Matthew 3
Luke 3
John 3
In these early chapters of the gospels, the stage is being set for many themes that will emerge over and over again throughout the unfolding of these stories. As you read these passages, I want to draw your attention to these themes, making you aware of some of the undercurrents that will affect your encounter with these texts.
Conflict with Political Leaders: In Chapter 2 of Matthew you were introduced to Herod. In the days of Jesus' birth, the Romans were the occupying force of Jewish lands. They had extended their empire throughout much of the known world. One of the ways in which they ruled foreign lands was through the installation of "puppet" kings and rulers that though celebrated a place of political prominence really only served the whims and desires of the Roman Empire. Herod was a puppet. However, Herod was no dummy. He had great privilege as a puppet and wasn't excited to lose that privilege. The ancient prophesies that spoke of the coming of Jesus has spoken of him as a political ruler. He was identified in Isaiah as the One which "the increase of his government and peace will know no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom..." (Is. 9:7) Herod understood that there could only be one king. Therefore, when he heard of Jesus' birth, he was eager to eliminate any threat to his reign. This conflict with political leaders will extend throughout the gospels, the New Testament, and history. When we call Jesus Lord, we are saying more than he just governs my "soul" someday in heaven. We are declaring Him as the One that has our full allegiance.
Revelation, Open Eyes, and Unlikely Candidates
In Chapter 2 of Luke you discovered an essential biblical truth. Our belief in Jesus and our embrace of His identity isn't something we "think ourselves into," "rationalize," or discover as an act of our will. No, embrace of the identity of Jesus is an act of revelation. God takes the initiative to make Himself known. This has been the case throughout the history of the Scriptures. Man doesn't begin the searching process. If man ever "finds or discovers" God its because God had already gone out looking for man. This passage from Luke speaks of revelation to a young peasant couple named Mary and Joseph, shepherds tending their flocks in the fields, an old man and old woman in the temple named Simeon and Anna, and in Matthew 2 to a group of foreign astrologers called Magi. Each of these men and women are the recipients of God's self-disclosure. They come to know because God makes Himself known. Inherent in this is equation is the necessity of "open eyes and heart." We can only see what God desires to show if our eyes and heart are open to receive the gift of revelation. This leads to a complimentary theme that we will pick up later in the story...those that receive the gift of revelation are often the most unlikely. They aren't power-brokers and influencers but those often forgotten about by society.
Metanoia/Tshuv
We've already dealt briefly with John the Baptist in a prior post, however, in Luke 3 he mentions a very important word that we must understand. He says the word "repentance." (Luke 3:8) Repentance isn't simply feeling bad for the bad things we've done or saying sorry to those (people or God) that we've offended. Repentance, biblically, is a complete re-orientation (Greek - Metanoia) and realignment of life. When the bible speaks of repentance it means to change direction or a turning around (Hebrew - Tshuv). Think of it this way...you are walking down a path (of your own choosing) when all of a sudden you are confronted by a call that says "you are headed down the wrong path, continue this way and it will lead no where good. However, turn around (repent) and you will find life." What you choose in that moment determines the impact repentance has on your life.
The Religious Leaders
Jesus will be referred to as a Rabbi through the gospels. This is a deeply religious word. Rabbis were the faithful religious leaders of the days in the Jewish tradition (and still are). They taught the Torah (the stories of God and the commands of God from the Old Testament). As a Rabbi, there were certain expectations of what their holiness should look like and how they ought to behave. Jesus often challenged those expectations. We will see later in these stories how often he takes issue with the religious status quo that treats spirituality as a commodity to be marketed and controlled by the religious elite. Other religious leaders never seemed to know what to do with Him, but they couldn't seem to get away from Him either. He tosses tables in the holy temple in John 2. In John 3, a religious leader by the name of Nicodemus has to sneak out in the middle of the night to ask Jesus questions so he's unseen by other religious leaders.
Not only did Jesus come in conflict with political leaders, he had issues with the religious as well. He was revealed to the outcasts and not the influential. Such tension thickens the plot of the stories to come.
Happy Reading!
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