Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012   My 2nd Passover in Jerusalem - I Broke the Sabbath Tradition   

Page 85-86   John 5:1-47

Our passage for today illustrates that Jesus was operating in a different theological time zone from the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Jesus knew it was the Sabbath when he healed the man. Jesus knew that for the Jews it was a day of rest, as commanded by God. However, Jesus says he was working because his Father was working. Isn’t God resting on the Sabbath?

I think Jesus wants us to see that God is working again. This time, He is doing a new work to birth His New Creation through the life of the Messiah. God’s New Creation fulfills His promise of eternal life, which is life uninterrupted by death. This is the promise Jesus offers the world in today’s passage.

It was commonly accepted in first century Israel that a time was coming when, through the resurrection of the dead, God would make everything right. Those who had sinned against God, those who had oppressed God’s people, and those who chose the path of evil for the pathway of their lives would be judged; and those who had remained faithful to God would be vindicated. (See Daniel 12)

Jesus is announcing to the world that God the Father has sent him into the world to begin the work of birthing God’s New Creation. Those who believe and accept Jesus as God’s Son will enter into life everlasting. This new life begins now, at the moment you believe, and is not diminished by mortal death. In God’s future, your birthing into New Life will be completed by God giving you bodily resurrection that will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. (See 1 Corinthians 15) Since the Prologue, Jesus has been pointing to this: “But to all who believed (me) and accepted (me), (I) gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13).

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians that he came to realize that all his human striving was worthless compared to knowing Jesus. The people listening to Jesus in John 5 were like Saul the Pharisee before God renamed him Paul. They knew the scriptures inside and out, but they did not, or would not, see that those scriptures were pointing to Jesus. Accordingly, even with the testimony of John the Baptist and the many signs or miracles Jesus performed, they would not receive Jesus as the Messiah.

God has a very specific purpose for his Word: “I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11).The religious people received the scriptures as information, but missed the ‘fruit’ part of Isaiah’s proclamation for God. If we open our hearts to be inspired by God’s Word, the Word will then be transformed through our words, actions and good deeds to produce fruit in God’s Kingdom.

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Thursday, November 15, 2012     Back in Galilee - I Taught about the Sabbath

Page 87-88   Matthew 12:1-15; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 6:1-11