TABLETALK - December 2018

I continue in my daily studies to be guided by Tabletalk magazine. 2018 was a study on the Gospel of John and its straightforward presentation of the person and work of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and other doctrines. 

• January 2018 (July 4, 2023 - July 23, 2023) John 1:1-2:22 - The preexistence of Christ, the ministry of John the Baptist and the person of Christ. 
• February 2018 (July 24, 2023 - August 10, 2023) John 2:23 - 3:36 - Regeneration and our need to believe in Christ for Salvation
• March 2018 (August 13, 2023 - September 30, 2023) John 4:1 - 5:29 - Christ is the incarnate Son of God
• April 2018 (October 1, 2023 - November 6, 2023) John 5:30 - John 7:36 - Jesus is as necessary to our souls as food is to our body; Jesus teaches in the temple during the Feast of Booths
• May 2018 (November 7, 2023 - December 22, 2023) John 7:37 - John 9:41 - Jesus experiences opposition and there is a sin-motivated resistance people have toward being enslaved to sin.
• June 2018 (December 23, 2023 - January 21, 2024) John 10:1 - 11:57 - Jesus as our shepherd will lay down His life for His sheep, but some won't hear Him. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in order to impact the faith of the disciples. 
• July 2018 (January 22, 2024 - March 14, 2024) John 12:1 - 13:20 - Jesus as Savior and Judge; salvation comes to Jesus' disciples and the judgment comes to all who reject Him. 
• August 2018 (March 15, 2024 - April 12, 2024) John 13:21 - John 14:31 - Warnings Jesus gave on the night of the Last Supper and the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit. 
• September 2018 (April 13, 2024 - May 9, 2024) John 15:1 - John 16:24 - Continuing Christ's Farewell Discourse and the meaning of abiding in Christ, the analogy of the vine and conviction/guidance of the Holy Spirit
• October 2018 (May 10, 2024 - July 19, 2024) John 16:25 - John 17:26 - Seeing Christ as our Intercessor, even on the night He was betrayed, Jesus will pray for His disciple; High Priestly Prayer
• November 2018 (July 20, 2024 - September 10, 2024) John 18:1 - John 19:37 - Consider Jesus' trial before Pilate and Jewish authorities and His crucifixion. 
• December 2018 (September 11, 2024 - October 24, 2024) John 19:38 - John 21:25 - The resurrection of Jesus and His encounters with the disciples afterward.

John 19

Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:38-42) - Jesus has passed away; Joseph and Nicodemus come forward now to bury Jesus. Once ashamed and hiding from his arrest, now they take his burial serious and with honor. 

John 20

Mary Magdalene Finds the Empty Tomb (John 20:1-2) - Mary goes to the tomb (with others) and does not find Jesus there and concludes more than one person has taken him. 

Peter and John at the Tomb of Jesus (John 20:3-10) - Peter and John run to the tomb to see what Mary had stated -- that Jesus was in fact not present, the linens there though. 

Mary Sees Jesus and the Angels (John 20:11-15) - Mary goes to the tomb and 2 angels are there to comfort her but she does not recognize this or Jesus who asks her a question about her sadness. 

Mary Recognizes the Lord (John 20:16-18) - Mary now sees that Jesus is here, but Jesus makes it clear, He is ascending to the Father and Mary needs to tell others this is happening and the time is now. 

Jesus Appears to His Disciples (John 20:19-22) - Jesus comes to the disciples to bring them peace and sends them forth with the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Giving and Withholding Forgiveness (John 20:23) - Jesus speaks to the disciples, mentioning that they can forgive or not forgive sin.

Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29) - Thomas, not with the disciples in the room, states to believe in Jesus, he wants proof and to see not only Jesus but his scars. Jesus appears and Thomas believes.

The Purpose of John's Gospel (John 20:30-31) - John provides us his purpose in this gospel - that people will know Jesus, believe in Him and have life in His name.

John 21

The Disciples Go Fishing (John 21:1-8) - The disciples go on with their lives having not seen Jesus for 7+ days, and fish, but struggle, then Jesus sees them and provides a large catch. And then the disciples recognize Him.

Eating Breakfast with Jesus (John 21:9-14) - The disciples arrive to the land and have fish and bread breakfast with Jesus, at his beckoning. 

Jesus Restores Peter (John 21:15-17) - After earlier Peter denying Jesus three times, to be restored to his place among the disciples, he confessed three times that he would care for Christ's followers. 

Jesus Predicts Peter's Martyrdom (John 21:18-19) - Jesus contrasts the life of Peter from his youthful days to the end of his life, whether he feels life to be certain or not, says that he should follow Him.

Peter Asks about John (John 21:20-24) - Peter asks about the outcome of John and Jesus assures him that his outcome is known and under His control and Peter needs to simply Follow Him.

The Infinite Gospel (John 21:25) - The last verse of John states that much has been written of Jesus but it is not all of what He did, but it is enough to know Him and now live. 

Various Scriptures - The Significance of Peter - Peter reminds us that our hope is Christ, our hope through suffering and difficulties, and we are like stones, firm in our role in Christ and we need to submit to authorities as we trust God to establish authorities to glorify Him. 

The True Israel of God - Lord God, thank you for your deliverance of Israel from Egypt, freeing them from bondage, but more importantly providing them the opportunity to worship You. You are to be worshipped. We are redeemed from bondage to worship You. Jesus, you are the true and greater Israel of God accomplishing what Israel failed to accomplish. You were tempted to worship something other than God alone but God's words sustained You. You are the King and the great Prophet. You suffered on the cross and fulfilled Your role as the greater High Priest and sacrificed Passover Lamb. Your body destroyed, you rose, rising the temple of Your body and becoming our cornerstone. You will return one day and take us to the heavenly Promised Land. 

The Seed of the Woman - God you have a plan to redeem people, to bring them in right relationship to You and in Your Word God; in Genesis, at the beginning, you provide us this information. Today I look at the Lord's interaction with the Serpent as recorded in Genesis 3. Upon sinning, we do not die immediately, but we are spared and things happen: Pain in childbirth occurs. For Eve, Cain was provided as a son and she recognized the Lord provided and yet Cain would kill his brother Abel. Cain appeared to get the upper hand as the devil/Satan often in our world appears to have the upper hand. But God pronounces the curse upon Cain as well, cursed from the ground. Cain went east, farther from God's presence. Cain had a son, Enoch, and built a city naming it after his son. Eventually the 7th generation offspring of Cain was Lamech and later the first person to practice polygamy. Lamech acted as though he were greater than God. The promise had been given by God in Genesis 4:15 that, "whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And Lamech is the 7th generation. After Abel being killed, a replacement son was born to Eve - Seth. And his son, Enosh - and then "people began to call on the name of the Lord. (Genesis 4:26)" Enosh is better than Enoch. This Enosh 7th generation from Seth. Enoch walked with God and did not taste death. Then a new Lamech came from Enosh who would father Noah, a type of Christ, righteous among an adulterous people. With Noah, most of the serpentine line perished, except Ham, son of Noah. God provides salvation fully and finally in the work of Christ. In Christ, I am reconciled to God Himself. 

Abraham's Seed - God made a covenant with Abraham: a seed, a land, and a universal blessing and each finds ultimate significance in the Lord Jesus Christ. God promises Abraham offspring, also Adam and Eve and later David. Abraham will be a father of many nations. The seed promise was Isaac and then Jacob and the nation of Israel, all in the line of Christ. From Israel Christ came according to the flesh and so Israel and Abraham were the means to the messianic promise. The seed is spiritual - more numerous that the stars of heaven or sands of sea. Jesus was a physical descendant. True children have faith. The ultimate seed is Jesus Christ himself. Offspring or seed is singular as Paul, with Jesus as son of David and son of Abraham. Land was a real, geographic territory. Jesus reconciles us to God. Enemies can't stand against this seed being advanced. Christ will build his church and gates of hell will not withstand this. He hung on a tree so the blessing of Abraham, through Christ, might come to the Gentiles. Abraham chosen for his line to the Messiah. 

Judah's Scepter - Kingship climaxes with the Davidic monarchy. The Lord promised Abraham that "kings shall come from you" (Genesis 17:6). Jacob pronounces a blessing to his sons (Gen. 49) and the future kingship of God's people. Starting in verse 8, Judah is the object of praise and has dominion over his enemies. Like a lion in verse 9 he rests in his den after a kill. And then in verse 10 says a "scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet." 

A Prophet Like Moses

David's Son

The Messianic King

The Eternal Priest

Of The Virgin's Womb

Prince of Peace

The Stump of Jesse

A Ruler from Bethlehem

The Lord's Shepherd - 

Bless the Lord - Jacob wanted to be blessed and wrestled God until he received that blessing. Lord, I want your favor, unmerited. You chose Abraham, spoke to him and blessed him, choosing him out of the sheer pleasure of Your mysterious will and for Your name's sake. I do not earn salvation, but instead You chose me, blessing me and sanctifying me. I bless you God, by honoring You and esteeming You in my heart and life. I praise You. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Psalm 103:1). Remind me to Bless You Lord, to honor and esteem You, not partially but with my whole being. 

Joy and Strength - Lord, I can normally be grieved by my sin but you want me to not be grieved but the joy of the Lord is My strength always. Rather than focusing on my sin, I focus instead on what Christ has done for me and what He is doing in me as I follow Him and serve Him. 

The Cradle and the Cross - Thank you God for the things in our life that you use to trigger memories and providence. The ornaments on the Christmas tree remind me of crafts the kids have made, places we have been and times we have had together. As I see the cross, help me to always be reminded of your great love for me in dying for me. Focus me on the cross always and your sacrifice for me. Thank you for your great example and great teaching, but ultimately you God sent Jesus to perfectly fulfill the requirements of the Law, and satisfy God's justice. Jesus bore Christ's wrath on the cross for me and for all you have called. You are my rescue. 

Meek Like Moses

Flee from Sexual Immorality

Making Prayer a Priority

Paying Attention in Worship

Shining Lights by Not Grumbling

A Shadow of Christ