Week of Last Pentecost
22 Pentecost A Sunday (and following)
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:
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To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.
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Podcast Download: Week of 22 Pentecost A
Sunday 22 Pentecost A
First Posted October 12, 2008
Podcast: Sunday 22 Pentecost A
Isaiah 45:1-7 -- The Commission of Cyrus;
Psalm 96 -- Call to Worship;
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a -- Spiritual Growth;
Matthew 22:15-21 -- Paying Taxes;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus was God's "anointed" (i.e. Messiah; Christ; both words mean "anointed" in Hebrew and Greek, respectively). The Lord had given Cyrus the power to subdue nations and kings, to open doors and gates which won't be closed. The Lord promises to go before Cyrus to level mountains, break bronze doors, and cut through bars of iron.
The Lord will give Cyrus the treasures of darkness and secret hoards, so that Cyrus may know that it is the Lord, the God of Israel, who called him by name. The Lord had called Cyrus and had given him his title for the sake of Jacob (Israel, the father of the heads of the twelve tribes), although Cyrus did not know or acknowledge God. God wants all people everywhere to know that he alone is the one true God; there is no other. He is the Creator of everything; of light and darkness, of well-being and woe.
The Lord will give Cyrus the treasures of darkness and secret hoards, so that Cyrus may know that it is the Lord, the God of Israel, who called him by name. The Lord had called Cyrus and had given him his title for the sake of Jacob (Israel, the father of the heads of the twelve tribes), although Cyrus did not know or acknowledge God. God wants all people everywhere to know that he alone is the one true God; there is no other. He is the Creator of everything; of light and darkness, of well-being and woe.
Psalm Paraphrase:
Those who have accepted and experienced the Lord's salvation (of us; from eternal destruction), have a new song to sing to the Lord, to bless his name. We are called to declare his glory and his wonderful deeds to all people.
The Lord is awesome and great, above every thing or person in Creation, and his power and authority are to be respected. All other so-called "gods" are idols, the creation of human imagination and craftsmanship. But the Lord is the Creator of this entire universe! He is worthy of honor and majesty, and strength and beauty are his nature and presence. Acknowledge his glory and strength, everyone!
Those who have accepted and experienced the Lord's salvation (of us; from eternal destruction), have a new song to sing to the Lord, to bless his name. We are called to declare his glory and his wonderful deeds to all people.
The Lord is awesome and great, above every thing or person in Creation, and his power and authority are to be respected. All other so-called "gods" are idols, the creation of human imagination and craftsmanship. But the Lord is the Creator of this entire universe! He is worthy of honor and majesty, and strength and beauty are his nature and presence. Acknowledge his glory and strength, everyone!
1 Thessalonians Paraphrase:
On his second missionary journey Paul took with him his protégé, Timothy, a young Christian whom Paul had met and "discipled" on Paul’s first missionary journey, in Lystra in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), and Silas (Silvanus), whom Paul had met in Jerusalem. Silus had returned with Paul to Antioch, after the Church Council ruling on the matter of the "Judaisers" (the "circumcision party," who insisted that Christians must be obedient to the Law of Moses; see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home).
During the second missionary trip with Timothy and Silas, Paul preached the Gospel for three weeks at Thessalonica in Macedonia north of Greece, and founded the first Christian Church on the European continent. The Jewish leaders were angry that Paul was converting some of the Jews and many Gentile proselytes (new converts to Judaism), and they persecuted and drove Paul out of the area.
Paul was concerned for the new Christians at Thessalonica and sent Timothy to encourage and strengthen the congregation. When Timothy returned with a good report of their steadfast faith, Paul wrote this letter to encourage and “disciple" them.
He greeted them on behalf of his fellow missionaries who had accompanied Paul on the first missionary visit, and prayed that they might have the grace and peace of God (which are only through Jesus Christ).
Paul wanted them to know that he and his co-workers were praying constantly with thanksgiving to God for the Thessalonians’ perseverance in faith, their commitment to love, and their steadfast hope that we have in Jesus Christ. They had the assurance that God had chosen them, because they had received the Gospel not only in words but in power and the Holy Spirit, with full assurance.
On his second missionary journey Paul took with him his protégé, Timothy, a young Christian whom Paul had met and "discipled" on Paul’s first missionary journey, in Lystra in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), and Silas (Silvanus), whom Paul had met in Jerusalem. Silus had returned with Paul to Antioch, after the Church Council ruling on the matter of the "Judaisers" (the "circumcision party," who insisted that Christians must be obedient to the Law of Moses; see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home).
During the second missionary trip with Timothy and Silas, Paul preached the Gospel for three weeks at Thessalonica in Macedonia north of Greece, and founded the first Christian Church on the European continent. The Jewish leaders were angry that Paul was converting some of the Jews and many Gentile proselytes (new converts to Judaism), and they persecuted and drove Paul out of the area.
Paul was concerned for the new Christians at Thessalonica and sent Timothy to encourage and strengthen the congregation. When Timothy returned with a good report of their steadfast faith, Paul wrote this letter to encourage and “disciple" them.
He greeted them on behalf of his fellow missionaries who had accompanied Paul on the first missionary visit, and prayed that they might have the grace and peace of God (which are only through Jesus Christ).
Paul wanted them to know that he and his co-workers were praying constantly with thanksgiving to God for the Thessalonians’ perseverance in faith, their commitment to love, and their steadfast hope that we have in Jesus Christ. They had the assurance that God had chosen them, because they had received the Gospel not only in words but in power and the Holy Spirit, with full assurance.
Matthew Paraphrase:
Jesus had come to Jerusalem the week before his betrayal and execution, knowing that he would be crucified (Matthew 20:17-19). The Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus because of his popularity with the people, and his teachings threatened the religious leaders’ status and authority. The Pharisees (a strict, legalistic faction of Judaism) plotted to find a way to get Jesus to say something they could use to destroy him.
The religious leaders sent their disciples and the Herodians (Jews who supported the Roman Empire and the dynasty of the Herods who governed the region) to Jesus. They addressed him as “teacher,” and said that they knew that Jesus is true, was teaching God’s ways truthfully, and regarded all people impartially, without regard for their status or position. They asked Jesus to tell them whether it was legal to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Jesus knew their evil intention and asked why they were putting Jesus to this test, and he called them hypocrites (people who pretend to be pious, devoted and religious or morally virtuous).
Jesus asked them to show him the coin used to pay the tax and they handed him a denarius. Jesus asked them whose likeness and inscription it bore and they said it was Caesar's. Then Jesus told them to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God, what belongs to God.
The religious leaders sent their disciples and the Herodians (Jews who supported the Roman Empire and the dynasty of the Herods who governed the region) to Jesus. They addressed him as “teacher,” and said that they knew that Jesus is true, was teaching God’s ways truthfully, and regarded all people impartially, without regard for their status or position. They asked Jesus to tell them whether it was legal to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Jesus knew their evil intention and asked why they were putting Jesus to this test, and he called them hypocrites (people who pretend to be pious, devoted and religious or morally virtuous).
Jesus asked them to show him the coin used to pay the tax and they handed him a denarius. Jesus asked them whose likeness and inscription it bore and they said it was Caesar's. Then Jesus told them to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God, what belongs to God.
Commentary:
Cyrus was chosen by God to be a forerunner and illustration of the Christ. Cyrus was called and empowered to accomplish God’s purpose. Even though Cyrus did not know or acknowledge God, God knew him.
God had punished Judah, the remnant of Israel, by exiling them in Babylon for seventy years, for their disobedience of God’s Word and their idolatry. They could have avoided the punishment if they had repented and returned to obedient trust in God’s Word, but they had refused to heed God’s prophets, up to the moment of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.
God promised beforehand to bring Judah back to the Promised Land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12), and he fulfilled that promise through Cyrus, King of Persia. Cyrus allowed the exiles to leave and return to their land, he returned to them the treasures that had been looted from their temple and he gave them authorization and money to rebuild their temple.
God intentionally chose Cyrus to prefigure the Christ. Jesus is the victorious king who defeats the worldly king, Satan, and releases the exiles Satan holds in bondage. Jesus leads them back to the Promised Land of Gods eternal kingdom.
Seventy years is a virtual life sentence for those who were adult at the time of the deportation. The Israelites who returned were not the same ones who went into exile. The Israelites were to learn to return to obedient trust in God’s Word during the time of their exile.
Likewise we are in exile in the “Babylon” of this world; we must learn to trust and obey God’s Word during our earthly “exile, and must be spiritually “reborn” and renewed by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to be able to come to the Promised Land in heaven.
God had punished Judah, the remnant of Israel, by exiling them in Babylon for seventy years, for their disobedience of God’s Word and their idolatry. They could have avoided the punishment if they had repented and returned to obedient trust in God’s Word, but they had refused to heed God’s prophets, up to the moment of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.
God promised beforehand to bring Judah back to the Promised Land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12), and he fulfilled that promise through Cyrus, King of Persia. Cyrus allowed the exiles to leave and return to their land, he returned to them the treasures that had been looted from their temple and he gave them authorization and money to rebuild their temple.
God intentionally chose Cyrus to prefigure the Christ. Jesus is the victorious king who defeats the worldly king, Satan, and releases the exiles Satan holds in bondage. Jesus leads them back to the Promised Land of Gods eternal kingdom.
Seventy years is a virtual life sentence for those who were adult at the time of the deportation. The Israelites who returned were not the same ones who went into exile. The Israelites were to learn to return to obedient trust in God’s Word during the time of their exile.
Likewise we are in exile in the “Babylon” of this world; we must learn to trust and obey God’s Word during our earthly “exile, and must be spiritually “reborn” and renewed by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to be able to come to the Promised Land in heaven.
This is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus gives the gift of eternal life (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 presence of the Holy Spirit confirms our faith (obedient trust) and assures us of our salvation and eternal life. Though the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the power of God working in and through us.
God wants us to seek, find and know God (Acts 17:26-27), which is only possible through Jesus Christ, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Those who accept God’s offer of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and salvation (from eternal condemnation and destruction in hell) through faith in Jesus will experience a personal relationship with the Lord. We will learn that the Lord is the one true, all-powerful God, who hears and answers the prayers of those who trust and obey him.
The Lord will give us a new song of joy and thanksgiving. We will experience his ability and faithfulness to save and restore us, and we will gladly testify to what he as done personally for us. When we realize that all Creation and we ourselves belong to God we will give him thanksgiving and praise, and use our lives to serve him, because he is worthy.
God has always intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey him. This lifetime is our opportunity to learn by trial and error to trust and obey God’s Word. He has designed this Creation to allow for the possibility of sin, so that we will have the freedom to choose whether to obey his Word or not. This is our opportunity to choose where we will spend eternity. God loves us and doesn’t want any one to perish eternally (John 3:16-17), but he won’t force us.
Jesus came humbly and gently and gave his life as the only sacrifice acceptable of God for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). How we respond to Jesus will determine our eternal destiny. There are many enemies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this world today. They hated Jesus and plotted to destroy him then, and they do so today.
The disciples of Jesus Christ cannot expect any better treatment than Jesus received in this world. Paul preached the Gospel (meaning “Good News”) of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ as a free gift of God to be receive by faith (obedient trust), and he was hated and persecuted for it.
How do you respond to 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)?
Podcast Download: Week of 27 Pentecost A
Monday 27 Pentecost A
First Posted November 17, 2008;
Podcast: Monday 27 Pentecost A
Psalm 95:1-7a - God is King;
Paraphrase:
Sing to the Lord! Let us rejoice in the rock of our salvation. Come into his presence with thanksgiving, making a joyful noise with songs of praise. The Lord is the great God and King above all gods. The Lord is the creator of the depths and heights of earth, the land and seas.
Come and worship; bow down and kneel before our Lord, our maker. He is our God and we are his people, under his supervision; the sheep of his pastures.
Commentary:
God is the King of the Universe because he is its Creator. We are his people because he is our Maker. He protects us and provides for us. We should rejoice and celebrate that we belong to him.
The Lord our God is our Good Shepherd. He is the solid rock of our foundation, who saves us from eternal destruction. Let us give thanks and praise to the Lord
Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God’s Word lived out in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the solid rock on which to build our lives (Matthew 7:24-25). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep (John 10:11, 14).
Jesus is the only way into God’s presence (John 14:6), because only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with Jesus and God the Father John 14:21, 23). By the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the joy of the Lord’s presence.
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 27 Pentecost A
First Posted November 18, 2008;
Podcast: Tuesday 27 Pentecost A
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-28 - The Good Shepherd;
Paraphrase:
The Lord declared that he would seek his “sheep” personally, like a shepherd when his sheep have been scattered. The Lord will rescue his sheep from every place they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. The Lord will bring his people out of the nations and lands and bring them into their own land. The Lord will feed them on the mountains of Israel in good pasture and by springs of water. The Lord himself will be their shepherd and he will give them rest. He will seek the lost, and bring back the straying; he will heal the crippled and strengthen the week, and he will watch over the fat and the strong. He will give them justice.
The Lord declares that he will set one shepherd, David, the Lord’s servant, to feed them and be their shepherd. The Lord will be their God and David will be a prince among them. God will make a covenant of peace with them and will banish wild beasts from the land so that they can live securely and sleep peacefully. The Lord will bless his people and the area around Zion. The Lord will send showers of blessings in their seasons. The trees and fields will yield their harvests and God’s people will be secure in their land. They will know that God is Lord when he removes the yoke and delivers them from those who enslave them. They will no longer be preyed upon by other nations, or by wild beasts. They will be secure and unafraid.
Commentary:
David, the great shepherd-king of Israel, is the prototype and illustration of the Messiah, the Savior and eternal King God promised.
Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God’s Word lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14; Psalm 23) who came to seek his lost and straying sheep. Jesus is the Son of David, who God promised would be the eternal king and heir to David’s throne (Matthew 1:1, 21:9; 2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). Jesus is the Lord God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:9, 20:28).
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of peace with God (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus is the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and restoration to fellowship with God which was broken by sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Jesus is the only one who can free us from slavery to Satan and fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Only Jesus gives true, eternal life, through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience God’s blessings, and we know that we are secure in his protection.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday 27 Pentecost A
First Posted November 19, 2008;
Podcast: Wednesday 27 Pentecost A
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 - Resurrection;
Paraphrase:
Jesus’ resurrection is the “first-fruits” of believers who have died. Death was introduced into Creation by the sin of one person, Adam, and Jesus is the one who has brought resurrection from death. Through Adam all people die; through Jesus all will be raised to life. But each event is in the appropriate time. Jesus is the “first-fruits” and then at his return, those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end of time, when he delivers the kingdom of God, after destroying every worldly rule and authority. Jesus will reign until all his enemies have been subjugated, and the last enemy to be done away with is death. God has given authority over all things to Jesus, who is himself subjugated to God, so that God is supreme over everything and every one.
Commentary:
Jesus’ resurrection was witnessed by over five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). His own resurrection and his miracles of raising the dead, like Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26) were intended to demonstrate that there is existence after physical death. God’s Word declares that man dies once, and after that comes Judgment (Hebrews 9:27), not “nothingness” and not reincarnation.
God taught Israel the concept of an offering of “first-fruits.” Israel was required to give an offering of the “first-fruits” of the harvest to God before they could use the harvest themselves. Paul used the metaphor of “first-fruits” to teach that Jesus was the sacrifice to God of the first-fruits of the spiritual harvest of eternal life. He also equates the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit as the “first-fruits” of eternal life in believers (Romans 8:23).
We are all born physically alive but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God and to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God, the only way to know divine, eternal truth and to have true, eternal life.
Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the “first-fruit,” 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).
“Born-again” Christians have a personal fellowship with Jesus by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We know personally with certainty that Jesus is risen and eternally alive (John 14:21).
Jesus has promised to return on the Day of Judgment at the end of time, to judge “the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5) in both physical and spiritual senses. In that day those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been “born-again” and will receive eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. But those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction, eternal death, in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). All Jesus’ enemies will be eternally destroyed. Then Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God.
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 27 Pentecost A
First Posted November 20, 2008;
Podcast: Thursday 27 Pentecost A
Mathew 25:31-46 - Christ’s Return;
Paraphrase:
When Jesus returns on the Day of Judgment, he will come in glory and power, with his angels, and he will sit upon the Throne of Judgment. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats: Sheep at his right hand and goats at his left.
He will tell his sheep that they are blessed and he will give them the inheritance of eternal life promised by God the Father, because they had given Jesus food and drink when he was hungry and thirsty, when he was a stranger they welcomed him, clothed him when he was naked, and visited him when he was sick and in prison. They will ask Jesus when they had done these things for him and he will tell them that as they did it to the least of people they had done it to him.
Jesus will tell those on his left to depart from Jesus’ presence for they are cursed. They will enter the eternal fire of hell prepared for Satan and his demons, because they had not fed, clothed and given a drink to Jesus when he was hungry, naked and thirsty. They had not visited him when he was sick and in prison. They will ask when they had seen Jesus in need and not helped him, but he will say that as they did not do it to the least of people they had not done it to Jesus. They will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.
Commentary:
God realized from the beginning of Creation that in giving us freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him, we would sin by disobeying God’s Word. Because the penalty for disobedience is eternal death, God knew we would need a provision for forgiveness and salvation, and designed Jesus into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14 Acts 4:12).
God has been revealing his plan for Creation from the very beginning. For thousands of years God had promised to reveal the Messiah (Christ; God’s anointed), the Savior of the world. The Jews were God’s chosen people, who had received God’s Word in the Bible, and through whom the Messiah would come, but they were unprepared to accept him when Jesus came.
We have all sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Jesus is the only way to be forgiven from sin and saved from eternal death which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), the only way to know divine eternal truth and to have fellowship with God which was broken by sin, and the only way to have true, eternal life (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
Jesus’ death on the cross is the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus’ blood cleanses us by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, and makes it possible for us to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) 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).
Jesus warns that it is not those who call themselves Christians, or disciples of Jesus Christ, but those who trust and obey Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 7:12-27; Luke 6:46) who will be saved. Jesus taught by word and example, how to become his disciples, how to be spiritually reborn, telling them to wait within “Jerusalem” (the Church) until they have been “reborn,” and then to go into the world and repeat the process (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, 8). They are to make disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to obey Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 28:18-20),
Jesus’ crucifixion stands at the mid-point of history, from the beginning of God’s call to be his people, through Abraham, about two thousand years before Christ, until today which is two thousand years after Jesus’ first coming. We are much in the same situation as Israel and Judaism at the time of Jesus’ first coming. Are we any more prepared to receive him than Israel at his first coming?
Jesus has promised to return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5), in both physical and spiritual senses. Everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to Jesus for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “reborn” in this lifetime and will enter eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom as God promised. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction and death 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)?
Friday - 27 Pentecost - A
First Posted November 21, 2008;
Podcast: Friday 27 Pentecost A
Isaiah 65:17-19 New Creation;
Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and Light;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
God declares that he is creating a new heaven and a new earth. This present Creation will pass away and the things of this world will be forgotten. His people will rejoice and be glad in his new Creation. His new Creation will be the cause of rejoicing for Jerusalem and joy for his people, and the Lord will rejoice with them and be glad in his people. There will be no more weeping or distress.
Matthew Paraphrase:
God’s people are to be like salt of the earth. Salt without its saltiness would be worthless. How could its saltiness be restored?
God’s people are to be like light in the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does one light a lamp and try to cover it so that it cannot be seen; they put it on a stand so that it gives light to the house. So God’s people should let their good deeds be seen by the world, so that God will be glorified through them.
Commentary:
God is right now creating a new heaven and a new earth, which will be revealed at the end of time on the Day of Judgment at Christ’s return. This temporal world is a “laboratory” where God is creating people who willingly learn to trust and obey God. Jesus is the essential element, the “catalyst” by which we are transformed into God’s children.
We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word) and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23) and the penalty for sin is spiritual, eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s only provision for our conversion from spiritual death to spiritual life (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to be restored to fellowship with God and eternal life which was lost by sin (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
In order to enter eternal life in the new Creation we must be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) 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).
Only by the indwelling Holy Spirit can we be cleansed of sin and live according to God’s standards of righteousness (doing what is right, good and true according to God’s Word). The indwelling Holy Spirit is the act and sign of our “adoption” as children of God, who live according to God’s Spirit within them (Romans 8:15b-16).
God’s new Creation will be perfect: there will be no more sin and evil. The bad things of this present world are the result of human choice to sin by disobeying God’s Word. Only those who have learned to live in obedient trust in the Lord through his indwelling Holy Spirit will be allowed into the new Creation, or it wouldn’t be any better than this present Creation.
This Creation, and we ourselves, are limited by time and death, because God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his new Creation. Sin leads to spiritual, eternal death (Genesis 3:3). In the new Creation, time and death will be no more.
In this lifetime God’s people are to be salt and light. We are supposed to learn to live in obedient trust in the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9). When we do that, we will influence those around us, like salt or yeast. Nominal or “Sunday” Christians who live the rest of the week like worldly people are like salt that doesn’t possess saltiness. They cannot be distinguished by a distinctive characteristic, and they cannot influence those around them for good. They are like light inside a clay jar. They aren’t allowing the light of the Gospel to shine in the spiritual darkness around them.
Salt that has lost its saltiness cannot be restored, but nominal Christians can become “salt” and “light” by accepting Jesus as Lord, and becoming his disciples, learning to trust and obey Jesus. As they do so, they will be spiritually reborn by the indwelling Holy Spirit. If Jesus is truly our Lord we will listen to what he says and will trust and obey him. Just calling him Lord doesn’t make it so (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).
All of us have been born into this Creation physically alive but spiritually dead. On the Day of Judgment, Jesus will judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5) in both the physical and spiritual senses. That Day of Judgment will be within the span of our individual lifetime, and no one can be sure to live until tomorrow. At our physical death time ceases for us, and the next event is the Day of Judgment, when Jesus will call us forth from the grave (John 5:28-29).
Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord will have been “born-again” and will enter the new eternal Creation restored to perfection. Those who have refused to accept Jesus as Lord and have refused or neglected to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction with Satan and all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
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 27 Pentecost A
First Posted November 22, 2008
Podcast: Saturday 27 Pentecost A
Revelation 21:1-7 - New Heaven and Earth;
Paraphrase:John, the Apostle, was in exile on the tiny island of Patmos, for preaching the Gospel. He was given a series of visions from Jesus Christ to record and transmit to the Church.
John foresaw the coming of the new heaven and earth (prophesied by Isaiah: 65:17; 66:22). This present Creation had passed away. John foresaw the New Jerusalem, the holy city of God coming down from God in heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband. A voice from the throne of heaven declared that God will dwell with his people. He will be their God and they will be his people. He will remove all sorrow; there will be no mourning, no crying or pain, and no death anymore, for all those things have passed away with the old temporal Creation.
God himself declared from his throne that he makes all things new. He told John to write down that God’s purpose has been completed. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all things. God will give without cost, to those who are spiritually thirsty, water from the fountain of the water of life. Those who overcome will receive this heritage (life in the new Creation). God will be their God and they will be his sons and daughters.
Commentary:
God has intended from the beginning of this Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. This world is the nursery for the next world. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God, our Creator. This lifetime is our opportunity to be “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) spiritually to eternal life. Jesus is God’s one and only plan to accomplish his purpose, and he has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).
Jesus is the only way to find and know God, the only way to divine, eternal truth, and the only way to have eternal life (John 14:6), through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). 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 present Creation was designed to give us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word or not. Disobedience of God’s Word is sin, and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). 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; 1 John 1:8-10). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
This present Creation and we ourselves are limited by time and death. God doesn’t intend to put up with rebellion and disobedience forever. Those who won’t or don’t learn to trust and obey God’s Word in this lifetime won’t be allowed into the new, eternal Creation.
The Church is the “New Jerusalem” on earth, the bride of Christ. Eternity begins now, in this lifetime, but it is just a foretaste, the “first-fruits” of the new eternal kingdom which is to come. This is the time of preparation, like that of a bride, for the coming marriage when we will be united with the Lord in the New Creation of God’s eternal kingdom.
God will dwell with his people, and he begins to do that now, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:23), but that dwelling and fellowship is imperfect, while we are still in this world. God comforts us now in the trials of life in this world by his Holy Spirit, but we have to persevere and overcome them by faith (obedient trust) in his Word, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” in order to receive eternal life in the New Creation where there will be no more of those troubles. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God’s Word, lived in this present world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).
God does make all things new. He is in the process of renewing Creation, his Church, and his people by the gift of his Holy Spirit. As we’re renewed individually, the Church will be renewed, and as the Church is renewed we will renew this present world.
God is the beginning and end of all things. He started this Creation, from nothing, by his Word, and he will end it by his Word. God doesn’t want anyone to perish eternally (John 3:16-17). He offers freely the water which gives eternal life to all who realize their spiritual need. Jesus is the source and giver of “living water,” and the fountain of living water is the indwelling Holy Spirit within Jesus’ disciples (John 4:13-15; John 7:37-39).
God is God, whether we acknowledge him or not, but God is not willing to be all that a good, all-powerful, loving God implies, unless we are willing to be his people who trust and obey his Word.
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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