Rich Nelson Uncategorized

57: Luke – Introduction & Jesus’s crucifixion, death and burial –Luke 23:26-56

Get Ready

The Gospel of Luke is really part one of a two-part work on Jesus’s life and ministry and the development of the early Christian church – the book of Acts (we will study them in the order of the canon, which means we will look at John’s Gospel in between).

Author

Although the writer does not identify himself in either book, almost all authorities agree that Luke – the physician who traveled with Paul [Col 4:14] – wrote this Gospel and Acts. Luke was a Gentile and probably Greek. The literary quality of his writing indicates a classical education, appropriate for a physician.

There is less agreement regarding when Luke wrote. Most scholars believe he had access to Mark’s Gospel which puts his writing sometime after 60 CE. He also mentions the destruction of Temple, which Jesus prophesied, which leads some to conclude he wrote after that event (70 CE). However, Acts ends before Jerusalem was destroyed, which points to a date sometime between 60 and 65.

Context

Luke was probably writing in Rome during Paul’s house arrest. He describes the situation in his opening: Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [Luke 1:1-3].

Even though he addresses the work to Theophilus, Luke has the larger church, especially the Gentile believers, as his audience. Luke is a Gentile describing Jesus’s life and ministry to other Gentiles. He clearly is aware of other written works and probably used several in developing his narrative. He also had access to several of the Apostles as well as others who knew Jesus.

Structure

Luke was an historian as well as a physician. Both his books follow the model of classical historical writing. Luke’s is also the most comprehensive story of Jesus’s life and ministry. After a brief introduction, the book has six sections:

  • Jesus’s birth and childhood – this section is fairly brief and quite selective, [1:5-2:52].
  • John the Baptist and Jesus’s baptism, [3:1-4:13].
  • Jesus’s ministry in Galilee, [4:14-9:50].
  • Jesus’s activities and teaching while traveling to Jerusalem,
    [9:51-19:10].
  • Jesus’s ministry in Jerusalem, [19:11-21:38].
  • Jesus’s arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection, [22:1-24:53].

Major Themes

Luke states his purpose in writing this Gospel in his introduction: “So [Theophilus] may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed,” [1:4]. 

Luke is writing for people who did not know Jesus personally, but who have heard and believed the Good News about Jesus. “Theophilus” may be a real person (probably Roman), or a literary device for the wider audience Luke clearly has in mind.

Whereas Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates that Jesus is the culmination of Jewish history and fulfillment of the law and the prophets, Luke shows that Jesus is the culmination of all history and that Gentiles are as much a part of God’s plan as the Jews are. In Luke Jesus welcomes all people – Samaritans, Gentiles, sinners, poor as well as wealthy – into God’s kingdom. Luke also includes more detail about women and their role in Jesus’s work than the other Gospels.

Luke also anchors Jesus’s ministry and passion in the history of the larger world. He wanted his largely Roman audience to understand that Jesus’s story is relevant to their situation – as it is to ours.

Even though Luke agrees with Paul about preaching the Gospel to the entire world, he writes with his own perspective. This is not “The Gospel of Paul” by another writer.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What do we know about the author? What other New Testament figure is he linked with? When did he write this book? What are the two possibilities for a date? What type of sources was the author able to use in writing this book?

2. Where was this book probably written? What was the situation for the author? For the church? To whom is the book addressed (or dedicated)? Who else is in the intended audience? 

3. How is this book organized? Why do you suppose Luke structured the book this way? What sets this book apart from the other synoptic Gospels? What aspects of Jesus’s life and ministry does Luke emphasize? Why do you suppose he chose these parts?

4. What does Luke say about his primary purpose in writing this book? Why would this have been important to Luke? To the church? How would you describe the type of people Luke wanted to reach with his Gospel? Do you think he succeeded?

5. What is the difference in Luke’s frame of reference for the story of Jesus’s life and ministry, compared to Matthews perspective? How does Luke demonstrate this point of view in his book? What types of people does Jesus interact with in Luke’s story? What is the role of women in this Gospel?

Bible Trivia
Matthew traced Jesus’s lineage from Abraham to Joseph, Mary’s husband [Matt 1:1-16]; Luke starts with Joseph and takes Jesus’s genealogy all the way back to Adam [3:23-38].
And . . .
Luke says Jesus was born when “Quirinius was governor of Syria,” [2:2], which puts the date between 4 and 6 BCE.

Notes: Synoptic Gospels . . .

In the years after Jesus’s resurrection many people were able to share their experiences with him, including his healings and other miracles and his teachings. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Apostles and others who knew Jesus personally became fewer and less accessible, some believers began compiling written collections of the stories about Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that Mark’s is the first written Gospel, although a significant group supports the tradition that Matthew wrote first. Scholars also believe that a collection of Jesus’s sayings, called “Q” (“source”) circulated at the same time and that both Matthew and Luke used it along with Mark in preparing their Gospels.

The commonality between Mark and Matthew and Mark and Luke is the basis for the idea that Mark’s is the first written Gospel. More than ninety percent of the information in Mark appears in similar form, although not necessarily in the same order, in Matthew; and more than half the material in Mark is also in Luke. Another indicator of Mark as the source is that whenever Matthew and Luke disagree about the sequence of events in Jesus’s life one of them agrees with the narrative in Mark.

All three Gospels were written before the destruction of the temple in 70, probably between 50 and 65 CE.

57: Jesus’s crucifixion, death and burial –Luke 23:26-56

Get Ready

How do you respond when you see someone in suffering or in a tough situation? Do you look to see if there is anyway you can help? Do you reach for your phone to call 9-1-1, or do you look for a public safety person to help? Do you try to avoid the situation and “cross by on the other side?”

The Word

23 26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of
Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 [Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. 

50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, 51 had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. As the Roman soldiers take Jesus away what do they do? Who gets involved? What does this person have to do? Why [see Notes]? 

2. Who else is involved in this incident? What are they doing? How does Jesus react to this situation? What does he say to the people? Why do you suppose he said these things to them [see Notes]?

3. Where did this “parade” end? Who else is involved at this point? Why are they at the execution? What does Jesus say at this point? How do the soldiers respond to the situation? What do they offer to Jesus? Why would they do this? What is Jesus’s title?

4. What does one of the criminals say to Jesus? How does the other man react? What does he ask of Jesus? How does Jesus respond?

5. What happens at noon? What happens in the temple? Why is this important? How does Jesus die? How does the Roman soldier respond to Jesus’s death?

6. Where is Jesus buried? Who is involved? Why didn’t they finish the process?








Get Personal

How did the Roman know Jesus was innocent? How has God helped you understand Jesus’s righteousness and its importance to you.

Notes . . .

These events are also in: Matthew [27:32-32-66], Mark [15:21-47], and John [19:17-42].

23:36. Simon of Cyrene — the Romans usually made the condemned man carry the cross-beam, but here they draft a bystander. Cyrene was a city in what is now Libya.
23:27. People followed him — Roman executions were very public – to set an example.
Women — in ancient times women often were the only visible mourners.
23:28. Weep for yourselves — Jesus echoes Isaiah 32:9-13. He also quotes Hosea [10:8] in v. 30.
23:32. Two others — multiple executions were not uncommon. Isaiah prophesied Jesus death “with the wicked,” [53:9], and his “tomb with the rich,” [see Note at 23:50, below].
23:34. Father, forgive them — as he is dying to forgive all people, Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who are killing him – and he forgives one of the criminals on the cross next to him [v. 43].
Cast lots — the condemned person’s clothing usually went to the soldiers who executed him – in this case they fulfilled Psalm 22:18.
23:36. Sour wine — actually could help dull the pain the condemned man was experiencing.
23:38. “King of the Jews” — Rome used crucifixion to execute those who tried to  

overthrow the empire; the sign on Jesus’s cross marked him as guilty of treason. Ironically, it also was a correct title (but the Jews failed to recognize him).
23:44. Darkness — a common Old Testament prophesy of judgment [for example: Isaiah 13:10, Ezek 30:3, Joel 2:2, Amos 5:18, Zech 14:6].
23:45. Curtain of the temple was torn in two — a curtain separated the innermost chamber (where God made his presence) from the outer “Holy Place.” When Jesus died he re-moved the separation between people and God.
23:46. Breathed his last — Jesus was in control of his own death [compare John 10:17-18].
23:47. Centurion — leader of the squad. A Gentile was one of the first people to recognize Jesus’s righteousness.
23:50. Joseph of Arimathea — was a secret follower of Jesus [check Matt 27:57 and John 19:38]. Normally the Romans left crucified victims on display for several days. By offering his family tomb, Joseph also fulfills Isaiah 53:9 [see Note at 23:32].
23:56. Prepared spices and ointments — the women got ready to embalm Jesus’s body, but they had to stop until the sabbath was over (sundown on Saturday).

Memory Verse
Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death, [Luke 23:15].

Next Lesson
Luke 24: Jesus’s resurrection.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

56: Peter’s declaration & Jesus’s transfiguration – Mark 8:27-9:13

Get Ready

How do you think you would plan if you knew exactly how much time you had until your death? Would you look for possible ways to put it off until later? Would you start on your “bucket list”? Would you gather your loved ones around you? Or would you just keep keeping on?

The Word

827 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” 

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 

9And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 

Jesus’s Transfiguration

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud over-
shadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is mySon, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. 

9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.” NRSV

Get into the Word:

1. Who is with Jesus in this passage? What does he ask them? How do they respond? What does Peter say? How does Jesus respond to Peter’s answer? 

2. What does Jesus tell the disciples about his future? How does Peter react to this news? How does Jesus respond to Peter this time? How do you think the other disciples reacted to this exchange?

3. What does Jesus tell the crowd about following him? What does he say about a relationship with him? How do you suppose the crowd reacted to this advice? How might you have reacted? 

4. Who is with Jesus in the next incident? Where are they? What happens at this point? Who appears? What does Peter propose? Why do you think he does this? What happens after Peter’s proposal? 

5. What does Jesus tell the disciples? What do the disciples ask Jesus? Why would they have this question, [see Notes]? How does Jesus answer them? Who is he really talking about, [see Notes]?






Get Personal:

Have you had an “Aha!” moment in your walk with Christ? What did you see or understand about Jesus? How has it affected your faith adventure?

Notes . . .

These two events also are in Matthew [16:13-17:13] and Luke [9:18-36]

8:27. Caesarea Phillipi — a pagan city in northern Palestine.
8:28. Who do people say — in the first century there were many religious preachers, including Jewish zealots, in Palestine. Many people probably thought Jesus was “just another one of those.”
Prophet — Moses said, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own fellow Israelites. You must listen to that prophet, [Deut 18:15].
8:29. Messiah — literally “anointed one,” the Greek word is “Christ.” At this point Peter means the descendant of David who will restore the kingdom of Israel [as in Isaiah 9:6-7, or Psalm 2] – Peter’s response when Jesus describes his approaching death [8:31-33] confirms his misunderstanding.
8:31. Son of Man — Jesus takes the title from Daniel [7:13] and uses it of himself. He will tell the disciples twice more about his impending death and resurrection [9:31 and 10:33-34].
8:34. Take up their cross — crucifixion was Rome’s method of execution, particularly for anti-Roman zealots. The condemned person carried his own cross bar to the place of execution (the upright was usually already in place).

9:1. See that the kingdom of God has come — Jesus could be referring to his transfiguration (the next incident in Mark) or to his resurrection appearances.
9:2. Peter and James and John — were members of Jesus’s “inner circle” within the disciples – they were the first called [Mark 1:16-20] and almost always listed first in any roster.
9:4. Elijah with Moses — Moses represents the Law for the Jews and Elijah was considered greatest among the Old Testament prophets (and he did not die, but “ascended in a whirlwind into heaven,” [2 Kings 2:11].
9:7. This is my Son — God echoes his affirmation of Jesus at his baptism and confirms Jesus’s status as greater than either Moses or Elijah. 
9:10. Questioning — “rising from the dead” was a totally new concept for the disciples.
9:11. Elijah — In the last verses of the Old Testament, God says Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives, [Malachi 4:5].

Memory Verse
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me, [Mark 8:34].

Next Lesson
Luke 23: Jesus’s crucifixion.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

55: Mark – Introduction and Parables — Mark 4:1-34

Get Ready

The author of this book probably was the first “evangelical Christian.” He evidently coined the word in the first verse of his story of Jesus’s life and ministry: “evangel” is Greek for “good news,” and the story of Jesus ministry and work of salvation is definitely good news for everyone who believes.

Author

The gospel does not have any information about its author, but Papias, an early church leader in what is now Turkey, identified Mark as one of those who interpreted for Peter, the Apostle, probably while he was preaching in Rome. Even though Mark evidently was not a follower of Jesus during his life on Earth, his relationship with Peter puts him very close to the events he recorded. Many scholars belief he is the John Mark who traveled with Paul [Acts 12:25] as well as Peter [1 Peter 5:13]. Since Peter was killed some time between 64 and 68 C.E., Mark’s gospel was probably written during this same time, primarily to preserve the story of Jesus for the Roman church.

Context

Most scholars believe Mark wrote this Gospel in Rome near the end of Peter’s life or very shortly after his death. Rome was the political, military and economic center of the world during the first century. It probably had more than a million residents, most of them poor and many of them slaves. There was a small wealthy elite that ruled the city and the empire.

This was also a time of political upheaval as the heirs of Augustus fought for the throne. Nero, the emperor (54-68) supposedly blamed Christians for a disastrous fire in 64 and persecuted them. Christians also suffered economically when they refused to acknowledge Caesar as a god and were barred from membership in the powerful guilds of the city.

Structure

Mark is the shortest Gospel, both in length and in the period of time it covers. It begins with Jesus’s baptism; there is no information about his birth or life before he began his ministry.

The author organized the material for this Gospel (see Synoptic Gospels below) into three major sections: 

  • The first half of the Gospel describes Jesus’s public ministry, including many of his miracles and several of his parables [1:1-8:26].
  • The next section focuses on Jesus preparation of the disciples for their role in his mission [8:27-10:52].
  • The third section covers Jesus’s last week: his entry into Jerusalem, his trial and crucifixion, and his resurrection [11:1-16:8].

There is an final section which most scholars believe is a later addition (it is not part of the earliest available documents) included to authenticate Jesus’s resurrection.

Major Themes

Mark’s primary focus is Jesus – the Son of God: his ministry and his redeeming death on the cross.

The opening line is almost a newspaper headline: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” [1:1]. Mark declares Jesus to be God’s son and then backs up this claim by reporting God’s response to his baptism: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased,” [1:11].

Mark then fills out his picture of the Messiah with details about Jesus’s public ministry and especially his miracles. The narrative is fast-paced and reads like a newspaper account: a man with an unclean spirit [1:21-28], Peter’s mother-in-law [1:29-31], a leper [1:40-45], a paralytic [2:1-12], a man with a withered hand [3:1-6] – all in the first three chapters.

Mark also spends considerable time on the cross. He reports that Jesus told the disciples on three different occasions that he must die and then be raised [8:31-9:1, 9:30-32 and 10:32-34].

Mark portrays Jesus as far more than a healer and teacher. He is the only Gospel author to include the Roman soldiers remark at the cross: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” [15:39]. The empty tomb is Mark’s final proof of Jesus’s divinity.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What role did the author play in the early church? What information do we have about this person? When was this book written? Where was it probably written? Who was the initial audience?

2. What was the political and military situation when this book was written? What was the religious climate like? How did this affect the early church? Why were believers persecuted? How did this influence the way the author presents his material?

3. How is this Gospel organized? What are the major sections of the book? What topics does each cover? How do scholars feel about the final section of Mark?

4. Who was a major source of information for this book? What was the relationship between the author and his source? What other source did the writer probably have access to? 

5. What is Mark’s major theme in this Gospel? How does he present Jesus? How does he describe him? What title does Mark give Jesus? Why is this so important to Mark? To his readers? What information does he provide to support his view of Jesus? How do you suppose his audience responded to these incidents? How do you respond?

6. What is the other major focus of this book? How does Mark deal with the subject of the cross? What does Jesus say about it? How do the disciples deal with the idea of Jesus’s death? Who announces the truth about Jesus first? Why do you think Mark used this person in this way?

Bible Trivia:
Mark is clearly the Gospel for modern times. It has a tight focus and includes only the important information a new believer needs to know. It would fit on an E-Reader.

Notes: Synoptic Gospels . . .

In the years after Jesus’s resurrection many people were able to share their experiences with him, including his healings and other miracles and his teachings. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Apostles and others who knew Jesus personally became fewer and less accessible, some believers began compiling written collections of the stories about Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that Mark’s is the first written Gospel, although a significant group supports the tradition that Matthew wrote first. Scholars also believe that a collection of Jesus’s sayings, called “Q” (“source”) circulated at the same time and that both Matthew and Luke used it along with Mark in preparing their Gospels.

The commonality between Mark and Matthew and Mark and Luke is the basis for the idea that Mark’s is the first written Gospel. More than ninety percent of the information in Mark appears in similar form, although not necessarily in the same order, in Matthew; and more than half the material in Mark is also in Luke. Another indicator of Mark as the source is that whenever Matthew and Luke disagree about the sequence of events in Jesus’s life one of them agrees with the narrative in Mark.

All three Gospels were written before the destruction of the temple in 70, probably between 50 and 65 CE.

55: Parables – Mark 4:1-34

Get Ready

Are you a city-person or a country-person? Are you the type who enjoys planting and taking care of a garden and enjoying the fresh produce that results? Or are you the type of person who feels an occasional trip to a farmers’ market in a city park yields the same produce with a lot less work?

The Word

4Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundred-
fold.” 9 And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 

10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12 in order that
‘they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’” 

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 

21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” 

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” 

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Where is Jesus in this passage? Who is with him? Why do you suppose he is in a boat? What is he doing? What kind of teaching is he doing?

2. What is the first parable about? Who is involved? What is the person doing? What happens as a result of the person’s actions? How many different types of result can occur? How does Jesus end this parable?

3. How do you think the audience responded to Jesus’s teaching? How did the disciples respond? How might you have reacted?

4. What do the disciples ask Jesus? How does Jesus respond to their request? What does he say about parables? What do you suppose is the “secret of the kingdom”?

5. How does Jesus explain the parable? What is the seed? What are the different types of soil? What are the different results of the planting? Who is the real farmer?

6. What does Jesus talk about next? What image does he use? Who is he referring to in this parable? What is the result of paying attention? What is the result of ignoring the parable? What other images does Jesus use for the kingdom of God?








Get Personal

How do you picture the kingdom of God? How does God help you understand the parables and the spiritual nature of God’s “kingdom”?

Notes . . .

4:2. Parables — literally “things put beside each other” (the same Greek root as “parallel”). As Jesus used them, parables are stories in which something in the story stands for something in the real world. A parable forces the listener to think (and a listener who refuses to think will miss the truth).
4:3. Sower — farmers planted by walking through the field, scattering handfuls of the seed, inevitably some seed would end up on the path or in an area of rocks or weeds – and some would end up on the good soil. Note: Matthew and Luke also include the parable of the sower.
4:8. Hundredfold — Palestinian land yielded between ten and a hundred times what was sown; thirty times would have been a very good yield, a hundred a great crop.
4:9. Listen! — Jesus alerts his audience that they need to pay close attention.
4:12. Look, but not perceive — Jesus is paraphrasing Isaiah 6:9-10, which describes the Jews’ inability to see the truth of the prophets’ message. Things had not changed in Jesus’s time.

4:13. Do you not understand — this parable actually is the foundation of all the others: it is about “sowing” the Gospel and telling people about the kingdom of God. The other parables present different aspects of the kingdom. Jesus then explains the four types of attitude people could have toward his message to the disciples.
4:20. Bear fruit — become “sowers” themselves and tell more people about the Gospel.
4:21. Lamp — parables, like lamps, allow some people to see and understand Jesus’s teaching [Matthew has the same image at 5:14-16].
4:25. Measure — those who want to understand will gain more understanding, but those who refuse to understand will get nothing more.
4:27. He does not know how — the disciples will be like the farmer, they may “sow” the Gospel but God produces the “growth.”
4:30. Mustard seed — a very small seed that does produce a large plant – the 12 disciples would produce a world-wide group of believers. 

Memory Verse
Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother, [Mark 3:35].

Next Lesson
Mark 8-9: Peter’s declaration and Jesus’s transfiguration.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

54: The Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount) — Matthew 5:1-48

Get Ready

What are the characteristics of a “good” sermon for you? Do you prefer a message that teaches or explains a passage in the Bible? Or do you want a message that deals with some aspect of contemporary life, something you deal with today? Or do prefer stories of how others have dealt with a situation or problem?

The Word

5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kngdom of heaven. 

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.  . . .

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. NRSV

Get into the Word:

1. Where is Jesus in this passage? What is he doing? Who is he talking to? What is he talking about? Who is he talking about? What kind of people is he describing? What is different about Jesus’s message in this passage?

2. What images does Jesus use to describe the disciples? Why do you suppose he chose these images? What message does he want to convey to the disciples? What does he expect them to do?

3. What subject does Jesus shift to next? How does he relate himself to this topic? What will happen to this issue in the future? What exceptions does he describe? Who will benefit? Who will lose? What is the objective in this situation?

4. What does Jesus teach about the law? How is his teaching different than the Jewish understanding of the law? What does he say is most important in understanding the law. What specific aspects of the law does he deal with? How do you think his listeners reacted to his teaching?














Get Personal:

How do your attitudes align with what Jesus says about the law. How does God help you understand and “complete” the spirit of the law as well as the letters of the law?

Notes . . .

5:1. Crowds . . . disciples — Jesus spoke first with his disciples, then to the larger crowd. 
5:3. Poor in spirit — Jesus begins contrasting his kingdom with the expectations of the Jews for a “kingdom” based on military power [also in vv. 4, 5, 9 and 10; v. 5 is a paraphrase of Psalm 37:11].
5:11. Persecute you . . . on my account — Jesus explicitly compares the disciples to the prophets, who suffered for the Lord.
5:13. Salt — a common image for wisdom, Jesus expects the disciples to bring about change in the world [also in the next verse].
5:17. The law or the prophets — Jesus is the completion of (i.e. completely fulfills) both the Jewish law and the prophets’ predictions about the Messiah.
5:21. But I say — Jesus begins teaching the way to follow God’s laws completely [v. 48]: the key is our attitude toward God and one another.

Murder . . . anger — Jesus says being angry with someone is the same spiritually as murdering the person.
5:27-42. Jesus also equates lust and divorce and remarriage with adultery, swearing an oath with being untruthful, selfishness with vengeance and retaliation.
5:44. Love your enemies — Jewish teachings implied that it was acceptable to “hate your enemies,” [Psalm 139, 140] even though you should “love your neighbor as yourself,” [Lev 19:18]. Jesus is calling for an entirely different attitude toward people.
5:48. Be perfect — the word also means “complete.” Jesus echoes God’s command to “be holy, for I am holy,” [Lev 11:45].
Note: Luke has a version of Jesus’s sermon [6:20-49], and John mentions Jesus speaking on a mountain [6:2-3].

Memory Verse
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. [Matthew 6:9-13]

Next Lesson
Mark 4: Parables

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

53: Matthew — Introduction & Jesus’s baptism and temptation — Matthew 3:1-4:11

Get Ready

The Gospel of Matthew makes a very appropriate bridge between the Old and New Testaments because it links Jesus and the story of his life and ministry directly with the descendants of Abraham and the history of the Jewish nation, as well as the prophecies about God’s plan for his creation.

Author

Bible scholars are split on the question of who wrote this Gospel. Some believe that a Jew would not have written in Greek, but in Aramaic (the Hebrew dialect of Jesus’ time); but they do not suggest a specific author.

Tradition – and several early church leaders – say that Matthew, the Jewish tax collector who became one of Jesus’ Apostles [details are at 9:9], wrote this book. He would have known Greek because of his work in commerce and with the Roman authorities. Further, Matthew would have been familiar with the tension between the Jews and their Roman masters, as well as the conflicting feelings of Jewish outcasts toward the political and religious establishment.

Context

Matthew is known as the “Jewish” Gospel because it presents Jesus as the Messiah (“anointed one”) promised throughout the Old Testament – the one the Jews have been waiting for since David. Matthew uses the phrase, “all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet,” ten times.

In the beginning the church was Jewish. The only members were Jews; they met in Jewish homes or in the temple; they followed all the Jewish traditions, including the Mosaic law (and the Romans tolerated them as a sect of Judaism). Matthew is writing to this group in order to strengthen their faith by demonstrating that Jesus is the culmination of their Jewish history.

Structure

There are several possible ways to look at this Gospel. Some scholars focus on Jesus’ five “lessons” or teachings that Matthew uses to present and explain Jesus’ ministry and message about the kingdom of God:

  • How people live in the kingdom – The Beatitudes [chapters 5-7].
  • The responsibility of the disciples [chapter 10].
  • Parables of the kingdom [chapter 13].
  • Relationships among people in the kingdom [chapter 18].
  • Preparation for the coming judgment [chapters 24-25].

Others focus on the two major sections that the author marks out with, “From that time on Jesus began to . . . ” [4:17, 16:21]. And a third group breaks the book into five sections based on the narrative and the subjects:

  • Jesus’ introduction as the Messiah [1:1-4:16].
  • Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee and northern Israel [4:17-16:20].
  • Jesus’ work to prepare the disciples [16:21-18:35].
  • Jesus’ public ministry in Jerusalem and Judea [19:1-25:46].
  • Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection [26:1-28:20]. 

Major Themes

Matthew’s overarching theme is that Jesus is the completion of Jewish history and the fulfillment of Jewish hopes for the future. The author calls his work “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” [1:1]. This immediately links Jesus to two of the three primary figures in Jewish history (the third is Moses).

The Gospel includes references to ten specific prophecies as proof that Jesus is God’s son: his birth [1:22-23], the flight to Egypt [2:15], massacre of the infants [2:17-18], Nazareth [2:23], Caper-naum [4:14-15], headings [8:17], secrecy about the miracles [12:17-21], using parables 13:13-15], Palm Sunday [21:4-5], and Judas’ suicide [27:9-10].

This Gospel also includes some of the strongest condemnation of the Jewish leaders [for example: 8:11-12, 21:43, and 27:25]. This reflects the developing tension between those who followed the law and those who followed Christ.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What is the evidence that the tax collector-turned-Apostle named Matthew did write it? What is the argument that he did not write this Gospel? 

2. What is the significant focus of this book? How does the author link it to the Old Testament? Why was this important to the early church? What is Matthew’s understanding of Jesus’ role in Jewish history? In Jewish religious beliefs? In world history?

3. How does the author organize the story of Jesus’ life and ministry? Why do some call this book the “Teaching Gospel”? What topics do the lectures cover? Why do you think Matthew spends so much time on “the kingdom”? How do you suppose the Jews felt about Jesus’ teachings?

4. Where did most of Jesus’ ministry take place? How does the author identify the two sections of the story? What other structure does Matthew use in this Gospel? What are the major sections in this organizational plan?

5. What is the major theme of this Gospel? How does the author identify his purpose in writing the book? Who does Matthew link Jesus with? Why is this important to his readers?

6. How else does the author link Jesus’ ministry to the Old Testament? What prophecies does he chose to explain aspects of Jesus’ ministry? How does Matthew describe the Jewish leaders? Why do you suppose he felt as he did? How do you think his readers responded to this attitude?

7. When was this Gospel written? Why is it linked to the Gospels of Mark and Luke? What sources did these writers have to support their narratives? Why do scholars believe that Mark’s Gospel was probably written before the other two?

Notes: Synoptic Gospels . . .

In the years after Jesus’ resurrection many people were able to share their experiences with him, including his healings and other miracles and his teachings. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Apostles and others who knew Jesus personally became fewer and less accessible, some believers began compiling written collections of the
stories about Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that Mark’s is the first written Gospel, although a significant group supports the tradition that Matthew wrote first. Scholars also believe that a collection of Jesus’ sayings, called “Q” (“source”) circulated at the same time and that both Matthew and

Luke used it along with Mark in preparing their Gospels.

The commonality between Mark and Matthew and Mark and Luke is the basis for the idea that Mark’s is the first written Gospel. More than ninety percent of the information in Mark appears in similar form, although not necessarily in the same order, in Matthew; and more than half the material in Mark is also in Luke. Another indicator of Mark as the source is that whenever Matthew and Luke disagree about the sequence of events in Jesus’ life one of them agrees with the narrative in Mark.

All three Gospels were written before the destruction of the temple in 70, probably between 50 and 65 CE.

53: The baptism & temptation of Jesus –Matthew 3:1-4:11

Get Ready

If you “go to the beach,” is it usually a lake, or a river, or the ocean? Do you go in the water? Do you actually go swimming? Or are you there primarily for the on-shore activities, such as sports, or reading, or talking with friends, or maybe just people-watching?

The Word

3In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

The temptation of Jesus 

4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 

11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does Matthew begin this passage? Who is speaking? What is he talking about? Where is he? What prophecy is he filling? How is he dressed? What is he doing?

2. Who else is involved? How does John react when these people appear? What does he call them? What does he warn them about? What does he say about God?

3. How does John describe his work? How is he related to Jesus? How is his work related to Jesus’ ministry? What image does John use?

4. Who joins John? What does he want? How does John respond to this request? Why does he agree to do it? What happens after the baptism? What is Jesus called? How do you suppose the crowd reacted to this? How might you have responded if you had been there?

5. What happens to Jesus next? Who is responsible for this situation? What does Jesus do? Who shows up next? What does this individual say to Jesus? How does Jesus respond to this suggestion?

6. What does the tempter do next? How does Jesus answer this suggestion? What is the next temptation? How does Jesus deal with it? What does the devil do next?





Get Personal

How do you recognize temptation in your life? How do you respond to such situations? How has God helped you seek his strength to resist?

Notes . . .

3:1. Those days — Matthew gives no information about Jesus between his return from Egypt (which fulfilled Hosea 11:1) and his baptism.
Kingdom of heaven — the other Gospel writers used “Kingdom of God.”
John — actually a relative (probably a cousin) of Jesus [check Luke 1:5-38 for the details].
3:3. The voice of one . . . — all four Gospels include this reference to Isaiah 40:3: John is clearing the way for people to return to God by repenting [also check Malachi 3:1].
3:4. Clothing — Elijah was a “hairy man with a leather belt around his waist,” [2 Kings 1:8]. Jesus confirms this reference in Matt 11:14.
3:7. Pharisees and Sadducees — the two major groups of influential Jewish leaders: Pharisees began as teachers to help the Jews uphold the law, Sadducees came primarily from the line of Jewish priests and were more closely associated with the Roman rulers.
3:9. Abraham as our ancestor — being Jewish is not enough to avoid God’s judgment.
3:11. Baptize you with the Holy Spirit — 

water provided a symbolic cleansing, but the Holy Spirit provides the change in attitude that leads to a relationship with God.
3:15. It is proper — Matthew underscores Jesus’ intent to fulfill the prophecies about himself.
3:16. Spirit of God . . . voice from heaven — Isaiah said, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,” [11:2], and David said “The decree of the Lord [is] ‘you are my son; today I have begotten you,” [Psalm 2:7] – God confirms Jesus is the Messiah.
4:1. Tempted — Jesus affirms his relationship to God the Father by obeying in the face of extreme temptation: he did not use his divine power to satisfy his human hunger [vv. 3-4]; he did not try to “prove” his status with a stunt [vv. 5-7]; and he refused to worship anyone or anything but God the Father [vv. 8-11].
4:4. It is written — Jesus not only knew the scriptures, he followed them (the devil also knew scripture but he perverted them).
Note: Jesus’ baptism is also in Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:29-34. The temptation is also in Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13.

Memory Verse
Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him, [Matt 4:10].

Next Lesson
Matthew 5: The Beatitudes

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

52: Introduction: New Testament

Get Ready

More than five hundred years before Jesus was born God told the prophet Jeremiah that he was going to do “a new thing” – he was going to “put my law within them” – he was going to make his relationship with his people personal. The New Testament is the story of how God is doing that “new thing.” 

Why is it the “New” Testament?

Just as the Jews do not call their writings about God and his
people the “Old Testament,” Christians did not call their sacred writings the “New Testament” during the early development of the church. The first reference to such a title appeared in a letter by an unknown author in 193.

So why do we call it “new”?

Well, primarily because God does – it is his book, after all.

And it lays out his plan for our salvation.

God told Jeremiah he would be doing a “new thing,” and said he would put his law in our hearts, not on stone tablets anymore [Jer 31:33]. God told Isaiah he was “about to do a new thing,” and said the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare, [Isaiah 43:19, 42:9]. He also said, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind, [Isaiah 65:17]. 

The psalmist calls on people to “sing to the Lord a new song,”
[Ps 98:1]. And this is what Jesus’ followers began to do.

So why is Jesus’ story called the Gospel

“Gospel” is the Greek word for “good news.”

God had been telling the Jews, through the prophets, that his “new thing” would be “good news” for more than six hundred years: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners, [Isaiah 61:1– Jesus applied this passage to himself in the synagogue, [Luke 4:16-21]. 

God also links “good news” to announcing salvation and peace, and saying, “Your God reigns,” [Isaiah 52:7].

The Apostles and other followers of Jesus used the phrase to tell the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – and especially what this means for our relationship with God.

So God’s “new thing” is the best possible “good news” because it is the story of how God has made it possible for us to have a living, loving relationship with him.

Why do we still have the Old Testament?

Christians believe Jesus abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity, [Eph 2:15]. Paul also said Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes, [Rom 10:4].

The law that God gave to Moses during the exodus is not the means to achieving a relationship with God. In fact, according to Paul, the law tells us we cannot achieve such a relationship because we cannot obey it in our lives. 

But the Old Testament continues to teach us about who God is and what his plan for his creation is. And the law continues to be the guide to what God considers moral or righteous action.

The Organization of the New Testament

There are three different types of writings in the New Testament:

  • Narrative histories of Jesus’ life and ministry and of the initial development of the church – the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.
  • Letters dealing with various aspects of Christian faith and doctrine and church practices – Paul wrote nine letters to specific churches and four letters to individuals; James, Peter, John and Jude wrote seven letters intended for the church at large; and an unknown author wrote a general letter to the “Hebrews.”
  • Apocalyptic visions of the end times – the Apostle John wrote Revelation.

The Development of the New Testament

The writings that we now call the “New Testament” originated as the Apostles and other early believers worked to spread the message of God’s salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In the beginning the group of followers (they called themselves “The Way”) could rely on the Apostles, who actually knew Jesus and heard his teachings. The Apostles could also resolve disagreements based on their experience with Jesus. But as time passed and the church grew beyond Jerusalem and Judea – especially as more and more Gentiles became followers – the availability of someone who had actually spent time with Jesus became less possible.

This led church leaders to write down what they remembered about Jesus’ life and ministry and what they had learned from his teaching. At the same time, missionaries used letters to deal with problems in the churches they had developed throughout the region.

Eventually these writings were collected.

Get into the Word

1. What do Christians call their sacred writings? When did this name come into use? Why is it called “New”? What is (or was) the “old” version? Why did God provide a “new” version? When did God first introduce the idea of a “new” covenant or relationship? 

2. What other label do Jesus’s followers use for their books about his life? What does this name actually mean? Why is this an appropriate title for these works? 

3. How did God introduce this “new” title? What types of actions are associated with this label? What else does God link to this “good news”? Who first applied this concept to Christ? How did people react to this?

4. What is the relationship between the Old Testament and the New? What happened to the provisions of the old relationship? Why is it important to still read and understand the Old Testament?

5. How is the New Testament organized? What types of writings are included? Who are some of the authors in this book? What are the different types of letters included?

6. How did the contents of the New Testament originate? Who were the early sources of information for this book? Why were they accepted as knowledgeable or authoritative? How did they transmit this information? 

7. Why did the church leaders start to write down the information? Was this a good thing or a bad thing for the early church? Do you think the early writers knew how important their work would become for later believers (like you and me)?

Psalm 96 was probably written nearly 1,000 years before Jesus was born, but it is still a very good introduction to the New Testament:

O sing to the Lord
a new song;
sing to the Lord,
all the earth.
Sing to the Lord,
bless his name;
tell of his salvation
from day to day.
Declare his glory
among the nations,
his marvelous works
among all the peoples.

Next Lesson
Matthew 3-4: Jesus’ baptism and temptation

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

51: Summary: Doctrines of the Old Testament

Get Ready

The Old (or “Former”) Testament is the book of the covenant God had with his chosen people, the descendants of Abraham known as the Jews. It sets out the relationship God wanted to have with his people and describes the actual history of that relationship over the course of more than a thousand years.

Before we explore what the Old Testament teaches about our faith, we should remind ourselves of a few things about these books:

  • They were written by humans over a period of at least one thousand years. The writers lived in different times and different cultures and the books of the Old Testament reflect these differences.
  • There are four broad categories of books in the Old Testament: the Torah (“teachings”) or law, the history of the development and demise of the nation of Israel, the writings (a collection of poetry, wisdom, and fiction), and the prophets – who spoke on God’s behalf to the Jewish people.
  • The Old Testament was not a single, unified work. The various writers had different reasons for writing what they did – although every writer was inspired by God to write what they did.
  • The canon (“official list”) of Old Testament books was not established until 90 CE, as “writings that may be read in the synagogue.”

Christians believe the new covenant established by and through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection has supplanted the former covenant God made through Moses. Paul called Christ, “the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes,” [Rom 10:4]. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews quotes Jeremiah’s description of the new covenant: “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be my people,” and says the new covenant makes the former one “obsolete,” [Heb 8:10, 13 and Jer 31:31].

But the Old Testament teaches several important things about God and his creation.

The nature of God

God created the universe and all that is in it, including us.

  • God is spirit: According to Jesus, God is spirit, [John 4:24]. He has no physical form or body.
  • God is changeless: even though part of creation may change, God is the same, and your years will never end, [Heb 1:12]. God is complete; he is not different from one time to another or to one group or another.
  • God is all Powerful: God created the universe out of nothing; for God all things are possible, [Mark 10:27].
  • God is all knowing: if God created everything he knows everything about every thing. In fact he has put wisdom in the inward parts [and] given understanding to the mind, [Job 38:36].
  • God is everywhere: in Psalms the poet asks where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? [139:7]. God is present throughout his creation.
  • God is eternal: God does not exist in our time frame; he is present in all time: he is the one who is and who was and who is to come, [Rev 1:8].
  • God is holy: Holy means “set apart” and God requires the people of his covenant to be holy as well: You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you . . . You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live, [Lev 18:3, 5]. The instruction covers being “clean” and “unclean,” as well as  food, marriage and family, sexual behavior, and relationships with others.
  • God is righteous: the Hebrew word means “straight” or “upright.” God’s actions are morally correct and just – they are consistent with his character, which is love.

A note on God’s name: Old Testament writers used “YHWH” to represent God’s name [Exodus 3:14-15], but they felt it was too holy to actually pronounce. So they used “adonai” (“Lord”) as God’s personal name or “’elohim” as a general name. The NRSV uses “Lord” in the first case and “God” in the second. When Amos puts YHWH with adonai, the NRSV uses “Lord God.”

A note on God’s Providence: Just as we believe God created all things, Christians believe that God continues to be active and involved in his creation. We believe God is active in three complimentary ways:

  • God preserves creation: God has been involved in creation from the beginning – he charged humans to care for the physical world and all creatures in it; he called Abraham to be a blessing to all nations; he protects and safeguards his people. Mary’s “Magnificat” is one of the best summaries of God’s providence [Luke 1:46-55].
  • God acts consistently with creation: God’s actions in creation follow the “natural laws” that he built into the universe – which sometimes leads to events that harm parts of creation; God also respects human moral choice that is part of creation, which allows (but does not cause or sanction) “bad” actions to take place: All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice, [Phil 2:13].
  • God manages or guides creation toward his purposes: he governs all aspects of creation to work together; he steers human decisions and actions to achieve his goals: For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life, [Eph 2:10].

The nature of humans

God created humans and wants a loving relationship with us.

  • We are like God: Genesis teaches that God created us in his “image” and according to his “likeness,” [Gen 1:26].
  • We are alive: In the second creation story (yes, there are two; and, yes, they are different), Genesis says God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the [human] became a living being, [Gen 2:7].
  • We are created for a relationship with God: from the beginning God wants a relationship with us. Paul calls this a “mystery” for the fullness of time to gather up all things in him, [Eph 1:10].

The nature of sin

Humans are not capable of maintaining a relationship with God. Sin is both the situation we are in separated from God, and the “bad” actions we take because we are apart from God.

  • Sin is disobedience: Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s direct command to not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, [Gen 2:17]. As a result, they broke their relationship with him, [Gen 3:23].
  • Sin can be a thought, such as hate [1 John 3:15]; something we said, like an insult [Matt 5:22]; or an action, such as murder, theft, or lying about someone, [Matt 15:19].
  • Sin is not scalable: there are no “little” sins or “medium-sized” sins (or “really big sins”). James says whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it, [2:10].

A note on God’s anger or wrath: These two words are used throughout the Bible to refer to God’s response to sin. However, it is important to remember these are human words attempting to describe the spiritual reality of separation from God and his love. Anger is a human emotional response to not getting our way – usually by being either harmed or ignored by another person. It is essentially a selfish response. When we are separated from God, we feel rejected — so we ascribe our emotions to his “anger” or “wrath.”

God’s plan for dealing with sin

God’s Basic Salvation Plan: God promises – we believe his promise – God counts our belief as righteousness. From the beginning of God’s relationship with Abraham: He believed the Lordand the Lordreckoned it to him as righteousness, [Gen 15:6]. Paul puts it: Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, [Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6].

The Ten Commandments: God begins the Ten Commandments by reminding the Israelites that he is the one, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, [Exodus 20:1]. God has already acted to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery – the context of the Ten Commandments is the relationship God has already established with his people: You have seen how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples, [19:4-5]. The Ten Commandments are a description of the relationship the people should have with God (1-4) and with each other (5-10); they are not a checklist to earn a divine reward.

A note on the last commandment: You shall not covet, [20:17]. This commandment makes it personal and internal: “coveting” is an attitude 

regarding the property and belongings (including spouse, children, reputation) of another person in which the coveter views himself or herself as more important than the other person.

Sacrifice: The Old Testament practice of giving or dedicating something to God acknowledges that he has given us everything we have, including life itself. Sacrifice also reminds us that we need to put God first in our lives, ahead of everything else, which we fail to do because of sin. Leviticus includes instruction on five types of sacrifice:

  • Burnt offerings: cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, turtledoves or pigeons – male and “without blemish” – were burned by the priests to produce a “pleasing odor to the Lord.”
  • Grain offerings: flour with oil and frankincense (a gum used as incense and perfume) in it, or unleavened bread that has been baked, griddled or fried – yeast was forbidden [check Exodus 12] – part was burned to produce a “pleasing odor to the Lord,” and the rest was for the priests.
  • Peace offerings (also called “Offering of well-being”): cattle, oxen, sheep or goats – male or female without blemish – the fat around the organs was burned as a food offering.
  • Sin offerings: cattle, oxen, goats, sheep, turtledoves or pigeons – male without blemish, the specific animal depended on the position of the person who sinned – the blood was poured out and the fat was burned “to make atonement.”
  • Guilt offerings: a male sheep or goat without blemish – along with the restitution when appropriate (trespass, robbery, deception, fraud or false witness) “to make atonement.”

But the ritual had to be repeated every year because the ritual did not deal with the cause of sin.

Atonement: literally “at-one-ness” or reconciliation. Sin separates us from God and leads to disobedience which further divides us from our Creator. In the Old Testament God agreed to consider animal sacrifice as an adequate “payment” to maintain his covenant relationship with the Israelites – the animal’s blood in place of the human’s blood that was required: For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar, [Lev 17:11]. However, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the final and complete atonement for our sin.

God’s plan for the end time

The phrase “The Day of the Lord” appears throughout the Old Testament. In a few cases it refers to a specific historical event, but most of the uses point to the day of God’s judgment at the end of this present time.

Historical events include the Assyrian defeat of Israel [Amos 5], and Babylon’s victory over Judah and destruction of Jerusalem [Lam 2, Ezek 7]. Prophets also use the phrase in reference to the Medes’ defeat of Babylon [Isaiah 13:6] and Babylon’s defeat of Egypt [Jer 46].

In the future “The Day of the Lord” will involve extreme hardship and suffering for Israel: See, a day is coming for the Lord, when the plunder taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses looted and the women raped; half the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle, [Zech 14:1-3].

But it will also be a day if purification and restoration when the people repent: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory, [Isaiah 61:2]; and: See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts, [Mal 4:1-3].

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

50: Malachi — Introduction & The coming messenger — Malachi 3:1-18

Get Ready

The last book of the Old Testament is, appropriately, the last canonical book to be written about the Jewish people before Christ. Malachi means “messenger” in Hebrew and this book is God’s message to a people who have lost sight of God’s promises and God’s commandments.

Author

Malachi identifies himself, but he does not give us any other information about his life or his work. However, there is some information in the book about the times in which it was written. The Jews were under a Persian governor [1:8] and the rebuilt temple had been used for worship for a lengthy period [1:7-10]. Most scholars believe Malachi prophesied between 460 and 430 BCE.

Context

The Persian Empire brought relative peace to the region for quite some time. This had allowed the Jews to return to Palestine from their Babylonian captivity and to rebuild Jerusalem’s city wall and the temple (although this took longer than it should – see Haggai and Zechariah).

But after a hundred years, the people and the priests had lost much of their initial enthusiasm for following the Mosaic Law. Worship had become empty of meaning; sacrifices often involved animals with defects (contrary to God’s requirement); and the people failed to give the required tithes and offerings to maintain the temple and the priesthood (again, contrary to the Law’s provisions). The people’s failure to worship reflected their loss of confidence in God’s promises to Israel.

Structure

Malachi uses a rhetorical device in which God states the people’s argument and then refutes it in detail – very much like a formal debate: 

  • At the very beginning of the prophecy God says, I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” Is not Esau Jacob’s brother? Says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau, [1:2-3]. 
  • At another point God says, O priests, who despise my name. You say, “How have we despised your name?” By offering polluted food on my altar, [1:6-7]. God goes on to describe sacrificial animals that are blind, lame and sick {1:8], and concludes: Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor?
  • God also accuses the people of robbing him: You are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me – the whole nation of you! [3:8-9].

The book is almost completely God speaking to the people. More than 80% of the verses include “says the Lord.” 

Major Themes

Malachi focuses primarily on the failure of the priests and the people to truly worship the Lord. There are three aspects of this failure:

  • The priests themselves do not honor the Lord. In fact, they “profane my name” [1:6] by not offering animals without defects for sacrifice. The whole point of sacrificial animals was to offer something as close to “perfect” as possible in place of the imperfect (sinful) people. God tells the priests he has “no pleasure in you . . . and I will not accept an offering from your hands,” [1:10].
  • The people have profaned the covenant God made with them – by being unfaithful in marriage and by marrying foreign spouses. This is a violation of God’s commandment to Moses before the Israelites entered the promised land.
  • The people “rob God,” by cheating on their tithes and offerings [3:8-9], and by questioning the value of serving him [3:14]. God challenges the people to bring the full tithe into the storehouse . . . and thus put me to the test . . . see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing, [3:12].

Malachi includes God’s warning to the people that he has not forgotten them and their actions, and that he will come to them – in judgment [3:1-7]. Matthew uses this vision of the “messenger” to describe John the Baptizer in his Gospel [Matt 11:10].

The book closes with a vision of God’s reward for “those who revered the Lord,” [3:16-18], and his return on the day “the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings,” [4:2]. God says he will send you the prophet Elijah . . . He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse, [4:5-6]. Luke echoes this prophecy in describing John the Baptizer’s birth [Luke 1:17].

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? What do we know about this author? When was this book probably written?

2. What was the political and military situation at the time this prophet was working? What was the situation within the Jewish nation? What had the people accomplished? What had they failed to complete or carry out? How did this affect their relationship with the Lord?

3. How does the author organize the prophecies? What makes this book unusual for the Old Testament? How do you think the people responded to this rhetorical device? Do you think it makes the book easier or more difficult to understand?

4. What is the overarching theme of this book? What are the major focal points in this prophecy? Why are theses issues so important to God? Why do you suppose the people are not following God’s commandments? 

5. What warning does the book have for the people? Who is going to appear? What will this person do regarding the people? What will happen to the people? Who repeats this vision? Who is it applied to in the New Testament?

6. How does the writer end his prophecy? How does he describe the future for the Jews? What images does he use? Who will be included in this future? What other prophet will be involved? What will this other person do for the people? Why is this important for them?

Bible Trivia:

The Apostle Paul quotes Malachi in his argument (in Romans) affirming God’s choice of Israel to be his people: As it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I hated Esau,” [Rom 9:13].

Notes . . .

See Summary following Ester (#25) for information about the history of the Jews from 430 BCE until the time of Jesus.

See Notes on Ruth (#16) for more information about God’s ideas on giving.

50: The coming messenger & robbing God – Malachi 3:1-18 

Get Ready

If you are having guests over to your home, what preparations do you make? Do you clean the house? Do you prepare special food or beverages? Do you get special decorations? Do you wear “dress-up” clothes instead of jeans? Does the identity of the visitor make a difference?

The Word

3See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. 

5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. 

6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?” 

Do Not Rob God

8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me – the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. 11 I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 

13 You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord. Yet you say, “How have we spoken against you?” 14 You have said, “It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts? 15 Now we count the arrogant happy; evildoers not only prosper, but when they put God to the test they escape.” 

The Reward of the Faithful

16Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name. 17They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. 18Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Who is speaking in this passage? Who is he talking to? What is he talking about? How does he describe what is going to happen. What images does he use for this process? Who else uses the image of a messenger [see Notes]?

2. What will God do when he arrives? What practices will he judge? Why do you think he lists these actions and not others? Why are these important to God? Why should they be important to the Jews? To us?

3. What subject does God bring up next? How does he describe this problem? What have the people been doing? What does God challenge them to do? What does he promise to do if the people change their behavior? Why does he make this challenge [see Notes]?

4. Who does God discuss in the last section? How are they described? What will happen to them?









Get Personal

Do you ever find yourself in a dialogue with God? How does he help you understand the direction he has in mind for your life?

Notes . . .

3:1. Messenger — it was fairly common for a ruler to send a person ahead to alert people of his arrival – and clear any potential problems. Jesus refers to this verse to describe John the Baptizer in relation to himself [Matt 11:10].
3:2. The day — throughout the Old Testament the “Day of the Lord” is a day of judgment, which, because of Israel’s sin, is a day of death and disaster [check Isaiah 2:12; Joel 3:11-16; Amos 5:18-21; Zech 1:14-18]. No one can endure such a day or “stand when he appears,” [check 4:1-2 for more of Malachi’s vision of this day].
Fullers’ soap — heavy-duty soap to take out impurities and dirt from clothing – another image of cleansing associated with the Messiah.
3:3. Descendants of Levi — the priests, who had failed to honor God’s commandments about sacrifice [1:7-9].
3:5. Bear witness against . . . — God lists the sins of the Jews, ending with those who “do not fear [respect]” him [compare Zech 7:8-10].

3:8. Tithes and offerings — “tithe” means “a tenth.” The concept was used throughout the Middle East as a tax to support the ruler and his military forces. God commanded the Israelites to give the tithe to the Levites to support the temple and the priests [Num 18].
3:9. Robbing me — the people were not giving the full amount to the temple (initially the Persians provided some financial support to the Jewish temple, but later ceased to do so).
3:10. Test — God had promised to bless the people if they followed his commandments [Deut 28:1-14].
3:11. Locust — locusts had plagued the Jews for many years by destroying their crops and vineyards [Hag 1:5-6].
3:16. Book of Remembrance — similar to the “book” or record mentioned in other parts of the Old Testament [such as: Exodus 32:32, Psalm 69:28 and 139:16, Isaiah 4:3 and 65:6, and Eek 13:9].

Memory Verse
But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings, [Malachi 4:2].

Next Lesson
Doctrines of the Old Testament.

A note from Rich . . .
Did you notice the “Get Ready” for this Lesson — Malachi is the “last book.” You have now studied every book in the Old Testament. Give yourself a humble pat on the back (don’t strain your arm) and thank God for his blessings and his Word. We’ll summarize the major Old Testament doctrines next week and open the New Testament as we head into Holy Week (How’s that timing for a God wink?).

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

49: Zechariah – Introduction & The lampstand, flying scroll and chariots – Zechariah 4:1-5:4, 6:1-8

Get Ready

Zechariah prophesied to the returned Israelites along with Haggai. His book has been called the most “messianic” book in the Old Testament because it contains eight references to the “Anointed One” in its relatively short content.

Author

Most scholars agree that Zechariah, the prophet, wrote this book. He identifies himself as the son of Bechariah and also a descendant of Iddo, a priest, in the introduction. We also know that his ministry, from 520-475 BCE, overlapped that of Haggai. He is referred to as a “young man,” [2:4], so he probably was born in Babylon and was part of the first group of returning Jews in 538 BCE.

Some authorities believe that the significant differences between the two major parts of the book mean the second section was written by an unknown person several years after the temple was rebuilt. (See “Structure,” below, for details on the two sections.)

Context

The Jews who returned to Palestine after their Babylonian captivity faced a very uncertain future. They knew they had to rebuild Jerusalem’s defenses for security against the people the Babylonians had transplanted to Canaan over the previous seventy years. They also knew they had to rebuild the temple so they could restore sacrificial worship of the Lord. And they had to take care of themselves and their families.

The combination of scarce building materials and ongoing harassment by the local inhabitants made this work difficult. Many of the Jews focused on their own homes and their own livelihood and security (which was not all that prosperous or secure – see the previous book, Haggai).

Structure

As noted earlier, Zechariah has two distinct sections:

  • In the first section [chapters 1-8] the prophet encourages the Jews to complete rebuilding the temple. Zechariah presents eight different visions that call the people to finish the task. This section also includes a vision in which a high priest named “Joshua” is crowned – a preview of Jesus’ role as both prophet and priest in God’s kingdom.
  • The second part [chapters 9-14] presents the prophet’s vision of the coming Messiah and the prosperous future of Israel under his reign. Among the details in this prophecy is the picture of the Messiah entering Jerusalem: Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey, [9:9]. Matthew would use Zechariah’s prophecy 400 years later to describe Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion [Matt 21:5].

Most scholars believe the second set of prophecies was more than 40 years after the first. The difference in subject matter, as well as Zechariah’s age, would explain the differences in language and style.

Major Themes

Zechariah presents two major messages and links them as he links the priestly and prophetic functions in his prophecy (in fact, he may have been a priest as well as a prophet).

The first message concerns the Israelites’ sin and their need to repent – especially their failure to complete rebuilding the temple and restoring sacrificial worship. In other words, he prophesied about the importance of the function of priests in maintaining the people’s relationship with God.

The second message focuses on God’s promises for the future of the Jews. There are four parts in this prophecy:

  • God will strengthen Israel and defeat all the enemies of the nation.
  • The Jews will ultimately acknowledge that Christ died for them: When they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn, [12:11].
  • God will eliminate idolatry and kill those who worship idols.
  • God will establish his reign over the entire world at Jerusalem.

Zechariah’s language and images link him to both the prophet, Daniel, and the Apostle, John, author of Revelation. In his vision, Christ will return as the righteous warrior and ruling judge on the “Day of the Lord” – images of the end times used by the other two prophets.

Get into the Word:

1. Who wrote this book? How does he identify himself? What else do we know about the prophet? When was his ministry? Why is there some disagreement about the author of this book?

2. What was the situation for the Jews when this book was written? How long had they been in their homeland? What major tasks did they face in Palestine? What made these projects difficult for the Jews? What did they end up doing about the tasks? What were the consequences of these decisions?

3. How is this book organized? What are the primary parts of the book? What does each part deal with? When was each section probably written? How might this affect the style and language of each primary section?

4. What are the major messages of this prophecy? How does the prophet present God’s word to the Jews? What sin does the prophet focus on? How should the people deal with this problem? Why is this so important to God? Why should completing the temple be important to the people?

5. What is the second major theme of this prophecy? What aspects of Israel’s future does the author describe? What images does he use? What other Biblical writers used similar images? How do you suppose the prophet’s audience responded to these images? How do you respond?

Bible Trivia:
Zechariah uses three different images that figure in Jesus’ last days:
The donkey colt that Jesus rode into Jerusalem the week before his death and resurrection [Zech 9:9, Matt 21:5].
The thirty pieces of silver as wages for a shepherd [Zech 11:12-13] and Judas’ payment for betraying Jesus [Matt 26:15, 27:5-8].
The description of the savior as “the one whom they have pierced,” [12:11] pointing to Jesus’ crucifixion.

49: The lampstand, flying scroll and chariots – Zechariah 4:1-5:4, 6:1-8 

Get Ready

Are you a fan of “modern” art, with highly symbolic subjects depicted on the canvas? Or do you prefer your paintings to be more representational or “realistic” and the subject looks like it does in a photograph? Which style is easier for you to understand – to “see” what the artist is trying to convey?

The Word

4The Lampstand and the olive trees
The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 He said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!'” 

8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.

“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which pour out the oil through the two golden pipes?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” 

5The flying scroll
Again I looked up and saw a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side. 4 I have sent it out, says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; and it shall abide in that house and consume it, both timber and stones.” 

6The four chariots
And again I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains – mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot black horses, 3 the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled gray horses.
4 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of heaven going out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go toward the west country, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the steeds came out, they were impatient to get off and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried out to me, “Lo, those who go toward the north country have set my spirit at rest in the north country.”  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Who is involved in this vision? What are they talking about? How does the prophet describe things in the vision? Can you visualize what the prophet is describing?

2. How does the angel explain the meaning of this vision? How does this message relate to the unfinished task the Jews are supposed to be working on? What is really going to get the job done?

3. How does the angel complete the explanation of the vision? How does this affect the message of the vision?

4. What is the subject of the next vision? How does the prophet describe this thing? Why do you think it is the size Zechariah describes? How does the angel explain this vision? Why does he call it a “curse”? Who is affected by this vision? What did they do [see Notes]?

5. What does the prophet see in the next vision? What detail does he give? How does the angel explain this vision? What does this vision represent? What other prophets have used similar images to describe God’s judgment?






Get Personal

How do you respond to God’s “To Do” list? How has God helped you be aware of his plan for you life? How does he help you stay “on task”?

Notes . . .

4:1. Angel — in the Old Testament angels both conveyed and interpreted messages from God [check Gabriel in Dan 8:16].
4:2. Lips — a pinched area on the edge of the lamp bowl which would hold a wick with the end of the wick resting in the oil.
4:3. Olive trees — in ancient times a lamp often represented a deity and trees represented worshippers [the anointed ones” in v. 14].
4:6. Zerubbabel — was the Jewish governor of Palestine under the Persian emperor.
4:7. Top stone — probably “chief” or “most important” stone – Zerubbabel would place the corner stone from the former temple, which would start the rebuilding process (which v. 9 confirms).
4:10. Plummet — the meaning of this word is unknown; but Zerubbabel completed rebuilding the temple in 516 BCE.
Seven eyes — seven signified completeness – God’s vision sees everything, everywhere.

5:1. Flying scroll — “flying” here means unrolled or spread out (like a flag “flying” in the breeze).
5:2. Length . . . width — 30 feet long was not unusual, but 15 feet wide would have made it very unwieldy. 
5:3. Curse — summons to a legal proceeding – the Jews had broken their oath to rebuild the temple and were “stealing” time to build their own houses [similar to Malachi 3:8-10].
5:5-11. The woman in a basket — this vision represents the removal of sin from Israel.
6:1. Chariots — often represented the four winds or spirits of God. The angel confirms this in v. 5 [also compare with Jer 49:36-37, Dan 7:2-3, and Rev 61-8]. There is a similar vision of horsemen in the first vision [1:7-17]. The significance of the colors is not explained, but the impression is that they cover the entire world.
6:8. North country — Babylon (which was northeast of Jerusalem) was the seat of idol worship and the source of the major attacks on Israel.

Memory Verse
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts, [4:6].

Next Lesson
Malachi 3: The coming messenger and tithing.

Rich Nelson Uncategorized

48: Haggai – Introduction & the Command to rebuild the Temple — Haggai 1:2-2:9, 20-23

Get Ready

Haggai is an unusual book for a couple of reasons. First, it is not about sin and God’s judgment – of the Jews or any other nation (although the Jewish people are not doing what God wants them to) – it is God’s call to do the “right thing.” Second, it is a prose narrative, not poetry.

Author

The prophet identifies himself, his intended audience and the date in the first verse: In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

We also know that Haggai worked with Zechariah, the prophet who follows him in the Old Testament [from Ezra 5:1]. Some scholars interpret Haggai’s reference to Solomon’s temple [2:3] to mean that he actually saw the temple before the exile, which would make him at least seventy years old.

Context

Haggai’s ministry comes at a crucial time in Israel’s history. The Jews returned to Palestine beginning in 538 BCE, when the Persians defeated the Babylonians and instituted more humane policies regarding exiles and captives. They built an altar and restored sacrificial worship (which had been impossible in Babylon). They also began to reconstruct the temple, but the harsh working conditions and the constant harassment of the people then living in the region caused them to let the work languish, while they focused on planting and harvesting crops and maintaining their livestock – and on building their own homes.

After sixteen years of inaction, God calls Haggai in 520 BCE. to renew the effort and complete the temple. Haggai focuses his message on the leaders of the Jews: Zerubbabel, who was the grandson of the last ruling king of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest in exile.

Structure

Haggai packs four prophecies into the two relatively brief chapters of his book:

  • In the first prophecy God tells the Jewish leaders they need to complete the temple if they want to be successful in their land [1:2-11]. Haggai describes Zerubbabel’s and Joshua’s obedient response in verses 12-15.
  • In the second prophecy God tells the leaders that even though the new temple is not as impressive as Solomon’s and the pagans continue to harass the workers, God will protect them and provide the resources to complete the temple. He also promises that “the latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former,” [2:9] – a reference to the glory that Jesus brings to the temple when he is there.
  • The third prophecy is God’s rebuke of the Jews who ignored God’s house and his commands – which led to the poor crops and “blight and mildew and hail,” [2:17].
  • The final prophecy is God’s promise to “shake the heavens and the earth,” and defeat the nations that oppress his chosen people.

All four prophecies were delivered in the fall of 520 BCE.

Major Themes

Haggai focuses on the importance of understanding God’s priorities and putting our effort into the work that God has called us to accomplish.

God inspired Cyrus, the Persian emperor, to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. But once they got to Palestine, the Jews laid the foundation for the temple but then left it unfinished so they could do work that they thought would make their lives better. They neglected what God considered important in order to do work that was easier and benefited themselves (or so they thought).

But God tells them, through Haggai, that the poor results of their efforts – “the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing,” [2:19] – are due to the unfinished work on the temple.

Zechariah followed Haggai’s efforts and continued to push the people to do the “right thing.” The Jews completed rebuilding the temple in 515 BCE. It stood until the Roman army destroyed it, along with the city of Jerusalem, in 70.

Get into the Word

1. Who wrote this book? When did he write it? Who was he speaking for? Who was he speaking to? Who else was involved in this ministry?

2. Where were the people Haggai was concerned with at the time of his prophecy? What was the military situation of the Jews when he was preaching? What was the political situation? 

3. What was the spiritual situation of the Jews at this time? What were they working on? How was the work progressing? What had been happening to their lives as a result of their efforts? How did the Jews feel about this situation? How did God feel about it?

4. How did God respond to the Jews’ lack of work on the temple? What did he tell the people through the prophet? How did the leaders react to this message? What did they do to get the work going again?

5. How is this book organized? How many individual prophecies are there? What are the messages Haggai delivers to the Jewish leaders? Why do you think God chose these specific messages? How would you respond to them if you had been involved?

6. What is the major theme of Haggai’s prophecies? Why was rebuilding the temple so important to God? What was the error in the Jews’ approach to rebuilding the temple? Why do you suppose they did not give it the attention that God wanted? What did they choose to work on instead of the temple?

Bible Trivia
Haggai means “festive” in Hebrew.

48: The command to rebuild the temple – Haggai 1:2-2:9, 20-23

Get Ready

When you think about your “To Do” list or priorities for your life do you focus on doing things right or on doing the right things? How do you identify what is important and urgent versus what is important but less urgent versus not important but urgent?

The Word

 1In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house. 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 4 Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes. 

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. 9 You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors. 

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord ‘s message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.

The Future Glory of the Temple

2In the second year of King Darius, ‎in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say,
3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts. 

God’s Promise to Zerubbabel

20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of a comrade. 23 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Who is speaking as this book opens? Who is the intended audience? When is this happening? Who is the real speaker?

2. What is the speaker talking about? What are the different “houses” in this message? What is the people’s situation? How well are they doing with food, clothing, earnings? Why is this a problem for them? Do you think they realize what is actually happening?

3. How do the leaders respond to God’s message? What do they do? What do the people do in turn? How does God respond to the people’s efforts?

4. Who is involved in the second prophecy? What is God’s message in this prophecy? Why would the people think the temple is not as good as the first one? What does God say about this situation? What resources will he provide the people? How will this temple compare to the first one in the future?

5. Who does God speak to in the last prophecy? What is the message God wants to convey? What does God promise will happen? Who will benefit? Who will suffer? What image does God use?












Get Personal

Are there times when you are not sure what God wants you to do with your time or talents? How does he help you to understand his priorities for your life? How does he help you stay focused when things get boring or difficult or seem not important?

Notes . . .

1:1. Darius, Zerubbabel, Joshua — Darius was the king of Persia after Cyrus; Zerubbabel was the grandson of Jehoiachin, the last king of Judah in 578 BCE, before the Babylonian destruction of the nation and Jerusalem; Joshua was the Jewish high priest when the Jews returned to Palestine (his grandfather was executed by Nebuchadnezzar when Judah fell).
1:4. Paneled houses — the Hebrew word also means “covered” or “roofed” – the peoples’ houses were finished while God’s house was incomplete.
1:5. Consider how you have fared — God reminds the people that their efforts on their

own behalf have not produced what they had hoped: You have sown much and harvested little . . . [also in vv. 7-9]. The reason is the peoples’ misplaced priorities: My house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses.
2:3. Who is left — some of the Jews who returned had actually seen Solomon’s temple before it was destroyed by the Babylonians [Ezra 3:12].
2:23. Signet ring — a ring with a seal inscribed in it, used to impress the wax that sealed the scroll and identify the sender and demonstrate the message’s authenticity.

Memory Verse
The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts, [Haggai 2:9].

Next Lesson
Zechariah 4-5: The lamp stand, olive trees and flying scroll.