This week's readings, starting on Easter Monday, March 24th, are as follows:
Matthew 3
Luke 4:1-13
Luke 4:13-30
Luke 4:31-44
Luke 5:1-11
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3 comments:
Thankyou Whitney. I had never clocked the fact that in this moment all three persons of the trinity came into play. Its an interesting detail that not just indicates again the significance of Jesus but arguaby gives us the model for belivers baptism. IN believing in Jesus we're put back into relationship with God and the holy spirit comes upon us. In this sense every baptism involves the trinity. That said obviously not in such a dramatic and significant way.God only announced his sons divinity once and with an obvious specific purpose.
Its perhaps more significant to note that Gods voice is heard directly here,not an angel or a prophet.I could be wrong (I have a nagging feeling the God appears to Paul to encourage him about going to Rome)but this could be the only time Gods voice is directly heard in the New Testament. If so I think I will have to think over this event more.
Another thing that struck me today is how little we know about John. We know he's Jesus cousin and who his parents are and we know how he dies and why but little else. Did Angels appear to him to give him this mission? Was he always this humble? How did he end up in a desert famously wearing weird clothes and eating bizzare food? With Jesus we have a clearer idea as to how he came to grow to know who he was and his significance. With John we don't. All we know is that whilst he was a comanding figure he as also a profoundly humble man.He was dedicated to God to the point he gave up his fame and authority to Jesus straight away. He recognised Jesus as the son of God and not just his cousin. So he had a deep relationship with God,he was christ centred and was unafraid to speak out. We may noy know the hows and the whys of his life but from a few verses we know who he was. Someone we should aspire to be like.
I am don't know what Whitney meant yesterday by never having had an encounter with the Devil. If he means a physical encounter that's fine, but surely the person of the Devil as supernatural being is as real as that of God and we meet him in our lives. After all Christ once saw the Devil working in Peter.
One thing that seperates the Baptist minister in todays comments from Christ is that while the minister left others to do the work, Christ led by example. I used to see a lot of managers come and go who made unworkable decisions from their offices. One notable exception was when I claimed it could not be done, the manager said nothing but simply did it himself. Never again did I use the word can't so lightly. Something that attracts me to Christianity is that Christ not only tells me what to do but shows me what to do.
P.S. The above is not a comment on the ministerial team in this churrch.
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