Jesus and Elijah

We have been doing a sermon series on the life of Elijah. There is a relatively obscure story of Elijah in 2 Kings 1, where King Ahaziah sends soldiers to arrest the prophet, but Elijah calls down fire from heaven and the soldiers are destroyed.

Despite its relative obscurity, this Old Testament text is evoked several times in the Gospels. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, when a village rejects Jesus, the disciples indignantly ask, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). The disciples were undoubtedly thinking of Elijah calling down fire from heaven in 2 Kings 1. But the most stunning reference is at the cross. Each of the Synoptic Gospels record that some in the crowds thought Jesus was calling out to Elijah.

The text is worth citing in full:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”  And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.  But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.  (Matthew 27:46-50)

Now, why mention this detail about Elijah? If this was simply a case of mispronunciation or mis-comprehension (‘God’ and ‘Elijah’ sound similar in Aramaic), why include this detail? The gospel writers are quite spare and selective in the details they do include about the crucifixion. It must be that this particular detail about Jesus calling out to Elijah was significant.

The story in 2 Kings 1 provides the rich context. Essentially, 2 Kings 1 is the story of God sending down fire to protect Elijah from hostile soldiers. Many people thought Jesus was Elijah or a prophet in the mold of Elijah (Mark 8:28). And so, the crowds at the cross were shocked that the Romans were able to do what King Ahaziah tried but failed to do – lay hands on God’s prophet. Either, Jesus was crying out to Elijah in stunned betrayal, or he was finally calling down fire to destroy the Roman soldiers, like Elijah.

But nothing happened and Jesus perished on the cross. This was almost incomprehensible to Jesus’ followers. It was only after the Resurrection, they would come to understand that Jesus did not come to bring the fire of God’s judgment, he came to bear it. The reason fire did not come down on the Romans was because it came down on Jesus. This is why he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” On the cross, Jesus experienced the fire of God’s wrath and judgment.

All throughout the Old Testament, we’re given these little glimpses and previews of the coming of Jesus Christ. And all throughout the Gospel accounts, there are repeated references and citations of Old Testament texts that help us understand the fullness of Jesus’ redemptive acts. The Old and New Testaments are a single, seamless story of God rescuing his people from sin and death, and therefore, reading the Old Testament makes the New Testament that much more vivid and impactful.

You can listen to the sermon on 2 Kings 1 here:

Images:

Top: Elijah Destroying the Messengers of Ahaziah by Gustave Dore (1883)

Bottom: Crucifixion by Agnolo Gaddi (1396)

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life”

One of the books that encouraged me the most this last year was reading Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor. It's the story of an ordinary pastor named Tom Carson, who devoted his life to ministry for 33 years (14 years in his first church, 19 years in his second church). In the end, he never reached any great acclaim or heights of renown. He was just a humble, faithful pastor.

Paul writes, "make it your ambition to lead a quiet life" (1 Thessalonians 4:11). It's seems like a paradox. Our highest ambition should be a quiet life. But through a gospel lens, it is the power of God. Weakness and lowliness are not failure and defeat. It is depending deeply on the sufficiency of God in all things. And when we do that, we experience the power of God in our lives.

D.A. Carson

We would have never heard of Tom Carson, except his son happened to be D.A. Carson, one of the most prolific Christian writers and theologians. When his father died, he inherited his journals and letters from ministry. As he was going through them, he was so moved, he decided to publish them as a book. When you read Tom’s journals, you see how much he struggled with discouragement and feelings of inadequacy. He chronicled all the tumultuous ups and downs of ministry, intractable conflicts and problems in his church. He labored in relative obscurity, but through it all, he remained faithful.

At the end of his life, D.A. Carson wrote this of his father:

Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, he never pastored a church over 40 people, he never wrote a book. He was not wealthy or powerful. When he died, there were no crowds outside the hospital, no editorial comments in the papers, no announcements on television, no attention paid by the nation. In his hospital room, there was no one by his bedside. There was only the quiet hiss of oxygen, vainly venting because he had stopped breathing and would never need it again. But on the other side, all the trumpets sounded. Dad won entrance to the only throne room that mattered. And he heard the voice of Him whom he longed to hear, saying, “well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.” 

What is Biblical Theology?

Seeing Christ in the Old Testament

Job and the great fish

One of the key themes in the New Testament is the idea of “fulfillment.” The Greek word, πληρόω, playro’o, appears over 20 times, usually with the formula, “all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,” or some variation of that. The Greek word literally means “to fill up what is lacking.” Think of the imagery of water being poured into an empty cup. The “cup” is waiting to be “filled.” This is the idea behind playro’o.

Solomon composing Proverbs

Jesus plays off this “fulfillment” motif when he references Old Testament figures as precursors to his own ministry. For example, in Matthew 12:41, Jesus says, “someone greater than Jonah is here.” And in the next verse, “someone greater than Solomon is here.” So that Jonah and Solomon are types or molds of a future fulfillment figure, of which he is claiming is himself.

Adam and Eve in the Garden

This fulfillment theme is also present in the Epistles. In Ephesians 5, when Paul is giving counsel on marriage, he ends his exposition with this conclusion, “this mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Paul is drawing a narrative arc, starting in Genesis 2:24, with the marriage of Adam and Eve in the Garden, progressing with Israel as the wayward bride of God (see Hosea), and finally ending with the marital union of Christ and the church. It’s a breathtaking tour of Scripture, marshaling all the various stages of redemptive history, in order to tell the gospel as an unfolding story.

Paul concludes that the shape of this narrative arc was a “mystery” – hidden for ages past, but now revealed in Christ. This is the essence of Biblical Theology. It’s mapping out the various themes that began in Genesis (like kingship, marriage, city), tracing them through the history of Israel, culminating in Christ and the church, and reaching its final fulfillment in Revelation.

This is not a novel way to read Scripture. Augustine famously described the relationship between Old and New Testaments as “the new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” There is an organic relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament, like an acorn is to a mature oak tree. There is progressive growth and development, so that the final shape is hinted at in the early stages, but all the essential elements are already there. 

In formal theological terms, this is called Biblical Theology or Covenant Theology. It gives us a paradigm for reading the OT, not as moral parables (a la Aesop's Fables), but as pictures of salvation in Christ. It informs how we read the Old Testament, even in those stories where the New Testament does not explicitly spell out how Christ is the ultimate story behind the stories.  Indeed, to read the Old Testament through the lens of the gospel is how the Bible authors themselves understand Scripture.

If you would like to learn more, here are a few good resources:

• The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones (difficulty level: easy)

• According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, Graeme Goldsworthy (medium)

• Preaching Christ in All of Scripture, Edmund Clowney (medium)

• Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos (advanced)

• Preaching Christ from the Old Testament, Sidney Greidanus (advanced)

Image captions:

“Jonah and the Whale” engraving by George Bernard (1911)

“King Solomon writing Proverbs” by Gustave Dore (1883)

“Adam and Eve in Paradise” by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1533)

Elijah and Elisha sermon series

This Sunday, we will begin a sermon series that will take us through the end of the year. It will follow the story of the prophets Elijah and Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings. Their ministry came during a critical period in the history of Israel, a time of widespread apostasy and idolatry, and not incidentally, their ministry saw the greatest miracles since the Exodus from Egypt.  It was a time of great crisis but also great salvific deeds.

But what is most interesting for us is that Elijah and Elisha are precursors of the ministry of Jesus. This is made explicit in the final words of the Old Testament. At the very end of Malachi, which is the last book in the Old Testament, there is prophecy that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). In the New Testament, that figure is identified as John the Baptist (Matthew 11:14). Jesus himself makes explicit references to his own ministry as the fulfillment of the ministry of Elijah and Elisha (Luke 4:25-27). Indeed, Elijah and Elisha are cited over 30x in the Gospels. What this tells us is that you cannot understand Jesus without understanding something of Elijah and Elisha. There are many parallels: Elijah is the forerunner of John the Baptist, Ahab of Herod, Jezebel of Herodias, and finally, Elisha is a type of Christ. In the sermon series, we will unpack all these allusions and parallels that point us to Jesus.

Captions

Top: Elijah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 19)

Bottom: Elijah and the chariot of fire (2 Kings 2)

Inaugural Worship Service

“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” -- Psalm 100:5

This past Sunday was the inaugural service of Imago Dei Church.  It was a wonderful time of worship: the gospel was preached, there was fellowship of dear friends, and a work of God was begun. This is our vision for the church—faithful gospel teaching, deep community, and lives transformed by Christ. May God bless his church, for his glory and the joy of all people.

Some photos from our service:

Recap of 2nd Planning Meeting

Our second planning meeting was this past Sunday. It went really well. There was a lot unity of spirit and positivity of energy, and everyone gladly shared in the work of setting things up for our first worship service on August 13. It was also wonderful seeing all the kids play with each other.

At the meeting, I shared that while we may start as a small and humble church, there are many benefits to appreciate at this stage. Some people are looking for the large church experience with established programs and production value in the worship service. But many others are looking for the warmth of relationships and intimacy of community that you can only find in a smaller church. This is the unique gift we can give to others.

There are many reasons for planting this church. One reason is for us, the core team--that we might have a place to call our spiritual home and worship together. But another important reason is for others--Jesus speaks of "other sheep" who do know yet know him (John 10:16). There are future families and friends we haven't met yet, but in the Providence of God, they will join in our fellowship in Christ and be vital members of the church. This is the very reason why Jesus commissioned the church--that we might bring others into the life of Christ and share his love (Matthew 28:19).

Covered in Prayer

Over the past several months, I have been guest preaching at various churches. It has been a wonderful time of fellowship with the larger body of Christ. And it’s a powerful reminder that the Kingdom of God is greater than any one church, but encompasses Christ-followers in many churches.

Every church my family has visited, we have received an outpouring of support, encouragement, and prayers. I have had countless people personally pledge to pray for our church. Truly, Imago Dei Church is covered in hundreds of earnest prayers.

Prayers matter. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective (James 5:16). Prayers defeat the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:18). Prayers empower the ministry of the gospel (2 Thess. 1:11). We have many sister churches praying for us. This is how the Kingdom of God advances--through the prayers of God's people, planting new churches, and encouraging and supporting one another.

Photo caption
Top: Pastor Sam Shin praying for our church during worship service at Wellspring Church in San Ramon
Bottom: Pastor SooSang Park praying for our church during their retreat at Revive Presbyterian Church in San Jose

Why do we need another church in Castro Valley?

Don’t we have enough churches?  Why plant another?  These are reasonable questions. The answer is simple: we don’t need less churches, we need more.

The reality is that Christianity is in decline in the United States.  A slew of surveys indicate this.  According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who identify as Christians is steadily declining, and the percentage who have no religious affiliation is steadily rising (see chart).  In 2020, according to Gallup, church membership fell below 50% for the first time in US history (see 2nd chart).  In many ways, these are lagging indicators.  The generation most disaffected by Christianity are young people.  Gen Z is the most non-religious generation in US history, with nearly 50% identifying themselves as non-religious (see 3rd chart).  Which means that the decline in membership that major evangelical denominations, like the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) and even the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) are currently experiencing, will only accelerate in the future.

The old strategies of evangelism programs and community outreach events are increasingly less effective in a culture that sees Christian morality as retrograde.  The difficult issues of sexuality and politics have to be addressed directly in a thoughtful manner that respects skeptics and yet is firmly grounded in the truths of Scripture. Biblical teaching that is solidly orthodox has to be explained in a compelling manner that will give confidence to believers to bring their unbelieving friends to church. 

New churches, with their energy and dynamism, are uniquely positioned to do this evangelistic work.  Statistically, church plants are the most effective at reaching young people and nonbelievers.  The Bay Area is about 4% churched.  96% of Bay Area residents don’t attend church.  Think about that for a moment.  Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.”  We don’t need less churches, we need more.

Reflections on Suffering and Loss

For my family and I, this past year was the most painful and difficult we’ve ever experienced. We suffered deep loss and grief. It’s hard to describe the intensity of it. I remember many nights, lying on the floor, thinking I would surely die from the agonies of a broken heart. It literally felt like my heart was being torn apart. Grief is a physical thing. You feel it in your bones and body.

But in those moments of complete vulnerability, I felt the presence and comfort of God as never before. I felt like a little child being held by my Heavenly Father. Psalm 56:8 says that God “keeps count of our night-time tossings, and puts our tears in a bottle.” It’s an expression of His deep care for us. He is not indifferent to our suffering. Our tears matter to God. 

One verse that has been very precious to me is Psalm 126:5 – “those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.” The Bible says, every tear is a seed. Time sows the seeds. And then, one day, all those tears shed in agony will produce a vast harvest of joy, beyond counting. This is the promise of Scripture. We see the first installment of it in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This gives me great comfort and hope.

Suffering can never destroy believers; it only ennobles and deepens the soul. It enlarges the heart’s capacity to receive Christ. It produces compassion for fellow sufferers. It gives grace and humility, which makes us useful for the Kingdom of God. And ultimately, when borne with patience and resilient joy, it gives God glory as all-sufficient and all-satisfying.

The idea behind our logo

The idea behind our logo is that the cross is in the empty space. The blue quarter-pieces fill out what would ordinarily be the negative space around the cross. So what the eye sees at first are the four quarter-circles, and then, only after looking longer is the cross discernible.

This is the way we see Christ in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, we see Christ, not in what Israel did, but in what she failed to do. We see the necessity of Christ's sacrificial death in the negative space of Israel's failures and disobedience. Our logo is a small visual representation of this concept and this way of reading Scripture.

Special thanks to Jennifer Cheung who worked on the first draft of the logo, and to her friend Bonnie Man who created the final version of the logo.