"First Sunday After Christmas
Sundays take precedence over calendar days
first posted 12/28/2008
Isaiah 45:22-25 -- Turn to the Lord
Psalm 111 -- Praise the Lord
Colossians 3:12-17 -- New Life in Christ
Luke 2:25-40 -- Presentation of Jesus
Isaiah:
The Lord is the only God. He invites everyone, to the farthest parts of the world, to turn to him and be saved. The Lord has declared and sworn in righteousness that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear.
Righteousness and strength are in the Lord alone. All his enemies shall come to him and be put to shame. The children of Israel will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord.
Psalm:
Praise the Lord! With my whole heart I will thank the Lord in the congregation of the righteous. The Lord has done great things, and those who study them will take pleasure in them. The Lord is honorable and majestic in everything he does, and his righteousness will never end. He has done great things so that they will be remembered, because the Lord is gracious and merciful.
The Lord continually remembers his covenant; he provides sustenance for those who fear him. In all his works he reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of the nations. He is faithful and just in all his deeds, and all his teaching are trustworthy and eternal; they are to be carried out with righteousness and faithfulness. He has declared that his covenant is eternal. "He sent redemption to his people" (Psalm 111:9a). His name is awesome and Holy (reverenced; venerated). "The fear (appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. The Praise of the Lord endures forever" Psalm 111:10).
Colossians:
Since we have been chosen and beloved by God, we should endeavor to be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient and forbearing and forgiving of one another, if anyone has a complaint. Remember how much the Lord has forgiven us, and be forgiving of others also as we have been forgiven. Above all we must be loving, because love binds everything together in complete harmony. Allow the peace of Jesus Christ reign in our hearts since that is the hope in which we were called into the body of Christ, the Church.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish (caution) one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). Let us do everything that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God through him.
Luke:
At the time for their purification according to the Law of Moses (on the eighth day after the birth; (Leviticus 12:2); Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be circumcised (Genesis 17:12), and to present him to the Lord as their first-born son (Luke 2:22-23).
A man named Simeon, who was righteous and devout, lived in Jerusalem. He was looking for the consolation of Israel (the coming of Messiah), and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the "Lord's Christ" (God's promised "Messiah"). "Inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple" (Luke 2:27), where he encountered Jesus and his parents who had brought Jesus to fulfill the custom of the law. Simon took the baby Jesus in his arms and said: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people, Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).
Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon had said about their baby; and Simeon blessed them and said, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34b-35).
There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel (who is otherwise unknown) of the tribe of Asher, the descendants of Jacob's eighth son. [The tribe of Asher was the only tribe west of the Jordan River (except the tribe of Simeon, second son of Jacob by Leah, not the Simeon of Luke 2:25) which produced no hero or judge for the nation ]. Anna had been widowed after only seven years of marriage, and remained a widow to age eighty-four. She was in the temple, never leaving, worshiping, fasting, and praying day and night. At the very hour that Jesus was presented, she came up and gave thanks to God; and she spoke about Jesus to everyone who was seeking the redemption of Jerusalem.
When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled the requirements of the law, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee. And the child grew up and became strong, and God's favor was upon him.
Commentary:
The Lord is the one and only true God. He is Lord and God, whether we acknowledge and accept him as our Lord and God or not. God has given us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, but there is a day coming when we will face the final judgment and be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime. In that day, everyone who has ever lived will acknowledge him as Lord and God, and everyone will bow before him in obedience; but then it will be too late to change our eternal destinies.
Those who have rebelled and opposed the Lordship of God in this world will be put to eternal shame, but those who have become his children by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord. "Born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians are the adopted children of the "New Israel," the Church.
In that day the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed (Luke 2:35b). There are many who claim to be Christian, and who even claim to be "born-again," who are not "saved" from eternal destruction, and are not spiritually "born-again." Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" is a Christian (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).
The Lord never forgets his covenant with his people, the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) through faith in Jesus Christ, initiated by Jesus on the night of his betrayal, the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28). God sustains those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God, physically and spiritually, through Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit sustains us to eternal life.
Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit the Lord reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of eternal life. Jesus is the one and only Redeemer ("Savior;" Acts 4:12; John 14:6), the redemption which God has provided for his people who trust and obey the Lord. Jesus is the name of the Lord.
Those who do not believe in God and the concept of God won't fear him, because they are spiritually ignorant and eternally "lost." Until one understands that God exists, that he is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that he has the power of eternal life or eternal death over us individually, we don't know anything of eternal spiritual value.
We have all been chosen and beloved by God, but not everyone realizes and acknowledges this. Unless we understand ourselves in relationship with God, we cannot receive the healing and "redemption" God offers us in Jesus Christ.
In comparison to God, he alone is righteous (doing what is right, good, and true, according to God's Word), and we are unrighteous ; he is sinless (sin is disobedience of God's Word), and we are sinful; he is strong and we are weak; he is wise and we are spiritually ignorant. We should seek to know and apply God's Word in our daily lives. Only then are we able to teach and caution others. We cannot comprehend what God has done for us in Jesus Christ until we recognize our own unrighteousness and sinfulness, and our need for redemption and salvation. When we realize who Jesus is and what the Lord has done for us in Jesus Christ, we will want to give thanks to God and to glorify the name of Jesus.
Simeon was looking for the consolation, redemption and salvation of Israel, and as he was instructed and guided by the Holy Spirit he received what he had prayed for; he saw the fulfillment of God's promise of a Savior, the Messiah. Before the coming of Jesus Christ only a few individuals were chosen by God to have fellowship with God by the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna are examples.
Jesus is the promised Savior provided by God for all people, to be received by faith (obedient trust). Jesus is intended to be the revelation of God and God's purpose to the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of God's promise to glorify Israel.
Jesus is "good news" to those who are God's people, who accept Jesus as their Lord and choose to trust and obey Jesus; and "bad news" to those who reject Jesus as Lord and refuse to trust and obey Jesus. Jesus is the stone which the "builders" (Israel; and the World) rejected, which has become the "cornerstone," the "keystone" which creates the solid foundation, and locks the construction of God's eternal kingdom in place (Luke 20:17-18).
Anna is the example of a child of God; a believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She was constantly in the temple praying for and looking for the fulfillment of God's promise of a Messiah, the Savior of the World. As she was obedient to the Holy Spirit, the Lord led her to encounter the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ at his circumcision in the temple.
After she had encountered the Christ, she spoke of him to everyone who was looking "for the redemption of Jerusalem. We can long for the coming of the Messiah, and if we truly do, and become obedient to God's Word, he will reveal himself to us (John 14:21). But unless and until we have personally experienced Jesus, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot be witnesses testifying to that spiritual reality.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)
December 29
first posted 12/28/2008
Luke 2:25-40 Jesus' Presentation
Mary and Joseph had brought Jesus to the temple on the eighth day of his birth (Leviticus 12:2-3), to be circumcised (Genesis 17:12) and registered him as their first-born son in accordance with the law (God's Word; Luke 2:22-23).
There was a man living in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout, and was watching for the "consolation of Israel" (the promised Messiah). The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that Simeon would not die before he had seen the Messiah.
The Holy Spirit led Simeon to enter the temple at the time that Mary and Joseph were presenting Jesus, and Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).
Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon had said about their child. Simeon blessed them and told Mary, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34b-35).
A prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, lived day and night in the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer. She had been widowed after seven years of marriage, and was then eighty four-years old. She came at that very hour and [when she saw Jesus] she gave thanks to God and told everyone who was seeking redemption for Jerusalem, about him.
When the requirements of the law of Moses had been fulfilled, they returned to Nazareth, where Jesus grew and became strong and filled with wisdom; and he was blessed with God's favor.
Commentary:
Before Jesus' death and resurrection only a few individuals, like Simeon and Anna, had the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus became the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgivness of our sin (disobedience of God's Word), and the spiritual cleansing which made it possible for Jesus' disciples to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). By the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit we are spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Simeon and Anna were both believing and watching for the fulfillment of God's Word. They were guided by the Holy Spirit because they believed, trusted and obeyed God's Word in the Bible and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We can have that same revelation and guidance through faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the light of revelation to everyone who trusts and obeys Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus (Romans 8:9). He has the same attributes as Jesus and as God the Father. He is the Spirit of (divine, eternal) Truth (John 14:17;16:13). He is the light which enlightens everyone (John 1:9), and the light of eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12).
The Holy Spirit is the "Paraclete," our counselor, our comfortor, our "consoler," our advocate, and intercessor on our behalf to God (John 14:16). He opens our minds to understand God's Word (Luke 24:45), teaches us all things, brings to our remembrance all that Jesus taught (John 14:26), and guides and empowers us to do God's will and to complete the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness and salvation are a free gift for all who are willing to received it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's one and only provision (Acts 4:12) for the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and our salvation from condemnation and eternal death, which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is the fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy. Many will fall spiritually to eternal destruction, and many will rise to eternal life because of Jesus (1 Peter 2:7-8). He is a sign revealed to all people. He is God made visible in human form (Colossians 2:8-9; Matthew 11:27; John 14:9), and he is also fully human (but not a man who became God). But he is a sign that many people hate and speak against. The inner thoughts and hearts of people are revealed by their response to Jesus, and will be revealed ultimately at the Day of Judgment (Revelation 1:7; Luke 12:2).
The prophecy of Simeon to Mary was fulfilled. Jesus is the one who was pierced with nails in his hands and feet, and by a spear in his side (John 19:34, 37; Zechariah 12:10), at his crucifixion. Mary was present at the crucifixion and certainly felt her own soul pierced (John 19:25-27).
The Church is the "New Israel" through whom Jesus is glorified, and by whom the Lord's glory is reflected into the spiritual darkness of this world.
Anna demonstrates what every disciple of Jesus Christ can be: "born-again," by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, having trusted and obeyed God's Word, and having personally experienced the Messiah (Christ). She was able to testify about Jesus, from personal knowledge and experience, to those who were seeking the redemption God promised in his Word. Jesus is the Redeemer, who paid the price for our sin, so that we could be released from bondage to sin and eternal death.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
December 30
first posted 12/28/2008
Isaiah 63:7-16 Psalm of Intercession
I will testify to the steadfast love of the Lord and give him praise; according to all the blessings he has given us and his great goodness to his people, Israel. He has given them great mercy, according to his limitless unending love. He regarded them as his children who would remain faithful to him, and he became their Savior. He bore their affliction, “and the ‘angel’ (Spirit) of his presence saved them” (Isaiah 63:9b). He redeemed them because of his love and pity for them; he carried them through past troubles.
“But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit” (Isaiah 63:10a), so he punished them. But he didn’t forget the past and his servant Moses. The Lord, who brought, through the Sea, the leaders of his people, who put his Holy Spirit in their midst, “who caused his holy arm to go at the right hand of Moses” (Isaiah 63:12a), who parted the waters and led them through the depths (Isaiah 63:11-13a), has not forgotten them and is still with them.
Israel did not stumble in the desert, and the Lord gave them rest like cattle in a valley. The Lord led his people, so that his name would be honored.
Lord, look down from your sacred and glorious dwelling in heaven. Where are your zeal and your might? I feel separated from my heart’s delight, and from your compassion. Although Abraham does not know us, and Israel doesn’t acknowledge us, you are our Father, Lord.” Thou art our Father; our Redeemer from of old is thy name” (Isaiah 63:16c).
Commentary:
When we are experiencing trouble, it is helpful to recall what God has done for us, and of his unfailing love for us. If we have not yet had a personal fellowship with God through his indwelling Holy Spirit, reading the Bible can show us what he has done for his people before.
As we believe the Bible testimony, and act upon it in faith (obedient trust) we can be spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5-8) to a personal relationship with the Lord, and as we trust and obey God’s Word we will begin to experience for ourselves God’s goodness and faithfulness. God wants us to know his Word, so that we can trust and obey it. As we do so, he will show us that his Word is absolutely true and reliable.
God is our Creator, and thus our Father, whether we acknowledge him or not. God has always intended from the beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God’s Word. This lifetime is our opportunity to learn to trust and obey God, and to learn by trial and error that God’s will is good, possible to do, and our very best interest (Romans 12:2b). This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find, know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
God designed Creation to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not. He designed Creation to allow for sin (disobedience of God’s Word). But the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). We have all sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). God doesn’t want anyone to perish eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). Jesus is God’s one and only provision for our forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus came to become the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for our forgiveness and salvation. Jesus was fully God (Colossians 2:8-9), and fully human, but perfectly sinless (Hebrews 4:15). He came to be the “scapegoat” (Leviticus. 16:8-26); to bear our sins, and die for them, so that we wouldn’t have to perish eternally for them ourselves.
“The angel of his presence saved them (Isaiah 63:9b). “Angel” can be understood as “Spirit” (Acts 12:15; Revelation 1:1). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17), is the “angel” of Jesus’ presence (Romans 8:9) within us, who saves us. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
God disciplines his people for their good, as a good father disciplines his children. When we rebel against God and do what is contrary to God’s Word and our own best interest, God lifts his favor and protection from us and allows us to experience the consequences of our “sin,” in the hope that we will repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word.
Although God disciplines his people for their own good, he does not abandon his covenant with them. When his people submit to his Word he fulfills his promises to them.
The Holy Spirit is the pillar of smoke and fire at the right hand of Moses, and who guides us through the spiritual wilderness of this temporal lifetime. It is the Holy Spirit within his people who parts the waters and leads them through the depths.
The Lord can preserve us in the wilderness and give us rest in green pastures (Psalm 23:2a). He does so, not because we are worthy, but because he is good and loving.
When we know what God has done for his people in the past through the Bible, or when we remember what he has done for us personally in the past, we can call upon him in faith that he will be faithful and will redeem us from all our troubles.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
December 31
first posted 12/30/03
Galatians 4:1-7 -- Redemption
Luke 2:33-40 -- Redemption of Jerusalem
Galatians:
Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the prototype and illustration of a "born-again" (Acts 9:17) disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, used an analogy of the laws of inheritance to describe our redemption from bondage to sin and death under the law.
The heir to his father's estate is no better off than a slave while he is a minor. He owns the estate, but he is under the supervision of guardians and trustees until he is the age of inheritance set by his father. Likewise, while we were spiritual minors we were in bondage to worldly ways and human nature. But in perfect timing, God sent forth his son, born of a human mother, born under the law to redeem us who were under the law, so that we could be adopted as God's children. Because we have been adopted, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. It is by the Spirit that we cry "Abba!" (the Aramaic word meaning "Father!"). So through God, we are no longer slaves, but adopted children, and heirs to his estate.
Luke:
Jesus' parents had brought him to the temple on the eighth day of his birth, to fulfill the requirements of the law (including circumcision). There was a man named Simeon in Jerusalem who was filled with the Holy Spirit; and led by the Spirit he had come into the temple where he encountered Jesus and his parents, as the Lord had promised (Luke 2:26).
After thanking God for allowing him to see Jesus, he prophesied to Mary that Jesus would cause many people to rise or fall spiritually. Jesus was a sign from God, but many would speak against him (and Mary's own soul would be pierced as by a sword). The innermost thoughts of people would be revealed (by how they responded to Jesus).
There was a woman named Anna, who had been widowed as a young woman and remained a widow who was now eighty-four. She dwelt in the temple night and day, worshiping with prayer and fasting. She also encountered Jesus and his parents, and gave thanks to God. She testified about him to all who were seeking the redemption of Jerusalem.
Commentary:
We are all born into slavery to sin (disobedience of God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is (eternal) death (Revelation 20:6; 21:8). Jesus came to free us from bondage to sin and death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and salvation from eternal destruction in Hell. (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
God's Word is law. The law was given to restrain us from living according to our sinful worldly human nature, until the coming of Jesus. Jesus came once physically for all the world to see. He comes individually and personally to his disciples through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John .
1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Jesus will come again at the end of our individual lives on the Day of Judgment, when he will judge the living and the dead, in both physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:15).
Everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to Jesus for what we have done in this lifetime, and Jesus is the standard by which we will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been "born-again" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit during this lifetime, and will enter eternal life. Those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction, the "second death" (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). When we call God our Father, the Holy Spirit within us testifies with our spirit that we are God's children and heirs.
Before the coming of Jesus physically, and his death and resurrection, only a few individuals had the "anointing" (gift; baptism; infilling) of the Holy Spirit. Both Simeon and Anna were filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Simeon prophesied by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is God's promised Savior (Messiah; Christ; God's "anointed;" Luke 2:30) and the "light" of spiritual enlightenment for all people (John 1:9), not just the Jews. Everyone will either rise spiritually to eternal life or fall to eternal destruction by how they respond to Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18). How people respond to Jesus reveals their spiritual condition and their innermost thoughts and motivations (John 3:18-21). There are many today who hate Jesus and speak negatively about him. In the Day of Judgment the disciples of Jesus Christ will rejoice, but the unbelievers will be put to eternal shame.
Simeon told Mary that her own soul would be pierced, as by a sword. Jesus is the one who we have pierced, by the nails of the cross and the spear thrust in his side (John 19:32-37). Mary was present at Jesus' crucifixion, (John 19:25-27; 31-37). She must certainly have felt as though her own soul had been pierced. We have all been responsible for Jesus' death, because we all sinned and make his sacrifice on the cross necessary for our forgiveness and salvation.
Anna is an example of a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ. She sought God through worship with prayer and fasting (Acts 17:26-27). She believed the promises of God's Word. She trusted and obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So God revealed himself to her in Jesus Christ (John 14:21, 23). She had a personal knowledge and experience of Jesus, and then she proclaimed Jesus to all who were seeking the redemption of Jerusalem (the Church is the "New Jerusalem; the city of God on earth, awaiting the redemption of our physical bodies, and our entry into the eternal New Jerusalem of God's kingdom in heaven).
Jesus is the redeemer. He paid the price with his own flesh and blood so that we could be freed from bondage to sin and released from the penalty of our sin under the law. Those who are filled with and guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit are no longer under bondage and condemnation of the law (Romans 8:1-11).
Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit do we have a personal knowledge of and relationship with Jesus. We cannot testify to others about Jesus until we know him personally ourselves. We cannot make "born-again" disciples of Jesus unless we're willing to be "born-again" disciples and have personally experienced spiritual "rebirth."
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
January 1
First Posted 01/01/09
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
Praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in heaven through Jesus. God chose us in Christ, before the beginning of Creation, to be holy and blameless in his judgment through Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. In love, he intended us to be his sons and daughters through Jesus, in accordance with his will, so that his grace (unmerited favor) freely and generously given to us through Jesus Christ, his beloved, will be praised and glorified.
Paul continually remembered the Christians (in Ephesus, and throughout the Church) in his prayers, giving thanks to God for their faith and their love for all the saints. Paul asked the God of our Lord Jesus, our Father in glory, to give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, that their hearts might be enlightened, and that they would know the hope to which we have been called, the richness of the inheritance we share with the saints.
Commentary:
Through faith (obedient trust) we have been given every spiritual blessing in the eternal, invisible, supernatural, kingdom of God, which exists around us now and is coming to replace this present Creation. God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. That is the destiny which he has chosen us to receive, but he allows us the freedom to choose whether to accept and receive it or not.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed of sin (disobedience of God's Word) so that we can be holy and blameless in God's presence. In love he intends for us to become his adopted children through Jesus Christ. Through his Beloved, Jesus Christ, he has given us free, abundant, glorious grace (unmerited favor), which is worthy of our greatest praise and thanksgiving to him.
Accepting the gracious gift of God in Jesus Christ as our eternal Savior and Lord is the first step in discipleship and spiritual growth. Paul rejoiced in their thankfulness to God for their salvation in Jesus Christ, and their love for all "believers." Paul was "discipling" them by letter, while he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Paul wanted them to know the Biblical apostolic doctrine of the Church; the doctrine taught by the Apostles of Jesus Christ, including Paul, and which is recorded in the New Testament; and he was praying for and teaching that to them.
Paul was also praying for and teaching them to grow in discipleship. Jesus had commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem (the Church is the “New Jerusalem) until they had been spiritually "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and then they were to go into the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making "born-again" disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to trust and obey everything Jesus taught (The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20).
The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the spirit of (divine, eternal) wisdom; the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), who will teach Jesus' disciples all things, and recall to their remembrance all Jesus' teachings (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we have a personal knowledge of and relationship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Only by the indwelling Holy Spirit are we spiritually reborn to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the foretaste of the life to come in eternity through whom we can experience the hope of the Gospel and the inheritance of the saints ("believers"). It is possible to know with certainty for oneself whether one has been "filled" with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit or not (Acts 19:2).
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a "modern," "post-resurrection," "born-again" disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, like we can be. He was "discipled" by a "born-again" disciple, Ananias, until Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-18, and then Paul began fulfilling the Great Commission to teach the Gospel and make "born-again" disciples (Acts 9:20-22; Matthew 28:19-20), and to teach them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 1:6; 2:2).
Sadly, in too many instances, the (nominal) "Church" today has settled for making "members," "fair-weather Christians," instead of making disciples, and building "buildings" instead of building the kingdom of God.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
January 2
First Posted 01/02/09
John 1:1-18 -- Prologue of John
The Word of God was with God at the beginning of Creation, and is God, divine, eternal, and powerful. Through him all things were made, and nothing that exists was made without him. "In him was (true, eternal) life, and the life is the light of men" (John 1:4). "The light (of righteousness, divine enlightenment, and eternal life) shines in the darkness (of unrighteousness, spiritual ignorance, and spiritual death), and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5).
John, the Baptizer was sent by God. He came to testify to the light so that everyone might believe by his testimony. He made it clear that he, himself, was not the light, but he bore witness to the light.
"The true light that enlightens every [person] was coming into the world" (John 1:9).
He was in the world, which had been made through him, but the world didn't recognize him. His own home and people didn't recognize, accept, and welcome him. "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
John testified that this was the one who was coming after John, but who ranks above John and existed before John. In him is inexhaustible grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) for all, to be received, grace upon grace. The law came through Moses; grace and truth come (only) through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; only Jesus, who is in perfect communion with God, has revealed him.
Commentary:
Jesus is fully God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning; he's not an after-thought, "Plan B," added after mankind introduced sin (disobedience of God's Word) into Creation.
God designed Creation so that we would have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God's will is our best interest. God knew that given that freedom, we would all sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and fall short of God's righteousness (doing what is right, good, and true in accordance with God's Word). The penalty for sin is (eternal, spiritual) death (Romans 6:23; the "second death:" Revelation 20:14; 21:8). Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sins, salvation from eternal destruction, and restoration to fellowship and eternal life with God which was broken by sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:41; compare Genesis 1:3).
Only in Jesus is true, eternal life. He existed with God from the beginning of Creation. He is God who became human (not a man who became God). He died physically on the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of the sins of all people for all time who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. His resurrection from physical death to eternal life demonstrates that there is existence after physical death (not "nothingness;" not reincarnation: Hebrews 9:27).
We are eternal beings in physical bodies. We were born physically alive but spiritually dead because of sin. Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven and cleansed, so that we could receive the gift of eternal life through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
In order to live eternally in God's heavenly kingdom, we must be spiritually "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be "reborn.;" the moment we die physically, our eternal destiny is eternally fixed and unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Jesus is the light of the World (John 1:4, 8:12); the light of righteousness (John 1:5; 3:19-21), the light of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), the light of eternal life (John 8:12).
John the Baptist was the fulfillment of God's Word, prophesied four or five hundred years earlier, of a prophet like Elijah, who would herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1, 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13). John did not claim to be a great prophet like Elijah; he just considered himself a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repent and prepare to receive the Messiah, in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). John was not a failed attempt to become the Messiah (John 1:8, 20).
God has been progressively revealing his purpose for Creation from the very beginning. God wasn't surprised by the fall of man through sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had already been designed into Creation.
"Messiah" is the Hebrew word meaning (God's) "anointed" ("Christ" is the Greek equivalent). With the giving of the Law, God commanded Moses to "anoint" Aaron and his sons with oil to consecrate them as priests of God (Exodus 28:41), prophets (and Kings (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7).
So from the very beginning of the Bible, God had been preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah who would be the eternal prophet, priest and king of God's people. Jesus is the ultimate eternal prophet who declares the Word of God (Deuteronomy 18:15; John 14:10, 24), he is our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14; 5:5-6; 9:11-14; Psalm 110:4), and he is God's "anointed" eternal King above all kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).
Jesus is the promised Messiah who came into the world in human flesh, but although the Jews were expecting the Messiah, they did not recognize and accept Jesus. His own hometown and his own family didn't recognize and accept him (Mark 3:21; John 7:1-5; Luke 4:16-30).
To everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (and trusts and obeys Jesus) he gives the power (the ability; the authority) to become children of God, but note that we must claim and appropriate the promise for ourselves by obedient trust in Jesus. The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is our "rebirth" by God's will and power as God's "adopted" Children.
Jesus is the only "begotten" Son of God, begotten of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:31-35). Jesus existed before John or before anyone in Creation because he was eternal with God and is eternal God (John 1:1, 8:56-58).
Jesus is the "New Moses." Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of law. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; the free gift of salvation) by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have an inexhaustible source of grace.
No one was ever able to fulfill the requirements of the law; to be righteous as God is righteous (Romans 3:23; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-10). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to fulfill the requirements of the righteousness of God's law through obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9 Galatians 3:3-14) through faith in Jesus.
God is Spirit. He is invisible. Jesus existed with God from the beginning of Creation, and is, in his very nature, God. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God to the world in human flesh.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God to us individually and personally (John 14:21-23). Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God our Creator John 14:6, and Jesus reveals himself and God the Father to us through his indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of (divine, eternal) truth (John 14:17).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
January 3
First Posted 01/03/09
O God, give the king thy justice and righteousness, that he may judge your people in righteousness and give justice to the poor. May the mountains and hills produce prosperity and righteousness. May the king "defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor" (Psalm 72:4)!
May the king live as long as the sun and moon, throughout all generations. Let him be like rain showers that refreshes mown grass, and waters the earth. May righteousness and peace abound in his day, until the moon ceases to exist.
"May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). May his foes grovel in the dust in his presence. May the kings of Tarshish (in the western Mediterranean), Sheba and Seba (in south Arabia) pay him tribute and bring him gifts. "May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him" (Psalms 72:11)!
When the needy, the poor and helpless call upon him he delivers them; he has pity on them and saves them. He regards their blood as precious, and redeems their lives from oppression and violence.
May he live long, may the gold of Sheba be given to him. Let prayers be offered for him continually, and blessings invoked for him daily. May the land overflow with an abundance of grain and fruit, and may the people fill the land like grass of the field. May his name endure forever, and his fame be known as long as the sun exists. May all people and nations bless themselves by him and call him blessed.
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen, and Amen" (Psalm 72:18-19).
Commentary:
Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), and possesses the character of God. He has been given God's righteousness and justice, which is far above human ability.
He alone is righteous. In his physical lifetime, he was tempted just as we are, but he was sinless: perfectly obedient to God's Word, unto a terrible death on the cross.
Jesus is the righteous judge, who will return on the Day of Judgment, and judge all people with the justice of God. He will not judge us by the world's standard of justice. In this world's justice, the rich and powerful are favored and the poor, weak and needy are oppressed and exploited.
Jesus will be the standard of judgment, against which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their eternal Lord and King, and have trusted and obeyed him will have been "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8), and will enter eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. But those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Jesus is the eternal King who will reign in God's kingdom forever. The sun and moon of this Creation will pass away, but his kingdom will endure forever.
Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His dominion is over all Creation, but not everyone acknowledges and accepts his dominion. This is the age of God's grace and salvation. He allows us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God's Word, and to learn by trial and error that his Word is good, feasible, and perfectly in our best interest (Romans 12:2). But God isn't going to tolerate rebellion for ever, or at all in his heavenly kingdom, or it wouldn't be heaven!
The Day of Judgment is coming, at the end of our individual lives, when God's grace and salvation will no longer be available. When we die, time stops for us, and our eternal destiny is fixed and unchangeable. In that Day, the Lord will command and we will have no choice but to obey. Those who are saved by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus will rejoice, but the enemies of Jesus who rejected and disobeyed him will be in eternal misery and destruction in Hell.
Jesus is the "son of David" (Matthew 1:1-17; 21:9) the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his descendant would inherit his throne eternally (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). The Queen of Sheba brought gold and gifts to King Solomon, the son of David. The magi (wise men; "the three kings") brought gifts and gold to Jesus at his birth (Matthew 2:1-12). Jesus is the eternal heir to David's throne.
The Lord helps the poor, weak and needy when they call to him in faith. He also withholds blessings from the rebellious and disobedient, in the hope that they will turn to the Lord and acknowledge that he is the provider of every good thing (Psalm 39:10-11 RSV; Deuteronomy 28:38-42; Malachi 3:10-11; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
I think America today is experiencing God's corrective discipline. People work longer and harder and have less to show for it. It now takes two incomes to maintain the same standard of living which used to be provided by one income. Fires and floods are ravaging the land. America needs to wake up and return to obedient trust in God's Word, so that the Lord will again bless us with prosperity (See "How Bad Must Things Get...?" sidebar, top right).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
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