(4/21 Sermon) Exodus 20:5-6: Street Preachers, Sour Grapes & Generational Puckering: Assorted Thoughts on the Law, Evangelism, and a Better Covenant

No audio for this past Sunday.

4/21 Audio here.

Reasons You Should Be Passionate About the Great Commission (from Isaiah 49:1-6)

This morning I delivered the first of three sermons addressing the question, "Why Should Northbrook be Passionate about the Great Commission?"

Here are the five truths I offered from Isaiah 49:1-6:

1. God the Father is determined to get himself glory.
2. God the Father is determined to get himself glory through the Son.
3. God the Father is determined to get himself glory through the Son, the most glory possible.
4. God the Father is determined to get himself glory through the Son, the most glory possible, by causing his salvation to read all the nations of the earth.
5. This mission is continued and completed through the mission of the church–the Great Commission.

Here are the two summary reasons I concluded with:

1. We should be passionate about the Great Commission because its fulfillment is the culmination of the display of God's glory.
2. We should be passionate about the Great Commission because the Great Commission cannot fail–for God's glory depends on its success.

You can read/listen to the explanation, defense and applications of each point here.

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Exodus 2:11-22 - A Redeemer in Exile

© Eric M Schumacher — Preached December 4, 2011 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio will be available here.

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour, 

All for love's sake becamest poor; 

Thrones for a manger didst surrender, 

Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. 

That classic Christmas hymn, based on 2 Corinthians 8:9, is a wonderful description of Jesus’ advent.

It also describes Moses in our passage. And, it describes how we, who believe in Jesus and are being conformed into his image, ought to live by faith.

A Great Idea for Loving Your Neighbors

Steve McCoy encourages you to "hack your garage" to love your neighbors. He writes:

Drive down your suburban street sometime and notice how the garages are the most prominent feature on the homes. It's right out front. It's an ugly design. And when lumped in together with missing or minuscule front porches makes our homes seem missionally helpless. We can redeem that by hacking the garage to make it a place of neighborhood friendliness, fun and conversation.

He offers three easy steps:

1. Clean It Out.

2. Fill It Up. 

3. Invite & Be Inviting.

Head over to his blog to read the explanation of each step (and more on his thoughts).

Spreading a Vision of the Glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2011 Vision Sermon #4)

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached January 30, 2011 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
(This is third of a four-part church vision sermon series. Audio will be available here.)

 
Early in the last decade, the United States Army changed their slogan from the popular “Be All That You Can Be,” to another slogan, which was controversial and didn’t last too long: “Army of One.” An “Army of One” brings to mind a host of issues. Armies don’t consist of one person. The great battles in our nation’s history were not won by one soldier off fighting by himself.

Wars are won by soldiers fighting together. They are won by “bands of brothers,” by companies and troops and platoons; by crews and squadrons—all working together for a common purpose.

Too often, the mission of the church is approached with the mindset of “an army of one,” or, at best, “an army of some.” Mission, taking the Gospel to those who do not believe, is seen as a task for the special forces, for those specially gifted. It is the hobby of a few in the church, rather than the mission of the whole.

Fill Your People with the Gospel that They Might Overflow in Evangelism

It is tempting to encourage evangelism with guilt trips and preaching that focuses on "Do evangelism!" (And, I'm not saying there is no place to preach and teach the importance of evangelism -- we have an adult class on it right now!)

But a recent, encouraging email reminded me afresh of the important relationship between setting Christ before people each Sunday morning and them doing evangelism during the week. A member wrote:

We are very blessed to have such faithful teaching of the Word of God every week.  It's amazing.  It used to be that when I did evangelism, I would feel it was somehow disjointed from the "rest" of my Christian life.  You know, it was almost like you wanted to go out evangelizing just so that you would remember the gospel.

But now it's the opposite.  Evangelism works as an overflow from the word that is being planted every week in our hearts.  Since we glory in the cross every week at church (etc.), evangelism and conversations about the work of Christ are so much more natural.

The Glory of God is the Message and Motivation of Missions

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached September 3, 2009 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio available here.

This morning, I want us to begin to understand how the glory of God relates to the task of missions, especially world evangelization. What I want us to ask and to answer this morning are these questions:

• What is missions?
• Why do we do missions?
• What do we hope will happen when we do missions?

Our text for this morning, Psalm 96, is a missionary psalm. It will answer our questions.

What is missions?

An easy answer to our question might be, “When we do missions (evangelism), we proclaim the gospel.” That would be a correct answer, especially from a New Testament perspective.

Look, however, at what Psalm 96 tells us to do. It tells us to “declare,” to “tell,” to “say.” We are to communicate something with words. What is it that we are to declare? Verse 3 says explicitly: “Declare his glory among the nations.”

The rest of the Psalm rephrases this command in various terms. The second half of verse three says, “Declare…his marvelous works…” Verse 2 says, “Tell of his salvation…” Verse 10 states, “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’”

The message of missions is the glory of God. This means that we could define missions by saying that: Missions is the declaration of the glory of God. When we do missions and evangelism, what is it that we do? We proclaim the glory of God.

What Is God’s Glory?

We have said that God’s glory is the display of his excellence. So, we should ask the question: “How is God’s excellence displayed in the things that this psalm tells us to declare?” I do not think that the things we are told in this psalm to declare are unrelated. I believe that they define one another and together help us to understand what is meant by “glory.”

In Hebrew poetry, parallel lines are often used to help define terms. So, in the first half of verse 3, we are told to “declare his glory” and in the second half of that verse we learn what is meant by glory—“his marvelous works.” So what does it mean to declare the glory of God?

To declare the glory of God:

We declare the marvelous works of the Lord.

In the Old Testament, the Lord’s “marvelous works” often refers to God’s acts in history. Typically, these fall into two categories: God’s activity in creation and his activity in the redemption of his people (which is often accomplished through the judgment of enemies). We see all of this in this psalm.

We declare that the Lord is the Creator.

In verse 5, the Lord’s greatness is attested to by the fact that he “made the heavens.” The idols of the peoples are worthless. They are created, but the Lord creates.

This takes us back to Psalm 115, where we saw that the “our God is in the heavens, he does all that pleases him.” In contrast, the idols are “the work of human hands.” The do no speak or see or hear or smell or feel or walk or make a sound. The idols are dead. The Lord’s glory is displayed in his power to create.

We declare that the Lord is the Redeemer of his people.

In verse 2, we are told to “tell of his salvation from day to day.” Salvation at his time would have been the recollection of God’s deliverance of Israel. First and foremost, the Lord delivered them with mighty signs and wonders from Egypt, getting glory over Pharaoh. Furthermore, the Lord displayed his awesome power by giving his people victory in awesome ways as they entered the promised land.

We saw in John 11 that Jesus revealed the glory of God when he allowed Lazarus to die and then raised him from the dead. And, we saw specifically that the “glory of God” that Jesus revealed was that he is the resurrection and the life. He is the Christ, the Son of God, who reigns over death. The Lord’s glory is his power displayed in the redemption of his people.

We declare that the Lord is the Reigning Judge.

In verse 10, we are to say, “The Lord reigns.” In the prophet Isaiah, this is the Gospel that is to be proclaimed. We read in Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”

This reign is see in the fact that the curse of sin cannot upset God’s created purposes. Because he reigns, the world which is established by him will never be moved. God will come and establish peace and wholeness and righteousness on the earth. Sin and death will not prevail.

Because he reigns, he will judge the people with equity. This means that God will punish all sin. He will remove all the wicked. He will cast out and triumph over the forces of chaos—sin, death and the devil.

We can summarize all these points by saying: God’s glory is his reigning over all things, especially as he saves his people through the judgment of his enemies. So we declare God’s reign as Creator, Redeemer and Judge.

This has application to Christian missions because all of this is wrapped up in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is:

…the Creator.

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him.

…the Redeemer.

Revelation 5:9 by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation

…the Reigning King.

Matthew 28:18 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

…the Judge.

Matthew 25:31-33 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

Revelation 6:15-17 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

This is what the gospel is: the revelation of the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the eternal Creator, became man to be the chosen, anointed King—the Messiah. Through the Messiah, God’s reign is seen. As the reigning King, he redeems his people by judging, conquering and removing sin, death and the devil through his death and resurrection. In his death, the curse of sin is removed, rendering it powerless. Through his resurrection, death is destroyed. With sin and death removed from his people through his work, the devil is powerless to touch them. One day this King will come to reign on earth and then he will resurrect his people to live and reign with him.

Therefore, taking the whole Bible into consideration, we can say this: Missions is the declaration of the glory of God in the saving reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

To Whom?

If missions is a “declaration”—we are told to “say,” to “declare,” to “tell”—then we should ask another question: To whom should this message be declared?

The answer to that question is also found in this Psalm. Verse 3 says to declare his glory “among the nations” and to declare his marvelous works among “all the peoples.” Verse 10 says to proclaim the Lord’s reign “among the nations.”

So, we should ask the question, “What does the Bible mean when it speaks of ‘the nations’?” Does this mean the various geo-political states we find on our globes and maps, as recognized by the United Nations?

What is meant by ‘all the peoples’?” Isn’t that a typo? Shouldn’t it read “people?” Doesn’t it just refer to every individual person?

We need to be careful not to read back into the Bible our 21st century understandings of the terms “nation” and “peoples.”

It is difficult to give a precise definition of these terms. We can say what they are not. “Nations” are not modern, geo-political states. These change as world events unfold. The nation of “Israel” remained a “nation” regardless of its location. That should tell us something from the outset.

“Peoples” are not groups of individuals organized by their hobbies, interests, occupations or residence. “Israel” was one “people” even if some lived in rich houses and some lived in slums. They were one “nation” even if some were employed as farmers and others as leather-workers. Hobbies, interests, occupation and residence do not define “people groups.”

A “nation” or a “people” is a people with an ethnic identity. We speak today of the “Sioux nation” or the “Cherokee nation.” This is something of what the Bible means by a nation. It is a clan that shares a common language, culture, ethnic identity.

We get a glimpse of what is meant by “nations” and “peoples” in several passages in Revelation:

Revelation 5:9 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..."

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

This psalm also speaks of “the families of the peoples.” The descendants of Jacob (or, Israel) are a nation. Within his “people” there are various “families”—his twelve sons and their “tribes.” The same would be true with all the nations of the earth.

The inhabitants of earth are made up of many different ethnic groups—or peoples—because of sin. In Genesis 11, we read that mankind united together to make a name for themselves in building a great tower. In response, the Lord confused their languages and scattered them “over the face of all the earth.” From this event, the “nations” developed. Now there were people scattered over all the earth speaking different languages and developing different cultures.

I have said that God’s purpose in creation and redemption was to cover the earth with the display of his glory. Redemption is God working to reverse the effects of the fall. Missions is us declaring God’s redeeming glory. We are participating with God in calling all of the earth to see and to worship his glory.

Making God’s glory known among all the peoples of the earth is a theme in the Old Testament:

Psalm 9:11 Tell among the peoples his deeds!

Psalm 105:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

Isaiah 12:4-5 Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.

This theme finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As I said before, Jesus Christ is the Creator and King who has redeemed his people and will judge his enemies. This is why it is sung in heaven:

Revelation 5:9 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...

Jesus is the one that has purchased people for God from every people group to be worshippers. This is why Jesus says:

Matthew 28:18-20 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Missions is going to all the “peoples” of the earth and to declare to them the glory of God in the saving reign of Jesus Christ. God’s salvation, God’s reign, and God’s glory cannot be seen apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we proclaim him to all the nations.

This must effect how we strategize about missions and evangelism. It is estimated that there are between 12,000 and 24,000 distinct people groups in the world (depending upon how you define the term). While every “nation” (meaning geo-political state on our map) has the gospel, many of these “people groups” do not. We must be strategic in finding ways to take the message of the glory of God in Jesus Christ to those people groups that have not yet heard. The goal of biblical missions is not simply “as many individuals as possible,” but “all the peoples of the earth.”

Why do missions?

So, we have defined missions as going to all the “peoples” of the earth and to declare to them the glory of God in the saving reign of Jesus Christ.

It doesn’t really matter if we know what missions is, if we don’t have a reason to do it. So our next question is “Why?” Why do we do missions? (Or, why ought we to declare God’s glory to all the peoples of the earth?)

Our answers might be “because people will be eternally lost without Jesus Christ” or because God tells us to.” These are both correct and biblical answers. But, they are not the ultimate answer for why we do missions.

The salvation of mankind is not the ultimate motivation of missions. Mere obedience is not the ultimate motivation behind missions. The reason we are to do mission is the same reason for which we ought to do everything—whether we eat or drink (1 Cor 10:31): The motivation behind missions is the glory of God.

Psalm 96 does not simply tell us what to do. It tells us why to do it. Verse 3 tells us to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among the peoples.” Then, verse 4 begins with the word “For.” “For” means “because.” It functions to give us a reason, a motivation for the command that was just given. The reason? Why should we declare the Lord’s glory? “For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.”

Missions is done because God deserves to be worshiped. God deserves to be worshiped:

…because he is great and greatly to be praised.

Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

…because he is to be feared above all gods.

Verse 5 explains that “the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” The idols are created, foolish and stupid, while the Lord created by wisdom. The idols are worthless, silent and shall perish from the earth, while the Lord speaks, rule, lives and is worthy of praise.

…because splendor and majesty are before him.

Splendor and beauty, majesty and strength are before the Lord, not before idols. God’s beauty, value, worth, excellence, and weightiness are to be declared and delighted in because he alone possesses them.

We do missions because God deserves to be worshipped and there are “peoples” who do not worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Let the Nations be Glad!, John Piper writes on the purpose of missions:

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.

The reason that we do missions is not because people deserve to hear the gospel. Neither you nor I deserve to hear the gospel. No one deserves a single chance to be saved.

Nevertheless, God does deserve to be worshipped. God does deserve to be praised by all the nations of the earth. We who have had our eyes opened by the grace of God to see the glory of his saving reign in Jesus Christ ought to be zealous to see his glory declared by every tribe, language, people and nation on earth.

What do we hope to see happen when we do missions?

It is not enough that we declare God’s glory. There is something that we want to see happen when we declare it to the nations.

One might think that we want them to see God’s glory. This is true. But, it is not enough for people to see the glory of God, if they see it and hate it.

In Matthew 21:15, we read that after Jesus cleansed the temple, the blind and the lame were coming to him and he was healing them. Jesus was revealing the glory of God by reigning over the effects of the curse, such as blindness and lameness. How did the people respond? We read, “But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant…”

Or, previously, we saw in John 11 that Jesus revealed the glory of God by showing that he is the resurrection and the life. Yet, it is in response to Jesus revealing the glory of God in his resurrection of Lazarus that the scribes and the Pharisees gather the Council and we read in John 11:53 that “from that day on they made plans to put him to death.”

When fallen man sees the glory of God, he hates it. Remember that. Being a church for the glory of God does not necessarily mean that we will win the praise of people, even of religious leader type people.

An artist is not glorified when people see his paintings and are bored with them. In the same way, God is not glorified when his greatness is seen (in creation or redemption) and people yawn or scoff.

The proper response to the declaration of God’s glory is joy-filled, holy worship; glad submission to the reign of God in Jesus Christ. 

All the families of the peoples of the earth are to:

• sing to the Lord. (verse 1)
• confess the Lord’s glory and strength. (7-9)
  
• revere the Lord. (7-9)
  
• bring an offering into his courts. (8)
  
• worship the Lord in holiness. (9)
  
• be glad and rejoice. (11)

The world was put under a curse when mankind sinned against God. The earth is groaning under the curse, longing for the day of its redemption. Paul puts it this way in the book of Romans:

Romans 8:18-23 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, he will execute judgment. He will cast out of this world the enemies he has already defeated in his death and resurrection. He will resurrect us with imperishable bodies. He will make a New Heavens and New Earth.

Therefore, the announcement of the Lord’s saving reign in Jesus Christ is a cause for great rejoicing. When the Lord comes, he will judge with righteousness. That means every wrong will be punished. Anyone who has ever been abused or cheated or wronged can rejoice because the Lord will set it straight.

The Lord will judge with faithfulness. God will be faithful to his people. That means if Christ has died for them, he will be faithful to give them everything he has promised them in redemption. Everyone who has ever felt the sting of cancer or the death of a loved one or broken relationships or the aging of the body should rejoice in the announcement of God’s glory in Jesus Christ.

This is what missions is: calling people to join us in being happy in the saving reign of God as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

  

John 14:12-14 – The Farewell {for Now} Discourse: Staggering Promises

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached June 28, 2009 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio available here.

On May 31, 1792, ministers and messengers from the 24 associated churches in Nottingham gathered at the Friar Lane Baptist Chapel to hear reports of prayer and signs of revival, to pray, to hear preaching and to discuss business.

The preacher that morning was William Carey, a 31 year old shoe-repairer, who pastored a small Baptist church. His goal was to stir his fellow believers out of apathy and inactivity to form a society to take the Gospel to foreign lands. His text was Isaiah 54:2:

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

As Timothy George writes, “The burden of the sermon came to a crescendo in a summarizing couplet, eight syllables, six words, ‘two plain, practical, pungent, quotable watchwords:’

Expect great things. Attempt great things.

He poured himself into the sermon, preaching it with animation and eloquence. And though no copy of the sermon remains, it has become known as “The Deathless Sermon”—not because of the effect it hand on its listeners (they were not much moved by it, though appreciative), but because of its long-term effect on the history of missions.

On the next morning, when the association gathered to discuss its business, they still seemed apprehensive, doubtful and uncommitted to forming a missionary society. However, with much prodding from Carey, his friend put forward a resolution that was accepted:

Resolved, that a plan be prepared against the next ministers’ meeting at Kettering, for forming a Baptist Society for propagating the gospel among the heathen.

In October of that year, the “Particular Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel to the Heathen” was formed (later renamed the Baptist Missionary Society).

The Society consisted of only 14 men—12 pastors, 1 layman, and 1 ministerial student. All but one of them were virtually unknown. Only one of them had any money of which to speak. Their detractors mocked them with the question, “Are these the men and means with which the conversion of the world was to be attempted?”

They later appointed two men, one of whom was Carey, to be their missionaries to India.

Carey went to India, where he preached for 7 years before seeing his first convert. By the time he died in 1834, Carey, with the aid of his team of colleagues, had:

• translated the Bible into 34 Asian languages;
• compiled dictionaries—still respected today as authoritative—of Sanskrit, Marathi, Panjabi, and Telegu for translation work and education;
• started the Serampore College (still influential today);
• started 19 mission stations and numerous churches (which number in the hundreds of thousands of converts since);
• began 100 rural schools for the education of girls;
• started the Horticultural Society of India;
• began the weekly publication “The Friend of India” (still published today);
• printed the first modern Indian newspaper;
• introduced the idea of the savings bank for the assistance of farmers;
• and successfully fought to ban the practice of burning widows on their husband’s funeral pyres.

Carey was influential in reforming India society, and responsible for bringing them the Gospel.

Moreover, Carey is considered the Father of the Modern Missions Movement. In his lifetime, he was influential in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the support of missionaries. And through his writing and his example, tens of thousands have gone to the mission field to proclaim the Gospel to the lost.

Why did Carey attempt great things?
Because when he read the Bible he saw that God promised great things. Therefore, believing the promises, he expected great things. And because he expected great things, he attempted great things. Faith precedes works. You believe and then you go.

Greater Things
Last week, we saw that Jesus called for his disciples to believe. Following Jesus’ appeal for faith, he focuses on the fruitfulness of believers.

The promises that he makes in these verses are staggering. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” Jesus promises that the one who believes in him will do what he has done and great!

Think about that! What have we seen Jesus do? Just in the Gospel of John, we have seen Jesus turn water into wine, teach, debate and confound religious authorities, heal the sick, heal a paralytic who had been lame for 38 years, multiply fish and bread to feed five thousand plus, walk on water, teach people that he is the fulfillment of the Scriptures and the Feasts, give sight to a man who was born blind, and raise Lazarus from the dead! And we will do “greater works than these!”

What does it mean?
What could Jesus possibly mean? Let’s break down his statement and see if we can understand it (and believe it!).

To begin with, Jesus speaks this of “whoever believes in me.” So, it is not possible to say that his promise belongs only to the Apostles and the apostolic age. This embraces all believers individually (“whoever,” “he”), which includes us.

“Works”
So, then what does Jesus mean by “works?” Some have tried to tone down the promise by suggesting Jesus means the “works” he just did around the table, deeds of humility and love, such as washing feet (13:15) and loving one another (13:34-35).

Suggesting that Jesus means his “humility” and “love” fails to make this verse less staggering. For ultimately, what he just did at the Last Supper was a picture of his humility in leaving the Father’s glory to live as an obedient slave and of his love in laying down his life for our sins. Could we ever come close to demonstrating “greater” humility and love than this!?

Jesus works do not exclude his miracles. Jesus work includes everything he did in his whole earthly ministry—his humility, his love, his teaching and, yes, his miracles.

But, that begs the question, what were his “works” essentially? Essentially, his works were his revealing of who the Father was and what the Father was doing in and through the Son. Jesus did that perfectly, but that revelation was not received perfectly. His audience, with a few exceptions, largely did not see his works with clarity or believe what they pointed to. That is important to keep in mind.

“Greater”
So, what does Jesus mean by “greater”?

Does he mean greater “in power”? No, he does not mean “more spectacular” or “more supernatural.” It is hard to imagine surpassing the spectacle or supernatural nature of turning water into wine, opening the eyes of a man born blind, multiplying fish and loaves for over 5,000, or, especially, raising Lazarus from the dead.

Does he mean greater “in number”? Many, including bible teachers that I respect, suggest that “greater” means “greater quantity.” The works are greater in their extent, not in their power.

Some argue that “greater” points to the fact that there will be more conversions through the preaching of Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, it is noted, there were more conversions in one day than throughout Jesus’ three years of public ministry.

Others argue that because there are so many believers over two thousand years, then numbers plus time equals more works.

All that is true, but it fails to get at Jesus’ point. The language had better options for saying “more” if Jesus meant “more.”

Moreover, Jesus does not say “those who believe in me…they will.” He speaks of the individual believer, when he says “whoever” and “he will.” Jesus is saying that each individual believer will do greater works, not believers corporately.

Besides, such a meaning would be overly obvious. If I were teaching a class on preaching to twelve men and said, “You will preach sermons like I preach. And together, you’ll preach more. (In other words, I can only preach one sermon. But together, you’ll preach 12 each week.),” that would be so obvious it would go without saying. And it would be overkill for me to begin that statement with, “Truly, truly, I say to you…”

Jesus begins with that emphatic assurance because what he is about to say is startling and needs to be believed.

I would suggest that what Jesus means is that our works will be “greater” in effect. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, in the new age brought by Jesus’ death and resurrection, their works will be clearer and more effectively reveal who the Son is than did Jesus’ works.

This does not mean that all believers will perform miracles. It does mean that when believers point to who God is and what he is doing in the person and work of Jesus Christ, it will be more clearly perceived and more broadly embraced and believed, than Jesus’ witness was in his day because believers belong to a greater age.

This is not because believers are greater than Jesus. Rather, it is because believers belong to a greater age, an age which is based on the completed cross-work of Jesus, in which the departed Lord Jesus empowers them through his Spirit to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Clues to Jesus’ meaning –
There are two clues that point us to this meaning.

1) The first clue is the final clause of the sentence, “because I go to the Father.” Remember, Jesus is trying to comfort his disciples before his departure by convincing them that it is better that he go away.

This is the basis for why and how believer will do “greater works” and therefore helps define the nature of “greater works.”

This does not mean that with Jesus out of the way, he has given ministry to his disciples. The emphasis is not on Jesus’ departure, but on his destination, his departure to the Father. The place to which he goes carries significance regarding the ministry that will happen through his disciples once he gets there.

His departure is also an arrival. When he departs—through his death, resurrection and ascension—he arrives at the Father’s right hand in glory. Once there, as the authorized King and heir of the promised Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost, he pours his Spirit out into his believers. This is why Jesus will shortly, in verse 16, begin to talk about the sending of the Holy Spirit.

His departure to the Father marks the beginning of a new order, a new age in redemptive history. So, at least part of what it means that his disciples will do “greater things” has to do with the new age that is inaugurated through his departure.

That is, these “work” are done after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

2) The second clue is a parallel in John 5:20. There, Jesus uses the exact same phrase, “greater works.” He says:

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

In the verses to follow in John 5, it becomes clear that “greater works” equals displays of resurrection and judgment. The power of the Son to give life and his authority to judge are both given in consequence of his death, resurrection and exaltation. (They would “marvel” that one who appeared so weak on earth is the one who resurrects the dead and judges.)

So, in this parallel, Jesus’ “greater works” are also those that follow his “departure.” Jesus will do greater works, but these works depend on him first accomplishing the work he was sent to do in dying and rising.

A Greater Age
Both these clues point us to the fact that “greater things” is connected with the unfolding of the history of redemption.

Jesus’ works, done during his earthly ministry, revealed Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah. They were seen and believed by some, but not by many. Jesus works and words were “veiled” to some degree during his ministry on earth. That is why so much confusion and misunderstanding accompanied Jesus’ earthly ministry. That is clear from the questions his disciples have just been asking. His own disciples are still failing to understand what his ministry is truly all about. Only after his departure and glorification would his works be seen for what they were.

But, as Jesus will teach later in the Farewell Discourse, following his glorification and arrival at the Father’s right hand, they will both know all that Jesus is and does—and they will make known all that Jesus is and does. They will be given understanding and their teaching will impart understanding—both by the power of the Spirit who will be poured out after Jesus’ departure. Their words and their deeds will belong to the new age that dawns with Jesus' resurrection and out-pouring of the Spirit.

Like Jesus, believers’ works will reveal who Jesus is and what God is doing in him. And, they will reveal them with greater clarity and with great reception. Because, the works of Jesus’ disciples do not belong to the old age, but to the new. The works of believers are done (a) after Jesus’ glorification and (b) by the power of the Spirit who is poured out in the last days.

Jesus’ works, in some sense, had to wait for a coming day in order to be clearly perceived as demonstrating that he is the Messiah. Their works, however, are set in the context of Jesus’ death and victory and therefore can immediately and clearly reveal who the Son is.

The post-resurrection works of believers—whether acts of love and humility, the preaching of the Gospel, or even the performance of miracles—are “greater” because they belong to a greater age, an age of power and clarity, which is brought about through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Great Works Happening
We see very few examples, during Jesus’ earthly ministry, of persons clearly and accurately comprehending the identity of Jesus Christ, repenting and believing the Gospel. And so “greater works” are happening:

• …when Jesus disciples’ preach the Gospel in languages they did not know on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 are added to their number,
• …when Peter raised Dorcas from the dead and many believed in the Lord.
• …when a preacher stands in the pulpit of a small country church and proclaims the Gospel and a man is converted.
• …when a church member visits a nursing home and shares the Gospel with an elderly woman who turns to Jesus.
• …when a young family packs all their belongings into a crate and heads to Africa, where they preach the Gospel and tribes begin to worship Jesus.
• …when a father or mother sits on the side of a little bed and explains about the forgiveness of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus to their child, who, meditating on that message before falling asleep, sees who Jesus is and believes.
• …when you do acts of love and kindness toward your neighbor and then shares the Gospel with them and they understand who the Christ is and put their hope in him.

In all these things, the last-days Spirit is empowering the Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord to be preached with clarity, removing the scales from eyes and turning hearts to trust in Christ.

No Cause for Boasting
The fact that we, those who believe in Jesus, do greater works than our Lord did while on earth is no cause for thinking that we are greater than Jesus. He is comparing works, not persons.

In some sense, we do our works no differently than Jesus did his. In verse 10, we read that Jesus said, “the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jesus’ works were done by the Father who dwelt in him.

In verse 16, we will read that Jesus will send the Holy Spirit who “will be in you.” And we learn in John 16:8, that this Spirit, who will indwell believers, will “convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.” In Acts, Jesus promises that the Spirit will empower them to be his witnesses.

The “greater works” that believers do are done not in their own strength and sufficiency, but through the power of the Father and the Son dwelling in them through the Holy Spirit.

The Reason for Fruitfulness
Boasting is further excluded when we look the reason for such fruitfulness given in verses 13-14. The “greater works” of believers’ ministry will be the outcome of prayer that is offered in the name of Jesus. (And this is connected to union with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and through abiding in his word.)

Prayer is typically spoken of as being directed to the Father. But verse 14 shows us that prayer can be offered to either the Father or the Son.

What is significant here is such prayer is offered “in Jesus’ name,” is answered by Jesus, and is answered for the sake of the Father’s glory in the Son. All of this has connection to the new age inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Answered by Jesus
Jesus very clearly states that, in this greater age, he is the one who is answering the prayer. So, the final issue is not the works that Jesus did versus the works that we do as believers. The final contrast is between the work of Jesus before his glorification (through death and resurrection) and the work of Jesus after his glorification.

No longer limited by his position of great humility, in his pre-death role as a Suffering Servant, he is now the exalted Son, who sits at the right hand of the Father in glory. Redemption has been won. The promised Holy Spirit has been given to the reigning Son, who has poured him out into his people. And through their Spirit empowered witness and proclamation of the Gospel, the saving reign of the Messiah is invading the world and bringing masses of people from every tribe and language and people and nation are submitting to his reign and confessing him as Lord and Savior and Anointed King to the glory of the Father.

Believers are doing great works, but these are done through the work of Jesus answering prayer. And that will hinge on verse 16, where Jesus promises to send a “Helper.”

In Jesus’ Name
Twice Jesus states that the prayers he answers are prayers offered “in my name.” Again, this highlights Jesus’ role in this new age that follows his death and resurrection. He is acting as our mediator. Prayer is going through him, on the basis of his completed cross-work.

Prayer in Jesus’ name is not a magical incantation that is attached to the end of every prayer. You may close prayers with “in Jesus’ name,” but you do not have to. Prayer in Jesus name means at least two things:

First, prayer in Jesus’ name is prayer that is offered recognizing that our only access to God is through the Son. It is prayer that does not come with confidence that is based on the merits of the one praying or confidence in the fervency, eloquence, or length of the prayer. It comes in confidence that Jesus Christ is our advocate before the Father, who has died as the propitiation for our sins and been raised so that we might be reconciled to God by grace through faith.

Second, prayer in Jesus’ name is prayer that is in accord with who he is and what his name represents. John records in 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that is we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Prayer “in his name” is prayer that accords with “his will.”

That the Father Might be Glorified
Jesus also tells us the purpose for which he answers prayers. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

The glory of the Father has been the purpose of Jesus’ mission and his death. In John 7:18, Jesus refers to himself as “the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him.” In John 8:50, Jesus says, “I do not seek my own glory.” In John 12:27-28, while troubled by his approaching crucifixion, Jesus prays, “But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” And in John 17:1-5, as that hour draws even nearer, Jesus lifts up his eyes to the heavens and says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify you Son that the Son may glorify you…I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

Jesus was absolutely and utterly devoted to obeying his Father and bringing his name all the honor that it deserves. And, Jesus resolve and purpose to glorify his Father did not end when he was glorified in the Father’s presence. The Father’s right hand is only an opportunity and a platform from which to bring even greater glory to his Father’s name. And that is the purpose for which he answers prayer and enables his people to do “greater things.”

“Whatever”
Sometimes people will ask the question, “Does Jesus really mean whatever, as in anything? And, if so, why do my prayers go unanswered.” Those three observations are important in answering that question and in learning how to pray and for what to pray.

For Jesus to answer our prayer, it must…
…first, be for something that Jesus can do. Jesus cannot sin. Therefore, if your prayer is for Jesus to give you an idol that you worship (like a car, house, health, etc.), he cannot and will not support and supply your idolatry. Therefore, if, as James writes (4:3), “you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions,” then you will not receive.

…second, be in accord with his name. That means you come asking, not with confidence based on your merits and works, but with confidence based on his. And, it means that you ask for things that are in accord with who he is, in accord with his purposes, his kingdom, his glory, his honor, his praise.

And, we must recognize that there are times when Jesus knows what is best for us and for his cause—and that might be opposite of what we’re asking for. And so, as a good father would do, he will lovingly deny our request because it would not be our request if we really knew what we were asking for.

…third, be glorifying to the Father. If the reason that Jesus answers our prayer is “that the Father might be glorified in the Son,” then it almost goes without saying that he will not answer a prayer when the answer would not glorify the Father in the Son.

No Boasting, Only Great Boldness
As with the greater works, so with the greater prayer—this is not a ground for boasting. Our greater works and our answered prayer are both the works of the crucified and risen Lord, based on his finished work in the Gospel.

These promises are not a ground for boasting, but they are a ground for boldness. Think about what boldness we ought to have, Northbrook! Our Lord and King has sent us on mission to live as his people and his witnesses until his return.

And he has given us these promises—that we will do the works he did and greater works; that whatever we ask in his name he will do!

This should cause us to live with humble boldness. Humble, because we act on the basis of all he has done and is doing. Bold, because our Lord has promised as much and is faithful and true to the end.

Are we bold or half-hearted?
In his essay, The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis says this:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

The promises in these verses are “unblushing” and “staggering” are they not? Does your life reflect their reality? Are we settling for small and trifling and meager, when Christ speaks of “greater”?

Northbrook, are we bold in works and prayer? Do you shrink back from sharing the Gospel in loving deeds and good works and verbal proclamation because you think you’re not skilled enough?

Do you shrink back from sharing the Gospel with your coworker at the office, with the students at your school, through a neighborhood Bible study, through devotions with your spouse, through family worship with your children, over the fence with your neighbor, through a letter to your parents, etc.?

Do you shrink back because you feel that you are so unskilled and they are so educated and smart or uneducated and stupid that you could never convince them and they would never believe?

Do we shrink back from evangelism, and adopting people groups, and sending missionaries, and teaching Sunday School, and leading Bible studies, and preaching, and hosting small groups, and visiting the sick and homebound, and practicing hospitality in our homes, and meeting new people, and inviting people to church, and reconciling relationships, and rebuking and correcting, and confessing sin and asking forgiveness, and serving with our gifts, and being generous in our giving—because we are scared, discouraged, apathetic, pessimistic…because we are far too easily pleased?

Do we believe that our Lord Jesus was crucified for sins and rose from the dead? Do we believe that he has ascended to the right hand of the Father and poured out his Holy Spirit into us? Do we believe that he has promised that we (and “whoever believes”) will do “greater works” than he did? Do we believe that he has promised to do whatever we ask in his name? Do we believe that he did as much through his apostle and the saints in generations before us? Do we believe that he is the same yesterday, today and forever?

If not—then, believe! And if we do believe all this—then why are we so half-hearted? Let’s live boldly!

Be Bold!
Beulah Baptist Church is located in Hopkins, South Carolina is a bold church. Hopkins is an unincorporated community, too small to appear on most maps. The church only averages 275 people each Sunday. But in 2007, they adopted the Bambara people group of Mali to pray for and minister. At the time, there were no evangelical churches or Christians among the 3,000 Bambara. They were unreached.

Their commitment to pray for them grew into volunteer teams traveling to visit them every six weeks. Two years and 12 mission trips later, they have seen 100 people from the formerly unreached Bambara repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

Beulah Baptist is a small church. William Carey and his friends were 14 in number when they started their missionary society—and the modern missions movement. Martin Luther was one man when he stood against the Roman Catholic Church. Jim and Elizabeth Elliot and their friends were less than a dozen when they set themselves on reaching the Waodoni people with the Gospel. Brother Andrew was one man when he first smuggled Bibles across Communist borders.

I do not claim that we are the same caliber of men and have the same gifts as William Carey or Adoniram Judson or John Paton or Jim and Elizabeth Elliot or Lottie Moon or Amy Carmichael or Martin Luther or Brother Andrew or Jonathan Edwards.

But, in the end, they were all made of dust and weak jars of clay, just like us. And their God is our God. And these promises are our promises.

O, Northbrook! Would you join me in believing these great things, expecting great things, praying great things and attempting great things to the glory of the Father in the Son!

Who is "a City Set on a Hill?"

Jesus said, not to a political state, but to his disciples:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Jesus' followers themselves, not their grand meeting houses or their political pomp, are to be the "city set on a hill" of which Jesus spoke.

The Kingdom of God does not come through political processes or community clean-ups, through rallies or block-parties (though these might be part of the good works referenced above). That's why I wrote:

...we know that changing a state's constitution does not change a man's constitution. The kingdom of God does not come through the steel sword of the state, but through the sword of Spirit. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

Therefore, we must proclaim the saving reign of God through His Son Jesus Christ. We must speak of the eternal Son of God who became man and lived a sinless life. We must proclaim His crucifixion, in which He bore the wrath of God to take away the sin of the world. We must herald His resurrection from the dead and His reign at the right hand of God, from whence He will come again as judge.

It is through the proclamation of this message that God washes, sanctifies, and justifies homosexuals, adulterers, drunkards and idolaters -- as some of us once were (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We do this not with shouting, arrogant quarreling and picket-signs proclaiming hateful messages. Rather, we must be kind, patient and gentle, praying that "God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

And that is why the church must focus more on being a gleaming people than boasting of their gleaming meeting houses, a people who hope more in the power of the Gospel than in displays of earthly power.

Free PDF of The Essential Jesus

I'm excited by Matthias Media's new evangelistic booklet The Essential Jesus. It combines the Gospel of Luke followed by a summary of the Gospel's message incorporating the boxes and format of Two Ways to Live, their popular Gospel tract.

You can download a free PDF copy here.

"Judgment House" Evangelism

Russ Moore gives seven reasons why haunted-house-like attempts at evangelism don't usually work in this post, "'Judgment house' evangelism."

Where Did the "Altar Call" Come From?

JT posts:

At ChristianHistory.net Doug Sweeney and Mark Rogers offer a brief history of the altar call.

For more resources on the altar call--origin, history, evaluation--see this helpful post by Andy Naselli.

Why is David King Repenting?

David King, pastor of Concord Baptist Church, posts two posts (and promises an anticipated but not yet posted third) on repenting of his lack of evangelistic efforts.

In post one, he outlines how he will pray.

In post two, he outlines how he will act.

Good stuff. I look forward to hearing David speak in a few weeks.

John 6:35-48 – This is Jesus: The Savior of Those Given to Him (Part 4)

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached July 27, 2008 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Audio will be available here.

“Can these bones live?” That is the question that the Lord posed to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37. The Lord brought him in the Spirit to the middle of a valley, which was full of bones. These were not just any bones; they were “very dry bones,” which meant they had been dead for some time. It that setting, the Lord asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”

That is the same question that we might ask after last week’s message. Last week we saw, in consideration of John 6:44, that we, in our natural condition, are quite dead. Jesus said, “No one can come to me.” That is, no one possesses the ability or the willingness to believe in Jesus Christ. That is because we are spiritually dead. In our natural condition, as Genesis 6:5 states, every intention of the thoughts of our hearts are only evil continually. As Romans 3 states, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Humanity is a valley of very dry bones.

And yet, some of us are alive. We have come to Jesus Christ. How did this happen?

Furthermore, we are called to “go and make disciples of every nation.” We are called to do evangelism, to raise our children to follow Christ, to help people leave sin and love the Lord. How is this possible?

Perhaps you find yourself this morning in a situation similar to that of Ezekiel. You are attempting to share the Gospel with those the Lord has placed in your life. You desperately want your children to be converted. You are ministering to someone who is ensnared in sin. You desire revival and genuine life in the church. You are becoming discouraged. You are on the verge of hopelessness. You are beginning to ask the question, “Can these bones live?” Can my friends and children be converted? Can people be freed from sin? Can the church be revived and full of genuine spiritual life? “Can these bones live?”

Ezekiel’s answer was simple—“O Lord God, you know.” The Lord did know. He commanded Ezekiel to preach:

Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

The content of the message was what the Lord would do to the bones. They would not make themselves live. He would breathe on them. He would give them sinews and cause flesh to come upon them and cover them with skin and put breath in them. It would be his work. And, as a result of his work on these dead bones would live and would know the he is the Lord.

Ezekiel did as was commanded of him. And as he prophesied a rattling sound as the bone came together. And as Ezekiel watched, there was sinew and flesh and skin on them—but no breath was in them. (This was to emphasize a point—that life does not come through the preacher and his preaching.)

The Lord commanded Ezekiel, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breath on these slain, that they may live.”

Ezekiel did again as was commanded of him. “The breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

Then the Lord explained that these bones were the house of Israel, who the Lord would resurrect and bring into the promised land. He would put his Spirit within them, so that they would know that he is the Lord.

This scene in the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37 was then an illustration of what the Lord had promised in Ezekiel 36. We read there:

Ezekiel 36:24-28 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

We recognize this, of course, as the work God would do in the New Covenant. He would gather his people from all the nations of the earth, cleanse them of their sin, give them a new heart of flesh in the place of stone (that is, life instead of death), put his Spirit within them, and cause them to walk according to his Word. He would bring them to the promised land where he would be their God and they would be his people. It is Old Testament wording for what we read in Revelation. It is what we see happening through the New Covenant inaugurated in the blood of Christ as the Gospel is preached and disciples are made from every tribe, language, people and nation.

All this would happen (and happens today), exactly as the Lord showed Ezekiel in that valley. The fulfillment of God’s purposes would not rest upon the strength of his people or their ability and willingness to respond to him. Rather, God would accomplish his work by his Spirit through the proclamation of his word.

That is what we see in the second half of John 6:44.

The Impossible Made Possible
When Jesus sent the rich young ruler away sad, he told his disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” They responded, “Who then can be saved?” In other words, “You’re making it impossible for a person to be saved!” Jesus did not respond, “Oh no. Some will come, but they will be particularly strong.” He replied, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” With man, Jesus said, it impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom. But, with God, the impossible becomes possible.

That is what we see in verse 44. Jesus has stated that it is impossible for anyone to believe in him. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Jesus introduces the Father’s action, making the impossible possible.

Unless…
Jesus says, “Unless,” which introduces a “necessary condition.” For a person to come to Jesus (to believe in Jesus), this must occur. If this does not occur, the person remains incapable of coming to Jesus. What is this necessary condition? Jesus says, “The Father who sent me draws him.”

“The Father who sent me” refers, of course, to God the Father. “Who sent me” are not intended to prevent us from confusing God with some other Father. The words “who sent me” remind us that Jesus was sent by the Father on a mission—specifically to save everyone of those who are given to him by the Father. It should not surprise us then to see the Father actively involved in bringing about the success of the mission he planned and sent Jesus to accomplish.

Draws…
What the Father does to bring people to believe in Jesus is described here by Jesus as “draw.” He “draws” them. What does it mean for the Father to “draw” someone to Jesus?

Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament defines word here translated “draw” as “to compel by irresistible superiority.” Let’s see if its use matches that definition.

It is used eight times in the New Testament. (In fact, in all of these, the KJV translates it “draw.”)

In John 12:32, it is used similarly when Jesus states, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” The similar use here does not help us define it in our verse.

In John 18:10, it is used when we read that “Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.” Simon Peter used his strength to “draw” the sword out of the sheath.

It is used twice in John 21 (6, 11) of hauling a new of fish. “So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore.” The fishermen used their strength to “draw” (compel) the net of fish to get it to shore.

It is used in Acts 16:19 where we read that the owners of a demon-possessed girl healed by Paul, “seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.” They used their strength to “draw” them into the marketplace.

It is used in Acts 21:30 were we read that the people of the city, “seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.” The people of the city used their strength to “draw” Paul out of the temple.

It is used in James 2:6 where James writes, “Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?” The rich use their strength (either legal or physical) to “draw” them into court.

In each of these uses—a sword drawn from the sheath, a net of fish hauled to the shore, Paul and Silas dragged into the marketplace, Paul dragged out of the temple, Christians dragged into court—“compel by irresistible superiority” fits the usage.

Leon Morris notes that, “There is not one example in the New Testament of the use of this verb where resistance is successful. Always the drawing power is triumphant, as here.” Thus, “irresistible superiority.”

If we used this definition of “draw,” we would say that for the Father to draw people to Christ is for him to compel them to believe in Jesus with irresistible superiority.

That certainly fits in this context, since what is said next shows us that everyone who is drawn comes to Jesus. Jesus says, “And I will raise him up on the last day.” This resurrection is to eternal life. The one who Jesus says he will raise up is the one who is drawn. In order to have eternal life and this resurrection, a person must believe. Therefore, we can conclude that everyone who is drawn comes to Jesus. There is not one person who is drawn with this drawing that fails to come to Christ. The drawing never fails. (Therefore, it is not “common grace,” “prevenient grace,” or “wooing.”)

What is it?
So, what is this drawing of the Father to the Son? It is God overcoming our hearts and bringing us to faith in Christ so that we can be saved.

It is the Father opening the eyes of our heart, revealing of who Christ is to us. In Matthew 16, when Simon Peter confesses, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replies, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” The Father revealed to Simon who Jesus was.

Therefore, coming to Jesus is the gift of the Father. Jesus will say in John 6:65, “no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” The ability to come to Jesus Christ is a gift granted by the Father.

Irresistible Grace
Theologians have sometimes called this “irresistible grace,” a phrase often misunderstood. Some will certainly object to the use of the word “irresistible.”

We do not mean that the influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted in some sense. Obviously, people do resist. In Acts 7:51, Stephen says before the Council, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” They resisted the Holy Spirit. We know from elsewhere in the New Testament that the Spirit can be “grieved” (Eph 4:30) and “quenched” (1 Thess 5:19).

What “irresistible grace” means is that God can overcome any resistance at any time, should he choose to do so. It means that God cannot be resisted successfully. It means that you can resist God until he decides to allow you to resist him no longer. It means that he, as Nebuchadezzar confessed in Daniel 4:35, “does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Some have argued that this is a gift and gifts can be refused. Yes, they argue, God draws us but we can always resist that drawing. William Barclay argues, “God can and does draw men, but man’s resistance can defeat the pull of God.” Aside from the fact that this claim to resistance does not hold true in the use of the word “draw” anywhere and aside from the awful statement that man can defeat God, we should also not that, in this situation, the gift is the removal of resistance. God is making the unwilling willing.

God’s gift is making us alive, what was once called “quickening.” This drawing is regeneration, being raised from the dead to new life, to which we respond by standing up and walking to Jesus Christ.

This is an effectual drawing (calling).
I prefer the term “effectual drawing” or “effectual calling.” That is, this drawing is the extension of grace that effects what God desires. Effectual calling is God’s call which contains the power to effect what it commands.

We see two types of calls spoken of in the Scripture—a general call and an effectual call. The general call is the proclamation of the Gospel—such as what I am doing right now. I declare that Jesus Christ was crucified as a sacrifice for sins, bearing the wrath of God deserved by sinners. I declare that after being buried, he rose from the dead, showing that his sacrifice was accepted by God. I declare that all men everywhere are sinners, under the wrath of God. I call people to repent—to leave their sins—and to trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, which I do to you this morning if you are an unbeliever.

When I preach, my words do not contain the power to raise the spiritually dead. If all that occurs is I preach, then nothing will happen.

Nothing will happen, unless God issues his effectual call. This is when the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work through the preaching of the Gospel to regenerate souls, making them alive and willing to believe in Jesus Christ.

We see both of these in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24;

…we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

They “preach”—they call everyone to believe. However, their call is a stumbling block and folly. Nevertheless, Paul writes, “to those who are called” it is the power and wisdom of God. That second call is God’s effectual work, for everyone called regards the cross as the power of God.

That is what this drawing is—God working regeneration and faith in a soul so that they arise and come to Jesus Christ.

John's Gospel
This has been emphasized since the beginning of John’s Gospel. This is such a prominent theme in this Gospel that the ancient commentator, Bernard, wrote, “Here is a fundamental doctrine of the Fourth Gospel, viz. that the approach of the soul to God or Christ is not initiated by the man himself, but by a movement of Divine grace.”

Throughout the Gospel of John, especially in Jesus’ teaching, divine initiative, whether the Father or the Son, is always emphasized. Jesus never defends the freedom or the ability of the sinner to come to him.

Those who believe are “born of God.”

John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

To enter the Kingdom, you must be “born again” by the Spirit of God. John 3:3-8

John 3:3-8 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

The Son gives life to whom he will.

John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

We are slaves who must be set free by the Son, who draws people to himself.

John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Biblical
This doctrine appears, not just in John’s Gospel, but throughout the Bible:
God causes us to be born again.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

God made us alive when we were dead.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved…
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

God began the good work in us.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God is at work in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

It is because of God who chose us that we are in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

God grants it to us to believe.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake

God grants repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
John 6:65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
Acts 5:31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

God’s Spirit is given so that we might understand.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

The Father and the Son reveal each other to some.

Matthew 11:25-27 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

The Lord opened Lydia’s heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Acts 16:14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

God saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And, this is what Southern Baptists have taught.
E.Y. Mullins, the fourth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said, “Grace always persuades and convinces and makes us willing to come, however mysterious and mighty it may be in its actions upon our hearts.” Our willingness to come, he taught, is a product of grace that necessarily precedes us responding.

The Baptist Faith and Message (article IV.A), since 1963, has taught that:

Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

God regenerates us, changing our hearts. The sinner responds to this change in repentance and faith. He arises, leaves his sin, and comes to Jesus Christ. This happens in an instant, so that these things are experientially inseparable.

David Dockery in Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal writes of Southern Baptists (83):

We do not or cannot deny that people on occasion seek and ask for God’s grace, but even the asking or seeking is a response to the gift of grace. God does not graciously accept us because He sees our change for the better, as if conversion were the basis for receiving God’s grace. Instead, the Bible pictures God coming into our lives, taking us just as we are because He is abundantly merciful (Eph 2:1-10).

Drawn
This does not mean that anyone is “dragged kicking and screaming” into the Kingdom of God. It does not mean that God forces people to be saved who don’t want to be saved. It does not mean that God does not allow people to be saved who want to believe. It does not mean that God does violence to the human will or is guilty of divine rape.

It means that, even though everyone is dead in sin and unable to come to Jesus Christ, God the Father graciously makes some of them alive with Christ. He makes them want to come to Christ. It means that God is gracious to whom he is gracious. He is gracious—he rescues people who are dead and deserve to stay dead and makes them alive and seats them with the King in glory.

It Means That We Should…
…give God all the glory—salvation is a Trinitarian work.

…keep the Word central in ministry. The way that God gives us new birth is through his word.

1 Peter 1:23 …you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…

…pray and preach, preach and pray.

…be emboldened in evangelism and ministry.
It means that these bone can live! Furthermore, God will not forsake those bones that he has brought to life.