Readings Acts 9: 36-43. John 10: 22-30
The picture on the right: For-get-me-nots.
The picture on the right: For-get-me-nots.
Is it a weed or a plant?
Herb Robert, Dandelion, For-get-me-nots are they in your eyes a weed or a plant?
Herb Robert, Dandelion, For-get-me-nots are they in your eyes a weed or a plant?
A weed is where it is found in the wrong place: a rose found in a vegetable patch is classed as a weed. Perhaps you don't agree.
Last week we
saw a divided opinion over Margaret Thatcher’s funeral whether it should have
been put on a par with Winston Churchill. The outcome on Wednesday the funeral was a ceremonial service with strands of a
state funeral woven into it. Both Margaret
Thatcher and Winston Churchill had a similar
style of leadership, strong and determined, but both were in the right place at the
right time.
In John 10: 19 we read that there was a divided opinion among the people about Jesus was he the kind of leader that the Messiah should be, so they asked Jesus, “Tell us plainly if you are the Christ.”
Some of the Jews were perhaps looking for the Messiah to be a man like Judas Maccabeus who would free them from the Romans.
Jesus had a commanding presence about him, he spoke with authority on the scriptures. He spoke out when he saw their desecration of the temple: the money changers and the sellers of pigeons, sheep etc “My house shall be a house of prayer.”
In John’s account of this incident, he gave the Jews the sign of his resurrection. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John wrote, “He spoke of the temple of his body.” John 2: 13-22. Luke 19: 45.
It was unthinkable by the leaders and many of the Jews that God would change from a temple made with hands to one made without hands, to a new constitution and government in this man Jesus. They did not understand that it really was the end of Israel’s system of government with the temple rituals and the ruling body of the Sanhedrin. God had planned a complete change to one of the ruling presence of God and Christ’s reign over it. The resurrection is to do with this new government of Christ’s kingdom.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles
We see the difference, were once the eleven disciples did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, but now they do.
The disciples at Joppa did not hesitate to send for Peter who was at the nearby town of Lydda, where he had prayed for a man who had been paralised and he was healed, they asked him to come without delay. At Joppa a disciples named Tabitha had fallen sick and died. This lady was highly regarded by the church she was known for her good works.
When Peter arrived he went to the room where Tabitha lay dead. The mourners wept and the widows showed him the garments that she had made. Peter asked them all to leave the room. He knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha rise,” and her eyes opened and when she saw Peter she sat up. Peter presented her alive to her friends.
The disciples at Joppa did not hesitate to send for Peter who was at the nearby town of Lydda, where he had prayed for a man who had been paralised and he was healed, they asked him to come without delay. At Joppa a disciples named Tabitha had fallen sick and died. This lady was highly regarded by the church she was known for her good works.
When Peter arrived he went to the room where Tabitha lay dead. The mourners wept and the widows showed him the garments that she had made. Peter asked them all to leave the room. He knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha rise,” and her eyes opened and when she saw Peter she sat up. Peter presented her alive to her friends.
However, this was not the resurrection into eternal life. It was a sign of the way, to find the truth and eternal life.
Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth explained to them that flesh and blood can not inherit eternal life. “For all flesh is not alike, but there is one kind for men, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.” 1 Corinthians 15: 39-42, 50.
Three cards with textured material on them. Pass around congregation.
Just to get the feel of what Paul was saying, I put on card some of the materials that probably Dorcas made her garments from and they differ in texture: linen, sheep’s skin, leather, silk, cotton. Dorcas had a hand in producing garments from them. Just has God has had his hand in creation.
At birth, Jesus had a natural body, in his resurrection, his natural body was raised up a spiritual body. God had created for him a spiritual body.
We read from the Gospel accounts, the resurrected body of Jesus had the marks where the nails and spear had pierced his flesh, he ate the same food as the disciples but he was able to walk through walls, and his body was without blood. Luke 24: 39-42.
Our resurrected body will be raised up a spiritual body, a new creation, and we will have our personal identifying marks.
Moody’s Stories “Moody wrote - A friend of mine was in Syria, and he found a shepherd that kept the old custom of naming his sheep. My friend said he wouldn’t believe that the sheep knew him when he called them by name. So he said to the shepherd, “I wish you would just call one or two.” The shepherd said, “Carl.” The sheep stopped eating and looked up. The shepherd called out, “Come here.” The sheep came, and stood looking up to his face. He called another, and another, and there they stood looking up at the shepherd. “How can you tell them apart?” “Oh, there are no two alike. See that sheep toes in a little; this sheep has a black spot on its nose.”My friend identified them by their markings.”
So we will be able to recognise our own bodies in the resurrection, but the make up of our bodies will be like that of Jesus.
Our lives are hidden with Christ, in life and in death.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me shall live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11 : 25, 26.
At Baroness Thatcher’s funeral service the Bishop of London Richard Chartres in his sermon said: “It is almost as perplexing to identify the “real me” in life as it is in death. The atoms that make up our bodies are changing all the time, through wear and tear, eating and drinking. We are atomically distinct from what we were when young. What unites Margaret Roberts of Grantham with Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven and constitutes her identity? The complex pattern of memories, aspirations and actions which make up a character were carried for a time by the atoms of her body, but we believe are also stored up in the Cloud of God’s being.”
The uniting of what is stored in the cloud of God’s being, will be joined together with our bodies, when the Lord calls out the church from the earth, those who have died in Christ our bodies will be raised from a grave or from where our ashes have been scattered they will be gathered together. And those who are alive “We shall all be changed in the twinkling of an eye.”
“Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; so shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
This is our hope, that when we are changed and have the resurrected spiritual body like that of Jesus, we put on immortality, the gift of eternal life. After this takes place we go the marriage supper of the Jesus and his bride the church in heaven.
Early Church in Acts of the Apostles and another view on the Feast of Dedication.
“And the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6: 7.
After Jesus’ resurrection a small number of disciples gathered at the house in Jerusalem. Later after Pentecost the word church was used which means assembly a large gathering of people. Before the name Christian was used by the believers, several names were used: Apostles, disciples and saints. The chosen disciples of Jesus were the called Apostles the ones who had been with Jesus, the disciples were both men and women as Tabitha was called a disciple and saints was used for all believers. Saints being Godly people. It was at Antioch were the name Christian was first used. Christian meaning a Christ-like person. Acts 11: 26.)
There were great expectations of Jesus’ return as the disciples went about their master’s business watching for his return. Mark 13: 32-37.
In the first few chapters of ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ Peter, John, Stephen and the six disciples and Philip are mentioned as working in the power of the Holy Spirit.
There soon followed a dispersion of the community at Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen. Saul was ravaging the church by rounding up men and women and committing them to prison. After Saul’s conversion the church enjoyed a time of peace, earlier in chapter 9 we read of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. Instead of pursuing the disciples and imprisoning them, he began at Damascus preaching in the synagogues, that Jesus was the Son of God and proved that Jesus was the Christ. The Jews plotted to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul went to Jerusalem to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him, they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and he declared to them he had seen the Lord who had spoken to him. The Hellenists disputed with Saul and threatened to kill him. When the disciples heard, they sent him off to his home town Tarsus.
Hellenists.“ Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible notes page 1634”
“It was commonly understood that Hellenists were Jews who spoke Greek and/or adopted Greek customs, whilst Hebrews were more conservative Jews perhaps native of Jerusalem who spoke Hebrew (Aramaic) and abstained from Greek customs. Even in the early church a certain tension between the two groups was inevitable.”
“So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.” Acts 9: 31.
Peter, James the Lord’s brother and John were regarded by Paul as being ‘pillars of the church’ Galatians 1: 19 Peter and James’ letters taught the faith. The church was being built up on the knowledge of Jesus fulfilling the prophesies in the Hebrew scriptures and the working of the Holy Spirit in the saints lives.
Principal Feast Days in our Churches Calendar
Epiphany, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day and Christmas Day.
The Feast of Dedication.
In our Gospel reading the Feast of Dedication coincides with Christmas Day, the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ. The Feast of Dedication commemorates the re-dedication of the temple to God’s worship.
In 168 BC the temple at Jerusalem was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. Judas Maccabeus recaptured the city and had the sanctuary cleansed of the symbols of idolatry 164 BC the Feast of Dedication was celebrated and it is revered every year in the Jewish month of Chislev. (Kislev. December) It is also called Hanukkah it begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days.
Jesus in his life laid down and in his resurrection fulfilled every aspect of temple worship, he fulfilled the 'Feast of Dedication' when he emptied the temple court of the money changers who were desecrating the temple and he gave the Jews the sign of his resurrection. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John wrote, “But he spoke of the temple of his body.” John 2: 13-22
The significance of this feast being mentioned by John was that Jesus was the Saviour of Israel and his body, his life laid down the final cleansing of sin against God. God had prepared a new temple in Christ made without hands. This was accomplished in the temple of Jesus’ body in being: the Passover lamb, the Scapegoat, the final sacrifice for all sin including the desecration of the temple. He is the perpetual light of the world, the bread of life, living water, the intercessor between God and mankind, a shelter and so on. Revelation 21: 22. 2 Corinthians 5: 1.
The Jews were undecided about Jesus so they asked him, “Tell us plainly if you are the Christ.”
Jesus earlier had spoken about being the good shepherd, “ I am the good shepherd; I know my own and they know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock , one shepherd.” John 10: 14-16
Moody’s Stories.
“Moody wrote - A friend told me about being in an eastern country some time ago, and he saw a shepherd going down to a stream, and he wanted to get his sheep across. He went into the water and called them by name, but they came to the bank and bleated, and were too afraid to follow. At last he went back, tightened his girdle about his loins, took up two little lambs, and put them inside his tunic. Then he started into the water, and the old sheep looked up to the shepherd instead of down into the water. They wanted to see their little ones. The old sheep got them over the water, and led them into the green pastures on the other side.”
The Jews who heard the call of their shepherd and questioned whether he was in fact their shepherd are like the older sheep who having heard the call of the shepherd, but stood bleating on the banks of the river. The two lambs represent the other sheep who are the Gentiles who God hoped would bring the Jews to recognise Jesus as their Messiah. Acts 13: 46.
Early Church in Acts of the Apostles and another view on the Feast of Dedication.
“And the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6: 7.
After Jesus’ resurrection a small number of disciples gathered at the house in Jerusalem. Later after Pentecost the word church was used which means assembly a large gathering of people. Before the name Christian was used by the believers, several names were used: Apostles, disciples and saints. The chosen disciples of Jesus were the called Apostles the ones who had been with Jesus, the disciples were both men and women as Tabitha was called a disciple and saints was used for all believers. Saints being Godly people. It was at Antioch were the name Christian was first used. Christian meaning a Christ-like person. Acts 11: 26.)
There were great expectations of Jesus’ return as the disciples went about their master’s business watching for his return. Mark 13: 32-37.
In the first few chapters of ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ Peter, John, Stephen and the six disciples and Philip are mentioned as working in the power of the Holy Spirit.
There soon followed a dispersion of the community at Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen. Saul was ravaging the church by rounding up men and women and committing them to prison. After Saul’s conversion the church enjoyed a time of peace, earlier in chapter 9 we read of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. Instead of pursuing the disciples and imprisoning them, he began at Damascus preaching in the synagogues, that Jesus was the Son of God and proved that Jesus was the Christ. The Jews plotted to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul went to Jerusalem to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him, they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and he declared to them he had seen the Lord who had spoken to him. The Hellenists disputed with Saul and threatened to kill him. When the disciples heard, they sent him off to his home town Tarsus.
Hellenists.“ Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible notes page 1634”
“It was commonly understood that Hellenists were Jews who spoke Greek and/or adopted Greek customs, whilst Hebrews were more conservative Jews perhaps native of Jerusalem who spoke Hebrew (Aramaic) and abstained from Greek customs. Even in the early church a certain tension between the two groups was inevitable.”
“So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.” Acts 9: 31.
Peter, James the Lord’s brother and John were regarded by Paul as being ‘pillars of the church’ Galatians 1: 19 Peter and James’ letters taught the faith. The church was being built up on the knowledge of Jesus fulfilling the prophesies in the Hebrew scriptures and the working of the Holy Spirit in the saints lives.
Principal Feast Days in our Churches Calendar
Epiphany, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day and Christmas Day.
The Feast of Dedication.
In our Gospel reading the Feast of Dedication coincides with Christmas Day, the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ. The Feast of Dedication commemorates the re-dedication of the temple to God’s worship.
In 168 BC the temple at Jerusalem was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. Judas Maccabeus recaptured the city and had the sanctuary cleansed of the symbols of idolatry 164 BC the Feast of Dedication was celebrated and it is revered every year in the Jewish month of Chislev. (Kislev. December) It is also called Hanukkah it begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days.
Jesus in his life laid down and in his resurrection fulfilled every aspect of temple worship, he fulfilled the 'Feast of Dedication' when he emptied the temple court of the money changers who were desecrating the temple and he gave the Jews the sign of his resurrection. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John wrote, “But he spoke of the temple of his body.” John 2: 13-22
The significance of this feast being mentioned by John was that Jesus was the Saviour of Israel and his body, his life laid down the final cleansing of sin against God. God had prepared a new temple in Christ made without hands. This was accomplished in the temple of Jesus’ body in being: the Passover lamb, the Scapegoat, the final sacrifice for all sin including the desecration of the temple. He is the perpetual light of the world, the bread of life, living water, the intercessor between God and mankind, a shelter and so on. Revelation 21: 22. 2 Corinthians 5: 1.
The Jews were undecided about Jesus so they asked him, “Tell us plainly if you are the Christ.”
Jesus earlier had spoken about being the good shepherd, “ I am the good shepherd; I know my own and they know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock , one shepherd.” John 10: 14-16
Moody’s Stories.
“Moody wrote - A friend told me about being in an eastern country some time ago, and he saw a shepherd going down to a stream, and he wanted to get his sheep across. He went into the water and called them by name, but they came to the bank and bleated, and were too afraid to follow. At last he went back, tightened his girdle about his loins, took up two little lambs, and put them inside his tunic. Then he started into the water, and the old sheep looked up to the shepherd instead of down into the water. They wanted to see their little ones. The old sheep got them over the water, and led them into the green pastures on the other side.”
The Jews who heard the call of their shepherd and questioned whether he was in fact their shepherd are like the older sheep who having heard the call of the shepherd, but stood bleating on the banks of the river. The two lambs represent the other sheep who are the Gentiles who God hoped would bring the Jews to recognise Jesus as their Messiah. Acts 13: 46.
