SECRET DISCIPLE

“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus” (John 19:38 NKJV).

Secret discipleship is shameful, and Joseph of Arimathea will always have this shameful designation. Thus, we want to note three problems of secret discipleship: a telling problem, a timidity problem, and a timing problem.

Telling problem - “Being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly.” Secret discipleship shows up in failure to confess the Lord Jesus publicly. Joseph of Arimathea would not confess the Lord publicly. He did not tell others that he was a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Like some professing Christians today, they do not want others to know they are a Christian. But the Lord condemned such an attitude when He said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32- 33).

Timidity problem - “For fear of the Jews.” Joseph of Arimathea was a coward. He was afraid of his fellow Jews, so he kept quiet about his relationship with the Lord Jesus. It takes courage to live for the Lord. Christianity is not for cowards and the faint of heart. It is for the courageous. Joseph of Arimathea was afraid of the animosity of the Jews which came to those who confessed Christ (cf. John 9:22). After all he was rich (Matt. 27:57) and had a high position (cf. Mark 15:43). He could lose all if he made a public confession.

Timing problem - “Asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.” Joseph was too late in his support of the Lord Jesus. Support for a righteous cause is more than just giving it an honorable burial. Many church folks are like this. We say or do nothing until an issue is defeated or a pastor is driven away, then we show our sympathy for the defeated at the burial. This is not giving much help. We need to stand up for the cause while the issue or pastor was still around.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“If we walk away from risk to keep ourselves safe, we will waste our lives!”

John Piper (1946 - )

American Pastor, Theologian, Author and Seminary Chancellor

Word Study

Farmer

In 2 Tim. 2:6 we read, “The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops” (NKJV).

“Farmer” is the Greek word geōrgós (γεωργός = gheh-ore-gos'). It is made up of two words: “ge” which means the earth, and “ergo” which means to work. Thus, geōrgós describes one who tills or works the soil or the ground. The emphasis here is on the hardworking farmer, in contrast to idle, lazy workers. Farmers cannot take any shortcuts either, they must toil every day. They begin their demanding work early and often go late, limited finally by the dimming light of day. The work is often tedious, boring and unexciting. Not many farmers ever become celebrities and are not applauded by fans or civilians. Farmers are often called to endure cold, heat, rain, and drought. They must plant, cultivate, water, weed, and wait since crops do not sprout up overnight. But their dedicated effort is rewarded when the fruit ripens, and they gather the harvest. Similarly, Christian service requires hard work. And here the apostle Paul is reminding us that labor must precede reward; that if a man would reap, he must sow. A person sharing his life in ministry should not demand immediate results. The hard-working Christian will also reap a harvest at the proper time if he does not give up (cf. Gal. 6:9).

Did You Know…

With the giving of the Ten Commandments, 3,000 people were killed; with the preaching at Pentecost, 3,000 believers were added to the church (cf. Ex. 32:28; Acts 2:41).

Bible Quiz

Who calls himself a “Hebrew of the Hebrews?”

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

What was in the mouth of the dove who returned to Noah after he sent it from the ark? An olive leaf (Gen. 8:11).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

The Seed of Judah (Gen. 49:10; Luke 3:33)

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49:10 NJKV).

Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. The Lord Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah coming from David’s line. This lineage is documented in the genealogies presented in the Gospel of Matthew (2:6) and Luke (3:33). The Lord Jesus’ tribal affiliation was significant for His Messianic role, providing a framework for understanding His identity and mission. It connected Him to Jewish expectations while also transcending them. It argues for the continuity between Old Testament promises and their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. His tribal affiliation is seen a part of God’s providential plan for salvation. The Book of Hebrews also points to the fact that in coming from the tribe of Judah, our Lord’s new high priesthood signals a change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant since in accordance with the Mosaic Law all prior priests came from the tribe of Levi (cf. Hebrews Chapters 7-8).

Did You Know – Christian History

Louis Braille was born January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France. He was a French Educator and inventor of the “Braille” reading and writing system that was named after him.

Very early in life, Braille showed himself to be a bright-eyed child, prying into everything. When Braille was three years old, he injured one of his eyes with an awl (a sharp tool used to make holes in leather). Both his eyes eventually became infected, and by the time Braille was five, he was completely blind. When Father Jacques Palluy took the place of the town’s old priest, he saw the potential of young Braille and began to teach him. He then arranged for a newly appointed schoolmaster to instruct Braille. This new schoolmaster later got Louis admitted to the Royal Institution for Blind Youth. At the institute, Braille proved to be an apt pupil. In addition to his regular subjects, he learned to play the piano. Playing religious music on the organ would become one of the joys of his later life.

Captain Barbier introduced a system of raised dots to the Royal Institute. It had serious flaws. Young Braille was still just a boy, but he set out to solve the problems of Barbier’s system. The captain was reluctant to accept suggestions from a boy, so Braille began to experiment at night. At fifteen, he created the world’s first really good system for blind reading. At nineteen years of age, he developed a Braille system of writing music. At twenty, he was a teacher at his own school.  In writing his own system, Braille never sought glory; he was happy to remind his readers how much he owed to Captain Barbier. This, despite the fact that Barbier fought Braille’s system and tried to get his own method made the official medium of instruction. Braille’s frustration must have been great, because teachers, afraid of losing their jobs, also resisted the improved system. Yet he showed true saintliness. Deeply modest, Braille hid his many acts of kindness and charity. These were often sacrificial. He even gave up a position he loved, playing organ for a church, simply because another blind person needed it more than he did. Braille had developed tuberculosis in young manhood. About midday on January 6, 1852, he asked for final communion. After three and a half hours of agony, late that afternoon, Braille died of his illness at the age of 43.

A Little Humor

After the wedding, the little ring bearer asked his father, “How many brides can the groom marry?” “One,” his father said. “Why do you ask?” “Because the priest said he could marry sixteen,” said the boy. “How’d you come up with that?” his father asked. “Easy,” the little boy said. “All you have to do is add it up like the priest said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Eternity is too long to be wrong!”