ISAIAH 65:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

This part of Isaiah was written after the Israelites had returned home from their captivity in Babylon. In the years that followed, God’s people had divided into two camps.  One group closely followed the Laws of Moses.  Others embraced parts of the Canaanite culture and religious practices. There was a lot of polarity and tension, much like we have today.

THE DETAIL

• The Lord declares that He is ready for His people to seek him out, but they do not ask or call for Him.  Sadly, He calls out “Here I am, here I am”, but nobody calls on Him.  (v. 1)
• He calls out to them, but they are busy doing other things.  They are involving themselves in Canaanite rituals.  A list of activities follow, many of which are forbidden by Jewish law.  It is an impure act, for example to frequent the tombs of the dead.  Eating pork and “abominable things” is also forbidden. (vv. 2-4)
• They even have the audacity to claim that they are “too holy” to associate with the Lord! They must have thought their gods superior to Him.  (v. 5a)
• This does not set well with our Lord.  He will remember this, and fix it in His own time.  (vv. 5b-7)
• But here is the loving grace of God.  He calls His people “a cluster of grapes”.  Sure, there are some bad ones in the cluster.  But to destroy the cluster would mean destroying the good ones, too. His beloved will not have to pay for the transgressions of the bad ones.  (vv. 8-9) 

THE TAKEAWAY

God has high expectations for us, His people.  Many around us see God through different lenses than we do.  Each group believes they are the holier ones.  This passage tells us that God will sort this out in His own time.  In the meantime, our job is to strive to live godly lives as defined by the bible.  We must also try to get along with all those others, in spite of our differences.

GALATIANS 3:23-29

THE BACKGROUND

The church in Galatia was mainly comprised of Gentiles.  Apparently, some Jewish Christians became involved after Paul’s departure.  They not only believed in Jesus, but also believed that it was important to comply with all the Jewish laws, especially those pertaining to circumcision and diet.  In this section of his letter to this church, Paul is very angry.  He wants to set the record straight as to what is important and what is not.

THE DETAIL

• Paul says that before we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we were “imprisoned” by the [Jewish] law.  (v. 23)
• He calls the law our “disciplinarian”.  This was in effect until Christ came. We are now justified by faith, and not by works of the law.  (v. 24)
• With the coming of Christ, we no longer need a disciplinarian—we are now children of God through faith!  (vv. 25-26)
• All of us who have been baptized, wear Jesus’ saving act like a beautiful robe.  (v. 27)
• Next, Paul wipes out all types of potentially separating factors.  It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from.  We are all one in Jesus.  And if we belong to Jesus, then we are all sons (and daughters) of Abraham.    (vv. 28-29)

THE TAKEAWAY

Elsewhere, Paul makes it clear that the law has not been obliterated.  It still stands as a guide to the abundant life.  But our salvation is not linked to works of the law.  Salvation comes only by faith in Jesus.  Nothing more, nothing less.  This is the good news for all!

LUKE 8:26-39

THE BACKGROUND

In the verses preceding today’s passage, Jesus and his disciples hopped onto a boat, and sailed across the Sea of Galilee.  A storm kicked up, and they almost drowned.  But to their amazement, Jesus calmed the storm. 

THE DETAIL

• They now come to the Gentile side of the lake, the eastern shore.  There was no invitation to come here, and there was no crowd waiting for him.  (v. 26)
• Instead of a crowd, they are met by a naked, crazy man who is possessed with many demons.  He is an outcast from society.  (v. 27)
• The demons recognize Jesus straightaway.  They beg Jesus not to disturb them.  This is not to be. (vv. 28-29)
• Jesus asks the demons what their name is.   They reply “Legion”.  It is good to know that a Roman legion consists of about 5,000 soldiers, so there were a lot of demons tormenting this poor soul.  (v. 30)
• A deal is struck. Instead of sending them into “the abyss” (Hell?), Jesus agrees to send them into a herd of nearby pigs.  The pigs destroy themselves!  (vv. 31-33)
• The pig herders saw this, and ran into town to report it.  The remarkable thing is that Jesus did not get in trouble for destroying livestock.  No! Everybody was focused on the formerly possessed man.  (vv. 34-36)
• This was too much for these Gentiles to take.  They were not ready for the awesome power that Jesus possessed.  They asked him to leave!  (v. 37)
• So, Jesus left. Interestingly, the cured man wanted to follow Jesus. But Jesus asked him to stay behind and witness to this community to the miracle that had been performed.  (vv. 38-39)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus’ saving grace is available to everyone—even non-Jewish, naked, crazy people!  But some people are not ready for the Good News.  Our task is to witness and share our faith experiences with everyone.  Our witness may fall on many a deaf ear.  But there will always be some who want and need to hear the Good News.

PENTECOST

NOTE: This week, we will study the scriptures in a different order, putting the reading from Acts as our final reading. This is because this day is all about the Holy Spirit, and the giving of that Spirit on the day of Pentecost. That story occurs in the book of Acts, today’s last reading.

ROMANS 8:14-17

THE BACKGROUND

These four verses are jam-packed with goodness!  But to understand them, it is important to understand the cultural lay of the land.  At the time Paul wrote this, about a third of the community was comprised of slaves. They were owned and traded much like they were here in the USA before the Civil War.  Very few were dark-skinned.  The important thing to know that is in a household of a slave owner, the slaves had no rights of inheritance.  Only the owner’s family were heirs to his fortune.  In the event of the death of the owner, the slaves either became the property of the children, or they were sold off.  In the early part of this chapter and in chapter 7, Paul talks about how people are either slaves to sin or free in the Holy Spirit.

THE DETAIL

• All of us who love and follow the teachings of Jesus are led by the Spirit of God.  And, since we are led by the Spirit, we are now God’s children!  (v. 14)
• We’re no longer slaves to our sinful ways, but freed by the blood of Jesus.  Since we are thus freed, we have been adopted by God as his very children.  (v. 15a)
• “Abba” is what a Hebrew child would call his father. It is sort of like our “Dada”, or “Daddy”.  Apparently, in their prayers these early Christians addressed God the Father by calling him “Daddy”.  This is sweet, and it is sad that we do not do this any longer.  Paul says that when we call God by this familiar name, it is the Holy Spirit working to bring us into a closer relationship with our Father. This proves that we are indeed His children.  (vv. 15b-16)
• Finally, Paul reminds us that since we are now God’s children, we are joint heirs in the kingdom, along with our brother Jesus. Our sufferings for our faith draw us even closer, when this occurs.  (v. 17)

THE TAKEAWAY

My brother-in-law goes to a different sort of church than I do.  When he prays, he prays to the Father, and says “father” many times during his prayers. This is a good start, but maybe there is more.  Maybe we should start being less formal and more familiar in our prayers.  Maybe we should start calling God “Dad” or “Daddy”, like our brothers and sisters did many years ago. After all, we are indeed family members.  Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us with this one! 
 

JOHN 14:8-17

THE BACKGROUND

This discussion is another part of the long speech that took place in the upper room during the last supper.  In the verses just prior to these, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going away to prepare dwelling places for them.  Thomas wants to know where he’s going.  Jesus says that he is the way, the truth and the life. You can’t get to the father except through him.  Then he tells them that they have already seen the father, which is puzzling to Phillip.

THE DETAIL

• Quite logically, then, Phillip asks Jesus to show them the Father, and they’ll be happy.  (He didn’t know that he had just stepped on a land mine!)  (v. 8)
• Jesus gives him a lot of grief for asking this question, but we learn a lot because of it.  Jesus basically states that since they have seen Jesus, they’ve seen the Father. Our understanding of the Holy Trinity helps us comprehend this concept, but the disciples were pretty clueless at this point.  Jesus makes his point very clear—he and the Father are one.  If you’ve seen one, you’ve  seen them both.  (vv. 9-11)
• Next, Jesus states that if we believe in him, we are capable of doing everything that he does.  And if we ask for anything in his name, he will grant it.  (vv. 12-14)
• Here is a key verse:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  Basically, the only commandment that Jesus gave us was to love one another, including our enemies.  When someone told him that the two most important commandments were to love God and love our neighbor, Jesus replied “On these hang all the other laws”.  Jesus broke many of his Father’s laws, the “Laws of Moses”.  But every time he did this, it was always done to obey the overriding Law of Love.  Love is number one.  That’s why he came to earth, to make this very clear.  (v. 15)
• Jesus promises that once he leaves, “the Advocate” will come, the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit of Truth is being sent to us, his believers.  The “world” (non-believers) won’t see this spirit, only us.  Their disbelief causes them to be blind to faith in Jesus.  (vv. 16-17)

THE TAKEAWAY

With the coming of Jesus to earth, we now get a clear picture of God the Father.  Jesus lived his life as an example of the perfect life—a life full of love for everyone around him.  The only time he was angry was when seemingly pious people clung to the Law of Moses and ignored the Law of Love.  That’s what it takes to make Jesus angry!

He also tells us that although he is leaving, the Holy Spirit is coming.  The Holy Spirit will be with us forever. 

ACTS 2:1-21

THE BACKGROUND

This scene takes place in Jerusalem at the time of the Jewish festival called Pentecost.  It was a harvest festival, similar to our Thanksgiving.  Jesus has ascended into heaven.  The disciples are in Jerusalem for this festival, along with a large group of Jews from foreign lands.  That’s when it all happened.

THE DETAIL

• In the first paragraph, Luke is doing his best to describe this supernatural scene.  It was like a wind.  There were these tongues as of fire flying around the room, and resting on the disciples.  It is always difficult to describe supernatural events in everyday language.    The Holy Spirit filled them, and they spoke in “other languages”.  (vv. 1-4)
• There were Jews from all over the Roman Empire, present for the festival.  They were astonished to hear these Galileans (country bumpkins, in other words) speaking in their foreign languages.  Who taught them these languages???  They certainly did not learn them in Galilee!  (vv. 5-11)
• Some were perplexed, while others thought the disciples were simply drunk.  (vv. 12-13)
• Peter stands up and begins a beautiful, long sermon. We only get the beginning of it in today’s passage, but I will give you a peek at the rest.  You can read it for yourself.  It is Acts 2:22-42.  He goes on to explain the life and work of Jesus, his death, and resurrection.  He invites those present to believe in Jesus. Many were baptized that day and in the days following.  (vv. 14-21)

THE TAKEAWAY

The Holy Spirit made a dramatic entrance on that first Christian Pentecost!  The same Peter who denied Jesus during his trial is now full of wisdom and courage, preaching the Good News to everyone who has ears.  This same Spirit is there for us.  This Spirit guides us and urges us in our faith-walk.  The Spirit provides the words for us to do the work of the Lord.  The Spirit gives us strength when we need it.  All we need to do to get this is to ask and listen.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How has the Holy Spirit made itself known to you? How has it helped you along your faith journey?  How can you share the experience with those around you? 

NOTE: This Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday.  It is the time that we set aside to reflect on the concept of the Holy Trinity.  The concept of the Holy Trinity didn’t take shape until about 100 years after the time of Jesus.  Our beliefs about Jesus’ divine nature were not firmly established until 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea.  In between these times, various explanations arose which attempted to explain the relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The purpose of this council was to clear the air, once and for all.  The words of the Nicene Creed are found here, after the study of the gospel lesson.

PROVERBS 8:1-4, 22-31

THE BACKGROUND

The book of Proverbs is a compilation of wisdom literature.  Every culture has wise sayings to guide them on correct paths in life. From Poor Richard’s Almanac we get “A penny saved is a penny earned.”  A Japanese proverb is “Even monkeys fall from trees.”  Proverbs is the book of wisdom compiled to guide God’s people in living a godly life.  Sometimes, as in today’s reading, wisdom is personified—given human form. 

THE DETAIL

• Our passage begins with Lady Wisdom beckoning us to listen to her.  She calls us from every place where we might gather.  Note that in Old Testament times, all the important business was conducted at the city’s gates.  Marital matches were arranged there.  Grievances and trials conducted there, as well as business of all kinds. It is fitting that Wisdom would go there to call us to her.  (vv. 1-4)
• Here is the key to this passage.  The very first thing that God did was create wisdom.  He did this before God created our world.  (vv. 22-23)
• In Genesis 1 is the creation story that most of us are familiar with.  (Genesis 2 is another different one.)  In Genesis 1:2, creation begins with “the deep”.  In the beginning, there was just water.  Wisdom tells us that she was created even before “the depths” were created.  Then, in great detail, she describes how she was present when God created the other parts of our world.  (vv. 25-29)
• She concludes this section by telling us that she was by God’s side when he created all this, and with Him delighted in His creation of it and the human race.  (vv. 30-31) 

THE TAKEAWAY

When someone builds a house, they begin by laying a good foundation.  Before God created our world, His foundation was creating Lady Wisdom. We should look to her for guidance in living lives that are pleasing to our Creator.  In these latter days, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. Perhaps Lady Wisdom was the Holy Spirit’s predecessor.

ROMANS 5:1-5

THE BACKGROUND

This passage from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is rich.  Many points can be made from studying it.  Since we are studying the Holy Trinity today, we will focus our study to the concept of the Holy Trinity presented here.  Remember that this was written over 100 years before the word “trinity” was used to describe God.  You will not find that word anywhere in our bible.

THE DETAIL

• In the opening verse of this passage, we learn of how Jesus has affected our relationship with God. By dying on the cross for our sins, he has justified us, made us clean, and opened the door.  Because of this saving act, we now have access to God’s abounding grace.  The free-flowing gift of God’s love.  (vv. 1-2a)
• So, if we can brag about anything, it is about God’s free gift of grace to us.  (v. 2b)
• OK, if you still want to brag, you can brag about your sufferings!  Paul suffered plenty for his faith in Jesus, as did many of the early Christians.  He encourages them to remain faithful by showing them how their suffering actually is beneficial to their faith.  (vv. 3-5a)
• Because of our faith-hope, the Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts!  (v. 5b) 

THE TAKEAWAY

I do not believe that Paul is encouraging his readers to try to suffer for their faith.  Rather, he is showing them the benefit of enduring the pain. We all suffer times of difficulty in our faith walks.  These times remind me of the blacksmith’s hammer blows—the metal becomes stronger with each blow of the hammer. 

JOHN 16:12-15

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s gospel reading is again from Jesus’ final discourse in the upper room.  It is part of his last instructions to his close friends and followers.  If you stop to think about it, the entire discourse, chapters 13-17, are all about God’s love for us.

THE DETAIL

• Even though this discourse is five chapters long, Jesus says that there is so much more that he’d love to tell them.  But he holds back, knowing that they can’t handle any more at that moment.  (v. 12)
• The good news is that they will get all of it later, when the “Spirit of truth” comes.  The Holy Spirit.  (v. 13a)
• Jesus then explains that this spirit isn’t acting on its own, but declares what Jesus and God the Father want us to know.  Jesus cleverly knits the wills of God Father and Son together.  He tells them that the message that the Holy Spirit will give them comes directly from both Father and Son.  (vv. 13b-15)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus gives us a very good description of how the Holy Spirit works in unity with the Father and Son to help us on our faith journey.  We can look to the Holy Spirit to continue to provide us with guidance flowing from God to us through this Spirit.

THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

English translation from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979 edition.

The Holy Trinity

The Council of Nicaea dealt primarily with the issue of the deity of Christ. The term "Trinity" was already in use, with the earliest existing reference being by Theophilus of Antioch (AD 115–181), referring to Theos, the Logos, and Sophia (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit).  Also, the term "Trinity" was used in the writings of Origen and Tertullian, and a general notion of a "divine three", in some sense, was expressed in the 2nd-century writings of Polycarp, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr.

What was Arianism?

Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God the Father.  In other words, the Son of God did not always exist but was begotten/made before time by God the Father; therefore, Jesus was not coeternal with God the Father, but nonetheless Jesus began to exist outside time.

Here are some of the distinctive elements in the Nicene Creed, some specifically to counter the Arian point of view. 

1. Jesus Christ is described as "Light from Light, true God from true God", proclaiming his divinity.
2. Jesus Christ is said to be "begotten, not made", asserting that he was not a mere creature, brought into being out of nothing, but the true Son of God, brought into being "from the substance of the Father".
3. He is said to be "of one substance with the Father", proclaiming that although Jesus Christ is "true God" and God the Father is also "true God", they are "of one substance". 

ACTS 16:16-34

THE BACKGROUND

In last week’s first lesson, we learned about Paul going to Macedonia, and baptizing the household of Lydia.  Today’s passage picks up right where we left off. 

THE DETAIL

• It looks like Paul and Silas are continuing to go down to the river where they met Lydia.  They do this “for many days”.  On their way, they regularly pass a female slave, who is a fortune teller.  (Fortune tellers are forbidden by Jewish law.)  She makes a lot of money for her owners.  She, or rather the spirit inside her, recognizes Paul’s group for what they truly are—“slaves of the Most High God”.  She shouts this out every time they pass.  (vv. 16-18a)
• Finally, Paul has had enough.  He exorcizes the spirit out of the woman.  Now that this spirit is gone, the woman no longer has the power to foretell the future. She has lost her value to her owners, and they are angry.  They drag them before the authorities.  (vv. 18b-19)
• They twist their story to upset the magistrate.  Others chime in.  Perhaps they were her customers, and were also angry at what had happened.  Paul and Silas are flogged, and thrown in jail—in the innermost cell, with their legs in stocks.  (vv. 20-24) 
• Paul and Silas are singing hymns and praying.  An earthquake occurs at midnight, bursting the prison doors open, and unlocking the stocks.  The jailer awakes, and supposes that everybody probably escaped while he was sleeping.  (They did not have lights back then, and everything was dark and dank.)  Knowing that he failed his duty, he is about to take his own life.  Paul shouts out to stop him.  Lights are called for, and everybody is there!   (vv. 25-29)
• That’s all it took for the jailer.  He was ready to follow Jesus.  Maybe the hymns and prayers were good witness, as well as Paul and Silas’ honesty. After all, they saved his life. (vv. 30-31)
• It gets even stranger. The jailer takes them to his home, where he bathes them, and tends to their wounds.  His entire household is baptized!  Paul and Silas are fed.  There is much rejoicing over their new faith.  (vv. 32-34)

THE TAKEAWAY

This is not the end of the story.  It continues through to the end of the chapter, verse 40.  But this is the end of the passage for us, which is OK, because it is a pretty long one already. 

What I take from this story is the true conviction of Paul and Silas to their missionary work, and how the Holy Spirit works to win the hearts of some very unlikely people.  It is true that Paul and Silas suffer for their conviction.  But it is also true that this didn’t stop them from their mission.  Roman prisons were like caves, and Paul and Silas were in the very back of this cave, in stocks, in the pitch black darkness. What were they doing?  Praying and singing hymns!  This would not be the last time that they would suffer for their convictions. 

How lucky we are that we do not normally get confronted with this sort of injustice and violence because of our faith.  Yet, all too often, we pay a price for our convictions.  Let’s be like Paul and Silas, singing hymns in the darkest of situations.  God’s love and care is ever at hand.

REVELATION 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

THE BACKGROUND

To us, the book of Revelation is a weirdly written book.  But John was not a weirdo.  The vision set down in Revelation by John was written in a very familiar style of writing, which we call apocalyptic literature.  There are other examples of this in our bible, notably in Daniel and Ezekiel.  Many other examples of apocalyptic literature were also written.  They are just not found in our bible.  In John’s time, people of faith were very accustomed to this style of writing, and they knew how to interpret it.  These days, there is much confusion, with people interpreting it one way and others another way.  But to the people of John’s day, the message was clear—In spite of what is going on around us, God is in control.  God will prevail.  Keep the faith.  God’s got this! 

Today’s passage is the final verses of this vision.  These are the concluding sentences.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is speaking, assuring us that he is coming soon.  He reminds us that he is the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end. He was there at the beginning of creation, and he is here at the end.  (vv. 12-13)
• He tells us that we are blessed, we who have washed our robes.  This is a reference to 7:11-14, which we read two weeks ago. Our white robes are washed in his blood (not literally, but figuratively, of course).  Since we are baptized believers, we have the right to see and eat from the tree of life we heard about last week.  Most importantly, we are free to enter the gates of the new Jerusalem.  (v. 14)
• The heavenly band pleads for us to “come”.  Come home to Jesus and take the water of life.  It is a gift!  (vv. 16-17)
• In conclusion, Jesus promises to come soon, to which we all say AMEN!  (v. 20)
• The book ends in a benediction.  (v. 21)

THE TAKEAWAY

Occasionally, I find it troubling for Jesus to say that he is coming “soon”.  2,000 years have passed since he said this!  For one thing, if he said “Keep the faith, I’m coming back in 2,000 years”, I’m not sure many would have kept the faith!  But more importantly, I remind myself that it is much more likely that I will be going to Jesus before he comes back to earth. The end result is the same—I see Jesus! 

What do I take away from the reading of this book overall?  That my orders are to be steadfast in the faith, regardless of what might be happening in my world.  I have seen the Big Picture.  In the end, God wins, and the faithful live happily ever after.

JOHN 17:20-26

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus has been eating his last meal with his disciples in the upper room.  He has been giving them some last minute teachings and instructions. Today’s passage is his concluding prayer around the table in that upper room.  After this, he goes out to the garden where he is arrested.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is praying to his Father.  He makes it clear that he is not only praying for the disciples present in the room, but for all of us believers as well.  This prayer is for all of us, not just his inner circle.  (v. 20)
• He is praying this so that we “may all be one”.  This is the main theme of his prayer.  It does not mean that Jesus wants us all to think alike.  We will take a closer look, as Jesus continues his prayer.  (v. 21a.)
• Jesus asks his Father for us to be in a close a relationship with them, as tightly-knit as they are with each other.  He wants us to believe  and trust that he was sent by the Father.  (v. 21b)
• Verse 22 begins with the word “glory”.  The Father has given Jesus glory, which he has given to us “so that we may be one”. Please refer to the footnote below regarding the word glory. A recent commentary I’ve read states that within the context of Jesus’ prayer, this glory he’s talking about is “the essence of God”.  What is this essence?    It is clear in Jesus’ prayer that the essence of God is love.  (vv. 22-23)
• Now, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter.  His desire is that we may be with him, so that we can see and feel this love-bond that exists between God Father and Son.  This is the love they have for us.  They want us to feel this love.  (v. 24)
• These last verses summarize Jesus’ mission.  The world did not really know God, or at least God’s essence.  Jesus came to make that known.  Jesus came to show us how much God loves us, and to show us how to live our lives as God’s loving people.  (vv. 25-26)

THE TAKEAWAY

In this final prayer before his ordeal, Jesus prays to his Father that we may all be united in the same love that he and his Father have for one another.  Jesus’ wish is for us to be one in love. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How are we doing at being one in love?  Is our love so obvious that people can recognize our Christianity, simply based upon the outpouring of love we demonstrate for others?  I think we have a long way to go.  How do we begin?

GLORY

This word is used so often by us believers that I think it has lost its meaning.  So, when Jesus prays to his Father for him to give us some glory, I find myself asking what is this stuff???  Merriam-Webster defines glory in this way:

1a: praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent : RENOWN

b: worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving//giving glory to God

2a: something that secures praise or renown//the glory of a brilliant career

b: a distinguished quality or asset//The glory of the city is its Gothic cathedral.

3a: a state of great gratification or exaltation//When she's acting she's in her glory.

b: a height of prosperity or achievement//ancient Rome in its glory

4a(1): great beauty and splendor : MAGNIFICENCE//… the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome.— E. A. Poe

(2): something marked by beauty or resplendence//a perfect glory of a day

b: the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven//broadly : ETERNITY

5: a ring or spot of light: such as

a: AUREOLE

b: a halo appearing around the shadow of an object

Look at all those different meanings.  No wonder I’m confused.  The commentary I’ve read recently states that within the context of Jesus’ prayer, the glory he’s talking about is definition 2b: “a distinguished quality or asset”, or the essence of God. 

ACTS 9:36-43

THE BACKGROUND

Our first readings continue to be taken from the book of Acts.  Jesus has ascended into heaven, and left his apostles to carry on his work.  We see the new church in action.  One thing needs to be brought to mind.  Palestine, 2,000 years ago, was a very male-dominated society.  The role of women was very limited.  It was nearly impossible to “make it on your own” as a woman.  Women were almost always under the care or charge of a male, whether it was a husband, a father, or a brother.  This is why Jesus “handed off” the responsibility of caring for his mother Mary to “the disciple whom he loved” in John 19:25b-27.  What with all the wars and sickness, many men died early, leaving families behind.  Widows and orphans were one of the big social problems of that time.  There was no way for most of them to make ends meet.  In fact, in Acts 6:1-6, seven Christian men were assigned to this ministry.

THE DETAIL

• This story takes place in the seaside city of Joppa. A woman lived there, whose name we are given in both Greek and Aramaic.  She is a disciple of Jesus, and has devoted her life to doing good works and acts of charity.  (v. 36)
• Long story short—she gets sick and dies.  (v. 37)
• Peter is nearby in Lydda, and Tabitha’s friends hear about this.  Two of them go there, and ask him to come quickly to Joppa.  (v. 38)
• As they enter the room where her body lay, they show Peter some of the clothing that she had been making for the poor. (v. 39)
• The scene is reminiscent of the story in Luke 8:40-56, where Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter.  Peter empties the room, and calls to Tabitha to get up.  She does!  (v. 40)
• Peter helps her up, and shows her to the saints (the Christian believers) and the widows.  Word spreads of this miracle, and many come to believe.  (vv. 41-42)
• Peter stays on a few days, presumably to preach and teach to the new believers.  (v. 43)

THE TAKEAWAY

Tabitha is not one of the seven men officially assigned to caring for widows and orphans.  In spite of this, she sees an opportunity to serve Jesus by caring for those in need.  In verse 41, Peter shows Tabitha to “the saints and to the widows”.  “The saints” means the believers in Jesus.  Since the widows are listed separately, it indicates to me that not all the widows are necessarily believers.  Tabitha’s clothing ministry is open to all.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What is Jesus calling us to do in our world? What are the needs of those around us? Are we open to serving everyone, regardless of belief or ethnicity? 

REVELATION 7:9-17

THE BACKGROUND

Last week’s reading was a scene from the throne room of God in heaven.  Since then, the Lamb has broken six of seven seals on the scroll containing God’s end times plan.  With the breaking of each seal, God begins his final feat of conquering evil on earth. The suspense builds, knowing that the seventh seal will wreak havoc on earth.  A key to understanding why all this is happening is found in 5:9-11.

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; they cried out with a loud voice, ‘Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’  They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.”

The people of John’s day were suffering and dying for their faith, and were wondering when God would even the score.  John’ answer is for them to have patient endurance. 

THE DETAIL

• John looks, and sees a multitude of people dressed in white robes, praising God the Father and Son.  The white robes signify victory.  Victory (nike in Greek) is a prized trait in Roman society.  They join in singing the praise-song that the creatures and elders have been singing. (vv. 9-12)
• I’d like to paraphrase verse 13-14a in this way: “One of the elders asked me ‘Do you know who these people are, who are robed in white?’  I told him ‘You tell me!  You’re the one who knows.’”
• The elder supplies the answer—they are those who have come out of the “great ordeal”.  Their robes have become white because they have washed them in the blood of the Lamb.  Now, we all know that it makes no practical sense, if we take this verse literally. Don’t try to take a stain out of a white garment by washing it in blood!  But, the symbolism is crystal clear—salvation comes from being faithful to Jesus, the Lamb. We obtain victory over death in his blood.  (v. 14b)
• Their faithfulness in the face of adversity is why they are in God’s throne room in the first place.  They are safe now.  They will suffer no more.  These words of comfort are much needed to John’s churches.  They are also great news for us in times of trouble.

THE TAKEAWAY

Have you ever flown in an airplane, high above the earth? The view from up there gives you a completely different perspective.  In our troubled times, it is helpful sometimes to stand back and look at life from God’s perspective.  It may appear that God is nowhere to be found.  But if we stand back, especially if we read Revelation, we see that God is in control.  God’s got this!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When the going gets tough in your life, consider reading Revelation, especially 7:14b-17.
 

JOHN 10:22-30

NOTE: In this study, I am going to use the word “church” incorrectly.   The “churches” of Jesus’ time were called temples or synagogues.

THE BACKGROUND

 Jesus’ ministry has been causing problems for the “church” of Jesus’ day.  Jesus’ teachings and actions challenged their views of how a man of God should act.  Some thought Jesus was a man of God, but other devout people thought that he was demon-possessed.  “He was obviously a sinner, because he healed on the Sabbath—he did not obey God’s law.” Some even tried to stone him because they felt that he was a blasphemer.  (10:31) 

THE DETAIL

• It is Hanukkah, and Jesus is in the temple in Jerusalem.  He is confronted by some members of the “church”, who want him to just say it—“Are you the Messiah or not?” (vv. 22-24)
• Jesus didn’t play their game.  He knew that it was a trap.  He had already told them and shown them enough for them to know the truth. But in their minds, they already had it all figured out.  They already knew who and what the Messiah would be like.  Jesus’ words and actions didn’t fit into their mold.  They didn’t like it. They were out to get him.  In the end, he simply states that they are not part of his group; his “sheep”.  (vv. 25-26)
• Using the sheep/shepherd analogy, he tells them that his people know his voice [and they do not].  I recently learned that sheep actually do know their shepherd’s voice, and follow him.  (v. 27)
• Now, Jesus takes the discussion further, telling them that those who follow him will have eternal life, and they will never be separated.    (v. 28)
• Jesus concludes by stating that he and the Father are inseparable; of one mind.  (vv. 29-30)

THE TAKEAWAY

In the previous chapter, we are told the story about Jesus healing a man who had been born blind. There is bitter irony in this story, because many of the onlookers couldn’t “see” that Jesus was the Messiah at work.  They couldn’t see past the fact that he did this on the Sabbath, which violated a Law of Moses.  Jesus must have also seen the irony in the situation, because in 9:39 he says “I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

These days, we are so bent on having answers for everything, I am concerned that we will fall into the same trap as the Pharisees. We could be expecting for Jesus to return and behave and look exactly a certain way.  We might be a bit surprised, and totally miss the entire event.  Now that would mean being truly left behind!  How do we know the shepherd’s voice.  I believe it comes from reading the gospels, listening to Jesus’ words, observing Jesus’ actions, and doing my best to be like him in my actions.  This is not easy, and I fail almost constantly.  I’ve seen far too many “shepherds” out there who act more like Pharisees than my Lord. I don’t want to be a modern day Pharisee, do you?

EASTER SUNDAY

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.

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

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, and shows 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 Cornelius knows 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 all to preach the Good News of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins.  

 

1 CORINTHIANS 15:19-26

THE BACKGROUND

In this section of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he addresses a very specific problem.  Some Christians there have come to believe that there is no resurrection of the dead.  They did not even believe that Jesus was resurrected.  If you wish, you could read the previous verses in your bible, starting with verse 12.  This helps to put today’s passage in perspective.

THE DETAIL

• This verse is actually a summarization of the paragraph that begins with verse 12.  In other words, if we believe in Jesus, but don’t believe in the resurrection, we are pitiful.  (v. 19)
• Paul doesn’t leave that statement lay for very long— he says “But that’s not the case!”  (v. 20a)
• He calls Jesus the “first fruits” of all those who have died.  I’m thinking of the sweetness of those first strawberries of the season. It seems like they are sweeter than all those that follow.  Jesus is like this first strawberry.  We are those who will follow.  (v. 20b)
• In the next two verses, Paul compares Jesus to “Adam”, or mankind.  He does this elsewhere in his letters.  As old Adam died as a result of his sinful nature, we too will die. But since we are alive in Christ, we can expect to follow Jesus’ resurrection path.  (vv. 21-22)
• This does not happen right away, but in an orderly fashion.  Jesus is first.  Our resurrection will follow at his second coming.  Details are not given.  We might want these details, but we really don’t need them.  We have God’s promise.  (vv. 23-26)

THE TAKEAWAY

We always want more details than what are given.  When Jesus was quizzed regarding his second coming, he replied that nobody knows that except the Father—not even Jesus had the details.  So too it is with the resurrection.  We don’t have all the details, but we have enough to know that it is part of God’s master plan.  There’ll be more on that in the Gospel lesson.

LUKE 24:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

The previous chapter of Luke contains the entire story of Jesus’ trial, torture, crucifixion, and burial.  The chapter ends with “The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.  Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.  On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

THE DETAIL

• Our passage begins with “… on the first day of the week…”  In the Jewish tradition, the last day of the week is Saturday.  This is in keeping with the idea that God rested on the 7th day, after creating our world in six days.  So, on Sunday morning, a group of women come to care for Jesus’ body.  (v. 1)
• But something is wrong.  The stone has already been rolled away.  And inside, Jesus’ body is not to be found.  (v. 2) 
• They were still scratching their heads, when things got really weird.  Two men, dressed in dazzling clothes, suddenly appear.  The women fall to the ground in fear and reverence. (vv. 3-5a)
• These “men” begin with a key question—“Why do you look for the living among the dead?”  (v. 5b)
• They go on to explain that he is risen, as he said he would.  “Don’t you remember him telling you this?”  Jesus taught them many things.  Maybe they had forgotten this unbelievable teaching.  But they reminded them of this teaching.  (vv. 6-7)
• “OK, now we remember!”  (They must have said.)  They went back to tell the 11 apostles and all the other disciples who had locked themselves into a room out of fear.  (vv. 8-9)
• Verse 10 lists the names of three of the many women who went to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.  Unfortunately, we don’t know how many went.  But what is interesting is the fact that there were disciples who were women. Matthew 27:55-56 provides another list of female disciples.
• So, these women tell the apostles what they had seen and heard.  Like so many who hear something unbelievable, they believe it to be “an idle tale”.  (v. 11)
• But Peter must have recalled Jesus’ prophesy.  Maybe it was because Jesus called him Satan, when Peter rebuked Jesus’ prophesy. Regardless, he was the only one who thought “wait a minute”, and ran to the tomb.  He went home amazed.  (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

Never before or never since has someone been resurrected from the dead.  The exception being Lazarus, of course.  Maybe that should have been a hint to the apostles that something extraordinary was about to happen.  But they forgot about Jesus’ prophesy, and considered these babbling women to be spinning some sort of idle tale.  Only Peter had the presence of mind to go and investigate.  Jesus has indeed risen from the grave!  Things will never be the same!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

We live in a time where we are surrounded by conspiracy theories, pranksters, and fake news.  We all must decide what to believe and what to reject as untrue.  To my scientific mind, the resurrection of our bodies makes no sense whatsoever. But it also does not make sense that God could make this beautiful world with just his voice (Genesis 1), or make us by forming some clay of the earth (Genesis 2).  God’s thoughts and actions are beyond human comprehension.  Some things cannot be explained, and must be taken at their word. 

Are we like those “pitiful” Christians in Corinth, when we experience doubt?  Or are we like Peter, and believe in amazement?

Jesus is risen!  Things will never be the same!

ACTS 5:27-32

THE BACKGROUND

In the previous chapter, chapter 4, Peter and John were put in jail for preaching the Good News.  The next morning, they were called before the council, and told to quit their preaching.  Peter refused, and they continue their healing and preaching.  This landed them in jail again, in Acts 5:18.  But during the night, an angel released them, and they went back to the temple to preach.  The next day, the council went to get them, and found that they’d escaped!  After some searching, they found them at the temple, and presented them to the council. 

THE DETAIL

• They’re brought before the high priest, who reminds them that he gave them strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name or to bring his blood on the council.  (vv. 27-28)
• Peter makes it clear who he answers to—“God, rather than any human authority”.  This is a statement of treason in the Roman Empire.  These are also bold words coming from a man who denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed.  What has changed?  The Holy Spirit now dwells in Peter.  (v. 29)
• Peter is bold enough to remind the council of their implication of Jesus’ crucifixion.  (c. 30)
• Verse 31 is interesting in that not only does Peter tell them that Jesus is now at God’s right hand, but that the council could still receive forgiveness of their sins, if they would repent.  They will not repent, of course.  (v. 31)
• He concludes by stating that they are eyewitnesses to all of this.  They must obey God by doing what they are doing, through the strength they receive from the Holy Spirit.  (v. 32)

THE TAKEAWAY

We, too, have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We can have the boldness of Peter, to speak up in front of our adversaries.  We have the Spirit to help us, when we preach and teach in His name.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life?
 

REVELATION 1:4-8

THE BACKGROUND

There are two ways of reading the book of Revelation. One is to read it as a code book which predicts the end times.  The other is to read it as a letter from an imprisoned church leader to his flock, to encourage them to keep the faith.  This second way is how I read this book.  Let me show you why.

John was in prison on the island of Patmos.  Patmos was a sort of Alcatraz for the Romans; it’s where they sent criminals who were enemies of the state.  We do not know the charges that were levied against John.  But it is clear that he felt that Jesus was the king of all, including Caesar.  That alone would have been enough.

He was a loving pastor of his churches.  These churches were under pressure from the Roman emperor Domitian to worship Caesar and go with the Roman flow.  Domitian was the worst of all the Caesars for persecution to Christians.  John, according to the first verse of our passage, was writing to these churches. He was not interested in providing you and me with a code book, so we could figure out the end of the story 2,000 years later.  His churches were in trouble, and he was writing to them to encourage them to 1) remain strong in their faith, 2) be patient and endure the current hardships.   He did this by showing them the big picture; that God would win in the end.  In order to get this message out of prison and past the Romans, he wrote it in an ancient literary style we call Apocalyptic literature.  This made no sense to the Romans, but it made perfect sense to John’s readers. Unfortunately, much of the imagery is also lost on us.  But the message John sent to them is just as important to us.  Let’s take a look.

THE DETAIL

• Verse four is jam-packed with “stuff”, so we need to break it down.
  • First, John names himself as the sender and who this letter is for—the seven churches in Asia (present-day Turkey).
  • Next, John sends them greetings from God (that is the one “who is and was and is to come”).
  • These greetings also flow from the seven spirits that are before the throne in heaven. (In the verses that follow, these seven spirits are identified as the seven churches in Asia.) 
• In verse five the greeting also comes from Jesus. Notably in this verse, Jesus is given three titles:
  • The faithful witness—a reminder that we should all be faithful witnesses. 
  • The firstborn of the dead—a reminder that we shall live forever.
  • The ruler of [all] the kings of the earth [including Caesar]—a reminder that Jesus is the Lord, and not some Roman emperor.
• Verses five (b) and six continue by reminding us that:
  • Jesus loves us.
  • Jesus freed us from our sins by his blood.
  • Jesus made us [all] to be a kingdom of priests serving God the Father.
• Verse six ends in a little impromptu praise to God for all of the above.
• Next is a reminder that Jesus is coming back, and everybody will get to see him. Even those who crucified will see him. The whole earth will wail, presumably because Jesus is coming to judge them all.  (v. 7)
• God Himself concludes this passage by stating that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  If I were to paraphrase this verse, I’d translate it as “I started this creation, and I’m going to finish it.  I was here at the beginning, and I’m seeing it through to the end.”  (v. 8)

THE TAKEAWAY

John makes it clear from the start of this book that God is the one who is in control.  We are his servants, and should follow in Jesus’ footsteps.  We have been saved forever by Jesus’ blood.  We should be faithfully obedient, serving Him as a kingdom of priests, or a “nation of ministers”.  

JOHN 20:19-31

THE BACKGROUND

These are the closing lines of the Gospel of John, his conclusion to the gospel story.

THE DETAIL

• This is Jesus’ first appearance to all the apostles, after his resurrection.  Well, except for Judas and Thomas, that is.  Somehow, Jesus infiltrates the room, in spite of the locked doors.  Yet, he is not a ghost, because the apostles are able to touch his wounds.  What an interesting event!  (vv. 19-20)
• Next, he tells them that they must continue the work that he had started.  He then breathes the Holy Spirit on them, to give them the power they need for the task. (vv. 21-22)
• He further explains that they have the authority to forgive or withhold forgiveness of sins.  (v. 23)
• Now we hear that Thomas was not present. When Thomas returns, he doesn’t believe that Jesus was there.  He has to see for himself.  (v. 25)
• Jesus appears the following week, and Thomas is there.  Jesus does not scold Thomas for being skeptical.  Instead, he is patient and understanding.  “Put your finger here… Do not doubt, but believe.”  Thomas doesn’t even need to touch Jesus, he believes on the spot.  (vv. 26-28)
• What Jesus says next is more for us for Thomas. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  (v. 29)
• In verses 30 & 31, John explains why he wrote this all down.  It wasn’t so that we would have a complete biography of Jesus’ life.  He wrote down just enough for us to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God…” 

THE TAKEAWAY

Let’s look at Jesus’ reaction to Thomas’ behavior. Long before this, Jesus told them all that was going to happen.  That he was going to die and be risen from the dead.  Yet, Thomas doesn’t believe.  Jesus had every right to be angry with Thomas.  Instead, he has patience and understanding.  In my times of doubt, I am always comforted by this. I know that my Lord understands, and loves me in spite of my moments of  doubt.