Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O LORD, my salvation!
Psalm 38:21-22
Psalm 38 is a penitential psalm – a psalm that expresses sorrow for sin, a desire for repentance, and a plea to God for mercy and forgiveness. In it, David pours out his heart, overwhelmed by the weight of his own sin. He is experiencing physical suffering (vv. 3-8), emotional distress (vv. 9-10), and opposition from enemies (vv. 12, 19-20). But perhaps worst of all, he feels distant from God because of his own iniquity.
David is not suffering unjustly as he has in other psalms. He confesses that he is sorry for his sin (v. 18). It is clear his guilt is crushing him as he says, “My iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” (v. 4). This is a clear picture of what being convicted of sin by God’s Spirit looks like: deep grief from knowing that your sin has dishonored God.
Yet in his distress, David doesn’t run from God – he runs to Him! He doesn’t blame others or make excuses but cries out to God asking Him not to forsake him or be far from him (v. 21). Even when feeling abandoned, he knows that he can trust God alone to save him.
Part of what David feels is the effects of God’s discipline. He disciplines His children not in wrath but love (Hebrews 12:6). He isn’t eager to destroy His people but to restore them. Like a loving Father, God corrects His children so they may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).
Psalm 38 ends with a plea to God for mercy – a reminder that our only hope is being saved by the Lord. That’s good news! Saving people is His speciality.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 38
David’s prayers and pleas in Psalm 38 are answered fully in Jesus. He bore the ultimate weight of sin on the cross, crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), so that we would never be forsaken. Though He never sinned, He took our sin upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). The arrows of God’s judgment that David felt (v. 2) ultimately fell on Jesus. He endured isolation, agony, and opposition so that we could be reconciled to God. Because of Him, we can pray (and praise) with confidence: “O Lord, my salvation!” (v. 22)
Reflection
No matter how far we have fallen, the Lord is ready to restore those who seek Him in repentance. He is our salvation.
Maybe you have experienced God’s discipline as David did. Do you recognize it as a sign of His love and not rejection? When conviction comes, do you run from God or run to Him in repentance?
The good news is that He saves those who call on Him (Romans 10:13). So, take a good, healthy look at your life and your sin and see if it’s time for a penitential psalm of your own.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
Psalm 26:11-12
Psalm 26 is a prayer of confidence and commitment to walking in integrity before God. David appeals to God for vindication, affirming his trust and faithfulness in the midst of a corrupt world. His prayer reflects a heart committed to holiness, worship, and reliance on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness (without which neither David nor us would be able to be holy or stand before God).
David begins with a declaration of his integrity and trust (v. 1). His pleas that follow are not self-righteous boasting but again a plea to God based on God’s consistent character and faithfulness. David knows God and understands how God had worked and was currently working in his life. This is why David openly invited God to test his heart and mind, knowing that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are ever before him (vv. 2-3).
In vv. 4-5, Psalm 26 transitions to a rejection of worldly wickedness and hypocrisy (similar to the contrast in Psalm 1). He refuses to associate with evildoers and hypocrites, distancing himself from their schemes. His separation of sin is paired with his love for worshiping the Lord. His heart is set on the “habitation of God’s house” and the glory of God’s presence (vv. 6-8). He declares his innocence symbolically through the washing of his hands and offering thanksgiving to God.
David also expresses his confidence in God’s justice, asking to be separated from sinners in judgment (vv. 9-10). His trust in God leads him to reaffirm his commitment to walk in integrity. He concludes with further confidence that his feet stand on level ground and that he will bless the Lord in the great assembly (vv. 11-12).
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 26
Psalm 26 ultimately points to Jesus as the true Man of integrity. While David’s integrity was obviously imperfect, Jesus perfectly fulfilled God’s standard of holiness and righteousness. He lived without sin, fully trusting in His Father and walking blamelessly.
Jesus also fulfills David’s longing for the “habituation of God’s house” and the “place where [His] glory dwells” (v. 8). In Christ – Emmanuel (God with us), we have access to the presence of God, believers becoming the temple where His Spirit dwells (Ephesians 2:22).
Reflection
As followers of Jesus, we are called to live lives of integrity, not on our own merits or abilities but empowered by His Spirit. Our confidence is not in our own righteousness but in the perfect righteousness of Christ, who enables us to walk faithfully before God.
Psalm 26 challenges us to live that life of integrity. Ask yourself the following questions and reflect on them.
Are you willing to invite God to examine your heart and mind as David did?
Do you distance yourself from sin while pursuing the joy of worship and fellowship with God’s people?
How does the integrity of Jesus encourage and empower you to walk faithfully before God?
Take time to pray, asking God to test your heart, deepen your love for Him, and guide you in integrity. Rejoice in Jesus’s righteousness, which covers and sustains you as you bless the Lord in the assembly of His people.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
Have y’all ever gotten something stuck in your mind that you just couldn’t get unstuck? Of course you have – everyone has experienced this at some point and time. For me, it is the key verse from John’s sermon last week, Romans 12:15:
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
It’s simple. Straightforward. Clear. As John explained to us, this verse is really only four words in the Greek, essentially “rejoice — rejoicers, weep — weepers”. We, those of us who are saved and have been adopted into God’s family and grafted into His church, are to be there for our brothers and sisters, hurting when they hurt. That’s what family does, right? It should especially be so in the family of God.
As I have pondered on that verse (really simmered or stewed like a crockpot), it has had me thinking on why it is to be this way. And essentially, I have arrived at the conclusion that it stems from us extending grace to others as Jesus has extended grace to us.
One Scripture that came to mind is from the Sermon on the Mount right after Jesus gave us what we call “The Lord’s Prayer”. Look at Matthew 6:14-15:
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This is not saying that we earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving others. If that were the case, we’d have no hope because humanity as a whole is not a forgiving people but rather quite selfish and self-serving. No, what Jesus is saying here is that the way we forgive is based on how we have been forgiven. If we understand that our sin put us at odds and enmity with Jesus and that He reconciled us to Himself and showed us love while we were still sinners, we will have an appreciation for that love and forgiveness that will show in how we forgive others.
This isn’t some theory on my part or some great epiphany. Jesus explained it similarly to Simon the Pharisee after the woman came in and washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with costly perfume. When Simon (and Jesus’s own disciples) were critical of the woman’s wastefulness with pouring out very expensive perfume on Jesus’s feet, Jesus told them that the woman’s sins “which are many” had been forgiven which was why she “loved much”, and He clarified that the one who has been “forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47).
If you are saved, you know that you have been forgiven MUCH because your sin — no matter how the world might view it — is a LOT, and definitely more than our sinless Savior should’ve had to bear on the cross. We deserve the cross, not Jesus. We deserve death, not Jesus. But because of His great love and richness in grace and mercy, He forgave much, loved much, and gave much. That kind of forgiveness, love, and grace changes folks’ lives. If you are saved, you have received this from Jesus and cannot help but extend it to others.
Simon didn’t get it. He thought he had some earthly status as a Pharisee. But when you look at the other gospels, you get, as Paul Harvey would’ve said, the rest of the story. Matthew 26:6 doesn’t call Simon a Pharisee; there he is referred to as “Simon the leper”. You don’t have to read a lot of the Bible to know that folks typically kept their distance from lepers. They were considered unclean. Folks would walk on the opposite side of the road to keep from touching one. They surely wouldn’t touch one, much less go to his house for supper. Long story short, Jesus wasn’t at Simon’s house to honor him but because Jesus had compassion on those no one else did. Jesus was a friend to sinners. He ate with tax collectors. He showed compassionate care to those the world had thrown away. No one was lining up at Simon’s door because Simon was unclean, untouchable, and unmistakably ostracized from society. Yet he looked at that poor woman weeping at Jesus’s feet and had the audacity to remark how pitiful it is that Jesus would let her touch Him (when anyone passing by could’ve remarked how pitiful it was for Jesus to go in Simon the leper’s house).
Simon didn’t get it.
Do we?
That woman had received a lot of grace because she’d committed a lot of sin.
That woman had experienced greater love from God who not only forgave her sin but would go on to die on the cross her sin deserved.
That woman had reason to weep sorrowfully over her sin against a holy God but had more reason to weep out of rejoicing that her sin was wholly forgiven by God and show love to Him in return.
What about us? Do we get it?
Look at how Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.
God has shown us grace and comfort because He loves us. We have the opportunity to show that grace and comfort to others. And this is sorely needed in a world today that seems like the rejoicing is getting more seldom and weeping is ever increasing.
Thankfully, Sunday’s coming. There is a coming Day when Jesus will return and gather His people to Him. The last tears of sorrow will be cried and wiped away by His nail-pierced hand. Death will be abolished. The sad things of this earth will come untrue. As the old hymn says, “What a Day — glorious Day — that will be!”
Until that day, we will gather and read God’s Word, sing God’s Word, and hear God’s Word preached. That’s what we’re singing about this Sunday: telling what Jesus has done for us. And as we do so, we will have brothers and sisters who are rejoicing about this or that. Rejoice with them. Assuredly there will be those with much to weep about. Weep with them. You have been given much grace and love. Christ Community family, it’s time to extend that grace and love to others.
Won’t you gather with us?
Here are our Scriptures & songs:
Scripture | Titus 3:1-7 —
1Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
2Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison — 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.[1]
📖 Revelation 5:1–14In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison continue into the throne room of heaven—and what unfolds in Revelation 5 is one of the most powerful and familiar scenes in all of Scripture. A scroll appears in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks a question that echoes through heaven and earth: Who is worthy to open the scroll?At first, no one is found—and John weeps. But then everything changes. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered… and when John turns, he sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing as though slain—and alive.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The significance of the sealed scroll and why only the rightful heir can open it✔️ The difference between ability and worthiness—and why no one but Jesus qualifies✔️ Why John hears “Lion” but sees a slain Lamb—and what that reveals about Christ✔️ How Jesus conquers not by force, but through His death and resurrection✔️ The connection to the Passover Lamb and the redemption of God’s people✔️ The overwhelming worship of heaven declaring Jesus alone is worthyThis chapter is the turning point: the Lamb who was slain is alive—and He alone is worthy to carry out God’s plan.“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
I don’t know about y’all, but last fall and early winter were so busy. We’ve been traipsing back and forth across the South following my daughter and the high school band, writing this past year’s Advent guide (hopefully you got to follow along with the “Good News of Great Joy” readings in Luke), preaching a revival, serving the Lord at Christ Community and wherever else opportunity has arisen, started writing the #dailyPSALMSchallenge posts, and managed to work teaching school, too. Busy, busy, busy. It had been my intention to be finished with our Colossians study by now, but I am finding the older I get that things get done when they are done. Additionally, things worth doing well are worth working on until they are ready (even if I was ready to get it done before it was complete).
This closing exhortation (Bible word that is a mixture of warning, encouragement, and coming alongside someone to help them) of Paul’s here in Colossians 4:2-6 has been working on me throughout my busyness. The way I study these days – whether to write or preach or teach or whatever – is to work through the cross-references for a passage in my notebook, and I carry that notebook with me most places. I study and ponder on the passage and the verses throughout Scripture that give its context. I dwell with the passage. I meditate on it. Really, it is not as academic or spiritual as that sounds but more like the action of a crockpot where I simmer in the passage and its connecting verses until it’s done and ready to serve. I said Colossians 4:2-6 has been working on me; maybe the better way to say it is God has been working it into my life.
To understand this closing exhortation, you need to think of it in the context of the whole letter of Colossians. The first two chapters focus on doctrine, teachings about Jesus, His gospel, and the eternal life He gives, that the church at Colossae was missing. False teachers were coming in, taking advantage of the gaps in their knowledge and seeking to fill them with dangerous teachings and practices meant to lead them away from Christ. The last two chapters focus on putting that doctrine into practice. The church at Colossae needed to learn what it is to put our focus on Christ, namely taking off and putting to death the sin that belonged to their old life and putting on Christ, being adorned in and with Him, and living as His Spirit and Word direct. The biggest part of that application is where Paul helps the church at Colossae – and us – to be adorned in Christ in all areas of our lives, marriages, families, vocations, and so on. This exhortation fits at the tail end of how to be adorned in Christ in all areas of our lives.
As I said earlier, an exhortation is a kind of like coming alongside someone to help them. Picture being on a battlefield and your brother or sister soldier injures their leg and cannot walk on their own. You don’t just leave them there and save yourself. No, you reach down, grab their arm and put it across your shoulder, and you become a leg for them. They cannot walk, but y’all together can. This is recognition that in this spiritual battle, those who belong to the Kingdom of God lift one another up. In this case, Paul is writing to them from his place on the battle field in prison to lift them up and encourage them to keep the faith as they go through life and to lift up one another.
You might read this and be startled by the imagery of battle, but that is the reality of living in Christ for His Kingdom while we still live among the kingdoms of this world. Much of Paul’s letter to Ephesus mirrors aspects of the letter to Colossae. Where we have the exhortation in Colossians 4:2-6, this portion of Ephesians describes the need for putting on the “whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11) and recognizes that we are wrestling – literally fighting – against an enemy that is not of this world – not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
We will walk through three ways in which we can lift one another up as we are on the Church’s mission, through prayer, preaching, and practice.
Prayer is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 2-4)
Prayer is literally the most we can do. A lot of times folks are willing to neglect prayer so that they can do something or make something – like praying or serving or whatever, but when you really get down and think about it, what more can you do than take your petitions to the almighty God of the universe?
That’s not a rhetorical question: what more can you do than take things in prayer to God Most High? The obvious and only answer is a resounding “no”.
Look at the way the author of Hebrews describes prayer in Hebrews 4:16:
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need….
Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Prayer is an opportunity to approach the throne of God with the same level of confidence of a toddler approaching a parent’s bed in the middle of the night, scared from some lurking shadow or bad dream. That baby knows they will not experience reproach even though they rouse the sleeping parent in the middle of the night. They know they will find mercy and grace, love and peace. We get to approach God’s throne knowing He will not reprove or rebuke but dispense the mercy and grace in our “time of need”.
Furthermore, Jesus not only meets our needs but saves “to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him”. Read that again – “to the uttermost”, meaning completely and at all times. Also, if we aren’t careful, we can miss that last part of Hebrews 7:25; Jesus “always lives” – ALWAYS LIVES – “to make intercession” for His people, “those who draw near to God through Him”. That phrase “make intercession” means that Jesus is appealing to the Father on our behalf, to give us mercy and grace in our time of need.
That’s what Paul is telling the Colossian church – and us to do: “Continue steadfastly in prayer”. It is clear that Paul wants them, and us, to pray for each other and him, but he is specific in how he wants them to do it.
First, he tells them to be “watchful” in prayer “with thanksgiving”. The idea of being watchful there reflects Ephesians 6:18 and his command to the church at Ephesus to “keep alert [in prayer] with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”; to be “watchful” or “keep alert” in “perseverance” in prayer means to be alert to the needs of people around you and to lift them up specifically to God rather than being vague and unfocused. Sometimes we are tempted to almost have a prayer genealogy of be with so and so and be with this one and be with that one, never pleading with God (supplication) for what they need or seeking God on their behalf (intercession) in their time of need or even peril. We should be aware of what’s going on in our brothers’ and sisters’ lives – or at least aware something is going on – and approaching the “throne of grace” for them. This should be done “with thanksgiving” because 1)we can already be thankful that we have a place to go where we can be confident to receive help and 2)that we know God wants to dispense mercy and grace in the time of need.
Second, Paul asks them to pray for him and gives a specific prayer request. Keep in mind that Paul penned this letter from prison. He could have easily asked them to pray that he be released or that God would supernaturally get him out of prison; many of the apostles and early church folks experienced all of that. But Paul didn’t. He was confident that he was right where God had him. His prayer request was for God to “open…a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which [he was] in prison”; he wanted God to provide an opportunity for preaching the gospel where he was.
This is a big deal because it differs from how we pray sometimes. We often pray to be delivered from our trying times – and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. As I said, Paul could have prayed for that as well. He didn’t though, and that reveals something to us that reflects how Jesus told us to pray in His model prayer in Matthew 6:10 – “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” While we pray to be delivered, as Paul obviously desired in Philemon 22, let us pray, like Paul, to have an opportunity for the gospel in the midst of the situation we are in, right where God has us. And Paul is also specific to his desire for this gospel opportunity: that he “may make it clear”. He wanted them not only to pray that the gospel would be preached but that it be preached clearly and people understand it (Nehemiah 8:8). Just as we should be “watchful” in prayer, attentive and not vague, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be specific in our prayer for people to hear the gospel – that God would save specific people through the preaching of His Word. If we pray for specific people to hear the gospel and get saved, it’s possible we will finally be alert to the fact that God may have placed them on our minds and us in their lives that we may be the one to share the gospel with them, which leads us to our next point.
Preaching is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 3-4)
Preaching is important. You might have heard this quote (falsely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi), “Preach the gospel wherever you go, and – if necessary – use words.” Well, if being clear with the gospel is how Paul says he “ought to speak”, words are definitely necessary. Paul’s language here reminds me of Nehemiah 8:8, the verse that drives how I seek to write about or preach/teach the Word:
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
At this point in Nehemiah, the captives had returned home after Babylonian captivity and had to rebuild walls, houses, and essentially their lives as a people. They had just brought out the “book”, the Law of God, and read it in one sitting. They could have called it a day and thought that they had accomplished something, but they didn’t. Ezra had a group of guys ready to help the people understand “the reading”.
This is important in understanding the sort of preaching and teaching Paul was asking to get to do. This was not one-off revival preaching where you show up and visit a place, preaching a few times or even once and going on your way. This was not a Sunday morning proclamation that can be heard and promptly discarded to take up our real lives when we leave. No, this is discipleship. This is answering the call of the Great Commission to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Paul is wanting God to open a door for the Word to be taught, people to be saved, and for opportunity to be given to teach them similarly to what Paul is doing in the letter to the Colossian church. Remember what Paul prayed for the Colossian church in Colossians 1:9-10?
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God….
He had prayed that for them, and now, as part of bearing fruit of the life of Christ, they are to live out their faith and pray for others in the same way, which takes us to the practical, real nature of our last point.
Practicing Our Faith in Real Life is Imperative to the Mission (vv. 5-6)
This last exhortation is meant to be practical and affect the way they live their lives in Colossae. We have talked many times about how easy it is to do these things within our local churches but that it is another thing entirely to carry them out in the real world. It is Paul’s intent here to help them see that they were never meant to keep it within their local church family but to carry it out, that making disciples was never meant to stay where we are or where we are comfortable but to be for “all nations” (Matthew 28:19) – all people everywhere, wherever we are going (Matthew 28:18). To do that, we need to be careful how we carry ourselves and use our time wisely.
I want you to notice how carefully I am being in my wording here. I said be careful how we carry ourselves and not act right. This is not about acting right or acting at all; it’s about living the life that Christ has given you. It’s about all of life being adorned in Christ. Just as we looked at in the last few studies in Colossians, we do not only need to be adorned in Christ in our marriages, in our families, and in our vocations; we need our lives to be adorned in Christ when we go out into the world. Just as we would not walk out into public naked but rather adorned in an appropriate level of clothing, we need not walk out unadorned of Christ.
As I said, this is not an act. We are to walk “in wisdom”, meaning we live the life God has called us to how He called us to live it. The proverbs are extremely helpful for this. In our time in the Daily Wisdom Challenge back in October, we talked about that a lot, and much of what we looked at in Proverbs was concerned with, just as Paul is here, our speech. Here are a few practical applications for how we can use our words and conversations to point people to Jesus:
“making the best use of the time” – Be mindful of the time you have. Sometimes we waste time talking about unimportant things because we are unwilling to make an awkward transition in a conversation or because we might be afraid to broach a subject folks might be uncomfortable talking about (namely the gospel and even mentioning Jesus). We do not, however, have unlimited time to wait for whatever we think the right moment is. I read an anonymous quote on social media a while back that has plagued my thoughts and impacted my life in big ways: “Time is the only currency we spend without ever knowing the balance.” If God has put you in a position to share Him with others and put folks on your heart to share His gospel with, the time is now. We are not guaranteed another opportunity and tomorrow is not promised. Let’s get busy living in and for Him.
“Let your speech always be gracious” – Our speech should be characterized with grace. Now, this is the part where folks begin excusing their ugly talk by explaining that folks deserve this or that. I will agree that there are times when harsher speech is necessary, but God considered this when He chose the words Paul would use here. He said “gracious” meaning that the content and intent and substance of our speech, in the context here to “outsiders” but also to our church family, should be grace – undeserved favor. This should not be something we are unfamiliar with because if we are in Christ we have received grace. We have also just talked about how when we go to Him in prayer He has grace in our time of need. Here he reminds us of the grace we have received and tells us to extend it to others in how we talk to them.
“Let your speech…be…seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Salt doesn’t mean the same thing for us today as it did to Paul’s original audience. Salt is a preservative. It could be used to keep meat from spoiling. The idea here is that our speech should be a benefit – a blessing – to others and be used of God for good, echoing Jesus’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount that we are to be the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). In the context of Jesus’s teaching, salt that has lost its “saltiness” is to be thrown out and trampled underfoot, meaning that speech that is not good and edifying is worthless and once again echoes Ephesians, specifically Ephesians 4:29 that tells us not to let “unwholesome talk” come from our mouths but only speech that is “helpful for building others up according to their needs”.
How we talk matters. Elementary kiddos are often taught the adage about sticks and stones being able to damage but “words can never hurt me”. By the time we are adults, we realize that is a lie. Words hurt. They wound us deeply. Furthermore, we often mean our words to be mean. But this is a deeper issue than conversation or its substance. It’s a bigger deal than merely being willing to talk about good, gospel things or to be nice when speaking. The content of our speech ultimately reveals whether or not we are in Christ or of the world. Jesus Himself said “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45) to reference that speech is fruit that reveals whether we are good trees (saved; in Christ) or bad trees (lost; of the world).
Wrapping Up
This little section seems like it is light and simply a final exhortation, but when you take it in context, Paul is getting real with them. The Christian life goes beyond religion and definitely beyond the fringes of our lives, relegated to weekends and some evenings of our weeks. When he taught them, and us, that we are to put on Christ and have our lives adorned with Him – our whole lives, he wanted us to see how Christ as Lord commands our life and desires to see us minister to the lost world around us as well as to each other.
Paul wrote this letter from prison and sought to exhort, to come alongside and help, the Colossian church. He wanted to reach out and disciple them, and us, so that we not be hoodwinked by false teaching that replaces relationship with Christ with religious distractions and busyness. At the same time, he sought to be ministered to by them, asking them to pray for him to be able to live the life Jesus had called him to in his own time of need. How about us?
If you are a member of a local church (if you are saved, you are meant to be), your relationship with Christ is to impact your real, everyday life and the lives of your brothers and sisters in your faith family are meant to intersect and interact with one another. We are not meant to do this alone. We are Sojourners, but rather than being a heavenly hobo traipsing through this world alone we are pilgrims journeying together and making disciples as we go.
Consider how you can pray specifically for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for your pastors and church leaders. Pray for the lost you know. Pray for someone to have the opportunity to share the gospel with them and for the Spirit of God to work on their hearts and help them understand. Pray that if God has called you to share the gospel with them that he will open a door for the Word and give you words seasoned with salt rather than merely salty speech.
Consider how you can be a beacon of God’s Word where God has planted you.
Consider how the teachings of God’s Word are (or are not) showing up in your real, everyday lives and repent where necessary. Consider this exhortation from Paul and exhortation from me as well. I may be one of your pastors if you are a member of Christ Community, but whether I am or not, let me come alongside you and help lift you up. Be encouraged by the counsel in this Bible study and not beat down. If you recognize that there are things in God’s Word that need to be changed in your life, consider that an opportunity to grow closer to Him. Know this, dear Sojourner, that I am praying for you as specifically as I can and have hope that God is not done working on us.
O LORD, who shall sojourn in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?
Psalm 15:1
Psalm 15 opens with a profound question: who is worthy to dwell in God’s presence? This question is not about a fleeting visit with the Most High but a permanent residence. David paints a portrait here of the ideal worshiper, one who lives in alignment with God’s character, as demonstrated by their integrity, relationships, and priorities.
The qualifications described in vv. 2-5 are a portrat of a life fully devoted to God. These aren’t merely external actions but an outward reflection of the inward transformation God has made in one’s life. This person does what is right, speaks truth from the heart, and refrains from slander or harm to others (vv. 2-3). They honor those who fear the Lord and reject wickedness, showing that their values align with God’s holiness (v. 4). They are faithful to their word, even when it costs them, and they refuse to exploit others for their own gain (v. 5).
Psalm 15 highlights the holiness required to stand before God, emphasizing that fellowship with Him demands more than religious rituals – it calls for integrity and righteousness in all of life. However, as we examine this list, we realize that no one measures up.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 15
Psalm 15 ultimately points to Jesus, the only one who perfectly fulfills its requirements. He lived a sinless life and walked blamelessly, always doing what is right and always speaking the truth. He honored the Father in all things, loved His neighbors selflessly, and upheld justice without partiality . His life was a flawless reflection of Psalm 15 – which is the point.
Through Jesus, we are invited into God’s presence – He Himself being God. We do not need to try and be righteous on our own; in fact we can’t. But Jesus imputes His righteousness to all who have faith in Him, enabling us to dwell with God because of Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Reflection
Psalm 15 challenges us to examine our lives. While we fall short the gospel assures us that Jesus’s righteousness covers us.
Reflect on your walk with God. Are their areas in your life where your actions or attitudes are inconsistent with His holiness?
Rejoice in the gospel. Thank God for Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled Psalm 15 and invites us into His presence by grace.
Rest in His righteousness, knowing that your standing with God is secure in Christ. Ask Him to transform you into someone who reflects His character more each day. Let Psalm 15 inspire you to live a life of integrity while resting in the finished work of Christ.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
6“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
7I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Psalm 2:6-7
Psalm 2 reminds me of the line in the hymn “Joy to the World”: “Let Earth receive her king”. This psalm proclaims the reign of God’s anointed King, Jesus, who is set over all creation. Though the nations rebel, Psalm 2 reveals that true peace and joy come only by receiving and submitting to this King. His authority is certain, and His rule is good.
The Rebellion of the Nations
Psalm 2 begins with the nations raging and plotting in vain against God and His Anointed (vv. 1-3). In their pride, they reject God’s authority by choosing to skewing it as oppressive and restrictive, yet their rebellion reflects the condition of sinful humanity — desiring to rule ourselves rather than submitting to our Creator and King.
God’s Response
God does not respond in fear or by some kneejerk reaction but with laughter (v. 4). He clearly declares His plan: “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (v. 6). This King, the Son of God, has been appointed to rule all nations. How? Well, as God created everything and appoints the rise and fall of nations, it is His divine prerogative! The New Testament affirms that this King is Jesus, the Messiah — the Christ — who was divinely declared to be this Son at His baptism and resurrection (Matthew 3:17, Acts 13:33).
God’s plan is unshakable. The King of kings is enthroned. His reign is certain.
The Universal Reign of the King
God promises His Anointed authority over all nations, to the ends of the earth (v. 8). He will bring justice and restore order, breaking down opposition like shattering pottery (v. 9). His rule is both powerful and righteous, ensuring that evil will not (and cannot) prevail.
A Call to Submission and Joy
The call for earth is clear: receive your rightful King and rejoice in His rule. This is seen in the way Psalm 2 closes with a warning and an invitation: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son” (vv. 11-12). To “kiss the Son” is to honor Him, recognizing His authority and submitting to His reign. Though His wrath and power are real, His invitation is filled with grace and “blessed are all who take refuge in Him” (v. 12). True joy is not found in rebellion but in embracing Jesus as King — as Lord (Romans 10:9).
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 2
Psalm 2 make this pretty clear and explicit. Jesus is the King.
Reflection
Psalm 2 calls us to reflect on whether we will receive or resist Jesus. The nations rage, but we are invited to rejoice under His rule. To receive Him is to put our faith, hope, and trust in Him, finding refuge and joy.
Let earth — and each of us — receive the King.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
1Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
Psalm 1 opens the Psalter with a clear choice. There are two ways to live, and both have a drastically different outcome — the way of righteousness that leads to life, those who love God and His Word, and the way of the wicked, those who reject God. Today, we will consider where we’re rooted and what way we are walking in.
The Blessed Life
The psalmist describes the “blessed” man as one who refuses to follow sinful influences. He avoids walking with the wicked, standing with sinners, or sitting with scoffers (v. 1). This isn’t just about avoiding outward sin but about not letting anything other than God shape our lives.
Instead, the “blessed” delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night (v. 2). “Delight” here suggests joy and deep satisfaction. God’s Word isn’t a burden for the “blessed” but a treasure. When we spend time in Scripture and meditate on it — focusing on the God of the Word, it shapes our hearts and brings us closer to Him.
This life is compared to a tree planted by streams of water (v. 3), well-watered and thriving, bearing fruit and standing firm even in harsh conditions. This “blessed” life is nourished by God’s Word, producing fruit and remaining steadfast through difficulties and trials.
The Peril of the Wicked
In contrast to the tree, the “wicked” are described as chaff — weightless and useless, blown away by wind (v. 4). Their lives lack purpose and stability. They won’t be able to stand in the judgment or belong in the assembly of the righteous (v. 5). The path of the wicked ultimately leads to destruction.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 1
Ultimately, Jesus is the only One who is truly righteous and perfectly matches the “blessed” man described in Psalm 1. He lived a sinless life, delighted fully in the Word, and bore eternal fruit through His life, death, and resurrection. The only way for us to be counted as righteous is through faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The only way for us to live the “blessed” life described here is to be filled and empowered by His Spirit.
Reflection
Psalm 1 challenges us to examine where we are headed and in what we find our delight. Ask yourself: are you rooted in God’s Word, drawing life and sustenance from Him and His Word, or is your delight in the futile, fleeting things of the world?
We are called in Psalm 1 to meditate on Scripture, finding nourishment in Christ, the perfect and righteous One. May we find ourselves rooted in His living water, equipped to flourish and bear fruit.
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, 6 then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, the majority of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
8 But what does it say? “The word is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), 9 that if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who is rich to all who call upon him. 13 For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
📖 Revelation 5:1–14In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison continue into the throne room of heaven—and what unfolds in Revelation 5 is one of the most powerful and familiar scenes in all of Scripture. A scroll appears in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks a question that echoes through heaven and earth: Who is worthy to open the scroll?At first, no one is found—and John weeps. But then everything changes. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered… and when John turns, he sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing as though slain—and alive.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The significance of the sealed scroll and why only the rightful heir can open it✔️ The difference between ability and worthiness—and why no one but Jesus qualifies✔️ Why John hears “Lion” but sees a slain Lamb—and what that reveals about Christ✔️ How Jesus conquers not by force, but through His death and resurrection✔️ The connection to the Passover Lamb and the redemption of God’s people✔️ The overwhelming worship of heaven declaring Jesus alone is worthyThis chapter is the turning point: the Lamb who was slain is alive—and He alone is worthy to carry out God’s plan.“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
We have spent a good bit of time the past few weeks at Christ Community in Luke 2:10 and the verses around it. The declaration of the angels to those poor and frightened shepherds should about be memorized at this point: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people”. Good news. Great joy. For all people.
The word translated “good news” is often translated gospel, and the message that the angels proclaimed on that hillside 2,000 years ago is a beautiful and succinct picture of the gospel. They preached that the Savior “who is Christ the Lord” was born for them – for those dirty, stinky shepherds – and that He could be found that very day in Bethlehem. It was news that would and could change the trajectory of their lives. They just needed to believe in Him and receive the salvation He had to offer – they would receive grace by faith through Him.
Now, I know that on the day they heard that gospel message Jesus was still laying in the feeding trough, still an infant, and was decades away from His death, burial, and resurrection. But the babe in the manger was still “the Word [become] flesh” (John 1:14). He was still the Lamb slain “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
We sometimes want to overcomplicate things. We know the whole story and want to add and fill in the gaps in the angels’ proclamation that day, but the “good news of great joy” is still just as simple. In fact, Paul gives very succinct proclamations of the gospel, too. The first can be found in 1 Corinthians 15 where he tells the church at Corinth that he is passing on to them the most important message he had to offer – the very same message that he received himself: Jesus died for our sins according to the way that the Bible said He would, He was buried, and He rose from the dead on the third day exactly as the Bible and His own preaching said He would. That’s good news!
Paul’s second succinct gospel summary comes in his next letter to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 5:21. In one complex little sentence, he shares that God put the sins of those who would be saved on Jesus. Jesus had never sinned and did not deserve any condemnation, but He willingly bore our sin on our behalf. Those who trust in Him no longer are under the condemnation and shame due to their sin; Jesus bore that (Colossians 2:13-14). In a great exchange, Jesus traded His righteousness for our sin. He bore the wrath of God and exchanged that for God’s favor. Basically, He traded His extravagantly full bank account for our bankrupt one so that when God looks upon those who Jesus has saved, He does not see their sinfulness but Jesus’ righteousness! That’s good news!
The gospel is good news, but there is also bad news. Those who do not confess Jesus as Lord and believe He died for their sins and rose again to not receive part in that great exchange. They remain in their sin. Their condemnation remains their own. It does not have to be that way. All who call out to Jesus in faith will be saved. Anyone who believes in Him will not be but to shame, but not believing leaves the shame where it belongs – on the sinner.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees!
Those who are without Jesus are still in their sin and “pining” after the wrong things, sinful things. But everyone – all people – have the opportunity to fall on their knees, believe in Him – confess Him as Lord, and repent of their sin. And those who do will not only have heard the good news of great joy but also to have believed it and received the salvation Jesus offers.
I love the phrase “good news of great joy” because 1) it is straight from the Bible, and 2) it captures what Jesus offers. But I also love the way the writer of “O Holy Night” captured what it is to be a sinner and receive Christ: “a weary world rejoices”. If you have been reading with us over these past two weeks, you have read snippets of the “good news of great joy”, but have you received it? Have you believed on Jesus, or are you still on the fence? If you haven’t, I urge you: fall on your knees, believe what the Bible says about Him, confess Him as Lord, and rejoice in the salvation He brings!
Luke 24 concludes with the hope and joy of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, a fitting reflection on Christmas Eve as we prepare to celebrate His birth tomorrow. This chapter invites us to marvel at the completeness of God’s redemptive plan, which began in a humble manger and was fulfilled in an empty tomb.
A New Beginning: The resurrection marks the triumph of life over death, just as Jesus’ birth ushered in light to a dark world. As you reflect on the empty tomb, remember that Christmas celebrates the beginning of this miraculous story.
Hope Fulfilled: The disciples on the road to Emmaus moved from despair to joy as Jesus opened their eyes to God’s promises. This Christmas, let your heart burn with hope as you trust the One who fulfilled every prophecy.
Peace and Assurance: Jesus brought peace to His disciples, proving His resurrection by showing His scars and eating with them. He offers us the same assurance—our Savior lives, and His peace is for all who believe.
A Call to Worship and Witness: The disciples responded to the risen Christ with worship and proclamation. As we celebrate His birth tomorrow, let our joy overflow in worship and bold witness, sharing the good news that Christ has come, died, and risen for us.
On this Christmas Eve, look forward to tomorrow with awe and wonder, knowing that the child born in Bethlehem is the risen Lord who reigns in heaven. May your celebration of His birth be filled with the same joy and hope that the disciples experienced as they worshiped the resurrected Savior. Merry Christmas!
📖 Revelation 5:1–14In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison continue into the throne room of heaven—and what unfolds in Revelation 5 is one of the most powerful and familiar scenes in all of Scripture. A scroll appears in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks a question that echoes through heaven and earth: Who is worthy to open the scroll?At first, no one is found—and John weeps. But then everything changes. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered… and when John turns, he sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing as though slain—and alive.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The significance of the sealed scroll and why only the rightful heir can open it✔️ The difference between ability and worthiness—and why no one but Jesus qualifies✔️ Why John hears “Lion” but sees a slain Lamb—and what that reveals about Christ✔️ How Jesus conquers not by force, but through His death and resurrection✔️ The connection to the Passover Lamb and the redemption of God’s people✔️ The overwhelming worship of heaven declaring Jesus alone is worthyThis chapter is the turning point: the Lamb who was slain is alive—and He alone is worthy to carry out God’s plan.“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
[1] On the first day of the week, women arrived at Jesus’ tomb with spices but found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two angels appeared, reminding them of Jesus’ words that He would rise on the third day. They reported this to the apostles, but their testimony was met with disbelief. Peter ran to the tomb, saw the linen cloths, and marveled.
[2] Two disciples, one named Cleopas, walked to Emmaus, discussing the events of Jesus’ death. A stranger joined them, explaining how Scripture foretold the Messiah’s suffering and glory. At dinner, their eyes were opened, and they recognized the stranger as Jesus, who then vanished. Filled with joy, they returned to Jerusalem to share the news.
[3] Jesus appeared to His disciples, offering peace and proof of His physical resurrection by showing His hands and feet and eating with them. He explained that His death and resurrection fulfilled Scripture and commissioned them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. He promised the Holy Spirit would empower them.
[4] Leading the disciples to Bethany, Jesus blessed them and ascended into heaven. Overwhelmed with joy, they returned to Jerusalem, worshiping Him and continually praising God in the temple.
Luke 14 reminds us of God’s gracious invitation to His Kingdom and the humility and sacrifice required to follow Christ. The parable of the banquet is a picture of the generosity of God, who welcomes the outcast and undeserving to His table. As we prepare for Christmas, may we reflect on the cost of discipleship and respond to God’s call with humble hearts, knowing that Christ humbled Himself to bring us salvation. Let us invite others to share in the joy of the Kingdom and commit ourselves fully to the One who gave everything for us!
📖 Revelation 5:1–14In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison continue into the throne room of heaven—and what unfolds in Revelation 5 is one of the most powerful and familiar scenes in all of Scripture. A scroll appears in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks a question that echoes through heaven and earth: Who is worthy to open the scroll?At first, no one is found—and John weeps. But then everything changes. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered… and when John turns, he sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing as though slain—and alive.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The significance of the sealed scroll and why only the rightful heir can open it✔️ The difference between ability and worthiness—and why no one but Jesus qualifies✔️ Why John hears “Lion” but sees a slain Lamb—and what that reveals about Christ✔️ How Jesus conquers not by force, but through His death and resurrection✔️ The connection to the Passover Lamb and the redemption of God’s people✔️ The overwhelming worship of heaven declaring Jesus alone is worthyThis chapter is the turning point: the Lamb who was slain is alive—and He alone is worthy to carry out God’s plan.“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
[1] Jesus is invited to dine at a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath, where He heals a man suffering from dropsy (edema, where the body retains fluid). Anticipating objections, Jesus asks the religious leaders whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. When they remain silent, He uses an example of rescuing an animal on the Sabbath to highlight their hypocrisy and to affirm the value of showing mercy.
[2] Jesus notices guests vying for prominent seats and shares a parable about choosing the lowest place at a banquet. He emphasizes humility, stating, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (v. 11).
[3] Jesus encourages His host to invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind rather than friends and wealthy neighbors, who can repay the favor. He then shares a parable about a man hosting a great banquet. When the invited guests offer excuses, the host invites the outcasts and even those in distant places to fill his house, illustrating God’s generous invitation to all, including Gentiles, to enter His Kingdom.
[4] As large crowds follow Him, Jesus challenges them with the cost of discipleship. He calls His followers to love Him more than family and even their own lives. True disciples must carry their cross and count the cost of following Him. Using parables about building a tower and going to war, Jesus warns against making half-hearted commitments.
[5] Jesus concludes with a metaphor about salt losing its taste, symbolizing disciples who fail to live up to their calling. Such salt is worthless, emphasizing the seriousness of wholehearted devotion to Him.
Just Keith Harris 