THE GOOD NEWS FROM JESUS – Part 1

Luke 4:16-21 (New Living Translation)

When he [Jesus] came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he [Jesus] began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

The above passage is about Jesus introducing his ministry to the people after his 40 days fasting and being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. This is Jesus laying out the five big goals behind the work he will do while he walked on Earth. Let’s consider the first of these in today’s blog – “bring Good News to the poor.”

Let’s start with the bad news – at creation, Adam was given rulership over the Earth, to rule under the guidance of God. Satan dethroned Adam, gaining authority and power over the Earth, including over our bodies, our soul, and our spirit. Satan uses this power to strongly influence every human person to live ungodly lives.

So, what is the good news?

It is that Jesus has set up the kingdom of God on Earth, side by side with the kingdom of Satan. Jesus has invaded the Earth and is forcefully establishing his own area of authority and power over our spirit, soul, and eventually our bodies. I can now choose to follow Jesus and live under the resurrection power of the kingdom of God.

Believing in Jesus, joining a Church, and diligent study of the Bible to understand God’s character, is how we join the kingdom of God. When God is satisfied with the number of people who have entered into the kingdom of God, this world will end, and a new world made up of only members of kingdom of God, ruled by Jesus, will begin.

This is the good news in summary. Are you in or out? Holy Spirit, please give us all a clear view of the good and beautiful kingdom of God, Amen!!!

Image: A street painter’s drawing of Jesus (Wikimedia)

FATHER, HELP US TO BE LIKE JESUS!

Jesus washing feet

John 13:3-5 (New Living Translation)

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet…

Feet washing during the period when Jesus lived was a necessity. People wore sandals and walked on dusty roads; many developed hard stinky feet. When they got home they washed their feet before going indoors. In the homes of wealthy people, their feet and feet of their visitors were washed by slaves and servants.

In some wealthy Jewish homes, they would not allow the Jewish servants to do the feet washing, they would assign the task to the gentile servants – because they considered feet washing an embarrassing humiliating task.

So when Jesus decided to wash His disciples’ feet before the last supper, they were very surprised! There was no servant in the room, and none of them was going to carry out the task of washing the feet of the others. Jesus – Messiah, God, KING of Kings, LORD of Lords, put on a towel and washed the feet of these common men.

Yes, the disciples had observed a lot of humility in Jesus – but this feet washing was such a self-less and shocking act of service!

To be like Jesus – to have such a giant humble heart for divine service, is a challenge Jesus has placed before every Christian. How am I living up to this challenge? Not very well I must confess. How are you living up to this challenge?

Our Father, who art in heaven, help us to be like Jesus, Amen!!!

Image:Jesus Washing the Feet of his Disciples (Albert Edelfelt) (Wikimedia)

THE RESURRECTION – OUR LIVING HOPE AND GREAT EXPECTATION!

1 Peter 1:3 (New International Version) – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

1 Peter 1:3 (New Living Translation) – All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation…

Throughout history, there have been many who doubt that Jesus lived and walked the Earth; some others accept that Jesus did live and preached the gospel but he died and did not resurrect. These claim that Christianity is a fraud and the claim to resurrection of the dead to a new life where death has no power is fake news!

I sympathize with all who hold these views. Truly the chief claim of the Christian faith, that Jesus is the messiah who died for our sins and rose from the dead after three days, is quite incredible, beyond belief, and a miracle of great power too good to be true.

To accept that the resurrection happened is to accept that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD to who we will all give account of how we lived our lives on Earth. Many people just don’t want to accept that we will give account of our lives – with the righteous rewarded with bodily resurrection to a new life, where disease and death have no power.

To us, followers of Jesus, his resurrection is a guaranty of our own future resurrection – because Jesus rose from the dead, ‘now, we live in great expectation’ that we will rise from the dead to be like him, and be with him. To us, followers of Jesus, death is not the final word, glory be to God in the highest, hallelujah!

Happy Easter – its a season of great joy, as we look forward with great expectation to our own resurrection to a new life, where death has no power over us, Amen!

Image: The empty tomb (Source: Wikimedia)

THE BLESSING OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas Wall

Luke 2:25-32 (NLT) (shortened)

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon… the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus… Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

There are about 2.2 billion people who claim to be Christians; that is about 3 out of 10 people in the world. Christmas is among the biggest religious celebrations in the world. That said, there are Christians who do not celebrate Christmas for various reasons.

First, are Christians who rightly state that Jesus was not born on December 25; so, it is meaningless celebrating Christmas. There is no commonly accepted date for his birth; some scholars’ say Jesus was born in October, another says he was born in June.

Next are Christians who say it was wrong for Roman Emperor Constantine 1,681 years ago to make December 25 a day to celebrate Jesus birth. They argue that December 25 was already used for celebrating a Roman idol, so to celebrate Christmas is idol worship.

There are other Christians who hold that many who celebrate Christmas see it as a time for excessive eating, alcoholism, and multiple sexcapades. They feel Christmas celebrations are so ungodly, there is no reason for Christians to join in the celebrations.

While there is no doctrine that we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, the Bible does show us that wise men came from a far distance to celebrate his birth; the passage above also shows Simeon’s joy and prophetic proclamations about the child Jesus.

Heaven will not frown at Christians who choose not to celebrate the birth of Jesus, neither will heaven frown at those who decide to celebrate. What matters more is not the day, but how you choose to celebrate. If you wish to celebrate the birth of Jesus on any day of the year with family, friends, and your community, it is up to you.

Simeon says Jesus ‘is a light to reveal God to the nations’. The Bible shows Jesus using his authority for good, and also show him teaching about God’s kingdom that will someday replace this world. As you celebrate Christmas, think about him.

Christians celebrating Christmas without Jesus are missing the point. The blessing of Christmas is not in consumption but in sharing the light of Jesus where you are.

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