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Week of 13 Pentecost – Sunday

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Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 -- God's People;
Psalm 67 -- Lord of All;
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 -- Inclusion of Gentiles;
Matthew 15:21-28 -- The Gentile Woman;


Isaiah:


God's Word commands us to pursue justice and righteousness, because his deliverance and salvation are coming soon.

The Lord will bring to his eternal kingdom all who join the Lord to love, worship and serve him,  who  keep the covenant with the Lord, and keep the sabbath unprofaned. They will rejoice in the Lord's house and their offerings and sacrifices on the altar of the Lord will be acceptable to him. His house will be called "a house of prayer for all people" (Isaiah 56:7c). The Lord declares that he will gather "the outcasts of Israel" (Isaiah 56:8a) and others (who do not belong to the "chosen" ones).


Psalm:


May the grace and blessing of God be upon us and may God's face be radiant with joy and favor toward us, so that the world may know the goodness of his ways and his saving power among all nations. May all nations and people praise the Lord.

May all the nations and people of earth rejoice in the fairness of the Lord's judgment and the righteousness of his guidance. Let all the people and nations of earth praise and glorify the Lord.

"The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God has blessed us... let all the ends of the earth fear (have the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God" (Psalm 67:6-7)!


Romans:


Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles, because the Jews rejected Paul's proclamation of the Gospel. Paul told the Gentile Christians that he tried to make his presentation of the Gospels to the Gentiles as attractive as possible, in hope that some of the Jews might desire to have what the Gentiles were receiving. The Jews' trespass (disobedience of God's Word; the Gospel; Jesus Christ, "the living Word" fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified; John 1:1-5, 14) had made it possible for Paul to give the Gospel of reconciliation to the Gentiles. So Paul hoped that the Jews might later accept the Gospel, and be raised to spiritual life from the dead.

God's gifts and call (promises and invitation) are irrevocable. The Gentiles were once disobedient of God's Word, but have now received mercy, and similarly the Jews, who once were obedient, have become disobedient of  God's Word, so that they can receive the same mercy shown by God to the Gentiles. "For God has consigned all [people] to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).


Matthew:


Jesus, with his disciples, went into the region of Tyre and Sidon, Phoenician cities  on the Mediterranean Coast  north of Israel. A Canaanite (of native people displaced by Israel's occupation of the Promised Land; a Gentile) woman came to Jesus and, addressing him as Lord and Son of David, asked Jesus to have mercy upon her, because her daughter was under demonic possession. But Jesus ignored her. She continued to follow and cry out, until his disciples asked Jesus to send her away.

Jesus told her that it wasn't fair to give the "childrens' food" to "dogs."  She replied, agreeing with Jesus' assessment and authority, but saying that even "dogs" are allowed to eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus commended her great faith, and told her that her request had been fulfilled, and her daughter was healed instantly.


Commentary:


God's Plan of Salvation (which see; sidebar, top right) is for all people who are willing to accept it as a free gift (God's grace) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace. God's people are those who love, worship and serve the Lord by obedient trust in Jesus Christ, the "living Word," the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Those who love the Lord will keep his commandments, and will be guided and enabled to do what is just and righteous, according to God's Word, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17), which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God's people are the "outcasts of Israel," the Jews who converted to Christianity, who, like Paul, were subsequently rejected and persecuted by the Jews, and the Gentiles, who had not belonged to the "chosen" people of God, the Jews, but who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The Jews are no longer God's "chosen" people. Christians are the New Israel, and the Church is the New Jerusalem and the New House of God. The Church is the New House of Prayer for all people, but there are conditions to be met in order for God to hear and answer prayer (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right).

God's purpose has always been, from the very beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God's Word. God has designed Creation with the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word), so that we can have the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God's Word. But this Creation and we ourselves are limited by time. God is not willing to tolerate disobedience for ever, or at all in his eternal heavenly kingdom (or it wouldn't be heaven).

God knew that, given a choice, we would all sin (disobey God's Word), and that we needed the opportunity to learn by "trial and error" that God's will was good and our best interest. So God designed Creation so that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10), and all need forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation and death. Jesus Christ, God's only provision for our forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom (Acts 4:12; John 14:6), has been designed into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14).

This Creation, this World, this lifetime, is God's "garden," in which God is growing people who will trust and obey him in his eternal kingdom. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10 a; Psalm 111:10). Anyone who does not have awe and respect for God's power and authority doesn't understand the concept of "God." God has the power of eternal life and death over us.

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c), who have been "born-again" (John 3:3; 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. By the indwelling Holy Spirit, we experience the joy and blessing of God's presence and his justice and righteousness. We are guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to testify to the world the goodness of God's Word and ways, and the power of his salvation, by our word and example.

The Jews were the "chosen" people of God, through whom God gave the Bible Scriptures and the Savior. God never intended for salvation to be only for the Jews, but to be a blessing to all people of earth through them (Genesis 12:1-3). Paul mourned (as had Jesus; Matthew 23:37-39) that the Jews, to whom the promises and salvation belonged, were unwilling to receive it.

Paul realized that, in God's justice and righteousness, all people, both Jew and Gentile, needed and were able to receive, as a free gift, mercy, forgiveness and salvation. The Jews have not irrevocably lost God's mercy, forgiveness and salvation. Many Christians believe that, in the Great Tribulation,  many Jews will be saved. But in order to be saved they must accept Jesus as their Messiah (Matthew 23:37-39).

The Canaanite woman is the prototype of all Gentile Christians (including us) who recognize Jesus as God's promised eternal Savior and King. She recognized him as God's eternal Savior, she acknowledged him as her Lord, she trusted Jesus as her spiritual healer, and she obeyed Jesus' word. She persisted in her faith that Jesus could and would be willing to heal her daughter, and she received the promise of God's Word.

God's mercy and forgiveness are abundant enough to include all who are willing to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and trust and obey his word. The woman was a sinner, as are we all. The woman had a spiritual illness, as have we all. She was willing to accept Jesus' frank evaluation, and she accepted his judgment. She had enough faith in him to persist in her plea until he did what she believed he would.

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)?

Week of 13 Pentecost – Monday
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Psalm 138       Deliverance from Trouble

With my whole heart I will give thanks to the Lord; above all “gods” I will praise him. Toward his temple I will bow and give thanks to his name for his steadfast love and faithfulness. His name and his Word are exalted above all things. On the day of trouble I called and he answered me; he strengthened my soul.

All the rulers of earth will hear his Word; they will glorify and give him praise for all his ways, because he is great and worthy of glory. Although the Lord is above all, he has regard for the lowly and humble; but he is far from the haughty.

Though I am beset with trouble, the Lord preserves my life. The Lord stretches out his arm against my enemies and delivers me from their wrath. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; thy steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 138:8). The Lord will not forsake his works.

Commentary:

This psalm is attributed to David, the great “shepherd-king” of Israel. He is an example of the humble, who the Lord exalted. David had enemies who sought to kill him, and he experienced lots of trouble and danger during his lifetime, but the Lord delivered and sustained him.

God’s Word and his ways are great and worthy of glory and praise. Those who listen to God’s Word and study his ways will realize and experience his steadfast love and faithfulness. Those who live according to the Lord’s Word and his ways will find that they are good and our very best interest. Those who seek God’s will and purpose for their lives can be sure that God’s purpose will be fulfilled in them and that their lives will have eternal significance and fruitfulness.

We will all experience trouble in life. When we call to the Lord in faith (obedient trust) he will hear and answer our prayers for help (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right). He will show us his steadfast love and faithfulness, and deliver us. Our faith and our souls will be strengthened as he answers and delivers us. I personally testify that the Lord hears and answers my prayers for deliverance in times of trouble (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right).

Jesus is the name of the Lord. Jesus is God made visible in human flesh (John 14:8-11). In him the whole fullness of God dwelt bodily in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9).

Jesus is the “living Word,” the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

Jesus is the steadfast love and faithfulness of God made visible. Jesus came and died on the Cross for us while we were still sinners, so that we wouldn’t have to die eternally for our sins (disobedience of God’s Word) ourselves (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8).

Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (from eternal destruction) and the only way to be restored to fellowship with God and eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Although God’s name and his Word have gone out into all the world, not all rulers and people have believed and have learned to trust and obey him. There are many haughty people who want to be exalted and praised and to have the glory that belongs only to the Lord.

Many people trust in “idols” such as money, worldly power, and self-reliance to keep them safe from trouble and danger, but those “gods” ultimately will fail. True eternal security is only in the Lord. His steadfast love and faithfulness are eternal.

There is a Day of Judgment coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the father (Philippians 2:10-11). In that day those who have believed God’s Word, who have accepted Jesus as God’s anointed eternal Savior and King will receive eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom, but those who have refused to accept Jesus and have refused to trust and obey Jesus will receive eternal condemnation and destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46).

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)?

 

Week of 13 Pentecost – Tuesday


Exodus 6:2-8       God’s Name and Word

God told Moses that God had been known by the name of El Shaddai, God Almighty, to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now God wanted Moses to call God the “Lord.” God had made a covenant with the patriarchs and their descendants to give them the land of Canaan, where they had dwelt as nomads. The Lord had heard the suffering of the people of Israel who were enslaved in Egypt, and had not forgotten his covenant with them. The Lord told Moses to tell the people of Israel that the Lord would bring them out of captivity and hard labor in Egypt and would redeem them with an “outstretched arm” and with great acts of judgment against the Egyptians. The Lord promised to take the Israelites as his own people and would be their God. The Lord promised to bring them into the land which God had promised to give to the patriarchs, and it would be the Israelites’ possession.

Commentary:

God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This Creation is God’s “garden” to “grow” his people for his eternal kingdom. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek, find, know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27).

God designed Creation to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not, and to learn by “trial and error” that God’s way is our best interest. God knew that giving us that freedom would result in sin (disobedience of God’s Word), so he designed a Savior into the structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). God is not going to tolerate sin forever or at all in his heavenly kingdom, or it wouldn’t be “heaven.”

We have all sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to have knowledge of and fellowship with God, to know divine, eternal truth, and to receive eternal life in God’s eternal kingdom in heaven John 14:6). This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to true, eternal life, which is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Only Jesus gives (“baptizes” with; “anoints” with) the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God has been progressively revealing himself to the world, first through the goodness and complexity of Creation itself. Then God began revealing himself and his plan through the Jewish patriarchs and their descendants. The Bible is history of his relationship with Israel, and God’s Word revealing himself and his plan for Creation.

Jesus is the ultimate revelation to the world of God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 14:8-11). Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). The indwelling Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God the Father and Jesus Christ to us personally and individually (John 14:21, 23).

As well as history, God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt is deliberately intended by God to be a parable, a metaphor, for life in this world, and an illustration of God’s plan of salvation. In a sense we are all in bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world. Satan is “Pharaoh,” and Jesus Christ is our “Moses.” The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “pillar of fire” (Exodus 13:21-22) to guide us through the spiritual darkness of this world. Through Jesus Christ, we are released from spiritual slavery to sin and death through the “sea” of baptism into Jesus, are lead through the “wilderness” of this lifetime, through the “river” of physical death and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.

The name of the Lord is important. In order to call upon him we must know his name, and believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). His name signifies his character and person. Calling him Lord in faith (obedient trust) is our acknowledgement that he is our Lord, if we obey his Word. We are not to take his name in vain, misusing it as a curse (the second of the Ten Commandments; Exodus 20:7).

Just adding the name of Jesus to the end of our prayers does not obligate God to hear and answer us (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right). Just calling Jesus “Lord” won’t save us or make us “Christians” (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46). Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ who trust and obey Jesus and have been “born-again” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

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)?

Week of 13 Pentecost – Wednesday

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Romans 11:33-36     Divine Wisdom

God’s wisdom and knowledge, and the spiritual riches he bestows are vast beyond measure. His judgment and his ways exceed human understanding.

Paul cited Isaiah 40:13-14, saying that humans are unable to know the Lord’s thoughts and the Lord has no need of human advice. Paul also quoted Job 35:7, saying that humans are unable to repay the Lord for what he has done. God is the origin, means and objective of all things. He is worthy of all glory for ever. Amen!


Commentary:


God’s wisdom is not like what the world falsely calls wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8). God’s wisdom is eternally true and unchanging, unlike worldly wisdom. God’s wisdom is apparent in Creation. It is also revealed in God’s Word, the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word (John 1:1-5, 14), lived out in this world in human flesh.

God’s Word is the revelation of his purpose for Creation in word and example, by the historical record of God’s dealing with Israel. God’s thoughts are higher than ours, but the Bible is simple enough for anyone to read and understand, if they are sincerely seeking to know and understand. The Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the Bible (Luke 24:45). But we are free to not understand, if we choose.

As we read the Bible with understanding we will begin to see and appreciate the wisdom of God. Any average reader can easily read the entire Bible in one year, and there are many Bible-reading plans available (see Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right). Setting aside a regular time each day for reading will begin the habit of seeking God’s guidance daily by his Word and the Holy Spirit. 

God has intended from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of people who willingly trust and obey God. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know God (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who gives (“baptizes;” “anoints” with) the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we have personal fellowship with the Lord, God the Father and Jesus Christ. We can personally experience his wisdom and guidance. We can experience the spiritual riches that only the Lord gives. We can know with certainty that we are in Christ and he in us, and that we have true, eternal life, beginning now, in this world.

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)?

 

Week of 13 Pentecost – Thursday

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Matthew 16:13-20       Peter’s Confession

Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, on the northern boarder of Israel. Jesus asked his disciples who people were saying that Jesus was. The disciples said that some thought Jesus was John the Baptist (raised from the dead), some thought Jesus was Elijah, and others he was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Jesus asked his disciples who they believed him to be and Simon responded, saying that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Jesus said that Simon was blessed, because Simon could not have known that by his own human ability; but God had revealed it to him. Jesus gave Simon the name “Peter,” and declared that on this “rock” Jesus would found his church. (This is a play on words: in Greek in which the New Testament was written, Peter is “Petros,” and rock is “petra;” in Aramaic, which is the language Jesus spoke, the same word, “Kepha” is both a proper name, “Cephas,” and a word meaning “rock.” See 1 Corinthians 15:5; Galatians 2:9).

Jesus told his disciples that he was giving them the keys to the kingdom, and that whatever they locked on earth would be locked in heaven, and what ever they unlocked on earth would be locked in heaven. Then Jesus strictly commanded the disciples not to tell people who Jesus is.

Commentary:

Caesarea Philippi was the site of worship of the Greek idol, “Pan,” and also of a temple built by Herod, dedicated to Caesar Augustus, who had given Herod the territory. Herod was the ruler who beheaded John the Baptizer, and then was one of the people who believed that Jesus was John the Baptizer, raised from the dead (Matthew 14:1-11).

Some people thought that Jesus was Elijah, who was expected to return to herald the coming of the Messiah (Christ; Malachi 4:5). Jesus said that John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy (Matthew 11:11-14; 17:10-13). Others acknowledged that Jesus was a prophet like Jeremiah.

Peter’s confession (declaration) is the “rock” on which the Church is founded. Individual members must recognize and acknowledge that Jesus is the promised eternal Savior and King, the Son of God. Jesus is not just a great teacher or prophet. Just calling Jesus “Lord” doesn’t make him our Lord and Savior unless we trust and obey him (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).

God wants us to seek and find him (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). If we’re earnestly seeking divine, eternal truth, the Lord will reveal himself to us as we trust and obey his Word (John 14:21). Those who believe will come to know with certainty within themselves (John 6:68-69) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus warned his disciples that they had the responsibility to guard their lives and the Church from evil influences, and that this responsibility would have eternal consequences. Jesus also forbade them to tell people who Jesus is. We can testify to the Gospel, but people must decide for themselves who Jesus is, not who the pastor or some other spiritual leader says he is. Who do you say that Jesus is?

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)?

 

Week of 13 Pentecost – Friday

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Leviticus 18:1-5        Obeying God's Word
1 Timothy 1:5-17        Sound Doctrine   

Leviticus:

Israel was warned by the Lord in the wilderness that they were not to live according to the laws and customs of Egypt, nor were they to live according to the laws and customs of the people in the land of Canaan where the Lord was leading them to enter. Israel was to obey and live according to the laws and practices which the Lord had given them, which the people must do in order to live, because God is their Lord.

1 Timothy:

The goal in preaching the Gospel is love which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith (obedient trust). Some people have deviated from these characteristics, and become involved in futile discussion. They want to be teachers of the law without really understanding the subject or knowing their assertions.

The law is good, if people use it lawfully, realizing that the law was not created for those who are just, but for those who are lawless and disobedient. The law is intended to restrain the ungodly and unholy, those who are profane, sinners, murderers, immoral, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and everything else which is contrary to sound teaching, according to the Gospel, which had been entrusted to Paul.

Paul gave thanks to Jesus Christ for the strength Paul received to proclaim the Gospel. The Lord had deemed Paul faithful, and appointed Paul to that ministry, even though Paul had formerly blasphemed, insulted and persecuted the Lord (and his followers). Paul had received mercy because he had done those things in ignorance and unbelief. So the grace (unmerited favor) of the Lord overflowed for Paul with the faith and love which are in Jesus Christ. Paul’s example demonstrates the truth that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and Paul considered himself the foremost of sinners. So Paul received the perfect patience of the Lord as an example to those who believe in Jesus for eternal life. “To the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever. Amen” (1Timothy 1:17)!

Commentary:

The condition for life in the Promised Land is obedient trust in God’s Word. His people are to know and live according to God’s Word. God’s Word is God’s Law, but it is more than just Law. The complete Word of God is also Gospel (“good news”). There are also precious promises of love, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, and eternal life.

God has always intended, from the beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God’s Word. God designed Creation to allow us the freedom to disobey God’s Word, so that we might learn by trial and error that God’s way is better than our way, and that God’s Word is absolutely true and reliable. God designed a Savior into Creation (John 1:1-5, 14), so that we could be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God and to eternal life in his heavenly kingdom.

The Word of God is the history of God’s dealing with Israel, but it is also deliberately intended to be a parable, a metaphor, for life in this world. We are all born physically alive but spiritually dead, in the “Egypt” of this world, in bondage to sin and death. Satan is “Pharaoh.” Jesus is the new “Moses” who leads us out of “Egypt,” through the “sea” of baptism into Jesus Christ, through the “wilderness” of this lifetime, across the “river” of physical death (without getting our “feet wet;” (Joshua 3:13, 17) and into the “Promised Land” of God’s eternal kingdom.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word), and have fallen short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and redemption from sin, and salvation from eternal destruction, which is the penalty for sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6, Romans 6:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Eternal life begins now in this lifetime. We must be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) in order to have eternal life, and this “rebirth” is by the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ who have begun trusting and obeying Jesus and have been “reborn” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Christians are the new “Israel” the new people of God, and the Church is the new “Jerusalem,” the new “city” and “kingdom” of God on earth.

The condition for true, eternal life in God’s kingdom is obedient trust in God’s Word. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified, lived out in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus’ death on the cross has become the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of sin, once for all time and all people who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust).

Christians are warned to live according to God’s Word, rather than conforming to the customs and practices of the worldly societies in which we live, and we must be careful not to allow the customs and practices of the world within the Church.

Sound doctrine is “biblical,” “apostolic” teaching, as taught by the Apostles, including Paul, and recorded in the New Testament. God’s Word is the standard by which “sound doctrine” is determined. In order to avoid being led astray by false teachings we must read and know the whole Bible.

The Gospel is the law of love. Jesus’ death on the cross is a “picture” of God’s love for us. He gave his only Son to die as the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. God’s Law can be summed up in two commandments: To love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Only by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can our hearts be purified, and our conscience cleansed.

From the very beginning of the Church, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), there have been false teachers (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right) and worldly problems within the Church, with which the Church had to deal. Timothy was already a young Christian, but whom Paul had “discipled” until Timothy had been “born-again” (2 Timothy 1:6). He had accompanied Paul on missionary trips, and was the pastor of a Christian congregation. Paul was his “mentor,” advising Timothy on Church administration, and false teachings within the Church.  

There were some within the Church who were not living according to the Gospel. They wanted to be teachers of God’s Word, without really understanding and applying it in their own lives. They were not willing to be “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple and were not filled, guided, and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit; they were “unregenerate.”

The same thing is happening in the Church to this day. It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples. The Church is to be a “disciple-making” organization. But in too many instances this isn’t happening. The Church is settling for making “members,” “fair-weather” “Christians.” If the Church doesn’t make “born-again” disciples there won’t be any “born-again” pastors and leaders.

I personally have experienced examples of people who started to be discipled, and as soon as they had read the entire Bible once, they thought they were ready to teach others. Remember that Jesus’ original disciples were with Jesus day and night for about three years, and still were not ready to go into the world with the Gospel until they had been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit. It takes time to learn to recognize and be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It takes time learning and applying Jesus’ teachings in our daily lives. People who haven’t been “born-again” don’t know what they’re missing.

Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law and the prophets (the Bible; the Word of God) but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). The law was given to restrain God’s people until the coming of Jesus. Jesus established a New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor) to replace the Old Covenant of Law. Christians are no longer bound to the Old Covenant, provided that they live according to the New Covenant, by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-11).

Because of the current controversy over homosexuality within the Church, I think it is important to note that Paul’s use of the word “sodomites” means those who defile themselves sexually with members of the same sex (Strong’s Greek #733; from #730 and #2845: “men bedding, sexually, with men”). Sodom, from which we get the word sodomy, was the city of flagrant homosexuality, which was destroyed by God. God intended the destruction of Sodom to be an example, a warning to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) gave thanks to the Lord for the strength, the empowerment, equipment and guidance he received by the indwelling Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel. Paul had opposed and persecuted the Church and the followers of Jesus Christ. He had been as much or worse a sinner as anyone could be. But the Lord had confronted Paul with his sin, and as Paul repented and accepted Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5-9), he received mercy and forgiveness, and the spiritual blessings that are only through Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-22).

A “born-again” disciple, Ananias, was led by the Lord to go to Paul and disciple him until Paul received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-19). In Paul’s case, his conversion was very quick, because he already had been formally educated in Judaism and the Bible and loved God. Paul just needed to realize that Jesus was the promised Messiah (Christ; Savior).

Paul became the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. Paul is the illustration of the mercy and forgiveness of the Lord for all sinners who are willing to accept correction from God’s Word, to confess their sin, to accept Jesus as Lord and to change their ways to conform to God’s Word in obedient trust.

God’s grace, mercy and patience are intended to allow us time and opportunity to repent and be saved from God’s eternal condemnation and destruction. Now is the Day of Grace; now is the time to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are warned not to receive God’s grace in vain (to fail to use the opportunity of God’s Grace to repent and be saved; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; quoting Isaiah 49:8). There is a Day of Judgment coming, within our lifetimes, when it will be too late to change our eternal destiny, and no one knows when that day is coming for us Matthew 25:31-46).

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)?

 

Week of 13 Pentecost – Saturday

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13 Pentecost – Saturday A

Matthew 20:20-28       True Greatness

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem with his disciples, where he knew, and had told his disciples, that he would be crucified (Matthew 20:17-19). On the way the mother (Salome) of the sons of Zebedee (James and John; 2 of the Twelve and members, with Peter, of Jesus’ inner circle; Matthew 17:1) came to Jesus with her sons and asked him to do something for her. Jesus asked her what she wanted, and Salome asked Jesus to appoint James and John to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus told her that she didn’t understand what she was asking. Jesus asked the sons if they were able to endure the same destiny that Jesus must suffer. The disciples said they were able, and Jesus told them they would share Jesus’ destiny, but that it was not in Jesus’ authority to grant their request; those positions had already been prepared for those people that God the Father had chosen.

When the other disciples heard what James and John were asking, they were indignant. But Jesus gathered the disciples around him and told them that leaders among the Gentiles expect the people to serve and please them, and those in high position exercise authority over the people. But it isn’t going to be like that in God’s kingdom. There, the greatest will be the one who is the servant of all, as Jesus had demonstrated by coming, not to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life to redeem many.

Commentary

The kingdom of God has different standards than the world’s. Those standards are based on the Word of God, the Bible, and the example and teaching of Jesus Christ, the “living Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus Christ is God the Father’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King of God’s eternal kingdom.

Jesus, although the Son of God and the heir and ruler of God’s kingdom, set that aside, and came humbly, as a servant. He came to give to others, and he gave everything he had, including his life, for our salvation.

Jesus’ disciples must follow Jesus’ example and teaching. We must be willing to give ourselves in order to save others from eternal condemnation and destruction, as Jesus did.

John was probably the last of the Apostles to die (note John 21:20-23; “the one whom Jesus loved”). He died probably around 98 A D*, in exile on the isle of Patmos. The Gospel of John is his apostolic teaching, published near the end of John’s life. The three letters attributed to John were written around the same time and by the same author as the Gospel. He also published the Revelation to John, in exile on Patmos in the same period, although some portions may have been written earlier.

James, the elder brother of John, was the first apostle martyred, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa, probably around 44 A D** (Acts 12:1-2). Each in different ways shared the same destiny of Jesus.

The Church is the kingdom of God in “exile” on earth. In a sense all Christians are in exile in this world. We’re supposed to live according to the standards of God’s kingdom now, in Church, and in the society in which we live, not bringing worldly standards into the Church. The Bible and the teaching and example of Jesus Christ are the standards by which we are to live.

Christians need to read the entire Bible, and also read the Bible daily, seeking God’s will and guidance each day. Any average reader can easily read the Bible in one year, and there are several Bible-reading plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right).

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)?
*Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “John,” digital edition, bibledatabase.org - http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html
**ibid, “James”