Please Stand By

Life has been a little more hectic than usual as we have been dealing with illness in the family. But God is faithful, and by His grace, we will finish our study in John. God willing, we will resume on July 8th. (Now would be a great time to catch up if you're running behind.) In the meantime, I would appreciate your prayers for my mother Dorothy, and my aunt Izola.

Jesus Wept

To say that we have an uncomfortable relationship with death is an understatement to the extreme. As one man said, death is the dark corner at the far end of the corridor that no one can see, but we must all pass through. We cannot stop death from coming any more than we can stop next Tuesday. Death is ugly, it is unknown, we are afraid of it, and no one likes to talk about it. In fact, you are probably having second thoughts about finishing this essay. But please hang in there, because there is hope at the end of the corridor.

Death may be normal, but it is not natural. Something in the very core of our being rises up in protest and revulsion at death. Death should not be! But it is. Like a nightmare that no one can escape, death is a reality, and the day will come when we will lose everyone we love, unless they lose us first. There is no human court on earth that can put a stay on our day of execution. And so we wait, and try not to think about it. We recoil and protest at the thought of death because this is not the world as God created it. We were not meant to die, and somehow, deep down, we know this. We know that we were made for eternity.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.-- Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

So why is there death? According to the Scriptures, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are fallen creatures who live in a fallen world, and our sin has separated us from God, the Author of life (John 3:19-20, Romans 3:10-12, Acts 3:15, Psalm 36:9). Every sin that has a beautiful veneer on the outside ends in the ugliness of death.

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In John 11, we encounter death through a man named Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha. We can identify with them can’t we? Lazarus had taken ill and the sisters sent word to Jesus. But Jesus delayed His coming and their worst fears became a reality -- Lazarus died. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Mary and Martha are grief-stricken over losing their brother. Can you feel their pain? Anyone who has lost a loved one understands their grief.

The scene is that of a funeral, and there is sorrow upon sorrow. We might be tempted to think that Jesus would be unmoved and float above it all, but we would be wrong. Far from being stoic, Jesus is also grieved. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in all of Scripture, and it simply reads, "Jesus wept."

Jesus wept, but why did He weep? Ask five different commentators and you'll probably get at least three different answers. Why did Jesus weep? Did He weep because of what sin has done to the world? Did He weep over the grief of His dear friends Mary and Martha? Why did He weep knowing that He was about to call His friend Lazarus from the grave? Maybe He wept for all of these reasons. Maybe He wept for reasons we simply can't know. But this we do know, Jesus is not indifferent to our pain. He was a man of sorrows and He walks with us in our grief.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. -- Isaiah 53:3

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -- Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus does not float above our pain with stoic indifference, He is there with every believer. For example, in the book of Acts when Saul of Tarsus persecuted Christians, Jesus did not ask him, "Saul, why are you persecuting my people?" No, instead Jesus asked him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?" When Saul persecuted Christians, it was as if he persecuted Christ Himself (Acts 9:4). Jesus is the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and we are not alone in our suffering, and we are not alone in death.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. -- Psalms 116:15

Jesus wept at the funeral of Lazarus, and He wept with Mary and Martha. But what happened next was shocking and unbelievable to those present; Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

In the next chapter of John's Gospel, we find Lazarus enjoying a meal with his two sisters and with His Lord. No doubt, there was great rejoicing. This is just a glimpse of what is to come for every believer. One day, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, God will wipe away every tear, and we will dine with Christ in His kingdom.

Eventually, Lazarus would die again, as would Mary and Martha. However, Jesus made a promise to them, and to every believer as well:

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." -- John 6:40

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, -- John 11:25

Although Lazarus died again, Jesus was crucified and rose on the third day, never to die again; and He promised to raise up everyone who believes in Him on the last day, and they will never die again. In the same way, that David conquered Goliath, and his victory was imputed to all of Israel, Christ defeated sin and death, and His victory is imputed to everyone who trusts in Him.

Now, the light of Christ shines in that dark corridor because He has conquered death. Though we may grieve at the loss of a loved one, we do not grieve as being without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). Because Jesus lives, those who are hidden in Christ will live as well. Death may bring sorrow, and it may appear for a time that Jesus delays His coming, but we can rest and know, that He will be on time, in His good time.

The Heidelberg Catechism asks the question: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
The Answer:

That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

So what is our ultimate comfort? It is not in being spared from death and the sorrow that it brings; but rather, we find our comfort in trusting Christ, and knowing that He will shepherd us through the valley of the shadow of death. For the believer, death is but a passing shadow like sleep, and because we are secure in Christ, death has lost its sting.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Biblical Motifs - The Shepherd

(Note: This is part of an ongoing series that is best read in order. If you have not already done so, you can read the previous posts here.)

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I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, -- John 10:14

In John 10 we come to another important (and prominent) Biblical motif, that of the shepherd. Of course, shepherds were common in the land of Israel as well as ancient cultures in general. All of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were Shepherds, as were Moses and King David.

Today, when we think of a shepherd, we tend to think of noble men who guarded a flock of sheep with great care. Perhaps we imagine the Nativity when angels announced the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds who were dutifully keeping watch over their flock. But in reality, shepherds were generally uneducated men of low regard who lived on the fringes of society. They were disrespected at best, and despised at worst.

Of course, the chief task of the shepherd was to take care of sheep, and God's people are likened unto sheep. That makes for an interesting comparison, because sheep are defenseless, easily lead, prone to wander, and they are not so bright. Sheep are also easy prey for predatory animals (like wolves for example). In addition to protecting the sheep, it was also the shepherds job to make sure that his flock was properly fed and rested. This made the shepherd indispensable to the sheep.

When we see the word shepherd in Scripture, we must distinguish between "a" shepherd and "The" Shepherd. God has always appointed men to shepherd His people. Sometimes that shepherd would be a prophet like Moses, sometimes it was a king like David, and today the local pastor has been given a charge to act as a shepherd. All of these are examples of an under shepherd. But then, there is the Chief Shepherd to Whom the under shepherd is accountable -- Jesus Himself.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows each of us by name, and He laid down His life for His sheep. He is the Good Shepherd who carried our guilt and shame and was despised and rejected by men. He is the Good Shepherd who was bruised for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities. But Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd, in an amazing paradox, the Good Shepherd is also the Lamb Who was slain:

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. -- Isaiah 53:3-7

Truly, the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He restores my soul and leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake, and He knows me by name.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23 is probably the most read and best known chapter in the book of Psalms. It is short, yet powerful.

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. -- Psalms 23:1-6

In this familiar passage the Lord Himself takes the title of "Shepherd". The implications of this are huge as we will see. But before we discuss those implications, let's look at a few more examples where God is likened to a shepherd:

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. -- Isaiah 40:10-11

"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. -- Ezekiel 34:11-12

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. -- Ezekiel 34:15-16

"As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. -- Ezekiel 34:17

From these passage we see that God will:

• Shepherd His people 
• Reward and punish on the last day 
• Seek and save the lost 
• Judge between the sheep and the goats

Now let's take a look at some passages that describe Jesus as shepherd:

"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." -- Revelation 22:12-13

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." -- Luke 19:10

"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. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. -- Matthew 25:31-34

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." -- Revelation 7:17

From these passage we see that Jesus will:

• Shepherd His people 
• Reward and punish on the last day 
• Seek and save the lost 
• Judge between the sheep and the goats

What are we to conclude from these passages? As we have discussed before, not only does the Bible affirm the deity of Christ with explicit statements, it also affirms the deity of Christ with beautifully pictured allusions. The above passages fit into the latter category, they are beautiful pictures and allusions that point us to the deity of Christ. This time, not with explicit statements, but with powerful imagery. In these passages God is revealed as the Shepherd of Israel, incarnated in the person of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity.

Ravenous Wolves

And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. -- Jeremiah 14:14

Those are strong words, are they not? God said that there were "prophets" in Israel who were speaking lies in His name. Scripture is replete with warnings about false prophets and false teachers. They were common in ancient Israel, and they are all too common in the church today. Jesus likened the false teacher to a ravenous wolf. In fact the idiom, "Wolf in sheep's clothing" is a derived from the words of Christ.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. -- Matthew 7:15

The false prophet is an impersonator. He pretends to be one thing on the outside, but inside he is something very different. The false teacher is a predator; his ambition is to, in some way, consume the sheep. He is usually driven by personal ambition to gain a following for himself. He does not point us to Christ, but rather, he will distract us by subtlety shifting our attention away from Christ onto other things (dreams, ambitions, affluence, etc). The false teacher does not care for the sheep (though he will pretend to), nor will he protect the sheep. He is a thief and a robber who comes to kill, still, and destroy.

But what does a false teacher look like? Do they dress in black and have a permanent sneer on their face? No, to the contrary, false teachers are often dynamic, eloquent, and attractive. They will use Christian language and phrases. They even quote Scripture (didn't Satan do the same), but in the process, they will twist and distort its meaning.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. -- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Jesus warned us time and again to be on the watch for false teachers, as did the apostles. Here is a small sample:

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. -- Acts 20:29-31

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. -- Romans 16:17-18

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. -- 2 Timothy 4:3-4

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. -- 2 Peter 2:1-3

From the preceding passages, we see certain marks of a false teacher:

• They serve their own appetites
• They are marked by greed and lust
• They use smooth talk and flattery
• They tell people what they want to hear
• They bring in destructive heresies
• They seek to take advantage of people

Are you detecting a pattern here? So am I. Please note, Christ and the Apostles are not suggesting that there might be the occasional false teacher. They emphatically stated time and time again that there will be false teachers. We can count on it. There has always been an abundance of false teaches.

The standard for a pastor is very high (James 3:1), if a pastor has even one of these character flaws, he is not fit to be an undershepherd. This is a grave warning that we should take very seriously. Unfortunately, it seems that these warnings are often ignored. Just because something is marked "Christian" doesn't make it so. How is it that so many professing Christians are willing to protect and support high-profile, "celebrity" pastors who have been caught up in scandal? Men who do not meet the biblical requirements for leadership on the most basic level. Have we become more devoted to the celebrity pastor than Christ?

So what are the qualifications of a leader? We needn't guess, they are laid out very clear in Scripture:

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. -- Titus 1:5-9

What is our best defense against hirelings and false shepherds? Our best defense is to know the voice of the Good Shepherd. How do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? We do that by reading and meditating on His written Word. We would do well to imitate the faithful Bereans who examined the Scriptures and held fast to what is true (Acts 17:11). Remember, there is a reason God's people are compared to sheep (not so bright, prone to wander, etc.), we must stay close to the True Shepherd by staying in His Word and rejecting any so-called leader who runs counter to God's written Word.

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Lastly, lest we be tempted to despair, let me offer this strong word of encouragement. This is Christ's Church, and He is faithful. He has promised to raise up faithful men to teach and edify His people. Although these men will not be perfect, they will be biblically qualified stewards of the office to which God has called them.

Furthermore, we have the witness of faithful men from over 2,000 years of church history to learn from. The Church has been built on a single foundation, in which Christ is the chief cornerstone. In the same way that we can be certain about the reality of false teachers, we can also be certain that Christ is faithful to raise up godly men. Some will be men of renown like Luther and Spurgeon, but most will joyfully labor in obscurity as a local pastor. As we look back through Church history, we see that God is faithful, and we have every reason to be confident that He will continue to be faithful. But let us also remember to be faithful Bereans of God's Word.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. -- Matthew 16:18

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:19-22

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. -- Ephesians 4:10-16

The Heart of a Pharisee

To move from a cultural understanding of Jesus to one that is rooted in Scripture can be a shock to the system. As we discussed in a previous post, Jesus is very different from our cultural depictions of Him. Jesus was not a flower child teaching a group of hippies about peace and love on a grassy meadow. But rather, as we have already seen in the first nine chapters of John, Jesus was focused, determined, intense and confrontational. He was in no way passive as He purposefully drove confrontations with a wayward Israel, and the world beyond.

We see in John 9 that Jesus healed yet another man on the Sabbath. Why did He heal on the Sabbath knowing that it would cause anger and consternation among the leaders of Israel? Because Jesus was confronting the religious leaders at the point of their sin, which was their man-made religious system. They had long ago abandoned true devotion to God in favor of man-made traditions, and outward piety that was devoid of true inner devotion. And, just like corrupt leaders today, they were prepared to protect that false system at any cost.

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" -- Matthew 15:7-9

The confrontations of Christ were not by accident, they were by design. Whether He drove money changers from the temple or healed on the Sabbath, He had a clear reason for doing so.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. -- John 3:17-19 

That is the subtext underneath the ministry of Christ. He came not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He came to seek and to save the lost. And that meant shining His light in dark places. It meant confronting people in their sin and calling them to repentance. It meant giving them (and us) a wake-up call, and we generally don't like that. Jesus is like the morning sun shining into our darkened rooms where we slumber in sin.

When Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath day, it caused quite a commotion for all parties involved. It was yet another confrontational act on the part of Jesus and no heart was left untroubled. The people didn't know what to make of this miracle, so they dragged the blind man to their leaders. In turn, the Jewish leaders did not want to believe this man who was staring at them with a newly fashioned set of eyes. And the man's parents, instead of rejoicing that their son had received his sight, wanted nothing to do with the situation because they feared the Jewish leaders and excommunication from the synagogue. Excommunication would have severed them from the religious, social, and economic life of Israel.

But there is yet another reason Jesus healed this blind man; because physical blindness is a picture of spiritual blindness and spiritual darkness. It is a vivid illustration to show us that Jesus came to open our spiritually blind eyes so that we might see the light of Christ. Unless Jesus opens our spiritual eyes, we will remain blind to the things of God, just like the Jewish leaders who were too blind and too proud see their own spiritual poverty and their need for Christ.

Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains. -- John 9:39-41

Even as the evidence mounted about who Jesus was, their hearts grew harder and harder. It is a dangerous thing to ignore the words of Christ. When confronted with the claims of Christ, our hearts will either soften, and we will bow to His Lordship, or our hearts will grow harder, and that without remedy (Proverbs 29:1). When the light of Christ shines, our eyes will either be opened by the truth, or we will run further into darkness. But you needn't be "religious" to be a Pharisee. At base, a Pharisee is proud before God and thinks himself better than others.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." -- Luke 18:9-14 

We are either proud before God (like the Pharisee), believing that we can stand in His awesome holy presence based on our record of good deeds, or we will understand our true condition (like the tax collector); that we are spiritually bankrupt, wretched and broken, and in need of the mercy that God so freely gives. And that is the confrontation -- we are all told that we are sinners before a holy and just God, that none are righteous, not even one (Romans 3:9-11), and even our best works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We are given a sober assessment and a tough diagnosis - and we, like the pharisees, are offended. But with that sobering truth, we are told of a miraculous cure, and an offer of peace from the very God we have offended:

John 3:16 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Amazing Grace

That's a song that gets to everybody. -- Marion Williams

Because John 9 is about Jesus opening the eyes of the blind, it seemed appropriate this week to take a look at one of the best loved hymns ever written, Amazing Grace. Penned by John Newton, a former slave trader turned abolitionist, the story of this hymn is a wonder in itself.

Written in 1779, Amazing Grace has transcended time and culture. You will find renditions of it performed in all parts of the globe, by people of all colors. You can find it being played in large concert halls with a full orchestra, or you can hear a soul stirring rendition played with bagpipes by the Scots, and you can hear it sung with gut wrenching pathos in the inner city. It was sung by the Cherokee Indians along the Trail of Tears, and by African Americans during the Civil Rights struggle. It was even sung during the 9/11 Memorial, even though this kind of religious expression is often eschewed in the public square these days. It is a hymn that has brought great comfort in times of deep sorrow. But it is not only a hymn we sing in times of grief, we also sing it to express deep joy in the mercy of God.

In 1852, through a providential set of circumstances, African Americans would even add a verse of their own to this well loved hymn, a verse that was passed down through oral tradition.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise,

Than when we first begun.

Who would have thought that a hymn written by a former slave trader would be so loved by the descendants of the very people he enslaved. In effect, Amazing Grace was written by the slave trader and the slave. That is the wonder of the Gospel of Christ, that former enemies can be forgiven and reconciled at the foot of the cross, and sing in one accord about the mercy of God.

There is also something curious about the second verse of Amazing Grace that doesn't get the attention it merits. Perhaps that's because familiarity breeds apathy and indifference, so we fail to really hear the words.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears reliev'd;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believ'd!

How is it that Newton would write, "grace taught his heart to fear"? What place does fear have in comfort? What Newton is alluding to is something that has been forgotten in our culture. The fear of God and the day of reckoning. There came a day when Newton saw his sins for what they were, and he understood what every true Christian comes to know, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

Once again, I must borrow from Lewis who said it so well.

God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger - according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way…

Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need any forgiveness. It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral Law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that Power - it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Christianity begins to talk. When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor. When you have realized that our position is nearly desperate you will begin to understand what the Christians are talking about…

All I am doing is to ask people to face the facts - to understand the questions which Christianity claims to answer. And they are very terrifying facts. I wish it was possible to say something more agreeable. But I must say what I think true…

Of Course, I quite agree that the Christian religion is, in the long run, a thing of unspeakable comfort. But it does not begin in comfort; it begins in the dismay I have been describing, and it is no use at all trying to go on to that comfort without first going through that dismay. -- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

In other words, It is only after we understand that there is a holy God to Whom we will give an account (and the fear that comes with it), does grace begin to sing. Only when we realize that we owe a debt before God that we cannot pay, does the offer of forgiveness begin to sound like glorious news of comfort and joy. But, if like the Pharisees, we have come to believe that we owe God a mere pittance, or perhaps nothing at all, then the offer of forgiveness will mean nothing. If we are convinced that we can stand before God in our own righteousness, a righteousness that the Bible calls filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), we will never see our need for grace, we will never understand our need for a Savior.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. -- Proverbs 9:10

The Graceless Heart

So what is the song of the self-righteous and graceless heart? The song of the self-righteous is the antithesis of Amazing Grace because they deny their need for a Savior. They effectively sing in their heart:

Amazing Grace, can't hear the sound

Because the wretch is not me

Was never lost, no need to be found

Never blind, I already see

Either we will cry out to God for mercy and rest in the abundant merits of Christ, or we will trust in our own righteousness and rest in our own merits. But the merits of the self righteous are wholly inadequate. Jesus said, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter heaven (Matthew 5:20)." In our fallen state, we are all proud Pharisees at heart, convinced of our own righteousness. It is only by seeing God as He is, in His perfection and holy righteousness, we are undone, and come to see our need for a Savior (Isaiah 6:1-5). May God, in His grace, open our eyes to understand our desperate need for Him, and lead us home.

The Life of John Newton and More...

Here is a nice short bio on John Newton and his most famous of hymns.

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In this moving segment, opera singer Renee Fleming recalls her experience singing at the World Trade Center Memorial.

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Eric Metaxes was the keynote speaker at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast. At the end of his speech, with President Obama and the First Lady in attendance, Metaxes led everyone in an accapella version of Amazing Grace.

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Last but not least, here is an excellent rendition of Amazing Grace by Rubin Studdard.

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Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.