From the readings and questions this week:
Hebrews 5:7 stood out this week:
"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission."
Through His baptism, Jesus aligned himself with those among God's people who truly, humbly desired to do God's will. He was acknowledging publicly God's justice and the He also received annointing from God as the promised Messiah.
1. Matthew 3:1-6 Jesus and John the Baptist
c29AD.
> Jesus is with us through all our trials.
> He will help us to obey God's requirements.
> We need to ask Him for help.
> He will empathise with us.
Locusts food for the poor. Dessert place of spirituality, finding God (cf Joshua before the taking of Jericho). John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, confronting corruption.
: Jesus is the source of our salvation because of His obedience.
> We are called to obey Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Q Do my actions and words demonstrate obedience to Jesus Christ?
Q Am I able to point others to Jesus as a result of my actions?
> We need to let others know what Jesus Christ means to us.
2. Matthew 3:7-12 John the Baptist’s message
John preached repentance: a change in one’s heart and mind leading to a change in one’s life and actions. There needed to be evidence of this repentance in the lives of the baptisee. John also warned that judgement was imminent. John’s baptism prepared the nation of Israel for the coming king and made the king known to Israel.
: Repentance involved changed thinking and a changed life.
> Baptism today publicly acknowledges repentance and faith.
3. Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus is baptised by John
Jesus the Lamb of God did not come to John remorseful and repentant but submissive and obedient. Jesus Christ had no sin to confess! The Father was pleased with Jesus, even at this early point in His ministry.
One reason was to give approval to John’s ministry in baptising for repentance, acknowledging that He was indeed the One whom John had made the way straight for.
: Just as the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus Christ for His ministry, the Holy Spirit anoints believers for service today.
> The Holy Spirit is working in us to prepare us for heaven, for the new heavens and new earth.
Summary
Even though we sin and fail we are a new person in Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3-5 tells us, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The Infancy of Messiah
From the readings and questions this week:
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge—
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
The antagonism shown to Jesus in Matthew 2 was repeated throughout His life, but God kept Him safe through all this persecution until the time came for Him to bear the punishment for all of us sinners. This same persecution was promised by Jesus Christ to all who follow Him, but He made sure we would know that He would bless us and keep us (eternally) safe with Him.
1. Matthew 2:1-8: Jerusalem
The majority of people who heard of Jesus' birth were vaguely disturbed. Herod had a hatred for Jesus. The Scribes and Priests knew the Word and used it for power and control, but at this stage ignored Jesus. Only the Magi, who had the least knowledge, joyfully followed the star.
: Knowledge of Jesus demands a response.
Q What is mine? To follow the star (metaphorically speaking) by reading God's Word in the Bible and seeking to know Jesus better.
Q Do I believe other biblical prophecies of Jesus' imminent return? How do I live in light of this?
Yes - At the heart of it this is why I am supporting Jeff in his studies to be a minister in a church and bringing up our children to know God through His Son and His written Word, so that we might share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and see them grow as disciples of Jesus.
2. Matthew 2:9-12 Bethlehem
There are records from historical Chinese documents of a comet observed in 5BC. [Comparison from The Annals of the World calculates Jesus born in 5BC.]
Gold signifies the riches of a king. Incence was used in temple worship and signifies Jesus' deity and/or priesthood. Myrhh was used in embalming the dead and signifies suffering.
: Discovering Jesus Christ in worship brings joy to us.
Q Who or what do I worship? In what way?
Well I'd have to say God, whom I worship with both word (eg prayer and song) and deed (obedience, right action) but I'm pretty sure that there are other things that I worship as well, such as knowledge, which I seek after intently (which could be a form of idolatry if I seek that in the place of my relationship with God).
Q Does this bring joy to my life?
Well, definitely a sense of purpose and fulfilment. A sense of satisfaction and rightness.
3. Matthew 2:13-18: Egypt
Egypt was a place of bondage for the Israelites, not a place where they could be free.
Herod exemplifies enmity to Jesus.
Jesus was delivered from the hand of his enemy by God's warning and Joseph's obedience.
: God protects and cares for His own.
> We can protect others - especially our own children - by telling them the good news of Jesus Christ.
> God looks out for us in every situation.
4. Matthew 2:19-23 Nazareth
From Josephus, King Herod died in 4BC.
Nazareth in Galilee was Joseph's hometown.
:God gives grace to the humble.
Summary:
Q Do I worship God in my heart?
Q Do I experience Him protecting me?
Today we want to hear God's voice (just as the Magi saw His star) and worship Him, to bring glory to him through our lives.
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge—
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
The antagonism shown to Jesus in Matthew 2 was repeated throughout His life, but God kept Him safe through all this persecution until the time came for Him to bear the punishment for all of us sinners. This same persecution was promised by Jesus Christ to all who follow Him, but He made sure we would know that He would bless us and keep us (eternally) safe with Him.
1. Matthew 2:1-8: Jerusalem
The majority of people who heard of Jesus' birth were vaguely disturbed. Herod had a hatred for Jesus. The Scribes and Priests knew the Word and used it for power and control, but at this stage ignored Jesus. Only the Magi, who had the least knowledge, joyfully followed the star.
: Knowledge of Jesus demands a response.
Q What is mine? To follow the star (metaphorically speaking) by reading God's Word in the Bible and seeking to know Jesus better.
Q Do I believe other biblical prophecies of Jesus' imminent return? How do I live in light of this?
Yes - At the heart of it this is why I am supporting Jeff in his studies to be a minister in a church and bringing up our children to know God through His Son and His written Word, so that we might share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and see them grow as disciples of Jesus.
2. Matthew 2:9-12 Bethlehem
There are records from historical Chinese documents of a comet observed in 5BC. [Comparison from The Annals of the World calculates Jesus born in 5BC.]
Gold signifies the riches of a king. Incence was used in temple worship and signifies Jesus' deity and/or priesthood. Myrhh was used in embalming the dead and signifies suffering.
: Discovering Jesus Christ in worship brings joy to us.
Q Who or what do I worship? In what way?
Well I'd have to say God, whom I worship with both word (eg prayer and song) and deed (obedience, right action) but I'm pretty sure that there are other things that I worship as well, such as knowledge, which I seek after intently (which could be a form of idolatry if I seek that in the place of my relationship with God).
Q Does this bring joy to my life?
Well, definitely a sense of purpose and fulfilment. A sense of satisfaction and rightness.
3. Matthew 2:13-18: Egypt
Egypt was a place of bondage for the Israelites, not a place where they could be free.
Herod exemplifies enmity to Jesus.
Jesus was delivered from the hand of his enemy by God's warning and Joseph's obedience.
: God protects and cares for His own.
> We can protect others - especially our own children - by telling them the good news of Jesus Christ.
> God looks out for us in every situation.
4. Matthew 2:19-23 Nazareth
From Josephus, King Herod died in 4BC.
Nazareth in Galilee was Joseph's hometown.
:God gives grace to the humble.
Summary:
Q Do I worship God in my heart?
Q Do I experience Him protecting me?
Today we want to hear God's voice (just as the Magi saw His star) and worship Him, to bring glory to him through our lives.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Genealogy and Birth of Christ
From the readings and questions this week
While reading through the genealogy of Jesus, I also read through some of the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah's wife (Bathsheba), the four OT women who are mentioned by Matthew in the legal ancestry of Jesus. Their expressins of faith in action were a challenge to me. I can list a few big events in my life when I acted in faith in God, but do I really show faith in the little actions and decisions? I suppose I do in the things I talk about with my kids, the truths that I know about God. But what about my actions? I think I should be looking out for opportunities to act faithfully over the coming days and weeks.
1. Matt 1:1-17: Born to be King
Genealogies, which showed a person's lineage or pedigree, were crucial in Jesus' time to establish a person's right to the status they claimed within the Jewish people (eg priests descended from Aaron). Matthew organised the genealogy into three sections to help his readers remember and understand it. It is not a complete record but his audience would have considered it to be valid. Of the five women mentioned, the first four would ordinarily have been considered to be ineligible for membership of God's people, eg Ruth was a Moabitess and Bathsheba was married to a Hittite. Mary, in contrast, was a Jewess of impeccable heritage, descended from Nathan, one of Solomon's brothers.
: God chooses unlikely people for His purposes.
Q How has God brought me to this place?
> Recognise and thank Him for His love, grace and mercy.
> He will give faith, strength and power to do His will.
2. Matt 1:18-20: Miracle birth
God's choice of Mary as the mother of the Son of God was a privelege, but it cannot have been easy.
:God often uses difficult circumstances to accomplish His will.
> His will for my life is to make me more like Christ. He wants me to let others know about God's Son. He wants to show me His love and grace.
3. Matt 1:21-25 What's in a name?
Names are special. In the Bible, we read of God revealing Himself with each new name that He shares or that is ascribed to Him. The names of Jesus are also important.
Jesus = His human name.
Christ = His religious title.
Immanuel = Who He is: God with us; God in the world, with His people.
From the names given to Him we see that
: Jesus is all I need.
> In the face of eternity we will rejoice in this.
Q Do I thank God every day for His revelation of Jesus Christ as King? Not as often as I ought.
Q Do I let Him be with me?
Summary:
Jesus is qualified to be King of my life by His ancestry, birth and identity.
While reading through the genealogy of Jesus, I also read through some of the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah's wife (Bathsheba), the four OT women who are mentioned by Matthew in the legal ancestry of Jesus. Their expressins of faith in action were a challenge to me. I can list a few big events in my life when I acted in faith in God, but do I really show faith in the little actions and decisions? I suppose I do in the things I talk about with my kids, the truths that I know about God. But what about my actions? I think I should be looking out for opportunities to act faithfully over the coming days and weeks.
1. Matt 1:1-17: Born to be King
Genealogies, which showed a person's lineage or pedigree, were crucial in Jesus' time to establish a person's right to the status they claimed within the Jewish people (eg priests descended from Aaron). Matthew organised the genealogy into three sections to help his readers remember and understand it. It is not a complete record but his audience would have considered it to be valid. Of the five women mentioned, the first four would ordinarily have been considered to be ineligible for membership of God's people, eg Ruth was a Moabitess and Bathsheba was married to a Hittite. Mary, in contrast, was a Jewess of impeccable heritage, descended from Nathan, one of Solomon's brothers.
: God chooses unlikely people for His purposes.
Q How has God brought me to this place?
> Recognise and thank Him for His love, grace and mercy.
> He will give faith, strength and power to do His will.
2. Matt 1:18-20: Miracle birth
God's choice of Mary as the mother of the Son of God was a privelege, but it cannot have been easy.
:God often uses difficult circumstances to accomplish His will.
> His will for my life is to make me more like Christ. He wants me to let others know about God's Son. He wants to show me His love and grace.
3. Matt 1:21-25 What's in a name?
Names are special. In the Bible, we read of God revealing Himself with each new name that He shares or that is ascribed to Him. The names of Jesus are also important.
Jesus = His human name.
Christ = His religious title.
Immanuel = Who He is: God with us; God in the world, with His people.
From the names given to Him we see that
: Jesus is all I need.
> In the face of eternity we will rejoice in this.
Q Do I thank God every day for His revelation of Jesus Christ as King? Not as often as I ought.
Q Do I let Him be with me?
Summary:
Jesus is qualified to be King of my life by His ancestry, birth and identity.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Responding to Jesus
Preacher:
Jeff J****** (Ministry Intern, and my husband)
Passage:
John 9:1-41
Message:
Jeff spoke of three responses to Jesus which are exhibited in the record of the healing of the man blind from birth and subsequent events.
(1) Preconceived ideas of who God is and how He acts blinded the Pharisees to the evidence of Jesus' actions. They focussed on the areas of scripture that they were comfortable with and rejected or ignored those that didn't fit with their culture, which Jesus quoted against them. No miracle or argument was going to change their minds.
(2) The second group was willing to let the facts speak for themselves and draw conclusions based on their knowledge of God from the Scriptures. They accepted that Jesus was from God because only God could perform miracles such as this. However, these people still allowed themselves to be persuaded to remain silent. They held convictions but not the courage to stand up for them, which counted for nothing in the end.
(3) The man who was healed at first saw Jesus as just a man who could do something for him, and called him by his first name, "Jesus". After He healed Him, Jesus revealed that He is the Son of Man (the figure of God coming to judge the world in the book of Daniel). The ex-blind man worshipped Jesus - which means that he acknowledged Jesus was God, because worship is only fitting for God. Jesus didn't rebuke the man for idolatry, either: Jesus accepted the man's worship as fitting.
Jeff asked whether we trust Scripture, or whether we find ourselves thinking things like "that doesn't seem right to me" when we read it. If we do, this is a sign that we are worshipping an idol (a made-up god), rather than the true God. We live in a society that says many untrue things about God, and often we accept these along with the rest of our culture. Instead, we need to look to the Bible, God's special revelation, to understand who God is, rather than allowing other sinful people to form our understanding for us. We have to continually look to the Bible to see what God is like and what He has done.
Comment:
Jeff J****** (Ministry Intern, and my husband)
Passage:
John 9:1-41
Message:
Jeff spoke of three responses to Jesus which are exhibited in the record of the healing of the man blind from birth and subsequent events.
(1) Preconceived ideas of who God is and how He acts blinded the Pharisees to the evidence of Jesus' actions. They focussed on the areas of scripture that they were comfortable with and rejected or ignored those that didn't fit with their culture, which Jesus quoted against them. No miracle or argument was going to change their minds.
(2) The second group was willing to let the facts speak for themselves and draw conclusions based on their knowledge of God from the Scriptures. They accepted that Jesus was from God because only God could perform miracles such as this. However, these people still allowed themselves to be persuaded to remain silent. They held convictions but not the courage to stand up for them, which counted for nothing in the end.
(3) The man who was healed at first saw Jesus as just a man who could do something for him, and called him by his first name, "Jesus". After He healed Him, Jesus revealed that He is the Son of Man (the figure of God coming to judge the world in the book of Daniel). The ex-blind man worshipped Jesus - which means that he acknowledged Jesus was God, because worship is only fitting for God. Jesus didn't rebuke the man for idolatry, either: Jesus accepted the man's worship as fitting.
Jeff asked whether we trust Scripture, or whether we find ourselves thinking things like "that doesn't seem right to me" when we read it. If we do, this is a sign that we are worshipping an idol (a made-up god), rather than the true God. We live in a society that says many untrue things about God, and often we accept these along with the rest of our culture. Instead, we need to look to the Bible, God's special revelation, to understand who God is, rather than allowing other sinful people to form our understanding for us. We have to continually look to the Bible to see what God is like and what He has done.
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