Jesus with Joseph

Georges de La Tour 1593 - 1652 painting located in Paris - Musee de Louvre
Saint Joseph Charpentier.
Notice the translucent hands of Jesus; de la Tours indication of Jesus being someone
special .... note the connections with Light in the Gospels.
The Gospel of Matthew deliberately connects Joseph with Jesus. "This book contains the family tree of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham."
vv 2 - 6 Abraham to David 6 - 11 David to Josiah at the time of the Exile
12 - Joseph ' husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called "Messiah'

Birth of Jesus

Adoration of the Shepherds ca 1655 Bertolome Murillo ( 1618 - 1682 ) Spain.


The significance of shepherds and the folk from afar - Babylon? recognising the importance of this particular Birth was and remains profoundly important. There are no signs of divinity in this painting. It is the birth of a child. The Word became flesh and lived among us and we seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth
Matthew records this birth fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah .. God is with us.
Note the political realities of the situation. A king is born .... challenge to Herod and to Caesar. The Birth of Jesus is both wonderful news and confronting news.
Political Dynamite.

C.K.BARRETT: CHURCH, MINISTRY AND SACRAMENTS in the N.T.

While I reflect on my connection with Church - as in local Anglican Church - I have been reading the book: CHURCH, MINISTRY, SACRAMENTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT written by C.K.BARRETT. It arose out of his presentation of The 1983 Didsbury Lectures. The embarrassment is that I purchased it in 1987, read parts of it then ...but ...
While I will flesh out this Post in the next few weeks what I am finding is the serious disconnect between Jesus' intentions for the New Israel - Church -, the New Testament presentation of the developing framework of Church AND present day church (deliberately in lower case) There is NO gathering of church today in Brisbane that one could say - There it is!
1. All Christians are ministers of the Gospel - yet as our parish priest noted to a visiting priest from Singapore ... on learning he was priest .. Oh, you are really one of us! There is reference to bishops and deacons acting in informal roles in the early Church. No priests.
( I must needs to write carefully here. The disconnect I find profoundly disturbing. What do I do, can I do during the rest of the years I have to live? Reading the Gospel of MATTHEW and reflecting through Bishop Tom Wright's commentary is seriously challenging. This is Jesus, who is about to be declared the Risen Lord and Saviour, calling the shots.) Jesus call to take up my cross and follow Him remains the defining call. Apart from contacts with folk after the Sunday service I remain a spectator in maybe a charade.

.... more to come. I cannot ignore the Epistle to the Hebrews as well.

The GOSPEL - What was preached?

While studying at Moore College in the mid 1960's a book written by ? impressed many with a call to acknowledge the Gospel was to be found in what was preached. Obvious? Of course. But this has often been forgotten. So here is what I wrote out then.

1. Old Testament Prophecy has been fulfilled AND The Messianic Age has Dawned Acts 2: 16 - 21

2. The fulfillment has taken place in the Ministry, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, who was descended from David. Acts 2: 22 - 32

3. Jesus has been exalted as Lord and Christ (Messiah) AND as Messianic Head of the New Israel Acts 2: 33 - 36 4: 11

4. This Fact has been confirmed by the Gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church (meaning all believers). Acts 2: 33, 38
cf 2: 17 - 21 where Peter sees Pentecost as the Fulfillment of Joel 2

5. Jesus will Return to bring God's purposes to their consummation Acts 3: 30 and see Acts 10: 32

6. Meanwhile people are to Repent, so that they can receive Forgiveness of Sin and the Gift of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 - 40, 3: 19f

SERMONS:

PETER: ACTS 2:14 - 41. 3:12 - 26. 4:8 - 12; 24 - 30. 10:28-29, 34-43. 11:5 - 17

STEPHEN: ACTS 7

PAUL: ACTS 13: 16 - 41, 17:22 - 32. 22: 3 - 21. 24:10 - 21. 26:2 - 29.

JAMES: ACTS 15:13 - 21

It is with the word MEANWHILE that Bishop Tom Wright has a great contribution to make because once we have repented and received the Holy Spirit what are we to do while we wait?

JUSTICE BLURRED

For the time being this will be a collection of random comments that i have written to papers and other locations.
"Visiting German president: Nazi past has made it our duty to defend Israel" was the header for a news item in the Israeli newspaper HAARETZ. The following is my response.

Germany certainly has a responsibility to Jews for what occurred during Shoah. This does not equate with protection of Israel. The existence of Israel - particularly Greater Israel has been at a catastrophic cost to Palestinians not to Germans or Germany. If Austria or Bavaria had been given to Jews for a homeland then Germany would have paid a price commensurate with Nazi-led German behaviour. The protection of Israel does not relate to compensation to Jews of Europe who died because of and those who survived the Shoah. It relates only to those Jews who settled in Israel and to those who sought home elsewhere. Given the anti-Jewish mindset within Europe over the centuries those Jews who stayed in Europe deserved much more compensatory attention then any others. 28/11/10 Haaretz Comments. 40 / 22