Tag: Messiah

A First Century Jew

2 Samuel 9-10

Psalm 54

*Romans 15

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            I really like Paul, he just strikes me as the kind of guy who has what they used to call “grit”; he’s feisty, and blunt to the point of offensive at times.  When he’s writing the book of Romans (@ 56 AD, give or take a couple years) it seems like he’s writing to folks he hadn’t actually met yet (Rom 1:8-15) but considers fellow believers, is praying for them, and hopes to visit them soon (he’s arrested in Jerusalem before that can happen).  This letter was most likely written from Corinth, around the time of his 3rd missionary voyage. 

            Paul was a “Jew’s Jew” (Phil 3:5, it actually reads “Hebrew’s Hebrew”), the guy was fiercely zealous for God and initially saw believers in Christ as a threat to Judaism (see activities just prior to his conversion: Acts 7:57-8:3, Phil 3:4-6, and Gal 1:13-14), but after he is converted he brings that same feisty zeal to the service of the Christ.  He was a Pharisee (1 of the 4 Jewish “philosophies”, more on that later), a student of Gamaliel (a renowned rabbi), a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, and a Roman citizen (he was born in Tarsus, a city in the province of Cilicia that held the status of a “free city” within the Roman Empire, which granted legal Roman citizenship).

            I was very surprised (and amazed) that some modern day “apologists”  on YouTube have recently begun to claim that Paul espoused doctrines that weren’t even existant until the 4th century.  Here’s the thing: Paul was a Jew, not just that but a “Jew’s Jew”,  and ALL of the Jewish people (since the time of the return from the Babylonian captivity) have been FIERCELY monotheistic.  According to Sir Anthony Buzzard, to even begin to comprehend scripture properly it must be examined through the lens of a 1st century Jew.  I agree.  Saying anything different is just not doing your homework, and stating that a 1st century Jew such as Paul believed in a speculation that didn’t even exist in any form until the 4th century is clearly an anachronism (and a prime example of  ‘confirmation bias’, and shoddy homework).

            We can see Paul’s theology in the first chapter of Romans, it’s very clear, as it is in most of his letters.  In Romans 1:1-4 he refers to the promises of God made in advance through His prophets  about The Messiah (or Christ) as being a Jewish man descended from David genealogically, and designated as the son of God in power (Gen 3:15, Deut 18:18, 2 Sam 7 to name just a few of those prophecies).  Romans 1:7 states “…Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the **Lord Jesus Christ.”, as he does similarly in most of his letters, showing a clear delineation in Paul’s thinking between the two.  Paul did have a radical change in thinking, but it was from the Pharisee’s view of “the messiah is yet to come”  to his post vision understanding that “The Messiah has come, this man Jesus who was a descendant of David.” (not any of the later speculations from the 4th century).  **=Please note that the translation “Lord” here in “Lord Jesus Christ” is accurately “my lord“ (no caps) and not “THE LORD” (all caps), and every time you read “Christ” in scripture it is the title of a man whom God has anointed as King (and not somebody’s last name).  “THE LORD” (all caps) is a later textual corruption done with good intentions (and bad results),  mistranslating the name of God (which occurs about 7000 times in the old testament as “YHVH” or “YHWH”).

            If Paul had somehow, against all logic and reason, ever changed his fiercely monotheistic Jewish understanding of God there would have been a VERY clear and direct dissertation on it to at least one of his many churches, more realistically a whole lot of dissertations to all of them; Paul wasn’t what I’d call a “subtle” guy, he was very direct.  We would have entire books devoted to explain this new “doctrine”, and that just never happened.  Quite the opposite.  The only real doctrinal controversy Paul ever chimes in on is “should the gentiles be circumcised“ (he says not).  Paul was probably, however, the single greatest (human) force in bringing the gospel that was delivered originally exclusively to Jews (by Jesus and then his apostles) over to the gentiles.  In our reading today in Rom 15:16, we can see Paul (despite being a devout Jew himself) has now self-identified as a minister of the Messiah Jesus to the Gentiles (non-Jewish folks), a priest to them.

            Even when he is ministering to the Gentiles, though, he constantly refers to the scriptures that the Jews were familiar with at the time: what we call the Old Testament.  These were just the scriptures that a first century Jew had available, and the vast majority of the intended audience at this point were also first century Jews (keep in mind the New Testament wasn’t compiled in it’s entirety until later); numerically there were just fewer gentiles at this point in the development of Christianity than there were Jews, and they had a much clearer and simpler understanding of these scriptures.  The later believers’ “complex” problems were of their own devising, and didn’t occur until after the (then numerically superior) gentiles brought their mythology and speculation in to the church around the 4th century.  We see clearly in todays reading Paul’s reliance upon and belief in the ancient Jewish scriptures in the Old Testament.

            In Romans 15, Paul quotes Jewish scripture (that’s the Old Testament to you gentiles) 4 times in this one chapter, with the intention of unifying “God’s people” (the Jews) and Gentiles (we who were “grafted on”).  In v9 he (Paul) quotes 2 Samuel 22:50 (or Psalm 18:49), where David rejoices that God has mercy on the Gentiles.  In v10 he quotes  Deuteronomy 32:43, urging the Gentiles to rejoice with God’s people. In v11 he quotes Psalm 117:1, calling all nations to praise the Lord, and in v12 he quotes Isaiah 11:10, describing the root of Jesse who will rise to reign over the Gentiles, in whom they will hope.  His whole point here in chapter 15 is to encourage the Jews and the Gentiles to “accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7, LSB).  I honestly don’t doctrinally agree with most of the mainstream Christian folks out there right now, but I do try to accept them as brothers (and sisters) in Christ, because after all who am I to judge the servant of another (Rom 14:4)?

            I’ve heard a lot of  folks take the stance that the Old Testament doesn’t matter, because that was for the Jews and we are “Christians”, and I disagree (in love).  The New Testament didn’t in any way negate the Old Testament, it just clarifies it; all together it is just one long and unbroken story of the love that God has for His creation, and the overwhelmingly beautiful character of our God.  Jesus, the servant of God (Acts 3:13), quoted extensively from the Old Testament.  Paul, the servant of Jesus, who was the servant of God, quoted extensively from the Old Testament.  We, who strive to be grafted on to the branch of God’s people (the Jew’s), by right of belief in the “root of Jesse who will rise to reign over the Gentiles” (the son of David: Yeshua, Jesus), should humbly acknowledge that the branches die without the root.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you read the Old Testament or the New Testament more often, and why?
  2. Have you ever allowed doctrinal differences to cause you to view any of your brothers or sisters in Christ in a negative light? Why?
  3. Have you ever allowed doctrinal differences to cause you to view any of  your fellow Children of the Book (Jews and Muslims) in a negative light? Why?
  4. Do you think that what you believe or how you behave is more important in terms of your entry into God’s kingdom, and why?

PRAYER

Father God,  Creator and Sustainer of all life, thank you for my life.  Please lead me, and allow me to humbly be a servant who pleases my master.  Teach me wisdom, Father, and whisper in my ear.  Help me to seek the old ways, and to know the truth about You.  Please grant me Your spirit so that I can love my fellow creation and faithfully follow the instructions of my King, the one whom You sent for us.  Father God, have mercy upon me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Prophecies of the Messiah

*2 Samuel 7-8

Psalm 54

Romans 14

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today’s reading in 2 Sam 7 is one of the most critical prophecies in scripture to understand, if you want to understand about the nature of Jesus, and also get a glimpse into the character of God.  This is one of the clearest passages of scripture that is written about the requirements of The Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ or “Ha Meshiach” in Hebrew, which is where we get the term).  When the ancient Jews were told about The Messiah, this is one of the “go to” scriptures that lists and explains what the expectations should be.  Always go to the “original sources” when you are trying to understand something, and this is one of the best original sources about the Messiah that there are in scripture.  Victor Gluckin has an amazing series on Restitutio.org in the form of podcasts on this that’s better than anything that I could ever do, search for “Victor Gluckin, Restitutio, Son of David” and listen.

            As we start to read in 2 Sam 7:1-11, a lot of the character of David and then God is revealed.  David says to Nathan (a prophet), “Hey I live in a nice house here, but God’s in a tent.  I should build Him a nice house too”.  Nathan replies, “Sure, do it.”, but then God talks to Nathan and tells him to go back to David and tell him “Oh, you think you’re going to build ME a house?  Nah man, I’m going to build YOU a house.” (this is all obviously and painfully paraphrased, but read the scripture, the gist is true).  What we see from this is that God is a rewarder of those who seek to please Him, and that David was trying to please Him.  This is important background to know going in to the next section of scripture, where the meat of the prophecy is.  This is a direct response by God to his servant, David

            First though, know that each one of the gospels (and really the rest of the NT as well) was written for the express purpose of explaining that Jesus (יֵשׁוּעַ )  of Nazareth was this prophesied Messiah(Or, Christ.  Messiah=Christ=”Anointed One”, they all mean the same thing: Christ is not a last name, it is a title of authority).  This is detailed in each of their thesis statements (Matt 1:1, Mark 1:1, Luke 1:30-32, John 20:31).  Jesus himself explains to the samaritan woman that he is, in fact, the Messiah that has been foretold (John 4:25), and commends Peter for getting the correct answer in Matt 16:15 when he asks “but who do you say that I am?”.  He is the Christ, the Messiah.  Every time you see “Christ” in the new testament, it is a confirmation that Jesus of Nazareth is The Christ (Greek for “anointed one”),  or, The Messiah (Hebrew for “anointed one”): they mean the same thing: the man anointed to be king.  What does that mean, though?

THE CRITERIA OF THE MESSIAH (or, Christ).  These are requirements, these MUST all be fullfilled in order to claim the title of The Christ

  • REQUIREMENT 1– (2 Sam 7:12-13)- “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, ***I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kindgom forever.”(LSB).  The Messiah MUST BE a human descendant of David, there is not an option for a different understanding because this is the promise God made to David (and God always, always, always keeps His promises). 
  • REQUIREMENT 2– (2 Sam 7:14-15)- “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will reprove him…but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him…” (LSB)  The Messiah MUST BE the son of God.  Keep in mind that scripturally, the “sons of God” could refer to heavenly beings (Gen 6:2, Job 1:6, Ps 89:6) and that the term is also used metaphorically to refer to humans or groups that have a special relationship with God (as in Ex 4:22 , Ps 82:6, or Mal 2:10).  In the instance of Jesus of Nazareth, both the literal and metaphoric explanations could be fully applied (because of his miraculous conception, but either would have been sufficient to fulfill this prophecy).
  • REQUIREMENT 3– 2 Sam 7:16: “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”  To be The Christ you MUST establish a kingdom that will endure forever.  We as Christians believe that when Jesus returns, this requirement will be fulfilled.  In Jesus’ day, his disciples asked “So, uh, is this when you’re going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6, paraphrased).  He explains to them “I don’t get to pick that, only God knows when that’s going to happen” (Acts 1:7, also paraphrased: See also Matt 24:36).  We believe that when Jesus ascended and was sat at the right hand of God, this was our clear indication that our King had been chosen by God for this future kingdom,  which we all strive to enter and be a citizen of as our core desire and primary reward.  We know that even though this hasn’t been completely fulfilled yet that God always, always, always keeps his promises, and we see many clear prophecies and sermons about this kingdom which will be established on the earth.

            ***NOTE: This is actually an example of “progressive revelation” about the Messiah: Gen 3:15 states the “seed of the woman” will crush the serpent (a human), Deut 18:18 says God will “raise up one of your brothers from among you” (speaking to the Israelites, so now we have an Israelite human), and then 2 Sam 7:12-13 clearly shows it will be a descendant of David so the progressive revelation reveals that the Messiah will be (in order): (1)Human, (2)Israelite Human, (3)Israelite Human of David’s genealogical line.  Note that in progressive revelation the base information never actually changes, it is simply clarified.  This is important, so pay close attention here: you can’t just make something up new and call it progressive revelation.  When you make up something new and add it to scripture, that’s called fabrication and it’s something else entirely.

            So why does this matter?  Firstly, we need to know that our gracious, merciful, and loving God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  While God certainly didn’t need David to build Him a nicer house (See Psalms 24:1), He respected and reciprocated the intent to please Him.  We need to believe that there is a God, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him diligently (Heb 11:6).  Secondly, men are not only confusing but confused.  If someone is teaching you any doctrine that opposes what the scripture clearly says, this scripture, stop listening to them and go back to the original source; even if a majority of people say you’re wrong, because God is greater than man.  It’s important for you to understand the scriptures you read, just as it’s important for you to submit yourself to God and receive the holy spirit, because God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  He will find you, if you seek in spirit and truth!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Did you ever really give deep, serious thought to what “Jesus (the) Christ” actually meant?  Do you feel as if this scripture helped clarify some?
  2. Do you think a working knowledge of the Old Testament is relevant to you as a Christian? Why, or why not?
  3.  Are you trying your absolute hardest to please God, or are you more focused on pleasing yourself?  Why?  What is your expected outcome for either?
  4. What does is say of God’s character, that when we try to please Him he repays us a thousandfold, as seen in this scripture today?
  5. Why do you think God gives us such an abundance of prophecy in the scriptures? Discuss.

PRAYER

Father God, Creator of all things, thank you so much for telling us of the things which are to come.  Purify us so that we can be holy.  Please teach us your ways, grant us wisdom, and help our eyes to see and our ears to hear.  Help us to circumcise our hearts and walk humbly before you, and to do the things that please you.  Thank you Father, most of all, for sending us the Christ.  Please grant that we may listen to all that he has spoken, and obey in truth and spirit.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

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A Man Attested by God

*Joshua 7-8

Psalm 34

*Acts 2                            

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            There’s one very critical point that we often (and intentionally at times) overlook that’s clearly highlighted in our Joshua 7-8 reading this morning: if you don’t listen to and obey God, you should have no reasonable expectation that God will bless you (quite the opposite, in fact).  Romans 8:31 states “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (ESV), but keep in mind that the converse is also quite true as well: “If God is against you, who can save?”.  Just think about it; it’s illogical to assume God’s favor if you are not living according to God’s expectations, so “…consider your ways.” (Hag 1:7).

            Now let’s move on to 1st century Jerusalem, where we find the apostles and believers gathered, about 120 people,  praying constantly (Acts 1:13-15).   I’ve recently heard a theory by Dr Roy Blizzard (who actually took part in the archaeological excavation of this site in 1968) that states that they were probably meeting on the Temple stairs near one of the cleansing pools (called Mikveh or Mikvah), and based on the size of the assembly (and comparing it to the average dwelling size in Jerusalem at this time), I believe that may be correct.  Dr Blizzard postulates that “house” in this instance referred to “The House” (as in “of God”, ie, the Temple).  The Southern Steps, specifically, were a significant meeting and teaching place.  These steps were about 200 feet wide and featured a raised platform on the side, known as the “Rabbi Steps” or Teaching Steps, where Jesus and other rabbis are believed to have taught and given announcements to crowds, so it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. 

            Furthermore, The Royal Stoa, a massive public meeting building located just above the Southern Stairs, functioned as the primary gathering area for large assemblies, such as the estimated 30,000 to 100,000 people who may have gathered for the event of Pentecost, so this may be the “upper room” referred to. The stairs themselves were designed with uneven widths to prevent running and maintain decorum, while the broad landing and adjacent Mikvehs (ritual baths filled with “living water” brought in via aquaduct from the pools near Bethlehem) facilitated large-scale gatherings, teaching sessions, and baptisms for pilgrims entering the Temple Mount.  So, if this is correct, there’s a very good chance that when Peter in his 1st sermon said “Repent and be baptized…”, he was actually pointing at one of these Mikveh.

            Acts 2:1-4 is one of the most impressive and amazing demonstrations of the holy spirit ever displayed.  When they then began to speak the word of God, the people (who were from all over) heard the words in their own language, and they were all amazed.  This is the promise fulfilled from John 15:26-27: “But when the helper comes that I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth that comes from the Father, it will testify about me, and you also must testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (REV translation).

            So we can see a couple key points that need to be reiterated: 1-Jesus will send the helper from the father, 2-it is a “spirit of truth” that comes from the father and it will testify about Jesus, and 3-you also must testify.  So when Peter, filled with this spirit of truth, stands up to do just that (testify) in his first recorded sermon, we should really pay close attention as this constitutes the  earliest (and most accurate) “doctrines” of the church here in Acts 2:22-24.  

            Peter, filled with the spirit of truth, the holy spirit, preaches to his fellow Jews: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man…”.   Peter  explains that this man Jesus was “pointed out to you by God by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did through him…”.  God performed those miracles, through Jesus, and then God raised him up.  According to Peter, Jesus was not the “God-man” as men began to theorize in the late 4th century, but was in fact “God’s man” as explained and prophesied in scriptures from the beginning of creation.   The Christ, or anointed one.

              Now pay attention because this is important:  Looking through the scriptures we see that from the beginning God has told us of Messiah: that the seed of the woman shall crush the serpent (Gen 3:15), that God will raise up a prophet like Moses from among your brothers (Duet 18:18), who will be a descendant of David (2 Sam 7:12).  This does show a progressive revelation through scriptures: human, Israelite human, Israelite human descended from David (in that order, note that each additional revelation shows clarification without changing the base information).  The Jews understood this completely, because the Shema (Deut 6:4,5) was given to them early on, and it was quoted by Jesus later in Mark 12:29 as the “Most Important Commandment”.  The only problem comes when we go beyond what is written, and add theories to the scriptures that aren’t there to start.

            To become a member of the original church, in the book of Acts, here are the requirements (in their totality): “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit.’ ” (Acts 2:38 REV).  Let me break that down for you: 1- Repent, 2- be baptized (in the name of Jesus the Christ), and 3- receive the gift of the holy spirit (the spirit of truth).  That is it, full stop.

            Recently it was just a “membership sunday” at one of the churches I attend here locally.  To join as a member, you had to agree with all of their articles of faith.  Here are the first 2 on the list (of 14): WE BELIEVE 1: In the verbal inspiration of the bible (ok, check, strongly agree, no problem). 2-In one God eternally existing as 3 persons namely the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Um..where does it say that?).  Here’s the thing; I love these guys, but I just don’t see that second one written explicitly (or even conceptually) in scripture.  In my own personal interpretation of the scriptures, agreeing with item 1 precludes agreement with item 2.  I think that these folks are truly my brothers and sisters, because they seek to serve God to the best of their ability and strive to live a holy life, but I disagree (in love) with some of their interpretation of scripture.  I also feel as if I am already a member of the church, based on what Acts says, but I can’t be a member of their church (and that’s a little bit hurtful).

            Another church I attend on the Sabbath has told me something similar.  WHY? The bible clearly lays out what we need to do in Acts 2 to become members of the church (3 steps). We need to restore our faith to that of the original church, the faith “once for all delivered” (Jude 1:3), and take the traditions that we’ve added away (Mark 7:7).  PLEASE note that if you disagree with anything I’ve pointed out: I am just a man, your brother in Christ.  What you believe is between you and God.  I tell you with love that you will however at some point answer to our God, and He is seeking people who will worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24), so it behooves each of us to study scriptures, divide them wisely, and live in a manner which glorifies God.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. To repent is to not only regret actions, but to change course.  If we keep committing the same sins, we have not changed our course.  To repent is the first requirement of being a part of the church, so ask yourself: have you fully repented?
  2. Have you received the gift of the holy spirit?  If so, in what manner did it manifest? (this could be a whole series of study sessions on it’s own)
  3. Has reading scriptures ever changed the way you believed about something? 

PRAYER

Father God, Thank you.  Please cleanse my heart of wrongdoing, please help me to circumcise my heart before You, and grant me the spirit of truth to teach me.  Father, please grant me wisdom, and humility, and allow me to be a servant who pleases his master.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

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The Anointed One: The Son of Man

Exodus 17-18

Psalm 2

Matthew 16

Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

In our Exodus reading this morning, we see once again that after a string of miracles and rescues, the Israelites are grumbling; to the point that Moses tells God he’s worried about them stoning him (17:4).  God miraculously provides yet again for their provision, and then miraculously provides for their safety and security (17:11-13).  Then, some of the in-laws decide to stop by for a visit (18).

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro comes to visit and sees an overwhelmed Moses, struggling from sunup to sundown daily taking care of the (very demanding) people he was leading.  Keep in mind, this was not a small group, this was likely millions of people (Ex 12:37-38 “600,000 men, not counting the little ones (or women), and a foreign multitude also”) all clamoring for his attention at once.  Can you even imagine the chaos? Jethro gives Moses some VERY good advice (18: 17-23) that applies to us today as well: organize and prioritize if you want to get results, delegate if you have to.  I think we too many times take on more than we can reasonably accomplish, and don’t have a good plan to do it, and just end up getting frustrated and upset.  Many times we just give up because we feel overwhelmed.  But couldn’t we take Jethro’s advice, and plan better?  If we organize ourselves, and approach our problems systematically, they become less overwhelming.  This applies to every aspect of our lives: work, social, spiritual.  We could actually have written the entire devotional on just this bit alone, but there are some other VERY important scriptures in today’s reading.

Moving on to our second portion of scripture today (Ps 2), we see some absolutely critical theological points that need to be highlighted (in your bible) and remembered .  Do you remember what “Christ” or “Messiah” means?  It ‘s a title, and means (literally) “The Anointed”.  It represented a man who was chosen and anointed by God (usually through his agent, or “shaliah”…see Jan 27 devotional) to be his king, it’s all throughout the Old Testament, check and see.  The  Hebrew “Messiah” (or “Christos” in greek) means simply “the anointed one” and the term came to be one of prophetic expectation waiting for God to send his king to rule the earth (See 2nd Samuel 7 for the details of the prophecy, we’ll get deeper into that one in a later devotional).    The New Testament continuously states that Jesus of Nazareth was this man anointed by God to be His king on earth by reiterating it over and over when describing him as “Jesus Christ”.  That’s not his last name ya’ll, that’s a title (I’m Southern, I’m allowed to say “ya’ll”, it’s culturally appropriate).  Most of the gospels directly state that the purpose for their writing was to show that Jesus was that Messiah, and that he had come, in their thesis statements.

In Psalm 2:2 it says “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh and against his Anointed, saying…” (LSB Translation).  We see clearly here that there are 2 individuals that the kings and rulers are taking a stand against.  This does not match up with what some mainstream orthodoxy teachings relate, but this is stated explicitly and repeatedly in scripture and we know from Jesus that “scripture cannot be broken”.  This is one of the many reasons why it is so absolutely critical to study for yourself, and not rely on people to tell you what you should believe.  Men are just human, and can fail, but scripture cannot be broken(John 10:35), so read it for yourself (and show your work).  Be a good Berean, and test everything that you hear against the scriptures.  Our God is a God of truth and not deception, so if something you are hearing from men confuses you, study scriptures!  If you can read Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:29-34 and not be fiercely monotheistic, like the ancient Jews, then you have learned mental gymnastics worthy of an olympic level athlete…but why change it?  Man was made simple, his complex problems are of his own devising (Ecc 7:29).

Ps 2: 11-12 states “Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way…”(LSB), another clear delineation between our creator and our king.  It is terrible and sad that we have confused this simple message through the centuries, whenever possible I suggest we should with love, patience, and respect suggest the simpler reading to our brothers and sisters who have reached a different, more “complex”, understanding.  In instances that opportunities present themselves for you to do this, may I humbly suggest that “love” is far more important for you to convey than truth.  The truth will come in time, if presented deeply with love, according to God’s will.

To wrap this up in a nice tidy bow, we can then turn over to Matt 16, where one of the clearest statements of Jesus identity is made by his guy, Peter.  First let me pose you this question, what is a son of man?  I would respectfully answer this with the very common sensical answer of “a man”. What if you capitalized that, and said a Son of Man?  Well, I’d have to say, still a man: although this does have prophetic overtones (See Daniel 7, and note again the clear delineation between God and his anointed).  Did you know that in addition to God using his name (YHVH) almost 7000 times in the Old Testament, Jesus is referred to as the “son of man” (add capitilization however you like, the NT translators did…)  81 times, and 80 of those times were by Jesus himself in the gospels.  A “son of man” was how Jesus self-identified.  It’s pretty important to remember that.

In a conversation about identity, Jesus asks Peter who people were saying that he was (Matt 16: 13-14). To further clarify who he was, Jesus asked Peter “but who do you say that I am?”.  Peter replies, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”  Remember that Christ and Messiah mean the same thing, anointed one.  I would like to point out the obvious at this point and say that God has no need to anoint himself.  By his statement Peter is clearly stating “You are the one that was anointed by God, and the son of the Living God”.  This is in a direct fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Sam: 7 wherein the Messiah MUST BE: 1-the son of David (a human descendant of King David), 2-the son of God, 3-the king who will rule forever.  Note Jesus response to this answer in v17: “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (LSB).  If Peter was mistaken about Jesus’ identity as the Christ, this would have been an excellent opportunity for Jesus to correct him don’t you think?  Just some things to think about, may God bless you as you study his word.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. What can you change in your approach, like Jethro suggested to Moses, to more effectively govern your own life? Your own work? Your own spirituality?
  2. When Jesus says that scripture cannot be broken, he is referring to the scripture they had at the time, the Old Testament.  How often do you take time to “stand by the ancient ways” and read the Old Testament deeply? Why?
  3. Do you check everything the pastor tells you from the pulpit against scripture?  Why, or why not?  Now think of the same question, but instead of your pastor insert “anyone”, and instead of the pulpit insert “youtube”, “social media”, or “friends”.  Is your answer different?  Why, or why not?
  4. Who do you say that Jesus is?  Is it different than Peter, and if so, why?

PRAYER:

Lord God Most High, please open my eyes so that I can see clearly.  Please open my ears so that I can hear clearly.  Circumcise my heart, so that I can walk humbly before you.  Thank you for sending your son with your words to teach and redeem us all, please help us to listen and to obey.   Forgive us our pride, and grant us humility and understanding.  Thank you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Perfect Son of Man

Hebrews 1-3

Devotion by John Tullis (OH)

One of the great truths of the Bible is the humanity of Jesus Christ.  Jesus, our Lord and Our Savior, was born of the virgin Mary through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  Our God created Jesus to be His messiah – God’s chosen One to save his people and rule as King in His future kingdom.  Jesus always existed in the mind of God.  In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1).  The Word, or Logos in Greek, is the eternal program of salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ.  It is the wonderful plan of God to make a way for believers to enjoy fellowship with Him in the eternal coming Kingdom.  As such, at a time of God’s choosing, He created his messiah.  He brought his great plan of salvation, the Logos, into reality.  Our Lord Jesus was born into the world, a little baby, born of the virgin Mary and celebrated as our Lord and Savior.  He was born into the world through God’s power to be fully human, and fully God’s son.  He is the begotten one (first among everything). 

The book of Hebrews tries to explain why Jesus had to be made perfect and why he had to be a human – like you and me.  But why did Jesus have to be just like us?  Jesus was created by God to be His only Son.  In order to serve both God and mankind, Jesus had to be a special man – the sinless and perfect Son of man.  Both divine (Son of God) and human (Son of Mary) – He is the perfect one to exist as the “mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5).  Hebrews 2:14-18 teaches us that He had to be made with flesh and blood – he had to be a man.  This is so His death on the cross might break the power of the fear of death.  His resurrection is proof that a man can be raised up to eternal life.  He was created specifically to save Abraham’s descendants of faith (that’s you and me).  In being a man, he could be God’s High Priest, serving God and making atonement for the sins of the world (Hebrews 2:17,18).   

With Christmas coming very soon, we remember the birth of Christ.  That little child, born and placed in a manger, the son of Mary, would become the savior of the world.  In God’s great wisdom, He made a way for us to enjoy fellowship with Him forever in His coming Kingdom.  Thank Him for the gift of his Son, His human Son, the Christ Child who takes away the sin of the world. 

Questions for Discussion: 

  1. Why did Jesus have to be made perfect?  (2:10) 
  1. Why did Jesus have to be just like us? (2:17) 
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Unmet Expectations

Luke 24 & John 20-21

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

Unmet expectations are a leading cause of relational conflicts. 

Sometimes the expectations were simply not communicated, so the offending person had no idea what was expected. Other times the expectation was communicated but not met, such as a broken promise. Sometimes it is no fault of anyone, but life and happenstance got in the way of the anticipated outcome. 

In the case of Jesus’ resurrection, multiple prophecies and even Jesus himself foretold what would happen, but still the disciples had their expectations shattered: “We had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Israel!” (Luke 24:21). 

They were disappointed in Jesus because their expectations did not match his reality. The disciples, among others, had believed he was the Messiah, but then they were confused when he didn’t fix their political problem by conquering the Romans and establishing an earthly kingdom – even though he had never promised to do those things. He had a much larger spiritual plan to save all of humanity by conquering the sin within their hearts. Perhaps they didn’t understand God’s big-picture promise of an eternal Kingdom. 

Today we look back with disbelief on their disbelief. DUH! Of course he’s the Messiah! Why couldn’t they just listen to him and recognize him and his plan? But how many of us today fail to recognize Jesus and his mission because it looks different than we expect? 

I think sometimes we expect a clean-cut Jesus, tidy Christians, an easy life. But none of that is promised; in fact, following Jesus guarantees quite the opposite (see John 16:33). How often do we fail to recognize the gifts of God because they don’t come packaged the way we expect? Can we see the blessing of prayers that were not answered the way we asked? Do we see every person – annoying, incarcerated, stinky, unborn, elderly, troubled, or just plain “different” – as God’s precious children, and view every interaction with them as a mission for the Kingdom? 

It’s so easy to be hostile toward fellow Christians over all kinds of unmet expectations – differing doctrines or political views, whether or not Christians should be involved in this activity or celebrate that holiday, etc. We definitely should encourage each other to keep seeking Jesus in these and all areas of our lives, but if we just put half that energy we use fighting one another into uniting to spread the love of Jesus to a hurting world, united we could have a tremendous Kingdom impact. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we should always expect the unexpected. 

Reflections:

Listen to this song. How have some trials turned out to be unexpected blessings? 

What are some things that you are waiting for with expectant hope, and how can you share that hope with others around you? 

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Watch Out!

Matthew 24

In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples ask him what the sign will be for his coming and the end of the age. The disciples are anticipating the age to come and the restoration of all things that we see Peter refer to in Acts 3:21. Jesus speaks about quite a few things that will occur prior to his return, but we’ll focus on verses 4-14.

First, there will be some who come claiming to be the Messiah. The Jewish historian Josephus notes that there were multiple individuals who fit this description. There were 4 in particular whom he records as leading messianic-like movements in the first century. While Josephus’ writings are open to debate and interpretation, they do seem to indicate that these individuals were doing what Jesus said they would. These individuals seem to have had political aspirations that prompted their messianic claims. Whether claims were specific to being the Messiah or not, they could be seen as trying to functionally fill into that role.

In politics, there are often claims about how a candidate is going to make things better. An individual can be looked at as a kind of savior by his supporters. In recent American political history, Barack Obama and Donald Trump have had supporters who perhaps viewed them as a type of “messiah”, someone who will “fix” everything that is broken. While they did not make bold messianic claims, it does, in my view, highlight how that type of following can take someone’s eye off the ball in terms of focusing on Jesus. 

Jesus’ warning is that these “false Christs” will lead many astray. In the absence of the true Messiah, there will always be a danger of some individual or group making bold claims that can lead people astray by shifting focus and allegiance away from the Gospel and Jesus.

Second, Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars. This is not to say that the presence of war will hint at his immediate coming, but that this will be a reality of life in the time preceding his return. Governments will be looking to exert control and solidify their power. Peace will not be a constant, because the world will not recognize Jesus as king, and even the view that someone has the correct doctrines or ideas will lead to violence against those who are “wrong”. Jesus also mentions that there will be famines and earthquakes, and perhaps other natural disasters can be seen in line with these. These are not seen as culminating events, but rather Jesus describes them as the beginning of birth pangs. These are like early contractions in a pregnancy. There is still a ways to go, but they are a reminder of where things are headed.      

Third, there will be turmoil for the faithful. There will be nations that oppose the gospel and will do what they can to root it out. Whether it be Rome trying to eliminate Christianity in the first century or the Chinese Communist Party opposing Christianity in the 21st century, Jesus highlights that this will be a normal occurrence as the end of the age draws nearer. 

Fourth, there will be many who fall away from the Gospel. This may not mean that they abandon the moniker of “Christ” or “Christian”, but they will functionally not operate as such. Hate and betrayal are common occurrences among those who have fallen away. Perhaps due to power struggles and desire to be the most influential, or maybe even for self-preservation. This disunity will create opportunities for false teachers to infiltrate and influence those who want to follow Jesus, but this false teaching will lead many astray. The co-opting of Christianity as a political tool has been observed in history. State-sponsored churches exist in some countries, and believers with “heterodox” views are barred from legally teaching and proselytizing according to their understanding of scripture, such as a plain reading of scripture, free from longstanding tradition. 

Fifth, all of these things will culminate in a sort of lawlessness. The fallout of this includes what Jesus describes as “the love of many growing cold”. In Revelation, Jesus calls out the church of Ephesus for not having the love that they had at first. Jesus recognizes that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love people. If love goes cold, there ceases to be obedience to one of the greatest commandments. A lack of love for people, specifically the lost, will prevent a “believer” from staying the course on the mission to spread the gospel. 

Jesus says that the one who endures to the end will be saved. This indicates that some will fall away from the saving gospel (see the parable of the Sower). Salvation is for the faithful (though not the perfect), and the faithful will stay the course and share the gospel with the nations. Jesus indicates that there will continue to be those who will remain faithful and push on to spread the gospel, and at some point after the gospel has been preached throughout all the world, he will return. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        Why do you think people fell prey to false Messiahs? What might a false Messiah look like today?

2.        How can we fight against our love growing cold and allowing false teachers to infiltrate our churches? Does church discipline factor into this?

3.        How can you do your part to make sure that the gospel is being preached? Do we sometimes look too much at the big picture and not the practical, small parts of ministry that we can participate in?

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Made to be a Light

Isaiah 49-50; Psalm 135

Isaiah 49:6b (NIV84) – “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Some readers love poetry; they love the figurative language, the allusions, the complex ideas that are simmered down into short phrases. Poetry forces the reader to slow down and use critical thinking to comprehend what’s being communicated. Sometimes it also requires the reader to know a little bit about the author and his or her life at the time the piece was composed. 

I am not one of those readers. I prefer the author to be straightforward with me. Just tell me what you want me to know without all of the fancy language and references that I may or may not have prior knowledge of. 

Reading the book of Isaiah is similar to reading poetry for me. I have to really study it. I have to use additional resources and commentaries to get a clue what is being said. And while I don’t prefer to have to spend an hour just to understand one chapter, the mental exercise is good for me. So here is what I’ve learned about Isaiah 49, specifically verses one through six.

It is the second out of four Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah. A Servant Song is a passage of verses that refer to the Messiah, Jesus. Not only does this chapter reference Jesus well before he was born, but it also mentions Gentiles (those not of the Israelite community). It’s not the first and only time that Gentiles are mentioned, but because Jesus is also alluded to it’s interesting to have two New Testament concepts written about together in the Old Testament.

As we know, in his ministry, Jesus often suffered opposition and what looked like failure in his mission to restore all people to God in order to have an eternal relationship with Him in the coming Kingdom. Isaiah 49:4 talks about this. But as we also know, Jesus’s death was not the end of the story.  

While this knowledge is important to understand, what’s the application to our modern day lives? My answer to this question took me a while to formulate, but here’s what I’ve come up with. I’m sure that there are other applications, but we’ll not delve into those right now. 

While Jesus is the Servant, we are servants of Jesus. John 12:26 says, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” This means that we have the same ministry and mission that Jesus did: “to bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Is. 49:6b).

Second Corinthians 5:18-20 says it this way: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

We are the hands and feet of Jesus, continuing to share the Gospel message with those who do not know it yet. 

A missionary friend of mine works in a local community. Her mission field is the youth of this neighboring community. She recently shared in an update that during a midweek youth gathering she shared the Gospel message, something she does quite regularly, but this time the response from the teens was more than usual. Praise God! But after that, one teen girl approached her and told my friend that this was the first time that she had ever heard about Jesus. My immediate thought was, “How is this possible? In our modern society where access to anything a person could ever want to know about is first a few finger clicks away, that a young person has never heard the name of Jesus?” But it’s true, there are people in our neighborhoods that don’t know about Jesus and the gift of salvation that comes through him. 

My friends, the work is not yet done. As servants and followers of the Servant, Jesus, we have the task to continue to reconcile our friends and neighbors to God by sharing the Gospel message. We will have opposition and think that we are failing at our mission, but take heart, you have been chosen to bring the message of salvation to the end of the earth (or to your neighbor).

Reflection Questions

What does it mean to you that God knows you, calls you, and has a purpose for you even before you were born? How does that shape your identity?

When have you felt like your efforts for God were in vain? How can you learn to rest in God’s timing, even when results aren’t visible?

What might “the ends of the earth” look like in your own life right now? Who is God calling you to reach or encourage with His message of hope?

-Bethany Ligon

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God Shows Us His Love and Mercy

12/15/24

OLD TESTAMENT: Zechariah 1-2

POETRY: Psalm 143

NEW TESTAMENT: John 16:17-33

Zechariah 1:16-17(NLT) “‘Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’ 17 “Say this also: ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”

Psalms 143:7-11(NLT) Come quickly, LORD, and answer me,
for my depression deepens.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD;
I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

John 16:17-24 (NLT) Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” 19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

How many times do we think to ourselves “I wish I could ask Jesus about what he said in a passage?”. Here in John 16 Jesus sees that question in the hearts of his disciples without them even asking.  He then answers that question of their hearts. 

I was able to witness the birth of all four of our children who are now in their 30’s and 40’s.  I was a participant in the event, Lamaze called me a coach, but really the events were all focused on the effort it took my wife Sandy to birth the children.  Labor for her started many hours before the actual birth event.  The start of the contractions was usually strong but the effort and pain at the end when the child is birthed became almost overwhelming for her.  Thanks be to God that she is so tough and resilient that all were born without complications and were beautiful children when born.  The intensity of the birth process is still embedded in my mind forever.

Jesus tells the disciples about the events that are going to occur in the near future for all of them.  God has showed Christ by the Old Testament scriptures and by revelation what he will have to endure.  Jesus compares these events to the birth of a child, where the pain and effort are replaced in the end by the joy of the new child and her or his coming into the world.  My wife and I had great joy at the birth of the children when we were able to hold them in our arms and enjoy the blessing of the new child.

Jesus tells the disciples that in the future they will rejoice about the events of the cross.  Jesus sees and knows what’s coming for him, but they do not yet at this time understand.  But he is getting them ready for the future message of hope that will come from the resurrection and the ascension.  This leads to the day of Pentecost and the founding of the church of the body of Christ. 

Zechariah 1:16-17 (NLT)

Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’ 17 “Say this also: ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”

As we read through Zechariah it will become clear to us that the visions he sees about the building and construction that God shows him are immediately fulfilled in the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. The books of Nehemiah and Ezra give us the history of this rebuilding.  But the really big picture is of the future building of the millennial kingdom and the city of Jerusalem by the Messiah.  As we read through Zechariah try to look at the immediate fulfilling of his prophecies, but more importantly look at how they fit together at the end of the Tribulation and the establishment of the Millennial kingdom.  The judgement of wrath which judges Israel and Judah are turned to the great blessings of all the promises to Israel fulfilled in the righteous kingdom.  Jesus Christ is the head of both government and religion in this future rulership.  Almost all prophecy has a near fulfillment and then a future truth of God’s promises.  As you read Zechariah and the words from Psalms and John this week look for the immediate fulfillment but more importantly see the message that God shows of the future.

-Tom Siderius

Reflection Questions:

What are the great anticipations of your heart for your life?

How does our hope in Christ grow as we live today but look forward to the fulfillment of prophecy?

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Miracles and the Miraculously Malcontent

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezra 4-6

POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 12:37-50

The Gospel of John, chapters 7-12, have been happening in conjunction with our Old Testament readings these past two weeks. In the gospel of John, Jesus does not perform miracles per se. At least, John doesn’t call them miracles. Instead, John calls them signs. There are seven signs. These signs work with John’s overall mission. In John 20:31, we read “These are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in his name.” “These things” that are written are the teachings of Jesus, but also the signs that show that he is the Messiah. 

If you see the signs, you should recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. 

That’s the point. 

I really need to drive that home because I want to focus on a part of John 12 that has always bothered me deeply. It was not today’s reading but yesterday’s. Let’s look at verse 9-10 again: “The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.” 

The seventh miraculous sign Jesus performed was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It shows the power Jesus has been granted from the Father over the grave, and that Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life. 

And the chief priests plan to kill Lazarus. They plan to take the one benefitted by the sign and put him down. They are so focused on preserving the comfortable way of life they have that they don’t realize they are destroying the good, the truth, the life of what is coming. A better way Jesus came to make. Maybe some of them knew Jesus really was the Messiah. It is even worse for them because they are knowingly attacking the resurrection and the life. The one who is the only way to the Father. They are doing so by denying his sign.

As you go through this advent, as you share the message of Jesus, the hope, peace, joy, and love he brings, don’t be surprised that there are those who cannot or do not want to hear the truth of that message; there were those in the time of Jesus who wanted to kill a man who Jesus raised from the dead. There will always be malcontents who cannot bear to experience joy and life. 

What you are called to do is to love them, but never become like them. 

May you be full of joy and life, this day and every day. 

May you hear the voice of Jesus and jump for joy. 

May you be raised by Jesus when he comes in his kingdom. Amen. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. In the account of the raising of Lazarus, where do you see yourself? Place yourself in the scene and imagine – what would be your thoughts, feelings, words, actions?
  2. In what ways have you heard the voice of Jesus? What is your response to Jesus?
  3. What is your response to those who reject the message and signs of Jesus that say he is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God?

Jake Ballard is pastor at Timberland Bible Church. If you’d like to hear more from him, you can find Timberland on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TimberlandBibleChurch/ ) and on Instagram (https://instagram.com/timberlandbiblechurch?igshid=t52xoq9esc7e ). The church streams the Worship Gathering every Sunday at 10:30. Besides studying and teaching God’s word, he is raising three beautiful children with the love of his life, plays board games and RPGs, and is currently learning how to speak Klingon. If you’d like to reach out to talk Bible, talk faith, or talk about whether Kirk or Picard were the better captains (though, of course, each were necessary in their own time), look Jacob Ballard up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jacob.ballard.336) or email him at jakea.ballard@yahoo.com. 

God bless you all! 

Qapla’!

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