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by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 7

February 24, Tuesday

NicodemusOne evening a Pharisee named Nicodemus approached Jesus privately. “Teacher, we’ve been talking about You and recognize that You must have come from God because no one could do the signs and wonders You’re doing unless God was empowering him.”

“Listen to Me,” Jesus answered, “no one can possibly know what God is doing unless they have been reborn from Above.”

Nicodemus was confused. “Surely You’re not suggesting that a grown man like me has to get back into my mother’s womb to be born all over again.”

Jesus explained further, saying, “You are thinking strictly from a physical perspective. You have been born physically; but to see the kingdom of God, you must have a life conceived by the Spirit in your spirit. This is something that happens invisibly, like wind. You can’t see the wind, but you can hear and see when it is blowing.”

Nicodemus couldn’t wrap his mind around this concept. “I just don’t understand,” he told Jesus.

Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Aren’t you a prominent teacher in Israel? How is it that you don’t already know this? I can tell that you don’t trust My testimony. This is so basic. If you don’t grasp this, how can you hope to understand the larger Message God is speaking? There is only One who came from heaven and can truly explain the truths of heaven — that is, the Son of Man.

“Nicodemus, do you recall the story of Moses putting the brass serpent on a pole in the desert? That was a foreshadow of how the Son of Man must be lifted up for the healing and deliverance of all who look to Him in faith. Trusting God’s heart is at the center of the Message. It was out of His exceedingly great love for mankind that God gave His Son to deliver them from death and to impart to them His very own eternal life. The Son was not sent as Judge to condemn but as Savior to rescue from condemnation.

“Those who accept the Son for Who He is and receive His message have escaped judgment. Unfortunately, because most prefer living in darkness (where they can get away with doing evil) and hate the light that exposes their misdeeds, they remain condemned.

“Those with nothing to hide, whose actions originate in God, have no problem being transparent, letting their deeds be seen for what they are: truth!”

We have no record of how Nicodemus responded at the time or what else they may have discussed.

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From Jerusalem Jesus and His disciples went to a town called Aenon near Salim where John was baptizing. As Jesus taught, His disciples baptized. Some of the people went to John with the report that Jesus was drawing bigger crowds than he was.

John replied with sincerity and humility, “What we have is from God. My message was not something I made up to attract a following. You recall how clearly I stated that I was not the Messiah, just sent to prepare the way for Him, like the best man introducing the bridegroom at a wedding. As ‘best man’ I’m not jealous but thrilled for Him. He will be the focus of attention, I must fade into the background.

“This is only right since He has come from heaven and I am from the earth.  He is explaining life from heaven’s perspective but most folks won’t accept it.  Those who do believe Him discover God’s truth.  He speaks God’s words and everything He says and does is by the Spirit of God.

“It is evident that the Father loves the Son and has put Him in charge of everything.  So everyone who accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything He is and has . . . forever!  Conversely, those who reject Him miss out on His life and can only look forward to God’s holy judgment.”

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 6

February 23, Monday

Water to WineThe next day Jesus decided to return to Galilee. He found Philip and invited him to come along. Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter. He found his friend Nathanael and told him about Jesus, saying, “We’ve met the One whom Moses and the Prophets said would come — the Messiah! His name is Jesus.  He’s from Nazareth, son of a carpenter by the name of Joseph.”

Nathanael’s response was, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

To which Philip said simply, “Come and see.”

As Nathanael approached, Jesus said to him, “Now here is an Israelite whose life is above reproach!”

Nathanael was taken aback. “How do You know me?”

Jesus told him that He’d seen him sitting under a fig tree before Philip had come up to him.

Nathanael was convinced. “Teacher, You are the Son of God, rightful king of Israel.”

Commending him, Jesus went on to say, “So you believe Who I am just because I said I saw you under the fig tree? You will most certainly see greater proofs in the days to come: the heavens opening and angels going back and forth between heaven and the Son of Man.”

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A few days later Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana. Jesus’ mother also attended; and when she heard that the hosts had run out of wine for the feast, she approached her Son about the situation. He let her know that it may not be time for doing public miracles.

Nevertheless, in a few minutes He instructed the servants to fill six large stone water pots with water. No sooner had they filled them with water, than Jesus told them to take a cupful to the master of ceremonies.

The servants knew where the wine had come from, but the host had no idea. So he called to the bridegroom saying, “This is remarkable! At most celebrations they serve the good wine first and save the lower quality for later. Instead, you have saved the best for last!”

And so it was that Jesus demonstrated His unique power.  This was his first miracle. It increased the disciples’ faith in Him.

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From there, Jesus, His family, and His disciples went to Capernaum for a few days and then made His way to Jerusalem for the Passover.

When He arrived at the temple, He saw the courtyard filled with animals and with people conducting business.  Jesus found some scraps of rope and wove them into a whip which He then used to drive all the animals out of the sacred space. He also dumped out the money boxes and declared loudly, “Get these things out of here! Do not turn My Father’s house into a public market!”

Needless to say, this caused quite a commotion. The disciples recalled the Scripture that says, “Zeal for the sacredness of Your House overwhelmed Me.”

Some of the leaders approached Jesus, asking, “Who gave You the right to do this? Give us some sign that You have this kind of authority.”

Jesus said cryptically, “Destroy this temple and three days later I’ll raise it back up.”

The Jews were incredulous, “We’ve been working on rebuilding this for forty-six years. How can You talk about doing it in just three days?”

Of course, He was referring to His body; but it wasn’t until three years later, after His resurrection, that the disciples put this all together and more fully believed what Jesus had told them.

The people were astonished at the reports of His miraculous powers, and many believed what had been claimed about Him; but Jesus didn’t put too much stock in their support, knowing how fickle people can be.

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 5

February 22, Sunday

TemptationImmediately following his public baptism, Jesus, being filled with the Spirit, was driven by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil, Satan. He was alone except for the wild beasts that inhabited the region. He had fasted for forty days, so he was very hungry.

That was when the devil tempted Him by suggesting that He command the stones to become bread, adding derisively: “If You are the Son of God.”

Jesus, not taking His cues from the Tempter, quoted Scripture in replying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Next, the devil took Him to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem.  He, following suit, quoted Scripture to add weight to his temptation, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; for it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over You to keep You,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear You up lest You dash Your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus responded with another Scripture, saying to him, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

For his final attempt to get Jesus to submit to his counsel, Satan took Him to a very high mountain from which they could see all the kingdoms of the world and their glory at once. From there he offered Jesus rule over it all, saying, “All this authority and the honors and privileges that come with it will be Yours.  Since it has been handed over to me, I can give it to whomever I choose. All You have to do is fall down and worship me, and it’s Yours!”

Jesus’ terse and unequivocal reply was, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’”

Having failed to win Jesus over, Satan left Him until a more opportune time. Then angels came to strengthen Jesus.

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Meanwhile, John continued baptizing along the Jordan River. Some of the Jewish religious leaders were sent from Jerusalem to investigate. They asked whether he considered himself to be the Messiah, a reincarnation of Elijah, or perhaps the Prophet predicted in their ancient writings. John flatly denied those roles, saying that the One they were describing was, in fact, among them.  He went on to state that the Messiah, although yet to be revealed, had existed long before he had.

It was the very next day that John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the One of whom I said, ‘He is greater than I am because He existed before I did.’” John also reminded the crowd that just a few weeks before he had seen the Spirit descend upon Him from heaven in the form of a dove. “God had revealed to me,” he went on to say, “that this would be the visible confirmation of the arrival of the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I saw it and I’m testifying: here He is, the Son of God.”

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The next day Jesus passed the place where John and two of his disciples were standing. John again told them, “There is the Lamb of God.”

Immediately the two disciples of John left him and began to follow Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them coming and asked what they were looking for.

“Where are you staying, Teacher?” they asked.

“Come and see” was Jesus’ reply. So they went along and spent the day with Him. One of them, whose name was Andrew, quickly found his brother, Simon Peter, and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” He brought him to Jesus.

When Jesus met Simon, He said, “So you are Simon, son of Jonah. I will change your name to Cephas (which means stone).”

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 4

February 21, Saturday

baptism_of_christ_jekelJesus’ childhood was marked by extraordinary wisdom, and He became strong in both spirit and body. The only story recorded from His early years took place when He was twelve years old. His parents took Him to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. As was the custom, crowds of people made the pilgrimage for this feast. When the time came for returning to their homes, Jesus’ parents naturally assumed He was in the company of all the youth. After a long day’s travel, they looked for Jesus and discovered the fact that He was not among the travelers. So they returned to Jerusalem to find Him.

Meanwhile, Jesus had been occupied with the teachers in the temple. He participated in their discussions, listening and asking questions. These religious leaders were quite astonished at how informed and insightful Jesus was.

When Joseph and Mary finally located Jesus, they were amazed at what He had been doing.  Mary, who was quite overcome with worry, chided Him for causing them this distress. Jesus’ reply (which they didn’t understand at the time) was that they ought to have expected Him to be “doing My Father’s business.” Jesus returned with them to Nazareth, submitting Himself to them.  God’s blessing was upon Him and He was loved and respected by all who knew Him.

Mary treasured all this in her heart.

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It wasn’t until Jesus was about thirty years old that the details of His life were more fully recorded. The historical context was Tiberius Caesar’s fifteenth year as Emperor. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor in Judea; Herod, Philip, and Lysanias were Jewish tetrarchs over different regions of Israel; the Jewish High Priests at the time were Annas and his son-in-law, Caiaphas.

It was at this time that John the Baptizer began his public ministry calling the nation to repent and be baptized, saying that “the kingdom of heaven had arrived on earth.” Dressed in an unusual outfit of a camel’s hair tunic and leather belt, and known for a strange diet of locusts and wild honey, he was remarkably effective in attracting large numbers of people from miles around. They came to the Jordan River to confess their sins and to be baptized by him.

It’s worth noting that several prophets had predicted John’s ministry centuries earlier. They said of him, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way for You;” and, “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

John attracted large crowds, but it wasn’t because his message made them feel good. He confronted their hypocrisy and nationalistic ego when he said, “You brood of poisonous snakes, who warned you that you were headed for God’s wrath? If you’re coming to truly change the course of your life, it has to change the way you live. No hiding behind this empty claim of being “Abraham’s descendants” as if your bloodline is all that matters. Good grief, if God wanted to, He could start a whole new set of Abraham’s children out of these rocks. Every tree that fails to bear good fruit gets chopped down and thrown into the fire. I’m telling you, the axe is about to strike the root of the tree! You’d better make sure that your repentance isn’t just words but that it produces the fruit of real changed character!”

The people were shaken by this and asked, “What do we need to do?”

“For example,” John said, “if you’ve got two coats, give one to someone who needs it. The same goes with your food. Look out for others’ needs, not just your own.”

A few of the tax collectors in the crowd asked what they should do.  John replied, “Only collect what you’re required to.  Stop padding the bill and siphoning off excess for your own pockets.”

Then some soldiers wanted to know what “fruits of repentance” meant for them. “Stop intimidating and taking advantage of others. And stop complaining about your wages,” was John’s response.

John’s message and methods caused the people to wonder if perhaps he was the promised Messiah for whom they had been waiting. He silenced that rumor when he declared, “There is One coming who is so much greater than I am that I’m not worthy even to unfasten His sandals. Yes, I’ve been baptizing you with water, but He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Not only that, He also comes ready to separate wheat from chaff, gathering the wheat into His barn, but burning the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

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It wasn’t long before Jesus went from His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John was incredulous. “You should be baptizing me! Surely You don’t need to be baptized.”

Jesus simply explained that this was part of God’s process of making all things right. In identifying with those being baptized, Jesus was affirming both His humanness as well as the call to a Kingdom way of life. So Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. As He came up out of the water, the skies opened; God the Spirit came out of the clouds in the form of a dove and landed on Jesus. Then, coming out of heaven in a voice all could hear, were these words: “You are My precious Son; I’m so proud of You. You are the joy of My life.”

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 3

February 20, Friday

Birth of JesusMeanwhile in Rome, Caesar Augustus decreed that everyone in the Empire should be registered for tax purposes. So throughout the Middle East, everyone had to travel to their home city. That meant Joseph and Mary would have to go to Bethlehem, about 80 miles south of Nazareth. As they approached the village, she realized the birth was imminent; so they looked for a suitable room but were unsuccessful. The best they could do was to turn an animal shelter into a make-shift birthing center.

That night some shepherds doing night-watch were shaken out of their slumber by a burst of light. The whole sky was ablaze with light! An angel of the Lord was standing before them and said, “Don’t be afraid! I have exciting news for you and for people everywhere! Just now, over in Bethlehem, a Savior has been born! He is the long-promised Messiah!  Look for a newborn child, wrapped up snugly and lying in a manger.”

No sooner had the angel made this announcement than the bright sky was filled with thousands of angels, like a choir, saying, “Glory to God on high! Peace and blessing to mankind on earth!”

And then the scene was over.  The angels had gone and the night sky returned to normal. Quite motivated by this, they said, “Let’s go NOW! We’ve got to see what the Lord has just announced!” And they ran toward the village. They found everything just like they’d been told. With hearts full of worship, they exuberantly shared their story with everyone they met before returning to their flocks. The townsfolk marveled, but Mary cherished these stories in her heart.

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On the eighth day, when He was circumcised, they gave Him the name Jesus, as the angel had instructed Mary before He was conceived.

After forty days (the Jewish purification period following the birth of a son), they took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Old Testament Law prescribed that firstborn sons, who technically “belong to the Lord,” be redeemed by presenting an animal sacrifice. Poorer folks could substitute a pair of turtle-doves or young pigeons.  This is what Jesus’ parents brought with them.

As they approached the Temple, an elderly man named Simeon introduced himself to them, explaining that God had revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before seeing the promised Messiah. That very morning the Holy Spirit had urged him to come to the Temple, and he’d arrived about the same time as Joseph and Mary with their infant Son.

Tenderly, Simeon took the baby from His mother and held Him. As he gazed at the infant face, he prayed, “Lord, now You can take me Home. Just as you promised, my eyes have seen the One You prepared to bring salvation to the whole world!” As he handed the child back to Mary, Simeon prophesied saying, “Your Child will shake things up as He exposes the hearts of many. He will face strong opposition, and deep suffering will be your lot as His mother.”

As they stood there, Anna, an eighty-four year old widow approached them. In recent years she had stayed at the Temple, often fasting and praying night and day, longing for God to deliver Jerusalem from her oppressors. Upon seeing the young Child, she burst out in thanksgiving and began telling others about Him, those who, like her, had been looking for a deliverer.

Joseph and Mary wondered at these unusual events as they completed the prescribed rituals and returned home.

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Sometime later, maybe as much as two years, a group of scholar-astronomers from the East, known in the region as “king-makers,” arrived in Jerusalem. It caused quite a stir when they entered the city, announcing that they’d come to pay homage to the newborn “king-of-the-Jews.” Herod, the king, gathered the religious leaders and scribes and asked if the archives had any information about this. Sure enough, they found an obscure passage in the book of Micah predicting that Bethlehem, a small village of Judea, would someday be the birthplace of a Ruler who would shepherd the nation.

So Herod gave the visitors directions.  In a private consultation he asked them when they had first seen the star.  Feigning a desire to worship this new king, he urged them to report back once they’d found Him. As they were leaving the city, the star they’d seen previously appeared again and led them right to the door of the home where Jesus was living with His parents. They were so thrilled! Seeing the child, they bowed low and worshiped Him. Then they presented Him with rich gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

However, when they left Bethlehem, they did not return through Jerusalem because they had been warned in a dream NOT to go back to Herod. So they took an alternate route to their own country.

At about the same time, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to take the family to Egypt because Herod was out to destroy their Child. Though this hadn’t been in their plans, God had foretold it centuries before through the prophet who said, “I have called My Son out of Egypt.”

It was a good thing that they left Bethlehem immediately. The angel was right. Herod was so furious about being slighted by the mysterious “king-makers” that he ordered every male child in the region to be killed. Based on the timing of events described by the visitors, the order was directed at all boys who had been born in the previous two years. Jeremiah the prophet had written about this tragic event some 600 years earlier: “A voice was heard in Ramah: crying, weeping, and loud groaning; Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are taken from her.”

In time, Herod died; and an angel of the Lord again appeared in a dream to Joseph, telling him that it was safe to return home to Israel. Along the way Joseph learned that Herod’s son Archelaus had been named king. In another dream an angel directed Joseph not to return to Bethlehem but to his home in Galilee. They ended up settling in Nazareth, and the ancient prophecy that declared “He will be called a Nazarene” was fulfilled.

Day 1 Reading

Day 2 Reading

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 2

Day 1 Reading (in case you missed it)

February 19, Thursday

Zach JtB birthSix months later Gabriel was given another assignment. This time to the humble village in northern Israel, Nazareth. There a young girl named Mary, who was probably in her teens, was awaiting her upcoming marriage to a man named Joseph. The angel appeared to her in her house with this announcement: “Good news! The Lord is about to give you the highest honor any woman could have!”

Needless to say, Mary was as unprepared for this as Zacharias had been in the temple. Seeing the stunned look on her face, Gabriel continued, “God is so pleased with you that He’s chosen you to become the mother of the promised Messiah! When He is born, you’ll name Him Jesus; and someday He will take the throne of David and rule forever!”

Mary’s response wasn’t the same as Zacharias’ had been. Yes, she had questions about how this would take place since she wasn’t married, but there was an obvious willingness in her voice when she asked, “How will this happen since I’m not married yet?”

Patiently, Gabriel filled in a few more details for her. “God’s Spirit will  come upon you and the Power of the Highest will overshadow you so that, in fact, your son will be the Son of God. And,” he went on, “God said to tell you that your aunt, Elizabeth, down in Judah is six months along in her miracle pregnancy. He wanted you to know that with Him nothing is impossible.”

From her heart, Mary spoke these precious words, “I am the humble servant of the Lord. I am willing for this to happen just as you have said.” Then the angel departed.

Mary took the news about her elderly aunt as a hint from God that she should go to visit her. The moment she arrived, when Elizabeth heard her voice at the door, the baby inside her jumped. God’s Spirit filled Elizabeth’s heart and voice with this amazing tribute:

“What a blessing! You are truly the most blessed woman in history! And bless that little child in your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord should grace my humble home? The moment I heard your voice, my baby leaped for joy inside! Bless you, child, for believing what the Lord has told you!”

Mary responded with her own words of thanks:

“My inmost soul is overwhelmed by the Lord. My spirit overflows with joy. He has reached out to a simple village girl like me and has given me the greatest place any woman could hope for. He is so mighty, so holy, and so merciful. This shows that He brings down all those who are proud and raises up the humble who fear Him. Those who have nothing, He has filled with good things; those who are focused on their wealth have been sent away empty. He hasn’t forgotten His chosen people but has remembered His promise to Abraham, and He will bring it to pass.”

Mary stayed on with Elizabeth for about three months until it was time for Elizabeth’s child to be born. At his birth the whole community came to celebrate along with her.

Meanwhile, Zacharias remained speechless. It was when the baby was eight days old, the traditional age for the circumcision of male babies, that he was given his official name. Everyone was sure they would name this first-born after his father, Zacharias. But no, Elizabeth was insisting on naming him “John” even though there were no men in their family line with that name. So naturally they turned to Zacharias to settle the issue. He took a writing tablet and spelled out the name, “J-O-H-N.” Everyone was shocked.

But they were even more surprised when Zacharias began speaking out loud for the first time in over nine months. He praised God, and the Holy Spirit filled his heart and lips with these prophetic words:

“Look what God has done! He has visited His people and is raising up Someone to save us from our enemies. For generations prophets have said this day would come, a Day when we could be set free to live for Him every day of our lives!
And you, my own son, will be the forerunner proclaiming a message of sins taken away. This promised Deliverer will give light to all who’ve been sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, and He will guide our feet into the way of peace.”

As you can imagine, the story about these strange events rippled through the hill country for a long time causing everyone to wonder, “What kind of child is this going to be?”

John grew up in the southern desert area of Israel, and the supernatural hand of God in his life was evident as he became strong in spirit.

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Mary returned home to Nazareth, and being over three months along, there was no hiding that she was pregnant. Joseph, a God-fearing man, realized that it would be wrong for him to marry someone who was immoral. Because he was gracious and wanted to spare Mary public humiliation, he began looking for a way to deal with her sin privately.

Wrestling with this late into the night, he fell asleep and had a dream. An angel was there calling his name. “Joseph, heir of David’s line, do not hesitate to take Mary as your own wife. The child in her was not conceived in sin but by the infusion of God’s Spirit. It’s a boy and you’ll name Him ‘Jesus.’ (In their mother-tongue, this name is ‘Yeshua,’ which means ‘the Lord saves.’) He will, in fact, save His people from their sins.”

Isaiah had prophesied this seven hundred years earlier when he wrote, “A virgin will conceive, give birth to a son, and call His name, ‘Immanuel.’” (Immanuel means “God with us.”)

Once Joseph was fully awake, he made arrangements to immediately take her as his wife. However, respecting her unique condition, they did not consummate their relationship until after Jesus was born.

by jdansmall

Jesus’ Story – Day 1

INTRODUCTION

You are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!  Just imagine you were living back in the First Century, going about your daily business, when a new Teacher came through town looking for disciples.  What are the chances you would drop everything and spend the next three years of your life traipsing around the country with Him?  When a couple of guys asked Jesus what He was up to He simply said, “Come and see!”  They did.  Their lives were changed forever.

I’m inviting you to walk with me through the Story of Jesus for the next forty days (Lent Season.)  Each day’s reading should only take 10-15 minutes.  By the time we reach the climax of the story (Jesus’ Passion Week) you will have read everything contained in the four Gospels of the New Testament.  That’s right, every story, every conversation, every miracle recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John has been woven together into one story –just the way He lived it.

After we finish this part of it we’ll keep going through Books II and III of the “Trilogy” which cover the New Testament books of Acts and Revelation.  When we’re done (about 2 ½ months from now) you will have a very different perspective on who Jesus is and, like His first disciples, something about your life will have radically changed.

February 18, Wednesday

Gabriel Zach TemplePROLOGUE

Many have already written about the life of Jesus Christ. Relying on eye-witnesses and reputable sources, this record is offered to you as an orderly account of the events as they occurred.

In the beginning God spoke. He expressed who He was using words. We begin our story with The Word. Mysteriously, this “Word” was with God, and in fact, was God. We are told that this “Word” created everything that exists, so we recognize Him as the Source of all LIFE. That LIFE is light-filled. It can diffuse the darkness (ignorance) that permeates our world.

Even more mysterious is the fact that this God-Word became a human child and grew up and lived right here in our neighborhoods. This light-source shone on the world He’d made, but the darkened human race didn’t recognize Him. But whoever did take hold of Him was given the gift of a life-time: a new identity as one of God’s own children, not based on their credentials or efforts but just because that’s what God desired for them.

John, the one who baptized, came on the scene before Jesus went public. He prepared the way by announcing Jesus’ arrival and encouraging everyone to “see the light” of Who He was. John was quick to acknowledge that he himself was not the Light, but that Someone was coming who had existed long before John had been born. (More will be said shortly about John’s miracle birth.) In his introduction, John made it clear that although no human had ever seen God, Jesus had; and, coming from the heart of the Godhead, Jesus would make it possible for mankind get to know God. John also hinted at the major shift in how humans would relate to God. “This Jesus,” he declared, “was not bringing laws like Moses did. He was bringing something called grace.” Grace and truth would be the hallmarks of Jesus’ message.

In case some might mistake Jesus, the God-man, for an alien or think of Him as other-than-human, we have the genealogies of His mother, Mary, as well as His earthly (not biological, but that will be explained in a few pages, too) father, showing that He can trace His human blood-line through King David, the Patriarchs, and all the way back to Adam.

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During the reign of Herod over Judea, the Jewish temple duties were handled by a rotation of authorized priests. Among the duties was the burning of incense in the Holy Place day after day. Our story begins when this routine was interrupted by a supernatural visitor who startled a priest named Zacharias. Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were up in years and had prayed in vain for a child, an heir, which was so important in their culture. They had lived as faithful God-followers even though their prayers had gone unanswered.

So on this day when it was Zacharias’ turn to do the temple chores, he was working inside the sacred room, putting the daily incense on the altar.  Suddenly an angel was standing in front of him beside the altar. Naturally, he was struck with fear, which the angel perceived. “Nothing to be afraid of, Zacharias. I’m here to tell you that your many prayers have been heard; and your dear wife, Elizabeth, will become pregnant.  You are going to have a son!”

The angel went on to explain that his name would be John; he would have a special assignment, some dietary restrictions, and the tremendous privilege of preparing the entrance of the long-awaited Messiah. He also noted that this miracle baby would experience the infusion of God’s Spirit even while in the womb. “He will turn many of Israel’s children toward the Lord their God,” he went on to say, “and in the spirit and power of Elijah he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and cause rebels to listen to the wisdom of those who are godly.”

I’m sure you can appreciate Zacharias’ skepticism, knowing that both he and his wife were way beyond child-bearing years. He asked, rather doubtfully, how this could possibly happen.

Now, the angel Gabriel wasn’t used to anyone questioning his word, especially when he knew it had been given him by the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. You can almost hear the edge in his voice as he answers, “I am Gabriel who stands in the very presence of God Almighty! He sent me with this exciting news; but since you doubt my words, I’m going to strike your tongue so that from this hour until all this takes place you won’t be able to say a word.”

Meanwhile, the crowd outside was wondering why Zacharias’ routine tasks were taking so long. As he emerged and they saw that he couldn’t speak, they realized through his gestures that something out of the ordinary had taken place. Once his term of service was completed, Zacharias returned home to Elizabeth. And she conceived. For the next five months she stayed out of the public eye, astonished that the Lord had “looked on her” in this special way.

by jdansmall

LENTEN Readings

40 DAYS -no coincidence here!  There are some fairly high-profile events in Scripture that fit the 40-day window.  It started with Noah’s flood, remember?  40 days and 40 nights of rain!  Then Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai interceding for the people and getting instructions from God.  The spies surveyed the Promised Land for 40 days, Goliath taunted Israel’s army for 40 days, and Elijah ran for his life from Jezebel for 40 days.  Remember, too, Jonah’s message to Ninevah, “Forty days and you will be destroyed.”  Then we see that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and finally there were 40 days between the resurrection and His ascension to Heaven.

So it is that Christians as early as the Fourth Century began setting aside the 40 days prior to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as a season of soul-searching, fasting, and good works.  As with any practice, it can be distorted or become an end rather than a means to an end.  My exhortation to the non-liturgical (and anti-) wings of Christianity is to give it a chance -try it, you might like it! -or at least it might do you a world of good!

So this is my gift to you:  Last year I combined the four Gospels into one narrative and made the “Story of Jesus” read like more of a biography.  I am going to divide the text into daily readings, each taking about 15 minutes, in hopes that you will set aside time to read the full gospel record in the forty days leading up to Resurrection Day.  In fact, I’ll go one better.  I’ve combined this with the book of Acts and Revelation into what I call “The Jesus Trilogy.”  You see, the gospels only convey “what Jesus began to do and teach.”  The book of Acts describes what it looked like when He began to “build His Church.”  And of course, REVELATION is the culmination of what God wants us to know about Jesus for now. So, read consecutively, we get a multi-dimensional view of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.  I plan to continue the daily reading blogs right through the entire trilogy -should take less than three months.

I will also make the text available as a PDF for those who would rather print it out for daily use.  Lent begins this Wednesday, February 18.  Make sure you’re signed up to get notices in your inbox!

Oh, and let’s use the blog format for you to make comments on the journey as we head toward the Cross and beyond!

Blessed beyond words,

J. Dan Small

Download PDF:

TRILOGY Lent Readings 1-10

TRILOGY Lent Readings 11-21

by jdansmall

Psalm 50

gavel

The Mighty One, the Lord, has come into the court
A raging fire, tumultuous storm escorts Him to the bench
“Come forth, all ye from west to east, the heavens and the earth,”
The righteous Judge begins to speak, the heav’ns declare His worth.

“Against My chosen race I first must testify
Whose offerings of bulls and goats are not the reason why
I do not need these animals, I own each bird and beast
The cattle on a thousand hills if I should want a feast.

“The sacrifice I want is that of thanksgiving
I’d far prefer you keep your vows and call on Me for help
If from your inmost heart and soul you truly honor Me
Then in your time of desp’rate need I will deliver thee.”

And now the wicked ones He calls before the bar
“What right have you to quote My laws or claim My covenant?
You hate correction, spurn My words, join ranks with lying thieves
You join in with adulterers, your lips love to deceive.

“Even your natural bonds mean nothing to you now
You slander brothers, mock your kin, for this I now indict
Mark this, then, you who forget Me, lest I tear you apart
You thought that I was just like you but from My ways depart.

“So hear My verdict now all peoples of the earth
I’m glorified by those who bring a sacrifice of thanks
And those who walk in what is right I promise to redeem
I demonstrate My pow’r to save to all who Me esteem.”

© 2014 J Dan Small

by jdansmall

Psalm 48

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
The city of our God upon His holy mountain
Mt Zion sits on high, the joy of the whole earth
Defended by our God, the city of our King.

The kings of earth passed by, their hearts were filled with fear
Amazed and terrified, they fled in their distress
They saw His mighty pow’r that breaks the ships at sea
And knew the Lord of Hosts would never know defeat.

We contemplate Your love within Your holy temple
As is Your name, O God, Your praise is never-ending
Righteous in all Your ways, Your judgments true and good
Mount Zion will be glad, her daughters dance for joy.

Now walk around Mt. Zion, take note of her great tow’rs
Go thru her palaces, and measure her great walls
Declare the things you see to children yet to come
Such is the living God Who keeps us safe fore’er.

© 2014 J Dan Small