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?

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.

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!

ISAIAH 43:16-21

THE BACKGROUND

This passage from Isaiah was written during Babylonian exile.  God’s people had been displaced from their homes in the Promised Land, and were living hundreds of miles away.  The outlook was hopeless.  There seemed to be no chance of ever returning home.  But then, God spoke these words to Isaiah.

THE DETAIL

• “Thus says the Lord” is a cue from Isaiah that these words are not his, but God’s. Isaiah is merely the messenger. (v. 16a)
• God reminds His people of a former time.  It was another hopeless time, when the Israelites were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Conventional thinking would place the Israelites there forever.  But God rescued his people, exterminating the Egyptian army in the process.  (vv. 16b-17)
• As soon as God recalls this saving act, He tells them to forget about it.  Why? Because He’s going to do it again!  He says “What’s the matter?  Can’t you see it happening before your eyes?”  (vv. 18-19)
• And God will provide water for the journey, just like He did on the journey from Egypt. He is so worthy of praise that even the wild animals honor him!  (v. 20)
• Why is He doing this?  Because He loves His own, so that they might praise him.  (v. 21)

THE TAKEAWAY

God is capable of doing the impossible.  He reminded those hopeless souls in Babylon that he loves them, and will save them.  He reminds you and me of this still today. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When our lives seem hopeless, we need to remember that God is in control.  We need to keep the faith—God’s got this!

PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14

THE BACKGROUND

The church in Caesarea Philippi had been established by Paul. As with most of the early churches, the members of this church were either Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah or pagan Greeks who had converted to Christianity.   Later on, after Paul left, the Jewish Christians insisted that the Gentile Christians must be circumcised in accordance with Old Testament law.  Paul addresses this question in today’s passage.  He talks about what is important; what is it that “saves” us.  Is it our ritual traditions or something else?   

THE DETAIL

• Paul starts out by stating that if anybody has “Jewish bragging rights”, it should be him. He makes it very clear that he is/was very Jewish.  (v. 4b) 
• He rattles of his list of qualifications for these “rights”  (vv. 5-6)
• Then, Paul states that these qualifications are worthless.  I love The Message’s translation:  “…I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash… all the things that I thought were important are gone from my life.”  (v. 7)
• He says that compared to the value of knowing Jesus, everything else is rubbish.  (v. 8)
• How, then, do we live lives of righteousness?  Paul is saying that he no longer lives his life trying to obey the Law of Moses. Instead, he lives his life based on faith in Jesus.  He shows God’s mercy and justice through the way he lives in the world around him.  He shows God’s righteousness by living a righteous (right-acting) life.  (v. 9)
• The next verses are interesting.  Paul finds his faith journey continuous.  His faith journey is not complete once he is saved.  He is ever struggling, ever striving, ever improving in faith and hope. Verses 13b-14a are a beautiful summary of this struggle: “…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…”  (vv. 10-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

I’ve heard people brag about their denominations.  Some brag about being Lutheran their whole lives, or being “Baptist to the bone”.  Paul is talking to them.  What truly matters is having a sincere faith; a faith that recognizes that there is no end to the improvement that we can make.  We must be like Paul, straining forward in faith to the heavenly call of God. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Each denomination has unique ways of expressing their faith and ways of praising God.  Each is precious to those of that denomination. But we must remember that what is most important in our relationship with God is our faith.  All the detailed practices of our particular denomination aren’t exactly “rubbish”, as Paul calls it, but they are not as important as faith.
 

JOHN 12:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus is preparing for his entry into Jerusalem.  He stops in the nearby town of Bethany, where his dear friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live.  They have prepared a banquet for him.  Remember that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead earlier in the story.

THE DETAIL

• The clock is ticking.  Jesus has less than one week to live.  What lies before him is clear.  The mention of Lazarus prepares us for the subject at hand—death.  (v. 1)
• They are going to have a nice dinner.  (v. 2)
• Mary does something astonishing.  She tenderly anoints Jesus’ feet with nard, an extremely expensive perfume.  More on nard in the takeaway.  (v. 3)
• Judas is present, and objects to the extravagance.  He claims that the money should be spent on the poor.  We know what Judas is up to.  He is greedy, and wants some of this money for himself.  (vv. 4-6)
• Jesus tells Judas to leave Mary alone, that she is preparing him for his burial. (v.  7)   
• The last verse is sometimes quoted by rich people today to justify not giving to others in need.  But Jesus’ words reflect Deuteronomy 15:11—“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’.”  All of chapter 15 instructs God’s People on how they should care for the poor by sharing from their abundance.

THE TAKEAWAY

This entire passage foretells of Jesus’ impending death.  Lazarus looming presence is one indication.  The nard is another.  Nard is expensive oil which is made from the root of a plant that grows at high elevation in the Himalayas.  That’s a long way from Palestine, which accounts for its high cost.  In Jesus day a jar of nard cost over a year’s wages. It was used to anoint kings at their coronation and to prepare bodies for burial.  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Isn’t it ironic that some use Jesus’ words to justify not caring for the needy?  Yet, Jesus’ quote of Deuteronomy 15:11 indicates that he was saying the exact opposite. 

ISAIAH 43:16-21

THE BACKGROUND

This passage from Isaiah was written during Babylonian exile.  God’s people had been displaced from their homes in the Promised Land, and were living hundreds of miles away.  The outlook was hopeless.  There seemed to be no chance of ever returning home.  But then, God spoke these words to Isaiah.

THE DETAIL

• “Thus says the Lord” is a cue from Isaiah that these words are not his, but God’s. Isaiah is merely the messenger. (v. 16a)
• God reminds His people of a former time.  It was another hopeless time, when the Israelites were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Conventional thinking would place the Israelites there forever.  But God rescued his people, exterminating the Egyptian army in the process.  (vv. 16b-17)
• As soon as God recalls this saving act, He tells them to forget about it.  Why? Because He’s going to do it again!  He says “What’s the matter?  Can’t you see it happening before your eyes?”  (vv. 18-19)
• And God will provide water for the journey, just like He did on the journey from Egypt. He is so worthy of praise that even the wild animals honor him!  (v. 20)
• Why is He doing this?  Because He loves His own, so that they might praise him.  (v. 21)

THE TAKEAWAY

God is capable of doing the impossible.  He reminded those hopeless souls in Babylon that he loves them, and will save them.  He reminds you and me of this still today. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When our lives seem hopeless, we need to remember that God is in control.  We need to keep the faith—God’s got this!

PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14

THE BACKGROUND

The church in Caesarea Philippi had been established by Paul. As with most of the early churches, the members of this church were either Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah or pagan Greeks who had converted to Christianity.   Later on, after Paul left, the Jewish Christians insisted that the Gentile Christians must be circumcised in accordance with Old Testament law.  Paul addresses this question in today’s passage.  He talks about what is important; what is it that “saves” us.  Is it our ritual traditions or something else?   

THE DETAIL

• Paul starts out by stating that if anybody has “Jewish bragging rights”, it should be him. He makes it very clear that he is/was very Jewish.  (v. 4b) 
• He rattles of his list of qualifications for these “rights”  (vv. 5-6)
• Then, Paul states that these qualifications are worthless.  I love The Message’s translation:  “…I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash… all the things that I thought were important are gone from my life.”  (v. 7)
• He says that compared to the value of knowing Jesus, everything else is rubbish.  (v. 8)
• How, then, do we live lives of righteousness?  Paul is saying that he no longer lives his life trying to obey the Law of Moses. Instead, he lives his life based on faith in Jesus.  He shows God’s mercy and justice through the way he lives in the world around him.  He shows God’s righteousness by living a righteous (right-acting) life.  (v. 9)
• The next verses are interesting.  Paul finds his faith journey continuous.  His faith journey is not complete once he is saved.  He is ever struggling, ever striving, ever improving in faith and hope. Verses 13b-14a are a beautiful summary of this struggle: “…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…”  (vv. 10-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

I’ve heard people brag about their denominations.  Some brag about being Lutheran their whole lives, or being “Baptist to the bone”.  Paul is talking to them.  What truly matters is having a sincere faith; a faith that recognizes that there is no end to the improvement that we can make.  We must be like Paul, straining forward in faith to the heavenly call of God. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Each denomination has unique ways of expressing their faith and ways of praising God.  Each is precious to those of that denomination. But we must remember that what is most important in our relationship with God is our faith.  All the detailed practices of our particular denomination aren’t exactly “rubbish”, as Paul calls it, but they are not as important as faith.
 

JOHN 12:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus is preparing for his entry into Jerusalem.  He stops in the nearby town of Bethany, where his dear friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live.  They have prepared a banquet for him.  Remember that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead earlier in the story.

THE DETAIL

• The clock is ticking.  Jesus has less than one week to live.  What lies before him is clear.  The mention of Lazarus prepares us for the subject at hand—death.  (v. 1)
• They are going to have a nice dinner.  (v. 2)
• Mary does something astonishing.  She tenderly anoints Jesus’ feet with nard, an extremely expensive perfume.  More on nard in the takeaway.  (v. 3)
• Judas is present, and objects to the extravagance.  He claims that the money should be spent on the poor.  We know what Judas is up to.  He is greedy, and wants some of this money for himself.  (vv. 4-6)
• Jesus tells Judas to leave Mary alone, that she is preparing him for his burial. (v.  7)   
• The last verse is sometimes quoted by rich people today to justify not giving to others in need.  But Jesus’ words reflect Deuteronomy 15:11—“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’.”  All of chapter 15 instructs God’s People on how they should care for the poor by sharing from their abundance.

THE TAKEAWAY

This entire passage foretells of Jesus’ impending death.  Lazarus looming presence is one indication.  The nard is another.  Nard is expensive oil which is made from the root of a plant that grows at high elevation in the Himalayas.  That’s a long way from Palestine, which accounts for its high cost.  In Jesus day a jar of nard cost over a year’s wages. It was used to anoint kings at their coronation and to prepare bodies for burial.  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Isn’t it ironic that some use Jesus’ words to justify not caring for the needy?  Yet, Jesus’ quote of Deuteronomy 15:11 indicates that he was saying the exact opposite. 

JOSHUA 5:9-12

THE BACKGROUND

Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, across the desert wilderness, and to the Promised Land. But Moses did not cross the Jordan. He died in Moab near Mt. Pisgah, and was buried in a valley there.  Joshua was commissioned by God to take Moses’ place.  Although he was Moses’ successor, Joshua’s task was different.  Joshua was in charge of the conquest of Canaan, to claim the Promised Land for God’s chosen.  He sent spies to check out Jericho, the first city the planned to conquer. Then, they crossed the Jordan, officially entering the Promised Land, and set up camp.  The Israelite men, all of whom had been born along the journey, had not yet been circumcised.  This was a Jewish tradition since it was established by God during Abraham’s time. So the men were circumcised.  (This is from verses 2-8, which come before our reading.)

THE DETAIL

• With the renewing of the covenant through circumcision, God makes a proclamation that He has removed (“rolled away”) the disgrace of their slavery in Egypt.  God, with Moses’ leadership, has delivered his people to the Promised Land.  Gilgal means “rolled” in Hebrew.  (v. 9)
• They then celebrated the Passover, using the produce of the land they have just entered.  (vv. 10-11)
• Since they were now “home”, and eating food from the Promised Land, the manna stopped coming. They no longer had need of it. (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

The Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness has always been considered by them to be the honeymoon period in their relationship with God.  He rescued them from slavery, and provided for their needs every day along the way.  God continues to care for us, His people.  He feeds us along our life-journey, and guides us along the pathway of our lives. All he asks in return is for our love.
 

2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21

THE BACKGROUND

After Paul’s traditional opening lines, and mentioning a few details in chapters one and two, Paul lays out several chapters of rich thought on our lives as Christians. 

THE DETAIL

• This passage starts out by stating that “from now on” (now that we believe in Jesus), we must no longer look at life and at Jesus from a human point of view.  Paul’s going to tell us about the new perspective in verses 18-21.  (v. 16)
• We get this new perspective, because once we are “in Christ”, we become a new creation. Jesus’ presence in our lives changes everything.  (v. 17)
• The first words of this verse are key, so I will make them bold:  “All this is from God”…  What we’re about to study in great detail are God’s loving actions on us.  There is no mention of what we have done to earn this, because it is all a one-way gift. It is all from God.  (v. 18a)
• The key word in the next verse and a half is reconciliation.  This word is mentioned four times in that short space!  I’ll explain that word in the takeaway below.  But the point here is that God the Father reconciled us to Himself using the gift of His son Jesus on the cross.  (vv. 18b-19)
• Paul states that he is God’s ambassador, and urges us to become reconciled to God.  (There is that word again!)  (v. 20)
• The final verse is a little convoluted.  It is difficult to understand, if you haven’t heard it before.  Allow me to paraphrase. 
  • For our sake (God did this for us!)
  • God had Jesus (“who knew no sin”) bear our sins (“He made him be sin”)
  • God did this for us so that we might be free of the burden of our sins, so that we can focus on doing those things that God wants us to do (“we might become the righteousness of God”)

THE TAKEAWAY

Reconciliation is a gigantic word, but I think you’ll quickly realize that you already know the meaning. If you have ever had a checking account, you know that you write checks and get bank statements.  Sometimes people haven’t cashed check that you’ve written when you receive your bank statement.  Other times, if you’re recording your checks and watching your balance, you might make an error in your arithmetic.  Either way, the bank statement rarely matches what you think is still in your checking account.  You go through a process of reconciling the bank statement.  You try to understand and justify the difference between their balance and what you think your balance is.

God has expectations of our behavior, but we rarely measure up to them.  Even though those expectations are achievable by us, we always seem to fall short.  How can we ever reconcile this shortfall between God’s expectations and our actions? 

WE CAN’T!!!

But the good news in today’s reading is that God has done it for us.  By the gift of His son on the cross, our sins are forgiven.  Our “account” is reconciled—not through our own actions, but solely by what God has done.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Verse 20 urges us to “be reconciled to God”.  How can we do something that God has already done?  We simply believe in Jesus, putting all our sins at the foot of his cross. Then, we strive to “become the righteousness of God” not to earn forgiveness, but to show our gratitude for what God has already done for us.
 

LUKE 15:1-3, 11b-32

THE BACKGROUND

This week’s Gospel lesson is one of Jesus’ most famous parables.  I learned long ago that all of Jesus’ parables were taught to prove one point. When we read a parable from Jesus, we should look for only one point.  Anything more is just a bunch of hot air.  That said, this extra-long parable may actually contain two points!  

THE DETAIL, Part One

• The first paragraph explains the motivation for Jesus’ telling of this parable.  The pious Pharisees and scribes (role models of faith to all around them) are criticizing Jesus for rubbing elbows with riff-raff, rather that hob-knobbing with the religious and social elite.  (vv. 1-3)
• The story goes that the younger of two sons asks his father for his share of his inheritance. The father complies, and the son promptly goes off and squanders it.  (vv. 11b-14)
• The son hires himself out to a farmer.  The farmer sends the son out to feed the pigs.  Pigs are unclean animals to a Jew, so this is about as low as this man could go. (v. 15)
• The wayward son comes to his senses, and decides to go home.  He is hoping to find better employment working for his father.  (vv. 16-20)
• Dad is sitting on the porch. (OK, it doesn’t really say this, but that’s how I picture the scene.) In the distance, he sees his younger son walking back home.  He is so overjoyed at the son’s repentance, he runs to greet him.  The father is thrilled.  He calls for a joyous celebration.  (vv. 21-24)

THE DETAIL, Part Two

• Enter, the elder son. He comes in from the field, hears the music and dancing.  He probably caught a whiff or two of the calf being grilled, too.  “What’s going on”, he asks?  He is told that the party is for his brother, who has returned home. He is not happy about this, and refuses to go in and celebrate.  (vv. 25-28a)
• The elder son points out all those years of faithful service, and the father never threw a party for him.  Yet, “this son of yours” comes home and gets the fatted calf, a ring, music, and a big party.  The elder son obviously has a bad attitude!  (vv. 28b-30)
• The father’s next words explain everything.  “But we had to celebrate…  This brother of yours... was lost and has been found.”   (vv. 31-32)

THE TAKEAWAY

Given the situation explained in verses 1-3, Jesus’ telling of this parable is to challenge the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes about Jesus’ actions.  He compares their attitude to that of the elder son. His point is clear:  Those of us who have been working for our Lord for many years should rejoice at the repentance of those who have fallen away. 

But the joy and forgiveness of the father in Part One is remarkable.  If there is a second point to this parable, it would be to show us the love and delight that God has for those who return to him.  If God is this happy over one who “was lost and has been found”, then so should we.  The past is forgiven!  Let’s celebrate!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What would happen at your church if a shaggy homeless person turned up on Sunday?  Do you think most would behave like the father in this parable or the elder son?