December 28, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Advent readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 28 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.17 through 4.20 (pages 82-85)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Advent Day 28
The Life of Jesus 4.17-4.20; 2 Chronicles 1; 1 Kings 3-9
Advent 2023 – Day 28
24 ¶ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Here in this passage Jesus explains to His followers that He must go to Jerusalem and must die. Here is where Peter rebukes Jesus and says that He must not die. Jesus calls him out and says Get away from me, Satan. So Peter went from great proclaiming of who Jesus is to trying to hinder Jesus death. But Peter was also there during the Transfiguration of Christ along with James and John and got to see Moses and Elijah. I believe that this is important because I think that they may be the two witnesses that appear in Revelation. By the signs that they do. Of course they appear during the first 3 and half years of the Tribulation. And I also believe that we as believers will be taken up before this in the Rapture. But I could be wrong so therefore we should still be able to give account for our walk with Jesus. After this some of the disciples were having trouble casting out a demon from a young boy and Jesus explained that this type would only come out by prayer. As the disciples were doing the work that Jesus gave them power to do you would think that they were already prayed up and trusting in Him. Does this show their lack of faith. Again Jesus tells His followers that He will be killed and after three days rise again. And yet again they didn`t understand what He meant. Maybe they couldn`t comprehend it because they were so use to walking with Him on a daily basis. It would also shatter their idea of Him becoming King of kings and Lord of lords and setting up His Kingdom right now in their time. So He couldn`t die. May the Lord bless us all as we acknowledge His Lordship in each of us.
Pastor, Melodye had a question that she asked me and I couldn`t give a great answer. The question was [ When Jesus told someone not to tell anyone what He did for them and they did anyways isn`t this making them sin. For He knew that they would.] Like I said I couldn`t really answer it. Only that Jesus didn`t want it broadcast to soon at what He was doing. But it doesn`t really answer her question. Anyways if anyone can answer this please do.
Hard for me to answer as well. In a manner it is disobedience because they are not following Jesus’ direction. But on the other hand how could they stop sharing the good news of what Jesus did. In God’s plan of when things would be ramped up for Jesus, He could manage both their telling and not telling. But Jesus is certainly expressing His preference to not have people’s faith in Him be based simply in miracles, but the miracles showing who He was and then believing in that. I think that is the primary reason Jesus says don’t tell, as well as curbing their enthusiasm so as to not draw too much attention from people who would use it against Him.
Jesus says that Elijah WILL come, but He also says that Elijah has already come, understood to be John the Baptist.
Makes me wonder if Elijah will come again, before Christ’s second coming.
Likely one of the 2 witnesses in Revelation….
How important it is for us to think in spiritual/eternal terms as opposed to fleshly/earthly terms. We can understand Peter’s concern for Jesus, but he really didn’t internalize the necessity of Jesus’ dying and therefore only saw His sharing about His death in finite/physical terms. So Jesus uses this incident to teach Peter and us that the best thing we can do is embrace the spiritual life that God gives us rather than holding on to what our earthly life offers. If we hold on to this life, we will be afraid to lose it and be oriented to the physical pleasure that it offers and avoid pain and suffering at all cost. But if we lose our lives and trust God for how He will provide and how He will use every aspect of our lives to His glory, then we are not bound to things of this earth and can seek spiritual ends and spiritual satisfaction. After sharing this, Jesus gives Peter, James and John a chance to see what He means by this spiritual life as He transfigured before them. It is that kingdom and power they should seek and live for. Then that spiritual power from God is shown to be able to address and overcome the spiritual power of satan and his kingdom. You have just got to love Jesus’ response to the man’s request..what do you mean “if”? How often is that the nature of our requests to God…well if you can do something about this…. How good for us to believe that God is always able and even has a heart towards us that is willing, but then trust Him to know and do what is best. It is another aspect of losing our lives and turning them over to Him. Ah may God help our unbelief!