ACTS 6:8-10, 12-15, 7:51-60

THE BACKGROUND

This reading is the conclusion of the story of the disciple Stephen; the account of his martyrdom. He is the first disciple to be put to death for his faith in Jesus.    As he preached The Way (of Jesus), he ran into trouble.  I suggest that you read the complete story of St. Stephen, in Acts chapters 6 & 7.  What will be read on Sunday will be 7:55-60, but I will comment on the above verses, so you will get the whole idea. 

Stephen is not one of the 12 apostles.  In the first verses of chapter 6 we learn that he was part of the team appointed to care for the feeding of widows and orphans.  The Holy Spirit, however, has other plans for Stephen.

THE DETAIL

• Stephen has just delivered a long and powerful sermon to the high priest and council in Jerusalem.  He did not hold back.  He made accusations, and called his listeners “stiff-necked”.  They didn’t like it.  (vv. 6:8-10, 12-15, & 7:51)
• Full of the Holy Spirit, he says “I see heaven open and the Son of God standing at the right side of God!”  If you were a Jew who did not believe in Jesus, this would be blasphemy.  The punishment for blasphemy is being stoned to death.  This is exactly what they did.  From the sounds of it, they enjoyed themselves, too. (v. 56)
• Here is an interesting anecdote.  They put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. This is St. Paul! (v. 58)
• As he is being pummeled with stones, St. Stephen prays to God to forgive them. Then, he dies.  (vv. 59-60)

THE TAKEAWAY

Saints provide us with role models—good examples of Christians living a life of faith.  St. Stephen is certainly a good role model for all of us, because:

1. He is filled with the Holy Spirit, and choses to put this into action.
2. He preaches with power, wisdom, and courage; in the face of fierce opposition.  He knew that what he was saying would stir up trouble.  Yet, he courageously pressed on, not mincing words.
3. As Stephen is dying, he asks God to forgive his enemies.  I cannot imagine doing this, while big rocks are hitting my head and body.  Stephen most definitely was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I pray that if I am ever in a similar situation, that the Holy Spirit comes to my aid. 

It is the Holy Spirit in action that does the work here.  We all have just as much access to the Holy Spirit as St. Stephen.  Let’s put our trust in God, to come to our aid, when the going gets tough.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How can we be more like Steven, sharing the Good News with those around us?
 

1 PETER 2:2-10

THE BACKGROUND

Peter is writing this to a group of new Christians.  Imagine this being read or told to you right after you accepted Jesus as your savior. This could be the sermon that you might hear at your baptism. 

First, we need a vocabulary lesson.

• STONES: Cut stone was the basic building material of Jesus’ time. All buildings were made of stone.  Wood was only used for roofs and doors.  The building that Peter is referring to is the temple in Jerusalem—God’s house, which was built of stone.
• PRIESTS: Priests, at this time, were the religious leaders of the people.  Today, at least in most Protestant circles, we do not use this word.  Instead, think “preacher” or “spiritual leader”, when you see this word. 
• LIGHT: In this instance, it refers to Jesus as the light of the world.  It is through Jesus’ “marvelous light” that we can clearly see God.

THE DETAIL

• Just like last week, I like to replace the “if” in verse three with “since”.  We know that Peter is talking to new believers. That said, he says that since they have tasted the goodness of the Lord (and become baptized Christians), they need to be fed with “spiritual milk”.  I believe that by using “if” instead of since, he is challenging these new believers to stand up for Jesus.  (vv. 2-3)
• Peter calls us Christians “living stones”.  In his day, buildings and temples were built of stone.  Peter states that the true church is no longer built of stones, but of living people.  This was a radical statement.  When we say that we are going to church, we usually are referring to the building.  But Peter reminds us that the church is really not the building, but the people who gather inside that building.  (vv. 4-5)
• Peter quotes scripture, calling Jesus our cornerstone.  Our living temple is built upon the foundation of Jesus.  (vv. 6-8)
• Now, Peter turns to the reader, reminding us that we are special.  We are precious in God’s eyes.  We have been called out of the darkness of our sinful lives to live in the light of Jesus.  (vv. 9-10)

THE TAKEAWAY

When you build a house, you start with a corner.  Back then, you placed a cornerstone, and the rest of the building was built from, and measured off of this stone.  Today, we drive some stakes, and lay out strings, but we still start from a corner. This corner must be perfect, in order to construct a perfect building.  Peter tells us that Jesus is our perfect cornerstone.  Everything we do should start from our cornerstone Jesus. He is our reference point for living our lives.  The church of Jesus is built upon this perfect stone.

Verse 9 is also worthy of comment.  It states that not only are we a special chosen people, but that we are a holy nation of priests!  In other words, we should be  just as holy as our preachers, priests, and pastors.  We are all the stones from which the new temple is built.  We no longer need to go to Jerusalem to be near God.  He dwells in each one of us.  He is within us!

Verse 10 wraps it all up—without Jesus, we are nobodies.  Now that we believe in Jesus, we are God’s precious people.

JOHN 14:1-14

THE BACKGROUND

This passage is taken from Jesus’ speech at the Last Supper.  This is the last time that Jesus will eat with his 12 apostles.  He has a lot to tell them, before he goes off to Calvary.  Today’s reading is a portion of what he tells them.  (The whole discourse is John 13-17.)

THE DETAIL

• It starts out with the famous “There are many rooms/mansions/dwelling places in my Father’s house.”  He assures us that there is a place waiting for us in heaven, so we shouldn’t worry about the details that confront us in this life.  (vv. 1-3)
• Jesus tells them that they already know the way there.  Thomas, bless his heart, says “Not me!  I don’t know the way.”  He does, of course, and Jesus will tell him so. (vv. 4-5)
• Jesus tells Thomas “I am the way, the truth, and the life!”  In other words, Thomas already knew the way to heaven; he just didn’t realize it.  (v. 6) 
• Then, Jesus talks about seeing the Father.  The apostles are confused.  “Where is He?”  “Show Him to us!  That’s all we need.”  Jesus says “You dummies, I’m sitting here right here in front of you!”  (But, he said it nicer than that, didn’t he?)  His point is that since he and his Father are of one mind, when you see and hear God the Son, you see and hear God the Father.  (vv. 7-11)
• Jesus makes an interesting shift.  He started out talking about faith, but now talks about actions.  He says that if we have faith in him, we will be able to do the same stuff that he did, and even greater things! (vv. 12-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that Jesus wasn’t merely a special, holy man.  He was more than that—he was God on earth.  God came down from heaven to teach us, and to show his love for us by sacrificing himself for us.  If (or since) Jesus is in our hearts, we are capable of doing remarkable things.  Not only are we capable of this, we are expected to put this ability into action.  The good news is that the Holy Spirit is ready and waiting to help.  So, let’s have courage and conviction, and do God’s work here in this place!

ACTS 2:42:47

THE BACKGROUND

The book of Acts is Luke’s sequel to his gospel.  It takes up where his gospel left off.  Jesus ascends into heaven (chapter 1).  Then, the Holy Spirit makes his dramatic entrance, and many come to believe in Jesus (chapter 2).  Starting with the end of chapter 2, we get a glimpse of the activities of the early church. If you ever wondered what it might have been like in those early years, this is your answer.

THE DETAIL

• They “had all things in common … selling possessions, and distributing them to those in need.” This sounds a little like a hippie commune from the ‘60’s, with one big exception.  This was a loving group of Christians, sharing with one another. (vv. 42-46) 
• They spent much time together in the temple.  They broke bread (the Lord’s Supper) at home.  This was because the early church met in homes, as well as in the temples.  Most important of all, they “ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” (vv. 46-47a)
• The contrast to those around them must have been overwhelming, because many were drawn to Jesus based upon the sincerity of these little groups.  (v. 47b)

THE TAKEAWAY

For these Christians, accepting Jesus as their savior brought about a radical change of lifestyle. It was a life focused on loving others. I doubt that we could we Christians do this today.  The fact remains, however, that believing in Jesus will (or should) make big changes in the way we live our lives.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How does your belief in Jesus as your savior affect how you live your daily life?  Can others tell that you are a Christian simply by the way you live your life?
 

1 PETER 2:19-25

THE BACKGROUND

In the second chapter of 1 Peter, he is writing to various groups of people—slaves, husbands, wives, etc.  In verse 18 (just prior to today’s reading), it states that the instructions we read about in this passage were for slaves.  Slave ownership was an accepted part of life at this time.  Between a quarter and a third of the population were slaves.  Sometimes, these servant-slaves believed in Jesus, and their masters did not. Sometimes, they suffered for their beliefs.  Since slavery no longer exists in our culture, do we discard this instruction? I don’t think so. To me, it is just as applicable today.

THE DETAIL

• Peter is talking about slaves who have been beaten for their faith.  Presumably, their masters were not Christians.  Peter states that if you’ve been beaten for a just reason, then you got what you deserved.  But if you have suffered for your faith, then you are just like Jesus. Jesus suffered for his obedient dedication to his Father.  These are words of encouragement for those suffering for their faith.  (vv. 19-24)
• We are to remember that Jesus bore our sins by being nailed to the cross.  Before we believed, we were like stray sheep.  Now, we follow Jesus, who cares for our souls.  (v. 25)

THE TAKEAWAY

We all answer to somebody, so this instruction is just as appropriate for us today.  Sometimes, we face a choice between doing the expected thing or by doing the right thing. This choice can pop up in family life and in the workplace.  When we do the right thing, we often endure suffering.  We can find comfort in knowing that Jesus suffered, too.  We should follow his lead, and quietly stand firm in our faith.  
 

JOHN 10:1-10

THE BACKGROUND

This passage comes on the heels of Jesus’ healing of a man who was blind from birth.  Some of the Pharisees were upset about it.  Jesus hints to them that maybe they are the blind ones.  They did not take it well.  At that moment, Jesus turns to his followers, and teaches them today’s lesson. It is important for us to recognize that Jesus’ teaching uses figures of speech.  He is not calling himself a gate or shepherd in the literal sense, but figuratively.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus begins his teaching by talking about livestock farming!  He reminds them about the nature of sheep and their shepherd. (vv. 1-5)
• The disciples are confused.  “Why are you talking about sheep and shepherd?” they seem to say, or at least that’s how I imagine it.  In Jesus’ day, being a shepherd was at the bottom end of the job choices.  (v. 6)
• The “thieves and bandits” are those who denounce Jesus as the Messiah, and seek to lead us astray.  In this case, they are the temple officials, who feel threatened by Jesus’ superior spirituality. (vv. 7-8)
• Jesus explains the story by making one of his famous “I am” statements that are found in John’s gospel.  This one is “I am the gate”.  He is also the shepherd, whose voice we recognize.  We follow him, and find good pasture.  (v. 9)
• By following Jesus, we have abundant life.  (v. 10)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sheep really can tell their master’s voice from a stranger’s.  Jesus must have known this, and uses it as an object lesson.  In this teaching, Jesus warns us to not be lead astray by following teachers who are not true to his teachings.  There have been fake religious leaders claiming to represent Jesus’ teachings going all the way back to the very early days of the church.  Things are no different in this current day and age. The responsibility is on us to listen to our Shepherd’s voice, and decide who is a “thief and bandit”, and who speaks for Jesus.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How do we “know our master’s voice”? 

In many workshops there is a workbench.  If someone is making several identical items, they will place a mark on the bench to make sure all the parts conform to the original.  Cut material is brought to this benchmark to ensure accuracy.  Discrepant pieces will need to be trimmed.  Others will need to be discarded. 

The words of Jesus are my benchmark.  The actions and statements of many today need to be compared to the teachings of my Lord.  If they don’t line up with this benchmark, they must either be “trimmed” or discarded.

ACTS 2:14, 22-32 

THE BACKGROUND 

Jews from many lands were gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival called Pentecost or Shavout.  It was a festival of the wheat harvest, as well as a celebration of God’s giving of the law to his people through Moses.  Jesus’ disciples are there, too.  During this gathering, the Holy Spirit chooses to make its dramatic entrance. (You remember—tongues of fire, disciples speaking in foreign languages, etc.)  The non-Christians in the room are confused.  “What’s happening?”  Peter speaks up, and explains.  This is his first sermon.   

DETAILS

• Peter was so scared during Jesus’ trial that he denied Him three times.  Now, full of the Holy Spirit, he boldly witnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord. (vv. 14a, 22-24)
• He even accuses the Jews of crucifying Jesus.  “…you crucified and killed…”  That takes courage that only the Holy Spirit can provide.  He explains that this was all part of God’s plan for our salvation.    (v. 23)
• Verses 25-28 are a quote from Psalm 16:8-11.
• Verse 30 is based on Psalm 132:11. 
• Verse 31 is a quote from Psalm 16:10. 
• The story goes on past verse 32.  I suggest that you read it, so you can see how the story ends.

TAKEAWAY

Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.  He is foretold in Holy Scripture, in the prayers of King David.  Jesus death on the cross was part of God’s plan for our salvation. The Holy Spirit gave Peter the strength and wisdom to stand up to those who crucified Jesus.  He gives us this same power!
 

We’ll study the gospel lesson second, since this is mentioned in the epistle lesson.

JOHN 20:19-31 

THE BACKGROUND 

This is the familiar “Doubting Thomas” story.  It is Sunday evening.  Jesus had been crucified just the Friday before.  Jesus’ disciples are scared.  They (everyone except for Thomas) are locked up in a room somewhere in Jerusalem.   

THE DETAILS 

• Miraculously, Jesus appears in their midst.  He says “Shalom”, or “be at peace”.  (v. 19)
• To remove any doubt or wonder, he shows them his scars, and again says Shalom.  (vv. 20-21) 
• He gives them the Holy Spirit (v. 22)
• Then, he gives them the authority to forgive others. Normally, only God can forgive.  (v. 23)
• Thomas thinks they’re nuts.  He won’t believe, unless he sees (and touches) for himself.  (vv. 24-25)
• A week later, Jesus reappears.  Thomas sees, touches, and believes. (vv. 26-28)
• Then, Jesus says something profound.  He says that we, too, are blessed.  We did not have the advantage that Thomas had, yet we believe.  (v. 29) 
• This is the final story of John’s gospel, but he adds an interesting comment.  He says that Jesus did a lot of other stuff that John is not going to tell you about.  But he selected these stories ”so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah…”  (v. 30)

THE TAKEAWAY(s)

Jesus has every right to be angry with Thomas for his unbelief.  But look how he reacts to Thomas.  He acts calmly and lovingly.  He tells Thomas to “put your finger here… touch… do not doubt, but believe.”  Jesus is loving and patient.  He understands.  When I experience doubt, I take great comfort in this.  Jesus is loving and patient.  He understands.  Doubt is OK. 

We also get an extra blessing from Jesus in the second half of verse 29:  “…Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  (This would be all of us.) 

John’s final comment tells me why he wrote his gospel.  It wasn’t so much a history as it was to tell us a story to compel us to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

1 PETER 1:3-9 

THE BACKGROUND 

These are the opening remarks of a letter written by Peter to the Christians scattered about Asia Minor.  Many believers were experiencing varying levels of resistance or persecution.  This letter was written to encourage them to remain true to their faith. 

THE DETAILS 

• It begins with a word of praise to “God the Father, … [who] has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (v. 3)
• He states that Jesus’ promises are unchanging, no matter what.     (vv. 4-5)
• He mentions the suffering that these Christians are enduring because of their faith in Jesus.  He adds “for a little while” to suggest that the situation is temporary.  (v. 6)
• He reminds them that their faith is precious to God, and that they are being tested.  (v. 7)
• The next verse echoes the Gospel lesson for today, the story of Doubting Thomas. Peter states “Although you have not seen him, you love him…”   (v. 8)
• Finally, there’s the blessing we get because of our faith.  “…you [we] are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  (v. 9)

THE TAKEAWAY 

Verse 3 reminds us that we have hope through the resurrection of Jesus.  This is the hope we have of eternal life. 

Verses 8 & 9 remind us that because of our faith, we are saved.  We do not earn eternal life in any other way except by believing in Jesus. It is a free gift from God. Thanks be to God!

ACTS 2:14a, 36-41

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s passage is a continuation of last week’s lesson.  The Holy Spirit makes a dramatic entrance, causing the apostles to prophesy in foreign languages before a large crowd.  Last week and this week’s readings are Peter’s explanation to the crowd for what was happening. 

THE DETAIL

• The first verse is from last week, providing us with a brief review.  (v. 14a)
• Peter points the finger directly at the Israelites present, saying that they were the ones who crucified the Messiah.  This is the second time he has pointed the accusing finger, the first being in verse 23. Peter is no longer fearful, but filled with the Holy Spirit.  (v.36)
• He must have been a persuasive speaker, because the crowd did not get angry, but asked what they should do.  (v. 37)
• Peter is quick with the answer—repent, and be baptized.  If you do, you, too, will receive the Holy Spirit!  (v. 38)
• This next verse is a sweet one for me.  Peter tells them that the promise is not just for them, but for everyone; even those who are far away (like us).  (v. 39)
• He did some more preaching, for which we don’t have many details.  But the end result was astounding.  With the Holy Spirit’s help, over three thousand people did what Peter told them—they repented, were baptized, and received the Holy Spirit. (vv. 40-41)

THE TAKEAWAY

Not too long ago, Peter was a coward.  Fearing for his life, he denied Jesus three times.  Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, he speaks the Good News with bold conviction.  The promise of the Holy Spirit is for us as well.  We should be like spirit-filled Peter, and boldly share the Good News knowing that the Holy Spirit is by our side.

1 PETER 1:17-23

THE BACKGROUND

For the next several weeks, we will work our way through 1 Peter for the second lesson.  It is believed that the apostle Peter wrote this letter from Rome.  He was originally based in Jerusalem, but at some unknown time moved to Rome to be the head of the church there.  He was martyred in Rome, probably under the reign of Nero in 64-68AD. 

Peter wrote this letter to the churches of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey.  This letter was intended to be circulated throughout those churches, and used as instruction.  It is believed that most of the believers in Asia Minor were Gentile Christians, rather than like the Jewish Christians we read about in the first reading.

THE DETAIL

• This verse starts with the word “if” in this translation.  Many others use the word “since”, which I like better.  Since we as Christians invoke (call) on the name of the Lord, we should live in “reverent  fear” for the power of God.  More on this in the Takeaway.  (v. 17)
• Peter reminds us that we were ransomed—bought with the blood of Christ on the cross.  From what were we ransomed?  According to this verse, we were ransomed from our former “futile ways”.  To me, this means that because of Jesus, I should step away from my former, self-serving life and actions, and live as a Child of the Light.  (vv. 18-19)
• It was God’s plan to do this from the very beginning—to ransom us through the gift of his Son.  (v. 20) 
• Now, the focus turns from what God has done for us.  Now, we read about what we should do in response.  Verse 21 is the transition from God’s action to what our reactions should be.  What our response should be is the focus of the remainder of Peter’s letter.
• Our souls have been purified—not by what we have done but by God’s ransoming us through Jesus. Because of this, we must have mutual love for each other from the heart.  We are reminded that we are born anew, and live our lives through the enduring word of God.  (vv. 22-23)

THE TAKEAWAY

We often talk about loving God, but rarely about fearing Him.  It may seem odd to have both feelings about the same being.  But while we certainly love Him for all that He does for us, we must also be aware of His awesome power.  It is much like the love and fear that we once had for our parents. Mine were both loving parents, yet I also feared their power.  Both feelings were justifiable, at least in my childhood!

In the coming weeks, we will receive some detailed advice from Peter on how to live our lives.  But first, he lays the foundation.  He reminds us that what saves us is God’s gracious and loving act.  We are ransomed.  We are His. Number one on our list of instructions it to love one another from the heart.

LUKE 24:13-35

THE BACKGROUND

It is still that first Easter Sunday.  Two disciples have decided to leave Jerusalem, and walk to the town of Emmaus. Emmaus was a seven mile walk downhill from Jerusalem, much like walking from Saluda down to Tryon.  That walk would take about two hours.

THE DETAIL

• As they walked along, they discussed that incredible day, and all that had happened.  Jesus approaches, and eavesdrops, but they do not recognize him.  Jesus says “Whatcha talking about?”  They stop dead in their tracks.  One of them, Cleopas, says (in my translation) “Where have you been—under a rock? Haven’t you heard about all the things that have gone on in Jerusalem?”  Jesus plays dumb, and says “What things?”  (vv. 13-19a)
• They give him a Readers’ Digest version of the past three days, at least the way they understood it.  But they are still confused about the empty grave, and are still trying to process it all. (vv. 19b-24)
• Jesus seems to say “Oh you silly boys!”, and proceeds to explain why it all happened this way. (vv. 25-27)
• As they reach Emmaus, they still don’t realize it is Jesus.  They invite him to dinner, which he does.  (vv. 28-29)
• As he broke the bread, their eyes were opened!  Then, Poof! Jesus was gone.  (vv. 30-31)
• They told each other about how their hearts were burning as they walked the road with Jesus explaining everything to them.  (v. 32)
• That very hour, they hoofed it back up the mountain two hours to share this remarkable thing with their Christian brothers. (vv. 33-35)

THE TAKEAWAY

During this Easter season, the Good News of God’s saving act should also burn within our hearts.  Let us rekindle this flame by studying Holy Scripture.

EASTER SUNDAY

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

For the Sundays beginning with Easter and following, the first lesson does not come from the Old Testament; it comes from the book of Acts.  We shift our focus from the old promise to the actions of the apostles, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to spread the Good News.

The Holy Spirit has called Peter to go to the house of Cornelius in the city of Philippi. Cornelius is an officer in the Roman army, and a Gentile.  But he is a “god-lover”.  This is what they called non-Jews who worshipped Yahweh, but did not fully convert to all the Jewish practices, namely the dietary laws and circumcision. The Holy Spirit called Peter to bring the Good News to Cornelius’ household.  At this point in time, most of the Christians were Jewish, and kept all the Laws of Moses.

THE DETAIL

• Peter begins his speech by making a bold statement.  He says that “…God shows no partiality.”  Because of what the Holy Spirit has revealed to him early in this chapter, Peter now knows that Yahweh is not interested in a relationship with His “chosen people”; God loves everyone, showing no partiality to the Jews. (This is very good news to all us Gentiles!)  (v.34)
• He then says “You [already] know his relationship with the people of Israel, but wait!  There’s more!  Jesus [the] Christ was sent to preach peace.  By the way, Jesus is Lord of all “.  (This is my personal paraphrase of verses 35 & 36.)
• Peter goes on to concisely explain the life and ministry of Jesus.  (vv. 37-39)
• He concludes with Jesus’ death and resurrection, adding that he and those who came with him that day were witnesses to all of this.  (vv. 40-41)
• Now comes the clincher.  Jesus not only commanded them to spread the news.  Jesus is the one ordained by God who will judge us all.  Not only that, everything you know about the prophets—they all testify about him.  (vv. 42-43)
• The rest of the story, not included here, is that Cornelius and his entire household believed in Jesus, and were baptized that day.  The Holy Spirit came, and caused them all to speak in tongues, just like those at Pentecost.

THE TAKEAWAY

No longer do the Jews have exclusive access to God’s love.  God sent Jesus to gather us all in, even Roman army officers.  He commands us to preach the Good News of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. 

COLLOSIANS 3:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

 The small town of Colossae was located in present-day Turkey. The Christian church there were was the result of the work of Paul’s disciple Epaphras.  This area was known to be the center of some strange spiritual beliefs and cults.  The Jewish members of the area were also applying pressure to Christians to obey all the Laws of Moses.  It must have been hard to stay faithful to only Jesus in this environment.

THE DETAIL

• In this passage, Paul begins by reminding his readers that they are “raised with Christ”, and that they are to “seek the things that are above”.  (v. 1)
• The second line repeats Paul’s instruction to “set your minds on ‘things that are from above’”, rather than on earthly things.  (v. 2)
• The reason for having this mindset is that we have died with Christ, and our life is now “hidden” in Jesus. (v. 3)
• This verse offers the reassurance that when Jesus is “revealed” (when he comes again), that the believers will be involved the process.  (v. 4)

THE TAKEAWAY

 This is not the first time Paul has urged a church to have the same mindset as Jesus.  Last week’s epistle lesson from Philippians uses the same concept.  Paul urges this church to keep a sharp focus on heavenly thoughts of Jesus.  It makes sense.  They were surrounded by many weird spiritual beliefs (“earthly things”).  Paul reminds them that in their baptism, they died to their old lives.  We can find refuge in this fact, knowing that we can “hide ourselves” in living like Jesus. The final promise of this passage is that the story is not yet finished.  When Jesus returns, we will be a part of the action.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Day in and day out, our lives are chock full of distractions which can draw our focus away from living like God’s children.  How can we maintain our focus, and set our minds on things that are from above?   

MATTHEW 28:1-10

THE BACKGROUND

 The Gospel of Matthew contains a very brief account of the resurrection scene.  Interestingly, the first people to hear of the resurrection were not Jesus’ apostles, but two women of his followers.

THE DETAIL

• For Jews, the Sabbath was Saturday.  So, these “two Marys” go to Jesus’ tomb on Sunday morning, the first day of the week. Matthew doesn’t tell us why they went, just that they went.  (v. 1)
• This is where it gets weird.  There is an earthquake.  That alone should get their attention.  But then an angel appears, rolls the heavy stone away, and uses it for a chair.  His appearance is difficult to describe—his appearance is “like” lightening (more on this below), and his clothing is dazzling white, (vv. 2-3)
• The guards do some convulsions and pass out!  (v. 4)
• The angel calms down the women, and announces that Jesus is gone.  (Was he gone before the stone was rolled away?)   He invites them to see for themselves.  (vv. 5-6)
• He next instructs them to go quickly and tell the others that he has been raised from the dead, and will meet them back in Galilee. They hurry of “in great fear and joy” to tell the others.  (vv. 7-8)
• Then, suddenly, bam!  Jesus is there, and greets them.  They fall down and grasp his feet.  He repeats the angel’s instructions, saying that he will meet all of them back in Galilee. (v. 9-10)

THE TAKEAWAY

The appearance of the angel is an indescribable thing.  I know this, because of the use of the metaphor.  Matthew said that his appearance was “like lightening”.  When you’re trying to describe the indescribable, you use familiar terms.  What just happened was an indescribable event.  Earthquakes!  Angels! Jesus’ appearance!  But wait!  There’s more! The work is not finished.  They are to regroup in Galilee, where Jesus will meet them.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

It appeared that Jesus entire mission had been shut down by the authorities.  Their beloved Jesus had been crucified.  The Sadducees and Pharisees certainly hoped that this would be the case.  They got rid of that trouble-maker once and for all.  But wait!  Jesus is alive!  The sealed tomb cannot contain him.  There is more work to be done.

What work does Jesus have planned for you?  Where will you find him, and how will you learn what you’re to do?

Isaiah 50:4-9

THE BACKGROUND

This part of the book of Isaiah was written while God’s People were in exile in Babylon.  It is one of four passages in Isaiah written about an unnamed servant of God who is suffering for his faith.

THE DETAIL

The passage may be divided into three sections. 

• In the first section, the servant describes his strong spiritual relationship with God. God gave him the gift of teaching & leading God’s people.  The servant is obedient to the call.  (vv. 4-5)
• Then, he describes the consequences of his dedication to God.  He is abused both physically and mentally.  (v. 6)
• The passage concludes with the servant’s resolve.  He puts his trust in God’s saving grace.  The others don’t stand a chance with God on his side.  (vv. 6-9)

THE TAKEAWAY

Who was this Suffering Servant?  The bible doesn’t say.  It sounds a lot like the suffering of Jesus, but this was written over 500 years before Jesus’ birth.  That doesn’t make sense.  It might have been Isaiah, suffering for his faith in far off Babylon.  In fact, it could have been many in Babylon who were struggling to be faithful to God.  Maybe it was “all of the above”, including Jesus and us.  Jesus was most certainly familiar with this passage.  As God’s Son he may have taken strength and inspiration from it.  We, too, can be inspired by it.  When our faith puts into difficult situations, we can also “set our face like flint”, and stand firm in our faith.

Philippians 2:5-11

THE BACKGROUND

In this part of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi he includes a hymn that was sung in the early church.  This hymn provided a perfect description of Jesus and his earthly mission. 

THE DETAIL

• The first line is Paul’s advice to us, that we be of the same mind as the Jesus described in the hymn to follow.  (v. 5)
• It begins by reminding us that Jesus had it all in heaven—he set all that aside.  He became human, like us.  (v. 6-7a)
• Since he was human, he humbled himself in the most extreme way—he died on the cross. (vv. 7b-8)
• Because of his willing sacrifice, his Father has made Jesus our Lord.  Jesus is the one whom we would worship and praise above all others.  (vv. 9-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

At the time what this was written, Caesar, the emperor of Rome, was the only one to be exalted and worshipped in this way.  Paul reminds us that a true leader of the people is not powerful, mighty and rich. A true leader is humble and self-giving. This is why we should worship Jesus as our Lord and leader.

Matthew 21:1-11

THE BACKGROUND

This passage from Matthew’s gospel describes Jesus praise-filled entry into the holy city of Jerusalem.  He is about to be arrested and crucified.  Remember that Matthew was writing his gospel to convince fellow Jews to claim Jesus as the Messiah.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem.  As they draw near, he sends two forward into Bethpage to get a donkey and a colt.  (vv. 1-3)
• Why two animals?  Because it was to fulfill the scripture that says that Judah’s savior-king will enter the city in this way.  (Zecharaiah 9:9)  (vv. 4-5)
• The disciples do as they are told.  They put their cloaks on the animals, and Jesus sat on them.  People cut branches to pave his way.  (vv. 6-8)
• As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, they praised him saying “Hosannah to the son of David” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”!  (v. 9)
• This riled the entire city.  Some asked who this guy was.  They described Jesus as a prophet from Galilee.  (vv. 10-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

First of all, I’m having a hard time understanding how Jesus could ride both an adult donkey and a colt at the same time!  This is the only description of this event in the gospels that mentions two animals. But Matthew was careful to point out to his Jewish readers the importance of Jesus’ fulfillment of scripture. The point is clear.  This “prophet” is no ordinary prophet.  He is the Messiah foretold by scripture, the son of David, coming to Jerusalem as their promised king.

I have often wondered what “Hosanna” meant.  We say it often in our worship service.  What am I really saying?  I had to know.  I found this definition to be helpful:

"Hosanna" is a Hebrew exclamation meaning "save us, we pray" or "please deliver us," derived from hoshiah na. While often used as a shout of praise, it is fundamentally a plea for salvation directed at the Messiah, famously shouted by crowds during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is our king, and he will save us.  Not from the tyranny of worldly leaders, but from the tyranny and weight of our sin. Hosanna to Jesus!  Hosanna in the highest!

EZEKIEL 37:1-14

THE BACKGROUND

This coming Sunday is the Sunday before Palm Sunday.  We will end our Lenten journey talking about the resurrection.  The prophet Ezekiel wrote this message during the Babylonian exile. The spirit of the People of God was broken.  All hope for a future nation was lost.  It appeared to them that they would fade away into Babylonian life, never to return home. This message of Ezekiel offers them hope.  It also offers us hope, when our future seems bleak.

THE DETAIL

• The Lord transports Ezekiel to a desert valley.  A war had been fought there many years ago.  The remains of the fallen were all around.  There were nothing left but dry bones.  (vv. 1-2)
• The Lord asks Ezekiel if these bones can live.  The prophet is wise, and redirects the question back to the Lord.  The Lord answers by commanding the prophet to prophesy to the bones, telling them that the Lord will bring them back to life. (vv. 3-6)
• Flesh came upon the bones, but there was no “breath” in them.  (The word in Hebrew for “breath” also means “spirit”.)  The breath-spirit is blown into them, and they live.  (vv. 7-10)
• The Lord then announces to Ezekiel that this vision has been a metaphor for the house of Israel. Israel believes that they are washed up and dried out.  But the Lord has other plans.  He “will place his spirit-breath within” them, and they shall live.  (vv. 11-14a)
• Best news of all is that He will place them back on their own soil!  (v. 14b) 

THE TAKEAWAY

Like Israel in exile, we may also feel like those dry bones—hopelessly lost and forgotten.  God promises to breathe new life into us—breathe his spirit into us, renewing our spirit.

ROMANS 8:6-11

THE BACKGROUND

The first part of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is devoted to making the point that everybody is a sinner, and we cannot save ourselves.  Our only hope of salvation is a free gift, obtained by our belief in Jesus as God’s Son.  Now, Paul talks about our new lives in the spirit, contrasting it with our old, former lives “in the flesh”. 

THE DETAIL

• We have a choice to live “in the Spirit” or “in the flesh”.  This is a life or death choice; it is one or the other.  If we do not focus on living our lives in the Spirit, we are turning our backs on God.  (vv. 6-8)
• Paul lifts the reader up now—“but you are not like that, you are in the Spirit”. God dwells in us. Oh, by the way, all those others who are not in the spirit do not belong to him.  (v. 9)
• While verse 9 emphatically states that we do live in the Spirit, Paul now uses the word “if” several times.  I suggest reading these passages twice, once as-is, and second time substituting “since” for the word if.  You’ll feel the full impact of the words.  “If/since” we are now in the Spirit, our old bodies are dead because of sin.  But because we are raised with Christ into life in the Spirit, we experience a sort of rebirth or resurrection.  (vv. 10-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

When taking about choosing life in the spirit, Paul is not talking about our accepting Jesus as our savior; he’s talking about our daily lives.  We must make this choice in our daily walk with Jesus.  We live in the flesh when we serve our own selfish interests. Life in the Spirit involves self-giving, rather than self-serving. We should die to our old selfish ways, and daily strive to live our lives in the Spirit, giving of ourselves to others.  In this passage, Paul lifts Jesus up as our superhero of self-giving.  We need to strive to live like Jesus!

JOHN 11:1-45

THE BACKGROUND

This is the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It can be considered one of the high points of the gospel of John.  It also marks a turning point in the gospel narrative, shifting from the stories of Jesus’ signs or miracles to Jesus discussing God’s glory.  In today’s passage we have both.  We also get a glimpse of Jesus’ tender side.  He loved this family, perhaps more than any other.  That is clear in this reading.  But the real question for you and me is what God wants us to understand about Jesus through this story.  This is a long story.  Let’s get started.

THE DETAIL

• It begins with a little refresher as to who this “certain man” Lazarus was, as well as his sisters.  There was a pre-existing relationship between them and Jesus, but now, Lazarus is ill. They send word to Jesus-the-healer, identifying Lazarus as “he whom you love”.  Yes, they were close friends indeed.  (vv. 1-3)
• Jesus sort of shrugs off the call to come and heal his friend, stating that God had bigger plans. This must have seemed quite confusing and even frustrating to those around him! (vv. 4-5) 
• Surprisingly, Jesus dilly-dallies two days before heading to Lazarus’ aid!  Finally, he tells his disciples they’re going.  A discussion ensues.  They know that going there is dangerous for Jesus.  But Jesus has a mission, and nothing will deter him. (vv. 6-10)
• He confuses is disciples by saying that Lazarus has “fallen asleep”.  He clarifies this, which confuses Thomas into saying something rather silly.  (vv. 11-16)
• By the time they got there, Lazarus has already been dead four days.  A large crowd had gathered, even some from Jerusalem. Martha, hearing that Jesus was on his way, came to greet him while he was still far off.  (This was a customary practice of the day.)  Mary stayed at home, which you may recall was her custom. (vv. 17-20)
• Martha tells Jesus that if he had been there while her brother was still alive, that he might have been able to do something.  I sense that she was not very happy with the situation.  They talk about Lazarus rising again.  Martha expresses her belief in resurrection on the last day. But Jesus has something different in mind.  (vv. 21-24)
• Next, we have the key verses of this passage.  Jesus makes one of the “I am” statements that appear throughout John’s gospel (see below), and this one is a biggie.  He is the resurrection and the life.  Those of us who believe in him will never die. (vv. 25-26a)
• Then, Jesus asks her if she believes what he just said.  (v. 26b)
• Now, it is her turn to make a profound statement.  She says yes, and furthermore calls him the Messiah that they’ve been waiting for. (v. 27)
• Now, she and Mary trade places.  Mary also expresses frustration in Jesus’ not being there to heal her brother.  (vv. 28-32)
• Seeing Mary weep causes Jesus to weep.  There is no doubt that he loves this family!  Even though he knows what he is about to do, it must have broken his heart to put them through all this agony.  (v. 33)
• The scene shifts quickly to the site of the tomb.  Many are there.  Many share Mary and Martha’s frustration and confusion.  He orders the stone to be rolled back, in spite of the stench. Jesus prays aloud, not so much to ask his Father for assistance, but to demonstrate to the crowd where Jesus’ power originates, that they might believe. (vv. 34-42)
• You know the rest. He shouts to Lazarus to come out of the tomb, which he does.  Orders are given to care for the living Lazarus.  (vv. 43-44)
• The passage concludes with an important note.  Many of “the Jews” (I suspect that these were of the school of “doubting Jews”) were moved to believe in Jesus.  (v. 45)

THE TAKEAWAY

John states in 20:31 that he wrote his gospel so that the reader might come to believe in Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.  In this story, a woman (not a man!) proclaims Jesus as just that.  On these last days of our Lenten journey, it is fitting that we remind ourselves that Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life.  He is the Messiah, God’s Son, our brother and savior.

FURTHER READING

The “I am” statements in the gospel of John:

1. Bread of Life (6:35, 48, 51)
2. Light of the World (8:12, 9:5)
3. Door of the Sheep (10:7, 9)
4. Good shepherd (10:11, 14)
5. Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
6. Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6)
7. True Vine (15:1)