SHOWERS

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Joshua 2:14 – And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death!  If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."

As we ended our last post, Rahab was in the middle of bargaining with the spies/scouts of Israel.  Both she and the scouts are fully aware that Jericho is going to fall to the Israelites; their destruction is only a matter of time because God is giving the land to his people.

In light of this, Rahab wants the scouts to swear an oath to God that they will spare her life and the lives of her family, because she spared their lives.

Oaths were a common yet serious commitment when given from one person to another.  However, oaths made between people can be subverted or broken, often without consequences. 

For example, let's assume this particular oath was only between Rahab and the spies.  Although she kept her part of the bargain by helping them escape, the spies could have broken the oath by simply letting her family die in the invasion and no one would have known.  In this scenario, no one would be able to hold the spies accountable for their oath.

But when God is involved, it's a whole different story! By making God a witness to the oath, the men essentially declare that if they fail to save Rahab (and her family) or if evil/destruction befalls Rahab because of negligence on their part, the spies will give their own lives in payment/exchange. The spies call upon God to punish them with death if they failed to do everything within their power to save Rahab. Thus, their oath cannot be broken; God will hold them accountable for their promise.

We can take comfort in knowing that God ALWAYS keeps his promises.  In fact, the prophet Jeremiah tells us that God actively watches over his word, to make sure that he keeps those promises:

Jeremiah 1:12 - Then said the LORD unto me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

For her part, Rahab must agree to do three things. First, she has to keep her mouth shut. She cannot divulge anything that she knows about the spies or Israel; she cannot mention them in any way, at any time, to anyone.

It is unlikely that the spies required this because they did not trust Rahab.  If she intended to do them harm, she would have already done so when the king's soldiers showed up at her door. 

If that is the case, then why do the spies demand that she keep quiet?

The request could have been made for her own safety.  If she continued to drop idle comments about the matter, people would begin to gossip.  Word would get back to the king that Rahab might know more than she was telling.  If this occurred, it was entirely possible that the king of Jericho might have her arrested or put to death and in that case, the men of Israel would be unable to deliver her.

Alternatively, there may have been a plan (unknown to us) in which Rahab somehow assisted Israel in taking the city.  As of this time, no one knew that God was going to miraculously deliver Jericho into Israel's hands.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a plan may have existed, even though they ended up not using it. 

However, it is more likely that her silence was to prevent anyone else from taking refuge under the oath. For instance, if Rahab told her best friend about the matter, the friend would want to be saved too, along with her own family.  Those people would also want to save their families and friends, and so on and so on. You can imagine what a chaotic scene the spies would encounter at Rahab's house if large numbers of people were seeking refuge there.

For this reason, the spies were cautious when making the oath; they wisely insisted on the silence of Rahab as part of the agreement. They did not want to bind themselves to an oath that was too much for them to handle or that would go against the commands of God. Jericho and all its inhabitants were devoted to destruction; the spies want to make sure that she is the only exception to this command.

Later, we will see that Israel makes a rash oath with the Gibeonites (Joshua chapter 9) which they will immediately regret, but they are still bound to keep the oath they made. 

Joshua 2:15 – Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.

Once again, we find that this narrative is not in chronological order. Rahab did not lower the spies outside the city walls and then continue making plans by shouting to the men from her window! Obviously, the three of them covertly finished negotiating their business BEFORE she lowered them outside the tightly shut gates.

She was eventually able to help them escape because the wall of the city formed the back wall of her house. This meant that her window gave access to the open country outside the city wall. By the time she lowered the men down, it was well past nightfall and the darkness provided cover for them as they left.

Here are two trivia questions for you:  What other bible character escaped his enemies by being lowered in a basket outside the city walls?  Who was this person escaping from?   The answers are at the end of this post.

Joshua 2:16 – And she said to them, "Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned.  Then afterward you may go your way."

Rahab's parting advice told the spies the best way to avoid capture. 

The soldiers of Jericho were diligently searching the eight miles of road which led back to the fords of the Jordan.  For this reason, she cautions them to head straight for the mountains or hills that were close by the city and hide until the pursuers gave up the search. 

History tells us that a range of white limestone hills existed around the city, especially on the north side.  These hills rose to a height of about 1200-1500 feet, and they were perforated with many caves.  This provided a measure of safety, because it would be impossible for the soldiers to search every single one. 

The time frame of three days probably refers to two nights and one day. The first night was the night they left the city. The soldiers no doubt spent the entire next day searching for the spies during daylight hours. Failing to find them, they would probably return to Jericho sometime after nightfall. So, any time after that point it would be safe for the spies to head back across the river.

Joshua 2:17-18 – The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear.  Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household."

The spies outlined three conditions that Rahab had to meet in order for them to be bound by the oath.  As we just noted, the first condition was silence. 

Secondly, Rahab had to tie a scarlet or red colored cord in the same window that she was going to use to get the spies out of the city. Since her window looked outside the gates, the spies would be able to identify her house immediately on the day of battle.

It is interesting to note that the original word translated 'cord' is most often translated 'web' or 'ribbon'.  So, the scarlet-colored item may not have been an actual rope or cord, which might have been difficult to see from the ground outside.  It may have been a larger piece of cloth, made from scarlet thread kind of like a flag. 

In either case, it must have been large enough to be easily identified by the spies when Israel returned to take the city.  It was something already in Rahab's house; it was not given to her by the spies.

As far as Rahab and the spies were concerned, the only purpose of the scarlet cord/cloth was to identify the house of Rahab.  But in retrospect, many scholars see a parallel with the spiritual realm.

Think back to the night before Israel left Egypt.  After killing the Passover lamb, they were to brush the blood of the lamb on the top and side door posts of their houses, and they were to remain in that house until morning (Exodus 12:7, 21-22).  The blood of the Passover lamb, which was a type/shadow of the blood of Christ, saved them from the death angel which passed through Egypt that night (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).

Similarly, in order to escape death Rahab had to hang a representation of blood (the scarlet cloth/cord) in her window and all of her family had to remain inside her house until they were personally rescued by the spies.

This brings our discussion to the third and final requirement of the spies – Rahab and all her family members who wished to be delivered from death had to be in her house with the door shut when the city was taken.

Joshua 2:19-20 – "Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.  But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear."

In a physical sense, the mandate to remain in the house was absolutely critical, for the soldiers of Israel had no way of distinguishing Rahab's family from any of the other people in Jericho. In order to stay safe, they had to separate themselves from the rest of the nation by staying indoors at her house. If anyone chose to go outside of the protection of the house, they were taking their life into their own hands; the spies were no longer under an oath to guarantee their safety.

In the spiritual sense, the scarlet cloth/cord represented the blood of Christ.  Rahab's family had to separate themselves from the sinful world around them and obediently remain under the 'blood' in order to be saved from certain death.  If they dallied outside of the protection of the blood, they could be subject to death.

This story is a beautiful foreshadowing of God's ultimate plan to bring the Gentiles into his kingdom:     

Isaiah 49:6 - And he [God] said, It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.

As a Gentile, I am so glad God opened up his kingdom to people of every 'tribe, tongue and race' (Revelation 5:9-10)!  What about you?   

Incidentally, Rahab has a lot of similarities to the Samarian woman who met Jesus at the well (John chapter 4).  What similarities can you find between these two women and their situations?

Joshua 2:21 – And she said, "According to your words, so be it."  Then she sent them away, and they departed.  And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

We don't know how much time passed between the spies being lowered outside the city and Rahab placing the cloth/cord in the window.

Hanging the cord immediately, well before the siege, may have caused her neighbors to suspect that she was up to something.  She probably waited to place it in the window until the army of Israel had surrounded the city.  At that time, no one was likely to pay any attention to it.

Joshua 2:22 – They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.

The spies have been successful in their mission. They gained information about the crossing of the Jordan (specifically, that it would be impossible to cross without a miracle). They had seen the walls of Jericho, been inside the city and learned that the Lord had put a spirit of fear upon the people of Jericho, just as he promised he would.

Since they gained all of the information they desired, there was no further need for them to remain on that side of the Jordan. Rahab no doubt supplied them with provisions and they wisely hid themselves in the limestone caves near the city for a time, until their pursuers had given up the chase. Then they returned to the Israelite camp.

Joshua 2:23-24 – Then the two men returned.  They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them.  And they said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands.  And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us."

The safe return of the men was a strong encouragement to Joshua.  God had divinely connected the spies with Rahab, given them the intelligence they wanted, and brought them safely back to the camp.  This was evidence of the divine protection and guidance of God.    

This verse also reveals the character of the men that Joshua sent into Jericho.  Many people, having faced the danger they did, would not be able to keep their mouths shut!  They would have burst into the camp and immediately began talking about their narrow escape from death.  This would have resulted in rumors and possibly fear circulating throughout the camp.  It could have caused a repeat of the defeat Israel suffered 40 years earlier!

But that is not what occurred.  Immediately upon their return, these men of integrity go directly to Joshua and give him a strong word of faith – the Lord was giving Israel the land!

Think about it for a moment – nothing had changed from the time of the ten spies until the time of the two.  The sons of Anak (giants) were still in the land.  The cities of Canaan were still just as fortified as ever and their walls were probably even stronger.  The army of Israel was still relatively inexperienced. 

Truthfully, the only change in the situation was the faith of the people!

What a difference faith made! Don't ever forget that faith is a powerful weapon! Faith in God moves mighty mountains (Matthew 17:20)!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The two spies came to Joshua full of faith, confidence and praise for God.  When they said to Joshua 'truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands' they were thanking God and testifying of a victory that was yet to come. 

Let me encourage you to act in the same manner.  When you are in a battle, do NOT let fear, despair or failure come out of your mouth!  Remember, your words have power:

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

With that in mind, make sure you are speaking victory over your life every time you open your mouth!

Let me offer you some relief:

Do the actions of Rahab disturb you?  If so, let me offer you some relief.

God's power to protect the spies was never dependent upon the words of Rahab.  It is true that she lied to the soldiers and secured their deliverance, but we can be sure that God could have protected them just as easily if she had told the truth. 

Rahab was acting in faith with the limited knowledge she had of God, and God honored her for that. Although we know more about God than she did, our understanding of God is still imperfect. Yet, we can be relieved to know that God will honor our faith too when we reach out to him using the knowledge that we have.

Let me offer you some strength:

What are we to learn from the lesson of the spies and their interaction with Rahab?  One thing is clear:  Though the hand of God was evident in everything that happened to Israel, the people still had a part to play. 

It was up to them to use the resources, intelligence and strength which God had given them in order to secure the promise of God. 

The same is true for us.  What promises has God made to you?  How are you using the talents, resources and connections God has given you to make that dream come true?     

TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWERS:

Hundreds of years after the invasion of Jericho, the apostle Paul escaped from the king of Damascus by being lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall (II Corinthians 11:32-33). 

Did you get the answers correct?  If so, be sure to reward yourself!

 

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Joshua 2:1 – And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho."  And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.

In this chapter, we have the account of the two spies sent by Joshua to gather military intelligence about Jericho. 

We can't help but be reminded of the failed mission that occurred some 40 years earlier when the 12 spies were sent into the Promised Land by Moses.  Let's take just a minute to discuss how these two events are different.

When Moses sent the 12 spies into the Promised Land, their mission was to survey all the districts in the land and bring back information to the rest of Israel.  They were to assess the goodness and fertility of the land, the magnitude and number of the cities, and the nature of the inhabitants. 

The object in sending the spies was to give a positive and amazing witness to the people, who would then move with alacrity to conquer the land.  In other words, the purpose of sending the spies was to build the faith and confidence of the people.

Unfortunately, due to a complete and utter lack of faith on the Israelite's part, 10 of the spies responded in fear and the people refused to take the land as God commanded.

In the present instance, Joshua did not send the two spies out to inspect the land; Israel already knows what the land is like.  Also, there is no need to build faith in this generation – they have already defeated several enemies and they are ready to march forward and claim their inheritance.

This time, the spies or scouts are sent specifically for military intelligence. Joshua wanted to know whether or not there was a passage over the Jordan, and if the people of Jericho were alert and ready for battle. The spies/scouts were also examining the city's fortifications and looking for any other unexpected dangers.

It's important to note that this did not reflect a lack of faith on the part of Joshua. Anytime we partner with God to get things done, we must be diligent to do our part; when we act prudently and prepare as well as we can, we can rest assured that God will do the rest. The key is that we must actively participate in the partnership by doing all we know to do. This is exactly what Joshua did.

The two spies/scouts set out and arrived at the house of a prostitute named Rahab. Although some scholars maintain that she was an inn keeper, the original Hebrew word in this passage clearly means 'harlot'. 

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

However, there is really no need to try and 'clean up' the image of Rahab; ALL of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

As we will see, Rahab plays a pivotal role in the success of the spies' mission.  In the end, she becomes an Israelite.  In fact, the lineage of King David passes through her.  We will take a closer look at this later on in our study, but for now we can meditate on the goodness and grace of God, who welcomed this pagan sinner into the fellowship of Israel.

Now, scripture simply says that the spies came to Jericho (approximately eight miles from the river) and entered Rahab's house.  How do you suppose they wound up there?

One thing we should keep in mind is that the spies would have been anxious to avoid any public places. Since strangers are always noticed and they didn't want to be arrested on charges of espionage, the fewer people who saw them, the better.

With that in mind, one theory is that Rahab was 'out and about' looking for business when the two spies came upon her. After reaching some agreement, she quickly led them directly to her house, which was built into the city wall. This is one scenario which would keep the spies out of the more public thoroughfares.

Another theory says that the prostitutes were probably located all together in a kind of 'red light' district which was avoided by a large portion of the population, especially during daylight hours.  It may have been that the spies went directly there to avoid being seen in the general marketplaces.

A third theory speculates that Rahab was outside the city gates traveling the public roads when a 'chance' (divine) encounter brought her into contact with the spies. After realizing who they were, she agreed to help them and took them into the city with her.

Regardless of how the scouts found Rahab, we can be sure that divine intervention and protection were involved because God led them to the one person in the city who was willing to help!

Joshua 2:2 –And it was told to the king of Jericho, "Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land."

For the most part, the cities and towns of Palestine were individual kingdoms or states whose rulers were called kings.  This was clearly the case in Jericho.

The fact that the king of Jericho heard news of the scouts makes complete sense because news of the nation of Israel and her God had spread all throughout the region:

• God had delivered his people from slavery in Egypt.
• God led his people in a pillar of clouds and fire.
• God parted the Red Sea, and his people crossed over on dry land.
• God rolled the waters back upon Pharaoh and his officers, who then drowned.
• God provided water and food (manna) for his people as they traversed the desert.
• God fought for his people during their many battles.

In fact, the pagan nations of Canaan were terrified of Israel because her God was much more powerful than any of their multiple deities.

Given the circumstances, it is probable that watchman had been posted on the city walls and at strategic points within the city to watch for any/all suspicious strangers. Despite their best efforts to remain unnoticed, the scouts were spotted and subsequently followed to Rahab's house.  News of their presence was reported to the king, who waited for nightfall.

Joshua 2:3-4 – Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land."But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.  And she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from."

Once the city gate is shut for the night, and escape seemed impossible, the king sent soldiers to capture the men he correctly believed to be spies of Israel. 

But Rahab had anticipated this possibility and as a result, she had hidden the men on her rooftop, under some drying flax.

When questioned by the soldiers, she answers wisely; she does not deny the men were at her house.  To deny their presence completely would have resulted in her own arrest along with charges of treason and probable execution. 

Joshua 2:5 – "And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out.  I do not know where the men went.  Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

Rahab deceives the soldiers by falsely claiming that the spies abruptly left immediately before the gates closed for the night. 

This lie succeeded in misleading the officers sent by the king.  After all, her story sounded plausible enough – the spies would not risk capture by being locked up in the city overnight.  Plus, as far as the soldiers knew, Rahab had no reason to lie to them; if Jericho was overtaken she would suffer the same fate as her countrymen.  For these reasons, the soldiers believed her story.

Furthermore, she plants the thought in their minds that if they act quickly and immediately search for the spies outside the gate, they will find their enemies and gain an advantage over Israel.  Thus, she kept them from searching her house – the only obvious place for the spies to be!

By hiding the spies and misdirecting the soldiers of Jericho, Rahab is actually demonstrating her faith in the God of Israel.  We are specifically told this by the apostle James:

James 2:25-26 - Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Why would Rahab choose to side with Israel?

Her decision was based on spiritual awareness.  Rahab heard the same testimonies of the power of God that the rest of her nation heard.  But unlike her countrymen, she allowed those testimonies to build her faith in Jehovah as the only true God.  While they continued to trust in false idols and physical strength for deliverance, she cast herself on the mercy of the true God.  She did this in the only way possible – by assisting the scouts.   

This leaves us with a bit of a quandary... how can she be rewarded by God for lying?

This is a question that has been debated at length by many people. You are welcome to study this issue on your own, but for our purposes we will simply say this: Rahab was a sinner and a pagan who knew nothing of the holy ways of God. Upon hearing of Jehovah she reached out to him in faith in the only way she could, and because of that she was accepted by him despite her folly.

Hebrews 11:31 - By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Siding with Israel against her own people was a huge step of faith in God!

Joshua 2:6 – But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.

When was the last time you were up on the roof of your own house?  For many people that answer is 'never'!

Our roofs are steep/angled and they have only one purpose – to keep our houses dry.  But back in the days of ancient Israel, the homes were all made with flat roofs, which essentially made them additional living space.  They used them much as we would use a patio.  You could meet guests there, enjoy the cool breeze in the evening, eat or even sleep there.  For example:

• King David was on his roof when he first saw Bathsheba (II Samuel 11:2).

• The people of Israel used their roof tops to set up booths for the feast of booths (Nehemiah 8:16).

• The friends of the paralytic tore a hole in the roof and lowered him down into the house in front of Jesus (Mark 2:4).

Evidence also suggests that in ancient times, people (pagans and Israelites alike) often prayed on their roof tops.  This space could also be used for work or household related purposes, such as drying flax or hemp.

The roof was an obvious place for the scouts to hide and an easy place for the soldiers to search, yet they did not do so.  So, we see that God provided a safe place for his servants, even in the midst of enemy territory.   

Joshua 2:7 – So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

Based on the information of Rahab, the king's men leave the city and follow the same course the spies would have taken – the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan.  As we previously noted, this was a distance of about eight miles. 

The soldiers must have been searching for the men all along the way, in case they had hidden themselves.  This delay gave Rahab enough time to safely send the scouts on their way back to Israel.

Joshua 2:8-9 – Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you."

Having sent the king's men on a wild goose chase, Rahab now returns to bargain with the men of Israel.  She begins by mentioning two things which, in her mind, specifically confirm that Jehovah is the one true God. 

First, only the true God of the universe could have caused such utter terror to fall upon the people of the region.  The soldiers of Jericho were a formidable army who had often struck fear into the hearts of their enemies.  But now, hearing rumors of Israel and her God, they were so terrified that their strength and courage drained away like wax melting before a fire (Exodus 15:15).  This is exactly what God promised he would do for Israel:

Deuteronomy 11:25 – No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.

Rahab is also firmly convinced that all of the land (the entire earth) belongs to the one true God, who is the ultimate ruler of the nations.  He is able to give the land to whatever nation he chooses.  She understands that God has resolved to give the entire region of Canaan (including Jericho) to his people.  Since this is the case, there is nothing that Jericho or its idols can do to stop Israel.

Let's consider the example of Rahab for a minute. She knew nothing of the covenant between God and Israel; she herself had no right to claim any of his promises. She had heard limited testimonies of the power of God and seen him perform one or maybe two mighty acts, yet she fully and completely believed on him, doubting nothing.

What about us?  We have a better covenant with God that Israel did.  We have the scriptures which describe, in great detail, the promises that God has made to us.  These promises include forgiveness, healing, provision, protection, power and many others.  Yet, we sometimes fail to trust him!  Why is that?  Where is our faith?

Joshua 2:10 – "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction."

It is interesting that Rahab brings up the crossing of the Red Sea when Israel left Egypt.  That event had occurred forty years before she met the spies.  Forty years is basically half of a lifetime.  If Rahab was alive then, she would only have been a child.  This means that her knowledge of that event came from others – the stories of her parents or grandparents.

There is a valuable lesson here for us.  We need to be diligent in starting our children off with a good foundation in scripture.  We can help 'hide' biblical truths deep in their hearts, so that these teachings will resurface later in life, just as they did for Rahab. 

Psalm 119:11 - Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Perhaps current events (the victories that Israel won over Sihon and Og) served to stir up and confirm the teaching she received from her parents as a child. Maybe this is why she responded to the testimonies of God with faith, instead of fear like the rest of her countrymen (Luke 8:37-39).

If you have a chance to impart scriptural principles or narratives into the children in your life, do it!  You are sowing seeds that will sprout in the future!

Joshua 2:11 –"And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath."

This is clear evidence that Rahab considered Jehovah to be the only true God, not just a minor deity among many others in this polytheistic society.

It was common for the pagans to believe in multiple gods (example: Egypt).  Their belief was that each god had power/authority/influence over a select region: 

1 Kings 20:23 - And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their [Israel's] gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

But Rahab declares, in absolute terms, that all power and might belong to the God of Israel alone; he rules and reigns over all of heaven and earth.  He will determine the outcome of the battle between Israel and Jericho because nothing occurs without his consent/permission.

Joshua 2:12-13 – "Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."

Rahab's faith is astonishing!  Israel hasn't even crossed the Jordan; Jericho certainly hasn't been threatened, yet she sees the 'things that are not as though they are'  – she is certain that Israel will be successful in breaking through the fortified walls of Jericho and capturing the entire city.  At that point, the people of Jericho, including Rahab and her family, will be at the mercy of Israel.

Because of her faith in of God, she has dealt mercifully with the spies. She now requests mercy in return – she wants safety for herself and her family. She is justified in doing so, because the Lord tells us that those who bless Israel will themselves be blessed:

Genesis 12:3 - And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.

She then asks the spies to do something significant – to swear an oath to the Lord.  An oath was the greatest security she could hope for in this situation.  All nations believed that their gods would avenge those who broke oaths.  She must have concluded that the God of the universe was no different; in fact, if an oath were sworn to him, it would surely be honored. 

When Rahab asks the spies for lives of her family, what exactly is she asking for? In her mind, the best possible outcome would be for them to remain alive as slaves of Israel.  But look how God honors her faith – the entire family is assimilated into the nation of Israel. Instead of being slaughtered, they are free people who enjoy all the covenant privileges given to proselytes of the faith!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

One of the central concepts in today's post is faith.  Obviously, Rahab had faith in God, which she demonstrated by showing mercy to the scouts.

But don't forget, the scouts had faith too!  When Joshua asked them to assess the military position of Jericho, they simply took the first step – they left camp and looked for a way to cross the Jordan.

They demonstrated their faith by moving forward with the assignment, trusting that God would open a door each time they needed it (as opposed to seeing the whole plan up front). 

God often works this way with us – we simply need to take the first step of faith, then he will provide the next open door when we need it. Whatever you are asking God for, I encourage you to take that first step of faith today! And remember, when God opens a door for you, no man can shut it!

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

In today's post we noted that Rahab deceived the soldiers who came looking for the spies.  Deception is an important strategy in warfare; military opponents are always trying to gain an upper hand through secrecy or deception.   

As Christians we need to remember that we are engaged in a spiritual war against Satan, the enemy of God. 

Satan is a master of deceit (Revelation 20:3).  His whole strategy is to deceive us into thinking that God is unfair, unjust or that he is withholding good things from us.  This is exactly what he implied when he convinced Eve to eat from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6). 

But we can strengthen our faith and avoid being deceived by knowing the word of God and walking according to the Spirit.  When we do these things, we move confidently into the future being firmly convinced that God is always working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).  He is always good to us all the time! 

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Joshua 1:10-11 – And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'"

We have begun our study of Joshua.  Last time we looked at the renewed commission that God gave to Joshua after the death of Moses.  God assured Joshua that he was going to be the general who would lead Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land. 

And as we also noted last week, 'conquest' is the proper term.  God was going to lead, guide and give divine assistance to Israel, but they were going to have to step out in faith and fight to take the land.  No wonder God ordered Joshua to be 'strong and courageous' no less than three times!   

As we begin to look at the second half of chapter one, it is obvious that this story is not in chronological order.  Specifically, the events recorded in chapter two happened between verses 9 and 10 of chapter one.   

Please keep in mind that in our Western culture, we routinely relate events and tell stories in chronological order, but the Eastern people (including the Israelites), do not. They often group events together which they feel are related in some way rather than being concerned about the order in which they occurred.

In this case, it is obvious that the first nine verses of chapter one certainly came first - the nation mourned the death of Moses and subsequently God began to speak to Joshua.

However, the next event that certainly took place was the sending of the two spies into Jericho.  Just as certainly, we know Joshua sent these two men secretly. 

As you no doubt recall, the first time God invited his people to take the land, 12 spies were sent out to gather intelligence.  Upon their return, 10 responded in fear, saying that Israel could not take the land.  Only Joshua and Caleb responded in faith encouraging the people to go out at once and fight, since the Lord was on their side and would give them victory (Numbers chapter 13).

The end result was that because of their rebellion and unbelief, Israel was forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that generation of fighting men had died.

Obviously, Joshua does not want a repeat of the last failure of Israel, but he still needs information.  Think about it this way:  Joshua wasn't going to blindly take a million-plus people (including women, old people and children), all of their possessions and all of their animals into a hostile territory without any military intelligence.  To do so would have been foolish; their enemies could have easily destroyed them all.

But once he had that intelligence, and spoke to the Lord about how to proceed, then he could issue the command to prepare for the move with utter confidence.    

We will examine that adventure of the spies in detail next week, but in the meantime, here is the report they gave Joshua:

Joshua 2:23-24 - So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:  And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. 

So the command we see here in verses 10-11 (prepare to go over the Jordan) occurred after the spies returned and spoke to Joshua. 

The chronological order of events probably went something like this:

• 3^rd of Nisan – spies are sent out (Joshua 2:1)
• 6^th of Nisan spies return (Joshua 2:23)
• 7^th of Nisan the camp is moved from Shittim to the bank of the Jordan (Joshua 3:1), and the command to prepare is issued (Joshua 1:10-11)
• 10^th of Nisan – Israel crosses the river.

In addition, there can be no doubt that Joshua also waited until he received instructions from God before he gave word to the people that they would cross the river in three days. Remember, the Jordan was at flood stage and they had absolutely no means to cross over; God was going to have to divinely make the way for them.

Now that everything is in order, Joshua sends his officers as messengers among the people, instructing them to prepare their provisions and get ready for the move.

What provisions were there to prepare?

The word 'provisions' refers to items taken in hunting or gathering.  It likely refers to items they took from the nations they had already conquered (the kingdoms of Sihon and Og - Deuteronomy 3:7) such as corn, oxen, sheep, etc. 

Manna could also be included in that list because at this point, God was still providing manna for Israel six days a week.  However, as we will soon discover, the miraculous supply of manna will cease just a few days after the people cross the Jordan. 

Joshua 1:12-13 – And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, "Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.'"

Here Joshua references a situation which occurred while Moses was still leading Israel.  When the people had traveled to the west side of the Jordan, the defeated several key enemies such as Og king of Bashan and Sihon, king of the Amorites.  (Israel obtained huge amounts of 'spoil' from their victories, which accounts for many of the provisions they prepared for themselves.)   

At that time, three tribes of Israel – Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh – asked Moses if they could simply settle on the western side of the Jordan, instead of crossing over into new territory:

Numbers 32:5 - Therefore, said they, if we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given unto your servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

This portion of land is often referred to as the 'Transjordan'; sometimes these three tribes are referred to as the Transjordan tribes.  So whenever you see that description keep in mind that is refers to the land possessed by Israel on the western side of the river.  Although this land falls within the overall boundaries of the land promised to Israel (Deuteronomy 11:24), the scriptures sometime seem to place these tribes outside of the Promised Land.  We will look at these instances as we find them in our study.  

I recommend reading the entire account of the Transjordan in Numbers chapter 32, but in case you don't have time, let me give you a summary:

When the three tribes made this request, Moses was seriously unhappy. In fact, he seems to be angry.  He made it very clear that it would not be fair for the three tribes to inherit this land, build houses and move on with life while their brothers still had to cross the river and wage war in order to take the bulk of the Promised Land. 

In other words, some/part of Israel could not enter into a state of rest, while the remainder was still actively fighting for their inheritance. The three tribes could not abandon their brothers before the war was over.

In the end, they were allowed to possess the land of Goshen provided that, at the appropriate time, all of the fighting men would cross the Jordan with their brothers and assist them until the land was taken/subdued for Israel.  Only then could they return home in peace.  Moses made it very clear that if they refused to do this, it would be a sin in the sight of God and they would be punished for it. 

Joshua 1:14-15 – "'Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise."

Joshua now reminds the men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh that it is time for them to keep the vow they swore to the Lord in front of Moses. Their wives, children and possessions could stay on the western side of the Jordan, but all the valiant men of fighting age must cross over and assist in the war.

Eventually we find that the three tribes sent approximately 40 thousand of their best soldiers (mighty men of valor) to assist the other tribes, while about 70 thousand stayed behind to protect the property they had already inherited (Joshua 4:13). 

Joshua 1:16-17 – And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.  Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you.  Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses!"

The overall context of this verse occurs when Joshua is addressing ALL the officers of the people (verse 10).  He specifically reminded the officers of the Transjordan tribes of their obligation to participate in the conquest of the remainder of the Promised Land, but it would have been the officers of all twelve tribes that now freely pledged their allegiance to God and to his servant, Joshua. 

On behalf of the people they represent, these officers first promise obedience. This is not only obedience to Joshua as their governor/civil leader. In their role as soldiers, they are vowing to obey Joshua as their general. They are asserting that they will follow his battle commands without murmuring, and without disputing his decisions. They will immediately go wherever he sends them, regardless of how difficult or dangerous the mission seems to be. This was a serious commitment. There can never be war without death; many of those making this pledge would die in the conquest.

In the same way, as Christians we swear allegiance to our commander-in-chief, Jesus Christ. We are to be about his business, going where he leads/directs and taking ground for his kingdom without murmuring or rebelling against his orders. Although most of us will live rich, full lives, some people will be asked to pay the ultimate price for their service to God (martyrdom).

For his part, Joshua may have had reason to doubt Israel's loyalty to him.  If Moses had trouble with rebellion in the ranks, how could he expect any less?

But keep in mind that the extremely rebellious generation had perished in the wilderness wandering.  This new generation was a witness of that judgment, so they were much more inclined to be obedient.  Joshua could count on their pledge of loyalty.    

The officers also pray for God to lead Joshua, as Joshua leads them.  Their prayer is that God will be with Joshua, to bless and prosper him, giving him the same degree of success that he gave Moses.

When we read that, we can't help but be reminded of the New Testament command to pray for our own leaders:

1 Timothy 2:1-3 - I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

Is this something you do on a regular basis?  If so, are you praying for ALL of your/our leaders?  It's easy to pray for those you agree with, but what about those who oppose your values and beliefs?

I readily admit that it is much more difficult to pray for leaders who follow our enemy Satan.  What/how can we pray for a leader like that?

First of all, let's remind ourselves that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against agents of Satan:

Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  

If the people in authority over you (such as our President and Vice President), are making decisions that war against the principles of God, we need to recognize that they are people who have been blinded by Satan, the ruler of this world (II Corinthians 4:4). 

We can earnestly pray for the light of the gospel of Christ to tear through the veil of darkness that blinds them to the truth.  We can pray for God to send Christians across their path, to sow (and harvest) the gospel in their lives. 

We can pray that God will bind the demonic spirits that control them and we can pray for Holy Spirit to make himself known to them. We can pray that they will be unsuccessful in establishing policies that oppose the will of God. We can pray that the Christians of this nation rise up and protest these policies. (Abortion, for example.)

In addition to this kind of spiritual warfare, we can also do things in the natural realm, such as supporting candidates/leaders who are in step with God's principles.  Ask God how you can be involved and if  you are a Christian, you should consider running for political office yourself!

Joshua 1:18 – "Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death.  Only be strong and courageous."

They were so fully committed to Joshua (and God), that the officers made it a law that any Israelite who disobeyed or rebelled against his command would be put to death.  Perhaps, if there had been such a law under Moses, many of the rebellions of Israel could have been prevented. 

In any case, there was a real need for this law during the time of the conquest – in times of war, military discipline is crucial to victory. If there is any rebellion within the armed forces, Israel will be divided against herself and she will be defeated by her enemies.

The officers may have based this law upon the command given in Deuteronomy 18:18-19.  In those verses, God commands Israel to obey the prophet/leader which he raises up to lead the nation; anyone who does not will be cut off from his people.  While we typically understand these verses to prophetically refer to Jesus the Messiah, Joshua would certainly be an Old Testament type or example of this prophet. 

Finally, the officers implore Joshua to be strong and courageous, just as God had commanded.  In essence, they are promising to do the same thing; to boldly and cheerfully (without murmuring or complaining) follow his orders.  This must have been a great encouragement to Joshua.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The book of Joshua is a story of conquest.  God was going to lead, guide and give divine assistance to his people, but they were going to have to step out in faith and claim the land. 

This is a very timely lesson for us today.  Jesus is at the helm of the church; he still leads, guides and gives divine assistance to his people.  But it is up to us to step out in faith and claim the world around us for the kingdom of heaven.

Today, I encourage you to do just that – every day, in everything you do, look for ways to push the enemy back and take people captive for Christ! He wants to expand the kingdom of heaven and build his church through you!

Let me offer you some relief:

In today's post, the people of Israel were told to prepare to enter the Promised Land.  Specifically, they were preparing the food they would need to complete their journey.

In the same way, Christians today need spiritual nourishment in order to complete the journey Christ has set before us.  We obtain that nourishment by reading the word, by receiving sound spiritual instruction, by praying (especially in the Spirit), and by encouraging one another. 

In addition, God has provided us with the 'water' of his Holy Spirit to sustain and refresh us as we conquer this world for him.

Are you fully prepared to conquer your world for Christ? If not, let me offer you some relief – you can stock up on spiritual supplies today. In this electronic age, it has never been easier to find good teaching as well as 'readable' versions of the Bible. Be sure to take advantage of the resources God has given you, and spend time in prayer this week! Get prepared to be a soldier for Christ!

Let me offer you some strength:

As a member of the church, you are one of God's chosen people! He has not chosen you for failure, but for victory! If you will do your part – live in faith and prepare for battle – God will do his part. He will make you successful in winning people for Christ and destroying the works of the devil.

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Joshua 1:1 – After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant...

The death of Moses is recorded at the end of the book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 34:5-8).  Because of a sin he committed, Moses never had the privilege of setting foot in the Promised Land himself. 

However, the death of Moses did not change God's plans.  He still fully intended to lead the nation of Israel into the inheritance he promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:7, Genesis 13:14-17).  He would now accomplish his purposes through Joshua, son of Nun.

Joshua had already been publicly named as the successor to Moses.  You can read about the ceremony in Numbers 27:12-23, but the gist is that God publicly confirmed Joshua as the next leader of Israel, before the death of Moses.  In fact, Moses was the one who transferred authority to Joshua by the laying on of hands:

Numbers 27:18-20 – So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey."

Now that it is time for Joshua to fully assume the mantle of leadership/power, we find that God begins the process by speaking directly to him. This personal message was no doubt a much-welcomed confirmation for Joshua.

Some scholars believe God spoke to him in a dream or vision.  Others think God spoke to him out of the tabernacle of the congregation (tent of meeting), as he often did with Moses (Leviticus 1:1).  In either case, Joshua was now ready to assume the role as leader of the nation.

This was a job he had been specially prepared and trained for.  Not only was he filled with the Spirit, he had also spent years and years as Moses' right-hand man.  He observed how Moses evaluated problems, asked advice from God and then deal with the people.  He would now be taking Moses' place as the mediator between God and Israel.

The sequence of events went something like this: after Moses died, Israel spent 30 days in mourning. During this time, there was a pause in all public councils/plans. Israel needed this time to mourn the loss of their great leader and perhaps to repent of their disobedience and obstinance under his rule. But now the time of mourning is past. God is ready to move forward, and he calls Joshua to step up as leader of his people.

Joshua 1:2 – "Moses my servant is dead.  Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel."

The death of Moses was probably a tough thing for Israel.  He was the one who led them out of captivity.  He was the one who led them during their failed attempt to take the Promised Land, and subsequently he led them for 40 years in the desert.  In fact, he was the only leader the current generation knew; the older generation had perished in the wilderness.

However, as God points out to Joshua, Moses was simply his servant.  He was the liaison between God and the Israelites; he led the people as God directed.  Joshua would now have the exact same role and the exact same authority – servant of the Lord, and leader of God's chosen people.  The reassuring part is that no matter what, God is still in charge.

And God declared that it was now time to lead those people across the Jordan river and into the Promised Land which he swore to give to Abraham and his descendants forever.  The accomplishment of all that God had promised was now about to take place!  What an exciting day for Israel!

But what was exciting for Israel, was a test of faith for Joshua. Passing over the river Jordan was not a matter of simply crossing a shallow creek bed. The Jordan was a major river, currently flowing at flood stage. It was deep and wide with a swift current.

                                                                     

Joshua has no boats, no bridges and no pontoons.  In short, he has absolutely no possible way in the natural realm to get a million plus people with all their livestock and possessions safely across the river.  His only option was to trust in God when he did not see a way over, around or through this problem. It was an act of faith on his part to even order the people to get ready to cross. 

How can we apply this lesson to our own lives? Has God made you a promise, but the fulfillment of it looks impossible? If so, follow Joshua's example and step out in faith. You can be confident that what God has promised, he will do! Even when we don't see a way for that promise to be fulfilled, God has a way!

One other thought:  You may not agree with me, but I personally see some parallels between the children of Israel taking the Promised Land and the church taking back America. 

Through his prophets, God has promised to save America and bring an unprecedented revival in our midst.  When we look around at the world today, we may wonder how that could ever happen!  But let's choose to be strong and courageous.  If God has promised it, he will bring it to pass. 

Joshua 1:3 –"Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses."

The phraseology in this verse is just amazing!  In God's prior dealings with Israel, he always promised, 'I WILL give you the land'; it was referred to as a future promise:

Genesis 17:8 - And I will give unto you, and to your descendants after you, the land in which you are a sojourner, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

But now, God speaks as if the event has already occurred; he clearly says, 'I HAVE given to you'.  In God's eyes, the land is already theirs, even though they had not yet even crossed the river! 

Notice that even though God called the land theirs, they still had to do their part. By faith they had to believe the promise of God and take appropriate action - they had to rise up, cross the river and engage the enemy in order to take the land.

The same is true for us as New Testament believers.  We receive the promises of God by faith. 

For instance, think back to the day you received your salvation.  How did you get it?  You believed that you needed forgiveness for sin and that Christ was willing to do that for you.  Then, you simply reached out to him in faith and accepted it by saying a prayer or raising your hands or something similar. 

How did you receive the baptism of Holy Spirit and your new prayer language? You read the scriptures that promised it to you, you believed it, you asked for it, then you opened up your mouth and in faith you began to speak. In other words, you received it by faith.

Faith is the channel for receiving all the blessings of God.  What do you need or want today?  I encourage you to dig into the scriptures, to enter your prayer closet with Holy Spirit and to discover the promises God has in store for you.  Then, receive them by faith!

As for the particular case found in the first chapter of Joshua, God has promised the land to Israel.  Specifically, he says that 'every place the sole of their foot treads upon' will be theirs.  What does that mean?

First of all, we want to understand that Israel was not creating the borders of their future nation.  Those had already been pre-determined by God, just as he determines the boundaries of every nation (Deuteronomy 34:1-4).

Some people think the phrase refers to the ease with which Israel was going to take the land.  They refer to the conquest of Jericho, in which Israel simply marched around the walls and they fell.  

But we might point out after reading this book that the conquest was anything but simple and easy.  However, proponents of this theory contend that it was only the unfaithfulness of Israel that made the conquest a difficult matter.  Perhaps they are right.  What do you think?

Another interpretation sees that phrase as referring to the responsibility of each individual tribe/person in the taking of the land. Let me explain.

Joshua was clearly God's chosen military leader for Israel, and God himself certainly fought for his people.  But the actual conquest of Canaan was a limited conquest.  Joshua took a specific, limited number of strongholds throughout the country, utterly crushing the armies that came against Israel.  He then established Israel in those places, and divided the land, conquered and unconquered, among the tribes of Israel (Joshua 13:1-7).  At that point, it was the responsibility of each individual tribe/person to finish the job. 

Thus, they had to fight/battle in order to gain all the land that they 'tread upon with the sole of their foot'. For example, God 'gave' Caleb the region of Hebron, but he still had to fight claim that promise:

Joshua 15:13-14 – According to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron.  And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.

By the same token, if Israel did not engage the enemy at all or if they did not persevere to victory, they would not gain the territory.  We have clear evidence that there were parts of the Promised Land that Israel failed to take from the Canaanites:

Joshua 17:12 - Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would persist to dwell in that land.

(See also Joshua 16:10, 17:15-18, etc.) Although God promised victory, gave them a strong competent leader and assisted them in battle, Israel had to fight for what she wanted! We might say the people had 'skin in the game'.

What territory do you want to take for the kingdom of heaven?  Your neighborhood or the people surrounding your church?  The neighborhood in which you live and/or worship is a stronghold that God has given you.  But you will need to take action if you want to win that community to Christ.  How might this understanding change the way your church relates to the surrounding community?  How does it change the way you view your street or your neighborhood?

Joshua 1:4 – "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory."

This text describes the boundaries of the land.  The 'wilderness' refers to the Desert of Arabia, which was the southern boundary.  Lebanon was the northern limit with the east and west boundaries being the 'great sea' (Mediterranean Sea) and the Euphrates River.  'All the land of the Hittites' seems to refer to the complete territory in general.

The Israelites under Joshua never fully ruled/dominated this entire tract of land.  They had the power and ability to possess it in due time, but they failed to do so. This was not a reflection of the inability of God to deliver his promise; it was due to the cowardice, laziness and disobedience of the Israelites.

Again, we must ask ourselves this: What areas has God given the church to possess? Are we looking to him to lead us in battle to take those areas, or are we satisfied having Satan as our next-door neighbor?

Joshua 1:5 – "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will not leave you or forsake you."

Put yourself in Joshua's place for just a moment.  You are now the leader of a nation who is tasked with defeating some very strong military opponents. 

The nations Israel was to subdue were highly trained in war, well supplied, well-armed and physically bigger than the Israelites.  Their towns and cities were well fortified and they had political alliances which would provide further assistance in any war against Joshua and the Israelites.

As if that were not enough, they had advanced warning that Israel was on its way, so they had been busy making every possible preparation for war or for a siege.  They were determined to defeat Israel and save their country, or to lose their lives trying.  They were very formidable enemies.

Joshua can't help but remember that in the past, the people failed to fully trust the Lord, which resulted in 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Furthermore, there was no guarantee they would fully trust God this time either. Given the entire set of circumstances, do you think Joshua might have had some feelings of fear or anxiety?

I don't see how he couldn't have had those feelings! But obviously, God had already taken that into account. As part of his instructions to Joshua to move forward, he steadfastly declares that no enemy will be able to defeat him for the rest of his life. In other words, there would not be a repeat of Israel's past failure.

God gives him further tangible assurance of victory with the statement 'As I was with Moses, so I will be with you'. 

Remember, Joshua had been the assistant of Moses for a long time.  He saw how God strengthened him, directed him, and gave him success in the great undertaking of bringing Israel out from Egypt. 

In the same practical ways, God would be with Joshua guaranteeing him victory in bringing the people into their inheritance.  God also guaranteed never to leave or forsake Joshua all the days of his life, no matter what situation he faced.  This was a reiteration of the promise he had already been given by Moses:

Deuteronomy 31:8 - It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

The promise of God was enough to suppress any fear or anxiety that tried to overwhelm Joshua.  God would be with him continually assisting him against the enemies of Israel as well as the difficulties he faced in governing a somewhat fickle and rebellious people.

God gives us the same assurances of help and victory in our lives today (Hebrews 13:5).  Though the forces against us may be strong and numerous, we know that if God be for us, it doesn't matter who is against us (Romans 8:31)!

Joshua 1:6 – "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them."

The command to 'be strong and courageous' is repeated again and again and again to Joshua. However strong and courageous he might naturally be, this was going to be a long and arduous task!  He was going to need divine assistance to get the job done. 

The command itself implies that the task assigned to him will contain multiple obstacles or problems.  He will need strength and courage not only to deal with the problems that surface, but to continue in his mission day after day.  He must be prepared to persevere in the struggles that are a part of bringing the people into their inheritance. 

But Joshua can take comfort in the assurance of God that he will definitely be the one to get this job done!

The same is true for us. During the course of our time on earth, troubles and difficulties will surface. But we don't face them alone. We have the armor of God, the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and divine assistance when needed.

With that in mind, let's be committed to walking through any/all difficulties without thoughts of giving up.  Let's continue to pray for the salvation of our loved ones, even if it seems they will never change.  Let's continue to live holy lives and stand for righteousness in the face of opposition because if we persevere, we will gain the victory.

Joshua 1:7 – "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.  Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go."

Not only does God want his servant to be strong and courageous, he commands him to know the law of God and to abide by it.  As Joshua well knew, Israel did not have the military might and experience to defeat her enemies in her own power; all victory would come through divine assistance.  The condition of this divine assistance/victory was two-fold.  One, they had to pick up arms and fight.  Two, the nation must be faithful to the laws of God.

This verse plainly shows that God's promise of assistance was conditional.  If Israel suddenly became full of pride and abandoned the laws/ways of God, their blessings, protection and victories would vanish.  They needed to remain faithful to the covenant they made with God, serving and worshiping him only. 

Sadly, in the book of the Judges, we find Israel failing in this regard.  She sins, loses the blessing and protection of God, and becomes enslaved by her enemies.  Then, when she eventually repents, God sends a deliverer to rescue her.  This happens over and over again in the history of Israel.

As for us, let's take God's demand to heart – let us study his word and strive to live by its principles, just as God commands Joshua.

Joshua 1:8 – "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Even though Joshua was a man of great power and authority, he himself is under the direct orders of God.

To start with, he must read and meditate on God's word. He must store it in his heart and mind, so that it pops to the surface when he needs it.

But mere knowledge is not enough; he must train himself to act, judge, lead and govern according to those same laws, without exception. 

Part of being strong and courageous is to do exactly that – live one's life in accordance with the commands of God, even when they differ from popular culture or government regulation. 

Joshua had already exemplified his ability to do this 40 years earlier when he disagreed with the 10 spies who claimed Israel could not take the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-9).  Nevertheless, God once again admonishes him to DAILY meditate on the law of God.  Those who do will receive wisdom and understanding from the Lord.  When we act on that wisdom, God will prosper us in all we do:

Psalms 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water in all that he does, he prospers.

As we all know, obedience to God's will is better than sacrifice! As Joshua endeavored to make his life and actions conform to God's word, God blessed and prospered him. What a privilege to be governed by such a leader! It would be wonderful if the leaders of our nation did the same. Perhaps we should consider that during the next election.

Joshua 1:9 – "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

In closing, God gives Joshua the absolute promise that he had commanded this work to be done and therefore it WOULD be done, no matter how great the difficulties/obstacles that were in the way. 

Joshua's part in all of this was to meditate/act on God's word and to courageously move forward in battle.  As he did so, God would bring the victory.

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The death of Moses was a sad loss for the Israelites; he was the only leader they knew and trusted.  But it was important for the people to understand that Moses was not their real leader – God was!

We could say that God was the Shepherd of his people, and Moses was his under-shepherd who watched over the specific flock of Israel.  Though the people dealt with Moses on a daily basis, it was God who was in control. 

This is a good lesson for us as well.  Sometimes a long-time leader dies or leaves a church/ministry.  That can be an unsettling time for the group of Christians who followed him/her. 

But be encouraged by this:  Under-shepherds are subject to change, but the true Shepherd, God, never leaves us or forsakes us!  We can also be encouraged that if God moves a particular under-shepherd, he has already prepared a new person to take that position.  He will not leave his people without a leader to watch over them on a daily basis. 

 

Let me offer you some relief:

God called Joshua to perform a seemingly impossible task – to lead Israel in the conquest of Canaan.  But God did not just drop that responsibility on Joshua and leave.  He promised to be with him all the days of his life, and to give him divine assistance in completing his task.

What has God called you to do in this world? Does it seem like an impossible task? If so, let me give you some relief – God will be with you all the days of your life too. If you lean on him and act on the wisdom/understanding he gives you, you too will be victorious!

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Not only does God command Joshua to be strong and courageous, he commands him to know the law of God and to abide by it.  Knowing the word of God is one of the keys to a successful and blessed life, because it gives us the option of making decisions based on the wisdom and knowledge of God. 

It's kind of like operating equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions – since they made it, they know the best way to use it. They know how you can get the optimum performance out of the product, so you should read and follow the manual.

Since God made us, we can be sure that acting according to his 'instruction manual' will be the best way to ensure success in our lives. Obeying his commands will bring us peace, joy, victory and fulfillment in this life.

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Introduction to Joshua:

Welcome back, dear readers!  I hope you enjoyed our prior study on the book of John.  As we move into summer, I want to switch gears and take a look at one of the most popular and well-loved Old Testament books – Joshua. 

Joshua is considered a historical book.  It details the conquest of the Promised Land by the children of Israel.  Let's examine some background information before we dive into this book.

Who wrote the book of Joshua? The scriptures do not name the official writer of this book. The Talmud (the book of Jewish civil and canonical law not included in the Pentateuch) maintains that Joshua son of Nun was indeed the author. The fact that the work bears his name is further proof of authorship. There are some incidents in this book that take place after the death of Joshua; the Talmud attributes these additions to either Eleazer or Phinehas who were priests back in that day.

If Joshua is indeed the author (which is likely), it gives this book the additional credibility of being written by an eyewitness to the accounts contained in the book.

It could also be true that after Joshua wrote this book under divine direction, it was 'updated' or put into its present form by someone else (possibly Ezra the scribe, after the captivity).  Another theory suggests that it was penned by someone else entirely, using Joshua's journals or memoirs.

In any case, we know this history was divinely inspired, prepared and preserved so that we can benefit from it today.

When did the events of this book take place? This is a good question, and for the most part two answers are widely accepted.

Traditionally, the date for the conquest of the Promised Land has been established as around 1400 BC. This is based on the account of I Kings 6:1, which specifies that the fourth year of King Solomon's reign was the 480^th year after the Exodus. Since the fourth year of Solomon's reign was about 966 BC, this puts the Exodus from Egypt at 1446 BC and the conquest of the Promised Land 40 years later, roughly 1400 BC.

The second theory has the Exodus at 1260 BC and the conquest of the Promised Land around 1220 BC.  This theory is based on the Rameses of Exodus 1:11 being the historical Rameses II who lived around 1290 BC.  This theory says that the 480 year period mentioned in I Kings does not represent an actual number, but 12 generations of 40 years.  If that is the case, then the actual number could vary, because the definition of a 'generation' is sometimes as low as 25 years. 

You can decide for yourself which theory you feel is correct.  In either case, it is the events themselves that we should be concerned about, as opposed to the actual date they occurred.

What happens in this book? Joshua tells us the history of Israel under his command/government. He details the events pertaining to the entrance into the Promised Land, the actual conquest of Canaan, the division of the land among the 12 tribes of Israel, and the establishment of religion during that time. All of these events are successful due to the divine intervention of God.

Why did Joshua write this book and why was it included in the cannon of Scripture? The purpose of Joshua's writing seems to be two-fold:

• To show that God had been completely faithful in fulfilling his promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants.  In other words, God kept his part of the covenant with Abraham.
• To show that God would bless his people only if they were obedient to his word; they must keep their side of the covenant in order to receive his blessings.

I believe we can also add a third item to this list.  The examples of physical warfare in the book of Joshua give us insight into the spiritual warfare that the church should be engaged in today.  Although Joshua did not know that as he wrote this book, I believe Holy Spirit knew that we would need this information in our day.  

What are the theological themes found in this book? The book of Joshua has a lot to reveal about God. Here are some of the theological themes we will encounter as we study it:

• God is holy. He does not tolerate wickedness, sin or rebellion. The Canaanites are driven from the land because of wickedness; later Israel will be exiled from the land for the same reason.

• God is not only holy, he is also gracious and merciful. Anyone who turns from evil and seeks him will be spared. Examples of this in the book of Joshua are Rahab and the Gibeonites.

• God is the great Creator of all things; he is sovereign over nature. Because of that, he can work miracles in nature. An example of this is when the sun stands still as Israel battles her enemies.

• God is not only the creator, he is also the owner of the universe. The land is his to give to whom he will. He alone determines the boundaries of the nations in all ages.

• Although God is love, he is also the Lord of Hosts; he directs/determines wars and warfare. In the book of Joshua, we find that God fights for Israel in many ways. He provides strategy to Israel, he commands the actual battle and he assists his people with supernatural acts. In short, God gives victory to his people. (Again, I feel this applies to our generation in the spiritual realm.)

What about 'injustice'? The events in the book of Joshua took place under the Old Testament covenant. There we find a clear definition of God's laws, clear penalties for breaking them and clear rewards for keeping them. There is no question that God has defined right and wrong. While those who keep his laws will be blessed, those who choose to rebel against him will experience judgment.

In today's culture, people do not like to face the reality of right and wrong.  In general, society is eager to affirm anything that anyone wants to do, regardless of God's laws.  In fact, the more something opposes God's laws, the more they endorse it.  They will completely condemn any teaching that seeks to define sin, and they will vehemently oppose anyone who differs with their opinion.  They are not afraid to judge the God of the universe based on their own blind and foolish reasoning!    

It is true that we now live in the age of grace. However, that does not give man the right to rebel against God. Sin is even more clearly defined in the New Testament as are the consequences for rejecting Christ and pursuing evil.

Grace defers the judgment of sin in order to allow mankind a chance to repent and find forgiveness, but if man chooses not to do so, he will suffer judgment just as those in the Old Testament did.  (In the Old Testament, people suffered physical death because of sin, but under the age of grace, people are in danger of eternal spiritual death.)

One reason I bring up this truth, is that people in our culture have been taught to denounce or revile any form of judgment which they consider unjust.  Think about it – 'injustice' is the catch phrase of our current culture!  But people do not have the authority to judge; God does.  In the book of Joshua, we will see that God endorsed the deaths of men, women and children.  Entire cities and people groups were to be completely destroyed in judgment.

Modern day sinners will revile their destruction as hateful and unjust.  However, keep in mind that people do not have possession of all the facts; they never have been and never will be in a position to question God's judgment. 

Furthermore, it is clear that God did not destroy people just to give Israel the land. The Canaanites were destroyed because of their own wickedness. And God was not partial to Israel; they too were eventually slaughtered and removed from the land because of sin. Rather than denouncing the justice of God, people should be grateful for the warning of judgment which we find in the books of the Old Testament.

God's severity in the judgment of sin is the counterpart of his infinite grace and love.  As we studied in the book of John, God so loved the world, he sent his only Son Jesus to earth to atone for our sin:

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

As a Christian, you may still have lingering questions regarding some of the concepts and actions which occurred in the Old Testament in general or the book of Joshua in particular.  All I can tell you is that God is perfect in all that he does.  We don't understand everything fully now, but you can ask God for clarification in eternity. 

In the meantime, let us endeavor to serve Christ, who gave himself as a sacrifice for our sin, so we could enjoy the many blessings of God as his children.

I believe our study of Joshua is going to be encouraging, enlightening, thought provoking and beneficial! Thank you for joining me in this study!

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John 21:15 – When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"  He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."  He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

As we ended out post last week, we were examining the miraculous catch of fish that Jesus gave to his disciples in Galilee.  After they came to shore, they found Jesus had prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for them. 

After the meal is concluded, Jesus begins to speak to Peter. 

Notice how specific Jesus is with his inquiry – he doesn't just ask Peter if he loves him.  He asks if Peter loves him 'more than these'.  In the original Greek language, 'these' is slightly ambiguous.  It means one of two things. 

In the first scenario, 'these' would refer to 'things', such as Peter's boat, his fishing equipment, his business, his house, etc. If this is the reference, then Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him more than his possessions. He is asking Peter if he is ready and willing to leave these things behind in order to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth.

However, in the second (and much more likely) scenario, 'these' would refer to the other apostles. If this is the reference, then Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him more than the other disciples do. That might seem like an odd question, until we remember the haughty claim made by Peter - that he would never abandon or deny Christ even though his fellow disciples might:

Matthew 26:33 – Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."

With that statement, Peter implied that he loved Jesus more than his colleagues, and that he was more committed to Christ then they were.  

So, with this one simple question, Jesus reminds Peter of his pride, his fall and his blasphemous denial of his master.  Notice how merciful and loving Jesus acts towards Peter.  Jesus could have scorned and chastised him in front of all the others; Peter certainly deserved it.  But instead, Jesus brings up this tough topic after they had shared a meal together in peace, speaking to Peter as a friend, not an accuser.

Why would Jesus bring up this topic in the first place?

He does it because Peter needs to be restored.  Many scholars maintain that Peter's treacherous denial of Christ rendered him unfit to be an apostle, and that he must be reinstated into his office. Others feel this viewpoint is a bit extreme because there is no official record that Peter was ever actually excluded from the apostolic leadership. Because of his denial, Peter himself may have wondered where he stood with Jesus and what his future role would be as a disciple.

Clearly, Peter's repudiation of Christ is a situation that cannot be ignored, 'swept under the rug' or simply shrugged off. His conduct has dishonored Christ and stained the gospel message. How can he now lead the church? How can he instruct others in the faith? How can we have faith in his testimony about Christ?

The only way for Peter to move forward and be effective in ministry is for Jesus to renew/reaffirm his calling or re-establish his position.  This is what we find happening in the last part of this chapter.

The three confirmations that Jesus requires of Peter mirror his earlier three-fold denial of Christ.  Through this three-fold confirmation, Jesus is restoring Peter to his position as a full apostle; his betrayal and disgrace are completely blotted out by Christ. 

Once this situation was addressed, Peter was able to move forward and boldly execute his office, being confident and assured of the calling he had been given by Christ. 

John 21:16 –He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"  He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."  He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' – This is now the second time that Jesus confronts Peter with this question. We notice that Jesus questions Peter in front of all his fellow apostles. The reason is two-fold. One, Peter had publicly denied Jesus, so he should now publicly affirm his love for Christ. Two, it was important for the other disciples to hear Jesus re-affirm Peter's call to ministry so they too could feel confident having him as a colleague and leader in the church.

'Yes Lord; you know that I love you.' – Wow! Peter sure has changed/matured. We now see that his attitude is one of humility. He no longer brags that his love of Christ is superior to that of his brothers. He is now aware of his own weakness and his need to be spiritually strengthened.

This is a good lesson for every believer.  When we first come to know Christ, we are unaware of just how immature we are in the faith.  We are often unable to see our own shortcomings, even though we can seem to see them clearly in everyone else!

Matthew 7:4-5 -Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the speck out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the speck out of your brother's eye.

It is imperative that as Christians, we remain humble at all times.  While we may excel in some areas of Christian development, we all have areas that still need work.  If you think you are perfect, or close to it, I suggest spending time in the presence of Holy Spirit.  He can reveal to you those areas of your life that need to be more fully submitted to God, even though you can't see them.  He is here to help you mature in your faith.

'Tend my sheep' – Throughout the scriptures, God often refers to himself as a shepherd and his followers as his flock/sheep/lambs (John 10:14, I Peter 2:25, Psalms 78:51-52, Ezekiel 34:12, etc). This concept is key to understanding the command of Jesus in this passage.

The directive Jesus gives here is not exactly the same as before.  The first time he instructs Peter to 'Feed my lambs'.  The Greek word for 'feed' means 'the care afforded (to the animal) by furnishing nutrition for the flock'.  Thus, our translation renders the phrase 'feed my lambs'. 

In other words, when Jesus instructs Peter to nourish his sheep, he is referring to giving them good/sound teaching and doctrine regarding the gospel.  This would be one of the main avenues of ministry for all the apostles once they were enlightened and empowered by Holy Spirit.   

Sound doctrine/teaching was (and is) absolutely imperative to the church! Though the disciples didn't realize it at the time, Satan was not going to sit idly by while they spread the gospel and won the world to Christ. Just after the birth of the church, Satan unleashed his fury on earth. He tried to destroy the church using a two-pronged attack: persecution and false teaching.

2 Peter 2:1 - But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

It was vitally important that the disciples maintain sound teaching and pure doctrine in the church, so that Satan could not lead believers astray into some kind of fruitless bondage or spiritual death. Even today, Christians must continue to be diligent in guarding against false teaching. 

The second time Jesus answers Peter, his instructions are to 'tend my sheep'.  The Greek word for 'tend' means to 'govern, care for, guide, protect'.  This is the kind of care that a dedicated shepherd or pastor uses to guide his flock.

The job of a pastor is much, much more than just giving a good sermon once a week!  Pastors are responsible for overseeing the spiritual growth of the entire congregation.  He or she must spiritually equip the church to stand up against attacks of the enemy and lead the congregation in Christian disciplines.  He or she must comfort, guide, teach and protect the flock, just as a shepherd does for his sheep.  Being a pastor is an awesome yet difficult job!

John 21:17 – He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"  Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."  Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

Now we come to the third time Jesus asks Peter to reaffirm his love for him.  Peter is grieved that Jesus would continue to ask this question.   Why was Peter grieved?

It may be that Peter felt Jesus saw something deep within his heart which might lead to another fall from grace, and that Jesus was about to tell him about it.  After all, Jesus had accurately predicted Peter's earlier denial (Mark 14:30).  

It may also be that Peter thought Jesus did not consider his repentance to be sincere.  This would best explain why Peter appeals to the divine nature of Christ, stating that because Jesus was divine he knew all things, and because he knew all things, he knew that Peter had sincerely repented of his earlier denial. 

This questioning was painful for Peter, but God used his grief and anguish for his own good.  Jesus reaffirms him as a true apostle, and Peter's rashness in speech and action were gone for good – we never again see them appearing in scripture.

John 21:18-19 – "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."(This he said to show by what kind of death he as to glorify God.)  And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."

The apostle John tells us that Jesus is speaking of the death of Peter in this verse. Ancient writers tell us that Peter was crucified on a cross, upside down, about 34 years after Jesus' resurrection. If we examine this verse in light of these two facts, it seems plain enough to understand.

The apostle John tells us that Jesus is speaking of the death of Peter in this verse.  Ancient writers tell us that Peter was crucified on a cross, upside down, about 34 years after Jesus' resurrection.  If we examine this verse in light of these two facts, it seems plain enough to understand.

Early on in life, when Peter was young, he had the freedom and ability to dress himself and go wherever he desired.  But if he accepts the mandate of Jesus to 'feed my sheep', then things will change when he grows older.  Specifically, a soldier will dress him and force him to go where he does not want to go – the place of crucifixion, where his arms will be stretched out on the cross and nailed (or bound).

Several things can be noted about these verses. 

• Jesus is warning or predicting the future suffering and martyrdom of Peter. While that sounds awful, it was proof that Peter would never again deny Jesus as Lord and Savior. Once filled with Holy Spirit, Peter would possess the fortitude to successfully endure any and all persecution that Satan could throw at him. Because of his former fall, these words must have brought comfort to Peter at different points in his life.

• There was no shame in the fact that Peter did not want to go to the cross. (No one I know is hoping to die a humiliating, painful early death. Do you know anyone?) Jesus is not saying that Peter would be unwilling to suffer martyrdom; he is just drawing a contrast between the freedom of Peter's early life and the fact that he would be compelled to endure prison and death when he was older.  Keep in mind that Jesus also prayed to his Father to remove the cup of the cross from him, if at all possible (Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36).

• This death would not come upon Peter until he was mature in the faith, and ready to endure the trial. He seems to have known when the time was near, and he was able to speak about it without fear (2 Peter 1:12-14). God also left him on earth for a generous amount of time, that the church might benefit from his teaching and testimony.

Here is the good news - God does the same for us.  He will not put us into a situation unless it is possible for us to be victorious (I Corinthians 10:13).  In addition, we know that God walks with us through every trial:

Hebrews 13:5 -Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Christ was glorified by Peter's death. When Peter was older and stronger in his faith, he was willing to die as a testimony to the truth of Christ and his gospel. Incidentally, the scriptures tell us that the death of every believer is precious in the sight of the Lord, because it means we are reunited to him forever (Psalms 116:15).

After these words, it appears that Jesus rose from the table and began to walk, beckoning Peter to follow him. This was a further confirmation that Christ had forgiven and restored Peter.

In some ways we could also say it was the reason for Peter's eventual martyrdom – following Christ will cost you something. Jesus had explained to all his disciples that the servant is never greater than the master. Since the world hated and persecuted Jesus, it would hate and persecute his followers too (John 15:18-20). Some of them, like Peter, would be asked to give their lives as a testimony to the truth.

It has often been a topic of speculation among Christians whether or not their faith would stand strong if they were given the choice between death and renouncing their faith.  Overall, I think this is idle speculation.  The best way to be prepared for that situation is simply to remain close to Jesus and trust Holy Spirit for the strength to face that battle, if/when it comes upon you.

Jesus' command to 'follow him' still applies today.  Christians in our generation must continue to abide by the word of God and follow the example of Christ in all of our speech and actions.

John 21:20-21 – Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

As Peter walks and talks with Jesus, he sees the apostle John following behind them.  At this point, Peter asks Jesus about the eventual death of John. 

What prompted Peter to ask this question?

We can't say for sure because it is impossible for us to know his motivation.  Maybe, since John was a favorite of Jesus, Peter wondered if he would have an easier (less violent) death.  But on the other hand, the question may have come from a loving concern for his friend; perhaps Peter was very concerned about John suffering death by crucifixion. 

What we do know for sure, is that Jesus did not choose to gratify the idle curiosity of Peter.

For most of us, God does not reveal to us the date or manner in which we will enter eternity.  There are certainly man good reasons for this. 

• If we knew the date of our death, we would surely live reckless lives, assuring ourselves that it wasn't our time to die. 
• Because of our fallen nature, many would have a tendency to indulge in sin, thinking they could repent later. 
• We would delay or 'put off' laboring for Jesus on a daily basis, if we knew we had more time. 
• We would try to carefully avoid the place and time of our death, and thus seek to extend our lives.

God's plan is obviously far better – when we don't know the final date or place of our death, we can live and work for Christ as if each day were our last. 

John 21:22-23 – Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?  You follow me!"So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"

With this statement, Jesus makes it very clear that Peter was to stay within the limits of his own calling.  It wasn't his business to know what God had prepared for John.  It was his business to follow Christ and complete the race that God had specifically laid out for him (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

How does this apply to us?

Our main business in this life is to follow after Christ. It is fine to become rich/famous or create popular music or make great scientific breakthroughs, but these things are secondary to serving God. Remember, you can't take it with you! The things of this world are temporary; only spiritual things are eternal.

Matthew 6:19-20 - Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Just because you follow Christ does not mean you should abandon a secular calling on your life and pursue full-time ministerial work.  God is looking for people to serve him as they practice law, coach sports, govern people, run successful businesses, collect trash or repair cars.  Excel in the arena God has assigned to you and serve him there. 

The path God has set before each one of us is unique. Because each of us has an individual role assigned to us by God, we should never compare ourselves to other Christians. Use the talents God gave you to the best of your ability, and you will succeed.

Matthew 25:15 - And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his own ability; and immediately took his journey.

Humans are curious by nature and we have many questions about life and religion that we would like to have answered.  However, there are some things we will never know.  We should not spend a great deal of time speculating about things that fall into this category.  For instance, we could argue or speculate endlessly on the interpretation of some portions of Revelation.  However, this would not be beneficial.  Instead, we should concentrate on being ready for Christ's return.

John 21:24 – This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

It is commonly believed that the last two verses in John's gospel were not written by him, but by the person or persons to whom he entrusted his manuscript.  This person verifies that the apostle John was a man of honesty and integrity. 

The facts contained in his gospel are not mere rumors or third person reports.  John was both an eye-witness and an ear-witness to the events recorded here; these events have not been exaggerated but recorded just as they occurred. 

John 21:25 – Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

We can be sure that the miracles and teachings of Jesus were never exhausted by any of the gospel writers; many, many more miracles were wrought by Christ than those recorded in the New Testament.

Yet, we have the assurance that it was not necessary to record more than the ones Holy Spirit included in the scriptures.  What has been written is a sufficient revelation of the doctrine of Christ. 

Furthermore, it is implied that it would not have been possible to record all the actions of Jesus, even if someone had wanted to!  The sheer volume would be prohibitive. 

Instead, let us rest assured that we have what we need to go forth and share the love of Christ with others!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Today's post spoke about the responsibility of Peter to perform pastoral duties – to govern, care for, guide and protect the local flock of Christ that has been placed under his or her care. 

Your pastor bears many of these same burdens, often with little help and/or compensation.  So, if you love and appreciate your pastor, here are some things you can do for them:

• Send them a text of appreciation and encouragement. 
• Pray for them on a regular basis. 
• Volunteer to serve or help on a church board or ministry.
• Call them sometime when you don't want or need something!

What other ways can you think of to assist your pastors?  Don't just wait for 'pastor appreciation day'.  Let them know how much you love them right now!

Let me offer you some relief:

We noticed how merciful and loving Jesus acted towards Peter after his denial of Christ.  While that situation had to be dealt with, Jesus did so with mercy and grace.  He fully blotted out Peter's sin and disgrace.

Have you failed Jesus in some way? If so, don't hide from him like Adam and Eve did in the garden. Instead, right straight to him in prayer, and confess your sin! He will be deal with you in love and mercy too!

Let me offer you some strength:

Have you ever wondered about the time or place of your own death?  We have probably all done so at some time.  However, it is clearly not a circumstance that God wants us to dwell upon. 

The best thing we can do is remember that TODAY is the only time we are guaranteed.  So, if you want to do something for Christ, spend time with him in prayer, ask him to visit you with dreams/visions, fill you with Holy Spirit or anything else, I suggest that you do it NOW!

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John 21:1 – After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.

In the final chapter of his gospel, John gives us additional infallible proofs that Jesus has risen from the dead.

At this point, all the disciples of Jesus are well aware that he has risen; they have seen and interacted with him themselves.  Their eyewitness accounts give us faith to believe in the resurrection.

As this chapter opens, we find the disciples have left Jerusalem, the site of the crucifixion and resurrection.  In some ways we might say that Jerusalem is now a forsaken city; it rejected Christ and now it is slated for destruction.  That destruction would happen in 70 AD at the hands of Rome. 

Although the Jews will face intense and terrible persecution there, God has not completely rejected his city or his people.  He will preserve the Jewish nation and restore it to its homeland once again (1948 AD).

As you recall, the Sea of Tiberius is the same as the Sea of Galilee. This shows that the disciples have gone to Galilee, the place where they were told to meet the Lord (Mark 14:28, Matthew 26:32, Matthew 28:10). Galilee was a natural choice for the meeting; Jesus often ministered here and it is far away from the politics of Jerusalem. As far as we know, this account is the third time that Jesus has revealed himself to his disciples.

And of course, we find a lesson for ourselves in this verse.  Jesus told the disciples where to meet him – in Galilee.  He has also told us where to find him – in the place of prayer.  He desires to reveal himself to us there, just as he revealed himself to the disciples in Galilee.  If we want to fellowship with him, get to know him, and allow him to work in our lives, we must seek the place of prayer.

John 21:2 – Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.

Here we find seven of the disciples 'together' in Galilee. The meaning is that they were residing together in the same place. While they were in Galilee, waiting for Jesus and the outpouring of Holy Spirit, they went back to work.

This was a logical thing to do.  Remember, as long as they traveled with Jesus their needs were met by people who supported the ministry through donations (Luke 8:2-3).  With Jesus gone, that source of income was gone.  Because they had no idea how long they would need to wait for Holy Spirit to come, they had to find a means of support.  Hence, they returned to fishing.

Notice that two of the disciples mentioned here are not identified by name.  Many scholars suppose they were Philip and Andrew, but there is really no clear basis for this identification – it is purely a guess.  The two 'other' disciples may have simply been followers of Jesus and not two of the apostles. 

However, we can clear up any mystery about the apostle 'Nathanael' – we know him better as Bartholomew.

John 21:3 – Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."  They said to him, "We will go with you."  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

First, let us remind ourselves that these men are experienced fishermen.  Not just recreational fishermen like many of us, but commercial fishermen – they had formerly gained all their living in this manner.  Therefore, we can conclude that they have all the necessary equipment, skills and knowledge to be successful in their venture.  We would expect them to succeed. 

Yet, they labor all night long, without the least bit of success. They didn't catch even a single fish! How can this be?

There can be no doubt that God permitted the men to work all night long without the least bit of success, so that it would dramatically draw their attention to the miracle that was about to take place.

John 21:4-5 – Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?"  They answered him, "No."

How is it possible that the disciples did not recognize Jesus? We know it was very early in the morning (twilight) and because of the distance to shore, they could not clearly see him. Since they were not expecting to see Jesus, they probably thought he was a common person, looking to buy some fish.

One thing we should note here is the timing of the appearance of Christ.  The disciples were at a point of hopelessness and possibly even despair.  Nothing was going as they thought it would, and they had exhausted all their own earthly strength and knowledge.  When they came to the end of their own strength, then Christ appeared to offer hope and assistance.

Jesus addresses his disciples with a term of endearment (children), which infers both friendship and affection.  The greeting itself would not necessarily have revealed his identity because the word was commonly used by superiors offering a greeting to those of a lower station. 

By asking them if they have any fish, he again draws attention to their true situation – they have nothing.  Once again, this will make the upcoming miracle an astonishing event in their minds.

John 21:6 – He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some."  So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

Does this situation seem at all familiar? It should! In Luke 5:1-11 we have an almost identical situation. Simon, along with James and John, had fished all night and caught absolutely nothing. They headed for shore and were washing out their nets when Jesus came and asked them to put him in their boat and push off from the shore, so he could teach the crowd.

When he had finished, he instructed Peter to launch out from the shore and let down his net.  Peter was skeptical, but he did as Jesus instructed.  He caught such a huge catch of fish that his net broke.  He called for James and John to bring their boat and help him gather the fish.  The catch was so enormous that they filled both ships until they began to sink!

At that point, Jesus told them to follow him, and he would make the fishers of men.

Matthew 4:19 - And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

This scenario is now played out a second time.

Again, the disciples had fished all night with no results.  This time, a man on shore whom they do not know instructs them to specifically cast their nets on the right side of the boat. 

We really do not know what prompted them to obey him.  Perhaps they remembered the command of Jesus from years before.  Perhaps they were simply at a loss as to what else to do, after an exhausting and unfruitful night of work.  In any case, they obeyed him.  After all, what harm could it do?  Maybe this stranger was acquainted with the lake and knew where the fish gathered, or maybe he could see a school of fish from his vantage point.  What was one final casting of the net, in this long night of frustration?  At least they would have the satisfaction of knowing they did all they could to succeed. 

Immediately upon their obedience to his command, the miracle occurred. 

Their net was so completely full of fish, they were not able to haul it into the boat!  In fact, they were barely able to drag it to shore.  Of course, you and I know that the 'stranger' was Jesus!

This miracle shows the divinity of Jesus in two ways: The quantity of fish that were taken as well as the preservation of the net, which would ordinarily have broken under the strain.

The multitude of fish was intended as an example for the disciples – it represented the immense number of souls that would be 'caught' for Christ through their ministry (Matthew 4:19). The prophets had 'fished' for souls for years and years, but caught very little. However, things had now changed. As Holy Spirit worked through the disciples, 3000 souls would enter the kingdom of heaven on a single day (Acts 2:41)!

In addition, the miracle provided an ample supply of provision for the disciples to support themselves and their families as they waited in Jerusalem for the coming of Holy Spirit.  Clearly, Jesus is revealing himself to the disciples as Jehovah Jireh – the provider of all of their needs.

Consider this: God is the author/fountain of every blessing to mankind; the immense quantity of fish in the net was an act of kindness and provision from God to the disciples. 

In the same way, the money that we earn today is a result of the blessing of God. Scripture tells us that it is God who gives us the 'power' to get wealth:

Deuteronomy 8:18 -But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto your fathers, as it is this day.

This power includes things like intelligence, opportunities, creative ideas, health, strength, capital, connections and anything else that we need to succeed.  Like the disciples, we must take this power and earn/work for the wealth we need. 

When we reap the rewards of a job well done, we need to remember that our success cannot be solely attributed to our own labor; God has made it possible.  Since that is the case, we should happily and gratefully bring our tithes and offerings into the house of God.  Furthermore, because God has been generous towards us, we ought to freely and generously give to those in need.  

John 21:7-8 – That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"  When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

As we know, 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' was none other than the apostle John, the writer of this gospel.  He realized Jesus was the man on the shore, but not because he could physically see him.  His recognition was based on the miraculous catch of fish – John perceives that the great multitude of fish could only have come to him by the hand of God; therefore, it was God who guided his hands in obtaining it.

He shares this information with Peter, who reacts with his usual zealousness.

Peter (and probably the others as well) had been clothed only in his inner garment, which was his normal working attire. But immediately upon hearing the Lord was on shore, he puts on his outer garment and jumps into the water.

While some feel he swam for the shore, leaving his friends behind to bring in the fish, others believe that since the boat was fairly close to land (roughly 100 yards), his intent was to assist in quickly drawing the boat to shore. The latter explanation makes more sense because it would have been much more difficult to swim to shore wearing an outer garment.

In either case, we see that his actions are a reflection of his intense desire to be with Christ.

It is interesting to note how different each of the disciples were, both then and now.  Some members of the church are contemplative, like John.  They serve the church with their great gifts of knowledge and wisdom.  Others (like Peter) are strong and active, making sure that things get done. 

It is easy to see why the apostle Paul likens the church to a mortal body with different members such as ears, hands, shoulders, etc. Each and every member is vital to the health of the collective body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-31). 

John 21:9 – When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.

Remember, the disciples have been up all night, working a very physical job.  They are tired, hungry, wet and probably cold.  When they get to shore with Jesus, they find that he is ready to minister to their bodily needs.  He has prepared a warm fire and a hot meal. 

This is an example of a truth that Jesus taught while he was physically on earth – our Father knows all that we have need of in this life Matthew (6:25-34), and he will provide it as we seek him first.

Matthew 6:32-33 -(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Scholars are divided on the origin of the bread, fish and fire.  The scriptures do not specifically indicate they were miraculously produced, although that is certainly possible.  What do you think?

John 21:10-11 – Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them.  And although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus asks the disciples to go back to the shore and bring him some of the fish they just caught. Why would he do that?

We can be sure it had nothing to do with a shortage.  The scriptures tell us that Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children with just five small loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:21).  Jesus already had bread and fish cooking on the coals.  Feeding seven disciples wasn't going to be a problem, no matter how much they ate.

The answer is that Jesus wanted them to taste the gifts of his miraculous bounty, so they could be witnesses of his power and goodness.  The blessings he gives us are not to be hoarded for ourselves; as we have freely received we should freely give to others. 

It also represents the partnership between Jesus and mankind.  Jesus made us fishers of men, but we are only able to catch people in our gospel nets by the power and influence of Holy Spirit.  Once we bring them to Christ, we still need his assistance to train and disciple them.  Only Christ can complete the good work that he begins within the heart of every believer (Philippians 1:6). 

Many mysterious and silly explanations have been given regarding the exact number of fish (153).  None of them are supported in scripture.  The number may simply have been recorded because the disciples counted the fish in order to divide them equally amongst themselves. Besides, if you landed the biggest catch of fish ever in your whole life, wouldn't you count them too, just out of curiosity? 

Keep in mind, the miracle here is not the exact number of the fish, but the enormity of the catch and the preservation of the net.

John 21:12 – Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

In asking the disciples to breakfast, Jesus is revealing his true nature to his followers.  Specifically, he is both God and man.

The miracle of the fish proves his divinity. By eating breakfast with them, he proves his humanity – Jesus is not just an apparition or a spiritual figment of their imaginations.

This assures us that Jesus is our living high priest, our brother and our kinsmen redeemer, who now makes intercession for us in the throne room of God, while dwelling in our hearts through his Holy Spirit. He continues to be clothed in the body which once hung upon the cross in a pool of blood and gore, only now it is exalted and glorified, shining brighter than the sun.

Besides the proof of his nature, Jesus also invites his disciples to eat because he is concerned about their physical welfare.  Our bodies are temples of his Holy Spirit and he provides what we need so that our bodies can be refreshed and in good working order! 

One can't help but wonder if this is one of the reasons why the gift of healing was included in the sacrifice of the cross.

John seems to make a big deal out of the fact that none of the disciples 'asked' Jesus who he was.  It was not that they did not recognize him; they were all well aware that it was Jesus sitting with them at breakfast. 

The Greek word translated 'ask' means 'to prove or inquire'.  John's point seems to be that a proper awe of the deity of Christ had settled on their hearts and minds and as a result, they approached him in reverent silence. Asking him for any further kind of proof would be to display unbelief and hardness of heart, and they certainly didn't want that!

John 21:13-14 – Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.  This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When John references the 'third time' Jesus appeared, he means the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples collectively. Since John is giving us his own personal account/witness in his gospel, he skips over the instances where he was not personally present. These would include Jesus' visitation of Mary as well as well as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and others.

John does not specifically say that Jesus ate breakfast with them, but it is certainly implied in the context.  Besides, in the book of Acts, Peter specifically tells the Gentile Cornelius that the disciples both ate and drank with Jesus after his resurrection.  This is one of the infallible proofs that Jesus provided to show that he was alive after the crucifixion (Acts 10:41). 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today's post we talked about the disciples meeting with Jesus in Galilee. Let's stop and consider this for a moment.

Under the Old Testament law, NO ONE could come into the presence of God except the high priest, and he could only do so once a year. Fellowship with God was not possible because of our sin. Think of the millions and millions of people who lived during that era – they had zero access to the presence of God.

When Jesus came to earth, his disciples (especially the twelve) were able to fellowship with him on a limited basis, but he was only one person and he still had to eat, sleep and teach.  Plus, access to Jesus continued to be almost nonexistent for everyone else (especially the Gentiles).  

But now that Jesus has risen and he abides in heaven, you and I have UNLIMITED access to the throne room of God 24/7!  What a privilege to be able to meet/fellowship with the God of the universe at any time, in any place, regarding anything on your heart and mind!

If you still think of prayer as an obligation, I encourage you to think again – the opportunity to meet with Jesus is a priceless gift!

Let me offer you some relief:

Several of the disciples went back to their fishing boats in order to provide for the daily needs of themselves and their families.  They toiled without success until Jesus came into the picture, bringing them relief.  But keep in mind, the relief came in the form of work – they still had to cast the net, catch the fish, drag them to shore and eventually sell them.

The bible assures us that God knows what our needs are, and he is here to assist us. However, it is very unlikely that he is going to make money grow on a tree in your backyard. Rather, he will open doors of opportunity for you to work/earn what you need. So, if you are praying for relief in your finances, be aware that most likely something will be required on your part – God isn't going to do your work for you!

Let me offer you some strength:

The period of time between Jesus' the resurrection and his ascension to heaven was an unusual one.   The disciples encountered Jesus at different times and in different ways. 

Jesus was furnishing them with proof, after proof, after proof of his resurrection, so that they could spread the gospel message with confidence.  Overall, we could say that Jesus was preparing them for their future role as his apostles.

What is Jesus doing in your life right now?  Have you considered the fact that whatever you are going through right now is training for a future ministry or good work that he has prepared for you to do?

Remember, if you are still on this planet, then God still has plans and purposes for your life.  So stay strong in your faith, and keep an eye out for new opportunities to serve the Lord!

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John 20:19 – On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Back in chapter 19, John gives us the testimony of several eyewitnesses who confirmed that Jesus was undeniably dead after his crucifixion.  In chapter 20, he gives us the testimony of several eyewitnesses who saw, touched and spoke to our resurrected Lord.  So far, we have studied the testimonies of Mary Magdalene and the apostle John.

In today's post, we find the testimonies of more people who interacted with Jesus after he was raised from the dead. 

In the early morning of 'that day', Mary and her friends went to the tomb before sunrise and found it empty.  By midday, all the disciples had heard that Jesus was risen, although not all of them had seen him.

But he had been seen by the other women who came to the tomb (Matthew 28:9) and two other believers who were on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13).

It would appear as though the Jewish religious leaders were also coming to grips with the fact that something had happened. The Roman guards had reported seeing angels, who rolled the stone away from the tomb. They accepted a bribe from the Jewish leaders to keep quiet about what they saw (Matthew 28:11-15).

In light of that news, some of the priests and Pharisees would certainly have gone to the tomb to see what was going on; it was in their best interest to know what they were facing. They certainly would have desired to put their own 'spin' on this news before it reached the general public.

All things considered, it seems logical that we find the disciples gathering that same evening to discuss this news, to consider what might happen in the near future, and to worship God.  Because it was only a few days after the crucifixion, they were all still very much afraid of the Jewish leadership.  For all they knew, they were going to be the next targets of their wrath. 

At some point in that meeting the unexpected happened - Jesus appeared! Please note: There is nothing in the text to suggest that he miraculously appeared out of thin air.

He probably just opened the door and entered the room, the same as everyone else. But because of his unexpected appearance and because most of them had not yet seen him alive, they were alarmed or fearful when they saw him. The fact that they had abandoned him just before his death probably didn't help either.

As we see multiple times in the scriptures, God does not want his followers to be fearful.  Jesus addresses them by saying 'shalom' or 'peace be with you' which was a very common greeting at the time.  

'Shalom' is an interesting Hebrew word.  It denotes all the peace, cheerfulness and prosperity desired to live a happy life.  We could rephrase it like this: 'May you be well and prosperous' or 'May every blessing of heaven and earth which you need be granted to you'.  

The overall meaning is very clear – much to the disciples relief, Jesus has not come to condemn them; he has come to them as a friend and brother.

John 20:20 – When he had said this, he showed them his hands, and his side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

When Jesus rose from the dead, he retained the same scars he had in life.  He showed the disciples the wounds in his hands, feet and side (Luke 24:38-39).  This was irrefutable proof that he was the same being who had suffered and died by crucifixion, and he had truly risen from the dead just as he promised.

In that instant, all the grief and sorrow of the disciples simply melted away.  It was replaced with incredible joy as they were reunited with Christ, and their faith was confirmed within them.

John 20:21 – Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."

Once all of the disciples had a chance to verify this was really Jesus, our Savior once again gives them a salutation of peace and blessing.  Thus, he assures them that they have been forgiven and reconciled to him, despite the fact that they abandoned him in his hour of suffering and death.    

Not only has Jesus forgiven them, he also proceeds to commission them to continue his work, in his authority. They are his ambassadors, going forth in his name and establishing the kingdom of heaven in the world. They will be the ones to continue preaching the gospel (while confirming it with signs and wonders), baptizing new converts and making disciples of the nations.

Using the authority Christ has given them, the apostles will establish and organize the church. They will declare the fullness of God's love and show the way to peace/reconciliation with God (II Corinthians 5:18-20).  In essence, Jesus has declared them to be pastors, teachers and evangelists (Ephesians 4:11-12). 

Because they carry on the work he started, the disciples of Christ can expect the same treatment he received – at times they will be persecuted and at times they will be accepted.  At times they will be revered/honored and at times they will be cursed.  At times people will accept the gospel and at times they will reject it.  

We too continue to work under the same commission as the disciples.  Jesus has set us apart for the very same purpose (to spread the gospel), clothed with the same authority and empowered by the same Holy Spirit.

John 20:22 – And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

This is a most unusual verse.  We know that the followers of Jesus did not receive the indwelling Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them, because the gift of Holy Spirit had not yet been given.  That could not occur until Jesus had ascended to heaven and been glorified (John 7:38-39, John 16:7).  Furthermore, we have a very detailed account of the coming of Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

So, what was happening here?

Jesus was giving his followers an outward physical sign of an inward spiritual change that was shortly to take place.  This is a technique often used in scripture.  A similar example would be water baptism.  Believers are to be baptized in water (Matthew 28:19).  The act of being baptized is an outward physical sign of the repentance/cleansing that has taken place in the invisible heart of the believer. 

In this case, the act of breathing on the apostles was an outward sign/pledge which represented the invisible nature and influence that would come upon the disciples when they received Holy Spirit. It also clearly identified the source of the Spirit and all his gifts/workings – Jesus himself. Sadly, many Christians have attributed the works of the Spirit to Satan, because they seem unusual or because they have been given incorrect teaching.

The word John uses for 'breathed' only occurs once in the New Testament.  It is the same word used in Genesis when God 'breathed' the breath of life into man's nostrils, and he became a living being:

Genesis 2:7 – Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Just as the breath of God breathed natural life into our physical bodies, the breath of Jesus breathed Holy Spirit life into our spiritual man.  Once we accept Christ as savior, Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, enabling believers to accomplish the spiritual agenda God prepared for us. 

We can clearly see the result of Holy Spirit's work in the lives of the apostles. 

Just after the crucifixion, we find the apostles uncertain and afraid.  Despite having been the interns of Jesus for three years, they are still ignorant of the true meaning of scripture.  They were not yet qualified to establish and govern the church, or to fully explain and share the gospel message.  They would have immediately crumbled if faced with persecution.

However, once they had been filled and baptized with the Spirit (Acts 2), we see a complete change in the apostles.  They became confident and courageous.  Because of the illumination of the Spirit, they could accurately interpret the scriptures.  They received wisdom and authority to establish/govern the church.  They were bold and fearless in the face of persecution, preaching the gospel at every opportunity.  Clearly, because of Holy Spirit, they were now enabled to accomplish the work which God had commissioned them to do.

John 20:23 – "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

We need to be very careful how we interpret this particular verse.  It is an irrefutable fact that God alone can forgive sins.  It would be blasphemous and absurd to say that any ordinary man (created creature) could absolve the guilt associated with a sin against our Creator, God. 

Isaiah 43:25 – I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake.

In other words, God has the authoritative or magisterial capacity of forgiving sin.  This authority belongs to him alone.

What Jesus is giving the apostles is the ability to sanction forgiveness in a ministerial capacity.  Let me explain.

To begin with, let's look at the context of the statement Jesus made. Two things should specifically be noted.

First, the statement is spoken immediately after Jesus has conferred Holy Spirit upon the disciples (verse 22).  This implies that it is not the disciples, but Holy Spirit within them, who can remit sin. 

Second, it was spoken after Jesus commissioned the disciples to carry on his work of spreading the gospel (verse 23). This implies that the disciples were not sent into the world to condemn it, but to bring/reveal the light of the gospel so mankind could be saved.

The meaning of this passage is that Holy Spirit, working through the disciples, would determine/establish/make known the terms and conditions under which people could receive forgiveness during the age of grace.  Establishing those conditions was part of the apostle's responsibility in instituting the church.  However, the requirements were not of their own choosing; the requirements were given to them by Holy Spirit.

Because the conditions of forgiveness are clear, every believer can have a personal assurance of forgiveness when they comply with the requirements (Acts 2:38, Acts 16:31, etc).

Thus, in a ministerial capacity, the disciples could assure/declare to someone that their sins were forgiven. Again, this is different from the authoritative or magisterial forgiveness of sin, which comes through Christ alone.

Simply stated, the only power of forgiving sin that man has, is to declare that if a person is truly penitent, their sins are forgiven because of/through the work of our Redeemer.  The purpose of bestowing this ministry on the apostles is so that ordinary men and women who live during the age of grace (the church age) can be fully confident that their sins have been forgiven by God and they are truly reconciled to him. 

John 20:24 – Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

We are not specifically told why Thomas was not with the other apostles.  It may have been that his fear of the Jews was so great, he dared not come.  Perhaps he had given up hope.  Or perhaps his attention was diverted by the demands of his family. 

What we can say for sure is that he really missed out on a blessing by not attending the meeting that day.

Likewise, as Christians we are specifically told to regularly meet together (Hebrews 10:25).  The reasons for this are many:

• You will have an opportunity to anoint and pray for others.
• You will have an opportunity to encourage/strengthen your spiritual family through your testimony. 
• You will have an opportunity to engage in corporate worship and praise.
• You will have an opportunity to teach or instruct new believers.
• You will have an opportunity for the gifts of Holy Spirit to flow through you.
• You will have an opportunity to give your tithes and offerings in obedience to the word of God.
• You will have an opportunity to form new friendships/relationships.

The list goes on and on!

Here is something to keep in mind:  By missing the meeting, Thomas not only deprived himself of the chance to minister to others, he missed the chance to be ministered to himself.  Had he shown up that day, his colleagues would have encouraged him in his faith and he would have had a chance to see Christ for himself!

Are you a regular in-person church attendee? If not, you are not only missing opportunities to strengthen the local body of Christ, you are depriving yourself of receiving blessings from God. Please, please, please - get plugged into your local church now!

John 20:25 – So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."  But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

The ten disciples who had seen Jesus hastened to report these events to Thomas.  We can easily imagine their excitement as they give him a full account of what transpired at that meeting. 

This information was not hearsay or rumor or even a third-party account.  It was actually a testimony – a firsthand account of what they personally experienced with Jesus!

All Christians have a testimony.  Each one of us should be able to give others a firsthand account of how Jesus has impacted our lives, forgiven our sin, and given us hope for the future. 

Your personal testimony is one of the most powerful witnessing tools you have. You can easily and naturally share it with others during the normal course of everyday conversation. It gives others a genuine example of the impact Christ can have in the life of any individual. It will draw them to the Lord.

What is your testimony?  You should consider rehearsing yours.  I recommend writing it down and organizing it in such a way that you could share your life story in five minutes or less.  By preparing in advance, you will be able to stay on topic and keep the attention of your listener long enough to share.  Don't be caught off guard – have your testimony ready!

Sadly, despite hearing the testimony of his reliable colleagues, Thomas is still skeptical that Jesus is alive.   Furthermore, he demands physical proof of the resurrection – he wants to see the scars in Jesus' hands and side.  Unless he receives this evidence, he refuses to believe.

Thomas is often criticized for his unbelief (as well he should be):

• He disregarded the words of Jesus, who repeatedly stated he would rise on the third day.
• He ignored the testimony of the other apostles, even though he knew them to be men of wisdom and integrity.
• He offended and discouraged his brothers by openly denying/disregarding the resurrection.
• He treated Christ and his word with contempt by saying he would only be convinced by a physical sign, instead of by faith.  The unbelieving Jews had also asked for a physical sign, but they did not get one (Matthew 16:4). 

It's only fair to point out that the other apostles also initially exhibited unbelief at the news of the resurrection, although their unbelief was quickly replaced by faith:

Mark 16:14 - Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at table, and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen him after he was risen.

Let's beware of falling into the same error in our own lives, because unbelief is a sin which is very displeasing to God.  If Jesus said it, it's true.  If he promised it, you can count on it!

John 20:26 – Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

Instead of honoring the Jewish Sabbath, the disciples began to regularly meet on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Revelation 1:10), which they called the Lord's Day.  The current Christian tradition of meeting on Sunday was derived from this practice.

This time, Thomas is present in the group. 

Jesus once again comes into the meeting and this time he condescends to the weakness of Thomas' faith – he offers to let Thomas touch his wounds. This does not mean that Jesus was pleased with his lack of faith; the opposite was actually true.

However, Jesus uses this event to prove to Thomas (and us) that he was the same Christ who had been crucified. The same wounds that were present on Jesus before he died were present when he rose from the dead.  Because of this example we can place our faith in Christ with full confidence, knowing that he has indeed risen from the dead.

John 20:27 – Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.  Do not disbelieve, but believe."

Did you notice that when Jesus speaks to Thomas he uses the exact same words that Thomas had spoken earlier?  By doing so, Jesus demonstrates that not only was he risen, but he possessed divine knowledge – he was conscious of the words and actions of men. 

All it took was this one statement from Jesus to convict Thomas of his unbelief.

Thomas was the last apostle to have faith spring up within his heart; until Jesus reached out and convicted him, his faith was in danger of dying.  Through the preaching of the gospel, Holy Spirit still convicts men and women today, leading them to eternal life in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 7:9-10). 

John 20:28-29 – Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"Jesus said to them, "Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The response of Thomas is immediate and forceful.  It is a heartfelt statement of truth reflecting both his own stupidity and the majesty of Jesus. 

My Lord: Thomas addresses Jesus as Lord; he acknowledges that Jesus is indeed the very same person that he had spent the last three years with - the very same person who had been crucified and buried, yet was now alive!

My God: Thomas also addresses Jesus as God; he acknowledges his divinity and pledges his undying submission to Jesus. From this moment forward, Thomas will worship him as God.

Thomas is the first of the apostles to address Jesus as 'God'.  Notice that Jesus allows himself to be addressed in this manner.  This is clear evidence of his divinity; for if Thomas was wrong, Jesus would have corrected him.

Jesus responds to Thomas by approving/confirming his faith. He now believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, but only because of what he could prove with his own physical senses. His faith would have been more excellent if he had believed without such evidence, because faith is the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Jesus goes on to highly commend the faith of those who will believe in him by the preaching of the gospel without having seen the physical proof of his nail scarred hands.  Jesus declares that this group of people (which includes you and me) are blessed.

John 20:30-31 – Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In these verses, John gives us the reason for penning his gospel. He gives us an eyewitness view of some of the things that occurred while Jesus walked the earth, so that we can feel confident about believing in Jesus as the Son of God and trusting him as our Redeemer.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Holy Spirit, working through the apostle John, has given us plenty of evidence that Jesus died and rose again.  If he is able to keep that promise, then we can be confident that every other promise he has made in his word can be trusted!

Scripture gives us other confirmations of God's faithfulness as well.  For example, look at the testimony of Joshua son of Nun, after Israel finally possessed the Promised Land:

Joshua 21:45 - There failed not any of any good things which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. 

I encourage you to find and claim your promise in the scriptures, knowing that God is faithful to his word.

Let me offer you some relief:

We have seen that the disciples experienced some unbelief in their lives, despite being with Jesus for an extended period of time.  Perhaps you too are experiencing some unbelief.  While that is not uncommon, it isn't a good thing. 

The unbelief of Thomas disappeared when he saw Christ.  So, if you are stuck in unbelief, move into an extended time of praise, worship and prayer. Shut out all distractions and focus on God. Once you enter his presence and touch him again, your unbelief will fade.

Let me offer you some strength:

Once Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ, they were empowered with everything they needed to accomplish the tasks God prepared for them to do.   The good news is that Holy Spirit has not changed (Malachi 3:6).  He is dwelling in your heart right now, ready to assist you with wisdom, boldness, spiritual understanding and every other thing you need to fulfill your own personal mission on earth.

If you feel lost or stuck right now, don't waste any time – seek Holy Spirit immediately and receive everything you need!

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John 20:1 – Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Our last post ended with the death and burial of Christ but, hallelujah, the story does not end there for Jesus has risen!

In the prior chapter, John recorded five witnesses who each independently testified that Jesus was truly dead.  Now he will give us the eye witness accounts of multiple people who saw Jesus alive and who would testify that he had risen from the dead.

This is absolutely critical because Jesus' resurrection from the dead was the ultimate proof that he was the Messiah. Those who would not believe any other evidence were referred to the sign of the prophet Jonah, who was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights (Matthew 12:39-40).

Furthermore, Jesus went to the cross to pay the full price for our redemption – the price which was set by Father God.  If Jesus dies for us but never rises again, the only conclusion we can reach is that God did not accept his sacrifice and that we are still in our sin.

So these eyewitness accounts are vitally important.   

The first witness to the resurrection is Mary Magdalene. 

Mary was a faithful believer/follower of Jesus.  Scripture tells us that Jesus cast seven devils out of her (Mark 16:9).  From then on, she (and other women as well) traveled around with Jesus and the apostles, ministering to them in many ways, but particularly by assisting them financially (Luke 8:1-3).  

John informs us that on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the grave while it was still dark.  We cannot help but notice the faithfulness of Mary. 

• She was with Jesus as he traveled around, preaching the gospel. 
• She was there for his crucifixion, even though his disciples had fled in fear (Mark 15:40, Luke 23:49). 
• She was present when Jesus was laid in the tomb by Nicodemus and Joseph (Matthew 27:61, Mark 15:47). 

Now she (along with Salome and the 'other' Mary/mother of James) faithfully and courageously goes to the tomb fearing neither the guards nor the dark of night.� Her only concern is how to move the enormous stone that blocked the entrance (Mark 16:3).

Her purpose in going to the tomb was two-fold.  One reason was to bring more spices to anoint the body (Mark 16:1-2), while paying her final respects.  The second was to weep and mourn for the death of the Savior.

But as she arrives at the tomb, John tells us that she finds the stone 'taken away' from the tomb.  Let's take a moment to review this, since John did not include the sealing of the tomb in his account of the death/burial of Christ.

In the gospel of Matthew (27:62-66), we find that on the day immediately following the day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees once again approached Pilate asking for a favor.

They tell the governor about Jesus' prophesy that he would die and rise again on the third day.  The Jewish leaders are deeply concerned about the possibility of the disciples stealing his body and 'pretending' that he had risen.  They were very fearful that if this rumor ever got started, they could never stop it. 

So with Pilate's support, they placed a seal upon the stone which served as the door to the tomb.  In addition, they stationed a number of Roman soldiers at the entrance to stand guard.  They were determined to prove that Jesus was dead and he wasn't coming back. 

Yet, according to all the gospel writers, when the women arrived at the tomb, they find the guards gone and the stone rolled away!

John 20:2 – So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

As usual, we find that John does not feel the need to mention every single detail of the events he records, especially things noted by the other gospel writers.  The purpose of his account of the resurrection is to establish the fact that Jesus had risen, and to depict the gradual dawning comprehension and faith of Christ's followers as they realize he has risen from the dead.

So, when Mary comes to the tomb, she is surprised to find the guards gone and the stone rolled away from the entrance.  As she investigates, she finds the body of Jesus gone.  Soon other women arrive and they too confirm that the body is gone. 

As we know, Jesus plainly told his followers multiple times that he would be crucified and rise on the third day (Matthew 20:19, Mark 9:31, Luke 18:33, etc). But despite this fact, when the women find the tomb empty, they are bewildered and perplexed. They assume that the body has simply been moved.

Specifically, they believe that either someone has moved it from its temporary grave to a new tomb (perhaps Joseph or Nicodemus), or the body has been stolen by the enemies of Christ.

In bewilderment and alarm, they abandon the useless spices and immediately go to report this news to the disciples.   

John 20:3-5 – So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

It appears that the disciples were either lodging together just as they had done when Jesus was alive, or they were staying in very close proximity to each other.  Regardless of which scenario is correct, we are relieved to note that Peter's denial had not cut him off from his fellow apostles.  John had invited Peter into his home and the other disciples were also still associating with him.   

In a state of fear and sorrow, Mary relates the news of the empty tomb to the disciples.  Having seen the empty tomb, she is seized by despair.  She interpreted the situation as dark and hopeless, but she is completely and utterly wrong!  In reality, that empty tomb was pregnant with victory and promise!

The same is true for the seemingly dead places in your life. Whether it's a broken relationship, a financial need, a prodigal child or a physical ailment, know this: There is nothing our God cannot resurrect!

So don't lose hope when faced with a dark situation.  View it as an opportunity for Jesus to do something miraculous.  Sometimes God allows those things into your life in order to stretch your faith, or show you a new facet of his character. 

After hearing Mary's report, the two men run to the tomb for a first-hand look at the situation. John is the younger man and as we would expect, he arrives at the tomb first.

Also as we would expect, he hesitates outside the grave because he is more timid and restrained than his colleague.

John 20:6-7 – Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.  He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

Peter, however, is as bold and impetuous as ever.  Arriving at the tomb he brushes past John and immediately rushes inside.

Peter notices the face cloth (your translation may say napkin) neatly folded up and placed by itself.  John did not see this at first, because it was only visible from inside the tomb. 

However, both men were able to see the pile of grave clothes.  This fact is noted by all four of the gospel writers, and well it should be, because the grave clothes are clear evidence that Christ had risen from the dead!

It is ridiculous to think that anyone, friend or foe, would have unwrapped the body before moving it. 

If the body had been stolen by the religious leaders (or someone hired by them), they would certainly not have taken the time to unwrap a body that had been dead/decaying for three days.  They would just have taken the entire thing and left the tomb as quickly and discretely as possible.

The same can be said of a friend who wished to move the body to a new grave – they would certainly not have dishonored Jesus by carrying his naked, decaying body through the streets of Jerusalem in order to bury it someplace else. 

And in either case, there would be absolutely no reason to neatly fold the face cloth and separate it from the rest of the linen.

It is interesting to note that when Lazarus was raised from the dead, he exited the tomb still wearing his grave clothes, because at some point death would claim him again.

John 11:44 - And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

But when Christ rose from the dead he left his grave clothes behind him, because he no longer needed them – he would live and reign forevermore!  Death no longer had power over him.

Romans 6:9 - Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him.

And because of the power of Christ, death's dominion over us is only temporary.  One day, when Jesus returns to earth, the dead in Christ shall rise to meet him in the air.  They will be joined by those who are still alive and all of us will accompany Jesus to heaven (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).  What a victorious day that will be!

John 20:8-9 – Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 

Once Peter enters the tomb, John follows.  He too sees the empty tomb with the pile of grave clothes and he notices the neatly folded face cloth.  The evidence clearly points to the fact that the body was neither stolen nor moved.  But if that was the case, what had happened?

All of a sudden, John begins to remember and consider the words of Jesus – he would be crucified and then rise on the third day!  The truth that John understood with his brain suddenly became truth he understood with his heart/spirit.  Could it be that Jesus calmly and deliberately rose from death, freed himself from the grave clothes, neatly folded the face cloth and exited the tomb? 

At this point, we witness the birth of John's faith - "he saw and believed".  Seeing the grave clothes with his physical eyes brought sudden sight to his spiritual eyes.

Once this truth was birthed into his spirit, the other words/promises of Jesus also sprang to life.  If Jesus had risen from the dead, just as scripture predicted, then the Messiah had come.  The law had been fulfilled.  Our high priest, the mediator between God and man, had taken up his office.  Believers could now be reunited with God and saved from sin and death.

Hebrews 2:17 - Therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

I imagine at that moment, John's head was spinning!  But while John believed, Peter still seemed in the dark.  The two left the tomb and returned home, no doubt discussing the situation on the way.

John 20:10-11 – Then the disciples went back to their homes.  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.

For her part, Mary is utterly consumed with grief.  She follows Peter and John back to the tomb, but when the disciples went home, she (and possibly the other women) remained at the gravesite, crying and mourning and searching for the body of Christ.

Who among us has not been in the place of Mary?  This life is full of heartache; all of us are acquainted with grief and sorrow.  And sometimes, like Mary, we find that family and friends cannot ease our burden or answer the questions we have deep in our hearts. 

During those times, we should continue to seek the Lord, just as Mary did.  He may or may not give us the answers we seek immediately (some questions must wait until eternity to be answered).  But we know for sure that Jesus will meet us where we are, cut through our veil of tears, and bring us peace and comfort.   

In the midst of her grief, Mary once again stoops to look into the grave (the same grave Peter and John had just left) only now there are two angels present. 

John 20:12 – And she saw two angles in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

It is uncertain whether Mary thought these were men, or if she knew they were angels. Their clothing would certainly have been a clue as angels often appear in bright white clothing (Acts 10:30, Matthew 28:3), which denotes purity and holiness.

But why are they sitting in the tomb, facing each other from opposite ends of the grave?

For one thing, the angels are no doubt contemplating the mystery of the love of God for mankind.  As they look at the grave and consider the sacrifice of God, it must have revealed to them a depth of divine love that was completely unfathomable.  How could God love man so much that he would die for us?  What is man, that God would be mindful of him?  It is a question that should astonish us too, and drive us to greater depths of praise and worship to our Lord.

Also, according to noted commentator Matthew Henry, the position of the angels denotes their careful observation and care of the body of Christ - they were literally in a position to watch over the physical body of Christ.  Did they literally watch over the body of Jesus for the entire time it was in the grave?  We can't say for sure.

But what we do know for sure is that the church is the 'body of Christ', and God has appointed angels to assist Christians here on earth:

Hebrews 1:14 -Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Therefore, it is correct to say that angels carefully observe and watch over the spiritual body of Christ or individual Christians. 

Have you ever seen an angel?  Has there ever been a time when you knew without a doubt that God sent an angel to protect or assist you at some point, even though you may not have seen them with your physical eyes?

Not only do angels assist and protect Christians, they also deliver messages and other words of comfort from God (Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26-38, Judges 13:2-14).  This was the obvious reason they appeared to Mary and the other women at the tomb – to bring them the message that Christ had risen!

Here is something interesting to consider:  As you may recall, the position of the angels in the tomb is the exact same position of the angels over the mercy seat (on the Ark of the Covenant), the place where God dwelt (Exodus 25:18-21).  Back at that time, the angels prevented people from coming into the presence of God, but in the tomb they were welcoming/pointing people to the presence of Jesus, the way of life!

Yet another reason why two angels were dispatched to the grave is because scripture declares that legally it takes two witnesses to confirm something as truth:

Matthew 18:16 - But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

(See also Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15).

John 20:13 -They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"  She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."

I do not believe the angel asked Mary this question in order to gain knowledge.  He knew very well she was crying because she was distressed about the removal or theft of Jesus' body. 

Rather, the question is a mild rebuke.  Why is she crying, when she should be rejoicing?  If Jesus said he would die and rise on the third day, then it was going to happen.  In fact, it had happened!   

But Mary does not comprehend the significance of the angel's comment.  She is still completely focused on finding the physical body of Jesus.

John 20:14 – Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

The obvious question is why didn't Mary recognize Jesus?

Many explanations have been given.  One says that Mary did not recognize him because she wasn't expecting him.  She believed he was dead and her mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea that Jesus was still alive.

Another explanation is that because of her crying/watery eyes and the twilight of the day, she didn't see him clearly.  The only person who would logically have been there at that time was the gardener, so she assumed it was him.

But the most likely answer is that God had placed a veil over her eyes, which prevented her from recognizing Jesus, just as he did to the two believers who walked with Jesus along the road to Emmaus:

Luke 24:15-1 - And it came to pass, that, while they discussed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.  But their eyes were held that they should not know him.  

Here is some exciting news: Jesus is about to reveal himself to Mary.  And the spiritual parallel is clear – Jesus is found by all those who seek him (Jeremiah 29:13, Proverbs 8:17, Luke 11:9)!

John 20:15 – Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"  Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

Again we note that Mary was looking at the situation through earthly eyes.  Her one and only goal is to find the dead body of Jesus, so she can once again hide it away in the grave. 

Although she was misguided, her words reveal the depth of love and devotion she had for Christ.  She does not seem to take into account that Jesus himself probably weighed over 100 pounds and he was embalmed with another 75 pounds of spices.  It is doubtful she could have actually moved his body anywhere by herself.  But in her hunger and longing for Jesus, she declares that she will find a way to make it happen.

Wow!  Wouldn't it be great if we felt the same way? 

What if we were so in love with Christ and so desirous for his glory to be manifested on earth, that we would ask God to accomplish the impossible through us?  Do we have the mindset that allows mountain-moving faith to work through us?  If we desire to be that kind of Christian, then we need to take steps to make it happen. 

• We must renew our minds with the word of God; we must believe that God is fully willing and capable of doing what he promises in his word.
• We must 'decrease' while allowing our devotion and desire for Christ to 'increase'.  We have to let go of our own plans and desires in this world and allow God's desires to become our focus.
• We must stretch and grow our faith through constant use.
• We must be prepared to tackle and conquer problems and difficulties.
• We must be faithful, just as Mary was.

John 20:16 – Jesus said to her, "Mary."  She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

With that single word, we witness the birth of Mary's faith.  Hearing the master's voice with her physical ears brought sudden revelation to her spiritual ears.  Jesus had risen!

With great joy she responds by addressing Jesus with a title of honor.  By using the title 'Rabboni' Mary is acknowledging Jesus as both her teacher and master. She is professing her obedience and submission to Christ.

Do you remember what Jesus said to his followers in John chapter 10? He declared that the shepherd personally knows each sheep in his flock. He calls them by name, and they hear his voice and follow after him (John 10:3-5). This is exactly what happened to Mary in the physical sense.

It is also true in the spiritual realm as well.  When Jesus first called us to himself through the conviction of Holy Spirit, we heard his voice and we responded.  We accepted him as Lord and Master of our lives. 

Jesus continues to speak to his people all the time.  Have we sharpened our hearing so that we recognize his voice?  Do we submit and obey when he calls us?  If not, what steps can we take to change that?

John 20:17 – Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

It is evident that upon recognizing Jesus, Mary immediately embraced him, and subsequently fell at his feet to worship him (Matthew 28:9).  Having discovered him alive, she is so happy she can't let go of him.  Jesus allows it for a brief moment, but then tells her to stop.  Why would he do that?

The answer is that a change has taken place. Formerly, the earthly followers of Jesus (such as Mary) were accustomed to worshiping his physical presence. So Jesus allows her to briefly do so, in order that her faith might be activated and she might realize that he had risen from the dead.

But once that fact was established in her heart, she needed to make the change to worshiping Jesus in spirit and in truth – not in physical form (John 4:23-24). In another few weeks, Jesus was going to depart for heaven to sit beside his Father. After his ascension his followers could worship him as intensely and frequently as they desired.

We too must worship God in spirit and in truth.  Instead of being led by Jesus in bodily form, Christians are now and will continue to be led by Holy Spirit until Christ returns to earth at the end of this age (Romans 8:14-15).

This concept is also included in the message that Jesus told Mary to give the disciples. She was to tell them that Jesus was shortly going to ascend to the Father, which meant they should not expect the continuance of his bodily presence on earth. They should also, once and for all, get rid of any dreams they held in regard to Jesus setting up an earthly kingdom to conquer Rome. He had not risen to remain on earth, but to return to heaven and receive the rewards of his labor – his office as the mediator between God and man.

In the meantime, Jesus commands Mary to give a message to the disciples - His Father is now their Father; his God was now there God.  Because of the redemptive work of Christ, our relationship with God (which had been broken through sin) was now renewed and restored. 

Notice that Jesus specifically addresses them as 'brothers'.  Formerly he addressed them as friends, but now that his redemptive work is complete, they are family - children of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Hebrews 2:11-13), as are we. 

What a wonderful honor Jesus has bestowed upon Mary – she is an eye witness to the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead.  She can confirm that the prophesy given by Jesus shortly before his death has been fulfilled:

John 16:16 -A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father.

Her announcement of his resurrection no doubt brought great joy to the eleven, which was the fulfillment of yet another word spoken by Jesus:

John 16:20 -Verily, verily, I say unto you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

In the tumultuous events of the last few days the disciples had forgotten these promises, but now Jesus brings them to their remembrance through Mary.

Sometimes our lives can be tumultuous as well. During those times of trial, let us never forget the promises of God which are contained within his word.

John 20:18 – Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" – and that he had said these things to her.

When the disciples last saw Mary, she was weeping and seeking the Lord.  They could have stayed and searched with her, but instead they chose to go home. 

But Mary was rewarded for her diligent searching – she had seen/found the Lord! Can you imagine the kind of relief and hope that must have surged through the disciples as they realized Jesus was risen?  Her good news was a huge comfort and blessing to them in the midst of their darkest hour.

Here is something to consider: God hasn't changed. He is still using his followers (you and me) to share the good news of the gospel to sinners. He is still using us to display his love and comfort to the hurting people of this world. It is our duty and privilege to tell them Jesus is alive!

If you have lived through a struggle in this life, don't keep your victory to yourself.  Share your testimony with others, so they too can find strength and comfort.  Your story of victory gives others the strength and faith to overcome in their darkest hour too.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

Mary Magdalene was a real mess when Jesus found her – she was possessed by seven devils.  But Jesus totally transformed her life.  He cast the devils out of her and allowed her (and several other women) to travel along with him and assist in his ministry. 

Perhaps you are in a real mess right now.  If so, let me give you some relief – God specializes in the impossible!  Jesus is standing by right now to give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3); to transform your life and make you a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). 

And once he does, he has a special place of ministry for you, just as he did for Mary. 

So don't keep that good news to yourself! I strongly encourage you to share your testimony with others! Scripture tells us that the ability to impart both life and death are in our tongues (Proverbs 18:21). Your testimony may be the very words of comfort and blessing that cause someone else to be victorious over Satan.

Let me offer you some strength:

In today's post we noted that when Christ rose from the dead he left his grave clothes behind him, because he no longer needed them – he would live and reign forevermore.

Once we accepted Christ as our savior, we passed from spiritual death to spiritual life (John 5:24).  Therefore, physical death does not need to be a fearful or terrifying experience for us; it is nothing more than the portal through which we enter eternity and the presence of God!

The key to being peaceful and confident in death is to live your life for Christ right now!

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John 19:31 – Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.  

We ended our last post as Jesus declared his work was finished; he committed his spirit into the hands of the Father.

Meanwhile, here on earth, the Jews approached Pilate with yet another request.  The next day was considered a 'high day' for several reasons.

• It was the second day of the Feast of Unleavened bread which was occurring on the weekly Sabbath day. 
• It was the day in which the sheaf of the first-fruits was offered to God (Leviticus 23:10-11). 
• It was one of the feasts at which ALL Jewish males were required to appear before the Lord at the temple (Exodus 23:17).

For these reasons, the Jews considered it a day of immense sacredness and solemnity; a 'high' holy day. 

The law declared that bodies hung on a tree should be buried before nightfall (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) or else the land would be polluted in the sight of God.  Back in that day people weren't crucified, but they were sometimes impaled or 'suspended'.  In such cases, death occurred very quickly.  We also find that sometimes dead bodies were publicly displayed for a time.   In either case, it wasn't a real problem to bury the body before dark.

But when the Romans invented crucifixion, that all changed.  They were so good at torturing people, that the condemned often lived between four and seven days on the cross before expiring.    

Breaking the legs of the condemned while they were suspended on the cross not only increased their pain and suffering, it further injured the body and deprived it of any support from the feet.  Thus, all the weight of the person was now shifted to the arms/hands.  Apparently, it was often enough of a stress to significantly hasten death, which is why the Jewish leaders were requesting that it be done.

Again, we can't help but notice that the religious leaders did everything in their power to keep the smallest commandment of the Law, despite the fact that they had just demanded the murder of an innocent man – the Son of God!

Now, what we are about to see in the next few verses are multiple confirmations of the death of Jesus:

The Jews: For their part, the Jews request that the legs of all prisoners be broken, so they would die and be buried before the high holy day. (After all, they didn't want their cherished religious celebrations to be tarnished with the death of the Messiah.)  Because of their request, the soldiers took special note that Jesus was already dead and it would not be necessary to break his legs.

Pilate: The only person who could order the legs broken and the only person who could authorize removal of a body from a cross was the governor. This makes sense; if it took seven days for someone to die from this torture, it would theoretically be possible for them to survive the ordeal if they were removed from the cross early. However, we can be sure that Pilate did not allow this to happen.

Scripture reveals that once Joseph comes forward to claim the body of Jesus, Pilate stops to consult with the centurion in charge of the execution.  He requests verification that Jesus is really dead (Mark 15:43-45) before he rules on Joseph's request.

John 19:32-33 – So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

The Roman soldiers: Here we find confirmation of the death of Jesus by those who actually carried out the death sentence. The soldiers performed numerous executions; they had no difficulty verifying that Jesus was dead. If he hadn't been, they would certainly have broken Jesus' legs just as they did the legs of the two robbers, because from their point of view, the sooner the prisoner died, the sooner their work was done. Based on their actions we can be sure that Jesus was dead.

John 19:34 – But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

This is further testimony of the death of Jesus by the Roman soldiers.  Jesus had died much quicker than expected, so just for good measure, one of the men thrust a spear or lance into the side of Jesus and up into his heart. 

This released the water in the sac around his heart, and it drained any remaining blood contained in the heart, thus confirming again that Jesus was really dead. It also explains the presence of both blood and water flowing from the body.

The actions that occurred here bore further testimony that Jesus was the Messiah.

According to the instructions for the very first Passover meal/sacrifice (when the Hebrews were exiting Egypt), God was very specific that no bones of the lamb could be broken (Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Psalms 34:20).  This instruction was observed from the very first Passover in Egypt, up to and including the death of the true Passover lamb – Jesus. 

The prophet Zechariah also notes that the events of the crucifixion provide further proof that Jesus was the Messiah:

Zechariah 12:10 - And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced.

This prophesy has multiple layers of fulfillment. 

• Some of the Jews saw the body of Jesus on that day (John, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, etc) and noted that it was pierced. 
• Later on, the apostle Thomas had a chance to put his hand into the wound located in the side of Jesus (John 20:25-27).  It was clear he had been pierced.   
• At some time in the future, the entire nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as the Messiah, based on the scars of his crucifixion. 

As conclusive as this evidence was/is, God gave even more proof that Jesus was actually dead:  

John 19:35-37 – He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth – that you also may believe.  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken."  And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."

John: Finally we come to the eye witness proof of the apostle John. We know John was present during the crucifixion, since Jesus spoke to him from the cross, giving him instructions to take care of his mother.

Since Jesus died quickly (in a matter of hours), John would have still been around when the soldiers were commanded to hasten the death of the condemned by breaking their legs. He was an eye witness to the soldier piercing the side of Jesus.

We now have five different proofs or testimonies that Jesus is dead. There is no way that anyone (then or now) can plant seeds of doubt in the minds of people about this fact. The resurrection was not a trick or a farce. It was a real event.

I want to make one point of clarification regarding this discussion. I have used the phrase 'Jesus died quickly' and made other remarks that state the same thing. This phraseology is just for the sake of clarity. In truth, we know that Jesus did not simply die when his body gave out. He died sooner than normal because he was in control of the situation; not nature. When the price of sin had been fully paid and the wrath of God fully satisfied, he knowingly and willingly gave up his spirit to the Father. As a result, his body died.

In so doing, Jesus became the true fulfillment of the Passover; he is the innocent lamb that was sacrificed for the sin of the world (I Corinthians 5:7).

John 19:38-39 – After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission.  So he came and took away his body.  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

Having firmly established that Jesus was indeed dead, John now gives us an account of his burial. 

As we already mentioned, the bodies of executed prisoners were under the authority of the Roman governor and they could only be claimed with his permission.  Pilate gave that permission to Joseph of Arimathea.

The gospel of Matthew tells us that Joseph was a rich man (Matthew 27:57), while Luke informs us he was a counselor or senator (Luke 23:50), who was earnestly expecting/looking for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43). Because of his position, he would have known or been acquainted with Pilate.

In contrast to the bullying, arrogant attitude of the Jewish leaders, Joseph approaches Pilate humbly or perhaps professionally and requests the body of Jesus.

This must have been quite a testimony to Pilate. He knew the Jewish leaders as envious, self-important hypocrites and he probably thought all the Jews were the same. But here comes Joseph - an intelligent, honest, well respected public figure who reveals that he too is a follower of the Jewish religion. What's more, Joseph clearly believed in Jesus as the Messiah. At the very least, it gave Pilate something to think about.

It appears that Joseph was aided in the burial by Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of Israel who met Jesus by night (John 31:1-2). He held an honorable position among the Jews and like most other Pharisees, he too was a wealthy man.

Both of these men were believers in Jesus.  Although they kept their faith away from the world, they were not ashamed or afraid to claim the body of Jesus after his disciples had hidden themselves away in fear and grief. 

For these two men, it was the death of Jesus which caused their faith to blossom.  Suddenly, they are no longer afraid of their fellow Jews.  Suddenly, they are willing to risk the loss of their wealth and positions in society in order to claim Christ.  Perhaps they were put on earth specifically for that time!  

John 19:40 – So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

The Jews typically embalmed their dead with a mixture of myrrh, aloes and other spices which they rubbed on the body.  More wealth or honor in life meant more spices during death. 

After the body was anointed it was covered with a shroud and a separate napkin was placed around the head and face. Finally, strips of linen were used to tightly wrap the shroud around the body. In some cases, if finances permitted it, the entire grave was filled with spices and the body laid on top of them.

Isaiah 53:9 - And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Judging by the amount of spices used by Nicodemus (75 pounds), it is evident that the body of Jesus was treated with the respect of a rich and honorable man.  Besides being anointed and laid in spice, Jesus was placed into a brand new tomb created and reserved for a rich and honored member of society. His entire burial was one that reflected wealth, prestige and honor, as predicted hundreds of years before by the prophet Isaiah.  

John 19:41-42 – Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Obviously, you can't just bury a body in any tomb that happens to be empty. You either have to own the space, or have the owner's permission to use it. In this particular circumstance, it is likely that the tomb in question was actually owned by Joseph.

He had no doubt purchased it for himself and his family, but because of the time constraints he was willing to place Jesus there.  Perhaps he planned to do so when he went to ask for the body, because his new tomb was close and convenient. 

But you and I can see the hand of God at work in this situation.

The burial place of Jesus was not an accident or simply a convenience.  Although all men (including Jesus) must die (Hebrews 9:27), Jesus was the first born from the dead and the first fruits of them that rise from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:20-21 - But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

(See also Colossians 1:18).  As such, it was appropriate for his grave to be a new sepulcher; one which no other person had ever used. 

We also note that this grave was in the midst of a garden, which again calls to mind that sin/death came into the world in a garden (Eden), but resurrection life also manifested in a garden.

Since Jesus was in the tomb alone, no one could claim that it was actually someone else who had risen that day. It prevents the false rumor that Jesus was raised by coming into contact with the bones of some prophet, like the corpse which came alive after touching the bones of Elisha (II Kings 13:21).

Scripture also reveals that the tomb was hewn out of solid rock, which means there was no secret 'back door' or other entrance through which the disciples could have removed the body. 

God has set the stage to prove beyond any doubt that Jesus was resurrected from the dead!  We will discuss the details of the resurrection in our next post.   

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Every part of the death of Christ reveals the hand of God at work. Because the resurrection of Jesus was going to be so astonishing and vitally important, his death had to be documented beyond any question. God provided no less than five key individuals/groups that verified/attested to the death of Jesus.

God was also clearly at work behind the scenes as Joseph and Nicodemus oversaw the burial of Christ. 

God is also at work in our lives, even though we may not realize it at the time.  Sometimes we go through difficult or confusing circumstances, and it is hard to see his hand at work, but we can be encouraged, relieved and strengthened knowing that God is always in control. 

• He loves us so much that he gave Jesus to die for us. 
• He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure. 
• He sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies. 
• He works all things together for our good; even the things that Satan has meant for our destruction. 

And, hallelujah, he has ordained that we too will one day be raised from the dead to live with him forever in heaven!

The Jews, the Romans and Pilate all felt that they were 'in charge' or making decisions about the death of Christ. But all of them were wrong – although they each had choices to make, God was in charge of the situation. And he is in charge of your situation too.

So no matter what you are facing today, let faith rise up within you – God is guiding you every step of the way, bringing you to victory.