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Episodes
Saturday Dec 31, 2016
Saturday Dec 31, 2016
Part 81 - John 19:16
Who is involved?
The discussions, bordering on arguments, between Jesus and Pilate come in two sets of three each. In both of them Pilate moves in and out of his palace in a quite extraordinary way. One would expect a Roman governor, lord of all in that area, to require people to come to him rather than him going to them. But it is not so in this case. Such was the power and authority that Jesus wielded.
So, in 18: 28 - 40 Pilate ‘came out’ in v29; ‘went back inside’ v33; ‘went out again’ v38. In 19: 4 - 13 he ‘’came out’ v4; ‘went back inside’ v8; and finally ‘he brought Jesus out’ for judgement v13.
All that is very clearly laid out to get our attention - to two things in particular. The first is that we should see that neither the Jews, that is the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem at that particular time, nor Pilate, as the representative Gentile non-Jew, was exclusively responsible for the condemnation and death of Jesus. John has sometimes been accused of laying the blame for what happened on the Jews and that has contributed to the persecution of Jewish peoples at certain times throughout history - some of which still goes on. This is clearly very unjust. John could not have laid out the sequence of what happened more clearly to show that although Pilate was acting as a tool of the Jews he did not need to do so and would not have done so if he could have avoided the serious political blackmail he was subject to.
The second thing John would have us see is what he emphasizes at the centre, the focal point, of his account. In 19: 1 - 3 we read: “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’”. Jesus is king. But not the sort of king we, and they, expected him to be. It is all in very conscious imitation of Isaiah 53, where we read, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. … he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. … He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
All of which John must have had in mind as he wrote his description of the suffering servant king. It is strange, but clearly deliberate, that up to this point John has said very little about the kingship of Jesus and about the kingdom, so very unlike the other three Gospel-writers. He makes up for it at this point.
This is who we follow and serve: this totally unique figure, the great King of all creation, the servant of all mankind, the bruised and bleeding one.
Stop. Think. Wonder.
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Friday Dec 30, 2016
Friday Dec 30, 2016
Friday Prayers
Christmas Dinner prayer of Martin Luther...
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make yourself a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for You.
My heart for very joy does leap,
My lips no more can silence keep,
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient song,
Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who to man His Son has given
While angels sing with pious mirth.
A glad new year to all the earth!
Amen
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Thursday Dec 29, 2016
Thursday Dec 29, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 11
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at the shepherds. Today we look at the visit of the Magi or Wise Men from Matthew 2:1-18. These learned men encountered angels, the earthly king Herod as well as the King they were seeking - Jesus!
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Wednesday Dec 28, 2016
Wednesday Dec 28, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 10
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at Jesus' father, Joseph. Today we look at the shepherds from Luke 2:8-20. These ordinary men who encountered angels and the baby Jesus!
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Tuesday Dec 27, 2016
Tuesday Dec 27, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 9
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at Jesus' mother, Mary. Today we look at His father, Joseph from Matthew 1:1-17. Come on in to find out a little more about this quiet man!
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Monday Dec 26, 2016
Monday Dec 26, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 8
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at Jesus and His birth. Today we look at His mother, Mary from Luke 1:26-38. Come on in to find out!
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Sunday Dec 25, 2016
Sunday Dec 25, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 7
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at what two people from the Old Testament, Isaiah and Zechariah, said about the birth and mission of Jesus! Today we look at the events concerning Jesus' birth as cconveyed to us in Matthew and Luke. Come on in to find out!
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Saturday Dec 24, 2016
Saturday Dec 24, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 6
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we completed our look at Jesus the Dying King - succumbing to death! Today we go back to centuries before Jesus was actually born. We look at what two people, Isaiah and Zechariah, centuries before Jesus' actual birth, had to say about this most extraordinary man of all human history. Come on in to find out!
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Friday Dec 23, 2016
Friday Dec 23, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 5
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we started looking at Jesus the Dying King - succumbing to death! Today we keep on that theme and ask ourselves what has that to do with us as humans? Certainly, we ask ourselves what does it have to with Christmas? Come on in to find out!
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Thursday Dec 22, 2016
Thursday Dec 22, 2016
Christmas 2016
Jesus Now! Part 4
Welcome to our Christmas 2016 series, we are doing something different! We are looking at Christmas through the consequences of Jesus' birth - from the reigning King back to His birth and beyond!
Last time we looked at Jesus the Risen King - conquering and overcoming death! Today we keep looking back at Jesus, this time Jesus as the dying King - succumbing to death. Why did Jesus die? What were the circumstances surrounding His death? What has that to do with Christmas? Come on in to find out!
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