithfulness rebuked

Malachi 3

3:1-5 The approach of the day of judgment
3:6-15 The payment of tithes
3:16-18 The final lot of the righteous and the wicked

Malachi 4

4:1-6 The coming day of the Lord

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Zechariah

Zechariah is a messianic prophet with frequent mention of both the first and second advents of Messiah. He dwells completely on the person and work of Christ, and his prophecies contain apocalyptic proclamations as well giving prominence to the Angel of the Lord. The tone of his prophecy is one of encouragement, and focuses the attention of God’s people to His Glory.

Zechariah 1

1:1-6 A call to return to the Lord
1:7-17 The vision of the horses
1:18-21 The horns and the carpenters

Zechariah 2

2:1-13 The man with the measuring line

Zechariah 3

3:1-10 Joshua vindicated

Zechariah 4

4:1-14 The candlestick and the olive trees

Zechariah 5

5:1-4 The flying roll
5:5-11 The woman in the ephah

Zechariah 6

6:1-8 The four chariots
6:9-15 Joshua – a symbol of the priest-king

Zechariah 7

7:1-7 Insincere fasts reproved
7:8-14 Disobedience the cause of captivity

Zechariah 8

8:1-23 The restoration of Jerusalem promised

Zechariah 9

9:1-8 The judgment on the neighboring nations
9:9-17 Zion’s future king

Zechariah 10

10:1-12 The Lord’s redemption of his people

Zechariah 11

11:1-3 The Lord’s redemption of his people (continued)
11:4-17 The foolish shepherds

Zechariah 12

12:1-14 The future deliverance of Jerusalem

Zechariah 13

13:1-6 The cleansing of Jerusalem
13:7-9 Smiting of the Lord’s shepherd

Zechariah 14

14:1-21 Jerusalem and the nations

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What really happens when a Christian dies? AVOID THE SHIPWRECK!

It will NOT be a bright lighted tunnel! It WILL be a ship in waves and wind! Call on Jesus!

(Note to Readers: REPOSTED. This is so important to understand deeply so it is sealed in your memory at the time of your death, that I have included part of the deep study on passing over from earth life to eternal life)

Death: Passing Over as a Christian
Lecture 111-3

By Kathy L. McFarland
The dying experience for a Christian is not complicated. Scripture tells us exactly what will happen, and how we are expected to respond. However, there is a slight complication in learning what the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to know. It is hidden in His Word, similar to the parables He spoke to His disciples. Do you remember what He gave as the reason for speaking in parables?

Matthew 13:34–35 (KJV 1900)
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.

Mark 4:1–2 (KJV 1900)
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine.

Mark 4:10-13 (KJV 1900)
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Also understand:

Proverbs 26:7–9 (KJV 1900)
7 The legs of the lame are not equal:
So is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
So is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a parable in the mouth of fools.

There is only one key to understanding the hidden symbology and typology in our life today that are contained within the Word of God. THE HOLY SPIRIT within Christians that have been baptized
with Him is a crucial means to that understanding. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our studies and reveals the deeper things in Scripture. So, when non-Christians read the Bible, their eyes understand only the literal words within it, and they handle any deeper things within like fools. But Christians have been given the ability to read literal words and find deeper things and teachings of the LORD God that are hidden from the profane and secular.
Sadly, Christianity has been watered down so much in these times, that there are very few teachers of Scripture that know how to seek those deep teachings of God. All Christians can be strengthened by those important Words, but seldom do they experience them because there just is no one to teach them how to really read the Word of God with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Thanks be to God! I have been taught by the Holy Spirit to teach you to see the hidden inside the Word of God. It is the process of passing over in the death of a Christian that we will begin studying that deepness today. Contained within the literal Word of God are important instructions and briefings to what will actually happen when we pass over, and how the Lord Jesus Christ expects for us to handle it. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding this crucial Scripture instructions and be prepared for any traces of the fear of death to leave your thoughts forevermore.

Creation of the Seas

Genesis 1:6–10 (KJV 1900)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

The LORD God made the firmament from the waters and called it Heaven on the second day of Creation. He gathered the waters under Heaven and let the dry land of Earth appear. Between Earth and Heaven the waters were gathered together, and He called them SEAS! It is the sea that must be passed over between the Earth and Heaven; it is the division that separates both.

Physical Death

Mark 4:35–41 (KJV 1900)
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

1. The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples the reason for parables, with the Parable of the Seeds, (Mark 4:3-8) and The Explanation of the Parable of the Seeds (Mark 4:13-32). He wanted the disciples understanding of the underlying meaning of their next experience to be forefront on their minds.

2. That very same day, the Lord told His disciples “Let us pass over unto the other side.”

3. Whenever we see the Words “pass over” or Passover, we are immediately drawn to the memory of the LORD God Passing Over those Israelites houses that had the blood of a lamb painted on
their door posts during the carrying out of the last curse for the death of the firstborn against the Pharaoh (Exodus 12).

4. We also remember the Passover remembrance ordained by the LORD God to be celebrated every year (Deuteronomy 16).

5. Those two examples show a critical need for Believers to understand deeply what “pass over” means, and to understand the events that happened in Mark 4:35-41.

6. Literally speaking, pass over speaks of “moving from one shore to another shore over water.”

Other side – 4305 πέραν (peran): adv. and prep. (never compounded with verbs); ≡ Str 4008—LN 83.43 across, on the opposite side; the region across (Mk 3:8; 4:35; 5:1;
6:45; Lk 8:22; Jn 1:28; 18:1)

Conclusion – 4306 πέρας (peras), ατος (atos), τό (to): n.neu.; ≡ Str 4009—1. LN 80.6 limit, end of a space (Mt 12:42; Lk 11:31; Ro 10:18+; Ac 13:33 v.r. NA26); 2. LN 61.15 conclusion, end of a matter (Heb 6:16+)

(James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

7. Note the Hebrew word for “other side” is “πέραν (peran)” which is “across, on the opposite side; the region across.”

8. Note the Hebrew word “πέρας (peras)” as just the end root changes it to “conclusion.”

9. The Lord Jesus Christ took His disciples after sending the multitude away. This journey is just for His disciples.

10. They notice that there are other little ships around them.

11. A great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, and it filled the ship with water.

12. The disciples got scared. Big time. The boat was rocking back and forth severely, and the waves were rushing and beating and splashing and roaring. It was scary, and the disciples reached out to their Lord Jesus Christ who was in the boat with them.

13. They crawled to Jesus in that furious storm. He was asleep on a pillow, unaffected by the buffeting ship. They awoke Him and screamed, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

14. Jesus arose up, rebuked the wind and told the sea, “Peace, be still.” The wind ceased and the seas grew calm.

15. Jesus asked his disciples “Why are ye so fearful?” “How is it that you have no faith?”

16. By asking these questions, Jesus lets us know that to be fearful in this situation buffeting winds and furious seas while in a ship, shows A LACK OF FAITH!

17. This experience astounded the disciples and they became EVEN MORE FEARFUL, saying to each other “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

18. Let’s do a bit of word typology, then I will lay the experience out for you in the deepest teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

19. Pass over to the other side – Means to move from life on earth to life in Heaven.

20. When even(ing) was come – Evening represents the end of life.

21. Jesus said to them “Let us pass over unto the other side.” Note that you do not do that by yourself. He said “us.” Jesus and you pass over together.

22. The multitude, the secular and the perverse in the crowd of people just listening to Jesus and not making a commitment; they couldn’t come to the places the disciples were going in the little
ship to pass over.

23. The little ship conveyed the Disciples from one shore to the other as it will convey all Followers of Jesus Christ.

24. The great storm with the winds blowing and the waves beating into the ship is the test of faith given to every Christian as they pass over.

25. Jesus sleeping with His pillow shows us that it is absolutely nothing to be scared about.

26. He taught the disciples and us that he could easily rebuke the wind and the waves and they would calm down immediately.

27. “Why are you so fearful, how is it that ye have no faith?” asks Jesus to show that it is indeed a test of faith easily accomplished.

Conclusion:
Let me recapture what we have learned from this account of the disciples in a storm in a little ship. We have learned exactly what will happen at the moment of a Christian physical death: As your physical body dies and your soul is released, you will immediately find yourself in a little ship. You will see other little ships floating around you; those are floating the souls of the other Christians that have died at the same time you have. The wind will pick up ferociously, and the waves will become bigger and bigger and pound your ship back and forth.

It is a test of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you trust Him to be Lord over all?
Do you trust Him to have peace in the midst of the terrible storm?
Do you have confidence in His presence with you as the storm builds?
Do you have certainty that you will reach the other bank and exit your ship into Heaven?
Do you have the deep knowledge of Mark 4:35-41 to prepare you for your physical death and encourage your active strong faith at the moment your soul leaves your body?

Pretty exciting isn’t it! You now have learned how it will feel and what you will see and hear when you experience physical death. And you now know that it is a faith test, and as a strong Christian,
you are not going to fail that little test now are you?

But wait! There is a little problem, maybe. How many of you have heard about the white tunnel of peace that almost dead and temporarily dead report when they awake? The white tunnel where a peaceful entrance into Heaven shows you surrounded by your lost loved ones. Sometimes even angels and God and Jesus lookalikes as they embrace and encourage the almost dead to return to their bodies because it is not their time. And they return with a certain, strong belief, that they and all the people they have known that have died before them are in the peaceful, bright Heaven, celebrating and loving each other.

Quite a different account of physical death, isn’t it? What’s up with that? Could it be our enemy, Satan, that is purposely causing these illusions of the almost dead? What gain could Satan make by putting false illusions in the almost dead?

Possibly, if he tricks the almost dead, he might think they would never increase any faith they might possess in their remainder life. Sadly, for the devil, some actually start walking closer with Christ.
It is a Satan fail sometimes.

But what about strong Christians? Does Satan want them to become shipwrecked when they meet their test of faith and die? YOU BET HE DOES! He wants strong Christians to grow so scared at the crossing between this life and the one of Heaven, that they fail their test, and must go back to their grave and sleep until Jesus resurrects them in the Last Days. When Christians mistakenly believe that everyone can go down a peaceful tunnel and meet God and their loved ones with angels singing and white light comforting them, and instead find they are being buffeted by a great wind and storm that threatens to sink their ship, they are likely to become fearful. And if the great enemy Satan can make good Christians fearful, then he thinks he can win. Regrettably for the devil, it still is a Satan fail; strong Christians learn the secret of death before they die, and if they don’t and become shipwrecked, they still have a place in Heaven, it will just take them a little bit longer to get there!

Thanks be to God!

Shipwrecked
1 Timothy 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 28. It is just a little tiny verse; but it confirms what we already know. If at the time of physical death, you have a weakness of faith, or a bad conscience, you are going to be shipwrecked! 29. If you are being buffeted by the storm in your little ship, and you were expecting a peaceful white tunnel leading to Heaven, and you lose faith or remember some of the bad things in your life, you will be shipwrecked.
30. What is faith? Faith is the surety of things to come. Faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, which should lead to a very good conscience from that moment you are saved. Faith is knowing God’s Word and believing it. Faith is knowing that your Savior will warn you before tough times occur. Faith is understanding the deep things in Scripture so you can prepare for physical death and have absolutely no fear when the storm hits!
Look at the Greek word for “wrecked:”

Wrecked: ῥῆγμα (rhēgma), N. wreck; ruin; collapse. Hebrew equivalent: 3) קְרָעִים ). Noun Usage 1. ruin (dissolution) — an event or act that results in destruction; especially that involves the breakup of component parts. Related Topics: Ruin; Desolate; Corrupt.

Wrecks cause ruin, desolation, corruption. Makes sense, does it not? Your faith is corrupted if it disappears at the moment of a scary event. You are made desolate for a lack of faith; you must sleep in your grave alone until Jesus resurrects you in the Last Days.
Please don’t misunderstand this. You are saved and will ultimately join Jesus for your little faith.

But if your faith is corrupted, if it is lacking, if you grow scared at the first storm upon your physical death, then you will be measured by the Lord Jesus Christ as “Lacking.” You will never assume a strong role in the New Earth if you cannot be strong getting there. Amen?

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