North Ryde Christian Church

In ancient times sons got their identity from their fathers. They did the same work and were trained by their fathers. For example, Jesus was known as “the carpenter’s son” (Mt. 13:55NLT). And many characters in the Bible are named as “the son of” their father.

There are pattern prophecies (typology) in the Old Testament about Jesus being the Son of God that are only evident in hindsight. Here the word “son” is a metaphor indicating a close relationship, not a biological one.

God was to have a father – son relationship with Solomon and the other kings of Judah who were descendants of David – “I will be his father, and he will be my son” (2 Sam. 7:14). They were meant to have a close relationship with God the supreme ruler.

Psalm 2 was written by king David for the coronation of the kings of Judah who were his descendants. In the New Testament it is applied to Jesus Christ, who was David’s greatest descendant.

In Psalm 2 God says, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem” (v.6NLT). And God tells the king “You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.” (7-9).

This is a proclamation about a new king’s rule. God has adopted the Davidic king as His Son. And this king will rule over the whole earth.

Verse 7 in Psalm 2 is applied to the resurrection (Acts 13:33). Jesus was shown to be the Son of God in the power of His resurrection. Paul said, “He [Jesus] was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 1:4). He was born in weakness but was raised with power. The power of the resurrection set Jesus apart and verified His deity. At the resurrection God inducted the Son into His royal status as King of the Universe. Thereafter He sits and rules at God’s right hand in heaven. And He has the legal right to inherit creation from the Father at His second coming, when He will rule over the earth.

At the beginning and end of Christ’s ministry He is said to be the Son of God. At His baptism, God said that Jesus was His Son (Mk. 1:11). And after Christ’s death the centurion said, “this man truly was the Son of God!” (Mk. 15:39). Only Jesus is the perfect Son of God because “Whatever the Father does, the Son also does” (Jn. 5:19).

During His trial, the Sanhedrin asked Jesus, “Are you then the Son of God?”. And Jesus answered, “Yes, I am” (Lk. 22:70).

The book of John was “written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name” (Jn. 20:31).

So let’s thank God for sending Jesus as the Son of God.

Prayer

Father God, we acknowledge that the kings of Judah were not good examples of sons of God – they generally didn’t seem to have a close relationship with you.

Thanks for sending Jesus as the perfect Son of God who could die for our sins and rise again in great power over sin and death. So, we offer thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus. In Christ’s name, Amen.

G Hawke

I have some good news and some bad news. Yesterday, the Tigers (rugby league) won, but the Matilda’s (soccer) lost. Most people prefer to hear the bad news first because we prefer stories with happy endings. But bad news dominates in our news media because it gets higher ratings. The Good News Network was founded in USA in 1997 because the media was failing to report the positive news.

When Jesus visited the Jewish synagogue in His hometown Nazareth, He read about good news from Isaiah (61:1-2; 58:6) in the Bible.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Lk. 4:18-19).

Then He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21). That’s a short sermon – one sentence (He would Have said more, but this is the main point)! He told them who it was about (Him) and when it was about (then). He was the “anointed” one (the Christ) proclaiming a message of good news. Jesus was the promised Messiah. The people of Israel had waited a long time for the fulfillment of promises that God made throughout their history – about 2,000 years from Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), 1,000 years from David and 700 years from this prophecy by Isaiah.

This shows Jesus’ primary purpose – to proclaim (or preach) good news and to bring God’s favour. It’s like a Mission Statement. Elsewhere He said that He came to die – “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). He came to bring deliverance and salvation through His death and resurrection. Jesus is the good news.

This passage is addressed to the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the oppressed, who are disadvantaged and marginalized. Those with the major problems in society. But it also applies to spiritual needs – spiritual poverty, spiritual captivity, spiritual blindness, and spiritual oppression. Jesus is saying that His good news is the answer to the major problems in society. The good news addresses the bad news about our sin. He came to die for our sins and remove the barrier between us and God.

The “year of God’s favor” may refer to the Hebrew Jubilee year when all slaves were released, and debts cancelled (Lev. 25). Likewise, believers are freed from being slaves to sin and their relationship with God is restored.

Prayer

Father God, in a world where there is so much bad news, we thank you for the good news that came through Jesus. He is the promised Jewish Messiah that fulfilled the promises and patterns in the Old Testament. He preached a message of good news, and we all need that good news.

Thanks, that Jesus was the good news – He died to take the punishment for our sins. Because of this we look forward to your favour rather than your judgment. So, we offer thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus. In Christ’s name, Amen.

G Hawke

What would you think of a man who used his power to forcibly have sex with a woman? But he didn’t stop there. This woman was married and after finding out she’d become pregnant through his sexual assault he tried to make it look like the baby belonged to her husband. When this failed he once again used his power to arrange the husband to be killed. It’s reprehensible behaviour. Unforgivable, many would say. This is the biblical story behind Psalm 51 – the story of king David.

Remarkably the Bible doesn’t shy away from the horror of human sinfulness. The sins of even the heroes of the faith, like king David, are recorded in explicit detail. Disturbing as it is to read such an account, it assures us that the biblical worldview is not one of toxic positivity and whitewashed history. In the historical stories of the Bible we recognise the abominable ways humans can treat each other for personal gain or pleasure. The type of behaviour we still see today. It wouldn’t take long to think of church or world leaders who have behaved very similarly to king David.

What about you? Have you ever done something that you feel ashamed of? Perhaps the shame led you to try and cover it up or even deny it ever happened. Perhaps this led you into more wrongs or trouble. Or perhaps rather than a big shameful event you know that everyday you make decisions for personal gain that hurt others – gossip that puts others down, anger that verbally assaults, purchases that keep you comfortable and others poor…

Eventually king David had the courage to face up to and take responsibility for his dreadful actions “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night” (Psalm 51:3). Knowing his sin was not merely a “poor decision” but heart-deep he calls on God to forgive and change him.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God” Psalm 51:10

Maybe you don’t think king David should be forgiven. But don’t we all need forgiveness? Don’t we all need God’s divine power to change our heart-deep problems? The outrageous forgiveness God granted David is also available to each of us. This is confirmed in the New Testament letter 1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him [God], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Are you willing to own up to your wrongs, to confess your inner sins and to receive the lavish forgiveness and heart change Jesus offers you?

Prayer: Dear God, I admit I am a sinner. I ignore you and do things for my own gain and pleasure at the expense of others. Please forgive me and create in me a clean heart through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2023

On May 6th, 2023, an estimated audience of 400 million people witnessed the coronation of King Charles III. This event was significant in the eyes of so many because the ceremony confirmed Charles’ position on the throne and his role as monarch of the United Kingdom and all remaining Commonwealth countries.

Whether we are pro-monarchy or not, King Charles III is our king and rules his kingship over us.

The phrase “Long live the king” comes from a traditional proclamation, “The king is dead, long live the king!” made following the accession of a new monarch. What seems like a contradictory phrase simultaneously announces the death of the previous monarch and asserts continuity by saluting the new monarch. Queen replaces king. King replaces queen. King replaces king and so on. The title is enduring but the individuals are not.

There is, however, one enduring king – “The King of kings and Lord of lords,” as the Bible describes Jesus (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He’s the only king to fulfill both parts of the proclamation, “The king is dead, long live the king!” He is the King who died and still lives.

In stark contrast to king Charles’ coronation, the people placed on Jesus’ head not jewelled gold but a bloodied crown of thorns. Jesus’ pomp and ceremony was not music and prayers but a brutal public beating and execution. Also unlike King Charles III’s reign, death does not end Jesus’ reign. Jesus submitting Himself to death on a cross was an act of royal service to His people. The King sacrificed Himself for the sins of His people and was raised back to life demonstrating His enduring reign.

“God elevated Him to the place of highest honour and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:9-11.

In the end all other rulers will be conquered or abolished, and Jesus alone will reign supreme as King and Lord of all the earth. No power, king, or lord can oppose Him and win.

So the next time you hear, “Long live the King,” think about the true, enduring King Jesus on His heavenly throne today. Entrust yourself to His servant leadership and rejoice that ultimately His power and righteousness will reign.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you that Jesus is the true and living King for all people. Help me to put my trust in Him, live under His righteous rulership, and enter His kingdom on the day you call me home. Amen.

Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia.
Images and text © Outreach Media 2023

When I was in high school there were two views of the origin of the universe – The steady state theory (that the universe was eternal) and the big bang theory (that the universe had a beginning). Since then, the steady state theory has been discarded. But it was attractive to scientists because it removed the need for a creator God because the universe was eternal. Now there is a need for a creator to kick off the universe. And the Bible says that it is the creator who is eternal.

An Old Testament prophecy about the birth of Christ also makes a statement about His antiquity. The prophet Micah wrote, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah [near Jerusalem], though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Mic. 5:2NIV). This is from a passage (v.2-5) that is about the birth and reign of Israel’s Ultimate Ruler. And Isaiah called this person “Mighty God, Everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6).

“From ancient times” means from the eternal past. Jesus is the eternal God. The promise to Judah was that their situation would change when the Messiah comes (Mic. 5:4).

So, Micah prophesized that the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem had existed eternally in the past. Over 700 years later, the fulfilment was given.

John begins his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (Jn. 1:1-3). Here we see that Jesus was the pre-existing eternal One. Before anything was created, Jesus existed. His existence is beyond time. He has always existed, and He created everything, including time. Jesus preceded creation in both time and space. When He was born, Jesus added a human nature to His eternal, divine nature.

And when He was in Jerusalem, Jesus told the Jews, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (Jn. 8:58). He existed before Abraham. Christ existed in eternity. The Son of God never came into being at all because He always existed in eternity. He had no beginning. He is timeless. Then they tried to stone Him to death because they recognized that Christ claimed to be God almighty.

And Jesus said that He was with God the Father, “before the world began” (Jn.17:5).

And in the last chapter of the Bible Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon! … I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 2:12-13). These three pairs of titles affirm that Jesus is eternal.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that the trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is eternal. That Jesus who was born in Bethlehem existed from all eternity. He is almighty God. This means that He has unique powers of creation and salvation.

So, we offer thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus. In Christ’s name, Amen.

G Hawke