JESUS IN SCRIPTURE WHO DO YOU SAY I AM

SCRIPTURE

MATTHEW 16:13-20 WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THE SON OF MAN IS?

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”    Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 

 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

REFLECTION:

 Jesus is always bringing God and His kingdom into the secular, the pagan, and the unchatechized.  In this Gospel He brings his disciples to a historic shrine to pagan Gods to announce He is God above all other gods, listen to me, follow me, don’t be misled.. Jesus as a great teacher does not directly say these words but asks questions of His disciples so they can figure it out for themselves, a great way to evangelize Who do people say that the Son of Man is….

 Jesus, the Word made Flesh, affirms his humanity…on the one hand, he is the Son of Mary thus the title Son of Man…but Jesus is seeking more insight…inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter answers, you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God….Do we listen to those moments of inspiration or is there too much noise, too many distractions in our lives…

Jesus tells Peter that he is blessed by the gift of faith from the Heavenly Father…because of this blessing…Jesus renames Cephas, Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, Jesus’ CHURCH!…it is not unusual for God to change the name of a person when they are given a new identity and mission, Abram to Abraham; Saul to Paul….reminds me of how we are given a baptismal name when we become a child of God and call Him Abba, Father!

 Pray for gift of faith that I may know Jesus the Son of the living God as Peter affirmed…Jesus built a church on Peter’s faith…from the time of the apostles, the Church has preached the Good News…am I listening…am I embracing the Word made flesh…what stands in my way…Who do you say Jesus is!

 SILENT PRAYER

 NOTES

 CAESAREA PHILIPPI

Caesarea Philippi was an ancient Roman City and the location of the Cave of Pan, the place of the pagan Gate of Hades. It was in this area that the first king of Israel (Jeroboam) led the northern kingdom of Israel into idolatry. King Herod the Great built a magnificent white temple at the site.  Following Herod’s death his son Herod Phillip established Panias as his capital city and called it Caesarea-Phillipi to distinguish it from Caesarea on the coast. The city had been known as Banias, an Arabic pronunciation of Panias. This name honored the Greek god Pan — a half-man, half-goat deity often depicted playing a flute — who was worshipped here. Here the cult of Pan flourished. East of a large cave are the remains of shrines to Pan and inscriptions, from the 2nd century, bearing his name

CAESAREA PHILLIPI TODAY

SON OF MAN

SON OF MAN is used to designate Jesus Christ no fewer than eighty-one times — thirty times in St. Matthew, fourteen times in St. Mark, twenty-five times in St. Luke, and twelve times in St. John.

The Son is Lifted Up (John 12:23, 34). Now the “hour” has arrived. It is the moment when the Son of Man is to be lifted up—and this involves both glorification (John 12:23) and death (John 12:32-34). When the Son of Man is lifted up, the name of the Father is glorified (John 12:28).

The glory of the Son of Man is to glorify the Father through his death, and in response God will glorify the Son.

 “Son of Man” is a reference to Jesus’ humanity, it is not a denial of His deity. “Son of Man” reference makes clear that Jesus in one of us and therefore able to be our Redeemer.  Jesus has two natures (divine and human) conjoined in one person.

 I AM WHO I AM

It is interesting that this scripture passage Jesus asks who do people say I AM?  Jesus is I AM!  Just as God gave His name to Moses, I Am Who Am.  Jesus is God and is often in trouble with his religious enemies who accuse him of taking Yahweh title I AM.

 OLD TESTAMENT REFERENCES
Genesis 15:7, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”1 And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 29:34, “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.”

GOD (I AM) IS NOT ANOTHER BEING BUT EXISTENCE ITSELF HE IS! EXISTENCE IS HIS ESSENCE THE NAME OF GOD IS FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT; ONE GOD THREE PERSONS)

 NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES

JOHN 4:26  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

JOHN 8:58  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

JOHN 10:36  Do you say of Him, whom the Father sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

MESSIAH

The mashiach ( Messiah) will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). The mashiach is often referred to as “son of David). He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11:2-5).

He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33:15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.

When Peter calls Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, he challenges the customary expectation of the Jewish community.  Rather than a great military leader who will liberate Israel from its occupiers, Jesus is the Messiah who will liberate us from sin and death.

 

OUR LADY OF LOURDES I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

MARY MOTHER OF GOD

INTRODUCTION

Tomorrow, February 11, we celebrate another Marian Feast Day, Our Lady of Lourdes. It is ironic that only four years after the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX, 1854, Mary appeared to a young woman of Lourdes and confirmed she is, “I am the Immaculate Conception”

I suppose the unique message of Lourdes is the heavenly confirmation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.  Other messages are consistent with other Marian apparitions.  A call to conversion, praying for sinners, and acts of reparations for our sins and the sins of others.  Mary tells Bernadette the important thing is to be happy in the life to come by attaching ourselves to the crucified Jesus and His cross.  Mary over and over again stresses prayer, especially the rosary. Today, Lourdes, is a favorite shrine of Christian pilgrims for its miracles of healing.  Lourdes water is brought home by pilgrims and shared with thousands in need.

The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin. From the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.

She was redeemed by the grace of Christ, but in a special way—by anticipation.  Mary received grace merited by her Son’s death and resurrection applied to her before she was able to become mired in original sin and its stain.  Mary is totally inhabited by God.  She is our model of faith and commitment.  Turn to Mary and ask she help you to always say Yes to Jesus!

(SEE MY POST IN CATEGORY OF MARY FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION)

I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION LOURDES 1858

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

APPARITIONS OF MARY AT LOURDES 1858

In Lourdes, France, on January 7, 1844, a baby girl named Bernadette was born to Francois and Louise Soubirous.  Bernadette’s family was very poor, and Bernadette was responsible for looking after and caring for her brothers and sisters.  Bernadette suffered many illnesses including asthma which prevented her from attending school and was schooled at home.

The only education Bernadette received was the Catholic teachings which she studied faithfully in the evenings. At the age of 13, Bernadette was preparing for her First Holy Communion.  One of Bernadette’s chores was to collect wood for the fire.

On a cold day in February 1858, Bernadette and 2 companions headed off to the Gave River to collect pieces of wood.  Near the river outside a grotto/cave, Bernadette heard a great noise like the sound of a storm, but nothing was moving.   She turned her head towards the Grotto of Massabieille and saw in the opening of the rock a rosebush, one only, moving as if it were very windy. Bernadette looked up towards the grotto and the caves on the riverbank.  Near the opening of the grotto, Bernadette glanced and noticed the cave was suddenly filled with golden light.

Lifting up her eyes, she saw a lady of great beauty, dressed in a pure white robe with a blue sash, a veil over her head, a rosary clasped in her hands and yellow roses at her feet.  Bernadette rubbed her eyes.   What a beautiful lady!  But where did she come from?  And what was she doing here?  She looked at Bernadette and immediately smiled and signaled her to advance, in a way that a mother motions her child to come near.

Bernadette took out her rosary and knelt before the Lady, who also had a rosary on her right arm. As Bernadette prayed the rosary, the Lady passed the beads of her rosary between her fingers.  When the recitation of the rosary was finished, the Lady returned to the interior of the rock and the golden cloud disappeared with her.

In the beginning the Lady spoke no words to Bernadette.  Our Blessed Mother appeared eighteen times to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Her messages to Bernadette are ageless and apply to all of us today.

BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS

The third time Bernadette went to the grotto, the lady spoke to her.  The beautiful lady asked Bernadette to come here every day for fifteen days.  In Bernadette’s day, the Grotto was a dirty, hidden, damp and cold place. The Grotto was literally called the “pig–sty” because that was where pigs feeding in the area took shelter.

The Lady instructed Bernadette to scrape the mud until a stream appeared.  She said that she wanted Bernadette to tell the priests to build a chapel there.  She told her to drink water from the stream.  The lady also told Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners,“Penance, Penance, Penance, pray, pray, pray for sinners.”.

Bernadette’s parish priest asked her to ask the Lady’s name. On March 25, 1858, the day of the sixteenth Apparition, Bernadette went to the Grotto, and asked the Lady for her name. Three times Bernadette asked the question. On the fourth request, the Lady responds in dialect of the area,  ‘Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou’ (I am the Immaculate Conception). Bernadette does not understand the meaning of these words but the parish priest does.  He understands that it is the Mother of God who has appeared at the Grotto of Massabielle.

On March 25, the Lady finally told Bernadette that she was Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that her purpose in appearing to Bernadette was to warn her to pray and make sacrifices for sinners.  Bernadette’s daily visits to the grotto caused quite a stir in the countryside.  Crowds of people began to gather.  They watched Bernadette scrape away soil beside the grotto until a spring of water started to trickle out.  Would you believe this spring still provides 27,000 gallons of water everyday!

At first, the priests, the town’s folk, and the families doubted Bernadette’s visions and the purpose in her activities.  But Bernadette was stubborn and determined to follow Mary’s plans for her.  Eventually everyone did believe Bernadette and the grotto at Lourdes became a place of worship and the Lourdes holy water was sacred for performing miracles.

CHURCH SHRINE AT LOURDES

EPILOGUE BERNADETTE POST APPARITIONS

At the age of 22, Bernadette joined the order of the Sisters of Charity, devoted her life to Mary, to praying for the conversion of sinners and to the service of God.  Throughout her life she remained sickly, but attended patiently to her duties as infirmarian and sacristan. She died a holy death on April 16, 1879.at 34 years old.

Bernadette was buried on the convent grounds.  Her body was exhumed thirty years later on September 22, 1909, in the presence of two doctors, several appointed officials, and nuns from the local convent. When Bernadette’s coffin was opened, there was no odor, and her body was completely untouched by the laws of nature. The sacred relic (Bernadette’s body) was placed in a coffin of gold and glass and can be viewed to this very day in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the motherhouse in Nevers, France.

 

SHELTER THE HOMELESS WHATEVER YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF THESE YOU DO TO ME

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, SOCIAL JUSTICE

JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH FLIGHT INTO EYGPT

COMMENTARY ON THE HOMELESS IN OUR CITIES AND TOWNS

During recent Mid-West Polar freeze, I particularly thought of this corporal work of mercy* and the many many deaths that were a result.  Many unnecessary, because of the homeless, the ignored, the despised, the least of our brethren.  “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren you do to me,” Jesus said in Last Judgment discourse.

My daughter who works in the city in health care often passes the homeless beggar but never without asking if she can help them get to shelter, gives them some money, or provide them with a warm meal.  She advocates for them at hospitals and emergency shelters and has a friend who is an uber driver who will look into the homeless on the doorstep to see if there is anything the homeless need and offer a ride to nearest shelter. She added “I remember hearing to always greet our homeless brothers and sisters with the biggest warmest smile you have… they may have a heavy heart and they don’t need your sad face!”

 She shared some pictures of the local homeless.  I asked her what the homeless needed in the way of supplies and she replied, “new socks, gently used blankets, comforters, coats, hats, gloves will always be in high repeat demand— once these items become wet and soiled— our homeless have no way to dry them.. clean, dry supplies always needed.”  She added, there is a severe shortage of shelters, some only open emergency beds in extreme temperatures but only during the day when temperatures may not have dropped below their arbitrary 20 degrees. I will include a few more quotes my daughter shared with me.

“The homeless sleep atop the steam grate for some warmth. They either did not get into an emergency shelter, or had no way to get to one. Many homeless depend on private citizens who volunteer and provide street outreach ministries and pick up homeless men and women and take them to shelters. Shelters, themselves, do not provide transportation.”

“Many of the homeless choose not to go to shelters for fear of their safety and the loss of their few belongings. They are not allowed to bring any belongings into the shelters, risking that their only early possessions will be stolen if left on the streets, shelters are only open for the hours of sleep— they must leave in the AM and they risk losing their spot on the vent/ steam grate in the AM for the day ahead of them.”

For many of us, the line between our homes and being homeless is a thin one that can disappear with the death of a spouse, the loss of a job or an illness. This corporal work of mercy forces us to open our eyes to the misery of those who, for a variety of reasons, have no place they can call home.

Faith without works is dead! “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? …If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? …faith, if it does not have works is dead.” JAMES 2:14-16

What are some works we can do?   What support, supplies or donations can we offer them?  For the many children in homeless shelters, do I have toys I can donate? …a book or game could be a great gift.  Could I call a shelter and offer to cook, read to children or share a hobby or skill with the guests?  What are the gifts each of us have that we can share?

Other ideas…volunteering in a soup kitchen; Contributing to a shelter for unwed mothers: welcoming the immigrant in your neighborhood; speaking kindly to that homeless man or woman who you pass and offering a sandwich or buying them a meal. “Whatever you do to the least of these brethren , you do to me!”

As St. Francis prayed in his Peace Prayer, “It is in giving that we receive.”  In giving we will always get back more than we give.  God’s promise.  We will learn more about the blessings we have through no fault of own but pure gifts from God.  A powerful life changing experience can be had in loving and serving your neighbor.

LUKE 16:19-31

Homelessness is invasive and may be found at our doorstep.  Let us not ignore it and walk over like the rich man, Dives, in the parable who ignored Lazarus the begger.   We often show more empathy for stray dogs or cats than human beings.  Pro-Life is more than anti-abortion!  Let’s give the same fervor to those already born!

COMMENTARY ON IMMIGRATION

While I am at it I thought I would say a few things about immigration.  The 4th Corporal Work of Mercy is “Shelter the Homeless,” but some older listings, have it, “Harbor the Harbor-less.”

Down through history, there have always been a certain number of people who were homeless;  for those who were sailing to escape poverty and oppression often did not have a port of entry; they were “harbor-less.”  Yes, some are without shelter, but others are without a homeland.

*CCC 2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God:

Immigration is a hot button issue in our country today.  Where are you on welcoming the refugee?  Have you truly looked deeply into the facts or just moved by emotional rhetoric and bumper sticker of “America First”

Today, here in America, there are some people who seem to be against all immigration.  But the truth is almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants!   We, as people of faith, need to treat the immigrants with respect and according to their human dignity, as we would want to be treated ourselves.  There are millions of children and families who are on the move, fleeing from war, illness, hunger and impossible living conditions, searching for peace and safety.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born homeless (Mt.8:20)!  He who created the world became a homeless person depending on the kindness of strangers.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph were themselves refugees fleeing into Egypt to avoid the infanticide of Herod.

“The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20).  Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, was born in a borrowed manger;  had no fixed address once he began his public ministry; and was buried in another man’s tomb.  It is quite an irony: He, who made the universe, became a homeless person.

The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for undocumented immigrants calls for the separation of parents and children while their cases for political asylum are adjudicated, a process that can take months – or years.

BORDER DETENTION CENTER

US CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE

“Our government has the discretion in our laws to ensure that young children are not separated from their parents and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma….While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety. Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral.”

This corporal work of mercy forces us to open our eyes to the misery of those who, for a variety of reasons, have no place they can call home.  As with the other works of mercy, sheltering the homeless requires discernment and the stewardship of our resources.

Yet when in doubt, it is better to err on the side of charity. The patron of parish priests, St. John Vianney, was told that a beggar to whom he gave frequent assistance was in fact not poor at all; the Saint answered, “You never lose when you give to God.”

This work of mercy also invites to ask ourselves how hospitable we are in our own home.  Do we make of our home a place where guests feel welcome and cherished?

Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews urges us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2).  Jesus comes to us in disguises.  Remember his last judgment discourse in Matthew 23, “Whatever you do to one of these least of my brethren, you do to me.”

I will close with a poem attributed to Mother Teresa that hangs in my daughter’s living room.

DO IT ANYWAY

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII GAUDIUM

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

INTRODUCTION

The blog I posted with the most views ever was the blog I posted last April, Gaudete et Exhultate, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis so I thought I would go back and repost some of my reflections on his Apostolic Exhortation, Joy of the Gospel from 2017.  Enjoy! TCB

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII GAUDIUM JOY OF THE GOSPEL

NOTE:  The number before paragraphs in Joy of Gospel references indicate the paragraph number in actual document.

 POPE FRANCIS INVITES US INTO THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

“The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. I invite all Christians everywhere at this very moment to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.” 

 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David 

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10

REFLECTION

Pope Francis makes clear that God always takes the initiative in seeking his lost sheep by any means necessary.  No one is excluded or left behind.  God knows our need for Him and His nourishment. So we too as disciples and missionaries must not dismiss anyone or judge anyone unworthy of our engagement.

 JOY OF THE GOSPEL

180 Jesus’ mission is to inaugurate the kingdom of his Father; he commands his disciples to proclaim the good news that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew. 10:7

 24 “The life of the Church should always reveal clearly that God takes the initiative, that he has loved us first. “We love because he first loved us.“ 1 John 4:19.   The Joy of the Gospel is for all people no one can be excluded.  People are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us, “Give them something to eat“. Mark 6:37″

92 “We must not avoid others or exclude anyone from our mission.  We are all in same boat and headed to same port.  Let us ask for the grace to rejoice in gifts of each, which belong to all.”

113 “No one is saved by himself or herself, individually or by his or her own efforts.  Jesus did not tell the apostles to form an exclusive and elite group.  He told them to go and make disciples of all nations.” Mt.28:19

 REFLECTION

Pope Francis warns us there are many enemies and obstacles to living the Gospel and spreading the Good News to others.  To be on our guard and prepare for the spiritual warfare we encounter daily with the world, the flesh, and the devil. We live in parallel universe this temporal world and a spirit filled eternity.

 JOY OF THE GOSPEL

64 “We are living in an information driven society which bombards us indiscriminately with data all treated as being of equal importance and which leads to remarkable superficiality in the area of moral discernment.”

263 “Every period of history is marked by the presence of human weakness, self-absorption, complacency and selfishness, to say nothing of the concupiscence which preys upon us all.”

79 “Pastoral workers often fall prey to the times. Some fall into pastoral acedia or spiritual torpor (lethargy) by taking on unreasonable projects instead of what they reasonably can accomplish.  Others just because they just can’t wait, patience is not a virtue in this society of instant gratification.”

 REFLECTION

Pope Francis makes suggestions on how preachers and evangelists should prepare for their missions. You cannot give what you yourself don’t possess.  Read the bible, pray over the Bible, ask yourselves what  God is  saying to me today and how do I respond today!

 JOY OF THE GOSPEL

145 “Preparation for preaching needs a prolonged time for preparation, a time for study, prayer, and reflection.  Whoever wants to preach must first let the Word of God move him deeply and become incarnate in his daily life.  One will then be communicating to others what one has contemplated and prayed about.

150 To evangelize is to make the kingdom of God present in our world. “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew. 6:33 Preparation requires the Love of God and like every true disciple say, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.” I Sam. 3:9

164 First and foremost on lips of catechists is the proclamation, “Jesus Christ loves you, he gave his life to save you and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.” 

 REFLECTION

Pope Francis reiterates Jesus’ love for the poor and most vulnerable and how in imitation of Jesus as disciples we are to make the vulnerable our priority in our ministry.  Jesus loved the poor and performed many miracles of physical and spiritual healing.  No one was too far gone in Jesus’ eyes to walk away.  He engaged everyone, bolstered their faith and encouraged them to repent and sin no more.

 JOY OF THE GOSPEL

197 God’s heart has a special place for the poor so much so that he himself became poor, born in a manger in the midst of animals. When he began to preach the kingdom, crowds of the dispossessed followed him.

198 Inspired by this life of Christ, the Church has always understood a special form of primacy of the poor in exercise of Christian Charity.  The poor have much to share with us.  They know the sufferings of Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them.  We are called to find Christ in them and to lend our voices to their causes.

213 Jesus identifies especially with the little ones, the vulnerable.  As Christians we are called to care for the vulnerable of the earth.  Among the vulnerable to whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us.

213 Defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right.  It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable in any situation and in every stage of development.  Every violation of the personal dignity is an offense against the creator of that individual.

 REFLECTION

Pope Francis  encourages us not to shy away from our mission because of difficulties.  He preaches that hope will bring about the desired changes even if we ourselves do not see the results.

JOY OF THE GOSPEL

275 Some people do not commit themselves to mission because they think that nothing will change and that it is useless to make the effort.  If we think things are never going to change we need to recall that Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and death. A true missionary knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes wih him, and works with him.  A person, who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain, and in love will convince nobody.

278 Let us believe the Gospel when it tells us that the kingdom of God is already present in this world and is growing here and there and in different ways like “the small seed which grows into the great tree.” (Mt. 13:31) and like the “good seed that grows amid the weeds.” (Mt. 13:24) and can always pleasantly surprise us.  Jesus did not rise in vain.

279 Let us be assured that none of our acts of love will be lost nor any of our acts of sincere concern for others.  Sometimes it seems our acts are fruitless but don’t believe it.  None will be lost; no effort is meaningless; no painful endurance is wasted.  All of these encircle our world like a vital force giving life according to God’s holy will.  The Holy Spirit works His will where He wills, even across the globe.

GOOD NEWS, BELIEVE!

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THE STORY OF SALVATION THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION

CHAPTER ONE THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

PROLOGUE

 On July 7, 2019, I posted Chapter 7. This blog, STORY OF OUR SALVATION, is now complete.  Of course, our part in the story is not. We know we exist because God loved us into existence. We all have a mission.  We are here for a purpose.  The world is billions of years old.  It is now our time to play our part.  Do you know your part?  We all have a mission, loved into existence by God.

I hope you will return to this blog often, all seven chapters, in hopes that your lives will be filled with love and gratitude for a loving and merciful God that intends for us to know Him on this earth and be with Him in eternal happiness in the next.  “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart,  what God has prepared for those who love him.” I Corinthians 2:9

INTRODUCTION

In 2019, my blog will focus on the story of our salvation.  It is a story written and directed by God thus the Greatest Story ever told.  If you want to save the complete story together look for the title THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION and copy and paste to a Word document.  I will continue to post other blogs each month as well, but I hope to complete the STORY OF OUR SALVATION this year.  TCB

 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—

Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened…God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good

Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness….God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female  he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply,,,

 

THE FALL OF MAN

 GENESIS 3:8-16

“…the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you? He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.” Then God asked: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat? 

 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it. “The LORD God then asked the woman: What is this you have done? The woman answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it…. Then the LORD God said to the snake…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.* 

 COMMENTARY

Adam and Eve hid themselves in shame for disobeying God.  Many sinners abandon, deny, or hide from God after sinning.  God seeks Adam and Eve out as He seeks us sinners out.  God promised our first parents a Redeemer and Savior born of woman, Mary.  Mary and Jesus will together stamp out sin and its consequences.

Mary the Mother of God is the woman foretold in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and revealed in the last book of the Bible, Book of Revelations.

 REVELATIONS 12:1-8

“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman* clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  She was with child…Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns…Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth  She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.  Her child was caught up to God and his throne.”

 COMMENTARY

In the next STORY OF OUR SALVATION blog, I will take up the promise of the Savior in the Old Testament.

We, today, have received the Promise.  We have been reconciled by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  At our Baptism, Original Sin is removed and (if adult) any other personal sins we have committed; we are infused with Divine life of God, become heirs of heaven, brothers and sisters of Christ.

Wow! Sins wiped out, sons and daughters of God, inherit eternal life, brothers and sisters of Christ.  God is good all the time.  All the time God is good

 

THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION CHAPTER TWO THE PROMISE OF A SAVIOR

1 Comment / THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION

GOD SEEKS OUT MAN AFTER THE FALL

 COMMENTARY

In Genesis 3:15 God made the first promise concerning the one who would redeem man from Satan’s power, taking back the power Satan had usurped. The promise was that the “seed of woman” would crush Satan’s head. The Woman is Mary the Mother of God.  Her offspring, Jesus, is the seed that will defeat Satan and overcome death.

The Old Testament is full of Christ, the Anointed One, though oftentimes in a veiled form.  Throughout biblical history God continues to reveal His plan for salvation through the prophets, covenants, and the psalms of David.

The Old Testament is filled with blessings and curses; curses, when man disregards God, and blessings, when man remains faithful.   Man separates himself from God. God lifts man back up in His mercy, man falls again and again, and God remains faithful, calling man to repentance and solidarity with Him.

GOD CHOOSES THE JEWISH NATION THAT THEY MAY REVEAL HIM TO ALL NATIONS

Among all the nations in the world, God chose Israel as the one He would work with. This was the nation that God delivered out of slavery in Egypt, the nation to whom God gave the land of Canaan, and the nation through whom would come Jesus, the Messiah.  God chose them not for anything they were but because He was going to form them into a people, a light to the nations of this world.

“For you are a people holy to the LORD, the LORD, your God, has chosen you from all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people specially his own… the LORD brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt…Know, then, that the LORD, your God, is God: the faithful God who keeps covenant mercy to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments.” DEUTERONOMY 7:6-9

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM

“The LORD said to Abram: Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of  the earth will find blessing in you.” GENESIS 12:1-3

God blessed Abraham and his descendants because of Abraham’s faith, a living faith that resulted in diligent obedience to God’s instructions and law. “Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring” (Genesis 28:14).This promise was repeated to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and to Abraham’s grandson, Jacob (Genesis 17:21; 26:24; 28:1-4, 13)

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF A MESSIAH

Messiah would be born of woman Genesis 3:15

Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.    Micah 5:2                     Messiah would be born of a virgin.         Isaiah 7:14                       Messiah come from the line of Abraham. Genesis 12:3                 Messiah heir to King David’s throne.       2 Samuel 7:12-13           Messiah would spend a season in Egypt.   Hosea 11:1                 Messenger prepare the way for Messiah   Isaiah 40:3-5               Messiah be rejected by his own people.    Isaiah 53:3

God chose Israel as a “model community” to show the world his path, placing them at the exact intersection of the three continents so the nations could be drawn to them.  Jesus, the promised Messiah in the prophets brought the New Covenant, opening the doors directly for the nations to come to God through his salvific work.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” JOHN 1:14

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  He is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead… For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things…making peace by the blood of his cross…” 

COLOSSIANS  1:16

JESUS IN SCRIPTURE ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND

SCRIPTURE

“Everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”  Matthew 7:8

INTRODUCTION

Today’s blog is about prayer, I will share a couple of parables of Jesus after he taught his disciples how to pray.

We call this prayer, the Lord’s Prayer.  I hope to illustrate the importance of prayer, our role, God’s role and what faith filled expectations should look like.

The picture above illustrates that long before we seek out Jesus, Jesus is already knocking at our door, pleading with us to let him enter.  “Seek that you may be found” is ironic but true.  It is our seeking the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that facilitates God’s unending search for us ever since Eden.  Our merciful Father has gone out of His way to bring us home again, even death on the cross.

 MATTHEW 7:7-12 ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish?  If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him…. 

 REFLECTION:

 Sometimes an answer to prayer is delayed but never ignored…God’s time is not always the same as ours….but his timing may be better… a physician knows better than the sick person what he needs for healing…our natural instincts may need the help of supernatural grace to see more clearly…

 We may not always receive what we ask for…but we will always be blessed by God with what we need….Do we recognize God’s gifts as from a truly loving Father…Do we accept His gifts even if they are not exactly what we asked for…after our petitions do we ever attach, but Thy will be done… if I as parent do good things to my children…how much more will my heavenly Father do for me…

 We might not always hear God’s voice back to us but He hears us and is pleased by our faith…He always responds…but sometimes the voice is a whisper or some unexpected event or insight…

 God waits patiently for our approach…He is always near…always hovering in the background…turn around and you will run right into Him…knock and the door will be opened…do I approach the door…do I hesitate…do I knock…am I ready to engage…

 God does not hide from His children. His heart’s desire is for us to persistently and passionately look for Him all around us, the more time a Christian spends in communion with God, the more he or she will know what to ask for in accordance with God’s will….. “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

SILENT PRAYER

LUKE 11: 5-13 And Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him, ’and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.  I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”

PRAY ALWAYS!

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THE STORY OF SALVATION CHAPTER THREE THE SAVIOR IS BORN

THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be…John 1:1-2

In time, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you…  Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High! Luke 1:28

LUKE 2:1-20     THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD

In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled in a census.  So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town…Joseph and Mary too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem…While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son; Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.   The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.  The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord…Luke 2:2-8, suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praised God, saying:  “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.”…

In Christ, God took on human attributes;  in Christ humans can now take on the divine qualities of mercy, love, insight, and immortality.  In exchange for the humanity He takes, the Incarnate Word gives us a share in his divinity. God is born in time so we can be reborn in eternity.  For to us a child is born… and his name shall be called  Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:1-7

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light!”

Isaiah 9:1-2

COMMENTARY

In Jesus’ own words He affirms He is that light. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12   Jesus is the Word made flesh…the Word Incarnate ….Through Him comes Life….

And this Life is the Light of the World ….darkness cannot keep out the Light….those who choose Light ….become children of the Light….and testify to the Light… Let us be people of the Light who walk in the Light and give witness to the Light everywhere we go!  AMEN!

THE CHILD JESUS

Before I take up Jesus’ public ministry in the next chapter, I must point out some very significant events that occurred when Jesus was a child.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born homeless (Mt.8:20) and then became a refugee with Mary and Joseph in flight to Egypt to avoid Herod’s infanticide of male children!

Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, was born in a borrowed manger, had no fixed address once he began his public ministry, and was buried in another man’s grave.  It is quite an irony; He, who made the universe, became a homeless person.

In the Old Testament “the glory of God left the temple” Ezekiel 10:18, at the time of the Babylonian occupation of Jerusalem.  God continues through his prophets during the seventy years of captivity in Babylon to promise the restoration of Jerusalem and its Temple.  God will be with His holy people again.

In the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple of Jesus in the New Testament, we celebrate God’s return to the Temple as witnessed by Simeon the prophet,” Now You shall dismiss your servant, in peace O Lord according to your word: for my eyes have seen your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for,  the confidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

The Finding of the child Jesus in the Temple in Luke’s Gospel has some rich tidbits too. “”After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:46-47  At age twelve, Jesus is listening to teaching in the temple during Passover. But 20 years or so later, he is the Teacher in these same courts, and His many, many hearers are still struck with his insight and authority.

THE CHILD JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE

 Jesus asks Mary and Joseph, ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” The personal intimacy of the phrase “my Father” referring to God is unprecedented in Jewish literature.  It is this amazing claim of intimate filial relationship to the Father that gets him accused of blasphemy later in life John 10:29-39.

Jesus was sensing his call to obey the Father. But part of that obedience involved submitting to his parents: “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them” Luke 2:51. Jesus is “filled with wisdom” Luke 2:40, and yet he still grows in wisdom Luke 2:52. This passage covers the next two decades from age twelve until he is about 30 years of age and enters upon his public ministry.

As a boy. Jesus grew in wisdom (discernment) making choices leading Him to the Father. The grace of God was upon Him. By grace,  (Spirit of God upon Him) he was enabled to “grow in wisdom” like no other boy in history before or since.

In CHAPTER FOUR of THE STORY OF SALVATION I will take up Jesus’ public ministry.

JESUS HEALER, MIRACLE WORKER, TEACHER, SAVIOR

THE STORY OF SALVATION CHAPTER FOUR

THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION

JESUS’ PUBLIC MINISTRY

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD

 John the Baptist has been baptizing in the River Jordan with water of repentance calling for repentance from sin, make straight the way of the Lord.  John proclaims he is not the Messiah but one will come after him who will baptize with water and Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.  John’s baptism does not forgive sins but the one who will come after him will.

 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,* who takes away the sin of the world.  He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me. John 29-30

“ After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son,* with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

 JESUS READS THE PROPHECY OF THE MESSIAH 

LUKE 4:16-21 THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME

“Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went, according to his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” 

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.  He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 JESUS MIRACLE WORKER

 The miracles of Jesus show Jesus is not only powerful in word but also deed.  They fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah and others about the Messiah and His Divinity.  Also they demonstrate in a physical way Jesus’ love and compassion for those suffering the effects of sin in this world.  Miracles at the intercession of Jesus still occur today, look for them!

                  JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE AT CANA

“There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.  When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”…  Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.  Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.  And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine…. the headwaiter called the bridegroom  and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” JOHN 2:1-11

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.”

ONLY GOD CAN MAKE NATURE OBEY

JESUS REBUKES THE SEA

MARK 4:35-41

 In this passage we see not only Jesus’ human nature clearly.  Jesus was worn out and sleeping soundly and not awaken by the storm but by his disciples.  Then his divinity and glory showed forth as the winds and sea became calm.  Jesus can calm our storms too if we ask him.

 “On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 

 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”  The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”  They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

JESUS HEALER

 JESUS CURES EVERY DISEASE AND ILLNESS

“And as Jesus walked along, two blind men followed (him), crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” …the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.  Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”  And their eyes were opened….a demoniac who could not speak was brought to him, and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke…Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness”. MATTHEW 9:27-38

JESUS RAISES PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD

“Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain…As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow…When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”  He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”    The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother….and they glorified God, exclaiming ….”God has visited his people.”  This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and to all the surrounding region.”  LUKE 7:11-23

 JESUS TEACHER

 Jesus taught on land and from boats, in synagogues, in towns and villages, everywhere he went He taught the love the Father had for his people.  He taught us how to pray, follow the commandments, who to follow, who to avoid.  He told us who ever sees Him sees the Father.  Jesus not only came to save us but to draw us more intimately into relationship with the Father.  He elaborated on the love of God and love of neighbor in the sermons on the mount and in the plain.   He taught the meaning of righteousness and blessedness and what it means to live in the kingdom of God. 

MATTHEW 5:1-12  THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted… Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy….  Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God…..

In the Bread of Life discourse, John 6:48, Jesus foretells the institution of the Eucharist.  Jesus will not leave us orphans but be with us in the tabernacles of the world to the end of time  At every Mass the Real Presence of Jesus is celebrated and offered once more to the Father in our name.

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

….I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; …I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world….Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you…..  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”JOHN 6:48-59

WHO DO PEOPLE SAY I AM?

MATTHEW 16:13-20

 At Caesarea Phillipi, before heading to Jerusalem and the fulfillment of His mission, He asked his apostles if they understood yet who He is and what He is about to do.  Inspired by the Spirit, Peter speaks for the others and says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

JESUS PREVIEWS HIS PASSION, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me..”  Luke 9:22

 Jesus always had a way to build up his apostles after sharing what might be called “tough love” so before going to Jerusalem Jesus shares a special glimpse  of “glory” on Mount Tabor, trying to assure them and us that in the end there will be a spectacular pay off if we just persevere along the Way!

  THE TRANSFIGURATION

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white…  And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, … While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them…Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” LUKE 9:28-36

CONCLUSION

Jesus  “did not cling to His divinity but emptied himself for us…. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,  of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

 In CHAPTER FIVE of THE STORY OF SALVATION I will take up Jesus’ Passion and Death

THE STORY OF SALVATION CHAPTER FIVE

THE STORY OF OUR SALVATION

THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS

 PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER

 When the day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the day for sacrificing the Passover lamb, Jesus sent out Peter and John, instructing them, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”LUKE 22:7

  Prior to Good Friday, there is Holy Thursday, celebration of the New Passover.  At Passover, deliverance from the slavery of the Egyptians is remembered.  At this Passover meal, Jesus, the lamb of God, proclaims a new Passover, the deliverance from sin and death.

 TAKE AND EAT; THIS IS MY BODY MATTHEW 26:26-30  

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”  Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN

In the Garden in Eden,  our first parents fell into sin.  Now there is a second Garden, Gethsemane, in the Mount of Olives.  Soon, mankind will be delivered from their sins.

 Jesus says to his apostles, “ Remain here and keep watch. My soul is sorrowful even to death; Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test”. Jesus goes apart a little to pray to His heavenly Father.  Every time Jesus returned from prayer he found his apostles asleep…Can you not watch with me!

Jesus returns to prayer, comforted by angels sent by the Father.  Jesus accepts His Mission from His Father, “not my will but thy will be done.” Jesus our Savior and Redeemer will deliver us from sin and death

.They came out to arrest Jesus like he was a robber, led by Judas his betrayer who betrayed him with a kiss.  Jesus showed no animosity to Judas but called him friend.  In chains they brought Jesus before the high priest where he was mocked, struck and spat upon

 Meanwhile in the high priest’s courtyard Peter denied he even knew Jesus three times before the cock crowed. Peter repented and wept bitterly.  The chief priests and elders condemned Jesus to death.

The Jewish leaders took Jesus before Pilate the Roman Governor because under Roman law the Jews had no right to carry out the death penalty. 

 The Roman Governor, Pilate, found no guilt in Jesus and tried to trade Jesus for another horrific revolutionary and murderer, Barabbas. Incited by the chief priests, the crowd cried out release Barabbas. Pilate feared the crowds, so he had Jesus scourged. 

 Meanwhile, Pilates’s wife had a dream that advised Pilate to have nothing to do with the fate of this innocent man.  But Pilate unlike St. Joseph foster father of Jesus ignored the inspiration of God to protect Jesus as Joseph had in his flight into Egypt.

 Once more, Pilate went out and said to crowd, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and a purple cloak. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!”  The chief priests and the guards cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

ECCE HOMO! BEHOLD THE MAN!

JOHN 19:1-6

 Still fearful of the crowd, but not wanting the blame, Pilate chose the ritual of washing his hands of this affair.  They cried out “let his blood be on us and our children” and so it was…

 There are many examples of irony here.  Jews are often accused of being “Christ killers” and have suffered the consequences for centuries.   We, of course know that while Jewish religious leaders may have been the occaision for Jesus’ death warrant, Jesus died to atone for the sins of the whole world.  Jesus redeems all of us.  His sacrificial blood washes over all…Jesus Christ Redeemer of the world!

 Jesus is led out to be crucified, carrying the crossbeam of the cross himself.  Because of the severe scourging at the pillar, Jesus soon falters and the soldiers force Simon who had just come into town from the country to assist. 

 At the place of the skulls (Calvary) where executions were frequently carried out, Jesus was stripped of his clothes, tearing the scourging wounds apart only increasing the pain.  The soldiers nailed his hands to the cross beam, attached the cross beam to the vertical beam already in place then nailed his precious feet recently washed with tears and hair of Mary of Bethany sister to Martha and Lazarus. The soldiers then cast lots for His discarded garments.

Jesus is mocked by those executed with him, the crowd, chief priests and elders. “He saved others; he cannot save himself.  Mark 15:29-39.  Jesus overcomes hate with love, death with his own life.  In some of His last words He continued to comfort and console his followers and us who follow Him today.

 “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:31; To the Good Thief who converted on the cross, “, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:40.  

 Before His death on the cross, Jesus looked on His mother and the disciple He loved and said, “Woman, behold, your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” John 19:25-27 

 Bowing His head Jesus exspired, “it is finished, and giving a loud cry, Father into your hands, I commend my spirit.” When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:37-39. 

The veil in the temple that divided the holy of holies from the people was torn in two; Jesus is the new temple of New Jerusalem.  God in the person of Jesus is now revealed to the whole world!

“They will look upon whom they have pierced…when I am lifted up, I will draw all things to me…who ever looks upon me and believes will be saved”

JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND BURIED

 Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Having bought a linen cloth, Joseph took Jesus down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 

 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid. Jesus descended to the dead to announce the good news…that  soon they will join Him in the exodus to eternal life…neither the tomb nor death will hold Jesus…He has conquered sin, and its sting, death…soon Jesus will rise in glory…!

 In CHAPTER SIX of THE STORY OF SALVATION I will take up JESUS KING OF GLORY