Jesus:
Jehovah is Salvation
“…and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Matt 1:21
That is exactly what made Jesus so very unique, he actually did do what his name described him as doing.
The rest of the proclamation is very simple in what it says but is very profound as to what it is describing.
“…for he shall save his people from their sins.”
One of the primary purposes of the Levitical system of worship that God had instituted back in the day of Moses was to make it clear that there was a problem with sin and that it must be dealt with. And to deal with it properly meant the person had to acknowledge the sin and offer the prescribed sacrifice. There was no guess work; everything was laid out as to what was required.
Requirement #1 was the personal recognition of the sin.
It should be no surprise that when Jesus began his ministry among his people that the first thing he said to them was to repent. The angel is saying that the reason he has come is to save us from our sin so it only stands to reason that our personal recognition of the sin in our lives is a must.
Requirement #2 a required offering for that sin.
Let me ask you a question.
What if you were required to pay for a speeding ticket that I had acquired during my travels? Probably the first question you would ask would be, why should I pay it? I had nothing to do with your traffic violation. I must admit I can see where your objection would be quite in order.
Well let’s change the question around a bit. What did Jesus have to do with, my sin, or your sin that he should pay for it?
Is that what it means when the angel said that he will save his people from their sins?
I’m sorry, my time is up and I must get back on the road. But I will continue from here next time.
Jesus death, his burial and his resurrection have become my daily reality.
Dave
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
What's in a name
Matthew 1:20 & 21
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
When we are around other people we naturally, even instinctively, pay attention to the body language of whoever is talking with us, or working with us. There is a very good reason that we do this, we expect that what is being said and what is being done to match up. That way we are able to give credibility to what is being said, we all do it and it is good that we do.[ although we do hope that others don’t hold us to that same standard] Echem…
Here in this opening statement from the angel of the Lord let’s look for a moment as to why he says that Jesus was sent to us. The first thing to note is the way the name Jesus is written.
( JESUS)
Why all caps? Why not simply write Jesus? Here I can only give my opinion but I make the observation for a reason. It was one of the first questions I asked when I read these verses the very first time some 30 years ago and I am reminded of it each time I read it. I have not been able to locate anyone who specifically explains why from a Greek grammatical point of view, all caps were used, so my confidence lies in the translators using caps for emphasis as to the uniqueness of this very common name during those times.
The name Jesus carries within it the idea of:
“Jehovah is Salvation” and what makes his name so unique is that what he did actually matched up with what was said in his name.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
When we are around other people we naturally, even instinctively, pay attention to the body language of whoever is talking with us, or working with us. There is a very good reason that we do this, we expect that what is being said and what is being done to match up. That way we are able to give credibility to what is being said, we all do it and it is good that we do.[ although we do hope that others don’t hold us to that same standard] Echem…
Here in this opening statement from the angel of the Lord let’s look for a moment as to why he says that Jesus was sent to us. The first thing to note is the way the name Jesus is written.
( JESUS)
Why all caps? Why not simply write Jesus? Here I can only give my opinion but I make the observation for a reason. It was one of the first questions I asked when I read these verses the very first time some 30 years ago and I am reminded of it each time I read it. I have not been able to locate anyone who specifically explains why from a Greek grammatical point of view, all caps were used, so my confidence lies in the translators using caps for emphasis as to the uniqueness of this very common name during those times.
The name Jesus carries within it the idea of:
“Jehovah is Salvation” and what makes his name so unique is that what he did actually matched up with what was said in his name.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Who is Jesus and why did he come?
Matthew 1:20 & 21
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
I have decided that to pick up with the book of Ephesians right now would be the wrong way for me to begin because understanding of the book of Ephesians needs some foundational work done first. The Bible is not just some collection of wise sayings and writings but is rather a progressive revelation of who Jesus Christ is and why he came. So I have decided to begin in Matthew. Which, by the way in my own personal journey through the Bible, I started reading again a couple of weeks ago and so to bring you along as I am reading it through again is my pleasure.
In the above verse we have the first mention of Jesus by name is the entirety of the Bible. This was said by an angel to Joseph as he slept, pondering what to do with his pregnant, espoused, wife. In that day in the Jewish culture the man and woman were legally married for a year before they actually lived together as husband and wife.
Here she was, pregnant and it was not by him. Although it is not recorded in the Bible that Mary had told Joseph of the visit by the angel, as recorded for us in the first chapter of the book of Luke, I believe it is a fair assumption that she had indeed told him not only about what the angel had said to her but also what had happened to her cousin Elizabeth and why she had journeyed there.
Joseph had a lot to sort through and I can only imagine the heavy weight that was on his heart as he was deciding his and Mary’s future.
If you would please, read through the verses at top one more time…First I want to make an observation that holds true time and time again.
God is the one that comes to us.
How He comes to us is his choice to make, but he comes to us first. Whether it be through preaching, or personal contact with one of his children, or God’s written word, or a personal visit himself, God always makes the first move toward us.
That’s where I will end this today and pick up here next time with these same two verses because there are some more foundations to lay before we can build a sturdy understanding of Jesus Christ and why he came.
Bro. Dave
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
I have decided that to pick up with the book of Ephesians right now would be the wrong way for me to begin because understanding of the book of Ephesians needs some foundational work done first. The Bible is not just some collection of wise sayings and writings but is rather a progressive revelation of who Jesus Christ is and why he came. So I have decided to begin in Matthew. Which, by the way in my own personal journey through the Bible, I started reading again a couple of weeks ago and so to bring you along as I am reading it through again is my pleasure.
In the above verse we have the first mention of Jesus by name is the entirety of the Bible. This was said by an angel to Joseph as he slept, pondering what to do with his pregnant, espoused, wife. In that day in the Jewish culture the man and woman were legally married for a year before they actually lived together as husband and wife.
Here she was, pregnant and it was not by him. Although it is not recorded in the Bible that Mary had told Joseph of the visit by the angel, as recorded for us in the first chapter of the book of Luke, I believe it is a fair assumption that she had indeed told him not only about what the angel had said to her but also what had happened to her cousin Elizabeth and why she had journeyed there.
Joseph had a lot to sort through and I can only imagine the heavy weight that was on his heart as he was deciding his and Mary’s future.
If you would please, read through the verses at top one more time…First I want to make an observation that holds true time and time again.
God is the one that comes to us.
How He comes to us is his choice to make, but he comes to us first. Whether it be through preaching, or personal contact with one of his children, or God’s written word, or a personal visit himself, God always makes the first move toward us.
That’s where I will end this today and pick up here next time with these same two verses because there are some more foundations to lay before we can build a sturdy understanding of Jesus Christ and why he came.
Bro. Dave
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Rock of Offence
Romans 9:33
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
This past Sunday as I listened to my pastor, he was preaching on the text found in Mark chapter 8 where Jesus spits in the eyes of the blind man before he touches him. As he exposited the passage showing how Jesus led the man out of town to heal him, that Jesus would not simply be a side show but cared about the man himself, the age old question as to why Jesus spit in his eye was brought up.
I started wondering if I were to spit in your eye, what would be your normal reaction? Would you be offended wouldn’t you?
If you don’t think so, try it. Go and spit in your spouses eyes, or one of your children’s eyes, they will at least be quicker to forgive you, but none-the-less they will be offended. Of course there is also the fella that Jesus put mud in his eyes that he made from spit and told him to go wash (John 9:6-7) but I started going over other places where Jesus purposefully did something that could offend them.
John 6:54-57
54. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This time is wasn’t something that he did, it was something that he said, as a matter of record, what Jesus said was what most often offended. I am sure you can come up with quite a few different places on your own, not only recorded in scripture as to the reactions of others, but take what God’s word says and recall your own reaction at different times. Ever been offended by what God’s Word says? But back to scripture for a moment.
Matthew 15:21-28
21. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Do you see an opportunity for taking offence here, like in verse 26?
Here’s a classic:
Matthew 16:23
23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
What Peter said offended Jesus and it is quite clear that Jesus was not about to allow an offence stop him from following God’s will for him. Do you think Peter was offended by what Jesus said? Well the scriptures do not record that he was offended, but you must admit, the opportunity to be offended at what Jesus said is there.
I also must admit as I was sitting there thinking of all the different places where people in the gospels had an opportunity to be offended by Jesus himself, I sort of stopped listening to the preaching so I should probably get the tape.
Here is the conclusion that I reached, and I believe I can show example after example of it in the scriptures:
Offence toward Jesus or his words is the filter that God uses to extract the faith in Christ Jesus the Lord that is genuine.
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
This past Sunday as I listened to my pastor, he was preaching on the text found in Mark chapter 8 where Jesus spits in the eyes of the blind man before he touches him. As he exposited the passage showing how Jesus led the man out of town to heal him, that Jesus would not simply be a side show but cared about the man himself, the age old question as to why Jesus spit in his eye was brought up.
I started wondering if I were to spit in your eye, what would be your normal reaction? Would you be offended wouldn’t you?
If you don’t think so, try it. Go and spit in your spouses eyes, or one of your children’s eyes, they will at least be quicker to forgive you, but none-the-less they will be offended. Of course there is also the fella that Jesus put mud in his eyes that he made from spit and told him to go wash (John 9:6-7) but I started going over other places where Jesus purposefully did something that could offend them.
John 6:54-57
54. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This time is wasn’t something that he did, it was something that he said, as a matter of record, what Jesus said was what most often offended. I am sure you can come up with quite a few different places on your own, not only recorded in scripture as to the reactions of others, but take what God’s word says and recall your own reaction at different times. Ever been offended by what God’s Word says? But back to scripture for a moment.
Matthew 15:21-28
21. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Do you see an opportunity for taking offence here, like in verse 26?
Here’s a classic:
Matthew 16:23
23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
What Peter said offended Jesus and it is quite clear that Jesus was not about to allow an offence stop him from following God’s will for him. Do you think Peter was offended by what Jesus said? Well the scriptures do not record that he was offended, but you must admit, the opportunity to be offended at what Jesus said is there.
I also must admit as I was sitting there thinking of all the different places where people in the gospels had an opportunity to be offended by Jesus himself, I sort of stopped listening to the preaching so I should probably get the tape.
Here is the conclusion that I reached, and I believe I can show example after example of it in the scriptures:
Offence toward Jesus or his words is the filter that God uses to extract the faith in Christ Jesus the Lord that is genuine.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Drop Me A Line
I'm Not Blogging for a bit. Send me an e-mail if you would like to talk.
davestrout@gmail.com
davestrout@gmail.com
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