Bakers, Builders of Buggies and Barns and BAPTISTS: Mennonite Teaching On God and Evil

My earliest encounters with Mennonites were impressive ones. As a kid, I remember being so excited to see the horse-drawn buggies of the more traditional families as we traveled across Missouri. From watching them raise a barn on our pasture in just a few days, to enjoying the scrumptuous pies and Christmas baked goods from the Mennonite bakery up the road from my first teaching job, I have always respected their culture and convictions...and their Cooking!!! My first job at a grocery store featured one of the finest Holiday dinners you could envision, served on paper plates as we sat on milk crates eating the delicious creations of the store-owner's wife, who had been raised among these lovely people.  Mennonites aren't just phenomenal Bakers and Builders of Buggies and Barns though, they are Baptists too, and excellent theologians, at least the early ones were. Their tradition stems from some of the earliest Ana-Baptists, named such because they RE-jected infant Baptism and RE-Baptized church members as believing adults. I believe part of the reason they live so separately from society is due to the intense persecution endured by their spiritual forefathers. 

Today, I want to share with you their thoughts about the goodness of God and the nature of evil. I recently read an early Mennonite statement of faith that addresses this subject in a way that most of our other Baptist confessions of faith have failed to do:

A BRIEF CONFESSION OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

Prepared by

John de Rys and Lubbert Gerrits, Ministers of the Divine Word among the Protestants who, in the Belgian Confederacy, are called Mennonites.^[1]

ARTICLE VI.

of the providence of god.^[2]

God foresaw and foreknew (a) all things which have come to pass, are coming to pass, and shall come to pass, both good and evil, but since he is only perfect good (b) and the fountain of life, we believe and confess that he is the sole Author, (c) Origin and Operator of those things which are good, holy, sincere, pure and which agree with his nature; but not at all of sins and damnable evils. For God enjoins that which is good (d); he desires that we obey him in that which is good (e); he consults for and admonishes to it (f), and makes great promises to those who obey (g). On the contrary he forbids evil (h), exhorts against evil (i), threatens evil doers (k), and punishes them not rarely in this life (l), and denounces against them eternal punishment (m). And by this means shows himself to be an enemy of sinners and that all iniquity is contrary to his holy nature. And therefore, not God who is good, but man who is evil, by voluntarily choosing sin to which the spirit of wickedness leads him, which is dominant in him, is the author (n), origin and operator of sins and all wickedness, and for this reason is worthy of punishment.^[3]

---

^[1] McGlothlin, W. J. (1911). Baptist Confessions of Faith (p. 26). Philadelphia; Boston; Chicago; St. Louis; Toronto: American Baptist Publication Society.

The reason I share this is because it is so common for people to make inappropriate statements that misrepresent the nature and character of God. 

Today in our Sunday morning bible study, we were talking about how it is our responsibility as Christians to comfort, counsel, encourage and build each other up. But we can't do those things if we don't have a correct view and understanding of God's character. 

Imagine that you are the victim of assault, abuse or some other horrible crime---some of you might not have to imagine. How would you feel if you were told these common Christians sayings like "Nothing happens to you that God doesn't cause or allow," or "Nothing happens to you without God's permission." Would that comfort you? These sayings are shockingly common, but completely unbiblical. They should be followed by #saidnobiblever. 

God forbids evil in his word. It's called sin. You can not accuse God of allowing sin and evil when His word forbids it and He has declared punishment for it. The only way for all evil to stop is for God to take all the Christians to heaven and kill every person on earth....which He is going to do one day, but rather than kill each of us before we commit a sin right now, He grants us grace. He holds back judgement and stays his hand of punishment to give us the chance to repent and be saved and forgiven. Statements like those I mentioned take God's Grace and throw it back in His Face. God will not tolerate evil. He will put an end to it because it is against his nature. He does not "cause," allow" or "permit" sin. He forbids it. He punishes it. He judges it. He will end it. James 1:13 teaches us that God CAN NOT be tempted with evil. Habakkuk 1:13 tells us:

Your eyes are too pure to approve evil and you cannot look upon wickedness with favor....

God is so Holy that He cannot and will not approve of or grant permission for sin and evil. 

Another favorite theological statement is "Nothing is outside of God's control"  Hebrews 2:8 speaks to this issue:

You have put all things in subjection under His feet. For in subjecting everything to Him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we DO NOT YET SEE everything subjected to Him.

Jesus is King of the World, all things have been placed under His authority, but He has not yet forcibly taken control--this is GRACE. He is holding back, patiently waiting, to allow more people to be saved. It is wrong to claim that evil happens because He "permitted," or "allowed" it. The sentence has already been pronounced. He has already taken our punishment for sin and will ultimately destroy those who continue to perpetrate evil. All things have been placed under Jesus' Authority, but not everything has submitted to His rule and control. There will come a day When "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father," and all knees that don't will bow down to the slaughter and be destroyed. But we havn't yet seen that day.

John 1:5 teaches: 

God is light and there is absolutely NO darkness in Him. 

This passage teaches that God has no part and no fellowship with sin. That's what HOLY means. He is completely separate from sin. It is outrageously inappropriate to say that he condones, permits, causes or allows sin to occur. Statements like that directly attack the very nature, character and holiness of God. Evil cannot even enter into the Presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit without being burned up and destroyed. God is entirely good and wholly opposed to evil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) God's word, the Bible, consistently forbids sinful, evil actions that harm other people. There is coming a day when God will put an end to all suffering, harm and evil. 

My grandparents used to own an old fashioned manure spreader, like some Mennonites still use to fertilize with. They would fill it up with dried cow pies and then, as Papa drove it along, circular spikes would spin and throw the poop all over the place, fertilizing the ground. To say that God permits, causes or allows sin is an outright lie. When spread, this lie is like manure being flung far and wide, encouraging all sorts of misunderstandings about God to grow. These lies cause people to turn away from the Lord and from His church. It is time to stop spreading this load of manure. God has no fellowship or relationship with evil and he never causes actions that go against His own moral laws and His word. God is worthy of our trust. We can take comfort in His good character. 

Serving Up Golden Apples On A Silver Platter: Words of Knowledge and Wisdom

Paul taught that when we allow God to speak through us, we can remove depression through our encouraging words. Isaiah wrote that a well-taught disciple can sustain someone who is weary with a word. We are meant to strengthen, comfort and encourage one another. The way we speak to each other can be a powerful form of ministry when led by the Holy Spirit. But there are also those who practice a fake form of spirit-led, or prophetic ministry. In today's post, we will look at some Biblical principles of using our words to help others, and at ways of identifying fakers and advantage-takers. 

Proverbs 25:11 teaches:

A word spoken in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver. 

Another translation reads: A timely word well spoken is like golden apples served on a silver tray.

Think of the first bite of a delicious golden apple that is perfectly ripe with just the right amount of firmness and sweet to the taste, dipped in honey. If you've ever had the opportunity to enjoy this favorite Jewish treat, when you eat an apple dipped in golden honey, it immediately brightens your eyes and invigorates you. This might help us begin to understand how this verse is describing the feeling of receiving encouragement. It brightens and refreshes our souls. A couple of key ideas are lost in translation. First, the word for apple actually comes from the word for breathe or to be blown. Obviously, it refers to apples being blown out of trees by the wind, but in the Bible breath or wind represents the Holy Spirit. Also lost in translation is the idea of setting wheels in motion. It is the Spirit of God who is moving, like the wind, breathing out words of encouragement and setting things in motion. A word of wise advice, godly counsel or encouragement can get things moving in a positive direction and make a tremendous difference in a person's life.

Proverbs 15:23 reads: A person finds joy in giving an apt reply. How delightful is a timely word. Both the giver and the receiver of encouragement are blessed through the action. God pours into our lives so that we can pour into the lives of others. And these words we use to minister to each other with are powerful. Isaiah 50:4 declares: The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of  disciples to know how to sustain the weary with a word. 

Jesus called the Holy Spirit our Comforter. This word, paraklete in Greek, means to come alongside and is also translated as counselor, advocate, guide and helper. But in return for the comfort we receive, we are meant to comfort others.

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction... (2 Corinthians 1:4)

1 Corinthians 12:7-8 teaches us that God chooses to speak to us and to speak through us into the lives of others through special words of knowledge and wisdom. 

A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge through the same Spirit. 

Isaiah 11:2 describes this Spirit: 

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Strength, the Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear (Reverence, awe, respect) of the Lord.

A Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit and has been taught God's word is 10 times more qualified to offer counseling and support than a Harvard Ph.D. who is an unbeliever. In fact, a highly educated person full of what the world calls wisdom could be very dangerous. 1 Corinthians 3:19 boldly declares: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God....the Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are futile. In ancient Babylon, Daniel and his 3 friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (aka: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) were indeed found to be 10 times better than the wisest, most highly trained and educated men in the world through the Spirit of God. It was this same Spirit that gave Solomon wisdom. And now, WE have this Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 14:3 teaches us how to minister to each other with the words we speak through the Holy Spirit, and more importantly it teaches us how to allow God to speak through us into the lives of others.

The one who prophesies speaks to people for their Upbuilding, Encouragement and Consolation. 

In this case, the word prophesy refers to Spirit-led ministry, speaking the words that God wants us to speak. That means being sensitive to God's leading, listening as He speaks to our hearts and obeying His guidance. Let's take a closer look at these 3 words:

UPBUILDING

This word, oikodome, describes strengthening and building someone up, promoting their Christian growth in wisdom, happiness, holiness. It is comes from combining 2 construction words that describes building a house. When we use our words to build others up, we are building and strengthening God's house, the church, and adding to His household. It can describe removing sluggishness to help get someone moving and doing work for the kingdom of God. It can also describe removing and relieving sadness or depression. When we show people a purpose for their lives, or help them discover God's purpose, it gives them something to live for and strengthens their hearts. 

ENCOURAGEMENT

The word for encouragement, paraklesis, comes from the same word that describes the Holy Spirit as our comforter, counselor, advocate, guide and friend. This word can describe encouraging someone or delivering an exhortation that calls for positive action. When someone has been knocked down, we can offer words of refreshing, while encouraging each other to get back up and get going about the work of building God's Kingdom.

CONSOLATION/COMFORT

We can calm, console and offer solace to those who have been let down and hurt by this world. We offer, paramuthia, comforting words of faith and hope for the future to those who are in grief. 

FAKE WORDS

In the same paragraph where words of wisdom and knowledge are introduced, the spiritual gift of Discernment, or discerning of spirits is mentioned. Remember that Satan knows the past but only God knows the future. I have seen prophetic events where the "prophet" at the center of attention on stage brought tears by revealing sensitive, deeply personal information about a person's past--usually revealing pain and hurt. They used this revelation to gain credibility and make it seem as if God had revealed it to them and the audience was sucked right in under their sway. But Satan knows those things too. It is true that Jesus revealed detailed supernatural knowledge of a person's past in the Bible and He did it to offer salvation to the woman at the well--but He did it PRIVATELY. The only other time I can recall anyone besides Jesus doing something like that was when the Holy Spirit revealed to Peter that Ananias and Sapphira were lying about their past and they were killed. But the disciples never ministered prophetically by telling individuals about their past. No where is this taught as an evangelistic tool. When I see one who claims to be a prophet "reading someone's mail," so to speak, it looks like divination or soothsaying to me and I immediately wonder if they have a familiar demonic spirit revealing such things to them, or if they have cheated. 

Modern prophets are sometimes given the name of people to pray for before prophetic events. Well, you can learn an awful lot about a person from google, social media and other means--including demonic spirits. While it is true that God could reveal something about a person's past to us in order to minister to them and begin the healing process, we must remember that only God knows the future and He has forgiven our past and wants us to forgive others. He is interested in healing and comforting, not bringing up old pain and garnering fame for the man on stage. If a person's chief "ministry" is reading a person's past, I am always deeply skeptical. True prophetic ministry, or ministry though the Holy Spirit, is all about healing and moving forward. 

We need to be diligent about discerning whether the Holy Spirit is operating through someone, or if that person is under the influence of a deceitful spirit. Here are some ways that God DOES work through people. 

WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE, WORDS OF WISDOM

REAL Words of Knowledge or Words of Wisdom are ways that God speaks to us and through us and they will always be in complete agreement with the Bible. Sometimes the Lord helps us to understand a difficult passage of Scripture, urges us to share the gospel with someone, or helps us know what words will bring comfort to a person in crisis. He calls us to witness. He nudges us to minister to someone by providing food, clothing, shelter, transportation or giving us a burden to assist them in some way. He brings relevant passages of scripture to the forefront of our memory to help in various situations. He supernaturally helps us to understand the needs of a person and enables us to fill their need and minister to them. He gives us specific words of confirmation, encouragement and instruction for people. He uses us to call the gifts and talents of others into action. He can lay a person or situation on our heart to call us into prayer at any time day or night. He also guides us to know just how to pray for specific people and situations so that we know how he wants to heal and work in their lives, sometimes even revealing the root of a problem so that healing can occur and so that the hearers of the prayer are comforted. He gives us the wisdom and ability to guide people through hard times with wise counsel and advice. He enables us to teach others and show them the way through life's trials. He partners with us to comfort others in their sorrows, ease their troubled minds and provide them with solace.


CONCLUSION
When God gives us messages of knowledge and wisdom, He empowers us to be HIS messengers to draw others to salvation, to Himself. He is the one who does the healing. He allows us the privilege of giving others real and lasting hope, restoring their joy and helping them find freedom through Jesus. He gives us the grace gift of being helper, guide, advocate, counselor, comforter and friend to others, just as He has been those things to us. The word minister comes from the word diakonos, which is the word for serving tables. When we minister through the Holy Spirit, we should remember that we are serving others, thinking of our words as Golden Apples and we should serve them up graciously, as if on a beautiful silver platter. 

Psalm 22: The Song of the Cross (Passion Week Part 3)

Nearly 1,000 years before Jesus was crucified, David wrote Psalm 22 predicting the events of the cross with stunning accuracy and in vivid detail. This prophetic song describes the experience of the cross, in both the physical world, and the supernatural one.

 

Rabbi’s frequently made use of the hinting method, quoting the first part of a passage of Scripture in order to draw the attention of their disciples to the whole passage. As Jesus hung on the cross, I believe this is precisely what He did, directing our attention to Psalm 22 beginning by exclaiming its first line:

 

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

 

This is recorded in Matthew 27:46-47:

 

And about the 9^th hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, Lama 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.”

 

Sabachthani means "left me alone." It’s like saying “Where are you at?” The original audience clearly understood that this first line was a cry for help. They thought He was calling for Elijah, whose name means "Yahweh is God," to come and help him. Let's read on to see if God was listening and how the Father responded. The next line of the Psalm asks: 

 

Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? 

My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest.

 

Jesus had languished on the cross all day long and God had not yet acted to rescue Him. He had labored in prayer the night before to the point that he was sweating drops of blood, but did not receive a reprieve. Yet, He still trusted in the Father.

 

But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted and they rescued them. They cried to you and were set free. They trusted in you and were not disgraced.

 

God is enthroned on the praises of His people. When we praise Him, He moves with power in our lives. Here, the original psalmist David, and by extension His descendant Jesus, touts the faithfulness of God. He praises the Father by recounting his good deeds toward the children of Israel. He expresses faith, hope and trust in God's character. We should remember this when going through difficult things in our own lives. Jesus expressed trust in God while enduring the suffering of the cross, surely we can remember that no matter our circumstances, God is trustworthy and deserving of praise and honor. The psalm then then continues with a very strange statement.

 

But I am a worm and not a man.

 

Here, the song references a very special worm. Most of the time, worms in Scripture represent devourers and destroyers that cause decay. But unlike the others, the body of this worm, the kermes worm, actually had special medicinal qualities and healing properties. This reminds us that Jesus is the Great Physician who heals our souls and will ultimately heal and glorify our bodies. But there’s more:

 

The dried bodies of kermes worms were used to make red dye. Some of the priestly garments and cloths that were used in ceremonies for cleansing, healing and purification were colored with this red dye. Jesus was on that tree, providing everything that was necessary for our purification and cleansing.

 

But the most special thing about this worm is the manner of its death. The Kermes worm would affix itself to a tree, covering it’s young, sacrificing it's own life to protect and give life to its offspring. In the same way, Jesus was nailed to a tree, sacrificing his life to give new birth and new life to His children. The worm's body provided covering and protection, Just as Jesus' blood covers all our sins. Like the kermes worm that dies on a tree to give life to its children, Jesus gave His life on a tree so that we might live. These words immediately follow the worm statement to show that Jesus was:

...scorned by mankind and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads. He relies on the Lord. Let Him save him. Let the Lord rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.

Matthew 27:39-44 records the way Jesus was mocked on the cross, as the actions and words of evildoers appear exactly as prophesied in the Psalm above: 

 

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads....The chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders were mocking Him....He trusts in God, Let Him deliver him now if he takes pleasure in Him. 

 

Luke 23:35-37 records And the people stood by, looking on and even the rulers were sneering at him...and the soldiers also mocked him. 

 

Even one thief on the cross was hurling abuse at him.

 

The accuracy of David’s prophecy is astounding. Continuing on, he wrote:

It was you who brought me out of the womb, making me secure at my mother's breast. I was given over to you at birth. You have been my God from my mother's womb. 

It was the Holy Spirit that made Mary pregnant. Jesus was consecrated at the temple as a baby. Even in the womb, Elizabeth told her cousin Mary that the child within her was blessed. 

Don't be far from me, because distress is near and there's no one to help.

First David, and then Jesus is asked God to be close to Him. Take special note that He longed for the presence and comfort of the Father. 

Many bulls surround me. Strong ones of Bashan encircle me. They open their mouths against me--lions mauling and roaring. 

Since bulls, like the wild auroch bull, were a symbol of ancient cult worship, I tend to think the bulls, called strong or mighty ones, are evil, demonic forces behind bad people, like a strong man (certain powerful religious leaders, a king and a governor come to mind). Any time I see lions used in a way that could be metaphorical in the Bible, I think of youth in rebellion, since the word for prodigal, na'ar, means “one who is roaring” and actually comes from the word for a young lion. The word often describes youth who are separated from their father’s house. Since Bashan is the region West of the Jordan River OUTSIDE of the Promised Land, to me, this seems to represent prodigals who have chosen to live outside of the presence of God, separated from him. 

I am poured out like water. All my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax, melting within me. 

 

Jesus poured himself out for us. Giving up the rights and privileges he could have claimed as God and dying for us instead. Philippians 2:6-7 describes Christ in this way: 

 

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to cling to. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant... 

 

Jesus gave himself up for us, choosing not to forcibly claim the glory and honor he was due and instead willingly enduring the excruciating pain of death by crucifixion. Bones became disjointed during the intense pressure of a crucifixion. I also believe Jesus’ heart was incredibly sad, He was truly a man of sorrows in that moment.

 

After laboring through the evening in prayer, Jesus had been put on trial all night long before being beaten with rods and striped with whips. After being forced to carry his own cross and hanging on it throughout the day, he was physically drained.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death.

John 19:28 corresponds to this: After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty."

 

Jesus’ body was emptied of fluid and drained of strength. He was mentally and physically exhausted from the horrifying torture he had been subjected to. Yet even in this state, he provided us with a powerful object lesson. Through the evening before his suffering as he sweat drops of blood, Our Lord had prayed that if possible, this cup would pass from him. In asking for a drink, Jesus showed that he was willingly drinking the metaphorical cup the Father had sent him to drink. Each time we take of the communion cup, we should remember this salient moment as Jesus enacted a New Covenant.

For dogs have surrounded me, a gang of evildoers has closed in on me

Dogs or wolves, is a common metaphor for pagan worshippers and evil doers on the prowl, ready to attack. In Matthew 7:15 Jesus compared false prophets to ravening wolves. Evil people surrounded Jesus and arrested him in the garden of Gethsemane. He was surrounded by gangs of evildoers all night long at his trials and all day long on the cross. Interestingly, the word for wolf in the New Testament describes a white wolf--one that easily disguises itself among sheep--a wolf in sheep's clothing. The religious leaders were secretly evil doers and not true believers. As Jesus’ languished on the cross, these men stood by and looked on.

...they pierced my hands and feet.

As Acts 2:23 explains, Jesus' hands and feet were nailed to the cross. Though he was delivered up according to God's determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him.

I can count all my bones. People look and stare at me. They divided my garments among themselves and they cast lots for my clothing.

Victims of crucifixion were stripped naked and made into a public spectacle. John 19:23-24 records this event, concluding with this statement 

 

They divided my outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 

 

This is another direct quotation from Psalm 22 above. Their intention was to humiliate the Son of God. Colossians 2:15 shows how he turned it around on them: 

 

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, HE made a public spectacle of THEM, triumphing over them by the cross. 


But you, LORD, don't be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. Rescue my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs. Save me from the lion's mouth, from the horns of the unicorns.

My favorite animal reference in the passage is in verse 21 when he says "save me from the horns of the unicorns." Some translations say wild oxen, but the word is always translated elsewhere in the KJV as unicorn--and it is singular. I believe this is an allusion to the one-horned beast from Daniel's prophecy which represents the spirit of anti-Christ--It represents either Satan himself, or his representative on earth--possibly a certain corrupt high priest or his father-in-law (Ananias and Caiaphas) who did not want to relinquish power. Jesus, again asks to be rescued from the evildoers who surround him. In the supernatural view, the lions, wolves and animals represent evil people, but the use of animals as a metaphor also suggests that dark, demonic forces were in operation, tempting and influencing them.

The last half of the Psalm simultaneously prophesies and proclaims victory. 

YOU ANSWERED ME!!!
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you in the assembly. You who fear the Lord, praise Him. All you descendants of Jacob, praise him. All you descendants of Jacob, honor him. All you descendants of Israel, revere him. 

At this point the song becomes instructive as to how we should honor God and praise His name. There is joyous, but also deep and reverent worship here. God heard Jesus' cry just as He had heard the cry of his forefather David.

For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried for help.

God did not turn his face away from Jesus. The word for face and presence is the same word. Remember when I told you to remember the singer of the Psalm was longing for the Presence of God. The Father did not deny Him the Presence He so longed for, but came and rescued Him from the death. God’s timing was perfect. He did not rescue Jesus as he hung on the cross, but he did indeed rescue him out of the grave to rise again alive.

I will give praise in the great assembly because of you. I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. The humble will eat and be satisfied. Those who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forevermore.

Because of Jesus' sacrifice and the work of Father, Son and Holy Spirit together, we will eat our fill of spiritual food. We will be satisfied with his word and enjoy the benefits of God's presence and His spirit in our lives. He will give us renewed hearts and eternal life. 

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before you.  For Kingship belongs to the Lord. He rules the nations. All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down. All those who go down to the dust will kneel before him--even the one who cannot preserve his life.

This passage is rich with representation and references within the Scriptures. Revelation 5:9 speaks of Jesus: Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. At the Great Commission, Jesus sent us into all the world to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations. Rev. 7:9 affirms that every tribe, language, people and nation will be represented among those who are saved. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) Every knee will bow before Him. (Romans 14:11) Even unbelievers who die will bow down before Jesus, though Isaiah 65:12 teaches us they will bow down to be slaughtered. 

Their descendants will serve him. It shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn that HE HAS DONE IT.

This great work that Jesus accomplished has been taught for over 2000 years, generation after generation. On the cross, His last words were

 

"Into thy hands I commit my Spirit" and "It is Finished." 

 

Psalm 22 concludes with the words He Has Done It. This corresponds with Jesus' shouting Teleo, which means It is finished, or It has been accomplished. This was a great victory cry. Satan was defeated. Death was defeated. Sin was defeated. Salvation had been provided. Jesus had accomplished everything the Father sent Him to do.

 

Thinking of the words of this Psalm, Jesus expressed complete faith and trust in the Father during His moment of greatest trial and suffering. He sought comfort in the word of God. The Psalm ends with a note of certainty about Christ's success. He had come to earth to take the punishment for our sins. He had come to provide a way for mankind to be restored into a right relationship with God. Every evil intention that hell and humans had for the cross, Jesus turned it around. He ended his earthly life by shouting a great cry of victory, TELEO--declaring that his mission was a success. He had provided all that was necessary for our salvation. In that moment, He declared victory over death, hell and the grave with complete faith, hope and trust in the Father to raise Him from the dead. And on the 3rd day, creation witnessed His Resurrection. 

Here are links to the other articles in this series:

Palm Sunday: Passion Week Part 1)

The Last Supper: Passion Week Part 2

Resurrection Sunday: The Whole Story (Passion Week Part 4)