In the book of John, Jesus sort of gave us a preview of what Holy Week was about. Furthermore, he gave us insight into what his death would accomplish, and also a preview of His purpose. John 12: 23 -36 reads as follows:
“And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them (ESV Bible)."
Of course, these things that Jesus said in the previous verses, he said much more in advance to when they actually happened in his lifetime here on Earth; however, it is interesting that even now many years after his Crucifixion and Resurrection took place we can see how he forewarned the events. Moreover, we can learn much from His advice in the verses when he said: “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
What light is it that Jesus was talking about? Well, just a few chapters before, Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus one night, and he said the following in John 3:19-21:
"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God (ESV Bible)."
All that I have to say in closing is, “walk in the light.”
Reference:
ESV Bible
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
The Great Commission
After his resurrection, Jesus stayed around on the planet for about 40 days before his ascension, of which most of us have read about in Acts 1:9 which reads as follows:
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”
Of course, during his last days on Earth, Jesus interacted with his disciples in conversation to an extent. One of the last things that Jesus said to his disciples is found in Mathew 28:18-20, and it is what is called the Great Commission, it reads as follows:
"...All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
What was Jesus talking about? Basically, he was talking about evangelism; however, he was saying to make copies of what they were, since they were also disciples. Therefore, he was saying to go and train others in the same fashion that he had trained them. This message is very simple to understand. He closed saying: “I am with you always, to the end of the age." In the Greek, he was saying until the entire completion of the world basically. I do not believe that the end of the age has arrived yet, so these working orders must be continued until that time. I will stop writing here, and let your thoughts on the matter take over at this point.
Reference:
ESV Bible
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”
Of course, during his last days on Earth, Jesus interacted with his disciples in conversation to an extent. One of the last things that Jesus said to his disciples is found in Mathew 28:18-20, and it is what is called the Great Commission, it reads as follows:
"...All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
What was Jesus talking about? Basically, he was talking about evangelism; however, he was saying to make copies of what they were, since they were also disciples. Therefore, he was saying to go and train others in the same fashion that he had trained them. This message is very simple to understand. He closed saying: “I am with you always, to the end of the age." In the Greek, he was saying until the entire completion of the world basically. I do not believe that the end of the age has arrived yet, so these working orders must be continued until that time. I will stop writing here, and let your thoughts on the matter take over at this point.
Reference:
ESV Bible
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Does what we eat defile us?
Does what we eat defile us? Jesus had some thoughts on that subject that I thought were very interesting. One day some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and in Mathew 15:2 said:
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat."
Jesus responded in Mathew 15:11 saying:
"it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."
Jesus explained himself in Mathew 15:17-20 by saying:
"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."
I don’t really think Jesus was saying that we should not try to eat healthy in these passages, I am pretty sure he was saying that we should be more careful about what we speak. I hope you enjoyed the analysis.
Reference:
ESV Bible
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat."
Jesus responded in Mathew 15:11 saying:
"it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."
Jesus explained himself in Mathew 15:17-20 by saying:
"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."
I don’t really think Jesus was saying that we should not try to eat healthy in these passages, I am pretty sure he was saying that we should be more careful about what we speak. I hope you enjoyed the analysis.
Reference:
ESV Bible
Monday, January 9, 2012
Happy 2012 and Prayer Requests
I just want to wish everyone a very happy new year! I truly hope that 2012 is pleasant or at least tolerable for everyone. I know that life can be very diverse all over this planet. Many times much economic disparity exists depending on the region one lives. Many times we can also be very well off financially, but we may have other needs that are perhaps emotional or spiritual. Sometimes we are well in many areas of our lives, but we are not well physically. Sometimes we are well, but we have friends or relatives that have special needs relevant to some of the things I just mentioned. For some reason, I wanted to start a prayer request posting for this year. So, if there is something you may want to pray about feel free to write me or just post a comment on the blog, and I will try to tell most of my friends to lift us all up in prayers this year. If for some reason you do not want to post a comment, you can also email me at the following address: moisesarango@gmail.com. Once again, I wish for everyone to have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2012. May God bless everyone!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
O Little Town of Bethlehem
The following is a bit of background information on the Christmas Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
“Rector Phillips Brooks (1835-1903) of Philadelphia, wrote the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was inspired by the view of Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine especially at night time hence the lyrics of O Little Town of Bethlehem. His church organist Lewis Redner (1831-1908) wrote the melody to O Little Town of Bethlehem for the Sunday school children's choir (www.carols.org.uk/).”
The lyrics to it are as follows:
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
Why Bethlehem?
Mathew 2:1 reads: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem (ESV Bible).”
Now, about 700 years before Jesus was born, the Prophet Micah wrote the following:
Micah 5:2 (5:1) “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days (JPS Tanakh).”
Personally, I think the foregoing is interesting, but then again that’s just me. Either way, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas whether you celebrate it or not.
References:
ESV Bible
JPS Tanakh
Carols.org.uk. “O little town of Bethlehem.”
http://www.carols.org.uk/o_little_town_of_bethlehem.htm
“Rector Phillips Brooks (1835-1903) of Philadelphia, wrote the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was inspired by the view of Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine especially at night time hence the lyrics of O Little Town of Bethlehem. His church organist Lewis Redner (1831-1908) wrote the melody to O Little Town of Bethlehem for the Sunday school children's choir (www.carols.org.uk/).”
The lyrics to it are as follows:
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
Why Bethlehem?
Mathew 2:1 reads: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem (ESV Bible).”
Now, about 700 years before Jesus was born, the Prophet Micah wrote the following:
Micah 5:2 (5:1) “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days (JPS Tanakh).”
Personally, I think the foregoing is interesting, but then again that’s just me. Either way, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas whether you celebrate it or not.
References:
ESV Bible
JPS Tanakh
Carols.org.uk. “O little town of Bethlehem.”
http://www.carols.org.uk/o_little_town_of_bethlehem.htm
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The Goats and the Sheep
In Mathew 25:31-46, Jesus is speaking and he says:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. ‘And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (ESV Bible).”
The previous quote also appears to be in some way relevant to Ezekiel 34:17 which said:
"And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, even the rams and the he- goats (JPS Tanakh)."
I will not even try to interpret this for you. I am just posting it so you have the opportunity to read it and decide for yourself what you think.
References:
ESV Bible
JPS Tanakh
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. ‘And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (ESV Bible).”
The previous quote also appears to be in some way relevant to Ezekiel 34:17 which said:
"And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, even the rams and the he- goats (JPS Tanakh)."
I will not even try to interpret this for you. I am just posting it so you have the opportunity to read it and decide for yourself what you think.
References:
ESV Bible
JPS Tanakh
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Happy Third Anniversary!
Happy anniversary to you, happy anniversary to you, happy anniversary dear blog…. Happy Anniversary to you, and many more…. Well, it is the third anniversary for this blog, and I hope that any of you out there that have stopped by to read have enjoyed it. If you have stopped by, and never read any of the various topics that I have covered on here than I hope someday soon you have the time to read. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy your cyber stop, and may God bless you. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by.
Sincerely,
Mo
Sincerely,
Mo
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