His Word Today

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51 ESV)

^“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:38 ESV)

“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” (Luke 23:45 ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.

Matthew, Mark and Luke alone recorded the events immediately following the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. Regarding those events, only Matthew and Mark mentioned the moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

The temple curtain separated the two inner chambers, or rooms, in the temple. These were the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Contained in the Holy Place were three pieces of furniture: the Table of Showbread, the Golden Lampstand and the Golden Altar of Incense.

The Table of Showbread was where the Bread of the Presence was placed (Ex 25:23–30). “The term “showbread” (kjv “shewbread”) referred to the arrangement of the twelve loaves of bread in rows on the table (1 Chr. 9:32; 23:29; 28:16; 2 Chr. 2:4; 13:11; 29:18). They symbolized an “offering of food” to the Lord. The twelve loaves were changed weekly on the Sabbath day.

Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6). As God the Father’s Anointed One, Jesus provides for the needs of others; spiritually and physically (Heb. 1:1-3).

The Golden Lampstand was an ornate golden menorah. On either side, three branches came out from the main central stem, and seven lamps could be lighted in the flower-shaped holders. While the lampstand provided light for the priests to conduct their duties, it symbolized much more.

“Jewish lamps were part of the religious symbolism of the home, probably dating back to the prohibition against lighting a fire on the Sabbath (Ex. 35:3). References to light abound in Scripture. We read of the eye as a lamp (Matt. 6:22–23; Luke 11:33–36) and of Christ as the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:1-5). We are warned to pay attention to teaching as to a light shining in the dark (Prv. 6:23; 2 Pt 1:19). Both God and the spirit of man are symbolized as lamps (2 Sam. 22:29; Prv. 20:27), while in Proverbs 13:9 “lamp” is synonymous with the essence of life itself. Lamps, with or without stands, were also part of the Jewish ritual of death, mourning, and burial,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

The Golden Altar of Incense was the third and final article of furniture in the Holy Place. It represented the prayers of God’s people constantly ascending before the Lord. In the tabernacle/temple. Incense could only be offered by the priests, who thus served as mediators between the people and God, symbolically bringing their prayers into the presence of the Most High (Luke 1:1-9). The Altar of Incense symbolized Jesus Christ as the only mediator between God the Father and humankind (I Tim. 2:5).  

“Many of the furnishings of the tabernacle had a functional purpose. The lampstand gave light in an otherwise dark enclosure, while the table provided a place on which to put the showbread. Meanwhile, the incense altar served the practical purpose of pleasantly scenting the air. These items were in many respects ordinary pieces of furniture, albeit made out of pure gold and richly ornamented as befitted the furniture of a king,” explains Dr. Iain Duguid, professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.

“All of the senses were ministered to by the daily priestly ritual: sight, smell, and taste were addressed through the lampstand, the incense altar, and the table of showbread, while hearing was ministered to by the bells on the high priest’s garments. The whole affair was designed as a rich multisensory experience for God—not because He has senses like ours, but as an acknowledgment of the goodness of each of the diverse senses He has given us. Only the very best of everything could possibly be good enough to offer to the Creator of the universe.”

The curtain separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Contained within the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. These specific items are the focus of our next article of study.

Take time today to thank God for the senses He has given us. May our senses praise Him and not used as instruments of sin against Him.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)

^“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)

 ^“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46 (ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.

The following excerpt is by the 16^th century Protestant reformer, theologian and pastor, John Calvin. It is taken from his commentary from the Gospels.

“He (Jesus) declared that, though He was fiercely attacked by violent temptations, still His faith was unshaken and always kept its ground unvanquished. For there could not have been a more splendid triumph than when Christ boldly expresses His assurance that God is the faithful guardian of His soul, which all imagined to be lost.”

“But instead of speaking to the deaf, He betook Himself directly to God and committed to His bosom the assurance of His confidence. He wished, indeed, that men should hear what He said; but though it might be of no avail to men, He was satisfied with having God alone as His witness.”

“There is not a stronger or more decided testimony of faith than when a pious man – perceiving Himself attacked on every hand, so that he finds no consolation on the part of men, despises the madness of the whole world, discharges His sorrows and cares into the bosom of God and rests in the hope of His promises.”

“Let us now remember that it was not in reference to Himself alone that Christ committed His soul to the Father, but that He included, as it were, in one bundle all the souls of those who believe in Him, that they may be preserved along with His own. By this prayer He obtained authority to save all souls, so that not only does the heavenly Father, for His sake, deign to take them into His custody, but giving up the authority into His hands, commits them to Him to be protected. Everyone, when he comes to die, following this example, shall believe in Christ, will not breathe his soul at random into the air, but will resort to a faithful guardian who keeps in safety whatever has been delivered to Him by the Father.”

“The cry shows also the intensity of the feeling; for there can be no doubt that Christ, out of the sharpness of the temptations by which He was beset, not without painful and strenuous effort, broke into this cry. And yet He likewise intended, by His loud and piercing exclamation, to assure us that His soul would be safe and uninjured by death in order that we, supported by the same confidence, may cheerfully depart from the frail hovel of our flesh.”  

Soli deo Gloria!

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)

^“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46 (ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.

Luke alone recorded the last words the Lord Jesus spoke while on the cross. It is a statement of conclusion and consolation. The Lord’s work on the cross is complete. He has borne the wrath of God towards sinners as a Lamb (John 1:29) and a good Shepherd (John 10:14-18). He became the sinners’ vicarious substitute (2 Cor. 5:21).

“Father.” Jesus’ voice is loud, large and great. He once again refers to God as His Father (πατήρ; pater). Invoked is the idea of one who is beloved and loving. There is an eternal intimacy evident in this one word; between the first and second persons of the Godhead.

“Into your hands.” The phrase (εἰς σύ χείρ; eis sy cheir) refers to being held in the power and possession of God the Father. The agony of forsakenness and wrath gives way to intimate fellowship and comfort.

“I commit my spirit.” To commit (παρατίθημι; paratithemi) means to set before and to place before God. What Jesus placed before God the Father was His spirit or soul. Physical death was imminent. For Jesus’ soul to be absent from His body at death was to come into the presence of God the Father Almighty.

“This quotes Ps. 31:5, and the manner of his death accords with John 10:18. Normally victims of crucifixion died much slower deaths. He, being in control, simply yielded up his soul (John 10:18; 19:30), committing it to God. Thus he “offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb. 9:14),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

Following His statement, Jesus breathed His last. In other words, He physically died. He died at a particular point in time and space. His death, as His birth and life, was a historical event. It truly happened.

“The final word, by means of which the Savior, making use of the phraseology of Ps. 31:5, entrusts his soul to the care of his Father is beautiful because of: (a) what it retains of Ps. 31:5; (b) what it adds; and (c) what it omits,” explain Dr. William Hendriksen.

“It retains “I commend my spirit.” This is significant, for it indicates that the Savior died the only kind of death that was able to satisfy the justice of God and to save man. It had to be a voluntary sacrifice. The very fact that Jesus uttered this word with a loud voice also shows that he willingly, voluntarily laid down his life (John 10:11, 15).”

“It adds the significant word Father, not found in the psalm. The importance of this word at this point has already been indicated.”

“It omits the clause that immediately follows in the psalm, namely, “Thou hast redeemed me.” In the case of Christ, the Sinless One, no such redemption was necessary nor even possible.”

“’And when he had said this, he breathed his last,’ show the “calm restfulness” (Geldenhuys) in the mind and heart of Jesus at the moment when his soul parted from this earth. Having fully accomplished the work the Father gave him to do (John 17:4), he enjoyed to the full “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7),” concludes Dr. Hendriksen.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 ESV)

Thomas Manton (1620–1677) was an English Puritan clergyman. He was a clerk to the Westminster Assembly and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. The following excerpt is from his message entitled It is Finished – John 19:30.

When Christ stood in our stead, no comfort was granted to him but what was devised to augment his grief. When his strength was dried up like a potsherd, and his tongue cleaved to his jaws, ‘They gave him vinegar to drink,’ when he was providing for us a cup of blessings, a torrent and a river of pleasure, of which we might drink: ver. 30, ‘When he had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed the head, and gave up the ghost.’ When he had received it, that is, tasted it, for they put it into his mouth with a sponge on the top of a reed, then he said, ‘It is finished;’ that is, as much as was necessary for his humiliation, God’s glory, and man’s salvation; as much as was decreed, as much as was foretold.

And he said, ‘It is finished,’ because he was now upon the last work, death, which was coming upon him; and therefore folded it in the expression with what is past, ‘It is finished,’ because the last act was at hand: Matt. 26:28, ‘This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed;’ that is, which is about to be shed: John 17:4, ‘I have finished the work thou gave me to do.’ All the sufferings were now completed at death, which he was to suffer for our sins. In what sense it is said, ‘It is finished”?

All the scripture prophecies which spoke of Christ’s death and sufferings were now fulfilled and accomplished.

That the substance of the types were accomplished in him, as that of the brazen serpent, the paschal lamb, the daily and yearly sacrifices, the offering of Isaac; all which prefigured that Christ should die for the sins of the world. 

All was finished that was necessary to make him a fit pattern of patience to us; for he had borne the extremity of his enemies’ malice, all that man or devils could by the permission of God execute upon him; for he said, Luke 22:53, ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness.’ Yea, he had drunk up the cup which the Father had put into his hands, to the very dregs. One end of Christ’s death was to give us an example: 1 Peter 2:21, ‘Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.’ Now here is a full copy and pattern of the right way of suffering for all his own to imitate.

All was fulfilled which God determined to be done for the expiation of sin; so that no more ransom is to be paid; our debt is satisfied; divine justice hath no more demand to us; sin, Satan, and death are spoiled and disarmed, and way is made for our salvation to be owned, as coming from Christ alone,

In regard of Christ himself, all the necessary acts of his mediation were now past. Death was just at hand, and was comprised in the expression; his lying in the grave was but the continuation of his abasement, till the time of his exaltation should come. But in the way of satisfying justice he had no more to do; whatever was done afterwards was by way of reward, not to satisfy justice, but to satisfy the world of the dignity of his person. He was to rise from the dead, and ascend into glory; that is, for our more abundant comfort. His resurrection was his solemn acquittance; our surety was let out of prison: 

From the greatness of the punishment imposed upon Christ; for if he suffered all the punishments due to us, it cannot be that anything more should be done to pacify God; all is finished. Now Christ omitted none of those things which divine justice required: he ‘fulfilled all righteousness,’ Mat. 3:15; ‘Was obedient to death, even the death of the cross,’ Phil. 2:8. Yea, and suffered all those things which the law did put upon sinners, either as to loss or sense, as to desertion or as to the curse; and therefore he is said, ‘To bear our griefs, and carry our sorrows, and to be wounded for our transgressions, and to be bruised for our iniquities,’ Isa. 53:4, 5; ‘To be made a curse for us,’ Gal. 3:15; ‘To be made sin for us,’ 2 Cor. 5:21. God spared him not, but put him to grief, not out of hatred to his Son, but love to our salvation. Hence those agonies of Christ, and prayers, and tears, and strong cries.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those moments, hours and days.

A spoken or written word can help or hurt. It can bring comfort and encouragement or sorrow and despair. A spoken or written word makes, or breaks, a promise. One spoken or written word at a specific moment in time and space can bring war or peace.

As William Shakespeare said, “Words, words, words.” This was Hamlet’s reply to Polonius’ question, ‘What do you read, my lord?’ (Shakespeare, 1603). By repeating the word three times, Hamlet suggested that what he was reading was meaningless.

The Word of God, whether spoken or written, is not meaningless. Scripture is God’s breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is His revelation of who He is and what He has done, doing and will do (Psalm 1; 19; 119; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Scripture compares itself to a sword which pierces (Hebrews 4:12-13), a mirror that reveals (James 1:23), a seed that reproduces (I Peter 1:23), milk which nourishes (I Peter 2:2), a lamp that shines (Psalm 119:105), a fire that consumes (Jeremiah 23:29a), and a hammer that shatters (Jeremiah 23:29b).

The spoken word Jesus said, and written in today’s texts, is a word of triumph. In English, it is the phrase “It is finished.” In Greek, it is one word; Tetelestai. It is spoken and written in the perfect tense; meaning a past completed action with continuing results. It is a word of accomplishment done on the sinners’ behalf by none other than God Himself; Jesus Christ. Tetelestai means completed, consummated and accomplished.

“Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning “paid in full.” This word on Jesus’ lips was significant. When He said, “It is finished” (not “I am finished”), He meant His redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for people (2 Cor. 5:21) and had suffered the penalty of God’s justice which sin deserved,” states Edwin A Blum in the Bible Knowledge Commentary.

“After receiving the sour wine, Jesus announced, “It is finished,” and surrendered His spirit to death (John 19:30). This is consonant with our Lord’s statement earlier in John’s gospel that He would lay down His life and that no one would take it from Him against His will (10:17–18). After all, Jesus did not surrender His spirit to death until He had determined that His work was finished. Also, in declaring that His work was finished, Jesus indicated that nothing more has to be done for our salvation. He has fully paid for our sin, and there is nothing we need to or can add to His work on our behalf,” writes Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Having received the vinegar Jesus said, “It is finished” (or consummated). As Jesus saw it, the entire work of redemption (both active and passive obedience, fulfilling the law and bearing its curse) had been brought to completion. And if someone should object that the burial had not yet taken place and that this too (as well as the repose in the tomb until the moment of the resurrection) was part of Christ’s humiliation, the answer would be very simple: in the mind of Christ the burial is so certain that he can speak as if that too had already been accomplished,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain written on Your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin
Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life
Finished the vict’ry cry.

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see my name written in the wounds
For through Your suffering I am free
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the power of the cross
Son of God, slain for us
What a love, what a cost
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴⁷ “And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” (Matthew 27:47–49 (ESV)

³⁵ “And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” (Mark 15:35–36 (ESV)

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.” (John 19:28–29 (ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.

Immediately following Jesus’ cry to God the Father, and the bystanders mocking speculation the Lord was actually calling Elijah, Jesus said, “I thirst.”  Apparently, one of the bystanders, perhaps one of the Roman soldiers on duty, ran, found a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to the Lord to quench His thirst. Death by crucifixion was not only caused by asphyxiation but also dehydration. Sour wine (ὄξος; oxos) was a favorite beverage of the poor. It was not only inexpensive but also effective in quenching thirst.   

John commented this statement fulfilled Old Testament Scripture. “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psalm 69:21 (ESV)

“Both Jesus’ intense thirst (Psalm 42:2; 63:1) and sour wine offered to quench it (Psalm 69:21) are fulfillments of Scripture. Earlier in the afternoon He rejected wine that might have anesthetized to pain (Matt. 27:34). Now He accepts a sip of a different and non-anesthetic wine to prepare Him for His final shout of victory “It is finished (John 19:30),” explains Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Three takeaways stand out from this narrative.

• Jesus was fully human. He experienced the same physiological, intense pain and suffering others felt in crucifixion.
• Jesus perfectly, or completely, fulfilled Messianic prophecy to the minutest detail.
• Jesus typified the sinners’ need for living water (John 4). While experiencing physical thirst, He illustrated the spiritual thirst felt by the lost. This was in keeping with His substitutionary atonement on behalf of sinners (2 Cor. 5:21).

“The emphasis is on the infinite love of the Lord, revealed in being willing to suffer burning thirst in order that for his people he might be the everlasting fountain of living water. For the physical suffering of Jesus see also on 19:18. For Jesus as the source of living water see on 4:10–15; and on 7:37–39,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

The following comments are from Pastor William Boekestein. They are most insightful.

“First, God foretold that His Messiah would thirst. Jesus had just cried out those penetrating opening words of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When Jesus publicized His thirst, He spotlighted the fifteenth verse: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.” It is difficult to imagine a more thorough fulfillment of this prophesy.”

“Second, before Christ came to earth, He said through David that He would drink bitterness: “For my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Ps. 69:21). Ironically, the psalmist was drowning in deep waters (vv. 1, 2, 15), yet his throat was dry (v. 3), and his only drink was bitterness. Jesus, swirling in a sea of sorrow, received only bitter wine to wet His parched tongue.”

“By nature, because we have forsaken God, “the fountain of living waters,” and have hewn ourselves “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13), we are the thirsty ones. God’s wayward ones are “parched with thirst” (Isa. 5:13). We are spiritually dehydrated—a deadly condition. But here, Jesus musters a cry from His dry, hoarse throat—and all He gets is sour wine. Why? Because, on the cross, He “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). Jesus announced His thirst knowing that “All was now finished” (John 19:28). Of our salvation He could say, “It is finished” (v. 30).”

“Christ is the rock from which the wandering Israelites drank in the desert (1 Cor. 10:4) and the Living Water that rehydrated the woman at the well (John 4:13–14). On the cross, the Living Water became thirsty, securing the salvation that His spiritually thirsty people desperately needed.”

Soli deo Gloria!

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴    “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:8–20 ESV)

What is to be the believer’s response to any revelation from God? When God reveals a truth from His Word, what is to be our reaction? Doubt? Dismay? Disbelief? Skepticism? How about worship and obedience?

The shepherds displayed heartfelt obedience and eventual worship to the announcement that a Savior had been born in Bethlehem. They immediately said to one another, ““Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And that’s exactly what they decided to do.

“And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16). The shepherds did not decide to take a casual stroll in journeying to Bethlehem. The text says they went with haste. The Greek grammar reveals that the shepherds traveled quickly with a great fervency within their entire being. It is obvious they wanted to find this infant.

Did they leave their sheep unchaperoned? Unattended? The text does not explicitly say. Perhaps they brought their lambs with them. We do not know for certain. What we do know is the shepherds’ attention and focus was no longer on their flock of sheep but rather upon finding the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

When they arrived in Bethlehem they eventually found the baby Jesus lying in a manger. It was Christmas night. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:17-18).

The shepherds immediately told everyone what they had seen and heard from the angel. Everyone who heard the news that night marveled at what the shepherds had to say. Beyond Mary and Joseph, we do not explicitly know how many people were in attendance. However many were there, they all were amazed at the shepherds news.

What was Mary’s response and reaction?  ^19 “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Mary treasured (συντηρέω; syntereo) all which had occurred. That is, she made a mental note to remember everything that had happened. She also pondered (συμβάλλω; symballo). This means she carefully reflected upon and seriously thought about the implications of all which was said.

What did the shepherds do? ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20). The shepherds returned to the fields to resume their work, but they were changed men. They glorified (δοξάζω; doxazo) God. They praised (αἰνέω; aineo) God. Their worship of the Lord was a result of everything they had heard and seen that evening. They revered the Lord due to the revelation from the Lord.

Is that our response when we encounter a revelation from God through His Word? I pray we do.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Merry Christmas.

Soli deo Gloria!

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:1-5 ESV).

God sent His Son at the right moment in human history. God’s providential oversight of the events of the world directed and prepared peoples and nations for the incarnation and ministry of Christ; and for the proclamation of the Gospel.

Editor’s Note: The origin and author of The Man and the Birds Christmas Story is unknown.

The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

He told his wife I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve. He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first, he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.

Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in.

So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide-open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs.

The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.

And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

He thought to himself, if only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.

He stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.

And he sank to his knees in the snow …

1. O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the King of angels; Refrain: O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 2. True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal, lo, he shuns not the Virgin’s womb; Son of the Father, begotten not created; (Refrain) 3. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest; (Refrain) 4. See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; (Refrain) 5. Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger, we would embrace thee with love and awe. Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly? (Refrain) 6. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all glory given. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing: (Refrain)

Merry Christmas.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴⁷ “And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” (Matthew 27:47–49 (ESV)

³⁵ “And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” (Mark 15:35–36 (ESV)

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.

Only Matthew and Mark recount Jesus’ most significant cry from the cross; “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Likewise, the two evangelists are the only ones who recorded the immediate reaction by bystanders who heard Jesus’ cry of agony.

Upon hearing the words “Eli, Eli” they thought Jesus might be calling for the prophet Elijah. Or, they may have been joking and attempting to dismiss the heartfelt wail by the Lord. In their unbelieving derision, the crowd even wondered if Elijah would come and save Jesus; although it appears they did not truly believe such an event would occur.

“What is described, then, here in verses 47 and 49, is the mockery of those heartless persons who tried to make others believe that they had heard Jesus cry to Elijah for help. Of course, they knew better. But the resemblance between “Eli”—especially if the pronunciation sounded like Eliya—and the name of the Old Testament prophet was so close that by the perverted minds and lips of these blasphemers a joke could be made of it,” states Dr. William Hendriksen.

“Moreover, was it not a Jewish belief that Elijah would introduce the Messiah and live beside him for a while as his assistant and as the rescuer of those who were about to perish?”

“Some Jewish bystanders apparently misunderstood or more likely, as a mockery, deliberately misinterpreted Jesus’ cry as a call to Elijah. Popular Jewish belief held that Elijah came in times of distress to deliver righteous sufferers,” explains the Bible Knowledge Commentary.

The irony of the setting and scene is striking. The religious leaders sought Jesus’ crucifixion for the crime of blaspheme. However, it is here that true blaspheme occurred.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7 ESV)

Soli deo Gloria!