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Birth of Jesus

Hard times in Smyrna

Wedding in Cana

Lost Love

A visit with Elizabeth

Adventures of Luke 3

Visit with Elizabeth

TJL short

Based on: Luke 2:1-20

Once again, Luke visits Mary who continues her account of amazing births. . he pauses her memories long enough to ask questions as he pens his latest installment to his friend, Theophilos.

after her travels to visit her relative, Elizabeth, more journeys are in store for Mary. Only a government decree could set the stage for the birth of her son. But the surprise that is sent her way could only be from the hand of God.

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Before getting started, a special guest visits the studio. Being the Summer of grandkids in the house, Isaac tells a little about his recent birthday, and how he is having fun and relaxing.

Main Topic

Turning to more serious matters, we continue our series on the seven churches that John wrote his letter .

Some bad news, Nathan won’t be appearing today. Keith lost the notes that Nathan sent, and with his busy schedule, there wasn't much time to send them again, On a better note, Keith was able to meet, and get permission from Jimmy Coates, to use his very detailed notes on these churches. Jimmy currently is progressing with a detailed study of the entire book of Revelation, so if you want more beyond our short study, be sure to check out his work.

Revelation 2:8-11 covers the brief and contrasting word to this early body of believers. As mentioned in our previous glance at the church in Ephesus, these also represent something of a snapshot, or profile of what the church looked like back then, how it looks now, and how it will be once the last days strike.

Smyrna was a very rich city, yet this gathering was dirt poor, possibly even beggars and destitute.

Referring to descriptions found in the first chapter, Jesus identifies a key part of his personality as it applies to these believers. He was the "first and the last". Literally, he is claiming to be the "foremost and final." Contrasts that set up his timeless, eternal nature.

He also claims to be one who "died and came to life."More literally, he "was becoming a corpse, and is living. Again, a contrast of terms, but one that describes his human nature.

As John put it in his opening description of who is offering this revelation:

1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth...

About God's eternal nature:

1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Specifically, Jesus uses this contrast to identify to God's eternal nature. through is contrasted description as both dead and living, he rightly claims the power over death and the grave (hades):

1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last

1:18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Life holds many hardships and troubles. The word used here is pressure. Jesus knows all about it, because he sees it. He knows about the extreme poverty that was thrust upon these believers. There is another contrast here. These downtrodden believers were spiritually wealthy. Abundantly, insanely, rich.

Besides the poverty, and material oppression, these believers also suffered false accusations. Those who claimed to be in the correct, spiritual church, those who claimed to be Jews but who were not, these people brought all manner of slanders.

John has harsh words. The fake spiritual people were actually doing the work of Satan. When those who claim to be believers attack others in the church, be careful. The oppressed ones are being watched by Jesus himself. He has their back. He tells them not to fear.

Granted, in this world, the outsider may beat you down. The fellow churchgoer may slander and point fingers. Suffering may be unavoidable, but there is a word of hope. The coming suffering is limited. The trials will apply to some, not all. The testing is limited to 10 days. Even if faith is pushed into death, life awaits that can never be taken away. Life with Jesus himself.

There will be no more injustices done to those who overcome. No more death.

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Introduction

Authority.

* beautiful word to those who have or demand it.

* an ugly word to those who don’t have or resist it.

authority

* Correctly administered, governs peoples’ lives, ensures justice, and promotes righteousness.

* God-ordained authority, brings tranquility, equity, and conformity.

* Defiance usually brings negative consequences to the violator.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s authoritative Word.

1. OBEY JESUS

(John 2:1-5 HCSB)

1 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and

2 Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well.

3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him,

“They don’t have any wine.”

4 “What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?”

Jesus asked.

“My hour has not yet come.”

5 “Do whatever He tells you,”

His mother told the servants.

Verse 1. Cana of Galilee was a small town located about 9 miles northeast of Nazareth.

Sketches of Jewish Social Life

by Alfred Edersheim

Cana lay about three hours to the north-north-east of Nazareth.

The ceremony itself consisted in leading the bride into the house of the bridegroom, with certain formalities, mostly dating from very ancient times.

* Marriage with a maiden was commonly celebrated on a Wednesday afternoon,

Note: The 3rd day is actually Tuesday.

which allowed the first days of the week for preparation, and enabled the husband, if he had a charge to prefer against the previous chastity of his bride, to make immediate complaint before the local Sanhedrim, which sat every Thursday.

* On the other hand, the marriage of a widow was celebrated on Thursday afternoon,

Note: The 4th day is actually Wednesday.

which left three days of the week for "rejoicing with her."

Of course, there was a "marriage-feast," as on all these occasions.

* For this reason, marriages were not celebrated either on the Sabbath, or on the day before or after it, lest the Sabbath-rest should be endangered.

* Nor was it lawful to wed on any of the three annual festivals,

The phrase the third day has received much scholarly attention.

* Some Bible students take the phrase as referring to the amount of time Jesus and His disciples took to travel to Cana from Judea.

* Others see in the third day a reference to a post-resurrection perspective.

* Still others note that the Jews numbered rather than named the weekdays. In this reckoning, the third day would be equated to Tuesday of our week.

The main emphasis was on a wedding.

John indicated that Jesus’ mother was there.

John’s Gospel never includes her name. Nevertheless, Jesus’ mother figured prominently in two stories in John’s Gospel: the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-5) and the scene at the cross (19:25-27).

Verse 2. Both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding in Cana as well.

* At this point in the Gospel, His disciples consisted of Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James and John.

* Possibly Jesus’ family was related to the wedding couple or were friends of the family.

Sketches of Jewish Social Life

by Alfred Edersheim

It deserves notice, that at the marriage in Cana there is no mention of "the friends of the bridegroom," or, as we would call them, the groomsmen.

groomsmen were customary in Judaea, but not in Galilee

Before marriage, they acted as a kind of intermediaries between the couple; at the wedding the...