September - Reading 21

Our Scriptures for today are:

Luke 24:1-12

Hebrews 11:32-40

Proverbs 28:15-28

Isaiah 54-55

May God bless you as you read from His Word.

 

Good evening -

The reading in Isaiah tonight is definitely a song of comfort. Again bear in mind that this is written in the time between the Assyrian conquest of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and the babylonian conquest of Judah. Isaiah has already foretold of the inevitable collapse of Judah and has scorned the Israelites to whom he prophecized for their rebellion against God. However, God is just and God keeps His promises to His people. Isaiah sees into the future when the exiles are released by Persia and are called home to Jerusalem. Tonights passage is a picture of joy where even the elements of nature are rejoicing before the returning exiles.

The reading in the Gospel of Luke tonight is what our faith is all about. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was physically resurrected on the third day after His death on the cross. Lukes story varies a bit from the other three Gospels but these minor differences only show the validity of the account. Four seperate witnesses tell the same thing: the tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea for the corpse of Jesus of Nazareth was empty upon the return of the women that wished to prepare the corpse.

In Hebrews the author concludes his list of Old Testament figures of great faith with a summary of the afflictions, torments and tortures that many of them had to endure. The point, however, is that they moved on to a greater reward. They received the Grace of God through their faith. God does not guarantee our personal health and safety. In fact quite the contrary, we are warned about persecution, but we do not fear who can harm the body, we fear He who can destroy the soul. We do so by faith.

May God bless you

- Clint

 

Sunday School lesson 2/27/05

Luke 24

Of all the basic tenants of the Christian faith, the belief in the physical Resurrection of the Crucified Christ is paramount in importance. The 24th chapter of Luke gives us this Gospel’s account of the events of that day. All four Gospels agree that the empty tomb was found on Sunday, the first day of the week, the morning following the Sabbath. It should be noted, however, that the empty tomb was not in and of itself proof of the Resurrection. It was the appearance of first the two men (according to Luke) at the tomb and later the appearance of Jesus Himself.

Luke’s narrative is divided neatly into three distinct units: the women at the tomb, the appearance to two disciples, and the appearance in Jerusalem. Once again, the student must draw on the accounts found in the other Gospels as well as 1Corinthians 15. If we only had the Gospel of Luke with which to reconstruct the events after the Resurrection, we would be forced to conclude that all of the events described in these 53 verses occurred on Resurrection Sunday.

Luke 24:1-11 The Women at the Tomb

As chapter 23 left off, Jesus’ dead body had been lain in a rock-hewn tomb on Friday wrapped in linen. The women witnessed this, made note of where the site was and departed for their lodging in order to prepare the spices and perfumes necessary for embalming. Jesus had died at the ninth hour, that is 3:00 PM, and the Sabbath would begin at 6:00. Therefore, in respect to the Sabbath the women did not come back out the following day.

As chapter 24 commences, the Sabbath has passed and now the women are returning. Luke tells us that it was early dawn, 12 hours or so into the day. John tells us that it was still dark when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It may be that the women started out early as there was some distance they had to travel to get there.

It was common practice to seal tombs with large rocks in order to prevent animals but Matthew tells us that there was a special reason for this tomb being sealed (Matthew 27:62-64). When the women arrived at the tomb, however, the stone was rolled away from the entrance. Matthew reports that this was accomplished with an earthquake. Within the tomb, there was no body. Rather than faith, however, the absence of the body produces perplexity. Despite the numerous prophecies spoken by Christ about this day, the actual lack of a physical body was still beyond the grasps of His followers.

Two men, according to Luke (Mark says “a young man,” Matthew says an angel, John says two angels), arrayed as Heavenly messengers explain to the women the significance of the empty tomb. In Mark the women are instructed to tell “His disciples and Peter” that Jesus will meet them in Galilee but Luke restricts his account of the Resurrection to Jerusalem. The women are reminded that Christ had prophesied His Resurrection during the Galilean ministry (Luke 18:31-33). The women “remember His words,” that is to say, they now interpret the empty tomb in light of His prophecy. Their conjecture about why the body is missing is changed to the realization that Jesus has indeed risen. The women return to the Eleven and other followers and report what their experience. Their account is, however, dismissed as a tale told by deluded women. They would not become convinced until they personally experienced the Resurrected Christ.

Luke names three of the women, two of whom were mentioned early in the ministry in 8:3. Only Luke mentions Joanna but goes on to include that this was not an exhaustive list. It is impossible to conclude from the text exactly how many women first learned of the Resurrection on that early Sunday morning.

 

Hebrews

Hebrews 11: 35-38 Summary of Horrors

“Women received their dead” refers to incidences of Elijah and Elisha where dead sons were reanimated. The tortures and cruelties mentioned in the remainder 0of the Passage seem to link to Jewish traditions and even some instances in the Apocrypha. No matter what the source, the Passage reflects the fact that faith has seen believers through the worst times imaginable as they looked towards greater rewards. “Those in animal skins” likely refers to the prophets who were martyred. These are the ones of whom the world was not worthy.

Hebrews 11:39-40 Delay of the Promise

The preacher saw the delay of the return of Christ as part of God’s great master plan. It should never be viewed as a failure of the believers’ faith. With this encouragement, he urges that the persecuted believers of his audience hold on just a little bit longer. The delay of the promise shows that we are a part of the plan and our continued existence is relevant to the faith displayed by the giants of faith before us. Without our continued existence, without our looking to them, the plan is not perfect and, hence, they ae not made perfect.

 

Our Scriptures for 9/22 are:

Luke 24:13-27

Hebrews 12:1-13

Proverbs 29:1-14

Isaiah 56-58

 

Our Scriptures for 9/22 are:

Luke 24:13-27

Hebrews 12:1-13

Proverbs 29:1-14

Isaiah 56-58

 

Our Scriptures for 9/22 are:

Luke 24:13-27

Hebrews 12:1-13

Proverbs 29:1-14

Isaiah 56-58

 

Our Scriptures for 9/22 are:

Luke 24:13-27

Hebrews 12:1-13

Proverbs 29:1-14

Isaiah 56-58

 

Our Scriptures for 9/22 are:

Luke 24:13-27

Hebrews 12:1-13

Proverbs 29:1-14

Isaiah 56-58