TIMES OF REFRESHING

Acts 3:19 ... "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

      Peter and John, apostles of Jesus, had gone up to the Temple to pray when they saw a man who had been lame from birth. When the man asked them for alms, Peter said to him, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" Not only did the man get to his feet and walk, but he also leaped and entered into the Temple to praise God. Naturally, a great crowd quickly came together, and recognizing the formerly impotent beggar, they were "filled with wonder and amazement." Peter took advantage of this assembly and its focus of attention to preach to them the gospel of Jesus. After charging them with sins, the greatest of which was denying Jesus' divinity and murdering Him, the apostle told them that mercy and pardon was nevertheless available. He then informed them they must "repent ... and return that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

[[ Parenthetical note:  The verb "return" translates the Greek epistrepsate, which means to "turn" in the sense of "be converted." The idea is to turn from practicing sin to a life of moral purity. Many English versions translate it as "be converted."]]

      So, by means of repenting and being converted these people would have their "sins blotted out." The same power that had healed the lame man of physical infirmity would heal them of their spiritual infirmity and bring them "times of refreshing ... from the presence of the Lord." That is, they would become children of God, disciples of Christ, and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven with all the blessings thereof.

      It was also Peter who, only a few weeks earlier in the Temple, had told another Jewish audience how they could obtain the remission of their sins. That statement is found in Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" It is revealing to compare these two statements by the same apostle, who spoke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38                                           Acts 3:19

repent                                                repent
and be baptized                                 and return (be converted)
for the forgiveness of your sins        that your sins may be wiped away
and you shall receive the gift           that times of refreshing may come
of the Holy Spirit                             from the presence of the Lord

      These statements do not differ in meaning, but rather complement each other. They reveal to us how we may be released from sin and admitted into God's presence. First, they require repentance, the reorientation of our lives from sin to righteousness. Second, they require conversion, which is accomplished in baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Conversion requires baptism, and baptism climaxes conversion. Conversion (baptism) results in "the remission of sins," which is the same as having "your sins wiped away." That is, the wiping away of sin occurs in, and not before, baptism. As a consequence of conversion (baptism) and the remission (wiping away) of sins, the individual "shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It is through His presence in the person's life that "times of refreshing may come." The Spirit, who dwells within the new convert, is "the presence of the Lord" in that individual's life.

WHAT SHALL WE DO?

Acts 2:37-38 ... "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

      What question could be more fundamental, more important, or more critical than the one asked by these people in Peter's audience in Jerusalem, "What shall we do?" The context indicates the subject of concern, namely, what can people do to be saved from the consequences of their offenses against God? The violation of God's will is sin, and it is a fact that everyone sins, (Rom. 3:23). Sometimes we all disregard instruction from God and commit sin. We must recognize that from the beginning God has decreed we must pay a price for our sin, and that price is ... death! (Rom. 6:23). The greatest problem anyone faces in this life is his sin, and the greatest benefit is the removal of that sin and release from its dreadful penalty. Those who heard Peter's sermon in Acts 2 had the problem of sin brought poignantly right into their faces, and they were quite shocked by it. In addition to the sins common to all people, these people were guilty of the atrocious act of murdering the very Son of God. In his message Peter had told them pointblank: "By the hands of godless men (Roman soldiers) you nailed to a cross and put to death" the Man sent by God to save you from spiritual destruction, (v.23). This accusation found its mark and suddenly activated the consciences of these people, for "when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart." Immediately, they felt an urgent need to do something to have their sin forgiven and avert the dreadful response of God.

      Peter's answer was from God and is therefore the ultimately authoritative statement of the way sin is removed from the soul. The apostle by inspiration directed the people to do two things, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. To repent means to turn away from the life oriented toward sin and redirect one's life according to the instruction of the New Testament. To be baptized means to be buried momentarily in water, (Rom. 6:3-4). Sprinkling or pouring as other "modes of baptism" are perversions of the New Testament Greek term baptizo, which means to "submerge, plunge, immerse." Furthermore, baptism is only valid when performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," which means "by His authority." In other words, baptism must be a response to the commandment of Jesus; it must be for the purpose He specified, the "remission of sins"; and it must be by the approved method, burial in water. Any other baptism, or lack of it, is human interference with divine will and thus invalid.

      If this question, "What must we do to be saved?," is asked today, many will answer, "Only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." While there are numerous places in the New Testament which emphasize the necessity of faith for salvation, they do not isolate faith as the ONLY factor. In fact, there is but one occurrence of the words "faith alone" in the New Testament, Jas. 2:24, and it clearly states that a person is justified "not by faith alone." In Mk. 16:16 Jesus inseparably joined faith and baptism as co-factors in human salvation when He decreed, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved." To deny the necessity of baptism in salvation also denies the integrity of I Pet. 3:21, "Baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the appeal to God for a good conscience." Actually, faith, repentance, verbal confession (Rom. 10:10) and baptism are all integral parts of the ONE process that results in the remission of sins and salvation. In no way does one of them exclude the other three. Because faith begins the process and leads one to perform the other three, it may be used to represent the whole, just as it is sometimes used to mean the entire gospel, (Jude 3). One must not take this use of "faith" (as in Rom. 5:1) and declare that faith alone justifies. (Observe that the apostle who wrote Rom. 5:1 also wrote Rom. 1:5, where he spoke of "the obedience of faith.") True faith leads to obedience; otherwise, it is "dead" according to Jas. 2:26.  And that obedience is realized in baptism.

THE AWESOME RETURN OF JESUS

Acts 1:9-11 ... "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'"

      Having completed the mission upon which God the Father had sent Him, Jesus bade His disciples farewell on the top of Mt. Olivet and then ascended in a cloud to take again His seat on the right hand of God in heaven.The disciples seem not to have anticipated this event. With great wonder they stood and "gazed intently into the sky" as Jesus gradually rose higher and higher on the cloud, becoming smaller and smaller in their vision, until finally they could no longer make out His form in the tiny point of space where they last saw Him. Nevertheless, even after He had disappeared they continued to stand gazing up into the sky. Perhaps they did not at first notice the "two men in white clothing" who stood beside them. Without doubt these "men" were in fact angels from heaven sent to attend this awesome event and make the announcement, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come again in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." This is a revelation of utmost importance, not alone to Christians who believe and welcome it, but also to unbelievers who dismiss it as nothing more than a pious fable. But Jesus will come again some day and interrupt human activity in a supremely dramatic way. The challenge to every one of us is to take this news seriously and make real, effective preparations for that day of His return.

      What will that day be like, the terminal day of earth existence when time becomes eternity?  This writer would not dare try to describe it in his own words. What do I, or any other human, no matter how erudite, know about it? Since it has not yet happened, no one has experienced it and is thereby able to inform others of its nature. The only information we have about it is what has been revealed by the One who will cause it to come to pass and who alone knows what it shall be like. He has given us a brief sketch of its events in I Ths. 4:16-17, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

      This appearance of Jesus on that day will be a worldwide event, captivating the attention of every person on earth. We are assured in Rev. 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." Jesus' "shout" as He descends from heaven shall probably concern what He proclaimed in Jno. 5:28-29, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice and shall come forth; those who did good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."

      The reader will note in the many proclamations of Jesus' return the repeated use of the verb "to come." Early Christians paid special attention to it and began to refer to Jesus as "the Coming One." Since most of them spoke Greek until the fourth century, this title was to them HO ERCHOMENOS. This is a participle form of the verb erchomai, "to come." As Christianity spread into more distant countries that spoke "barbarian," (non-Greek), this designation of Jesus was lost. He was called by the names and titles we now commonly use, which, of course, are Biblical and proper. But in the New Testament Jesus is also called "the Coming One," emphasizing the certainty of His return. 

      My friend, where do YOU want to be when Jesus returns? If He should come while I am still living, I want Him to find me wearing His name in honor, active in His service, and making the best preparation I can for His appearance. If I am dead and in the grave when He returns, I want to be found "asleep in Jesus," and hearing His call to "Come forth!," to arise unto a new life. As the saints gather about Jesus in the sky above, I want to be right there among them. I feel sorry for people who refuse to give their allegiance to Christ, because they will be left behind on the earth doomed to destruction. How tragic to have reality forced into your face on that Last Day, when the opportunity to yield your soul to Jesus has been forever lost.

AND WHAT ABOUT THIS MAN?

Jno. 21:21-22 "Peter therefore seeing Him said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?' And Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'"

      Between Jesus' resurrection and His ascension back into heaven was the space of about 40 days. During this time He made several appearances to selected disciples, most of which are cataloged by Paul in I Cor. 15:5-8. John concludes the account of Jesus' ministry with one of these appearances. Some of the apostles had returned to their former work as fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. After toiling all day and all night without a catch, they were returning to shore when they saw a man standing on the beach. Asking about their catch, and being told that they had had no luck, the man told them to let down their net one more time on the right side of the boat. Doing as he said, they were amazed when suddenly their net was filled with so many fish they were unable to draw it back into the boat. Instead, they hauled the net the remaining 300 feet to the beach. Realizing the event was a miracle, they were at once convinced that the man on shore was not a mere man; he was, in fact, THE MAN, their Lord Jesus Christ.

      After eating breakfast with Him, the apostles had an interesting conversation with Jesus. Three times He asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" And three times Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." Then Jesus said to Peter, "When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go," (v.18). With these words Jesus prophesied that Peter would end his life as a martyr for Him, for John then explains, "This He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God," (v.19). Peter was not a little disturbed by this forecast that his life would end in violence because of his discipleship. And he responded in a most natural, human way. It is said that misery loves company; no one wants to suffer alone. Turning about and seeing John, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

      Apparently, Peter thought, if tragedy would end his life of Christian witness, a similar fate should await John. After all, they had been, and would continue to be, the more prominent of the apostles. An announcement that martyrdom lay in store for John would have somewhat blunted for Peter the awful statement by Jesus that he would be sacrificed. Most of us would have responded very much as Peter did, had we been in his place. Do we not, when tragedies overtake us, seek out "support groups" of people who have suffered, or perhaps are yet suffering, the same distress as we?

      Jesus' reply to Peter conveys an important lesson to us. Looking him in the eye with kindness and sympathy, but also with a firm rebuke, Jesus said, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" That is, if He chose to prolong John's life throughout the Christian Age until His return, it was none of Peter's concern. Peter's business was comprehended in Jesus' final three words, "You follow Me." The Lord wanted Peter to concentrate his attention on the task of following Him, and not let himself be distracted by what was, or was not, happening in the lives of other disciples. The same lesson applies to every Christian. So often we begin to fret because another's situation seems to be more favored than our own. Then we feel disappointed that our fidelity and service seem to have been overlooked. At other times we notice that hardships come upon us which have bypassed other Christians, and we begin to wonder why we should suffer while others enjoy peace and security. In Jesus' answer to Peter we are advised not to question such things but rather to focus attention upon following our Lord.

THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

John 20:30-31 .... "And many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

      I once heard a discussion between a Christian, an agnostic, and an atheist. The Christian declared his faith that God created the universe, made man in essentially the same biological form he is today, and sent His Son Jesus as a man to offer people eternal salvation. The atheist showed amusement at what he considered to be the intellectual shallowness of the Christian and his faith. With light regard he dismissed theism and creationism as impossible in view of what empirical science has discovered. The agnostic did not express this air of condescending humor. He rather explained that he could find no ground for "taking the leap of faith," as he called it, to accept the Christian explanation of life, existence and destiny.

      These three positions account for perhaps the majority of people and the way they think about God, Christ, and the Bible. The atheist denies because the spiritual is not discernible by the empirical methodology of science. The agnostic reserves judgment, admitting that something might exist beyond the reach of human science, but is unwilling to accept it on the basis of faith. There are yet other explanations of reality than the Biblical one and those of atheism and agnosticism. But in this brief essay we can neither attempt to list or define them.

      Those who read and consider the Bible, however, know that faith in God and in Christ is not without foundation.  It is not blind, a sort of "leap in the dark." In Heb. 11:1 it says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The word "assurance" translates a word which conveys the idea of "foundation." Faith in God is not suspended in air, floating like a bubble to burst into oblivion upon the impact of some new scientific "truth." It is based on testimony, certified by competent witnesses. One can be great in faith and yet renowned in the knowledge and skills of the sciences. In fact, many have been and many now are. The person who has faith in Christ and lives by that faith is often categorized as a fanatic by the faithless. They disdain him for his blindness to science. But the scientific mind is no less fanatic when it blinds itself to the spiritual dimension, especially when there is creditable testimony in human experience to that dimension.

      Jesus Christ, first and foremost, is that creditable testimony. This is what John is stating in the initial text above. During His time on earth in the form of man, He performed "signs" (miracles) in which normal physical laws were momentarily suspended. For example, with a simple command He stilled a great tempest on the Sea of Galilee. On another occasion He walked on the surface of the water of that same sea. He raised from the dead a man who had been buried four days and whose decaying body was already stinking. These signs were not done in secret, but out in the open before large numbers of people, many of whom were hostile to Him. Even they could not deny His deeds (Jno. 11:47), so they yet sought to discredit Him by attributing His power to evil, (Mt. 12:24). It has been affirmed and soundly defended that Jesus' miracles are better supported by creditable testimony than any other acts from the ancient past. Only a prejudiced mind will persist in the effort to refute them. The prejudice arises from the desire to dismiss the responsibility Jesus imposes upon people to curb their appetites, including their arrogance and pride, and subject their lives to the standard of His teaching. The "leap of faith" is, therefore, not into blindness but over one's own pride and self-will.

JESUS AND PILATE

Jno. 19:4 ... "Pilate came out again and said to them, 'Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know I find no guilt in Him.'"

      After the High Priest and Jewish Sanhedrin had completed their "trial" of Jesus between midnight and dawn of that fateful Friday morning, they led Him to the court of Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Coming out to them, he asked, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" (Jno. 18:39). Contemptuously, they only replied, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you," (v.30). Pilate surely saw at this point that the Jews' case against Jesus involved matters of religion rather than matters of state. Being not in the least interested in their religious scruples, he ordered, "Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law," (v.31). When they answered, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," Pilate realized this case was rather serious and became interested in interrogating Jesus. Knowing that Jews would not follow him into the Judgment Hall, (v.28), Pilate took Jesus there to examine Him privately. Nevertheless, his only concern was whether Jesus posed any threat to Roman government. Being satisfied this was not the case, Pilate gave his verdict to the Jews, "I find no guilt in Him."

      This statement indicates that, within the province of politics and public security, Pilate could determine nothing amiss in Jesus at all. Although the Jewish leaders were loath to admit it, there was likewise no fault in Jesus in the province of religion. Jesus had the highest respect for the Mosaic Law, as witnessed by His declaration in Mt. 5:18, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all be accomplished." Jesus was fully dedicated to the application and enforcement of the Mosaic Law until it should have accomplished everything God had designed for it. Furthermore, Jesus had made it explicit that He posed no threat to the Law. He stated publicly in Mt. 5:17, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." The mission of Jesus was to exalt and glorify the Law by conducting it to its ultimate goal, the presentation of the Messiah as the King of kings in an everlasting kingdom. Actually, the Jews differed with Jesus more on the stipulations of their own interpretive apparatus built around the Law than on the content of the Law itself. This great body of interpretation was called the "tradition of the elders," (Mt. 15:2). In one intense confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus told them that by these very traditions they themselves "transgress the commandment of God," (v.3). In other words, while Jesus respected and obeyed the Law absolutely, the Jews were transgressing and abusing it by their own interpretations.

      When the moral character of Jesus' personal life is examined fairly, one has to conclude that no fault can be found there either.  It is significant that in Jesus' "trial" no charge is made against His conduct or the moral fiber of His life. Had such personal blemishes existed, it is certain His enemies, who were viciously devoted to wrecking Him, would have enthusiastically brought them to light. No one could expose indiscretion in Jesus' life and conduct because there was none! This innocence was essential for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for all who sin. In II Cor. 5:21 we read that God made "Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Heb. 4:15-16 likewise emphasizes Jesus' total purity and its significance for us: "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are,yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

THE VOICE OF TRUTH

Jno. 18:37 ... "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to

the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears My voice."

      After observing the Passover Feast with His disciples in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, Jesus took them eastward out of the city, crossed the Cedron Brook, and made His way up the slopes of Mt. Olivet to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to pray. But Judas Iscariot, who for thirty pieces of silver sold his allegiance to Jesus to His enemies, knew the spot since Jesus had often gone there with His apostles to pray when He was in Jerusalem. Making himself the most infamous traitor of all time, Judas led the Jewish authorities right to this garden, and they immediately arrested Jesus. They took Him first to the house of Annas, father-in-law to Caiphas, the high priest, in order to interrogate Him and fix charges against Him that would stand up before the Roman governor. Later, they took Him to Caiphas' house to continue this farce of a "trial." It was at this place that Peter denied Jesus the third time, just before the cock crowed, thus fulfilling Jesus' prophecy. As morning broke, the Jews took Jesus to the Judgment Hall of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. For they had determined that this Man of Galilee must die, and only this Roman governor had the legal authority to administer capital punishment.

      The statement of Jesus quoted above was made during His appearance before this pagan official. From secular history we learn that Pilate knew little about the Jewish religion and cared less. In fact, he despised the Jews, especially their rulers, and welcomed every opportunity to act harshly against them. The mere fact that they brought Jesus before him probably made him at once sympathetic toward Jesus. But the only interest he expressed was whether this prisoner constituted a threat to Roman security. His first question was, "Are You the king of the Jews?" Jesus confessed that He was indeed a king, but that His kingdom was spiritual rather than political and that His disciples would not fight. Pilate then saw no problem with Him, and returning Him to the Jews waiting outside, he announced, "I find no guilt in Him." (The Jews had not entered Pilate's house, lest being in a Gentile structure they would "defile" themselves and be unfit to observe the Passover.)

      It was when the governor asked Him if He were king of the Jews that Jesus replied, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world." God had sent Him to lay the foundation of a kingdom that would be established just fifty days from that very day. It would be an eternal kingdom, the very Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus was already its King before it began. This kingdom and all that pertains to it -- its government, law, territory and destiny -- were matters of truth beyond human ability to discover. It was Jesus' mission, besides being King, to reveal these great truths to mankind. His work of witnessing to the truth was so vital and unique that He personally equated Himself with it. In Jno. 14:6 He declared that "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Jesus is the sole access to the truth of God's will for man; and this, in the final analysis, is the only truth with value and meaning. Jesus said, "Every one who is of the truth hears My voice." He meant that those who seek truth will open their ears and their minds to His instruction. There are two dimensions of truth: the truth about the structure and operation of the physical universe, and the truth about the spiritual world. It is pathetic that people seek the former truth and deny the latter, decrying its meaning and value. They spend fortunes to implant worldly truth in their minds, and with contempt turn away from the spiritual truth that will endure forever after worldly truth has become meaningless. The knowledge and understanding of the structure and operation of the physical universe is beneficial only while one lives in the material realm. The truth Jesus reveals will benefit us, not only in this present life, but in the spiritual realm when we have passed beyond the door of death.