TLEE's Daily Devotion for July {12,020 words}

Textual criticism has been divided into the branches of higher and lower criticism, and those two branches have compared ancient texts to try to find and reproduce the original biblical manuscripts. Higher critics examine issues such as date, purpose, authorship, and canon, and lower critics look at the original language, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, to better understand the actual words that were used. Because humans make mistakes, no two manuscripts are exactly alike. Therefore, lower critics through the centuries have analyzed the various kinds of mistakes that might have been made so that they can try to get as close to the original Word of God as possible.

The types of mistakes that might have occurred in the transmission of biblical manuscripts have been defined as either unintentional or intentional. No evidence exists to suggest that anyone ever tried to sabotage the Bible, but plenty of evidence exists to show that human copiers could have made some mistakes. The original New Testament manuscripts and their copies were written with Greek capital letters, and some of those letters, when written by hand, looked very similar. For that reason, it would have been easy for someone to unintentionally copy the wrong letter. The original manuscripts did not contain any vowels or punctuation, so it would have been easy for a copier to unintentionally misread and miscopy a word. Many words ended with the same type of ending. That could have caused the copier to unintentionally get mixed up, skip to a second occurrence of the same ending, and leave out the words in between. By contrast, intentional errors would have been instances where the copier would have intentionally made changes to a copy to correct what appeared to be an earlier error.

The people in the Jerusalem church were from all walks of life. They made decisions in unity, they were in one accord, they were unified around Jesus, they had a unified purpose, and based on Acts 1:8, they went from house to house trying to reach and teach others about the Lord. Because of their united attitude around Him, as seen in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-37, they enjoyed spontaneous evangelism, they grew in number, and their ministry flourished.

Modern-day Christians can learn much from the church in Jerusalem. It was a growing church because it was a qualitative church. If a church grows qualitatively, then it will almost always grow quantitatively, and that is another way of saying that internal growth leads to external growth. They put their emphasis on reaching and teaching others for Christ, and their goal was to saturate their city with the gospel. The Jerusalem church had all the elements that make up the theological definition for the church. It was an assembly of professing believers. Its members were individually indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The church was under the discipline of the Word of God. It was organized to carry out the Great Commission, and its members went from house to house evangelizing, educating, worshiping, and offering fellowship. The church administered the ordinances of water Baptism and the Lord's Table for believers, and those believers exercised many spiritual gifts.

The exact time and sequence of the writing of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are not known. Most scholars believe that the Gospel of Matthew was written first but not all agree, and some debate over whether the Gospel of Luke was written before or after the Gospel of Mark. While those issues cannot be totally resolved, the purposes of each of the three are clear. A Jew wrote the Gospel of Matthew for the Jews to show Jesus as their King. A medical doctor wrote the Gospel of Luke for the Greeks to show that Jesus was the Son of man, and Mark wrote his gospel to show Jesus as a servant.

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke listed Jesus' genealogy, but the Gospel of Mark did not because no one cares about the ancestry of a servant. In Mark 10:35-45, Mark wrote about an incident that occurred with James and John, and in His response, Jesus reinforced His belief in the importance of serving others. In Mark 10:35-37, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, had asked if they could sit on the right and left hand of Jesus in heaven, but He told them, in Mark 10:40, that such a request was not for Him to grant or to refuse. He, then, emphasized the importance of serving others rather than of being served.

When God gave the Law to Moses, He instituted a peculiar regulation. He told His people, in Leviticus 25:8, to count off seven Sabbaths, or seven seven-year periods, and to designate the fiftieth year as the Year of Jubilee. During that year, all land and all property deals were to be reversed, and the people were told to not sew or harvest any crops so that the land could be redeemed. Moses wrote that the people were to declare liberty throughout the land and that that year was a time to reset the books and make all things right.

In Leviticus 25:14 and Leviticus 25:17, the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write that the people were to not take advantage of each other, and in Leviticus 25:43, Leviticus 25:46, and Leviticus 25:53, he was inspired to write that no one was to rule ruthlessly over another. Those verses teach that God owns everything, that His people are only stewards of His things, and that being fair and honest are very important. God placed the above regulations on the children of Israel because He called them His people. In Leviticus 25:38 and Leviticus 25:55, He referred to them as having been brought out of Egypt by Him, and because of that, He invoked special privilege. He set very high standards for them, and He expected them to measure up to those standards.

Philippians 2:1-5 and Philippians 4:2-9 teach the importance of resolving conflicts among Christians. Christians do not often openly disagree in ways that bring down the whole church, but it can and does happen. From time to time, one might hear about problems at a particular church and a pending split that is either happening or about to happen. Churches split because members get in disputes over building programs, over what color carpet to buy, over where to put the piano, or over a whole myriad of other senseless matters. Such conflicts hurt all individuals, whether the persons are inside the church or outside of it. People inside the church tend to become distracted by the turmoil and internal conflict. They are drained by the wearing down effects of the hostility and disagreement, and their whole service to the Lord is affected. People outside the church are also affected, though, because they are usually influenced to stay away from the church and its hypocrisy.

Psalm 23:1-6 teaches about God's constant care for His people. He has His eyes on them at all times, whether they have a particular need or not, and when they do have a need, He is faithful to meet their need. He is always present, and through fellowship with Him, one can have a high degree of confidence for facing the troubles of life. Some important conclusions from this psalm are that God is with His people during good times and bad, that He always has their best interests at heart, and that He gives peace and comfort to them so that they can, in turn, show peace and comfort towards others.

Psalm 23:1 implies that God is the Shepherd who watches over His people and that His care for them is constant and without flaw. Psalm 23:2 says that He makes them lie down in green pastures for rest and that He leads them beside still waters where their needs can be met. Because of God's goodness, people can count on Him. Psalm 23:1-6 suggests that He is present during times of stress and fear and that He is a constant Companion and Guide. Those verses show that David revered his Lord greatly and that he had peace even in the midst of all his troubles. People can learn from his example that they, too, can have the same peace when they put their trust in the Lord.

Throughout the Bible, and especially in the Old Testament, God revealed His nature and character to people by His different names. Genesis 22:13-14 says, "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." The name, Yahweh Jireh, appeared in the above passage and showed God as the One that provides for His people. Abraham had been instructed by the Lord to offer his only son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, but God provided the sacrifice for him.

Exodus 3:13-14 says, "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? Then what shall I tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.'" In Hebrew, Jehovah or Yahweh is God’s proper name, and it means, "I AM THAT I AM." That name refers to the self-existing One, and when He gave it to Moses, He was communicating that He is eternal, that He exists on His own, that He is self-sufficient, and that He is in total control of everything.

The word "canon" means a straight rod used to measure something. With respect to the Bible, it was the term used to express the evaluation of first century literature to see which works measured up to biblical standards and which ones did not. During that time, many religious writings were produced, but most of them were not included in the Bible for one reason or another.

For a writing to be included in the New Testament, the early church fathers adopted and used four general principles. First, if the author had seen the risen Christ, then that person's writings were automatically included. Second, if one of the early churches had received a specific epistle, such as from the Apostle Paul, then that person's writings were included. Third, based on the latter part of Isaiah 8:20, a writing would be included in the canon if it was consistent with other biblical teachings, and the final criterion was that the writing had to show evidence of Holy Spirit inspiration. Otherwise, it was rejected.

The church is defined theologically as an assembly of baptized, professing believers, where Christ indwells each believer, the assembly is under the discipline of the Word of God, the church ordinances are administered, and where spiritual gifts are manifested. The purpose of the church is to carry out the Great Commission, as was expressed in Matthew 28:16-20, by evangelizing, educating, worshiping, and having fellowship among believers.

Each part of the above definition comes from Scripture, and many come from or are directly supported by Acts 2:42-47, I Corinthians 11:23-26, I Corinthians 12:27-31, and Ephesians 4:1-16. In Acts 2:42-47, Luke wrote about the very early days of the church and showed how everyone worked together for the cause of Christ. They met daily to share the Scriptures and to worship God. They sold their possessions to help one another out, and they even ate together "with glad and sincere hearts." Luke wrote several times that the people were in one accord, and Acts 2:47 says that God added to their number daily. In I Corinthians 11:23-26, the Apostle Paul wrote about the proper significance of the Lord's Supper, and in I Corinthians 12:27-31 and Ephesians 4:1-16, he wrote about the giving of spiritual gifts.

The Apostle Paul was probably the most remarkable Christian that ever lived. Before his conversion, he had been an ardent enemy of the church. In Acts 7:58, Luke says that he was a witness to the stoning of Stephen and that the participants of that stoning even threw their garments at his feet. In Acts 8:3, Luke wrote that Saul, later to be renamed Paul, went from house to house looking for Christians to put in prison. That verse says, "But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison." In Acts 9:1-2, the Bible says that he obtained permission to go to Damascus to bring Christians in that city back to Jerusalem to stand trial and be put in prison. During those days of the early church, few people fought more against the cause of Christ than Saul of Tarsus, and few names brought more terror to the hearts of Christians than the name of Saul.

Solomon wrote, throughout the Book of Proverbs, that living right is the only way to be truly happy and blessed in this life. In Proverbs 11:4-8, he reinforced those truths even more and added that riches would not help a person when he or she stands before the Lord in judgment. Many people would like to think that they could be happier if they just had a little more, but the satisfying of that desire for more does not work. Happiness does not come from possessions. It comes from godly, righteous living. Psalm 37:16 says, "Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked." So, to be truly happy and blessed in this life, people must turn to the Lord and put their trust in Him. When they have done that, then they will be made righteous and clean before Him, and they will be made new creatures in Him.

In addition to maximizing one's happiness in this life, Proverbs 11:4-8 also teaches that living right will give a person direction and deliverance. When people make a conscious effort to do the right thing, their right attitude and right conduct, alone, will keep them on the right paths in life. Then, they will be spared many of life's hardships, and they will even be delivered from those that would do them harm. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Solomon wrote that those who do not strive to live right are already walking a path towards failure. He said that the wicked would fall into their wickedness and that the transgressor would be caught in his or her transgressions. Proverbs 11:7-8 says that the hope of the wicked perishes and that trouble comes to the wicked, but those verses also say that the righteous are delivered from trouble.

Matthew 7:3-5, James 4:1-3, and James 4:7-12 show people how to take responsibility for their part in relationships and conflict situations. Many times, people try to blame others for things that go wrong in their life or when difficulties arise within their relationships. But in Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus taught that people should always evaluate themselves first and then clean up their own act before trying to criticize and clean up those around them. According to His words, people usually pay more attention to the speck in someone else’s eye rather than to the beam that is in their own. To avoid falling into that trap, people should first critically examine themselves. They should identify the major issues in their own life, and then, do a self-appraisal. When their own issues are not being satisfactorily resolved, then that person should work to solve them before trying to settle the issues of everyone else.

At one time or another, everyone feels the emotions of discouragement, despair, and being alone, but for some people, those feelings are felt much too often. According to Psalm 42:1-4 and Psalm 43:3-5, a person can deal with such negative feelings in at least four ways. First, he or she can turn to the Lord for encouragement. The psalmist, in writing the above psalms, felt separated from God. His feelings may have been caused by sin, or they could have been prompted by his own feelings of indifference. Another possibility is that he was being tested and prepared for some kind of future service. But regardless of why he felt the way he did, the important thing is that he did and that he wanted to rectify the situation. Psalm 42:1-2 says that he turned to the Lord for comfort and encouragement.

The second way for a person to deal with feelings of discouragement, despair, and of being alone is to remember what God has done in the past. In Psalm 42:4, the psalmist was motivated because of some of his past worship. He remembered that he had been in touch with the Lord before, and he knew that he could be again. What a wonderful way for a person to feel! The third way for a discouraged person to deal with his or her discouragement, also found in Psalm 42:4, is to be honest with God. People do well when they pour our their soul to the Lord and when they remember that He loves them, that Jesus died for them, and that they can approach Him with confidence and know that He will never turn away. God wants people to come to Him more than they want to come. Finally, according to Psalm 43:3-5, the fourth thing that a person can do is push away their negative feelings by trusting the Lord.

Most people do not understand the cruel torture that Jesus endured during His final hours in this life. Matthew 27:26 says that Pilate had Him flogged, but the reality of that punishment was far greater than the simple word implies. The Greek word translated "flogged" actually meant to scourge, and with scourging, the person was beaten up to forty times with a whip that had pieces of rocks, glass, metal, and other sharp objects woven into it. Scourging usually ripped the person's flesh from their body, and many times, the victim would actually die from the beating. The Romans were very, very cruel, and they knew how to inflict intense pain and agony on their helpless victims. History records instances where some individuals were even made to pick up their own organs and hold them in their arms while the beating continued.

When His good friend, Lazarus, became sick unto death, Jesus was probably about one day’s journey from Lazarus’ town of Bethany. John 11:6 says that He stayed where He was for two more days, and John 11:17 says that Lazarus was buried four days before Jesus arrived. The likely scenario is that the messenger, that had been sent to tell Jesus the news about His friend, had taken one day to get to Him. Jesus probably received the message on the same day or the day before that Lazarus was being buried, and despite the urgency, He waited two more days before He left for Bethany. By the time that He arrived, it was already too late for Him to do any human good because Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. In John 11:21, Martha told Jesus that her brother would have lived if only He had come sooner. But John 11:8-11 says that He had originally left Judea to avoid being stoned to death and that it was primarily for the sake of His friends that He was even willing to return.

Many Christians have incorrectly interpreted Romans 8:28 when they proudly boast that all things "always" work together for good in their lives. The Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle of Romans to the Christians in Rome, and that is not what he was saying in that verse or in that chapter. In the first part of Chapter Eight, he dealt with the sin nature and with how Christians possess the indwelling Holy Spirit. According to Romans 8:15, Christians have the "Spirit of sonship." In the second part of Chapter Eight, he dealt with suffering versus eternal reward and concluded that there is not a comparison between the two. He said, in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." In Verses Twenty-two and following, he discussed the patient wait of Christians as they look forward to their adoption as children of God and also to the redemption of their bodies. He, then, talked about the help that Christians get from the Holy Spirit.

The purposes of the New Testament church are to evangelize, to educate, to worship, and to provide fellowship for other believers. I Corinthians 12:13 says that all Christians are baptized into one body by one Spirit. Ephesians 4:11 says that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers have been given by God to the church for the express purpose of doing the above works of the ministry. But within themselves, Christians cannot do anything. They can only accomplish the above tasks, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, by using the spiritual gifts that they have been given. Like a single body trying to accomplish a single mission, the body of Christ, which is the universal church, can and should seek to satisfy the Great Commission in this world. The local church, in the same sense, can and should also take on that challenge and try to do the same work.

Throughout the Book of Proverbs, Solomon gave many tidbits of wisdom, but he especially did so in the eleventh chapter. In the opening verses of that chapter, he warned about using a false balance, about being too prideful, and about not being a person of integrity. He also spoke about the hopes and expectations of good and bad people. In Proverbs 11:8-13, he presented a comparison and contrast between how the righteous and unrighteous use their tongue. In Verse Nine, he said that the godless and the hypocrite often destroy others with their tongue, and he indicated that a person must guard his or her tongue if they do not want to be like them. In James 3:5-6, James wrote about the mighty destructive force of the tongue, and in speaking about the tongue, he said, "It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

In Matthew 18:15-17, the Bible describes the correct response towards the person that has offended someone but has not asked for forgiveness. First, the offended Christian should approach the offender alone and encourage him or her to make right their wrong. If that fails, then the Christian should return with one or two witnesses and again seek to get the offending party to repent for his or her wrongdoing. If the second attempt fails, the final step is to bring the person before the church as a last attempt to resolve the conflict. If the offending person still will not repent for his or her bad behavior, then the Christian should remove himself or herself from that person and treat him or her as a pagan or tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 gives the rules for confrontation during conflicts between Christians. But in Galatians 5:13-15, the Apostle Paul stressed the importance of serving one another in love, and in Galatians 6:1-5, he talked about dealing gently with someone that has been caught in a sin.

Psalm 51:1-12 teaches the importance of being forgiven. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Romans 6:23, it says that the penalty for a person's sinful condition is death. But fortunately, people do not have to remain in such a hopeless predicament. Because of God's never ending, unchanging love for sinners, every person can have forgiveness and be set free from the burden and eternal penalty of his or her sins. In Psalm 51:1-12, the account is given of a king that had been brought very low by his own sins. King David had fallen into adultery with a woman named Bathsheba, and he had compounded the seriousness of his actions by having her husband killed. But when the Prophet Nathan confronted him, he confessed his guilt and admitted that he was responsible.

Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." A person could easily read those verses after committing a grievous sin and believe that there is not a possibility for repentance and forgiveness. But such an interpretation would not be good exegesis. Before Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, priests had to offer sacrifices for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, day after day and year after year, but Hebrews 10:1-18 says that Jesus was the final Sacrifice. Because the offering of bulls and goats could not take away sin forever, according to Hebrews 10:4, a better sacrifice was required, and Jesus became that better Sacrifice.

The Holy Spirit ministers to people before, during, and after their conversion. Before conversion, His works are to convict individuals of their sins and to restrain evil in the world. John 16:8 says, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." II Thessalonians 2:7 says, "For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way."

At the time of a person’s conversion, the Holy Spirit does the works of regeneration, of baptizing the believer into one body in Christ, of indwelling the new believer, and of sealing him or her for the day of redemption. I Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Ephesians 4:30 says, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Sometimes, people worry about doing something bad enough to lose their salvation, but the Apostle Paul wrote that believers have been sealed, or marked, by the Spirit for the day of redemption.

The word "rapture" does not appear in the Bible. But it is described in I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and it is also alluded to in John 14:1-3. Rapture means that Jesus will come down to the clouds and call the church unto Himself. It will be an opportunity for Christians to go be with their Lord and also a way to get them out of the way so that the Tribulation can begin.

Despite the simple concept of the Rapture, however, people have different beliefs about what will actually happen. Some think that only the most spiritual Christians will go. But that view is not logical since Romans 3:23 says that everyone is a sinner, even those that have received Jesus as Savior and even the so-called most spiritual. Some people think that there will be more than one Rapture. But the Bible does not support that view, plus such a belief would turn Christianity into a purgatory type of belief. According to I Thessalonians 4:16, there will be one loud command or shout from the archangel, and that command will summon those Christians that have already died. After that, according to I Thessalonians 4:17, those Christians, that are still alive on earth, will go to be with the Lord, but that does not mean or even suggest a separate Rapture. Their being caught up after the dead in Christ will be a continuation of the one Rapture and in response to the single command or shout from the archangel.

The synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and each one had a different author, a different audience, and a different theme. The Apostle Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew to the Jews, and he tried to show Jesus as their King. John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark to the Romans, and he tried to show Jesus as a Servant. The medical doctor, Luke, wrote the Gospel of Luke to the Greeks, and he tried to show Jesus as the Son of man.

Matthew’s gospel account was used by the church fathers, and it was recognized as part of the New Testament canon by Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Papyrus. The Gospel of Matthew was intended to be a book of history about Jesus, and it was probably written prior to 70AD. Theologians are confident of the date of the Book because Matthew did not mention the destruction of the Temple, which occurred in 70AD. The other synoptic Gospels were probably also written before the destruction of the Temple, since they did not mention it, either, and the Gospel of John was probably written too long after the Temple was destroyed to have mentioned it.

In Proverbs 11:14-18, Solomon wrote about seeking sound advice, about being cautious when entering into a financial arrangement on the behalf of someone else, and about doing right. In Proverbs 11:14, he started off by writing that people should seek good, godly advice, and one can see the value of that instruction by looking at Solomon's own son, Rehoboam, in II Kings 12:1-20. As the newly crowned king of Israel, Rehoboam did not act wisely when the people came to him with their complaints, and the result was that his poor judgment caused a split in his kingdom. Ten of the twelve tribes that had been under his father and him rejected his leadership and made Jeroboam their king.

When faced with difficult decisions, people should seek the advice of the godly. But they should also use the Bible as a tool for making their decisions, and if they are already Christians, then they should seek God’s guidance through prayer, too. Psalm 1:1-2 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Following his discussion on seeking good advice, Solomon next offered advice about signing loans for others because Christians need to be careful about the kinds of financial arrangements that they make. Seeking counsel from the ungodly is not wise, but putting oneself at risk financially without careful consideration is not wise, either. In Proverbs 11:15, Solomon warned that the cosigner would eventually be sorry.

People often disagree, and sometimes, their disagreements go further than they should, causing long-term anxiety in the relationship and even a severed relationship altogether. Even though it can sometimes be very difficult, Christians should always try to maintain good, pleasant relationships with everyone, and especially so with other Christians. In Genesis 50:15-21, Joseph was in a position to hurt his brothers, who had years before tried to hurt him. But rather than yield to that obvious temptation, he showed them love, mercy, kindness, and genuine forgiveness. During a time of severe famine, he cared for his family's personal needs, and he even gave them a place to live. While they were all afraid of what he might do to them, he assured them that they had nothing to fear. They had once plotted to kill him, but he was willing to forgive and to restore all the damaged relationships in his family. And when Christians follow that example, the cause of Christ is advanced.

Psalm 91:1-16 talks about God's protection in times of crisis. Everyone has had to deal with or will have to deal with difficult situations in his or her life, and during those times, being able to turn to the Lord can be very comforting. People often try to build high walls around themselves so that they can keep out all the hurts and problems of this life, but such precautions are never foolproof. The world is filled with dangers and uncertainties, and no one can protect himself or herself from everything. For that reason, the psalmist wrote that he would choose to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, that he would rest in the shadow of the Almighty, and that he would rely on his own personal relationship with his Lord. As individuals face the present and future difficulties of their own lives, they can make the same decisions to lean upon God and to trust Him to be faithful through whatever may come. He is always ready, willing, and able to respond to those that call upon Him.

The Bible is without mistakes, and according to II Peter 1:21 and II Timothy 3:16, it was God-breathed. When theologians speak of verbal inspiration, they are indicating that the words were inspired and not just the thoughts behind the words. When they talk about plenary inspiration, they are saying that all parts of the Bible were inspired equally and that no single part was anymore God-breathed than any other part. The Holy Spirit inspired the whole Bible, and the Books were written by men with all their individual peculiarities and specialties. They used their own mind, their own vocabulary, and their own faculties, but the Holy Spirit oversaw the whole effort. Unlike any other book that has ever been written, the Bible claims to be a revelation from God, and it has backed up that claim.

During the last week of His life, Jesus initiated three new themes to His disciples that would become important to the church after He was gone. In John 14:16-17, He told them about the coming Holy Spirit, and until that time, He had never before mentioned His coming to them. In John 15:1-8, He told them that He was the true Vine and that they could not do anything without Him, and in Matthew 26:17-30, He had His last supper with them. With that supper, He started the ordinance of Communion, or the Lord's Table, and that ordinance has been practiced by the church ever since.

Each of the above themes was relevant to the church rather than to the nation of Israel, and each one was introduced to them during Jesus' last week on earth. In the church today, however, they are as real as if they had always been. Today, Christians know and understand that they are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. They know that the Holy Spirit comforts them and gives them direction, and most Christians know that they cannot do God's work on earth without His presence and leadership. The church also still practices the ordinance of Communion as a way to remember Jesus until He comes.

In John 13:1-17, when Jesus washed His disciples' feet, He knew that His hour had come, that His glory was near, that all things were in His hand, and that He had come from God. He knew that it was time for Him to return to the Father, that He was both Master and Lord, and that He would be betrayed and denied. Knowing those things, He washed His disciples' feet as an example of His humility, as a rebuke against peoples' pride, as a picture of daily cleansing, as a warning to Judas Iscariot, as a picture of His humiliation, and as a reminder of His union and communion with believers. Most Bible scholars think that Jesus washed the feet of Judas first because he sat on the Lord's left, which was a place of honor. Also, Judas had to leave so that he could betray Jesus, so logistically, he might have been first so that he could get out of there.

In John 13:18-28, Jesus told His disciples that He would be betrayed by one of them, and they were very troubled by His words. In John 13:26, He identified His betrayer as Judas Iscariot, but John 13:28 indicates that the disciples did not even know what was happening. They did not understand Jesus' words about being betrayed, and they did not understand that Judas was the one that would betray Him. Because His actions and movements were normal, Jesus was not drawing special attention to Judas, so the disciples did not catch on to what was about to happen. In John 13:30, Judas left, and in John 13:33, Jesus told the remaining eleven that He would soon be gone, too. Simon Peter was always quick to speak without thinking, and in John 13:37, he told Jesus that he was ready to die for Him. Peter would indeed die for his Lord one day, but in his heart, he was not ready on that night to give up his life for Jesus.

After His resurrection, according to John 21:14, Jesus appeared to His disciples three times. In Mark 16:14, Luke 24:13-49 and John 20:19, He appeared to them on the evening of the first day of the week after His resurrection. In John 20:26, He appeared to them one week later and confronted Thomas about his earlier unbelief. In John 21:1-14, he appeared to them on the shore while they were fishing. In Matthew 28:16-20 and Luke 24:50-53, He appeared to them one last time, and that was when He gave them the Great Commission and ascended into the clouds. His fourth appearance was not included in the number of appearances stated above because that event happened after John 21:1-14.

During His first appearance, He chastened His disciples for not having had faith in His resurrection. The ladies had visited His empty tomb that morning, and the two that had talked to Him on the road to Emmaus had reported what happened to them. On His second appearance, He chastened Thomas for His unbelief, and on His third appearance, He again tried to counsel and encourage His disciples concerning their lack of faith. In John 21:3, Peter and six of the other disciples had gone fishing, and John 21:15-25 implies that they were discouraged and had decided to return to their former livelihood.