DOCSLIB.ORG

The Transfiguration: a Foretaste of Glory (Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21) Over These Past Few Weeks It's Been a Lot of Fun S

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Transfiguration: a Foretaste of Glory (Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21) Over These Past Few Weeks It's Been a Lot of Fun S 1 The Transfiguration: A Foretaste of Glory (Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21) Over these past few weeks it’s been a lot of fun seeing the photos of the Holy Land that many of our friends have been posting on Facebook. Michele and I briefly pondered whether we might have played some small part in so many of our friends going this year. And I kind of hope so, because we wanted to share the blessing. I have to admit that even with my undying gratitude for being able to make this trip a year ago, I felt just the slightest guilty twinge of envy when I noticed that for our friends every day seemed to be warm and sunny. Anyway, it’s all good. What brought all this to mind is that today is Transfiguration Sunday, and we visited the Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor last year on a very cold, rainy, and windy day. In fact, as I vested for Eucharist in that great old church I made the mistake of laying my backpack on a window sill in the vesting room, and later returned to find it heroically soaking up as much water as it could from the puddle that had formed around it. So a cloud overshadowed Michele and me on the Mount of Transfiguration, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t like the one that shaded Jesus and the boys in today’s Gospel reading. And I find the account in Matthew’s Gospel to be awe-inspiring and solidly relevant to us apprentices of Jesus here this morning. There are accounts of the Transfiguration in all three of the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke. So I’d like to begin, as I often find helpful, with a little context to enrich our understanding of this very curious event. First, all three Gospels place it a week or so after a pivotal moment. You remember the story of Jesus and the disciples together at Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asks them in turn, “Who do they (those people out there gathering together to listen to my words)— who do they say that I am”; and then he asks his own disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And if I asked you what Peter replied, and offered each of you a nickel for the right answer, I’m betting that I’d soon be out of money. I know that you know. Peter said (all together!), “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Congratulations, you’re all a nickel richer. See our Treasurer after the service.) Now, the disciples may not yet understand exactly what this means, but Peter hits it on the head, and is immediately affirmed by Jesus. So now they’ve all heard Jesus affirm the claim. He is the Messiah. So why, right after that, does Jesus lead them up on a mountain? It’s not real clear in Matthew, but we get the answer in Luke, who says, “Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.” They got away to pray. Pray about what? Well, I’m sure praying is always a good idea no matter what the circumstances. But the momentum of destiny is really starting to pick up now. Jesus has revealed his identity to his disciples, knowing that this will propel him forward to the final phase of his ministry. 2 The storm clouds are gathering. Right after he affirms Peter for correctly naming him as Messiah, Jesus warns the disciples that they’re heading for Jerusalem, where their Master will undergo suffering, and be killed, and then be raised again on the third day. Then he warns the disciples that they, too, will suffer on his behalf. He implores them to take up their crosses and follow him. He assures them that God’s judgment will win out in the end, and then he concludes by saying, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Some Bible scholars have concluded that here Jesus is talking about the Second Coming, which creates a little problem, right? Because obviously nobody standing there lived to see it. But many other scholars believe this actually refers to the next event, the Transfiguration, where they really will see the glorified Jesus appearing as he is in his kingdom, right on the mountaintop. They will see him as the Son of Man in all his glory. So now Jesus is preparing his disciples for that fateful fulcrum of human history, the Cross, which will unfold in Jerusalem. Now, here it’s important to remember that Jesus was human as well as divine. It’s almost like, now that the disciples know who Jesus is, the reality of all of this is crashing in, especially upon Jesus. Concerted prayer for clear, unqualified guidance from the Father is what’s needed at this moment of destiny. In his heart, perhaps Jesus is saying to himself, “Okay, here we go. The disciples need to know in their very marrow that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Let’s bring this home.” So they head to the mountain to pray. The Transfiguration is a mind-bending event in which the veil between heaven and earth becomes momentarily parted. The story is packed with meaning, but this morning I’d like to point out three features that may help us to digest some of what’s happening here. The first has to do with the transcendent awesomeness and otherness of God and of the Heavenly Realm. Our other readings set the table for us. The one from Exodus recalls Moses’ encounter with the Creator God on another mountain, Mt. Sinai. There the writer says that a cloud covered the mountain, and the glory of the Lord settled upon it. He says “the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel” who were camped below. So the writer uses language of familiar natural phenomena to describe something that was way beyond their normal experience. And in Psalm 99 the psalmist proclaims the awesomeness of God by saying, “The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise his great and awesome name. Holy is he!” And he exhorts the faithful to worship at the Lord’s footstool. So we have these luminous, other worldly accounts of contact with the heavenlies in many places in Scripture. We have God’s dangerous, staggering radiance on Mt. Sinai. 3 We have the angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds in Bethlehem and Luke says, “the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” And he’s joined by a celestial choir of angels singing in the night sky. We’ll have those resurrection appearances of angels whose clothing and countenance are like lightning. We’ll have Saul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus, engulfed by a blinding light that knocks him off his feet, only to find that this is the risen, ascended Lord Jesus, and Paul’s life is forever changed. In fact almost invariably, when emissaries from heaven appear, their first message is not to be afraid. The realm of heaven is brighter, more vibrant, more beautiful and more real than any place on earth. If you want to get even the merest inkling of God’s magnificence, just go out into the New Mexico countryside some night and look up into the sky. God brought all of it forth from nothing. So when the three disciples, heavy-eyed from a long hike up the mountain, suddenly find their Master transfigured before them, and Matthew says “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white,” perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. In some strange and mysterious intermingling of this side with the other side, Elijah and Moses join Jesus on the mountain. And here’s where the second feature of this story comes to the forefront. Because Matthew says the three are talking with each other. This is one of those I-wish-I-were-a- fly-on-the-wall moments. But Luke is thorough enough and kind enough to tell us what they’re saying. Luke 9:31 says, “They appeared in glory (Okay? Also ablaze with light) and were speaking of Jesus’ departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Now let’s stop here for a second. (This passage is packed.) Here’s the first thing: Elijah and Moses join Jesus. Now Elijah himself had had a mountaintop experience or two, one in which he summoned and witnessed the power of God over that of the prophets of Baal. In the other one he experienced the drama of howling wind, and earthquake and fire, and found the presence of God in none of these, but instead in the stillness. A still, small voice. Elijah was also expected to be the forerunner and herald of Messiah. Jesus says that it’s John the Baptist who actually fulfilled Elijah’s figurative role. Now, do you remember “Who do they say I am?” Remember the answer? “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, others say one of the prophets.” But Jesus isn’t one of the forerunners; he’s the real thing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Order of Worship Transfiguration Sunday, February 14, 2021
    Order of Worship Transfiguration Sunday, February 14, 2021 WELCOME Hello God, thank you for this day. It’s 9:03 and we need your help. Guide us by your Holy Spirit to reach new people, Connect us all through Christ’s love, and Empower us to love and serve others. Amen. PRELUDE Deo Gracias P. Cattaneo CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 50:1-6 UMH 783 HYMN 2103 We Have Come at Christ’s Own Bidding HYFRYDOL SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. HYMN 173 Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies RATISBON SCRIPTURE Mark 9:2-9 MESSAGE Rev. Rebecca Voss GENEROSITY, INVITATIONS and CELEBRATIONS HYMN 2102 Swiftly Pass the Clouds of Gory NETTLETON BENEDICTION POSTLUDE Voluntary #1 J. Beckwith PRAYER CORNER We lift up Andrea Anderson who is staying at Aspirus Hospital while being diagnosed and treated for severe hip and pelvic pain and weakness. Lord, give her comfort and hope as you give her medical team knowledge and wisdom to best care for her. Called to Glory __ _ _ Pastor Rebecca Voss As a child growing up near Madison, I remember looking forward to our trips up to Athens to visit my dad’s side of the family.
    [Show full text]
  • Matthew's Gospel
    MATTHEW’S GOSPEL by Daniel J. Lewis © copyright 2008 by Diakonos, Inc. Troy, Michigan United States of America 2 Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Who was Matthew? .................................................................................................................................... 5 How, When and Where was the 1st Gospel Composed?............................................................................. 6 Structure ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Central Theological Motifs......................................................................................................................... 9 The Text of Matthew ................................................................................................................................ 11 The Birth Narratives (1-2) ............................................................................................................................ 11 The Genealogy of Jesus (1:1-17).............................................................................................................. 11 The Virginal Conception of Jesus (Mt. 1:18-25)...................................................................................... 13 The Visit of the Magi (Mt. 2:1-12)..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • BLE 2022 (Pdf)
    THE SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, VERITAS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND THE COLLEGE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & BIBLICAL HISTORY, TRINITY SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY Bible Land Expedition, Holy Land Tour 2022 “Discovering the Biblical World” 3 EXCITING OPTIONS! Option #1: Sodom Dig + Tour of Jordan and Israel (27 Feb–13 March 2022) Option #2: Tour of Jordan and Israel (4–13 March 2022) Option #3: Tour of Israel (6–13 March 2022) [Note: add 3 days for travel, 2 at the beginning, 1 at the end) Your Expert Teachers/Guides*: Dr Steven Collins and Dr Gary Byers OVERVIEW: BLE, and countless other churches and organizations, offer Holy Land Tours. But the title “Holy Land Tour” is where the similarity ends. The fact is, there isn’t another tour available that does, or can do, what a BLE tour does. Our guides and lecturers are expert Bible scholars and archaeologists, not local guides trained to cater to religious pilgrims as opposed to people interested in real biblical history and the archaeology that reveals it so dramatically. Not only will you experience the Holy Land’s breathtaking panoramas and biblical sites, but also you’ll see minute details illuminating biblical stories, subtleties that only expert eyes can reveal. BLE tours also balance both Old and New Testament history as it happened in both the Transjordan (Jordan) and Cisjordan (Israel). We also limit group size to a single bus (unlike many of the large tours that have multiple buses and spend more time waiting at restroom stops than actually visiting sites!), which is a real plus. The 2022 theme, “Discovering the Biblical World,” focuses on great biblical characters like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Kings David and Solomon, Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblical Illustrator Articles for the GOSPEL PROJECT (Date of First Use: Summer 2020)
    Biblical Illustrator Articles for THE GOSPEL PROJECT (Date of first use: Summer 2020) Unit 1 – Jesus the Healer Session 8 – July 26 • Solomon in All His Splendor Session 1 – June 7 • Birds in Israel • InSites: Miracles of Christ • First-Century Agricultural Practices • Who Were the Samaritans? • Galilee in Jesus’ Day Session 9 – August 2 • Samaria • QuickBites: Sheep: Their Cultural Importance • Abundantly: The Meaning Session 2 – June 14 • Thieves and Robbers • Saved: A Word Study • Sheepfolds: Their Construction and Use • Death, A First-Century Understanding • Jesus' Use of Allegory • Fear in Mark’s Gospel • Asleep or Dead? Unit 3 – Jesus the Miracle Worker Session 3 – June 21 • At the Pool of Bethesda Session 10 – August 9 • Jesus, the Paralytic, and the Sabbath • Demon Possession: A First-Century Understanding • The Pools of Bethesda • Gadara, Gerasa, or Gergesa? • Jesus' Use of Miracles • Demons: A First-Century Understanding • Legion Session 4 – June 28 • Jesus, the Pharisees, and the Sabbath Session 11 – August 16 • Messianic Miracles: First-Century Jewish • Bread and Bread Making in the Ancient World Expectations • “Signs” in the Gospel of John • “Signs” in the Gospel of John • Beside the Sea of Galilee • The Pool of Siloam Session 12 – August 23 • Storms on the Sea of Galilee Unit 2 – Jesus the Teacher • Simon Peter: The Man and His Ministry • Wind, Weather, and the Sea of Galilee Session 5 – July 5 • Early Ships and Boats • Salt in the Ancient World • The Sermon on the Mount: An Overview Session 13 – August 30 • Lamps in Ancient Israel • Jesus’ Inner Circle • Simon Peter: Eyewitness to the Majesty Session 6 – July 12 • The Mount of Transfiguration • Jesus on Discipleship • Animal Imagery in the New Testament • Luke's Use of ''Kingdom'' • Disciple Session 7 – July 19 • "Our Daily Bread" • The Churches’ Use of the Lord’s Prayer • Widowhood in Jesus’ Day • “Our Father”—Jesus’ Prayer Practices and Instructions Titles in Red are current issue articles.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Full Itinerary
    Join La Sierra University Church and La Sierra University Alumni Association for their Centennial Tour to the Land of the Bible—March 17–April 10, 2022 Walk and Live the Story 10 Amazing Days exploring the Life of Christ in Israel 4 Amazing Days exploring Biblical History in Jordan 11 Amazing Days exploring Early Biblical and Egyptian History in Egypt with Senior Pastor Chris Oberg, La Sierra University Church Archaeologists Dr. Larry Geraty and Dr. Kent Bramlett La Sierra University Israel, Jordan, Egypt—March 17-April 10, 2022 Israel & Jordan—March 17-30, 2022 Israel Only—March 17-27, 2022 Jordan & Egypt—March 26-April 10, 2022 Egypt Only—Excludes Sinai—March 31-April 10, 2022 Egypt Only—Includes Sinai Arrive Aqaba, Jordan March 30, 2022 (by noon—extremely important to meet group to board ferry) Land flowing with milk and honey. Promised land. Holy land, Canaan land. The land, Joshua, Moses’ successor as leader of Israel, was poised at the River Jordan to enter and take possession of Canaan, an unremarkable stretch of territory sandwiched between massive and already ancient civilizations. It would have been unimaginable to anyone at the time that anything of significance could take place on that land. This narrow patch had never been significant economically or culturally, but only as a land bridge between the two great cultures and economics of Egypt and Mesopotamia. But it was about to become important in the religious consciousness of humankind. In significant ways, this land would come to dwarf everything that had gone before and around it. (The Message, Eugene H.
    [Show full text]
  • Study 08-06-20.Docx
    THE UNCREATED LIGHT THE SERVANTS AND THE MASTER August 6, 2020 The Transfiguration – August 6th Revision C GOSPEL: Matthew 17:1-9 EPISTLE: 2 Peter 1:10-19 In the West, Transfiguration Sunday is celebrated just before Lent rather than in August as is the custom of the Orthodox Church. The Gospel and Epistle readings are identical in the Western lectionaries, except that only verses 16-21 are used from 2 Peter. In the Orthodox lectionary, the account of the transfiguration from Luke 9:28-36 is also read at Matins. Table of Contents Gospel: Matthew 16:28-17:9, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36 ....................................................................................... 629 The Light of God ................................................................................................................................................. 629 The Servants and the Master ................................................................................................................................ 631 Moses and Elijah on Sinai .................................................................................................................................... 632 Constructing Tabernacles ..................................................................................................................................... 635 The Father Speaks ................................................................................................................................................ 637 The Transfiguration Prefigures Tabernacles .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mark Chapter 9 – the Transfiguration (Part 1)
    mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com MARK CHAPTER 9 – THE TRANSFIGURATION (PART 1) SUMMARY Of all the miracles and events surrounding the life of Jesus – the Transfiguration is the most other-worldly. When Jesus healed, people saw a human transform from sickness to health in a short time. When Jesus healed it was possible to comprehend – like a normal healing – just speeded up. None of us living today have ever experienced seeing someone ‘transfigure’. It is outside our earthly frame of reference. The number 9 means ‘Judgment’ or ‘Spirit’. In Mark chapter 9 presents us with a lesson concerning spiritual realities beyond our comprehension. This is a clue the message concerns other-worldly affairs. Similar to the rest of our papers on Mark , Chapter 9 is highly prophetic. According to our interpretation: Mark 6 – Birth of the Church – Large Number of Jews Believe – Hungry for Truth Mark 8 – Decline of the Church – Large Numbers of Christian Believers – Starving for Truth Mark 9 – Death of the Church – The Great Apostasy and Martyrdoms - Just Before the Rapture The transfiguration itself was brighter and whiter than man can comprehend. However, all the rest of the events in Mark 9 are dark and filled with fear. There is a demon possessed boy writhing and foaming at the mouth. The disciples are too afraid to ask Jesus questions. Jesus tells his disciples the Messiah must die. The chapter ends with the darkest sermon of all. Jesus teaches his disciples what they must do to keep themselves from going to hell. It is a sermon filled with a language of bodily mutilation and a description of everlasting fiery torture.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth, Haifa, Caesarea
    In the Footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth, Haifa, Caesarea Day 1 – Depart U.S.A Day 7 – Jerusalem - Caesarea - Haifa - Day 2 – Tel Aviv - Jerusalem Mount of Transfiguration - Nazareth Depart Jerusalem and drive towards the Mediterranean coast. We stop in Day 3 – Mount of Olives - Gethsemane - Bethlehem - Shepherds’ Field ancient Caesarea to view the ruins and the Roman aqueduct. Then we go - Ein Karem to Haifa and Mount Carmel, where we visit the cave of the prophet Elijah, We start our day with the Mount of Olives for a magnificent view of the Old the Carmelite Monastery and enjoy a beautiful view of the coast and the City. We visit the Church of the Pater Noster, the Chapel of the Ascension city of Haifa. Continue to Mount Tabor, chosen by Jesus to be the site of and walk down to the Church of Dominus Flevit, passing by the Russian His transfiguration. Visit the Franciscan Church of the Transfiguration and Church and ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. We continue to Ein the Monastery. We arrive in Nazareth where we visit the Church of the Karem, known to be the birthplace of John the Baptist. After visiting the Annunciation, the church of St. Joseph and Mary’s Well. Church of the Visitation, we continue to Bethlehem. We visit the Church of the Nativity, the Holy Manger, the Basilica of St. Catherine and the Milk Day 8 – Cana - Tiberias - Sea of Galilee - Tabgha - Capernaum - Grotto. We drive down to the Shepherds’ Field where the angel of the Lord Mount of The Beatitudes - Caesarea Philippi appeared to the shepherds announcing the Good News.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cities and Places Associated with the Ministry of Jesus Christ
    Scholars Crossing The Second Person File Theological Studies 11-2017 The Cities and Places Associated with the Ministry of Jesus Christ Harold Willmington Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/second_person Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willmington, Harold, "The Cities and Places Associated with the Ministry of Jesus Christ" (2017). The Second Person File. 58. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/second_person/58 This The People and Places in the Jesus Christ Story is brought to you for free and open access by the Theological Studies at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Second Person File by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CITIES AND PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST BETHABARA A few miles north of Jericho, on the eastern bank of the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus (Jn. 1:28; Mt. 3:13-17) BETHANY Fifteen furlongs, or one and three-fourths miles from Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It is on the road to Jericho. Bethany was the Judean headquarters of Jesus, as Capernaum was His Galilean headquarters. Here He raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11). Mary and Martha entertained Christ here (Lk. 10:38-42). Mary anointed His feet here (Jn. 12:1-11). It was also the home of Simon the leper (Mk. 14:3). Here Christ blessed His disciples just prior to His ascension from the Mount of Olives (Lk.
    [Show full text]
  • Miracles of Christ
    MIRACLES OF CHRIST Menes Abdul Noor TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 THE FIRST MIRACLE TURNING WATER INTO WINE ................................................................ 2 THE SECOND MIRACLE HEALING THE NOBLEMAN'S SON ......................................................... 8 THE THIRD MIRACLE GREAT CATCH OF FISH ....................................................................... 14 THE FOURTH MIRACLE HEALING PETER'S MOTHER-IN-LAW .................................................. 20 THE FIFTH MIRACLE HEALING THE LEPER ............................................................................ 26 THE SIXTH MIRACLE HEALING THE PARALYTIC ................................................................... 32 THE SEVENTH MIRACLE HEALING THE SICK MAN AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA ................... 39 THE EIGHTH MIRACLE HEALING THE MAN WITH A WITHERED HAND ................................... 47 THE NINTH MIRACLE HEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT ............................................. 53 THE TENTH MIRACLE RAISING THE SON OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN ..................................... 59 THE ELEVENTH MIRACLE CALMING THE STORM .......................................................................... 65 THE TWELFTH MIRACLE HEALING THE MAN POSSESSED BY THE DEMON CALLED "LEGION" ................................................................................. 69 THE THIRTEENTH MIRACLE RAISING JAIRUS' DAUGHTER .............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Literary Guide to the Life of Christ in the Gospel According to Matthew
    ! ! A LITERARY GUIDE TO THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW Matthew’s Portrait of Jesus The order of the four Gospels consistently reflected in the manuscript tradition of the New Testament is the same order found in our modern Bibles—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Appropriately, Matthew opens the New Testament canon even as Chronicles closes the Hebrew canon. Chronicles begins with an extensive genealogy and closes with a commission from King Cyrus to rebuild the earthly Jerusalem and its temple. Matthew, similarly, begins with a genealogy and ends with a commission from another King to fill the earth with disciples of the heavenly Jerusalem. The royal status of Matthew’s King is set as an inclusio in his Gospel from the opening question of the magi (“Where is He who is born King of the Jews?” 2:2) to the closing answer placarded on the cross (“This is Jesus the King of the Jews,” 27:37).17 As the closing of one canonical division is compared to the opening of another, Matthew directs our reading from the outset into a rich typology that finds fulfillment in Jesus. His Gospel is designed to seamlessly join the testaments through a typological reading that guides and informs the outcome of Old Testament expectations.18 Matthew artfully and seamlessly coalesces two themes in his portrait of Jesus, depicting Him as both a New Moses and a New Israel.19 The two themes are like magnets attracting each other since Moses was often viewed as representative of Israel and could even be viewed as a federal head of the nation since he was the human mediator of the covenant at Sinai.
    [Show full text]
  • CB LG Lesson 12
    The Context Bible Life Group Lesson 12 March 17-23, 2014 John 5:22-6:40 Introduction to the Context Bible Have you ever wished the Bible was easier to read through like an ordinary book – cover to cover? Because the Bible is a collection of 66 books, it makes reading like an ordinary book quite difficult. Compounding this difficulty is the fact that the later writers of the New Testament, were often quoting or referencing passages in the Old Testament. In fact, much of the New Testament makes better sense only if one also considers the Old Testament passages that place the text into its scriptural context. You are reading a running commentary to The Context Bible. This arrangement of Scripture seeks to overcome some of these difficulties. Using a core reading of John’s gospel, the book of Acts, and the Revelation of John, the Context Bible arranges all the rest of Scripture into a contextual framework that supports the core reading. It is broken out into daily readings so that this program allows one to read the entire Bible in a year, but in a contextual format. Here is the running commentary for week twelve, along with the readings for week thirteen appended. Join in. It’s never too late to read the Bible in context! Week Twelve Readings Mar. 17 The Son as Judge Mar . 18 Witnesses to Jesus Mar. 20 Jesus as Provider Mar. 21 (Cont’d) Jn 5:22-5:29 Jn 5:30-5:47 Jn 6:1-6:15 Josh 1 Context: Jesus has been given Context: Jesus was attested to Context: God (Jesus) meets Josh 3-4 authority to judge.
    [Show full text]