This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:
http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com
Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.
Christ the King - Sunday;
Posted November 23, 2008;
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-28 -- The Good Shepherd;
Psalm 95:1-7a -- The Rock of Salvation;
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 -- The Resurrection;
Mathew 25:31-46 -- The Great Judgment;
Ezekiel:
The Lord declared that he would be the shepherd of his sheep, and would seek them out when they are scattered by a dark, stormy day. He will bring them out of the peoples and countries and bring them into their own land. He will feed them in good pastures on the mountains of Israel, by fountains of water. They shall rest in lush pastures of good grazing. The Lord himself will be their shepherd. He will give them rest. The Lord will seek the lost, bind up the crippled and strengthen the weak, and will guard over the fat and strong. He will give them justice.
The Lord will set one shepherd over them, David, the Lord’s servant, and he will feed them and be their shepherd. The Lord will be their God and his servant David will be a prince among them.
The Lord promised to make a covenant of peace with his people. He will ban wild animals from their land so that God's people can live securely in the wilderness and sleep peacefully in the forests. He will bless them and the area around his mountain (Mt. Zion). He will give them rain in season, and will shower them with blessings. The Lord will bless them with fruitful harvests and they will dwell securely in their land.
The Lord will break the yoke of the oppressors of his people and deliver them from bondage, and then they will know that the Lord is God. They will no longer be preyed upon by the nations, nor by wild beasts, but will dwell securely in their land without any fear.
Psalm:
The Lord is the Rock of our salvation let us sing and make a joyful noise to him. Let enter his presence with thanksgiving and praise him with song, because the Lord is the great God and King above all gods. He is the Creator who has formed the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains. He created the seas and formed the lands.
“O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:6-7a).
1 Corinthians:
The fact of the resurrection is of central importance in our Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus’ resurrection was witnessed by over five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Jesus’ resurrection is the “first-fruits” of eternal life for those believers who have died physically. Sin and death were introduced into Creation, by one man, Adam; but eternal life has been offered only through one person, Jesus Christ. But each event will occur in the appropriate time: Jesus is the “first-fruits;” then when Jesus returns, those who belong to Jesus. Then comes the end of time, when all Jesus’ enemies will be eternally destroyed, the last enemy is death. Then Jesus will deliver the kingdom of his people to God the Father. God has subjugated all things under Jesus, and Jesus is perfectly subjugated to God the Father, so that God will be supreme over everything and everyone.
Matthew:
Jesus said that when the Son of man (Jesus) comes in his glory, with all the angels, he will sit on his throne in majesty, and all the nations will be gathered before him. He will separate them into two groups, one on his right and one on his left, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. To his “sheep” on his right he will tell them that they are blessed by God and will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of Creation. They are chosen because they have given food, drink when Jesus was hungry and thirsty, have clothed him when he was in need, and visited him when he was sick and in prison. They will ask when they had done these things, and he will tell them that as they had done it to the least significant of people they had done it to Jesus.
The Lord will tell the group on the left to depart from his presence into the eternal fire of hell, prepared for Satan and his demons, for they are cursed. They had not given food and drink or clothed Jesus when he was in need, and had not visited Jesus when he was in prison. They will deny knowing that Jesus ever needed any of those things, and Jesus will tell them that as they did not do it to the least of people, they had failed to do it to Jesus. Then they will go away into eternal torment and destruction, but the righteous will enter eternal life.
Commentary:
God promised to be the shepherd of his sheep. He will care for them as the Good Shepherd. He will seek them when they stray, will feed and water them in lush pastures and springs of water. He will heal the sick, strengthen the weak, and guard over them all. He will give them justice.
The Lord promised that there will be one shepherd over his flock. The Good Shepherd is the Lord’s servant, descended from David, the prince under God, among God’s people. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15), the Son (descendant) of David (Matthew 1: 1-17; Matthew 21:9) and the heir to the eternal throne of David, according to God’s promise (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).
Jesus is the Rock of our salvation (from eternal destruction; Matthew 7:24-27; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).
Jesus is the mediator of a new Covenant of peace with God by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, which Jesus established on the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28, RSV note “g;” Hebrews 8:8, 13; 12:24). Through Jesus Christ we inherit a new Creation, prepared for us in heaven, where we will dwell securely without fear. Wild beasts and (Gentile; non-Christian) nations and people will be banished. Jesus is the Savior who breaks the yoke of sin and death by the oppressors of God’s people, who are ultimately Satan and his demons (Hebrews 2:14-15).
God’s people are the sheep of his hand; his sheep who he protects and provides for by his power. Jesus is the right hand of God, his servant, who wields God’s power and authority.
Jesus’ resurrection and his miracles of raising the dead, like Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26) demonstrate that there is existence after physical death. Adam introduced sin and death into this Creation, and we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are under condemnation of (eternal) death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ is the one person through whom resurrection and eternal life are restored, and through who we inherit a new Creation of unspoiled paradise, where sin and evil are eternally banished.
Jesus’ resurrection is the “first-fruits,” the guarantee, that there is eternal life. As we trust and obey Jesus by the assurance of that promise, we will receive 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).
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we know and have fellowship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. All spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, personally testify that Jesus is risen and eternally alive.
God’s Word declares that God has designed this Creation so that people die once, and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27); not “nothingness;” not reincarnation. On the Day of Judgment Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses. Jesus is the shepherd who will separate the spiritually living from the spiritually dead. The standard of judgment will be Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been reborn to spiritual, eternal life, and will enter God’s new Creation, his eternal kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or neglected to trust and obey Jesus will perish eternally in Hell with Satan and all evil.
God’s Word promises that those who hate, defy, and rebel against God and God’s anointed eternal savior and king will be eternally destroyed. Jesus is also the rock that will trip up and destroy the wicked (Romans 9:33; I Peter 2:8).
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)?
Christ the King - Monday
Posted November 24; 2008;
Psalm 80:1-7 -- Shepherd of Israel;
O shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock, hear our cry. You who are enthroned on Cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Rise up in power and come and save us.
"Restore us, O God; let thy face shine that we may be saved" (Psalm 80:3)!
How long will you be angry with your people's prayers, O Lord? You have abundantly given them tears as bread to eat and tears as drink. You have made us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh at us.
"Restore us, O God; let thy face shine that we may be saved" (Psalm 80:7)!
Commentary:
Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob (Israel). The tribes mentioned are some of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel of the divided monarchy.
The Lord was visualized as enthroned on cherubim, mythological winged creatures. The Ark of the Covenant, had a "mercy seat" with cherubim on each side, where the presence of God rested (Exodus 25:17-20).
The Lord is the Good Shepherd who cares for his people like a shepherd cares for his flock. God promised to be their shepherd. God did shepherd his people through his prophets, but he ultimately fulfilled it in the Messiah, Jesus Christ (John 10:11, 14), the son (descendant) of David (Matthew 1:1, 21:9); David was the great human shepherd-king, and Jesus was the eternal heir to David's throne (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).
The Northern Kingdom was repeatedly warned by God's prophets to repent and return to obedient trust in God's Word, but they kept being disobedient and worshiping idols. So God lifted his providence and protection from them and they were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.* Because the Assyrians deported all but the weakest and poorest to other lands, and brought in aliens from other conquered lands, the northern ten tribes effectively ceased to exist. The remnant intermarried with the aliens and became the Samaritans of mixed race and religion at the time of Jesus' physical ministry.
The Lord removes his favor and protection from his people and allows them to taste sorrow and scorn in the hope that they will repent and return to obedient trust in the Lord so that the Lord can save them. The Northern Kingdom could have been restored up to the day of the fall of Samaria, but they refused.
When Moses returned from the mountain and the presence of God, his face shone with the fading splendor of God's presence (Exodus 34:29-35). When the tabernacle was set up, the pillar of cloud and fire that had led Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22) descended and filled the tabernacle with the glory of God's presence (Exodus 40:34-38). Asking God to let his face shine upon us is asking for his favor be upon us, to smile upon us and bless us with his glory. Asking God to restore us and bless us is not going to be effective if we aren't willing to repent and return to obedient trust in his word (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, 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)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Chronological Tales of Rulers, p. 1533, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Christ the King -Tuesday
Posted November 25, 2008;
Isaiah 63:16b-17; 64:1-8, -- Prayer for Restoration;
You are our Father, O Lord. You have been known as our Redeemer from ancient times. Why do you allow us to stray from your ways and and to harden our hearts so that we no longer fear you? For the sake of your servants and the tribes of your heritage, return to us.
We pray that you would rend the heavens and come down; that at your presence, the mountains would quake, like when brushwood catches fire and causes a pot of water to boil. Let your name be made known to your adversaries, that all nations might tremble at your presence.
When you did awesome things that we were not expecting, you came down, and the mountain quaked at your presence. No one has ever heard or seen, from earliest times, a God like you who works for those who wait for you. You meet those who rejoice in doing what is right, those who remember your ways.
You have been angry because we have sinned, and we have been sinning for a long time; can we yet be saved? We have all become like lepers, and all our deeds are like filthy garments. We fade away like leaves, carried off by our iniquities like the wind. No one calls upon your name or reaches out to take hold of you. You have hidden your face from us and delivered us unto the consequences of our sins.
Commentary:
God has designed this world to allow us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God's Word and the opportunity to learn by trial and error. Sin is straying from obedient trust in God's Word and leads to more and more disobedience. It hardens our hearts so that we lose the healthy fear of God's power and authority.
When we trust and obey God he is close to us, but when we sin (disobey God's Word) he separates himself from us. The long history of God's dealing with Israel, recorded in the Bible, reveals that when Israel was rebellious and idolatrous, God lifted the favor and protection of his presence from them and allowed them to suffer the consequences of their sin, in the hope that they would realize their sinfulness and repent and return to obedient trust in God's Word.
Israel experienced the awesomeness of God's presence when God came down upon Mt. Sinai (Mt Horeb), to meet Moses and give him the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:3-25). Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law. The people asked Moses to be their intermediary between God and themselves, because they were terrified to hear God's voice (20:19-20).
Jesus is our "New Moses" the mediator of the New Covenant of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), the intermediary between God and ourselves. Jesus is the non-threatening image of God (John 14:9), through whom we hear God's Word and are able to do it by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not out of fear but out of love.
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). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the love of God for us, personally and individually.
God is the only true God. Jesus is the Word of God, the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word lived out in this world in human flesh. Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator, and the only way to have true, eternal life (John 14:6). Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.
If we trust and obey God's Word and wait for his timing, we will receive what God promises. The Lord will reveal himself to those who remember his ways, and rejoice in doing what is right according to God's Word (John 14:21, 23).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of God to be our redeemer. He paid, on the cross, the price for our release from bondage to sin and and eternal death, which is the consequence of sin. Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and salvation from condemnation to eternal death (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
"Born-again" Christians experience a foretaste of the joy of the glory of the presence of God. We look forward to Jesus' return in glory and power. We pray "maranatha!" which means "Our Lord, come!" But the Day of his coming will not be joy for nominal "Christians" or unbelievers.
Not every one who calls Jesus his Lord, or calls himself a "Christian" will be saved. Church membership won't save us; religious ritual won't save us. Only a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit will save us.
If Jesus is our Lord we will trust and obey all that he teaches (Matthew 7:21-27). Christians are disciples (Acts 11:26c) who trust and obey Jesus and have been filled with the Holy Spirit.
A lot of "God's people" have become spiritual lepers. Their flesh is rotting and they are spiritually dead. They think they're saved because they think they're "good people," but their "goodness" is like filthy clothing. They're like dried up leaves, about to be carried off by their sins like the wind. They may call upon the Lord, but not effectively. God is under no obligation to hear and answer prayers of those who don't listen, trust and obey God's Word (see Conditions for Answered Prayer; sidebar, top right).
They may seek the Lord, but not with all their heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29). They're not willing to hear the whole Gospel, both the promises and the warnings. They're not willing to make time daily to read the Bible and seek God's guidance. They're not willing to wait quietly for the Lord to answer and reveal his will to them. The Holy Spirit has departed from many "churches" and his presence isn't missed.
The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-17). Now is the time to seek God's presence while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6; 2 Corinthians 6:2).
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)?
Christ the King - Wednesday
Posted November 26, 2008;
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 -- Paul's Greeting;
Paul greeted the Cornithian congregation with grace (unmerited favor) and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was thankful to God for the grace of God which the Corinthian Christians had received through Jesus Christ, that they were enriched in speech and knowledge, and their testimony to Christ was confirmed among them (by changed lives). They have received all the spiritual gifts for their benefit as they await the return of Jesus. Jesus will sustain them and preserve them guiltless at the Day of Judgment. God who had called them to fellowship in his Son Jesus Christ is faithful in keeping his promises.
Commentary:
Jesus Christ is the only source of the grace of God and peace with God and mankind. In Jesus Christ, God forgives us all our sin (disobedience of God's Word) as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9, so we have peace with God which was broken by sin.
Paul rejoiced that the Corinthian Christians were growing spiritually, by the guidance and empowerment of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who confirmed their testimony to Christ Jesus by their changed lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit teaches "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples all things and brings to their remembrance all that Jesus taught (John 14:26). It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that Christians are equipped, guided and empowered to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12; Zechariah 4:6).
Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:19-20) but Jesus warns them to stay in Jerusalem (the Church is the New Jerusalem on earth), until they have received the gift (baptism; anointing) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).
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).
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a "born-again" disciple (Acts 9:1-22) who had been discipled by a "born-again" disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), until Paul was spiritually reborn (Acts 9:17-22). Paul's conversion was exceptional for its suddenness, but Paul had been formally trained in Judaism and Scripture, and had zeal for God; he just needed to be pointed toward the Messiah, Jesus.
Paul was making disciples, leading them to be spiritually reborn (2 Timothy 1:6), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2). There were people in various stages of spiritual growth in the Corinthian congregation just as in any church today. There were doctrinal and ethical problems within the congregation which Paul was dealing with. New "Christians" had enthusiasm but not practical experience.
There is a tendency among new converts to think they have already "arrived" at spiritual wisdom and maturity. Entry into Church membership, or Baptism, or "Confirmation" or other religious ritual is the beginning of spiritual growth, not certification of spiritual maturity. They must be guided to persevere in discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus Christ until they have received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
New believers in Corinth were causing division within the congregation by claiming loyalty to one apostle (pastor) over another, as if the efficacy of baptism depended on which apostle had done it (1 Corinthians 1:11-16). There are the same divisions in the Church today. Some are becoming disciples of a certain preacher, rather than disciples of Jesus Christ through his indwelling Holy Spirit.
Denominations squabble over infant baptism versus "believers baptism," and over the amount of water used (immersion versus "sprinkling"), as if that had some influence on its efficacy. Some of the Corinthian Christians were carried away with the grace and freedom in Jesus, and thought therefore that they were free to indulge themselves (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). The same thing, called "Cheap Grace,"* is taught in some "Churches" (Denominations) today (see False Teachings, 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)?
*The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6. "Cheap Grace" “Libertinism;” “Nicolaitanism;” false freedom from self-discipline; i.e., licentiousness; see Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:9-20. See False Teachings, sidebar, top right.
Christ the King - Thursday
Posted November 27, 2008;
Mark 11:1-10 -- Triumphal Entry;
Mark 13:33-37 -- Be Watchful;
Mark 11:
Jesus, with his disciples, was on his way to Jerusalem where he knew he would be crucified. When they got to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives (about two miles outside of Jerusalem), he sent two disicples into the the village where they would find a colt (of a donkey) which no one had ever ridden. They were to untie it and bring it to Jesus. If anyone questioned them they were to reply that the Lord had need of it and that they would bring it back immediately. The disciples did as Jesus had directed, they untied the colt, were questioned, and replied as Jesus had told them.
They brought the donkey to Jesus. They put their cloaks on the donkey and Jesus sat on it. Many of the crowd of followers spread their cloaks on the ground and others spread leafy branches on the road for a carpet for Jesus to ride over. Some went ahead and others followed behind shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest" (Mark 11:9-10)!
Mark 13:
Jesus told his disciples to be alert and watchful (for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment; Mark 13:26), because no one knows the time of his return. Jesus said it will be like a master who was going on a journey and put his servants in charge of his household, and commanded the doorkeeper to be on watch. So we are to watch, because the master could return at any hour of the day or night. We don't want him to find us sleeping. Jesus' warning applies to all people.
Commentary:
Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was a visual "parable." Jesus is the Messiah (Christ; both mean "anointed"), God's anointed Savior and eternal King who was to inherit the throne of his ancestor David, the great shepherd-king of Israel (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). But Jesus wasn't entering Jerusalem in a chariot, as a worldly king would, but on a young donkey which must have seemed disproportionately small in relationship to Jesus. His followers weren't armed soldiers on horseback, but they used what they had to give Jesus a "royal" welcome.
Jesus' disciples trusted Jesus, did what he told them to do and they found the job of fetching the donkey to be just as he had told them. Later that week Jesus sent them to prepare for the Passover feast, the "Last Supper" and gave them the same sort of instructions; and then, as they did what he said, they found it exactly as he had told them (Mark 14:12-16).
Jesus knew beforehand what would take place. He knew and had told his disciples three times that he was going to be crucified and would rise from the dead on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34). Jesus knew, the same way he knew all about the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:16-19); the same way he knew Nathanael before Jesus met him (John 1:43-49). People who trust and obey Jesus will learn from experience that what Jesus says is absolutely true and reliable. (But we must listen and be sure we understand what he is saying. Jesus will never tell us to do anything contrary to God's Word, the Bible, or anything which will harm ourselves or others.)
Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem foreshadows his Second Coming at the end of time on the Day of Judgment. Jesus has promised to return to judge the living and the dead, in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-29).
Jesus is the ideal judge, perfectly righteous, obedient, and sinless, according to God's Word. We have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word) and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). We have all "crucified" Jesus because we have all sinned and made his sacrificial death on the cross necessary for our salvation from eternal condemnation. By God's intentional design, Jesus is the only one who can forgive our sins (Acts 4:12; Mark 2:10; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is going to return on the Day of Judgment, not humbly on a donkey, but with great power and glory, and with his angelic army. Jesus is the standard of judgment by which all will be judged. Those who have welcomed the humble Jesus and proclaimed him Lord, and trusted and obeyed him during this age, will be rejoicing at his Second Coming, and Jesus will acknowledge them as his disciples. But those who have refused to repent, accept him as Lord, and trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46).
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27) and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:15-17). This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8), which is only possible by the gift ("baptism;" "anointing") 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).
Jesus is Lord and Master, whether we acknowledge him or not Matthew 28:18). Right now we have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, but there is a day coming when he will command and we will have no choice but to obey (John 5:28-29; Philippians 2:10-11; Matthew 25:31-46).
It isn't sufficient to call Jesus our Lord, or to call ourselves "Christians," without learning to know and do what he commands (Matthew 7:21-24; Luke 6:46). Church membership and "religious ritual" won't save us. Only a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit will save us.
Jesus' warning is to all, not just to his disciples. Jesus has given us his instructions which we are to carry out while he is away on his journey. His instructions are in the Bible. We will not be able to claim that we didn't know or weren't told. When he returns, we will each be individually accountable to him for what we have done while he was away. His return will not be some day far off. He will return within the span of our individual lifetimes, and no one knows how long that will be.
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)?
Christ the King - Friday
Posted November 28, 2008
Jeremiah 33:14-18 -- Righteous Branch;
Colossians 1:12-23 -- God's Promise Fulfilled;
Jeremiah:
God said he would fulfill the promise he had made to Israel and Judah to bring forth a righteous branch for David, who will establish justice and righteousness in the land. Then Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will be secure. And Jerusalem will be called "The Lord is our righteousness" (Jeremiah 33:16).
The Lord promised that the throne of David would never be vacated, and the Levitical priesthood will never lack a man to make sacrifices and offerings in God's presence for ever.
Colossians
Paul urged the congregation at Colossae (in Phrygia in Asia Minor; present-day Turkey) to continually give thanks to God who has given us a share in the inheritance of the Saints (those consecrated to God in Jesus Christ) in the kingdom of light (of God's righteousness). We have been transferred from the power of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved Son, by whom we have been redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin.
Jesus is God made visible, and the first-born of all Creation. All things were created in, by and for Jesus, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; all authority and power in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He is before and above all things, and essential to the stability of all things.
Jesus is the head of the Church like a human head of a of a physical body. He is the first-born of the dead. He is preeminent over all things. "In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Colossians 1:19; compare 2:8-9). Through him God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, in heaven and on earth, making peace by his blood shed on the cross.
We were all once separated from, and hostile to God by sin (disobedience of God's Word). But now God has reconciled us to himself by the death of Jesus' physical body, so that we can be presented to God as holy (perfectly consecrated to God), blameless and irreproachable, "provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel" (Colossians 1:23), which they heard by Paul's preaching, and which has been made known to all people on earth.
Commentary:
Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to bring forth a righteous branch from David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel. Jesus is the long-awaited eternal Savior and eternal King, the son of David (Matthew 1:1, 17; 21:9b), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), and eternal heir to David's throne. Jesus is the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8). Jesus is the perfection of the Levitical priesthood. (Hebrews 7:1-28; NB: v. 11); our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14). Jesus made intercession once for all time and all people on the cross (Hebrews 7:28).
We should give thanks to God constantly for the gift of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word; Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation (from eternal condemnation and death, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23), which he gave us as a free gift (unmerited favor) to be received through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are redeemed (our release from slavery to sin and death has been purchased; by Jesus' life-blood), We have been transferred from the power of darkness (evil; unrighteousness; Satan's power) to the kingdom of light (of Jesus' righteousness), and receive the forgiveness of all our sins through faith in Jesus.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God made visible in human flesh in this world. Jesus is fully God and fully human (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and illustrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus has been built into the structure of Creation of the entire universe. He is one with the Creator, and Creation has been created by and for him. Jesus has been given all power and authority above any worldly power and authority (Matthew 28:18). Jesus existed before all Creation and is above all Creation. He is essential to the stability of the entire created universe.
Jesus is the first-born from physical death to eternal life. Jesus' resurrection from physical death, and his miracles of resurrection (of Lazarus and Jairus' daughter, for example; Matthew 9:18-26; John 11:38-44) demonstrate that there is existence after physical death.
God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. God has designed this Creation to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not. But God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom. This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time and death.
We have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
We have all been separated from fellowship with God because of our sin. God took the initiative to restore us to fellowship with him through Jesus Christ. Jesus has become the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sin and our salvation. By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are marked by the blood of Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb, for us to be "passed over" by the destroying angel (Exodus 12:13). By faith in Jesus, his blood reconciles us to God and attributes to us Jesus' perfect sinlessness and righeousness, provided that we hold fast the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by Paul and the other Apostles and recorded in the Bible.
The Gospel has been proclaimed for more than two thousand years, and is available in every language. No one can claim to have never heard it. There is a day coming when Christ will return, to judge the living and dead, in both physical and spiritual senses. Every one who has ever lived will be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime with the Gospel. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) and will be acknowledged and receive eternal life in God's kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused to trust and obey Jesus, will be condemned to eternal destruction and eternal death in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
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)?
Christ the King - Saturday
Posted November 29, 2008;
This Gospel is traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and friend of Paul, the Apostle, who also wrote the book of Acts (see Acts 1:1). It is addressed to Theophilus, meaning "lover of God," who may have been an individual Christian, or it may be a salutation to all people who love God.
Luke 1:1-25 -- Birth of John the Baptizer;
During the reign of Herod, king of Judah (37-4 B.C.; the approximate date of the events described here is 7-6 B.C.*), there was a priest, of the division of Abijah (a descendant of Eleazar, the son of Aaron), named Zechariah. Zechariah was married to Elizabeth who was also a descendant of Aaron and a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They were both righteous, living in obedience to God's Word, but they were childless. Elizabeth was beyond the age of childbearing (Luke 1:36), and Mary was a virgin (Luke 1:31-35)
When Zechariah's division was on duty, Zechariah was chosen to enter the temple and burn incense, and there was a large crowd of people praying outside at the appointed time of incense. An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah beside the altar of incense, and Zechariah was frightened. The angel told him not to be afraid; Zechariah's prayer had been heard and Zechariah's wife would bear a son, who was to be named John.
The angel said that many would rejoice at the birth, not only Zechariah and Elizabeth. John would be great in God's judgment. He would drink no alcohol, and would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. John would turn many in Israel to the Lord. The angel declared that John would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. He would soften the hearts of adults to become tender like children's.** He will turn "the disobedient to the wisdom of the just" (to obedience of God's Word, which is divine, eternal wisdom), to prepare the people for the Lord (the coming Messiah).
Zechariah asked the angel how this could be since both he and his wife were beyond the age of childbearing. The angel replied that his name was Gabriel, who served in God's presence, and had been sent to bring Zechariah this good news. The angel declared that Zechariah would be unable to speak until the angel's message had been fulfilled, because Zechariah had not believed the angel's message.
The people outside the temple were waiting for Zechariah to come out and wondered what had delayed him. When Zechariah reappeared, he was unable to speak. The people realized that he must have seen a vision in the temple, and Zechariah tried to communicate with hand signs. At the end of his duty at the temple he returned home.
Later, his wife became pregnant, and she hid her pregnancy for five months. She realized that the Lord had taken away her shame among her people because of barrenness.
Commentary:
Until the coming of Jesus, only a few people were filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Lord chose them to be his prophets. John was chosen before his conception, and was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and perhaps even within the womb (Luke 1:41).
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, chosen by God to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. John is the fulfillment of God's Word of the return of Elijah (Elias) to herald the coming of Messiah (Luke 1:17a; Matthew 17:11-13). Elijah himself did also return but not publicly; it was witnessed only by the three disciples of Jesus' inner circle, at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2).
John was a descendant of Aaron (the original High Priest and brother of Moses), through both of his parents, and he was related to Jesus through his mother. John didn't consider himself equal to Elijah (John 1:21); he was merely a messenger guided by the Holy Spirit to call Israel to repentance and point to the coming of Messiah. He didn't know who the Messiah was until God gave him the sign (John 1:31-34).
The water baptism of John's ministry was for repentance. Jesus' disciples continued the water baptism of John's ministry (John 4:2). Jesus came to make it possible for all people to receive the "baptism" (gift; anointing) of the 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 Holy Spirit wasn't given until after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection (John 7:37-39; John 16:7). Jesus told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit before going into the world with the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 2:1-13).
The apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a "modern," "post-resurrection," "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle, as we also can be. He was discipled by a "born-again" disciple Ananias, until he was spiritually "reborn" (Acts 9:10-17), and then, guided and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, he made disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:20), as Jesus had commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), until they were "reborn." Then he taught them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2).
Paul encountered disciples of John the Baptist who had only been baptized with water, and were unaware of the gift of spiritual rebirth by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7). They had been disciples of John, but they needed to become disciples of Jesus. They needed to be guided by a "born-again" disciple as Paul had needed to be guided by "born-again" Ananias (Acts 9:10-17).
Spiritual rebirth is a discernable ongoing event. Anyone who isn't sure for one's self hasn't been reborn. Christians need to be aware of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and to seek "rebirth" themselves.
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)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Luke 1:5n, p. 1239, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
**The Living Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, 1971, ISBN 8423-2250-7
