Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ¹⁵  And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

 ¹⁶  and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”

 ¹⁷  His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”  John 2:13-17.

If this Scripture does not motivate you to consider what your church allows, maybe the following article in today’s St. Petersburg Times will get your attention.  

I normally first read the Scripture and then read the newspaper before I write the daily devotion.  So, knowing the specific Scripture for today’s devotion, and also as an attorney with a general interest in lawsuits, this following article in today’s newspaper was doubly interesting to me.   

 ³  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

 ⁴  And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us?  My hour has not yet come.”

 ⁵  His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

 ⁶  Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.

 ⁷  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.”  So they filled them up to the brim.

 ⁸  And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”  So they took it to him.

 ⁹  When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

 ¹⁰  and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

 ¹¹  This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

 ¹²  After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples;  and they stayed there a few days.”  John 2:1-12.

It is astonishing that Jesus made 120 to 150 gallons of great wine.  It is also astonishing that to do it, Jesus used six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification.

Sometimes, we like to whimper and snuff, even reluctantly, that Jesus will provide for our needs but not for our wants.  This miracle smashes that thought and tells us about the Lavish Provider of Joy that Jesus is.

Isaiah 25:6
“The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;  A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.”

Sometimes, we won’t let go of the Law, symbolized by the six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, to purify ourselves.  This miracle also smashes that thought and tells us about the New Provider of Purification that Jesus is.

“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:  sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”  Romans 8:3-4.

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”  Philippians 3:8-9. 

And Jesus did all of this to manifest His glory.  “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”  John 2:11.

 ⁴⁵  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

 ⁴⁶  Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

 ⁴⁷  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

 ⁴⁸  Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

 ⁴⁹  Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God;  You are the King of Israel.”

 ⁵⁰  Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe?  You will see greater things than these.”

 ⁵¹  And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  John 1:43-51.

Nathanael was inquisitive.  Nathanael said to Philip, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  Nathanael wanted to check out Jesus, so he came to see Jesus.  In response to Jesus’ comment, Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”  

Nathanael was without deceit.  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 

Nathanael was faithful.  Nathanael answered Jesus, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God;  You are the King of Israel.”  Jesus recognized that Nathanael demonstrated faith over comparative little evidence of Jesus’ deity by remarking:  “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe?  You will see greater things than these.”

So, what is the lesson for us today? 

Sometimes, maybe most of the time, God chooses shockingly rough characters to save, such as the Apostle Paul, who identified himself as the chief of sinners.  “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”  1 Timothy 1:15-16.

But, we also have a duty to prepare ourselves for the Lord.  In this same chapter, we read of the ministry of John the Baptist.  “He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”  John 1:23.  John the Baptist said:  “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”  Luke  3:8.    “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.  Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ”  2 Timothy 2:21-22.

Scripture also states:  “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?  Who may dwell on Your holy hill?  He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.”  Psalm 15:1-2.

As Reformed believers, it may be particularly tempting to us to just cry out “Total Depravity” and sit on our hands and wait for salvation. 

The lesson of Nathanael may be that, through God’s grace, we should continually seek to diligently add moral qualities to our faith.  

^“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  2 Peter 1:5-11.

 ³⁷  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

 ³⁸  And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?”  They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”

 ³⁹  He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”  So they came and saw where He was staying;  and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

 ⁴⁰  One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

 ⁴¹  He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).

 ⁴²  He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John;  you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).”  John 1:35-42.

It is interesting, and even encouraging, to compare the two actions of “witnessing” in today’s Scripture.  John made a spontaneous exclamation:  “Behold, the Lamb of God!”, but there appears to be no follow-up.  Andrew made a more intent and deliberate declaration:  “We have found the Messiah”, and he followed it up by bringing his brother to Jesus.

There will be times in our lives when we will be like John and just make such an isolated and spontaneous exclamation about Jesus, but it will still bear fruit.  There will be other times in our lives when we will be more intent and deliberative about witnessing and about following it up by bringing others to Jesus.

We may first think that Andrew was more intent and deliberate, because he had more concern and more opportunity to witness to his brother, but we certainly know that John was by no means shy or hesitant about witnessing to his disciples or even to strangers.  Although I think that we may have more opportunities to witness to family members (and follow-up) than to strangers, and we should use these opportunities, the primary lesson for today’s Scripture is to recognize that both actions are “witnessing” and both actions did bear fruit.

Last Wednesday, September 22, 2010, we read Luke 24:48-49:  “You are witnesses of these things.  “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you;  but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  We know that we know have this power.  Likewise, Acts 1:8 states:  “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;  and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” 

We also read John 15:16:  “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

 ⁵¹  While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

 ⁵²  And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

 ⁵³  and were continually in the temple praising God.”  Luke 24:50-53. 

The Heidelberg Catechism questions and answers:

Question 49.  Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?

Answer.  First, that he is our advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven;  secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the head, will also take up to himself, us, his members;  thirdly, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we “seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth.

The bookends of Jesus’ coming and going were actions of praising God.  And, so often, the people’s response to Jesus were actions of praising God.

Here are some examples:

 ⁴⁶  and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,

 ⁴⁷  and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

 ⁴⁸  “You are witnesses of these things.

 ⁴⁹  “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you;  but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  Luke 24:44-49. 

As you note, the recent devotions carried reminders.  The Scripture for today is the final and most extensive reminder.

So, what are some of the purposes of these reminders?

The reminders help us to trust Scripture.  “Look!  All of Scripture about Me has been fulfilled!”

The reminders help us to understand Scripture.  Although we can infer a miracle by Jesus in opening the disciples’ minds, when we learn how different passages of Scripture relate to each other, we can better understand all these related Scriptures.

The reminders help us to focus on what is most important.   “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ”

The reminders help us to take action, so “that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations”.

The reminders hold us accountable.  “You are witnesses of these things.”

The reminders help us to be patient and eagerly expect what was promised.  “”And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you;  but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Today’s devotion is Luke 24:36-43.

“³⁶  While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

 37  But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

 38  And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

 39  “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself;  touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

 40  And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

 41  While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

 42  They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;

 43  and He took it and ate it before them.”  Luke 24:36-43.  

When we receive news that seems to shake our world as the disciples felt after Jesus was crucified, we need to turn to Jesus and be reminded of those words:  “Peace be to you.  …  it is I Myself …”

Peace is not pride.

Peace is not place.

Peace is not possessions.

Peace is a Person, The Prince of Peace.

We often wrongly think:

1.  I will experience peace if I do what is right (pride).

2.  I will experience peace if I am in the right place.

3.  I will experience peace if I have the right possessions.

We refrain from peace until that future occurrence of pride, place, or possessions.

We need to be reminded of the peace that we already have through Christ.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;…

Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6 (emphasis added).

Jesus said: “`Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful'”.  John 14:27.

The world gives flashes of “fool’s gold” peace dependent on pride, place, and possessions that quickly come and go.

Christ gives us His peace that will never leave.

We focus on the following verses.

 ¹⁵  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.

 ¹⁶  But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

 ¹⁷  And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?”  And they stood still, looking sad.

 ¹⁸  One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

 ¹⁹  And He said to them, “What things?”  And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

 ²⁰  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.

 ²¹  “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

 ²²  “But also some women among us amazed us.  When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

 ²³  and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.

 ²⁴  “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

 ²⁵  And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

 ²⁶  “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

 ²⁷  Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:13-27.

Both this Scripture and the prior Scripture contain reminders.  We should heed this repeated lesson to remember what we learn from Scripture.

But, there is more.  We should believe what we learn from Scripture.  “And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”  Luke 24:25.  “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:27. 

We can study Scripture.  We can even remember it.  But, it will do us no good if we don’t believe it and come to Jesus.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life;  it is these that testify about Me;  and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  John 5:39-40.

In conclusion, the following Scripture ties it together.  It presents the need for grace from God so that we can come to Jesus.  It presents the reminder of what “is written in the prophets”.  It presents the assurance of eternal life to those who do believe.   

“⁴⁴  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.

 ⁴⁵  “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

 ⁴⁶  “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God;  He has seen the Father.

 ⁴⁷  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”  John 6:44-47.

 ³  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

 ⁴  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;

 ⁵  and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?

 ⁶  “He is not here, but He has risen.  Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

 ⁷  saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

 ⁸  And they remembered His words,

 ⁹  and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

 ¹⁰  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James;  also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.

 ¹¹  But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

 ¹²  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only;  and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.”  Luke 24:1-12. 

This Scripture covers the resurrection of Jesus, and we can first quickly note what The Heidelberg Catechism states about the importance of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

Question 45.  What doth the resurrection of Christ profit us?

Answer.  First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, that he might make us partakers of that righteousness which he had purchased for us by his death;  secondly, we are also by his power raised up to a new life; an lastly, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.

But, there is more that we should learn from this Scripture.  This fact of the resurrection is immediately followed by the reminder:  “Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  And they remembered His words,”

Do we remember His words?  Do we remind others of His words?

We have His words in the printed form of the Bible. 

We have His words even in the audio form if you want to use that resource. 

We have His words “on-line” so that we can easily click on the particular book and chapter that we want – Click here: New American Standard Bible (NASB) – Version Information – BibleGateway.com

We can even search through Scripture “on-line” by the use of keywords – Click here: BibleGateway.com: Search for a Bible word or phrase in over 35 languages and 50 versions.

We can go to church and hear His words preached.

We can go to Bible studies and more informally hear His words taught and discussed.

We can “taste and touch” His words through communion.

We can open certain emails such as this one and read His words.

We know of so many other ways that we can access His words to help us to remember them.

“²  But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
         And in His law he meditates day and night.
    ³  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
         Which yields its fruit in its season
         And its leaf does not wither;
         And in whatever he does, he prospers.”  Psalm 1:2-3. 

John 6:63
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

 ⁵²  this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

 ⁵³  And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.

 ⁵⁴  It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

 ⁵⁵  Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.

 ⁵⁶  Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.  And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”  Luke 23:50-56.

This Scripture covers the burial of Jesus, and we can first quickly note what The Heidelberg Catechism states about the importance of the fact that Jesus was buried.

Question 41.  Why was he also “buried”?

Answer.  Thereby to prove that he was really dead.

But, there is more that we should learn from this Scripture.  We see the sovereignty of God in providing for all the details of this burial. 

Out of the Council filled with chief priests and other leaders intent on putting Jesus to death, God reserved for Himself “a good and righteous man” named Joseph to request Jesus’ body from Pilate and to lay Jesus’ body in an unused tomb. 

When it seems like everyone is enraged and out of control, God is still in control.  We are reminded of Romans 11:2-4. 

^“2  God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.  Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

 ³  “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”

 ⁴  But what is the divine response to him?  “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.”

 ⁵  In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.”  Romans 11:2-4.

God was in control to provide Joseph to bury Jesus.

God was also in control to provide the women to be other witnesses to Jesus’ burial.

God was also in control to provide the spices and perfumes that were prophesied so long ago.  The spices and perfumes signify that God was well-pleased with His Son and with the sacrifice made by His Son.  Matthew 3:17 :  “… ” This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” 

God was also in control to finish all of these details of the burial before the Sabbath, and they rested according to the commandment.   

“²  The kings of the earth take their stand
         And the rulers take counsel together
         Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
    ³  “Let us tear their fetters apart
         And cast away their cords from us!”
    ⁴  He who sits in the heavens laughs,
         The Lord scoffs at them.”  Psalm 2:2-4.

In conclusion, God calls and uses a few good men like Joseph and women like those who followed Jesus out of Galilee to accomplish His purpose.  God accomplishes all of His good pleasure.  What an encouragement this is to us! 

“⁹  “Remember the former things long past,
         For I am God, and there is no other;
         I am God, and there is no one like Me,
    ¹⁰  Declaring the end from the beginning,
         And from ancient times things which have not been done,
         Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
         And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
    ¹¹  Calling a bird of prey from the east,
         The man of My purpose from a far country
         Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
         I have planned it, surely I will do it.”  Isaiah 46:9-11.