Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
In the early church, there were Jewish Christians called Judaizers who were not willing to leave the past behind. They believed that the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were to be practiced in the church. Paul wrote to these Christians to explain that a relationship with God comes through Jesus alone, not Jesus plus the Old Testament laws.
God so loved the world that he gave a great gift, an inexpressible gift. God gave his Son to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus, the Gift of God, bridged the great gap between a holy God and sinful man. The Gift of God left heaven to selflessly and sacrificially give himself on the cross.
On the sixth day of creation, God formed man from the dust of the ground. Then the Creator stooped down and breathed into man the breath of life and the “first man . . . became a living being.”
They were surrounded by everything they could ever want, everything they would ever need. Living in paradise, they had one command: Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The warning was clear. Disobedience would bring death—not just physical death but a spiritual separation from God. Adam and Eve succumbed to the Tempter; consequently, sin flows through humanity. vv
A male lamb without blemish was to be sacrificed, and the blood of the lamb was to be put on the doorframe of each house. When the angel of death passed throughout Egypt, he would pass over the homes where the sacrificial blood had been applied. The Passover became a yearly celebration of thanksgiving for the Israelites and a forerunner of things to come.
In our study of the names of God, we have seen that Jesus is portrayed in many ways. Sometimes, the names are personal, characterizing the intimate relationship that Jesus has with those who follow him. Sometimes, the names express Christ’s work with a group of people. In today’s passage, Paul quotes from Isaiah 59:20-21 to describe Jesus’ second coming.
Jesus is described as a prophet, priest, and king. These represent three major offices for the nation of Israel. A king was one who ruled over the people. Jesus holds that position for all who follow him. A priest was one who brought worshipers into God’s presence by virtue of a sacrifice. Jesus brought us into God’s presence by his self-sacrifice. A prophet was one who communicated God’s word.
When Jesus was crucified, the disciples abandoned him and went into hiding. They feared that they would be next to hang on a cross. But then they saw the resurrected Lord! Shortly after that, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and empowered the disciples. Now filled with the Spirit, Peter let the people know they had crucified the Christ.
Israel was familiar with the analogy of a vine. The nation was God’s choice vine. The psalmist wrote that Israel was a vine “out of Egypt.” God “cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land” (Psalm 80:8-9). Hosea wrote that Israel was like a vine in the land of Canaan. God blessed her with much fruit (i.e., prosperity). However, as the nation prospered, Israel attributed its success to false gods instead of the Lord (Hosea 10:1). In the New Testament, Jesus likens the vine to himself. He is the true vine, fulfilling what God had intended for Israel.
Before Jesus died on the cross, he promised his disciples that he would not leave them alone. He would send them “another Helper.” Jesus had to go away, but this new Helper would be with them forever.
Harrison Butker told the truth. Speaking at the graduation of a Catholic school, the NFL kicker, a devout Catholic, spoke about the sanctity of life, the importance of marriage, and the great calling of parenthood. However, many have taken exception to these truths embedded in the Christian faith.
Jesus was getting the disciples ready for his death. He said that he was going to leave and prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. Thomas spoke up and asked Jesus a question that may have been on the minds of all the disciples.