Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship (Biblical Theology for Life)

by Jonathan Lunde

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2010

Overview

Throughout the Old Testament and into the New, God not only demands righteousness from his people but also showers on grace that enables them to act. Jesus, of course, provides the ultimate fulfillment of these twin aspects of God’s relationship to humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience.

So what does it mean to follow Jesus? What does God expect from his followers, and how can they be and do what is required? Jonathan Lunde answers these and other questions in his sweeping biblical study on discipleship. He surveys God’s interaction with his people from Eden to Jesus, paying special attention to the biblical covenants that illuminate the character and plans of God. He offers Bible students and teachers—such as pastors, missionaries, and lay leaders—the gift of practical biblical teaching rooted in the Bible’s witness on the vital topic of discipleship.

Key Features

• Preface by the author
• Questions at the end of each chapter for further discussion
• Bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

Top Highlights

“Here, then, is the tension that gives rise to some of the diversity expressed by disciples of Jesus today. As the King, Jesus summons his followers to a life of single-hearted commitment and loyalty to himself. As the Servant, Jesus provides the righteous fulfillment of the law’s demands and its final sacrifice. The demand of the King is therefore juxtaposed with the grace of the Servant. Rightly resolving the tension created by these two roles of Jesus gets at the heart of discipleship—the heart of what it means to follow him.” (Page 28)

“My underlying assumption is that the only thing that genuinely transforms the heart and enables obedience is grace—hardly a new concept. But if this is true, the persistent experience of the Servant’s grace must be understood as the necessary context in which following Jesus, the King, may be enabled and sustained. What I have therefore written is part biblical theology of covenant, part life of Jesus, and part discussion of discipleship.” (Page 32)

“But God first of all graciously delivers the Israelites out of Egypt before he establishes his law covenant with them.” (Page 57)

“Along with the deliverance from the flood, the second gracious grounding of this covenant is the reestablishment of the conditions that make terrestrial life possible.” (Page 53)

“One variety of biblical covenant is known as the ‘royal grant’ or ‘unconditional’ covenant. As it is utilized in the biblical narrative, this type guarantees the promised benefits from God apart from any specific acts of obedience on the part of the people with whom the covenant is made. Its fulfillment is the sole responsibility of God. Those who receive its benefits are those who trust in his trustworthiness.” (Page 39)

Praise for the Print Edition

Faithfully refreshing. Lunde’s thoughtful and insightful contribution will cause many to walk with Jesus at a whole new level of faithfulness.

—J. Scott Duvall, professor of New Testament, Ouachita Baptist University

Jonathan Lunde, in this book that is excellent for both the classroom and the church, leads us to Christ so we can see what it means to follow as disciples.

—Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University

A breathtaking glimpse of what God has designed from the beginning of covenantal history—through a true biblical theology that plumbs the depths of Scripture—to live in an abundant New Covenant discipleship to Jesus as our Servant King.

—Michael J. Wilkins, distinguished professor of New Testament language and literature, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Product Details

• Title: Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship (Biblical Theology for Life)
• Author: Jonathan Lunde
• Series: Biblical Theology for Life
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Jesus Christ › Person and offices; Christian life
• ISBNs: 9780310497189, 9780310286165, 0310497183, 0310286166
• Resource ID: LLS:FLLWJESSERVNTKNG
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-05-17T19:57:34Z

About Jonathan Lunde

Jonathan Lunde (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is an associate professor of Biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology of Biola University. He is the coeditor (with Kenneth Berding) of Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and has contributed articles to The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels and the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology.