Week of 2 Christmas - Epiphany A
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:
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Podcast Download: Week of 2 Christmas - Epiphany A
Sunday 2 Christmas A
First Posted January 2, 2011;
Podcast: Sunday 2 Christmas A
Isaiah 61:10-62:3 - Vindication and Salvation;
Psalm 147:13-21 - Lord of Creation;
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 - Spiritual Enlightenment;
John 1:1-18 - Living Word;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
Let the people of God rejoice and exalt in the Lord our God. He has clothed us in salvation and righteousness, as a bride and bridegroom are adorned for a wedding. God has caused righteousness and praise to spring forth, like the earth causes shoots to spring forth and as a garden produces sprouts from seed.
For the sake of Zion (the people of God, the Church) and Jerusalem (the heavenly City of God), let us not keep silent, or rest until she is vindicated, and her salvation shine as a flaming torch in the spiritual darkness. All nations and peoples will see her vindication and salvation. The Lord will give us a new name and we will be a crown of beauty in the Lord’s hand.
Psalm Paraphrase:
Let Jerusalem (the Church) and Zion (the people of God) praise our God! It is the Lord who protects, blesses, and gives us peace and prosperity. He rules Creation and the forces of nature; snow, ice, wind and rain are subject to his command. He declares his word to Jacob (the inheritor of the promise), his statutes and ordinances to Israel (the people of God). He has not had such a close relationship with any other nation; they don’t know or acknowledge his Word.
Ephesians Paraphrase:
Let us praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received every spiritual blessing in Heaven, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated to God’s service) and blameless" (Ephesians 1:4) in God’s judgment. In love, by God’s will, he intended us to be his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ according to his eternal purpose, that his glorious grace (unmerited favor), freely bestowed upon us through his beloved Son, would be praised.
Because Paul had heard of the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus and love for the saints (believers), he constantly gave thanks to God and prayed that God would give them “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him (the Lord)” (Ephesians 1:17; compare Isaiah 11:2), that they might have their spiritual eyes enlightened, so that they might know the hope to which they have been called, the riches of their inheritance, which they share with the saints, and the immeasurably great power of his working within believers, which he accomplished in raising Jesus from the dead to eternal life, dominion, authority, and power, far above any other, and gave him a name above every other name in this age and in the eternal age that is coming.
John Paraphrase:
At the beginning of Creation was the Word, the active, creative, eternal Word of God. The Word was with God in unity, and was God (shared his divine nature; was fully God). He existed in the beginning with God. Everything in Creation was made through him and nothing in creation was made without him. In him was (real, eternal) life “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4b). “The light (of righteousness; eternal life) shines in the (spiritual) darkness, and the darkness (evil) has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
John (the Baptizer) was a man sent by God to testify to that light, so that all might believe in the light through John’s testimony. John was not the light but came to point people to the light.
The true light of spiritual enlightenment was coming into the world. He came into the world which had been created through him, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to Israel, his own people, and his own home (Nazareth), but his own people did not welcome and accept him (Luke 4:16-30). “But to all who received him and believed in his name (his person and character) he gave the *power* to become children of God” (John 1:12), born (spiritually) by the will of God; not by human will or by flesh and blood.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only (begotten) Son from the Father” (John 1:14). John (the Baptizer) testified that this was he who followed John in chronological appearance, but ranked before him in power, authority and existence. Through him we have received abundant grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) beyond measure. Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law; but grace and (divine, eternal) truth come through Jesus (John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8). No one can see God, but God’s only Son, Jesus, who is in complete unity and fellowship with God, has made him known.
Commentary:
The disciples of Jesus Christ are accounted as righteous and blameless in God’s Judgment, not by our own merits, but by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. The righteousness and sinlessness of Jesus are attributed to us through faith. The Church (the people of God) is the bride of Christ.
Believers are urged to proclaim the Gospel to a world lost and dying in spiritual darkness, until believers’ vindication and salvation are revealed to all people on the Day of Judgment at the Second Coming (Second Advent) of Jesus Christ. We are to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16), the flaming torch of spiritual, eternal truth in the spiritual darkness of this world.
The meaning and purpose of life in this temporal world is to seek and find God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). God was close to Israel because Abraham and his descendants heard, trusted and obeyed God’s Word.
God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27) and to learn to trust and obey God’s Word.
God has designed Creation from the very beginning with the “Messiah,” God’s promised Savior and eternal King, designed into the structure of Creation. God designed Creation with the possibility of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) so that we could truly have free choice of whether or not to trust and obey God. But God will not tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever.
God has designed this Creation so that no one is worthy, by his own merits, to deserve salvation from God’s condemnation, and worthy of eternal life, so that God can give salvation and eternal life as a free gift (unmerited favor) to those who trust and obey God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Believers of the Gospel will begin to trust and obey Jesus’ teachings, and as they do so, they will receive 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). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, their “spiritual eyes” will be enlightened (Luke 24:45) by divine, eternal truth (John 14:25-26). They will experience the “first-fruits,” the “security-deposit” on eternal life, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, 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). They will experience the power of the Holy Spirit, the power which raised Jesus from physical death to eternal life, working in and through them.
Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and exemplification of God’s Word, lived out in this world in human flesh. (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus has been God’s one and only plan for the forgiveness of our sin, our salvation from God’s eternal condemnation and destruction of us in Hell, and our restoration to fellowship and eternal life with God in his eternal kingdom. Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of salvation, sidebar, top right).
John the Baptizer was the last of the Old Testament prophets (spokesmen of God’s Word) and the first of the New Testament prophets. He was obedient to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) and he called people to repentance and pointed them to Christ.
Jesus is the central point of Creation! Jesus is the center of history! By the time of his coming the people of God had fallen away until Jesus was the last faithful one of Israel, the people of God, and the first of the New Israel, the Church, the New People of God. Many of his own people rejected Jesus, but those who receive him, who believe that he is the promised Savior, the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, he gives the *power* (the promise and the ability) to become the (spiritual, adopted) children of God, not by human will, not by physical biology, but by the will and purpose of God. It is up to us to act in obedient trust, with the power he gives, in order to receive the promise.
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant with God; the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Jesus is the only, divine truth, and the only way to restoration to fellowship with God our Father (Creator) and to eternal life (John 14:6).
Jesus has promised that he will reveal himself and God the Father to those who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:21, 23). No one can know or come to God except through Jesus (John 14:6; Matthew 11:27).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?Monday January 3 A
First Posted January 3, 2011
Podcast: January 3 A
John 1:1-18 - The Living Word;
Paraphrase:
At the beginning of Creation was the Word, the active, creative, eternal Word of God. The Word was with God in unity, and was God (shared the divine nature; was fully God). He existed in the beginning with God. Everything in Creation was made through him and nothing in creation was made without him. In him was (real, eternal) life “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4b). “The light (of righteousness; eternal life) shines in the (spiritual) darkness, and the darkness (evil) has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
John the Baptizer was a man sent from God to bear witness to the light, so that all could believe through his testimony. John was not the light but he came to bear witness to the light.
The true light that gives spiritual enlightenment to all people was coming into the world. He was in the world, and he was the creator of everything in the world, but the people of the world did not know and recognize him. He came to his own people and his own town, but his own people rejected him (Luke 4:16-30). “But 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 will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace (unmerited favor; forgiving love) and truth (faithful promises); we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only (begotten) Son from the Father” (John 1:14). This is he of whom John said that he came after John in chronological appearing, but was before him in rank and existence. From his abundance we have received grace upon grace. The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth are through Jesus. No one has ever seen God; but God’s only Son, who is in complete communion with God, has revealed him.
Commentary:
Jesus Christ is the “living Word;” he is the fulfillment, embodiment, and exemplification of God’s Word lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24). Jesus’ word has the creative force of God’s Word (Matthew 8:23-27). Jesus was fully human and also fully God (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus is God, who became a man; not the other way around. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; one God in three expressions; in unity; the Trinity (Romans 8:9).
The structure of Creation has been designed with God’s promised Messiah, Jesus Christ at its very center (Ephesians 1:9-10). God has intended from the very beginning to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27) and to learn to trust and obey him. God has created this world to allow for the possibility for sin (disobedience of God’s Word) so that we will have true freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God’s Word, but he has also fixed a time limit on Creation and our individual lifetimes.
All have sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ is God’s one and only provision for the forgiveness of our sin, salvation from God’s judgment of eternal condemnation and destruction, restoration of fellowship with God which was broken by sin, and eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is the “light of the world,” “the light of life” (John 8:12). Light represents righteousness and darkness is sin and evil. Jesus is the true righteousness and he imparts his righteousness to those who trust and obey him (Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 4:8).
Light also symbolizes true, spiritual enlightenment, eternal truth, the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8) contrasted with the darkness of spiritual ignorance, false teaching and unbelief (Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:18).
Light also represents eternal life and the eternal kingdom of light (1 Timothy 6:15-16), contrasted with the darkness of eternal death.
[For me, from a background of High School Physics many years ago, I understand that the speed of light is a speed limit in this creation. One can never reach the speed of light, because as one does, time slows down and would appear to stop as the limit is reached. The result would be “relative” to the point of view of the observer; outside, time stops; inside, time goes on forever. This is not a scientific argument to prove “eternity,” but I have learned from experience that God’s Word is true, whether we understand everything about this Creation or not.]
Jesus came to his own people, Israel, God’s chosen people, who had a covenant relationship with God, who had the Bible scriptures, but many refused to recognize, accept, trust and obey him. Even in Nazareth, his hometown, he was rejected and driven out (Luke 4:16-30).
To those who accept Jesus, who trust and obey him, Jesus gives the “power” to become adopted children of God, who are “reborn” 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). Jesus makes it possible for us to be spiritually “born-again,” but we must receive it by obedient trust in him. We cannot buy it, earn it or take it by force or deception. 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).
Abraham was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law between God and Israel. The Law was to restrain evil until the coming of Christ, and to show that no one is able to be saved by doing good works (keeping) of the Law (Galatians 2:16). They were only able to maintain the Covenant by continual sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sin.
Jesus’ coming ended the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant of Grace through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Jesus initiated the New Covenant at the Last Supper, and at his crucifixion, the curtain of the temple separating the people from the presence of God was torn in two from top to bottom, symbolizing that Jesus was the new and better way into the presence of God (Luke 23:45). Jesus has become the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God, for all time and all people, for the forgiveness of sin. The Old Covenant sacrificial system ended with the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Jesus provides abundant grace (saving love; unmerited favor) and truth (faithful promises) to those who trust and obey him. Those who believe God’s Word recognize Jesus as God’s Son, and those who see and recognize Jesus, see what God looks like in human flesh. Only through obedient trust in Jesus can we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit and come to know Jesus and God the Father personally and intimately (Revelation 3:20; John 14:21, 23).
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the New. The true Church, the “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ, are the heirs of John’s call to announce the coming of Jesus and point others to him.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
Tuesday January 4 A
First Posted January 4, 2011
Podcast: January 4 - A
Ephesians 3:2-12 - Mystery Revealed;
Paraphrase:
Paul was an evangelist to the Gentiles because his preaching had been rejected by the Jews, who had caused Paul to be imprisoned (Acts 21:27-22-29). Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) had become a steward of God’s grace to the Gentiles because of a revelation to him of the mystery of God’s plan. This mystery had not been known to former generations but had now been revealed by the (Holy) Spirit to the apostles and prophets of God. That plan is that Gentiles share with Jews the same inheritance, members of the same body and partakers in the same promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.
By God’s grace (unmerited favor) Paul was made a minister of the Gospel by the power of God working in and through Paul (by the indwelling Holy Spirit). Paul considered himself the least worthy of the saints (believers) and realized that it was God’s unmerited favor which made it possible for Paul to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to reveal to all people, the mystery of God’s plan which had been hidden for ages past in God, the Creator of everything. Through the Church the great wisdom of God has been revealed to the entire Universe. This is according to the eternal purpose of God which he has accomplished in Jesus Christ, our Lord. By faith in Jesus we can have bold and confident access to God.
Commentary:
God has always intended from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him. This Creation has been designed according to God’s eternal purpose. It has been designed to allow the possibility of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) so that we truly have free choice whether or not to trust and obey God. God will not tolerate disobedience forever; he has placed a time limit on this Creation and on our lifetimes.
The meaning and purpose of this temporal lifetime is to seek and come to know God (Acts 17:26-27). This lifetime is our only opportunity to learn to know, trust and obey God, and to be spiritually “re-born” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.
This is only possible through Jesus Christ, around whom Creation has been designed (John 1:1-3, 14). All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s one and only provision for forgiveness of our sin, for salvation from eternal condemnation, and restoration to fellowship with God and eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom (Acts 4:12, John 14:6). None of us is worthy of salvation and eternal life; it is the gift of God to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
In order to have eternal life one must be “born-again (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only 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 Christ is the revelation of what formerly was the mystery of God’s eternal purpose, now revealed to the “born-again” disciples and apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of the “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple, apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) and prophet (spokesman of God’s Word by the Holy Spirit) of Jesus Christ, as we all can be. Paul had not known Jesus during Jesus’ physical lifetime and was a persecutor of Christians until he was confronted on the road to Damascus by the Spirit of the risen and ascended Christ (Acts 9:1-9). He repented, accepted Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5, 8-9), was “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), until Paul was “born-again” (Acts 9:17-18), and then Paul became an apostle guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20). Paul’s rapid conversion was exceptional, because he was already formally educated in the scriptures and loved God and God’s Word.
The true Church is the body of “born-again” disciples, apostles of Jesus Christ and prophets of God’s Word, stewards of the Gospel. They have received and personally experienced the revelation of the mystery of God’s plan in Jesus Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15), and are guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel and to make disciples of Jesus Christ in fulfillment of the Great Commission which the risen Jesus gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), to be carried out after they had been “born-again” (Luke 24:49: Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
Wednesday January 5 AFirst posted January 5, 2011
Podcast: January 5 A
Psalm 72 - Prayer for the King;
Paraphrase:
The psalmist prayed that the king would dispense God’s justice and righteousness. O that he would judge God’s people with righteousness and give justice for the poor. May the land prosper and provide favorable conditions. May the king uphold the cause of the needy, give relief to the needy and eliminate the oppressor.
May he live as long as the universe exists, through all generations. May he be like refreshing showers on mown grass. In his reign may righteousness flourish and peace abound until the universe passes away.
May his dominion be from sea to sea and from the river (Euphrates; cradle of civilization) to the ends of the earth. May he have victory over his enemies and completely subdue them. May the kings of the earth pay tribute to him. May they bring him gifts, fall down before him, and all nations serve him.
The Lord’s anointed King delivers the needy, the poor and helpless; he pities the poor and “saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; precious is their blood in his sight” (Psalm 72:13b-14).
May he have long life, “may gold of Sheba (south Arabia) be given to him. May prayer and blessing be offered for him continually” (Psalm 72:15b). May the Land produce food in abundance and its people thrive and prosper.
“May his name endure forever, and his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, and all nations call him blessed” (Psalm 72:17)
May the Lord God of Israel be blessed; He alone does marvelous things. May his great name be blessed forever; may the entire earth be filled with his glory! Amen! Amen!
Commentary:
The Lord was to be the King of Israel. When Israel asked for an earthly king like other nations, the Lord allowed it, although he warned them that their earthly king would tax them and conscript them to serve him, and not deal with them as righteously and lovingly as the Lord (1 Samuel 8:4-22). Samuel was a priest and prophet of God who began the “anointing” of God’s chosen person to be king (1 Samuel 10:1-2).
Of the earthly kings of Israel, David was the closest to the ideal king and prefigured the coming of the Messiah (Messiah and Christ; mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively), the “anointed” eternal king God had intended from the very beginning of Creation.
Jesus Christ is the “Messiah,” the “royal Son,” the fulfillment of the psalmist’s prophecy of a king who would dispense God’s justice and righteousness; the righteous judge who would give justice to the poor, needy and helpless, and defeat the oppressor.
Jesus is the eternal king who will reign over God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. In his reign righteousness and peace flourish and abound for ever. He will reign over all the earth; he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. His name will continue forever. All people will bless themselves by him and call him blessed.
This psalm is messianic prophecy, foretelling the coming of the Lord’s “anointed” eternal King. At Jesus’ birth, wise men (the “three kings”) from the east came seeking the child who had been born King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2). They came to the Christ child in Bethlehem and bowed down before him and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Earthly “kings” will be judged by God’s Word according to how they treat the poor, the needy, and the helpless. America claims to be a “Christian” nation, with leaders who claim to be “Christian.” We claim to have a government of the people, by the people, for the people. But increasingly it is the government of the people, by the rich, for the rich. Instead of being a land of equal opportunity it is becoming a society of two classes: the “haves” and the “have-nots,” with a widening separation between the two.
Jesus has promised to return on the Day of Judgment in great power and glory, to judge everyone who has ever lived. In that day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God (Romans 14:11). Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will receive eternal life in his eternal kingdom in heaven, the fulfillment of the psalmist’s prophecy of a land of righteousness, peace and prosperity. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused to trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
Thursday January 6 A - Epiphany
First Posted January 6, 2011;
Podcast: Epiphany January 6 A
Epiphany means "manifestation." The Church commemorates the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, at the coming of the Magi ("Wise Men").
Isaiah 60:1-6 Zion Restored
Mathew 2:1-12 The Wise Men
This text was written just prior to the fall of Babylon and looks forward to the restoration of Judah, the remnant of Israel, to the Promised Land after their Babylonian exile.
Zion (Jerusalem, the people of God) is urged to arise and shine, reflecting the glory of the Lord which is rising upon them. There is thick (spiritual) darkness upon the peoples (Gentiles) but the Lord will shine upon Zion and the Gentiles will see the glory of the Lord reflected by Zion, and the nations will come to that light, “and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3b).
Look around and see; all gather together and come to Zion, her sons and daughters come from far away. Then Zion will be radiant and rejoice, “because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, and the wealth of nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah (Arab tribes east of the Red Sea); all those from Sheba (Descendants of Noah through Raamah, who settled on the Persian Gulf, to the east; Genesis 10:7) shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” Isaiah 60:5b-6).
When Jesus had been born in Bethlehem in Judea (the southern Roman province of Israel; the Kingdom of Judah before the Exile) in the reign of Herod the Great, “Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:2). This upset Herod who caused turmoil throughout Jerusalem, assembling all the priests and scribes to find the scriptural basis of this event. The religious authorities quoted Micah 5:2, saying that the location was to be Bethlehem in Judea (Judah).
Herod summoned the wise men and in private found out the date that the star had appeared, and told the wise men to return to Herod when they had found the child, so that Herod could go and worship him also. The wise men left and continued to follow the star until it came to rest over the place where the child was. They were filled with great joy and entering, they found the child with his mother, Mary, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then they returned to their homes by another route, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
Commentary:
This is the day that the Church celebrates the visit of the Wise Men (the “Three Kings,” “Magi”) to Christ. It is the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This text of Isaiah was written prior to the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.*
God’s Word is absolutely reliable and true, and it is eternal; it is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. The test of God’s Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
The prophecy of Isaiah was marvelously fulfilled in the return of Judah, the remnant of Israel, to the Promised Land after seventy years of exile in Babylon, and it was fulfilled again at the first Advent (coming) of Christ and the visit by the Wise Men.
The prophecy also applies to the Church, the “New Zion,” and to Christians who are the “New Israel,” the “New People of God.” Christ comes individually and personally through 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). He is the one who frees us from captivity in Babylon and restores us to the Promised Land of his eternal kingdom. We are “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by his “birth” within us.
Christians are “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ who are called to rise and shine with the reflected glory of Jesus Christ, the “Light of the World (John 1:9; 8:12).” Light is the symbol of divine righteousness and divine truth, not by worldly standards but by the standard of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.
None of us are righteous in God’s judgment by our own doings (Romans 3:23). Only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ can we fulfill the requirements of God’s Word. None of us can know eternal truth and divine wisdom except through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8). The fear (appropriate respect for the power and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of true, divine wisdom Proverbs 9:10, Palms 111:10)
Jesus has called his followers to be his disciples (Acts 11:26c) and to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16) in the spiritual darkness of this world, so that we will draw people to Jesus who is the source of righteousness and truth.
The “Wise Men” were wise in worldly knowledge and they were able to see the signs of God in nature which led them to Jerusalem, the “city of God,” but they needed “believers” who were knowledgeable of the scriptures who were able to point them to Christ (“Messiah;” both words mean “anointed” in Greek and Hebrew, respectively; i.e., the promised Savior). The Jewish religious leaders considered themselves wise in religious knowledge, had the scriptures (the Old Testament Bible), and knew God’s promise of Christ, yet failed to trust and act on the scriptures themselves, to seek and find the Christ.
In many ways the situation is the same in our society today. Educated people are seeking spiritual answers in the wrong places. Religious people know a lot about God, but don’t know God personally. Leaders have formal education in the Bible, but don’t trust and obey the Word and receive the promises. Some use the Bible to further their own self-interests, instead of seeking to worship and serve the Lord.
Are you Wise? Are you seeking the Lord with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:29)? Are you willing to worship him and give him your best gift, your obedience?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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, Introduction to Isaiah, p. 822, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Friday January 7 A
First posted January 7, 2011;
Podcast: January 7 A
Psalm 45:7-9;
Because the Lord’s anointed king loves righteousness and hates wickedness, God has anointed him with the “oil of gladness” above others. His robes are fragrant with precious perfumes. In ivory palaces stringed instruments play for his pleasure. Daughters of kings are among the bride’s attendants, and at his right hand is his queen adorned in gold of Ophir (a gold-producing region; perhaps India).
Commentary:
This psalm was probably written to celebrate a king’s marriage. It also applies to the Messiah (Christ, God’s anointed eternal king) and his bride the Church.
Jesus is the Lord’s anointed eternal King of kings. Jesus had the same standards of righteousness and wickedness as God, and he was obedient to God’s Word unto physical death on the Cross, so God raised him up to eternal life and has given him a name and authority above all others, in heaven and on earth (Philippians 2:8-11; Matthew 28:18).
The true Church (as distinct from the “nominal” Church) is the body of “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) “disciples” (Acts 11:26c) of Jesus Christ. The true Church is the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9), the “New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2). Those who trust and obey Jesus receive the wedding garment, the “anointing” (gift) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, without which no one will be allowed to attend the wedding (Matthew 22:11-14).
Those who trust and obey Jesus receive the “robe” of righteousness and the “garment” of salvation (Isaiah 61:10); it is Jesus’ righteousness and salvation which they are given, not their own, through his indwelling Holy Spirit within them (Romans 8:9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only 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). It is possible for one to know with certainty for oneself whether or not one has received the “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
The wedding of the king is coming soon! We must get ready for the celebration. The Church is called to be the “ivory palace” of the king, precious and pure; not a social club. Her members are to be clothed in the wedding garments. We’re to be making “music” pleasing to the king. We’re to be serving the Lord, preparing for the wedding and glorifying him. We’re to be alert for his coming, not caught napping; not short of “oil” for our “lamps” (Matthew 25:1-13); not abusing our fellow servants; not indulging our physical appetites (Matthew 24:45-51).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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)?
Saturday January 8 A
First posted January 8, 2011;
Podcast: January 8 A
Isaiah 42:1-7 - The Lord’s Servant;
The Lord upholds his servant and his soul delights in his chosen. God has put his Spirit upon his servant, who will bring forth justice to all nations. “He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:2-3). He will bring forth justice with faithfulness and persistence. He will not quit or become discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The neighboring peoples (Gentiles) await his law.
The Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who gives the breath of life, “and spirit to those who walk in it (in obedience to the spirit), declares, “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you, I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations (Gentiles), to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness" ( Isaiah 42:7).
Commentary:
God’s Word is eternally true, and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. This prophecy applies to the Messiah, and to all the servants of God, originally Israel, and now the Church, and to America (and other “Christian” nations) which are the “New Israel.”
Jesus fulfilled this passage (Isaiah 42:6-7; compare 61:1; Luke 4:18:21), but it is also the call of God to his people to be his servants and to continue Christ’s mission.
Jesus came, not as a fire-brand, or a political revolutionary. He came to heal bruised reeds, not to break them; he came to adjust instead of extinguishing dimly burning wicks, so that they could produce light as intended. Jesus came to bring justice to the poor, the needy, and the helpless; to heal the spiritually blind and to free those spiritually imprisoned by sin and evil.
Believers are called to be the servants of the Lord. The Lord promises to uphold those who serve the Lord in accord with God’s Word. The Lord promises to put his Spirit upon his servants who trust and obey his Word. Only Jesus gives the gift of the 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).
Jesus came to show us how a servant of God accomplishes God’s purpose by the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven our sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and to be cleansed and consecrated so that we could be filled with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Believers are called to follow Jesus’ example. Disciples are to be spiritual light in the darkness of sin and evil in this world.
It is the Holy Spirit within “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus by which God guides, empowers and upholds his servants; by whom they are able to work for spiritual healing and justice; by whom they are able to persevere without becoming discouraged, and it is only by the Holy Spirit that they can accomplish the mission (Zechariah 4:6).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? 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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