September 16, 2018
We sang about the Holy One who knew no sin: the crowds cried out to crucify Him. During this time, God poured out His wrath for our sins upon His Son. The veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom; today, we can enter into the Holy Place to worship Him. He is worthy of our praise!
Hymn 257 - Our times are in Thy hands
Prayer
In Acts 1:8, we see God’s schedule for how the disciples were going to spread the gospel. After the Holy Spirit came, they were going to be witnesses for Jesus; starting in Jerusalem and spreading to Judea, and then Samaria, and then the uttermost parts of the Earth. So far we’ve seen the Holy Spirit come, and watched the disciples witness in Jerusalem. However, some persecution then came along, and the believers began to spread.
Acts 8:1, 5-8, 26. We’re skipping over some stories here, but to summarize: the apostles appointed seven men to help with the ministry in Jerusalem. One of these men was named Stephen. The chief priests didn’t like him, and he eventually spoke so powerfully and convictingly that they couldn’t take him anymore, and stoned him to death. This started a persecution, led by Saul of Tarsus, who was a committed Jew and hated Christianity. This persecution got so hot that most of the Christians left Jerusalem and were scattered about Judea and Samaria.
Now, to explain what Samaria was: way back, after the reign of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam didn’t listen to the demands of the people, and this caused ten tribes to leave and set up the kingdom of Israel in the north, leaving Judah and Benjamin in the south. When Israel was eventually taken captive by Assyria, the Assyrians left the just the worst of the Jews there, and brought other captive nations to live with them. This mixed race of half-Jews half-Gentiles become known as the Samaritans, and they called their land Samaria. The Jews didn’t like these people, which is part of the reason why the disciples were rather surprised when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. They might have even been surprised that Jesus went to Samaria at all! This lady believed in Jesus as the Christ, and others from her city did as well. They didn’t believe in His death and resurrection, because that hadn’t happened yet, but they were counted as believers for that time. Now these other disciples arrive fleeing from Saul’s persecution.
Philip (one of the seven men appointed with Stephen), went down to Samaria and preached to the people there, and they listened to him. Perhaps some of the Samaritans who originally believed in Jesus heard the complete gospel, but this was definitely an extension of that work. Next time, Lord willing, we’ll see how Philip was pulled away from this awesome revival to go speak to the Ethiopian eunuch in the desert. Apparently, Ethiopia was known back then as the uttermost parts of the Earth; but we’ll have than story next time.
John 5:30-47
This chapter brings out the glory of the Lord Jesus. His dependence and obedience can be seen in the words of verse thirty. “True” here may mean “valid”.
The law would call for two witnesses, and you can’t witness of your own innocence. But the Lord has four witnesses here.(v. 32) When the Lord says that He is the way, the truth, and the life He doesn’t need a witness. The Lord sent John and Jesus to witness He was the truth. We have no excuses. John was used to baptize many people and bring them into the truth. Jesus raised people from the dead and healed the sick among them. What lead up to this entire conversation was Jesus healing the sick man by the pool.
I wonder what scriptures they had back then. He didn’t say that reading the scriptures gave eternal life, but that they testified of Him. Life comes from Jesus. The scriptures are about Him.
Verse forty-three could be referring to the anti-christ. While in verse forty-four one is human honour and the other is divine.
With the two on the road to Emmaus He also started with Moses and the prophets.There are beautiful types all through out. Now that Jesus was there among them they should have realized the meaning in them. One might think that this would have stirred up their conscience to go look it up and find what they missed.
Hymn 286 When Israel by divine command
Prayer
Lord’s Day September 16, 2018
Reading Meeting
John 5:30-47
This chapter brings out the glory of the Lord Jesus. His dependence and obedience can be seen in the words of verse thirty. “True” here may mean “valid”.
The law would call for two witnesses, and you can’t witness of your own innocence. But the Lord has four witnesses here.(v. 32) When the Lord says that He is the way, the truth, and the life He doesn’t need a witness. The Lord sent John and Jesus to witness He was the truth. We have no excuses. John was used to baptize many people and bring them into the truth. Jesus raised people from the dead and healed the sick among them. What lead up to this entire conversation was Jesus healing the sick man by the pool.
I wonder what scriptures they had back then. He didn’t say that reading the scriptures gave eternal life, but that they testified of Him. Life comes from Jesus. The scriptures are about Him.
Verse forty-three could be referring to the anti-christ. While in verse forty-four one is human honour and the other is divine.
With the two on the road to Emmaus He also started with Moses and the prophets.There are beautiful types all through out. Now that Jesus was there among them they should have realized the meaning in them. One might think that this would have stirred up their conscience to go look it up and find what they missed.
Hymn 286 When Israel by divine command
Prayer