John the Baptist

John 1: 6-8

John 5: 35-36

John 1: 6. “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. V.7. “He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through Him. V.8. “He was not the light, but he came to testify about the Light.”

This is the introduction of John the Baptist. He is first recognized as “sent from God”. Therefore he was commissioned by Jehovah to carry out a specific role in history, not unlike the prophets of old, who have been silent for 400 hundred years. At this time in Israel’s history there is no one alive who personally had witnessed a true Prophet. Yet now, John is on the scene, ‘sent from God’.

These words allude to the work of the Holy Spirit, whom as yet has not been introduced as part of the Trinity of the Godhead. The Triune concept of God, is a necessary part of the revelation of the New Covenant, being introduced by Jesus, as the fulfillment of the 700 year old prophecy of Jeremiah. If Jesus is not God, there can be no salvation for mankind, if the Holy Spirit is not God there can be no indwelling, revelation, assurance, and direction for those who believe.

John the Baptist came as a viable, reliable witness, to verify the ‘Light’, the Word of God, so that all might believe through Him. When God sends an agent to represent Him, there is no question as to the impact he will make, whether his message is desirable or not, if sent from God, it is still obviously from God. In this case the message is desirable for most, yet some will be opposed to it, as was the case for most of God’s prophets.

Note also, that John the Baptist is carefully recognized as ‘not the Light’, but come to reveal the Light, to testify as to the validity of the Light. In John 5: 35-36, Jesus Himself testifies about John: ” That he was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you, (Israel), were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” John in his role was a lamp, needing a source of fuel in order to burn brightly. While Jesus, the Light, needs no source, for He is Light itself.

Blessings

Karl

Jesus Is The Light

John 1: 4-5

Genesis 1: 3-4

John 3: 19- 20

John 8: 12

John 1: 4. “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

John 1: 5. “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Life and light are parallel associations, while darkness and death are the opposite parallels.

Genesis 1: 3-4. “Then Elohim spoke, ‘Let there be Light’; and there was Light.” At the creation of the heavens and the earth, God spoke. This is reminiscent of the beginning of John’s gospel introducing the Son of God as the ‘Word’, the Creator. So we understand that Jesus, the Son, is the creative expression of the Triune Godhead. And now we learn the first expression of God in creation is light.

John 3: 19-20. Jumping ahead a bit to understand the importance of light, and Jesus being Light, ” This is the judgement, that the Light, (Jesus), has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. V. 20. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (As seen in Adam’s reaction to the first sin, he hid himself from God because he was afraid. Get. 3: 10)

John 8: 12. ” Then Jesus again spoke to them, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” This happening was on the Eighth Day Feast, immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles, where the massive hanging oil lamps, in the Court of Women of the Temple were lit, and the light illuminated the entire temple area through the windows of that court. Young men had carried gallons of oil up tall ladders to fuel the lights, and Jesus stood a distance away shouting the parallel of that light to Himself. (Historical resource by Albert Eidersheim)

“In Jesus was life, and the life was the Light of men.” Only through the Light can our darkness, our sin, be exposed, whereby we can turn to the source of that Light and obtain eternal life.

Blessings

Karl

John Introduces The Word

John 1: 1-3

Hebrews 1: 2

Psalm 33: 6

Colossians 1: 16-17

Hebrews 11: 3

Deuteronomy 6: 4

John 1: 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1: 2. “He was in the beginning with God.

John 1: 3. “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

In the revelation of Jehovah to Israel, the nation chosen by Him through which the world was to come to know Him, and to experience the redemption of their souls from the curse of death, Jehovah promised a redeemer. Through Moses, the written word of God known as the Torah, revealed in itself that it was merely an instructor pointing to the need of this Savior, which was to come. Israel understood Jehovah as monotheistic, Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Elohim, is One.” ‘Jehovah’, means, the self existing one. ‘Elohim’ means god. In contrast to other nations that worshipped many gods, Israel worshipped one God, the God of Gods.

This Savior, Jesus, which came, was a ‘new revelation’ to Israel that Jehovah was a triune God; Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Though alluded to in the Torah, Genesis 1: 26, Jehovah said, “Let us make man in our image.” It was never understood completely. Therefore Jesus had a hurdle to cross in revealing Israel, that Jehovah was multi-faceted, though contained in one being. John 14: 1, Jesus said , “Do not let your hearts be troubled; You believe in God, believe also in Me.” A groundbreaking statement that He was equal to God/Jehovah. And later in John 14 and John 16 the Holy Spirit is introduced as coming when Jesus was to bodily leave this earth, thus completing the Triune God.

John starts his gospel with this knowledge, and reveals that Jesus is the expression of Jehovah, the Word, the creator aspect, as in “All things came into being through Him.” Hebrews 1:2 “In these last days Jehovah has spoken to us in His Son,…through whom also He made the world.” Colossians 1: 16-18, “For by Him all things were created…” Psalms 33: 6 “By the word of Jehovah, the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts.”

It is enough to know that the scriptures support completely this concept introducing “the Word.” To the Hebrews living at the time of Jesus on earth it was a new concept, and was not easily or readily welcomed. Many signs and wonders were to be revealed to prove that Jesus was who and what He claimed to be.

John does not give any details of the birth of Jesus on earth, as the other synoptic gospels do, but rather introduces Him as Creator God, come to earth, to live among His creation, to explain Him to mankind. John 1: 18.

Blessings

Karl

The Ending and Post Script

Hebrews 13: 22-25

Hebrews 13: 22. “But I exhort you, I urge you, brethren to bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.” There is always more to say on any subject, and with the entire volume of the Holy Scriptures at hand, it has many examples and tenants that could be used to verify the truth that the writer has exposed to these, his disciples. Therefore it is a brief writing.

Hebrews 13: 23. ” Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released from prison, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.” In a post script, it is noted that God has answered their prayers, and has released Timothy, whom they all know, and they all desire to be able to see him again, especially in the company of this author.

Hebrews 13: 24. “Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.” It is here that we perceive this letter has been sent from Rome. The bond of Christ is recognized universally by this time, and the joy of knowing Jesus, and His transforming power is an eternal bond. Men from around the known world are turning from dead religious activity, to a vibrant new life-changing experience. Though this change brings a certain animosity with it, in that the norms of any local society are challenged to readily accept, it is worth the rejection that it may bring on its adherents. (More simply stated, the unregenerate man doesn’t like the lifestyle change Christianity calls for.)

Hebrews 13: 25. “Grace be with you all.” Grace, the free gift of God through Jesus, God’s Salvation, is available through faith, and the enabling grace of God, through the Holy Spirit is ready to be used at the first utterance of prayer. The ‘throne of Grace’, is always open, and is full of the blessings in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Blessings

Karl

Grace and Peace

Hebrews 13: 20-21

Romans 5:1

Hebrews 13: 20-21. “Now may the God of peace, Jehovah Shalom, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant/testament, even Jesus our Lord,

V. 21. “equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever.”

This prayer in conclusion to this brief letter is a summary of all that has been written. It is in the raising of Jesus from the dead, showing Jehovah’s acceptance of His Holy Sacrifice, that purchases, and establishes our Peace with God, finally, eternally.

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have ‘peace’ with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this ‘grace’ in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the ‘glory’ of God.”

God ‘accepted’ us through the sacrifice of the Perfect lamb of God, Jesus, and now we must individually ‘accept’ this gift of God, this grace of God, offered to us, which results in peace with God. That is, we are no longer adversaries of God because of our sin.

Love designed God’s plan, Grace brought it down to man through Jesus’ sacrifice, Faith receives the gift of Grace offered, establishing Peace with God individually. Glory is the result of this redemption, both in recognition of the work accomplished by Jesus, and the future Hope of eternal life with God. Plus the enabling Grace of God equips us in every good thing to do His will. Amen.

Blessings

Karl

“Pray For Us”

Hebrews 13: 18-19

James 4: 2

Ephesians 6: 18

Philippians 4: 6

1 Timothy 2: 1

At the conclusion of this letter, our author offers some basic Christians advice for the adressees to be ever mindful of Jehovah’s involvement in their lives, and give thanks to Him for this. To do good and share with others continually. To obey their leaders contentedly, without resistance, so as to keep harmony in the body.

Hebrews 13: 18-19 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” This reference to a ‘good conscience’ is in harmony with his previous statement in chapter 10: 22: that Christ, acting in the role of High Priest, “has sprinkled our hearts clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Meaning he is not acting selfishly, or demanding special favors that would promote himself, but rather He is subjecting himself to them in the most honorable way, seeking their supporting prayers.

Hebrews 13: 19 “And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I will be restored to you the sooner.” There is an urgency in this request, and a surety of the need to pray, asking God to intervene in each daily activity of life.

James 4:2. James, writes about the necessity of daily commitment to God, saying ‘the source of conflicts and quarrels in your life are the result of envy, jealousy, and the desires of this temporal life, for time oriented things, never thinking, or looking ahead with an eternal perspective. He concludes with the statement: “You have not, for you ask not.” In reference to prayer and the reason you don’t pray, is because you don’t think God will answer, or that the physical life is all there really is. You are trapped in the temporal, ‘life on earth only’, mindset.

Ephesians 6: 18. Paul writes, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf…” Note the call to be in the Spirit, that is, be looking at life with an eternal perspective, not caught up in the time oriented perspective of this life only.

Philippians 4: 6. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” God answers prayers, but He does not answer silence.

1 Timothy 2: 1. “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all men, for kings and those in authority,…”

Prayer is an absolutely essential part of the Christian life, it acknowledges God’s importance, His omnipotence, His concern, and His involvement in your life.

Blessings

Karl

A City Built BY God

Hebrews 13: 9- 14

Leviticus 4: 11-12

Romans 8:3

As Randolph stated in the comments yesterday, some of the ‘isms’ that have been associated with Christianity are Gnosticism, (they have special knowledge), Marcionism, (OT God is Different from NT Jesus), Montonism, (Holy Spirit reveals all), Adoptionism, (Jesus is not true son of God), Docetism, (Jesus was spirit, His flesh was an illusion).

These are surely some of the ‘strange teachings’ that would arise in the realm of Christianity and we are to be warned against them. But the primary issue facing these Hebrew believers in the first decades after their introduction to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, was the lure to fall back into the rituals of Judaism. The peer pressure from their past to engage once again in offering, “gifts and sacrifices offered which cannot make the worshipper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food, and drink, and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation, when Christ appeared…” Hebrews 9: 9-10

Hebrews 13: 12, “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” One of the layers of doctrine introduced in this 13th chapter, is that the bodies of the sacrifices for ‘sin offerings’, Leviticus 4: 11-12 are burned outside the camp. Jesus accomplished this also, at Golgotha, outside the gate of Jerusalem, on the cross as our sin-offering. Romans 8:3, “For what the Law could not do…God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin…”

Hebrews 13: 13 “So let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” A forceful call to illustrate the complete break with Judaism outside the gate, for believers in Christ. Jesus was completely ostracized by the Judaic religious hierarchy, and in a trumped up, fake trial, was rejected as their Messiah. Therefore comes the same necessity to turn from Judaism, to embrace Christianity, to turn from the ritual, and ceremony of the ‘letter of the Law’, to the ‘Spirit of the New Covenant’, outside of their city walls, their domain, which action will cause them to reject you also.

Hebrews 13: 14. “For here, (outside the gate of Jerusalem), we do not have a ‘lasting city’, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” A ‘lasting’ city, is the Greek word ‘meno’, -‘ a requirement to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy ‘. The city of Jerusalem, the representative pinnacle of Judaism, is no longer a required place of worship for these Hebrew Christian believers. But like Abraham, Hebrews 11:10, “we are looking for that city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God.”

Blessings

Karl

Love and Holiness

Hebrews 13: 7-11

1 Corinthians 3: 10-14

John 15: 1-2

Hebrews 13: 7. “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13: 8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

In this exhortation to these Hebrew believers, the theme is love: love your fellow believers, love those who are in prison for their faith, love your spouses, being content with having less because of your generosity in helping others. (Note: A part of a prayer by the High Priest on Atonement Day includes the line; “if poverty besets us, let it be because of our generosity to those in need.” )

Those men who brought the gospel to you, perhaps Paul, James, or Peter, were never known to be wealthy men in terms of earthly treasure, but in fact they were satisfied with eternal treasures. These men were filled with the Holy Spirit, and lived exemplary lives, satisfied with the bare necessities of food, shelter, and clothes. They pursued spiritual matters, including consistent adherence to the scriptures, teaching truth and warning against any resemblance of false doctrine and behaviors.

1 Corinthians 3: 10-14 Paul writes: “According to the Grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, in Jesus Christ, and another is building on it. But each man that builds on it must be careful how he builds on it. …Now if any man builds on that foundation of Salvation with false doctrine, it will be burned up like wood or hay, but true doctrine will only be refined, lasting through eternity.” A warning to teachers of the word of God.

Therefore, follow the examples of those who brought the gospel to you, living true to Jesus. The things of earth are temporary, having a time element that passes away, but the things of God are eternal. Jesus Christ is consistent and trustworthy, “Being the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Those who went in faith before us were consistent in love, holiness, and completely satisfied with Jesus. This is our ultimate goal also, the things of earth will pass away soon enough.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Blessings

Karl

Duties of the Christian life

Hebrews 13: 1-6

At the ending of this letter to the Hebrews, is an exhortation concerning social duties. The exhalation of Jesus as author and perfecter of Christianity, the superior example of a High Priest, crowned with glory above all angelic beings, Son of God Himself, in all its necessity to understand, the result must be compassion to others, and duty to holiness in living while on earth.

Hebrews 13: 1. “Let love of the brethren continue.

Hebrews 13: 2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” [Genesis 18: 1-5 tells of Abraham’s encounter with angels.]

Hebrews 13: 3 “Remember the prisoners, As though in prison with them, and those who are ill treated, since you yourselves also are in the body”. [Acts 16: 12- In Philippi Paul and Silas were imprisoned, Colossians 4: 3, Hebrews 10: 34 tells of these Hebrew’s own actions in favor of prisoners. 1 Corinthians 12: 27 “Now you are Christ’s body and individually members of it…If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…” ]

Hebrews 13: 4. “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” [1 Corinthians 6: 9. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,..nor adulterers,…will inherit the Kingdom of God.” It seems in these letters Paul wrote that it was more common than not for people to engage in immorality, which even in their gentile communities it was condemned, at least in theory.]

Hebrews 13: 5. “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, Being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you,'” [1 Timothy 6: 10 “For the love of money is the root of many evils, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”)

Hebrews 13: 6. “so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me.'” [2 Corinthians 4: 6 “For God, …is the one who has shone in our hearts, to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. v.7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted, not crushed; perplexed, not despairing; persecuted, not forsaken; struck down, not destroyed;” That is to say we can never be victimized, for our God stands alongside us in all things.

Blessings

Karl