Journaling in Matthew 1-4

My first year in college, I was required to take a course in New Testament History. As part of the homework for this class, I had to read through and comment on sections of the New Testament. Below are some of my summaries of and reflections on the first four chapters of Matthew:

Matthew 1: The beginning chapter of his Gospel; Here Matthew introduces his readers to the person of Jesus Christ through the use of a genealogy, not only tying the focus of his book (Jesus) directly to the Old Testament, but also setting up a foundation for the rest of his Gospel, which shows how Jesus acted as a fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David. Matthew continues Jesus’ genealogy with a quick (not even ten verses!) account of the birth of Christ.

Personally, I enjoy this part of Matthew, as it reminds me that God will always fulfill His promises, even if it takes a long time for them to come to pass.

Matthew 2: In this chapter, Matthew elaborates on the consequential events Jesus’ birth. Some time after He was born, wise men from the east come to worship Jesus as the king of the Jews. Once Herod discovers this, he tries to trick the Magi into revealing to him the location of the young Christ. However, the wise men are warned by an angel about Herod’s intent, and so deny him the chance to murder the child Jesus. After Herod is outwitted, orders that all boys aged two and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem be killed.

I enjoy this chapter because it reminds me that God will always protect and provide for His chosen vessels of His will in this world. Matthew also shows how the events surrounding the birth of Christ fulfilled three direct prophecies by the Old Testament prophets.

Matthew 3: In this chapter, Matthew jumps far ahead to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when He was around the age of thirty. Although John the Baptist initially tries to talk Jesus out of being baptized, Jesus remains firm in His intent. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, showing the Father's approval and the unity of the Trinity in Christ's life and work; this event thus signifies the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

When I read this chapter, I always like to pause over the mystery of exactly why Jesus chose to be baptized when He was already completely sinless: "to fulfill all righteousness." Regardless of why Jesus was baptized, He still set up an important standard for us as Christians to follow.

Matthew 4: After being baptized, Jesus travels out into the wilderness for over a month, fasting and enduring temptation from Satan. After forty days of this, the devil personally tempts Jesus to: 1) rely on Himself, rather than His Father, 2) prove His divinity and anointment by testing the providence of God, and 3) worship the created (Satan) instead of the Creator as a shortcut to the rule of God on earth. Confronted with each of these temptations--some coming as a twisted interpretation of Scripture!--Jesus steadily holds firm to the revealed word of God as His encouragement, His warning, and His instruction.

Just as Christ submitted to Scripture in resisting and rejecting the temptations to sin, so too should we. In all four of these chapters, the Old Testament is quoted, either to show the fulfillment of its prophecies, show how the New Testament is a continuation of Old, or to show its usages. The Old Testament was relevant to the early church, and it is relevant to us now.

Commentary on John 1:2-3a

Another semester, another Greek class. I am already enjoying the homework in particular for this one. This semester, my classmates and I each have to translate the first chapter of John's Gospel, verse by verse. We even get to examine verbs and diagram some of the sentences! That aside, after my teacher diagrammed the first verse in class, he paused for a minute to elaborate on how the sentence structure revealed the emphasis of John's thinking as expressed in his writing. Since then, as I have been translating the rest of my Greek assignment, I have constantly been writing down my thoughts and commentaries on these verses. Below is my translation of these first nine verses, and my exegetical teaching on the second and third verses:

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through Him all things were made, and without Him not even one thing was made. What came into being ⁴ by him was life, and the life was the light of men; ⁵ and the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:1-5, personal translation from the Greek)

Verse 2: "He was with God in the beginning." This verse repeats and emphasizes what was in the previous verse; although the Word was God, it was also distinct from God. Although the Word possessed the qualities and nature of God, it was still somehow apart from God. This is a concept relating to the Trinity--each Person of the Trinity is God, but each Person is also distinct from each other. By repeating that the Word was with God in the beginnging, John continued to attract the attention of his Jewish readers. Additionally, by saying that the Word was in the beginning, John was repeating that the Word was present at creation in Genesis 1 with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:1-2) and that the Word was therefore existant before the creation of the world. Again, if the Word was before the created universe, then it must have been uncreated--it must have been eternally co-existant with God.

Verse 3a: "Through Him all things were made, and without Him not even one thing was made." Again, John continues to compare and contrast how the Word was God and yet distinct from God. Even though the Word is distinct from God (as shown in the previous verse), John is claiming that He possesses the same attributes as God--namely, His creative power. As a matter of fact, John is stating that 'the Word' is what brought the entire creation into existence. Now, John is not saying that the Word (God the Son) created the universe, instead of God the Father, but that the Father used the Son to create the world (since the Word was with Him in the beginning); that is why John uses the word "through" in this verse. John also contiues to speak to his Jewish audience here; any Jew reading this would have been extremely familiar with how God created the universe with only His words--here, John is adding an entire new dimension to Gen. 1 by claiming that the words God used to fashion everything were actually the Word, through which the Father excercised His tremendous creative power.

To help you grasp this concept, imagine God the Father is like a painter carefully deciding how to begin His artwork. A painter possesses the artistic skill, and can express it directly (such as painting with his fingers), or indirectly (such as through a tool). The Father chose to use the Son as the means through which He created the world, instead of directly creating by Himself. This is similar to how a painter can chose to use a paintbrush to design a work of art, instead of expressing himself directly with his fingers. While this analogy is limited, it gets accross the point I am trying to make from John's Gospel: the Father and the Son had equal roles in the creation of the universe. (Yes, the Spirit also had a role that was just as important, but the Son's role in creation is the focus of this verse.) Here, John was giving clarification to the role that the Son played in Genesis; in the foundation of the New Testament, he was shedding light on the beginning of the Old Testament. Isn't it just incredible how the word of God comes together?

What Did Jesus Ever Do for You?

Earlier this semester, I was reading my Bible after breakfast. As I was reading, I came accross Luke 8:26-39, the story where Jesus drives out demons from a man into a herd of pigs. You are probably familar with this story, but in case you are not, I will relate it:

After Jesus demonstrated His divine power over nature by calming a storm, He and His disciples landed at the region of the Gerasenes. There, Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man. The demons dwelling within this man were completely scared of who Christ was, and begged Him to not torture them. Instead of commanding the demons to go into the Bottomless Pit, Jesus allowed the demons to flee into a herd of pigs that were grazing close by. Later, the people from a nearby city came and discovered the once-demon-possessed man calmly sitting next to Jesus. Out of fear for the power that Jesus wielded, the townspeople asked Him to leave. As Jesus was leaving, the man that He had saved from the demons wanted to come with Him--he begged to follow Jesus. So of course Jesus allowed him to come along, right? Wrong.

This might not make sense at first--after all, why would Christ reject a ready and willing disciple? Here was Jesus' reason: "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." Note, that Jesus was not rejecting a willing disciple, He was rejecting the man's intention. God's plan was different from the man's, and God corrected the man. This formerly demon-possessed man thus went out and told all over town what Jesus had done for him. He wasn't just satisfied with telling his family--he needed to get out and tell as many people as possible about what God had done for him and how He had saved him. This is something that we can all learn: God may not want all of us to actively witness to people in other countries--sometimes, He may want us to stay at home and actively witness to our neighbors. Regardless, we are all called to tell others of what God has done in our personal lives.

So--what about you? What has Jesus ever done for you? And how many people in your town have you told?

Commentary on John 1:1

Another semester, another Greek class. I am already enjoying the homework in particular for this one. This semester, my classmates and I each have to translate the first chapter of John's Gospel, verse by verse. We even get to examine verbs and diagram some of the sentences! That aside, after he diagrammed the first verse in class, my teacher paused for a minute to elaborate on how the sentence structure revealed the emphasis of John's thinking as expressed in his writing. Since then, as I have been translating the rest of my Greek assignment, I have constantly been writing down my thoughts and commentaries on these verses. Below is my translation of these first nine verses, and my exegetical teaching on the first verse:

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through Him all things were made, and without Him not even one thing was made. What came into being ⁴ by him was life, and the life was the light of men; ⁵ and the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

 ⁶ There came a man, having been sent from God; his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness in order that he might bear witness about the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came in order that he might witness about the light. ⁹ The true light which enlightens all men was coming into the world. (John 1:1-9, personal translation from the Greek)

Verse 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Something I noticed here is how John treats the concept of 'the Word' (the pre-incarnate Jesus): "In the beginning was the Word." John is saying that the Word existed at the beginning of time and creation itself. Obviously, if "the Word" existed before creation, then it must have not been created, and John must be using it as a figure of speech for God, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, because logic dictates that the Word must be God, and the fact that it existed before creation illustrates that it possessed the divine attributes of eternal existence and timelessness. No, because John goes on to say that "...and the Word was with God..." ...What? If the Word existed before creation, then it must not have been created by God. If it was not created by God, then it must have been God, since God created all things. So why is John saying that the Word was with God, instead of saying that the Word was God?

Well, we need to look at the bigger picture: John immediately goes on to say that "...and the Word was God." So this resolves the question, right? No; it only compounds it! After all, John just said that the Word was with God, meaning it was somehow co-eternal with God and yet somehow distinct! But John then says that the Word was God, indicating that even though the Word was distinct from God, it was still God! How can the reader reconcile this seemingly opposite statements? First, realize that John was saying this: that although the Word was a separate person from God, it (or rather He) still possessed the characteristics and nature of God. So the pre-incarnate Christ possessed the divine attribute of eternality and timelessness, and so existed in the beginning, and yet could be with God (the person, in the form of the Father) while still being God, or rather, having the nature of God.

Additionally, the Word (Jesus) is not only equated with and distincted from God, but John also repeats the language of Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning...") to evoke a better understanding to his readers, especially his Jewish audience. Also of interest to his Jewish readers, John uses the term "the Word was..." three times; saying something three times in Hebrew thought was to give it the utmost importance, similar to how in Isaiah 6, the seraphs proclaimed "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." This shows how the concept of the Word's divinity and personhood was the center of John's focus and thinking here, establishing the premise of his entire Gospel, almost like a thesis statement for a paper.

It's strange to think of it as such, but imagine it like this: John 1:1 is distillation of John's entire teaching about and defense of Jesus: Jesus Christ is God! All of the rest of John's entire Gospel is about proving and supporting this sole statement. This includes the ministry of Jesus, the miraculous signs and wonders he enacted, and the incredible sacrifice that He ultimately made to satisfy His own divine wrath and love. Truely, this is a powerful verse to begin the Good News about Christ--and think about the consequences if this doctrine--Jesus is God--was forgotten, ignored, or just plain rejected in the church! After all, if Jesus were not considered God, then "we are of all people most to be pitied." (1 Cor. 15:18-20, NIV) Upon this truth all of Christianity--the salvation of the elect--hinges, and it is truely this--Jesus is God!

P.S. --Something else that struck me in this verse was how "the word was" is a bit similar to Jesus' statements of "I am." While I don't know if the two have any relation to each other (especially considering the emphasis of Jesus' divinity in the Gospel of John), it still made me think about the matter.

Choking Hazard

The other day, I was reading in my Bible, and I came accross these words: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Luke 6:43-45, NIV)

That got me started thinking--the condition of my heart determines what my words are. Actions might speak louder than words, but words reveal what's in our hearts. So, what are my words? What do I talk about? If someone were to listen in on a conversation with one of my friends, what would they walk away with? Would that person say "Gee, that young man is a dedicated Christian"? Or would they say this instead?--"Man, I just don't know about him. I think he's a Christian, but I also think that he's got his priorities mixed up. He's having his faith choked out of him by the weeds of this world, and he doesn't even know it."

In addition to reading the passage above, I also read this section immediately following: "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." (Luke 6:46-49, NIV)

That also got me thinking: am I being that sort of hypocrite that Jesus is describing? Do I say "Lord, Lord," and not follow what God tells me to do? Am I being torn between God and this world, instead of fully belonging to God? Am I not putting into practice the words I have heard God speak to me? Am I praying one thing, but really doing the opposite of that?Do I fully realize the danger I am in, if I really am a hearer instead of a doer? Jesus described the the destruction of that house as "complete". Can I afford to ignore that?

O Lord, help me to avoid the choking power of weeds of this world and to continually focus on you. Give me the strength to give up the temporary things of this world (no matter how painful), and to instead work for the eternal things of the next world. In Jesus' name, amen.

Journaling in Genesis 1-3

This last year in college, I took an Old Testament History class. As part of the homework for this class, I had to read through and comment on sections of the Old Testament. Below are some of my summaries of and reflections on the first three chapters of Genesis:

Gen. 1—God creates the entire universe and all that is in it over a period of six literal days, during which He demonstrates thoughtful planning and the intention of setting an example for the human race to emulate (ruling over creation on earth). Ultimately, He finishes His ex niliho creative acts by carefully crafting Adam out of the dirt (as compared to merely speaking him into existence) and breathing “the breath of life” into him.

Gen. 2—The account of the creation week begun in Chapter 1 is finished, ending with the establishment of the 6-day workweek and the day of rest. The chapter then goes into greater detail about the sixth day (before plants had become widespread) and describes the Garden of Eden and its location. God gives Adam His one command and later brings the animals to Adam to show him his need for a partner like himself. After Adam realizes that he is alone, God creates from him Eve, and brings her to him for the purpose of marriage. Chapter 2 ends with a declaration of the perfect state of the creation up to that point (by emphasizing the nature of the relationship between the man and his wife), thus setting up a sharp contrast for Chapter 3.

Gen. 3—The chapter begins in the Garden of Eden with the spontaneous appearance of Satan (as a snake), who craftily tempts Eve into crossing the boundaries that God set for her. Unfortunately, Adam follows her into sin, destroying their relationship with God and corrupting their innocent nature. (Note: Just because Adam was with Eve at the time of her temptation, yet did nothing to stop her, does not necessarily indicate a pre-sin failure to be there for Eve when she needed him. Adam could have simply stood aside so as to let Eve make her own choice, similar to what God did with Adam and Eve.) After drawing a confession out of the man and woman, God punishes them for their sin, banishing them from the garden. Despite this, God gave mankind a ray of hope, in that the Seed of Eve will eventually conquer Satan.