9/14- A change in the Calvin blog- we are switching over a bit to Calvin’s Harmony of the Gospels. This week will be a transition week. I will be blogging basically on the readings in the Disciple series “Jesus in the Gospels” each week with the last reading on Thursday.
Deuteronomy 4:9,10,13- Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to your children…He declared to you His covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
2 Tim. 2::8- “Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s Word is not chained.
1 Peer 2:21- To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
Calvin (abridged) on 2 Tim. 2:8: There are two parts of Paul’s admonition about the gospel here. One is that Christ was born of the seed of David, and that he rose from the dead. Immediately after the time of the Apostles heresies arose. Marcion tried to destroy the truth that Jesus was human, and Manichaeans joined this thought [that Jesus was not born of David]. How many also have tried to destroy the hope of the resurrection by diversified schemes. He calls it “his gospel” not because he is the author of it, but because he is the minister of it. In the resurrection of Christ we have a pledge of our own resurrection. We need to ask why Christ who was dead arose. It is not just a matter of historical curiosity, but this is written to bear fruit and hope in us. “descended from David” asserts the real human nature of Chris, but also claims for him the honor and name of the Messiah. He was a real man, the son of a real human being, that is, of Mary.
Thoughts: Remember is an important theme of the Bible. We are to remember God and not forget Him. We are to remember how God has spoken to us and how God has acted for us. He has spoken to us in scripture (above specifically in the Ten Commandments which is called “his covenant”). We are to remember that God has spoken to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the gospel in the flesh- God with skin on. As we remember Jesus and scriptures, we are to listen and follow. That is what being a disciple means. In 2 Tim. 2:8- we are told the gospel in sum means Jesus was descended and raised. He was human and he was God.
Prayer: Lord, help us to remember you physically, mentally, and spiritually. When our minds are physically slow- help us not to forget you. When our minds are full of other things, do not forget us, but also ignite in us the priority of thinking of you. When we tend to love ourselves above you and are enamored with analyzing how we are doing, help us to focus on you the living Word for us.
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