Bible Study for Sermon on June 3, 2012
Psalm 29 is a hymn of praise to Yahweh, whose power is manifested in the storm. The appearance of a deity to humans, called a theophany, is always portrayed in the OT in naturalistic terms, e.g., in the sound of the afternoon breeze (Genesis 3:8), as a smoking pot (Genesis 15:17), as a burning bush (Exodus 3:2), as a lightning-filled storm cloud (Exodus 13:21), and, most commonly in the case of Israel's patron deity, the storm itself (Exodus 20:18; Deuteronomy 4:12; 1 Kings 18:38 and many others). Even in the cases where an individual receives direct revelation (phrased as "the word of the LORD came to ..."), the natural remains an essential element in the divine-human interaction. Although the bulk of the composition that is today's psalm comprises nature imagery, the concluding verse links the Lord of nature with the historical God of Israel. The natural and the historical are united in the divine. Psalm 29 is a good example of this basic idea of biblical theology.
Structurally, the psalm falls into five identifiable parts: verses 1-2 ("Ascribe"); verses 3-4 (the voice of the LORD on the waters); verses 5-6 (Lebanon); verses 8-9b (the wilderness and forest); and verses 10-11 (the LORD enthroned).
The verb repeated three times in the opening two verses, "Ascribe," is an infrequent Hebrew verb (yahav) that means "give, set, provide, come now." These verses are parallelled at Psalm 96:7-8 and 1 Chronicles 16:28-29, with the significant substitution of "families of the peoples" for "heavenly beings" and the insertion in Psalm 96 and 1 Chronicles of "bring an offering and come before him" before "worship the LORD in holy splendor."
The "heavenly beings" referred to in Psalm 29:1 (but not in Psalm 96 or 1 Chronicles) are referred to also in Psalm 89:7 (as bene elim, "sons of gods,"). In Genesis 6:2, 4 and Job 1:6; 2:1, the same beings are called "sons of God" (bene ha-'elohim), and in Job 38:7, the same beings are referred to with yet a third Hebrew form, bene 'elohim, "sons of God," without the definite article. The class of being is the same with all three Hebrew variants: divine members of the heavenly assembly presided over by Yahweh. These divine beings differ from other heavenly denizens, such as angels ("messengers" in Hebrew), seraphim (literally "burning ones") and the heavenly host (i.e., armies). The "offspring of God" partake of the same essential nature as God, which angels, etc., do not share. Being in the same class (or of the same nature or essence) as the deity did not, however, denote equality (cf. the description of equality with God as "a thing to be grasped" [RSV] at Philippians 2:6). The members of the heavenly court functioned as the Lord's "servants and worshippers", reflecting the henotheistic perspective of early Israelite religion (in which the existence of deities other than Yahweh was taken for granted, but Yahweh was regarded as supreme). The issue of divine sonship, appearing early in Israelite religion in royal contexts (e.g., Psalm 2:7) became the wedge issue dividing Pharisaic (Rabbinic) Judaism from the Messianic sectarians eventually to be known as Christians (Acts 11:26) at the turn of the Common Era.
The instructions in the opening tetrastich (vv. 1-2) to ascribe "glory and strength" to the Lord understand the verb not in its literal sense of "to give" but more in the sense of "to acknowledge." The poetic parallelism is elegantly varied:
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;
Worship the LORD in holy splendor.
The bulk of the psalm (vv. 3-10) is a description of a storm theophany. That manifestation of the divine is represented, pars pro toto, by "the voice" of the Lord (vv. 3, 4 bis, 5, 7-9), Although the voice certainly refers at times to thunder (vv. 3-4), it also includes the other meteorologic phenomena associated with the thunderstorm, e.g., wind (vv. 5-6, 9) and lightning (v. 7). Interestingly, there is no direct association here of rain with the deity's power. The only reference to waters and the deity depict the Lord (or his voice) being "over the waters/flood" (vv. 3, 10). This may reflect one of the earliest strata of Israelite religion, in which Israel's God battled the water-demon Tiamat (transmuted into tehom, "the deep" of Genesis 1:2) to bring created order and the habitable world from watery chaos.
Following the opening imperative (vv. 1-2), the description of the storm theophany consumes the next seven verses. Only once in this otherwise thoroughly Yahwistic composition does the generic Hebrew word for God appear (v. 3b, "the God of glory thunders") and in that context the word probably is the common noun rather than the proper name and so should not be capitalized.
Which waters are envisioned in verses 3 and 10 (referred to in the latter verse as "the flood") is not certain, but at least three candidates from ancient Hebrew cosmology present themselves. The earth was conceptualized in the OT as a flat pancake protected from the waters above (cf. Genesis 1:7) by the sky. The earth itself rested on pillars (1 Samuel 2:8), which held it above the watery abyss ("the deep," Genesis 7:11). Finally, there were the vast waters of the seas and oceans, an arena in which Israel never felt completely at home (being largely cut off from the Mediterranean by Philistines in the south and Canaanites in the north). Of these three watery sources, the waters above the heavens may be the object of the Lord's dominion.
The destructive forces described in verses 5-9 appear to be a combination of earthquake ("shakes the wilderness," v. 8) and violent wind ("causes the oaks to whirl and strips the forest bare," v. 9). Lightning ("flashes forth flames of fire," v. 7) and hail may also be included in the storm imagery.
The references (in vv. 5, 6, 8) to cedars, Lebanon, Sirion (the Phoenician name for Mt. Hermon) and Kadesh (in western Syria, not the southern Negev) suggest a geographical origin for this psalm north and west of biblical Israel. The imagery of the heavenly court, well known from Ugaritic texts, further suggests an originally Canaanite setting for this psalm that has been adapted for the Hebrew psalter.
The closing entreaty (v. 11) flows logically from the preceding extended description of the Lord's power: may the Lord grant the same sort of strength to his people he manifests regularly in the storm, and may those same people be granted peace by the same deity whose power is abundantly clear. The psalm is a concise and memorable linking of the heavenly with the historical via the medium of the natural. Psalm 29 is elegantly comprehensive in its theological perspective.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Sermon for May 27, 2012
The "Spirit of Truth" cuts through all the human clutter and gives us the real scoop on life.
On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the coming of one who presents to each of us the ultimate truth. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and simplified for them the truth of the gospel and also empowered them to go out and proclaim the gospel in a way that people could heart is (Acts 2). The inspiration (breath of God) and information, the boldness to speak the ultimate truth was given too. The Holy Spirit came down and cut through their anxiety, confusion, and wonder, and boiled down the gospel to a singular mission of truth. The Spirit was not about eliminating humans beings because of sin, but about empowering human beings to overcome sin.
Here we learn the truth! God chose to use the face of empowered humans to deliver the message. There is no shortcut; via humans voice, behavior God's gospel is delivered. The divine message and diving mission are accomplished through divinely empowered human beings.
Jesus had been teaching the disciples for up to three years, doing miracles and tons of other cool stuff that were never recorded that wowed them all over the place. But, Jesus knew the sights and sounds were not enough to keep them going in the years ahead after he was gone. They would still need help; in fact, lost of help. They needed a "Helper!" Jesus understood that it was to their advantage that he go away because then the disciples would move from external imitation to internal motivation.
Clearly, this is not a do-nothing Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit is very active. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would testify on his behalf (15:27),prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness and judgment (16:8), guide believers into all through (16:13, declare the things that are to come (16:13), and glorify Jesus (16:14).
This is good news for those of us who genuinely want to follow Jesus. We don't have to worry about the words we say, the life we live, the content of our faith, and all that stuff. Jesus says that that is what the Holy Spirit will do in us and for us. The Holy Spirit comes to stand in for Jesus and do all the heavy lifting in our lives.
That's good news! God's mission is not something for us to control or worry about. It's only something we need to be available for.
This being the case, the Bible is clear that in dealing with the Holy Spirit, there are certain very specific protocols in place: (1) don't resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), (2) don't quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, (3) think of ourselves as containers for the Holy Spirit, who God has sent to fill us (Ephesians 5:18).
Following these steps we will begin writing some pretty amazing stories, and the results will be pretty staggering.
It all comes down to truth and authentic living. Jesus tells Pontius Pilate "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice" (18:37). The Holy Spirit is the ongoing presence of Jesus in the world. We are to embody the presence of Jesus and live it.
Pilate responds with "What is truth?" (18:38). As a member of the Roman elite Pilate would have known, or expected to know, the Greco-Roman philosophies, imperial information, and worldly experiences. And despite knowing so much he knew so little. Pilate was clueless about that really mattered or, better, who really mattered. He could not see that truth was embodied in Jesus.
The continuing work of the Holy Spirit is about embodying the truth in people.
Pentecost is a reminder that if we really want to know the truth, we have to allow the Spirit to embody us with the image of God revealed in Jesus. Jesus offers through the Spirit the life of authenticity, steadfast love, faithfulness, and boldness to live and speak the truth in the world.
The "Spirit of Truth" cuts through all the human clutter and gives us the real scoop on life.
On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the coming of one who presents to each of us the ultimate truth. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and simplified for them the truth of the gospel and also empowered them to go out and proclaim the gospel in a way that people could heart is (Acts 2). The inspiration (breath of God) and information, the boldness to speak the ultimate truth was given too. The Holy Spirit came down and cut through their anxiety, confusion, and wonder, and boiled down the gospel to a singular mission of truth. The Spirit was not about eliminating humans beings because of sin, but about empowering human beings to overcome sin.
Here we learn the truth! God chose to use the face of empowered humans to deliver the message. There is no shortcut; via humans voice, behavior God's gospel is delivered. The divine message and diving mission are accomplished through divinely empowered human beings.
Jesus had been teaching the disciples for up to three years, doing miracles and tons of other cool stuff that were never recorded that wowed them all over the place. But, Jesus knew the sights and sounds were not enough to keep them going in the years ahead after he was gone. They would still need help; in fact, lost of help. They needed a "Helper!" Jesus understood that it was to their advantage that he go away because then the disciples would move from external imitation to internal motivation.
Clearly, this is not a do-nothing Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit is very active. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would testify on his behalf (15:27),prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness and judgment (16:8), guide believers into all through (16:13, declare the things that are to come (16:13), and glorify Jesus (16:14).
This is good news for those of us who genuinely want to follow Jesus. We don't have to worry about the words we say, the life we live, the content of our faith, and all that stuff. Jesus says that that is what the Holy Spirit will do in us and for us. The Holy Spirit comes to stand in for Jesus and do all the heavy lifting in our lives.
That's good news! God's mission is not something for us to control or worry about. It's only something we need to be available for.
This being the case, the Bible is clear that in dealing with the Holy Spirit, there are certain very specific protocols in place: (1) don't resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51), (2) don't quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, (3) think of ourselves as containers for the Holy Spirit, who God has sent to fill us (Ephesians 5:18).
Following these steps we will begin writing some pretty amazing stories, and the results will be pretty staggering.
It all comes down to truth and authentic living. Jesus tells Pontius Pilate "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice" (18:37). The Holy Spirit is the ongoing presence of Jesus in the world. We are to embody the presence of Jesus and live it.
Pilate responds with "What is truth?" (18:38). As a member of the Roman elite Pilate would have known, or expected to know, the Greco-Roman philosophies, imperial information, and worldly experiences. And despite knowing so much he knew so little. Pilate was clueless about that really mattered or, better, who really mattered. He could not see that truth was embodied in Jesus.
The continuing work of the Holy Spirit is about embodying the truth in people.
Pentecost is a reminder that if we really want to know the truth, we have to allow the Spirit to embody us with the image of God revealed in Jesus. Jesus offers through the Spirit the life of authenticity, steadfast love, faithfulness, and boldness to live and speak the truth in the world.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sermon Bible Study for May 20, 2012
As the final verses of Luke's gospel, this unit of scripture reiterates many of the themes present in the gospel itself as well as points forward to Luke's subsequent work, the book of Acts. The pericope exists in the middle of a narrative of Jesus' appearance to the disciples who, while discussing the astonishing events that have occurred following Jesus' death, see Jesus himself in their midst proclaiming peace to them (v. 36). Yet, Jesus not only proclaims peace, allows them to see his hands and feet, and eats with them, but also reminds them of his former words (v. 44). He reminds the disciples that the events that have taken place have occurred according to everything written in the law of Moses, and the prophets and the psalms. The author of Luke uses similar language to describe Jesus' interaction with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures" (24:27 NRSV). Jesus' instruction to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus is repeated to the larger group of disciples, suggesting the importance of understanding the continuity between Israel's Scripture and the new event God has enacted in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Moreover, the theme of prophecy and fulfillment highlighted in these verses appears in several places in the very beginning of the gospel. For example, in Mary's song of praise, she recalls the promises God made to the ancestors, to Abraham and to all of his descendants (1:55) and announces God's faithfulness to this promise. Moreover, Zechariah in his prophecy in 1:70-73 proclaims that God has shown the mercy he promised long ago and has remembered his covenant. The Savior he promised through the holy prophets has been raised up. One of the pivotal moments of the prophecy and fulfillment theme in the gospel occurs in 4:18-21 when Jesus takes the scroll of Isaiah, reads it aloud in the synagogue and announces, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21 NRSV). Thus, Jesus' declaration to the disciples in 24:44 continues the motif of God at work fulfilling OT prophecies and expectations. Consequently, Jesus' words in verse 44 not only cause the disciples to remember what he has revealed while he was with them but also what the prophets have testified concerning him long ago.
Furthermore, Luke has documented several places in the gospel in which the disciples did not understand Jesus' words. In 9:44 Jesus announces to the disciples that he will be betrayed, yet they fail to understand the meaning of his prediction and are afraid to ask for an explanation (9:45). Interestingly, Luke writes that the meaning "was hidden" from them. The verb parakluptw is a perfect passive participle and its passive voice may indicate a divine passive in which God conceals the meaning of Jesus' words from the disciples. Also, in 18:31-33, Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection and once again the disciples do not understand (18:34). Once more, Luke uses the passive voice -- another perfect passive participle -- to describe the disciples' inability to grasp Jesus' sayings. Although he uses a different verb, kruptw, the connotation is the same: what Jesus meant was hidden from them suggesting another divine passive. Additionally significant is the occurrence of the verb sunihmi "understand" in 18:34 because the same verb reappears in 24:45: "Then he opened their mind to understand "sunihmi" the scriptures" (my translation). While the disciples do not understand in chapter 18, Jesus now opens their mind so that they can now understand. Most notably, this act of opening their mind occurs only after Jesus' death and resurrection, suggesting that only after the Christ event can their minds be opened. The reality of Jesus' death and resurrection is the event and the lens through which Israel's Scriptures can be understood. The Christ event continues God's faithfulness to Israel and at the same time enacts a new understanding of what that faithfulness entails. Moreover, if the passives in the previous passages are in fact divine passives, then God's act of concealment gives way to revelation after Jesus' death and resurrection, indicating that only after the Christ event can the disciples fully grasp God's word. The disciples' understanding in verse 45 is foreshadowed in the previous Emmaus episode. Although the passive voice is not used in 24:16, a similar concept occurs in which the two disciples are prevented from recognizing Jesus. Only when Jesus breaks, blesses and shares the bread are the eyes of the two disciples opened. Here again, concealment gives way to revelation at the divinely appointed time.
What is more, while the NRSV translates the word nouV as minds (v. 45), in the Greek it is actually singular: "He opened their mind to understand the scriptures" (my translation). This occurrence of the singular noun here along with the plural pronoun corresponds and anticipates Luke's theme of unity in the book of Acts in which the disciples are constantly depicted as being with one mind and unified (2:1, 46; 4:32). The beginning of this unity takes place here as Jesus expounds the word of God to them.
The phrase paqein ton criston occurs in verse 46 but also appears in 24:26, underscoring Jesus as the suffering Messiah. In both passages, the phrase occurs along with a form of dei "it is necessary" highlighting the necessity of Jesus' suffering and death. This suffering, predicted by Simeon in 2:34-35 and foretold by Jesus himself to his disciples, demonstrates the fulfillment of God's prophecies and the way by which God's reign will be realized in the cosmos -- a suffering Messiah brings salvation to the world (24:47), a dead Messiah grants new life (23:43; 24:26), and a resurrected Messiah bestows power (24:49).
That Jesus' suffering brings salvation to the entire world and that this is to be proclaimed to all nations coheres with the rest of the gospel in which Jesus is declared "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (2:32 NRSV), a centurion has more faith than Israel (7:9), and a Samaritan stands out as the hero in a parable related in 10:30-35. Moreover, this language overturns the disciples' understanding that Jesus' advent was only about redeeming Israel (24:21) as well as presages Acts' emphasis on all nations receiving the gospel (e.g. Acts 1:8; 13:46-48). Important to note, however, is that the gospel proclamation begins in Jerusalem (v. 47), indicating that while the gospel goes out to all nations, it remains tied to Jerusalem, God's holy city and holy people; the nations do not replace Israel.
The promise that Jesus sends upon the disciples is the Holy Spirit, another prominent theme in the gospel. The Spirit's presence and activity is emphasized in several places in the Lukan narrative, such as in 1:67, where Zechariah is filled with the Spirit and prophesies, and in 2:25-27, in which the Holy Spirit rests upon Simeon and reveals to him the Lord's Messiah (cf. 3:16, 22; 4:1,18). Thus, not only does Luke begin his gospel with the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary (1:35), but also ends his gospel with a continued emphasis on the Spirit's work, portending the fulfillment of the promised expectation and the Spirit's significant role in Acts (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:4, 17-18; 2:38). Interestingly, Luke juxtaposes Jesus' proclamation of scriptural fulfillment to the disciples in verse 44 and the yet unfulfilled promise of the Spirit in verse 49. This juxtaposition indicates that while many of the promises have been realized, some still remain to be fulfilled. Yet, because God has already begun to fulfill promises as evident by Jesus' death and resurrection, the disciples are assured that God will complete what he has begun. Thus, the command to remain in the city to wait for the promise (v. 49) is not an empty directive; God's faithfulness can be trusted.
The writer of this gospel begins and ends with the temple and with the theme of rejoicing. As the story commences, the readers encounter Zechariah offering incense in the temple, and they hear along with him the amazing pronouncement of his son John's birth (1:8-23). In addition, in the opening chapter, Mary's song of praise echoes aloud with joy in the God who "has done great things" (1:49). Similarly, Luke relates in 24:52-53 that the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God" (NRSV). Luke, therefore, shows continuity with Israel's Scriptures in that while God has inaugurated a new age through Christ, the disciples continue to go to the temple and they return to Jerusalem. Moreover, Luke provides his readers with the assurance that the God who met Zechariah in the temple and caused Mary's rapturous melody is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead and now calls all nations to repent (v. 47). This God of Israel, who conceals, reveals, promises and fulfills, has now become the God of all nations. This new reality evokes "great joy" for indeed God "has done great things!"
As the final verses of Luke's gospel, this unit of scripture reiterates many of the themes present in the gospel itself as well as points forward to Luke's subsequent work, the book of Acts. The pericope exists in the middle of a narrative of Jesus' appearance to the disciples who, while discussing the astonishing events that have occurred following Jesus' death, see Jesus himself in their midst proclaiming peace to them (v. 36). Yet, Jesus not only proclaims peace, allows them to see his hands and feet, and eats with them, but also reminds them of his former words (v. 44). He reminds the disciples that the events that have taken place have occurred according to everything written in the law of Moses, and the prophets and the psalms. The author of Luke uses similar language to describe Jesus' interaction with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures" (24:27 NRSV). Jesus' instruction to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus is repeated to the larger group of disciples, suggesting the importance of understanding the continuity between Israel's Scripture and the new event God has enacted in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Moreover, the theme of prophecy and fulfillment highlighted in these verses appears in several places in the very beginning of the gospel. For example, in Mary's song of praise, she recalls the promises God made to the ancestors, to Abraham and to all of his descendants (1:55) and announces God's faithfulness to this promise. Moreover, Zechariah in his prophecy in 1:70-73 proclaims that God has shown the mercy he promised long ago and has remembered his covenant. The Savior he promised through the holy prophets has been raised up. One of the pivotal moments of the prophecy and fulfillment theme in the gospel occurs in 4:18-21 when Jesus takes the scroll of Isaiah, reads it aloud in the synagogue and announces, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21 NRSV). Thus, Jesus' declaration to the disciples in 24:44 continues the motif of God at work fulfilling OT prophecies and expectations. Consequently, Jesus' words in verse 44 not only cause the disciples to remember what he has revealed while he was with them but also what the prophets have testified concerning him long ago.
Furthermore, Luke has documented several places in the gospel in which the disciples did not understand Jesus' words. In 9:44 Jesus announces to the disciples that he will be betrayed, yet they fail to understand the meaning of his prediction and are afraid to ask for an explanation (9:45). Interestingly, Luke writes that the meaning "was hidden" from them. The verb parakluptw is a perfect passive participle and its passive voice may indicate a divine passive in which God conceals the meaning of Jesus' words from the disciples. Also, in 18:31-33, Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection and once again the disciples do not understand (18:34). Once more, Luke uses the passive voice -- another perfect passive participle -- to describe the disciples' inability to grasp Jesus' sayings. Although he uses a different verb, kruptw, the connotation is the same: what Jesus meant was hidden from them suggesting another divine passive. Additionally significant is the occurrence of the verb sunihmi "understand" in 18:34 because the same verb reappears in 24:45: "Then he opened their mind to understand "sunihmi" the scriptures" (my translation). While the disciples do not understand in chapter 18, Jesus now opens their mind so that they can now understand. Most notably, this act of opening their mind occurs only after Jesus' death and resurrection, suggesting that only after the Christ event can their minds be opened. The reality of Jesus' death and resurrection is the event and the lens through which Israel's Scriptures can be understood. The Christ event continues God's faithfulness to Israel and at the same time enacts a new understanding of what that faithfulness entails. Moreover, if the passives in the previous passages are in fact divine passives, then God's act of concealment gives way to revelation after Jesus' death and resurrection, indicating that only after the Christ event can the disciples fully grasp God's word. The disciples' understanding in verse 45 is foreshadowed in the previous Emmaus episode. Although the passive voice is not used in 24:16, a similar concept occurs in which the two disciples are prevented from recognizing Jesus. Only when Jesus breaks, blesses and shares the bread are the eyes of the two disciples opened. Here again, concealment gives way to revelation at the divinely appointed time.
What is more, while the NRSV translates the word nouV as minds (v. 45), in the Greek it is actually singular: "He opened their mind to understand the scriptures" (my translation). This occurrence of the singular noun here along with the plural pronoun corresponds and anticipates Luke's theme of unity in the book of Acts in which the disciples are constantly depicted as being with one mind and unified (2:1, 46; 4:32). The beginning of this unity takes place here as Jesus expounds the word of God to them.
The phrase paqein ton criston occurs in verse 46 but also appears in 24:26, underscoring Jesus as the suffering Messiah. In both passages, the phrase occurs along with a form of dei "it is necessary" highlighting the necessity of Jesus' suffering and death. This suffering, predicted by Simeon in 2:34-35 and foretold by Jesus himself to his disciples, demonstrates the fulfillment of God's prophecies and the way by which God's reign will be realized in the cosmos -- a suffering Messiah brings salvation to the world (24:47), a dead Messiah grants new life (23:43; 24:26), and a resurrected Messiah bestows power (24:49).
That Jesus' suffering brings salvation to the entire world and that this is to be proclaimed to all nations coheres with the rest of the gospel in which Jesus is declared "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (2:32 NRSV), a centurion has more faith than Israel (7:9), and a Samaritan stands out as the hero in a parable related in 10:30-35. Moreover, this language overturns the disciples' understanding that Jesus' advent was only about redeeming Israel (24:21) as well as presages Acts' emphasis on all nations receiving the gospel (e.g. Acts 1:8; 13:46-48). Important to note, however, is that the gospel proclamation begins in Jerusalem (v. 47), indicating that while the gospel goes out to all nations, it remains tied to Jerusalem, God's holy city and holy people; the nations do not replace Israel.
The promise that Jesus sends upon the disciples is the Holy Spirit, another prominent theme in the gospel. The Spirit's presence and activity is emphasized in several places in the Lukan narrative, such as in 1:67, where Zechariah is filled with the Spirit and prophesies, and in 2:25-27, in which the Holy Spirit rests upon Simeon and reveals to him the Lord's Messiah (cf. 3:16, 22; 4:1,18). Thus, not only does Luke begin his gospel with the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary (1:35), but also ends his gospel with a continued emphasis on the Spirit's work, portending the fulfillment of the promised expectation and the Spirit's significant role in Acts (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:4, 17-18; 2:38). Interestingly, Luke juxtaposes Jesus' proclamation of scriptural fulfillment to the disciples in verse 44 and the yet unfulfilled promise of the Spirit in verse 49. This juxtaposition indicates that while many of the promises have been realized, some still remain to be fulfilled. Yet, because God has already begun to fulfill promises as evident by Jesus' death and resurrection, the disciples are assured that God will complete what he has begun. Thus, the command to remain in the city to wait for the promise (v. 49) is not an empty directive; God's faithfulness can be trusted.
The writer of this gospel begins and ends with the temple and with the theme of rejoicing. As the story commences, the readers encounter Zechariah offering incense in the temple, and they hear along with him the amazing pronouncement of his son John's birth (1:8-23). In addition, in the opening chapter, Mary's song of praise echoes aloud with joy in the God who "has done great things" (1:49). Similarly, Luke relates in 24:52-53 that the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God" (NRSV). Luke, therefore, shows continuity with Israel's Scriptures in that while God has inaugurated a new age through Christ, the disciples continue to go to the temple and they return to Jerusalem. Moreover, Luke provides his readers with the assurance that the God who met Zechariah in the temple and caused Mary's rapturous melody is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead and now calls all nations to repent (v. 47). This God of Israel, who conceals, reveals, promises and fulfills, has now become the God of all nations. This new reality evokes "great joy" for indeed God "has done great things!"
Bible Study for Sermon on May 27 2012
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
These verses occur in the middle of what is known as The Farewell Discourses (13:12-17), a “testament” saying in which a leader gives words of comfort, advice, and instruction before dying. Farewell speeches were common in both the Jewish and Greco-Roman world (cf. Genesis 48-49; Deuteronomy 33; Joshua 23-24; Acts 20:17-38). In this part of the discourse, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples. The phrase can be translated in a number of ways: Comforter, Encourager, Defender, Helper, Counselor or Advocate(The word means advocate or defense attorney). This legal connotation corresponds with the language of “testifying” that appears in both verses 15:26 and 15:27. The Spirit defends Jesus in response to and in spite of what the “world” does and says (15:18-25). The Spirit, therefore, defends Jesus by testifying about him.
The phrase the, “Spirit of truth,” does not only appear in John (cf. 14:17; 16:13; 1 John 4:6) but also appears in other Jewish documents. In John’s gospel, the Spirit of truth connects with the person of Jesus, who is the truth (14:6) and becomes part of a distinct contrast prevalent in John’s gospel — the world vs. Jesus and Jesus’ disciples. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth (14:17) just as it cannot receive Jesus who is the truth (1:11-12; 7:28; 8:19; 16:3), but the disciples who do not belong to the world (17:16) even as Jesus does not belong to the world (17:16) can receive the Spirit of truth. Thus, even the Spirit’s activity continues the dichotomy begun in chapter 1 in which Jesus comes to the world and the world does not know him (1:10-11). Along with the Spirit’s testifying, the disciples themselves will testify concerning Jesus as well. Both the Spirit and the disciples work together to ensure that the testimony concerning Jesus goes out into the world.
A similar phrase in 15:27, “from the beginning,” appears in 16:4, “from the beginning.” Jesus announces in 15:27 that the disciples will testify concerning him since they have been with him from the beginning, a needed qualification for testifying about him. Jesus also says in 16:4b that he did not tell them these things earlier because he was with them, indicating that his presence precluded the need to speak the important things he now conveys to them. In 16:5, the theme of “sending,” continues with Jesus declaring to the disciples that just as God had sent him and he was now returning to “the one who sent” him, he also would send to the disciples (15:26). His return to the Father precipitates his own sending of the Spirit.
Jesus’ statement in 16:5 that no one asks where I am going seems to contradict what occurs in 13:36 and 14:5, where both Peter and Thomas ask him this question. Thus, this statement is not easily explained. Perhaps Jesus speaks temporally, suggesting that at this moment when he declares his departure that no one asks this question, whereas they had asked this question in the past. At any rate, Jesus seeks to comfort his disciples who become unsettled at his declaration that he is about to leave. He attempts to convince them that his departure will be for their benefit. In 16:8, the legal language of 15:26 returns by describing the Spirit as the one who “convicts.” The verb can also mean “prove” (NRSV) or “reprove” but given the forensic context of this passage, “convict” seems more fitting. Consequently, we have an expansion of the Spirit’s role previously given in 15:26. The Spirit will not just serve as a defense attorney by testifying on Jesus’ behalf, but will also become prosecutor, convicting the world at large. However, in a sense, this prosecutorial role still serves to defend Jesus since the Spirit verifies Jesus’ identity through the very act of conviction.
Hence, the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. One of the ultimate sins in John’s gospel is unbelief (16:9; cf. 8:24; 15:22; 20:31). Throughout the gospel a contrast exists between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not. Even the writer of the gospel declares in 20:31 that one of the main purposes of the book is to instill belief in its audience. The reference to righteousness may point to Jesus’ return to the Father as vindication of his life here on earth and his status as the eternal logos who was with God from the beginning (1:1-2). The words judgment,and condemned, (16:11 NRSV), come from the same Greek root and so can be translated similarly. The ruler of this world stands condemned in that Jesus triumphs over him, demonstrating that his reign over this world will not last. In 12:31, Jesus announces that the ruler of this world will be cast out, and in 14:30, he declares that even though the ruler of this world is coming, this ruler has no power over him. These statements foreshadow Jesus’ statement in 16:11. The ruler of this world refers to the devil whose activity in the gospel includes enticing Judas to betray Jesus and entering into him (13:2, 27). The devil is also referred to as the evil one in 17:15.
Verses 12-15 move from the Spirit’s work in the world to the Spirit’s work among Jesus’ followers. The Spirit guides the community of believers and also speaks on Jesus’ behalf. The fact that the Spirit does not speak on his own but only what he hears, illustrates that Father, Son and Spirit are integrally connected. Moreover, the Spirit is like Jesus who also does not speak on his own but speaks what he hears from the Father (5:19, 30; 8:26-28; 12:49; 14:10; 15:15; 17:7-8). The Spirit’s role of announcing things that are to come suggests that prophecy is one of the functions. But what exactly does mean? A number of options for this phrase include reference to Jesus’ passion, the new age inaugurated by Jesus, the foretaste of the eschaton and revelation of the difficult times that the community will face in Jesus’ absence. Perhaps all of these suggestions are in view here. The last option in regard to suffering corresponds with Jesus’ own foreknowledge of the things coming to him in 18:4, which link the disciples’ future suffering with Jesus’ own suffering and death (Craig Keener, The Gospel of John, [Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003]: 1040).
The non-autonomous nature of the Spirit continues in the last verses of this passage. The Spirit glorifies Jesus, takes what belongs to him and declares it to his followers. Yet, whatever belongs to Jesus also belongs to the Father. The question of what Jesus means by what is mine can only be determined by context, and therefore, seems to reiterate what we find in 15:15, in which Jesus tells the disciples “I have made known to you everything that I have heard from the Father” (NRSV). Thus, “what is mine” in 16:14-15 suggests that here Jesus speaks in regard to words he has heard from the Father. The Spirit, then, continues Jesus’ work by speaking to the disciples and the community of faith Jesus’ and the Father’s own words. As one who speaks for both the Father and the Son, the Spirit’s words will be heard by those who know the shepherd’s voice since the Spirit, who comes from the Father (15:26) and is sent by the Son (15:26), speaks with the shepherd’s voice and authority (10:3, 14-16).
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
These verses occur in the middle of what is known as The Farewell Discourses (13:12-17), a “testament” saying in which a leader gives words of comfort, advice, and instruction before dying. Farewell speeches were common in both the Jewish and Greco-Roman world (cf. Genesis 48-49; Deuteronomy 33; Joshua 23-24; Acts 20:17-38). In this part of the discourse, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples. The phrase can be translated in a number of ways: Comforter, Encourager, Defender, Helper, Counselor or Advocate(The word means advocate or defense attorney). This legal connotation corresponds with the language of “testifying” that appears in both verses 15:26 and 15:27. The Spirit defends Jesus in response to and in spite of what the “world” does and says (15:18-25). The Spirit, therefore, defends Jesus by testifying about him.
The phrase the, “Spirit of truth,” does not only appear in John (cf. 14:17; 16:13; 1 John 4:6) but also appears in other Jewish documents. In John’s gospel, the Spirit of truth connects with the person of Jesus, who is the truth (14:6) and becomes part of a distinct contrast prevalent in John’s gospel — the world vs. Jesus and Jesus’ disciples. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth (14:17) just as it cannot receive Jesus who is the truth (1:11-12; 7:28; 8:19; 16:3), but the disciples who do not belong to the world (17:16) even as Jesus does not belong to the world (17:16) can receive the Spirit of truth. Thus, even the Spirit’s activity continues the dichotomy begun in chapter 1 in which Jesus comes to the world and the world does not know him (1:10-11). Along with the Spirit’s testifying, the disciples themselves will testify concerning Jesus as well. Both the Spirit and the disciples work together to ensure that the testimony concerning Jesus goes out into the world.
A similar phrase in 15:27, “from the beginning,” appears in 16:4, “from the beginning.” Jesus announces in 15:27 that the disciples will testify concerning him since they have been with him from the beginning, a needed qualification for testifying about him. Jesus also says in 16:4b that he did not tell them these things earlier because he was with them, indicating that his presence precluded the need to speak the important things he now conveys to them. In 16:5, the theme of “sending,” continues with Jesus declaring to the disciples that just as God had sent him and he was now returning to “the one who sent” him, he also would send to the disciples (15:26). His return to the Father precipitates his own sending of the Spirit.
Jesus’ statement in 16:5 that no one asks where I am going seems to contradict what occurs in 13:36 and 14:5, where both Peter and Thomas ask him this question. Thus, this statement is not easily explained. Perhaps Jesus speaks temporally, suggesting that at this moment when he declares his departure that no one asks this question, whereas they had asked this question in the past. At any rate, Jesus seeks to comfort his disciples who become unsettled at his declaration that he is about to leave. He attempts to convince them that his departure will be for their benefit. In 16:8, the legal language of 15:26 returns by describing the Spirit as the one who “convicts.” The verb can also mean “prove” (NRSV) or “reprove” but given the forensic context of this passage, “convict” seems more fitting. Consequently, we have an expansion of the Spirit’s role previously given in 15:26. The Spirit will not just serve as a defense attorney by testifying on Jesus’ behalf, but will also become prosecutor, convicting the world at large. However, in a sense, this prosecutorial role still serves to defend Jesus since the Spirit verifies Jesus’ identity through the very act of conviction.
Hence, the Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. One of the ultimate sins in John’s gospel is unbelief (16:9; cf. 8:24; 15:22; 20:31). Throughout the gospel a contrast exists between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not. Even the writer of the gospel declares in 20:31 that one of the main purposes of the book is to instill belief in its audience. The reference to righteousness may point to Jesus’ return to the Father as vindication of his life here on earth and his status as the eternal logos who was with God from the beginning (1:1-2). The words judgment,and condemned, (16:11 NRSV), come from the same Greek root and so can be translated similarly. The ruler of this world stands condemned in that Jesus triumphs over him, demonstrating that his reign over this world will not last. In 12:31, Jesus announces that the ruler of this world will be cast out, and in 14:30, he declares that even though the ruler of this world is coming, this ruler has no power over him. These statements foreshadow Jesus’ statement in 16:11. The ruler of this world refers to the devil whose activity in the gospel includes enticing Judas to betray Jesus and entering into him (13:2, 27). The devil is also referred to as the evil one in 17:15.
Verses 12-15 move from the Spirit’s work in the world to the Spirit’s work among Jesus’ followers. The Spirit guides the community of believers and also speaks on Jesus’ behalf. The fact that the Spirit does not speak on his own but only what he hears, illustrates that Father, Son and Spirit are integrally connected. Moreover, the Spirit is like Jesus who also does not speak on his own but speaks what he hears from the Father (5:19, 30; 8:26-28; 12:49; 14:10; 15:15; 17:7-8). The Spirit’s role of announcing things that are to come suggests that prophecy is one of the functions. But what exactly does mean? A number of options for this phrase include reference to Jesus’ passion, the new age inaugurated by Jesus, the foretaste of the eschaton and revelation of the difficult times that the community will face in Jesus’ absence. Perhaps all of these suggestions are in view here. The last option in regard to suffering corresponds with Jesus’ own foreknowledge of the things coming to him in 18:4, which link the disciples’ future suffering with Jesus’ own suffering and death (Craig Keener, The Gospel of John, [Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003]: 1040).
The non-autonomous nature of the Spirit continues in the last verses of this passage. The Spirit glorifies Jesus, takes what belongs to him and declares it to his followers. Yet, whatever belongs to Jesus also belongs to the Father. The question of what Jesus means by what is mine can only be determined by context, and therefore, seems to reiterate what we find in 15:15, in which Jesus tells the disciples “I have made known to you everything that I have heard from the Father” (NRSV). Thus, “what is mine” in 16:14-15 suggests that here Jesus speaks in regard to words he has heard from the Father. The Spirit, then, continues Jesus’ work by speaking to the disciples and the community of faith Jesus’ and the Father’s own words. As one who speaks for both the Father and the Son, the Spirit’s words will be heard by those who know the shepherd’s voice since the Spirit, who comes from the Father (15:26) and is sent by the Son (15:26), speaks with the shepherd’s voice and authority (10:3, 14-16).
Saturday, May 19, 2012
For me belief is thoughts and can exist in isolation. Faith requires a relationship. Belief involves a different way of thinking; faith, a different way of living. Faith deepens through experiences with the living Jesus as Jesus is followed. The popular way of thinking is that to develop a personal relationship with Jesus involves more biblical knowledge when it really involves more relationships. We are tempted to place our confidence in definite, settled beliefs rather than in a daily relationshp with Jesus. Think about the incredible heart filling and mind blowing experience of following Jesus on his terms.
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