January 8, 2017
Scripture:
Hymn 253 - O why did Jesus leave His home
Prayer
Today, I’d like to start a new series, one that follows out of what we had last week in the “When Jesus was here He…” series. There we saw Jesus having dinner with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Lazarus demonstrated communion, Martha showed us service, and Mary was a picture of worship as she anointed the Lord. Jesus said that she had anointed Him for His death, which was coming up soon. Let’s look at what happened in the days leading up to the cross.
Luke 22:1
Jesus and the disciples were in Jerusalem, and a couple of things were going on. Firstly, it was the feast of Passover. This was the time that the Jews remembered when they were once slaves in Egypt, but God sent plagues on Pharaoh to deliver them. In the final plague, God was going to kill all the first born children in Egypt. He told the Israelites to kill a perfect lamb, and put it’s blood around their door frames. This was so that the judging angel would pass over them, and they would be safe. The families would then roast and eat the lamb. God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt that night, and He told them to have this feast every year, so that they would remember His deliverance, and could teach it to their children. That was the feast of the Passover. Just after it was the feast of unleavened bread, and we see that here, too. They happened in Egypt, and that’s what was being celebrated in Jerusalem with Jesus. God had set up these feasts almost 1,500 years before, and they were still celebrating them in Jesus’ day. Maybe not everyone understood all that they stood for, but at least they were going through the motions.
The Passover feast had been established 1500 years earlier, and finally the One that it was a picture of had come. The real Passover was finally going to happen; the people of Jerusalem were going to make it happen. Jesus was the real Passover Lamb. The lamb’s blood had sheltered the Israelites in Egypt, and the Lamb of God was going to die and shed His blood to shelter them and us from judgement.
So, the Lord celebrated the Passover, but then He instituted a new feast: the Breaking of Bread. We’ve been celebrating that feast for almost 2000 years! It still reminds us of the cross. We look back to the cross and it’s finished work; Passover looked forward to the cross, to where the Lord would shed His blood to save us from sin, so that we can live in the the love, joy, and peace of His presence.
1 Thessalonians 1
It seems that the Thessalonian believers were new, and young in the faith. In the first verse Paul reminded them, through his greeting, how precious it was for them to be in the family of God. And he was not only giving thanks to God for them, but also he was interceding for them. He called them “beloved brethren”. His heart had gone out to them. According to verse four they were predestined. Paul was sure of their salvation. Election and choosing is a very hard topic. I read a quote from someone somewhere that said, “Whom God chooses He changes”. If we have been chosen to eternal life that should change the way we act. We should not want to go on in darkness. What I do know is that everyone who is saved has been chosen. It is how freewill and election go together that is hard to understand. You don’t preach election in the Gospel; it is something that is understood after one has been saved. But if those saved have been chosen before what is the point in preaching the Gospel? It is not just for the salvation of souls, but also for the glory of God. We don’t have an X marking the ones who have been chosen, rather we get to preach the Gospel to a whole world that needs to hear it. There are also some divine things that cannot be understood in human thought.
When taking a look at verse five we find when it comes to the Gospel its not just about the words we use. It also has to do with our manner. It’s easy to give so much focus to the words, and forget that when preaching the Gospel there is something beyond listening to words. There is such power in the Gospel. Not only does it tell of God and His love, but also absolute truth, being born again, sanctification and so much more all bringing out the power of God. Jesus still had this power when dying on Calvary. Even though He was a victim, He doomed and defeated Satan, and rent the temple veil, opening the door to God. It’s what brings us into peace, joy, and blessing. So it’s not only words, but also the reality of what goes with it.
Those giving out the Word know it’s not a small thing, and Paul here continues by saying the Gospel goes out through the Holy Ghost. It is the work of the Spirit of God. It is a spiritual matter, and should be reverenced as such. It goes beyond earthly measure because the Spirit of God works in the hearer. It’s not our “fancy” words.
It goes on with “in much assurance”. We have certainty. We’re not going around saying “I hope I’m saved”. The Gospel has full assurance. We can say, “The work is done. I’m saved for time and eternity”.The end of verse five, though, is described by verse ten of chapter two.
The beginning of verse six does not mean the that Thessalonians followed Paul having some religious faith in him. Paul was following God, and they were following after him on the path.
Hymn 149 - Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Prayer