Proclaimed in Baptism: Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending January 3, 2010

Purpose: To understand how in Christ, baptism opens heaven to each of us

Scripture Text: Matthew 3:1-5, 11-17 (NRSV)

Matthew 3:1-6, 11-17
(1) In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,( 2) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (3) This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
' Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.' ”

(4) Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

(11) “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
(13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. (14) John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (15) But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. (16) And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (17) And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

I would first like to talk about the place where the baptism of Jesus took place. I think the location can tell us about how important an event this was. I will start with Moses; it was about 15 miles to the east at Mt. Nebo where God showed Moses the Promised Land between the Jordan River and Mt. Neboi. It is also where the “chariot of fire” carried Elijah away to join Moses in glory. Five miles to the west was Jericho, where Joshua fought the battle. Just above Jericho, in the mountain fastness of the Brook Cherith, the ravens had fed Elijah. A little further up, on top of the mountain ridge, was Bethel, where Abraham built an altar, and Jacob had seen the ladder of angels ascending and descending, to which Jesus, just after His own temptation in this same area, referred in His conversation with Nathaniel, as a picture of Himself as the Ladder of Angels. Nearby southward, on the same mountain ridge lays Jerusalem, city of Melchizedek and David. To the south across the Dead Sea, lays the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is where Jesus’ ministry both begins and ends. You can easily see the importance of this area around the Dead Sea and the River Jordan; this is also the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls have been found, possibly left by some followers of John the Baptist.

Although John and Jesus were related and may have seen each other often in their youth, after John had made the decision to live and preach in this remote area, it may have been several years since the two had seen each other. John could have chosen to be a priest like his father, but instead chose to preach a new message, one of repentance and good works, doing what was right in the sight of God and forsaking the past and a life of selfishness.

As we read the scripture passage, I think it is noteworthy that it is Jesus that approaches John; Jesus makes the first move in this relationship. Also notice that it is John's humbleness that allows God's will to be done. The same is true in own lives, Jesus always calls us first, and then it is how we respond to that call, that results in “God's will being done on earth as it in heaven.” It certainly was not necessary for Jesus to be baptized, but it was important for John's ministry and for the anointing that Jesus would receive prior to entering His earthly ministry. It most certainly pleased God.

Baptism is a sacrament, (from Church Latin sacr?mentum vow, from Latin sacr?re to consecrate) it is a consecration of ourselves, a vow, that we will follow the leading of Christ and the Holy Spirit on our lives and it is pleasing to God. Our willingness to humble ourselves and be baptized is what opens up the glories of heaven to us both now, and for all eternity. Take time this week to remember your baptism, you can do that by putting your hand or fingers in some water and touching your head or heart and remembering that it pleases God for you to be obedient.

An Epiphany Blessing of Homes and Chalking the Door- Chalking of the door is a way of marking our homes, usually at the front or main entrance, with sacred signs and symbols as we ask God's blessing upon those who live, work, or visit throughout the coming year. In Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this service, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God's presence and blessing into our homes. Follow the link for a complete outline on: Chalking of the Door for Personal or Group Use

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Magi Confirm Messiah's Birth: Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending December 27, 2009

Purpose: To explore the potent mixture of joy, danger, and tragedy that surrounded Jesus' birth

Scripture Text: Matthew 2:7-9, 16-23 (NRSV)

Matthew 2:7-9, 16-23
(7) Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. (8)Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage. (9)When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.

(16) When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. (17)Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
(18)‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

(19) When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, (20)‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead. (21)Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (22)But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. (23)There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

King Herod had been declared King of the Jews by the Roman Senate in about 37 B.C. You can easily see his concern when the Magi arrive with this announcement about being in Jerusalem to celebrate the birth of the King of the Jews. Herod was not a decent man; he had three sons and a wife already murdered, as well as a good number of Priest from the Sanhedrin.

The Magi or wise men, were astrologers, and studiers of the latest writers and diviners. While they may have come from the land of Daniel, we have no record that they were followers of the Jewish religion, and were probably considered to be Gentiles. The fact that they impressed Herod shows they must have been counsels, or advisers to royalty, if not Kings in their own right. Because the Magi gave three gifts, we assume there were three of them, but that is not stated anywhere. However, their entourage would have been a much larger number and the arrival in Jerusalem would certainly have caused a lot of attention.

The star that the Magi followed is often explained as a conjunction of planets or a nova or exploding star, I would rather think it was more like the “pillar of fire” or “cloud of glory” that led the children of Israel through the desert. This was something God created for the far flung nations of the world and the academia of the day, to witness.

By the time the Magi had made the trip after seeing the star, at least 40 days had passed and Joseph had moved Mary and the Baby Jesus to a new home, or possibly a cave, where they could safely dwell. The gifts they brought were gifts that would be expected for royalty. It does not require a lot of faith to believe God's plan was in play, knowing this poor family, would need assistance to flee the country. A pound of gold was worth months of pay and even frankincense and myrrh were worth well over two months pay per pound. The gifts would finance the family for at least 2 years, until Herod had died and it was safe to return to the area, but not any place under Herod's former rule, they would go to Galilee and the city of Nazareth.

When Herod found out he had been duped, by the wise men, he immediately ordered the death of all male children born in the Bethlehem area under the age of two. Since Bethlehem was a small village this may have involved less than ten children, and it was not significant enough for historians to make mention of this massacre of innocent children. However, the Church does recognize, in some countries, the Holy Day of “Massacre of the Innocents” in recognition of this terrible event. Countries celebrate it on the 27th or 28th of December, depending on the country. Most followers of Christ consider the Innocents to be the first martyrs for Christ. It is also called the Mass of the Children in some churches.

Joseph may have taken his family to the home town of Joseph, the former ruler of Egypt, On also called Heliopolis (traditional), or to Alexandria. Alexandria had a large community of scholarly Jews that had translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. That translation is referred to as the Septuagint or LXX in most commentaries of the bible, because it was supposedly seventy of the brightest Jewish scholars in the world at that time. The book of Matthew uses this translation when he references the Old Testament.

The reference to Rachel may be due to the fact that Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin, near Bethlehem. Bethlehem was located in the area of Israel given to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by Moses, under God's direction.

Joseph is still receiving direction from God on returning his family to Israel. God was not only the provider but was also the counsel for Joseph; he seemed to completely trust God for whatever the need, indeed he was a faithful father and husband as well as an obedient servant.
As it is with a lot of the events of our life, there is both joy and sorrow. In the months following September 11, 2001, at least 17 babies were born to women whose husbands died during the attacks that day. On the worst day of their lives, these women simultaneously carried within them one of life's greatest blessings. The births of these children, while occasions of great joy, were also no doubt filled with moments of deep sadness and fresh grief.

As you celebrate this Christmas season, you should be aware of the sacrifice of others, from our troops that have preserved our freedom, to the massacre of the innocents and both the early and modern day martyrs that give their life for their faith. While it is a time of great joy, lets us never forget the cost.

God bless you all this Christmas season.
Here is a Christmas Song to touch your heart and maybe bring a tear to you eye. Double click on the link: Mary Did you Know?

Emmanuel Is Born :Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending December 20, 2009

Purpose: To recognize Joseph as a model of a faithful husband and father

Scripture Text: Matthew 18-25 (NRSV)

Matthew 1:18-25
(18) Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (19)Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. (20)But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21)She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ (22)All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
(23)‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’(24)When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, (25)but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

This account indicates the unique parentage of the child Jesus. Mary was his mother. The Holy Ghost was his Father. He was truly man. He was truly God. Yet he was not merely man and he was not only God. He was both God and man, the God-man. God the Creator thus became a member of the human race, that he might lead mankind into his eternal kingdom. Obviously, this redemptive undertaking involves mystery, yet not so much mystery as to prevent reasonable faith.

I am always amazed by modern day theologians that claim Matthew copied his book from Mark. They claim ninety percent of Matthew appears in the Gospel of Mark. My question would be why a person that was present during almost all of Jesus ministry would copy someone that was not present. I believe Matthew was the disciple recorded as a follower and one of the twelve. He was in his own words a “publican,” a collector of Roman taxes, often an extortionist, and generally despised. Luke tells us that Matthew made a Great Feast for Jesus and forsook all to follow Jesus. Matthew's humbleness is refreshing and he is only interested in the rest of us knowing Jesus, as he knew Jesus.

Tradition tells us that Matthew preached in Palestine for several years, and then traveled to foreign countries; that he wrote his original book in Hebrew, and some years later, issued a more complete edition in Greek. One of the advantages of being in the tax collecting business was that it helped Matthew to pay attention to detail.

As our text unfolds, it should be noted that Mary spent the first three months of her pregnancy with her cousin Elizabeth, (Luke 1:36) it is during this time, prior to her return to Nazareth that Joseph has his dream. We know very little about Joseph, except that he was a descendent of David and righteous man. According to Matthew 13:55, 56 he and Mary had seven children, and he lived as a carpenter in the city of Nazareth.

The genealogies recorded by Matthew and Luke differ somewhat, Matthew goes back to Abraham, Luke goes back to Adam. One is descending, “begat”; the other is ascending,“was son of'”. The commonly held view is that Matthew gives Joseph's line, showing Jesus to be the legal heir to the promises given to both Abraham and David. While the gospel of Luke gives Mary's line showing Jesus as a blood descendant, “Son of David” according to Romans 1:3. These historical blood lines are not found anywhere else in our history, 4,000 years are traced; just that fact should give us a chill. It is unique in all of our history that this child's genealogy is recorded in this way.

Joseph certainly gives us an example of what a faithful husband and father should look like, unlike some of our modern day heroes. Joseph was prepared to spare Mary any embarrassment. Joseph was not only faithful to Mary, but he was a good earthly father to Jesus. We know he saved Jesus' life by moving the family to Egypt. When Jesus was twelve we know he took Jesus to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. By the time Jesus started his ministry Joseph had apparently died and we hear nothing about him after that.

What about Joseph do you find most impressive? What do you think Jesus learned from Joseph? Is there anything in this story you find difficult to believe?

Here is a Christmas Song to touch your heart and maybe bring a tear to you eye. Double click on the link: Mary Did you Know?

Prophets Foreshadow Messiah's Birth: Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending December 13, 2009

Purpose: To ponder how Isaiah's prophecy and Mary's choice have blessed all humanity.

Scripture Text: Isaiah 7:13-17 Luke 1:30-38 (NRSV)

Isaiah 7:13-17
(13)Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? (14)Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (15)He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.(16)For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. (17)The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’

Luke 1:30-38
(30)The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. (31)And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. (32)He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. (33)He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ (34)Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ (35)The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. (36)And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. (37)For nothing will be impossible with God. (38)Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Some historical background is essential to understand what was going on in Jerusalem at the time of Isaiah's prophecy. Remember that after the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was split with Jeroboam ruling in the northern kingdom of Israel, and Rehoboam, ruling in the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah's prophecy is to the king of Judah at the time, who was Ahaz. Ahaz was a terrible king, he was only 20 years old when he became king, and practiced many of the pagan practices, including sacrificing his own son on one of the pagan altars. He was so enthralled by an Assyrian altar he saw in Damascus of the pagans that he ordered an exact copy built and he replaced the bronze altar in the temple with this heathen altar. No wonder God was fed up with Ahaz.

At this time in history there were two prominent powers, the Assyrians and Syrians, and it is easy to confuse who was fighting who. The northern kingdom had joined with the Syrians, hoping they would be the eventual winner. The southern kingdom of Judah was hoping for an alliance with the Assyrians. That is where King Ahaz had put his trust and faith, the prophet Isaiah on the other hand wanted King Ahaz to trust in the power of God and not any alliance with a heathen nation. Isaiah pleads with King Ahaz to believe that God can do the impossible and save Jerusalem. Knowing all of this helps us to understand Isaiah's pleading.

Isaiah's prophecy is about the lineage of David,(and also Ahaz) and how God will bring about a new kingdom, by the birth of a child. Isaiah wanted his prophecy to be enough for King Ahaz to believe that God could be trusted to bring this all about and save them from the invading Syrians and the northern kingdom of Israel. Unfortunately King Ahaz chose the alliance with the Assyrians over the sign provided by Isaiah.

In Luke's gospel we see Isaiah's prophecy of some 720 years earlier fulfilled. From the linage of David a Son will be born. What would seem harder to believe; the prophecy of Isaiah for Ahaz, or the proclamation of the visiting angel to Mary? Verse 37 reminds us “that nothing will be impossible with God.”

In the custom of the time Mary would have been available for betrothal at the age of 12, that could have lasted from 1 year to several years. We assume she was in the 12-16 year time frame when the angel appears. I find it interesting that Mary is very aware of where babies come from at this age and knows that what is being told is impossible since she is still a virgin. The angel offers Mary a sign of her own, in her cousin Elizabeth's pregnancy at this late stage of her life, something easily verifiable. Mary accepts everything the angel tells her and is a willing servant of whatever God wants of her.

Note the contrast between and evil King Ahaz, and the lowly virgin Mary. One has no faith or belief the other has only faith and trust and a willingness to serve. Mary becomes a type of Abraham, just as Abraham was the father of many different religions, such as Judaism, and Muslim as well as Christianity. Mary becomes the mother of all Christianity, from the Roman and Orthodox to all of the numerous branches of the protestant religion. Churches that fail to recognize Mary's position in Christianity are missing the proclamation of the angel. Mary was found favorable by God, and she was called in much the same way as Abraham. Her call required the same faith and obedience as Abraham's. Who of us is willing to say as Mary “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” How do you feel God's presence in your life? What are those holy moments that sustain you?

The Lineage of David: A Son Is Born -International Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending December 6, 2009

Purpose: To realize that we are chosen and empowered to serve the Lord not because of our past or our bloodline, but by His love and mercy.

Scripture Text: Ruth 4:13-17; Matthew 1:1-6 (NRSV)

Ruth 4:13-17
(13) So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. (14)Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! (15)He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” (16)Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. (17)The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Matthew 1:1-6
(1)An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (2)Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, (3)and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, (4)and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, (5)and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, (6)and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Over the past couple of years I have made an attempt to track the genealogy of my grandfather, who came to the United States, by himself, when he was about 12 years old. I have found through old census reports, he claimed to have been born in Hesse, Germany, but that is where the trail ends. The story goes he came over to join his family, which had settled in the Bronx, New York. However, his father and mother already had a house full, so he and a sister were put on a train to go live with an aunt in Pennsylvania. Grandpa, did not like that idea, and never got off the train, later he was found wandering at the Chicago Worlds Fair, and was brought to Indiana to be raised by a family near St. Joe, Indiana. I have an old picture of him, as a young lad, given to us by an old family friend, and on the back it says “George Walter Vagabond.”

Looking back, some thing make sense, his favorite song was a little ditty that went “I've got shoe, you've got a shoe, all God's children got a shoe, when I get to heaven going to put on my shoes, going to walk all over God's heaven, heaven,everybody talks about a heaven aint a going there, heaven, heaven.” What vagabond wouldn't love that song? Thankfully Grandpa went on to serve in the Spanish-American War and was a successful potato farmer; hence, my father also became a potato farmer, about a mile from my grandfather’s farm.

The story of Ruth is also a story about a transplanted family. Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi and her husband had moved away from Bethlehem, their home town, and gone around the Dead Sea to Moab, because of a famine in Judah. While in Moab, one of Naomi's sons married a Moabite woman. When both of Naomi's sons and her husband died she decided to move back to Bethlehem where she still had rights to property, and she brought back with her the young Moabite woman Ruth. Ruth was fortunate to have a mother-in-law like Naomi, who understood the Jewish laws and traditions and she guided her to a distant relative, named Boaz, who was a successful farmer in the area of Bethlehem.

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a great love story, as well as story of a “kinsman redeemer,” Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, and he went to great lengths to make certain he did everything within his power, to see that the redemption was legal and proper, because of his love for Ruth. Like each of us, Ruth was brought into the family of God by love.

It is worth noting, that Boaz was also the benefactor of redemption, since his mother was Rahab, the innkeeper in Jericho that let down the scarlet cord and hid the spies that went into scout out the city before Joshua attacked. Rahab was also a Moabite woman, redeemed and married by Salmon.

The Moabites were descendents of Abraham's nephew, Lot. Moab was the son of Lot's eldest daughter. But, the Moabites did not worship God, they instead worshiped many different Idols, and their worship was an abomination to God.

What does all of this genealogy prove? The linage of David, as well as Jesus, was not perfect. From Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, there were flaws in the bloodline. The good news is God was providing a way to redeem everyone, regardless of bloodline, because we are all flawed. Our duty is to ask for redemption, just as Naomi told Ruth to do. Naomi was a great councilor for Ruth, who was your councilor?

Just a little note about the legend; legend has it that the fields of Boaz are adjacent to or the same as the fields where Shepherds heard the proclamation from angels that Christ was born. It is also said that at the very stable where Jesus was born, once stood the house of Boaz and Ruth.