One of the first things we like to find out about people is what they do for a living. When we think about people, we think about them professionally or occupationally. We like to put people in boxes that we can understand. Jesus was a carpenter. Robert Morey writes, “Those who grew up with Jesus in Nazareth assumed that He was, like his ‘father’ Joseph, a carpenter. And, of course, Jesus was a carpenter by trade for most of His life.” In Mark 6:2-3, the religious leaders were astounded by Jesus’ teachings and miracles, and they said, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” Carpenters don’t teach like that or perform miracles.
Their assumption that Jesus was like his father was correct, except that they were speaking of the wrong father. He is of the same nature as God the Father. He is God the Son. Morey continues his observations, “If, as some modern secularists assert, Jesus did not claim to be anything more than a carpenter, if He did not do any miracles, and if He did not speak those sermons attributed to Him in the Gospels, then why did people get so upset? Why all the opposition? Obviously, He was more than a mere carpenter.” This revelation of Jesus’ true nature is something that enlightens and inspires us.
Peter and some of the other apostles were fishermen. They knew how to fish. Yet, one evening, when they had fished all day, they had caught nothing; Jesus instructed them to let down their nets to fish. Peter protested but did as he was told. They caught so many fish that the nets wouldn’t hold them all. Luke 5:8 tells us that Peter did a very strange thing, “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” The profound realization of Peter’s sinfulness in the presence of Jesus is something that humbles and makes us introspective.
Jesus claimed to have existed before he was born in the flesh. In his great prayer to the Father in John 17:5, he says, “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” This doctrine is often called the “Pre-existence of Christ.” Morey says, “While the concept of the pre-existence of Christ does not require the deity of Christ, the deity of Christ does require the pre-existence of Christ. If His pre-existence is eternal, then His deity is established.” The Jews rejected Jesus on the basis of His claims, but they should have noted that the Messiah of the Old Testament was supposed to have been pre-existent.
Martin Lloyd-Jones says, “Because of certain exaggerations, excesses and freak manifestations, and the crossing of the border line from the spiritual to the scientific, the political and the merely emotional, there are many people who are afraid of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, afraid of being too subjective. So, they neglect it altogether. I would also suggest that others have neglected the doctrine because they have false ideas with regard to the actual teaching concerning the person of the Holy Spirit.”
When Jesus discussed His departure with His disciples, He made a promise to them—and to us as well. First, He said in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled…” Then, in John 14:16, He told them that the Father would send someone to them who would fill the void of His absence. He would petition the Father, and the Father would “give you another Helper, who will abide with you forever.”
Even the most stupid of us have 20/20 hindsight. We often see our mistakes and wish we could do things over. Many of my problems in life come because I act too rashly and don’t think through the implications of my actions. And then, most often, I know I should have done things differently or not at all. Well, as Alexander Pope said, “To Err is human.” But to “make matters worse” is another human specialty. I can do that well. We’re usually better off just not doing anything. I had a friend once who said, “God and six months will take care of every problem you have.” When we act ourselves, we usually just make matters worse. Sarah and Abram learned all about making mistakes and then making matters worse. That’s the lesson we learn from Genesis 16:1 and following.
In Genesis 14, Abraham found himself in a war with neighboring tribes. Despite the odds, he managed to form a coalition that not only defeated the enemy but also freed the captives, including Lot and his family. However, this victory came at a cost. It left Abraham at odds with many of his neighbors. The situation was tense, and Abraham realized that if they were to come for him alone, without his allies’ support, he’d be in grave danger. He was afraid of the potential consequences. Adding to his worries was the fact that he had offended the King of Sodom. The King of Sodom wanted to share the spoils of war with Abraham, but Abraham refused. He did not want to be identified with the Sodomites. This could have potentially alienated Abraham from both his enemies and his allies.
Genesis 12:1-4 recounts the moment when God called Abraham to leave his life in Ur and journey to a new land that God would bestow upon him and his descendants. The essence of this call is simple: ‘Just trust me!’ God pledged to bless Abraham, to make him prosperous, and to bless his descendants. He vowed to make Abraham renowned throughout the world in every generation. He also promised to bless those who bless Abraham and to curse his enemies. All Abraham had to do was trust in God! This same call to trust God is extended to us. He says to us, ‘Just trust me!’
The citizens on the plains of Shinar built a great city and a tower to reach up into heaven. Genesis 11:5 tells us that God “came down to see the city and the tower.” Here again, God speaks to us in human terms. It’s a figure of speech called anthropomorphism. God didn’t literally come down because He’s everywhere! It’s used to arouse attention to the fact that as man wanted to reach God’s abode, heaven, no matter how high he might build God would always have to look down upon it. Boice says, “Here were men attempting to build a great tower. The top was to reach to the heavens. It was to be so great that it and the religion and defiance of God it represented would make a reputation for these citizens of Shinar. There it stood, lofty in its unequaled grandeur. But when God wants to look at it, he comes down. He has to stoop low to see this puny extravagance.”