Absolute Surrender: The Cross in the Jordan

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Cross in the Jordan

Today's Reading: Mark1:1-11

	The Need is Clear-
	Mark 1:4–5 (ESV)⁴John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Personalize it method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word): Lord please reveal yourself today in your Word. I ask this in Jesus name, amen. See how John fulfills this prophecy of preparing the way Jeff. He tells everyone that they need to openly acknowledge their sin, their abandonment of their trust in God, and they need to turn back to a life that is devoted to Him. This includes a promise that the savior is coming. This part is crucial Jeff- John tells them they are hopelessly in need of a savior because they plainly see that they are in sin and need to radically change while each of these people, no doubt, are aware of their complete inability to accomplish this work. It is John's promise of the coming savior who will baptize with the Holy Spirit that they have hope. You too Jeff, place your hope not in your effort to change your heart or your actions or your thoughts, but trust that my Holy Spirit will accomplish this work in you as you yield and acknowledge the need for this work. This is the preparation that you must do Jeff as these did with John- you must acknowledge your need even before men and certainly before me. You must come to me asking for the gift of this repentance that you are powerless to accomplish without me. Understand that this is the path, not simple belief in my forgiveness of sins with an unchanged life, but radical submission to my grace and glad prayer of a humble heart that seeks repentance and surrender.
	A little different-
	Mark 1:6 (ESV)⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. See that John stood out a bit in his neighborhood Jeff. Don't fool yourself into thinking that surrender to me and repentance of selfish living will look anything like the world. Be certain that you are not ashamed of this different life and as John the Baptist did, let this difference be to the glory of God as evidence of the work He is doing in you.
	Surrender-
	Mark 1:9–11 (ESV)⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jeff, do you see the beautiful beginning here? Do you see the foreshadowing? Do you see that my Son willingly subjects Himself in humility and surrender to my purpose for Him in this life as a man? Do you see what is occurring in this scene? Do you see the glory and beauty that brings me to this unique expression of my pleasure and my endorsement so gloriously displayed this day in the Jordan? Do you see the celebration? Do you see the cross? Jesus subjects himself to John's baptism that is of repentance for the forgiveness of sins while He was sinless and needing of no repentance. The submersion baptism represents a death and rebirth and thus Jesus walks willingly into His purpose of dying for the church and suffering at the hand of his creation as it is John who submerges Him. Jesus emerges having completed the task of suffering for the atonement of sin and in this surrender to my purpose I am exceeding pleased. The trinity is united in that glorious moment of completion. The plan is revealed and then the preparation of the man who emerged reborn from the Jordan is rushed into His preparation for the execution of this foreshadowed plan. So understand Jeff that my Son willingly subjects himself to His creation's hand. Although John has nothing to offer the Son of God who has no cause for repentance or forgiveness, Jesus convinces Him that this is necessary to fulfill God's good purpose… Matthew 3:13–15 (ESV)¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. See that Jesus tells John it needs to be this way for now? For now Jesus needs to humble himself to fulfill all righteousness. Do you see that the entirety of my righteousness is fulfilled and demonstrated on the cross? Do you see that Jesus is only on earth as this humble servant king for a time and then He is glorified again in heaven to come later as the conquering king? This submission was only "for now". Know that you serve a mighty king who reigns on high and your high priest has conquered not through might, but through surrender. Do you see that the suffering of the Son is my full righteousness? Do you see that it is the demonstration of the greatness of the glory of my grace and the reason I created mankind in the first place was to show this cross to you? Do you think it an accident or a plan B?... From the mouth of my servant John Piper hear the reality of the cross- I believe the entire universe exists to display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God. I might have said more simply that the entire universe exists to display the greatness of the glory of God. That would be true. But the Bible is more specific. The glory of God shines most brightly, most fully, most beautifully in the manifestation of the glory of his grace . Therefore, this is the ultimate aim and the final explanation of all things—including suffering. God decreed from all eternity to display the greatness of the glory of his grace for the enjoyment of his creatures, and he revealed to us that this is the ultimate aim and explanation of why there is sin and why there is suffering, and why there is a great suffering Savior. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came in the flesh to suffer and die and by that suffering and death to save undeserving sinners like you and me. This coming to suffer and die is the supreme manifestation of the greatness of the glory of the grace of God. Or to say it a little differently, the death of Christ in supreme suffering is the highest, clearest, surest display of the glory of the grace of God. If that is true, then a stunning truth is revealed, namely, suffering is an essential part of the created universe in which the greatness of the glory of the grace of God can be most fully revealed. Suffering is an essential part of the tapestry of the universe so that the weaving of grace can be seen for what it really is. Or to put it most simply and starkly: the ultimate reason that suffering exists in the universe is so that Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our suffering. The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely holy Son of God in the place of utterly undeserving sinners to bring us to everlasting joy is the greatest display of the glory of God’s grace that ever was, or ever could be. In conceiving a universe in which to display the glory of his grace, God did not choose plan b. This was the moment—Good Friday—for which everything in the universe was planned. There could be no greater display of the glory of the grace of God than what happened at Calvary. Everything leading to it and everything flowing from it is explained by it, including all the suffering in the world. The Biblical Pathway That Leads to This Truth Walk with me now, if you would, on the biblical pathway that has led me to this truth. To this point it just looks like high-sounding theology or philosophy. But it is far more than that. It is what the very words of Scripture clearly teach. Revelation 13:8 Let’s begin with Revelation 13:8. John writes, “All who dwell on earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.” That is a good, careful, literal translation. This means that before the world was created there was a book called the “book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” The Lamb is Jesus Christ crucified. The book is the book of Jesus Christ crucified. Therefore, before God made the world he had in view Jesus Christ slain, and he had in view a people purchased by his blood written in the book. Therefore, the suffering of Jesus was not an afterthought, as though the work of creation did not go the way God planned. Before the foundation of the world God had a book called “the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” The slaying of the Lamb was in view before the work of creation began. 2 Timothy 1:9 Then consider 2 Timothy 1:9. Paul looks back into eternity before the ages began and says, “[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us [that is, he gave us this grace] in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” God gave us grace [undeserved favor—favor toward sinners, grace!] in Christ Jesus before the ages began. We had not yet been created. We had not yet existed so that we could sin. But God had already decreed that grace—an “in Christ” kind of grace, blood-bought grace, sin-overcoming grace—would come to us in Christ Jesus. All that before the creation of the world. So there is a “book of life of the Lamb who was slain,” and there is “grace” flowing to undeserving sinners who are not yet created. And don’t miss the magnitude of that word “slain” (esphagmenou): “the Lamb who was slain.” It is used in the New Testament only by the apostle John, and means literally “slaughter.” So here we have suffering—the slaughter of the Son of God—in the mind and plan of God before the foundation of the world. The Lamb of God will suffer. He will be slaughtered. That’s the plan. Why? I’ll give you the biblical text which tells the answer, but let me state it again: it’s because the aim of creation is the fullest, clearest, surest display of the greatness of the glory of the grace of God. And that display would be the slaughter of the best being in the universe for millions of undeserving sinners. The suffering and death of the Lamb of God in history is the best possible display of the glory of the grace of God. That is why God planned it before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1 Here’s the Biblical support, first from Ephesians 1 and then from Revelation 5. In Ephesians 1:4 Paul says, “[God] chose us in him [that is, in Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace .” The goal of the entire history of redemption is to bring about the praise of the glory of the grace of God. But notice that twice in these verses Paul says that this plan happened “in Christ” or “through Christ” before the foundation of the world. He says in verse 4: God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world in order to bring about the praise of the glory of his grace .And he says in verse 5: God predestined our adoption through Christ before the foundation of the world to bring about the praise of the glory of his grace. What does it mean that “in Christ” we were chosen and that our adoption was to happen “through Christ”? We know that in Paul’s mind Christ suffered and died as a redeemer so that we might be adopted as children of God (Galatians 4:5). Our adoption could not happen apart from the death of Christ. Therefore, what Paul means is that to choose us “in Christ” and to plan to adopt us “through Christ” was to plan the suffering and death of his Son before the foundation of the world. And verse 6 and 12 and 14 make plain that the goal of this plan was to bring about “the praise of the glory of the grace of God.” That is what God was aiming at. And that is why he planned the suffering and death of his Son for sinners before the creation of the world. Revelation 5:9-12 Now consider the second biblical support for this from Revelation 5:9-12. Here the hosts of heaven are worshiping the Lamb precisely because he was slain—killed, slaughtered. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain , and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” . . . Then I looked, and I heard around the throne . . . myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” The hosts of heaven focus their worship not simply on the Lamb, but on the “Lamb who was slain.” And they are still singing this song in Revelation 15:3. Therefore we can conclude that the centerpiece of worship in heaven for all eternity will be the display of the glory of the grace of God in the slaughtered Lamb. Angels and all the redeemed will sing of the suffering of the Lamb forever and ever. The suffering of the Son of God will never be forgotten. The greatest suffering that ever was will be at the center of our worship and our wonder forever and ever. This is not an afterthought of God. This is the plan from before the foundation of the world. Everything else is subordinate to this plan. Everything else is put in place for the sake of this plan: the display of the greatness of the glory of the grace of God in the suffering of the Beloved is the goal of the creation and the continuing of the universe. So know Jeff that my cross was not plan B and my purpose was not frustrated. My purpose was beautifully fulfilled on that cross. My Son rising from the water in the Jordan is the foreshadowing of the fulfillment of the purpose of my creation of mankind and in this I am exceedingly pleased! See that John was the picture of mankind, even my chosen people Israel, who sinfully killed my Son. But see that Jesus told Him it must be that way and note that John, unlike any man but Jesus himself, was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in the womb. Hear the words of my angel Gabriel to Zechariah regarding John the baptist... Luke 1:13–17 (ESV)¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Therefore this plan of John submersing Jesus unto death at his hand was ordained and purposed from the beginning as was the plan of my Son's suffering on the cross. Recall that Jesus cried out of His forsakenness on the cross as the penalty for your sins is death- that is separation from me. So see that in my unsearchable wisdom and being, I separated my Son (in his humanity) from the care and community of the trinity on that cross that He might truly pay the cost of your sin. Note the anguish and the prayer he prays in Psalm 22 Jeff to reflect on this suffering. See the weight of your sin is more than physical wounds Jeff. Far worse was my abandonment, which is a fate that you will now never need to suffer due to my Son's work. Do you see that this fate is to you ultimate death and eternal suffering but my love designed that you should see the greatness of the glory of my grace in my purposed and willing surrender to a plan of suffering for you, in place of you, that you might know my righteousness. That you might know the fullness of my love and grace. Do you see the shift from verse 21-22 of Psalm 22 where my Son receives testimony that it is finished? Do you see the dove coming down upon Him and my voice declaring of my approval in the river Jordan? Listen carefully to Psalm 22 and see His countenance that was in the midst of suffering despair is shifted to glorious celebration as the payment is deemed adequate for the satisfaction of my justice. Now you see the turning of my face back unto my Son and my acceptance of His Spirit… Luke 23:44–46 (ESV)⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. John 19:30 (ESV)³⁰When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Mark 15:37–39 (ESV)³⁷And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:50–51 (ESV)⁵⁰And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. ⁵¹And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Understand this price that was paid as much as you are able Jeff. Let this grace bring you to worship as Psalm 22 describes. Let your worship be as Revelation 5:9-12 displays. Worship in response to the display of the greatness of the glory of my grace Jeff. Worship in response to what the lamb has done for you. Do you see that this worship is unique to those that trust in my Son? Do you see why my church worships in Spirit and truth when it is in response to the cross? Worship me not for something less than this or you settle for too little joy. See that you can know my Son in that he reveals himself to those that trust Him. Those that obey as symbolized by this water baptism in the river here. Recall His admonition in John 14:21 that He will reveal (manifest) himself to those that keep His commandments. So John's work to prepare the path brings the Jews into repentant obedience to the Father and Jesus therefore shows himself and reveals his entire plan of salvation to them there in the river. John the Baptist puts it this way, as quoted in the book of John… John 1:31 (ESV)³¹I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” Application and prayer: Today I will celebrate and worship God for His amazing grace demonstrated on the cross as plan A Today I will acknowledge my sin and pray for the gift of repentance in any area he reveals to me that I might be prepared for my savior's coming as those at the river bank Today I will trust that my God's purpose cannot be frustrated and He is sovereign Today I will surrender to His plan and I will not fret about looking a little different than my neighbor Thank you Lord for the cross and for this picture of your plan revealed in the Jordan at your Son's baptism. Please let me walk today in celebration of your grace and in awe of your love. Let me know you better today Jesus as I surrender my will unto yours. Reveal yourself to me more today, each day, as I walk in obedience that I have only as your free gift received from you, not of myself. I thank you for your Word and ask your blessing today in Jesus name, amen. Comments: Some will not agree with the cross of Christ being plan A from the beginning nor the implications of this but I offer the following sermon by John Piper (partially quoted above) for any who desire more explanation and scriptural evidence: The Suffering of Christ and the Sovereignty of God. Soli Deo Gloria! View blog from a computer or iPad for more content. Follow @dailysurrender

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