Week of 3 Easter - C - 04/10 - 16/2016
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of
Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the
Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis,
1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common
Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal,
Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following
Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship.
Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran
Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran
Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for
Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of
Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg
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3 Easter - Sunday C
First posted April
18, 2010;
Psalm 30 –
Mourning Turned into Dancing;
Acts 9:1-20 –
Paul's Conversion;
Revelation 5:11-14 –
Worthy is the Lamb;
John 21:1-14 –
Risen Jesus Appears to Disciples in Galilee;
Psalm 30 Paraphrase:
I will glorify and
praise you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not let my
enemies rejoice over me. When I cried to you, O Lord my God, you
healed me. You lifted me up from the land of the dead and restored me
to life from the grave.
Let all his saints
(those committed to God's service) praise the Lord, and
give thanks to his
holy name, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for
a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the
morning” (Psalm 30:5).
When everything was
going well for me, I thought nothing could go wrong. I had been
established as a strong mountain, by God's favor; then he hid his
face from me and I was beset with trouble.
Then I cried to the
Lord and begged for his help. I said that there would be no benefit
in my death; I couldn't praise him from the grave. If my body
returned to dust, would it glorify God and testify to his
faithfulness? I asked him to hear my plea, and be gracious to me, and
be my helper.
He has turned my
mourning into dancing, and has replaced the sackcloth of mourning
with the mantle of gladness, so that I can praise him in my innermost
being and not be silent. I will give thanks to the Lord my God for
ever and ever.
Acts 9:1-20
Paraphrase:
Paul (Saul of
Tarsus) was on his way to Damascus with authority from the Jewish
council of elders in Jerusalem to arrest and bring Christians
(disciples of Jesus Christ; Acts 11:26c; members of the “Way,”
the early name for Christianity; see John 14:16) to Jerusalem for
trial. As he neared Damascus he was struck to the ground and blinded
by a bright flash of light, and he heard a voice asking him by name
why he was persecuting the one whose voice he was hearing. Paul asked
who was speaking and the voice identified himself as Jesus, and told
Paul to enter the city and await further instructions. His traveling
companions heard the voice but saw no one. They led Paul into the
city where he fasted and prayed, unable to see.
There was a
(“born-again” Christian; John 3:3, 5-8) disciple in Damascus
named Ananias. In a vision the Lord spoke to him telling him to go to
Straight Street to the house of Judas (not Iscariot) and ask to see
Saul of Tarsus. The Lord told Ananias that Paul was praying and had
seen a man named Ananias come in and lay hands upon Paul and restore
Paul's sight. But Ananias replied that he knew that Paul had done
much evil to Christians in Jerusalem and that he had authority from
Jerusalem to arrest believers in Damascus. But the Lord told Ananias
to go, that Paul was a chosen tool of the Lord to make the Lord's
name known to the Gentiles, to worldly kings, and to the sons of
Israel; and that Paul would learn to suffer greatly for the Lord's
namesake.
So Ananias went and
entered the house where Paul was staying, telling Paul that Ananias
had been sent to restore Paul's vision and to be filled with the Holy
Spirit. Immediately something like scales fell from Paul's eyes and
his vision was restored. Then he arose and was baptized, ate food and
regained strength.
For several days he
stayed with the Christians at Damascus and immediately in the
synagogues he proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God.
Revelation
5:11-14Paraphrase:
The Apostle John,
one of the original Twelve disciples of Jesus, saw in a vision, while
he was in exile on the isle of Patmos, the throne of the Lord in
heaven. Around the throne were were the four living creatures
(probably symbolizing all created beings; Revelation 4:6b-8) and the
twenty-four elders (the twelve Old Testament patriarchs and the
twelve New Testament Apostles; Revelation 4:4). He heard the voices
of millions of millions and thousands of thousands (an uncountable
number) of angels saying in unison that the Lamb who was slain
(Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of the New Passover) is the only one
worthy to receiver power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor
and glory and blessing (perfect, seven-fold praise). And every
creature who ever lived on earth gave blessing and honor and glory
and might to the Lord God the Father and to the Lamb for ever and
ever, Amen (so be it)! And the twenty-four elders fell face-down and
worshiped.
John 21:1-14
Paraphrase:
After revealing
himself to his disciples twice in the upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus
revealed himself to them again in Galilee as he had promised (Matthew
26:32; 28:10). Seven of the disciples, led by Simon Peter, and
including Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two others went
fishing overnight on the Sea of Galilee. They fished all night but
caught nothing.
At dawn, Jesus was
standing on the beach, but the disciples did not recognize him.
Addressing them as children, Jesus asked if they had caught any fish,
and they replied, “No.” Jesus told them to cast the net on the
right side of the boat and they would find some. They did so and the
net was filled with a great weight of fish, so that they were unable
to haul it in. The disciple whom Jesus loved (John; by extension,
each of us) told Peter it was the Lord. Immediately Peter put on his
clothes, because he had undressed for fishing, and jumped into the
water to swim to shore, since they were only a hundred yards
offshore.
When they got to
shore they saw a charcoal fire with fish broiling, and bread nearby.
Jesus told them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. Peter
went aboard and dragged the net to shore, full of a hundred and
fifty-three large fish. Although there were so many large fish the
net was not torn. Jesus invited them to come and have breakfast. None
of the disciples needed to ask who he was; they knew it was their
Lord. Jesus came and gave them bread and fish. This was now the third
time Jesus had revealed himself to them.
Commentary:
Psalm 30 is also my
own personal testimony (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right,
home)! I thought that I was invincible until the Lord withheld his
favor from me.
I was as good as
dead, but the Lord raised me to useful service for his kingdom. The
Lord's discipline is painful for the moment but it is so beneficial
in the long run, if it causes us to repent and return to obedient
trust in God's Word. When we cry to him in times of distress he is
able and faithful to deliver us from all our troubles.
He is abundantly
able to turn our sorrow into rejoicing. There is no joy more
satisfying than the joy we experience in the presence of the Lord. It
is my greatest pleasure to praise and glorify my Lord!
The conversion of
Paul is the defining incident of the New Testament after the physical
ministry and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the one
intended by God to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot, Jesus'
betrayer. The Eleven original remaining disciples were told to wait
in Jerusalem for the “baptism” (“anointing;” “gift;”
“infilling”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts
1:4-5, 8), before going out into the world to proclaim the Gospel, in
fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) which Jesus
gave to his disciples. While waiting, they decided to choose, by
chance, a successor to replace Judas, since they didn't have the
guidance and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts
1:15-26). They chose Matthias, who was never heard of again in the
New Testament. In contrast, from the time of Paul's conversion most
of the rest of the New Testament is by or about Paul.
Paul is
intentionally designed by God to be 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 apparently did
not know Jesus during Jesus' physical lifetime. Paul was convicted by
the Holy Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus on the road to
Damascus. Paul repented of his sin (Acts 9:9), accepted Jesus as his
personal Lord (Acts 9:5), and became obedient to Jesus as his Lord
(Acts 9:6-8).
Paul was discipled
by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (who had a personal
relationship with the Lord; Acts 9:10), until Paul was “born-again”
(Acts 9:17-18), and then became obedient to the guidance and
empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20).
Paul's conversion
was unique for its rapidity. The Twelve were with Jesus for about
three and a half years and still were not ready to proclaim the
Gospel until they had been “reborn.”
I personally testify
that I was confronted by the Holy Spirit and was called to repentance
and obedient trust in Jesus. When I did, I was restored to fellowship
with the Lord.
Jesus is the
unblemished sacrificial Lamb of the New Passover. God has been
preparing us to understand his saving plan for this world (see God's
Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). The Exodus of God's
people from slavery to sin and death in Egypt was intended by God to
be a parable, a metaphor, for life in this world. We are all in
slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world
order. Satan is “Pharaoh.” Jesus is the “Moses” who leads us
out of Egypt.
Jesus is the Lamb of
the New Passover, initiated on the night of his betrayal and arrest
(Matthew 26:26-28; compare Exodus 12:1-13). Jesus' body sacrificed on
the cross provides the New Passover feast, and his blood marks
believers to be “passed over” by the destroying angel.
Jesus is the
ultimate example of obedient trust in God's Word. Jesus never wavered
(Matthew 26:36-46), although sorely tempted. He knew his fate, and
yet trusted God's Word unto the most excruciatingly (meaning “of
the Cross) painful death on the cross.
Jesus was fully
human. He experienced every human desire and temptation just as we
do, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He was perfectly obedient to
God's Word. Therefore God has acknowledged that he alone is worthy of
glory, honor, power, wisdom, might, honor and blessing, eternally!
Jesus' miracles of
physical feeding (and healing) were intended to show that he is also
able to feed (and heal) spiritually. Jesus promised his disciples
that he would reveal himself to them in Galilee after his
crucifixion, death, and resurrection (Matthew 26:32; 28:7b). This is
the fulfillment of that promise.
The feeding of the
five thousand with the five barley loaves and two fish (John 5:1-13)
is the preview of fellowship with Jesus in the kingdom of God. The
breakfast on the beach in Galilee is the beginning of its
fulfillment.
The disciples who
were involved were experienced fishermen of the Sea of Galilee. They
had used their best knowledge and experience and yet, all night, had
caught nothing! Still, they were willing to trust and obey Jesus'
command. As the result, they caught a great supernatural catch, and
they enjoyed a great supernatural fellowship on the beach with Jesus.
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)?
3 Easter - Monday - C
First posted April
19, 2010;
Psalm 23 – My
Shepherd;
Paraphrase:
Because the Lord is
my shepherd I can be confident that I will never lack any necessity.
He provides green pastures and calm waters. He restores my soul. He
leads me in the ways of righteousness for the sake of his name (his
whole person and character).
I fear no evil
although I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, because my
shepherd is with me. I am comforted by his rod and staff.
The Lord prepares a
table for me in the presence of my enemies. He anoints me with oil.
He gives me an overflowing cup. Certainly all my days will be
accompanied by goodness and mercy, and I will dwell in the Lord's
house for eternity.
Commentary:
Jesus is the one and
only Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15). He alone can provide our
spiritual food and drink. Jesus' miracles of physical food, drink and
healing were intended to demonstrate that he can also and more
importantly satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst and need for
spiritual healing.
We are all born
physically alive but spiritually dead (unborn). Only Jesus can give
us spiritual birth, by the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of
the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 5-8), which only Jesus gives
(John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John
14:15-17). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally
discernible ongoing event (Acts 19:2).
We are all enslaved
by sin and the fear of death. Jesus took on our physical nature so
that through his physical death on the cross he could free us from
fear of death and slavery to sin (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus'
resurrection demonstrates that there is existence beyond physical
death. By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus we have the indwelling Holy
Spirit within us, who 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). By the indwelling Holy Spirit we have a personal
daily relationship with the risen and ascended Jesus, and can
personally testify that Jesus is eternally alive. When we know that
Jesus is with us we can be certain that nothing can happen to us that
he cannot deliver us from or bring us safely through.
The Lord has
prepared a feast for us in the midst of our enemies. The Old Covenant
(Testament) of Law was sealed by a sacrificial feast and God's people
were marked by the blood of the sacrifice (Exodus 12:1-14). Moses was
the mediator of the Old Covenant. Jesus is the mediator of the New
Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) which we receive by
faith) obedient trust) in Jesus.
Jesus established
the New Covenant on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew
26:17-28). The Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist) is the
spiritual feast of the New Passover; Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of
the New Passover, whose body sacrificed on the cross provides the
feast, and whose blood marks us to be “passed over” by the
destroying angel.
Jesus' physical
feeding of the five thousand, for example (John 6:1-14), was intended
to point to the “marriage feast” in God's eternal heavenly
kingdom, where his “bride,” the Church, his (born-again)
disciples will be united with Christ for eternity. The Lord's Supper
which the Church celebrates is a foretaste of the that wedding feast
that is coming in eternity (Matthew 26:29).
Jews were
specifically forbidden to consume blood by itself or with its meat.
The reason was that it was believed that blood contained the spirit
of the animal. The Lord didn't want his people filled with the spirit
of animals, but with his Holy Spirit. The cup of the Lord's Supper
overflows to us; it is abundantly sufficient for our needs. That
doesn't mean that one can partake of the Lord's Supper and
automatically be filled with the Holy Spirit, but if one does so in
faith, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, one will be renewed
and will have fellowship (“communion”) with the Lord at the
table.
Olive oil was used
to anoint prophets, priests and kings for God's service. Oil was used
for medicinal purposes to promote healing, and for welcome and
celebration. The “anointing” with the Holy Spirit is the the “oil
of gladness” (Psalm 45:6-7; Isaiah 61:3c, d). It is only by the
indwelling Holy Spirit that we can praise the Lord and experience the
goodness and joy of his presence within us (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Because “born-again” Christians personally experience the risen
and ascended Jesus by his indwelling Holy Spirit within us we can be
certain that we will live eternally with him 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)?
3 Easter - Tuesday - C
First posted April
20, 2010;
Acts 13:15-16a,
26-33 – Paul's Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia;
Paraphrase:
On his first
missionary Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and his missionary companions went
into the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia (in Asia Minor; present-day
Turkey) on the sabbath. After reading from the law and the prophets,
as was the Jewish practice, the synagogue leaders invited the
missionaries to share a word of exhortation. So Paul stood up and,
addressed them as sons of Abraham and those who are God-fearing
(having the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority
of God).
Paul said that God
has sent Israel the message of salvation (see God's Plan of
Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). The Jewish citizens and rulers
in Jerusalem had not understood and recognized the fulfillment of
the the oracles of the prophets which were read every sabbath, thus
fulfilling them by condemning Jesus. Although they had no evidence to
charge Jesus for anything deserving death, they asked Pilate to
execute him.
When the prophecies
about Jesus' crucifixion had been fulfilled, they took Jesus' body
from the cross and laid it in a tomb. But God raised Jesus from the
dead, and over a period of many days, he appeared to his followers
who had come to Jerusalem with him from Galilee (1 Corinthians
15:1-11). These followers now testified to the fulfillment of these
prophecies. So Paul was bringing the “good news” ("Gospel"
means “good news”) that God's promise to the forefathers he has
fulfilled to their children, by raising Jesus, as it is written in
Psalm 2:7.
Commentary:
The Jewish leaders
and people in Jerusalem had the prophetic scriptures revealing God's
plan for Creation from the fall of mankind in the Garden of Edin
(Genesis 3:15), and throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, but they
didn't understand them because they did not receive them with faith
(obedient trust). So they fulfilled the prophesies by crucifying
Jesus.
God's Word is
eternal and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its
fulfillment are met. God's Word contains both wonderful promises but
also ominous warnings which are intended to keep us from receiving
the consequences of disobedience. We will either receive the promises
by obedient trust, or we will receive the consequences of
disobedience.
For one example,
Psalm 22, attributed to David, the great human shepherd-king of
Israel who reigned from 1000 to 961 B.C., is a prophetic picture of
Jesus' crucifixion, which was a manner of execution unknown in Israel
until the time of the Roman Empire, beginning in about 27 B.C..
(Compare Psalm 22:7-8 and 16-18 with Matthew 27:35, 38-44). Jesus
began to quote Psalm 22 on the cross as he was fulfilling it (Psalm
22:1; compare Matthew 27:46).
The Jews rejected
Jesus as their Messiah and crucified him, thus fulfilling Biblical
prophecy, but they lost the salvation God intended for them. Jesus
declared that the Jews would not see their Messiah until they
accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior (Matthew 23:37-39). I don't believe
that living Jews are irrevocably lost, although those are eternally
lost who have died unregenerate [John 3:3, 5-8; un-”reborn” by
the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John
1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John
14:15-17). 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)]. I don't believe that the Jews are any more
guilty than anyone else for crucifying Jesus, because we are all
sinners (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and have made Jesus' crucifixion
necessary for our eternal salvation (See God's Plan of Salvation,
sidebar, top right, home).
Paul was
deliberately intended by God to be the prototype and example of a
“modern, post-resurrection, born-again disciple (student) and
apostle (messenger; of the Gospel)." He was convicted on the
road to Damascus by the Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus Acts
9:3-5). He accepted Jesus as Lord (Acts 9:5), became obedient to
Jesus' command (Acts 9:6-8), repented with fasting (Acts 9:9), was
discipled by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Act 9:10), until
Paul was “born-again” (Acts 9:11-18), and then Paul, led by the
indwelling Holy Spirit began proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
(Acts 9:19b-20). Paul began to repeat the process of making
born-again disciples of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:6-8) and teaching
them to repeat the process (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)?
3 Easter - Wednesday - C
First posted April
21, 2010;
Revelation 7:9-17 –
A Great Multitude of Redeemed;
Paraphrase:
After the vision of
the hundred and forty-four thousand (a symbolic number) sealed for
redemption, the Apostle John had a vision of a great multitude from
all nations, tribes and tongues standing before the throne and the
Lamb (Jesus). They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in
their hands. The multitude cried out that salvation belongs to our
God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb! And all the angels
and the four living creatures stood around the throne and fell down
on their faces, worshiping God and saying, “Amen (so be it)!
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power
and might (seven-fold; symbolizing perfect praise) be to our God for
ever and ever! Amen!
Then one of the
[twenty-four] elders asked John who the white-robed multitude were,
and from where had they come? John replied that the elder knew
(trusting that the elder would explain it to John). The elder
explained that the multitude were those who had been saved during the
great tribulation; their robes had been cleansed by the blood of the
Lamb.
Therefore they are
constantly before God's throne, and serve him day and night in God's
temple. They are sheltered in God's presence and will neither hunger
or thirst anymore. They will not be stricken by sun or heat. The Lamb
who is before the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to
springs of living water; and God will dry the tears from their eyes.
Commentary:
Twelve is the number
of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, and also the Twelve
original Apostles of Jesus Christ, the Eleven original disciples
(minus Judas Iscariot, Jesus' betrayer) plus Paul (Saul of Tarsus)
the original “modern, post-resurrection, born-again, disciple
(student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel)" of Jesus
Christ. The twenty-four elders are the twelve patriarchs of the
twelve tribes and the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. One hundred
and forty-four thousand is twelve thousand from each of the twelve
tribes of Israel times twelve, symbolizing completeness; not one is
missing. Seven is a symbol of perfection and completeness.
Jesus is the
sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29, 35-36) of the New Passover, which Jesus
instituted on the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28). The New
Passover was sealed with a spiritual feast, the Last Supper; the
Lord's Supper; Holy Communion; Eucharist (compare Exodus 12:1-14).
Jesus' blood, shed
on the cross cleanses us from sin and clothes us with the robes of
Jesus' righteousness (John 7:14). Jesus' triumphal entry into
Jerusalem on the week of his crucifixion was hailed with palm
branches by his disciples (Matthew 21:1-11). The Church is the New
Jerusalem, the New City of God on earth.
Jesus is the Good
Shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10:11-15). The Good Shepherd provides his
sheep with their daily needs abundantly, beyond expectation. He
doesn't just provide water, but “living water” (John 4:10-11;
7:37-39), the spiritual water of eternal life.
If you believe God's
Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the fulfillment, embodiment
and example of God's Word lived in this world in human flesh (John
1:1-5, 14), you will trust and obey it. You will apply God's Word in
your daily life. As the result you will come to know personally with
certainty that God's Word is true and reliable and is fulfilled over
and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. That is how
God causes our faith to grow to spiritual maturity. There is no hope
and security in this world apart from faith (obedient trust) in Jesus
Christ.
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)?
3 Easter - Thursday C
First posted April
22, 2010;
John 10:22-30 –
Jesus and God are One;
Paraphrase:
At the feast of
Dedication (celebrating the re-dedication of the temple in 164 B.C.,
after being desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C.; the origin
of Hanukkah), Jesus was walking in the portico of Solomon (a relic of
Solomon's temple left standing after the destruction of Jerusalem and
the temple in 587 B.C. by the Nebuchadnezzar, whose army carried
Judah into exile in Babylon for seventy years). The Jews (Jewish
leaders) surrounded him and asked Jesus to tell them plainly if he
were the Christ (Messiah).
Jesus replied that
he had told them, but they had not believed. Jesus was doing works
(miracles) in the name of God his Father which reveal that he is the
Christ, but they did not believe because they did not belong to
Jesus' “sheep” (Jesus' followers; John 10:7-15). Jesus' followers
recognize Jesus' voice and follow him, and he recognizes them as his
followers. Jesus gives them eternal life, and they will never perish,
nor can anyone take them from Jesus' control. Jesus' Father is God,
who is greater than anyone, and no one is able to separate Jesus'
followers from God. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
Commentary:
It wasn't that Jesus
hadn't revealed himself as the Messiah, but the Jewish authorities
hadn't accepted him by faith (obedient trust). Jesus was doing
miracles which only God could do, but they refused to acknowledge him
as the Son of God, the Messiah, and submit to him in faith. Instead
they accused him of blasphemy (John 10:31-33).
When we hear Jesus'
words in the Bible and accept them in faith, we will begin to trust
and obey them in our daily lives. As we do so, he will come to us and
begin to talk to us. We will know that it is Jesus who is talking to
us because we have learned to know his “voice” from the Bible.
There are also demonic “voices” speaking to us, so we must use
the Bible to test the “voices” to know whether they are of God (1
John 4:1-3).
We are all born
physically alive but spiritually unborn. We must be spiritually
“born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” (gift) of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only
to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy
Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has
eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11,
15-16). The “baptism” of the Holy Spirit is a personally
discernible ongoing event (Acts 19:2). If one is uncertain, one
hasn't been.
By the indwelling
Holy Spirit, truly born-again Christians have daily personal
fellowship with Jesus Christ and God the Father (John 14:23). Jesus
is God in human form (Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:8-11). Jesus is the
Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh (John
1:1-5, 14). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the
creative force of God's Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1:3, 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)?
3 Easter - Friday C
First posted April
23, 2010;
1 Peter 2:11-20 –
Christian Lifestyle;
Paraphrase:
We are reminded that
we are aliens and exiles in this world (we are citizens of God's
heavenly kingdom). We must abstain from lusts of the flesh which
fight against our souls (the part of us which is eternal). Our good
behavior among the Gentiles (unbelievers) will testify to God's glory
when they are confronted by God's divine eternal truth, and will
refute their false accusations of wrongdoing by us.
We must submit to
every human institution, whether to the sovereign leader or to his
delegates sent to reward right-doing and to punish wrong-doing. It is
God's will that by doing what is right we may silence the ignorant.
Let us live as those who are free, but without using our freedom as
license to do what is evil; instead, let us live as servants of God.
Let us dishonor no one. Let us love our fellow believers as our
family. Let us fear (have awe and respect for the power and authority
of) God. Let us respect our worldly leaders.
Let those who are
under the authority of others, as slaves, subjects or employees, be
submissive, regardless of the nature of the authorities, whether
gentle and kind, or brutal and abusive. Those who endure abuse while
suffering unjustly will be rewarded by God. But when one suffers
deservedly for wrongdoing, what credit will he receive for patient
endurance? But if you suffer unjustly for doing what is right in
God's judgment, you will have God's approval.
Commentary:
The Bible contains a
series of parables (stories of everyday common experience used to
teach spiritual truth). The central parable of the Bible is the
Exodus from slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this
current world order, through baptism into Jesus in the “Red Sea”
(on dry ground; Exodus 14:21-29), through the wilderness of this
lifetime, through the “Jordan River” of physical death, and into
the eternal “Promised Land” of God's eternal kingdom in heaven.
Jesus is our “Moses” who leads us. The Holy Spirit is the pillar
of fire who leads us through the spiritual darkness (Exodus
13:21-22). Jesus is the “Joshua” [Jesus is the Greek equivalent
of the Hebrew “Jeshua” or Joshua; the Son of Nun, who led Israel
through the Jordan River (on dry ground; Joshua 3:14-17) and into the
Promised Land].
Like Israel, the
people of God, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years, we are
nomads in this lifetime, waiting for Jesus to lead us through the
“River” of physical death into the eternal promised land. Our
citizenship is not of this world. This lifetime is a spiritual
battlefield. Satan and his demons are our spiritual enemies, seeking
to destroy us eternally. Our weapon is the Word of God, the Bible,
which is our spiritual sword, and our faith (obedient trust) in Jesus
Christ is our armor that protects us from spiritual death. Our
spiritual enemies will attempt to discredit us, but our good behavior
will testify in our behalf; so let us not yield to temptation, but
continue in obedient trust in Jesus.
Worldly rulers are
ultimately accountable to God. There are situations in which
Christians must disobey worldly rulers, when their commands are
clearly in opposition to the Bible, such as were Hitler's ( *See: The
Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan
Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6). But one must be willing
to suffer the physical consequences: Bonhoeffer was hanged in the
last days of World War II.
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)?
3 Easter - Saturday C
First posted April
24, 2010;
John 16:16-23 –
Jesus' Resurrection;
Paraphrase:
Jesus told his
disciples that soon they would be separated from him for a while, and
then, “after a little while,” they would be restored to his
presence. His disciples puzzled over this saying. They wondered about
what Jesus meant by saying that he was going to the Father. What did
Jesus mean by “a little while?' Jesus knew what they were wondering
about and stated their questions plainly.
Jesus told them they
would be sorrowful over that which the world was rejoicing, but their
sorrow would turn to joy. Jesus told them that their sorrow would be
like the travail of childbirth. It would be turned to joy by the
delivery of that which is being born into the world. So they would
experience sorrow for a time, but their sorrow would be turned to joy
which no one could take from them. In that day they would be reunited
with Jesus and they would have no unfulfilled needs. “Truly, truly,
I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to
you in my name” (John 16:23).
Commentary:
Jesus was arrested
on Thursday of Holy Week after the Last Supper. He was crucified on
Good Friday. He was in the tomb from Friday at sundown until Easter
Sunday, the third day. From Jesus' arrest, the disciples were
scattered, as Jesus had foretold (Matthew 26:31). They were in
mourning for the apparent loss of their hope for a restored Israel
(Luke 24:21) and the loss of their beloved Lord, and they were in
fear that they could suffer the same fate (John 20:19).
When the women who
had gone to the tomb on Easter Sunday reported that the tomb was
empty and that Jesus had risen from the dead, the disciples at first
couldn't believe it (Luke 24:9-11). Jesus continued to reveal himself
to his followers over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians
15:1-7), in Jerusalem and later in Galilee. The disciples had a
couple rough days until they heard and accepted Jesus' resurrection
and he appeared to them. Then their sorrow was turned to joy.
Jesus had promised
the disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of
Jesus, the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9) to be with and in them forever
(John 14:21, 23). The only way to receive the “baptism” of the
Holy Spirit is to believe (trust and obey) Jesus. 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 infilling of the Holy
Spirit within us is a personally discernible, ongoing daily
experience (Acts 19:2).
It is by the
indwelling Holy Spirit that we experience a close personal daily
fellowship with the Lord. It is by the Holy Spirit that we experience
the joy of his presence (Romans 14:7; 15:13; I Thessalonians 1:6). It
is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can truly praise and
worship the Lord (Romans 8:15-16). The “baptism” of the Holy
Spirit is our spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8). The indwelling
Holy Spirit the joy which no one can take from us (10:28-30).
Jesus' death on the
cross made it possible for us to be cleansed by his blood sacrifice,
so that we could be temples of the Holy Spirit, and made it possible
for him to send his Holy Spirit to us (John 16:7). Jesus told his
disciples to stay within Jerusalem (the modern equivalent is the
Church, the city of God on earth) until they had received the
“baptism” of the Holy Spirit (Luke24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Jesus
promised that it would not be many days before the coming of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 1:5).
Jesus' death on the
cross was the travail of childbirth leading to the joy of delivery.
The Church was born into the world on the day of Pentecost, when the
“baptism” of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the followers of
Jesus Christ. Jesus promises that we can ask the Father in Jesus'
name, and he will guide us individually to our spiritual rebirth as
we begin to follow Jesus' commands. I personally testify to these
truths (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right, home).
Sadly, in two many
instances the nominal Church has failed to make “born-again”
disciples. It has failed to teach obedience to Jesus' teachings.
Nominally Christian denominations are actually teaching that
spiritual rebirth is automatically given at water baptism, or some
other church ritual, which actually hinders members from seeking the
indwelling Holy Spirit (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right,
home).
The way to protect
ourselves from false teachings is to read the entire Bible for
ourselves, and to read it daily for guidance, with prayer and
meditation. Any average reader can easily read the entire Bible in
one year and there are numerous 1-year plans available (see Free
Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right, home).
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)?
