For more than a year, we’ve been engaged in a relentless, ongoing battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. All of us, no doubt, have grown a little battle weary along the way.

We now are in that questioning, confusing and frustrating stage of “mask fatigue,” “social-distancing fatigue,” “pros-and-cons-of-vaccine fatigue,” and for those of you like me who have been teaching Sunday school virtually for more than a year, I’m sure you join me in suffering from a little case of “Zoom fatigue.”

‘The bear’

Back in my high school and college days of running track, we used to talk about a certain running phenomenon called “the bear.” When a runner is making that final turn around the final lap of a long race, it’s not unusual for this mysterious and menacing “bear” suddenly to appear and seemingly jump right onto the runner’s back.

For the runner, the breathing starts to grow increasingly labored, the arms start to feel as if they’re carrying 100-pound weights, the legs begin to stiffen, the back begins to arch backward, and every muscle in the body starts to tighten as the build-up of lactic acid in the bloodstream starts to take its toll.

The runner strains for every step. The finish line seems impossibly distant. It’s almost as if a great big bear literally has run out on the track and jumped right on board.

We warned fellow runners: “Watch out for the bear. Look out for the bear. Don’t let the bear get you.” When you’re running a race, you always have to “beware of the bear.”

Run with perseverance

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV).

The author of Hebrews also cautions us to “beware of the bear” when it comes to running the race of life. This especially is true as we continue to run what’s now become a marathon of a pandemic.

There are spiritual bears looming all around us, all the time. Sometimes the bear takes the form of that “sin that so easily entangles.” It jumps on board, and we suddenly find ourselves growing stagnant in our spiritual race.

At other times, the bear jumps on in the form of circumstances that can overwhelm us easily. If we’re not careful, we can grow weary and begin to lose heart.

The burdens of life can become “bears” easily, and there’s not one of us in the midst of this pandemic who hasn’t had a run-in with one of these ugly emotional creatures that have leapt onto our track and onto our back.

Three training tools

What are we as struggling pandemic runners supposed to do? How do we run “with perseverance” without letting “the bear” jump on board? Three training tools come to mind as we consider the exhortations of Hebrews 12.

1. We’ve got to stay holy. We’ve got to confess our sins daily, so those things “that hinder and the sin that so easily entangles” don’t build up and start to weigh us down.

2. We’ve got to stay in shape spiritually. Physical runners usually succumb to “the bear” simply because they’re not in their best physical condition. The same is true for spiritual runners, especially as a pandemic continues. The daily disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship and fellowship are keys to keeping the bear off our track and off our back. It’s absolutely the key to running the race “with perseverance.”

3. We’ve got to keep our eyes on the prize continually, or as Hebrews puts it, “[fix] our eyes on Jesus.” When we live with a fixed focus, we live with a fixed purpose. And that leads to a perseverance that will help us to finish the race successfully. Keeping our eyes on Jesus all the time is the best way to avert the bear attacks of life.

Beware of “the bear” in your life today. Don’t let him loom; put him to his doom. Don’t ever forget: There’s a “great cloud of witnesses” looking down upon you to strengthen and encourage you as you run your race.

And don’t ever forget: Someone is with you every step of the way in your race this day. Keep looking to him. Keep listening to him. Keep leaning on him. This pandemic will end one day. And he will get you through to the finish line.

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership in the College of Christian Faith at Dallas Baptist University. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Feb. 28 focuses on Luke 9:18-27.

Jesus had spent three years with his disciples. As he prepared to make his way from Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem and the fate that awaited him there, Jesus wanted to know if his disciples had fully understood the lessons of those past three years. Had they fully comprehended exactly who he was? And so he asks them two penetrating questions: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?”

As a professor at Dallas Baptist University, I give a lot of exams in which I ask a lot of questions. And I know I’ve given some pretty tough final exams in my day. I like to think that in questioning his disciples in Luke 9 Jesus was giving them a kind of oral final exam that contained just two questions. But what monumentally important questions they were.

Jesus first asked his disciples what “the word on the street” was concerning his identity. What were people saying about him? That was an important question, but it was just a primer for the next question Jesus asked. And for me, this question is the most important question in all of the Bible.

In fact, it really is the most important question in all of life.“Who do you say I am?” That’s the most important question in life because its answer has eternal consequences, doesn’t it? How a person answers that question will determine where he or she will spend eternity. And it’s a question that every person will have to answer in some way, some day.

‘The great trilemma’

What are the options people have in answering this ultimate question of questions? I’ve always loved how C.S. Lewis framed it in his famous “great trilemma” posited in his classic book, Mere Christianity. Lewis asserted Jesus either was a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. He wrote: “You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Liar, lunatic, or Lord. There’s the “great trilemma.” Lewis argues that these three are the only real alternatives one can choose from in explaining the identity of Jesus. These are the only viable answers one can give to that ultimate final exam question in life. Either Jesus was the most deceitful liar in all of human history or else the most crazed lunatic who ever lived … or else he was who he said he was, and is: He is Lord.

Thankfully, Peter gave the right answer to the question. And I’m sure his Instructor was most pleased that at least one of his students had aced that final exam. Peter’s simple two-word response demonstrated that he passed that test with flying colors. Who was Jesus? Peter simply declared that he was “God’s Messiah” (Luke 9:20b, NIV).

What is your answer?

What about you? Have you answered that most important question in all of life? Just to remind you, everyone will have to give an answer to that question in some way, some day. And the fact is, one day everyone will ultimately give but one answer. Everyone will acknowledge Jesus’ true identity. Everyone will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. The Apostle Paul reminds us: “ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11, NIV).”

There’s one big difference, however, in the how and when a person answers that ultimate final exam question. A person can give that right answer in this lifetime and live forever. Or a person will give that right answer in judgment in the life to come, but tragically, that answer then will come all too late. What about you? How and when will you answer that most important question in life?

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Feb. 14 focuses on Luke 6:1-11.

Jeff Robinson, pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, imagines the following scenario:

What if your church’s elders passed down a fiat that members could not take more than 1,999 steps on the Lord’s Day without facing church discipline? One more step would be too closely akin to taking a long trip and that is a no-no on the day God set aside for worship.

What if they forbid you to carry your Bibles to church because such heavy lifting would too closely resemble work? Anything heavier than a dried fig is strictly taboo on this day, they say.

Or, what if they added a clause in the constitution and bylaws that members must not leave a radish in salt because that vegetable might become a pickle and pickle-making is work, which is, of course, forbidden on this day.

And, they added sub-paragraphs to the constitution that prescribed disciplinary action for those found guilty of other activities on the Lord’s Day such as carrying a pen (lest you be tempted to write with it), carrying a needle (lest you be tempted to sew with it), helping those who are sick but with non-life-threatening maladies (it can wait till Monday), looking in the mirror, spitting, removing dirt from clothes. You get the picture.

What Robinson is exposing is the danger of the kind of religious legalism that had its roots in the Judaism of Jesus’ day. The Pharisees had taken the simple commandment to rest on the Sabbath and elaborated it into a complicated and overbearing list of do’s and don’ts.

Letter of the Law or Spirit of the Law?

When Jesus’ disciples dared to pick and eat grain on the Sabbath and when Jesus dared to heal on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11), the Pharisees accused them of daring to violate the Sabbath. In Mark’s version of the story, Jesus responds to their accusations by explaining the true purpose of the Sabbath: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28, NIV). Jesus made it clear that a legalistic “letter of the law” interpretation of the Sabbath was missing the true “spirit of the law” intent of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was meant for a blessing of rest, not for a burden of man-made rules and regulations.

Amazingly, modern day rabbis even speculate as to what kind of toilet can and can’t be flushed on the Sabbath. One rabbi explains:

It goes without saying that flushing a toilet is permitted on Shabbat. There is some discussion, however, whether it is permissible to flush a toilet that is equipped with a disinfectant device that colors the water as it is flushed. It is virtually unanimous among halachic authorities that one should not flush such a toilet on Shabbat. This is because doing so might be a violation of tzoveiah, the prohibition against coloring a substance or item on Shabbat. As such, those who use such devices in their home should remove them before Shabbat.

Not just an ancient Jewish thing

But legalism isn’t confined to the Jewish circles of Jesus’ day, or ours. Legalism can, and does, happen in Christian circles as well. Consider the anti-legalism exhortations from the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:6-9, Romans 14:1-2 and Colossians 2:20-23.

Jeff Robinson concludes with appropriate words of exhortation for Christians today:

The law left the Pharisees (and their disciples) miserable because they viewed it as a vehicle to glory, a means of salvation. They used it unlawfully and the result was a shrunken, joyless, bitter existence. This is the result when we misinterpret Scripture and replace the grace of God with legalism. But rightly understood, the law of God is good, unmasking our self-righteousness and exposing our depravity. It sends us running for cover in the righteousness of Christ won at Calvary through his selfless love. It liberates us to rest from our labors at keeping the law, and leads us to green pastures of deep and overflowing joy in Christ alone.

Christians today constantly need to be on the look-out for legalism. Don’t replace the grace of God with the bondage of legalism. Instead, let the law of God lead you to that “overflowing joy” that is found in Christ alone.

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Feb. 7 focuses on Luke 5:17-26.

My late father-in-law—who also was my “father-in-the-ministry”— gave me a very simple but very profound piece of advice when I began what would become a 25-year preaching ministry. He exhorted me that in my preaching I needed to “just give ’em Jesus.”

My father-in-law’s practical take on our focal passage this week was this: If you want to draw a crowd, if you want to “fill a house,” if you want your church building to overflow with people, just be sure Jesus is in the house. Be sure you are “giving ’em Jesus.” Pretty good church growth advice for any church and any pastor today.

As interesting of a take as my father-in-law’s might have been on this passage, my take is a little more theological in nature. I see the focus of the passage being found in verse 20: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Claim to deity

For me, this claim of Jesus’s the authority and power to forgive sins is one of the most significant proofs of his deity. By claiming to forgive sins, Jesus was claiming to do something only God can do. In Isaiah 43:25 God clearly states: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

The response of the religious leaders indicates exactly what they thought Jesus was claiming. “The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’” (v.21) Jesus was committing blasphemy in their eyes. Jesus was claiming to be God.

Regarding the deity of Christ, theologian Millard Erickson writes: “What did Jesus think and believe about himself? Some have argued that Jesus did not himself make any claim to be God… It is true that Jesus did not make an explicit and overt claim to deity. He did not say in so many words, ‘I am God.’ What we do find, however, are claims that would be inappropriate if made by someone who is less than God.” And at the top of Erickson’s list of these claims of deity is Jesus’ claim to forgive sins.

In a sermon, John MacArthur once commented:

“This is the most outrageous blasphemy conceivable. This man is talking as if he is God. He might as well have said he’s the Creator of the universe, that he’s the Holy One of Israel, that he’s the Redeemer of Zion, that he’s the holy and Almighty One, the eternal judge, the God of glory. He might as well have said that because they think, ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ And they were right. You can’t come to Jesus with any patronizing nonsense about being the good teacher. He’s either God, or he is a blasphemer. Some people have said, ‘Well, you know, the Jewish people, they rejected Jesus because they didn’t quite get what he was saying.’ Yeah, they got what he was saying. They rejected him because they did get what he was saying. They were exactly right. Who can forgive sin but God alone? Answer? Nobody. So either Jesus is God, or he’s the rankest blasphemer that ever lived. There aren’t any other options.”

The religious leaders knew full well that Jesus was claiming to be nothing less than God himself.

Amazement and praise

In contrast to the response of the religious leaders, notice the response of the recipient of the miracle, the paralyzed man who had been healed: “Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had be lying on and went home praising God.” (v. 25).

And notice the response of the people who were present that day: “Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’” (v. 26).

How will you respond to the deity of Christ? With skepticism and rejection? Or with amazement and praise? The fully divine Jesus has done “remarkable things” in your life. He has done nothing less than a miracle in your life. He has forever “healed” you from the “paralysis” of your sin. Why not do a “remarkable thing” yourself in response and believe in and trust in this fully divine Jesus?

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 31 focuses on Luke 5:4-11, 27-32.

All of us are going to experience failure in life. Famed author of the Harry Potter book series, J.K. Rowling, said in a 2008 Harvard commencement address,  “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” Failure is one of those universal experiences that bind our humanity together. We’re all going to experience failure.

In the Apostle Peter’s first encounter with Jesus, we read about a major setback in Peter’s life, a failed fishing expedition. Peter and his friends were professional fishermen. Peter would have had a good boat and the best nets. He knew that lake like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where to catch the most fish. And yet after fishing all night long, he and his friends came up empty. Peter had failed.

But in the rest of the story, we read how Jesus transformed Peter’s failure into success. You ought to see some good news in this story if you have ever experienced failure in your life. This passage tells you to do three things in order for Jesus to turn your setbacks into successes.

1. Get Jesus in your boat.

The real key to the success of that second fishing expedition was simply the fact that Jesus “got into the boat.” Nothing will make a bigger difference in your personal success in life than simply appropriating the presence of Jesus in your life—every day. You’ve got to get Jesus in your boat, every part of it. Peter’s boat represented his business, his livelihood. And Peter allowed Jesus to use his business as a platform for ministry. What a great key for success for us today!

2. Follow Jesus’ instructions.

Jesus instructed Peter to, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Now those were some unusual fishing instructions for Peter to follow. In fact, they really didn’t make a whole lot of sense to an experienced fisherman like Peter. You typically don’t find fish way out in the “deep waters.” Fish are usually caught “in the shallows.” And fish are usually caught at dawn, not in the middle of the day. But Peter had to learn that day that a key to success in life is doing what Jesus says, even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Peter had to learn to cooperate with God’s plan and follow Jesus’ instructions, no matter what. And there’s another great key for success for us today.

3. Obey Jesus in faith and without hesitation.

Peter may have had his doubts and fears about those unusual fishing instructions from Jesus, but Peter’s response gives us the third key for turning setbacks into successes: “But because you say so I will let down the nets.” Peter didn’t have to think about it, analyze it, or even pray about it. Jesus simply told him to do something and Peter responded immediately, without hesitation, and in complete, trusting faith. Now, there’s a key for success we all need to learn.

Perhaps you are feeling like a failure today. Join the club. Perhaps you are feeling like you’ve “been working all night and come up with an empty net.” Welcome to the human race. As Pastor Rick Warren notes, “We usually think of failure as negative. But wise people know how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education. One of the primary tools that God uses in your life to make you what he wants you to be is failure.” Bill Gates says it well: “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

What are the lessons of failure you need to heed today? Get Jesus in your boat, follow the instructions of Jesus, and obey Jesus in faith and without hesitation. If you will follow these three simple steps, you will be well on your way to Jesus turning your most disappointing setbacks into delightful successes.
Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 24 focuses on Luke 4:16-30.

Our students in the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University are required to write a life purpose statement. They typically do this in one of the first courses they take, and then they are required to restate it in the final course of their degree program. It’s always interesting for students to see how their life purpose statement has been refined or clarified after two or three years taking ministry preparation courses.

Articulating a life purpose statement is a good exercise for anyone, and especially for any believer. Here’s one definition: “A life purpose statement simply captures an overriding theme already present in your life. It puts down in words the true work you are here to do: the cause you will pursue, the wound in individuals or society you will seek to heal, the problem you will devote your life to fixing. It states the highest, purest, most others-oriented aim of your life.”

Did you know that Jesus had a Life Purpose Statement? As he began his public ministry, he articulated it in the very first sermon he ever preached. It’s found in our focal Bible study passage for this week: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19, NIV).

Focused on helping those who are hurting

What was the focus of Jesus’ life purpose statement? It clearly centered on people—specifically on the purpose of helping people who were hurting. In quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus stated that he was going to focus on these kinds of people—the poor, the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed. These were the hurting people of his day—and ours.

In that last verse, Jesus talked about “proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.” When God created the nation Israel, he established “the year of the Lord’s favor,” also known as the “Year of Jubilee.” This was to be a year in which all debts would be cancelled, prisoners would be let go, slaves would be set free, and all land purchased in the past 50 years would revert back to its original owner. How sad is it that there is no specific reference anywhere in Scripture that speaks of Israel ever fulfilling this divine mandate? Their obstinance so angered God, in the book of Jeremiah he said he would send his people into captivity because of their disobedience. It was there in captivity Isaiah wrote these words that Jesus would later quote.

God cared about people who were hurting—then and now.

Jesus is the Year of Jubilee in the flesh

The late Robert Parham, founder and executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics once wrote: “Luke 4:18-19 is one of the most ignored, watered down, spiritualized or glossed-over texts in many Baptist pulpits, evading or emptying Jesus’ first statement of his moral agenda. Jesus said the gospel was for the poor and oppressed, speaking to those at the margins of society. Jesus was announcing that he came to liberate from real oppressive structures the marginalized—the impoverished, the war captives, the poor in health, the political prisoners. Jesus came to turn the economic structures upside down, instituting the year of Jubilee when crushing debts were forgiven and slaves were freed.”

In commenting on the Luke 4 passage, Arkansas pastor, judge and activist Wendell Griffen exhorted: “Are there poor among us? Then the purpose of Jesus should impel us to address the causes of that poverty. Are there oppressed people among us? Then the purpose of Jesus should impel us to address the systems that keep them down, and the despair that prevents them from seeing a way out. Are their wounded and afflicted people among us? Then the purpose of Jesus calls us, pleads with us, and impels us to enter their suffering experience and be divine agents of liberation, healing, recovery and hope. Make no mistake, my friends. This is not a call to tourism Christianity where we drop in on suffering people at times and under circumstances we find convenient. This is a call to travel the Jericho Roads where people are beaten, bruised, and abandoned by the systemic powers of our time. It is a call to enter into the experience of people who are cast out of life because they are different. It is a call to walk like Jesus, live like Jesus, pray like Jesus, love like Jesus, heal like Jesus, be criticized like Jesus, become labeled as subversive like Jesus, and even to suffer like Jesus.”

When Jesus quoted Isaiah’s words in his first sermon in his hometown synagogue, he was in essence proclaiming that he—himself—was going to be the Year of Jubilee. He would be on a good news freedom mission for the helpless, the hopeless and the hurting.

That was the life purpose statement of Jesus. How does your life purpose statement match up with his?

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Jan.17 focuses on Luke 6:27-38.

“Orthodoxy” is a fancy theological word that simply means “right thinking.” “Orthopraxy” is the word that simply means “right living.” Jesus certainly was concerned with our orthodoxy, our “right thinking.” In John 8:31-32, Jesus famously declared, “If you hold to my teaching (orthodoxy) you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth (orthodoxy), and the truth (orthodoxy) will set you free.” Jesus obviously cared a lot about believing the right kind of teachings and knowing the right kind of truth. But in our focal Bible study passage this week from Luke 6:27-38, we see Jesus now focusing on our orthopraxy, our “right living.”

This passage is a part of what’s referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, which has striking similarities to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Both sermons focus on the right kind of “right living” that Christ followers ought to be living. Take a look at the list of “orthopraxy” imperatives that Jesus declares in this “Sermon on the Plain” passage:

• Love your enemies.
• Do good to those who hate you.
• Bless those who curse you.
• Pray for those who mistreat you.
• Turn the other cheek.
• Give to everyone who asks you.
• Do to others as you would have them do to you.
• Lend to your enemies without expecting anything in return.
• Be merciful.
• Do not judge.
• Do not condemn.
• Forgive and you will be forgiven.
• Give and it will be given to you.

Is there any wonder why these sayings of Jesus are referred to as the “hard sayings” of Jesus? If this is the kind of “right living” God expects from us, we have what seems to be almost impossible lives to live up to. What a high bar of orthopraxy Jesus is holding us accountable to!

Belief and behavior

We Baptists always have placed a high priority on our “right thinking,” and rightfully so. We believe it’s imperative that we teach and preach the “right thinking” kind of things that the Bible affirms. Our orthodoxy and our high view of the Scriptures has always been one of our denominational hallmarks. What we believe is important, but so is how we behave.

What we believe affects how we behave, and how we behave is always impacted by what we believe. Do you see how important it is that we keep our orthodoxy connected to our orthopraxy? In John 7:17, Jesus certainly tied the two together: “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God (orthopraxy) will find out whether my teaching comes from God (orthodoxy) or whether I speak on my own.” Interestingly, our English word “belief” actually comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word “be” which means “by,” and the word “lief” which means “life.” Perhaps it’s no coincidence our “belief” comes “by” our “life.” What we “live by” is actually our belief, or “by-life.” Our orthodoxy is shaped by our orthopraxy and vice versa.

Perhaps it’s time that we sought the more balanced “ortho-” focus of Jesus in our lives and in our churches today. We need both “right thinking” and “right living.” Perhaps we’ve been neglecting one of these imperatives over the other. A quick internet search of the word “orthodoxy” will give you some 14.9 million results. But a search of the word “orthopraxy” will only give you 353,000 hits. We certainly see how the internet prioritizes the two. A search of Baptist Press articles during the past three decades reveals only 10 articles on orthopraxy but some 306 articles mentioning orthodoxy. Perhaps in our own Baptist life we’ve tended to focus a little too much on our “right thinking” to the neglect of our “right living.”

Perhaps James said it best when he wrote in his epistle:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (James 2:14-16, NIV).

Did you catch what James is really saying here? “Faith by itself (that’s our orthodoxy), if not accompanied by action (that’s our orthopraxy), is dead.” Could the Bible be any clearer about the interrelatedness of “right thinking” and “right living”?

And what about you? What’s the shape of your orthodoxy these days? And what’s the shape of your orthopraxy these days? As you study the Bible you are being challenged to think about and believe the right kind of orthodoxy. And as you study passages in the Bible like this week’s passage from the Sermon on the Plain, you are being challenged to live out the right kind of orthopraxy. Orthodoxy and orthopraxy, Jesus focused on both. What about you?

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.  

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 10 focuses on Luke 3:7-18.

The focus of this week’s lesson is on the ministry of John the Baptist as he prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. Let’s jump forward a few chapters in Luke and take a look at an amazing statement Jesus made about John: “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28, NIV).

Did you catch that? Jesus declared that no one had been “born of women” who was any greater than John the Baptist. Jesus seemed to be making the case that John the Baptist was the greatest person who had ever been born! If you consider how the world defines “greatness,” John was a most unlikely candidate for such an accolade. So, what did Jesus see in John that caused him to declare that this itinerant preacher and prophet was the greatest?

What made John the greatest?

Maybe it was John’s dynamic disposition. You would think that the greatest person who ever lived would have a vibrant, charismatic personality. He would have “the look” of greatness. What about John? Mark 1:6 states, “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” John certainly wasn’t “a man dressed in fine clothes” (Luke 7:25). John certainly didn’t “dress for success,” and his diet certainly wasn’t going to make for a best-selling diet book.

Maybe it was John’s prestigious location. You would think that the greatest person who ever lived would have been stationed in one of the great capital cities of the world and had a most prominent place of service. What about John? Matthew 3:11 tells us, “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” John lived way out in the desert wilderness, “out in the boon docks,” on the back side of nowhere. Who would ever notice him way out there? This wasn’t the place of notoriety, not the typical location for greatness.

Maybe it was John’s immense popularity. Now John certainly attracted some big crowds, but the fact is that many, if not most, of the folks who came out to see him were the “curiosity seekers.” John was like a novelty item, the new “circus act” who had come to town.

You would think the greatest person who ever lived would have gathered crowds who praised him and loved what he had to say. He would have certainly been a people-person and a people-pleaser, right? What about John? Well, John’s message was really quite unpopular. He preached about sin and repentance. Nobody wanted to hear about that, right?

On one occasion John was preaching and the Pharisees came to hear him. These were the religious leaders, the important and powerful people of the day. You would think John would be on his best behavior and watch his words carefully. What did John do? He called them a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7).

Another time John was brought before King Herod. Herod had the power to free or kill John. You would think John would have guarded his words closely. But what did John do? He confronted Herod with his sin of having his brother’s wife! (Mark 6:18). That’s not the way to “keep your head on your shoulders,” and for John, it literally wasn’t, as Herod soon had him beheaded.

Maybe it was John’s outstanding performance that made him so great. Maybe John was a great miracle worker who did some amazing things worthy of greatness. What about John? John 10:41 says John “never performed a sign.” No, John never worked wonders or had a great performance, at least not by the world’s standard of greatness.

If it wasn’t his dynamic disposition, his prestigious location, his immense popularity, or his outstanding performance, what was it about John that would prompt Jesus to call him the greatest person ever born of a woman?

Position and purpose

Two traits of greatness jump out at us regarding John the Baptist. First of all, John knew his position in life. John knew who he was and most importantly he knew who Jesus was, and we always see John humbling himself before Jesus. Now there is an attribute of true greatness. In his first recorded words John exclaims, “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. (Mark 1:7, NIV). In John 3:30, he says this about Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less.” Someone defined humility as knowing who you are and who Jesus is, and then knowing the difference! That certainly describes the greatness of John the Baptist.

And secondly, what made John so great is the fact that he understood his purpose in life. And that purpose was to always point people to Jesus. Again, John 10:41 affirms, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man (Jesus) was true.” John 1:7 states this about the Baptist, “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light (Jesus), so that through him all might believe.” John came to testify about Jesus, to tell people about Jesus, to point people to Jesus.

Understanding your position and your purpose, that’s not a bad formula for anyone who wants to discover true greatness in life. John discovered it. What about you? Jesus said, “the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28, NIV). That means that even you could become greater than the greatest person who ever lived!

Live in humility, know your position, understand your purpose. That’s the key to true greatness today.

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Jan. 3 focuses on Luke 2:41-52.

In this week’s lesson, we see the now 12-year-old Jesus in the temple courts listening to the religious teachers and even asking them questions. I love the response Jesus received. Luke 2:47 says, “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” I highlight that word “amazed.”

In his very first public appearance and with his very first public utterances, people responded to Jesus with amazement. And what an appropriate response that is. Consider this list of words Webster defines as synonyms for, or words associated with, that word amazed: astonished, astounded, awed, awestruck, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, marveled, wondered, startled, surprised, bemused, bewildered, overwhelmed, staggered, stunned, shocked and stupefied.

It really shouldn’t amaze” us that the first words of Jesus were met with a word of response like any of these “amazingly” descriptive words. Amazement actually characterized the response of people throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus.

It’s amazing

Consider this list of the “amazed” reactions people had to the things Jesus said and did:

• When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching (Matthew 7:28).
• The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:27).
• And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel” (Matthew 9:33).
• Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed (Matthew 13:54).
• The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing (Matthew 15:31).
• When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked (Matthew 21:20).
• When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:22).
• The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law (Mark 1:22).
• The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority!” (Mark 1:27).
• He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:12).
• So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed (Mark 5:20).
• When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?” (Mark 6:2).
• Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed (Mark 6:51).
• The disciples were amazed at his words (Mark 10:24).
• The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” (Mark 10:26).
• The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching (Mark 11:18).
• Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him (Mark 12:17).
• But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed (Mark 15:5).
• Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:47).
• All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips (Luke 4:22).

Do you see the “amazingly” profound message in these verses? That’s 20 times in the Gospels that Jesus elicited a sense of amazement from the people he encountered!

And this leads me to ask you this question today. Are you still amazed at the words and works of Jesus in your life? As we launch a new year and a new year of Bible study together, perhaps this is a much-needed word of exhortation for all of us. Maybe we’ve all lost just a little of that sense of amazement that we once had when it comes to the reading and studying of God’s word. Maybe this is a good time to recapture and rededicate to our first-love sense of wonder and awe regarding the word of God and the words of Christ.

The religious leaders were amazed at a little 12-year old’s words. And this was just the beginning of the story. For the rest of his earthly life people were constantly being amazed. What about you? Are you still being amazed at the teachings of Jesus today?

Maybe this a good song for all of us to sing as we begin this new year together:

“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
and wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful! and my song shall ever be;
How marvelous! How wonderful! is my Savior’s love to me!”

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Dec. 20 focuses on Luke 2:4-19.

Our study this week focuses on that familiar “birth announcement” by the angels to those lowly shepherds that the long-anticipated Messiah and Lord had finally “been delivered.” The angel of God said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11, NIV)

I like the familiar phrasing of the King James Version of verse 10 in which the angels simply say to those terrified tenders of the sheep, “Fear not.”

Multiple fears and anxieties

Think about that simple two-word angelic message, “fear not.” What a most perfect and most appropriate “good news” Christmas message for us today in the midst of this most unusual Christmas season of 2020. We certainly have a lot to be afraid of these days, don’t we? The past nine months have been filled with more fear and anxiety than the world has experienced in a generation. Psychology Today states: “Everything has changed so quickly. Suddenly everyone, everywhere in the world, is at risk of contracting COVID-19. It’s terrifying. And yet the contagion of fear may be worse than the virus for most of us.”

The fears in our world today are everywhere and they take on many different forms. Did you know that the American Psychiatric Association now list over 100 known “phobias.” And if that number doesn’t scare you enough, there’s even a phobia of numbers—arithmophobia! And just so you can cover all your bases, there’s even a fear of fear itself, phobophobia!

With the plethora of phobias that surround us today, there’s little wonder why “fear not” is the most repeated command in the Bible. In fact, is has been said that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible; that’s one “fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future without Fear even said there are 366 “fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year including Leap Year! I haven’t fact checked those “fear not” statistics, but I think we get the point of what God is trying to tell us. We shouldn’t go through a single day without appropriating those reassuring words from the Father himself, “fear not.”

Five common fears

It’s interesting that that Christmas message of “fear not” is actually all over the Christmas story in the Scriptures. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church outlines five common fears associated with five common figures of that first Christmas:

• The fear of inadequacy (Mary). Mary was a young peasant girl planning to get married. But an angel interrupted her plan by telling her that she was pregnant with the Son of God. It shouldn’t surprise us she felt inadequate.
• The fear of disapproval (Joseph). In Matthew 1:18-20, the angel told Joseph to not be afraid and to take Mary home as his wife. You can imagine the ridicule and shame Joseph expected to face at home if his fiancée was pregnant.
• The fear of unexpected change (the shepherds). Put yourself in the shoes of the shepherds. They’re out lying on the grass and tending their flock of sheep. It’s all quiet. Suddenly, the sky lights up. A huge choir of extraterrestrial beings starts singing loudly. You’d be scared, right? The shepherds were. Their plans for a quiet evening were interrupted.
• The fear of losing control (Herod). The Jews didn’t like Herod—he ruled with a heavy hand because he was paranoid of getting overthrown. His insecurities caused him to lash out when he heard a new “King of the Jews” had been born.
• The fear of being disappointed (Zechariah). Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for years and years to have a baby, but it hadn’t happened. They had one setback after another. When Zechariah found out Elizabeth was pregnant, his first instinct was disbelief. He was afraid to get his hopes up

Not a ‘prisoner of our fears’

Billy Graham summarized it this way: “The very reason Jesus Christ came to Earth was to offer himself in sacrifice for our sin so that we might be reconciled to God and experience his kindness and mercy as his dearly loved children. It is his desire that you be completely set free from fears, torment and oppression so that you might experience his abundant life.” He added: “God doesn’t want us to be prisoners of our fears. The key is to learn to trust God, no matter what our fears are. And we can trust him, because he loves us, and he is greater than anything we’ll ever face. Furthermore, when we know Christ, we know he is with us every moment of the day, and that should give us comfort.”

We all hope and pray for “less fear” in our lives this Christmas. And while we may never totally escape the reality of fear in our lives, we can all certainly live “fearless” lives. And we can all do that if we all simply heed that angelic good news message of Christmas: “Fear not!”

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Dec. 13 focuses on Luke 1:26-38.

“Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child!” At the heart of our Christmas traditions is the singing of some good Christmas songs. And at the heart of this favorite Christmas song (Silent Night) is its introductory exclamation about one of the most important doctrines of our Christian faith, the virgin birth of Jesus.

Theologian Millard Erickson states “Next to the resurrection, the most debated and controversial event of Jesus’s life is the virgin birth, the means through which Christ took on human form.” Among theologians, this doctrine has been discussed and debated for years, going back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But the idea of the virgin birth isn’t just questioned in academia.

What do people “at large” say about the virgin birth? A 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that while 66 percent of Americans believe Jesus was born to a virgin, that number is down from 73 percent in 2014. It would be understandable for nonbelievers to wrestle with doubts about the Christmas story in the Bible, but the Pew research indicates some growing doubts about its facts even among Christian demographics. The percent of white mainline Protestants who believe the virgin birth is down from 83 percent to 71 percent in just these three years. Among religious “nones,” those who don’t identify religiously with any group or belief system, the belief in the virgin birth has declined from 30 percent in 2014 to 17 percent in 2017. And perhaps most alarmingly, among young adults, ages 18-24, that percentage has dropped from 70 percent in 2014 to only 54 percent three years later. The virgin birth certainly seems to be diminishing in its significance and relevance to many Americans.

Two times is plenty

So, what does the Bible actually say about the virgin birth, and why would we say that this doctrine is so important, if not essential, to our faith? The fact is there are only two explicit biblical references to the virgin birth of Jesus—Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38 (the focus of our study this week).

Additionally, the famous Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 proclaims, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Some translations of this Isaiah passage state that it’s only a “young woman” who will conceive. While that is certainly one possible translation of the Hebrew word that is used, it’s noteworthy that when the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek by a panel of Hebrew scholars and Jewish rabbis some 200 years before Jesus’s birth (The Septuagint), they chose to use the specific Greek word for virgin, not young woman. The fact that Jewish scholars, of all people, who had no inherent reason to believe in a “virgin birth,” would translate the word this way gives evidence that “virgin” was, most likely, the intended meaning of the word.

The biblical references to the virgin birth are not plentiful, but as Erickson concludes: “That the Bible affirms the virgin birth not once, but twice, however, is sufficient proof. Since we believe the Bible is inspired and authoritative, Matthew 1 and Luke 1 convince us that the virgin birth is fact.”

A lynchpin doctrine of the Christian faith

And what about the essential nature of the virgin birth as a “lynchpin doctrine” of our faith? Carl F.H. Henry, who’s been called the dean of evangelical theologians, argued the virgin birth is “the essential, historical indication of the Incarnation, bearing not only an analogy to the divine and human natures of the Incarnate, but also bringing out the nature, purpose, and bearing of this work of God to salvation.” Erickson adds, “If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself.” Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, posits: “This much we know: All those who find salvation will be saved by the atoning work of Jesus the Christ, the virgin-born Savior. Anything less than this is just not Christianity, whatever it may call itself. A true Christian will not deny the Virgin Birth.”

So, let’s all sing some good Christmas songs this Christmas. And in doing so, let’s unashamedly sing our doctrine of that special “round yon virgin” Mary and the miraculous virgin birth of our amazing Savior and wonderful Lord.

Miraculous entrance! Miraculous exit!

I can’t help closing out this discourse on the beginning of the Christmas story, and its vital connection with the miraculous virgin birth of the Christ of Christmas, without also including “the rest of the story.” The “miraculous beginning” of the Christmas story just isn’t complete without fast forwarding some 33 years to the “miraculous climax” of the story. Just as an angel announced to little Mary the miracle that she would give birth to the Savior, an angel announced another miracle to two other “Marys” at the “exited” tomb of Jesus, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:5-6).

A miracle birth … a miracle resurrection. From beginning to end, Jesus truly had “Miraculous Entrance! Miraculous Exit!” Let’s all “sing out” that miracle story this Christmas!

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. 

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Dec. 6 focuses on Luke 1:13-25.

As we begin our study of Luke’s Gospel, let’s take a closer look at this amazing man whom God chose to compile this amazing account of the life of Jesus.

Evangelist

We could consider Luke as “the evangelist.” He often is referred to this way because he wrote one of the four Gospels that originally proclaimed the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Being a Gentile (and most likely the only non-Jewish writer of any book in the Bible), Luke’s Gospel would have particular relevance in evangelizing Gentile readers, like Theophilus, the recipient of his gospel and his first Gentile reader. Thank God for this early Christian evangelist whose message still points people to Christ today.

Historian

We could talk about Luke as “the historian.” If we consider the complete two-volume letter set of Luke-Acts, Luke recorded some 27 percent of the entire New Testament! (That’s even more than what the Apostle Paul, who wrote at 23 percent.) Without Luke’s detailed historical record of Jesus and the story of Christianity after his resurrection, we’d know nothing about the spread of the gospel throughout that first century world. Thank God for Luke’s attention to history and getting the story recorded for posterity’s sake.

Apologist

And then there’s Luke as “the apologist.” Many scholars believe Luke was recording the first apologetic defense for the legitimacy of Christianity in the face of Jewish and Roman opposition. Luke recounts the attempted defenses of Christ in front of Pilate and of Paul by Felix, Festus and Agrippa. Luke begins his two-book narrative with the most detailed account of the birth of Jesus, proving the reality of the incarnation. And he begins his book of Acts by noting there had been “many infallible proofs” of the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:3).

Medical Missionary

But two special dimensions of Luke’s background deserve particular attention. Being a traveling companion of Paul, we might say Luke was one of the first Christian missionaries. And being a physician (Colossians 4:14), we might say Luke was the first “medical missionary.” How convenient (and providential) was it that Paul had a doctor with him on his journeys. Think about all the physical hardships and infirmities Paul had to endure. Paul often found himself flogged, beaten and stoned (2 Corinthians 11). And, of course, there was Paul’s famous “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12). What a blessing to have a medical doctor accompanying him as he faced these many physical challenges. And we read how Luke, the ever loyal and committed companion, stayed with Paul right up “until the end” as Paul sits in a lonely prison cell in Rome, no doubt being attended to by the good doctor Luke (2 Timothy 4:11).

Two extraordinary birth narratives

These two aspects of Luke’s background, the missionary and doctor, have special meaning in my own life. As a “baby believer” and young pre-med student at Rice University, I wanted to “be like Luke.” I wanted to be a medical missionary. I loved reading about Luke the physician. I loved reading how, as a doctor, he begins his Gospel with the birth of two babies—John the Baptist and Jesus. I loved reading all the medical references in Luke’s Gospel. Considering our current study of Luke chapters 1-9, one author has chronicled some 66 specific medical references in just these first nine chapters!

And I loved Luke’s commitment to missions as I read all those exciting escapades of Paul on his missionary journeys and all the “we” passages in Acts in which Luke humbly includes himself in the narrative.

Although the Lord didn’t lead me in that particular vocational direction, leading me instead to become a pastor and now professor (a different kind of “doctor”), I still love to read about Luke the man. And I still love to read the writings of what has become my favorite New Testament author. And I especially love that the Lord led me to become a Baptist in my freshman year at Rice University. And here is one of the biggest reasons I was, and am, proud to call myself a Baptist.

Ministry to the whole person

Luke exemplifies how we as Christians need a wholistic approach to our evangelism and missions. Luke obviously cared about the spiritual needs of Paul and others, but Luke likewise cared for the physical needs of Paul and others. What a great balance. For many years, we as a Baptist people have embraced a strong commitment, not just to the spiritual needs of people, but to the physical needs of people, specially demonstrated in our commitment to medical missions. From the website of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention we read:

Caring for the needs of people is integral to the missionary tasks of evangelism, discipling new believers, training leaders and forming healthy churches. Healthcare missions gives access to the unreached, allows for intimate conversations, meets needs, makes disciples and empowers the church.

Do you know that there are currently 67 healthcare-related mission trips and projects that the IMB has scheduled for 2021? And for all of these, there are opportunities for lay volunteers to participate. Thank God for Baptists and our commitment to healthcare missions!

Maybe you and I can’t become another Luke, the first medical missionary, but you and I can certainly pray for and support our many fine Baptist medical and missionary endeavors. Will you make this kind of commitment to being like a Luke?

Jim Lemons is professor of theological studies and leadership at Dallas Baptist University. He is a senior adult Sunday school teacher at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.