New Focus Church

Our Lord Jesus Christ was the anointed one of God, set apart to redeem, reconcile and save all God’s elect. Here at Bethany a dear lady anticipates the Lord’s death for His people by anointing His head with very precious spikenard. The act pleased the Saviour despite the murmuring of some disciples. He declared that her act would be remembered wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached through the whole world.

Our Blessed Saviour spent much of His final week busily teaching, preaching and ministering to His people and disciples. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday had been days full of activity. On Thursday the Lord would eat the Passover and begin His soul-suffering in Gethsemane. But Wednesday is remarkably silent. None of the Gospel writers speak about the Saviour's activities on this day. It is Silent Wednesday. 

The Saviour warned His disciples to take heed, watch and pray and these admonitions apply not only to the times of the disciples’ lives but continue as a proper response from believers to the challenges of every age. The Lord has left His church with a task and a witness to every generation – to every man his work – to take heed, watch and pray, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping.

When the Lord Jesus explained to His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and the temple, He expressly gave warning and advice and comfort to His chosen people, His elect. For their sakes the days of terror would be lessened, they would not be seduced by the false prophets of freewill, works-religion, and they would all be gathered in by the coming of Christ in His power in the gospel.

The Lord Jesus Christ provided His disciples with ‘signs of the times’ for the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He also warned them to be alert to false and deceptive Christs, to take heed to recognise and avoid false doctrine, and also of the need for the Lord’s preserving care for His church. These are lessons for all His people in every age.

The Lord Jesus Christ pointed out to His disciples a certain poor widow whose faith brought her to give a gift to the Lord in gratitude and praise for her Saviour. He taught them, and us, that our gifts of worship and service must be offered in faith and all we have body and soul is only what He has first given to us.

The Lord Jesus Christ asked, “What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?” It is an essential question. Our Lord Jesus is the Messiah of God. He is the God Man mediator according to the scriptures. If we are to know Him and love Him and serve Him it can only be as we learn of Him in scripture by divine revelation. May we so learn Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples and His church that true worship is spiritual worship, built on a knowledge of gospel truth and inspired by personal faith in Jesus Christ. May none of us be content merely to be ‘near the kingdom of God’. May we rather be like those who listened to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, and who ‘seek … first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness’, ‘Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe’ (Matthew 6:33; Romans 3:22).

The Lord Jesus Christ met His antagonists head on when they came attacking His doctrine and ministry. In so doing He teaches us not only that these bodies of ours shall rise gloriously from the dead as spiritual bodies, but that the Gospel of new life in Christ is the only message by which sinners can be saved and find comfort in death.

The Lord Jesus Christ calls upon His people to render to God the things that are God’s. There is but one way to do this and that is by faith. We honour God, worship God, love God, serve God, and obey God to the extent that we trust in Him through the faith of Jesus Christ which He has given to His people for that purpose.