My Chronoligical Bible was moving into Law of Moses and I didn't think I was up to that right now. I've been wanting to get back into the NT again, so Viola! It's mid-October and I'm reading the Gospels. Well, at least my Bible thinks it's October, but it thought it was mid-February back in Deuteronomy. :-)
Mark 1:1, John 1:1-18, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:22-38
John 1:12-13 - It sounds so simple, recieve him and become children of God. There's a lot of depth in these couple of phrases. What does it mean to recieve him? To believe in his name? That's what the rest of the NT is about, I guess. I've always thought it was cool the distinction here. We are not merely of 'natural decent', as my daughers are of me, nor is it of any human decision. We are born of God's decision.
John 1:14 - Fulll of both grace (forgiveness, mercy) and truth (justice, the law). It's an interesting dichotomy, but Jesus is full of both grace and truth. I think as Christians we are more one than the other. Jesus was neither the stereotypical black and white conservative nor the stereotypical "I'm OK you're OK" liberal, He was both.
Matthew 1:1-17 - Jesus geneology. Most of these lists are not much fun to read over, but Jesus' is interesting because of who it includes. Not only men, but women too are listed, and two are notorious for their sin. The are Gentiles, a Canaanite and a Moabite, ancient enemies of God's people. And not only is the great King David here, but also the wicked King Manasseh. God, who could have hand picked his ancestors, seems to have let the cards fall where they may. He is truly one of us. It reinfoces my thoughts on God's involvement in the world. He is not the orchestrator that we would sometimes like him to be, but instead seems mainly to let things flow as they may. If we draw him in, through prayer, He will come and act, but if we ignore him He'll let us alone.
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