In This Issue

• “TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD”

• Is the New Testament Anti-Semitic?

• THE LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN

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“TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD”

After Jesus had been hanging on the cross for about six hours, Mark tells us that He “cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, ‘Look, He is calling for Elijah!’ Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, ‘Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.’ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:34-39).

Let us first note that the words Jesus spoke in verse 34 were the exact Hebrew words that King David had foretold about 1,000 years before. Apparently some in the crowd were not familiar with the Hebrew language and they thought Jesus was crying out for the Old Testament prophet Elijah. They were probably familiar with prophecies by Isaiah and Malachi, foretelling that Elijah would appear before the coming of the Messiah. See Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1; Mal. 4:5-6. They had expected those prophecies to be fulfilled literally by the Old Testament prophet appearing in person – a reasonable, but incorrect application. In Matt. 3:1 and Matt. 11:10-13, the Holy Spirit makes known to us that these prophecies were fulfilled in the work of John the Baptist. Indeed, John was “the Elijah who is to come.”

Next, we note that at the moment that Jesus died, the veil in the temple that had separated the holy place from the most holy place, was torn in two from top to bottom. The Holy Spirit tells us in Heb. 10:26 that the veil had represented the flesh of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died as the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, the veil had served its purpose. It may be significant that the tear began at the top (God’s end) and extended all the way to the bottom. The veil, the temple, and the Law of Moses itself had served their purpose and the time had come for substance to replace shadow. See Heb.10:1-8.

Thirdly, let us note the reaction of the Roman centurion who had observed the proceedings of the day. He had seen how Jesus acquiesced to the awesome sufferings of the cross without complaint. He had heard as Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of His tormentors. Perhaps he was aware that Pilate had found no fault with Jesus, and that Jesus had promised the penitent criminal on a neighboring cross that they would be together in paradise. He had observed the three hours of darkness in the middle of the day and the earthquake mentioned by Matthew (27:51). The conclusion the centurion drew was certainly correct: “Truly this Man was the Son of God.” 

-Clarence R. Johnson

Is the New Testament Anti-Semitic?

I have not been to see The Passion of the Christ. Therefore, I am unable to render a verdict as to the historical, Biblical fidelity that the movie shows. However, I do wish to address a point which arises from time to time and seems to have arisen again due to the airing of this motion picture: that the New Testament is anti-Semitic in nature.

There should be no doubt at all that "religion" has caused many people to do sinful things. Violent wars have been fought in its name. For ages men have persecuted people of Jewish descent because "they crucified the Lord."

The verse which seems to give rise to this idea is found in Matthew 27:24-25: "So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.' All the people answered, 'May his blood be on us, and on our children!'"

Leaving aside the point that Jesus and His disciples were Jewish themselves, let us consider some other salient facts.

1. The death of Christ had been prophesied. Isaiah 53, among other passages deals extensively with the suffering and death of Jesus. This was an event that would have happened regardless of if the Jews, the Romans, the Arabians, or some other people had done it. 

2. The request of the people need not have been granted for the sole reason that it was recorded. The people do say, "May his blood be on us, and on our children!" This does not mean that God caused them to say this, nor does it mean that this response to the Roman governor was intended as a prayer to God asking for Him to hold them and their children responsible instead of the Romans. This was no more inspired on their part than Festus was when he said: "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad" (Acts 26:24). 

3. The same offer of forgiveness of sins that has been extended to us was also extended to them. Acts 2 contains the text of Peter's words as he convicts the "men of Israel" of putting to death the Son of God. Peter tells it like it is: he tells them that they, with wicked hands, crucified the Son of God (Acts 2:23, 36). And those same men, in response, ask Peter what they can do about this. Peter tells them what they must do for "the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Those who were physically responsible for Christ's death were offered the same forgiveness as those who are spiritually responsible (1 Cor. 15:3).

So . . . does that make God or the New Testament anti-Semitic? No, but it does raise an interesting question: If you are responsible for Jesus' death because of your sins, have you taken advantage of God's offer to forgive your sins?

If not, why not? If you cannot think of a good reason then do something about that today!

-Mickey Chandler, Gainesville, TX bulletin

THE LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN

“I wish that there were some wonderful place

Called the Land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches

And all of our poor selfish grief

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be put on again.

For what had been hardest we’d know had been best,

And what had seemed loss would be gain’

For there isn’t a sting that will not take wing

When we’ve faced it and laughed it away;

And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after

In the Land of Beginning Again.”

(Written by Louisa Fletcher.)

Do these words of the poet express only a vain hope? There is much to make it seem that they do. Time cannot be turned back. We cannot relive yesterday. What has been done cannot be undone. One’s hope for finding such a land indeed grows dim until one turns to the word of God wherein forgiveness is found. 

One of the beautiful features of the gospel of Christ is that to the obedient, it offers a land of beginning again. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). One who is in Christ is a new creature. Through the promise of God, he is assured that his sins are forgiven and he now has a new existence in Christ Jesus. The Hebrew writer speaks of the blessings of the New Covenant: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:16-18). The wonderful declaration is found in the words: “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Doesn’t this suggest a land of beginning again? Paul describes this land of beginning again in the terms of putting off the old and putting on the new man. He wrote to the Ephesians: “that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). He wrote the same consideration to the Colossians: “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him (Col. 3:9-10). Through the power of the gospel of Christ, this putting off and putting on is available to man and lies within his ability to perform. There would be no true value to these words if this were not so. God makes available, but man must have the faith to follow God’s word in being obedient to His commandments. 

Many no doubt are in quest of happiness and thirst for a land of beginning again. The pathetic thought is that they shun Him who can grant this desire. The land of beginning again is to be found in Christ. We put on Christ in obeying His gospel. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). As the obedient obeys the commands of Christ, he leaves the land of indecision and unrest to find a new existence in Christ. In the years that I have tried to preach the gospel of Christ, I have never felt I understood why so many fight obedience to Christ. It appears that there are those who think one is trying actually to victimize them when the truth is presented to them. They seem to fight with defiance doing what Christ would have them do. Christ offers so much and in comparison demands so little, it is hard to see why so many defy Him when they can have the land of beginning again in Christ. Perhaps some expect such to fall from heaven and be bestowed upon them in some miraculous way without their having to give up anything of worldly value to have it. Evidently, being a Christian costs too much for them to pay and obedience is not in their vocabulary.

This land of beginning again is not only available to the alien sinner, but also to the erring child of God. Those who have become unfaithful and for years have lived apart from following Christ can turn and find this land of beginning again. John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9). This is God’s promise to the penitent who will confess his sins and return in faithfulness to Him. The words of the poet do not express a vain hope! There is definitely a land of beginning again in Christ Jesus! Let’s never forget it!

-Bobby K. Thompson

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