John 10:22-29 - Safe in the Hand of God

John 10:22-29

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Message: Safe in the Hand of God

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: From the previous passage there was a division among those Jews listening to Jesus with many thinking that Jesus had a demon in Him. Why? Because of what He was proclaiming. That He lays down His life for His sheep (v.11). That the Father knows Him (v. 15) and that in Himself people will be saved (v. 9). And that beyond Israel, he adds the Gentiles as well to the fold of belonging to Him (v. 16). And He will die and be resurrected (v. 17). All this is based upon His authority (v. 18). 

Jesus had entered Jerusalem in chapter 7 following the request of his brother though he did it in His own way. That time was the Feast of the Booths in September/October time frame. Now it is the time of the Feast of Dedication taking place in Jerusalem (v. 22). 

The Feast of Dedication was also called the Feast of Maccabees and now is called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. The Maccabees successfully revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ruled the Seleucid Empire (encompass modern-day Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon) from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC). The Maccabean revolt occurred from 167 BC to 160 BC. The Seleucids were trying to take control of Judea. Jewish practices were banned, Jerusalem was placed under direct Seleucid control, and the Second Temple in Jerusalem was made the site of a syncretic Pagan-Jewish cult. According to the Talmud, the Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day's lighting. Thus, this is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple. 

Jesus is walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. This portico is said to have been on the east side of the Temple, and to have been a relic of the original building of Solomon which had survived all destructions and restorations. And the Jews that have probably been a part of the division (v. 19) encircle him and question Him as to who He really is. Some have said he was a demon (v. 20) but others didn't think He could be demon possessed (v. 21). They want to know if He is the Christ. 

The question is rather preposterous. Jesus continues to state clearly He is from the Father and He is the Son of God. While Jesus does not say "I am the Christ" He has been speaking of who He is and that He is the Son of God. 

John 5:19 - Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."

John 7:37 - Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink."

John 7:38 - “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 8:12 - Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 8:36 - “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

John 8:56 - "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

John 10:1 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber." 

Matthew Poole (1624–1679) in his commentary states, "I have in effect told it you more than once; I have told you that I am sent of the Father, &c., I have said enough for you to conclude it; but you will not understand, you will not receive it, you will not believe what I say. What need you any further witness of it, than those works which I do by Divine power; by virtue of my oneness with my Father, and of that power and authority which he hath committed to me, that by them I might confirm the doctrine which I have taught you?"

This is a sobering reality for many. And a sobering reality for those that know the truth that the reality is many will not conclude the same. Some people are stuck in their ways. Like the man we spoke to at the mall two weeks ago who really would not listen or consider any words that we might say. He was a man that was stuck. And no amount of revelation or words from us was going to change that. 

Jesus points out - you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. The sheep hear his voice and know his voice (vs. 3-4). But these are not His sheep. They don't hear. They may hear words from a mouth, but they don't hear in the sense of understanding and accepting. 

For those that hear and know His voice Jesus confirms their present and future -- My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Sheep have a different path - following Jesus. Receiving eternal life, never perishing. Safe in the Hand of God....always. 

This reminds me that once we are declared safe by Him and perhaps Jesus is the only one that really know who has been declared safe, but for those that are safe they will never be unsafe. They will never be lost. 

Summary: Jews encircle Jesus at the time of Hanukkah and want to know if He is the Christ. Jesus has already repeatedly told who He is. They are not His sheep and cannot hear Him. 

Promise: RC Sproul writes, "We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us.”

Prayer: Lord, I am thankful that I can hear you and that I know Your voice. It is a sobering reality Lord that others cannot hear. And yet Lord, you still want me to be a voice to people. You still want me to share. You want me to have the conversations and communicate and find Your sheep. Help me to be faithful in this. I need this. This is not a burden but something I need to do continually. For my own sake in who you have called me to be, I need to speak the truth of You to others. Thank you for the richness of Your word and the clarity of it and the history of You saving your people. This can be seen in Hanukkah that you have always been a God who saves their people, no matter what is going on in the world and who has governmental power, you are always present and near. I praise You God for this. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 7:40-46 - Jesus Brings Division

John 7:40-46

40 Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet." 41 Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely, the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?" 42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" 43 So there arose a division in the multitude because of Him. 44 And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 

45 The Officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The officers answered, "Never did a man speak the way this man speaks." 

Message: Jesus Brings Division

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: As I read and study scripture, it is always important to consider the time period and what people around Jesus were experiencing at this time as He walked and talked on this earth. This was 2,000 years ago. This text helps me to think about this. As Jesus spoke in the previous verse about being the living water, I learn today from verse 40 that these words and other things he was doing made people have different opinions about who Jesus is and was and why He had come. He was being clear that He had been sent by Father God to do His will, so what is that will. 

The first century Jews were hoping for freedom from Roman occupation. Back in the days of Moses, the Jews were looking for freedom from Egypt. Deuteronomy 18:15 reminds us that the Jews were looking for someone like Moses. And seeing that Jesus talks of water and sees miracles happening (like feeding the 5,000 recorded in Chapter 6.

But others had a different idea, thinking that Jesus was the Messiah (Note Deut. 18:15 the prophet and Messiah are thought to be the same person). But those listening, many did not remember that Jesus had come from Bethlehem thinking that He only came from Galilee. 

Either way, the words of Jesus were disturbing people and making them think and wonder. And even the officers, sent by the Pharisees, did not seize him as they recognized Jesus as being very different from anyone else (7:45-46). 

Summary: Jesus's coming is causing division among people following and observing him over who He really is: only a prophet or also a Messiah. And officers are not seizing Him. 

Promise: When confronted by Jesus, no one is neutral. Some will believe and some will refuse. We must have Him as He is and not make Him someone else. 

Prayer: You are the Christ Jesus and You came to save me and those that are lost without You. You are the source of all that is good. You are living water and all the good in this world is from You and through You. As you have changed me and awakened me, please awaken others. Awaken more and let the numbers grow. Light a fire in me and give me a joy that is contagious. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.  

John 7:25-31 - Speculating About the Christ

John 7:25-31

25 Therefore some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26 And look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? 27 However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from." 28 Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 I know Him; because I am from Him, and He sent Me." 30 They were seeking therefore to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 But many of the multitude believed in Him; and they were saying, "When the Christ shall come, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?" 

Message: Speculating About the Christ

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus is still in Jerusalem, having arrived there from Capernaum where he also spoke to people in the synagogue and here in Jerusalem he is speaking in the temple (7:14). In many ways this text today is similar to what He said in Capernaum in the synagogue in which He spoke of the Father having sent Him (6:39). In those verses he mentions He is the Bread of Life (6:48) and in believing in Him a person will have eternal life (6:47). 

He is in Jerusalem sort of incognito. He has arrived there perhaps a little secretly. He will continue to preach but He also knows that His time has not yet come to die on the cross and John lets us know this as well (7:30). 

The difference in these verses is what Jesus says as recorded in verse 28 and 29. First that "He sent Me." He is sent by God the Father. And "I am from Him." I need to remember He is in a different place. While I hear similar words form John 6, Jesus is speaking to a different crowd and perhaps based upon what has been said earlier, a more hostile crowd. There was a hope for the Messiah at this time and for many people they are probably studying Jesus to determine if He is the Christ. 

His words to those that are listening are hard words as He tells them that they do not know God. He says in verse 28, "He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know." This must have angered those listening. In the previous verse it is stated that no one should know where the Messiah has come from. This is what they had been taught and so in Jesus they do not believe He is the Messiah. It is interesting to consider where this idea came from as there instances in the Old Testament that speak of Jesus coming from the seed of a woman (Gen. 3:15). John 7:42 mentions that from the Scripture it says Jesus will come out of the seed of David and out of Bethlehem.  And yet Isaiah 53:2 refers to a root out of dry ground. Isaiah 7:14 says - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Many Rabbi's spoke of him not coming from earthly parents or appearing out of the blue, but those were Rabbi's. It seems his origin was varied in ideas. So what Jesus does here is make it clear. He makes it clear that He is from God. He has been sent by God. 

There are more speculations that could be considered, but Jesus has already mentioned His authority in other ways, albeit other cities and other settings. We can be confident in Him and only Him. We must be leery of others who claim being sent by God. 

Summary: Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem now provides clarity that His origin is from the Father, whom they do not know. 

Promise: From Matthew Henry, "This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts."

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your origin and speaking with authority and coming from God and the confident that we can have in You as our Savior and Lord, to this day. Open people's eyes to this. Open my family's eyes and those I am in contact with. Help me to bring light of understand to others as You direct me. Be praise. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.  

John 4:25-26 - Meeting the Messiah

John 4:25-26 

The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called the Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." 

Message: Meeting the Messiah

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: I am coming to the end of the discussion Jesus is having with the Samaritan woman. Anytime Jesus speaks I am reminded of the significance of His speech. Jesus has already in this passage confirmed that true life is found in living water and this is taking something from Him that will yield eternal life. It is not water per se but just like water that provides us with the sustenance each day to live, eternal life is just that, eternal life. It is placing our trust in Him, believing and obeying and in the process we receive living water or water that will never cause us to need water again. 

Jesus has also exposed this woman of sin. This is something else we see in John 3, exposure of sin and the significance of this in a person that comes to Christ. "I know that I am a sinner." 

And then Jesus states that true faith is true worship. And the worship that He is speaking of is not worship based upon location - which was the prevailing thought at the time, but worship, true worship is of the spirit and the truth of who He is. This is another thought that was mentioned in John 3. In being born again, we are born of the Spirit and this Spirit comes to live in our spirit. 

And now the woman recognizes that what she has been hearing from Jesus is significant. As a Samaritan her understanding of the things of God are a little jumbled. Previously, she thought that Jesus was a prophet (verse 19). 

Tabletalk for today mentions:

Samaritan religion, because it accepted only a corrupted form of the Five Books of Moses (Genesis–Deuteronomy), did not have a fully developed idea of the Messiah as the descendant of David. However, that does not mean the Samaritans lacked messianic expectations. Drawing from passages such as Deuteronomy 18:15, the Samaritans looked for a Messiah who would serve primarily as a prophet and restore the “authentic religion” of the Samaritans to God’s people (they called him the Taheb).

And so the Samaritan woman says that "Messiah is coming" and he will be one that will declare to us what we need to know. Jesus responds, "I who speak to you am He." Here are the long awaited words of Jesus confirming clearly that He is the messiah. The word He is added on this verse as clarification. Jesus says in the Greek, "I am the one speaking to you." It is unclear to me if Jesus is saying, I am to link us to the words of God in saying in Exodus 3:14 "And God spoke to Moses, saying, I am (ego eimi) THE BEING." Or if he really one wants to say He is the Messiah. He is the Messiah and this understanding of Him as Messiah is by the Spirit of God speaking that truth. As a reminder, "To the Jew the Messiah was a conquering king, who would help them to ride on the necks of their enemies, and pay back their persecutions and oppressions (Alexander MacLaren)." 

The words are significant in many ways. Jesus is the end all. 

Summary: The Samaritan woman knows the Messiah will coming and Jesus states that He is the Messiah. 

Promise: Our best arguments will convince no one that Jesus is the Messiah and move them to trust in Him. Only the Holy Spirit can do such convincing.

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, you are the Messiah. That statement maybe doesn't mean as much to me as it should, but you are the one promised from the beginning to come and rescue us from ourselves and rescue us from what we thought was the way to You - only obedience. But we must first place our complete faith in you and follow it up with obedience that you prescribe for me. Keep these truths fresh on my lips. Help me God. I am struggling with feeling like I am not doing enough. I am not good enough. Give me a joy of your salvation and help me to have a boldness to speak of You to others. Not out of guilt but out of love. 

 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

Various Scripture - Names of Jesus

Matthew 16:16

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:20

Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Acts 2:36

Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.

Matthew 16:27

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then REPLAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

Acts 13:23

From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

Message: Jesus the Christ - The Hidden Messiah - Jesus the Lord - Jesus the Son of Man - Jesus the Savior

What the Lord is Saying: In the first chapter of John, I am amazed at the different names that are given to describe Jesus, such as Word, Light, One, Him (masculine), Son of God, Lamb of God, King of Israel. Tabletalk in these last 5 lessons for this issue takes a moment to look at these names. 

The name that is attributed to Jesus the most is Christ. Tabletalk states, "“Christ” is simply the English translation of the Greek word christos, which is itself the translation of the Hebrew term mashiach or “Messiah,” which means “anointed one.” Although there are many anointed one's (prophets, priests, kings) in the Bible, Jesus is the fulfillment of a final or overarching anointed one of all. Matthew 16:16 states, "Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

As I also look at Jesus the Messiah, I see that in latter part of the BC period, after Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, they were not free again and they were eager for an anointed one or Messiah to give them freedom and reestablish an earthly Jewish Kingdom. Isaiah 53 also mentions that in addition to the Messiah restoring the kingdom the Messiah would also sacrifice by death on behalf of His people. Jews often overlooked redemption from sin and focused on political salvation. 

People stating they were Messiahs happened in the 1st century and so this is one of the reasons Jesus told others to not tell others that He was the Christ, as is stated in Matthew 16:20, "Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ."

From Tabletalk, -- “Lord” is the English translation of the Greek word kurios, which is typically used in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, to translate the Hebrew tetragrammaton—the covenant name of the God of Israel. That is, when the ancient Greek translators translated God’s name Yahweh, they typically did so using the Greek word kurios. Lord can be applied to persons but more enough it is ascribed to a deity. Peter and Paul called Jesus Lord and as monotheists they were claiming Jesus to be divine. As in Acts 2:36, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." 

Jesus Himself used the name Son of Man to refer to Himself 79 times, and 3 more by others. Some believe Son of Man refers to His humanity, but the reference is to Daniel 7:9-14 is "one like a son of man" who comes into the presence of the Ancient of Days---God Almighty---and receives a kingdom and authority over creation (see Acts 2:14-36). Daniel saw a vision of Jesus returning to the Father for his coronation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords after the completion of His earthly ministry. Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then REPLAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." 

Finally, we look at Jesus as Savior - our rescuer. 2 Samuel 22:3 David refers to the Lord as "my savior" and so rescues him from war and his enemies. Isaiah 38 refers to Savior as one being rescued from illness, such as healing. Also, saved from sin as in Ezekiel 37:23. Acts 13:23 From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

Summary: Jesus is the Christ, Messiah  Lord, Son of Man and our Savior. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the many ways we see you described and what it tells me about the reason Jesus you are needed as the Christ or anointed one that has saved us from our sins and even from all of life, the promised Messiah, our Lord and Only God, the Son of Man as you show me you are King of King and Lord of Lords and also Savior, saving me from enemies, illness and sin. You are holy and great. Thank you. 

John 1:29-34 - John the Baptist Bears Witness to Christ

John 1:29-34

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Message: John the Baptist Bears Witness to Christ

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Still thinking about yesterday's lesson. It was kind of a hard one for me in thinking about John. The idea of him being a forerunner and helping others understand Jesus makes sense, but baptism is mentioned and for some reason this seems puzzling to me, but not sure if it should. Hard to find much written on this in commentaries. 

Up to this point, John is mentioned apart from Jesus, but now in verse 29 it states that Jesus came to him. John clearly has an understanding of Jesus that is unique and special. He has a special revelation of him. For the first time in this chapter, the name of Jesus is mentioned. And more clarity is given of this man, who up to this point is Word, Light, Him, One, and is now the Lamb of God. He is the one who takes away the sin of the world. He existed before John. The Spirit remains on Him. This is the Son of God. These are proclamations John is making to others. He is testifying of Jesus. This is his role continuously and that is to speak of Jesus. 

This statement, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" may be misunderstood. It seems obvious or understood that Jesus does not take away everyone's sin which would result in no one being held responsible for being a sinner. But Jesus is the only one who can take away sin. And so this proclamation that John is making is that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the one who will take away people's sin, but still as stated earlier in verse 11 and 12, "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." The idea here is that not all will believe in Him. Not all will believe in the Lamb of God. John is baptizing those that want to be baptized and want to place their trust in Christ. And so this is a great example of how weed to te nhink about the context of passages as we read them. Passages in the Bible do not stand alone. They must be read in concert with other passages. 

Since Jesus "takes away the sin of the world" we can be clear that everyone in the world is who he includes. For many of this day they have thought the gospel was reserved for Jews, but while the Jewish people have been called, Gentiles I believe have always been able throughout history to know God and be grafted in to a relationship with Him. But John does make it clear here that Jesus, as the lamb of God, atones for everyone - rich, poor, servants, men, women, Asians, Americans, Africans, Europeans -- all people everywhere. There is no distinction. 

Also of note is verse 31 when John says, "I did not recognize Him." This actually sheds a lot of light on the situation and tells me that John's knowledge of Jesus and His mission was through special revelation or divine revelation. Albert Barnes states that John had lived in the hill country of Judea and Jesus in Nazareth and before being baptized they had not seen each other. "I did not recognize Him" is repeated again upon Jesus being baptized. And perhaps it is the Holy Spirit that speaks to John to inform him as the Spirit today also speaks to me to inform me about Jesus and who He is and His ways and how I can know him better. And it is probably the Spirit that lets him know that this is the Son of God. John heard this and testified of it. Matthew 3:17, "and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Verse 31 also states, "He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." Jesus was to be manifested to Israel, to the Jews. 

Summary: John, upon seeing Jesus, perhaps for the first time, testifies that He is the Son of God. 

Promise: From Tabletalk - John the Baptist needed a special revelation from God to know who Jesus was, and this parallels the illumination that all sinners need if they are to see Jesus as Savior and believe in Him.

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, you spoke through Your spirit to reveal Your son to John and you speak to me daily to reveal more truth to me. I thank You and praise You for Your great love and the testimony of who You are. Please, keep giving me understanding of You. 

Acts 1:6-11 - The Glorious Return of Christ

Acts 1:6-11

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Message: The Glorious Return of Christ

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: In reviewing the subjects of eschatology, one subject that everyone seems to be able to agree upon is Jesus Christ's return. And this passage in Acts 1 is one of the clearest. 

Acts 1 begins with the apostles witnessing Christ's return to the earth - over 40 days and speaking of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is inheriting eternal life. It comes about by receiving a gift by God through Jesus Christ. And it is the work of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in verse 5 when it mentions being baptized with the Holy Spirit. And then in verse 6 the apostles follow up by wondering if the kingdom of Israel will be restored. The apostles are eager for the ultimate outcome. But then Jesus reinforces His words spoken in verse 5 the work of God's children, "You shall be baptized..." by saying that the time of restoring the kingdom of Israel is not for the apostles to know. The apostles do not need to know and we can find comfort in this and that God is in control of these outcomes. 

Rather, the apostles have a responsibility - to be His witnesses. And yet this responsibility is not by their own doing. But rather in verse 8, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." 

They are wanting something, but Jesus instead says, salvation of His people is what is needed and God will not leave them stranded but instead through the Power of the Holy Spirit in their lives they will be able to preach the Gospel, usher in the kingdom of God. And ultimately this will probably result in what they are asking, for Israel to be restored. 

I spoke to someone yesterday who was studying Eschatology and he was mentioning Christ's return and dates and I mentioned I don't study this much and maybe because I believe I need to heed these words - that those details are not for me to know or work on discovering, but instead I have a mission now and it is to preach the gospel. It is to get out God's truth. It reminds me that over and over that I can be deceived and people can be taking off course of preaching the gospel. We must guard against this. Jesus clearly tells the apostle their mission - be my witnesses. 

The return of Christ is glorious. It is personal. He rose from the dead and spent 40 days with His people. He will do this again. He will be seen. The apostles saw Him personally and visually. And it is glorious. He leaves earth by a cloud. Exodus 40:34 -- Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. A cloud is there with the glory of the Lord. God is to be glorified. He raised Jesus and He brings Him out of the earth and so we can expect He will return again with God's glory. 

The angels spoke -- This Jesus will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.

Summary: We can all agree that Jesus Christ will return. In the meantime, we are to focus on being His witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. 

Promise: Do not be found idle upon Christ's return. 

Prayer: O Lord, you are majestic and Your ways are perfect and true. Help me to stand by Your word and not to get distracted by other things, even things that may be about discovering You. I want to be faithful to the calling You have sent me to do. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit and His power to do this work.  

Hebrews 1:3 - Christ the Glory of God

Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Message: Christ the Glory of God

Time: Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who had suffered in the past and were now threatened with even more suffering. They'd done well years ago, but the author of Hebrews feared that they might now turn away from Christ to avoid further persecution. The opinions on the author of Hebrews has varied.

What the Lord is Saying: As I have looked at previously, God's glory is a bright light and His glory is all consuming that we cannot look upon directly and see without being put to death on this earth, namely because we are imperfect and with sin. But today's passage points us to a way we see the glory of God: through Jesus. "And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His (God the Father's) glory and the exact representation of His (God the Father's) nature." Christ is God incarnate for "God highly exalted Him (Phil 2:9)." 

And yet what I have studied and seen is a bright light and not being able to look upon God directly, so how were people able to see Jesus? It was only at His transfiguration as discussed in Matthew 17:1-2 that Peter, James and John witnessed the light of God's glory. 

And so God's glory was veiled in Jesus while He walked the earth and yet we see and people witnessed other attributes of divinity. And so it is for us as we read and study God's word, we get a glimpse through Jesus as well of His divine glory and attributes. 

Summary: We can know God's divine glory by knowing Jesus and reading about Him in God's word. 

Promise: And as we grow in our knowledge of Christ, we will also grow in our longing to see the fullness of the divine glory.

Prayer: Thank you God for these lessons on Glory and discovering the meaning of Your Glory and that we see God's glory also in the person of Jesus Christ. And every day as I read and study God's word I am witness of this glory. Help me to understand this better and point people to Jesus with my life, the way I live it and speak of You and what You are doing. 

Psalm 34:8 - Jonathan Edwards and the Beauty of Christ

Psalm 34:8 - O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Message: Jonathan Edwards and the Beauty of Christ

Time: Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, with multiple authors. David wrote 73 Psalms, though for 50 or so the author is unknown. Psalms means songs of praise. The writings span 1,000 years. They encourage us to praise God, illuminate the greatness of God, affirm His faithfulness in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His word. 

What the Lord is Saying:

I looked up and read Joseph Benson's commentary on Psalm 34:8 -- 

In calling us to taste and see, the psalmist means that we should seriously, thoroughly, and affectionately consider it, and make trial of it by our own experience; which is opposed to those slight and vanishing thoughts that men usually have of the divine goodness. It is not sufficient that we find him to be a bountiful benefactor to us, but we must relish and take delight in his goodness manifested in and by his gifts, and in the contemplation of his infinite perfections and boundless love; and must be so convinced and persuaded of his goodness, as thereby to be encouraged, in the worst of times, to trust in him, and cast our care upon him.

I finished a message recently by Andy Stanley on how we react. And in that series he spoke of how we react to life and God in the worst of times. The idea being that we are to be different from the world. The world is divisive and reacts to things in a fire with fire sort of way but our reactions are to be different. 

As I read about these men and their lives, I see a longing and a devotion that is often absent from me. There is a seriousness in their study. I tend to often be all over the place in my study and it seems harder. I look at these men that died in their 50s and think about all they accomplished in a little time. 

Jonathan Edwards is one of those Christian thinkers that I am not sure I have understand. His writings have been on controversial subjects are maybe hard to understand subjects such as free will and God's sovereignty. He is often known by one sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and the perception that he is obsessed with fire and brimstone preaching. Yet, it is also possible he simply felt a need to be honest about what the scripture says of hell. It seems even more today we take a much more gentler approach to confronting people with the idea of hell. And yet Tabletalk writers comment that Edwards spoke more often of the beauty, sweetness and excellence of Christ. 

He lived from 1703 to 1758. Again, a span of 55 years was his life and yet he is thought of as one of the great Christian thinkers. I turn 55 this year, in 2 months. He was born in Connecticut and began Yale College/University at the age of 13. At the age of 19 and 20, graduated, he worked as a pastor on a part time basis of a small Presbyterian church in Washington, DC. He then became an ordained minister in 1727, at the age of 24, assisting his grandfather in Northampton, Massachusetts. 2 years later his grandfather passed. Revival broke out in 1934-35 under his preaching. Many youths would be admitted into the church. He later served as a missionary to Native Americans for 8 years after he was ousted from the church, falsely after 23 years of ministry. 

There are some great Christian thinkers and I am reminded that I know very little about each of them. I need to increase my study of them. It makes me think - what do I want my life to be about. I work hard and am busy at my job, sometimes it taking more time than just 40 hours a week, but that is all that I am paid. But what should my time look like beyond that? I need to be about something. I do want to read and study scripture and read books. And be about church and service. Help me Lord in these endeavors. 

Here is a book about him I think I need to read. 

Summary: Jonathan Edwards, his stature as a churchman and a theologian remains strong, even now, 250 years later. 

Promise: Let us not be afraid to speak of the beauty of Christ as revealed in His character, His love for His people, His atonement and resurrection, and His present and future reign. 

Prayer: Lord, you have gifted so many people, so many leaders. Help me to spend time knowing them better and learning from them. I am 54 and my days could be brief and so what do I want them to be about. Help me define my life and what I need to do each moment of each day. Thank you for Jonathan Edwards and the person he was and the impact he continues to have on our lives today. 

John 10:30 - Athanasius' Defense of the Incarnation

John 10:30 - I and the Father are one. 

Message: Athanasius' Defense of the Incarnation

Time: John is not recorded as the author, but unanimous testimony of early Christians, like Iraneus in the 2nd century declare him the author. Plus, the eyewitness account give rise that he was one of the close knit disciples and Peter already penned through Mark (the Gospel of Mark), and James died soon after the resurrection, which leaves John. It is thought this book was written between 85 and 95 AD. The Deity of Christ is a striking quality of John's gospel.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Athanasius I of Alexandria (296-373) served as bishop of Alexandra (port city in northern Egypt). This bishop is today called the pope of the Coptic Church. As I learned in the previous lesson about Polycarp, this was a time period that dealt with the Arian controversy which was made up of people that believed Jesus was a created being and did not have the same essence as God. The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 struck this down and yet many still continued to teach this. But Athanasius was one of the exceptions when he became leader in 328 AD. Roman Empire emperors would exile his 5 times for holding to this view and defending Nicene orthodoxy, trinitarianism. The Roman Empire at this time consisted of all of the states/countries/diocese bordering the Mediterranean Sea. One possible reason why there was contention by the Roman Empire was the belief that Jesus was divine whereby the Roman emperor at this time, beginning with the death of Julius Caesar in 44BC, was believed to be divine. 

Summary: Athanasius is a great example of one who is committed to the teaching of Scripture. 

Promise: Be prepared to defend the faith. Know the truth of scripture on essential matters of the faith so that we can give an answer when we see these heresies. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for continuing to give me the strength and consistency to read Your Word and study it. Holy Spirit, as I listen to and read Your words, breath life into me. Change me from the inside out. Help me to be a light in this world. Help me to be vocal and to encourage the following of you Jesus. 

Bible Study Fellowship - Lesson 1 - Matthew

Focus Verse

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

FIRST DAY: See Introduction Lesson Notes.

1.   Use this space to record how you have seen God’s activity during the week. How has He provided, answered, comforted, restored, guided, etc.? [What Has God been teaching me lately?] [How am I learning to trust Him more?]

9/7 – God provides me insight as I read his word. It remains exciting to discover truths like being reminded recently of the curse from Deut 21:22-23 and how Jesus hanging on a tree met that. Reminded me of the words from the notes about the New Testament writers connected the words of the Old Testament to Jesus. Yesterday in His word I was encouraged to love him and love others. As I meet with others and talk about truth I am encouraged by that fellowship. Lately I’ve been learning to serve my dad without expecting anything in return. No payoff. My words aren’t valued, but I can still serve. Also learning to love my wife for who she is. I need to accept people as they are and not get in a rush to change them. 

9/14 - I was also encouraged as to how the BSF men have been impacted by this study time together. That God speaks to them and God has used this to awaken them to life change. Through the pandemic I notice the resiliency of kids. Out with friends after church and noticed this. Jesus said to be like the children and they simply wear the mask. I don’t see them fighting it off but simply going along.

2.   What from the notes, lecture, or personal study impacted you most in the past week?

• The apostles connected the teaching of the Old Testament to the person and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. P. 5 [Often why we see so many references of the Old Testament in the New Testament - showing us how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament teaching.]
• The Holy Spirit inspired the apostles as God's chosen instruments to uphold the truth. P.6 [Learning more and more that it is the Spirit that is speaking to us today and giving us understanding of God's word and teaching us. I've spent so much of my life, not really acknowledging the work of the Holy Spirit.]
• God wrote to us, using human language to express spiritual thoughts and concepts that cannot be fully captured by human words. P.6 inset [Does this mean we need to be careful that we don't become too confident in what God's word has to say to us?] 
• We read to hear God speak. P. 6
• I am always amazed by T’s excitement to be here each week and enjoy the fellowship with this men and the joy he has for teaching the men. Also reading about how the New Testament writers brought key verses from the Old Testament.

SECOND DAY: Read Matthew 1:1-17.

Matthew presents the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah.

3.   Matthew began his book with Jesus’ genealogy. Why might he have done so? What was the importance of including such names as Abraham, Jacob, and David?

9/8 – Matthew, as a Jew, writing to a predominant Jewish population probably wanted to show that Jesus had a direct connection with Old Testament patriarchs of David and Abraham. And wanted to show the perfect line that he was in.

9/14 - I’ve heard missionary stories that in some parts of the world just reading the genealogy has brought salvation to people. It seems to me that since he was speaking to a predominantly Jewish population it was important to show the linkage Jesus had to David and Abraham and the patriarchs. Abraham represents God blessing humanity through the Jewish people to all humanity. Son of David is mentioned 10 times in Matthew. And this brings us king David and Jesus as offspring of royalty.

The generations link us to the Old Testament and the premise that the entire OT is about Jesus. Reminds me of Daniel and how emphatic he is about Jesus and the New Testament.

The genealogy shows us how God uses all types of people. Canaanites - prostitutes - Moabite women.

4.   What pattern do you see in the way Matthew organized the names in his list?

9/14 - Letters in Hebrew are also used as numbers. David’s name is 14 total numbers assigned to David’s name. 4+6+4. He omits generations at times to get to the 14 number exactly. A common practice in other genealogies.

5.    a.    Give the background of each woman Matthew mentions in Jesus’ genealogy.

Tamar (Genesis 38) - Tamar, once wife of deceased Er (son of Judah) later disguises herself as a prostitute and Judah secures her services and Tamar gives birth to two sons - Perez and Zerah. Perez in Ruth is identified as ancestor of David. 

Rahab (Joshua 2, 6:17) - Rahab, a Harlot, and yet someone who knew the Lord's work and believed the messengers could help her. Yet, the bible does not mention anywhere else the relationship of Rahab and her son Boaz. Rahab is another Gentile. But God saved Rahab from judgment and her lifestyle of prostitution. 

Ruth (Ruth 1; 4:13-17) - After mentioning the mother of Boaz, we now have Boaz offspring with Ruth. She is also another Gentile and a Moabite that marries an Israelite. This puts Ruth as well as Rahab in the line of David. 

"Wife of Uriah" (2 Samuel 11; 12:15, 18, 24) - without mentioning her is the sin of David as apparent? So once again, it seems sin is brought to the forefront. Saul was the first king of Israel, but he failed and didn't achieve victory, but David did. Jesus is our second chance. Adam did not succeed, but Jesus has. 

Mary (Luke 1:26-56) - On one hand the genealogy as recorded ends with Joseph as though married to Mary, Joseph is never thought of as the father of Jesus, and yet perhaps Matthew saw it this way. He believed that Jesus is the heir of Joseph and therefore the proper heir of the Davidic throne. For Jesus to be the Christ he must be in the line of David and Abraham. 

b. Why might Matthew have chosen to include these particular women?

Perhaps his intention was simply to show that if these women could belong in the line of Jesus then anyone could be included. Like Jesus these women were not royalty and good things can come from meager heritage. Jesus also identifies with sinners. That is a big thing about Jesus that we need to remember and brings many to salvation for we are all sinners. And yet three of them are people of faith: Rehab, Ruth, and Mary. Maybe Matthew wanted to emphasize also that women would not be demeaned and that they would have a meaningful role in life and marriage and ministry.

6.    How have you experienced God’s grace – blessings you do not deserve?

As a mature in life, it seems all of live is a result of God's grace. Any blessing that comes my wife is a gift of God that I really don't deserve. I think of my wife and my children - each one is a special blessing. God's grace has shined on me to give me the mother I had and the father I still have. He has blessed with a job and the means to be involved in ministering to other people and understand His truth. I'm not the best at communicating it but I try to remain faithful to people and His ways.  

THIRD DAY: Read Matthew 1:18-25.

God reassured Joseph and declared the names of His Son.

7    a.    How did Joseph respond to Mary’s pregnancy?

First of all, Joseph was a man of faith and understood the tradition of being a Jew. For Mary to come to the relationship already pregnant he knew on one hand would risk her being stoned (Deuteronomy 22:21).  So naturally he did not want to press this law and the reason he spoke of sending  her away secretly, so this would not be a public thing. Joseph, at the time, unlike us, did not know the whole story of Mary's innocence. He was concerned about his household and the reproach he might bring upon his family. At the time, he assumed her condition was one born of sin, and yet wanting to keep her safe sough out the way to do this by then writing out a certificate of divorce, but secretly, so as not to bring her harm. Divorce was not sin and that I think needs to be emphasized. 

b.    What comfort and instructions did God give to Joseph?

 God spoke to Joseph in a dream. Dreams, as a side not are still very prominent in middle east and Africa and other countries as to a means of speaking to people. God told him to not be afraid but rather to trust in God. Despite the evidence that was present before him, God tells him to not stare at it, but instead listen to Him. And Joseph does and responds in faith. 

8.   a.    What two names did God give to Mary’s Son? What does each name mean?

Jesus - He Himself will save people from their sins; God is salvation; Yeshua means to deliver or rescue

Immanuel - God with us; appears 3x in Bible (other 2 in Isaiah)

b.    What do both of these aspects of Jesus’ character mean to you?

Jesus is fully man with the purpose of redeeming mankind. As Paul would say, the second Adam. Adam who brought sin into the world and Jesus would remove it's punishment through His life and sacrifice. God gave us his Son to rescues us. He came to save me. 

9.   Read John 3:17; Acts 4:12; and Romans 10:9. What does the word “saved” mean to you? 

Jesus came to this world to save people; to show them a better way, the only way. Saved means not perishing and having eternal life in Christ. Saved from wrath; saved from death and hell; redeemed from the law. 

10.   How did Joseph demonstrate his faith?

He took Mary to be his wife. Joseph was disciplined. Sexual purity was a big deal to him. He would exhibit self control until Jesus was born. No small feat. Even in divorcing her, his goal was to minimize her shame. Even in the church as Christians, how often have we given certain sins the scarlet letter. 

FOURTH DAY: Read Luke 1:26-38 to understand God’s plan for Mary.

While Matthew focuses on Joseph, Luke’s account records God’s revelation of His plan to Mary.

11.   a.    What facts did the angel Gabriel reveal to Mary?

First of all, it is interesting that Luke focuses on God's revelation to Mary, while Matthew focuses on God's revelation to Joseph. He chose her. She didn't ask for this. - 1. The Lord is with her. Jehovah God is with her. She will conceive and bear a Son as a virgin. Her son's name will be Jesus. He will be great and God will give him the throne, so he will be king. And He will rule and unlike anyone else His rule will not end. The holy child will be called the son of God. 

b.   Read Job 33:4; Matthew 1:20, 23;and Luke 1:35. Of whom was Jesus born, besides Mary? Why is this important?

The Spirit of God made Jesus, conceived Him. Jesus with the Holy Spirit coming upon Him could not have saved mankind. All the fullness of deity was manifested in Jesus. God sent Jesus and it was the Spirit who helped conceive Him. The triune God is present. 

12.   How did Mary express her faith?

She was faithful to the Word of God and because it was said by the Lord's servant she knew it must be so. She had done nothing to deserve this. It was unmerited favor. 

13.   How has God worked in your life to build your faith and lead you to surrender to His plan?

I and my life is on a roller coaster but he is my constant. His word is constant. And even as i see this world try to figure out the best way to live I am more sure of God's way being the only way. In reading scripture, you see the complete plan of God from beginning to end. Every reading and lesson and preaching causes me to be more convinced. He works through other people and allowing me to see their faith. My involvement in evangelism, especially over the last 15 years and being able to see God work in other people's lives confirms His truth and help me to surrender to Him. 

FIFTH DAY: Reread Matthew 1:1-25.

Jesus’ birth fulfilled prophecy and revealed God’s faithfulness.

14.   a.    In what ways did Matthew connect Jesus’ birth to Old Testament prophecy in this chapter?

Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah King promised from David's line (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

Jesus is the Son of Abraham of whom all nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:3)

The virgin shall be with child and they will call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

 b.    What does this reveal about God?

What it means to me is the entire Bible points to Jesus. It is a reminder that God never changes. He wants people to be saved, to be redeemed and his plan is consistent. I was talking to someone the other day about God's inspired words and what this actually means to us. The question came up about why we have so many religions, denominations even within Protestants and among people so many different interpretations. My thinking is God's word is true and has no contradictions. It was written by men but inspired by God and so its words are infallible. But man is a sinner and man's words are not God inspired always. I think the Holy Spirit is in us and speaks to us but the reason we might have so many difference is we are all trying to figure out exactly what this Word says and yet we are fallible and so we are simply doing the best we can. We must be careful to not make it out that we have a corner on truth. I have much trouble with people that think a church is the only church because none of us are perfect. But God is perfect and His word is true and so prophecies like this help confirm that he is true and never changes.

15.   In what ways would Joseph and Mary’s steps of faith and obedience have been costly?

Both had a lot to lose with the appearance that Mary had a child out of wedlock. Both risked not just themselves but their families. A reminder that rarely is an issue that we are having only reserved to one person. And yet was their a cost other than being a little humiliated. For Joseph and Mary they may have had a plan for their life or marriage. For Joseph he didn't get the physical sexual enjoyment of a woman while he was married, until Jesus was born.

16.   When has obeying God been costly for you? How has God met your needs and demonstrated His faithfulness?

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 - "Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." The cost I have is daily I must deny myself and what I want. For me this has been shifting my priorities and my desires. Often I fail and don't deny self and in return I ignore disobedience so that I can think that I'm taking care of myself and my needs. But actually I'm doing be harm. As I submit to Him and His ways he continually shows me the better way. There is no freedom in not loving my wife. When I do she is everything I need. But when I look around, thinking I can find or see something better, there may be temporary enjoyment but nothing lasting. Thus, with Christ I have a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is not my will, but thine be done.

SIXTH DAY: Review Matthew 1:1-25.

God became a man to enable sinners to live a new life.

17.   What truth about Jesus challenged or inspired you this week?

Reading and studying the Genealogy is what interested me. Matthew's version is different I know, but I've heard stories of people being saved because of it. In thinking about the women and why they are included, it opened my eyes once again about how inclusive Jesus is and I wish the culture saw this more.

Galatians 3:24 - The Law Our Guardian

Galatians 3:24 - Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Message: The Law Our Guardian

Time: Paul wrote to the churches in southern Galatia after having a hand in starting them on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor. This is Paul at his angriest, writing to make sure the church is on the path of truth, as the church had fallen into error. He wrote the book a few months before the Jerusalem council in AD 49. 

What the Lord is Saying:

This is a verse I tried to memorize several years ago as it was a verse I was encouraged by as I spent time studying the School of Biblical Evangelism. I loved the verse, but struggled with the memorization as I have struggled memorizing it seems once I've hit about 45 in age. 

In this study of the right use of God's law, I am seeing that at the core of each person is the fact that each of us is a sinner. This study must begin with that premise as we were sinners prior to the giving of the Law. It is an important reminder in this study that sin is already on the scene and is already stirred up in people's lives. I think that is a really important distinction because this means that man's rebirth or salvation answer must have occurred before the giving of the Law. I say this because I think in civilization there is a tendency in thinking that the Law is a saving tool, often providing a measuring tool of how we are living life with the idea that how we believe we are performing against that tool or measuring rod determines our acceptance by God. 

But rather these lessons are here to remind us that our salvation is apart from the law entirely and this law simply helps us see further our need for Christ and our own insufficiency. The Laws are important and represent our standard and remind us also what we need to be doing, but it is not a saving device. 

I think one reason that the Law has an attraction to man is it is ingrained in us. That can be a good thing and that can also be deceptive. A consequence of sinning is working (toiling the land) and yet we find joy in our toils and a sense of accomplishment and in that accomplishment a sense of justification that our work is producing something good. In contrary the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a simple message of "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." That salvation is not accomplished by me, but simply by my walking to Him and letting Him take care of the problem of sin; this is a re-training of our thinking. 

The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. And the Law is also a tool in helping us understanding that the atonement or the atoning sacrifice that occurred in Christ is the means to my salvation.  

Promise:  As John Calvin comments, "The law, in short, was nothing else than an immense variety of exercises, in which the worshippers were led by the hand to Christ."

Prayer: Lord, thank you for continuing to confirm truth into my life and continuing to show me the Story of Life and Your Story of Salvation. It is easy and that easiness is always under attack. Lord, help me know how to talk to people that are simply ingrained in the idea that righteousness comes about through man's obedience. Lord, I must admit that I get sidetracked by their thinking and with them I struggle in my conversations that seem to result in more division than greater adherence to your ways. You know me Lord, I want to keep peace and this I see at times is not good as it starts to have me be agreeable to people instead of leading them to You. I want to nourish and feed your sheep. Give me the strength to do this in the way you have called me to do this. I stay committed to You God and Love you God and am forever grateful of your forever mercy. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin.

My Utmost for His Highest - April 6th - The Collision of God and Sin

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. - I Peter 2:24 

     The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God's judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken. There is nothing more certain in Time or Eternity than what Jesus Christ did on the Cross; He switched the whole of the human race back into a right relationship with God. He made Redemption the basis of human life, that is, He made a way for every son of man to get into communion with God.

     The cross did not happen to Jesus; he came on purpose for it. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the Cross. Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from the Son becoming sin. The incarnation was for the purpose of Redemption. God became incarnate for the purpose of putting away sin; not for the purpose of self-realization. The cross is the centre of Time and of Eternity, the answer to the enigmas of both.

     The cross is not the cross of a man but the Cross of God, and the Cross of God can never be realized in human experience. The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God. When we get to the Cross, we do not go through it; we abide in the life to which the Cross is the gateway.

     The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened--but the crash is on the heart of God.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 29th - Our Lord's Surprise Visits

You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will. - Luke 12:40

The great need for the Christian worker is to be ready to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience is. The battle is not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in work that we are not ready to face Jesus Christ at every turn. That is the one great need, not the facing our belief, or our creed, the question whether we are of any use, but to face Him.

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord's surprise visits. It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real.

If you are "looking off unto Jesus," avoiding the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He wants, on thinking on His line--you will be called unpractical and dreamy; when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 25th - The Most Delicate Mission on Earth

He who has the bride is the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. - John 3:29

Goodness and purity ought never to attract attention to themselves, they ought simply to be magnets to draw to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection and lead souls away into side-eddies. A beautiful saint may be a hindrance if he does not present Jesus Christ but only what Christ has done for him. He will leave the impression --"What a fine character that man is!" That is not being a true friend of the Bridegroom; I am increasing all the time, He is not.

In order to maintain this friendship and loyalty to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful of our moral and vital relationship to Him than of any other thing, even of obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey, the only thing to do is to maintain a vital connections with Jesus Christ, to see that nothing interferes with that. Only occasionally do we have to obey. When a crisis arises we have to find out what God's will is, but the greater part of the life is not conscious obedience but the maintenance of this relationship--the friend of the Bridegroom. Christian work may be a means of evading the soul's concentration on Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, we may become amateur providences, and may work against Him whilst we use His weapons.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

Revelation 17:14 - Christ Our King

Revelation 17:14

They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.

Message: Christ Our King

Time: John mentions himself 4 times as author. It was written around the year 95 on John's exile to the island of Patmos after preaching the gospel to Asia. Revelation comes from the Greek word for apocalypse and refers to an unveiling. The book is about the tribulation period with symbolic language, giving us the end of the story -- Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds of sin, reign for a thousand years on earth, then re-create the world into a place that represent's God's original design. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

This verse speaks of a war that is happening with the Son of God - the Lamb of God - Jesus - and today it definitely feels like Jesus as Lord is being put on the shelf in our present life by the world. Yet, should we be surprised? This world is of Satan and the people resemble that type of thinking and yet the people of God know that Jesus is King of kings. 

To dig a little deeper into this verse in Revelation, I am interested in the title "King of kings" and why it was used. The Expositor's Greek New Testament (1897) references this title as a reference to the well-known Parthian title. "King of kings" which was a title first given to Parthian empires of their kings around 150 BC. This verse begins with "They will wage war against the Lamb." The preceding verses speak of the last of the seven angels, which were entrusted the execution of the last things and the last angel is referred to as the Great Harlot. And in 17:2 is mentioned that the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, this angel, the Great Harlot. The idea being that the kings accepted this angels idolatry and aligned themselves with her. And now in verse 14, they will wage war is the idea that these kings of the earth, kings of nations, will wage war with Jesus and Jesus the Lamb will overcome them because He is lord of lords and King of kings. Thus, Jesus is the King among all kings. Thus, it seems that John is taking a phrase that has been used of kings and empires somewhat recently, 250 years or less and ascribing that phrase - King of kings - to Jesus. 

It is interesting because I remember singing songs with "King of kings" in the verses. And there is the idea present often that all the governments do submit to Jesus as He is king of Kings. In the Bible are 6 references to King of Kings. I don't see this as a title given to the Lord God himself in the Old Testament, but there are 3 references to it in the new, 2 in Revelation and 1 time by Paul in I Timothy 6:15. 

Yet, the idea of God as King is mentioned in the Bible, like Psalm 10:16, "The Lord is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land." So on one hand is the title "King of kings" which is not given too many times, but is a true concept and then the idea of Jesus as King is also prominent. 

One instance of this is found in John 12:12-16 as Jesus is entering Jerusalem on his way to being crucified. 

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.

This reference in John seem to go back to Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The Zechariah verse paints the picture of the ideal king coming. And then Zechariah also inserts, coming with salvation. Zechariah is prediction the fall of Israel here and the fall of the neighboring nations. This is not a conquering king coming with weapons, but a king coming as a prince of peace. The colt or ass references back to Judges passages that speak of riding on donkeys in preparation for judgment. This king was spoken by all the prophets and is one coming that will reign forever. So Jesus is meek and still the ultimate rescue for His people. And he is it. No more will be needed. Yes, He will come again to usher in the final kingdom on earth and in heaven, but His rescue of people's souls and lives will never again be repeated. 

This type of king in our lives in not fathomable. We have rotating kings and presidents. We have this constant stress or adulation of who will be our next leader. And the question of what type of leader He will be. Will God be by His side or will he only lean on human wisdom? So, this lesson is so important for Jesus is King of Kings and He is the last and ideal king. No one is better and no one needs to be better for He had done it all. 

Promise: I am Christ's ambassador to point people to the Jesus the only King and only true King of our lives, but we are to bow our knee to Him today and each day. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing me this text. It takes me time, but you illuminate me and open my eyes to your truth and the right understand of you Jesus as King, as the King of Kings. Thank you for using your word and speaking through others in the past to also give me understanding. I am your ambassador of truth. Help me to keep being a blessing to others. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of May is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.

- The Divine Nature of Christ, The Human Nature of Christ, Jesus the Last Adam, Jesus the True Israel, Jesus the Messiah, Obedience in Childhood, Obedience in Baptism, Obedience in Temptation, Obedience under the Law, Obedience in Suffering, Christ Our Prophet, Christ the Priest, Christ Our King