“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).
Just when we are seeing signs that spring is coming soon, as the days are getting longer and warmer, we begin what may seem to be a darker, colder journey—the journey of Lent. We follow Jesus into the wilderness.Read More »Into the Wilderness
The Transfiguration:
The last painting by the Italian High Renaissance master Raphael. Commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici (the later Pope Clement VII [1523-1534]) and conceived as an altarpiece for the Narbonne Cathedral in France, Raphael worked on it until his death in 1520.
He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2).
Suddenly Jesus was dazzling—His face, His clothes! Then, He was speaking with Moses and Elijah, prophets of long ago! Astounding! Why was this happening?
I. Was it for Jesus’ benefit? Yes. Did not angels minister to Him after Satan tempted Him? Did not an angel strengthen Him in the Garden of Gethsemane while He earnestly prayed to His Father? Surely it was for Jesus’ benefit that Moses and Elijah came to speak with Him about His “decease,” His departure, His end. Moses and Elijah had labored among God’s people many years earlier to point them to God’s merciful and gracious atonement through the Messiah to come. Salvation through Christ was their “work.”
II. Was the transfiguration of Jesus for the benefit of the disciples (Peter, James, and John) who were with Him? Yes. They had heard Jesus speak wonderful words of forgiveness and compassion. They had seen Him work miracles of love and of might. They had heard Him soundly refute the Pharisees. Jesus was their Messiah, the “Christ,” the “Anointed One!”Read More »The Transfiguration of Jesus Is Your Glory!
DEVOTION –
Epiphany
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11)
“Now that was a glorious sight!”
That’s what we might say after viewing a magnificent natural landscape or the star-filled sky on a clear night. Nature can be glorious because it is the handiwork of God (Psalm 19:1). Something of His divine glory shines in it, even if many who gaze in awe at the Grand Canyon do not acknowledge it.
The glory of God that we see in His creation is that of His power and wisdom, and even His goodness to mankind (Acts 14:15-17). But His glory is also seen in His other attributes: that He is holy, just, all-knowing, present everywhere, and eternal. Furthermore, His glory is especially seen in His grace and love, which are revealed on the pages of Scripture.
In the season of the church year called Epiphany, we learn of the glory of God as it was revealed in Jesus. In His miracles, the almighty power of God was revealed in Him. By these acts of power it could be seen that Jesus was the Son of the living God. The first of these took place at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11), where Jesus turned water into wine. With this work Jesus “manifested His glory” by doing something that only God could have done. His disciples saw it and believed in Him.Read More »A Glorious Sight
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
Fighting poverty has been at the forefront of American politics for longer than I have been alive. Every few years a new government program is established to ward off the devastating effects of poverty in our nation. This issue is customarily brought to our attention during December. Well-intentioned efforts are made during the Christmas season to gather food for the needy, winter coats for the underprivileged, and toys so that every child can have a gift under the Christmas tree. Many claim that this is what Christmas is supposed to be about. Surely the volunteers who ring bells at the red kettles across our nation would agree with this assertion. But are we ready to agree that Jesus was born to fight poverty?
But not the poverty that is described as a deficiency in material goods. The poverty that caused the Son of God to be born into this world was much deeper and far more devastating in its effects than what most Americans would Read More »Celebrating the Jesus Antipoverty Program
If one were to poll Americans as to what that means for them in connection with their Thanksgiving Day activities, no doubt many would answer they were ‘going all in’ with a day of football or ‘leaving nothing behind’ on the dinner table.
King David would have been amazed, if not shocked, for he put high value on actually giving thanks. Many are the psalm verses where he gives praise and thanksgiving to God for His wonderful works and words.
But there is one incident in David’s life when he especially ‘gave it all he had.’ It is recorded in the second book of Samuel (chapter 6), with a parallel account in 1 Chronicles 16.Read More »‘Going All In’ with Thanksgiving
Many blessings of the Reformation of the 1500’s still affect us today.We could mention having a Bible translation in our native tongue, having many hymns to sing praises to God, putting into practice the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers (that Christ has given every believer—not just to the pope and his priests—the keys to forgive or to retain sins), and parents and pastors using Luther’s Small Catechism to instruct children in the basic Bible teachings.Read More »The Reformation Blessing Above All Others
“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe… Read More »The Reformation Blessing Above All Others
“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.” 2 Peter 1:12-15
But then comes summertime when those daily reminders are inclined to turn into a three-month moratorium. And it is going to happen that many things have been forgotten.
So it is that during those first days back at school much time is spent reviewing what was taught at the end of the previous school year.Read More »Restarting of School— a Wonderful Opportunity!
Does it matter? Does what we do here make any real, significant, positive, lasting difference? If it does, we have reason and incentive to get to work; if not, what’s the point? From a human perspective we have little chance of accomplishing anything lasting. We are a small group with no political capital to spend and few material resources. What could we possibly do?
However, that could also have been said of the Apostle Paul and Silas when they arrived in Thessalonica in the course of Paul’s second missionary journey. There was nothing impressive about these two itinerant missionaries of Jesus. Yet before long, the Jews were accusing Paul and the other Christians of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Sent out from the living Lord of the Church, they upset the status quo. Hearts and attitudes were completely changed. Without question, they made a difference.Read More »“Turning the World “Upside Down”
“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone;
I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18).
And Adam had it all to himself. He had everything the perfect world had to offer. What a life!
Yet what do we read? God said, “It is not good…” Something was missing—something so important that without it Adam’s life was incomplete. So what was not good? “…that man should be alone.” He didn’t have anyone with whom to share all the goodness of God.Read More »Thank God for Your Spouse
