The Surprising God

This exegesis of Psalm 19 provides context for the RCL reading in the Book of Psalms on Epiphany 3 (1/26/25). Insights are drawn from Allen Ross ("Bible Knowledge Commentary") and J.A. Motyer ("New Bible Commentary").   "David, King of Israel" by Honthorst (public doman via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction In Psalm 19, we encounter three voices that speak in counterpoint: 1) God’s voice in creation (natural revelation), 2) God’s voice in the Law (special revelation), and 3) David’s voice in response to God. All three voices point us to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Note that in this psalm, David first presents God as ’ēl , a name denoting God’s power as Creator. Then he speaks of God as Yahweh (“LORD”)—the personal name by which God revealed himself as Israel’s covenant God. This sequence is intentional, meant as a contrast to the pagan sun god, who was seen as the god of justice. David presents the Lord God as the Creator who created all that is (including the...

This exegesis of John chapter 2 provides context for the RCL Gospel reading on Epiphany 2 (1/19/25). Insights are drawn from Warren W. Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary") and I. Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary"). "Wedding at Cana" by Bloch (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction As we enter John chapter 2, six young Jewish men have trusted Jesus, starting a life-long walk with him as his disciples. Immediately, Jesus begins their training—his focus is to help them know him better. In chapter 2 we learn that this knowledge comes to them in three dramatic encounters with Jesus where they experience Jesus’ glory , his zeal and his knowledge .   1. His Glory  John 2:1–12 1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee…  This “third day” is apparently the 7th of John’s New Creation week (three days after Nathanael’s call on the 4th day, see John 1:45–51). Why this chronology? To make the point that Jesus is on a divine sched...

This exegesis of Luke chapters 3 and 4 provides context for the RCL Gospel reading on Epiphany 1 (1/12/25). Insights are drawn from vaious sources includingWarren W. Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary") and I. Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary").  "Baptism of Christ" by Willman (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction In Luke chapter 2 we lear about Jesus’ birth and childhood, Luke emphasizes our Lord’s humanity . Now in chapters 3 and 4, telling about Jesus early ministry, Luke emphasizes our Lord’s divinity . He does so by sharing the testimonies of five witnesses : John, God, Satan, Holy Scripture, and some demons. Though this is a mixed group, their testimonies agree on this: Jesus is the divine Son of God, now incarnate for us, and ministering among us. The questions raised by these testimonies are these: Do we believe in Jesus? Will we follow him? 1. John testifies  Luke 3:1–20 The first testimony witnessing to the divinity of J...

This exegesis of Ephesians 1:3-14 provides context for the RCL Epistle reading on Christmas 2 (1/5/25). Insights are drawn from vaious sources, including Karl Barth's commentary on this passage). "St. Paul" by Barbiere (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction Ephesians 1:3-14 is a prayer of Paul’s, often called a “doxology.” Here the apostle pours forth a cascade of praise to our triune God in what (in the original Greek) is a single, quite lengthy sentence. It speaks to who God is, what he has done through Christ, and therefore who we are in Christ.  We begin in Ephesians 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In the original Greek, the phrase “praise be to [him]…who has blessed us,” is an untranslatable play on words that implies that what we do (our praise) is a response to what God has already done. Karl Barth describes our praise as an “echo of what Go...

This exegesis of Luke chapter two provides context for the RCL Gospel reading on Christmas 1 (12/29/24). Insights are drawn from vaious sources, including Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and I. Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary"). "The Child Jesus in the Temple" by Jan Steen (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction In the second chapter of his Gospel, "beloved physician" Luke gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ early life as newborn baby, infant, and youth. Luke shows how Jesus, at each of these life stages, shared fully in our humanity. In doing so, he beat back our fallen nature and the temptations it brings. At every point, Jesus (in his vicarious humanity, and by the power of the Spirit) was re-creating our humanity. As God (divine) incarnate (sharing fully our humanity), Jesus not only is with us , but as one of us is radically for us . Joy to the world—the Lord is come! 1. Jesus, the newborn baby  Luke shows how the...