andy cottingham

Graduation day for me was a particularly surprising event, it was by no means a “given” that I would even get to university. I’m sure my secondary school teachers would have been happy to bet on this event never taking place. Yet it did happen. I had qualified and was ready to take on the world. The university system was satisfied that I was ready to leave the lecture hall and embark on a profession.

The disciples had a similar day – they were about to be left on their own. Jesus was about to leave them and return to heaven.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Acts 1 v4-9 (emphasis added)

This was their final question to Jesus before his ascension.

What is surprising is that, on this day of all days, their question reveals a total lack of understanding about Jesus mission. They were still thinking about an earthly kingdom. They expected that once they were filled with the Holy Spirit it was going to be check-out time for the Romans.

They had good reason to think this. Whenever an old testament character was filled with the Holy Spirit something pretty spectacular happened. Consider a few examples:

• Samson
• Gideon
• Samuel
• David

The results of the Holy Spirit filling these guys were on a national scale. The nation was changed. Often the whole direction of the nation would be affected. The disciples still assumed that this was about to happen again, even with repeated teaching and demonstrations from Jesus that this wasn’t the kind of kingdom he was bringing. They were right, however, in expecting something of scale. They just had the scale wrong. They were expecting something of national significance, what was about to happen would have global significance!

It took that filling with the Holy Spirit’s power before Jesus teaching could be properly understood.

The world has never been the same.

It has always been a matter of interest to me that the disciples understanding of what Jesus was about was so scant. It is both comforting and concerning to know that, even with Jesus himself as a teacher, those closest to Him had little grasp of what was really happening. Comforting because that’s how I often feel (what is Jesus doing?), and worrying to me as a bible teacher because if Jesus is teaching, and behind the scenes explanations didn’t immediately convince the disciples, then what chance have I got?

The first surprising event in the lives of the disciples I’d like to consider is what the ESV heads Jesus Calms a Storm. The story is very familiar – Jesus takes the disciples on a boat trip, being very tied he’s sleeping. A storm rises and threatens to swamp the boat. The terrified disciples wake Jesus with ‘we’re going to die!’ What is surprising is that Jesus didn’t respond with a comforting sermon on the Fathers ability to preserve their lives even in difficult situations. In His response it is almost if Jesus didn’t understand their anxiety.

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8 v26

So why was Jesus reaction harsh rather than comforting?

The disciples were on a faith learning exercise. The previous verses and chapters show that Jesus was demonstrating the power he had over sickness and circumstance. In v5-13 a non-Jew exercised incredible faith as his servant was healed without Jesus seeing or touching him. Following this Jesus healed and delivered crowds from sickness and demonic influence.

Now comes a personal lesson for the disciples – they are personally challenged. The storm is threatening them. Jesus is looking for faith! He’s still looking for faith. We can see those around us exercising faith for healing, finance and the future and be personally immune.

Jesus said that a tiny amount of faith is sufficient to achieve the impossible. Faith is action, James reminds us. So garrison your faith, however small and faltering, look to Jesus and speak to the storm. Act as if Jesus was very powerful and personally with you – because He is!

The question has been asked – why make such a big deal of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA)? Surely there are other aspects of Jesus work on the cross that are worthy of the same passion that the proponents of PSA seem to express?

I think this is a good question which could equally be made about great swathes of doctrine which isn’t regularly taught or emphasized. The appeal I guess is to the systematic exegesis of the whole cannon. Specifically regarding PSA, I think the questioner would have to concede that PSA is the aspect of the gospel currently under debate/attack and it is not, therefore, surprising that passionate people want to defend it. Paul certainly saw PSA as central to the Gospel making the link between the flawed sacrifices under the old covenant and Jesus perfect, once for all sacrifice, which supersedes them and renders further need for sacrifice ridiculous.

Hebrews 10 is a pretty compelling argument for PSA and a focused description of the gospel in v18. If Paul is happy to make much of this link I suggest we’re on safe ground doing the same. To take it further you would have to ask of the passage (Hebrews 10) to whom were the sacrifices made under the old covenant? The link Paul makes is so strong it would be difficult to answer that they were made to God, and then suggest that Jesus sacrifice wasn’t. Finally if the only reason to recoil from PSA is that “it seems like cosmic child abuse” then are we going to analyze all of scripture against this benchmark? We’re going to have to dispense with much of the OT narrative which seems incredibly harsh in the light of this statement.

UZZAH got a raw deal.
THE PHILISTINES were terribly misunderstood.
GOLIATH wasn’t an evil giant, he was a vertically challenged envoy of a different faith.

We’re in big trouble unless we realize that sin is (and I’m choosing my words carefully) bloody serious.

Matthew 6 v25-34

I wanted to make one further observation concerning anxiety. The modern, western, capitalist, culture thrives on the inducement of anxiety.

“You need this new thing!”
“You must look like this!”
“You should live here, in a house like this!”

Our economy requires a certain level of worry as it’s fuel, driving us towards increased consumption. The church is not immune to this onslaught. Add to this misguided, middle-class sensibilities and you have a recipe for anxiety. We can feel that to worry a bit is somehow godly, we might call it ‘concern’ but actually it’s just old fashion anxiety. Our calling is to transformation.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12 v2

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to bring about this radical change.

We can’t leave this verse without noting that Jesus elaborates on it in Matthew 6 v25-34.

The heading given by the NIV is similar to most including the ESV and states ‘Do Not Be Anxious’. I’m not sure this is the most useful title as it seems to refer mainly to the opening verses of the paragraph. A better phrase might have been ‘Seek First The Kingdom’ putting it positively rather than negatively. Jesus himself ends on this more optimistic note.

Life, food, drink, clothes, the future. All these things are specifically named as not worthy of anxiety. Men and women of the Kingdom, who have a heavenly Father looking after them have no need to fill their minds with this kind of anxious turmoil. Anxiety is an enemy of peace and faith. It seeks a dominant roll in the thought life of the believer and, if given sufficient energy, will speak fear and despair into the mind.

It needs ruthless treatment!

The way to deal with it is spelled out clearly and here is our connection with the beatitude. Rather than spending our energies worrying about all these things, SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD! We’ve already seen the promise that the man seeking the Kingdom will be filled. The mind filled with, the life pursuing the advance of the Kingdom of God has little room for anxiety. Anxiety also assumes God doesn’t have things under control, that somehow events have run beyond His sovereign hand.

Jesus consistent answer, even to his closest friends when they voiced their anxiety in this way was.

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8 v26

So the answer for the anxious is positive action – seek first the Kingdom!

Matthew 5 v6

The goal of this verse is the passionate pursuit of righteousness, resulting in happiness and fullness. Yet it was that very thing that evaded the Israelites for generations. Many references to righteousness in the OT are made with regard to the law. How the people were doing in their keeping of the law was a measure of their righteousness before God.

The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.
Deuteronomy 6 v24

Knowing the stories as we do we are only too aware of the terrible struggle the Israelites had attempting to keep this law. Over the generations what becomes increasingly apparent is that they are never going to experience the blessings that come with righteousness because they can’t keep the law. They didn’t even inherit the land because of their righteousness.

After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you.
Deuteronomy 9 v4

They did get the land but only on account of the wickedness of the occupying nations.

The situation becomes progressively desperate leading to a divided nation and exile. All through these experiences the dawning of a universal truth grows and builds. They need saving, they and we need a Saviour! Righteousness was and is never going to be achieved by keeping the law, in attempting to achieve righteousness via the law all that is actually achieved is condemnation (which is at least an accurate assessment) or falsely, as with the Pharisees, pride.

Paul puts it like this in Romans 3:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

So our righteousness is found only in Jesus. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to hunger and thirst for Jesus. To desire his company, a continued filling with His Holy Spirit and through the power of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus to become like him.

To line our lives up in this way is to demonstrate a life which begins to resemble the description Jesus is giving of this happy, fulfilled man.

Matthew 5 v6

The man who is beginning to walk in meekness (Matthew 5 v5) is going to need something else to fuel his thinking. He is no longer fighting his own corner, he has deposed himself from the throne of ’self’.

In this verse we see Jesus offering a new focus – something better to live for.

Before this man would be seeking position and power all under the terrible banner of pride. His thoughts and energies spent on self promotion and a seeking of the limelight. Now this hunger and thirst to live for something has a new centre – He has seen Jesus and His righteousness. Only a passionate and vigorous pursuit of His righteousness will satisfy. All else fades as this happy man devotes is life to the pursuit of righteousness.

What is righteousness?

Matthew 5 v6

The better understanding of blessed which seems to carry more meaning in our culture is the word happy. Here in verse 6 Jesus is preaching and teaching that, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.

Immediately it becomes apparent that there is a double positive here. A verse with a blessing at both ends. Happiness and fullness are both being offered as the result of hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

The two verbs hunger and thirst are both the result of natural appetites. There could not be more familiar cravings. We all, on a daily basis, respond to our sense of hunger and thirst, we know where to go and what our bodies need in order to satisfy their demands. Yet the focus of these oh-so-familiar appetites is not food and drink but righteousness.

The question that must be answered is, “where do I find satisfaction in the search for righteousness?”