"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

There can be no doubt that the words of this text constitute a prayer. It is not merely a wish which the writer expresses, being deeply concerned about the spiritual well-being of his readers. Rather, all the ingredients of a legitimate prayer are clearly indicated in this text. It speaks of the One to Whom the prayer is addressed. It contains the petition which forms the body of the prayer, and it contains the doxology with which the prayer is concluded.

We gather that this is an Easter Prayer from the fact that in the address of the prayer the writer of this epistle speaks to God as the God of the resurrection, the God Who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead. Because Christ Jesus our Lord was raised from the dead as proof of our justification before God, and because on this basis a peace relation has been established between God and us, the writer makes his petition, that we may be made perfect in every good work, that is, that the work of sanctification may follow, whereby we may be made well-pleasing in God's sight, unto Whom all the glory and praise is due for ever.

Having just celebrated the glorious fact of Christ's, resurrection, it is well that we also pay attention to this prayer in all its beauteous expression and in all its parts.

That God is the God of peace, describes Him as living His own divine life in tranquility. It means negatively: that there is never any conflict, any disturbance within the life of the divine family of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and positively: that God lives within His perfect being the most harmonious covenant fellowship.

More particularly; however, this address signifies that God is the source of peace. This means that He not only makes peace but gives it. Peace is that state or condition in which war and enmity and all forms of opposition have been abolished. Positively, it describes that state in which we stand in perfect reconciliation with God, and this means that, if there is to be any amendment of our natural state (in which we stand in enmity against God), if we are to be reconciled unto God, this reconciliation can never proceed from us but from God alone, Who in Christ was reconciling us unto Himself, and so making peace. Not only does He realize this peace through the blood of Christ's cross, but He gives this peace to us in such a way that in our hearts all enmity is removed, and the peace which surpasseth all understanding comes over our hearts and into them in such a way that we know we stand in perfect harmony with Him and He with us. To this address the writer adds: Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus...

Literally the text says, "Who led out of the dead again our Lord Jesus." This implies, so it would seem, that He first led Him into death... the death of the cross!

As we have so many times written unto you, the death of Christ on the cross was no accident, though the enemies of Christ on many occasions and in several different ways sought to kill Him. Though at last they brought Him to Pilate in order that he might pronounce upon Him the sentence of death by crucifixion, it must never be our conception that as a last resort the death of the cross was conceived of to dispose of Him. For, while He was crucified by wicked hands, it was God by His determinate counsel and foreknowledge Who had delivered Christ over into these wicked hands in order that they might do to Him whatsoever it pleased God should be done unto Him (Acts 2:23).

All the way from the bosom of the Father into the abyss of hell it was God leading His Son in the flesh into the accursed death, where He suffered the pains of hell as the forsaken and accursed of God. He had made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, in order that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

While the death of the cross was the accursed death, it was at the same time the justifying death. Only after God had led Him into this justifying, atoning death, would He lead Him out again in His glorious resurrection.

Jesus, our Lord! Jesus, Who saves His people from their sins, Who being raised from the dead is crowned with power, glory and dominion - Lord is He over all things in heaven and earth; but especially is He Lord over His people who stand in relation to Him as servants, who will serve Him in gratitude for the great redemption He has wrought.

That great Shepherd of the sheep! Many were the shepherds whom God raised up to lead and to feed His people Israel. All were only shadows, pointing to the Shepherd to come. The writer of this epistle, repeatedly having drawn by comparison the portrait of the Christ over against those who cast His shadow, again designates Him the great Shepherd of His people. No doubt he is mindful of Jesus' own designation of Himself: "I am the good Shepherd... I lay down my life for my sheep."

In (not through) the blood of the everlasting covenant, in the blood which the Shepherd laid down for His sheep, God sealed and ratified His everlasting covenant! Not only was God in Christ reconciling His people unto Himself, so making peace; but He also certifies forever the covenant of friendship and perfects it. Now His people may dwell with Him in an unbreakable bond of friendship, and serve Him in that relationship as His covenant friends.

It is no wonder that the prayer of our text is directed to Him! He is the God of our salvation in Christ Jesus! He is the God Who through Christ has laid the very foundation of our eternal salvation! He is the God Who through Christ must yet perfect that salvation in us!

Based upon the atoning, justifying, peace-making sacrifice of the great Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, the perfection of which is attested to in His glorious resurrection, the prayer now makes its plea.

A prayer for the Shepherd's sheep! They were sheep which had been given to Him of the Father in sovereign and eternal election. They were sheep for whom He laid down His life and took it up again in His resurrection, when the God of peace led Him out of death. They were His sheep, who died with Him and rose again in newness of life; and therefore, are enabled to hear His voice and follow Him whithersoever He leads them. The prayer was made for them and not for the world - a prayer for God's covenant people!

They were incorporated in an insoluble bond of friendship with the living God from all eternity. They were cleansed by the blood of the covenant, and made fit in principle to dwell with God in the house of His covenant.

The writer presents his petition concerning that people in this Easter prayer, that God will make you perfect in every good work to the end that you may do His will!

It is not so that God in Christ merely makes salvation possible for us, and then leaves it up to us to be saved. If this were so, the sheep would again go astray and be lost. No! He saves them unto the uttermost! The expression in the translation, "make you perfect..." means literally, "qualifying you fully." That means that He must give us all the spiritual gifts whereby we are enabled to respond to His will and to walk in all good works, which the apostle Paul tells us were from everlasting prepared by God and given to us to perform (Ephesians 2:10). The situation is not that like good Boy Scouts we sit down and figure out what good deeds we may perform each day. The truth is that even our good works are prepared and given to us. The prayer is that these works may constantly come to us, and that we may be given the qualifying grace to perform them to the end that in our lives God's will may be done.

This is borne out in the rest of the petition: "working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ."

God is the subject of this work of grace, and Christ Jesus is the Mediator! So is all of our salvation unto its final perfection only of the Lord. It is in no sense of us.

Small wonder then that the petitioner concludes his prayer with a doxology: "To Whom be glory unto the ages of the ages!"

Quite naturally the question arises: To Whom do the words "To Whom" refer? Is it to the God of Peace Who brought our Lord Jesus from the dead? Or is it Jesus Christ Whom the writer mentions last as the Mediator through Whom the prayer will be realized?

This is an exegetical question. When we consider that the prayer is directed to the God of peace, it would seem most fitting that the doxology should also be raised to Him. On the other hand, from an exegetical point of view, since the doxology is most closely affixed to Jesus Christ, it can also be ascribed to Him.

The question is solved when we consider that Jesus Christ, Who is the Mediator of our salvation, is at the same time the God of our salvation, Who in His human nature is exalted with glory and honor, Whose is the glory unto endless ages; then our difficulty ceases. The glorious God, Who has all glory, to Whom no glory can be given that He does not already possess, is pleased to receive glory and have all glory ascribed to Him as He pleases to reveal Himself in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh indeed, God will be glorified world without end! For unto this end has He created all things, and unto this end has He performed the work of recreation. The fact of the matter is that He so works out the realization of His counsel, that not the creature, but God Himself receives all the glory and praise. No creature shall be able to glory in himself, but all creation, redeemed through the way of sin and grace, shall ascribe all glory to God for ever. All this glory shall come to Him through the Mediator, Christ Jesus, Who is the God of our salvation.

Amen! You know that this little word which concludes the prayer is not intended merely to place a dot at the end of the sentence. Here, as always in Scripture, it attests to the truth expressed in the prayer, that it shall surely be fulfilled. The good work which God in Christ has begun will be finished in everlasting glory. The people whom He in Christ has justified in the cross and resurrection shall be led through the way of sanctification into heavenly perfection and glory. The prayer which is uttered in faith, shall surely be heard and answered.

The Word of the Cross A Power

A Meditation by Rev. M. Schipper
From the October 15, 1969, issue of The Standard Bearer

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“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” - I Corinthians 1:18

The power and wisdom of God in the Word of the cross - this is the theme which the apostle develops not only in the text quoted above, but also in the entire context. He does this by showing first of all that the Word of the cross cannot be preached by means of the wisdom of human word. Further, he shows that God puts to shame the power and wisdom of the world by the foolishness of preaching the Word of the cross, and he finishes off the argument by showing that God exactly chooses to reveal His wisdom, power and glory through those things which the world counts foolishness. He chooses such a humble thing as the cross to make a crown; and the rejected, despised, crushed and forsaken Jesus to be Saviour of the world.

In our text the apostle presents the cross of Christ as God's powerful Word unto salvation! Negatively, it is His power of destruction to those in the process of perishing. Positively, it is His power of salvation to those being saved.

Indeed, the Word of the cross is a power! The word of the cross! not the preaching of the cross, as the above translation suggests. The apostle here does not have in mind (at least not in the first place) the medium through which the Word of the cross comes to men. Though it is true that the Word of the cross must also be preached, and God is pleased to have it preached. The text most emphatically does not refer to a word that mere man speaks about the cross, but literally it is the Word of the cross!

Quite naturally the cross here refers to the cross of Christ! Principally there is only one cross, though there is much which the world and even the Christian calls cross. One is said to have a cross to bear when things do not go right, when calamities fall upon one. Yet there is only one cross that is of importance to the child of God, and to his faith - and that is the cross of Christ. All other crosses, unless they are related to His, have no real significance. Moreover, we should understand that the apostle uses a figure of speech here. The reference is not so much to the literal cross upon which Jesus was - crucified, but to Christ Himself crucified. When Scripture speaks of the cross; therefore, it refers to the historic event, that experience of Christ in time when He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried and descended into hell. That cross, in that sense of the word, is a Word of God!

In general all things may be said to be words of God. The Word of God is the essence, the meaning of all things He made. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth." By the word of His power He holds and upholds all things in heaven and earth. There is a word of God in the lily of the field. There is a word of God in the cedars of Lebanon. There is a word of God in the sun, moon and stars; in the lightning which flashes through the sky and the thunder which rolls; it is in the lamb and the lion, in the babbling brook and the tempestuous sea. It is exactly for this reason that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. In all the works of His hands God speaks concerning Himself; though we can no longer understand their language because of sin. It is for this reason too that Jesus, the Logos, the Word, could speak as He did in parables, because He could read the Word of God in the creation about Him and interpret its heavenly speech.

Such a Word is also the cross! It is an eternal thought, a word which God eternally speaks, and when in time He spoke it, that cross with all its significance came into the sphere of created things. As at the very beginning God said, Let there be light, and there was light; so also He declares: Let there be the cross, and the cross makes its appearance in the very center of history. The way of the cross was ordained by Him. The Christ of the cross was prepared by Him. The Word of God in the cross is its idea, its real meaning, and only as the Word of God is it a power.

But what does the Word of the cross say? What is its content? First of all, it is that Word which speaks to us of the necessity of the cross. The highest necessity of course is really the necessity of all things, namely, the glory of God. The immediate necessity is the fact of sin. There is no cross or a Word of the cross conceivable unless there is sin. Hence, the fact of sin makes the Word of the cross necessary.

Secondly, the Word of the cross is a revelation of atonement and reconciliation. The fact remains that sin and guilt bring with them the necessity for atonement, and in the Word of the cross there is the revelation of the fact that atonement has been made. God sent His Son into the world to make this atonement, and the Word of the cross is therefore the good news of salvation, life and grace.

Thirdly, the Word of the cross speaks also of the effects of that cross in those atoned for. On the one hand, it speaks of the operation of the grace of salvation in those for whom Christ died (which salvation He merited for them, and which He also by His Spirit gives unto them), and on the other hand, it speaks of the gratitude expressed by the recipients of these benefits. The Word of the cross therefore also speaks of their (the recipients of salvation) walking in all good works to God's glory, as well as of the effects of that Word in them, causing them to do these works. Such indeed is the word of the cross as to its contents.

That Word is a power of God! Never is the Word of the cross a power of impotent man!

Man vainly conceives the thought that it is in his power to discern the meaning of it, and to speak it. He imagines that the Word in itself is a dead letter. It lives, so he thinks, and it has effect only when it is forcibly presented by human power, the power of oratory and persuasion. But this is precisely what the apostle here militates against. He is aware that the Divine logic of the cross is hidden from the eyes of mere man. The apostle is afraid of his own word; of man's wisdom. A word of man must of necessity attempt to negate the Word of the cross and oppose it. "Not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." Mere natural man standing at the cross while gazing upon it might be able to discern a relative difference between that central cross and those of the malefactors on either side. He may even come to the conclusion that Christ was a good man who died for His principles. If he is very religious, he might even condemn those responsible for nailing Christ to the cross. But that there is special significance, he cannot discern. It lies therefore in the nature of the case that the Word of the cross is not ours to speak, nor is it our power to save.

The term "power" is the same word from which our word "dynamic" is derived. It signifies that energy that is capable of bringing something to pass, of accomplishing a certain end. As a dynamo has the ability to generate electricity, so this power of our text produces something. It is God's power wherewith He works. Just as the Word of the cross is a Divine Word, it is also a power, God's power whereby He accomplishes something according to His good pleasure, a power of God unto salvation. It speaks powerfully to us of the righteousness and justice of God over against our sin and guilt, and informs us how terribly displeased He is with that depraved state and condition. It makes us, as the publican in the temple, to cry out, O, God be merciful to me the sinner. It speaks to us, too, most powerfully of the God of our salvation, Whose love was so great that He gave His only begotten Son unto the death of the cross, and ordaining that all the vials of His holy wrath should be poured out upon His head, as obediently He bore that wrath until all the vials of it were emptied and none remained to pour over us.

He speaks that powerful Word of the cross not only in the cross itself, but He also laid it in the hearts of the apostles and prophets, so that as they received it by infallible inspiration, they could write it and speak it. He operates by the power of that Word through the apostles in the hearts of men.

Hence, when we are brought to stand at the foot of the cross at Calvary, we must be silent and hear what God says to us. Just as at Calvary, when God insisted on silence as for three hours He caused darkness to descend upon the earth and every mouth was closed in deathly silence while only He did speak; so standing there in the silence of faith, we hear the Word of the cross speaking, speaking of His righteousness and wrath over against our sin. No longer do we hear the judgment of the rulers and the mockery of the people, but the thunder and the lightning of His wrath against our sin. We will then be able to hear as each drop of precious blood falls to the ground, and we will tremble in the consciousness that it was not Christ's but our sin that warranted that awful judgment on the hill of the skull. Flee not away in your fright! There is more to hear if you remain silent. You will hear God as the God of your salvation, of His eternal, unchangeable, boundless love to His people. This Sufferer on the cross is none other than Jehovah, Salvation, Who must save His people from their sins. He is none other than the offended God come down to us in our nature to bear away forever all our offences.

This is, indeed, the very heart of the Word of the cross! But that Word does more than speak, it saves! By the power of that Word the burden of our sin rolls away. By its power death loses its sting, and by its power righteousness, peace, joy, life and glory are bestowed upon us. As the God of our salvation He saves us unto the uttermost.

Oh, indeed, not to all is the Word of the cross a power unto salvation! Here, as the Scriptures repeatedly assert, the natural man discerns not the things of the Spirit and of the Word of God. Verily, the Word of the cross is foolishness to him. Through such a weak and foolish and base thing as a cross, he will not be saved. He will admit that there is something wrong with him and with the world. He writes in newspapers and periodicals of our time that something must be done to save the world. But his hope looks for man's power, wisdom and philosophy to save, rather than the wisdom and power of God. He dreams that the power of science, armies, peace treaties or social justice are the only remedies for the mess his world is in. But he will not humble himself before God as a sinner. He continues to boast of his inherent goodness. The cross is foolishness to him, and it is foolishness because he belongs to them that are perishing. He perishes because he loves his own folly, despising the wisdom and power of God revealed in the cross, and because the Word of the Cross is God's power of death unto death, God accomplishes His purpose in them that perish through the way of their foolishness.

But unto us who are saved and are being saved, the Word of the cross is wisdom and the power of God!

In I Corinthians 1:24 we read, But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. To them that are called Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. To them the Word of the cross is the Word of God Who saves them. It makes them to be burdened with the knowledge of their sin and guilt. It makes them to be weary and heavy laden. It makes them flee to Jesus, the Rest-giver, where at the foot of His cross they are plunged in the fountain of His blood, and all their guilty stains are washed away. They know they are righteous before God - and in the judgment shall be justified before all - men, angels, devils. Day by day they are being saved. They go from strength to strength until everyone appears in Zion. In the midst of the battle of faith the Word of the cross sustains them. In the shadows of death it is their rod and staff, and in the morning of the resurrection they shall hear it once more calling them out of the corruption of the flesh to stand in newness of life in the assembly of the elect in life that is eternal.

REFORMED WITNESS

An Easter Prayer

The Word of the Cross A Power