IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST ON HIS DISCIPLES

In this article, I will discuss the importance on the major developments about the disciples after the resurrection of Christ as recorded in John 21.

When Jesus resurrected, He initially gave instructions for the disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:5-10). After appearing to groups of disciples at least on two occasions, He eventually appeared to about seven men including Peter and John at the shore of the sea of Tiberius (John 21). John 21 is a key chapter that cannot be overlooked since the encounter recorded here formed the foundation for the establishment of the church of God. The appearance of Jesus and His encounter with the disciples erased all the doubts about His resurrection which is the core belief of the Christian faith. Christ is risen and He lives forevermore!

 Most of the disciples were fishermen, so it is just natural that they would go back to fishing since their master had been crucified. It is not clear if they had given up completely on the mission of been “fishers of men” or they were just passing away the time until they meet with Jesus as promised. The first major development in John 21 is the night of fishing during which no fish was caught. When they returned at dawn, they encountered Jesus at the shore who said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” When they answered no, He told them to try again, this time casting the net over the right side of the boat and they would find something. They obeyed and caught a great number of fish far more than their net could hold. In Luke 5:5-11, Jesus used a miraculous provision of fish to draw Peter away from his boat to become a "fisher of men". This was, therefore, a familiar situation for the disciples. However, they initially they did not recognize that it was Jesus standing on the shore, but when their nets were instantly filled, Peter and John fully realized who was on the shore, and Peter dived overboard to swim to the beach (John 21:4–8). The main lesson that Jesus wanted to illustrate here was that we can do nothing without Him, but if we cooperate with Him, He can do wonders through us. The disciples were called and trained to be fishers of men, but they cannot do it by their own strength. It is through Jesus that they would be able to draw more men from the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. As Christians, if we obey the Lord and cast our nets at His command, we would make a great catch as He has promised. We have been commissioned to make disciples of all nations.

 

The second major development was the interaction between Jesus and Peter. In Mark 14:29, Peter declared that “Even if all fall away, I will not.” He boasted of His loyalty even when the other disciples failed, but Jesus responded with a dire prediction (John 13:36–38) that Peter would deny him three times. This was fulfilled in the hours before Christ was crucified (John 18:25–27). In John 21:15, Jesus seems to remind Peter of his earlier boast, asking if his love for Him was greater than the love held by the other disciples. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loved him in other to give him the chance to repent for the three times denial of him during His crucifixion. After restoring this relationship, Jesus then tells Peter to take care of His sheep. He tells Peter that he would be led “where you do not want to go.” He then asked Peter to “Follow me.” This is an indirect reference to Peter’s crucifixion as a martyr for his faith according to church tradition (John 21:18–19). This prophecy also confirms that Peter's faith will never again fail. He will be loyal to Christ, even to the point of death, just as he once bragged (John 13:37). This is the first time that Jesus appoints and confirms Peter as the initial leader of His flock, which is the church. The significance of this encounter is that Jesus continually showers His mercy on us and forgives us of our sins. He always gives us a second chance to show our love for Him. This encounter also specifies the unpleasant part of ministry, being led where one does not want to go - following as the Spirit directs. It calls for total self-denial and reliance on the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came upon Peter on the Day of Pentecost, he became very bold and did the work of God without any fear. He proclaimed Christ with all boldness.

 

In the next encounter, Peter asked Jesus about the status of John, saying “What about him?” Jesus replied, “What if I want him to remain until I come: what concern is it of yours? You follow me.” Jesus was signifying to Peter that he should focus on the assignment given to him and not to be worried about others. As Christians, we should focus all our attention on Jesus and Him alone and avoid been side-tracked by the affairs of men. Every Christian has been assigned a specific role to play and we must be diligent to do the assigned work. We are endowed with different gifts and talents that we must use to build the church of God individually. We are called separately, but we must work collectively to build the church of God. At times, we may wish we had other people’s talents or gifts, assigned another person’s role, or even get jealous of someone’s perceived stronger connection to God than our own or feel, without realizing that we have been given unique duties to perform in God’s kingdom. In response to all this, Jesus said, it is none of our business or concern. We must fulfill our own role to the best of our ability to build up the kingdom of God.

 

Indeed, the Book of John, Chapter 21, establishes our Christian faith to be true, and Peter, as the rock on which the church was founded with Christ as the chief cornerstone.

Our Help Comes From The Lord

Psalm 121 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

We live in challenging times and many people are losing hope because the future seems uncertain. The scenes of life keep changing uncontrollably and it seems like the end of the world is near. Many are living in fear because of the many wars and conflicts that are going on around the world. Like David the writer of the Psa;ms, you may be asking, "From where does my help come from? I want to assuer you that there is a God, the creator of the universe who is forever able to protect and deliver you from all harm and danger. God would not let you stumble and fall during difficult times if you trust in His provision and providence. He is indeed our keeper and He would put a hedge of fire around you to consume all your enemies. In your most difficult times, just lift up your head and eyes unto the Lord. He is a strong tower that the righteous run into and they are saved. May this beautiful Psalms be your prayer of protection daily. As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, do not fear anyevil because He that is in you is greater and mightier than he that is in the world. I pray for God's peace, knowledge, and understanding upon your life. Be strong and courageous. Be blessed!

APOLOGY OF THE BIBLE

 “All scripture is inspired or breathed-out by God (2 Timothy 3:16)” 

This means that God worked through the instrumentality of human personality, but directed them so that they wrote what He wanted written. In spite of different writers with different styles, the Bible is very coherent and shares a common theme. An apology of the Bible begins with Jesus’ perception of the Bible. Jesus, the widely acknowledged Messiah, referenced and quoted from the scriptures on multiple occasions. He used phrases like “It is written” (Mat. 4:1-4), “The Word of God cannot be broken” (Jn. 10:35), and “He is the fulfillment of scripture” (Mt. 26:52-56). This means that Jesus acknowledged the scriptures as the final authority of God. 

Other evidences supporting the apology include:

1.       The fulfillment of Prophecy: The coming of the Messiah (birth, death, missionary work) was predicted by the prophets in the Old Testament and fulfilled (Isaiah 52:13—53; Micah 5:2; Luke 24:25-27). Specific historical events like the destruction of Tyre was predicted (Ezekiel 26) and fulfilled by the decree of Nebuchadnezzer’s attack and onslaught by Alexander the Great. The Jewish dispersion was predicted by Moses and Hosea (Deut. 28;25; Hosea 9:17; Jer. 24:9). The restoration of Israel was predicted (Jer. 31) and fulfilled in 1948 when Israel was restored as a nation.

2.       Science can be used to authenticate the Bible. The Bible describes the circle of the earth and that it is hanging (Isaiah 40:22; Job 26:7). This is a scientific proof of the geophysical aspect of the earth.

3.       The calendar system originated from the Bible: The AD and BC system of dating originated from the Bible after Christ birth.

4.       Acts and Culture support the Bible: The Bill of Rights, Shakespeare’s writings, sayings of the father’s of the United States and many others like Winston Churchill and Daniel Webster, all reflect their believe in the scriptures.

5.       Textual accuracy: When the different translations are compared there is concordance and very insignificance differences in terms of grammar that do not alter the intended meanings.

6.       Archeology: There are archeological findings of various original texts such as the “Lost Scrolls” that have been discovered. Despite different places and time of writing, they all point to the authenticity, accuracy, and inerrancy of the Bible.

SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA

The theme of the Book of Joshua is that of conquest with the setting in Canaan, the promised land. Chapters 1-5: Preparing to conquer the Lord – Joshua and the Israelites prepare to face a powerful enemy who live in heavily fortified cities but they must first cross the River Jordan. Yet God will give Israel the land by conquest to fulfill the promise made to Abraham and his descendants. Chapters 6-12: Conquering the land – Israel’s first test was to trust God to provide victory at the city of Jericho. They were successful but they were forced to defend the lying Gibeonites based on an oath to protect them. This made them to disobey God’s command to eliminate them. Chapter 13-22: Dividing of the land – Seven years later after the conquest is completed, God tells Joshua to divide the land among the 12 tribes, who then completed the final conquests in their assigned areas. Chapter 23-24: Joshua’s last words – Joshua entreats the leaders the keep the law and the people to serve God.

Typology: Jericho, a city fortified with high walls stands in the way of the Israelites inheritance just the city of sinful Babylon stands in the way of inheritance of God’s people (Rev. 18:5). Jericho must be destroyed just as Babylon city must be destroyed for Christ and his people to inherit paradise (Rev. 21:1–5). The two spies who were sent to Jericho were threatened by the king (Joshua 2:1, 14) but they were delivered by Rahab. In Revelations 11:3-12 we see two witnesses sent by God to testify to the coming judgment. The wicked city sought to kill them but they were delivered from death. In Joshua 5:14–15; 6:2, Joshua encounters a divine man, the commander of the Lord’s army, with a sword in his hand. Joshua typifies Christ, who is the commander in chief, described in priestly glory with a sword in his mouth (Rev. 1:16). Joshua’s call to circumcise the male Israelites is a kin to Jesus calling His church to purify themselves as they prepare for the holy war (Rev. 2:1–3:22). The seven circles of Joshua’s warfare (Joshua 6) strategy can be compared to that of Jesus’ cycle of seven, where He opened seven seals (Rev. 5:1) and the judgment commenced with seven trumpets and seven plagues. Jericho was defeated at the sound of seven trumpets just as victory was declared in the heavenly kingdom (Rev. 11:15). Just as the walls of Jericho fell at once, the remnant put to the sword, and the city burned with fire, so was the wicked city described in Rev. 18:2. The salvation of Rahab, a type of church, illustrates the salvation Church, a prostitute made Christ’s Bride by His blood represented by the scarlet cord that was hung on the window.

SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

The 52 chapters of the Book of Jeremiah can be organized into four major areas. 

The first section (chapter 1) is the calling of young Jeremiah to be the mouth piece of God.

The second section: Jeremiah's prophecies (God’s judgment) concerning Judah (Jeremiah 2-45). In chapters 2-29, Jeremiah communicates through a variety of stories and object lessons towards Judah. These includes: Judah, Yahweh's unfaithful wife (chapters 2-6); Judah, the hypocrite (chapters 7-10); Judah, breaker of the covenant (chapters 11-12); Five parables of judgment (chapters 13-20). Chapters 21-39 record the later prophecies that will occur under Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. Chapters 21-29 predict the captivity in Babylon. However, in chapters 30-33, Jeremiah predicts a positive future for the people of Judah through a new covenant but judgment must first come upon Judah (Jeremiah 34-45).

The third section addresses God’s judgment on the other nations (chapters 46-51). He speaks against nine different nations that would also face God’s judgment.
The final section (Jeremiah 52) provides the account of the fall of Jerusalem. The city is destroyed and the survivors are taken into captivity in Babylon.

Theological contributions: Jeremiah 23:5-6 presents a prophecy of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, as a Branch from the house of David.

God’s wrath is a strong feature in the book of Jeremiah. God’s anger is “provoked” by sin, but in His wrath, He offers a path to salvation for all those that repent. Jeremiah offers three main insights that

1. God’s people have sinned grievously against the Lord. Indeed, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)
2. The Lord will judge his people for their sin, in this case through the onslaught of the Babylonians. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a)
3. Yet God is both unfailingly faithful and bountifully merciful and will bring restoration and salvation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK

The Book of Habakkuk was likely written between 610 and 605 BC. The author was Habakkuk. It setting was in Judah.

Number of Chapters: 3

Introduction:

Good King Josiah of Judah had been killed in battle and all the reforms he made were quickly overturned by the subsequent four kings – three sons and a grandson – all of whom were bad. Wickedness went unchecked and things have gone from bad to worse in Judah. This causes Habakkuk, a little known prophet who lived during the same time as Jeremiah, to question God’s silence and apparent lack of judgment in purging His special people, Israel. The prophet Habakkuk criticized the sins of Judah but grappled with the fact that God’s chosen people will suffer at the hands of enemies even more wicked than they. Habakkuk asks, “Why?” The second time the prophet asked why, God answers with a flood of proof and predictions. Habakkuk finally catches a glimpse of the character and nature of God, and in response, can only stand back in awe and praise of Him. This resulted in the strengthening of his faith in God’s wisdom, sovereignty, and salvation.

Outline/Structure
Chapters 1-2: Habakkuk’s Problem

Ch. 1:2-4: Habakkuk’s complaint (First): Habakkuk has a problem with understanding God’s ways: Why, God, are you allowing the wicked in Judah to go unpunished?”  Why does God allow His chosen people to suffer in their captivity?

Ch. 1:5-11: The Lord’s Answer: God gives an answer the prophet doesn’t expect: God will use the Babylonians to punish Judah.

Ch. 1:12-17:  Habakkuk’s Second Complaint: Now, Habakkuk has a bigger problem: ‘How can you, the holy Judge, punish Judah through a nation that is even more wicked?”

Ch. 2:2-20: The Lord’s Answer: God answers back that He is aware of the Babylon’s sins, and assures that the Babylonian will not escape His terrible judgment. But Judah, says God, is guilty of the same kinds of sins and will also be punished.

The Lord concludes His answer to Habakkuk with a statement about His all-controlling majesty: “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth be silent before Him” (2:20).

 Chapters 3: Habakkuk’s Prayer and Song of Praise:

The prophet began this short book by questioning God, but now concludes with a psalm or song of praise. He understands and acknowledges God’s wisdom at the coming invasion by the Babylonians. The thought of judgment from an evil nation terrifies him, but he will trust God. And why not? God’s saving work on the part of the Jewish people should give the prophet confidence in God’s purposes and continued hope not to lose heart.

Theological Contributions: 

1.       The core of Habakkuk’s message resides in the call to trust God. “The righteous shall live by faith” (2:4). This is the foundation of the doctrine of “Justification by Faith.” Apostle Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 on two occasions (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11) to reiterate the doctrine of justification by faith. We are made righteous by faith in Christ because our sins have been exchanged with Christ’s perfection and righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

^“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Christ has enabled us to live by faith.

 

2.       It is also contributes to the doctrine of “Salvation by grace and faith in Jesus Christ.” We are saved through faith in Christ and not of works of righteousness.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The faith that is the gift of God and available through Christ is at once a faith that saves and a faith that sustains throughout life. We attain eternal life by faith, and we live the Christian life by the same faith. 

3. The Book of Habakkuk affirms the sovereignty of God. God is still on the throne of the universe. God controls the affairs of both the wicked and the righteous. It also helps to establish the doctrine that God is omnipotent and omniscient. “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20). God’s ways are not our ways and He chooses to do what He wants in His own time. In the end, God saved His people yet He used the Babylonians, a wicked nation, in His own infinite wisdom to punish them. This is definitely incomprehensible to the human mind just as experienced by Habakkuk. He knows the beginning from the end. God’s ways are not our ways. They are beyond our understanding.

4.       The core message also indicates that God is a just Judge who will ultimately punish the wicked who may appear to be victorious. He will reward the righteous when He returns in majesty and glory.

SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF MALACHI

The book of Malachi was written about 430 B.C. Malachi attacks the evil that arise in Jerusalem after the temple is rebuilt. His message of judgment is the last word from God for 400 years of silence until John the Baptist appeared on the scene.

Chapter 1:1-5: The privilege of God’s love – The people of Jerusalem lost their view on God’s work and His love for them in the past because they were wallowing in the problems of their present condition.

Chapters 1:6 – 2:9: The pollution of the priests – Consumed by greed, the priests were breaking God’s law by offering imperfect and diseased animals on the altar and keeping the best for themselves. Because of their disobedience, God withholds His blessings.

Chapters 2:10-3:15: The problems of the people – The people are as bad as the priest. They are divorcing their Jewish wives to marry foreign women. They are robbing God of the tithes and offering due Him, and in pride they challenge God’s character.

Chapters 3:16 – 4:6: The promise of the Lord – God answers the people’s challenge concerning His promises. God says a day is coming when it will not be “futile to serve God” (3:4), and those who fear God will be blessed. But there is a time coming when the wicked will be judged. Although the people had been cured of idolatry, there was little spiritual progress. Sin was everywhere, and the need for the coming Messiah was greater than ever.

Theological contributions: Malachi predicted the coming of God’s messenger before the Messiah (3:1; 4:5). This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist. Malachi also prophesied about the second coming of Christ (4:2). This is a very important event that all Christians look forward to. Malachi teaches that a proper tithe is a pure gift, recognizing the great name of Yahweh (1:11). A proper tithe is a sign of returning fully to God in faithful service (3:7). God has a high regard for marriage. Malachi teaches that the Lord hates divorce.  “I hate divorce, says the LORD” (2:16). What the Lord has joined together, let no one put asunder.