Year: 2008

Bible

Raised From the Dead

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 25, 2008

When Jesus died, many dead people can to life. This is a literal, physical event that Matthew documented (Matthew 27:52-53).

This can also be understood and applied on a figurative or symbolic basis, in that for all who follow Jesus: We came alive when Jesus died. This is a new, spiritual, eternal life.

In short, Jesus died so that we may live.

[Read more about Jesus.]

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Tags eternity, Jesus

Bible

A Different Prescription For Prayer

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 16, 2008

In Matthew 20, Jesus shares a parable, predicts his death, teaches about serving, and heals two blind men. Nowhere does he mention prayer, yet in this chapter I see two insights about prayer.

First, the mother of James and John makes a request of Jesus (Matthew 20:20-22). She asks if her sons can be given places of honor, sitting on Jesus’ left and right. Jesus’ response is, “You don’t know what you are asking!”

I suspect that many of our prayers evoke the same response, “You don’t know what you are asking.”

Just as James and John’s mother did not have a right understanding of Jesus’ purpose and intent, missing God’s perspective, so to, we often miss God’s intent and fail to see his perspective. As such our prayers are off base, asking for the wrong things, which are inconsequential.

In the account of the blind men being healed (Matthew 20:29-34), the men boldly call out for Jesus to have mercy on them. When Jesus hears them, he asks, “What do you want?”

They have already asked for mercy, but Jesus wants them to be specific. As soon as they ask to see, he gives them their sight.

How often do we make a general request for God’s blessing, mercy, or grace? These are vague, non-expectant petitions. When making such a plea, how can we ever realize the answers? When our requests are specific, the answers become obvious — and praiseworthy.

So, when we pray, it should be specific and it should be with God’s perspective in mind.

Tags grace, Jesus, mercy, parable, prayer

Bible

“Your Sins Are Forgiven”

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 12, 2008

There is an account of Jesus, when a paralyzed man seeks to be healed. In a surprise move, Jesus confounds everybody by forgiving the man’s sins! Jesus had realized that this man’s greatest need was not physical, but spiritual, so he addressed that first.

Knowing that it is much easier to say “your sins are forgiven” than to make a lame man walk, Jesus then healed the man (thereby proving he had the power to forgive sins) and addressed the man’s second greatest need.

In doing so, Jesus shows that he came not only to save (forgive our sins), but also to heal.

[Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:2-12, and Luke 5:18-26]

Tags forgive, Jesus

Bible

Traditions Have Their Place

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 8, 2008

In Matthew 15:3-7, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for placing their traditions ahead of God’s commands. From our perspective, in a different time and culture, it is easy for us to see their error. However, we likely do the same type of thing and are blind to it.

What might some of those traditions be?

Certainly a lot of what happens at many church services today are based more on tradition than command.

While many of those traditions have a solid basis or are good for us to follow, it is all too easy for our man-made traditions to take on more importance or priority than is wise or warranted. If our traditions distract us from following and serving Jesus, then it is time to set them aside.

What traditions have you placed too high of emphasis?

Tags church, Jesus, tradition

Bible

Praise God or Fear God?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 2, 2008

After Jesus performs a miracle — healing a paralytic man (see Matthew 9:2-8) — the people were fearful of God, yet full of praise at the same time (this precise wording is not apparent in all translations — see the New Living Translation or the Amplified Bible).

Although it seems like a paradox to simultaneously fear God and praise him, perhaps this is a view we should adopt.

Yes, there are reasons to fear him, but they must be carefully balanced with praising him. It may be in the midst of that balance that we are able to best connect with him.

Tags Jesus, miracle, paradox

Bible

What Are You Afraid Of?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 28, 2008

Jesus is sleeping in a boat; the disciples are crossing the lake. A major strong whips up and the disciples are overwhelmed—remember that several of them were fishermen, so it must have been a bad one to scare them.

In a panic, they wake up Jesus.

He says, “You have little faith; why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:23-27).

Upon contemplation, this question of Jesus is eye opening.

Jesus implies that fear is a symptom of faithlessness. Conversely, if we have faith, there should be no reason to fear.

When we have fears—and we all do—we need to, in faith, give them to Jesus and trust him to take care of us.

Tags faith, Jesus

Bible

When You Give, Pray, and Fast

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 26, 2008

In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, there is a word that is interestingly repeated by Jesus. It is the word when:

“When you give to the needy…” (Matthew 6:2).
“When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5 and 7).
“When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16).

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say if you give, if you pray, or if you fast.

It seems that Jesus is telling us that giving, praying, and fasting aren’t options, but expectations.

Tags fasting, Jesus, prayer

Bible

The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 25, 2008

The phrase “the Kingdom of God” is synonymous with “the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Some writers in the Bible simply prefer one over the other; it is not meant to designate two different concepts or kingdoms. (Mark and Luke used “Kingdom of God,” whereas Matthew used “Kingdom of heaven.”)

These phrases can perhaps be best understood by considering that Jesus desires to brings heaven’s rule to earth. Under his rule, there are benefits and responsibilities to his subjects—the church.

Jesus explains about the Kingdom of God/Heaven through parables:

The parable of the Weeds [Matthew 13:24-30]
The parable of Scattering Seed [Mark 4:26-27]
The parable of the Mustard Seed [Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32, Luke 13:18-19]
The parable of Yeast [Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21]
The parable of the Hidden Treasure [Matthew 13:44]
The parable of the Pearl [Matthew 13:45]
The parable of the Net [Matthew 13:47-48]
The parable of Settling Accounts [Matthew 18:23-35]
The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard [Matthew 20:1-16]
The parable of the Wedding Banquet [Matthew 22:2-14]
The parable of the Ten Virgins [Matthew 25:1-13]

How do these parables change your view of God and our relationship to him?

Tags church, heaven, Jesus, Luke, parable

Bible

Quoting from the Bible

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 22, 2008

When you pray, be careful what you pray—I’m serious, be very careful.

In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples (also called “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father”), one part says:

“Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.”

Some translations use the word “sins” or “transgressions” in place of debts, but the intent is the same.

The request is that God will forgive us…to the degree we forgive others.

That is, if we forgive fully, we are asking God to forgive us fully. However, if we only forgive partially—keeping grudges, holding on to ill-feelings, or harboring hate—then we are asking God to only forgive us partially.

Our lack of forgiveness towards others could limit the amount of forgiveness we receive. Ouch!

So when I pray that prayer, I do so carefully and with some trepidation; some days, I even want to skip that part!

However, skipping it is not the answer. A better solution is to be steadfast and diligent in forgiving others—then we can likewise expect the same from God.

Tags Father, Jesus

Bible

An Example of Obedience in the Life of Joseph

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 21, 2008

Four times, Joseph received instructions from God:

An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to go ahead and marry Mary (Matthew 1:20).

Later, an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, warning him of the threat on Jesus’ life and instructing him to flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14).

A third time, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him it was safe to return from Egypt (Matthew 2:19-20).

Lastly, Joseph received additional instruction in a dream to go to Galilee and not Judea (Matthew 2:22).

Each of the times God spoke to Joseph, he obeyed without question or delay:

He married Mary, as instructed,
he got up and left for Egypt in the middle of the night,
he later returned to Israel, and
he settled in Galilee.

God can speak to us in various ways: by a dream, vision, or even angels, through the Bible or others, or the Holy Spirit. However we may hear from God, there is but one acceptable response: to obey without question or delay, just as Joseph did.

Tags angel, Egypt, Holy Spirit, Jesus