Tag: Jesus

Red Letter Year: 6/14

Luke 1:1-25

1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Comments

Well, if you’ve been with me all year, you have now made it through two gospels. Today we begin the third, the Gospel of Luke. His introduction is really interesting. Luke and John are the only Gospel writers who express literary self-awareness. Luke also seems to be indicating familiarity with the other previous Gospel accounts. As we will see, he uses both Mark and Matthew at times, but he endeavors to order things to accentuate the themes he believes are key to the kingdom coming and advancing. Luke went on to write Acts (also dedicated to his patron Theophilus). The church in early Acts is the ideal Luke is aiming for in his Gospel. The key themes in his Gospel are ones important for becoming communities that approach that ideal. His Gospel challenges us to continually be communities formed by the power of Jesus’ resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s infilling. The infilling power of the Spirit and the power of prayer show up in Luke’s very first story. We will see them again and again. We will also see how the connections of one story to the next accentuates Luke’s Gospel message.

The New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Red Letter Year: 6/13

Matthew 28:11-20

11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Comments

Jesus is raised from the dead. This does not stop the schemers from scheming or the doubters from doubting, but even the doubters worship and schemes are weak. Schemers and doubters still exist and that can tempt us to fall into apology for Jesus’ resurrection, as though we owe this modern age a fully rational explanation. “Little will be gained in trying to convince anyone that the resurrection might have happened. To do so threatens to isolate the resurrection from the life and crucifixion of Jesus in a manner that distorts the witness that Matthew has trained us to be. The problem, after all, is not belief in the resurrection, but whether we live lives that would make no sense if in fact Jesus has not been raised from the dead.” (Stanley Hauerwas, Matthew, p. 248)  The lives of witness we have been trained to live are described in the Sermon on the Mount. Such lives only make sense and are only possible as lives lived in the kingdom that begins breaking in with Jesus’ incarnation. His kingdom widens with each healing, deliverance, and miracle. All of these are expressions of his resurrection power, on display even prior to Jesus’ resurrection, which widens the kingdom further still and invites all in to participate in the life and widening of the kingdom. It is Jesus’ resurrection power at work when we heal the sick, cast out demons, forgive sins, make disciples, and yes, even raise the dead. All of these still go on today as his kingdom is ever widening, ever advancing, ever taking advantage of our victory that is already won and secured. The kingdom has come in power, resurrection power. It is by that power that we live. And it is by that power that we reap the harvest God is giving us.

The New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.