Week of 4 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of
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Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis,
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Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
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Podcast Download: Week of 4 Pentecost - C
Sunday 4 Pentecost - C
First
Posted June 20, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 4 Pentecost - C
2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 –
Nathan Rebukes David;
Psalm 32 – Thanksgiving for Healing ;
Galatians 2:11-21-- Paul Rebukes Peter;
Luke 7:36-50 – Jesus' Anointing;
Samuel Background:
David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel, had
adulterous relations with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the
Hittite, and she got pregnant. So David arranged for Uriah
to be killed in battle, to conceal his sin (2 Samuel
11:1-25).
2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 Paraphrase:
When Bathsheba learned that her husband, Uriah was dead,
she mourned according to custom. When her mourning was
finished, David sent for her and had her brought to him.
He married her and she gave birth to a son. But the Lord
was displeased with what David had done.
The Lord sent Nathan, the prophet, to David. Nathan told
David a parable of a lamb: There were two men, one rich
and the other poor. The rich man had many flocks and
herds, but the poor man had only one ewe (female) lamb.
The lamb was like a member of his family, eating and
sleeping with him, and he raised it like one of his
children.
A traveler visited the rich man, and the rich man was
unwilling to take a lamb from his own herd to prepare for
his guest, so he took the poor man's lamb. When David
heard this he was angered and said that the rich man
deserved to die, and should repay the poor man with four
lambs to compensate him for the rich man's lack of pity.
Nathan told David that David was the rich man in the
parable. God had anointed David to be king over Israel and
Judah, had delivered David from the Saul (David's enemy
and predecessor). The Lord had given David Saul's house
and Saul's wives, and the houses (territories; peoples) of
Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5) and Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-4). If
that was not enough, the Lord would have doubled that. Why
then had David despised the Word of God and done evil in
God's judgment? David had slain Uriah by the sword of the
Ammonites in battle, and taken his wife to be David's
wife. So the sword would never depart from David's House
(2 Samuel 12:10a), because of his disrespect for the Lord.
David confessed to Nathan that he had sinned. Nathan
pronounced that the Lord had forgiven David; David would
not die for it. But because David had utterly disrespected
the Lord, the son born from the adulterous relationship
would die. Then Nathan left and went home.
Psalm 32 Paraphrase:
The person whose sin is forgiven and blotted out is
blessed. The person to whom the Lord does not charge with
sin and deceit in his spirit is blessed.
The psalmist (David) testifies that when he denied his sin
he was beset with guilt. He groaned all day and his body
wasted away. The Lord was convicting him heavily and the
psalmist's strength dried up is by summer heat.
Then the psalmist admitted his sin to the Lord and didn't
try to conceal his iniquity; When he confessed his
transgressions to the Lord, the Lord forgave the
psalmist's guilt.
So let all who reverence God pray to him. Then in times of
troubles, when they feel beset as by a great flood of
waters, they will not be swept away; the flood will not
reach them. The Lord is their refuge, preserving them from
trouble. He surrounds them with deliverance.
“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a
horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be
curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not keep with
you" (Psalm 34:9).
The wicked will have much anguish, but those who trust in
the Lord will be surrounded by his steadfast love. Let the
righteous rejoice and be glad in the Lord! Let those who
are upright in heart shout for joy!
Galatians 2:11-21 Paraphrase:
When Cephas (Aramaic for “Peter”) came to Antioch, Paul
personally rebuked him, because he had been having meals
with Gentiles until certain people came from James (in
Jerusalem). Then Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles
for fear of the “circumcision party” (“Judaizers;” a
faction of Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentiles
must keep the Laws of Moses, including circumcision and
Jewish dietary laws). The other Jewish Christians
present followed Peter's example of insincerity, including
even Barnabas.
When Paul saw that these Jewish Christians were not
straightforward with the Gospel truth, Paul told Peter in
front of all that if Peter, who was a Jew, lived like a
Gentile, how could he compel Gentiles to live like Jews?
“We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile
sinners, yet know that people are not justified (found
guiltless) by works (keeping) of the Law but through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ,
and not by works of the law, because by works of the Law
will no one be justified” (Galatians 2:14-16).
If in trying to be justified in Christ we are found to be
sinners, is Jesus to blame for our sin? Of course not! But
if we reestablish the restrictions of the Law from which
we have been freed, we prove to be transgressors (compare
Romans 8:1-8). Through reading the scriptures we
learn that no one can can be justified by the Law because
no one can keep all the law all the time (James 2:10);
through the Law we are (eternally) dead, but through
Christ we are able to live to serve God.
We have been crucified with Christ; so we no longer live
for ourselves, but through Christ who lives in us. Now the
lives we live in the flesh are by faith in the Son of God,
who loved us and gave his life for us. If we could be
justified (judged righteous) by keeping the Law, Christ
would have died for no purpose, and God's grace (his free
gift; unmerited favor), would be nullified.
Luke 7:36-50 Paraphrase:
Jesus was invited to eat in the home of a Pharisee (a
member of a strict legalistic faction of Judaism) named
Simon. As Jesus sat (reclined) at table, a woman, who was
a sinner who had heard where Jesus was, came, bringing an
alabaster jar of ointment, and standing behind him at his
feet began washing his feet with her tears and drying them
with her hair, kissing his feet and anointing them with
ointment. When Simon, the Pharisee host, saw this, he
thought to himself that Jesus must not be a prophet, or he
would know the sort of woman she was; that the woman
touching Jesus was a sinner.
Jesus knew what he was thinking, and told Simon a parable
(a fictional story of a common earthly experience used to
teach spiritual truth): A creditor had two debtors. One
owed five hundred denarii and the other owed fifty.
They could not repay, so the creditor forgave both debts.
Which debtor would love the creditor more? Simon supposed
that the one who was forgiven more would love more. Jesus
told Simon that his answer was correct.
Then Jesus directed Simon to look at the woman. When Jesus
had entered Simon's house, Simon had given him no water to
wash his feet, but this woman had washed Jesus' feet with
her tears and dried them with her hair. Simon hadn't
greeted Jesus with a kiss, but the woman kissed Jesus'
feet over and over. Simon hadn't anointed Jesus head with
oil, but she had anointed his feet with ointment. So, one
can know that she had been forgiven much because she loved
much. But those who are forgiven little, love little.
Then Jesus told the woman that her sins had been forgiven.
The other guests began to question among themselves who
Jesus was, to forgive sins. And Jesus told the woman that
her faith had saved her and that she could go in peace.
Commentary:
David's sin was about to be exposed. Bathsheba was
pregnant and Uriah and the entire city would know that
Uriah was not the father, because Uriah had been on the
battlefield. So David tried to conceal his sin by
arranging to have Uriah killed in battle, and thus
committed a worse sin.
The Lord sent Nathan, the prophet, to confront David, the
King. Confronting power with truth is always risky. David
could have had Nathan killed on the spot.
David couldn't see the guilt of his own actions, as is
often the case in ourselves. Whatever we do seems right to
us in our own judgment. When David saw the actions
impersonally, in the parable, he immediately recognized
the injustice.
When we commit sin (disobedience of God's Word) we do
deserve to die [eternally] because God's Word declares
that the penalty for sin is [eternal] death (Romans 6:23;
see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home). But
God is willing to forgive, if we are willing to recognize
and confess our sin.
God has blessed us all with life and the goodness of
Creation, beyond what we deserve. If we pray in faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus' name, God will give us what we
truly need (but not necessarily everything we want; see
Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right, home).
God wants us to honor and obey his Word so that we can
have the good life God intends for us. David had broken
the Commandments not to kill and not to commit adultery,
and the Commandment to love God by trusting and obeying
his Word. David had risked all the good things that God
had given him, and the good things God had for him in the
future.
David was willing to accept the Lord's rebuke through
Nathan and recognize and confess his sin. Nathan was an
anointed prophet of the Lord by the Holy Spirit which he
had been given, with the authority to declare God's Word
and the authority to pronounce absolution of sin.
Up until the adultery and murder, David had a great
career. God forgave David his sin, but there were
consequences. The son of adultery with Bathsheba died. The
prophecy of the sword in the House of David was fulfilled.
Amnon, David's son by Ahinoam, raped Tamar, Amnon's sister
(2 Samuel 13:1-22). Two years later Absalom invited all
David's sons to a festival of sheepshearing, and the
servants killed Amnon during the festivities, in Absalom's
revenge for Tamar's rape (2 Samuel 13:23-33.
Absalom later led a revolt and usurped the throne, forcing
David to flee Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:13-16). Civil war broke
out. Absalom was killed, and David mourned. Then a dispute
broke out between Israel and Judah. Nathan's prophecy was
certainly fulfilled. (David died trusting in God and in
God's promises.)
When we recognize and confess our sins the Lord is
faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of guilt but if we
deny our sins we call God a liar and cut ourselves off
from forgiveness and salvation from eternal death (I John
1:8-10).
The psalmist testifies that the Lord is the only one who
can forgive our sins, cleanse us from guilt and deliver us
from the eternal consequence of sin. The psalmist asks us
to listen to his teaching from his personal experience.
But the psalm is also prophetic. The Lord himself wants to
teach and guide us by his Word.
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is deliberately intended by God to
be the prototype of a modern, post-resurrection,
“born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and
apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. Paul
was confronted by the risen and ascended Jesus as Paul was
on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians. Jesus
used the miracle of physical blindness to teach Paul that
Paul was spiritually blind.
Paul accepted Jesus' rebuke (Acts 9:4-5) acknowledged him
as Lord, repented (Acts 9:8-9), became obedient to Jesus
(Acts 9:6, 8), was “discipled” by Ananias, a born-again
(Acts 9:10-16 Christian disciple, until Paul was
born-again (Acts 9:17-18). Then guided by the Holy Spirit,
Paul began to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 9:19b-22) and make
born-again disciples of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:6-7) and
taught them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2).
The Church at Antioch had been troubled by Judaisers, and
Paul and Barnabas went to Church headquarters in Jerusalem
to get a ruling on the issue (Acts 15:1-29). In that
Church council, Peter testified that God had shown him by
revelation that God made no distinction between Jew and
Gentile converts (Acts 15:7-11; see Acts 11:1-18). It was
James who presided over the Council meeting to consider
the case of the Gentiles, who formulated the apostolic
decree which confirmed that the Gentiles were not subject
to the Law of Moses. The decree bound Gentiles only to the
commandments given by God to Noah and thus to all mankind
(Acts 15:29)
It is ironic that Peter, Barnabas and James had been key
participants in the apostolic decree and that Peter,
Barnabas, and the delegates of James had succumbed to the
pressure of the Judaizers. Paul confronted Peter, a key
leader of the Church in Jerusalem, with Peter's insincerity.
It is notable that his insincerity was contagious, and
this is often the case in the Church today, where people
compromise Biblical Apostolic Doctrine because of peer
pressure within the Church.
There are several false teachings in the first-century
Church which are refuted in the Bible, which are present
in the Church today. One is called “works-righteousness:”
teaching that salvation is earned by works (keeping) of
the Law (doing good deeds). Here Paul refutes that
teaching by clearly stating that salvation is by faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus rather than by doing works of
the Law (Galatians 2:16).
In his Letter to the Ephesians, he amplifies that
salvation is by Grace (a free gift; unmerited favor) which
is received by faith (obedient trust), not by works of the
Law. (Ephesians 2:8-9). We will do good works because we
are “saved” and are filled, guided and empowered by the
Holy Spirit to do what God has prepared for us beforehand
(Ephesians 2:10).
Saving faith is not a “work” we do by believing “hard
enough.” Our “yes” to Jesus as our Savior and Lord is the
“mustard seed” of faith which the Lord causes to
grow to maturity as we trust and obey his Word (Luke
13:19).
The deed of love done to Jesus by the sinner woman was
evidence of her faith and her forgiveness. Jesus does have
the power and authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:24) in
response to faith in the recipient. Jesus delegated the
authority to forgive or retain sins to his disciples (John
20:23).
The point of the parable of the creditor and two forgiven
debtors is that we are all sinners who fall short of God's
standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10).
Someone once said that there are two kinds of people in
this world, the sinners who think they're righteous, and
the righteous who know they're sinners. Simon, the
Pharisee, thought he was righteous because he thought he
kept the Law of Moses. He only kept some of the Law some
of the time.
Simon thought he had no need of forgiveness because he
thought he was righteous according to the Law. He didn't
love Jesus because he didn't think he needed a Savior.
Under the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law, sacrifices had
to be made continually for forgiveness of sins, because
people were always sinning. Jesus became the only
sacrifice acceptable to God, once for all time and all
people who are willing to receive it by faith. The old
sacrificial system ended at the cross of Jesus Christ. If
we attempt to live by works of the Law, by being a “good
person,” Jesus will be of no benefit to us, because his
salvation must be received by faith in Jesus (Galatians
5:3-5).
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 4 Pentecost - C
First
Posted June 21, 2010;
Podcast: Monday 4 Pentecost - C
Psalm 63:1-8 – The Soul that
Thirsts;
Paraphrase:
I seek thee, O God; you are my God. My soul thirsts for
you; my flesh faints for you, as in an arid desert without
water. In the sanctuary I have seen you and beheld your
power and glory. I will praise you with my lips, because
your steadfast love is better than life! As long as I live
I will bless you; I will lift up my hands in praise to you
and call on your name.
My soul is feasted as with rich food. With joyful lips I
will praise you aloud, in the night watches, when I
meditate on you. I will sing for joy in the shadow of your
“wings,” for you have been my source of help. Your right
hand upholds me, so my soul clings to you.
Commentary:
This psalm is attributed to David who, with his army of
several hundred men, was being pursued by King Saul. David
took refuge in the wilderness of Ziph in the Negeb Desert
on the southern border of Judah (1 Samuel 26:1-4).
David experienced physical thirst and exhaustion in the
wilderness, but he recognized that his spiritual thirst
and exhaustion was more urgent, and he knew where to find
spiritual thirst-quenching and rest in the Lord. He sought
the Lord in the sanctuary of God's house, and he beheld
God's glory and power. He found that God's love is
steadfast (unfailing), and is better than physical life.
In the midst of the pursuit by his enemy who was
determined to destroy him, and in the hardship of the
wilderness, he knew that his great joy was to bless and
praise the Lord and call upon his name. He had learned
that the Lord could abundantly satisfy his spiritual
hunger. When he couldn't sleep during the night because of
worry he found the Lord's help by meditating on the Lord.
God is like a great eagle protecting her young; they find
security in the shadow of his wings. That security makes
it possible to praise the Lord in times of trouble.
When we trust in the Lord we will come to know (John 6:68)
that there is abundant help only in him. Jesus is the
right arm and hand of God (Psalm 110:1; 138:7; Hebrews
1:13; Romans 8:34).
We are all in the spiritual wilderness and in spiritual
night of darkness in this world. We all have spiritual
hunger, thirst, and exhaustion and are all seeking to
satisfy them. But many are seeking spiritual satisfaction
in the wrong places.
There is spiritual satisfaction only in Jesus Christ; all
other attempts will ultimately disappoint. David sought
spiritual satisfaction in the sanctuary of God's house and
he saw the Lord and his glory and power. He experienced
God's steadfast love and found it better than physical
life!
The whole meaning and purpose of life in this Creation is
to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27). When we seek the
Lord he will allow himself to be found by us, if we seek
him with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 4:29). We can seek
him in God's Word, the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, God in
human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), the “living
Word” (John 1:14).
Jesus is the only way to know divine eternal truth, the
only way to be forgiven of sin (disobedience of God's
Word; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar,
right, home), the only way to be restored to fellowship
with God which was broken by sin, and the only way to have
eternal life (John 14:6). If we trust and obey Jesus'
teachings, he will reveal himself (John 14:21) and God the
Father to us (John 14:23; Matthew 11:27; compare John
14:7-11).
If we trust and obey Jesus, we will personally experience
God's glory and power. We will come to know him and have
fellowship with him through the “baptism” 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 baptism of the Holy Spirit is a
personally discernible, ongoing daily event (Acts
19:2). 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).
In order to have the help and protection of the Lord we
have to stay close to him by trusting and obeying his
teachings. We need to read the Bible from cover-to-cover,
and we need to read portions daily, because the Lord wants
us to seek his guidance and help one day at a time
(Matthew 6:11).
Our “yes” to Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord is the “mustard seed” of faith (trust and obedience;
Matthew 13:31-32). If we begin to trust and obey Jesus, he
will show us that he is faithful and able to deliver us
from every trouble. As we experience his help we will come
to know with certainty beyond mere belief that he is the
Lord (John 6:68-69). This is my personal experience and
testimony.
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 4 Pentecost - C
First
Posted June 22, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday 4 Pentecost - C
Zechariah 12:7-10 – The Ideal
King;
Paraphrase:
This is God's Word of prophecy concerning Israel: The Lord
declares that it is he who created heaven and earth, and
formed the spirits of people within them. He is going to
make Israel a cup of drunken staggering to all the
surrounding peoples coming against Judah in the siege
against Jerusalem.
In that day the Lord will make Jerusalem like a heavy
stone for all people who try to lift it; and they will
hurt themselves grievously. And, together, all the nations
of the earth will come against it. The horse will be
stricken with panic and the rider with madness by the Lord
in that day. The Lord will watch over Judah; he will
strike the eyes of the horses of the [enemy] peoples with
blindness. In that day the families of Judah will realize
that the the inhabitants of Jerusalem have been given
strength by their God, the Lord of hosts (multitudes;
armies).
In that day the Lord will make the households of Judah
like a blazing pot set upon wood, or a flaming torch among
sheaves; all the [foreign] peoples round about will be
devoured, while Jerusalem shall remain inhabited.
The Lord will give glory to the households of Judah first,
so that they will not be diminished by the glory of
Jerusalem and the house of David. In that day the Lord
will place a shield around the people of Jerusalem. The
feeblest of them will be as mighty as David, and David's
house will be mighty like God, like the angel of the Lord,
leading them. The Lord will destroy all the nations which
come against Jerusalem in that day.
The Lord will give the household of David and the
residents of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and
supplication, so that when they see the one whom they have
pierced (Jesus; John 19:33-37; 20:20), they will mourn for
him as for a first-born and only child (Luke 2:7; John
1:14, 18 KJV).
Commentary:
Chapters 9-14 of Zechariah were written by disciples of
Zechariah sometime in the fourth and third centuries B.C..
Zechariah's prophecies were made during 520-518 BC and are
recorded in Chapters 1-8.*
This is the prophecy of the Battle of Armageddon that will
usher in the end of the age and the return of Jesus
Christ: the “Second Coming.” The pagan nations will gather
and attack Israel, but it is they who will be destroyed.
Jesus' millennial (thousand-year) reign [on earth] will be
established.
Jesus Christ is the Son of David (Matthew 1:1; 21:9), and
the eternal heir to the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:5-13;
Psalm 89:20-29). David is the forerunner and illustration
of the Christ (Messiah; both words mean [God's] “anointed”
[eternal Savior and King] in Greek and Hebrew,
respectively). David was the great human shepherd-king of
Israel. Jesus is the perfect, sinless (Hebrews 4:15) and
ideal, good shepherd-king of Israel (John 10:14-15).
I have had a vision a long time ago of the panic and
madness of the Last Days. That experience is part of what
brought me to repentance and conversion.
The [true] Church is the New Jerusalem. The Lord will
place a shield around his people. His people will be as
mighty as David, who slew Goliath. Jesus is the leader of
God's people, in the strength and power of God (Colossians
2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus' “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8)
disciples will have experienced his great power personally
in their lives. I have! I have experienced his shield of
protection, and his empowering of me.
We see the “Gentiles” (pagan nations) gathering against
Israel right now in the world today. We also see pagans
gathering against the Church. But these things cannot take
place until God's will permits it, just like Jesus was not
crucified until God's timing was fulfilled.
A note of warning: Preaching on “End Times Prophecy” is
useful to confront and convince people to repent and turn
to the Lord, just as the Lord did for me. But new
believers must not get hung up on End Times speculation.
Jesus specifically warns his (not yet born-again)
disciples not to speculate on times and seasons which the
Lord has fixed by his authority (Acts 1:6-7).
Nominal Christians have damaged the Gospel message by
professing to know when the end will come. Further, new
believers have been hindered in their spiritual growth by
being caught up in endless speculation (1 Timothy 1:4. I
personally have encountered a new believer who preferred
to speculate on “End Times” rather than to learn
discipleship, and carry on the mission of the Gospel.
I personally am no authority on End Times because I have
not pursued that subject. Preaching on End Times Prophecy
led to my conversion, thirty years ago. Then I read the
Bible from cover-to-cover, began reading portions of the
Bible daily with meditation and prayer, began trusting and
obeying Jesus' teachings, sought the “baptism” 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) and then began proclaiming the Gospel
(compare Paul's conversion, Acts 9:1-22).
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, Zechariah introduction, p. 1148, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Wednesday 4 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 23, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday 4 Pentecost - C
Galatians 3:23-29;
Paraphrase:
Before (the New Covenant of) faith came, we were restrained under the Law (of Moses; the Old Covenant recorded in God's Word, the Bible), until “faith” was revealed. Law was our “caretaker” until Christ came, so that we could be justified (judged blameless; pardoned; the opposite of condemned) by faith.
Now that faith (obedient trust; in Jesus Christ) has come, believers are no longer under the restraint of our “caretaker.” All believers are sons (and daughters) of God by faith. Those who have been baptized in Christ have been clothed in Christ. There is no longer any distinction between Jew and Greek, nor slave and free, nor male and female, because we're all the same in Christ. Moreover, if we are in Christ, we are [spiritual] children of Abraham, and heirs of God's promise.
Commentary:
Jesus came to establish a New Covenant (Testament) of grace to be received by faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9). Until that time, God's people were under the Old Covenant of Law, recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. God's people were unable to keep the Law, and the priests had to offer continual sacrifices for the forgiveness of the sins of themselves and the people.
God has been revealing his plan for Creation through the history of his relationship with Israel recorded in the Bible. The Law was intended to teach people God's standard of righteousness (doing what is right, good and true according to God's Word) and to restrain God's people until the time for the New Covenant to be established by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant system of sacrifices was intended to show God's people that they could not satisfy the requirements of the Law by their own human strength (James 2:10) and that blood sacrifice was necessary for the forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:18-22).
Old Covenant sacrifices involved a feast of the slain animal, after parts were offered on the altar. The original Passover was intended to foreshadow and illustrate what God would do in Jesus Christ. A perfect lamb was to be slain. The lamb's blood would mark the Israelites to be “passed over” by the destroying angel when the first-born of the Egyptians was slain; and the lamb's flesh provided the feast (Exodus 12:1-14).
Jesus has been God's one and only plan for Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). At the right moment in history, according to God's will and timing, Jesus came in the flesh to establish the New Covenant, and to die as the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God (Acts 4:12), from then on, for the forgiveness of sin, to be received by faith in Jesus.
Jesus is the “unblemished lamb” sacrificed on the cross for our forgiveness. His blood marks believers as God's people, and his flesh provides the feast of the New Passover, the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), in the elements of wine (or grape juice) and bread (John 6:35, 48-50). Jesus instituted the New Passover during the celebration of the Jewish Passover with his disciples on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-28; and see note “g” RSV; Hebrews 8:8-13, 12:24).
The blood of Jesus cleanses believers and makes it possible for them to become temples 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 “baptism” of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing daily experience (Acts 19:2). 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).
This gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not automatically conferred by the “Church” by water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, right, home). The true Church “disciples” new believers and encourages them to seek the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1: 4-5, 8).
We are all sinners and fall short of God's standard of righteousness (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; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).
This lifetime in this world is our opportunity to seek, find and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 19:2), and be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), and this is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ. This lifetime is our opportunity to learn by trial-and-error that God's way is good, possible to do, and our very best interest (Romans 12:2).
This lifetime is our chance to choose whether to live in God's eternal kingdom, according to God's standard of righteousness, or not. God has designed this temporal world to allow for sin (disobedience of God's Word) so that we can have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not. But God is not going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, and not at all in the perfect paradise of his kingdom in heaven or it wouldn't be heaven. Under the Old Covenant, his people were motivated by fear; under the New Covenant we are motivated by love and by the empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-13).
The only distinction which matters is whether one is in Christ or not. A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who has been born-again by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is not the physical children of Abraham but the spiritual children of Abraham who are the heirs of God's promises in the Bible (Galatians 3:7-9).
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 4 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 24, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 4 Pentecost - C
Luke 9:18-24 – Peter's Confession;
Paraphrase:
With his disciples, Jesus had gotten away from the crowds, in order to pray, and he asked his disciples who people were saying that Jesus was. They replied that some said Jesus was John the Baptizer, others said he was Elijah or one of the prophets of old that had risen from the dead. Then Jesus asked his disciples who they thought Jesus was and Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah) of God. But Jesus commanded them to tell no one.
Then Jesus told them that he, “the Son of man,” would have to suffer much and be rejected by the Jewish elders, priests and teachers of the Law of Moses. Jesus would be killed and would rise again from death on the third day.
Jesus said, to all, that anyone who decides to follow Jesus must deny his own self-interest and must pick up his own cross every day and follow Jesus. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for Jesus' sake will save it.
Commentary:
Each of us must decide for ourselves who Jesus is. Jesus referred to himself as the Son of man, which was true, but which allowed people to decide for themselves whether he was the Son of God (Luke 1:31-35), with a hint from Daniel 7:13-14.
Jesus wants people to follow him by their own free will. Jesus warned his disciples not to try to tell anyone that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah; both mean [God's] “anointed” [prophet; priest; king] in Greek and Hebrew respectively). They must come to that realization on their own. One cannot be saved by taking their parents' or their pastor's word that Jesus is the Christ.
I have talked with some who thought that John the Baptizer was intended by God to be the Christ, but failed. Not so! John was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the return of (a prophet like) Elijah to herald the coming of the Christ (Malachi 3:1, 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13), and in fact, Elijah did return (Matthew 17:1-8) and was witnessed by the three disciples of Jesus' inner circle: Peter, James and John.
The mission of John the Baptizer was to prepare people to receive the Christ by spiritually cleansing them by water baptism for repentance (Luke 3:1-9), and to point them to Christ (John 1:31-34; Luke 3:21). This is the role that the Church has inherited. Only Jesus' disciples baptized with water; not Jesus himself (John 4:2). Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
Jesus' word is the Word of God, with the creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1: 9). Jesus could command us and we would have no choice but to obey. There is a day coming when Jesus will command us either to enter his eternal kingdom or to depart into eternal hell (John 5:28-29; Philippians 2:9-11).
Jesus prophesied his crucifixion and resurrection at least three times (Matthew 16:21; 17:22; 10:17-19; compare Luke 18:31-34). The defining characteristic of God's Word is it's fulfillment; God's Word is always fulfilled (Deuteronomy18:21-22), and it is eternal: it is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.
Worldly people hated Jesus and tried to destroy him. His disciples cannot expect to be treated better, if they are being true to Jesus' teachings (John 15:18, 25). Jesus' disciples need not fear them; the worst that the worldly can do is to kill us physically, but God will raise us to eternal life (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4).
Disciples of Jesus Christ must be willing to set aside their personal interests in order to follow Jesus. We really don't know what we want and truly need. Left to ourselves we will self-destruct. When it is too late, we will find that what we pursued was eternally worthless and ultimately unsatisfying. If we love our lives now in this fallen world, we will lose the chance for eternal life in paradise restored in God's kingdom in heaven.
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)?
Friday 4 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 25, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 4 Pentecost - C
Romans 8:13-23 – Spirit and Sonship;
Paraphrase:
If we live according to the flesh we will die [eternally], but if we put to death the deeds of the flesh we will live [eternally]. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons [children] of God” (Romans 8:14). We are not given the spirit of slavery, so that we fall back into fear, but we receive the spirit of sonship [adoption]. “When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15b-16), and if children, then we are heirs, if we are willing to suffer for the Gospel as Jesus suffered, in order to be glorified with him.
The Apostle Paul considered that the suffering for the sake of the Gospel was insignificant compared to the glory which will be revealed to us. Creation has been in bondage to futility, as it awaits, with eager longing, the revealing of the children of God. God subjected Creation to futility, not by its own will, but by the will of God, in hope [of release], since Creation will be eventually set free from bondage to decay and will obtain the glorious liberty of God's children. All this time Creation has been groaning as in the travail of childbirth, and not only Creation, but we ourselves groan as we await the redemption of our bodies and adoption as children of God.
Commentary:
We're all going to die physically, sooner or later. But God has intended for us to live eternally with him in paradise restored in his eternal kingdom. This temporal lifetime is our one and only opportunity to learn to trust and obey God and to be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to true, eternal life, which is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home) 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). The “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily, experience (Acts 19:2); it is impossible to be filled with the Holy Spirit and “hardly know it.”
It is impossible to overcome the weakness of our physical nature without the help of the Holy Spirit. God is not going to give us the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit unless he is reasonably certain that we intend to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We can expect to be tested to see whether we are committed to obedient trust in Jesus before we're given the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Premature spiritual rebirth would be a spiritual disaster for us (Hebrews 6:4-6).
By the anointing of the indwelling Holy Spirit we have a foretaste of glory in God's eternal kingdom. It isn't true that we cannot know whether the Gospel of eternal life is true until we die physically. Those who believe come to certain, assured knowledge (John 6:68-69). Eternal life begins now in this temporal world, for those who believe.
“Abba” is the Aramaic word for “Father.” The phrase was used in the first-century Church in worship. It is impossible to truly praise the Lord without the anointing of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 8:15-17).
Don't expect worldly people to treat Christians any better than they treated Jesus. We're going to encounter tribulation and suffering for the sake of the Gospel. But we can experience the joy of the presence of the Lord through the gift of the Holy Spirit now, and be assured that the suffering is well worth while.
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 4 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 26, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 4 Pentecost - C
Luke 6:36-42 – Christian Lifestyle;
Paraphrase:
We should be merciful in dealing with others as God our Father has been merciful to us. Let us not judge others, and then we won't be judged ourselves. Let us not condemn others, and then we won't come under condemnation. If we want forgiveness, we must forgive others. If we give generously to others, God will give to us generously, in our laps, in full measure, overflowing.
Jesus taught in parables (stories of common earthly experiences used to teach spiritual truth). How can a blind man lead a blind man; they'll both fall into a pit! A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but when fully taught will be like his teacher. We tend to notice tiny flaws in others more readily than we notice large flaws in ourselves. How can we presume to correct someone else before dealing with our own flaws? Let us first deal with our own flaws, and then we will be able to help our brother clearly.
Commentary:
One of the great problems of our human nature is that we tend to do whatever seems right in our own eyes (Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6, 21:25; Proverbs 12:15). The reason is because we have no “King” (God; Lord); we want to be our own “king” (Genesis 3:5b). When people do what is right in their own judgment there is chaos and anarchy.
In society today, particularly in America, many people reject an absolute standard of right and wrong. They think, "How can one say what is right for someone else?" So people do whatever is right in their own judgment.
There is an absolute standard, and that standard is the Word of God, recorded in the Bible. The Bible contains both precious promises and ominous warnings. The Word of God is eternal and is fulfilled over and over, as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. If we obey God's Word we will receive the blessings; if we disobey, we will receive the penalties God's warnings were intended to help us avoid.
When we're our own “god,” it seems O.K. to judge and condemn others. We don't feel the need of forgiveness because we think we're doing right according to our own standard. We don't value mercy for ourselves, or give it to others. Or we may think that by being generous, forgiving and merciful to others that we are entitled to the same forgiveness, generosity and mercy.
Being non-judgmental of others doesn't mean that we have to suspend our discernment. We have been born into a world of spiritual darkness. We are spiritually blind until the Lord opens our spiritual eyes to understand God's Word. (Luke 24:45).
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek, find and have fellowship with God our Father, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home). Only Jesus “baptizes” (anoints) 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).
This lifetime is our one and only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8). It is impossible to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and “hardly know it” (Acts 19:2). The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is personally discernible, ongoing, daily experience.
We have a hard time understanding spiritual things. The material realm seems so much more "real" and substantial to us. We can see and touch what is material. But material substance will pass away and only what is spiritual will remain. Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truth in a way we can understand from our earthly experience.
In the world and even in the nominal Church today there are many blind guides. In particular, the nominal Church has failed to make born-again disciples of Jesus Christ and has settled for making “members.” The result is that there are no born-again disciples of Jesus Christ to select for Church leaders. Too often nominal Church leaders are “blind guides” because they have not been spiritually reborn by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
It takes born-again disciples of Jesus to make born-again disciples. If unregenerate (not born-again) leaders knew what they lacked and how to get it, they wouldn't be unregenerate.
We need to become disciples of Jesus Christ first, staying within the Church (the New Jerusalem) being discipled by born-again disciples until we have been born again, before going into the world with the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Matthew 28:19-20). Paul's (Saul of Tarsus') conversion is the example of a modern, post-resurrection, born-again, disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we all can and should be (Acts 9:1-20).
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)?
