This week finishes our reading of Matthew's Gospel. You could argue that if you've read this much, then you've read enough - Jesus is the center of all our Christian Theology! This particular section represents 1/4 of Matthew's Gospel, yet primarily looks at only the last week of Jesus' life. Although the Gospel gives only little detail about Jesus' childhood, it obviously focuses great detail into Holy Week. I wanted to focus on something that almost no scholars can agree - putting a date to Jesus' life.
One of the facts considered by historians to be practically beyond dispute is that Jesus was executed on the orders of the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. We know that Pilate held this position from 26–36 AD. Since the Gospels tell us in detail that Nisan 14 fell on that Friday, 27, 30, and 33 AD are the major options. John P. Meier's "A Marginal Jew" cites 7 April 30 AD, 3 April 33 AD, and 30 March 36 AD as astronomically possible Friday Nisan 14 dates during Pilate's tenure in office. This is where I would like to start. The 14th of Nisan also implies that Jesus died at the time when the sacrificial lambs died. In the Gospel of Luke, it is stated that Jesus was "about 30 years old" when he was baptised by John the Baptist (the word "about" in Greek can mean "close to", "around", or "at least". Although it is a vague expression, I believe culturally it is referring to the fact that Jesus was "at least" 30 years old thus signifying that he was the required age to start a rabbinic ministry as a Jewish man.
Another fact to be considered is Luke's statement that John the Baptist's ministry began in the fifteenth year of the reign of emperor Tiberius (Luke 3:1-2). Tiberius' reign began after Augustus' death on 19 August 14 AD, placing John's appearance in 29AD. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John points to three separate Passovers during Jesus' ministry, which would favour 33 AD.
The use of astronomical evidence to estimate the year of the Crucifixion of Jesus has led to AD 33 by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. John Pratt argued that Newton's reasoning was effectively sound, but included a minor error at the end. Pratt suggested the year 33 AD as the accurate answer. Using similar computations, in 1990 astronomer Bradley Schaefer arrived at the same date, Friday, April 3 33 AD. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model (consistent with Apostle Peter's reference to a "moon of blood" in Acts 2:20) arrives at the same date, namely Friday April 3, AD 33. I support this date in my own research.
Since Jesus' birth, escape to Egypt, and life in Egypt (before his eventual return to Nazareth) all happened before the death of King Herod the Great (died 4 BC), we know that his birth was likely 6 BC or before. Of course there is still much speculation and debate about each of these numbers - but one thing I know for sure, numbers in the Bible always matter. They are never there just by chance. Things happen for a reason in God's timing!
Another important point: Perhaps knowing when the crucifixion happened is not as important as knowing that it is still happening! Christ's forgiveness for mankind was won on one particular day on a cross, but its application to sinners happens every day. Of course the resurrection works in much the same way - new life was given to all Jesus' followers.
Final important point: I love researching the timing of Jesus' life because it places Jesus into history...where he belongs. Jesus lived, died and rose again. He is not an idea or a philosophy. He is the Real Son of God! His place in history matters - besides, look how much attention Matthew gives just to his last week on this earth.
- Pastor Jim Mueller
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Matthew 15-21
Our chapters this week start with Pharisees coming from Jerusalem to confront Jesus on the Law of Moses (ch.15) and ends with Jesus entering Jerusalem in triumphant fashion to ultimately fulfill the Law of Moses (ch.21). Obviously a lot happens in between as well.
Ch.15 - This chapter is all about food. The Pharisees sound a lot like my grandmother. "Did you wash your hands? Did you just run the water or did you use soap? Did you sing Happy Birthday Song to make sure you sanitized enough?" Of course their reasoning is not so much about sanitation as about a ritual washing. Jesus changes the focus - do you care more about the outside or the inside (washing your hands vs. washing your heart). What do you think God focuses on? You then have Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite woman. She asks for crumbs from Israel's spiritual table (perhaps she knows her life does not make her worthy to even approach Jesus). Again, this discourse is not so much about physical food, but about spiritual food. Finally, the chapter ends with Jesus showing us the intimate connection between faith, food, and life - the feeding of the 4,000 (notice how the text counts the men but does not count the additional women and children). Perhaps we should call this the feeding of the 10,000!
Ch.16 - I'm a beer brewer and therefore I know that yeast is a powerful little organism. It makes things alive and helps them become something new. A slurry plus yeast becomes beer. Grape juice plus yeast becomes wine. Dough plus yeast becomes fast-rising bread. Jesus here talks about the difference between the leaven of the Jewish elite and the leaven that comes from the Kingdom of Heaven. Either one can take over your spiritual life and transform it.
Option 1: The Sadducees were the ruling elite. They were the priestly class of Jewish leaders, and therefore ran the temple and the sacrificial system. They cared more about ceremony and rituals than other Jewish groups. They also tended to ignore parts of the Hebrew Bible and were known at that time to have loose theology. Their group tended to deny the existence of eternal life.
The Pharisees were a reaction to the priestly class. They started the synagogues because they believed the priests had ignored the Hebrew Bible and needed to return to strict, Biblical teaching. They tended to be very law-oriented.
Although the Sanhedrin was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees, they rarely partner together - they don't see eye to eye. But here we see them partnering together to trap Jesus. This kind of yeast is subversive, damaging, and hateful.
Option 2: Jesus is providing an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. The new kingdom is breaking in - if you want to inhabit God's story, this is who you must follow. Christ is the foundation (see Peter's confession). Christ promises that nothing will overcome the church, not the powers of doubt, deception, or even death. This option requires God's grace and forgiveness - without them, this option is not possible.
Ch.17 - This chapter opens with the transfiguration. Focus on the words of v.5 - "This is my beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him." This voice echoes the voice that spoke at Jesus' Baptism. It is also an echo of what God said though Moses during his final sermon on the mount. God promises that although Moses would not enter the promised land, He would send His people another Prophet. Moses' last wish was that the people would listen to this new prophet when He came.
The chapter finishes with questions on paying taxes (I'm sure a very relevant topic in America today). Watch Jesus' approach with Peter. He sends him to do his former worldly task (fishing) to pay his worldly duty (finds a 4-drachma coin to pay his taxes).
Ch.18 - The wisdom of our world would tell us that the shepherd should forget that one missing sheep and chalk it up to a loss because that one sheep would not be worth the time he'd spend chasing it down. The arithmetic of heaven's value works differently. In God's economy, each soul has its own value apart from the others.
Focus also on Jesus' response to forgiveness in v.22 - it mirrors the story of Lamech (Adam and Eve's great-great-great-great grandson) in Genesis. He tells his two wives that because he killed a young man that had wounded him, he would be avenged 77 times. In Jesus' Kingdom, through forgiveness we reverse and inverse Lamech's plan. As Christians, Jesus suggests that we should forgive others' transgressions (70x7) more readily than the world would avenge them (77).
Ch.19 - The Pharisees all but grinned to themselves - divorce - the one topic that puts every religious teacher in a tangle. Also, Moses himself seemed to contradict the true teaching on the sanctity of marriage. What do you believe Jesus is saying, and how does this impact the place of marriage in our society?
Ch.20 - The part of the Gospel that is so welcoming to outsiders is also the part that is so offensive to current believers - God gives us all grace. The parable that starts this chapter shows us the tension. God is free to lavish his grace on anyone he pleases. If you feel jealous that someone has a nicer husband or wife, or that your brother works no harder than you and earns substantially more, or because your classmate has the intelligence of a sponge - then God's generosity will indeed undo all you have come to know and expect. Grace is scandalous because it is not fair or deserved!
Ch.21 - Palm Sunday - what does this mean for you?
- Pastor Jim
Ch.15 - This chapter is all about food. The Pharisees sound a lot like my grandmother. "Did you wash your hands? Did you just run the water or did you use soap? Did you sing Happy Birthday Song to make sure you sanitized enough?" Of course their reasoning is not so much about sanitation as about a ritual washing. Jesus changes the focus - do you care more about the outside or the inside (washing your hands vs. washing your heart). What do you think God focuses on? You then have Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite woman. She asks for crumbs from Israel's spiritual table (perhaps she knows her life does not make her worthy to even approach Jesus). Again, this discourse is not so much about physical food, but about spiritual food. Finally, the chapter ends with Jesus showing us the intimate connection between faith, food, and life - the feeding of the 4,000 (notice how the text counts the men but does not count the additional women and children). Perhaps we should call this the feeding of the 10,000!
Ch.16 - I'm a beer brewer and therefore I know that yeast is a powerful little organism. It makes things alive and helps them become something new. A slurry plus yeast becomes beer. Grape juice plus yeast becomes wine. Dough plus yeast becomes fast-rising bread. Jesus here talks about the difference between the leaven of the Jewish elite and the leaven that comes from the Kingdom of Heaven. Either one can take over your spiritual life and transform it.
Option 1: The Sadducees were the ruling elite. They were the priestly class of Jewish leaders, and therefore ran the temple and the sacrificial system. They cared more about ceremony and rituals than other Jewish groups. They also tended to ignore parts of the Hebrew Bible and were known at that time to have loose theology. Their group tended to deny the existence of eternal life.
The Pharisees were a reaction to the priestly class. They started the synagogues because they believed the priests had ignored the Hebrew Bible and needed to return to strict, Biblical teaching. They tended to be very law-oriented.
Although the Sanhedrin was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees, they rarely partner together - they don't see eye to eye. But here we see them partnering together to trap Jesus. This kind of yeast is subversive, damaging, and hateful.
Option 2: Jesus is providing an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. The new kingdom is breaking in - if you want to inhabit God's story, this is who you must follow. Christ is the foundation (see Peter's confession). Christ promises that nothing will overcome the church, not the powers of doubt, deception, or even death. This option requires God's grace and forgiveness - without them, this option is not possible.
Ch.17 - This chapter opens with the transfiguration. Focus on the words of v.5 - "This is my beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him." This voice echoes the voice that spoke at Jesus' Baptism. It is also an echo of what God said though Moses during his final sermon on the mount. God promises that although Moses would not enter the promised land, He would send His people another Prophet. Moses' last wish was that the people would listen to this new prophet when He came.
The chapter finishes with questions on paying taxes (I'm sure a very relevant topic in America today). Watch Jesus' approach with Peter. He sends him to do his former worldly task (fishing) to pay his worldly duty (finds a 4-drachma coin to pay his taxes).
Ch.18 - The wisdom of our world would tell us that the shepherd should forget that one missing sheep and chalk it up to a loss because that one sheep would not be worth the time he'd spend chasing it down. The arithmetic of heaven's value works differently. In God's economy, each soul has its own value apart from the others.
Focus also on Jesus' response to forgiveness in v.22 - it mirrors the story of Lamech (Adam and Eve's great-great-great-great grandson) in Genesis. He tells his two wives that because he killed a young man that had wounded him, he would be avenged 77 times. In Jesus' Kingdom, through forgiveness we reverse and inverse Lamech's plan. As Christians, Jesus suggests that we should forgive others' transgressions (70x7) more readily than the world would avenge them (77).
Ch.19 - The Pharisees all but grinned to themselves - divorce - the one topic that puts every religious teacher in a tangle. Also, Moses himself seemed to contradict the true teaching on the sanctity of marriage. What do you believe Jesus is saying, and how does this impact the place of marriage in our society?
Ch.20 - The part of the Gospel that is so welcoming to outsiders is also the part that is so offensive to current believers - God gives us all grace. The parable that starts this chapter shows us the tension. God is free to lavish his grace on anyone he pleases. If you feel jealous that someone has a nicer husband or wife, or that your brother works no harder than you and earns substantially more, or because your classmate has the intelligence of a sponge - then God's generosity will indeed undo all you have come to know and expect. Grace is scandalous because it is not fair or deserved!
Ch.21 - Palm Sunday - what does this mean for you?
- Pastor Jim
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Matthew 8-14
Matthew intentionally structured his Gospel around 5 sermons of Jesus. For any Jewish readers, this structure would resemble the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament. According to Matthew, the 5 sermons of Jesus complete the picture of Jesus as Lawgiver/Teacher. They don't replace the Law of Moses or the Torah, but his words do refine and complement God's instruction to the people of the New Covenant. Here are the 5 sermons that form the structure of the Gospel:
1. Matthew 5-7 - Sermon on the Mount
2. Matthew 10 - Instructions for disciples on a mission
3. Matthew 13 - Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven
4. Matthew 18 - Authentic Discipleship
5. Matthew 24-25 - Sermon on the Last Days
When Jesus taught, people were amazed and crowds gathered. Other rabbis taught with borrowed authority, but Jesus continually told the crowds that his message was not borrowed, and that his authority came from within himself. He even had the audacity to claim that his authority matched that of Scripture. For Matthew, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, the fulfillment of Scripture, the true Israel, the new Moses, and the new Lawgiver. But he's more than that - he is the one true God! Matthew paints this image of Jesus very beautifully in these chapters we read this week. Pay particular attention to his promise to bring about redemption and a new creation (mirroring Isaiah 40-66 in the Old Testament).
Read chapter 9 with particular care: what does Jesus do here? What does he have power over? What does this say about the struggles you have in your own life? If Jesus can conquer these struggles, what new creating can he do in your life? - Pastor Jim
1. Matthew 5-7 - Sermon on the Mount
2. Matthew 10 - Instructions for disciples on a mission
3. Matthew 13 - Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven
4. Matthew 18 - Authentic Discipleship
5. Matthew 24-25 - Sermon on the Last Days
When Jesus taught, people were amazed and crowds gathered. Other rabbis taught with borrowed authority, but Jesus continually told the crowds that his message was not borrowed, and that his authority came from within himself. He even had the audacity to claim that his authority matched that of Scripture. For Matthew, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, the fulfillment of Scripture, the true Israel, the new Moses, and the new Lawgiver. But he's more than that - he is the one true God! Matthew paints this image of Jesus very beautifully in these chapters we read this week. Pay particular attention to his promise to bring about redemption and a new creation (mirroring Isaiah 40-66 in the Old Testament).
Read chapter 9 with particular care: what does Jesus do here? What does he have power over? What does this say about the struggles you have in your own life? If Jesus can conquer these struggles, what new creating can he do in your life? - Pastor Jim
Monday, May 3, 2010
Hosanna - New Testament in a Year
Hosanna - New Testament in a Year
Each week we will read the corresponding sections of the New Testament.
Week Starting Biblical Section
5.02.10 Matthew 1-7
5.09.10 Matthew 8-14
5.16.10 Matthew 15-21
5.23.10 Matthew 22-28
5.30.10 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
6.06.10 James, Jude
6.13.10 1 Peter, 2 Peter
6.20.10 Romans 1-8
6.27.10 Romans 9-16
7.04.10 Mark 1-8
7.11.10 Mark 9-16
7.18.10 Galatians
7.25.10 Ephesians
8.01.10 Colossians, Philemon
8.08.10 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians
8.15.10 Luke 1-8
8.22.10 Luke 8-16
8.29.10 Luke 17-24
9.05.10 Acts 1-7
9.12.10 Acts 8-14
9.19.10 Acts 15-21
9.26.10 Acts 22-28
10.03.10 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy
10.10.10 Titus, Hebrews 1-5
10.17.10 Hebrews 6-13
10.24.10 1 Corinthians 1-8
10.31.10 1 Corinthians 9-16
11.07.10 2 Corinthians 1-8
11.14.10 2 Corinthians 9-13, Philippians
11.21.10 Revelation 1-7
11.28.10 Revelation 8-15
12.05.10 Revelation 16-22
12.12.10 John 1-7
12.19.10 John 8-14
12.26.10 John 9-21
Each week we will read the corresponding sections of the New Testament.
Week Starting Biblical Section
5.02.10 Matthew 1-7
5.09.10 Matthew 8-14
5.16.10 Matthew 15-21
5.23.10 Matthew 22-28
5.30.10 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
6.06.10 James, Jude
6.13.10 1 Peter, 2 Peter
6.20.10 Romans 1-8
6.27.10 Romans 9-16
7.04.10 Mark 1-8
7.11.10 Mark 9-16
7.18.10 Galatians
7.25.10 Ephesians
8.01.10 Colossians, Philemon
8.08.10 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians
8.15.10 Luke 1-8
8.22.10 Luke 8-16
8.29.10 Luke 17-24
9.05.10 Acts 1-7
9.12.10 Acts 8-14
9.19.10 Acts 15-21
9.26.10 Acts 22-28
10.03.10 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy
10.10.10 Titus, Hebrews 1-5
10.17.10 Hebrews 6-13
10.24.10 1 Corinthians 1-8
10.31.10 1 Corinthians 9-16
11.07.10 2 Corinthians 1-8
11.14.10 2 Corinthians 9-13, Philippians
11.21.10 Revelation 1-7
11.28.10 Revelation 8-15
12.05.10 Revelation 16-22
12.12.10 John 1-7
12.19.10 John 8-14
12.26.10 John 9-21
Matthew 1-7
This week we're opening up the Bible in a Year Blog. We're starting with Matthew 1-7 until we finally finish the New Testament in late December 2010. Then, on to the O.T.
It is fitting that the Gospel of Matthew is the first of the NT because it was the favorite (or most wide spread) Gospel of the early Christians. Since the first disciples were all Jewish, Matthew sought to prove that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Matthew, more than any other Gospel writer, found Jesus' Messiahship in random and important places where Jewish people would know to look:
1. Genealogy - Greek converts might not care if a NT verse fulfills OT Scripture because they don't hold OT Scripture as authoritative. But to a Jewish listener, fulfillment of the OT Scriptures is a necessity for Jesus as Messiah.
2. Titles - King, Messiah, Savior, "God with us", etc. - all are significant in their Jewish context.
3. Numerology - Parallels between 12 Tribes and 12 Disciples, or 40 years wandering in desert and Jesus' 40 days of fasting before Temptation are all significant.
4. Fulfilled prophesies - As you begin to read this Gospel, look for the amazing number of OT Bible verses that are quoted and referenced in the middle or bottom of your reference Bible's pages.
You are welcome to read the chapters assigned this week on a daily basis (one chapter per day) or in one big chunk. You can even read ahead if you like. But be sure to focus in on the key themes in this week's readings - they cover over 30 years of Jesus' life very quickly.
Ch. 1-2 Genealogy & Christmas Birth Story
Ch. 3-4 Jesus' Baptism & Temptation
Ch. 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount
Pray that God would speak to you through your reading and feel free to comment here on your thoughts and questions. - Pastor Jim
It is fitting that the Gospel of Matthew is the first of the NT because it was the favorite (or most wide spread) Gospel of the early Christians. Since the first disciples were all Jewish, Matthew sought to prove that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Matthew, more than any other Gospel writer, found Jesus' Messiahship in random and important places where Jewish people would know to look:
1. Genealogy - Greek converts might not care if a NT verse fulfills OT Scripture because they don't hold OT Scripture as authoritative. But to a Jewish listener, fulfillment of the OT Scriptures is a necessity for Jesus as Messiah.
2. Titles - King, Messiah, Savior, "God with us", etc. - all are significant in their Jewish context.
3. Numerology - Parallels between 12 Tribes and 12 Disciples, or 40 years wandering in desert and Jesus' 40 days of fasting before Temptation are all significant.
4. Fulfilled prophesies - As you begin to read this Gospel, look for the amazing number of OT Bible verses that are quoted and referenced in the middle or bottom of your reference Bible's pages.
You are welcome to read the chapters assigned this week on a daily basis (one chapter per day) or in one big chunk. You can even read ahead if you like. But be sure to focus in on the key themes in this week's readings - they cover over 30 years of Jesus' life very quickly.
Ch. 1-2 Genealogy & Christmas Birth Story
Ch. 3-4 Jesus' Baptism & Temptation
Ch. 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount
Pray that God would speak to you through your reading and feel free to comment here on your thoughts and questions. - Pastor Jim
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