“James” Carson & Moo pp. 619-635
James is considered the first of the “catholic” epistles - those written to the whole church as opposed to a single congregation. Rather than speaking to a specific issue in a specific congregation, James has a body arranged around four main themes: trials and maturity, Christian faith resulting in works, dealing with dissensions, and what a Christian view of the world implies. The author is poorly identified, simply as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1.1). Since James is a very common name it is difficult to decide who could have written the lettter. Carson and Moo suggest James the son of Zebedee, James “the Lord’s brother,” James the son of Alphaeus, and James the father of Judas. Of those, the one identified as “the Lord’s brother” is, in Carson and Moo’s estimation, the best candidate.
As with the author, it is also very difficult to determine where the letter was written or when. There may be some wisdom in suggesting that the letter was written fairly early, possibly before Paul’s writings were well known, as James seems to look at the relationship of faith and works in a slightly different way than Paul, but does not address any of Paul’s statements directly. The addressees are Jewish Christians (the twelve tribes) who are scattered. Again, we do not know the nature of this scattering. The letter is in a fairly clear, generally Attic style, addressing its topics in a straightforward manner, though using metaphors freely.
James may have had an influence on some late first century works. Though the letter was well known, it was not cited as Scripture until Origen. By the time of Eusebius the book seems to be considered Scripture, but was still apparently disputed.
In recent study scholars have found themes of liberation theology and a social gospel particularly focused on the hard work of showing our faith. Yet Carson and Moo observe that it is inappropriate to say that James views salvation as being by works while Paul views works in a negative light. Rather, the two authors both see salvation being by grace through faith, but James has a greater emphasis on showing our faith by our good works.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 15 Day 1
Our reading challenge for the day is 1 Corinthians 6-10. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
1 Corinthians 6 - God takes sexual immorality very seriously. How often do we fall prey to our unbelieving society’s norms and allow ourselves to be tempted into denying this issue of purity? What are the implications of telling young people either that they are unable to withstand temptation or telling them that they must withstand temptation and also must wait until they are finished with a college education before they may marry?
1 Corinthians 7 - Marriage and singleness, being a slave or a free person, being a Gentile or a Jew by culture, all is fine. The body of Christ has a place for everyone. But let us be what we are. If married, be married. If single, be single.
1 Corinthians 8 - I wonder what a good parallel to food offered to idols might be in today’s society? We don’t want to do what would make a brother stumble. But what is a serious stumbling block like that in my culture?
1 Corinthians 9 - It is good when God’s people care for their pastors and other Christian workers who have devoted their lives to tending God’s flock. Sometimes it is not necessary but generally it is. Thanks be to God that he raises up faithful saints who will support the work of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 10 - The language of a “participation” in the Lord’s body and blood in 1 Corinthians 10 is what convinced me of the real bodily presence of Christ in communion. God works throughout Scripture in a strikingly bodily manner. I don’t think we need to try to sanitize it by making it a purely spiritual event. That goes contrary to what we see in the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 6 - God takes sexual immorality very seriously. How often do we fall prey to our unbelieving society’s norms and allow ourselves to be tempted into denying this issue of purity? What are the implications of telling young people either that they are unable to withstand temptation or telling them that they must withstand temptation and also must wait until they are finished with a college education before they may marry?
1 Corinthians 7 - Marriage and singleness, being a slave or a free person, being a Gentile or a Jew by culture, all is fine. The body of Christ has a place for everyone. But let us be what we are. If married, be married. If single, be single.
1 Corinthians 8 - I wonder what a good parallel to food offered to idols might be in today’s society? We don’t want to do what would make a brother stumble. But what is a serious stumbling block like that in my culture?
1 Corinthians 9 - It is good when God’s people care for their pastors and other Christian workers who have devoted their lives to tending God’s flock. Sometimes it is not necessary but generally it is. Thanks be to God that he raises up faithful saints who will support the work of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 10 - The language of a “participation” in the Lord’s body and blood in 1 Corinthians 10 is what convinced me of the real bodily presence of Christ in communion. God works throughout Scripture in a strikingly bodily manner. I don’t think we need to try to sanitize it by making it a purely spiritual event. That goes contrary to what we see in the Word of God.
The Pastoral Epistles
“The Pastoral Epistles” Carson & Moo pp. 554-587
The term “pastoral epistles” was given to 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus in 1703 by D.N. Berdot, followed in 1726 by Paul Anton. “Contemporary critical orthodoxy insists that the Pastorals were all written by someone other than Paul and at a time considerably later than that of the apostle” (p. 555). Considerations involved in that discussion involved vocabulary, syntax, rhetorical style, difficulty fitting the letters into what we know of Paul’s history, identification of the false teachers discussed in the letters, the interest shown in the organization of the church, and the way the theology is termed, though not necessarily its content. Carson and Moo speak to these issues, in each instance suggesting that traditional interpretation, which ascribes the letters to Paul and places them quite late in his life, is likely correct.
The section on the ecclesiastical organization strikes me as an important segment. I quote from p. 564. “Many scholars believe that the understanding of church life that is presupposed in these letters could not have appeared during Paul’s lifetime. Specifically, they see a strongly organized church with an ordained ministry.
“We should first notice that Paul seems to have had some interest in the ministry, for even on the first missionary journey he and Barnabas appointed elders in the churches they had so recently founded (Acts 14:23). The salutation at the head of the epistle to the Philippians finds Paul addressing the overseers (bishops) and deacons at Philippi as well as the saints there (Phil. 1:1).
Second, to find an interest in the ministry in the Pastorals we must exclude 2 Timothy, for in that letter there is nothing about an ordained ministry or any form of church organization. Paul does speak of God’s χάρισμα (charisma) that is in timothy through the laying on of his hands (2 Tim. 1:6), but this may well be the equivalent of a later confirmation rather than of ordination (it leads on to thoughts of “power, of love and of self-discipline,” which are just as relevant to the Christian life as to the Christian ministry). In Titus there is a direction to ‘appoint elders in every town’ (Titus 1:5) and an indication of the kind of people who should be made elder or bishop (the two terms appear to denote the same office). It is in 1 timothy that we get considerable teaching about the ministry. Here we find mention of the qualities that are to be sought in overseers and deacons (chap. 3) and an indication that elders are honored persons, to be treated with respect and to be paid for their work (5:17-20). The elder seems clearly to be equated with the overseer (bishop) in Titus 1:5-7, and there is nothing in the other two letters to indicate any other system. Despite the inferences drawn by some, there is really nothing in any of the Pastorals that demands any more organization than the ‘overseers and deacons’ of Philippians 1:1. There is also a ‘list of widows’ (1 Tim. 5:9), but it is not clear what this means (in any case, widows seem to have had a special place from the beginning [Acts 6:1]). Clearly, none of this amounts to much in the way of organization, certainly to nothing more than can have appeared in the church in comparatively early days.”
Recent study of the Pastorals has focused on the authorship, the seeming concern or lack of concern of church matters, and the types of codes of conduct and requirements of church leaders.
On p. 571 Carson and Moo turn their attention to walking through the letters in order in some detail. 1 Timothy has a good deal of exhortation to prayer and faithfulness, holding fast to the truth delivered to Timothy. The letter may well have been written from Macedonia, based on 1 Timothy 1:3. Carson and Moo suggest the letter probably dates from the early 60s, assuming that Paul was released from prison for a brief time after the end of the events detailed in Acts. Timothy is clearly the intended recipient, judging from the many personal comments, but the letter clearly applies also to the general Christian public. The text of 1 Timothy is well documented. The letter is quoted by early Christian writers as early as the second century. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to care for his personal character issues is of great importance as we consider qualifications for ministry.
2 Timothy is written with a clear consciousness on the part of Paul that his life is almost over. Carson and Moo therefore date it in the last year of Paul’s life, possibly as early as 64 and as late as 67. Again, the letter is addressed to Timothy and has a well preserved text and early adoption into the canon. The letter points out that we strive to live out our lives realizing the consequences of God’s work in Christ.
Titus is addressed, as indicated by the name, to Titus, who was left in Crete by Paul. We have no information about when Paul might have been working in Crete other than his brief stay there in Acts 27. Therefore this suggests a work during a gap in the narrative of Acts or a time after the end of the events in Acts. Carson and Moo do not make any firm conclusions about the date. Titus appears to be echoed in Clement of Rome and is quoted by some second century authors, indicating early acceptance into the canon. The letter to Titus strongly indicates that the Christian faith serves among other things to civilize people, something which seems to have been necessary for the believers in Crete. Through reliance on the grace of the Lord we find that we are changed into his image.
The term “pastoral epistles” was given to 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus in 1703 by D.N. Berdot, followed in 1726 by Paul Anton. “Contemporary critical orthodoxy insists that the Pastorals were all written by someone other than Paul and at a time considerably later than that of the apostle” (p. 555). Considerations involved in that discussion involved vocabulary, syntax, rhetorical style, difficulty fitting the letters into what we know of Paul’s history, identification of the false teachers discussed in the letters, the interest shown in the organization of the church, and the way the theology is termed, though not necessarily its content. Carson and Moo speak to these issues, in each instance suggesting that traditional interpretation, which ascribes the letters to Paul and places them quite late in his life, is likely correct.
The section on the ecclesiastical organization strikes me as an important segment. I quote from p. 564. “Many scholars believe that the understanding of church life that is presupposed in these letters could not have appeared during Paul’s lifetime. Specifically, they see a strongly organized church with an ordained ministry.
“We should first notice that Paul seems to have had some interest in the ministry, for even on the first missionary journey he and Barnabas appointed elders in the churches they had so recently founded (Acts 14:23). The salutation at the head of the epistle to the Philippians finds Paul addressing the overseers (bishops) and deacons at Philippi as well as the saints there (Phil. 1:1).
Second, to find an interest in the ministry in the Pastorals we must exclude 2 Timothy, for in that letter there is nothing about an ordained ministry or any form of church organization. Paul does speak of God’s χάρισμα (charisma) that is in timothy through the laying on of his hands (2 Tim. 1:6), but this may well be the equivalent of a later confirmation rather than of ordination (it leads on to thoughts of “power, of love and of self-discipline,” which are just as relevant to the Christian life as to the Christian ministry). In Titus there is a direction to ‘appoint elders in every town’ (Titus 1:5) and an indication of the kind of people who should be made elder or bishop (the two terms appear to denote the same office). It is in 1 timothy that we get considerable teaching about the ministry. Here we find mention of the qualities that are to be sought in overseers and deacons (chap. 3) and an indication that elders are honored persons, to be treated with respect and to be paid for their work (5:17-20). The elder seems clearly to be equated with the overseer (bishop) in Titus 1:5-7, and there is nothing in the other two letters to indicate any other system. Despite the inferences drawn by some, there is really nothing in any of the Pastorals that demands any more organization than the ‘overseers and deacons’ of Philippians 1:1. There is also a ‘list of widows’ (1 Tim. 5:9), but it is not clear what this means (in any case, widows seem to have had a special place from the beginning [Acts 6:1]). Clearly, none of this amounts to much in the way of organization, certainly to nothing more than can have appeared in the church in comparatively early days.”
Recent study of the Pastorals has focused on the authorship, the seeming concern or lack of concern of church matters, and the types of codes of conduct and requirements of church leaders.
On p. 571 Carson and Moo turn their attention to walking through the letters in order in some detail. 1 Timothy has a good deal of exhortation to prayer and faithfulness, holding fast to the truth delivered to Timothy. The letter may well have been written from Macedonia, based on 1 Timothy 1:3. Carson and Moo suggest the letter probably dates from the early 60s, assuming that Paul was released from prison for a brief time after the end of the events detailed in Acts. Timothy is clearly the intended recipient, judging from the many personal comments, but the letter clearly applies also to the general Christian public. The text of 1 Timothy is well documented. The letter is quoted by early Christian writers as early as the second century. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to care for his personal character issues is of great importance as we consider qualifications for ministry.
2 Timothy is written with a clear consciousness on the part of Paul that his life is almost over. Carson and Moo therefore date it in the last year of Paul’s life, possibly as early as 64 and as late as 67. Again, the letter is addressed to Timothy and has a well preserved text and early adoption into the canon. The letter points out that we strive to live out our lives realizing the consequences of God’s work in Christ.
Titus is addressed, as indicated by the name, to Titus, who was left in Crete by Paul. We have no information about when Paul might have been working in Crete other than his brief stay there in Acts 27. Therefore this suggests a work during a gap in the narrative of Acts or a time after the end of the events in Acts. Carson and Moo do not make any firm conclusions about the date. Titus appears to be echoed in Clement of Rome and is quoted by some second century authors, indicating early acceptance into the canon. The letter to Titus strongly indicates that the Christian faith serves among other things to civilize people, something which seems to have been necessary for the believers in Crete. Through reliance on the grace of the Lord we find that we are changed into his image.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Death Is Dead, Jesus Lives
Sermon “Death Is Dead, Jesus Lives”
Our Lord, open our eyes to see the reality of your resurrection, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Jesus is Risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! During the period of Lent we fasted from this statement of “Glory to God.” The Alleluias went away. But they are back, they have risen, just as our Lord has risen. The thing we laid aside has come again, and we rejoice. We delight in the return of that which we had lost. You all know what I mean. If you have never lost something you might not know the feeling. But I suspect we’ve all been there. We wonder where the keys are. We wonder what happened to that book we were reading. We can’t find our glasses. But all those are trivial examples. What about bigger panics? We think of our children’s response when the pet has wandered off. Or maybe we’ve lost something pretty substantial. I remember mislaying a paycheck once, and at the time I was paid only six times a year. Or when we find our car missing, or a child, or a husband or wife missing. The dread sets in and we are out of our minds. What will we do? What’s happened?
Now let’s put ourselves in the position of those apostles. They have given their lives over to follow Jesus, the one they are persuaded is the Messiah. What happened? It seems just a week ago he was entering Jerusalem and was surrounded by crowds of supporters. He was popular! He was going to come into town and sweep out the evil, establishing God’s kingdom. The King who comes in the name of David to sit on his throne has come at last! This is what we thought. It’s what we all thought. So what happened? Something went wrong, and by the end of Thursday, when we were gathered for the Passover meal he was talking about dying. Then he was arrested, given a sort of non-trial, and didn’t show himself to be lord of anything. He gave himself up without even a fight. And we saw him crucified like a criminal. We saw him die, and he died quickly too, as if he had no will to live. We expected a Messiah and all we got was a dead body. We’ve lost, and we’ve lost big. There’s nothing left. All the alleluia has been taken out of us. What are we going to do now? We’re lost, disillusioned, dejected, and probably in trouble with the law.
Something happened, didn’t it? For this very morning, the first day of the week, some women went to do that woman thing. It’s always the women who take care of the funerals, isn’t it? They were going to make sure everything was all right and that the men on Friday had taken care of the shroud the right way. No doubt they were planning to come back to where Jesus’ friends were gathered, now that the Sabbath was over, and would arrange for a pickle plate and some sandwiches. The mourning would go on for a while and then the disciples would figure out what to do with themselves. They would pick themselves up and try to get their businesses started again. Life would return to normal – sort of, as much as it can after losing your beloved teacher. But the disappointment would remain. The loss would remain. The feelings of betrayal? Maybe those too.
We’ve all faced those feelings, haven’t we? In our own lives, on our own turf, we've seen our plans go down the tubes. And we do what brave men and women do. After all, what do you do when your life has been ruined and your career is ended? You know perfectly well what you do. You get up in the morning, get dressed, and go to work. You see if you can put the pieces back together. You carry on. One career missionary I talked with once put it this way. It's all right if you give up and go home at the end of the day, planning not to go back to work again. That's just fine, as long as you give up on that plan by the time you need to go to work the next day. So we assemble, like the disciples did. We may be fearful for our future. We may be fearful for our lives. We assemble, bracing ourselves for the worst possible news.
What is the news that comes to the disciples? Christ is risen! We say it again, Alleluia, Christ is Risen! The disciples know that he said he would do that. They also know just as well as you do that dead people don't rise from the dead. After all, these were people in a long bygone era, but they weren't unobservant people. Just because people lived a long time ago doesn't mean they didn't know the implications of dying. They knew that Jesus couldn't rise from the dead. But the news came to them that he had risen. With that news came hope. With that news came joy. With that news came the delighted unbelievable faith that Jesus had triumphed over death. He didn't overthrow the Roman government. He overthrew the grave! Jesus' resurrection from the dead changes all the rules. He shows that there is no longer any reason to fear. What do we have left to flee from if even death has been swallowed up by Christ's victory? The funeral shroud that lies over all the earth, that shroud we read about in Isaiah, has been rolled up and put away. Jesus has destroyed death. He has swallowed it up just the way you or I might take a bite of a sandwich. He has done away with it. There is no longer any threat there.
Now, you may say, that's all well and good. It's a nice story. But after all, we're modern people. We don't believe in a resurrection. It's good enough if the spirit rises. After all, we know that God will bring a spiritual resurrection in the end. When Grandma dies it's fine. She's been released from her body and doesn't need it any more. She's not really there. She's in a far better place. I've heard people talking that way. I've doubtless been guilty of it myself. But let me remind you. Ancient people are ancient, not unobservant. They lived a long time ago, but that doesn't mean they are ignorant. What is the account passed on to us? This is a reliable, historical account, written rather shortly after the events. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians? Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to a variety of people, including large numbers of people at the same time, something which never happens in cases of delusions or hallucinations. Jesus presented himself alive for a period of forty days before ascending into heaven in the presence of witnesses who were commited enough to that account that they would die for it. Could Paul have produced a list of people who had seen Jesus after he rose from the dead? No doubt about it. And this message of the bodily resurrection has been the hallmark of Christian faith ever since then. It's only in recent years that we've decided to spiritualize it, to say the pagan Greek thing that our bodies aren't of importance. That's paganism, it's Plato, it's the Gnostics, it's a heretical view. Christians confess a true bodily resurrection, the time when our body and soul will be put back together. This is why we treat the body with some importance and dignity. This is why when we have a funeral in the church I welcome the body in with singing, lead the body to the place of honor at the front of the church, and light the Christ candle. Jesus is still with us when we have been killed, and he remains with us all the way through until our body and soul are reunited in the resurrection and we stand whole and alive before him in glory. Grandma's there, in that casket. And she's in the presence of the Lord of glory at the same time. And it's really sad that she's been yanked apart, body and soul separated. But one day our Lord, the Lord of resurrection, will make her a partaker of the resurrection and her body and soul will be reunited. And our Lord will see to it that the body is in perfect, glorified condition as well. When Jesus puts us together in the resurrection, everything is put together right. There's no more suffering, no more pain, no more dying. We're resurrected to perfection, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
What hope do we have? Jesus himself, the resurrection and the life, has risen from the dead. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And he has appeared to many. He has come to his disciples. He has come to many other than the Twelve. He has shown that death has no more power. As long as Jesus lives, death, hell and the grave lie powerless. As long as Jesus lives there is no trouble, no harm we have endured, no sickness, no family strife, no job situations, nothing at all that we cannot endure as we look to Jesus, the hope of the resurrection. He's conquered death. Do we think he can't manage the rest?
Throughout history, every Sunday has been considered a “little Easter.” It is celebrated as the day of resurrection. That's why it is the traditional day of the week to receive the Sacrament of communion. Jesus in his resurrection has brought his body and his blood out of hiding in the tomb, and has revealed himself to his people. He has promised to be with us always, and has shown that he is able to do that by showing himself as the resurrected Lord. And he reminds us that he gave his life for us, giving us of his body and blood so that our faith may be nourished, so we may remember his work for us, so we can receive of his grace, mercy, and love. He calls us, then, to come to him, seeing the power of the resurrection, knowing that he has bled and died for us, and that as he lives for us, we too shall live for him. Do you believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for you? Do you believe he is here, present for you, in his body and blood? Do you repent of your sin and trust that he is forgiving you, preparing you to live for him? Then this table is for you. Christ is risen! he is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Our Lord, open our eyes to see the reality of your resurrection, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Jesus is Risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! During the period of Lent we fasted from this statement of “Glory to God.” The Alleluias went away. But they are back, they have risen, just as our Lord has risen. The thing we laid aside has come again, and we rejoice. We delight in the return of that which we had lost. You all know what I mean. If you have never lost something you might not know the feeling. But I suspect we’ve all been there. We wonder where the keys are. We wonder what happened to that book we were reading. We can’t find our glasses. But all those are trivial examples. What about bigger panics? We think of our children’s response when the pet has wandered off. Or maybe we’ve lost something pretty substantial. I remember mislaying a paycheck once, and at the time I was paid only six times a year. Or when we find our car missing, or a child, or a husband or wife missing. The dread sets in and we are out of our minds. What will we do? What’s happened?
Now let’s put ourselves in the position of those apostles. They have given their lives over to follow Jesus, the one they are persuaded is the Messiah. What happened? It seems just a week ago he was entering Jerusalem and was surrounded by crowds of supporters. He was popular! He was going to come into town and sweep out the evil, establishing God’s kingdom. The King who comes in the name of David to sit on his throne has come at last! This is what we thought. It’s what we all thought. So what happened? Something went wrong, and by the end of Thursday, when we were gathered for the Passover meal he was talking about dying. Then he was arrested, given a sort of non-trial, and didn’t show himself to be lord of anything. He gave himself up without even a fight. And we saw him crucified like a criminal. We saw him die, and he died quickly too, as if he had no will to live. We expected a Messiah and all we got was a dead body. We’ve lost, and we’ve lost big. There’s nothing left. All the alleluia has been taken out of us. What are we going to do now? We’re lost, disillusioned, dejected, and probably in trouble with the law.
Something happened, didn’t it? For this very morning, the first day of the week, some women went to do that woman thing. It’s always the women who take care of the funerals, isn’t it? They were going to make sure everything was all right and that the men on Friday had taken care of the shroud the right way. No doubt they were planning to come back to where Jesus’ friends were gathered, now that the Sabbath was over, and would arrange for a pickle plate and some sandwiches. The mourning would go on for a while and then the disciples would figure out what to do with themselves. They would pick themselves up and try to get their businesses started again. Life would return to normal – sort of, as much as it can after losing your beloved teacher. But the disappointment would remain. The loss would remain. The feelings of betrayal? Maybe those too.
We’ve all faced those feelings, haven’t we? In our own lives, on our own turf, we've seen our plans go down the tubes. And we do what brave men and women do. After all, what do you do when your life has been ruined and your career is ended? You know perfectly well what you do. You get up in the morning, get dressed, and go to work. You see if you can put the pieces back together. You carry on. One career missionary I talked with once put it this way. It's all right if you give up and go home at the end of the day, planning not to go back to work again. That's just fine, as long as you give up on that plan by the time you need to go to work the next day. So we assemble, like the disciples did. We may be fearful for our future. We may be fearful for our lives. We assemble, bracing ourselves for the worst possible news.
What is the news that comes to the disciples? Christ is risen! We say it again, Alleluia, Christ is Risen! The disciples know that he said he would do that. They also know just as well as you do that dead people don't rise from the dead. After all, these were people in a long bygone era, but they weren't unobservant people. Just because people lived a long time ago doesn't mean they didn't know the implications of dying. They knew that Jesus couldn't rise from the dead. But the news came to them that he had risen. With that news came hope. With that news came joy. With that news came the delighted unbelievable faith that Jesus had triumphed over death. He didn't overthrow the Roman government. He overthrew the grave! Jesus' resurrection from the dead changes all the rules. He shows that there is no longer any reason to fear. What do we have left to flee from if even death has been swallowed up by Christ's victory? The funeral shroud that lies over all the earth, that shroud we read about in Isaiah, has been rolled up and put away. Jesus has destroyed death. He has swallowed it up just the way you or I might take a bite of a sandwich. He has done away with it. There is no longer any threat there.
Now, you may say, that's all well and good. It's a nice story. But after all, we're modern people. We don't believe in a resurrection. It's good enough if the spirit rises. After all, we know that God will bring a spiritual resurrection in the end. When Grandma dies it's fine. She's been released from her body and doesn't need it any more. She's not really there. She's in a far better place. I've heard people talking that way. I've doubtless been guilty of it myself. But let me remind you. Ancient people are ancient, not unobservant. They lived a long time ago, but that doesn't mean they are ignorant. What is the account passed on to us? This is a reliable, historical account, written rather shortly after the events. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians? Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to a variety of people, including large numbers of people at the same time, something which never happens in cases of delusions or hallucinations. Jesus presented himself alive for a period of forty days before ascending into heaven in the presence of witnesses who were commited enough to that account that they would die for it. Could Paul have produced a list of people who had seen Jesus after he rose from the dead? No doubt about it. And this message of the bodily resurrection has been the hallmark of Christian faith ever since then. It's only in recent years that we've decided to spiritualize it, to say the pagan Greek thing that our bodies aren't of importance. That's paganism, it's Plato, it's the Gnostics, it's a heretical view. Christians confess a true bodily resurrection, the time when our body and soul will be put back together. This is why we treat the body with some importance and dignity. This is why when we have a funeral in the church I welcome the body in with singing, lead the body to the place of honor at the front of the church, and light the Christ candle. Jesus is still with us when we have been killed, and he remains with us all the way through until our body and soul are reunited in the resurrection and we stand whole and alive before him in glory. Grandma's there, in that casket. And she's in the presence of the Lord of glory at the same time. And it's really sad that she's been yanked apart, body and soul separated. But one day our Lord, the Lord of resurrection, will make her a partaker of the resurrection and her body and soul will be reunited. And our Lord will see to it that the body is in perfect, glorified condition as well. When Jesus puts us together in the resurrection, everything is put together right. There's no more suffering, no more pain, no more dying. We're resurrected to perfection, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
What hope do we have? Jesus himself, the resurrection and the life, has risen from the dead. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And he has appeared to many. He has come to his disciples. He has come to many other than the Twelve. He has shown that death has no more power. As long as Jesus lives, death, hell and the grave lie powerless. As long as Jesus lives there is no trouble, no harm we have endured, no sickness, no family strife, no job situations, nothing at all that we cannot endure as we look to Jesus, the hope of the resurrection. He's conquered death. Do we think he can't manage the rest?
Throughout history, every Sunday has been considered a “little Easter.” It is celebrated as the day of resurrection. That's why it is the traditional day of the week to receive the Sacrament of communion. Jesus in his resurrection has brought his body and his blood out of hiding in the tomb, and has revealed himself to his people. He has promised to be with us always, and has shown that he is able to do that by showing himself as the resurrected Lord. And he reminds us that he gave his life for us, giving us of his body and blood so that our faith may be nourished, so we may remember his work for us, so we can receive of his grace, mercy, and love. He calls us, then, to come to him, seeing the power of the resurrection, knowing that he has bled and died for us, and that as he lives for us, we too shall live for him. Do you believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for you? Do you believe he is here, present for you, in his body and blood? Do you repent of your sin and trust that he is forgiving you, preparing you to live for him? Then this table is for you. Christ is risen! he is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 14 Day 2
Our reading challenge for the day is Joshua 11-15. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Today’s readings detail battles, borders, and inheritances. What must we realize here? All that God’s people have is provided to them by their Lord. He has appointed them a place and a way to live. He has separated them from other people. He has given them an inheritance, but above all he shows that he himself is their inheritance. The generations come and go but the God who has appointed a place for his people remains forever.
Today’s readings detail battles, borders, and inheritances. What must we realize here? All that God’s people have is provided to them by their Lord. He has appointed them a place and a way to live. He has separated them from other people. He has given them an inheritance, but above all he shows that he himself is their inheritance. The generations come and go but the God who has appointed a place for his people remains forever.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 14 Day 1
Our reading challenge for the day is Joshua 6-10. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Joshua 6 - God is the one who fought the battle of Jericho. His servants merely accepted his command by faith.
Joshua 7 - We see what kind of things happen when we choose to trust in our own abilities. It is possible for us to be defeated against all odds.
Joshua 8 - With God's specific command and blessing any task can be accomplished. the strategy doesn't matter. God's blessing does.
Joshua 9 - The Israelites had to take their oath with Gibeon very seriously. Promises are important. How do we view our promises? how does God view his promises?
Joshua 10 - We remember that God's purpose is to give the land to Israel. He is not to be stopped. What is the promised land for those who trust in Jesus, the people of God calls children of Abraham by faith? It is deliverance from sin and a promise of heavenly rest. The battle is not about land any more. It is a battle for the faith.
Joshua 6 - God is the one who fought the battle of Jericho. His servants merely accepted his command by faith.
Joshua 7 - We see what kind of things happen when we choose to trust in our own abilities. It is possible for us to be defeated against all odds.
Joshua 8 - With God's specific command and blessing any task can be accomplished. the strategy doesn't matter. God's blessing does.
Joshua 9 - The Israelites had to take their oath with Gibeon very seriously. Promises are important. How do we view our promises? how does God view his promises?
Joshua 10 - We remember that God's purpose is to give the land to Israel. He is not to be stopped. What is the promised land for those who trust in Jesus, the people of God calls children of Abraham by faith? It is deliverance from sin and a promise of heavenly rest. The battle is not about land any more. It is a battle for the faith.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sermon for 4/1/12 “Christ for Sinners”
Sermon for 4/1/12 “Christ for Sinners”
Lord, open our hearts and minds to the great wonder of your death on our behalf, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
We will be very brief today. I hope you will pardon it. Presentation of the benevolence of the month delayed the beginning of the service a bit. Today's Gospel reading is very long. We have yet to receive the Sacrament of communion. The time is short. Yet our worship is centered on Word and Sacraments, both proclamations of the same gospel, Christ for sinners.
What did the people shout to Jesus when he was on the cross? “He saved others, he cannot save himself.” I expect we've all seen a cross with a corpus on it. You have, though you might not have used that term. It's the cross with the representation of Jesus' body hanging on it. He's hanging there and is dead. Some people object to this. Yet we don't need to find it objectionable. Picture one of those crosses with the corpus on it. Is that Jesus alive? No, in those depictions he has died for the sins of the world, for your sins, for my sins. Jesus, dead on the cross, doesn't seem to us a means of salvation. We, like the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday, would expect Jesus to show himself as a conqueror, a mighty king. Maybe it makes us uncomfortable to realize that Jesus truly dies for us. After all, we expect the person who saves us would not be a person who would die himself.
This very unexpected event, though, is what shows Jesus is able to save us entirely. He acted according to his divine wisdom. As we read in Philippians he did not grasp his own prerogative. He didn't assert his authority to be treated like God. He simply showed that he is God. Yet he does it in unexpected ways. Jesus, called the friend of sinners, has fellowship with Judas, who will later betray him. He gives his body and blood to the one who would deny him three times before the next dawn. He protects those who arrest him from his own followers. He protects his faithless followers from the people who have come to arrest him. He allows false testimony against him. He makes no argument against Pilate. He accepts wrong. He is beaten, stripped, humiliated, and makes no defense. Jesus, in fact, needs no defense. He asserts his deity, but he does not consider it something he needs to defend. He will prove it up in time. By the end of the Gospel passage today he has given us his very life. He saved others. Is he able to save himself? It doesn't look like he is.
As we proceed through Holy Week I'd like us to consider this. The Gospel readings leave Jesus in the tomb. It is the darkest week of the Church calendar. In our midweek services Thursday and Friday we will even go so far as to depart in silence as a sign of mourning. Jesus doesn't save himself. Why is that? It is because Jesus saves us. He does not need to save himself. That isn't important to him. Jesus needs no saving. We need saving. Jesus died, not for himself, but for sinners. Jesus gave himself for us, dying for the sins of the whole world, dying to bring us to God. Jesus needs no savior. We do.
So as we confess the Creed, we remember its focus on Jesus, the one who gave himself for us. As we give in the offering we remember that Jesus gave himself for us. As we pray for the Church around the world we remember that Jesus gave himself for the sins of the world. As we sing the liturgy and receive communion we remember that Jesus has given his very real, very physical, true body and true blood for us to receive, granting forgiveness, life, and salvation. As we receive the blessing at the end of the service we remember that our Lord has send us out into the world to bring his words of grace into our community. Jesus saved others. He did not save himself.
Thanks be to God.
Lord, open our hearts and minds to the great wonder of your death on our behalf, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
We will be very brief today. I hope you will pardon it. Presentation of the benevolence of the month delayed the beginning of the service a bit. Today's Gospel reading is very long. We have yet to receive the Sacrament of communion. The time is short. Yet our worship is centered on Word and Sacraments, both proclamations of the same gospel, Christ for sinners.
What did the people shout to Jesus when he was on the cross? “He saved others, he cannot save himself.” I expect we've all seen a cross with a corpus on it. You have, though you might not have used that term. It's the cross with the representation of Jesus' body hanging on it. He's hanging there and is dead. Some people object to this. Yet we don't need to find it objectionable. Picture one of those crosses with the corpus on it. Is that Jesus alive? No, in those depictions he has died for the sins of the world, for your sins, for my sins. Jesus, dead on the cross, doesn't seem to us a means of salvation. We, like the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday, would expect Jesus to show himself as a conqueror, a mighty king. Maybe it makes us uncomfortable to realize that Jesus truly dies for us. After all, we expect the person who saves us would not be a person who would die himself.
This very unexpected event, though, is what shows Jesus is able to save us entirely. He acted according to his divine wisdom. As we read in Philippians he did not grasp his own prerogative. He didn't assert his authority to be treated like God. He simply showed that he is God. Yet he does it in unexpected ways. Jesus, called the friend of sinners, has fellowship with Judas, who will later betray him. He gives his body and blood to the one who would deny him three times before the next dawn. He protects those who arrest him from his own followers. He protects his faithless followers from the people who have come to arrest him. He allows false testimony against him. He makes no argument against Pilate. He accepts wrong. He is beaten, stripped, humiliated, and makes no defense. Jesus, in fact, needs no defense. He asserts his deity, but he does not consider it something he needs to defend. He will prove it up in time. By the end of the Gospel passage today he has given us his very life. He saved others. Is he able to save himself? It doesn't look like he is.
As we proceed through Holy Week I'd like us to consider this. The Gospel readings leave Jesus in the tomb. It is the darkest week of the Church calendar. In our midweek services Thursday and Friday we will even go so far as to depart in silence as a sign of mourning. Jesus doesn't save himself. Why is that? It is because Jesus saves us. He does not need to save himself. That isn't important to him. Jesus needs no saving. We need saving. Jesus died, not for himself, but for sinners. Jesus gave himself for us, dying for the sins of the whole world, dying to bring us to God. Jesus needs no savior. We do.
So as we confess the Creed, we remember its focus on Jesus, the one who gave himself for us. As we give in the offering we remember that Jesus gave himself for us. As we pray for the Church around the world we remember that Jesus gave himself for the sins of the world. As we sing the liturgy and receive communion we remember that Jesus has given his very real, very physical, true body and true blood for us to receive, granting forgiveness, life, and salvation. As we receive the blessing at the end of the service we remember that our Lord has send us out into the world to bring his words of grace into our community. Jesus saved others. He did not save himself.
Thanks be to God.
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