All Things Seen & Unseen

We in the English-speaking world have been saddled with calling the first day of the week 'sun-day'. We got this name originally from Egyptian astrology which named the days of the week according to which planet (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon) was 'dominant' during the first hour of any day of the week (Catholic Encyclopaedia). Rome took up this idea in the first and second centuries (AD) and then the Germanic peoples took the 7-day week but assigned new names for some to fit with their own gods.  English has derived its week day names chiefly from this source. Sun-day known as 'the first day of the week' by the Jews (Matt 28.1; Mk 16.2,9; Lu 24.1; Jn 20.1,19; 1 Cor 16.1,2), became known after the Resurrection as the Lord's Day (Acts 20.7; Rev 1.10). Of course, Sabbatarianism disputes the fact that sun-day has become the Lord's Day claiming that the Roman Pope changed the day from the seventh day to the first day.  ...

It is generally agreed by commentators that believing in Jesus as the Son of God plays a large role in the message of the gospel according to St John (Jn 1.12; 1.50; etc; Jn 20.31). Interestingly however, on at least three occasions, believing in Jesus is held up to question in the gospel account. The first one I'd wager is not often preached on although its jarring note is consonant with some of what has already happened. It's the passage found in Jn 2.23-25 : a number believed 'in His name' when they saw the signs that Jesus did. Nothing wrong with that; after all, the whole point of the gospel account is said to be a record of the signs, 'that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God' (Jn 20.31). And yet, Jesus does not commit himself to these disciples in John 2 'because he knew all men and had no need that anyone testify of man, for he knew what was in man' (Jn 2.24f). What is going on here? Other observers also have found th...

I don't know how often I've seen or heard the words of Jesus 'the truth shall set you free' quoted out of context. They are sometimes even used by those who have no commitment to Christ at all but even Christians forget or neglect to look carefully at the background in which the words occurs. The words quoted are lifted out of a long conversation (Jn 8.30-59) Jesus had with those 'who believed him' (v. 31). And for at least two reasons, they are often misapplied. First, these words were primarily directed to those 'who believed him'. In other words, a group of budding disciples of Jesus. They had listened to his words in the preceding interaction with the Pharisees (Jn 8.13-29) and these led them to believe in Him (v. 30). The quoted words are preceded by Jesus saying to these new believers, If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed . And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (Jn 8.31-32). If you abide in My word a...

In John 20.29, Jesus says, 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'. Seeing Jesus would be a wonderful experience but it's given only to a relative few in number. Peter also says to his readers, 'whom having not seen, you love' (1 Pet 1.8). Why are we promised blessing but don't share in the blessing of seeing the Lord? One preacher I've just heard declaiming on Rom 10.8-21 says a fascinating and helpful thing about the Christian faith. He says that most faiths (the notable exceptions being the Abrahamic faiths) require the use of a god in tangible form for worshippers to see something. The Abrahamic faiths, particularly Christianity emphasise the fact that God speaks with the corresponding theme that we are invited and commanded to listen. Some years ago, Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) wrote He is There and He is not Silent (1972) . Apart from all of Schaeffer's other achievements, the emphasis he makes upon the speaking God...

We can imagine that it was hard for the disciples after Jesus' humiliating death on Good Friday. The mood of disappointment and grief that hung over the disciple band is well caught in Luke's portrayal of the two disciples (Luke 24.13-35) on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. I think we would have been no better than they were in their despondency and spiritual blindness. This 3-day period was an important time but for them they could only think that his death spelled the END. And of course it did but not in the way they thought. Jesus' coming into the world did mean the END; it meant the END of sin and death, of the old age. Acknowledgement to http://visualtheology.blogspot.com.au/2011_04_01_archive.html for the graphic I have used even though I have taken what was a visual regarding Lazarus' death and reminded us that from the disciples' point of view Jesus' death appeared to end in similar despair during the 3-day travail.