No Longer Mysterious
Tim Keller, pastor and author, died on Friday, May 19 from pancreatic cancer. Keller was an influence on a generation of church leaders and he will be missed. In the final days of his time here on Earth, Keller prepared his family for his passing. On Thursday, his son posted an update on social media:
“Health Update: Today, Dad is being discharged from the hospital to receive hospice care at home. Over the past few days, he has asked us to pray with him often. He expressed many times through prayer his desire to go home to be with Jesus. His family is very sad because we all wanted more time, but we know he has very little at this point. In prayer, he said two nights ago, ‘I’m thankful for all the people who’ve prayed for me over the years. I’m thankful for my family, that loves me. I’m thankful for the time God has given me, but I’m ready to see Jesus. I can’t wait to see Jesus. Send me home.’”
Keller was prepared to die and he was preparing his family for his passing. It’s a responsible thing to do to prepare your loved ones for your passing if you have the opportunity to do so. Jesus knew He was going to die and was often trying to prepare the disciples for this time that was coming, but the disciples did not always understand what Jesus was talking about when He would speak of such matters.
“Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, ‘Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.’ But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.” (Luke 18:31-34)
Matthew 16 records a remarkable event that may have changed not only how Jesus talked about His coming death and resurrection but also the disciples’ ability to understand it.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’
‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’ Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:13-16)
Peter gets it right! Jesus asked first who other people say that He is, then He asked the disciples directly, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter gave the right answer: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.” (Matthew 16:21)
“From then on….” It is not until Peter and the disciples understand who Jesus is that they are capable of understanding plainly what Jesus was saying about His death. Before, when Jesus would speak, they didn’t get it, but afterward Jesus told them plainly. Now that they were able to access these Spiritual truths plainly, they didn’t need to be hidden or mysterious anymore. The same is true for us. We can understand so much more when we understand who He is. Jesus is the key, always has been, always will be. If our understanding of who Jesus is is skewed, then our understanding of everything else will be skewed. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. When you understand who He is, you will understand so much more.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
