Post by Admin on Jan 25, 2019 6:41:46 GMT
We will read one passage with a story about James, and conclude by learning his ultimate fate. These are from the New King James edition.
Luke 9
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Acts 12
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Here is a little elaboration on Jesus sending messengers to the village of Samaritans, from a sermon by Geoff Thomas, “Jesus was Ready, Resolute, Rejected, and Rebuking.”
Notice here in our text, we are told that he planned to visit a village in Samaria and so “he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him” (v.52). That is quite fascinating. He could turn up in that place unannounced, and he could say to the people of that village what he said to the winds and waves, “Peace be still,” and their Samaritan resentment at this Jewish invasion would all disappear, and those lions would have become lambs. However, that is not how Jesus worked then; it is not how he works now. Jesus sent messengers on to talk to the chief rulers of that village and tell them who was going to come, how many of them, why they were coming, what they were going to do, healing the sick and cleansing lepers and giving sight to the blind and teaching them the message of the kingdom of God.
It is the great calling that we have in this 21st century to prepare people for an encounter with Jesus. We are thoughtful and sensitive to their prejudices and the ignorance they have about the faith. Jesus prepares them by sending us to befriend them, to talk to them and to explain things to them, to defuse the situation of a possible explosion of resentment and anger.
Imagine if we lived in an area where there was a huge immigration of Muslims and Hindus. You have to talk to them, and be a good neighbor, you pay your debts to them, and you remove any stumbling blocks that would prevent them receiving Jesus Christ, you are patient and you answer their questions. You are a joy to have around. You remember how skillful Paul was in doing this? Isn’t this where we are failing most frequently?
Luke 9
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Acts 12
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Here is a little elaboration on Jesus sending messengers to the village of Samaritans, from a sermon by Geoff Thomas, “Jesus was Ready, Resolute, Rejected, and Rebuking.”
Notice here in our text, we are told that he planned to visit a village in Samaria and so “he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him” (v.52). That is quite fascinating. He could turn up in that place unannounced, and he could say to the people of that village what he said to the winds and waves, “Peace be still,” and their Samaritan resentment at this Jewish invasion would all disappear, and those lions would have become lambs. However, that is not how Jesus worked then; it is not how he works now. Jesus sent messengers on to talk to the chief rulers of that village and tell them who was going to come, how many of them, why they were coming, what they were going to do, healing the sick and cleansing lepers and giving sight to the blind and teaching them the message of the kingdom of God.
It is the great calling that we have in this 21st century to prepare people for an encounter with Jesus. We are thoughtful and sensitive to their prejudices and the ignorance they have about the faith. Jesus prepares them by sending us to befriend them, to talk to them and to explain things to them, to defuse the situation of a possible explosion of resentment and anger.
Imagine if we lived in an area where there was a huge immigration of Muslims and Hindus. You have to talk to them, and be a good neighbor, you pay your debts to them, and you remove any stumbling blocks that would prevent them receiving Jesus Christ, you are patient and you answer their questions. You are a joy to have around. You remember how skillful Paul was in doing this? Isn’t this where we are failing most frequently?