elizabethprata

Nativity & Advent: What about Joseph the Carpenter?

Posted on December 23, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In biblical times (now, too), the son took on the father’s profession. The tailor’s son became a tailor. The butcher’s son became a butcher. The blacksmith’s son became a blacksmith. The fisherman’s son became a fisherman. My own father, and his father before him, became a funeral director. Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: What about Joseph the Carpenter?” →

advent, theology

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 27, He Rises

Posted on December 23, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Christmas advent. We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity, by looking at Jesus as the Son and His preeminence, His works, and His ministry.

Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.

Continue reading →

advent, prophecy, theology

Nativity & Advent: Zacharias- There’s no such thing as chance, even when casting lots

Posted on December 22, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

#2: Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow
#3: Nativity & Advent: Sacrifice of Pigeons

First, about casting lots. Then about Zacharias and the lot that cast him into the Nativity scene.

Did you know that the practice of casting lots is called cleromancy? I didn’t. Wikipedia defines it-

Cleromancy is a form of sortition, casting of lots, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God

What is casting lots? by Matt Slick

Casting lots was a method used by the Jews of the Old Testament and by the Christian disciples prior to Pentecost to determine the will of God. Lots could be sticks with markings, stones with symbols, etc., which were thrown into a small area and then the result was interpreted. … There are many instances of casting lots in the Bible.

Continue reading →

encouragement, Uncategorized

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 26, Jesus’ sinlessness

Posted on December 22, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This section of verses that show Jesus’ life are focused on His attributes & earthly ministry. We’ve seen Him as servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and healer. We looked at His attributes of omniscience, His authority, and now His sinlessness.

He came from glory where righteousness reigns. He descended to an earth that’s cursed where every single human is depraved, thoroughly drenched with a sin nature. He lived among us, sinlessly and perfectly fulfilling the Father’s commands for righteous living. He did this at every moment in every way. Not one blot, not one thought, not one act of anything less than perfection.

For this, He was reviled, mocked, hated, and killed.

He did it for us.

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Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow

Posted on December 21, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

#1 : Nativity & Advent: Zacharias- There’s no such thing as chance, even when casting lots
#3: Nativity & Advent: Sacrifice of Pigeons

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The Nativity story includes wonderful elements as we learn them and repeat them year after year. We truly are little children, saying to our parents, “Tell me again!” We never tire of hearing as much as we can about our Savior who left His throne, left glory, left the perfect adoration of his angels, and came to earth to serve and die. (And resurrect)

This year I’m focusing on a few of the people and events of the Nativity story during Advent with which we may not be as familiar. Or, if you are familiar, then please enjoy another round of delving into this magnificent story in all its aspects. Continue reading “Nativity & Advent: Anna, the Lord’s Precious Widow” →

theology, thirty Days of Jesus

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 25, Jesus’ Authority

Posted on December 21, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This section of verses that show Jesus’ life are focused on His attributes and earthly ministry. We’ve seen Him through what He does, as servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and healer. Now we look at who He is by looking at His attributes. We looked at His omniscience yesterday and today we ponder His authority.

How to represent the authority of Jesus over life, in pictorial form? That was a tough one. I settled on the notion of the dock being the long journey of finite earthly life in the flesh, then we come to an inevitable end and launch up and into the eternal heavens. Jesus has authority over every step.

I recently wrote an essay focusing on the authority of Jesus. It is linked below if you’re interested, along with a couple of additional essays from credible sources.

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Further Reading

The End Time: Jesus Has the Authority
What does this mean, exactly? Let’s look into the nature of the word authority and what it means when Jesus says He has been given all of it.

AIG: What is the extent of Jesus’ authority?
When Jesus told His disciples He has full authority in heaven and earth, His declaration came before giving them a direction: “make disciples of all the nations.” … Yet we easily forget that the implication of biblical authority is much more than defending truth. In the case of Matthew 28:18–19, upholding the authority of the Bible is about doing. If God’s Word is authoritative, we must not overlook any directive in it. We should never consider one passage more authoritative than another.

Ligonier Devotional: The Authority of Jesus
In today’s passage, Mark highlights the matter of Jesus’ authority by recording an exchange our Lord had in the temple with “the chief priests and the scribes and the elders” not long before He went to the cross.

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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

Introduction/Background

Prophecies:

Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son

Birth & Early Life-

The Second Person of the Trinity-

theology

Christmas Scriptures #3: Jesus’ birth foretold to Mary

Posted on December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I like this version of the Annunciation, or announcement, to Mary by Gabriel. The painting hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and they explain, “Tanner created an unconventional image of the moment when the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God. Mary is shown as an adolescent dressed in rumpled Middle Eastern peasant clothing, without a halo or other holy attributes. Gabriel appears only as a shaft of light.”

JESUS’ BIRTH FORETOLD Luke 1:26-38, Legacy Standard Bible

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of His kingdom.”

34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 And Mary said, “Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

What an incredible conversation! Mary received so much good news. First, she was told that she was favored. This was from an angel messenger, so the compliment came from God!

She was told she was going to have a baby, and further, that it would be a son. In those days, having a baby was everything, and having a son was necessary for carrying on the lineage. So this was also good news.

Third, the baby she was prophesied to have would be called Son of the Most High! I don’t know if Mary put it all together right then, that the baby would be the sacrificial Lamb who would take away sin of the world, probably not, since she later pondered all these things in her heart, but it was amazing news on its surface. Something BIG was happening, and it was happening to her.

And her cousin Elizabeth was also experiencing a miracle, she who was called barren was pregnant in her old age!

Though she no doubt felt confusion (she asked ‘how this may be, since I am a virgin’) and perhaps fear (the angel said to fear not) Mary humbly capitulated to God’s message, saying,

“Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary simply says of that verse,

Marvellous faith in such circumstances!

While not idolizing Mary, her humble submission is a lesson to us all. Hannah More, an English evangelist who lived 1745 – 1833, said

When we read of Christian martyrs — we imagine that we could be one. When we come to act — we cannot even bear a provoking word.

Mary’s acceptance of God’s will for her life was astonishing under the circumstances, which could have been dire. Having a baby out of wedlock as a betrothed wife was adultery, a stoning offense. Joseph even thought to divorce Mary (but was told not to by an angel in a dream). I too, wonder how I would act if God’s will for me was martyrdom, but if the temperature gets below my comfort level by one degree, I grouse about it. Some martyr I’d be! The Hannah More comment above applies to me for sure.

May we honor Mary for her faith and her submission, and may we all take a lesson from that pivotal Christmas moment that no matter how the circumstances look at the moment, that we trust God, our Master who cares for us.

encouragement, Uncategorized

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 24, Attributes- His Omniscience

Posted on December 20, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

We have been through a section of verses that show Jesus’ life in His earthly ministry. We’ve seen Him as servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and healer.

Now we look at His attributes. Today- Omniscience.

CARM.org: Definition of omniscience
Omniscience is an attribute of God alone. It is the quality of having all knowledge (Isaiah 40:14). God knows all things possible as well as actual because He has ordained whatsoever will come to pass according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11). He does not need to experience something to know about it completely.

Ligonier: Scripture and the Two Natures of Christ
The historic Christian understanding of the person of Christ is that He is one person who possesses two natures: a divine nature and a human nature. Each nature retains its unique properties, and the two natures remain distinct, though inseparably united in Christ’s person. Thus, according to His divine nature, as the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God is omniscient, omnipotent, and so forth. According to His human nature, the incarnate Christ needs to eat food to survive, grows in knowledge, and so forth.

GotQuestions: What does it mean that Jesus is omniscient?
Despite the condescension of the Son of God to empty Himself and make Himself nothing (Philippians 2:7), His omniscience is clearly seen in the New Testament writings. The first prayer of the apostles in Acts 1:24, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart,” implies Jesus’ omniscience, which is necessary if He is to be able to receive petitions and intercede at God’s right hand.

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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

Introduction/Background

Prophecies:

Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son

Birth & Early Life-

The Second Person of the Trinity-

theology

Christmas Scriptures #2: Micah’s prophecy

Posted on December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Christmas is such a special time of year, I thought I’d do a short series focusing on just the scriptures related to the holiday, so we may ponder, rejoice, and think about all that it means that God Himself incarnated in order to save us from our sins.

Today let’s look at Micah’s prophecy.

THE RULER WILL COME FROM BETHLEHEM, Micah 5:1-5, Legacy Standard Bible

“Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.

2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from everlasting,
From the ancient days.”

3 Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in childbirth has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brothers
Will return to the sons of Israel.

4 And He will stand and shepherd His flock
In the strength of Yahweh,
In the majesty of the name of Yahweh His God.
And they will remain
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.

5 And this One will be peace.

Barnes Notes says of the phrase in verse 4, “He will stand”:

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
And He shall stand – The prophet continues to speak of personal acts of this Ruler who was to be born. He was not to pass away, not to rule only by others, but by Himself. To stand is the attitude of a servant, as Jesus, although God and Lord of all, said of Himself, “He shall come forth and serve them” Luke 12:37; “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” Matthew 20:28. “He shall stand” as a Shepherd Isaiah 61:5, to watch, feed, guard them, day and night; “He shall stand,” as Stephen saw Christ “standing on the Right Hand of God” Acts 7:55, “to succor all those who suffer for Him.” : “For to sit belongs to one judging; to stand, to one fighting or helping.” “He shall stand,” as abiding, not to pass from them, as Himself saith, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” Matthew 28:20 : and He shall feed His flock by His Spirit, His Word, His Wisdom and doctrine, His example and life; yea, by His own Body and Blood John 6. They whom He feedeth “lack nothing” Psalm 23:1.

Bethlehem means “House of Bread”. Isn’t that interesting that Jesus who is Bread of Life, comes from the House of Bread. God does not overlook a single jot or tittle. His prophecies are precise!

“He will be great…to the ends of the earth”. What a day that will be when no one rejects Jesus! No more will people raise their fist against Him, no more will they harden their hearts in opposition, nevermore will they be stiff-necked and hateful toward the One True Savior.

He is strong. He is majestic. He IS Peace.

advent, theology

Advent- Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 23, Compassionate Healer

Posted on December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This section of verses that show Jesus’ life are focused on His earthly ministry. We’ve seen Him as servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and now healer.

Jesus healed people of their afflictions and diseases. He healed Mary who had 7 demons. He healed the woman who’d had a blood issue for 12 years. He healed lepers, even touching them, a dramatic departure from protocol. He healed the Centurion’s servant from a distance. Whether with a word or a touch, the power of Jesus to heal was demonstrated. He healed the blind, the sick, even the dead. He healed Peter’s Mother-in-Law. Strangers or friends, he healed. He did this to show who He was who He said He was- from God and Son of God, Messiah, the prophesied one.

He did this to show His omnipotence. He healed to show His compassion. The word Splagchnizomai, meaning compassion, is used 12 times in the New Testament, and each time it’s used it’s Jesus who is experiencing it. Prior to the NT, the word when used meant courage. Splanchnizomai is not the only word used for compassion in the NT but it is distinctly used with Jesus and in the context of His healings.

Jesus took the term a step further and used it to define the attitude that should capture the life of every believer. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the master had compassion and forgave the servant’s debt (Matt. 18:27). The prodigal son’s father had compassion on him (Luke 15:20). The good Samaritan had compassion on the injured traveler (Luke 10:33). Jesus had compassion on the crowd (Mark 6:34). People needing help asked Jesus for compassion (Mark 9:22; cp. Matt. 9:36; 20:34). Source: Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary

People who need help are the ones who need compassion. Jesus is a God of compassion and He demonstrated this in His willingness to heal.

Usage: This word is used 12 times:

Matthew 9:36: “when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted,”
Matthew 14:14: “a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed”
Matthew 15:32: “his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because”
Matthew 18:27: “lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him, and forgave”
Matthew 20:34: “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately”
Mark 1:41: “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and”
Mark 6:34: “much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were”
Mark 8:2: ” I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me”
Mark 9:22: “him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help”
Luke 7:13: “Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said”
Luke 10:33: “where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion”
Luke 15:20: “his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran,”

thirty days of Jesus day 23 clean — Photo by Karen Maes @karen1974 at Unsplash

“When God visits with sickness, we should think (in the use of means) our work is more in heaven with God than with men or with medicine. When David dealt directly and plainly with God and confessed his sins, then God forgave them and healed his body too.” Puritan Richard Sibbes