Prepare the way of the Lord
There is a real danger that we are so familiar with John the Baptist fulfilling Isaiah 40:3 that we lose sight of the staggering implication this has for Jesus.
So France comments:
New Testament
The kingdom of God
R T France is characteristically helpful as he discusses what the phrase "kingdom of God" (Mark and Luke) or "kingdom of heaven" (Matthew) means:
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3 thoughts on opposition
Jesus warns the 12, as he sends them out in Matthew 10, that if they speak to others of him they will be opposed. The warning is given in the context of their mission during Jesus' earthly ministry, but many of the details in there make fuller sense in the period after his ascension. Jesus taught them with the deliberate intention of preparing them for more than just that one mission, and Matthew recorded those words with the Great Commission at the end of his gospel in mind.
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Oxen and Mangers
Jesus... born in a manger.
From Peter Leithart's blog post entitled "Oxen and Mangers"
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
Many of us have been taught many times over that the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh pointed respectively to Jesus royalty, his priestly role or his divinity, and his forthcoming death and burial.
R T France would caution us here, and helpfully allows the rest of the Bible to tell us what they signify. Letting Scripture interpret Scripture is always a far safer bet than guessing or importing symbols from elsewhere. So here is what he suggests:
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Follow that star tonight
Helpful words from R T France on the visit of the Magi. The star's role changes as they leave Jerusalem for the final leg of their journey to Bethlehem:
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Unlocking the letter of James
God willing (* see James 4:15) I will be speaking on an "Unlocking the Bible" weekend at Otford Manor, the fine home of the fine Oak Hall Expeditions, next weekend (November 18-20).
The Highest Place
Next Sunday falls as part of a week off for us, so we won't be at Kemsing or Woodlands churches.
The week after is 30th October. For a couple of years now, we've taken the opportunity that comes around four times a year (the fifth Sunday of the month) to have one joint service for both churches. In the main they've been happy celebrations, and the aim is always to worship the one Lord Jesus Christ, and to remind ourselves that the gospel which unites us is far stronger than any cultural, geographical, or ecclesiastical-taste differences we might have.
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Jesus' amazing example
Yesterday, I quote from John Stott on the Sermon on Matthew 5:38-48. It may seem impossible that we live in the way Jesus teaches.
Here is Stott again:
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Turn the other cheek
John Stott, in his magnificent commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, makes these remarks on 5:38-48:
“Our duty to individuals who wrong us is not retaliation, but the acceptance of injustice without revenge or redress.” (page 105)
Jesus then gives 4 example of what this looks like in practice.
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