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2 episodes with thus christ
3 episodes with thus christ
2 episodes with thus christ
2 episodes with thus christ
The dramatic words of v7-10 were spoken at the Gates of Jerusalem, when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to God's earthly holy Hill in a procession (2Sam 6, 1Chr 15). This was the ascension of the Lord Himself, enthroned on the Ark (Ps 132:5-8) to His chosen resting place in the city of the great King (Ps 48:2, Matt 5:35). Thus, it's a type of Christ's Ascension to His throne in the New Jerusalem, God's heavenly holy Hill, as well as His ascension to sit on David's throne at His 2nd Coming. It's a Messianic Psalm ultimately fulfilled in His Ascension. v3-6 poses & starts to answer a big question: “Who may ASCEND into the Hill of the LORD or STAND in His Holy Place?” (v3). God's requirement to ascend & stand in His Presence is perfection (v4), so it's impossible for us, but God provides salvation by grace (v5-6). In v7-10, He answers the big question, revealing the unique perfect Man, Christ, who ascended to Heaven, the King of Glory, mighty in battle who defeated all foes & accomplished our salvation. It reveals that with Him many will ascend, showing how God provides us salvation by grace (v5). We can't climb to God, but He came down to us, so we could rise with Him (Heb 2:10). He fulfilled the conditions of v4; then ascended to Heaven (v7-10), to make a way for us to rise with Him. Before this no man ascended to Heaven (John 3:13). He alone fulfils God's standards. The scene describes this glorified Man ascending to Heaven & coming to its Gates to request access. v7-10: “Lift up your heads, O you Gates! and be lifted up, you everlasting Doors! and the KING of GLORY shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? (God does not seek entrance to Heaven, so this refers to Christ, His anointed human King). The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (He's the Lord God, who became a man, fought the battle & won the victory for us). Lift up your heads, O you Gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? The LORD of HOSTS (armies), He is the KING of GLORY. Selah.” v3 asked: 'Who can ascend?' Here is the answer. He lived a perfect life, defeated all foes & ascended, but not on His own. He's the Lord of armies. When He enters thru the Gates, His army of saints enter with Him, united to Him by faith. He gained access to Heaven for all under His command. Thus Ps 24 deals with the issue of salvation, asking & answering: “Who may ascend?” (v3). To enter requires moral perfection (v4). When we receive Him, we receive His righteousness, so in Him we ascend into God's Presence & receive His blessing (v5). He's the Head and we, His Body, rise with Him. He rose as our representative, so we ascend in Him. Thus Christ, the Righteous One, is the Way to God (John 14:6,12). Moses' Tabernacle teaches our access to the Holy Place (v3) is only by His Blood. Ps 24:7-10 also reveals His future earthly ascension to David's throne. He humbly offered Himself to Israel as her King with salvation, but the leaders didn't receive Him. He said He'd only return when they repent & receive Him as King (Matt 23:37-39). They'll do this at Armageddon & then He'll return as King of Glory to Zion, save them from their enemies & establish His Kingdom (Zech 14:3-4). When Israel receives Him as King, He'll manifest His glory to, thru & for her. Notice, He didn't force Himself into Heaven, or force His reign on Israel, and He doesn't force Himself on us. We must receive Him as our King, and then He'll manifest His glory in & thru us. He reveals & offers Himself to us to be our Lord & Saviour. When we open the gates of our heart to Him, He comes in with His glory, 1st into our spirit, then into different parts of our soul. So v7-10 can be applied personally. He fulfilled it by ascending into the Heavenly Temple, but we're also God's Temple & He has the right to enter our holy of holies & be enthroned there. The Gospel declares v7 (Rev 3:20). By these words, He seeks access to our Temple, and we must open our gates & let Him in. When we do, He enters our spirit & imparts His glory (manifested nature) to us, as a free gift, making our spirit righteous, holy, full of His life & light, enabling us to ascend into God's Presence in Him. Since He's already ascended, as soon as He enters into us, we automatically ascend in our spirit to the Father thru our union to Him, by His power & righteousness in us. He comes in as the Lord, delivering us from the power of darkness & translating us into His Kingdom. Then His glory (love) works in our souls from within, changing us from glory to glory, so we increasingly fulfil His righteous requirements (v4). As we increase in holiness, the more we can ascend into His Presence to commune with Him (v3). He continues to ask for more access to every part of our soul, with the words of v7, so as we open our doors, inviting Him in to reign, He manifests Himself in us as the King of Glory, the Lord strong & mighty in battle, releasing His power & victory in us.
Revelation, Session Three Christ the Savior, Anderson SC Fr. Anthony Perkins We also went over: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/orthodoxy/articles/tremors_of_doub Sources: The translation of the Apocalypse is from the Orthodox Study Bible. Lawrence R. Farley, The Apocalypse of St. John: A Revelation of Love and Power, The Orthodox Bible Study Companion (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2011), Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Volume III. (Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2018). Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011). Jack Norman Sparks, The Orthodox Study Bible: Notes (Thomas Nelson, 2008), 1712. Venerable Bede, The Explanation of the Apocalypse, trans. Edward Marshall (Oxford: James Parker and Co., 1878). William C. Weinrich, ed., Revelation, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005). Correction from Last Week Revelation was removed from active use because it was being used to support the Marcionists, not the Gnostics [or Montanism as I said in the class!]. Lord have mercy, my brain is too small! Review of Last Week 1:1-3. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. Who bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. New Stuff 1:4 - 6. (4) John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, (5) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever. Amen. (OSB) Orthodox Study Bible Notes 1:4 Church tradition maintains St. John dwelt and was bishop in Ephesus, in an area where the seven churches were located along a major roadway. The number seven signifies fullness, suggesting the entire Church is also in view. The doxology is Trinitarian, involving the Father (vv. 4, 6), the Spirit (v. 4), and the Son (vv. 5, 6). This initial greeting (lit., “the Existing, the Was, and the Coming”) may express the Father, the one who is (Ex 3:14); the Son, who was (Jn 1:1); and the Holy Spirit, who is to come (Acts 2) at Pentecost and shall always be present. Or it may denote the character of the Holy One, who is eternally present and exercises lordship throughout history (see Heb 13:8 – Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow). God reveals the meaning of the present in light of the past and the age to come. This title may be a paraphrase of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH (“I Am”), of Ex 3:14. Seven is the number of fullness or completion. The seven Spirits of God most likely refers to the Holy Spirit and His several gifts, as this phrase is included in the blessing with the Father and the Son. Alternately the term could refer to the seven archangels who, according to Jewish tradition, stand before the throne of God (Tb 12:15; see also 1En 20:1–8; 90:21, 22; TLev 8:2; “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.”). 1:5 Jesus Christ is presented as the Risen Savior, Lord of all (see Zec 12:10), giving hope to the early Christians that the Church will not always be dominated by a cruel state. Instead of washed, many Greek texts read “freed.” The term witness (Gr. martys), used only here and in 3:14 in the entire NT, refers to Christ, the authentic witness of all divine revelation; all that God has revealed is summed up in His life, witness, Passion, Resurrection, and exaltation. He has inaugurated the new age, for He is firstborn from the dead in His humanity and has achieved a universal sovereignty by His death, Resurrection, and revelation of His Kingdom for the world's salvation. 1:6 Those joined to the body of Christ in baptism comprise the messianic royal priesthood promised of old (see Ex 19:5, 6; Is 61:6; 1Pt 2:9; and the Anaphora of the Liturgy of St. Basil). This priestly ministry is to offer the world back to God in a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving—eucharistically—as in the Orthodox Church's Divine Liturgy. The universe itself thus becomes hallowed, transfigured, and sacramental. Amen is Semitic. It signifies ratification: an acknowledgment of something trustworthy. From Fr. Lawrence Farley John sends this message to the seven churches in Asia who were under his pastoral care. By choosing but seven of these churches, John widens the intended audience, for seven is also the number symbolic of perfection. Thus the Revelation is intended not only to the seven churches of Asia, but also for the perfect totality of all God's churches. In calling God Him who is and was and who is coming, John describes God the Father as the One who is sovereign over time and history and therefore over all the historical events that touch us. God sits enthroned as Lord of the present, the past, and the future, and therefore there is nothing in the past, present, or future that can ever hurt us. God is the Lord of time and of all our days. The message not only comes from the hand of God, it also comes from the entire heavenly court. All in heaven offer the Church on earth this word of encouragement and triumph. The seven spirits before His throne are the seven archangels (see 5:6, “the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth,” and 8:2, the “seven angels who stand before God”). (In chapter 20 of the Book of Enoch, these angels are listed as Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel.) Once again, the number seven is symbolic, an image for all the archangels who stand closest to God's throne and hear His counsel. In saying that this message comes from the seven spirits before His throne, John means that this message comes directly from the Throne itself, with secrets not given to the world at large. Later liturgical usage, in which reference to the Father and the Son was always followed by reference to the Holy Spirit, has misled some interpreters into seeing this reference to the seven spirits as a reference to the Holy Spirit. But when the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Book of Revelation, He is referred to simply as “the Spirit” (e.g. 2:7; 14:13; 22:17), always in the singular and never as “seven spirits” or as a “sevenfold” Spirit. These seven spirits stand before God's throne; that is, they are portrayed as waiting upon God as a part of His heavenly court. It is inconceivable that the Divine Spirit, co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son, could be portrayed as such a servant. Indeed, the other references to the Spirit in the Apocalypse carry the suggestion of His sovereignty and authority. The message also comes from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (Gr. martus; compare our English “martyr”). Christ bore faithful witness before Pilate to the Truth, even at the cost of His Life (1 Tim. 6:13); John stresses this so that we may imitate His faithfulness. The Lord does not call us to walk in any place where He has not gone before. Jesus is further described as the firstborn of the dead. In using this Jewish concept of the firstborn (in which the firstborn son is the main heir), John shows that Jesus Christ is the heir of the whole age to come; the entire coming Kingdom belongs to Him. His faithfulness unto death resulted in His victory and His inheriting all the world. Our faithfulness unto death will result in our sharing that victory. Death has no terrors for Jesus Christ, and so it need have none for us. Thus Christ is also the ruler of the kings of the earth. Caesar may think he has no superior or master, but Jesus, the humble carpenter crucified under the governor Pontius Pilate, is the true Master of the Roman Empire and indeed of the whole cosmos. The Christians of St. John's day, haunted by a sense of their own powerlessness and humility, were thus made to see their true dignity and power. The Church is described as those whom the Lord loves and therefore continues to protect and care for (the present tense is used to denote Christ's ongoing care), and as those who were loosed from their sins by His Blood. This is an important theme in the Apocalypse. The Cross of Christ was seen by secular Rome as His defeat and proof of how pathetic and deluded the Christians were—that they would worship a crucified man. But for John, the Cross is proof of the power of God that defeats all other powers. The Lord Himself said of the Cross, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). For St. John, our faith in Christ and His Cross also “overcomes the world” (1 John 5:5). Thus the Apocalypse speaks not only of us “making our robes white” in His Blood (7:14) but also of us overcoming Satan “by the Blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The Christians are not to be ashamed of Christ's Cross, for through His Blood they overcome death, Satan, and the whole world. In describing the Christians as a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, John asserts the privileges of the Christians in the face of the pride of Rome. The Roman powers may think the Christians are but poor, uneducated, and powerless, to be utterly disdained. John knows them to be God's own Kingdom, one destined to outlast all the kingdoms of the earth, and to be priests to God Himself, with access to His awe-inspiring Presence. Priests had status and honor in the Roman secular world, and St. John says this is the true status of the Christians before God. Bishop Averky 1:4. The number seven is usually taken as an expression of fullness. St John addresses here only the seven churches with which he, as one who lived in Ephesus, was in especially close and frequent contact. But in these seven he addresses, at the same time, the Christian Church as a whole. Grace to you and peace from the Tri-Hypostatical Divinity. The phrase ‘which is' signifies the Father, Who said to Moses: I am He that Is (Exod 3:14). The expression ‘which was' signifies the Word, Who was in the beginning with God (John 1:2). The phrase ‘which is to come' indicates the Comforter, Who always descends upon the Church's children in holy baptism and in all fullness is to descend in the future age (Acts 2). (St. Andrew of Caeserea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, chapter 1). By these “seven Spirits,” it is most natural to understand the seven chief angels who are spoken of in Tobit 12:15. St Andrew of Caesarea, however, understands them to be the angels who govern the seven churches. Other commentaries, on the other hand, understand by by this expression the Holy Spirit Himself, Who manifests Himself in seven chief gifts: the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of might, the spirit of light, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of the Lord or the spirit of piety, and inspiration in the highest degree (compare Isa 11: 1-3; “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;.”) 1:5. The Lord Jesus Christ is called here “the faithful witness” in the sense that He has witnessed His Divinity and the truth of His teaching before men by His death on the Cross. “As Life and Resurrection, He is the first-born from the dead (Col 1:18, I Cor 15:20), and those over whom He rules will not see death, as did those who died and rose before, but will live eternally. He is ‘prince of kings,' and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15), equal in might to the Father and one in Essence with Him” (St Andrew, chapter 1). 1:5-6. “Kings and priest” are to be understood here not in the strict meaning, of course, but in the sense in which God has promised this to His chosen people through the prophets (Exod 19:6); that is, He has made us, true believers, to be the best, the holiest people, which is the same thing that a priest and king are with relation to the rest of mankind. Venerable Bede. 4. seven. By these seven churches he writes to every church, for universality is wont to be denoted by the number seven, in that all the time of this age is evolved from seven days. Grace. Grace he desires for us, and peace from God, the eternal Father, and from the sevenfold Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, Who gave testimony to the Father in His Incarnation. He names the Son in the third place, as he was to speak further of Him. He names Him also the last in order, as He is the first and the last; for He had already named Him in the Father by saying, “Who was to come.” 5. the first-begotten. This is the same that the Apostle says, “We have seen Jesus Christ for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour.” And in another place, in setting forth the reproach of the cross, he added, “Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave Him the Name which is above every name.” 6. priests. Because the King of kings and heavenly Priest united us unto His own body by offering Himself for us, there is not one of the saints who has not spiritually the office of priesthood, in that he is a member of the eternal Priest 7. cometh. He Who was concealed, when at the first He came to be judged, will be manifested at the time when He shall come to judge. He mentions this, that the Church which is now oppressed by enemies, but is then to reign with Christ, may be strengthened for the endurance of sufferings. pierced. When they see Him as a Judge with power, in the same form in which they pierced Him as the least of all, they will mourn for themselves with a repentance that is too late. Amen. By interposing an Amen, he confirms that without doubt that will happen, which, by the revelation of God, he knows most surely is to come to pass. Gregory of Caesarea. 1:4. John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. Due to the existence of many churches in many places, he sent to only seven, mystically meaning by this number the churches everywhere, also corresponding to the present-day life, in which the seventh period of days is taking place. For this reason also he mentions seven angels and seven churches, to whom he says, Grace to you and peace from the Tri-hypostatic Divinity. For by the who is the Father is signified, who said to Moses, “I am He who is,” and by the who was the Logos, “who was in the beginning with God,” and by the who is to come the Paraclete, who always enlightens the children of the Church through holy Baptism, more completely and more strongly in the future. It is possible to understand the seven spirits as the seven angels who were appointed to govern the churches, not counting them equal to the most divine and royal Trinity, but mentioned along with it as servants, just as the divine Apostle said, “I call upon you in the presence of God and the chosen angels.” By the same token, this may be understood differently: the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, meaning the Father, who contains in himself the beginning, middle, and end of all that exists, and the seven spirits the activities of the Life-giving Spirit, following Christ God, who became man for our sake. For in many places each divine Person is indifferently placed and arranged by the Apostle. For this he says here: 1:5a. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. He is the one who witnessed to Pontius Pilate, faithful to his words in all things, the firstborn of the dead as life and resurrection, for those whom he governs will no more see death, like those who were dead before and rose, but will live eternally. Ruler of the kings, as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” equal in power with the Father and consubstantial. Elsewhere, ruler of the kings of the earth is also said earthly desires. If, according to the Blessed [15] Gregory, this usage of he who is, who was, and who is to come, the ruler of all refers to Christ, then it is not unreasonable that words similar to those which will be said shortly after refer to him, to which also the ruler of all is attached and without the repetition or introduction of another person. For here the addition of and from Jesus Christ appears to confirm the understanding we have presented. For it would be unnecessary if he were talking about the only Logos of God and the person of the Son to add immediately and from Jesus Christ in order to show him as distinct from the other one, the expressions that befit God equally honor and are appropriate to each of the divine Persons, and are common to the three, except for their distinctive properties, that is to say, the relationships , as said by Gregory the Theologian, and except for the Incarnation of the Logos. also clear from the things from which we learn, that in the Gospel the thrice-holy hymn of the Seraphim16 is said about the Son, in the speech of Paul in the Acts about the Holy Spirit, and then about the Father, in the offering of the awesome mysteries, to whom we are accustomed to say this prayer,19 as the blessed Epiphanios says in his homily On the Holy Spirit. these things to show that our own understanding does not contradict the patristic voices, and also, with God's help, we continue. 1:5b–6. To the One who loved us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us kings and priests to God and his Father. Glory and dominion to him to the ages of ages. Amen. The glory belongs to him, it says, who freed us through love from the bondage of death, and washed the stains of sin through the outpouring of his life-giving blood and water. And he has made us “a royal priesthood” so that we may offer, instead of irrational sacrifices, “rational worship”22 as a living sacrifice to the Father.
Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One (v2) for 3 offices: Prophet, Priest & King, to preach, pray & reign (in Christ, we share all 3 anointings). (1) First, He was anointed a PROPHET (to declare God's Word to men) at His Baptism, authorised by the Father speaking from Heaven (Matt 3:17). Then (2) His initial ministry of HIGH PRIEST, to offer Himself as a Sacrifice on the Cross, endorsed by Father from Heaven (John 12:27-33), followed by His appointment & anointing as our everlasting High Priest in the order of Melchizedek at God's right hand (Ps 110:1,4). Also (3) His Ascension was His coronation, enthronement and anointing as KING of kings, over the earth (Ps 110:1), endorsed by Father from Heaven at the Transfiguration, a prophetic preview of His Kingdom (Matt 17:5), which He'll establish at His 2nd Coming. Psalms 2 & 110 are twins, fitting together, revealing His Ascension (2:6, 110:1) and the continuation of His anointed ministry on earth thru the Church (in Christ). Ps 110:2 says He will extend the rod of His power (His authority & power) from Heaven, ruling in the midst of His enemies on earth. v3 says He'll do this thru His people on earth, an army of priests, who've received a new birth and present themselves to Him as free-will offerings to do His will (as the dawn gives birth to the dew, so the Lord gives birth to this holy army). They are king-priests, the royal priesthood family, under the High Priest King Jesus. Thus Christ, the Head, shares His anointing with His body (Ps 133:2). This confirms the Anointed One in Psalm 2 includes those in Christ, and the Divine Decree made to Christ, raising Him from death and enthroning Him as God's Son, was also spoken into us (v6,7). Thus we're anointed by the Spirit to function as prophets, priests & kings. (1) Just as His 1st ministry was as a PROPHET to speak God's Word to men, so when He rose, He 1st gave us the Great Commission to preach the Gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15, Matt 28:19-20). Thus He anointed us to prophesy (Acts 2:17) - speak His Word under the Spirit's inspiration. He gives us His Spirit to empower us to witness (Acts 1:8), for "the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10). The Church's main mission is to preach the Gospel, thus Ps 2 closes with the anointed ones in Christ preaching to the kings, judges & peoples of earth (v10-12). Their Gospel Message starts: "Now therefore" (v10), pointing to His completed work - His life, death, resurrection, ascension and coronation as Lord & King over all (v6-7). Thus it begins with a proclamation of who He is and what He's accomplished, establishing He is God's appointed & anointed Saviour and Lord of all. On this basis, it then appeals to us, saying: "therefore serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little (in a moment). Blessed are all who put their trust (take refuge) in Him" (v8-10). Thus it calls men to urgently respond in faith and trust Christ for salvation, for the Son is angry at man's sin (rebellion) and His fiery anger could suddenly break out against him at any time (Heb 12:29) - He delays His judgment to give man a chance to repent. Only in the Son is safety from God's wrath. God has provided Him as our Refuge, so if we trust in Him, we come under His covering (Atonement), for He took our place & bore God's judgment on Himself. The trembling denotes our utter weakness & dependance on Him to save us, for we can't save ourselves by our own strength or stand before God in our own righteousness. But when we trust in Christ alone for our salvation, He saves us, so we end up rejoicing. Saving faith also includes submission to God's authority (fear) - repentance from our rebellion against God. Thus submission to God naturally results in serving the Lord. The Gospel calls us to "kiss the Son" (v12) - an invitation to respond to His message (offering us forgiveness, peace & intimacy with God) by drawing near by faith, and giving Him our homage, affection, love, heart & worship (1Ki 19:18, Hos 13:2, Luke 7:38-45). When we do this, He kisses us, imparting His Spirit & eternal life into us (John 20:22), and we enter into loving union with Him. The timing of this Proclamation is between His Ascension (v6) & the Day of His wrath (v12) - the Church Age. To accomplish our mission, He also (2) anoints us as His PRIESTS to pray & offer up sacrifices of praise, sharing in His ministry of intercession (2:8), praying for God's Spirit to work in the hearts of the lost, and for us to be filled with the Spirit to boldly share God's Word with them (Acts 4:29-31, v23-28). Also (3) He anoints us as His KINGS, to exercise authority in His Name (Mark 16:17), using His rod to break the enemies' power (2:9), especially over the lost. thus in Christ, we share in His 3-fold anointing as (1) PRIESTS to pray (v8), (2) KINGS to rule (v9), and PROPHETS to preach the Gospel (v10-12).
Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One (v2) for 3 offices: Prophet, Priest & King, to preach, pray & reign (in Christ, we share all 3 anointings). (1) First, He was anointed a PROPHET (to declare God's Word to men) at His Baptism, authorised by the Father speaking from Heaven (Matt 3:17). Then (2) His initial ministry of HIGH PRIEST, to offer Himself as a Sacrifice on the Cross, endorsed by Father from Heaven (John 12:27-33), followed by His appointment & anointing as our everlasting High Priest in the order of Melchizedek at God's right hand (Ps 110:1,4). Also (3) His Ascension was His coronation, enthronement and anointing as KING of kings, over the earth (Ps 110:1), endorsed by Father from Heaven at the Transfiguration, a prophetic preview of His Kingdom (Matt 17:5), which He'll establish at His 2nd Coming. Psalms 2 & 110 are twins, fitting together, revealing His Ascension (2:6, 110:1) and the continuation of His anointed ministry on earth thru the Church (in Christ). Ps 110:2 says He will extend the rod of His power (His authority & power) from Heaven, ruling in the midst of His enemies on earth. v3 says He'll do this thru His people on earth, an army of priests, who've received a new birth and present themselves to Him as free-will offerings to do His will (as the dawn gives birth to the dew, so the Lord gives birth to this holy army). They are king-priests, the royal priesthood family, under the High Priest King Jesus. Thus Christ, the Head, shares His anointing with His body (Ps 133:2). This confirms the Anointed One in Psalm 2 includes those in Christ, and the Divine Decree made to Christ, raising Him from death and enthroning Him as God's Son, was also spoken into us (v6,7). Thus we're anointed by the Spirit to function as prophets, priests & kings. (1) Just as His 1st ministry was as a PROPHET to speak God's Word to men, so when He rose, He 1st gave us the Great Commission to preach the Gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15, Matt 28:19-20). Thus He anointed us to prophesy (Acts 2:17) - speak His Word under the Spirit's inspiration. He gives us His Spirit to empower us to witness (Acts 1:8), for "the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10). The Church's main mission is to preach the Gospel, thus Ps 2 closes with the anointed ones in Christ preaching to the kings, judges & peoples of earth (v10-12). Their Gospel Message starts: "Now therefore" (v10), pointing to His completed work - His life, death, resurrection, ascension and coronation as Lord & King over all (v6-7). Thus it begins with a proclamation of who He is and what He's accomplished, establishing He is God's appointed & anointed Saviour and Lord of all. On this basis, it then appeals to us, saying: "therefore serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little (in a moment). Blessed are all who put their trust (take refuge) in Him" (v8-10). Thus it calls men to urgently respond in faith and trust Christ for salvation, for the Son is angry at man's sin (rebellion) and His fiery anger could suddenly break out against him at any time (Heb 12:29) - He delays His judgment to give man a chance to repent. Only in the Son is safety from God's wrath. God has provided Him as our Refuge, so if we trust in Him, we come under His covering (Atonement), for He took our place & bore God's judgment on Himself. The trembling denotes our utter weakness & dependance on Him to save us, for we can't save ourselves by our own strength or stand before God in our own righteousness. But when we trust in Christ alone for our salvation, He saves us, so we end up rejoicing. Saving faith also includes submission to God's authority (fear) - repentance from our rebellion against God. Thus submission to God naturally results in serving the Lord. The Gospel calls us to "kiss the Son" (v12) - an invitation to respond to His message (offering us forgiveness, peace & intimacy with God) by drawing near by faith, and giving Him our homage, affection, love, heart & worship (1Ki 19:18, Hos 13:2, Luke 7:38-45). When we do this, He kisses us, imparting His Spirit & eternal life into us (John 20:22), and we enter into loving union with Him. The timing of this Proclamation is between His Ascension (v6) & the Day of His wrath (v12) - the Church Age. To accomplish our mission, He also (2) anoints us as His PRIESTS to pray & offer up sacrifices of praise, sharing in His ministry of intercession (2:8), praying for God's Spirit to work in the hearts of the lost, and for us to be filled with the Spirit to boldly share God's Word with them (Acts 4:29-31, v23-28). Also (3) He anoints us as His KINGS, to exercise authority in His Name (Mark 16:17), using His rod to break the enemies' power (2:9), especially over the lost. thus in Christ, we share in His 3-fold anointing as (1) PRIESTS to pray (v8), (2) KINGS to rule (v9), and PROPHETS to preach the Gospel (v10-12).
Today's Reading: Mark 7:31-37Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-24 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." (Mark 7:34) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus sighed. You know this sigh. It's the one you might make when you can't believe what you are dealing with. Part frustration. Part sadness. Mix in some disappointment and anger and you have this sigh. How long, O Lord? How long? A man who cannot hear has been brought to Jesus, but he has no idea that he should go to Jesus. Not hearing the voice of a loved one is painful. Not hearing the voice of God through the Holy Scriptures? That is eternally dangerous. Remember, they didn't have printed Bibles in their homes to read like you and I do. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17), and this man can't hear the Word of Christ who is standing right in front of him. How often have you turned a perfectly good ear from hearing the Word of Christ? Thus Christ sighs. Frustration, sadness, maybe some anger, at what sin has wrought on mankind. Jesus takes hold of this man to do for him what no one else can do. Jesus saves him. With healed ears, the man can hear the saving Word of Christ. His tongue is released so that he might proclaim salvation by faith in Christ to others who will hear. The Word of Christ to which Paul refers is the entirety of the Bible, climaxing in the Word made Flesh, Christ Jesus, who was sacrificed on the Cross in order that heaven would "ephphatha," be opened, to all who confess with their mouth, their released tongue, "that Jesus is Lord and believe in [their] heart that God raised him from the dead" (Romans 10:9). The preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sinners opens the ears and releases the tongue that you might hear the Good News of your salvation and sing the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. By Jesus' death on the Cross, heaven has been opened to you, that hearing the Word of Christ, confessing with your tongue that Jesus is Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and charity; and that we may obtain what You have promised, make us love what You have commanded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the 12th Sunday after Trinity)-Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane BamschStudy Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.
At any time, (1) Jesus will come to RESCUE His Church, and then (2) He will immediately RELEASE the judgments of the Tribulation on the earth. This is DUAL IMMINENCE. In this video, we wee how both the Apostles Paul and John taught Dual Imminence - thus, building on the foundation laid by Jesus. After describing the imminent Rapture in 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 (also 1Corinthians 15:51-52), in 5:1 he connects its timing with the sudden start of the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) as a Thief in the night (5:2-3). We know that (1) JESUS comes to the world as a THIEF, to take the Church for Himself (Matthew 24:43), and that (2) the DAY of the LORD comes as a THIEF (5:2). Combining these 2 ideas tells us that when (1) Jesus comes for His Church in the Rapture, (2) He will also initiate the Day of the Lord on the earth. Jesus coming to the world as a THIEF (Matt 24:43, Rev 3:3, 16:15) speaks of the world experiencing loss (judgment) at His Coming. Thus, He initiates the Day of the Lord by His Coming as a THIEF, which is why: “the DAY of the LORD so comes as a THIEF in the night” (5:2). Thus the imminent COMING of Jesus as a THIEF to initiate the DAY of the LORD (5:2) must be the imminent COMING of Jesus revealed in the previous verses in 4:15-18 - His Coming to Rapture the Church. Thus Christ's Coming in the Rapture is to RESCUE us from the DAY of the LORD, which He initiates on the earth at the same time (5:2-4): “for God did not appoint us to WRATH (of the Day of the Lord), but to obtain SALVATION (in the Rapture) through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). We also see Dual Imminence in 1Thessalonians 1:10, which literally says: is: “We wait for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus, who by His coming to us is DELIVERING (rescuing) us from the COMING wrath - the wrath that is already on its way and is about to come upon the earth.” We discuss the literal meaning of 2Thessalonians 2:1-8, and show how it is consistent with Imminence. We also see Imminence in Hebrews 9:28 and Philippians 3:20-21. Finally we show how the Apostle John describes the imminence of the Day of the Lord in Revelation 1:1,3 and 3:3,6, and the imminence of the Rapture in Revelation 22:7,12. Moreover, we see that Revelation 3:10-11 does not just teach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but also Dual Imminence, for (1) the HOUR of TRIAL is about to come upon the whole world (imminence), and (2) Jesus is COMING QUICKLY (imminence) to rescue (keep) us from the Tribulation, by means of the Rapture. Moreover, in Revelation 16:15, Jesus confirms DUAL IMMINENCE – His sudden imminent Coming as a THIEF to (1) bring BLESSING to those prepared for Him, and (2) initiate JUDGMENT on the world: “Behold, I am COMING like a THIEF! (1) BLESSED is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes (those clothed in Christ's righteousness will be blessed in the Rapture), so that (2) he will not be caught naked (unrighteous) and his shameful (fallen) condition be seen (manifested to all, because he will have to go through the judgments of the Tribulation).”
At any time, (1) Jesus will come to RESCUE His Church, and then (2) He will immediately RELEASE the judgments of the Tribulation on the earth. This is DUAL IMMINENCE. In this video, we wee how both the Apostles Paul and John taught Dual Imminence - thus, building on the foundation laid by Jesus. After describing the imminent Rapture in 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 (also 1Corinthians 15:51-52), in 5:1 he connects its timing with the sudden start of the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) as a Thief in the night (5:2-3). We know that (1) JESUS comes to the world as a THIEF, to take the Church for Himself (Matthew 24:43), and that (2) the DAY of the LORD comes as a THIEF (5:2). Combining these 2 ideas tells us that when (1) Jesus comes for His Church in the Rapture, (2) He will also initiate the Day of the Lord on the earth. Jesus coming to the world as a THIEF (Matt 24:43, Rev 3:3, 16:15) speaks of the world experiencing loss (judgment) at His Coming. Thus, He initiates the Day of the Lord by His Coming as a THIEF, which is why: “the DAY of the LORD so comes as a THIEF in the night” (5:2). Thus the imminent COMING of Jesus as a THIEF to initiate the DAY of the LORD (5:2) must be the imminent COMING of Jesus revealed in the previous verses in 4:15-18 - His Coming to Rapture the Church. Thus Christ's Coming in the Rapture is to RESCUE us from the DAY of the LORD, which He initiates on the earth at the same time (5:2-4): “for God did not appoint us to WRATH (of the Day of the Lord), but to obtain SALVATION (in the Rapture) through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). We also see Dual Imminence in 1Thessalonians 1:10, which literally says: is: “We wait for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus, who by His coming to us is DELIVERING (rescuing) us from the COMING wrath - the wrath that is already on its way and is about to come upon the earth.” We discuss the literal meaning of 2Thessalonians 2:1-8, and show how it is consistent with Imminence. We also see Imminence in Hebrews 9:28 and Philippians 3:20-21. Finally we show how the Apostle John describes the imminence of the Day of the Lord in Revelation 1:1,3 and 3:3,6, and the imminence of the Rapture in Revelation 22:7,12. Moreover, we see that Revelation 3:10-11 does not just teach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but also Dual Imminence, for (1) the HOUR of TRIAL is about to come upon the whole world (imminence), and (2) Jesus is COMING QUICKLY (imminence) to rescue (keep) us from the Tribulation, by means of the Rapture. Moreover, in Revelation 16:15, Jesus confirms DUAL IMMINENCE – His sudden imminent Coming as a THIEF to (1) bring BLESSING to those prepared for Him, and (2) initiate JUDGMENT on the world: “Behold, I am COMING like a THIEF! (1) BLESSED is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes (those clothed in Christ's righteousness will be blessed in the Rapture), so that (2) he will not be caught naked (unrighteous) and his shameful (fallen) condition be seen (manifested to all, because he will have to go through the judgments of the Tribulation).”
At any time, (1) Jesus will come to RESCUE His Church, and then (2) He will immediately RELEASE the judgments of the Tribulation on the earth. This is DUAL IMMINENCE. In this video, we wee how both the Apostles Paul and John taught Dual Imminence - thus, building on the foundation laid by Jesus. After describing the imminent Rapture in 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 (also 1Corinthians 15:51-52), in 5:1 he connects its timing with the sudden start of the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) as a Thief in the night (5:2-3). We know that (1) JESUS comes to the world as a THIEF, to take the Church for Himself (Matthew 24:43), and that (2) the DAY of the LORD comes as a THIEF (5:2). Combining these 2 ideas tells us that when (1) Jesus comes for His Church in the Rapture, (2) He will also initiate the Day of the Lord on the earth. Jesus coming to the world as a THIEF (Matt 24:43, Rev 3:3, 16:15) speaks of the world experiencing loss (judgment) at His Coming. Thus, He initiates the Day of the Lord by His Coming as a THIEF, which is why: “the DAY of the LORD so comes as a THIEF in the night” (5:2). Thus the imminent COMING of Jesus as a THIEF to initiate the DAY of the LORD (5:2) must be the imminent COMING of Jesus revealed in the previous verses in 4:15-18 - His Coming to Rapture the Church. Thus Christ's Coming in the Rapture is to RESCUE us from the DAY of the LORD, which He initiates on the earth at the same time (5:2-4): “for God did not appoint us to WRATH (of the Day of the Lord), but to obtain SALVATION (in the Rapture) through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). We also see Dual Imminence in 1Thessalonians 1:10, which literally says: is: “We wait for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus, who by His coming to us is DELIVERING (rescuing) us from the COMING wrath - the wrath that is already on its way and is about to come upon the earth.” We discuss the literal meaning of 2Thessalonians 2:1-8, and show how it is consistent with Imminence. We also see Imminence in Hebrews 9:28 and Philippians 3:20-21. Finally we show how the Apostle John describes the imminence of the Day of the Lord in Revelation 1:1,3 and 3:3,6, and the imminence of the Rapture in Revelation 22:7,12. Moreover, we see that Revelation 3:10-11 does not just teach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but also Dual Imminence, for (1) the HOUR of TRIAL is about to come upon the whole world (imminence), and (2) Jesus is COMING QUICKLY (imminence) to rescue (keep) us from the Tribulation, by means of the Rapture. Moreover, in Revelation 16:15, Jesus confirms DUAL IMMINENCE – His sudden imminent Coming as a THIEF to (1) bring BLESSING to those prepared for Him, and (2) initiate JUDGMENT on the world: “Behold, I am COMING like a THIEF! (1) BLESSED is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes (those clothed in Christ's righteousness will be blessed in the Rapture), so that (2) he will not be caught naked (unrighteous) and his shameful (fallen) condition be seen (manifested to all, because he will have to go through the judgments of the Tribulation).”
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” (Lk 22) "Do this inn remembrance of me," as a memorial of me. Thus Christ directed the apostles (and successors) to celebrate a new “memorial" that would replace the one celebrated in the Jewish Passover. This memorial rite has a special efficacy: it not only helps the community of believers to “remember" Christ's redeeming love, his words and gestures during the Last Supper, but also, as a sacrament of the New Law, makes the reality signified truly present: Christ himself, 'our Paschal Lamb' (1 Cor. 5:7), and his redeeming sacrifice: this would take place the next day on the cross. Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation in preparation for the solemnity of Corpus Christi, in Ernescliff College, June 4, 2022. Music: Handel, Opera Rinaldo, Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", arranged for guitar by Bert Alink For more meditations, check my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricNicolai/videos www.ernescliff.ca www.opusdei.ca
For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.The 25th podcast in this series (21 minutes) is entitled Christ in Church History: The Early Middle Ages. We will also discuss some misunderstandings of Christ in the two centuries leading up to the Middle Ages (2nd-4th centuries).Some academic considerationsThough we could track the changes in how Christ is understood, and proclaimed, century by century, for the sake of brevity and simplicity we are condensing things. Historical termsApostolic era -- the apostles are still walking the earth.Subapostolic period -- there are still disciples around who knew the apostles.Patristic period (pater is Greek for father, as in the church fathers) -- many documents are produced by church leadersCouncil of Nicaea (325 AD) -- to resolve the Arian controversy, an "ecumenical" council convenes in the city of Nicaea. The Roman emperor, Constantine, presides.Middle Ages -- 4th century-15th centuryReformation -- Protestant attempt to reform the Catholic Church, beginning in the 16th centuryRemember Paul's warning about following a different Christ (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)Earlier controversiesDocetism -- concerns humanity v. divinity of Christ (1-2 John). The Docetists claimed that Christ only appeared to be human. I was, in fact, immaterial. Late first century.Gnosticism -- this was the great heresy of the second century. Since physicality is evil, Gnostics denied the crucifixion and resurrection (e.g. Gospel of Judas). The Gnostics produced many gospels, apocalypses, etc. Second century.Marcion -- The O.T. God is evil, and thus not to be equated with our true Lord. Thus Christ divorced from the God of the Old Testament. Mid-second century.Montanism – “new prophecy” (a type of charismatic movement). Jesus speaks directly to the women who lead this movement. Starting in the late second century.Definitions and DevelopmentsBishops -- Instead of a body of elders governing each congregation, one elder becomes the chief bishop. The embryonic ecclesiastical hierarchy of the middle ages is growing.Deacons -- Originally servants interfacing with the poor, they increasingly become the servants of the bishops.Priests -- The priesthood of all believers gives way to a clergy class.Martyrs -- Seek death as a means of salvation / union with God.Monks -- React to the worldliness of the church.Disputes of the CouncilsNicaea (325): Christ fully divineConstantinople (381): Christ fully humanEphesus (431): Christ a unified person – Mary mother of GodChalcedon (451): Human and divine in one personFour ways in which Christ is re-imaged from the 2nd century to the early middle agesMother – Luke 1:41-43, 11:27-28. As Mary is promoted to a quasi-goddess, Christ recedes. She is a mediatrix. (Note: this tenet goes well beyond the notion of the dead interceding for the living; she isn't simply talking to God for us [intercession], but enthroned with the Father and the Son.)Communion – In the Eucharist, the presence of Christ is mystical… moving towards the magical.Pagan accommodation: celebrations, customs, calendar… E.g. birthday of the Persian god MithrasWarrior – Jesus is less and less the Prince of Peace. More on this next time.About MaryHonor those who deserve honor. Mary deserves honor. Please listen to the Mary podcast.Yet the sort of devotion shown in Luke 11 is not accepted by Christ. Or if it is, he certainly diminishes its value. What counts is obedience!Luke 6:46 – we should aim to cultivate a lifestyle of obedienceCommunication & ExcommunicationNot to say these things are trivial, but little grace was shown to those who disagreed.Conformity with the creeds produced by the councils is the test of fellowship.Next: Christ in the Later Middle Ages
“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another.” Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the great judgment day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the suffering.
Almost everything in Romans 3:21–26 is disputed. There is no space for justifying a particular exegesis. But in my view, these are some of the more important conclusions to be drawn:(1) “But now” (Rom. 3:21): the expression is temporal, not merely logical. Paul has devoted Romans 1:18–3:20 to demonstrating that all of the human race, Jews and Gentiles alike—i.e., those who have the Mosaic Law and those who do not—are guilty before God. But now, at this point in redemptive history, something new has happened. A “righteousness from God” has been made known.(2) The phrase “apart from law” probably modifies “has been made known”—i.e., “a righteousness from God has been made known apart from law.”(3) “The law” does not here mean “legalism,” as if Paul were saying that now a righteousness has been made known apart from legalism. Paul’s point, rather, is that now, with the death and resurrection of Jesus, a righteousness from God has been made known apart from the law-covenant, the Law of Moses. This does not mean that such righteousness was unanticipated. Far from it: “the Law and the Prophets” (i.e., holy Scripture) had testified to it, had borne witness to it. In other words, “the righteousness of God” that has come to us through Jesus appeared independently from the law-covenant, but nevertheless the old law—indeed, the entire Hebrew Bible—bore witness to it and anticipated it.(4) This “righteousness from God” comes to all who believe (Rom. 3:22–24). It cannot come to those who are good, for Paul has just spent two chapters proving that all are bad. It comes therefore to those who believe, and it comes freely by the grace of God “through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).(5) This redemption was achieved by God setting forth Christ Jesus as “a sacrifice of atonement” (Rom. 3:25) or, more precisely, as “a propitiation” (KJV). God so brought about Jesus’ death that, in his crucifixion, Jesus died “the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18, KJV) and thereby made God favorable or “propitious” to those who would otherwise face only his wrath. Thus Christ’s death is not only an “expiation” (it cancels our sin) but a “propitiation” (it thereby makes God propitious). Of course, since it is God himself who provides the sacrifice, there is a profound sense in which God propitiates himself—i.e., he graciously provides the sacrifice that pacifies his own wrath.(6) Stated otherwise, God offers up Christ not only to justify ungodly sinners such as ourselves, who have faith in Jesus, but also to maintain his own justice, to be just, in the face of all the sins ever committed (Rom. 3:25–26). This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson’s book For the Love of God (vol. 2) that follow the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan.
When David hears of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1), his grief is not merely formal. He could not help but know that the way to the throne was now open to him. Nevertheless, his sorrow is so genuine that he composes a lengthy lament (2 Sam. 1:19–27), sets it to music, and teaches it to the men of his tribe (2 Sam. 1:18) so that it will be sung for a long time as one of the folk ballads of the land.Many elements of this lament deserve long reflection. Today I shall reflect on just one verse: “Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice” (2 Sam. 1:20). Formally, the text is plain enough. Gath and Ashkelon were the two leading Philistine cities. David is saying, in effect, not to let the Philistines know of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, lest they be glad and rejoice.Of course, the Philistines could not help but find out, and David, of all people, knew that. But his purpose in penning these words is not literally to keep the Philistines in the dark a little while longer. How could that be? They had already hoisted the body of Saul onto the wall of Beth Shan (1 Sam. 31:10) and sent messengers with the news throughout Philistia (1 Sam. 31:9). But if these lines from David’s pen do not function as literal advice, what is their function?In part, it is simply a lament. It is a powerful way of saying that the opponents of the Israelites would be delighted with the news, and therefore their pleasure is a measure of the tragedy. But I suspect there is another overtone. When one of our leaders falls, conduct yourself in such a way as not to give strength to the opposition.That is a lesson that must be learned again and again by the church. When a minister of the Gospel is caught embezzling funds or having an affair, then certainly the biblical principle for discipline must be brought to bear immediately. If the law has been broken, the civil authorities must be contacted. If families have been damaged, there may be a great deal of pastoral work to be done. But understand well that many unbelievers will be gleefully rubbing their hands and saying, “See? What can you expect? All this religious stuff is so hypocritical and phony.” Thus Christ is despised and the credibility of Christian witnesses diminished. Christians must restrain their tongues, watch what they say, and be especially careful about saying anything unnecessary to unbelievers. This is a time for mourning, not gossip. “Tell it not in Gath. . . .” This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson’s book For the Love of God (vol. 1) that follow the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan.
200712 Sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25Sermon manuscript:In our epistle reading Paul says, “we preach Christ crucified.” Just a little later in the epistle he says this again. He says that when he came to the Corinthians he didn’t put on a big show. He didn’t speak super eloquently. He was determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. According to Paul’s own words, therefore, talking about Christ being crucified is important. In fact, he says that it is everything. He didn’t want to know anything among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and him crucified. So what does this mean? This is what I’d like to try to get at today. What is Paul talking about with the message of the cross or the preaching of Christ crucified? Before we get into the particulars of the message itself, we should first note what Paul is pointing out about this message in our reading so that we are properly prepared. Paul says that no one likes this message. Jews don’t like it. Gentiles don’t like it. No one can like it by their own reason or strength. The only ones who like this message are those who have been called by the Holy Spirit. So you should not expect the preaching of Christ crucified to tickle the fancy of the crowd. Your flesh won’t like it either. How come? Because here we are dealing with death. That’s what it means to preach Christ crucified. That is the preaching of a dead Jesus, a dead Christ, a dead King. That’s depressing enough on its own, but this was not just any death. He didn’t pass away with the help of morphine in a comfortable bed somewhere. Jesus was painfully executed after being convicted of a crime by the governing authorities. He was convicted for having said that he was God’s only begotten Son. He had said that he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. The Jewish authorities said that this was blasphemy. He was given the death penalty as punishment. Jesus died shamefully as a criminal. And this was not just a matter of appearances either, as we might suppose. To be sure, Pontius Pilate and the Jewish leaders were wrong with their charges of wrong-doing. However, Jesus truly dies with guilt and as a criminal. Paul says elsewhere, “He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” Jesus did not know sin, that is, he himself did not commit sin. But he became sin. This is a shocking statement, but truthful and revealing at the same time. We are accustomed to talking about people in a more polite way than Paul does here. We carefully separate the person from the evil works that he or she might do. We say that the person himself is good. He just happened to get mixed up in some bad things now and then. We say this about ourselves too. When we think of ourselves we forget the bad things we have done. If we should happen to actually recall something then we brush it aside. That’s not the real me. The real me is good. From henceforth I will never ever do that bad thing again. This is delusional. If that’s not you, then who is it? Why did you do it? If you really are good, then why don’t you act like it? You’re no different than the criminal who always says that he didn’t do it. And supposing, for the sake of argument, that he did do it, then he didn’t mean to do it. He’s really a good person. You can see right through his delusion. You should see through your own as well. You should see through your own because this is the truth. This is how it is. Everyone is judged rightly according to his or her works. The label gets affixed whether the person likes it or not according to the works. Thus Christ is not only known as a sinner, but according to Paul’s word he is “sin,” having taken upon himself our sin. The label sticks because it is true. Hence Jesus’s death is not a miscarriage of justice. He is sin. He is supposed to die. Here we see another unpleasant truth about death that is carefully avoided by the funeral industry. Death is not benign. It is not beautiful. It is not natural. Death is God’s punishment for breaking his Law, that is, for sinning. Death has morality wrapped up in it. It is God’s death penalty. Whoever dies, dies as a criminal. If we weren’t criminals, then we wouldn’t die. God’s Law wouldn’t allow it. The Law would justify us and say that we can live because we deserve to live. But as it is, whenever you see somebody die—including even Jesus himself—you can know that here God’s justice is being carried out. Death is not a fuzzy rainbow, nor is it a crown of laurels. We weren’t created to die. We were created to live, to thrive, to multiply over the face of the earth. The reason why this doesn’t happen is because justice requires that we die. With the preaching of Christ crucified this fundamental truth of God’s Law about sin and death is established as true and binding. This life is such that we are and will be judged by our Creator. Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the Law. Every jot and tittle, every last shred of God’s Law stands. He did not come to abolish the Law, Jesus says, but to fulfill it. This is indeed what he does too. There is no sin that is not punished in him. There is no sin that is not atoned for by his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. On the cross he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Jesus was punished for the sin of the world in our place. This is a tremendous thought that we cannot even begin to wrap our minds around. Beyond the physical aspects of what Jesus suffered, there was tremendous spiritual anguish. What we can see is but the tip of the iceberg. His anguish is the anguish of the sinner before a righteous and almighty God. His anguish is the anguish of sinners on Judgment Day when they know that they’ve been caught. This, and much more, is what is involved in Christ being crucified. We can see the depths of Jesus’s suffering even before they fully happened. On the night when Jesus was betrayed he knew what lay before him. At the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed to our Father in heaven that this cup should pass from him three times, but not his will, but God’s will be done. His sweat splashed on the ground like great drops of blood. He had to be ministered to by angels to give him a little strength to go on. It was not a little price that Jesus paid. It was the costliest sacrifice that ever can be made. It was the sacrifice of God himself, incarnate in the man Jesus. So what did all this accomplish? It brought about the end of the Law’s claims against you for how you have lived. The Law says that you will be punished. The Law says that you will die. Jesus, God’s own Son, said, “punish me instead.” The Father loves his Son. The Father says several times in the Gospels, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” The Son of God’s desire to save you from death and hell was pleasing also to the Father even though it broke God’s heart to carry out the awful sacrifice. Abraham’s hand was stayed when he was to execute his son Isaac. God did not allow this mercy for himself when it came time for Jesus to die. And why not? Because he was and is determined to reconcile you to himself and restore your true life of holiness and blessedness under him in his kingdom. You, therefore, are not justified by the Law. You are justified by faith in Jesus. He is your justification. This is all the result of Jesus being crucified for you. This is all a result of God’s action for you. The apostle preaches Christ and him crucified so that you may know your God, believe in him, and through faith have a good conscience. According to what you have done and left undone you can never have a good conscience no matter how hard you try. By the gift God gives to you, you are loved by God and well pleasing to him. Jesus has made it so. This is an astounding thing. God himself sacrifices everything for you. So why is this message of the cross distasteful to both Jews and Gentiles, which is to say to everyone? There are a lot of things we could talk about in this regard. First of all, people find the fundamental truth of God’s Law to be distasteful. People don’t want to believe that death is God’s punishment. They don’t want to believe that there is such a place as hell. They want to be able to continue to safely ignore God. They want the skeletons stuffed into the closet and moss to grow over the sins they’ve buried in the land of forgetfulness. They want to believe that we are all more or less good people. Sure, we slip up every now and then, but who’s counting? This is the great pseudo-gospel that holds almost the whole world in its thrall. “Everything will be fine,” pretty much sums up its message. This is the lie that brought our human race into slavery to the devil in the first place. The serpent said to Eve, “Everything will be fine. You won’t sure die.” That devil is a liar and a murderer. Strangely enough, though, our flesh wants to be deceived. Probably because it enables us to continue to live in sin. Another reason why the preaching of Christ and him crucified is distasteful to everyone is what Paul specifically addresses in our reading. The cross of Christ is offensive to Jews and foolish to Greeks. It is offensive to Jews because they were expecting an earthly Christ who would lead their nation into greatness. They were expecting a second King David. They thought that the Christ would solve all their earthly problems. The actual Christ who came didn’t meet these expectations. The Jews weren’t entirely wrong with their expectations of Christ being gracious and helpful, but they weren’t looking deeply enough. Christ does not just bring about good government, good laws, fine arts, and so on. He addresses and fixes our most deeply seated problem—our slavery to the devil and to death. This is a tremendous blessing that we can’t begin to grasp, but it is also something that is not yet fully manifested. The Jews wanted something they could see. They were looking for signs. The fullness of God’s kingdom has not yet come though. This will not happen until the last day when Jesus will come again on the clouds with power and great glory. The Greeks seek after wisdom, Paul says. As I think you will see, our own people have drunk deeply from this Grecian spring. The Greeks want to solve problems. They want good democratic government. They want to fix the problems we have so as to make life better and better. The Greeks believed that if we only try hard enough and believe in ourselves that nothing can stand in our way. Notice the similarity between the Jews and the Greeks here. The Jews were looking for an earthly christ who would fix all their problems. The Greeks believe that humanity itself is the christ who can fix our problems given enough time and effort. Both the Jews and the Greeks hate it when they are told that their christs are false christs. They hate to hear that the things of this world, in which they put their trust, are passing away. Only those who are safe and secure in the holy ark of baptism will be able to ride out the destruction. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “but my Word will never pass away.” As Christians we do not believe in making the world a better place by instituting this reform or that reform. First of all, instituting this reform or that reform is very difficult, because hardly anybody agrees on what we are supposed to do. Just consider the state our country is in right now. Everybody is at each other’s throat about how we are supposed to think about this or that. One reform conflicts with another. But suppose that all the reforms could be made. Suppose that we made tons and tons of progress. All of this would be superficial and cosmetic. The old evil heart would still be there in the people. New forms of oppression and violence would inevitably be invented, as has always been the case. The only true “fix” that exists is our Creator’s own fix in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This alone gets to the root of the problem of our evil heart. That is why the apostle Paul is determined to preach Christ and him crucified regardless of the consequences. And there are consequences. Paul was hated by his own people, the Jews. He had betrayed his church and disobeyed the church’s leadership. The Greeks and the Romans thought that he was a danger to the empire. He would corrupt the youth with his other-worldly notions. They thought the kids should be kept in school so that they could learn a useful trade that actually addressed the real world’s problems instead of looking to the life of the world to come. These and more are the reasons why Paul was kicked out of cities, beaten, mocked, whipped, and so on, until he was finally beheaded by the Roman government. But do not worry. He has lost nothing and gained everything by remaining faithful until the end. Paul says in another place that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is the power of salvation to all who believe, both Jews and Greeks. There are plenty of opportunities for us to be ashamed of the Gospel today too. Other ways of living, other forms of wisdom, other false hopes of blessing are all around us. All these are vastly more popular than the salvation God has revealed to us in the death of his Son. But all these other things are passing away. The death and resurrection of Christ puts no one to shame who puts his or her trust in it. It is the very thing our Creator would have us believe in, so how can we go wrong even if the whole world should oppose us? The preaching of Christ and him crucified will prevail, because our God, who is behind this preaching, will prevail.
The labor of love springs from the work of faith. Bible religion means constant work. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. We are to be zealous of good works, be careful to maintain good works. And the true Witness says: “I know thy works” (Revelation 2:2). {2SM 20.4} The religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color. It ignores rank, wealth, worldly honor. God estimates men as men. With Him, character decides their worth. And we are to recognize the Spirit of Christ in whomsoever it is revealed.—Testimonies for the Church 9:223. {2SM 486.3} Thus Christ sought to teach the disciples the truth that in God's kingdom there are no territorial lines, no caste, no aristocracy; that they must go to all nations, bearing to them the message of a Saviour's love.—The Acts of the Apostles, 20. {2SM 486.4} --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abiding-truth/message
Listen to this AWESOME episode on SendMe Radio with Pastor Chidi Okorie - 2 Kings 2v20 The New Cruise. SendeMe Radio "We Promote the Gospel" Download our free app SendMe Radio from the Google Play Store and visit our website at www.hesendme.comJoin Pastor Chidi Okorie in the Bible Study as he ministers on 2 Kings 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. Enjoy the sounds of Abraham Benjamin - God is not too Late 2 Kings 2:20 King James Version And he said, Bring me a new cruse — He says new, partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by the natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruise before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it. And put salt therein — A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren, Hereby therefore he intended to show, that the change desired was to be effected, not by any natural means, but solely by the divine power, which could work either without means or against them. Thus Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, when he was going to restore him to sight, that he might show that no natural cause was concerned in his cure; clay, according to its natural effect, being more likely to injure his eyes than benefit them."We Promote the Gospel" preached by various Christian ministers worldwide. Join our Prayer Line every Sunday @ 8pm and Mondays @ 8:30 pm. Download our FREE App from the Google Store visit our website at www.hesendme.com
Listen to this AWESOME episode on SendMe Radio with Pastor Chidi Okorie - 2 Kings 2v20 The New Cruise. SendeMe Radio "We Promote the Gospel" Download our free app SendMe Radio from the Google Play Store and visit our website at www.hesendme.comJoin Pastor Chidi Okorie in the Bible Study as he ministers on 2 Kings 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. Enjoy the sounds of Abraham Benjamin - God is not too Late 2 Kings 2:20 King James Version And he said, Bring me a new cruse — He says new, partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by the natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruise before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it. And put salt therein — A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren, Hereby therefore he intended to show, that the change desired was to be effected, not by any natural means, but solely by the divine power, which could work either without means or against them. Thus Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, when he was going to restore him to sight, that he might show that no natural cause was concerned in his cure; clay, according to its natural effect, being more likely to injure his eyes than benefit them."We Promote the Gospel" preached by various Christian ministers worldwide. Join our Prayer Line every Sunday @ 8pm and Mondays @ 8:30 pm. Download our FREE App from the Google Store visit our website at www.hesendme.com
Listen to this AWESOME episode on SendMe Radio with Pastor Chidi Okorie - 2 Kings 2v20 The New Cruise. SendeMe Radio "We Promote the Gospel" Download our free app SendMe Radio from the Google Play Store and visit our website at www.hesendme.com Join Pastor Chidi Okorie in the Bible Study as he ministers on 2 Kings 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. Enjoy the sounds of Abraham Benjamin - God is not too Late 2 Kings 2:20 King James Version And he said, Bring me a new cruse — He says new, partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by the natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruise before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it. And put salt therein — A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren, Hereby therefore he intended to show, that the change desired was to be effected, not by any natural means, but solely by the divine power, which could work either without means or against them. Thus Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, when he was going to restore him to sight, that he might show that no natural cause was concerned in his cure; clay, according to its natural effect, being more likely to injure his eyes than benefit them. "We Promote the Gospel" preached by various Christian ministers worldwide. Join our Prayer Line every Sunday @ 8pm and Mondays @ 8:30 pm. Download our FREE App from the Google Store visit our website at www.hesendme.com
Listen to this AWESOME episode on SendMe Radio with Pastor Chidi Okorie - 2 Kings 2v20 The New Cruise. SendeMe Radio "We Promote the Gospel" Download our free app SendMe Radio from the Google Play Store and visit our website at www.hesendme.comJoin Pastor Chidi Okorie in the Bible Study as he ministers on 2 Kings 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. Enjoy the sounds of Abraham Benjamin - God is not too Late 2 Kings 2:20 King James Version And he said, Bring me a new cruse — He says new, partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by the natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruise before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it. And put salt therein — A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren, Hereby therefore he intended to show, that the change desired was to be effected, not by any natural means, but solely by the divine power, which could work either without means or against them. Thus Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, when he was going to restore him to sight, that he might show that no natural cause was concerned in his cure; clay, according to its natural effect, being more likely to injure his eyes than benefit them."We Promote the Gospel" preached by various Christian ministers worldwide. Join our Prayer Line every Sunday @ 8pm and Mondays @ 8:30 pm. Download our FREE App from the Google Store visit our website at www.hesendme.com
Book of Colossians Chapter 1 Going Through the Book of Colossians Exalting Christ, Supremacy of Christ, Preeminence of Christ Purpose and Theme Paul's purpose is to refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this goal, he exalts Christ as the very image of God (1:15), the Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17), the head of the church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) and the reconciler (1:20-22). Thus Christ is completely adequate. We "have been given fullness in Christ" (2:10). On the other hand, the Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptive philosophy (2:8), lacking any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23). The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness of mere human philosophy.
Sup, Thomists, Please consider supporting PWA on Patreon: Patreon.com/pwa Here's Thomas' text for this week: There are four reasons why Christ together with His soul descended to the underworld. First, He wished to take upon Himself the entire punishment for our sin, and thus atone for its entire guilt. The punishment for the sin of man was not alone death of the body, but there was also a punishment of the soul, since the soul had its share in sin; and it was punished by being deprived of the beatific vision; and as yet no atonement had been offered whereby this punishment would be taken away. Therefore, before the coming of Christ all men, even the holy fathers after their death, descended into the underworld. Accordingly in order to take upon Himself most perfectly the punishment due to sinners, Christ not only suffered death, but also His soul descended to the underworld. He, however, descended for a different cause than did the fathers; for they did so out of necessity and were of necessity taken there and detained, but Christ descended there of His own power and free will: “I am counted among them that go down to the pit; I am become as a man without help, free among the dead” [Ps 87:5–Vulgate]. The others were there as captives, but Christ was freely there. The second reason is that He might perfectly deliver all His friends. Christ had His friends both in the world and in the underworld. The former were His friends in that they possessed charity; and the latter were they who departed this life with charity and faith in the future Redeemer, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and other just and good men. Therefore, since Christ had dwelt among His friends in this world and had delivered them by His death, so He wished to visit His friends who were detained in the underworld and deliver them also: “I will penetrate all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that hope in the Lord” [Sir 24:45]. The third reason is that He would completely triumph over the devil. Now, a person is perfectly vanquished when he is not only overcome in conflict, but also when the assault is carried into his very home, and the seat of his kingdom is taken away from him. Thus Christ triumphed over the devil, and on the Cross He completely vanquished him: “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world (that is, the devil) be cast out” [Jn 12:31]. To make this triumph complete, Christ wished to deprive the devil of the seat of his kingdom and to imprison him in his own house—which is the underworld. Christ, therefore, descended there, and despoiled the devil of everything and bound him, taking away his prey: “And despoiling the principalities and powers, He hath exposed them confidently in open show, triumphing over them in Himself” [Col 2:15]. Likewise, Christ who had received the power and possession of heaven and earth, desired too the possession of the underworld, as says the Apostle: “That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” [Phil 2:10]. “In My name they shall cast out devils” [Mk 16:17]. The fourth and final reason is that Christ might free the just who were in the underworld. For as Christ wished to suffer death to deliver the living from death, so also He would descend into the underworld to deliver those who were there: “You also by the blood of your testament, sent forth your prisoners out of the pit where there is no water” [Zech 9:11]. And again: “O death, I will be your death; O hell, I will be your bite” [Hosea 13:14]. Although Christ wholly overcame death, yet not so completely did He destroy the underworld, but, as it were, He bit it. He did not free all from the underworld, but those only who were without mortal sin. He likewise liberated those without original sin, from which they, as individuals, were freed by circumcision; or before [the institution of]. circumcision, they who had been saved through their parents’ faith (which refers to those who died before having the use of reason); or by the sacrifices, and by their faith in the future coming of Christ (which refers to adults)”. The reason they were there in the underworld is original sin which they had contracted from Adam, and from which as members of the human race they could not be delivered except by Christ. Therefore, Christ left there those who had descended there with mortal sin, and the non-circumcised children. Thus, it is seen that Christ descended into the underworld, and for what reasons. Now we may gather four considerations from this for our own instruction.
A sermon preached by Brad Snyder on July 30, 2017 at Veritas Tri-Village as part of the sermon series on Fear.DISCUSSION & REFLECTION:Hey everyone! Here are some things to think about/discuss as families and community groups this week:“How can people who confess an orthodox creed week after week so easily and completely lose track of the implications of that theology whenever problems emerge in daily life?” Iain Duguid1. Last week, Esther had decided to confront King Ahasuerus in order to save God's people (“If I perish, I perish…”). In chapter 5 of our passage this week we see her putting together a plan in order to convince the King. We see that Esther is wise and discerning in her plan. She doesn't just rush in to confront the King, but puts a plan in place that will best enable her success. Brad said “stepping out in faith is not a license for foolishness.”How can we balance the realities of trusting God with the details of our lives while also making choices and decisions in our day to day lives?What is a situation in your life currently that requires Godly wisdom and whimsy?Read Ephesians 2:10. What does it mean to walk in “good works” that God has prepared “in advance”? How does it make you feel knowing that God holds everything in his hand, under his watchful eye, yet you are also responsible for your actions, thoughts, decisions, etc.? Worried? Scared? Hopeful? Safe?2. Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap,but its every decision is from the LORD.”Take some time as a group to point out and talk about the seemingly random details that unfolded throughout this story in order for God's purposes to be accomplished. (As Brad mentioned, it “just so happened” that Haman cast lots that landed on a date a year away, it just so happened the King was drunk and summoned Vashti, etc.)What does the fact that these intricate details were woven together in such a way teach us about God (who isn't even mentioned throughout the entire narrative)?Does the reality that the God of Esther is the same God you worship give you hope for whatever is going on in your life? How?“All these tragic coincidences that seem to be unraveling God's plan are actually the thread God uses to knit it together! … precisely at the moment in the story when it seems like God was absent… he was present. When it seemed like he lost control... he was totally in control. When it seemed like sin was reigning and evil was winning… God was on his throne, carrying out his victory!“-Brad, from the sermon3. Consider the clothing worn by Mordecai from the beginning of our passage to the end. He goes from wearing sackcloth and ashes, the clothing of someone who is mourning, to royal robes of the King. It's quite a transformation!How does this external change for Mordecai remind us of the good news of the Gospel? (Hint: check out Isaiah 1:18, Philippians 3:21, Luke 9:30)Brad spoke about the “great reversal” of the Gospel of which this narrative reminds us. Just as Mordecai is honored above all and Haman is hanged on the gallows, on the Cross the only sinless man to ever live was crucified in order that a host of sinners might live.How does this “great reversal” that we've experienced in the Gospel change the way we approach the world, how we do our jobs during the week, how we love our neighbor, etc. ? (Read Romans 8, specifically verses 1, 14-18, 28-39)3. In chapter 4, Mordecai hinted the salvation would come for God's people “from another place.” It is not clear that he himself knew exactly how God would save them (he just had faith that God would!). In the chapters from this week's passage, we see this great deliverance come for the Jews that Mordecai was praying for.Today, as Christians, how do we have assurance that God has saved us and will deliver us in the end? How is it different from the salvation/deliverance for Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews in our passage for this week?4. How does the story of Esther help you to celebrate “Mondays”, or the plodding, everyday, mundane aspects of your?How does the fact that God cares about the small details of your life draw you into a greater worship of Christ?How do the truths taught to us by Esther give us joy and strength to continue on even when life is sad, boring, or otherwise forgettable?“God's Word dispels despair. It gives us a sure foundation for a hope for our future freedom. We look forward to a final abolition of death, tears, and pain (Rev. 21:4). Christ's resurrection is the pattern for our resurrection. And, according to Romans 8:21, our resurrection is the pattern for the liberation of creation. Thus Christ is at the center, both for us and for creation... Since He is Creator, He is also Savior and Lord who redeems the entire cosmos from ‘futility' (Col. 1:18–20)...Redemption reverses the effects of the Fall.” -Vern Poythress
Although the author of Hebrews remains anonymous to the modern reader, its “ghostwriter” does not. The Holy Spirit's signature is all over this magnum opus. There is also the stunning influence of Ps 110 as if the Psalmist cowrote Hebrews. Some textual scholars have proposed that the book of Hebrews could well be a sermon where the preacher takes as his text, Psalm 110. Given the 13 references to Ps 110 throughout the book, this hypothesis becomes believable. Greater still is the probability of this claim when one considers the outline Psalm 110 provides for the entire book. Even more emphasis on the importance of Psalm 110, to the New Testament generally, is seen when considering its 13 references in other N.T. Books (Mk 12:35, 14:62, 16:19 for example). In Hebrews, our author alludes to Ps 110 six times with reference to the ascension and 7 times with reference to the priestly work of Christ. Thus Christ the King/Priest of the Melchizedek order is gloriously manifest from cover to cover.
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