I hope that everyone has had a very good week. This was a very good week for my writing work. I'm very thankful to the Lord that I had quite a lot of writing work this week. Please continue to pray that I can find more work, and get back on track.
Last week, there were several blessing of the animals services in my area. I saw a lot of cute dogs being blessed at the Episcopal church in the next town over from me.
The blessing of the animals takes place during the time of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis had a special relationship with animals. He would often preach to the birds. He also tamed a wolf and commanded the wolf not to take from the flocks of the people of the town of Gubbio.
There are several other stories about saints and their relationships with animals. One the the stories I like is the story of St. Roch. St. Roch ministered to plague victims in the Middle Ages. Eventually, St. Roch contracted plague and was on the verge of death. A dog from a nearby estate discovered the saint and took bread to the saint each day. One day, the dog's owner followed the dog and discovered St. Roch who was then taken to the estate where he recovered. When it was time for St. Roch to depart, the dog went with him.
Some other saints that have interesting animal stories associated with them are St. Macarius, St. Columba and St. Cuthbert.
Animals, especially dogs, have been a very important part of my life. I don't know if I'd have made it on this earth as long as I have without my dog. I've always said, and I believe it with all of my heart, that Toby was the dog Jesus sent to be my friend. I will always be eternally grateful.
On another animal note, this last week I saw a wonderful program about Siberian Tigers on the Nature program on PBS. These are some of the most beautiful and majestic creatures that God placed on this planet.
It's sad that many of the tigers seen in this film were poached. It just sickens me that human beings can destroy such fantastic creatures. Mankind often so casually destroys that which God has made. I don't know if I will be able to live in a world without wild tigers. It is too horrible to even consider it.
As followers of Jesus, I believe that it is our responsibility to be caretakers of this planet. Christians should be the greatest environmentalists and conservationists on this earth.
With that said, let's get into our study of I John. Last week, we discussed the faith that overcomes the world. We overcome the world by our faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and by believing that Jesus is divine.
In today's passage, we focus on a somewhat controversial section of Scripture. Verse 6 states, "This is the one who came by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is truth."
The one who came by water and blood is Jesus. But what does it mean that Jesus came by water and blood and that these testify that Jesus is the Son of God?
Some scholars believe that the water and the blood refer to Jesus' birth and death. Others believe that the water and blood refer to the water and blood which flowed from Jesus' side on the cross when Jesus was pierced by the Roman soldier's lance. Another major interpretation of this passage views the water and the blood as referring to the elements of the Lord's Supper.
I disagree with these views. The view that is probably the most favored, and the one I hold, is that the water refers to Jesus' baptism, and the blood refers to the blood Jesus shed on the cross. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit.
How does the baptism of Jesus testify to Him? When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the voice of the Father came from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." At the same time, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Jesus as Jesus came up out of the water. The water and the Spirit testified that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God.
The blood testified to Jesus because He shed His blood for the redemption of sin. God raised Jesus from the dead. Therefore, the sacrifice of Jesus was accepted. The resurrection verified the sacrificial death of Christ.
The Holy Spirit continues to testify as to who Jesus is and what He did.
What is interesting is that Jesus talked about three witnesses to His ministry. I've written a sermon on this blog about that. So, read that sermon to learn more on that subject.
What does this all mean? It means that God testified that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of God. It means that Jesus is the only way to salvation. We can only have a relationship with the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. Whoever denies the deity of Jesus has called God a liar because the Father has testified and bears witness concerning the Son.
Lord willing, we will look at another controversial passage in I John, and that will conclude our study of this epistle. May you know the love of Jesus this week. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment