This first verse of the Beatitudes is important because if you are not poor in spirit, then you cannot move onward to the following blessings. Jesus is explaining what the believer should look like and revealing the promises of blessing that come. The first blessing is the kingdom of heaven which means that person converted to, belongs to and covered by Jesus.

At times in life we must reflect on the assurance of our salvation by asking ourselves, “Are we living in the kingdom of God?” From the moment Jesus was born, Jesus was King and He has been conquering hearts of men through His gospel message, however not everyone who claims to be in His kingdom actually is. There’s a warning in Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus says, “I never knew you” because from the beginning they were not poor in spirit, and so Jesus doesn’t want anything to do with them.

Jesus himself was poor. He is the example. Philippians 2:6-7 says though He was God, He gave everything up and became like man. Jesus became poor, became like us and therefore God exalted Him above every name in the kingdom. This is the pattern of our Lord that we too become blessed through the poverty of spirit. Additionally, we are blessed not because we have earned that blessing or achieved it by our strength but because of Jesus’ righteousness imputed onto us.

A blessed man is also described in Psalm 1:1, who is righteous and meditates on God’s word. A blessed sheep shall never want because Jesus is the good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). The Bible is full of blessings to the Christian (Psalm 68:5-6, Psalm 37:25, 2 Corinthians 12:10), some of which might seem illogical, but are still wonderful and powerful. Blessings are not material. Jeff Bezos spent 5 billion dollars to spend 4 minutes in space but he didn’t get any closer to the kingdom of heaven. While Stephen the martyr was able to taste and see heaven while being stoned for preaching Christ (Acts 7:55-56)

Who are the poor in spirit? The poor in spirit don’t have any traits the world admires, such as self will, self confidence, or self righteousness. They don’t seek independence from God but instead depend on Him for everything. They consider themselves nothing and nobody but their identity is found in Christ. The Apostle Peter left everything and became poor. He didn’t leave his wife or family but in his heart, Jesus was second to none (Matthew 19:27). It didn’t mean he hated everything else but in comparison to Jesus they were inferior. The poor see themselves as the sheep instead of as the shepherd. They are children while God is the Father (Mt 6:26).

A. W. Pink explains, “He who is in possession of this poverty of spirit is pronounced blessed: because he now has a disposition that is the very reverse of that which was his by nature; because he possess that first sure evidence that a Divine work of grace has been wrought within him; because he is an heir of the Kingdom of heaven.” What a blessing that comes with being poor in spirit! It is the poor in spirit that taste the sweetness of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Seven signs of a poor spirit:

1. Separate from self. The separation won’t be 100% but there is the fight. The self is the fleshly carnal nature that is corrupt before God. The self glorifies man. The self is always trying to gain control in your life, making you the center of life. The poor realize they are beggars with nothing to be proud of, with no desire for worldly recognition. Like Jacob confesses in Genesis 47:8-9, though He had great worldly success due to his craftiness, he was pitiful before the eyes of God and man.
2. The poor esteem Jesus most. They consider themselves to be slaves to Christ and cherish His suffering for them (Philippians 3:8-10). Most people only want to share in Jesus’ authority and glorious blessings but while forgoing His humility and suffering. The poor in spirit cherish and display the fruit of the Spirit: love and joy and peace.
3. The poor in spirit are never satisfied with their spiritual progress. Even after writing 13 epistles in the new testament Apostle Paul was not satisfied but kept pressing on (Philippians 3:13-14). He desired more faith. The poor are starving for the spiritual food. Even before we eat breakfast, they desire to be fed by the word of God.
4. The poor are humble. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son tells his father he is unworthy.(Luke 15:21) The father responds with ‘quickly’. God is so gracious to the poor and humble that He blesses without delay. Thomas Watson says “The more grace he has, the more humble he is—because he now sees himself a greater debtor to God.”
5. The poor are in prayer. Like a beggar, we must ask for help continually. We must pray. Prayer is not easy to do. Satan is always hindering our prayer with negativity and doubt. But prayer is always enjoyable to the poor. 2 Thessalonians 5:17 reveals that prayer is as important as breathing or drinking water, something we need constantly. Praying is exercising our spiritual riches. Everyone is busy and everyone has their own cares and excuses not to pray. Please take the time to pray because of our poverty.
6. Christ is their source of life. The truth is that Jesus has made everything and everything you have, He has given it to you. There are so many rich and famous people who don’t have the answers to life. They all die miserably without finding the answer. Augustine wisely said “Without God I am a guide to my own destruction.” Jesus is the bread of life for the poor. (John 6:35).
7. The poor in spirit are always thankful. Without the grace of God, we would have nothing. Everything is in his timing and by his grace. When we realize our sin and how devastating it is, then we are so thankful for His mercy and enjoy His grace (1 Corinthians 15:10). When you are poor and desperate then you are thankful for every meal and every cent.

Yours is the kingdom of God The kingdom of God is the blessing for the poor in spirit. The kingdom of God was very important to Jesus. It was His goal to share as much about the kingdom of God before He ascended (Acts 1:3). The kingdom of God is where Jesus rules over His people. It is not a specific place yet but a people. The kingdom is already here, it is a current reality and it is available to you. Being saved and living in the kingdom of God is a difference of experience. There are miserable Christians who exclude themselves from God’s blessings. It is the poor in spirit who experience the kingdom of God in their daily life. Even while suffering, we know that our King Jesus is with us, we are not alone but comforted and strengthened. He is always with us.

Are you in the kingdom? First, is Jesus your king? Second, do you know your fellow citizens, which is the church? Third, do you view the world as your enemy? There are only two kingdoms and they are at war with each other. Are you at war with the world? Let us be mindful of how we live, whether it is in God’s kingdom or the world’s. Know the kingdom of God is not physical but of the Holy Spirit, full of peace and joy (Romans 14:17). The kingdom of God is powerful, overcoming evil with good and finding strength in our weakness (Romans 12: 21, 1 Corinthians 4:20). Walk with Jesus while considering yourself poor and you will experience the blessing of the kingdom of God.

God has given a myriad of gifts to both believers and unbelievers via His common grace and special grace. To Christians, our Father in Heaven provides two special gifts that can be considered the greatest of the many gifts He imparts to His adopted children. The supreme gift is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Another great gift God gives is children (parenthood).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift God gives freely to those that repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ. The gospel begins with God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness (Rom. 3:10-11). All mankind has fallen short of God’s glory. Therefore, all men are subject to God’s wrath as sin demands judgment and eternal damnation in hell (separation from God). But there is good news – that is, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to earth in order that He might die and be raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Christ became our Substitute, the propitiation of our sins to the holy God.

What should our response be to all of this? If we remain in our sin and we cannot be free from it. Unless we repent, we likewise will perish. We need to be forgiven and saved from our unbelief. Repentance and faith is only gifted by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:9: 1 Jn 2:10; Eph 2:10; Jn 12:11). Where there is repentance and faith, adoption as sons and daughters to God Father takes place for eternity.

As Christians become children and heirs to God the Father, the Lord gifts the married couple earthly children of their own. This, too, is a great gift the Lord gives. Parents are not God by all means but they intuitively act like God as parents to their children (Ps. 127:3; Jn. 14:8). Under God’s sovereignty, parents are responsible over their children’s lives, especially to train them up in the Lord (Prov. 22:6).

A child needs a parent to lead and teach as they grow. What does “train” mean? To train means there is dedication and initiation made by the parents in their instruction and discipline of their children. Parents are the most important when it comes to this role, not church leaders or other education teachers. God will hold all parents responsible how their children are trained up.

Children are a blank slate. How do parents begin this daunting task? As trainers, parents need to first focus on themselves to be excellent and effective trainers. In other words, both mom and dad must be genuine Christians first and foremost. This truth applies to all walks of life. We must yield to Christ His lordship in our thoughts and actions and draw near to God by walking with Him. Consequently, the following characteristics are formed: holiness, humility, happiness, gospel-centeredness.

“To train up the child in the way he should go..” Parents must instruct their children to love God. How? If the parents love God, then the children will learn to love God. A practical example of this is holding family worship. But to circle back on what’s most important is that the parents must fear God (reverence). Struggling with sin and taking God’s word seriously to obey (sanctification).

Being godly parents must include disciplining their children. What is discipline? Children are sinners, born with a sinful nature. They are born to disobey God and hate God (total depravity). How and when should parents discipline? “Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death” (Prov. 19:18. Scripture even says not to spare the rod as a part of discipline (Prov. 13:24; 29:15). Although not sparing the rod may apply to toddlers and older children, babies are able to comprehend more than they verbally can express. Parents should discipline their infants for sinful attitude, but always err on the side of mercy.

However, this passage does not promise that the child will become a Christian even if we obey and follow through in the child’s life. Salvation is ultimately up to the Lord. But mentally, emotionally and physically they will grow up healthy when instructed in the Lord. In order not to fail in instructing our children, we must not fail in the gospel and daily grow in our own faith.

The Beatitudes could be a beautiful poem. The problem with poems is that while beautiful, they can be without substance. This verse is not just aesthetically pleasing but it holds the essential and significant truth of being happy. This verse is especially crucial for Christians because it is the first step and blessing of a believer. Being poor in spirit leads to the kingdom of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which is true happiness. Many famous and accomplished people seek happiness, like Alexander the Great and Ghandi, but even they failed. Many have made great attempts to be happy but ultimately failed because the truth is that man cannot be happy without Jesus.

What is happiness? Blessed and happiness are the same. True blessing or true happiness is a contentment that is not affected by circumstances. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!… Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am… I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:4,11-13) Apostle Paul wrote this from a Roman prison in the worst circumstance, yet he was rejoicing.

How to be happy? Blessed are the poor in spirit. You must be poor to be happy. This doesn’t make sense to a modern world. Even as Christians, we think the ideal is having both salvation and worldly success. Jesus says otherwise. Those who are happy have Jesus as king.

Poverty is painful. Koreans in the 1950s knew poverty. Going hungry, losing kids to poor living conditions and starvation. Some ascetics or monks choose poverty to gain spiritual standing. Being poor doesn’t automatically make you more righteous. This is not biblical. In hell there are plenty of poor people as well as rich. They misunderstand what Jesus said about the rich (Mt 19:23-26). Jesus says with God all things are possible, it’s not a matter of wealth but of Lordship.

When the Bible talks about poverty there are two kinds (a struggling poor and an utterly poor). The poverty here refers to the completely poor, someone who has nothing and needs someone else to help them. Someone this poor cannot have pride because they need help to survive. They cannot refuse help or they would die. For example, in Acts 3:2, the beggar was ‘being carried’ everyday. Poor means someone who is a nobody with nothing. These are the people who can be blessed. If you think there is something valuable outside of Jesus then you are not poor yet. You must realize that you have nothing of worth, no righteousness or good, and you need Jesus to live. Jesus put this Beatitude first because it is the beginning of happiness. Without this poverty you cannot progress through the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

What is spirit? The spirit is the inner man (2 Cor 4:16). Mary’s spirit rejoiced at the message from the angel (Luke 1:47). The soul of man is their mind while the spirit of the soul is their heart. Every man is made in the image of God and has a soul and spirit.

What is ‘poor in spirit’?

1. Poor in spirit means you have brokenness of the heart. You have a sense of personal unworthiness. We don’t deserve anything, therefore everything must be a reason for thanks, because we are so unworthy. In Luke 5:8, Peter was happy, not because he caught a lot of fish, but because he found Jesus, while proclaiming himself to be unworthy. D. A. Carson says poor in spirit is your utter spiritual bankruptcy.
2. Also you don’t trust yourself anymore. Your confidence and satisfaction comes from Christ and His word, not yourself. Poor in spirit means the end of self and being crucified with Christ (Phil 3:3-6, Galatians 2:20) Your self-will is gone and Christ lives in you. Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you fear man? This is a sign of your self dependance.
3. Depending on Jesus alone. The poor in spirit can depend solely on God because Christ also did the same thing. Jesus emptied himself and became a man, completely submitting to the Father (Phil 2:6-7). So who do you depend on besides Jesus? Do you count all things as loss compared to Jesus? (Phil 3:7-8) Do you remember you are a branch in the vine of Jesus without which you can do nothing? (John 15:5) The poor trust in Jesus alone.
4. Also the poor in spirit continually want more of Jesus (Psalms 41:2). This world is the wilderness and full of the dying, the poor have a thirst that only Jesus can quench. They know what they need most and that is Jesus who is the King and the Savior.

Why is being ‘poor in spirit’ so important? Unless we are poor in spirit, we are incapable of receiving God’s grace. His grace is not just for our salvation but for our daily needs. Even while commuting to work we need the grace of God. Despite being locked in the dungeon, Paul realized the grace of God was pouring over Him continually, so he could still rejoice. The poor remember that what they have now could never have been obtained without grace. Without God’s common grace and special grace we would have absolutely nothing. We must remember what we have received to continue to receive and depend on Him. The poor in spirit are always thankful, because they realize this wonderful truth of grace and can appreciate how precious Jesus is.

Ultimately if you are not poor in spirit then you can’t become a Christian. Jesus said enter through the narrow gate. (Luke 13:23-24) Those with a lot of clutter cannot pass through the narrow gate. You cannot hold on to your self-worth. To pass through you must let go of all things. Being poor in spirit deflates the person so they can fit through the narrow gate. Knowing the doctrines in your head is not enough for knowledge puffs up but you must be poor in your heart.

Also, to pass through the narrow gate, you must be humble. Pride is the sin that goes directly against humility. The world praises the proud and shames the humble (Obadiah 1:3). Until Jesus said ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ no one wanted to be humble. But now, because of Jesus, we know true blessed humility.

Materialism is another sin that plagues the modern church. Both the churches and its people love money and measure their success monetarily. In Revelation 3:17, Jesus gives a brutal indictment against the materialistic church. Ultimately, materialism is idolatry. Money is the god who feeds them and brings them comfort and joy. This is not how one enters through the narrow gate.

How to be poor in spirit? We must follow the example of Jesus. While being tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He was led by the Holy Spirit and responded to Satan’s temptations with God’s word. Be filled with the Holy Spirit every day. Follow the Holy Spirit by being in the word of God every day. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit, who is their seal of salvation (Galatians 5:26, Colossians 3:16). It is a matter of seeking and being filled by Him. We know that God answers faithfully all the time (Psalms 65:5). So when we read the word, our sins are revealed, we are corrected so we repent and the Holy Spirit fills us up. This is the blessed life of the Christian.

And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”

In today’s text, Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount, which begins with the beatitudes. The meaning of beatitude is “bliss” or “blessing”. One thing for sure is that all mankind seeks happiness on earth. Here, Jesus tackles the true source of happiness for all people. Some have approached interpreting this sermon as something social, political or law. However, the Sermon on the Mount is directed toward all Christians on how to live heavenly lives on earth. Therefore, only Christians are able to follow and obey the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus’ audience as he began preaching were his disciples. Who are these disciples? Disciple, simply put, generally means “learner”. Based on the immediate context, this crowd covers disciples who were both committed to following Christ and also those that would eventually unfollow Christ. But, based on verse 13, Jesus specifically spoke to the twelve disciples he would choose out of the many disciples.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus distinguished how He communicated between true believers and non-believers. The Lord shows, through the Sermon on the Mount, how Christians live versus the world. The beginning of the Sermon on the Mount describes the blessed after believing in Christ for salvation. In other words, those that are truly happy is the direct result of saving their souls. The world, on the other hand, attempts to find happiness through any means other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. King Solomon is the greatest example in Scripture where human happiness is pursued externally in the world will does not satisfy the human heart. He possessed everything man was able to obtain under the sun; however, he ultimately concluded to “fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil (Ecc. 12:13-14). True and lasting blessings do not stem from anything material, but it comes from the joy of salvation.

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (v 20).

Every Christian must possess the characteristic of being poor in spirit, thereby being partakers of the divine nature receiving the blessings of God (2 Pet. 1:3-4). Only those that are born of God are spiritually poor and also enjoy the things of God’s kingdom. In contrast, for those that do not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior will not submit to Jesus as King and neither be spiritually poor.

Another obvious truth for those living according to the Beatitudes is living life as kingdom citizens under the kingship of Jesus. Christians recognize that Jesus reigns in their lives after being saved. Therefore, we who have been raised up with Christ continue to seek the things above by setting the mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Col. 3:2).

Moreover, this text is a great means of evangelism for Christians. The spiritually poor understand the importance of sharing the gospel of Christ that enables sinners to become spiritually poor in God’s grace. Christians understand the only means of true blessing is through Christ alone.

Are you blessed now? Are you happy now? Even though we might not have the things of the world, how are Christians still happy? Pastor Paul Choi will dive further into the blessings Jesus preaches about in the Beatitudes next week.

Introduction In Luke 6, we read Luke’s account of Jesus’ most famous Sermon on the Mount also found in Matthew 5. Today we take a look at the setting for this sermon and discover why we need Jesus. We can see that Jesus is extremely popular. There was a large crowd that wanted to listen to what Jesus said. They were drawn by four things Jesus provides: teaching, healing (spiritual and physical), and power. There might be rich and poor among the crowds, lowly and high, young and old, Jew and Gentile. One thing they all needed was Jesus. They desperately needed Jesus to the extent where they just wanted to touch His garment or hear his words in hope of being healed or saved. Nothing has changed today. Deep in the hearts of man we are still unsatisfied and unable to explain our lacking. What we need is Jesus Christ. Teachers, scientists or politicians are not dependable. Money, fame and accolades mean nothing. Only in Jesus Christ can we depend and He provides what we need most, Himself.

Jesus teaches Jesus is a universal figure and His teaching is for everyone. In this whole world there never has been or will be someone like Jesus. Gamaliel said if it’s man’s will then Jesus’ gospel will fail but if it is the will of God, then to go against Jesus is to go against God also (Acts 5). Gamaliel was right because Jesus is God incarnate, fully God and truly man. People from all ages and all across follow Jesus because we are made in His image and He speaks to all of us (Isaiah 1:2). He has power and authority over all things (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-19). So it doesn’t matter where and when you were born, you are under Christ’s authority and teaching.

Jesus is sinless and everyone else is a sinner. As sinners, we will die one day and face judgement in God’s holy court (Romans 5:12, Hebrews 9:27). We are nothing but vain and vile. As Jonathon Edwards said, we need God’s help in everything. Everyone needs Jesus. Jesus not only teaches us how to be saved but became the propitiation of God’s wrath and the expiation of our sin (Hebrews 9:2). Jesus satisfies the punishment of God by suffering on the cross and takes away our guilt from us. This is God’s wonderful love. This is the joy of the Christian. Our sins are gone!

As a teacher, Jesus gets involved in our daily lives. He is not deistic, meaning only there at the beginning and watching from afar afterwards. Jesus teaches those who “come to hear him”. (Luke 6:18) Jesus came to earth as a man to teach and preach the gospel. Whenever he performed miracles, there was always teaching. Of course Jesus teaches, because He is the truth and true Christians will eagerly listen to His words (Luke 10:41). His teaching stirs up the land (Matthew 9:26) and draws the sheep who are without a shepherd. His words bring life and protection to those in need. Jesus teaches repentance, redemption and restoration to God. He calls everyone daily to surrender and follow Him as King and Lord. Those who follow His teaching will find the old life gone and the new life much better.

Jesus teaches through nature and through the Bible. From nature we know that God exists. (Psalm 19:1 ) If we know God exists then it is only natural that miracles and the resurrection is possible. (Acts 1:3) Jesus also teaches through the Word. How many great and revered books are there in the world. Many of their authors are dead and soon the others will die. Jesus, the author of the Bible, is still alive. He still works through His book and is still speaking today through the preaching of His word. We must place significant importance on the preaching of God’s word because it is necessary and a great benefit. Jesus uses the preaching of His word to teach His children, therefore pay attention when the Word is preached and take care to prepare for worship on Sunday.

Jesus heals People came not only to be taught but to be healed of their physical illnesses. Jesus healed every sickness that came to Him. (Matthew 4:23) God still heals today through prayer. He can deal with any problem we face. The purpose of healing was to authenticate His message and to prove he was Messiah. Healing not only proves who He is but shows His compassion. God is full of love and compassion and the greatest evidence is that He gave His only Son to save us.

Jesus heals our spiritual issues also. He freed them from unclean spirit/demons. Demons are real, however a Christian can no longer be demon possessed. We have been freed from the powers of this world and are in dwelt by the Holy Spirit. Demons influence a believer but cannot rule over them. A Christian in sin or a Christian who doesn’t know the Bible truthfully, or a Christian without peace is susceptible to demonic influence. Demons attack Christian by placing doubt in a believer’s heart, doubt about God’s word. So we are free, but we must put on the full armor of God to fight. (Ephesians 6:11)

Jesus has power Christian are powerful because they are empowered by Christ. Our fight is against demonic powers and you cannot fight with physical strength or money or education (Ephesians 6:12 ). We can only fight with the power of Jesus Christ. We are empowered by Him when we are ruled by Him. “Jesus is Lord” must not be limited to the words we speak but the actions we live. When we are weak (dependent on Jesus), then we are strong by the power of Jesus (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Sin is the primary reason Christian’s have no power in Christ. Sin is like kryptonite. Look at Samson, who lost his strength because of His disobedience. Therefore be diligent to walk with the Lord every day. We are also weak because we have little faith. Look at the disciples in the boat who were scared in the storm while Jesus was sleeping peacefully right beside them. Why were they terrified and helpless? Jesus rebukes those with little faith. In contrast, Apostle Paul also faced a storm and faithfully and firmly held on to Jesus’ words. This is the power of faith in Jesus.

Conclusion What we need, Jesus has. Therefore seek Him and surrender to Him everyday. Seek Him in prayer and read His word. There are so many people in the world who don’t know Christ. We are so blessed! How will the rest of the world know Jesus without a preacher? We must listen to God’s Word ourselves and then go out to the world and share.

Judas Iscariot was one of the original twelve disciples who would betray Jesus (Matt. 10:4; Mk. 3:19). The name Judas means “the one God leads”. It could have been that his parents desired Judas to follow God, but the opposite ended up happening.  Iscariot means “the man from Kerioth”, which was his birthplace. He was the only disciple that was not a Galilean. Judas Iscariot is most known for committing the highest crime of the civil nature of which a man can be guilty; that is, to commit treason and thus be known as the traitor. He would betray the Son of God. When looking at the story of Judas Iscariot, we cannot feel but sorrow and fear. Sorrow because Judas did not finish well although he was at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Fear because we, too, can fall into the danger of unbelief and not truly repenting by failing to realize Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus gave all of Himself to Judas, but he still ended up betraying Him.

Why did Judas betray Jesus?

The reason why Judas betrayed Jesus in the end was because Judas had a greater love than Jesus. Judas loved money and other things more than Jesus. Judas also never referred to Jesus as Lord, but only called Him rabbi. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil and serving wealth causes a person to despite God (1 Tim. 6:10; Matt. 6:24). Judas had rivals in his heart and did not wholly love and devote himself to Jesus.

Judas also did not live with transparency. Lack of transparency is what led Judas to do what he did and the shock that rippled through the other disciples. It is only through transparency that the world can see Christ’s church for what it truly is. Each church member also must live in transparency by confessing their sins to one another in order to be healed and grow (Jas. 5:15-16). Why is it difficult to live in transparency for so many?

Lack of transparency is primarily due to self-centeredness. If Christians remember we are one body of Christ, self is put away (1 Cor. 12:20, 26). Pride is another factor in lacking openness. Whether small or big, we must share with one another because anything can lead to destruction of one’s faith and the life of the church. Gossip is also inevitable when there is lack of sharing. When we understand that “living transparently is less about us and more about God and His work, loving and encouraging each other through transparency builds up the church body and glorifies God to a watching world” (Myeong Hong)!

Moreover, it was Judas’ choice (i.e. free will) to betray Jesus under God’s sovereignty. The Lord accomplishes His will while still allowing people to exercise their free will.

Most importantly, what caused Judas to betray Jesus was because he never believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Judas professed Christ without possessing the love of Christ. It is clear that Judas never grew in his personal sanctification as his sin remained and continued to grow (Jn. 12:6; 14:15; Matt. 7:21-22). As no one knew of Judas’ true heart and lack of faith, how do we know we are saved? To be saved, we must be crucified with Christ as Christ lives in us, living by faith in the life God give gave us, who loved us and gave Himself up for us (Gal. 2:20). And this is an ongoing reality in the Christian’s life as the self is increasingly put to death.

Believing in Christ is only possible by God’s gift of faith. Faith allows us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ. In other words, Jesus rules as King in our lives, but so many do not truly believe.

Why couldn’t Judas be forgiven?

Although God is able to forgive all and Jesus’ death is able to cover everyone’s sin; however, Judas only felt remorseful but failed to repent and be restored. He only felt sorry and only saw Jesus as an innocent man, but nothing more. He still failed to realize Jesus is Lord and Savior. The difference between remorse and repentance is that remorse is more like despair over sin, but repentance leads to turning away from sin and growth in sanctification. “Repentance is a heartfelt realization of how dreadfully I have failed all through my life, to give His rightful place in my heart and daily walk” (A.W. Pink).

In order to not follow in Judas’ steps, we must be on the alert and follow Christ daily in true faith.

In conclusion of covering the twelve disciples, although they all fell short in one way or another, Jesus fulfills His will in the end. Our only responsibility is to practice our faith in obedience to His will until the end.

Today we will be covering three disciples who are not as well-known as the others. This is not because they are not inferior, it’s just that the Bible doesn’t say much about them, but they were with Jesus. They did what Jesus commanded, they were great preachers and followed Christ faithfully to the end. While the Bible is tight-lipped on Judas (also known as Thaddeus), Simon the Zealot and James the Less, based on their names and hints of other information, we can learn who they are and they are a powerhouse. Through Judas we learn salvation is priceless, through Simon we see the power of Christian passion, and in James the Less we see God working through the small and unknown.

Salvation is priceless. Salvation is not cheap but priceless. You can’t buy salvation with money. Even the richest man in the world cannot buy salvation. While your worldly possessions will fade, your salvation remains with you forever and not everyone will be saved, as demonstrated by Judas’ question.

Judas was also named Thaddeus or Levius. His name means ‘nursing child’ which was a child who was still drinking their mother’s milk. It shows that Thaddeus was tender, soft and maybe even naive. In John 14:22-23 Judas, not Iscariot, asks a question, “Why do you only show who You are to us and not to the world?” In John 7:3-4, other people asked a similar question to go to Judea, because if Jesus did, he would gain fame and popularity and political power through His miracles. While those people may have had selfish motives, Thaddeus was sincerely curious because he knew Jesus was the Son of God and the miracles proved it, yet why was Jesus only revealing himself to them? At that time there were over 600,000 people in Jerusalem. Thaddeus was confused as to why Jesus was limiting himself to the few disciples, the few chosen.

In John 14:22 and John 7:3-4, people kept asking Jesus to show himself to the world. Those people only sought to gain fame and popularity and power by his miracles. Thaddeus, on the other hand, was sincerely curious because he knew who Jesus was and what He was doing, yet why was Jesus only revealing himself to them? At the time there were 600,000 people in Jerusalem but they only had a few true followers. Thaddeus, knowing how amazing Jesus was, he was confused as to why Jesus was limiting himself to a few chosen. In essence, this question shows that salvation is for the chosen. Salvation is narrow. This doesn’t mean that God is limiting the potential of His salvation. The Bible is clear that God tells all sinners to repent and be saved (Eph 2:8-9, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekiel 33:11). The reality is, even though God opens the way of salvation, people take their own way (Luke 13:24).

Jesus responds to Judas, “If anyone loves me”. Do you desire the privilege of salvation? If you love Jesus, that privilege is yours. Loving Jesus is believing Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those who love Jesus are a part of his family (John 1:12, Matthew 4:17). To receive the privilege of salvation, to believe and love Jesus, you must repent (Romans 10:9). The reason many sinners reject salvation is not because of a lack of evidence but because they refuse to surrender to Jesus as Lord. They hate Jesus telling them what to do. People do not believe because they reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ, even though they have no answers themselves.

Those who have Jesus as Lord, love Jesus and treasure Jesus above anything else (Luke 16:13). Obedience is the fruit of such treasuring (John 14:23). Obedience is loving Christ and enjoying the privileges of salvation. Jesus continues in His response, “and my Father will love him”. What a statement! Whatever happens, God loves. We sin, we struggle, we go through good and bad times, yet God loves him. His love is infinite and never changing. We might not realize or feel God’s love because of our sin, but God loves at all times to the utmost (Romans 8:32). His love is not based on our merit or anything of us, but because of Jesus.

Another privilege of salvation is that God comes to us. We live in the presence of God and experience Him! Like the faithful men who turned to God in their time of trouble, wherever we go, God comes to us. Also God says we “make Our abode with him”. God is within you, staying with you, walking with you (2 Corinthians 6:16 ). Consider who you would want with you, any person in the world or the Almighty God? Christians enjoy this amazing privilege everyday. Jesus is saying to Judas (Thaddeus), this is your privilege and not the world’s. Salvation is truly a priceless gift from God.

The importance of Christian passion. The next disciple, Simon the Zealot shows what Christian passion looks like. Passion is so important, like a car without fuel, so is faith without passion. Simon was called the zealot. Zealot means passion or fiery. He was also Simon the Canaanite. Canaanite doesn’t mean he was born in Canaan but that he was zealous. Simon was probably part of a political group that was active in that area. They would steal or murder to try to bring independence from the Roman empire. Essentially Simon belonged to an extremist terrorist group. They were known for carrying daggers with them at all times in case they ever needed to assassinate anyone. The zealots resisted the Romans until 70AD and did a three year stand in the mountains until they eventually killed themselves rather than surrendering. They were a rough group with extreme passion.

Christians, too, must be zealous. To be zealous is to be concerned with only one thing, to please God. A Christian’s zeal comes from Jesus. He risked his life to cleanse the temple. When Jesus saw what the people had done to His Father’s temple he was so upset. He gave His life to redeem the sinner and fulfill God’s saving work. As Jesus is zealous, so are we. You can see Simon’s zeal for Jesus above all else is evident because of Levi’s presence among the disciples. In the view of the zealot political party, the tax collector Matthew was enemy number one, a traitor and slave of the Romans. Yet Simon did not hate Matthew but loved Matthew because Simon loved Christ. Like Apostle Paul, his pharisaic zeal turned into a Godly zeal (Acts 9:1-3, 2 Corinthians 11:27-28).

A strong Christian zeal is important because it measures your spiritual health. Remember the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Christ’s letter to the churches (Rev 3:16). Jesus despises those who are lukewarm, without passion, and he spits them out which ultimately means you are not a believer. Those who are without passion are Christian pretenders, their faith is only on the outside and not within. Passion doesn’t depend on personality but a supernatural internal desire which comes from Christ (Revelation 3:18). Jesus says those who come to him are changed and made passionate (Rev 3:18). Like Isaiah we cry out, “Here I am, send me!” because our sin is gone (Isaiah 6: 7-9).

How to be faithful. The last of the powerhouse is James the son of Alpheus. His nickname is James the Younger or James the Less. Nothing else is known about James besides his name. We only know him because he is in the list of the twelve apostles. He is someone who doesn’t stand out and was never famous. His name was literally defined relative to the other James. Do you think God only uses the famous or powerful? Do all Christians go to a mega church? No, God uses the small local churches to reach every neighborhood in all parts of the world. Zaccheus was a small man, yet Jesus called out to him. No one knows who Obed-edom was, yet God chose His house as the dwelling place of the Ark of Covenant after King David tried to move it improperly (2 Samuel 6:11). Jesus remembers you and blesses you no matter how small you are.

And on James’ side, even though he was called James the Less, he was still faithful. Why is it important to be faithful? Because God will judge you, and to those who are faithful, God will give a crown of righteousness. To be faithful, always clarify your conscience. Secondly, always have more intimate communion with God through word and prayer. Thirdly, be a man of conviction, if you believe then you must act. This is how Joshua and Caleb lived (Numbers 14:24) and were faithful for many years until they received their promise from God. Being faithful means disregarding the ways of the world but seeking the will of God. Like Daniel’s three friends, they knew and trusted God and were faithful even in the fiery furnace. No matter if you are great or small, you are to be faithful.

These three apostles encourage a small church like ours. Through them we see our privilege, the passion we need, and how to be faithful.

Thomas the Apostle, also called Didymus (meaning twin) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Thomas is famously known as Doubting Thomas. In his case, the doubting implied unbelief primarily because his slowness to believe. In other words, Jesus said it best when he said those who are slow to believe as a foolish man. Christians are able to practice unbelief, not as in no faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but rather is the root of unbelief that remains in the flesh that hides God’s countenance.

The atrocity of remaining in unbelief results in the following:

• Denying Jesus’ sovereignty over death and life
• Denying the reliability of God’s word
• Denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Denying Jesus’ sovereignty over death and life

God’s sovereign plan cannot be thwarted. Under His sovereignty, death is in control according to His timing and will. One of Jesus’ well-known demonstration over death and life is the raising up of Lazarus. Scripture tells us that Lazarus was dead for several days, undergoing decay, but Jesus powerfully raised him up instantaneously. Another example is when the Jews continued to find reason to stone Jesus to death, but He was able to escape as it was not His time yet to die (Jn 11:7-8). Thomas isn’t alone when it comes to minimizing or doubting God’s sovereignty. All of us are susceptible to this temptation; therefore, we must daily meditate on God’s word (Ps. 1:1-2) in order to live a life of repentance resulting in sanctification. Not only did Thomas deny Jesus’ sovereignty, but he also disregarded the words of Jesus.

Denying the reliability of God’s word

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way” (Jn. 14:5)? This questioning, in a way, is challenging Jesus’ words. In the previous verse, Jesus said “You know the way to the place where I am going”. In the Greek, it is in the perfect sense meaning Jesus ‘has known already where he is going”. Therefore, Thomas paid no attention to the words of Jesus. However, hearing and paying attention to God’s word is fundamental to the faith (Rom. 10:16-17). As saving faith comes from hearing through the word about Christ, it implies that we hear, believe and trust in the word of God, and this continues in the believer’s life. Do we believe that God’s word is trustworthy? This is the question Thomas wrestled with. Our answer to this question paints a clear picture of where we stand in our faith.

Scripture itself reveals its reliability.  God’s word states itself as being flawless, pure, and perfect (Prov. 30:5-6; Ps. 12:6). This is the reason why the word of God has the power to save and sanctify. But for those that do not see change reject the word of God. In addition, science also proves the reliability of Scripture as the curse of the Fall is evident in many ways. Further, during Jesus’ time on earth, He quoted the Old Testament countless times and also referencing specific prophets and other people. Although the Bible had already made a myriad mentions of people and places, archeologists continue to confirm one thing after another, furthering evidence of the reliability of God’s word. The only way to defend ourselves against distrust of God’s word is daily meditation and obedience to it. Our attitude must be this way: “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way” (Matt. 26:54)?

Denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ

But the denial of denials Thomas demonstrated was rejecting God’s plan of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Unbelief prevents us from realization that Christians are not tomb dwellers. Resurrection is the highlight of Christianity as it goes hand in hand with dying to self (i.e., dying with Christ and being raised up in Him). Even though Thomas doubted that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and asserted that he had to see for himself, his unbelief turned to true faith in Jesus as he believed in him to be his Savior and God. Unbelief is for tomb dwellers, but those who believe in the risen Lord no longer remain in the tomb. Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Without believing in Christ’s resurrection, we remain in our unbelief and sin. Christ’s message to those that do not believe in his resurrection is to grant peace by offering forgiveness and life.

Do you remain in your unbelief as Thomas was or do you believe that Jesus Christ is risen and seated at the right hand of the Father? Saving faith is rooted in trust of the sovereignty of Christ, trustworthiness of his word, and believing that he is risen and walking with those that believe in him. It is only through Jesus Christ that we are reconciled and have everlasting peace with God.

One of the notable things about the Apostle Matthew is the abrupt and stark change from his former life, which is also highlighted in Luke 5. Matthew, who was also called Levi, shows the supremacy of Jesus through his life change. Coinciding with his own conversion, the Gospel of Matthew focuses on Jesus as the King and the Messiah, for example the genealogy starting at Abraham and centering around King David. Matthew declares that Jesus is the King of the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew used to have a very unique job before following Jesus. He was a tax collector. In Jesus’ day, tax collector had the worst reputation for a job. They were rich but they were scum. Matthew specifically was part of a group of tax collectors that collected more than they should for their own greed. Tax collectors were traitors who worked for Rome and abused their power against their own people. He was the lowest of the low. He was not allowed in the synagogue and deemed unredeemable (John 9:22).

But there was a sudden change in Matthew. Jesus, the light of the world, entered and transformed the black heart of Matthew. Matthew’s conversion demonstrates the supremacy of Jesus Christ. We see the impact Jesus has on a hopeless life. Jesus alone can change the outcome of our hellbound life. Levi was sitting in the tax booth doing his dirty work (Mark 2:14). In some sense, he was stuck, with no way out because of his job. That is until Jesus came and called to Him. Matthew was addicted to his money and was spiritually dead. Like Jesus did to Lazarus in the tomb, Jesus called out to Matthew (John 11:43).

Jesus is Sufficient
Everyone has a specialty but everyone also has a weakness or shortcoming. To put it plainly, they are insufficient. To cover their insufficiency, man creates religion or philosophy (Colossians 2:8). But no religion or philosophy can overcome man’s insufficiency. Our destiny is still judgement (Hebrews 9:26) We can pretend or try really hard but we will always end up short because our sin is real. We are under the wrath of God, but it is Jesus who covered our insufficiency with His blood as a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:23-25). God’s wrath was satisfied by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. This was proven by His resurrection by which we know we are fully justified (Romans 4:25). Jesus offers what we need most, grace for our sin (John 1:14). It is by the gospel of grace we receive the blessing of Christ. God is well-pleased with His Son, therefore Jesus and His gospel are completely sufficient for our salvation.

Those who know the gospel will know that self is the enemy. By the gospel, we deny ourself and we love God. This is why we always repent. Repentance is not a sad or bad thing for a Christian. Repentance is actually our means to grow (Galatians 2:20) in our faith.

Jesus is Preeminent
Before Jesus called Matthew, Matthew loved money. The world values money because money provides self worth and power. Money’s influence over man is so strong that even until the very last day people will be consumed by money (Rev 18:3). In Mark 2:15, Matthew shows two aspects of Jesus’ superiority. First, after following Christ, Matthew spends his money for Christ by holding a large gathering for many people to come and see Jesus. His joy was not in his wealth but in Christ and so he uses it for his new master (Matthew 6:24). Matthew knew Jesus is better and worth more than his wealth or anything else. (Hebrews 13:4).

Secondly, Matthew believes Jesus is holy God (Matthew 26:63-65, John 20:28). Jesus was sinless and completely fulfilled the law, unlike no man. Since Jesus is God, we must worship Him. Do you really worship Jesus? Ask yourself, what do you pursue, what worries you, what gives you joy? Worship is giving to God what is rightfully His. We can worship Jesus by being thankful. We are thankful to God for His many good deeds but chiefly for our salvation. All other blessings in life are extra but to be thankful in all circumstances we must be thankful for our salvation, which is our sincere worship to the Lord. Our thankful worship enables trusting Jesus when we are in distress. When things go bad, we must hold on to Christ. Instead of blaming God, we bow down in worship before Him. Worship is also praising God. Praise is hard work. As long as a Christian has breath, they sing to the Lord. It doesn’t matter if it’s out of tune but we sing with our heart which pleases the Lord.

Jesus is Central
To Matthew, Jesus is central. Matthew held the party for one person, Jesus. Matthew emphasizes the centrality of Jesus in Matthew 17:3-6. Moses and Elijah are important but God focuses on Jesus. This is because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Our salvation is up to Christ and no one else. He is at the center of our lives and all of history. Whatever happens, Jesus is central. If you understand this then God will be larger and your circumstance becomes smaller. Therefore consider Jesus as Lord and follow Him. He is in control and in command (Acts 9:6). Jesus is your Lord when you practice obedience and follow Him.

To clarify, simply a better understanding is not worship, but a better understanding with the view of Jesus as Lord is true worship. If Jesus is sufficient, superior and central in your life then you know Jesus. If you know Jesus then you must share Jesus with the world.

Nathanael is the sixth disciple Jesus chose when He began his earthly ministry. Nathanael (Greek name meaning “God has given” or “gift of God”) was also known as Bartholomew (Aramaic name – meaning son of Talmai).

Certainty is very important especially when it is accompanied by faith. After Philip started following Jesus, he found Nathanael and shared the gospel with Nathanael that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah with absolute certainty (v 45). Although Philip was undoubtedly firm in his faith, Nathanael had his doubts that anything good can come out of Nazareth (v 46). Anyone’s name associated with Nazareth was a derogatory term because of its insignificance, especially having anything to do with the prophesied Messiah.

Nathanael’s response is met with his own prejudice as a fellow Galilean. He lived in the town of Cana in the region of Galilee. It is widely known that Judeans despised Galileans, but even Galileans themselves despised those from the village of Nazareth. Despite Nathanael’s relationship with Philip, his first response hearing about Jesus is deterred by this prejudice. Another deterrence was due to his ignorance of Scripture. Ignorance of the Word makes God little, but the more we read and treasure the word of God, God becomes larger and more apparent. So, we see that prejudice and ignorance prevents Nathanael from believing in Jesus.

After Nathanael met with Philip, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit’ (v 47)! Nathanael was surprised because Jesus knew him better than himself. Jesus knew exactly who Nathanael was and even saw him even before Philip called him. In other words, Jesus knew him already because he was one of the elect (Eph. 1:4). God’s election is what allows believers to have assurance of their faith. This certainty comes with full conviction and power by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:4-5). Certainty comes from knowing the Lord personally and action that follows suit.

Nathanael’s response to Jesus is, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (v 49). Nathanael immediately believes that Jesus is God and Lord. Certainty about Jesus is believing that He is God and Lord in the heart. This assurance of who Jesus is enables us to apply our faith in Him under all circumstances. As God and King, Christians are sure of one thing; that is, to surrender and obey Him no matter what. And it is only by certainty of knowing who Christ is and believing in Him that we are able to put Him above all else.

Nathanael was a man of uncertainty that comes around to believe that Jesus is the Lord by the power of the gospel. Nathanael, a changed man from the inside out, is now known as the apostle of certainty because his faith in the Lord was sure (v 49). Do we also have this kind of assurance of faith that is fixed on Jesus Christ and the gospel? It is the certainty of faith gifted by the Holy Spirit that propels a Christian into a life of obedience and sharing the gospel to others that they might also receive the gospel with the full assurance witnessed in Nathanael’s life.