The Gospel Creates Problems

From the very beginning of Christianity, the Gospel message has created problems.  We know that when Jesus was teaching He often encountered difficulties and challenges.  Many of these early challenges came from the Jewish leaders.  But that would be expected because He was teaching in a Jewish environment, in the land of Israel, and largely in Galilee.  These were Jewish people for the most part.  And He was teaching them of a new Way, a new Kingdom, a new Law....and the Jewish leaders especially did not want to hear it.  And they were willing to kill Him to stop it. 

We might want to note that Jesus didn't start this new Way immediately.  His plan was to leave it to the apostles to carry out after He died and left.  But He told those who wanted to listen that it was coming soon, and He told the apostles that it was coming with power.  This coming is recorded for us in Acts 2.

Later, as recorded in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul warned of the difficulties that the Gospel message presented to the Jews and Greeks alike.  The effect, the resistance, was different between the two groups but equally a problem.  He begins this discussion by saying, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  Then in verse 22 he continues:  "For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness...."   Then he concludes, "...but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

There are two separate cases here: To the Jews, the Gospel presented a stumbling block.  It got in the way of their traditions and practices.  It was going to require them to change their worship lives completely.  Everything would be different....and that was unacceptable to many, especially to the Jewish leaders.

To the Gentiles, the non-Jews that Paul addresses as Greeks, it just seemed like foolishness.  To them, everything has to be according to what they would consider "wise."  But Paul points out that their kind of Wise, is not true wisdom.  Only the wisdom of God is truly wise.

And today we have many of the same kinds of rejection of the Gospel.  It is a stumbling block to some, requiring considerable change in lifestyle.  And others just don't think it is reasonable, that it fits their idea of "wise."  But we know that it is true, that it is the only true wisdom, wisdom from above. 

Let us honor the Word of God.  Thanks for reading again.  All the best to you. 

The Timing of Jesus' Death

I find it very interesting to look at the timing of the death of Jesus.  And there are facts around this particular time that I find most people unaware.  So we will take a close look in this blog at the timing and events of His death.

First we should note that Jesus kept the Old Law, the Jewish Law throughout His lifetime.  He didn't start Christianity; He taught, prepared the Way; but He left the actual beginnings of it for His apostles to carry out (see Acts 1 and especially Acts 2).  In demonstration of this fact, we see that Jesus met with His apostles just before His death in the upper room to partake of the Passover feast, a key Jewish feast.  Immediately following His celebrating the Passover, Jesus is taken by the Jewish leaders, tried, turned over to the Roman authorities, and all events move to the crucifixion.  He is taken down from the cross before the Passover Sabbath to be in accord with Jewish law.  But note that this Passover Sabbath is especially important for several reasons.  It is the last one in which Jesus will partake.  It begins the process of the death of Jesus.  It is the occasion of the teaching of the Lord's Supper, the communion.  And in fact, it is the last real Passover, for Christianity is about to begin in its fullness and the Jewish Law will no longer be in effect.  Finally, it begins a 50 day period that concludes with the Jewish feast of Pentecost...Pente meaning 50 in the Hebrew.

Acts 1:3 tells us that "...He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."  This is the only verse in the Bible where we learn that Jesus spent 40 days showing Himself on the earth after his resurrection from the dead.  And of course He would teach about the kingdom of God because it was about to begin in its fullness.

But thinking about the Pente, the 50 day period, it began on the Passover Sabbath, Saturday, Jesus rose on Sunday; that is one day; then Jesus was alive for 40 days; that is 41 days into the 50.  And we read in Acts 1 that Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit to come.  That happens on Sunday, the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover Sabbath.  So Jesus ascended into heaven, see Acts 1:9, and it was just a few days of waiting by the apostles before they were endued by the Holy Spirit with the power, the power to do miracles, heal, etc, on the day of Pentecost, described in detail in Acts 2. 

This period between the last Passover feast and the Pentecost feast was an amazing period, a period in which Jesus brought to an end His ministry....and His life on this earth.  And it was a beginning.  a beginning of the church, of Christianity, of growth. 

Thanks for reading.  Feel the love. 

Communion....or The Lord's Supper

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, came together with His apostles right before His death on the cross to observe the Jewish Passover feast.  Jesus was a Jew and kept the Jewish Law throughout His lifetime.  But at this last Passover feast, Jesus used the opportunity to command these apostles to remember Him in the future by partaking of unleavened bread, representing His body, and fruit of the vine, His blood.  The account of this event is stated in three places in the New Testament: Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.  The fourth of the gospels, John, does not cover this teaching of Jesus.  We might note, just as a way of remembering, that the location of these three accounts is 2 chapters back from the end of each of these books.

We also read that Paul recounted this occurrence in His first letter to the Corinthians.  Read 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul is chastising the church in Corinth for their poor observance of the Lord's Supper.  Some were using it as a common meal, some eating while others were not, some just not giving it proper respect.  This is good teaching for us in seeing the importance not only in taking it but in taking it in an appropriate way.

Then in the book of Acts, the fifth book of the NT, as the church begins to grow, we find Christians getting together to observe the Communion, or Lord's Supper, on the first day of the week, Sunday.  Note Acts 20:7, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."  The Christians were following the typical practice now of worshiping on Sunday and taking the bread and fruit of the vine to remember Jesus, just as He had taught them to do. 

In these passages, the first 3 spoken by Jesus Himself, the teaching of Paul on the subject, and the passage in Acts, written by Luke, we learn clearly what the Lord wanted of us in the matter of taking the supper in remembrance of Him.  Thus, we come together on Sunday, each Sunday, to do the same. 

Thanks for reading.  And keep the faith!

Beatitudes

Jesus begins the sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5 with a description of what a Christian looks like, what we should be.  It is interesting to view the various characteristics to know better how we should live. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  We see an attitude of life here....and the result of having this attitude.  We all want to be in the "kingdom of heaven."   But it appears that it isn't those who are riding high, living great and feeling self confident that will win in the end. 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  We see the love of God in these words.

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  Emphasis is on the meek...not the bold.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Many verses in the NT mention the importance of searching for God...like Hebrews 11:6. "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  We should live for this.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  It isn't easy to be pure in heart, but that must be our goal. 

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."  Don't we all love a peacemaker...as opposed to a troublemaker?

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God."

We can see from this that the Christian life isn't always going to be easy.  But we want the rewards that come only to those who have these characteristics as our goals.  Let's do it!

Thanks for reading again.  See you next week.  Feel the love...

Bible Contradiction?

There are many places in the Bible where people sometimes claim contradiction.  There are no contradictions but only variances that require our closer understanding.  Here we will look at one such matter that could raise question. 

In Galatians 6 we see where we are to bear our own burdens and to bear one another's burdens.  That certainly sounds like a contradiction.  Let's look closer. 

In verse 2 we read, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."  This is another way of saying that we need to put others ahead of ourselves.

Then we read, "But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  For each one shall bear his own load."

It seems obvious that these two situations can exist without contradiction.  Yes, we are to be responsible for ourselves, to look at our own work, to "bear our own load."  But further than that, we are to be concerned for others, helping them as well, giving their needs priority.  In doing so, we are fulfilling "the law of Christ." 

No one was more selfless than our Lord.  And this was His teaching, His "law"; we are to bear the burdens of others.  There are certainly important lessons for each of us in this teaching, lessons that show us how to better live our lives....and to be true followers of Christ.

There are no contradictions, only passages that require our further understanding.  Let us revere the Word of God, the Bible.  Thanks for reading.  All the best to you.