Firsts

“Firsts” are memorable. I remember the first day at my first job, my first kiss with the beautiful lady who would become my wife, and seeing each of our children for the first time.

Pentecost is about firsts. Pentecost (Pentēkostē – “the fiftieth day”) is the Greek name for the Feast of First Fruits (also Feast of Weeks/Harvest, compare Leviticus 23:9-22) which occurred 50 days after the first grain offering from the harvest. It is also the commemoration of the first coming of God’s Holy Spirit on each of the disciples which occurred 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A Cosmic Viewpoint

As I have been writing these notes, and “living” in the world of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, I have been totally caught up in all the anticipation of Jesus’ coming into the world. It reminds me of the excitement of the days before Christmas that I experienced as a child. But in these notes we’re not quite ready for Luke’s Christmas story. There are two other gospel stories to look at first.

…and from Joseph’s point of view

Joseph? In Luke’s gospel we read a lot about Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Mary. Joseph was mentioned only in 1:27 as the man Mary was engaged to. It is very fitting that Matthew focuses on Joseph. He had a very difficult part to play! But God cared about Joseph too, and made sure that this story was recorded in Matthew.

Read More sin, salvation, genealogy, Emmanuel

Kings, Prophecies and Dreams

At the time when Jesus was born Palestine was part of the Roman Empire, and ruled by Herod the Great. Herod was an Edomite, and considered himself a Jew, but his commitment was disputed by the Jewish leaders, partly on the grounds of his lifestyle. It’s possible that Herod had up to ten wives and over 15 children at the time.

What and Who Jesus Knew

This account of the 12-year-old Jesus is not found in any of the other gospels. In the story we see Mary and Joseph’s commitment to their faith as they went to Jerusalem for the Passover every year. Though this was required of every Jew, few could afford the finances and time to make the trip.

According to the Mishnah, the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism, Jesus’ religious instruction would have become more intense at the age of 12.

Between the Kingdom and Judgment

John the Baptist was both the fulfillment of prophecy (v 3) and a prophet himself (v 11). His attire, diet and lifestyle link him to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and his words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, – “You bunch of Snakes!,”” – link him to Jesus (Matthew 23:33).

John’s call to repentance was heard and heeded by many.

Read More Holy Spirit, repentance, baptism

Do Something to Show It

John bursts onto the scene at a precise moment of history, in an exact locale: during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, along the banks of the Jordan River. Luke does everything short of giving us a fixed date and geographic coordinates.

Fathers and Sons

Luke traces Jesus’ lineage through the paternal line (unlike Matthew, who traces it through the maternal line, with some startling surprises). Luke produces a pedigree of fathers and sons. The single dominant refrain of the entire passage: “he was the son of….”

Wilderness

Jesus faces hunger, thirst, loneliness, torment, and temptation as a sign of the Father’s love, as a result of the Spirit’s leading, as a consequence of his humble obedience to the Father’s will. The wilderness is God’s idea.

Preaching

Verse 17: ‘From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

From that time on. I suggest everything Jesus does from here on in can be grouped under the category of preaching. This includes, as the passage indicates, calling disciples, proclaiming the Kingdom, casting out demons, healing the sick.