We are exploring the Gospel of John by looking at the signs he records that Jesus performed (there are 7 plus His Resurrection, the ultimate sign).  John’s purpose in writing, as we have discussed, was to present Jesus as the Messiah, not to provide a complete timeline of His activities.  One of the ways John pursues this goal is by the sequence of signs he introduces.

While some of these are mentioned in the synoptics, John almost always has a twist or a different slant on them.  He seems to be showing us, through the lens of the signs, how the Disciples came to know who Jesus really was and to invite us to follow along.

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The Gospel of John presents a number of problems in determining who wrote it and when (our usual starting place for trying to understand a book of the bible).  First it does not give us any direct indication as to its author other than saying it was written by the Disciple whom Jesus loved.  Traditionally this is assumed to be John the Apostle because John is referred to in this manner elsewhere in scripture.

Current theories as to its authorship in secular and non-conservative circles reference a Johannine School.  A school of thought reflective of the theology of the Gospel of John through which the gospel was written in layers, over time, in the late first or early second century.  These writers had access to the Synoptic gospels and recast stories from the synoptics to fit their theological predilections.

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In Hebrews 13 the author gives his closing remarks, a series of semi-connected exhortations, that cover the lives of believers in the world at large and in the church.  I believe He is calling, in each case, for a specific set of sacrifices that give weight to and evidence of or professions of faith.

And he starts at a rather unexpected place given the context of most of the book (the superiority of Jesus, His Sacrifice, His Priesthood, etc. to the Law, Hebrew Temple sacrifice, and the Aaronic Priesthood.

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Hebrews 6 has the opportunity to become a trap of sorts for us, to tangle us in a theological issue that remains a bone of contention among brothers and sisters to this day: can a person, once saved, loose their salvation? Let me give you what I feel is the definitive answer: yes and no. Scripture clearly says both, any of you could find proof texts on point. Just like the bible says that God foreknows who will be saved and who will not and, at the same time says we have a choice in the matter. These are concepts that seem somehow to exist simultaneously, to both be true at the same time. And if we have the freedom to choose to follow Christ (or not) and yet have our salvation be entirely a matter of God’s sovereignty not our own actions, then, once saved, our salvation rests securely with God and with the whims of our own hearts at the same time. Read more »

People, including me, often say they would love to have been with Jesus and learned from Him while He was on Earth, to walk and talk with Him and to ask questions.  I’m not sure any of the people who asked Jesus questions ever got an answer they could feel good about.  Not even the disciples and especially not the lawyer who is questioning Jesus in today’s text.

Our text, Luke 10:25-37, features the last parable in our three session series on parables of forgiveness and love; the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

There really is no immediate context for the parable.  It sits, a seeming non-sequitur, sandwiched between Jesus’ sending out the 72 and the scene at Martha and Mary’s house where Martha complains about working while Mary sits.  Its only setting is “On one occasion” suggesting it is not related to any event in the text around it.

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Have you been in a position where you just couldn’t catch a break?  You were damned if you did and damned if you didn’t?  Jesus spent His whole life like that.  The religious establishment had condemned John the Baptist and said he was crazy for the lifestyle he lived (locusts, honey, camelhair, etc.).  Then Jesus came and did not eschew comforts and hung out with people they didn’t like and they railed against Him as a libertine. 

In Luke 7:33, just before our focal passage, Jesus says,

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

So, having been called a drunkard, glutton and friend of tax collectors (that was really the worst) by the religious establishment, He accepts an invitation to dine from one of those worthies.  One might logically expect that, having now agreed to dine with the “right” crowd, he would be invited with open arms.

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Happy New Year.  After your discussion leaders compared notes, we decided you are stuck with me until January 29 when competent and intelligent leadership will return.  My sincere apologies.  And since I am much in need of your forgiveness for my horrible grammar, convoluted thought process, possible heresy and myriad other offenses I thought I’d start our year looking together at a trio of parables on love and forgiveness.

I believe these are two of the distinctives of Christianity, in no other religion are love and forgiveness the goal.  Islam tells you its goal in its name, the word in Arabic means submission or obedience.  If Buddhism or Hinduism speak of love it is not in terms of a God who loves us and seeks us because of His (or perhaps her) love.  No, Christianity is unique in propounding a God who cares for us, loves us and forgives us.

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At last we come to the most popular (at least in the present day United States) account of Jesus’ birth. This is perhaps because it is more accessible to us as Westerners because of its fully chronological style and reason for existing.

Just like the other authors Luke tells us upfront why he is writing his account.  In 1:3-4 he says “…I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

Several questions pop immediately to the fore; were the other accounts disorderly and who the heck is Thophilus?  Both of those questions go to the heart of the really big question which is: Why was Luke writing?  And the answer here is, we’re not really sure.

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Matthew was apparently a pretty straight forward kind of guy, not the sort to beat around the bush or hide things in elegant language.  He tells us upfront, in the first sentence of his Gospel what he is trying to accomplish by writing.  He says,”This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham…”, and then begins the begats.

What, that wasn’t all that clear?  Sure it was.  Matthew is telling us that he intends to present Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy, as the Priest/King of Israel. And to do so he starts, not as John did at the very beginning of the world, but at the very beginning of the Jewish people, with Abraham.

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We have talked before about the central mystery of Christianity, of its inherent paradox, that things are backwards from what we think they are, or that two things that can’t be the same, are.  He who would lose his life must find it.  The first shall be last.  Life from death.  Weakness is strength.  What is meant for evil is good.  Victory from suffering.  We find these kinds of themes throughout scripture.

Nowhere, however is the paradox more pointed than when we focus on the person of Jesus.  During these next three weeks of Advent we will be taking a personal look at Him in the three Gospel accounts of His coming.  Mark picks up Jesus at his baptism, so we won’t be looking at Mark.  Matthew starts with Jesus’ family tree, tells how Jesus was conceived, something of his family politics and gives some interesting events that occurred when he was a very small child, but skips all the details of the birth.  Luke gives us all the details, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of John the Baptist’s as well and fixes Jesus’ place in the historical record.

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