As mentioned in an earlier post, Luke 2 is probably the most famous Christmas story, even though it doesn't have the story about the wise men or the star. In my mind it will always stand out because of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. God's blessings to all of you on your Christmas and New Year celebrations!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Motivated
Matthew Chapter Six has some examples of actions. The actions, themselves, are not bad, but Jesus is concerned about the motivation behind the actions: giving to poor people, praying, fasting. All of those are good spiritual practices. God is not just concerned with the actions, though; God cares about the heart of a person.
The reason is that when you get past the action of giving to the poor, there might be some selfishness behind it.
Giving money to the Salvation Army at Christmas is a nice thing to do. They help a lot of people, and they share the hope of Jesus when they also share necessities. The question is, "Why are you giving to the Salvation Army?" There are some good reasons:
The reason is that when you get past the action of giving to the poor, there might be some selfishness behind it.
Giving money to the Salvation Army at Christmas is a nice thing to do. They help a lot of people, and they share the hope of Jesus when they also share necessities. The question is, "Why are you giving to the Salvation Army?" There are some good reasons:
- Help the poor people
- Show your family you are generous
- Be a witness to others
- Get a tax write off
Those might be good reasons, but they are not what God would be hoping for. The action is good, the reason might be good, but the heart is rather selfish. In reverse order:
- "I" want to pay less taxes
- "I" want to impress other people
- "I" want to impress my family
- "I" want to impress myself
There are probably different levels of being selfish. The first level would consist of not giving money and wanting to keep it. Another level would be giving the money for selfish reasons. It's unfortunate, but often people are encouraged to give to charities for selfish reasons, even if they are well disguised.
God has blessed all of us with more things than we deserve. It's easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to someone who has more, but God has given all this out of his love for us. When that love sinks deep into us so that it covers every nook and cranny in our souls, there is nothing that would be able to stop us from responding in love. That's giving with a cheerful heart.
This doesn't just apply to the the action listed in Matthew chapter six, but it could apply to any action. That is something to think about. I would challenge you to think of even the most obscure things that you do. Then think about your motivation.
I don't think that Jesus is trying to make people feel guilty or bad or anything like that in these chapters. He's encouraging us. He's saying, "Bask in my love! If you're not feeling my love, then maybe you don't understand just how deep my love for you is. Let it fill you."
Image from ABC New
Friday, December 9, 2011
Kneading Thoughts on Needing Bread
What do you really need? There are probably more things that we think we need than we actually need. According to our science class, we need food, air, water, and shelter. Society would say you need a job, community, and transportation. The stores before Christmas tell me that I need the latest gadgets and electronics, and I am often tempted to think they are right.
Some theorists would say that we need safety, a purpose, and our highest need is love. That may true God is love. 1 John 4:8.
Six out of the seven petitions in the Lord's prayer deal with concerns that might be considered more spiritual: holiness, God's will, God's kingdom, forgiveness, temptation, evil. One of the encapsulates all the physical concerns we have.
This is a little different than the version we usually say in church or chapel. One of the more significant differences is the request to keep us away from "the evil one" and not just "evil" in general. That makes me curious why it would be rendered differently. That middle verse, 11, is about physical things and it calls those things 'daily bread.' It would have reminded people during Jesus' day about the Israelites who were only supposed to collect enough food for one day and depend on God. It would also have reminded them of a Proverb.
Proverbs 30:8-9
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
It also might remind us that in John 6, Jesus referred to himself as the Bread of Life, the food that people really need.
As far as 'things': not too much, not too little. As far as 'God': the more the better.
Some theorists would say that we need safety, a purpose, and our highest need is love. That may true God is love. 1 John 4:8.
Six out of the seven petitions in the Lord's prayer deal with concerns that might be considered more spiritual: holiness, God's will, God's kingdom, forgiveness, temptation, evil. One of the encapsulates all the physical concerns we have.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
This is a little different than the version we usually say in church or chapel. One of the more significant differences is the request to keep us away from "the evil one" and not just "evil" in general. That makes me curious why it would be rendered differently. That middle verse, 11, is about physical things and it calls those things 'daily bread.' It would have reminded people during Jesus' day about the Israelites who were only supposed to collect enough food for one day and depend on God. It would also have reminded them of a Proverb.
Proverbs 30:8-9
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
It also might remind us that in John 6, Jesus referred to himself as the Bread of Life, the food that people really need.
As far as 'things': not too much, not too little. As far as 'God': the more the better.
"God, help us want You!"
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Light
Light is pretty is a pretty important part of the Christmas season. Candle-light services are popular. Advent wreaths progress with light until Christmas. Christmas lights decorate many houses and businesses. It's Biblical. John wrote that about Jesus coming into the world at Christmas time and said, "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." Isaiah said "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light." A little while later in Isaiah chapter 9 we have the Christmas verses, "For unto us a child is born."
Jesus is the light. By him being present in our lives, we shine forth, as well. This is why Jesus says,
Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Jesus did not say that you might have the opportunity to be the light if you work really hard at it. You are the light of the world, so let those lights shine for the right reasons. Love shines bright. Let it shine.
How do you shine? By living differently than our dark world. By looking to follow the heart of God and not just the letter of the law. Jesus went on to say,
Matthew 5:43-44
43 “You Matthew 5:43-44have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Love shines bright. Let it shine.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Some Numbers
There are some significant numbers in the Bible, so it might be a good idea to list a few of them. They tend to appear from time to time, like the number 14 for David. Most of them are more common than that one, though, so we'll run through a quick list of important numbers.
Three is a number that is usually associated with God or heaven or spiritual things. Some important three's would include the 3 person of God in the Trinity and Jesus being in the tomb for three days.
Four, on the other had, is a very earthly number. There are four directions (north, east, south, west), four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter), four hemispheres, and four ancient elements (earth, wind, fire, water). This brings significance to Jesus' heavenly resurrection (three days in the tomb) compared to Lazarus' earthly resurrection (four days in the tomb).
When you add three and four, you get the complete number 7. Seven shows up a lot in the book of Revelation symbolizing completeness. A week is complete with seven days, like the seven days of creation. When Revelation was sent to the seven churches, it could be argued that it was sent to all the churches, the 'complete' number of churches.
One less than complete would be the devil's number of 6. The devil tries to imitate God's completeness, but comes up short.
10 is a number that represents power. Numbers are often multiplied by powers of ten. The beast in Revelation having 10 horns is a symbol of power.
The church is represented by the number 12. The people of God in the Old Testament were the twelve tribes of Israel. The people of God in the New Testament followed the teachings of the twelve disciples. All the people of God surround God's throne, represented by the twenty-four elders (12 + 12).
And 40 is a number for change. The earth was changed in the forty days it rained during Noah's time. The Israelites were changed during forty years of wandering in the desert. Moses was changed after spending forty days on the mountain with God. Jesus was changed during his temptations in the desert, being prepared for ministry. As a side note, it is also interesting the change that happened from 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated to 2008 when our first African-American president was elected - 40 years.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Not Only Jesus' Temptations
Jesus faces temptations from the devil in Matthew chapter 4. While we may not have the same literal temptations, we often have similar temptations as redeemed children of God.
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Mosaic from San Marco Basilica in Venice, Italy
We may not have the temptation to turn rocks into hamburgers, but we do have the temptation to use the power and influence we have as followers of Christ for our own good. Unfortunate extreme examples of this would include the list of televangelists who have run into trouble with the law for using their power and influence for themselves.
We may not have the temptation to jump off the roof of tall buildings, but we do have the temptation to twist the words of the Bible to fit our needs instead of trying to understand what God is trying to tell us. For instance, I know that many students like the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" from Philippians 4, but Paul was not referring to a science test or basketball game. Knowing what the context of a passage is will tell us a lot about what God wants to say to us in his Word.
We may not face the temptation of controlling the whole earth, but we do face the temptation of losing track of God's intentions and following our own earthly desires instead. Later in Matthew, Jesus questions his followers if it is really helpful to gain the whole world while losing your soul.
Jesus' response to the devil was to quote God's Word. It may be that Jesus learned verses so that he had an answer for the devil, but it would probably be more accurate to say that Jesus spent so much time in God's Word that it influenced the way that he thought. The temptations of the devil immediately triggered a response from Jesus since it conflicted with something in Scripture that he already knew was true. Even the short quotations would have referenced a larger passage, such as Deuteronomy 6:13-16.
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah.
As we pass the Thanksgiving holiday and turn toward Advent and the Christmas season, I thought it would be important to look at another key passage that predicts Jesus' birth and work.
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Biblical Thanksgiving
Where do you see "Thanksgiving" in the Bible? What stories stand out? Here are two collections of words from Bible verses and Bible stories that students found in religion class this week. The more times the words were found in our verses and stories, the bigger the words. The top collection is from Mrs. Durst's homeroom and the bottom is from Mr. Luehmann's. God's blessings to all of you on your thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Being Good Trees
John the Baptist uses a lot of plant language in Matthew chapter three. He said:
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 3:10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
John was trying to convey a message to the people coming out to listen to him, but he was also making a connection to the Old Testament. The number one song on the Hebrews' playlist has some of the same imagery dealing with plants (Psalm 1 is a song, and Psalms could be considered a playlist!).
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 3:10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
John was trying to convey a message to the people coming out to listen to him, but he was also making a connection to the Old Testament. The number one song on the Hebrews' playlist has some of the same imagery dealing with plants (Psalm 1 is a song, and Psalms could be considered a playlist!).
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
(emphasis is mine)
As soon as John shared his message, many people would have automatically made the connection to Psalm 1 and the concepts about the "righteous" and "wicked" people.
So we have two trees. One of those trees is young and the other is mature.
What do we expect from each one? They might both be apple trees, but we would still have different expectations for each one. If the tree on the left was producing no apples, we would probably be concerned about its productivity. It would probably need to be replaced. It would be a rather lazy tree. If the tree on the right was trying to produce apples, we would be concerned about the quality of the fruit it produces. It would not be real fruit.
As Christians mature, there needs to be a balance. Just like trees need to balance the 'being' a tree with 'doing' what trees do, Christians need to balance the 'being' who God wants us to be with 'doing' what God wants us to do. If we don't, we might end up like the chaff.
How awesome is it that God puts all these great connections in His Word for us to find!
Friday, November 11, 2011
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was a strange man: preaching in the desert, clothes of camel's hair, leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey, washing people in the river, calling for repentance.
The Old Testament ends with a strange prophecy - last verses of the last chapter of the last book: Malachi 4:5-6
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
At the time of Malachi, the famous prophet Elijah had already been dead for several hundred years. Would God bring back the prophet? What does that verse mean? An interesting bit of trivia - at the Passover, Jewish families would always set one extra place setting, just in case Elijah would show up. They still do this today! Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was the Elijah that was promised. Matthew 17:10-13
Isaiah gives more information about what this "voice in the desert" was supposed to do.
Isaiah 40:3-5
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
His work was to prepare the hearts of the people for the Messiah, for the glory of God is going to be revealed in the person of Jesus.
John got to be quite famous because of his radical message - the Holy Spirit was working in him and allowing the hearts of others to be softened to hear what God was saying to them. He kept a humble perspective, though. He did not want people to look at him - he pointed others to Christ. He told them:
Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
To 'baptize' simply means to wash. His 'washings' in the Jordan River were symbolic of the repentance that he was encouraging, the changing of lifestyle. 'Repent' literally means to turn around. Stop walking the wrong way - turn, and move toward God! However, Jesus was going to bring a more powerful washing that would work on the inside of a person through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fire foreshadows the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost - Acts 2.
The Old Testament ends with a strange prophecy - last verses of the last chapter of the last book: Malachi 4:5-6
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
At the time of Malachi, the famous prophet Elijah had already been dead for several hundred years. Would God bring back the prophet? What does that verse mean? An interesting bit of trivia - at the Passover, Jewish families would always set one extra place setting, just in case Elijah would show up. They still do this today! Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was the Elijah that was promised. Matthew 17:10-13
Isaiah gives more information about what this "voice in the desert" was supposed to do.
Isaiah 40:3-5
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
His work was to prepare the hearts of the people for the Messiah, for the glory of God is going to be revealed in the person of Jesus.
John got to be quite famous because of his radical message - the Holy Spirit was working in him and allowing the hearts of others to be softened to hear what God was saying to them. He kept a humble perspective, though. He did not want people to look at him - he pointed others to Christ. He told them:
Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
To 'baptize' simply means to wash. His 'washings' in the Jordan River were symbolic of the repentance that he was encouraging, the changing of lifestyle. 'Repent' literally means to turn around. Stop walking the wrong way - turn, and move toward God! However, Jesus was going to bring a more powerful washing that would work on the inside of a person through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fire foreshadows the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost - Acts 2.
Da Vinci's depiction of John the Baptist,
pointing to the Cross of Christ
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
So why are there four different Gospels?
If there was only one Jesus, why don't we just have one story about Jesus' life that has the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
One reason is because they have different perspectives. When there is a big event happening, it's interesting to hear about it from different perspectives. The local, St. Louis news will cover a story differently than the national news, or a foreign news agency like BBC. It is not that one of those stories is telling the truth and the others are lying. Rather, they are all targeting different audiences, explaining things in a way that is helpful to different groups of people.
One great way to see the differences in the four Gospels is to see how they all treat the Christmas story - the story of when Jesus was born. It might surprise you that not all of them have all the parts that you remember.
The typical Christmas story that you hear most often is Luke 2 with the shepherds and angels. Only Matthew has the magi with their gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. Mark has no story of Jesus' birth. John is rather odd at first, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..."
John is the most symbolic Gospel. There is more symbolism and poetic features in his Gospel. The other three, sometimes call the synoptic Gospels because of their similarity, follow a more consistent pattern, but John blazes his trail with seven big miracles that echo the history of God's people, and many confusing statements like Jesus saying "I am the bread of life." John was writing in response to the Gnostics - a first century religion/philosophy that valued spiritual things above the physical. John's one-verse Christmas story would have been surprising to them - that the Word took on Flesh! God became a person. He moved into our community.
Mark is a very fast paced Gospel with lots of action. He had a message to get out to people about who Jesus was, and he wanted people to get it soon! The Christmas story might have been delightful, but there are more crucial things he needed to get to.
Luke emphasizes the outcasts. It is often said that Luke wrote for the Gentiles, and he probably did as the only non-Jewish author in the Bible. But he also wrote for the poor, the sinners, and the women (women were considered to have a lower status than men). While Matthew's story and genealogy connect to Joseph, Luke's Christmas story is from Mary's perspective. Luke doesn't have the gospel message proclaimed to the important wise men from the east, but rather to lowly shepherds.
Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. He spends more time showing how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the promises that God had made about a Messiah, a Savior.
So why are we studying Matthew? Because it most easily connects to the rest of the Bible showing how Jesus is what the whole Bible is about!
One reason is because they have different perspectives. When there is a big event happening, it's interesting to hear about it from different perspectives. The local, St. Louis news will cover a story differently than the national news, or a foreign news agency like BBC. It is not that one of those stories is telling the truth and the others are lying. Rather, they are all targeting different audiences, explaining things in a way that is helpful to different groups of people.
One great way to see the differences in the four Gospels is to see how they all treat the Christmas story - the story of when Jesus was born. It might surprise you that not all of them have all the parts that you remember.
John is the most symbolic Gospel. There is more symbolism and poetic features in his Gospel. The other three, sometimes call the synoptic Gospels because of their similarity, follow a more consistent pattern, but John blazes his trail with seven big miracles that echo the history of God's people, and many confusing statements like Jesus saying "I am the bread of life." John was writing in response to the Gnostics - a first century religion/philosophy that valued spiritual things above the physical. John's one-verse Christmas story would have been surprising to them - that the Word took on Flesh! God became a person. He moved into our community.
Mark is a very fast paced Gospel with lots of action. He had a message to get out to people about who Jesus was, and he wanted people to get it soon! The Christmas story might have been delightful, but there are more crucial things he needed to get to.
Luke emphasizes the outcasts. It is often said that Luke wrote for the Gentiles, and he probably did as the only non-Jewish author in the Bible. But he also wrote for the poor, the sinners, and the women (women were considered to have a lower status than men). While Matthew's story and genealogy connect to Joseph, Luke's Christmas story is from Mary's perspective. Luke doesn't have the gospel message proclaimed to the important wise men from the east, but rather to lowly shepherds.
Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. He spends more time showing how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the promises that God had made about a Messiah, a Savior.
So why are we studying Matthew? Because it most easily connects to the rest of the Bible showing how Jesus is what the whole Bible is about!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Genesis Promises of Jesus
Matthew's Gospel contains many references to events and promises found in the Old Testament. This makes sense since he primarily wrote to a Jewish audience who was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures promising a Messiah. Two significant promises found Genesis speak about Jesus:
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel
This is also called the protoevangelium or "first gospel," the first time we heard the 'good news' about Jesus coming as the promised Messiah. It seems a little cryptic, but the emphasis is how one of Eve's offspring would crush the devil's head while the devil would strike at his heel. On the cross it looked like Satan had won (strikes Jesus' heel), but by doing so he really defeated death and the devil (crushes Satan's head).
God's promise to Abraham is also really powerful - a promise to bless all nations (not just Israel) through him.
Genesis 12:1-3
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
How were all nations blessed through Abraham? Because one of his descendants, Jesus, saved the world. These two verses stand as two of the four major promises of a Savior in the Old Testament. The other two would be a promise that David's throne would last forever (through Jesus) and that God is making a new covenant with his people through the prophet Jeremiah. The whole Old Testament is littered with promises of the Messiah, but these four would be the highest peaks in the mountain range of passages pointing to Jesus.
So, the whole Old Testament points forward to Jesus
And the whole New Testament points back to Jesus
The whole Bible points to Jesus!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
David in Matthew Chapter 1
How many times do you see David in the first chapter of Matthew? More than you might expect! Matthew was writing to a primarily Jewish audience, and all the good Jews knew that the messiah was coming from the David's line. So where does Matthew mention David?
Matthew 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham
Matthew 1:6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Matthew 1:17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Six times - pretty good, yeah? Well, it turns out that there is another place you see David, though it is hidden from us English speakers.
In the Hebrew language, the symbols for the letters were used for numbers, too. This made it easy for people to assign a number value to Hebrew words. If this would be done in English, the letter 'a' would still be the letter 'a,' but if it has a dot over the letter 'a' it would be the number '1.'
Matthew 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham
Matthew 1:6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Matthew 1:17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Six times - pretty good, yeah? Well, it turns out that there is another place you see David, though it is hidden from us English speakers.
In the Hebrew language, the symbols for the letters were used for numbers, too. This made it easy for people to assign a number value to Hebrew words. If this would be done in English, the letter 'a' would still be the letter 'a,' but if it has a dot over the letter 'a' it would be the number '1.'
The first letters of the alphabet would be:
We could find out how much 'dad' is worth by adding the letters.
In Hebrew it looks more like this:
And the name 'David' would be:
(In Hebrew the vowels are not used, so it is just d-v-d)
David would then be equal to:
Why is that important? Because now you can see David a few more times!
Matthew 1:17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Matthew Chapter 1
Genealogies are usually not the most exciting parts of the Bible. The first dozen chapters of First Chronicles in the Old Testament is rather dry. Matthew starts his Gospel with one of these lists, but it's rather exciting when the reader takes a minute to see what Matthew is really trying to say.
Matthew 1:1 - "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham."
Rather odd verse. Neither of those are literally true statements. However, Matthew is telling us that it is really important that Jesus came from the line of David since God promised a savior would come through David's family (2 Samuel 7:16) and through Abraham since God promised a savior would come through Abraham's offspring (Genesis 12:3). God was fulfilling both this promises, and Matthew wanted people to make the connection.
Genealogies are lists which can get repetitive, but the writer is trying to get people's attention when there is a break in the list. Look for the breaks in Matthew 1 and spend some time finding out why those breaks are significant.
So why do we have the Bible? What is so important about what has been written down by a bunch of guys two to three thousand years ago? The author and apostle, John, was willing to acknowledge the fact that there were a lot of things that happened, even during his own lifetime, that were not written down and recorded for people, but he wanted to give the reason that any of it has been shared. It's not only the purpose of his book, but I believe it is the purpose of the entire Bible:
John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name."
Matthew 1:1 - "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham."
Rather odd verse. Neither of those are literally true statements. However, Matthew is telling us that it is really important that Jesus came from the line of David since God promised a savior would come through David's family (2 Samuel 7:16) and through Abraham since God promised a savior would come through Abraham's offspring (Genesis 12:3). God was fulfilling both this promises, and Matthew wanted people to make the connection.
Genealogies are lists which can get repetitive, but the writer is trying to get people's attention when there is a break in the list. Look for the breaks in Matthew 1 and spend some time finding out why those breaks are significant.
So why do we have the Bible? What is so important about what has been written down by a bunch of guys two to three thousand years ago? The author and apostle, John, was willing to acknowledge the fact that there were a lot of things that happened, even during his own lifetime, that were not written down and recorded for people, but he wanted to give the reason that any of it has been shared. It's not only the purpose of his book, but I believe it is the purpose of the entire Bible:
John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name."
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