'“If another believer#18:15a Greek If your brother. sins against you,#18:15b Some manuscripts do not include against you. go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid#18:18a Or bind, or lock. on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit#18:18b Or loose, or open. on earth will be permitted in heaven. “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers,#18:20 Greek gather together in my name. I am there among them.”'

Matthew 18:15-20

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/MAT.18.15-20

'About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf#18:5 Greek in my name. is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.#18:9 Greek the Gehenna of fire. “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.#18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11, And the Son of Man came to save those who are lost. Compare Luke 19:10. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.'

Matthew 18:1-10,12-14

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/MAT.18.1-10,12-14

Jesus uses Family language

Last time Jesus spoke about brothers or sisters was Matthew 12:48-50 'For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

After this chapter, Jesus has a massive thread of family language!

' “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ' Matthew 18:15

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

'And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. ' Matthew 19:29

In there, Jesus talks about a husband and wife and being a child in God’s kingdom.

Why all this family language?

Because he’s the Son, and so sure of his identity in the father!

Kairos 9 - 20 Imagine Jesus Preferring Children Over Adults (Zoom Recording) by Kairos Community

'When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. '

Matthew 17:14-23

https://my.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.17.14-23

Exodus 34:4-9

1 Kings 19:9-13

Matthew 17:1-13

There’s a note of time there. Many translations note it as “after 6 days.” Implying this event is on the seventh day. Reminder what seven and a seventh day is supposed to trigger in our minds. It should take us back to the beginning of the Bible and this story of God’s work to pull the world out of darkness and chaos into light, life, and peace. God does this by trying to partner with mankind, but humanity keeps blowing it over and over, so God is constantly picking up the slack for us.

Jesus has always been present and active! John 1:2, “He was in the beginning with God.”

What would make someone look like a son of the gods? Could it be a similar description of how the gospels record Jesus during his transfiguration?

Deut. 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Revelation 1:12

The transfiguration seems to strongly point to Jesus’ divinity in many ways. Peter just professed him as the Christ, the messiah, the anointed one and as the son of God. People call Jesus the Christ over and over. Jesus doesn’t say those aren’t right words to call him, but what does Jesus call himself? Son of Man. Is he quoting something? Referring to something?

Daniel 7.

In this scene, out of a stirring great sea (waters of darkness and chaos) rise beasts, mutant beasts. Like a nightmarish version of the creation story, twisted and distorted. We find out these beasts signify kings or empires of kings, corrupt, evil, violent. There’s even a beast so mutated it doesn’t get real animals compared to it and it makes war on God’s people and boasts proudfully.

9“I kept looking

Until thrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

His vesture was like white snow

And the hair of His head like pure wool.

His throne was ablaze with flames,

Its wheels were a burning fire.

10A river of fire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The court sat,

And the books were opened.

Now, notice thrones, verse 9. Doesn’t say how many,but it is plural. Maybe it’s two? Why would there be two thrones? Well, one is for the Son of Man.

Verse 13-14

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

14And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.

Genesis 1:26-31

What stands out here?

Man appointed to rule. Makes me have to ask, what does it look like for humans to rule like this? Well, Deuteronomy actually has a section that prescribes how an Israelite King is supposed to live.

Deut. 17:14-20

Chosen by God

A member of the covenant people

Do not amass a mighty army.

Don’t go to Egypt (which often signifies the land of slavery)

Don’t make a harem. Implies no political marriages that lead the heart astray.

Don’t amass wealth.

Study God’s law, teach God’s law, embody God’s law.

Be humble, not boasting or thinking himself better than any other human being.

Lead the people toward the heart of God.

Kairos 8 - 30 Imagine Jesus Telling You Who You Are (Zoom Recording) by Kairos Community

Kairos 8 - 21 Imagine Jesus Asking You To Trust Him (Zoom Recording) by Kairos Community

Kairos 8 - 16 Imagine Jesus Hovering Over The Waters Of Darkness (Zoom Recording) by Kairos Community

Kairos 8 - 9 Imagine Jesus As Your Bread (Zoom Recording) by Kairos Community