How Well Do You Know Him? - Luke 4:31-44 - Fourth Week after the Epiphany

 

Luke 4:31-44 NIV

³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

How Well Do You Know Him?

Well? How well do you really know Jesus? Tell me from your heart.

Here is Jesus once again, do what was the usual for Him. In today’s language; Jesus was going to church, just like he loved to do. Yes, Jesus was in church with the people. What an example for us. We, too, need to attend church… no excuses. Jesus set the example for us to follow.

Jesus’ main activity was teaching and worship on the Sabbath. The message from this passage of Scripture is brief and to the point. So, let’s learn, listen and see. Let’s at least see and acknowledge the Power of God in Jesus as much as the demons do here and now.

Jesus silenced the demons. Jesus wanted the people of His day then and His day now to learn for themselves, what the demons already knew… Jesus IS God.

On this Sabbath, when Jesus taught the people, the people were amazed at Jesus’ words and authority. Jesus main task, at this time, and forever, was to tell the Gospel or Good News to the people present with Him in the synagogue. The result of Jesus telling this Gospel, spreads beyond His time then, to our time today, thanks to the recording of Jesus’ actions in the Bible. But, for this passage of Scripture, Jesus was reaching out to the Jews.

So, what’s the big deal, when we read about a demon possessed man? Notice how the man was possessed by a demon. One demon it seems. But as the demon speaks to Jesus, it changes to the plural. And, notice how the demon or demons know Jesus. Even the demons know Jesus as the “Holy One of God.”

Pronouncing an opponent’s name, in this case, for the demons, Jesus, was an attempt to gain advantage over the opponent… Jesus.

But Jesus is possessed as well. Yes, Jesus is possessed by something way more powerful than just some name calling demons. Jesus has Power in His Word. In fact, Jesus is the Word from the very beginning of time. And in Jesus Word is All power.

And Jesus’ Word is simple. “Come out of him!” And that’s exactly what happens, right then and there. Amazing, to the people then and amazing as well today. At the Word of Jesus come forth the Power to heal everything from God. Not just to heal in the physical, present sense; but to heal for all time and into eternity.

But this eternal healing of Jesus, doesn’t just stop at this point. Jesus goes on from here, laying His hands on the sick, showing that Jesus was God in power. Even power to heal the mother-in-law of Jesus’ own disciple, Simon.

But what about today? Does Jesus heal today?

Sure, but it’s more than what we expect. We may see people healed physically. We may see people healed spiritually. But this passage of Scripture points us beyond all of this as well. This is a testament to the power of Jesus that goes beyond the ordinary. This is a testament to the authority and power of how Jesus comes to us in the midst of our evil, sinful selves and brings eternal healing. Healing beyond the physical needs of this world in illness and death, to a healing that draws us to believe in the God in Jesus. Healing that draws us into His arms, falling from our sinful lives, into Jesus own perfection and sanctified life in and with God.

How’s that?

God sent Jesus into this sinful world for you and me and all. Jesus came to do what we can’t possibly do ourselves. We can’t make ourself holy before God. But… God can make us holy and He does. Through Jesus coming to us with all healing, we are given everything. We are given faith to believe in what God has done. We are forgiven, as we turn to God. God wants us! God wants to be in relationship with us and as He is One with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God, calls us, enlightens us, and gives Himself to us through our baptism and the body and blood of Jesus, as Jesus has done all that needs to be done, for us and to us.

So, how could we not believe? How could we not follow?

But there are some who won’t believe, there are some who won’t follow. But, the free gift of eternal life with God, still stands open and before each sinful person. God wants us and comes to us to give us life.

So… How well do you know Him? Even the demons know God when they see and hear Him.

Likewise, realize, how well God knows you. God knows you and loves you so much that the Father sent the Son into this world to make us One with Him. Turn around and look, see, and listen to the Powerful Word of God… today… tomorrow… and forever.

Rest assured that you can lean on God for all time. God knows you even before you knew you could be known. Yes, there is a day when we will see clearly that face of Jesus and fall into His arms free from pain, tears and death, and into eternal life with God and all those who couldn’t help but to believe and place all their hope in our Savior, Jesus. Thanks be to God!

I leave you with this YouTube Music Video that spoke to me while I was reflecting on this passage of Scripture. At this time in my life, it strikes very close to my heart.

Arms of Jesus

“Arms of Jesus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnCqrPtblwM

Unexpected - Luke 4:16-30 - Third Sunday after the Epiphany

 

Luke 4:16-30 NIV

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Unexpected

There are things that come on unexpected. Things we really can’t foresee or foretell. Things that just don’t jive with the way we think the world should work. Things that happen way out of our own plans. There are things that come on unexpected that we are left to deal with that we would rather not deal with. Unexpected things that break into our world.

I’ll have to admit, even after a week of study of this Gospel passage, of teaching Sunday School, on this same passage, and after worship services; this reflection took on a deep and personal change from what I expected. Yes, to say the least… unexpected.

In this passage of Scripture, a group of Jesus’ hometown folks were left both amazed and hostile. Two emotions that seem to conflict with one another but really don’t. There are things that come on unexpected that maybe first shock or amaze us, but may even leave us a little, or a lot, hostile with God and the way God seems to act in our world. There are things that come on unexpected.

But first let me give you a little background into the type of service common with the Jewish Synagogue worship.

Commonly the service began with the reading of a Shema (shuh-MAH) or prayer. And Old Testament example is…

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

It kind of serves as an introduction to worship. Sets the tone and puts God first.

Then the service would continue with a reading from the Law and/or the Prophets. This would be read while standing.

Next the leader would sit down for teaching on the reading chosen. Kind of like what we think of in Christian worship as the sermon.

Finally, the service would conclude with a blessing from the priest or a layman.

So that’s just a brief explanation of what was going on in the passage of scripture from Luke above.

So, we have Jesus going to the synagogue service… What shouts out to me right off the bat is the words, “as was His custom.” With just a few words we gain insight into how seriously Jesus took “Church.” Or going to church.

This phrase… “as was His custom,” is only used twice in the New Testament. The other time it was used was at the Mount of Olives…

Luke 22:39 NIV

³⁹ Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.

What was the occasion for Jesus going “as was His custom” or as interpreted here “as usual”? This was when Jesus went to pray after the Last Supper with His disciples. This was just before Jesus’ denial and the start of the night of suffering, leading to His rejection by the people, the religious leaders of the day, his crucifixion and death. Keep this thought in mind for a moment for me.

Jesus prayed. Prayer was very important to Jesus. Jesus prayed alone and in public. Yes, Jesus made a practice of prayer AND going to church.

Today, so many Christians make up shallow excuses that God can be worshipped anywhere. Well, that’s true, BUT… Going it alone in personal prayer is NOT the end of worshipping God. That’s a vital and needed time to reflect, learn and study. That’s a vital time to pray and hear God’s Word, but there’s more.

A Christian disciple NEEDS just as much, fellowship, first with God and together in unity with other disciples IN church. Together in Church, disciples need to have fellowship with other souls “in the fire,” so to speak. Yes, the fire of the Holy Spirit that binds the Church together in Word and Sacrament.

To isolate with God in nature, or any other place alone is fine… BUT “As was his custom,” or “as usual,” Jesus, points us to how God comes to us in unity with one and each other… In Church. Going to Church IS vitally important. Don’t excuse yourself with weak excuses! Yes! Make it your custom… make church going, your usual.

But you look at this Luke passage and see the results? Why would Jesus want this!? Why would you or I want to expose ourselves to such behavior?

First off… Jesus made it perfectly clear with an Old Testament reading that He was the power of God on earth. The power of God sent in Jesus in the love of God for us… ALL of us! This was the power of God that brings good news to the poor, liberty to the oppressed and sight to the blind. This was the power of God that moves to us and in us and through us … TO… ALL people.

Yes, Jesus as God was present in that synagogue then and in our churches today. Jesus’ presence to heal the broken-hearted and give sight to the blind.

Yet, Jesus didn’t want people to be drawn to Him for only physical healing alone. No! Jesus wanted their minds AND souls set free. The gift that Jesus’ proclaimed to those gathered in the synagogue and the churches today IS that God has been and IS near to mankind, in the synagogue and in the churches today.

As we go “as our custom” or “as usual” to church, we look to God and see Jesus. Really see and hear Jesus in Word and Sacrament. God comes to us in the body and the blood of Jesus, in, with, and under the bread and the wine. God comes to us through Word, Promise and the waters of our baptism.  And it’s here, in church, that we look to God and see our neighbor’s souls. It’s here in church that we hear of Jesus’ release of the captive. It’s here in our common confession of our sin, when we give up on our own selfish will, to protect ourselves, and become glad to surrender and release our own will, TO God and TO neighbor.

So, what was the deal with these synagogue folks, these hometown folks of Jesus that upset them so much to want to kill Jesus right then and there?

Well, first off, they knew Jesus as a child. They knew Jesus, and they wanted some clear proof that Jesus was truly God. Sure, Jesus could say He was God through Old Testament scripture, BUT… where’s the proof! Come on Jesus, show us a miracle or give us a cure!

But instead, Jesus gave them examples from Elijah and Elisha, where God came to Gentiles. Gentiles… outsiders… people NOT of this synagogue. Perhaps today we might think of people outside of the wonderful Christian “like” people. Jesus gave examples of God coming to heal and save “those” other people. How disgusting!

The people were upset with Jesus’ teaching of “Grace” that reaches the Gentiles as well as the Jews… in other words… Grace that reaches all mankind.

Be careful that our own privilege as disciples, does not push away other people as intolerable. That’s selfish pride. Remember… You too are a Gentile!

And the attitude of the people went from praise to disbelief in Jesus.

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

The question actually points to hostility… NOT… surprise.

Sometimes there are things that come on unexpected.

So, what’s the point? The prophets Elijah and Elisha ministered to non-Jews also. God comes to ALL of us, not just a chosen few, or the people who declare themselves to be good in the sight of God. Nope! God reaches out with His Grace and love in Jesus to ALL. Yes, all, even a dirty thief hanging on a cross next to Him, even my own sinful self as well as your own dirty sinful self.

And the people of Jesus’ hometown were angry. The people of Jesus’ hometown were filled with wrath, with the thought that the gifts and benefits of Jesus’ new ministry would go to those filthy, dirty, sinful, Gentiles too.

Yet, think back earlier in this reflection; this rejection of Jesus by His own hometown people prepared Him, and us, for the rejection of Jesus by the Sanhedrin… religious leaders, the Jewish nation. Yes, the rejection of God’s gift of the Gospel of freedom from sin and death through Jesus saving Grace.

You see, salvation is for both Jew and Gentile… for ALL mankind.

In the words of Paul… from the book of the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:28 NIV

²⁸ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

There are things that come on unexpected. Things we really can’t foresee or foretell. Things that just don’t jive with the way we think the world should work. Things that happen way out of our own plans. There are things that come on unexpected that we are left to deal with that we would rather not deal with. Unexpected things that break into our world.

But, remember… Jesus will give us the Grace and love to walk right through that valley of death to something new, something great, something that will bring us the unity with God and one another in eternity, as we praise God and Jesus in love. One for another and all for God.

There are thinks that come on unexpected… yet God has it. God has it all figured out… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

As I reflect on Jesus’ walking away from that wrath filled crowd, this YouTube music came to mind. It also reminds me of something much closer as well…

“Into Marvelous Light I’m Running”

Into Marvelous Light I'm Running

God bless you this week and always… Bill

Joy - John 2:1-11 - Second Week of Epiphany

 

John 2:1-11 NIV

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Joy

Another week has passed. With this reflection, I find myself having thought about, studied, and taught from God’s Word. May His Word fill the air, and not mine. May this reflection Point to Jesus, I pray.

What stands out and shouts out the loudest to me in this first of a sequence of seven miracles of Jesus, is a grand display of Jesus’ glory and the joy involved in and throughout this wedding celebration. All seven miracles point to, and reveal Christ’s glory.

Prior to this passage of the Wedding Feast Miracle, Jesus came from being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. In the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus to use Jesus’ own powers to satisfy Jesus’ own needs. But, in this first miracle, Jesus isn’t concerned with His own needs, no, He is concerned with the needs of others. And, by extension in time, Jesus is concerned for our needs as well.

Jesus love for all, is a love of joy. Jesus wants to bring joy to the people at the wedding feast and to us today. Yes, this first miracle of Jesus, was an introduction of a religion of Joy.

There is Joy in turning water into wine. So, Jesus’ command to fill the jars to the brim, was an action that the servants could do, at the command of Jesus. And as the water filled jars are drawn out for the testing taste of the master of the banquet, he tastes more that just water. The master of the banquet tastes the fruit of Jesus first miracle… Wine.

Isn’t this ironic? For later in Jesus’ ministry, He would have us taste Jesus’ wine, His blood, His life-giving grace for all the world. Yes, as we taste the wine, we taste Jesus’ blood and salvation.

But, don’t get too hung up, as is easy, on water and wine. This miracle begins a display of pointing to Jesus and His glory.

Sometimes, in Scripture, there seems to be little reminders of God’s grace planted. Look back at the beginning of this passage. “On the third day…”

Talk about Joy… Joy comes on the third day as we project forward to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Sometimes it’s also easy to read something into the way Jesus speaks to His mother. As Jesus speaks to His mother, He calls her “woman.” Well, today, we may confuse this with some level of disrespect. But, that’s not really the case. In Jesus day, this title was a term of respect. In fact, some other interpretations say, “dear woman.”  Yet, this same expression is used later on by Jesus at the cross, and this title is a form of respect.

John 19:25-27 NIV

²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

I’m convinced that Jesus highly respected all the women in His life, especially His own mother.

Then Jesus questions Mary that His hour had not yet come. Well, talk about a show of respect for His mother! As I reflected on this question, it seemed to me that surely, Jesus knew about the “hour” He was speaking of, and He was aware of His approaching crucifixion, death and resurrection, yet Jesus listened to His mother’s request to take action at this joyous occasion.

Now, let’s look at these water jars. These jars were some really big jars, that were used for ceremonial washing. Ceremonial washing from the Law of God, an Old Testament thing. And Old Testament thing that was there as a demonstration of God’s power.

Yet, now, as these jars are filled with water to the brim, at the command of Jesus, comes New Wine. Jesus is this New Wine of salvation in His blood. Salvation in the blood of Jesus that rises out of the cleansing waters of baptism. Yes, my baptism, and your baptism as well. We rise out of the waters of our baptism each and every day, as we die to our sins, receive forgiveness, and live New lives in and through Jesus’ blood, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we learned in earlier “Pointing to Jesus” reflections, God reverses things. And in this New wine, there is a LARGE amount! Yes, Jesus provides not only gloriously, joyfully, but abundantly as well.

This first miracle of Jesus in His sequence of seven miracles has a three-way climax of sorts. First, Jesus gives to all the world a concrete sign of love and joy. Jesus shows His glory for all to see, taste and take in. And finally, for Jesus’ disciples then and today, He gives us Faith.

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Seeing Jesus glory and the joy he gives, his disciples then and throughout time believed in Him.

Disciples and Servants of God… Used by Jesus in His glory. You and I too, are called by Jesus to tell of His glory in our own lives. We each and we all have a story to tell of God’s grace in our lives.

Jesus enters into our troubles, into our lives, and enriches us with New Life, with New Wine. Jesus comes to us with His full intensity right in the midst of our own tragedies, to bring Joy and Life, today… tomorrow… and forever!

Let us pray,

Lord, open our eyes to the Joy you give each and every day. We walk happy lives with You as You build us up. For each day, Your Spirit is active in the gifts that you give to Your people. May we use these gifts to build up our neighbor and bring glory to You. --- Amen

I leave you with this YouTube music video that reminds me of this passage of scripture…

“Our God”

"Our God"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO-qvwgTq2Q

A Flash and Then Thunder - Luke 3:15-22 - The Baptism of Our Lord

 

Luke 3:15-22 NIV

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

A Flash and Then Thunder

We’ve been here before. I can tell from the highlights in the Bible and the study texts that I use to study this Gospel message. We’ve been here before, over and over and over again. Yes, we’ve been here before.

In this passage, John the Baptist introduces Jesus and God’s Voice punctuates Jesus’ beginning ministry. This is amazing stuff here. And yes, in this amazing stuff, we must realize, that, we’ve been here before.

Heaven opens up, the Holy Spirit assumes the body of a dove, and a Voice from heaven, declares Jesus as the Son of the Father. Yep! We’ve been here before. We’ve been here before, not only in this passage of Scripture, over and over, but in many passages of God’s Word throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. We’ve been here before.

And notice… this is easily missed… Jesus was praying before heaven was opened.

Do you wonder what Jesus was praying about? Jesus always seems to be praying. And here, before the heaven opens, Jesus is praying.

We’ve been here before. How many times do you read in Scripture how Jesus prays. He even gives us some instruction on how to pray. Yep! We’ve been here before.

And then… and then… the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a Dove and equips Jesus for His ministry.

All the baptized, should see, here how the Holy Spirit, descended upon you or me, as adult or child, to equip us for God’s ministry in our lives. Lives eternal. Yep! We’ve been here before. Over and over, God’s disciples, have been here before.

So, what’s “A Flash and Then Thunder” have to do with any of this?

I can’t help but to be reminded of Lightening and Thunder. When I get on my radio to listen and send CW messages, sometimes, especially during the summer months, I can hear very distant cracks of noise. Yes, this is distant cracks of lightening and thunder bouncing off of our ionosphere in radio frequency noises. Crack, and crackle, over and over again. Messages sent through messages sent. As I listen for another CW message from a friend, I hear over and over the crackles of noise. Noise that reminds me, that I’ve heard this before, over and over. A crackle that interrupts my listening and sometimes draws my attention completely away from the CW message I am trying to understand.

John the Baptist was trying to send a crackle of a message to all the world that someone greater than he was coming. A crackle of a message that we need to turn from our sinfulness and prepare ourselves to witness something new and amazing. John’s message crackled through the air, interrupting any and everything else, at that time, and even today. John’s Lightening and Thunder introduced fear with a message of repentance and coming salvation.

But John’s Crackle and Thunder didn’t come exactly like he or the world expected. John’s introduction of a new Crackle and Thunder, didn’t come in a way that the world expected. That Flash and Lightening, didn’t quite come like a King David, to take over all the governments of the day and right all the wrongs of this world with power and might. Well, not like what mankind expected.

We’ve been here before. Jesus’ Flash and Thunder came to this world in a much different way. Jesus, the man who did not sin, was baptized with John’s baptism of repentance and turning from sin. Well, what sin? What sin did Jesus have or commit?

And then there’s that Flash and Thunder of God. You see, Jesus took on our sin and became our sin. Flash and Thunder! Heaven opens, a dove descends and the Thunder of God’s Voice announces this Jesus’ as His one and only Son. Yes, God sent His Son into this world with a Flash and Thunder, of sorts, to save mankind from the curse of sin and death and eternal separation from God.

In God’s Flash and Thunder, in God’s ear-piercing crackles over the eternal air waves, minds and hearts turn to God. Mankind is captured in the fascination of God’s salvation. Life as God would have it, not as mankind thinks life should be. A Flash and Thunder that brings to earth God’s purpose in life. God’s gift of a direct relationship with Him through the Fellowship of God’s own Son, here and now. God’s crackle and Flash and Thunder teaches us how to live together with God and each other.

Yes, that crackle, that Flash of Light, that vision of Jesus grace in death, coming patient and gradual to the Cross. Death in an amongst much prayer. Just like we experience death in our baptismal waters, as we go under to be raised to New Life with God and have our very own Dove descend on us to bring us through life, to death and to eternal life with, and in God.

A crackle, a Flash, a Thunder of the voice of God, sent to all mankind, in Jesus, to illuminate REAL power. Not like the power of earthly men, but the REAL power of love and grace of God through Jesus’ life, ministry, healing, suffering, death and resurrection.

That’s the Flash… the Thunder… the Crackle that overpowers all other words in this world, that I’m talking about.

See the Flash, hear the Crackle, hear the Thunder… Know that Heaven has opened up to you and me and a Dove has descended upon this world and you and I, as well… In Jesus’ baptism and in your baptism, we have died and rose again to something else.

Matthew 27:50-53 NIV

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Can you hear the Crackle, see the Flash, listen to the Thunder. May Jesus overwhelm your soul with new life in Him… today… tomorrow… and forever.

Let’s Pray,

Lord, You are with me through everything. All that this life brings, You are there too. May I listen to the Thunder and see the Flash of Light; that I may be dead to sin and alive forever through Christ. --- Amen

Wow! Look at this YouTube Video --- Read the words, look at the images, and think about this passage of Scripture on the Baptism of Our Lord and you as well.

In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C77pE9-V0vU

“In Christ Alone”