Why Are They So Threatened?
Today’s Scripture: Acts 4:1-22
4 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
Seriously, I want to know what you think:
Why are the religious authorities so threatened by the actions of Peter and John in the healing of the lame beggar?
Leave me a comment and let me know.
No Israel, No Jesus; Know Israel, Know Jesus
Can you imagine trying to tell the story of January 2021 WITHOUT first telling about 2020? EXACTLY.
If you read today’s scripture reading (Acts 3:11-16), you’ll see that Peter connects the story of Jesus with the story of Israel.
One of the MAJOR failings of the American church is that we have somehow thought that you can have Jesus without the Old Testament—as if he just drops from the sky without any context.
Here’s the truth, however: Jesus ONLY makes sense as the fulfillment and culmination of Israel’s story. Jesus is not just anyone—he is a Jew who lived in the 1st century.
In other words,
no Israel, no Jesus.
This also means that we can understand Jesus best when we understand Israel best—the Old Testament is vital to understanding what the Kingdom of God is like.
To put it another way,
know Israel, know Jesus.
(This is why we have spent so much time at Munger studying the Old Testament.)
If you missed my Bible study on Acts from last night, you can find it here.
Apocryphal Story About Aquinas
ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m teaching an online Bible study tonight, 8:00-8:30 PM CST. Tune in at www.facebook.com/mungerplace or www.mungerplace.org/watch.
Acts 3:1-10
3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
I doubt this story about Thomas Aquinas is true, but I love it nonetheless.
“Once, when Thomas was in Rome and in the presence of Pope Innocent II., before whom a large sum of money was spread out, the Pope observed, “You see, the Church is no longer in that age in which she said, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’”—“True, holy father,” replied Aquinas; “but neither can she any longer say to the lame, ‘Rise up and walk.’”
Lord, keep us from trading spiritual strength for earthly approval.
Why We Need to Be At Church Every Sunday
After Pentecost, Luke gives us a summary statement at the state of the church in its earliest days (Acts 2:42-47):
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
The early Christians made the practice of the faith central to their lives, and cool things happened as a result.
The reason we need to be at church every Sunday is because that’s how the Lord strengthens us and gives us what we need to love God and love neighbor.
There’s just something that happens when we make the commitment not to miss a Sunday.
I dare you to try it.
By the way, this is the exact topic I preached on last Sunday, January 3.
You Have What You Need Today
My apologies for missing yesterday’s post—technical difficulties. Today’s post combines 2 days into one.
Let’s recap:
Jesus, risen from the dead, gathers the disciples together and teaches them about the Kingdom. Then he says:
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
That is, the Holy Spirit will empower the church’s witness about Jesus, and their witnessing will begin first to Israel (Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria), and then move on from there “to the ends of the earth”.
Pentecost is the first step in that sequence.
Pentecost is a harvest festival, observed by the Jews 50 days after Passover. At Pentecost, Jewish pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean came back to Jerusalem. Though they were ethnically Jewish, they spoke different languages. How are the disciples to witness to such a polyglot group?
The Holy Spirit provides the answer: he gifts the church with the gift of tongues, so that they can witness to Jesus in every necessary language on that day of Pentecost, AD 30.
Here’s the point: Jesus tells them they will be witnesses, starting with Israel, and that they will be given power to make their witness successful. They are given what they need.
The same is true for us. We have what we need today, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to witness to Jesus wherever we go.
Therefore, be bold. You have what you need today!
I Think Judas Is So Interesting
Peter here leads the early Christians (Luke tells us they numbered around 120) in a process to replace Judas by casting lots.
What I always find so interesting about Judas is that—as Peter points out here—he was in the inner trusted circle of Jesus and betrayed Jesus anyway.
What do you think the betrayal of Judas says about human nature?
Fascinating Detail About Jesus's Mother and Brothers
What would it take for you to believe your brother was the Son of God?
Acts 1:12-14
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Some quick points:
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…”
That means that these Messianic Jews were disciplined in attending the prayer services at the Temple—they were structuring their lives around the hours of prayer.
“together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” [or brothers and sisters]
I find it fascinating that the family of Jesus has come to believe in him as the Messiah, which means that he must have appeared to them after the Resurrection. (In the Gospels, Jesus’s siblings are definitely NOT his disciples.)
How cool is that?!
The Ascension
Acts 1:6-11
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
After the Resurrected Jesus has spent 40 days (i,.e., a long time) teaching the Twelve about the Kingdom of God, they want to know, “When will all this begin?” Jesus’s answer: “It’s not for you to know the exact timeline, but this is the sequence: it starts in Jerusalem, will move to Judea and then to Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.” It’s like a series of concentric circles, with Jerusalem at the center. (Which, by the way, is also the outline of the book of Acts itself.)
And then, Jesus ascends into heaven, bringing his bodily life on earth to a close.
We’re now in the period between the Ascension of Jesus and his Second Coming, which means we’re still in the period of the preaching of the Gospel and the proclaiming of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth.
How can you play your missionary part today?
How can you bring the Good News wherever you go today?
Read Acts With Me in 2021
At Munger in 2021 we’ll be focusing on the Apostle Paul, and we’re kicking off the year reading through the Book of Acts.
Readings are weekdays only, and are usually relatively short: we’ll finish the book the first week of April, just before Easter. (We’ll read Paul’s Letter to the Romans after that.)
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Today’s Scripture
Acts 1:1-5
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
“In the first book, O Theophilus”
Luke is the author of Acts, which is part 2 of his history of early Christianity. Part 1 is the Gospel of Luke. “Theophilus” was most likely his patron, who funded his research and writing.
As Acts begins, Luke reminds us of how his Gospel ends: with the Resurrection of Jesus.
What’s really intriguing is that the Resurrection is not the end of the story, but merely the beginning.
What might the Holy Spirit want to begin in and through your life this new year?
Cosmic Christmas
Our Final Advent Reading!
Christmas is finally here, and today we have reached the end of our Advent reading plan. (Sorry about yesterday’s post—I forgot to send it out!)
John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Summary: John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
Matthew and Luke start with the events leading up to the birth of Christ, but John starts before the beginning: with the pre-existent Word.
I’m grateful for the particularity and earthiness of the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke, but I’m also grateful for John’s beautiful prologue that sets the Incarnation in a cosmic context.
And I love his beautiful reminder:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Be encouraged. Christmas means Hope!
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Christmas War
Advent Reading - Day 17
Luke 2:8-20
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Summary: The shepherds go to see the Savior of the world, lying in a manger.
The meaning of the entire Christmas story changes when you understand that the word “hosts” is just an old fashioned way of saying “armies.”
Christmas is about WAR—war with spiritual weapons.
I preached on this idea last Christmas Eve.
Census at Bethlehem
Today’s Advent Reading - Day 16
Luke 2:1-7
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Summary: Against a backdrop of emperors and taxes, Jesus is born.
Caesar had no idea that God was using his census as a way to move Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thereby ensuring that the Messiah was born in David’s city.
What might God be using today?
Joseph the Righteous
Advent Reading - Day 15
Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Summary: The righteousness of Joseph.
Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant before he hears from the angel.
Thanks be to God Joseph decided to act mercifully toward Mary.
To whom can you show mercy—unmerited favor—today?
"Strong in Spirit"
Advent Reading - Day 14
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Summary: The birth of John the Baptist.
I like that last sentence:
“And the child grew and became strong in spirit.”
Sounds like something for which we each should be aiming in the year ahead.
You Have No Idea What's Hanging On Your Obedience
Advent Reading - Day 13
Luke 1:26-56
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Summary: The angel Gabriel announces to the virgin Mary that she will give birth to God’s promised Son whose kingdom shall never end.
You have absolutely no idea what’s hanging on your obedience.
Like Mary, obedience opens up opportunities that cannot come any other way.
What is it that you’re resisting? What might be waiting on the other side?
What's the Longest You've Ever Waited for Something?
Advent Reading - Day 12
Luke 1:5-25
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Summary: The birth of John the Baptism is foretold.
What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something?
I think this story is one of the sweetest ones in the scripture—this old, faithful couple, waiting all these years for a child, only to be surprised by the angelic message that the Lord is answering their prayers. So poignant.
Are you waiting for something? Don’t lose heart. Keep hanging on.
Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
Advent Reading - Day 11
Micah 5:2-5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.
Summary: The king will be born in Bethlehem.
Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
The above passage from Micah is what the scholars reference when the magi show up in Herod’s palace asking to see the king of the Jews. Herod asks for expert opinion, and the scholars tell him that the Bible says that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
Of course Luke tells us that the reason Jesus was born in Bethlehem is because Caesar made a decree for a census, causing Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to be counted.
So, why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
Was it because the Bible foretold that’s where it would take place, or was it because Caesar wanted a census?
Yes.
God is always at work, even when we can’t understand it at the time.
John the Baptist Foretold
Advent Reading - Day 10
Isaiah 40:1-3
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Summary: A voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare for the King’s arrival!”
When John the Baptist came on the scene, people remembered these words of Isaiah and saw John as the one going before Jesus to prepare the way.
How can you be like John, today, and point someone toward Christ?
Frankincense Foretold in the Old Testament!
I was reading through this passage earlier this week and I was SHOCKED when I got to the last sentence. Keep in mind this was written centuries before Jesus.
Advent Reading - Day 09
Isaiah 11:1-9
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
Summary: All the nations will come to honor God’s covenant people.
Isaiah foretold what would happen! I just can’t get over this passage—I’m not sure I ever before paid attention to verse 6—foreigners who come bringing gold and frankincense. That’s exactly what happened!
Forward this email or tell someone about this cool connection today.
Peaceable Kingdom
Edward Hicks, Peaceable Kingdom, circa 1833
From the Worcester Art Museum’s website:
Trained as a sign, coach, and ornamental painter, Hicks painted over a hundred versions of his now-famous Peaceable Kingdom between 1820 and his death. His artistic endeavors provided modest support for his activities as a Quaker preacher in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The theme of this painting, drawn from chapter 11 of Isaiah, was undoubtedly attractive to Hicks and fellow Quakers not only for its appealing imagery but also for its message of peace: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Into many versions, including the Worcester painting, Hicks incorporated a vignette of William Penn's treaty with the Indians, an image he adapted from a popular painting by Benjamin West (q.v.). Hicks may have viewed parallels in the two parts of the composition, inasmuch as Penn, who had introduced Quakerism into Pennsylvania, had also brought about a measure of the peaceable kingdom on earth.
Advent Reading - Day 08
Isaiah 11:1-9
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
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 disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Summary: The king is coming and will usher in a reign of justice for the poor and peace for all of God’s creation.
How can you be a peacemaker today?
P.S. “The stump of Jesse” is the idea that the Messiah will come from David’s family. (Jesse was David’s father.) In 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and deposed David’s descendants from the throne. But, the line of David continued for the centuries and ultimately resulted in Jesus.