Aches and Praise Five Hundred & Twenty Three

Posted on 2021-09-17 in English |

September 17, 2021
 

Dear friends,

                                                                                                                                                                       
On Tuesday night, I had the joy of studying chapters 6 and 7 of the gospel of John with friends via Zoom. It had been more than two months since we had met virtually and it was a great blessing to meditate on God’s Word together. If you are a male reading this and would like to join our weekly study, please email me and I would be glad to send you the link for next week’s meeting.

Near the end of John 6, we see that “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” Why did people stop following Jesus? Looking at John 6:60 – “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’” – Dr. David Jeremiah writes: “The Greek word for hard saying means ‘hard to tolerate or handle.’ Some of the people surrounding Jesus wanted actual bread to fill their stomachs. Some were offended because of their religious sensibilities (eating blood of any kind was forbidden). Others just found the words too hard to understand. So the unbelievers left.”

Did you know that the brothers of Jesus did not believe in Him? Some people may be surprised to hear that Jesus had brothers, but as we read the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) we find several references to brothers: in Matthew 12:46-47 & 13:55, Mark 3:31-32, and Luke 8:19-20, and one reference to sisters: Matthew 13:56. For more about this, please see: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/did-jesus-have-half-siblings.html. It is important to read the entire New Testament to get the whole picture of Jesus’ earthly family. In Galatians 1:19, the apostle Paul writes that he “saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.” It is interesting to think about how the Lord transformed Paul and James. They dedicated their lives in service to the Lord, writing a great portion of the New Testament and shepherding believers, after turning from their sin to the Saviour.

Dr. Jeremiah observes: “What changed for James? His wholehearted transformation into a devoted disciple was almost certainly triggered by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. According to 1 Corinthians 15:7, James was one of the first people to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection. When the apostle Paul met him, James was a respected leader in the church in Jerusalem. Years later, Paul referred to James, Peter and John as ‘pillars’ of the church (Gal. 2:9).” How about you? Have you asked God to forgive your sins? If not, don’t delay. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Commit your life to Christ and ask Him to use you to bring glory to Him.

Scripture for the weekend: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope though the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4 (NASB)

Thought for the weekend: “It is said that on one occasion, a young man came to a great orator to be trained in oratory. In his first meeting with his famous teacher, the potential student began to talk without stopping. When the orator could finally get a word, in, he said, ‘Young man, I will have to charge you a double fee.’ ‘A double fee? Why is that?’ ‘I will have to teach you two subjects. First, how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it.’”  – from the Jeremiah Study Bible

 

By His grace,
 

Steve

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