Category: Shadows (Page 21 of 25)

Mainstream churches across America are becoming concerned with the loss of their members. Data shows that approximately 80 million Americans, roughly 40 percent of the United States population, are now unchurched.¹J. Russell Hale, Who Are the Unchurched? – page 2. A recent Gallup 2020 Survey² https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx concluded that for the first time since 1937 when Gallup started their polling, a majority of Americans do not belong to a church, synagogue, or mosque. This same survey determined that most Americans do not consider religion to be important to them. Most of the decline attributable to increase in percentage of people who profess no religion.

Yes, there was a pandemic that forced many to shelter in place. However, while a man-made disease swept our planet, a culture of hatred was busy taking root. It is called by many fancy names such as “Woke Totalitarianism” and the “Cancel Culture.” For sure, we are witnessing the “The Great Silencing of America.” Spin control is nothing more than the act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way events are interpreted by others and this Spin is aimed directly at conservative beliefs, the Church and its members. There is increasing safety in silence and little incentive to step out and share one’s faith as a witness to Christ. The world tried to silence Jesus once before but that did not work out well for them!

The New Testament Greek word for “church” is ekklesia, which means “the called out ones.” In Greek society, the term was used almost exclusively for political gatherings. The Book of Acts records three instances of this secular usage of the term (Acts 19:3; Acts 19:39; Acts 19:41). In Athens, the word signified the assembling of its citizens for the purpose of conducting the affairs of the city. Moreover, ekklesia referred only to the actual meeting, not to the citizens themselves. When the people were not assembled, they were not considered to be the ekklesia.

The New Testament, however, uses ekklesia 109 times to describe of the community of God’s people. Although the word only occurs in two Gospel passages (Matt 16:18; 18:17), it is of special importance in Acts (23 times) and in the Apostle Paul’s writings (46 times). It is found twenty times in Revelation and only a few times in James and Hebrews. Therefore, based on the biblical use of ekklesia, “church” we can apply the word to mean any local assembly of people who profess faith in and allegiance to Christ. The New Testament created the universal church in (Acts 8:3; 9:31; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 15:9; and especially in the letters from Paul (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians).

Many people today maintain that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus brought about the Kingdom of God, producing an overlapping of two vastly different worlds, and now the two worlds exist simultaneously. For clarity, we can call the other world, the “secular” world. This belief should bring us to rephrase our Gallop Survey Question, In our overlapping worlds, why are people leaving the “Church,” God’s world, for the other world? Many people, including Christians, have concepts about what the Church is. What exactly is the church? Is it a building where Christians go to on Sundays to worship? Is the church an organization, an institution of people who believe in Jesus Christ? Is it the Kingdom of God? To discover what God’s Church really is, let us look the Bible.

Although the Bible does not provide us an actual definition of worship, one is left with the general impression that to worship God is to ascribe to Him the supreme worth that He alone deserves. The role of worship is, of course, assigned to the Church. At the heart of the expression of the Church’s faith are the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The former symbolizes entrance into the church while the latter provides spiritual sustenance for its members.

To understand the issue of church attendance more thoroughly, we need to first start with the original Biblical mission statement of the Church. Here are two of the key biblical goals to measure the Christian Church against:

(Acts 2:42)³NIV New International Version Translations– “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

(Matthew 28:1.9) – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

These are somewhat different goals, one internally focused on equipping disciples and providing comfort/safety for Christian fellowship. The latter goal from Matthew is outwardly focused, much more like a mission statement. Therefore, since members cannot remain insulated within the Church, they will need skills to help survive in the secular world. God has called us to make a difference out there! However, you need skills first. “If you are told to you need to get to the other side of the lake, someone needs to teach you to swim first!”

Seeking comfort and safety of like-minded fellowship is understandable. Christians find themselves forced to live in a world, the wrong world, filled with lunacy. War, disease, poverty, drugs, a diminishing value on life, the pursuit of money and power saturating society. The lust for power driving political policies that weaken economic opportunity and freedom. What kind of world is this? The secular world is Satan’s world. However, our two worlds are co-mingled, and the Church must survive in both!

There is an insightful saying from a poem, it is better to rule over, be like a king in hell than to serve somebody as a slave in heaven. The famous saying “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” comes from a monologue delivered by the character of Satan in John Milton’s book, Paradise Lost, originally published in 1667. ⁴Book l lines 242 through 270 of the epic poem Paradise Lost, written in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608 – 1674). This saying comes from line 263. Satan takes the position that it is better to be in a bad place and rule over that place rather than to go to a good place and work like a servant there. If you want to really understand what is happening in our society today, it is not lunacy, it is the lust for power and rule; a choice that is knowingly made by those who seek it.

When the epic scene begins in the poem, Satan, and his legions of fallen angels have already been defeated by the God’s angels and have been cast into the depths of Tartarus, which is described as horrible, dark, fiery place full of pain and suffering. This does not seem like the sort of place anyone in their right mind would want to rule. The problem is that the fallen angels were so deluded and filled with their own self-worth, they honestly thought they would win the war against God. Now, here they are, defeated and literally condemned to eternal damnation in Hell. There is no known escape. While you may call this poem a fictional story, it overlays what God tells us through His own Word about evil.

Satan knows he needs to keep these fallen angels on his side. When he speaks these famed, immortal words, he is talking to his fellow fallen angel Beelzebub. Throughout the poem, Satan’s greatest talent is shown to be his rhetoric; he can twist the truth to make even the wisest of people believe the most inane things. Have you listened to the news media or your government’s press conferences lately? Satan tries to Spin it this way: God’s Kingdom may be paradise, but you must serve God. Here in Hell, things may be awful, at least we are not in servitude. Evil has a sophisticated message and it always sounds good.

(Romans 1:21-25) – “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the Immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised Amen.”

To understand the Church today, we must ask, has it been teaching Christians not only to change this world but how  to survive in this blended world? Is the reality of both worlds fully understood? Is the Church sticking to its Mission?

(I Peter 3:1-5) – “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

First, we see the inward focus, the gathering of people for worship, sacraments, and preparation. However, to be making disciples of “all nations”’ Christians need to survive in a world filled with lunacy, deceit, and rhetoric. While a body of like-minded people is always a comfortable place to be, the mission says nothing about comfort. It defines purpose, training, and practice. The process of living in a jointly shared world is not an easy thing to do. If you are not convinced that there is an issue, then ask yourself how leaders are chosen year after year that spend money they do not have (Biblically an unsound practice) or support abortion under the pretext of personal choice and health and fund it with your taxes (Biblically called murder). How is that for Spin? Should not the Church be helping its members with the choices necessary to not only survive in a secular world but then to act more like servants to this world?

All throughout history, humanity has fought to maintain freedom so that the human spirit can be joyful and happy. This vision is not possible to achieve unless the Church’s members are equipped to be different, not only living in the secular world but sending the secular world a clear and consistent message, especially for those who lead in it.

(Ephesians 3:10) – “His intent was that now, through the church. the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”

If then, people are leaving the institutional churches, they are being pulled there by the secular world’s dazing appeal, its untruthful Spin. An institution does not save people, only Christ can. That is the message the Church is called to shout out! Whose job is it to tell them the truth, God’s Truth? Ours of course. And just to leave you with one more sobering thought, here is some last words from the Apostle John on an institutional church that failed to understand their mission:

(Revelations 3:14-22) – “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich’ I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness,’ and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I Love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Contemplations

• Why do you think people are leaving the institutional churches?
  • Items to Explore: Why do you or would you go to church? How fearful are people of the secular world and its ability to hurt people of faith? Is there too much emphasis from the institutional church on facilities and money?
• Why do you think it is important to include the family, children in any program geared to equip people for secular survival?
  • Items to Explore: Children are eventually sent out, to college, into the world, they need to have the tools to defend their faith. What are the tools they need? What tools do adults need to live in a world full of Spin?
• Should people be open with their leaders and demand Godly behavior?
  • Items to Explore: Why to people vote for the untrustworthy leaders year after year? Why do people support leaders that do not act in accordance with God’s Law?
• Is race being used to bring people together or divide them?
  • Items to Explore: God’s Kingdom is filled with diversity. Yet, in our world, we are constantly told to be aware of a person’s color. Why is that? Does hatred based on race give a secular advantage to one group over the other? 
• Why is it that people cannot tell Spin from Truth?
  • Items to Explore: Does Evil take advantage of our weaknesses? Are people generally discerning enough to sort out truth from lies? Society is too self-centered. Are we addicted to self approval?
• How do you combat the Cancel, Woke Culture? 
  • Items to Explore: Is social media worth it? What causes a person’s opinion to become divisive with others? Is it now more important to be “right” than “righteous?”

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  J. Russell Hale, Who Are the Unchurched? – page 2
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  https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx
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  NIV New International Version Translations
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  Book l lines 242 through 270 of the epic poem Paradise Lost, written in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608 – 1674). This saying comes from line 263.

In the 20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes I (around 445 BC), Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king of Persia. He learned that the remnants of Jews returning to Jerusalem were in trouble and that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. Nehemiah asked the king for permission to return and rebuild the city’s walls. Artaxerxes sent him to Judah as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild, gave him letters explaining the king’s support for the venture, and provided timber from the king’s forest. Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah’s enemies on all sides—Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs, and Philistines—and rebuilt the walls within 52 days.

As Nehemiah was leaving Babylon, he met some Arab men who mocked him for what he was about to do. Nehemiah records his statement, which stands even today as the basis for who has the right to the city known as Jerusalem:

(Nehemiah 2:20)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

From ancient times, cities located in the Middle East were surrounded by stone walls with gates that were guarded for the protection of the citizens. Walls for security are nothing new. However, the importance of walls is to enforce the use of “gates.” Until 1887, each gate would be closed before sunset and opened at sunrise. The gates²Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem – Wikipedia today are: Jaffa Gate; Zion Gate; Dung Gate; Golden Gate (now walled up); Lion’s Gate; Herod’s Gate; Damascus Gate; and the New Gate. The gates of the cities were also the “social media” of their time. Walls control access and regress points. People would gather at the gates where they would conduct the business of the city, share important information, or just pass the time. Anyone who was anyone had to pass through one of just a few gates providing access to Jerusalem.

In the 70 years prior, the walls had been severely damaged. Strong walls and working gates were necessary for a functioning city and society in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was just a layman, not a priest like Ezra or a prophet like Haggai. He served the Persian king in a secular position before leading a group of Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the city’s walls. Nehemiah’s experience in the king’s court equipped him for the political and physical reconstruction necessary for Jerusalem to survive.

It would be Nehemiah’s leadership that pulled the various factions together to accomplish their goal. Nehemiah led by example, giving up a respected position in a palace for hard labor. He was quite effective in convincing the city’s residents to “own their section of the wall” and work together as families to do the repairs. Nehemiah continued in his quest to rebuild Jerusalem. God provided all the necessary workers, and the building began. However, they would not be without enemies who tried to stop the project. But God intervened as He had done with Moses (Exodus 14:14). Nehemiah records,

(Nehemiah 4:20) – “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

It would be Nehemiah’s humility before God that provided an example for the people. He did not claim glory for himself but always gave God credit for his successes. This was God’s pre-ordained plan to bring His people out of bondage and back into their land to worship in the temple once again. Nehemiah would often, at the sight of distant enemies, walk in front of the broken walls of the city, proudly wearing his sword. This was his subtle way of saying, Come if you dare, but if you come, prepare to fight us. We can learn much from the life of Nehemiah. While he maintained a personal relationship with his God. Nehemiah also partnered with Ezra to solidify the political and spiritual foundations of the people.

(Nehemiah 8:18) – “Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.”

Nehemiah stands as a testament to faithfulness and perseverance. He lived far away from his home, yet he never gave up hope that someday he would return to it. He spent most of his life in exile in a pagan land, yet he never wavered in his faith and trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was a prayer warrior, putting everything before the Lord in prayer and interceding on behalf of his people, and he was rewarded for his diligence and perseverance. Nehemiah cared so much for his people that he never gave up the hope of their restoration, not only to their homeland but to the God that first called their forefather, Abraham, out of the same area and made a covenant with him, one that Nehemiah believed would stand forever.

(Nehemiah 1-11) – Nehemiah’s Prayer

“The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.

I was cupbearer to the king.”

The book of Nehemiah shows us the significant impact just one individual can have on a nation. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back order, stability, and proper focus on God. God can use people from many different places and with different skills. The secret to Nehemiah’s success and the success of any leader is the source of their motives.

Colossians 3:17) – “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Contemplations

• Looking back at this and the last three studies, why do you think that Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, all men working for pagan kings, were able to get those kings to support their mission to restore the people to Jerusalem?
  • Ideas to Explore: Their Christian faith was visible and built up trust with the kings. The kings wanted to get rid of the exiles, and they knew that these men were competent and could get the job done. Each had unique skills and experiences suited for the job at hand. What were those skills that stood out?
• Nehemiah is known as a “wall builder.” Why would God allow the city of Jerusalem to have walls?
  • Ideas to Explore: The concepts of safety and order are consistent with God’s requirements for His people. When chaos exists in a city or country with constant safety concerns, it is hard to get people to focus on faith issues. Having no specific gates interfered with the ability to communicate. Why is reliable communication with a nation’s citizens important?
• Nehemiah carried a weapon. Why does society today see a “strong defense” as a problem, not a deterrent?
  • Ideas to Explore: Society likes to farm out jobs like security to specialists. Leaders fear people who can defend themselves. Why was Nehemiah so effective in his tactic of facing the enemy? What is different today?
• Nehemiah assigned sections of the wall to each family to repair. Why was this such an effective strategy?
  • Ideas to Explore: Ownership in the project and results. Families could see the full benefit of a safe and repaired wall. Pride in one’s work is a great motivator. Nehemiah was not a boastful leader. What project management skills do you see in Nehemiah?
• How did Nehemiah’s nature of constant praying help him in his task?
  • Ideas to Explore: God wants us to lean on Him. Prayer works. Nehemiah connected his project to God.

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  NIV New International Version Translations
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  Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem – Wikipedia

Ezra was the second of three key leaders to leave Babylon for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.  While Zerubbabel would rebuild the Temple (Ezra 3:8), and Nehemiah rebuilt the walls, Ezra would restore worship. Ezra was a scribe and priest sent with religious and political powers by the Persian King Artaxerxes to lead the group of Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:8, 12). During the 70 years of exile, there was much intermarriage between the Jews and Babylonians. Ezra condemned mixed marriages and encouraged Jews to divorce and banish their foreign wives. While this sounds almost inhumane in our world today, Ezra was basing his position on what we would hear later from the Apostle Paul who is quoting Ezekiel:

(2 Corinthians 6:14:18)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

In marriage, those who do not have the same faith or in the case of the Israelite and the Babylonian, even the same god, were sharing an impossible relationship. Ezra knew the difficulty of rebuilding the people’s trust and faith in their God and was using Scripture’s own advice to help him with the task.  Ezra would also renew the celebration of festivals and supported the re-dedication of the temple and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem walls by Nehemiah. Ezra’s goal was to implement the Torah, and his impeccable priestly and scribal credentials allowed him to remain the model leader.

(Ezra 7:10) – “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

The book of Ezra continues from where 2 Chronicles ends, with Cyrus II, king of Persia, issuing the decree that permitted the Jews of his kingdom to return to Jerusalem. God is universally sovereign and can even use a polytheistic (believing in multiple gods) king of Persia to make possible His people’s release. He used Artaxerxes, another Persian king, to authorize and finance the trip and Ezra to teach God’s people His Law. This same king also helped Nehemiah restore some measure of respectability to God’s holy city.

Ezra came from Babylon to Jerusalem expecting to find the people happily serving God. What he found was just the opposite. He was sadden by what he saw but never gave up on God. Ezra wanted God to change the situation and blamed himself for not being able to change people’s hearts. Ezra wanted the people to know how important and essential the Word of God was to their daily lives and to their salvation. Nothing supersedes the worship of our God, and obedience to that command is not optional.

A sovereign God looks over and protects His sheep, always keeping His promises and providing encouragement through the people He sends.

(Ezra 5:1–2) – “Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.”

Even when God’s plan seems to be interrupted, interfered with, or stalled, as with the rebuilding of Jerusalem, God always steps in at the appropriate time to continue His plan.

Ezra’s effective ministry included teaching the Word of God, initiating reforms, restoring worship, and leading spiritual revival in Jerusalem. These reforms magnified the need for a genuine concern for reputation and for the public image of God’s people and city. Ezra encouraged the people to think about what the world saw, dilapidated city walls around God’s city. Interesting question isn’t it? What does the world think of our own country today with its crumbling cities, crime, political divisions, drug problems and uncontrolled debt?  Does the world see us as a country with a covenant relationship with God? What distinguishes us as God’s people?  Ezra was an encouragement to God’s people to magnify worship as their top priority, to emphasize the need for and use of God’s Word as the only authoritative rule for living, and to be concerned about the image God’s people show to the world.

Our goals should always be worthy in God’s eyes as well as our own. Yesterday’s problems will become today’s successes if the hand of the Lord is in them. Ezra’s goal was to be worthy in God’s eyes, and he effectively used the memories of seventy years of exile to rebuild God’s city and rebuild His people too.

Contemplations

• Why is worship and God’s Word so important in restoring a nation?
  • Ideas to Explore: True restoration cannot occur without God’s help. People must change inside to be fully repentant and not repeat past mistakes. Do you think that there is instructive material in Scripture that is helpful to humankind?
• The nation of Israel needed three things to start over, a temple, to use the temple properly and to be safe in their city. Why are these three things so important to in a Godly society?
  • Ideas to Explore: These are the three things’ people need to change and become better people – God knows best. It is the first commandment from God. We can benefit from history.
    
• Why was Ezra so effective?
  • Ideas to Explore: How did his education and experience play a role in his success? What did the pagan king see in him that instilled confidence and support? What did the people of Jerusalem see in Ezra?
• How does the Word of God restore a nation?
• Ideas to Explore: God’s Laws are the foundation for humanity. People eventually corrupt any good law with more laws so going back to basics is always better.  Does God’s hand have to be in any plan to change people for the better?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

A generation of Jews had come and gone while in captivity in Babylon. Just as Babylon rebelled against the Assyrian Empire, so the Medes and Persians revolted against the Babylonian Empire. As Isaiah had prophesied more than 150 years earlier (Isaiah 44:24-45:7), King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and in 538 B.C. passed an edict allowing Judah (the Israelites) and all the other captives to return home (2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4).

This restoration to the land was due to God’s graciousness to the Jewish people according to His promises to Abraham and David. God had promised them they would always be His people and that a son of David would always rule in Jerusalem (Ezek. 37:15–28; Mic. 7:19–20). The people returned to the land repentant. They would never break the covenant again because of idolatry. But the nation still had to trust the Lord wholly before God’s promises could be completely realized.

Into history comes Zerubbabel. an aristocrat born in captivity after his parents had been exiled into Babylon. He was the son of Shealtiel and the grandson of Jehoiachin, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian conquest. Although Jehoiachin was imprisoned at first, Scripture indicates that in his later years he was shown uncommon favor from a new king:

(Kings 25:29)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.”

It is most likely that Zerubbabel benefited from his grandfather’s favored status, growing up in Babylon’s royal court and being educated in politics and military affairs as well as gaining strong roots in the Jewish faith. When Persia overthrew the seemingly invincible Babylon empire around 539 BC, he apparently found new favor from the conquering king, Cyrus II. Under orders from the victorious Persian ruler, Zerubbabel was appointed “governor” over Judah and sent back to Jerusalem in 538 BC to lead the effort to rebuild God’s Temple there (Ezra 2:1-2 ; Haggai 1:1).

His return to Jerusalem, however, did not go well. The people who had remained in Jerusalem and were not exiled,  but had escaped captivity. They were hostile to any newcomers, fearing that their long-lost Babylonian brethren might try to recover their former family properties. There was deep distrust. Zerubbabel was a Babylonian name. Literally translated meaning the “seed of Babylon.” The existing citizens of Jerusalem also questioned the authority Zerubbabel’s claim to be the governor over their land.

Zerubbabel did not help himself upon his return to Jerusalem either. There were many non-Jewish residents occupying the city. They came to him and asked if they could help with the rebuilding.

(Ezra 4:1-2) – “ When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

Zerubbabel bluntly refused them, insulting them as he said,

(Ezra 4:3-5) – But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

After his insults, the residents in Jerusalem did everything they could to frustrate Zerubbabel and keep the Temple from being built. Apparently, they succeeded. The returning exiles were only able to lay the foundation for the Temple, but nothing else. It was not until about 15 years later, in 520 B.C., that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were able to convince Zerubbabel to resume construction in earnest. The Temple was finally completed around 516 BC. The functioning Temple, though modest in scope, would stand for centuries, even longer than the Temples of both Solomon and Herod the Great combined.

In the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke, we can find Zerubbabel’s name. This Babylonian-born, Persian-appointed governor of Judah is listed as a forefather of Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. Yes, here we get to meet a relative of Jesus. The genealogy of Jesus in found in both Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. With this linkage to our Savior Himself, the question then becomes what to conclude for our lives today from Zerubbabel’s task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s Temple? God’s exile of His people from Jerusalem was necessary to get their attention, but also painful and costly. It is just 70 years Jerusalem was destroyed, and the land was left empty of people and culture. God knows how to get the attention of His people! But to lose this history would be to lose God Himself.

Not all the Israelites in Babylon could make the long trip back to Jerusalem, about 500 miles (800 kilometers). Many were too old or sick to travel so far. Seventy years is a long time and if history and faith are not passed onto the children, there is little meaning in “God’s Covenant.” For those who did not go back, king, Cyrus II told them to: “Give silver and gold and other gifts to the people who are going back to build Jerusalem and its temple.” Many gifts were given to the Israelites who are on their way to Jerusalem. King Cyrus II also gave them the bowls and the cups that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from God’s temple when he destroyed Jerusalem.

Though the driving force behind the rebuilding of this temple, Zerubbabel, is not mentioned at its completion and dedication in (Ezra 6:13-18), meaning he likely was not there for some reason. The temple, however, would not be enough to change the people. God’s Law had to be placed within the people and written into their hearts before real obedience would ever be achieved. In our next study we will get to know Ezra, the priest who restored worship and the Word of God to the city.

(Jeremiah 31:33) – “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. “

It would not be until the New Testament that this mystery would be revealed to us by Jesus.

(1 Corinthians 3:16) – “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

(Revelation 21:3) – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Contemplations

• How did Zerubbabel’s life help him in his task to rebuild the temple?
  • Ideas to Explore: It would take a faithful person to do the work. He had to the experience to be a good organizer. He was good with politics.
• In what ways do you think that the knowledge and life of Zerubbabel would have affected Jesus growing up?
  • Ideas to Explore: Jesus did not know him personally but probably had heard the stories of his rebuilding of the temple after the exile. How do stories of our ancestors influence us? The fact that his forefather was of royal blood would have given what kind of feelings to Jesus? The fact that his forefather rebuilt the temple of Jesus’ FATHER, is an interesting point to think about. What about the elaborate circumstances over generations that our God can orchestrate – how does that make you feel?
• Zerubabbel’s insulting style cost him 15 years of time. How would you have handled the supposed non-believers?
  • Ideas to Explore: By inviting people who do not believe into your own world, does it help or hurt their opinion of God? It joint work together a good way to get to know people? Does exclusion demonstrate arrogance?
• What purpose do you see in Matthew’s and Luke’s ancestral listing of Jesus’ forefathers?
  • Ideas to Explore: How does ancestry affect our own beliefs and life priorities? Does it help validate the prophets? Knowing the errors and gifts of past generations gives us answers, to what?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

History offers a unique opportunity to look back at God’s interactions in our world. This study represents the beginning of a four-part series. First, we will look at how God used Babylon as His agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him. The time, (607-586 BC), is when Jews were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. Subsequent studies will include the return and restoration of the Jewish nation that were the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. These studies will look at three men; Zerubbabel who rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, Ezra who restored worship and the Word of God in the nation, and Nehemiah who rebuilt the city’s walls.

God’s promise to Israel was never unconditional and always depended on the obedience of the people to God’s Law.

(Deuteronomy 28:58-64)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God— the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.”

As early as in the time of the Judges (350 to 450 years earlier), things were not going well between God and His people. The people worshiped idols and were  hopelessly sinful. After a brief time of prosperity during the reign of David and Solomon, it worsened again under the successive kings of Israel and Judah. In 722 BC, Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians and ten tribes of Israel would be lost to history. Two tribes lasted longer. Judah lasted 150 years longer and had some good kings like Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. But most of the people sinned grievously against God and their neighbors. This happened despite the continuous warnings from God’s prophets.

Finally, after so many years of warnings, God brought the people of Judah to the judgment which Moses had warned them about. The people were sent into exile in Babylon because of their sins.

(2 Chronicles 36:14-21) – “Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.”

This story within our history would have no value if we did not overlay it over our world to see whether the risks of angering our God are comparative to society today. Has God been warning us about our sinfulness? Unfortunately, idolatry remains alive in our society. An idol can be anything that gets between us and God. Whatever we worship more than God or instead of God can be considered an idol. It could be money, family, shopping, sports, fame, education, sex, and this list goes on and on. When did all of this become a concern between humankind and God? A long time ago, the very first commandment and written on stone and given to God’s people:

(Exodus 20:3) – “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Examples of modern idols we worship today:

•  Wealth/Consumerism – Wealth or spending are not necessarily wrong. However, when life becomes a full-time pursuit of money and/or the acquisition of things at the expense of honesty, charity or service to our God, the question then becomes whether people trust their money more than they trust God?
• Sex – The obsession with sex permeates our culture. It is everywhere. It might be the only thing people think about more than money. Our world has taken a gift from God and made it into the god of their lives.
• Entertainment – Entertainment comes in many forms. Sports, media, movies, TV, video games, even worship can fall victim to one’s desire for entertainment. The danger is that we begin to lose the real sense of who God is and the gift of Grace that we have been given. Worship of our God is intended to be a humbling and transforming experience. There is nothing that should ever replace it. As we will learn with Ezra, worship is a key part of any human restoration.
• Technology – Smartphones, smart cars, smart appliances, smart homes can quickly become an addiction. With increasing connectivity to the world, there is less and less time for connectivity to God. This also extends to the entire online experience of social media. If the overwhelming list of a person’s activities are connected to the Internet and not God, that could be as dangerous to one’s soul as worshiping a stone statue of Baal was to the Israelites.
• Power – It is easy to place our identity in something or someone other than God. Whether it be our social followings, our position at work, our abilities/skills, or the achievements we are after, the lust for power leaves our identity wrapped up in the wrong things. It is also wrong to pursue authority for the sake of control and power over others. Jesus tells a vastly different story to His followers. He says that there will be trials, persecution, and difficulty for those who believe in Him and for those who are servants of the “sheep, ” there will be the greatest of honors. “The last will be first!” The test is whether those around us recognize us as God’s people through our actions.

God’s trustworthiness did not allow Him to abandon His people forever. After seventy years, God arranged for them to return to their land and start again. However, the problem of sin in the history of Israel was still not solved. It remained an open question in the Old Testament on how God would dwell with incorrigible sinners. The seventy-year period of the Babylonian captivity remains an important part of Israel’s history, and all Christians should be familiar with it. Like many other Old Testament events, this historical account demonstrates God’s faithfulness to His people, His judgment of sin, and the dependability of His promises.

The Babylonian captivity had one significant impact on the nation of Israel. When they returned to the land, they would never again be corrupted by the idolatry and false gods of their surrounding nations. A revival among the Jewish nation took place after their return and the rebuilding of the temple. We see those accounts in the studies of  the next three weeks.

Contemplations

• Are there still prophets today sent by God to warn His people?
  • Ideas to Explore: Who might they be? Do the people listen to them? Are they treated like prophets of old? What is their message?
• Do you believe that God still punishes people who do not follow His laws?
  • Ideas to Explore: What is the basis for your belief? Is there evidence behind what you believe and what is it? Do you think God will use other countries like He did with Babylon to punish His people? What about catastrophic events?
• Do people still care about any of the world’s problems, enough to listen to God?
  • Ideas to Explore: God used exile long ago, but what is going on now that could be assigned as God’s punishments? Instead of exile, would God use economic collapse, internal strife, war to do the same thing?
• What is so appealing about idolatry?
  • Ideas to Explore: Media and advertising make people love stuff. What are the sources of covetousness and jealousy.
• What are the impacts of the habits of parents on the beliefs of children?
  • Ideas to Explore: How easy is it to lose the concept of God from one generation to the next? How do we raise our children so they do not pursue “stuff” for stuff’s sake?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

There are a few quick definitions to get out of the way. The dictionary defines “rituals” as ceremonies in which the actions and words follow a prescribed form and order (e.g. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship or by an organization). “Righteousness” is defined as a purity of heart; the being and doing right; conformity in character and conduct to a right standard. In theology, righteousness is defined as coming into spiritual oneness with God, because for Christ’s sake, the believer in Christ is treated as righteous. The history of religion includes much about its rituals, whether Christian or otherwise. Therefore, the question of this study is meant to ponder whether adhering to rituals actually makes us better people?

Not all rituals are bad. Christian rituals are intended to help it’s believers remember and celebrate the significant events within Christianity. Rituals can also bring about good habits. Most would agree that a few of the big and important rituals we all support are things like the Lord’s Prayer, regular worship, Baptism, Communion, to name a few. The real question posed by this study is intended to ask more specifically, where do we find the internal source of power that changes a person into a more Godly, righteous person? Does reciting the Lord’s Prayer have some mystical power or is it actually believing and doing what is being recited? What is it in this prayer that actually changes a person’s heart to seek God’s Kingdom, desire God’s will on earth as it is in heaven, and begs us not to be led into temptation and to be given strength to forgive one’s enemies as God has forgiven us?

It is not hard to find references in the New Testament where Jesus took aim at the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His time. Here is just one recorded set of comments in Matthew. You can find the entire discourse in Matthew 12:1-37.

(Matthew 12:33–37)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Why was Jesus so hard on them?  The problem was in their different understanding of the nature of God. For the Pharisees, God was the one  who makes all of the demands. Pharisees believed that the Scriptures, the Old Testament, were a set of rules (see example) that must be kept at all costs. Pharisees loved rituals. But Jesus, as well as many other Old Testament believers, felt that God was like the God described in Psalm 145:8, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Pharisees believed that God only looked at their compliance with the Law of God. However, Jesus taught that God also looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). There are no amount of rules or rituals that humanity can produce to bring itself both lasting peace and salvation. History proves that! No wonder Satan wants to erase history.

The Pharisees had developed hundreds of elaborate but petty man-made rules that they had devised for interpreting the Law of God and then elevated them to the same level of Scripture. If someone broke one of their man-made rules, it was the same as violating the Law of God itself. Unfortunately, these rules not only obscured the true intent of God’s Law, but many times, actually violated it (see Mark 7:9–13). The issue between Jesus and the Pharisees was the way He ignored their trivial and burdensome rules for keeping the Sabbath. In Matthew 12:1–8, the Pharisees objected to the disciples of Jesus plucking and eating heads of grain as they walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. According to their oral tradition, plucking the heads of grain and eating them was work, a violation of the Sabbath. Jesus, however, tells us that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness to Him.

(Galatians 2:16) – “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

(Matthew 25: 37-39) – “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

Doing righteous acts, checking off the boxes on your church attendance records, your annual tithing records, your volunteering, should not necessarily be the only focus of life. There is a very different focus that is being brought forward here. Since all Scripture is beneficial to us, there is a present-day lesson for us to learn from Jesus’ clash with the Pharisees. We need to be careful that we do not add our own man-made rules into the Scriptures. Some convictions that we hold dearly may be derived more from our particular Christian culture than derived from the Bible. We need to learn to discern the differences. Otherwise, we are just as guilty of  doing what the Pharisees were doing, taking the short cut, rituals for ritual sake. The risk we face is the “false security” in believing that there is nothing more we need to do for God!

(Matthew 5:17-20) – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

As we read the many discourses between Jesus and the Pharisees, it is important to always look for the case of the letter “l” used on the word law. Capital “L” is God’s Law and lower case “l” is man’s extension of God’s Law. Jesus issued a warning to those who believed that just the practice of rituals/rules would lead to righteousness and of course the goal, salvation. Jesus was attacking the lower case “l” and came to help us understand and fulfill the Law of God, capital “L.”

As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and empowers us to walk with God and empowering us to display godly behavior in our daily lives (Romans 8:9; Titus 2:11–14).  It will not be rituals but revelations by the Holy Spirit that moves us toward righteousness. There are many passages that help us understand this:

(Galatians 5:22-23) – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

More than one Scripture verse refers to “good works” as the outward evidence of Christian behavior of the Spirit that is present within us (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:12). However, no rituals, no rules can ensure eternal salvation. It takes a repentant heart, and the complete surrender of our lives to Christ Himself that moves hearts toward righteousness.

(Luke 23:39-43) – “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The story above is probably the shortest successful testimony in history. Nailed to a cross, there were no longer opportunities for good works from either of the two criminals. One mocked Jesus, one repented and, recognizing Jesus as Messiah, and then asked Jesus to save him. The rest is history!

Contemplations

• What areas of society are rituals found and which rituals do you find helpful?
  • Ideas to Explore: Order, repetition brings education and comfort, where? Does your list change as you grow or change as you transition from being a child to an adult? 
• Of the Christian rituals, which ones bring you the most comfort and why?
  • Ideas to Explore: Association with family memories, relating to God’s Law, what is the source of comfort? As we age, do we demand more rituals to remain confident in our faith? Why is constant change sometimes disruptive?
• Are there any rules, rituals that you disagree with?
  • Ideas to Explore: Prohibitions, things you are told not to do, Rules that were in place as “sins” but now are no longer important to keep, such as the infamous “fish on Friday?” 
• Where has the desire by leaders to “expand the law” gone overboard?
  • Ideas to Explore: Government, Social Media, News Media, Education, the Church itself. Righteousness is not an election where we vote for the rules we like – How does this cause issues as views and opinions change from time to time?
• What makes a ritual important to keep?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is it part of God’s Law or humanity’s law? Can humanities rituals become obsolete? Can rules go to far? What are the ones you would never get rid of?
    
• Is righteousness a goal in society today?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do people believe that being a righteous person necessary for salvation? How to become more righteous, as children and as adults? Who sets the standard for what is to be considered “righteous” in society?
    

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  NIV New International Version Translations

Common sense is defined as having sound judgment in practical matters. Most people would say they have it already. You may wish to check out a prior study called The Eyes Have It, seeing God at work in our world. However, to discover what God thinks about our “common sense,” we  need to look to Proverbs. Our Bible tells us that common sense is something to be developed through a combination of wisdom and discretion, by a lifetime of Godly observation:

(Proverbs 3:21)¹NIV New International Version Translations – “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion.”

(Proverbs 8:12-14) – “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.”

Wisdom then, is knowing what to do; discretion is knowing when and where to do it. Biblical common sense takes the form of sound, practical judgment concerning everyday matters, or a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge in a manner that is shared by (common to) most people. Common sense is a learned attribute. As we grow in wisdom and discernment, we gain common sense through observing God in the world around us.

Knowing

When we in our bumbling way
Over eons of time and
After exhausting effort
Stumble over a truth of nature
Wrought from all time,
An infinitesimally small grain of Your truth
In a vast universe of truths,
We nod knowingly,
Connect the dots of DNA and
Pride ourselves for having knowledge.
Understanding escapes us.

“What in the world!” We say.
And, in our limited, blind way do not consider
What not of this world.

Author~Andrea Samson

To help further with the concept of common sense being a “learned attribute,” we look to a theologian made most famous around the time of our Revolution, Reverend Thomas Reid. Reid studied philosophy at Marischal College, Aberdeen, before serving as Presbyterian pastor at New Machar (1737–1751). He is the author of “An Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense (1764),” written during his tenure (1751–1764) at King’s College, in Aberdeen.

The school founded by Thomas Reid held that common sense should not be formed by “philosophy” but by the “perception of things around us.” The most remote conclusions of observations, Reid would state, constitute science. To qualify as science, something, therefore, must be observable and repeatable, two critical tenants of scientific discovery. Reid would establish that science and common sense are closely knit “that we cannot say precisely where the former begins and the latter ends.” Man’s knowledge of nature “can be compared with a tree having its roots, its trunk, and its branches. Perception is the root, common sense the trunk, science the branches.”²https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/scottish-school-common-sense

Reid established that education, therefore, should be comprised of teaching that there is a God. That God placed a conscience (a moral sense) into every individual – (as part of Natural Law). God established “first principles” such as law, government, education, politics, and economics, all to be discovered by “common sense.”

An additional point from Reid was “If there are certain principles, as I think there are, which the constitution of our nature leads us to believe, and which we are under a necessity to take for granted in the common concerns of life, without being able to give a reason for them — these are what we call the principles of common sense; and what is manifestly contrary to them, is what we call absurd.”³ Cuneo and Woudenberg, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Reid (2004) p 85.

In other words, there are Natural Laws, created by God, that can be seen. When we ignore them or argue against them, it becomes an example of absurdity.

Observation and Repeatability

With observation and repeatability at the core of common sense, how should we learn to observe reliably? Here are just a few of the many Bible verses on this subject:

(John 7:24) – “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

(1 Corinthians 15:33) – “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

(1 John 4:1) – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

(Deuteronomy 19:15) – “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

(2 Corinthians 13:1) – “This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Therefore, our Bible tells us that you should expect bias and lies from the world around us, especially from those with a history of bias and untruths. The responsibility of observation, however, falls directly onto our own shoulders. Social Media and search filters, selective editing by the media, outright fraudulent misrepresentation of facts, call for constant vigilance. All matters of observation require multiple sourcing and that does not mean searching the Internet multiple times. Repeatability means that when patterns of repetitive human behavior are known to exist,  they are reliable enough to  be believable. Our responsibility, however, is to compare them to the calling of our God. There is NO ROOM FOR INCONSISTENCY. We are responsible 100% of the time to discern fact from opinion and there is a lot of ungodly opinions in our world to sort out. 

The desire for confirmation of one’s own opinions is the enemy of “common sense.” Many people have become ensnared in trouble and heartache because they rejected a wise path, supported a wrong cause, because they sought conformation of their own bias rather than the Truth. Common sense is often developed by learning from the consequences of poor choices. This is called history! Everyone, every society makes bad decisions at some point. The difference between the wise and the foolish is that wise remember those decisions that were bad and learn from their mistakes. Common sense tells us that God expects us not to repeat mistakes since those are the actions of fools.

(Proverbs 2:1-8) – “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”

Solomon gives us a wonderful example of perfect common sense:

(Ecclesiastes 11:3) – “If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.”

To think otherwise is the absurdity that Reverend Reid so boldly declared. If we try to apply God’s Word without thorough observation and accurate interpretation, we may become something that God never intended us to be. And if we try to proclaim God’s Word without first carefully observing, interpreting, and applying it to our own lives, we may be in danger of proclaiming a distorted gospel and misrepresenting God! False teachers and leaders often walk according to their own lusts, speaking smooth words, flattering people to gain advantage. This is deception because they say nice things about others, professing to care about them, but only seek their own advantage of money and power.

(Jude 16-17) – “These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”

(Matthew 13:16-17) – “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

“Common Sense” should tell each of us to keep calm and live for Christ! We are His witnesses, His observers for this world! The sense of real peace is only possible because Christ has already dealt with the ultimate fear of humankind, death. And that is what Solomon was talking about, “a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.” Death and judgment come to all and to think otherwise is absurd!

Contemplations

• Where in our society do you see the most egregious breaches of common sense?
  • Ideas to Explore: Think about our politics and how our economy is handled. Think about how international affairs’ are handled and how we deal with our enemies. Think about our families and whether they have prospered or faltered in your generation. Think about immigration policies and are we treating the people around us in a Godly way?
• Common Sense is a discovery tool. How has it helped you discover God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Where in your life and faith walk have you been able to use wisdom and discernment? What would have happened if you listened to the world rather than God?
• Why do you think that we tolerate social media who filters truth and, edits, and misrepresents the truth?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do we base our opinions on the entertainment value of media rather than a more lofty and Godly goal? Are we really interested in only having our opinions supported? How accepting are we of always knowing both sides of an issue? Are you of the opinion that it is only the “other side” that is hearing lies?
• Do you know why you like or hate someone?
  • Ideas to Explore: How are you influenced by others? Do you always double and triple check your facts before making a decision or forming an opinion? Are your opinions cast in concrete or are you a person open to learning you could be wrong? How do you treat others when you disagree with their opinion?

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  NIV New International Version Translations
• 2
  https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/scottish-school-common-sense
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  Cuneo and Woudenberg, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Reid (2004) p 85

The letter by James, written between A.D. 50 and A.D. 60, is one of the writings of the Bible that gives us a unique perspective on how to apply a filter to the communications we hear in our daily living. James was the son of Mary and Joseph and, therefore, a half-brother to Jesus and brother to Joseph, Simon, Judas, and their sisters (Matthew 13:55). In the Gospels, James is mentioned only a few times, but at that time he misunderstood Jesus’ ministry and was not a believer (John 7:2-5). James became one of the earliest witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). This experience changed his perspective on Jesus for the rest of his earthly life. James remained in Jerusalem and formed a group of believers who prayed in the upper room (Acts 1:14). From that time forward, James’ status within the Jerusalem church only grew larger.

James was still in Jerusalem when the recently converted Saul arrived to meet with him and Peter (Galatians 1:19). Several years later, when Peter escapes from prison, he reports to James about the miraculous manner of the escape (Acts 12:17). When the Jerusalem Council¹ The Jerusalem council set the protocol for how to address certain cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles who had both accepted Christianity and were having fellowship with one another. https://bibleask.org/what-was-the-jerusalem-council/ convenes, James is the apparent chairman (Acts 15:13, 19). He is also an elder of the church, called a “pillar” in Galatians 2:9. Later, James again presides over a meeting in Jerusalem, this time after Paul’s third missionary journey. It is believed that James was martyred about A.D. 62, although there is no biblical record of his death.

James simply described himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). His letter deals more with Christian ethics than theology. Its theme is about the visibility and the external evidence of one’s faith. James gives us testimony to the overwhelming power that came from being a witness of Jesus’ resurrection, turning him from a skeptic to a leader in the church. James’ speech at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:14-21 reveals his reliance on Scripture, his desire for peace within the church, his emphasis of grace over the law, and his care for the Gentile community. He never used his position as Jesus’ half-brother as a basis for authority. Rather, James portrayed himself as a “servant” of Jesus, nothing more than just a gracious leader.

James became aware of problems resulting from hypocritical, two-faced relationships, because he was indirectly involved in a conflict between two apostles, Paul, and Peter (Galatians 2:11-16). Peter had been showing partiality in fellowship when “certain men came from James” (Galatians 2:12). These verses show that Peter was as subject to human weakness as the rest of us. In this instance he “would eat with the Gentiles; but when they (Jewish believers sent from James) came, he withdrew and separated himself (from eating with the gentiles), fearing those who were of the circumcision.” Peter was showing each group what they wanted to see.

(James 1:5-11)²NIV New International Version Translations – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wildflower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.”

Here, James is talking about a common problem still active in our society. He called it being a double minded person, someone who speaks as in (Psalms 12:2) – “Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.” This is a person not sincere and upright in their requests, who stands up for one thing, but means another, with ulterior motives at the root of their message. We see this every day in modern politics, through our news media and embedded in sales and marketing programs. James even brings this same issue up again a second time in his letter:

(James 4:8) – “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

The Greek word translated “double minded” is dipsuchos, from dis, meaning “twice,” and psuche, meaning “mind.” James uses it to describe someone who is divided in their interests and/or loyalties, wavering, uncertain, two-faced, half-hearted. Double mindedness is a theme throughout his letter. James is really getting to the root of societal issues, the need to know the truth, stick with one story and to tell the truth! Communication, says James, always needs to be in tune with the will of God.

The first area of double mindedness James addressed concerned how we pray (James 1:5-8). James describes one who is dubious and indecisive in prayer as “a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Doubt and irresoluteness in communication with God short-circuit our relationship with Him. Are motives self-centered or God-centered? James adds, be careful what you pray for.

(James 4:3) – “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

John says, however, ask correctly, live correctly and you shall receive:

(1 John 3:22) – “and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”

Double minded faith (James 2:14-26) is not the wavering in one’s belief in God. Rather, double minded faith is believing in God without performing the actions, or the “deeds,” that reflect that belief. James wanted his readers to know that faith means more than just belief in God. Every Christian should be aware that “faith without deeds is useless” (James 2:20). James challenges us to show tangible evidence of our beliefs: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18).

Belief is not enough, he says. “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:19). It is much easier to tremble at the thought of God’s existence than it is to fear to disobey God. A classic example is ancient Israel. The Israelite’s quaked with fear before God’s awesome presence when God gave them the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:18-19). But, when they could no longer see the evidence of God’s nearness to them, they fabricated a golden calf (Exodus 32) while they should have been trembling at the explicit instructions God had just revealed to them.

James even went on to show the double mindedness of embracing one point of the Ten Commandments while breaking another point of these laws, love. Notice that the breaking of one point of the law is the same as breaking the “whole law” (James 2:10-11). Many today claim to be righteous but James would say, “show me your righteousness by your actions!”

We cannot always control what we hear, but we can control how we filter and what we hold in our hearts and minds. Each day Satan, the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), relentlessly inspires a multitude of improper thoughts and beliefs brought on by our non-selective hearing. We must “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The outcome must be not to just know righteous behavior but to act righteous. The world will bombard with “unwholesome” communication (Ephesians 4:29) from coworkers, fellow students, and acquaintances. Movies and magazines transmit values, morals and behavior far removed from those God expects of His followers. Social Media and conventional media all make the claim of truth through the selective lens of bias and sometimes outright deception. Politicians will talk a good story while corruption reigns in their hearts.

Nevertheless, our challenge today is to assimilate God’s words and ideals and make them a part of us, keeping what is right in our minds and hearts. “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded,” counsels the writer of the epistle (James 4:8). We must pray without doubting, read God’s Word with great care, fellowship without bias, have faith while consistently keeping God’s law, and speak edifying words that inspire friends and brethren to honor God. There is no room in the heart of a Christian for hatred toward anyone, no one, not one single person says Jesus. With single minded attention to God’s will as shown in His Word, we can draw near to God and, in turn, He will draw near to us.

Contemplations

• Where do you see the double mindedness in society today?
  • Ideas to Explore: Use the big three, community, businesses and government. Add church and family to your discussions. Has society today become accepting of double mindedness? If so, where?
• What harm does it do?
  • Ideas to Explore: What happens when you are misled? Do we mislead our children and in turn, teach them double mindedness? If the truth is not told, what are the harms?
• Do people have a responsibility to sort out what they hear and see what is true?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are you a person that has their favorite sources for facts? Do you take responsibility to check out what you hear? Since everything on the Internet is not true, how do you go about being a responsible person and fact checking? If someone’s ideas are fact-checked by a group, do you do further research to see what that group’s biases might be?
• Can a person be a Christian and hate someone?
  • Ideas to Explore: Our churches are filled with people who also hate – What does hate do to the faith walk of a Christian? What are the sources for that hatred,? Biases, media, family, etc.?
• How do you sort out and test for truth those things you hear in the world?
  • Ideas to Explore: What methods have you found to be reliable tests for facts? History, common sense, advice of respected counsel, the Bible, someone’s past record, God’s commandments?
• Can you describe the actions of a person who is showing righteousness, faith through “deeds?”
  • Ideas to Explore: What tells you someone is righteous? What are your expectations in a relationship with someone? Is there a difference between a righteous deed and just a good deed?
• When some other person shows they harbor hatred in their heart, what type of warning signs might that point to?
  • Ideas to Explore: Hatred, bigotry, are formed and harbored in many people – what are the sources? How do you help someone purge their heart of hate? Have you found things to do to help yourself love your enemies? Do we perpetuate hatred by our tolerance?

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  The Jerusalem council set the protocol for how to address certain cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles who had both accepted Christianity and were having fellowship with one another. https://bibleask.org/what-was-the-jerusalem-council/
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  NIV New International Version Translations

When looking at our world today, it is easy to find things to complain about. The foundation of our complaints should have,  at its roots, several considerations:

• Before our world even existed, evil also existed.
• After our world ends, evil will still exist.
• The difference after the return of Christ to our world is that good and evil will not exist together (e.g. heaven and hell)

Creation formed our world and within it, both good and evil exist so says the Bible. The question is what would we want to change in our temporal world with the time granted to us? This question is further complicated by the fact that we are living in the world now, trying to discern our purpose, our destiny. It is analogous to changing a flat tire on a moving car. Everyone is working hard  just keeping up, trying not to get run over. Is there a command from our God to change the world we are in and make it a better place while hoping for an eternal, perfect place?

The term “binary” means a division into two groups or classes that are considered diametrically opposite of each other.  Binary surely describes our world, part is good and part is evil. God claims the good part for Himself. The other world, the evil part, remains a mystery to us because all we have as reference is what we can see around us. As far as any eternal reference goes, that remains a bit murky.

God asks us to choose, to choose Him over all else. It does not matter if you believe in life after death or not. If there is nothing beyond death, the personal history of humanity will be limited to its accomplishments in the world we are living in today. But what if the Bible is right and there is an eternal side to life, something beyond death that has no end, the “Kingdom of God?”  Clearly, that is the position of the Bible we profess to believe. To help us sort this out, we go to the wisdom book, Proverbs, and see what it has to say that might help us decide what world we want to be part of and God’s expectations for our world now and the eternal world yet to come.

(Proverbs 6:16-19) ¹NIV New International Version Translations– “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

God hates Haughty Eyes

The eyes are the windows into one’s soul. Haughty means “blatantly and disdainfully proud;  having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior.” When a person’s eyes are filled with a haughty look, there is a high probability that the heart is filled with haughtiness or pride. Humility should be our pursuit, especially in our world now.  Scriptures remind us of that. Then again, you may choose to live forever in a world that has complete distain for you, is better than you, belittles you and is disgusted by your very existence.

God hates a Lying Tongue

One of the ten commandments is not to bear false witness. You will find no lying in God’s world. He has told the Truth from the being of Creation. He is a God of Truth! Wouldn’t you prefer this kind of world anyway? Can you imagine an eternal existence where everything, yes, everything you hear, you cannot trust. If you see glimmers of this today in our world, it just means that some of that pre-existing evil has permeated parts of our world.

God hates Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

Innocent blood is a term used for murder. It does not include the taking of life in defense of one’s own life, their family’s safety, or their country’s freedom. God hates murder. Once again it is listed in the ten commandments. The reference to the “innocent” are for the helpless, our children, and especially for those who are not yet born. There is no way anyone can support the practice of abortion through Scriptures. It is a choice for this world that must be made now in favor of life. God loves His innocent children. Can you imagine what our world would be like if a certain unmarried and pregnant teenager in Nazareth chose to abort her baby two thousand years ago? You and I would have no hope at all, no Savior born in Bethlehem.

Drugs and the trafficking impact the innocent and point to another area in our world today that surely needs our attention. Can you imagine an eternal existence of everyone, high on drugs? Numb to the pain and suffering, unaware of anything that may be present. Just remember the world you pick is a choice and the choice is made best when you are paying full attention and sober!

God Hates a Heart that Devises Wicked Plans

There are plenty of hearts that are always thinking of evil and are quick to do evil things. This is true even for the best of us. But there are those whose plans involve far more than just one person wanting to sin without being caught. These are those who devise wicked plans either in business or in the government. These plans harm thousands, possibly millions of people. They do not consider the impact of their plans because they are consumed either by the acquisition of wealth or power. God hates these people because of the harm it causes to others. We can see this in action when some people design their own tests for “righteousness.” They assume an authority to define righteousness itself. Pressure is then applied to comply using shaming, fear, even terror.  There should be only one test for a “wicked plan,” to test the plan against the Laws of our God. An eternal existence with such people should bring shivers down the spines of any God-fearing person. God and God alone defines right and wrong. God’s kingdom will have no fear or intimidation! God gives us free will to choose Him, and  in that choosing, we are saved.

God Hates Feet that Run Rapidly to Evil

This is about people where there is no restraint, they see evil, they want a piece of the action. When a society turns from God , there is a growing stupidity and spiritual deadness that causes people to become insensitive to the warnings of Scripture. This is called “running to evil.”  It is bad enough in our world now but can you imagine what spending eternity would be like with everyone around you having evil dominant in their thinking. Everyone would be deaf to all other voices except the ones that are urging them to do what they want. God hates this because it reveals that a person’s conscience is dead to Him and dead to the warnings of both the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

God Hates A False Witness Who Utters Lies

This seems to be a second time that lying is mentioned by God. This second time though it is mentioned in the context of someone who is a false witness.  The false witness could be someone who speaks lies in a courtroom where the role of perjury comes into play. This would mean a perversion of justice and we all know that our God loves justice and righteousness. It can also mean a false prophet or someone who lies about religious matters. This is especially dangerous because it can cause people to put their faith in a god who is not God at all. It was that lie, that deceit, when believed that was the impetus that led to the fall of all of humanity into sin and rebellion against God. Does such a place where deceit reins supreme sound like a place you would like to be forever?

God Hates One who Spreads Strife Among Brothers

The final item in God’s list of seven is a person who just loves causing problems. This would be a person who is spreading strife among the brethren. This person is one who either learns of strife and joins in or is causing it. That person is not content with just the knowledge about it. They become the ultimate evangelist for strife among the brethren. They want to see as many people upset and involved in this strife as possible. God does not say, “Blessed are the strife-makers.” He says just the opposite. It is the peacemakers who will be called the sons of God. God chose to make peace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Therefore it really should be no shock to us that God also hates those who spread strife rather than spread peace among their brothers and sisters. When thinking about a nice eternal resting place, is peace or strife your goal?

Choosing God

God’s list may seem like a short list but it is very sobering. Now that we have established what God’s world and the other world will look like, there are a few more things to consider.  The specific date as to when our blended world will come to an end is not known to humankind. The Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the LORD will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” Another sobering question is raised by Peter in the very next verses:  in 2 Peter 3:11-12. “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” Here comes that binary question again,  Are you prepared to meet God every day and night when you wake up and go to bed?  Have you chosen your eternal world yet? Our world today is meant for preparation. Each individual must try to be the very best person in the sight of God every day, all day. Your choice is to prepare yourself for one of the two  kingdoms; which kingdom will you be prepared to enter? 

Yes, there will be a final separation of the “sheep.” Revelation 19:11, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.” Good planning  and preparation can get you on the winning team forever! Each of us is required to choose. There is no middle ground. Remember, it is binary! The time to choose, however, is while we are in this world, in this lifetime. Once you are standing there looking at the “white horse,” it is too late to make a choice.

(Revelations 22:12) – “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

(Matthew 8:11-12) – “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Contemplations

• How convinced are you of eternal life?
  • Ideas to Explore: What is the source of your beliefs? Do your beliefs modify your behavior here during your earthly lifetime? 
• How is God telling you to help Him?
  • Ideas to Explore: Are there opportunities for service that seem to just appear? People close to you may be in need. Can being too busy distract from noticing how to help others?
• Where are the areas in our world, our society today that can use your help to make a difference for God?
  • Ideas to Explore: Do you know your talents, your gifts? How can you help the children, the innocent? Are there ways to help combat the pervasive use of drugs and alcohol in society today? 
• Have you thought about eternity?
  • Ideas to Explore: What are your beliefs about the sources of evil? Are you indifferent and in what areas? Is playing it safe, not getting involved Biblical? Where are your fears?
• Do you support leaders who favor abortion?
  • Ideas to Explore: Have you really come to terms with the issues of rights of women over rights of the innocent? Can you support leaders who are indifferent on the issue of abortion? Have you taken the time to understand the formation of a child in a womb? Will the rights to kill a child be extended to the termination of the elderly and infirmed?

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  NIV New International Version Translations

The Crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection are at the core of the Christian faith. But is it just blind faith that binds us together or is there logical evidence supporting the resurrection of Christ? Scientific study is often summarized by two concepts, observations, and repeatability. Let us walk through God’s Shadows and see what evidence He has left for us to find.

Jesus’ Crucifixion Took Place in a Public Place

Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, which means “place of the skull,” because so many had died there. Executions were typically held outside city walls. Hundreds of people would attend and attest to His death as witnesses:

• Chief priests, scribes, and elders (Matthew 27:41)
• A Centurion and Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:54)
• Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21)
• Two criminals were crucified with Jesus (Luke 23:33)
• Crowds of bystanders (Matthew 27:37); Luke 23:48); John 19:20)
• Many women, including Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Joseph and wife of Clopas, and Salome the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 27:56); Mark 15:40); John 19:26),
• Jesus’ mother (John 19:26)
• The “disciple Jesus loved” — probably John (John 19:26)
• Acquaintances of Jesus (Luke 23:49)
• Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57)
• Nicodemus (John 19:39)

Therefore, no one should have doubts about whether Jesus died or how He was put to death.

The Removal of Jesus’ Body

Witnesses reported the following:

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” – (Luke 23:44-45)

“And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – (Mark 15:34)

It was now late on a Friday, almost sundown, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Jesus was already dead, but the two robbers alongside him were still alive. According to the Law:

“If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.” – (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

Friday afternoon was called “Preparation” because people would prepare meals and complete any other tasks that could not wait until after the Sabbath. At sunset, a double, or “great,” Sabbath would have begun (John 19:31). It was the first day of the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, the first day of which was always a Sabbath. (Leviticus 23:5-6).

The Jewish leaders asked Pilate to hasten the death of Jesus and the two robbers alongside him by having their legs broken. That would make it impossible for them to use their legs to raise their bodies and continue breathing. The Roman soldiers came and broke the legs of the two robbers. However, Jesus appeared to be already dead, and they did not break his legs. This fulfills (Psalm 34:20): “he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”

To remove any doubt that Jesus is dead, a Roman soldier jabbed a spear into His side, piercing a region of His heart. “…. bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” – (John 19:34) This fulfills another scripture:

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” – (Zechariah 12:10)

One of the Roman soldiers there, a Centurion, had witnessed other crucifixions before. In all probability, he was the ranking soldier in charge of the execution. Why was this one different for him? Jesus did not look like an ordinary criminal, never begging once for His life. Jesus spoke only words of love from the cross. And then there was the strange darkness covering the land. Whatever it was, something stirred in this professional soldier’s soul as he looked at Jesus’ lifeless body and said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” – (Mark 15:38)

The Burial of Jesus

“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.” – (Matthew 27:57) Joseph did not support the court’s judgment of Jesus. (Luke 23:50; Mark 15:43; John 19:38) Joseph asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. The army officer in charge confirms that Jesus is dead and Pilate grants Joseph’s request.

Joseph buys clean, fine linen and takes Jesus’ body down from the cross. He wraps Jesus in linen in preparation for burial. Nicodemus helps with the preparation (John 19:39). He brings about a hundred Roman pounds (72 pounds, or 33 kg) of a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Jesus’ body is wrapped in bandages containing these spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.
Joseph owns an unused tomb carved in a rock nearby, and Jesus’ body is laid in it. Then a large stone is rolled in front of the tomb. This is all quickly done before the Sabbath begins. Once they were certain everything was done correctly, Joseph “departed” (Matthew 27:60; Mark 15:46). Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James may have been helping with the preparation of Jesus’ body. “Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” This was to further treat Jesus’ body after the Sabbath.” (Luke 23:56)

The Insurance That No One Tampers with Jesus’ Body

The next day, the Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees go to Pilate and say:

“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that the deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” – (Matthew 27:63-65).

When the chief priests and Pharisees asked for security, they used the Greek word “sphragidzo.” This word described a legal seal that was placed on documents, letters, possessions, or, in this case, a tomb. Its purpose was to authenticate that the sealed item had been thoroughly inspected before sealing and that all the contents were in order. If the seal remained unbroken, it guaranteed that the contents inside were safe and sound. In this case, the word sphragidzo is used to signify the sealing of the tomb.

Before sealing the tomb, the authorities were first required to inspect the inside of the tomb to see that the body of Jesus was in its place. After guaranteeing that the corpse was where it was supposed to be, they would roll the stone back in place and then sealed it with the official seal of the governor of Rome. Most probability, it was a string that was stretched across the stone at the entrance of the tomb, which was then sealed on both sides by Pilate’s legal authorities.

The Empty Tomb

Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and other women brought spices to the tomb to treat Jesus’ body. “and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” – (Mark 16:3) Matthew in 28:2 records, “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” The women find Jesus’ burial cloths neatly folded inside, hardly the act of hurrying grave robbers. The angel(s) said Jesus had risen from the dead.

Jesus, the Resurrected Christ is Seen by Many

The first eyewitnesses are women, further proof that the Gospels are accurate historical records. Women were second-class citizens in Biblical times and their testimony was not even allowed in court. The Bible, however, says the risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdalene and other holy women. Even the apostles did not believe Mary when she told them the tomb was empty. Jesus, who always had special respect for these women, honored them as the first eyewitnesses to His resurrection. The male Gospel writers had no choice but to report this embarrassing act of God’s favor because that was how it happened.

Here are the Bible’s Recorded Encounters with the Risen Christ:

• Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9); John 20:1, 14–18
• Women returning from the tomb (Matthew 28:8–10)
• Peter (John 20:3–9; 1 Cor 15:5)
• Disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12); Luke 24:13–31)
• Apostles, Thomas is absent (John 20:19–24; (Luke 24:36–43)
• Apostles, Thomas present (John 20:26–28)
• Seven by Sea of Galilee (John 21:1–14)
• 500 believers at one time (1 Cor 15:6)
• James (1 Cor 15:7)
• Eleven (Acts 1:3–4)
• Apostles at his ascension (Acts 1:9)
• Stephen (Acts 7:56)
• Paul (Acts 9:1-6)
• Paul in the temple (Acts 22:18–21)
• John on Patmos (Rev 1:9–20)

New-Found Courage In Jesus’ Disciples

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ apostles hid behind locked doors, terrified they would also be crucified. But something changed in them, transforming them from cowards to bold preachers. Humans rarely change that much without some major event that has of great influence on their beliefs. That influence was seeing their Master, bodily rise from the dead. Christ appeared to them in the locked room, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and Mount of Olives. An important but often overlooked fact was that when people saw the resurrected Christ, they were able to also see evidence of His death—the crucifixion most witnessed themselves. As with the story of the apostle Thomas (Doubting Thomas) in (John 20:26–29, the wounds on Jesus’ hands and His side were plain for all to see.

After seeing Jesus alive, Peter and the others left the locked room and preached about the risen Christ, unafraid of what would happen to them. They quit hiding because they knew the truth. They finally understood that Jesus is God incarnate, who saves people from sin.

Changing Lives Through the Gospel’s Story

Changed lives are yet another proof of the resurrection. James, the brother of Jesus, was openly skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah. Later, James became a courageous leader of the Jerusalem church, even being stoned to death for his faith. Why? The Bible says that the risen Christ appeared to him. What a shock to see your brother, alive again, after you knew He was dead. James and the apostles were effective missionaries because people could tell these men had touched and seen the risen Christ. With such zealous eyewitnesses, the early church exploded in growth, spreading west from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. For 2,000 years, encounters with the resurrected Jesus have changed lives. It still goes on today.

A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ all at the same time. The Apostle Paul records this event in 1 Corinthians 15:6. He states that most of these men and women were still alive when he wrote this letter, about 55 A.D. Today, most would say it would be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same hallucination at once. Smaller groups also saw the risen Christ, such as the apostles, and Cleopas and his companion. They all saw the same thing, and in the case of the apostles, they touched Jesus and watched him eat food.

The Conversion of the Apostle Paul

The conversion of Paul records the most drastically changed life in the Bible. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an aggressive persecutor of the early Christian church. After the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the Damascus Road, Paul became Christianity’s most determined missionary. He endured five floggings, three beatings, three shipwrecks, a stoning, poverty, and years of ridicule.

(2 Corinthians 6:3-10) – We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Finally, the Roman emperor Nero had Paul beheaded because Paul refused to deny his faith in Jesus. What could make a person willingly accept, even welcome, such hardships? Only knowing for sure that the resurrected Christ is real!

People are willing to Die for Jesus

Countless people have died for their faith in Jesus, all certain that the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact. Tradition says ten of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ, as did the Apostle Paul. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of early Christians, died in the Roman arena and were imprisoned for their faith. Through the centuries, thousands more have died for Jesus because they believed the resurrection was true. Even today, people suffer persecution because they have faith that Christ rose from the dead. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christian martyrs have died in many lands, for nearly 2,000 years, believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.

What is Your Faith Based On?

We all fall short of both humanity’s and God’s laws and deserve judgment. God, the Father, became incarnate and sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, both the creator and the eternal Son of God, lived a sinless life here on earth. But it would be His love for us that would cause Him to die a violent death, a crucifixion, for our sins. Jesus took the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead. We now have a choice to believe and trust in this story. Through that faith in Jesus, we can receive Him as our Savior and be saved from judgment, spending eternity with God in His Kingdom.

Contemplations

• The human being is the only form of life that will give its life up for a cause. The rest of creation functions off of instincts. What causes might be so impactful that you would surrender your life?
  • Ideas to Explore: What makes a cause worth dying for? How strong does a person’s belief in a cause have to be to die for it? 
• There are a few decisions that every Christian needs to make to be secure in their faith. Where do you stand on the following list?
  • Ideas to Explore: Is there a God? Did He come to our world incarnate as Jesus? Was Easter real? Is Christ alive today? Where are your doubts that the history of our Creator is truthfully documented in the Bible as “God’s Word?”
• History provides much of the evidence of our faith. Why is the attack on history so dangerous?
  • Ideas to Explore: When history is removed, what replaces it? How is history proven? Can humankind succeed by only looking at the future? What would the risks be to ignore history?
• Why is the resurrection so hard for so many to understand?
  • Ideas to Explore: God’s new kingdom is different than this world. What differences can you think of? Where do you see the mysteries yet to be discovered? Why is the concept of eternity so hard to fathom for humanity?
• Can humanity survive without a hopeful future?
  • Ideas to Explore: There are many “isms” that can be implemented in society. Which ones bring the most hope? Can humanity be hopeful without freedom of religion? Why are religion and the right to free expression so closely related to each other?
• Why do you think the world hates the idea that Christ is alive today?
  • Ideas to Explore: Fear of ultimate judgement. Jealousy. Conflicts over power. The lack of control over someone who has turned their life over to an eternal God. Proof of the evil that exists in this world.