Who was Joseph?
May 26, 2024 Pastor’s Roundtable
Pastor Dave Chambers
Pastor Ted Jolls
Pastor Tom Schierkolk
Pastor Jon Michael
What was the purpose of the transfiguration?
The first three books of the New Testament tell of Jesus being transfigured in the presence of three of His disciples, Peter, James and John. (Matthew 17:1-10; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36) The transfiguration was a moment in which Jesus’ appearance was changed (transfigured). His glory as God was briefly and partially revealed. While Jesus prayed Moses and Elijah descended from Heaven to speak with Him about His coming crucifixion. The transfiguration was the only time in Jesus’ life when His appearance was anything other than that of a normal man. The gospels tell of this event in Jesus’ life to show that He is the promised King of Israel, the Son of God and the Savior of the World.
The disciples were dumbfounded when the glory of Jesus. They had no idea what to say or do. God responded to their confusion and spoke to them from Heaven. “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.” God’s words to the disciples suggest one reason for the transfiguration was to confirm to them that Jesus is truly God. God allowed the disciples a brief glimpse of the power and glory of the King of kings to assure them He is all He said He is. However, Jesus’ glory could not be revealed to the entire world at that time. Jesus came to die on the cross for the sin of men, not to establish an earthly kingdom. (John 18:36) Consequently, He forbade the disciples from talking about His transfiguration until after His resurrection from the dead.
The transfiguration was so significant that Peter mentioned it in his second letter to the Jewish believers in Asia Minor. After Peter tells of being an “eyewitness of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16) he says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” The transfiguration was a breathtaking event which gave additional assurance that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, but people today have something even more significant. The transfiguration was a dramatic evidence of the truth of Jesus’ claims, but Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:19 show that Scripture is more important than the disciples’ brief glimpse of Jesus’ glory. Because the Bible is truly the Word of God, each person must pay close attention to its truth and follow its direction in their lives.
The transfiguration is a remarkable event which allowed the disciples to see for a short time the radiance of Jesus’ glory. However, the event Peter witnessed was not as important as Scripture. The transfiguration is one of many testimonies to the Divine majesty of Jesus, but it is not the light to guide our lives. The Bible is.
Who was Isaac?
Little is known about the promised son of Abraham. One would expect the Bible to focus on the child for whom Abraham and Sarah waited twenty-five years to receive. One would expect Scripture to say much about the life of the man who was willing to lay down on an altar and be killed as a sacrifice to God. The Bible says little about Isaac. The argument can be made that only one chapter in Genesis focuses on Isaac, compared with ten chapters that focus on Abraham, seven that focus on Jacob and ten that focus on Joseph. Isaac has a background role in the book of Genesis.
Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah, born when Abraham was one-hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. He was the son promised to Abraham as the first of countless descendants and the beginning of a great nation. Isaac was proof God would keep all His promises to Abraham.
The little known about Isaac suggests he was a man of faith who trusted his father and, more importantly, trusted God. Isaac’s faith is first seen in Genesis 22 on the way to make sacrifice at Mt. Moriah. Isaac’s age at that time is not known, but he was old enough to carry the bundle of wood required for the sacrifice. Many pounds of wood would have been needed to consume any animal sacrifice. Isaac’s ability to carry the heavy load of wood suggests he was no younger than his early teen years.
When it came time to make the sacrifice, Isaac was placed on the altar. The Bible says only Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain to make sacrifice to God. Abraham had no servants to help him restrain his son. Isaac was old enough that it would have been impossible for Abraham to put him on the altar without resorting to violence. The Bible is silent about what transpired between Abraham and his son before Abraham reached for the knife to kill Isaac, but Isaac was almost certainly a willing participant. He lay on the altar of his own accord. This readiness to be offered showed a great trust in Abraham and an even greater trust in God.
Hebrews 11:20 says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” Isaac transferred to Jacob the promises God had first given to Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant was handed down to Isaac who then passed it to Jacob. Isaac said to Jacob, “Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you.” (Genesis 27:29) Isaac’s words are nearly identical with the promise God gave to Abraham. (Genesis 12:3) Isaac later said to Jacob, “May God Almighty bless you . . . and give you the blessings of Abraham.” (Genesis 28:3-4) Isaac had not seen any particular evidence his descendants would be a great nation or would multiply to become as numerous as the stars, but he obviously believed God would keep all His promises to Abraham. Isaac believed he was the beneficiary of those promises. By faith he gave the promise of God to Jacob in confidence God would keep His Word.
Otherwise, the life of Isaac is somewhat unremarkable. He lived in Canaan as a nomad. The Bible records a time when his faith wavered and shows that he acted foolishly in his dealings with his sons. Isaac did not commit any remarkable sins or perform any remarkable deeds. He appears to have a lived an ordinary, faithful life in which he simply trusted God to keep His Word.
Isaac is the overlooked patriarch of Israel whose unremarkable life ought to encourage people today. Isaac is praised in Scripture as an example of faith, but not because he did any incredible deeds. He is praised because he believed God. So it is today. God is seeking those who will trust Him in their daily lives. The faith of some people will be shown in a remarkable trust in God which leaves home to venture far away in service to the Lord. The faith of some will be an unshakeable trust which gives all in sacrifice to God. For the majority of people, trust in God will be exercised in the mundane events of daily life. Most are called to live a life of faith which works a job, raises a family, serves in a church and walks with God. This faith is unremarkable because it is the faith required of the majority of Christian. Isaac shows that God is pleased with the unremarkable faith which simply obeys Him, trusts His promises and is faithful to Him in the boring routines of life.
How can a person know what is true?
Who was Abraham?
April 28, 2024 Pastor’s Roundtable
Pastor Dave Chambers
Pastor Ted Jolls
Pastor Tom Schierkolk
Who was Luke?
Forty different men wrote the Bible. Thirty-nine were Jewish. Only one Biblical author was not a descendant of Abraham. That one man wrote more of the New Testament than any other author. His name is Luke.
Luke did not write the most number of books in the New Testament. Paul wrote thirteen and John wrote five. The two books written by Luke, the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, make up twenty percent of the New Testament. Without the work of Luke, Christians would know little about the earliest days of the church. Despite the historical importance of Luke’s writings, little is known about Luke’s life.
Luke was not one of the twelve apostles and he never saw Jesus. No one knows for certain where he was from or when he was saved. In Acts 16 Luke begins to use the word “we” in his record of the travels of Paul. This change in pronouns suggests Luke joined Paul’s ministry team in Troas. Luke journeyed with Paul into Greece, and appears to have stayed in the province of Macedonia for several years. He rejoined Paul’s team when the apostle returned to Macedonia in Acts 20, and he then traveled with Paul to Jerusalem. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and transfered to Caesarea. Luke followed him to Caesarea and then made the long journey with him to Rome. Luke remained with Paul throughout the apostle’s house arrest. Possibly Luke wrote the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts during his time in Rome.
Luke was the first historian of Christianity. He is the only New Testament writer who did not personally see the resurrected Jesus. Despite not being an apostle or eyewitness of the resurrection, Luke’s writings show he was a conscientious chronicler of the life of Jesus, the beginning of the church and the spread of the gospel. The opening verses of Luke speak of his investigation into the life of Jesus and of his intention to present a well-ordered account of Jesus. He faithfully reproduced the results of that investigation in a two volume work which presented an exact account of the life of Jesus, the growth of the church and the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
The only other personal information known about Luke is that he was a doctor. Paul mentioned Luke in the letter to the Colossians and called him, “The beloved physician.” The latest reference to Luke in the Bible is in 2 Timothy 4. Paul wrote 2 Timothy during his final Roman imprisonment. Shortly before his execution he said, “Only Luke is with me.” Luke remained faithful to Paul when others forsook him. Though Bible is silent about the years between Paul’s first and second Roman imprisonments, it appears that after Paul was released from prison he continued to travel and preach the gospel. Luke probably traveled and ministered alongside him. When Paul was arrested the final time, Luke stayed with him and ministered to him during his final days.
The Bible does not tell what Luke did after the death of Paul. Tradition says Luke settled in Greece and ministered in the city of Thebes. He is said to have lived into his 80’s and to have died at the hands of an angry mob who skinned him alive and then crucified him on an olive tree. We know relatively little about the “beloved physician” who wrote so much of the Bible. We do know he was a faithful minister and a careful historian who produced an invaluable account of the life of Jesus and the early days of His church.
When is a person’s name written in the Book of Life?
Who was Ishmael?
Ishmael was the oldest son of Abraham, born ten years after Abraham left Haran to travel to the land of Canaan. Before Abraham left for Canaan, God promised him that He would give Abraham a son and, ultimately, many descendants. God also promised to bring great blessing to the entire world through the son He would give Abraham. Abraham believed and obeyed God. The years passed, but Abraham had no child.
Two major obstacles made it unlikely Abraham would father a child. His wife Sarah was unable to have children. At the time God made His promise to Abraham she was in her mid-60’s. After ten years of waiting for a child, Sarah suggested Abraham take her servant Hagar and father a child with her. Ishmael was the child born of the union between Abraham and Hagar.
Hagar’s pregnancy produced tensions between her and Sarah. Hagar’s mistress mistreated her so severely that she ran away. God came to Hagar, told her to return to Sarah and promised to give her many descendants through Ishmael. (Genesis 16:10-12) Though God promised blessings to Ishmael, He did not make Ishmael the recipient of the promise He had made with Abraham. Isaac, the son God gave Abraham through his wife Sarah was the promised son. (Genesis 17:19)
Ishmael plays a secondary role in the Bible and is only mentioned once outside the book of Genesis. He is much more important in Islam. Muslims believe Ishmael was the son Abraham took to offer as a sacrifice to God, not Isaac as Genesis 22 teaches. The Quran regards Ishmael as a prophet, and Muhammed is believed by Muslims to be a descendant from Ishmael.
After the birth of Isaac, the problems between Hagar and Sarah became so severe Abraham had to send Hagar and Ishmael away. The two eventually settled in an isolated region north of the Gulf of Aqaba. There Ishmael married an Egyptian and fathered twelve sons. Each of his sons became founders of nations and rulers of people. God made Ishmael the father of multitudes, just as He had promised. (Genesis 16:10; 21:18) Some Arab peoples living in the Middle East today trace their lineage back to Ishmael.
Did Israel Get Lost?
Everlasting Truths 