Week of Epiphany - C
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Podcast Download: Week of Epiphany C
Epiphany C - January 6
First Posted
January 6, 2010;
Podcast: January 6 Epiphany C
Isaiah 60:1-6 – Jerusalem Restored;
Psalm 72 – The Lord's Anointed King;
Ephesians 3:2-12 – Stewardship of the Gospel;
Matthew 2:1-12 – The Wise Men;
Epiphany is the day the Church celebrates the coming of the Wise Men
at the birth of Christ; the first manifestation of Christ to the
Gentiles. The Wise Men (Magi; the “Three Kings”) were members of the
educated, priestly class in Persia.
Isaiah Paraphrase:
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). The world and its people are
covered in thick darkness, “but the Lord will arise upon you (Zion;
the people of God) and his glory will be seen in you” (Isaiah
60:2b). All nations and kings of earth will come to the brightness
of Zion's rising.
Watch and see, the children of Zion are gathered together and
returning to their Promised Land. The sons of Israel shall come from
afar, bringing the daughters of Israel on their arms. Then Israel
will be radiant with joy, and their hearts will rejoice and
celebrate, because they will receive bounty from the sea and wealth
from the nations. “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young
camels of Midian (people related to Israel through Keturah, one of
Abraham's wives; Genesis 25:2; east of the Gulf of Aqabah) and Ephah
(an Arab tribe east of the Gulf of Aqabah). “And those from Sheba
(southern Arabia) shall come bringing gold and frankincense, and
shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6c).
Psalm 72 Paraphrase:
May the king be endowed with the justice and righteousness of God.
May he judge God's people with righteousness, and give justice to
the poor and helpless. May the mountains and hills produce
prosperity and righteousness for God's people. May the king protect
the rights of the poor and helpless, and defeat their oppressors.
May he reign for all generations until the sun and moon cease to
exist. May the king be as gentle as gentle rain that waters mown
grass and earth. Let righteousness flourish and peace abound as long
as the moon exists. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from
the river (Euphrates; the “cradle of civilization,” the Garden of
Eden; Genesis 2:10, 14) to the end (cessation; also most distant
parts) of the earth. May his enemies bow to him and lick dust. “May
the kings of Tarshish and of the isles (western Mediterranean)
render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba (in southern
Arabia) bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations
serve him” (Psalm 72:10).
The king of God's people hears and delivers the poor, weak, needy
and helpless when they call upon him. He has pity upon them and
saves their lives. He redeems their lives from violence and
oppression. Their blood is precious in his sight.
May the king have long life. May he receive the gold of Sheba. May
prayer be made for him and blessings invoked upon him continually.
May the land produce grain abundantly; may it wave from the
mountaintops. May its fruit be as great as Lebanon (the highest
mountain in Syria; the northern boundary assigned to Israel, but
never conquered). May population increase and come forth from the cities to fill the land like grass in a field. May the name
of the king and his fame endure forever.
“May men bless themselves by him, all nations 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 72:17b-19).
Ephesians Paraphrase:
By the grace (unmerited favor; undeserved gift) of God, Paul (Saul
of Tarsus) was given the stewardship of the Gospel on behalf of the
Gentiles. The mystery of Christ (to include Gentiles; Ephesians 3:6)
was made known to Paul by revelation (by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
of the risen Jesus; Acts 9:1-20). Paul's insight into the mystery
was not revealed to previous generations of Israelites, as it had
now been revealed to the apostles and prophets by the Holy
Spirit: that Gentiles are “fellow heirs and members of the same body
(the Church), and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through
the Gospel.
Because of God's gift of grace, Paul received a ministry of the
Gospel by the working of God's power (in Paul by the indwelling Holy
Spirit). Although Paul considered himself (because he had persecuted
the Church) the least of all of the saints (those consecrated to
God's service), by the grace of God Paul was given the ministry to
preach the great spiritual riches in Christ, and to make all people
aware of the plan of the mystery hidden in God for ages. But now the
wisdom of God has been revealed through the Church to all
authorities on earth and in heaven. This revelation was in
accordance with God's eternal purpose which God has accomplished in
Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we now boldly and
confidently have access to God.
Matthew Paraphrase:
During the reign of King Herod (the Great; which ended with his
death in 4 B.C.), Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Wise men
(Persian astrologers) came to Jerusalem seeking the new-born king of
the Jews, whose star they had seen from their homeland, and had come
to worship him. When Herod heard of a newborn rival, he was
disturbed, and when Herod was troubled, all Jerusalem was troubled
too.
Herod assembled all the Jewish priests and scribes (Bible teachers;
authorities of the scriptures). When they were asked, they said that
the Christ (Messiah; God's “anointed” eternal Savior and King), was
to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, citing Micah 5:2: “And you O
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the
rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my
people Israel. (Not quoted: “whose origin is from of old, from
ancient days.")
Herod summoned the Wise Men and asked them when the star had
appeared. Then he told them to go to Bethlehem and search for the
child, and to bring back word to Herod. Herod told them that he
wanted to worship the child too.
Sent on their way they were guided by the star until it came to rest
over the house in which the child was. Seeing this the Wise Men
rejoiced with great joy, and entering the house they saw the child
with his mother, Mary. The Wise Men fell down in humility and
worshiped him. Then they unpacked and presented their gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh. Then they returned to their homeland by
another route, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
Commentary:
The theme of these four texts is the fulfillment of prophecy
concerning the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
The text from Isaiah is thought to have originated around 530 – 510
B. C., just before Judah, the remnant of Israel in exile in Babylon,
was allowed by Cyrus of Persia to return to their Promised Land.
Cyrus had conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.. The prophecy referred to
Judah's restoration from exile, but also to the coming of the
Messiah five hundred years later.
Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the light of the glory of the
Lord rising upon Israel, the light of righteousness (John 1:5;
3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9 and eternal life (John
1:4; 8:12). God's people are to reflect the light of the Lord's
glory so that it may be seen by others.
There are two varieties of camels: the dromedary or one-humped
variety, and the Bactrain, or two-humped variety. The Bactrain
originated in central Asia but had spread to Assyria by 1100 B.C..
Camels were used by the returning exiles from Babylon (Ezra 2:67;
Nehemiah 7:69). They were used extensively in Arabia south of
Israel, in Sheba and Seba, and east of Israel east of the Gulf of
Aqabah in Midian and Ephah. The popular imagery is of the three Wise
Men traveling to Bethlehem on camels.
The Queen of Sheba had visited King Solomon, who reigned from
961-922 B.C., and had brought gold, jewels and spices by camel (1
Kings 10:1-2). She recognized the wisdom of Solomon and was drawn to
him. She prefigures the coming of the Magi at the birth of Christ,
bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Psalm 72 was originally composed for a coronation or its
commemoration, but it is also Spirit-inspired prophecy. It
prefigures the fulfillment and coronation of the ultimate, eternal
"God-anointed” king, Jesus Christ (Christ and Messiah each mean
“anointed” in Greek and Hebrew respectively). Jesus Christ is the
only one who is truly endowed with the justice and
righteousness of God (because he is God in human flesh; Colossians
2:8-9; John 20:28).
Jesus is the only king who will truly defend the rights of the poor,
weak, needy, and helpless. He's the only one who can help them when
they call out to him.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to raise up an eternal
king who will have dominion over all the earth. Only in his reign
will righteousness flourish and peace abound.
The visit of the Wise Men (the “Three Kings”) is the beginning of
the fulfillment of God's Word that all kings and nations will bow
before him and serve him. There is a Day of Judgment coming, when
everyone who has ever lived in this world will be accountable to the
Lord Jesus for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who
willingly choose to serve him now, who trust and obey Jesus, will be
spiritually “born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life 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. Those who
reject Jesus as Lord, who refuse or fail 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). When we die physically, or at the
Day of Christ's Second Coming, our eternal destinies are fixed and
unchangeable.
At the Day of Judgment, every one will bow before him, and confess
that Jesus is Lord. In that day Jesus will command and no one will
have any choice but to obey (Philippians 2:10-11).
God has been progressively revealing himself and his purpose for
this Creation from the very beginning; first through the goodness
and complexity of Creation itself. Then in the Word of God in the
Bible. God already had a Savior designed into Creation from the very
beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). God wasn't surprised when Adam and Eve
sinned by disobeying God's Word, and Jesus isn't an afterthought, or
“Plan B.”
Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation of God and his plan for the
world, and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the fullest
revelation of God and his purpose to his disciples individually and
personally.
Paul is the prototype and example of a “modern,”
“post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple (student) and apostle
(messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we can and should be.
We are all sinners (disobedient of God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John
1:8-10) and fall short of God's righteousness. The penalty for sin
is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for
forgiveness of our sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12;
see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
By the indwelling Holy Spirit the Lord opens the minds of his
disciples to understand the Bible scriptures (Luke 24:45), teaches
us all things and helps us recall all Jesus' teachings (John 14:26).
Every truly “born-again” disciple personally experiences, has
fellowship with, and testifies that Jesus is risen from physical
death and is eternally alive. 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 Jews had the promises of the Bible scriptures that promised the
coming of the Messiah, and the directions where to look, but they
didn't welcome his coming. Herod saw him as a political rival, and
the Jews were afraid that he would upset the status quo. They had
accommodated themselves to the political situation and didn't want
to risk change. The Wise Men were Gentiles (non-Jews). They didn't
have the benefit of the Bible scriptures but were able to interpret
the signs in nature, a star (probably a comet) that led them to the
place where Jesus was.
The Jews all fell away from the Lord until, at the Crucifixion, Jesus
was the last faithful Jew. Even Jesus' disciples had scattered from
him (Matthew 26:31). At the moment of Jesus' death, the temple veil
(curtain) was supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew
27:51) signifying that Jesus had opened a new and better way into
God's presence. Jesus has become the only way to know divine eternal
truth, the only way to be restored to fellowship with God which was
broken by sin, and the only way to have real, eternal life (John
14:6). The Church is the New Israel, the New Jerusalem.
In too many instances the nominal Church today is in a similar
situation as the Israel and Judaism at the time of Jesus' first
coming. Church members have the Bible scriptures but don't read them
completely or daily. They know a lot about “religion,” but don't
know the Lord personally. They have carved a comfortable niche for
themselves in the Church and they don't want their status quo
disrupted.
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)?
Epiphany - January 7
First Posted January 7, 2010;
Podcast: January 7 Epiphany C
Psalm 45:7-9 – A Royal Wedding;
Background:
This Psalm may have been written by a professional court poet (“a
ready scribe:” Psalm 45:1c) for the wedding of King Ahab of the
Northern Kingdom of Israel (“ivory palaces:” Psalm 45:8b; see 1
Kings 22:39; Amos 3:15) and his Queen, Jezebel, a heathen Phoenician
princess (note mention of Tyre: Psalm 45:12). This was the first
instance of a king of Israel allying himself by marriage with a
pagan princess (she was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the
Sidonians; of Sidon; one of the two major cities, with Tyre, of
Phoenicia).
Israelites were strictly warned not to enter into covenants with
pagan people of Canaan or to marry pagan women (Exodus 34:12-16),
because of the likelihood that foreign wives would introduce pagan
religions, which is exactly what happened (1 Kings 16:31; 18:19).
Ahab became the archetype of a wicked king, the most wicked of
all the kings of Israel (2 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 22:3; Micah
6:16). Jezebel was the archetype of a wicked woman.
The introduction of Baal worship by Jezebel through her marriage to
Ahab led to the complete destruction of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel. The leaders and people did not listen to the prophets
calling for repentance and return from idolatry to obedient trust in
God, until it was too late. The siege of Samaria begun by
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, ended the Northern Kingdom at the fall
of Samaria in 721 B.C..
The Northern Kingdom and the ten tribes effectively ceased to exist
because of the Assyrian policy of subduing conquered territories by
resettling the people in other conquered territories. The poorest,
oldest and least healthy people were allowed to remain, and
intermingled racially and religiously with imported aliens to become
the Samaritans at the time of Jesus' first coming.
Psalm Paraphrase:
The King's throne is divine and eternal. Equity is his scepter. He
loves righteousness and hates wickedness. That is why the Lord your
God has exalted you above your brothers and has anointed you with
the oil of gladness. Your robes are fragrant with finest spices:
myrrh, aloes, and cassia. The music of stringed instruments
comes forth from ivory palaces to make you glad. Your ladies of
honor include daughters of kings, and your queen is at your right
hand, in gold of Ophir (perhaps India; a gold-producing region).
Commentary:
The fact that this text was composed by a poet paid to say
flattering things about the most wicked king of Israel on the day he
was overtly disobeying God's Word by marrying a pagan princess to
form an alliance with a pagan nation, doesn't mean that it isn't
also Biblical prophecy. The accounts in the Bible deal with God's
relationship with Israel, and are recorded for our instruction (1
Corinthians 10:6, 11). Ahab was at the opposite end of the spectrum
from these words. Only Jesus Christ fulfills them.
Jesus is the Son of David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel
(Matthew 1:1, 20, 21:9, 15). Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,
14). Jesus is the heir to the eternal throne of David (2 Samuel
7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). Only Jesus rules with equity, in
righteousness, giving justice for the poor, weak and helpless (Psalm
72:1-2, 4). So God has anointed him with the oil of gladness above
all others (compare Psalm 45:7b; compare Hebrews 1:9; Matthew
28:18).
After his crucifixion, Jesus' body was placed in a new, never-used
tomb, and was prepared with about a hundred pounds of spices:
Myrrh and Aloes (Psalm 45:8a; compare John 19:39-42).
Ahab's bride was a pagan princess, but Jesus' bride is the Church
(Revelation 21:9-11), and her robes have been cleansed in the
blood of Jesus (Revelation 19:7-9), the sacrificial lamb of the New
Passover (New Covenant; New Testament) (John 1:29; Matthew 26:26-28
KJV).
Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? 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)?
*Many thanks for annotations from The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Epiphany - January 8
First Posted January 8, 2010;
Podcast: January 8 - Epiphany C
Isaiah 42:1-7 – The Lord's Servant;
Paraphrase:
The Lord God upholds his servant and delights in him. God has given him God's Spirit, and the Servant will cause justice to come forth from the 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; in faithfulness he will bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his law” (Isaiah 42:2-4).
The Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth and spread them out, “who gives breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those who walk in it” (Isaiah 42:5), declares that he is the Lord and in righteousness he has called his servant, has led him, provided for, protected and prospered him. God's servant is to establish God's covenant to all people, to be the light (of righteousness (John 1:5; 3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment John 1:9), and eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12) to all nations. The servant will give sight to the blind, and free prisoners from their dungeons and darkness.
Commentary:
God's Word is eternally true and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment and example of the Lord's servant. The nation and people of Israel were called to be the Lord's servant, but they turned away from that call, because they refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and follow his example and teaching. The Church is the New Israel, the New people of God, and is called to be God's servant, individually and collectively.
God put his Spirit upon Jesus, beginning with Jesus' baptism by John the Baptizer, as John testified (John 1:31-34). Jesus was fully God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28).
Many people in Israel were looking for the coming of the Messiah to be a political champion who would free them from Roman domination and restore sovereignty to Israel (Acts 1:6-7), but Jesus didn't come to be a political king (John 18:36). Jesus didn't come to be a firebrand or a political revolutionary. He came to heal spiritually bruised reeds, not break them, and dimly burning candles, not quench them.
What the world falsely calls justice is very different that God's justice. Worldly justice tends to preserve and enforce the right of the wealthy and powerful to oppress the poor and helpless. The Lord works for justice and equality for all. He preserves and upholds the rights of the poor, the hungry, the sick and powerless (Psalm 82:2-4).
Jesus came to demonstrate what obedience to God's Word looks like in human flesh in this fallen world, and the eternal reward it produces. The world hated Jesus and treated him horribly, but Jesus rose from physical death to eternal life. Every truly “born-again” Christian, including myself, personally testifies that Jesus has risen from physical death and is eternally alive.
Jesus came to demonstrate the Spirit of God in human flesh, and to make it possible for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are spiritually cleansed by his blood, sacrificed on the cross, so that we are able to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the “baptism” (gift; anointing; infilling) of the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 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). Spiritual “rebirth” is a discernible, ongoing event; it is possible for one to know with certainty for oneself whether one has been “reborn” or not (Acts 19:2).
God has given us the breath of physical life; we have all been born physically alive, but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27) and to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life, which is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). The Lord only gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who will live in obedient trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 42:5c; Romans 8:1-11).
Jesus came to establish a New Covenant (Testament) of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9). He established the New Covenant (Matthew 26:26-28) as he celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples, on the night of his betrayal and arrest. The Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; the Eucharist) is the New Passover feast. Jesus is the Passover lamb, whose flesh, the “bread” of eternal life (John 6:32-35), provides the feast and whose blood marks us as God's people, so that we are “passed over” by the destroying angel (Exodus 12:1-14).
Jesus came to heal the spiritually bruised and “dimly-burning.” Jesus came to heal the spiritually blind, and to set free the spiritual prisoners of Satan and eternal death (Hebrews 2:14-15; Luke 4:16-21). Jesus' miracles of physical feeding, healing and resurrection were intended to demonstrate that Jesus can also heal, feed and raise us spiritually to eternal life. For the same reason, Jesus taught in parables, ordinary worldly experiences used to teach spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:12-14).
Jesus came to call us to follow his teaching and example, to become his disciples and learn to trust and obey him, to become the Lord's servants.
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)?
Epiphany - January 9
First Posted January 9, 2010;
Podcast: January 9 Epiphany C
Acts 10:34-38 – No Partiality;
Paraphrase:
By the guidance of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter first preached the Gospel to Gentiles. Peter said that God is not partial to anyone. Regardless of nationality, anyone who fears (who has the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God and does what is right (according to the standard of God's Word) is acceptable to him. God sent his Word to Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Beginning in Galilee, Jesus preached this Word (the Gospel) through Judea, after he had been baptized by John the Baptizer. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and supernatural power. Jesus traveled throughout Judea and Galilee doing good and healing all who were oppressed by Satan.
Commentary:
Cornelius was a Roman soldier (a Gentile; non-Jew) stationed at Caesarea, the capital of the Roman Province of Judea, to enforce Roman government. He was God-fearing, he did what was good, he gave alms, and he prayed to God constantly. The Holy Spirit (“angel” can be understood as spirit) told Cornelius to send for the Apostle Peter and gave him specific instructions to the house where Peter was staying (Acts 10:1-8).
Meanwhile the Holy Spirit was working in Peter to prepare him to preach the Gospel to Cornelius (Acts 10:9-23). Peter went to the home of Cornelius (Acts 10:23b-33), and began to preach the Gospel to Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:34-38).
The Jews had come to believe that they were God's special people, and that they were worthy of God's special treatment because they obeyed the Law given to Moses (the Jewish Bible). The Lord had shown Peter, in a vision, that the Jewish dietary laws no longer applied.
Jesus came to demonstrate the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and to make it possible for us to be filled with, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so he is the only “begotten” Son of God; at Jesus' water baptism for repentance that John the Baptizer preached (Luke 3:3-6), to prepare the people to receive the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Jesus was given the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34) so that he could “baptize” with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' blood, shed on the cross is the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word). Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are spiritually cleansed of sin and unrighteousness so that we can become temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
The Church is the heir to the ministry of John the Baptizer. The Church is to call people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word) to prepare them to receive Jesus through the “baptism” (gift; anointing; infilling) 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 Church is called to proclaim the Gospel (the “Good News”) of peace with God through Jesus Christ, to make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Jesus teaches (Matthew 28:19-20), and teaching them to seek the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit. 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 Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we can and should be. Paul had been persecuting the Church, and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Jesus, confronted Paul on his was to Damascus to persecute Christians (Acts 9:1-5b). Paul repented of his sin (Acts 9:9), accepted Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5), became obedient to Jesus' command (Acts 9:8), was "discipled" by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-17), until Paul received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:18), and then Paul began preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:20).
The only thing remarkable about Paul's conversion is its speed. But remember that Paul was already formally educated in Judaism and loved God. All he needed was to be pointed to Jesus the Messiah.
Jesus came to show the Church the discipling ministry of the Gospel which the Church is to follow: the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul was fulfilling Christ's command to make disciples and to teach them to obey all that Jesus teaches, only after the the teacher of discipleship has been “born-again” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born again” disciples.
Timothy is an example of Paul's discipling ministry. Paul taught Timothy discipleship until Timothy was “born-again” (2 Timothy 1:6-7) and then taught Timothy to repeat the process with others who would repeat the process again (2 Timothy 2:2).
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)?
Epiphany - January 10
First Posted January 10, 2010;
Podcast: January 10 Epiphany C
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – Jesus' Baptism;
Paraphrase:
The Jewish people were expecting the coming of the Messiah (Christ; both words mean “anointed,” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively), and when John the Baptizer appeared they wondered whether John was the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying that he was baptizing with water, but there was one greater than John who was coming; he is so much greater than John that John was unworthy to be his most menial servant. The Messiah who is coming will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is bringing his winnowing fork, and he will clear the threshing floor and gather the grain into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Commentary:
The Jewish people knew from scripture that the promised Messiah, the Savior and eternal king, would come, and they were looking for his coming. John the Baptizer was not attempting to assume the role of Messiah, but by the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, was the prophet like Elijah (Malachi 4:5; Matthew 11:7-15; 17:10-13), who was expected to precede the Messiah, to prepare the people for Messiah's coming. John didn't try to equate himself with Elijah; John said he was simply a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repent and be baptized with water for spiritual cleansing, to prepare them to receive the Messiah (Luke 3:4).
Jesus came the first time in human flesh as a new-born baby. Jesus didn't begin his public ministry until the appearance of John the Baptizer, when Jesus was about thirty years old, and Jesus' ministry lasted about three years. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem the week preceding his crucifixion, which the Church celebrates as Palm Sunday, is the climax of his first coming, and also foreshadows Jesus' Second Coming, at the Day of Judgment at the end of time.
Jesus will return at the end of time, and his return will be like his entry into Jerusalem but with much more glory and power. His entry into Jerusalem was humble, riding on a young donkey, not in a chariot, as worldly kings would have come. A few of his disciples and followers cheered and decked the road with garments and leafy branches (Luke 19:28-40). Most people in Jerusalem noticed his arrival, and were curious about what was going on, but by the end of the week most of them wanted Jesus crucified.
Jesus' Second Coming will be in great glory and power. He will return as he ascended into heaven, but when he ascended only his disciples saw him go (Acts 1:9-11). Next time every eye shall see him coming (Revelation 1:7). When Jesus returns, people will be filled with terror and will try to hide, but there won't be any place to hide (Luke 21:25-27).
Jesus described his Second Coming and Day of Judgment in a series of parables (common earthly experiences used to convey spiritual truth). Threshing of grain is one example. 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 God. This Creation has been designed as God's grainfield, or garden, in which God is “growing” people who will learn and choose to trust and obey God.
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27), to learn to know, trust and obey God's Word, and be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. All this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
God designed this Creation to allow the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word), but he has limited Creation, and we ourselves, by time. God won't tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, or it wouldn't be Heaven. We have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness (doing what is good, right and true, according to God's Word; Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God loves us and doesn't want anyone to perish so he has designed a Savior into Creation (John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
We are all born physically alive but spiritually “unborn.” This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” by the “baptism” (gift; anointing; infilling) 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 “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally-discernible ongoing event; anyone who isn't sure, hasn't been (Acts 19:2). Anyone who has to ask or rely on the word of a religious leader hasn't been. Anyone who hasn't been should ask himself why not.
The Church is the heir to the ministry of John the Baptizer. The Church is to be the voice crying in the wilderness for people to repent and be baptized with water for spiritual preparation to receive the Messiah Jesus Christ, who comes to people individually in the Holy Spirit. The Church is to teach believers to seek and wait for the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and to disciple them until they are “born-again,” before sending them out into the world with the Gospel and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
At the Day of Judgment at Christ's return everyone who has ever lived on earth will be accountable to the Lord for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, their King, who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “born-again,” and will enter eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. Those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will spend eternity in unquenchable fire in hell with all evil.
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)?
Epiphany - January 11
First Posted January 11, 2010;
Podcast: January 11 Epiphany C
Romans 12:1-5 – Consecration;
Paraphrase:
Paul urged Christians to offer themselves as a living sacrifice to God, being holy (pure; consecrated to God's service) and acceptable to God by God's kindness, which is how we worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). We should allow ourselves to be transformed by the changing of our way of thinking, from worldly wisdom to the wisdom of God, rather than conforming to the standards of the world. That way we can test for ourselves and demonstrate to others that the will of God is good, agreeable and our absolutely best interest.
By the grace of God, Paul urges Christians to not regard ourselves as better than we are, but to examine ourselves honestly in accordance with the measure of faith given us by God. The Church, the body of Christ, can be compared to the human body. Members of the Church are like the various members of a human body. They don't all have the same function. The members of the Church, though many, belong to Christ and are fellow members with one another.
Commentary:
God is Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), and whoever would worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). God knows everything about us, so we cannot fool him (John 4:17-18, 29).
God wants us to know, trust and obey his Word, in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” the Word of God fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in human flesh, in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). God won't reveal his will for us if we are not willing to read his Word, completely, and daily, one day at a time (Matthew 5:11; 6:31-34). God is not obligated to hear and answer our prayers if we are not willing to hear and do his Word (Matthew 7:21-27; see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home). God is not willing or obligated to be all that an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God implies, unless we are willing to be his obedient, trusting people (Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 11:20; Leviticus 26:3, 12; see also Jeremiah 11:4c-5).
Worship is not Church “ritual.” Christianity is not “religion;” religion is mankind's attempt to manipulate God to do their will. Christianity is seeking to know and do God's will.
God is the Creator and owner of everything in the Universe of this Creation. The only thing that we can give him is our obedient trust, because that is the only “variable” that God has allowed in this world.
Jesus is the only sacrifice acceptable to God, for all time, and for all people who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. The only sacrifice we can offer to God is our obedient trust. In order to offer it we must deny our own will in order to do God's will.
God's wisdom is radically different from what the world falsely calls wisdom. Worldly wisdom changes constantly; the recent controversy over the planetary status of Jupiter is an example. God's wisdom is eternal and unchanging (1 Corinthians 1:17-25). God's wisdom seems like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). Because God is all-wise, God designed Creation so that we cannot know God by human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:21); instead we must come to know God by faith (obedient trust) in what seems impossible and foolish in human wisdom.
As Christians we must no longer live according to the wisdom of this world. Instead we must seek the wisdom of God in his Word and in Jesus Christ.
If we will trust God's Word we will find out for ourselves that God's Word is absolutely true and reliable. By trusting and applying God's Word in our daily lives we will demonstrate the goodness and faithfulness of God's Word to the World. As we trust God's Word he will fulfill it and cause our faith to grow to spiritual maturity.
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)?
Epiphany - January 12
First Posted
Podcast: January 12 - Epiphany C
Romans 3:23-31 – Justified by Faith;
Paraphrase:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory (righteousness) of God” (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). So all are justified (judged not guilty) by God's grace (unmerited favor) as a free gift by the redemption (payment of ransom or penalty) which is through Jesus Christ, whom God established to be the expiation (forgiveness; satisfaction for wrong done) by the blood of Jesus, which is received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. This demonstrates God's righteousness by his forbearance (restraint) in not demanding penalty for former sins; it proves that God is just in his judgment, by justifying (finding not guilty of sin) those who believe in (trust and obey) Jesus.
So our boasting is excluded because the forgiveness of our sin is not based on works (doing good deeds; keeping) of the Law of Moses, but on faith. God is not just the God of the Jews; he is God of the Gentiles (non-Jews) also, because he alone is God of all Creation. God will judge all on the same basis: faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.
Commentary:
God has always, from the very beginning of this Creation, intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This Creation has been designed to allow us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God. But God is not going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal heavenly kingdom, or it wouldn't be heaven. So God has limited this Creation, and we ourselves, by time.
The meaning and purpose of life is to allow us the opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 19:2), to learn to know, trust, and obey God, and to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. All this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to be restored to fellowship with God which was broken by sin (disobedience of God's Word), and the only way to be “reborn” to eternal life (John 14:6).
God knew from the very beginning that in order to give us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God, we would all choose to do our will rather than his. So he designed this Creation to allow sin (disobedience of God's Word). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God loves us and doesn't want any of us to perish eternally (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). God designed a Savior, Jesus Christ, into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
None of us deserve forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death. Forgiveness and salvation cannot be earned, purchased, or taken by force or deception. But by the grace (free gift; undeserved favor) of God, we can receive forgiveness and salvation through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Since it is an unearned gift, God can give us whatever he chooses, under whatever conditions he chooses.
God demonstrates his righteousness by overlooking our past sins, and his justice by judging all people according to the same standard. God has given us his Word, in the Bible, and in the “living Word,” Jesus Christ, the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word, lived in human flesh in this world. (John 1:1-5, 14).
We won't have any excuse for not knowing God's Word, and we won't have any reason for boasting. Comparison with any other person will will not matter. The only issue which will count is whether we have accepted, trusted and obeyed Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
Everyone who accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord, who trusts and obeys Jesus, will be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift (“Baptism;” “anointing;” “infilling”) with the indwelling Holy Spirit. 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 impossible to receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and not be certain of it; anyone who isn't sure hasn't been (Acts 19:2)! No one needs or should seek the word of any religious leader to assure them whether they have been “reborn” or not. One must be spiritually “reborn” in order to see God's eternal kingdom all around us now, and to see and enter it ultimately in eternity.
There are mainline denominations today that are teaching that one is automatically “born-again” through some Church ritual such as water baptism, or affirmation of faith. I am convinced that this not only doesn't help the members but actually does spiritual harm by discouraging them from seeking discipleship and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This reminds me of a variation of the folk-tale, “The Emperor's New Clothes” (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home). Not only is the Emperor, but also are the citizens, strutting around thinking they are fully and elegantly clothed, while in fact stark naked.
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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