3/13/17
The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
The Christian faith is not primarily centered on knowledge. It is centered on a proclamation of truth, the effectual activity of something which can be known. This is at the core of the difference between Christianity and other religions. Christians confess there is a body of knowable events, but that the knowledge of those events will not rescue anybody from death. It is trust in the knowable Jesus who has overcome death that we live.
John 17:24-26 speaks to this idea. Jesus, still praying in the garden the night before he is tried, convicted, and killed, prays that his people may see his glory, the glory given to him from God the Father’s love. This is the heart of knowing Jesus. It is grasping the truth of who he is and what he does to redeem the world from sin. And it is trusting on him. It’s the realization that he is the Messiah, the savior. That’s what it is to know Jesus.
Through this kind of faith, Jesus prays that the love the Father has for him will be in his disciples. And we know that the Father hears the Son’s prayers. They have one will. It is eternal, from verse 24 existing since the beginning of the world. It is a will to redeem fallen humans to fellowship with God.
Again, we see, the truth is proclaimed. It’s a body of truth based in real events. And it is made effective as we realize and believe it is so and it is for us.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
The Christian faith is not primarily centered on knowledge. It is centered on a proclamation of truth, the effectual activity of something which can be known. This is at the core of the difference between Christianity and other religions. Christians confess there is a body of knowable events, but that the knowledge of those events will not rescue anybody from death. It is trust in the knowable Jesus who has overcome death that we live.
John 17:24-26 speaks to this idea. Jesus, still praying in the garden the night before he is tried, convicted, and killed, prays that his people may see his glory, the glory given to him from God the Father’s love. This is the heart of knowing Jesus. It is grasping the truth of who he is and what he does to redeem the world from sin. And it is trusting on him. It’s the realization that he is the Messiah, the savior. That’s what it is to know Jesus.
Through this kind of faith, Jesus prays that the love the Father has for him will be in his disciples. And we know that the Father hears the Son’s prayers. They have one will. It is eternal, from verse 24 existing since the beginning of the world. It is a will to redeem fallen humans to fellowship with God.
Again, we see, the truth is proclaimed. It’s a body of truth based in real events. And it is made effective as we realize and believe it is so and it is for us.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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