It is interesting to note that while feasting is a fixed and permanent aspect of biblical religion, fasting is occasional and provisional.

We see that very clearly in two passages, one in the Old Testament and one in the New. In the Book of Zechariah, a delegation from Bethel comes to Jerusalem to seek wisdom from Zechariah and the other leaders as to whether or not the several fasts instituted during the exile should be continued now that a remnant has returned and the temple is being rebuilt. The Lord takes the occasion to correct their overly ritualistic and formal approach to spirituality, telling them that justice and mercy were more important aspects of biblical worship (Zechariah 7:9-10). He does finally answer their original question in chapter 8:19, saying:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.” (Zechariah 8:19 ESV)

Thus, the fasts that were created to commemorate and lament the destruction of the temple were now to be transformed into feasts. The fasts were occasional (due to the destruction of the temple) and provisional (discontinued once the temple was under reconstruction). The feasts were to continue in perpetuity.

Similarly in the New Testament there is the story about the disciples of John coming to Jesus and asking:

“Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14 ESV)

Jesus’ answer points out the occasional and provisional nature of fasting. He says:

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:15–17 ESV)

Jesus states that fasting is appropriate during seasons of lament and longing. The saying “when the Bridegroom is taken away from them” refers to the time after Jesus’ arrest up until his glorious resurrection. Leon Morris says here:

“There can be no doubt that by the bridegroom he means himself, nor that is taken away refers to his death.”[1]

The death of Jesus will throw the disciples into a time of lament and mourning. But once he is restored to them through resurrection – their fasting will be transformed into feasting! From that point on, their lives should be characterized by rejoicing.

Once the religion of the Bible passes through the deep valley of the cross and up into resurrection on the other side, the old forms and ceremonies will need to give way to those better suited to the major themes of joy and thanksgiving that will now be characteristic of the movement. Michael Green says here:

“Jesus is clear that his coming marks a discontinuity with all that. (All the forms and practices of Judaism) The old skins cannot contain the new wine he is bringing. Old regulations about ceremonial defilement cannot stand before the joy of forgiveness, fellowship, excitement and new direction which the coming of the kingdom inaugurates.”[2]

That is why fasting is not a major point of discussion in any of the New Testament Epistles. The Apostle Paul does not commend it or address the practice of it in any of his letters.

Would it be wrong for a New Testament believer to engage in a season of fasting?

To be clear, fasting for health purposes or as part of a weight loss regimen is not the concern of this inquiry. Rather, the question that is imagined here has to do with the New Testament believer wondering whether it would ever be appropriate for him or her to engage in a season of religious fashion, such as we see in the Old Testament.

I think the most faithful answer to that question would have to be a qualified NO. It would not be wrong to engage in a time of fasting, provided that the fasting was limited in duration and related to a particular loss or connected to a season of focused, intentional prayer. However, it should not go on too long, it should not involve unnecessary display (Matthew 6:16-18) and it should be careful not to discredit or obscure our faith in the resurrection. Paul said to the Thessalonians:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV)

Lament is a minor chord in the Christian system, with joy as our major key. The focus of our worship is the grateful reception of the grace of God given to us in the person and work of Christ. We eagerly hear. We gladly respond. We gratefully give. Our sacraments are sacraments of celebration. Baptism is about new life. The eucharist or Lord’s Supper is about thanksgiving. These are the new wineskins given to us to contain the new wine of the gospel – thanks be to God!

Pastor Paul Carter

Do I have to forgive someone who has never repented of what they did to me?

This question usually comes up when a person has encountered what Jesus says in Luke 17:3-4:

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4 ESV)

There it does kind of sound like forgiveness is conditional upon repentance: “if he repents, forgive him”. However, that text needs to be held in tension with what Jesus says in passages like Mark 11:25:

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25 ESV).

There is no mention here of the offender confessing their sin and demonstrating repentance; it merely says that the person praying should forgive whatever grievances they may have against another. Similarly, in Matthew 6 there is no mention of any action being taken by the offender before forgiveness is granted. Jesus says simply and straightforwardly:

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15 ESV).

In addition, we have numerous examples in the New Testament of people forgiving others without any mention of the sins and abuses being acknowledged by the offending party. As Jesus was being nailed to the cross, he said:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 ESV).

Likewise, Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, called out saying:

“Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60 ESV).

Therefore, it would be difficult to argue that the Bible does not require us to forgive people until they repent of the sins, they have committed against us.

Rather, I think it would be better to say that we should begin the process of forgiving others immediately, recognizing that we may not be able to proceed from there to full reconciliation until there is appropriate acknowledgement and growth from the other party.

Reconciliation is a bridge that has to be built from both sides, but forgiveness – in terms of letting go of any desire and plan for revenge, praying for the abuser, wishing well toward the offender – is work that we can begin in our own hearts right away, mindful of the mercy we have received and wary of the costs associated with on-going bitterness and resentment.

God help!

Pastor Paul Carter

By Paul Carter

There are certain events that can change the course of an entire generation. Historians often speak about how the Great Depression in the 1930’s and the Second World War in the 1940’s worked together to forge what we call now the Greatest Generation. Those people were unflappable. They had been beaten like heated iron between the hammer and anvil of those two great events.

The Baby Boomers were affected by Vietnam, Watergate and the Sexual Revolution. Those great events inclined many people in that generation toward cynicism and self-indulgence and collectively they resulted in a massive expansion in divorce. Baby Boomers get divorced at a higher rate than any generation before them – and any generation after them[1].

The Millennials grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 and then had the rug pulled out from underneath them, financially speaking, by the Great Recession in 2006-2008 just as they were entering into the housing market. The experts say that these events inclined many people in that generation toward anxiety and resentment.

Events affect us and the bigger the event, the greater the effect it can have on us. It would be difficult to think of an event that has a greater impact on the course of human history than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nearly 2.4 people on this planet will soon be celebrating Easter. It cannot be denied that the ripples of the resurrection continue to reverberate across the ages. Discussions about the resurrection tend to revolve around two major questions:

1. Did it really happen?
2. Does it really matter?

For an excellent article arguing for the historicity of the resurrection, see here. The purpose of this article will be to introduce three reasons why the resurrection matters.

The Resurrection Matters Because it Communicates the Sufficiency of the Cross

On Good Friday many churches sing the old hymn ‘Jesus Paid It All’. They affirm together that:

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

What an encouragement it is to know that Jesus paid it all! But how can we know? How can we be sure that his payment was accepted? Wayne Grudem puts it this way:

“By raising Jesus from the dead, God the Father was in effect saying that he approved of Christ’s work of suffering and dying for our sins, that his work was completed, and that Christ no longer had any need to remain dead. There was no penalty left to pay for sin, no more wrath of God to bear, no more guilt or liability to punishment – all had been completely paid for, and no guilt remained. In the resurrection, God was saying to Christ, “I approve of what you have done, and you find favour in my sight.””[2]

Jesus walking out of the tomb on the third day was like that message you receive on the Interac machine after you stick your card in and enter your PIN. You wait an anxious moment and then it says: “Payment accepted. Please remove card.” That’s what the empty tomb is! It is God saying that Jesus paid it all. Payment accepted. Nothing more for you or me or HIM to do – praise the Lord!

The Resurrection Matters Because it Guarantees life Beyond the Grave 

In 1 Corinthians 15:19-22 the Apostle Paul is assuring the Corinthians that the Christian faith is about more than how to live in the here and now; it’s also about life, joy and glory on the other side. He says:

“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:19-22 ESV)

In this passage Paul refers to Jesus as the firstfruits – a religious metaphor that would have been particularly compelling to first century Jews. The Jews were in the habit of bringing the firstfruits of their harvest to the Lord as an offering. The firstfruits represented the whole. It was a way of saying: “Just like this initial bundle belongs to you, so too we understand that everything we have belongs to you.” D.A. Carson and G.K. Beale in their “Commentary on the New Testament Use Of The Old Testament” say here that:

“Paul uses the image to underline the link between our fate and the fate of Christ; Christ’s resurrection is not an isolated event, but rather guarantees something even more stupendous.”[3]

What an incredible promise! The Apostle Paul is saying that the resurrection of Jesus guarantees the resurrection of every other person connected by covenant to him – thanks be to God!

The Resurrection Matters Because it Proves that Everything Jesus Said Was True

Jesus said some pretty unbelievable things; he said:

“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:41 ESV)

“I am the light of the world.”  (John 8:12 ESV)

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9 ESV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 ESV)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25 ESV)

What would any rational person say to another human being who said things like that? What would you say? You would say PROVE IT! You would demand some kind of evidence or demonstration of authority that would warrant such extravagant claims because normal people don’t say the sorts of things that Jesus said. When people claim to be the door into other realms and kingdoms, that usually means that they are having a medical event. The correct response to something like that would be to call 911. Normal, healthy people don’t say the sorts of things that Jesus said – unless they are prepared to back it up. How could a person do that? How could a person prove, for example, that he was the resurrection and the life?

He could die and on the third day rise from the dead.

That would be a compelling argument. That would strongly suggest that he was not just a person having a medical event, he was in fact the Son of God, sent from God to save, heal and restore the people of God. It would strongly suggest that he was exactly who he said he was.

That’s why the resurrection matters, because it proves that Jesus was who he said he was and that everything he said was in fact, the very Word of God to us.

The resurrection is an event that ought to rock your world. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead means that the cross works! It satisfies the wrath of God against human sin and rebellion. It can wipe your slate clean! It can pay your debt! It can purchase a fresh start and a new standing! The fact that Jesus rose from the dead means that death is not the end – it wasn’t for Jesus and it won’t be for any person united to Jesus through covenant faith. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead means that everything Jesus said can be trusted. He came from God. He returned to God. The Father co-signed every cheque he ever wrote and every promise he ever made. Jesus can be trusted. His word is the Word. He really is the way, the truth and the life.

When you understand that; when you connect all those dots, a basket of very important questions will begin bouncing around your brain:

How can I be joined to the person and work of Christ?
How can I have my sins credited to his account?
How can I be assured that I will be with him in heaven when I die?
How can I become his disciple?
When the crowd in Jerusalem on Pentecost began asking Peter questions like these, he responded to them saying:

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 ESV)

Repent and be baptized.

Turn away from whatever it is you are doing and whoever it is you are following and put your faith in Jesus Christ! Declare your allegiance to him today — personally, privately and publicly — and you will be saved. You will be fused by covenant to him such that wherever he goes, you go; such that his fate is your fate; such that his glory will be your glory.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Paul Carter