5 Easter

5 Easter - Sunday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36 Consecration of Aaron and his sons
Hebrews 12:1-14 The discipline of the Lord
Luke 4:16-30 In the synagogue at Nazareth

The Lord commanded Moses to consecrate the Tabernacle and Aaron and his sons. The entire congregation assembled at the door of the Tabernacle with the animals for the sacrifices, the bread and the anointing oil. Moses washed Aaron and his sons at the laver and clothed them with the priestly garments. Moses anointed the entire Tabernacle and it’s furnishings with oil, and then anointed Aaron and his sons with oil, as the Lord had commanded. The animals were sacrificed and Moses sprinkled Aaron and his sons and their garments with some of the blood of the sacrifices and the anointing oil. Moses told Aaron and his sons to boil the flesh of the sacrifice (of the Ram of ordination) at the door of the tent of meeting and eat it with the bread of the ordination offering. Aaron and his sons were to stay within the tent of meeting for seven days until the ordination was complete, under penalty of death. Aaron and his sons did as the Lord commanded by Moses.

Since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the spirits of the martyred heroes of the faith, let us remove every sin and hindrance which might keep us from performing our best in the race of faith, and run with perseverance. Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith; he went first to show us the way, and he makes it possible for us to come to a successful finish; to reach spiritual maturity. Jesus is our example; he endured the suffering on the way to the finish-line, keeping his eye on the goal. Considering what Jesus suffered for us puts our suffering for the Gospel in perspective. Not many of us have resisted sin to the point of shedding our blood.

We should not despise the discipline of the Lord, nor become discouraged by it. God disciplines his children, as any good parent must. His discipline shows that we are his legitimate children. We have accepted discipline from our earthly parents and respected them for it; their discipline was at their whim, but God’s discipline is for our good, so that we may share his holiness. Discipline is always unpleasant at the moment, but later produces worthwhile results if we will submit and be trained by it. So let’s stop whining and show some strength of character, allowing the discipline to correct what needs correcting, rather than making it further out of alignment. Let us try our best to be at peace with all people, and for holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Jesus returned to Nazareth after being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. On the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue. As part of the synagogue worship, Jesus was given the opportunity to read aloud from the scriptures. He chose Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” When he had finished reading, he sat down and the congregation waited expectantly for him to comment on what he had read.

Jesus began, saying, that that scripture had been fulfilled that day in their presence. Everyone spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious manner of speech, since they had known him as a local boy growing up. Jesus said they would expect him to do the great deeds in Nazareth that they had heard Jesus had done elsewhere. Jesus said that a prophet does not have the respect of his hometown that he does elsewhere (because the people think they know his origins and can’t see his greatness). Jesus pointed out to them that in many instances in the Old Testament, Israel went without God’s help while foreigners were blessed for this very reason. He cited the stories of Elijah and the widow of Zarepath in Sidon, and Elisha and Naaman the Syrian as examples. This infuriated the people in the synagogue and they took Jesus outside and were going to throw him off a cliff, but Jesus passed through the mob and went his way.

God instituted the Tabernacle and the Priesthood for the benefit of his people. Holy God agreed to be accessible to his people. The sacrificial system made it possible for sinful people to have fellowship with a Holy God. God instituted it; God designed it; God had rules that he required to be followed. Moses and the people followed God’s rules; they had to surrender some of their autonomy and do some things that they would not have otherwise chosen to do, but the rewards, the goal of their obedience, was worth the effort.

Paul is describing the requirements of discipleship. His point is that faith is like an athletic competition in that it requires willingness on our part to sacrifice our comfort and persevere through difficulties in order to reach the goal and obtain the reward. Instead of resenting God’s discipline, we should accept and value it, knowing that it confirms that we are his children, and that it is preparing us to receive the reward which is the goal of our faith. If we remember what Jesus suffered for our salvation, we will be able to keep our own suffering in perspective. Like athletes we need to keep the goal firmly in focus, and persevere through the discomfort of getting there.

To the people of Nazareth, Jesus was a local boy; the son of Joseph the carpenter. They had seen him grow up; they knew his family. When they heard him speak at the synagogue they thought he spoke well, for a hometown boy, as long as Jesus’ message didn’t apply directly to them. Jesus knew what was in their hearts. The people didn’t want to hear what Jesus told them about themselves. Jesus’ message was intended for their benefit; if they had heeded his warning, they would not have missed the blessings that he had to offer them. Jesus had proclaimed that God had anointed him to proclaim Good News, to give freedom to those who were oppressed, sight to the blind, and God’s forgiveness and favor. But instead of accepting Jesus’ warning and changing their attitudes toward him, they hated him, and drove him out, even attempting to kill him, and forfeited the blessings that Jesus offered them.

It’s not enough to “know” Jesus; to know who he is, if we are not applying what he taught in our daily lives. The people of Nazareth “knew” Jesus; they thought they knew his father, but they really didn’t, because they thought Joseph was Jesus’ father. [Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit before Mary and Joseph were joined in marriage (Luke 1:26-35; Matthew 1:18-25)]. They were unwilling to accept his criticism; his authority to discipline them; his anointing. As a result they lost the blessings that he came to bring them.

Jesus is the New Covenant way, replacing the Tabernacle system, that God has instituted, through which he dwells among us and through whom we have access to God. Jesus is our New High Priest and the sacrifice once for all on the Cross which replaces the Tabernacle, the Priesthood and the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. God has rules which we must obey if we are to receive the benefits of his promises (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Salvation is only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Only those who trust and obey Jesus as their Lord, who are Jesus’ disciples, receive the anointing the Holy Spirit. One cannot claim Jesus as one’s Lord if one does not do what Jesus teaches (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). The Lord does not give the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who do not walk in obedience to Jesus (Isaiah 42:5e). Those who do not have the Holy Spirit of Christ do not belong to Jesus (Romans 8:9b). The Lord does not force his discipline on us. We’re free to accept or reject it.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the Holy Spirit since you first believed (Acts 19:2)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity?

5 Easter - Monday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 16:1-19 The Day of Atonement
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The return of the Lord
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus’ teaching on Piety

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were slain by the Lord for violating the rules of offerings to the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-3). Thereafter, the Lord commanded Moses to instruct Aaron to enter the holy of holies only once a year, to make atonement for himself and the people. The mercy seat was on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, where God met the priestly representative of the people. The cloud was the manifestation of God’s presence among the Israelites (see Exodus 40:34; Exodus 13:21-22).

The priest was to cleanse himself with water and then put on the priestly garments before entering the holy of holies. The priest must first offer a sin offering for himself and his household. The cloud of incense was to protect the priest from beholding God. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the front of the mercy seat. Then two goats were to be offered for the atonement of the people. One goat, selected by lot, was to be sacrificed to the Lord, and it’s blood sprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sinfulness of the people. The other (the scapegoat) was to be presented alive, after which it was to be released (bearing the sins of the people) into the wilderness to Azazel (the desert demon). No one was allowed in the tent of meeting while the priest was in making atonement for himself and the people in the holy of holies. Then he came out and sprinkled the altar and cleansed it with the sprinkling of blood of the sacrifice.

Paul wanted to reassure the Thessalonian Christians concerning their brethren who died before the Jesus’ return. Those who have died will be raised through Jesus to eternal life, just as Jesus was. Those believers who remain alive at the return of Christ will not precede those who have already died. When Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then the living will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. From then on we will be with the Lord always, so we should be comforted with this thought.

Jesus taught his disciples that piety (religious devotion) is not to be practiced to be seen by men, but rather in unity with God’s will. We’re to give gifts of charity without calling attention to ourselves, because we share God’s concern for the poor; not so that people will think more highly of us. Those who give charitable donations in order to have human acclaim get only that as their reward; they do not receive God’s approval. But when they do it without calling any attention to themselves, God sees and rewards their compassion. Disciples are not to make public prayers in order to be heard and commended by people. Our prayers should be made sincerely to God. God knows our hearts, so if we want God to answer our prayers we are to pray privately and sincerely to God. Likewise, if we fast, our fasting should not be an outward display for the approval of people, but an inward act of devotion to the Lord.

Nadab and Abihu were slain because they misused their office; they made an unauthorized offering to the Lord. Outwardly what they did had the appearance of serving the Lord, but it was contrary to God’s will. The people were separated from the Holy God by their sins. The priest had to make atonement annually first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. Only blood from the sacrifices cleansed the tabernacle and the people from sin. The sins of the people were placed upon and borne by the scapegoat into the wilderness. Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was offered once for all (Hebrews 9:25-26); his blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness (Hebrews 9:13-14). He has become our High Priest who entered into Heaven to secure our atonement by his blood (Hebrews 9:11-12). Jesus is our “scapegoat.” He bore our sins on the Cross; he carried them into the wilderness of death for us.

Paul reassured the Thessalonians that there will be no distinction between those living in Christ and those who had died in Christ on the day of our Lord’s return. Most believers expected the imminent return of Christ, and it would be understandable to imagine that those who died might have somehow fallen short.

Jesus teaching on piety is a warning to not make unauthorized use of the rituals of worship; not to subvert the rituals of worship to our own glory. It’s also a warning to us not to attempt to judge our brethrens’ relationships with the Lord on the basis of superficial outward appearances.

Through Jesus’ blood we have been cleansed from sin and restored to fellowship with the Lord. Through the Holy Spirit of Christ we have personal access to the Lord everyday and anytime; not just once a year through an intermediary. Are we making the most of the opportunity?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

5 Easter - Tuesday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 16:20-34 The Day of Atonement
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 The Day of the Lord
Matthew 6:7-15 The Disciples’ Prayer

After the priest had purified the holy of holies, the tent of meeting and the altar, he was to present the live goat (before the mercy seat). The priest was to lay his hands on the head of the live goat and confess all the sins of the people. Then the goat was to be taken away and sent into the wilderness by an assistant. Then the priest was to wash and change his clothes in the holy of holies before coming out into the courtyard to offer burnt offerings for the atonement of himself and the people. The assistant who released the goat into the wilderness must wash and change his clothes before reentering the camp. The bull and the goat which were slain for the sin offering, whose blood was sprinkled for atonement were to be carried out of the camp and burned. The assistant who burned the bull and goat had to wash and changed his clothes before re-entering the camp. The tenth day of the seventh month (September/October) was designated as the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). It was to be a Sabbath of solemn rest

Believers should not be preoccupied with trying to determine a precise timetable for the coming Day of Judgment. Jesus warned that the Day of the Lord would come like a thief in the night, or like labor pains to a pregnant woman. Believers are not ignorant of the fact that judgment is coming so as to be caught by surprise. So believers are to stay alert and sober. Believers live in the light of the Gospel; sleeping and drunkenness (living in carelessness, sin and debauchery) are not appropriate behavior for those living in the daylight, but are practiced by those living in darkness. Instead of those worldly vices, let us put on the armor of Christian virtues of faith, love and hope. God’s will for us is that we would be saved through Jesus Christ, who died so that whether we die before he returns for us or are still living on that day, we may live eternally with him. Let us encourage and build up one another with these thoughts.

Jesus taught his disciples how they ought to pray. God knows our hearts and our needs. We can’t fool or impress God with our words. Sincerity is vastly more important than eloquence. When we pray we should acknowledge and reverence God’s glory and pray for his glory to be throughout this world. Believers are to be committed to work and pray for the coming of God’s kingdom (even unto ourselves), and to pray that God’s will would be done on earth (even by ourselves) as it is in heaven, completely and gladly.

We acknowledge that all that we need for daily life comes from him, and ask him, with gratefulness, to provide for our needs today. We acknowledge that we are sinful and in need of forgiveness that he alone can provide, and we recognize our obligation to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We ask God to help us avoid temptation and, through Jesus, to be victorious over temptation. We ask God to save us from every evil and bring us to his eternal kingdom. Jesus warns us that unless we are willing to forgive others who sin against us, God will not forgive us our sins.

The Day of Atonement was generally understood as a day of judgment. It was a time of self-examination and confession. Every year, for only one day only the priest could enter into the presence of the Lord. First he had to wash and put on clean garments. Then he had to bring the blood of the sacrifice with him into God’s presence, as a substitution for his own blood and the blood of the people. Finally, when the Tabernacle and all it’s furnishings, the priest and the people had been purified, the sins of all were confessed and placed upon the scapegoat carried them into the wilderness away from the camp and the people.

There is a Day of Judgment coming, when Christ will return to judge all who have ever lived on earth. (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46). Paul tells believers that they shouldn’t be preoccupied with trying to determine when that will be. Jesus said of that day that no one knows the day or time (Matthew 24:36). What believers should be doing is living every day in obedience to God’s will. Jesus has delivered us from the kingdom of the darkness of sin into the kingdom of the light of his righteousness.

Believers are to live as citizens of that kingdom of righteousness. If we’re living in faith and obedience to Jesus, we don’t have to worry about the Day of Judgment; it is the Lord’s will for us to be saved and to receive eternal life in Heaven with him. Jesus’ blood, shed as a sacrifice for our sins on the Cross, atones for our sins. Jesus is our scapegoat; he bore our sins on the cross and removed them far from us. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross we are restored to full fellowship with God, not just one day a year, but once for all time and all people, provided that we trust and obey Jesus as our Lord and savior.

If we truly believe Jesus, we will do what he says. When Christians do what is contrary to God’s word we dishonor God in our world. Are we acknowledging and reverencing God’s glory on earth as God is honored and glorified in heaven? Are we working and praying for the coming of God’s kingdom on earth as it is present in Heaven? Are we working and praying for God’s will to be done in our lives and in our world as it is done in Heaven? Do we acknowledge with thankfulness that everything we have comes from God? Do we realize and appreciate the forgiveness we have through Jesus Christ? Do we forgive others as we have been forgiven? Do we ask God to help us resist temptation and to be victorious over temptation through Jesus Christ?

5 Easter - Wednesday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 19:1-18 The Life of Holiness
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Exhortations to Christian Living
Matthew 6:19-24 Treasure in Heaven

The Lord said, “You shall be holy for I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). God expects us to keep the Ten Commandments. The peace offering was a covenant meal affirming the individuals’ relationship with God and the congregation. It was to be partaken in accordance with God’s instructions; anyone who ate it in an unworthy manner would be cut off from the congregation and accountable to God for his sin. The Lord commanded regulations concerning harvests, to prevent the people from becoming so obsessed with personal gain that there was undue hardship on the poor. The people were to avoid doing anything that would profane the name of the Lord. They were to love their neighbors as they loved themselves.

Paul exhorted believers to respect their Christian leaders, and to be at peace with fellow believers; to admonish the idle (those who are not working for the up-building of the kingdom), encourage the fainthearted (the fearful, the timid, and the discouraged), to help those who are weak (in faith), and to be patient with all. We are never to repay evil with evil but are always to seek to do good to our brethren in the faith and to all people. We are to have an attitude of rejoicing, thanksgiving and prayer at all times. We are not to quench the Holy Spirit (not to resist the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or to indulge in sin, which interferes with the working of the Holy Spirit through us). We are not to neglect the proclamation of God’s word. We are to be discerning; evaluating everything in relationship to God’s word, so that we will be able to hold fast to what is worthy and to abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace bring us to spiritual maturity and keep us sound and blameless at the return of the Lord on the Day of Judgment. God is faithful and he will do it. Paul sent his greetings and asks for their prayers; he asked that the letter be read to all the brethren, and closed with a benediction that we might receive the grace (the free gift of salvation; God’s unmerited favor) which is available to us through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord.

Jesus warns us not to desire or expend our efforts on accumulating material wealth, which offers no eternal security, but instead to pursue the spiritual goals, which do have eternal value. What we value will determine where our devotion lies. The eye is like a window which lets light into our bodies. Spiritual blindness is similar to physical blindness. If there is something wrong with the eye that causes it not to see the light, then the whole body is full of darkness, which represents sin). If we misperceive darkness (perhaps false religion) as light our spiritual vision is profoundly defective. If we deliberately indulge in darkness once we have been enlightened, our sinfulness is profound and without cure. No one can serve two masters, because it is impossible to please both. We will serve one or the other; we cannot pursue both the things of God and the things of this world, so we must choose which we will serve.

The Lord expects us to obey his word. Our behavior is to bring honor and glory to God. Those who participated in the meal of the covenant in an unworthy manner were to be cut off from the congregation and left to the judgment of God. This applies to the Eucharist (The Sacrament of Holy Communion; the Lord’s Supper) which is the New Covenant meal. The Lord commanded his people specifically not to be so obsessed with wringing every last penny of profit from our enterprise that there was nothing left for the poor to gather for sustenance; yet among many who claim to be “Christian” today in our society, the “bottom line” is everything.

We claim to be a Christian nation, and yet “outsourcing” is the conventional “enlightenment.” Our capitalists pay slave wages to foreigners in order to wring every last penny of profits, without any gratitude for their blessings or any sense of obligation to the poor of our society. They even try, often successfully, to avoid paying income tax. Do you think they tithe? Are we participating in Holy Communion, the meal of the New Covenant, in a worthy manner? Are pastors and congregations allowing people to be members in good standing and to participate in the covenant meal when they are openly participating in an unworthy manner?

Are we living the Christian life according to the standards Paul set forth?

Are we trying to serve two masters? Are we laying up treasure in heaven, or condemnation to Hell in the Day of Judgment?

Do we imagine that we are glorifying the name of the Lord and promoting the kingdom of Jesus Christ by coveting and seizing the material resources of the gentiles? Are we truly trying to glorify our Lord or are we interested only in gratifying our own selfish interests?

5 Easter - Thursday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 19:26-37 Prohibitions against heathen practices
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 The Judgment of God
Matthew 6:25-34 Seek first the Kingdom of God

These laws were to prevent the Israelites from adopting the heathen practices of their neighbors. They were not to eat flesh with blood in it. They were not to mutilate hair or body, a common practice at the time, as a sign of mourning. They were not to incorporate prostitution into religious observance, another common practice of the time; they were not to consult practitioners of the occult. They were to honor the elderly, and they were to fear God. Strangers were to be treated like natives, remembering that Israel sojourned in Egypt. They were to have honest weights and measures. They were to obey all the Lord’s commandments.

Paul gave thanks for the growing faith and love of the believers at Thessalonica. Paul was proud of them for their steadfastness in persecution and affliction. Their suffering, through which testing they would be made worthy for the kingdom of God, would reveal the righteous judgment of God. The result will be God’s judgment of rest for those who were afflicted, and affliction to those who afflicted them, on the day of the Lord’s return. In that day he will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their punishment will be eternal destruction (not annihilation; not "nothingness") and eternal exclusion from the Lord’s presence. On the day of his return Jesus will be glorified by what he has accomplished for his people, and marveled at by all who have believed as the result of the testimony of his witnesses. Paul’s prayer for believers is that they would be worthy of the Lord’s call, and that their good intentions might accomplish appropriate results, so that the name of Jesus would be glorified in them, that they in turn would be glorified in Jesus, according to God’s grace.

Jesus taught that we should not be preoccupied with our need for food and clothing. God our Father cares for us and is able to provide for us as illustrated by his creation. Worrying is unproductive; we cannot solve our problems by worrying about them. A better way to live is to trust in God who loves us and who will provide for our needs. If we will seek first God’s kingdom in our lives, he will provide for all our daily needs, but if we do not trust God to provide for our needs and feel that we must first provide for our needs ourselves, we will never get around to seeking God’s kingdom, and it will be impossible for us to find, because it requires trust in God and obedience to his word. Therefore Jesus counsels us not to worry about tomorrow; we should just live one day at a time.

The Lord didn’t want his people to adopt the sinful practices of the culture around them. It was commonly believed that the blood of an animal contained its spirit, or life-force. God didn’t want his people consuming the blood of animals, because he wanted his Holy Spirit to dwell in them. God’s people were not to mourn like heathens who have no hope of eternal life with God. The Lord did not want his people to consult practitioners of the occult because such practices are demonic. God doesn’t want his people to be influenced by demonic spirits; God wants to lead us by his Holy Spirit. God wants his people to treat others fairly and equally, so that the Lord will be glorified in all that we do. If believers treat others badly, we have seriously jeopardized others’ opportunity to hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ and eternal salvation.

There is a Day of Judgment coming, when those who have rejected and refused to obey Jesus Christ will be punished with eternal destruction (not annihilation) and eternal separation from God. Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will receive eternal life with the Lord in Heaven. When the Lord returns, he will be glorified for what he has done for his people in making possible their forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Paul commends believers for their growing spiritual maturity and their perseverance through persecution. His prayer for them is that their good intentions would produce appropriate results that will glorify Jesus, so that on the day of the Lord they might be glorified in Jesus.

Seeking the kingdom of God is the most important thing we can do; it should be our main mission in life. I personally totally believe that the central reason and purpose for life on this earth is to seek after and find God (Acts 17:26-27). God wants us to find him. He has promised that if we sincerely seek him he will be found by us (2 Chronicles 15:2b-d; see Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus Christ is the fullest manifestation of God to the world, and Jesus is the only way to God and his kingdom (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

Are we seeking the Holy Spirit, or are we indulging our “animal spirits?” Are we living like citizens of an eternal kingdom, or like there’s no tomorrow? Have we allowed immorality and perversion into our Churches? Do we dabble in the occult, perhaps check our horoscopes, and think that it’s harmless? Are we reforming and renewing the culture around us according to God’s word, or are we being conformed to and ruined by that culture? Are we treating others in ways that glorifies the name of the Lord? When Jesus returns his enemies will be punished. Jesus will be glorified for what he has done for his people. Will those who call themselves his people be glorified for what they have done in Jesus’ name or will they be ashamed? Which group will you be in on the Day of the Lord?

5 Easter - Friday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 23:1-22 Appointed feasts
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 The Day of the Lord
Matthew 7:1-12 Practical application of Jesus’ message

The Lord commanded the observance of several sacred holidays. The first was the Sabbath; a day of rest and communal worship every seventh day. Then the annual feasts: Passover on the evening of the 14th of the first month (March-April) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days beginning the 15th day of the first month with a holy convocation and ending on the 21st with a holy convocation and Sabbath rest. The offering of first fruits occurred the day after the concluding Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (i.e., on the 22nd of the first month; the beginning of the barley harvest). There was to be an offering of the first fruits before any of the harvest could be eaten. A one-year old male Lamb perfect, unblemished Lamb was also to be offered as a burnt offering. Fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened bread was the Feast of Weeks, at the completion of the wheat harvest. A wave offering of bread made from the wheat as the first fruits of the harvest was made. A number of animals were also sacrificed. The day was to be a Sabbath of corporate worship and rest. The Lord specifically instructed his people to leave some of their harvest ungathered, for the poor and the alien to glean.

An erroneous teaching had arisen in the Thessalonian congregation that the Day of the Lord had already come. Paul wanted to correct the false teaching and reassure the Thessalonians. Believers are not to be misled by anyone claiming by the word of God or the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the Day of the Lord’s return has already occurred. Paul said that the Lord will not return before the antichrist has been revealed. The manifestation of the antichrist will be accompanied by great signs and wonders, which will deceive those who are perishing (Matthew 24:24), because they have refused to believe the truth (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) and so be saved. All those who have rejected the truth and have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. But Paul rejoiced that the Thessalonians had responded to God’s call to be saved through the sanctifying influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit through faith in the truth of Jesus Christ. God has called us through the Gospel so that we might share in the glory of Jesus Christ. So believers are urged to hold fast to the apostolic faith as recorded in the Scriptures. God has loved us and has given us eternal comfort and a great hope as a free gift; so let us be comforted and firmly stand and live (applying the word in our daily lives) according to the Gospel truth.

Here is the practical application of Jesus’ message. We’re not to be condemning of others, but let us be honest with ourselves. Let us not use the shortcomings of others to overlook or excuse our own shortcomings. Let’s change ourselves, over whom we do have control, instead of trying to change others. Don’t expect unbelievers to value spiritual truth; understand that they cannot appreciate spiritual truth any more than a pig can value fine jewelry. Forcing spiritual truth on unbelievers can prompt a vicious response. If we earnestly seek the things of God we will find them. If we ask God in faith for what we truly need we will receive it. God loves us as a good father loves his children. God wants to give us good things; he doesn’t give evil when we ask for what is good. So we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. If we do that we will have satisfied all God’s commandments.

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ on the night he was betrayed was the celebration of the Passover. The Passover meal commemorated God’s saving work of sparing the Israelites, by the blood of the Passover Lamb, from the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians. The Israelites were obedient to God’s commands concerning the first Passover meal, and waited in faith for the Lord to deliver them from bondage to sin and death in Egypt and to lead them to the Promised Land. Passover is an illustration of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Jesus became our Passover Lamb. His blood protects us from eternal death. His Holy Spirit sanctifies (purifies and designates us for service to God) and leads us to the eternal Promised Land of the kingdom of God in Heaven. T

he Festival of Weeks (a week of weeks; i.e., seven weeks, or 49 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread) was the celebration of the harvest, which came to be known as Pentecost (Greek for “fifty”). Pentecost became the day that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church after Jesus resurrection and ascension into heaven. Pentecost is the spiritual harvest. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the first fruits of our salvation. It is the “down payment” by which we have some immediate reward, and it is the “security deposit” which guarantees our inheritance of eternal life.

The Holy Spirit works in believers to purify them and to mark them as holy and dedicated to the service of the Lord. The Lord gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who trust and obey Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit comforts us, empowers us, and leads us and assures us that we are in Christ. Those who do not have the Holy Spirit of Christ do not belong to Jesus (Romans 8:9b).

The Lord gives the Holy Spirit to those who walk in it (Isaiah 42:5e; i.e., those who are obedient to God’s will). God wants us to have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but he won’t give his Holy Spirit to those who will not submit to the Spirit’s leading. If we want the gift we must seek it; we must begin to apply Jesus’ teaching in our daily lives. Are you willing to be Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you sought the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit? Have you received the Holy Spirit since you first believed (Acts 19:2)? Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

5 Easter - Saturday

first posted 05/07/04

Leviticus 23:23-44 Appointed feasts
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 Exhortation to diligence
Matthew 7:13-21 Known by their fruit

In addition to Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of First Fruits, and Pentecost , the first day of the seventh month (September-October) was the Festival of Trumpets, or New Year. It was to be a day of sabbath rest and corporate worship (as a group), begun with a blast of trumpets; a burnt offering was to be presented. On the tenth day of that month was the Day of Atonement. It was to be a day of sabbath rest and of corporate worship. It was a day of penitence. A burnt offering was to be presented.

On the fifteenth day of the month, for seven days, was the Feast of Booths, or Thanksgiving. The first day was a sabbath rest with corporate worship. A burnt offering was to be presented every day for seven days. The eighth day was also a sabbath rest and corporate worship with a burnt offering. All the people were to live in booths (temporary shelters made of branches) in the fields for seven days, commemorating Israel’s nomadic experience in the wilderness when the Lord led them out of Egypt. It was to be a time of rejoicing, expressed by waving palm branches and other leafy branches. These appointed feasts were to be observed in addition to the ordinary Sabbaths and offerings.

In closing, Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray for the spread of the Gospel, and that the Lord would deliver believers from evil. Paul expressed confidence that the Thessalonians were and would continue to be obedient to the Gospel as Paul had taught them. Some of the believers, believing that Christ’s return was imminent, had quit working and were living in idleness, dependent upon the generosity of others. Paul told the Thessalonians to shun those members and not support them by continuing to feed them.

Paul had set an example while he was with them. He had not required their support in return for his ministry, but had supported himself at his trade as a tentmaker. Paul also instructed them to shun anyone who refuses to obey the instructions Paul had given in this letter, not in enmity, but as a warning so that the individual and the congregation would be built up and strengthened. He offered a final benediction of peace, and appended his signature and a short note in his own handwriting to assure the genuineness of the letter.

Discipline is required of believers. Jesus warned that the easy, undisciplined way leads to destruction. Jesus’ way requires effort and self-denial. Not everyone will be willing to make the effort, but the reward is true life now and eternally. Jesus warned his followers to beware of false prophets, who appear outwardly to be of God, but who are inwardly working against the best interests of God’s people. The test of a prophet is an examination of his works. Not everyone who claims Jesus as Lord will be saved. Those for whom Jesus is truly Lord will do what Jesus commanded and taught.

The Lord wanted his people to observe every Sabbath with corporate worship and rest, in addition to the major festivals which commemorated the great things that the Lord had done for his people. Individuals who violated the law concerning the keeping of the Day of Atonement were to be removed from the congregation (Leviticus 23:29-30).

Those who truly believe in Jesus should want to pray and work for the spread of the Gospel. We should not only pray that someone else would spread the Gospel. If we sincerely pray for the spread of the Gospel the Lord will show us how we can participate. Paul was referring to a particular situation in the Thessalonian congregation, but his instructions concerning idleness also has a universal application to the work of ministry. In many churches today, many members come to church to be spiritually “fed” but they don’t do any of the work of spreading the Gospel; they leave that up to the Pastor.

All believers are called to be disciples. The church is called to make disciples who will then go out and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). The commission to make disciples includes teaching believers to obey all that Jesus commanded. This is most often not happening. Paul told his congregations not to tolerate members who sucked up resources and didn’t do any useful work (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11). He also told them not to tolerate members who do not obey the scriptures (2 Thessalonians 3:14).

Jesus warns us that the way to eternal life is not the wide, easy road. Discipleship is required: discipline, self-denial, active faith that practices what it preaches. Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets. There are many, even in pulpits, today who are proclaiming a gospel of “Cheap Grace.*” We are saved by grace (God’s unmerited favor) through faith (sincere conviction which directs our actions); not by works (good deeds) (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Cheap Grace*” is counting on God’s unmerited favor without being obedient to his words; without producing the fruits of faith in our lives; grace without discipleship.

Not only are works the test of a prophet; they are the test of the “believer” as well (James 2:17-18). Jesus said, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21) and “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you (Luke 6:46)? Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

*See: The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6