January 27, 2013
Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 3:18. We began by singing “Gazing on the Lord in glory.” And we might ask, why, if we are here to remember His death? But His death is only part of it. After He died, He went into the grave for three days and then God raised Him up into glory and set Him on His right hand. Another factor is His love. Do we realize the amount of love that caused Him to come down? We have some examples like Mary Magdalen and Mary of Bethany. For Mary Magdalene, He cast seven devils out of her. She realized His love and that caused devotion. Mary of Bethany sat at the feet of Jesus and saw how much He loved her and that caused devotion in her. These are examples of what should happen to us: the more we realize His love, the more devoted we become to Him. As we gaze at Him in the glory, we will realize how glorious He really is. Let us be occupied with Him! We should become more like Him. So, love and devotion are very important in our lives.
Hymn 330 - A message came from Heaven
Prayer
Last week we read about how the prophet Elijah was taken to Heaven by a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. This was to be given to him if he saw Elijah leave. Along with the double portion, Elisha received the mantle (or cloak) that Elijah wore.
2 Kings 2: 14-25
Once Elisha crossed the Jordan River, he was met by some of the prophet’s sons. They saw that the spirit of Elijah was upon Elisha. Read Philippians 4:13 and 2 Corinthians 3:2. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the earth, we can reflect the Lord’s love into this world.
There were fifty men that knew that Elijah wasn’t with Elisha. Instead of believing that he had gone to Heaven, they thought that he might have gone up and then dropped on a mountain. These men went searching for him for three days and couldn’t find him. The Lord gives each of us the faith to believe in Him and trust Him each day.
When Israel captured Jericho, God placed a curse on that area. This made the earth there very poor for crops, and the water was undrinkable. While Elisha was staying at Jericho, the men brought the problem of the water to him. Elisha cured the water by putting salt into a new pot and then pouring the salt into the well. This can remind us that when we are saved, the Lord gives us a new life.
As Elisha approached Bethel, children came out and mocked him. They were telling him to go where Elijah had gone. Elisha cursed the children and then two female bears came out and killed them. There are people today that mock some of the truths in the Bible. We are told that judgment will come to them. We need to learn to read the Bible and obey the truths in it. The Bible shows us how to have a relationship with God and we need to appreciate it.
Luke 20
In chapter 19 we saw our Lord sitting on a lowly colt, entering Jerusalem, and being heralded by the people. From there He headed to the temple and found it a den of thieves. In the beginning of chapter 20 we find Him teaching and preaching in the temple. People were divided over Him, though. The general people liked Him; but the scribes, Pharisees, and elders wanted to kill Him.
Jerusalem’s temple had quite a history. It had its glory days during the reign of Solomon, but was destroyed when Judah was taken captive. When the Jews were allowed to come back to Judah, they rebuilt a temple under the encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah. Finally Herod built the temple mentioned in the gospels. Now not the Shekhinah glory of God came to temple, but the very Son of God Himself.
We have seen some of Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the pounds. A talent represents ability, while a pound represents opportunity. Both come with responsibility. When the Son of God came to check on the religious rulers and see how they were using their talents and pounds, they questioned His authority. They asked Him, Who gave you this authority? That was a good question, but it wasn’t honest. Jesus had given them a hint when He called the temple ‘my Father’s house’, but they didn’t catch it. They had tied up their pound in order to make money. They weren’t concerned for peoples’ souls—either their own or others’. If their question had been honest, Jesus might have answered it; but He tried to show them who they really were. So He asked them a question. Instead of answering honestly, they made up a crafty reply.
Hebrews 1:1-3. Luke 20 is an example of this; this is God speaking through His Son. This was His brightness, but these Pharisees were so resistant to it, and hated Him. Even so, it’s precious to see the grace of our Lord. He didn’t deal with the question, He dealt with the questioner. “If you answer my question, I’ll answer yours. Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men?” John’s baptism was the baptism of repentance. These scribes could have used some repentance. Jesus had been baptized, but not these men. John had spoken to them quite clearly, calling them a generation of vipers!
The elders strategically told Jesus, “We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.” They weren’t open and honest, and yet they exposed themselves. They were the people that should have known, they kept the temple! Jesus told them, “Then I don’t tell you where my authority comes from.” How could He tell something like that to closed hearts and minds?
These scribes, Pharisees, and elders were supposed to be the husbandmen of Israel, and so Jesus told a parable about a certain man and His vineyard that even they could somewhat understand. The certain man was God, and the vineyard was Israel.
God got ‘discouraged’ with man in man’s first couple thousand years, and wiped him out—mostly—at the flood. Man had such a propensity to do evil, but God wanted a people for Himself; real, open, honest people. He choose Israel; starting with Abraham, the called of God. Why is a vineyard planted? To produce fruit that brings joy. Think of those verses like Isaiah 5:4 “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” This vineyard even had a hedge and tower! God had given Israel the law in order to keep them, but it became a fence for them to jump over.
Things like these make us think: Israel has been cut off and we have been grafted in. The Lord cultivates us and looks for fruit from us as well. We have the privilege of knowing where His authority comes from, and seeing His obedience to that authority.
Hymn 345 – Jesus loves the little children
Prayer