Yesterday we saw how King Herod was clinging to power using violence and fear to rule.  Such times were described in book of Isaiah, prophetically, as a time of great darkness.

But contrast him to Jesus.  Jesus also claims to be King of the Jews.  But for him, that is a position he has not taken by force or manipulation, but by right.  It is a position he hangs on to not by violence and fear, but by peace and love.

This is why he’s described by the Prophet Isaiah, 500 years before Jesus, as the light rising in the darkness.

What a contrast!

Herod has gone down in history, Christian and otherwise, as a brutal tyrant, a false king who never belonged in power.

And by contrast, Jesus is still known as a king.  The sign above his cross – king of the Jews.  Sing this Christmas: glory to the newborn king.

Then he got in the way of a different kind of power – the religious power of the scribes and Pharisees, and eventually Rome, who had him executed.  And yet, Jesus is still known today as alive and active in people’s lives.

Jesus scares the powerful, because he is truly power.  He is the source of all power and authority in the world.  All power is given by God.  All the ways people exert power rely on God having created and sustained world in the first place.  When people who are abusing those means encounter true power, they are afraid.  Like an employee who has been claiming to speak for the boss will suddenly shrink when the boss actually enters the room.

Jesus had that kind of true power, he scared those with false power.

The question is how will we respond to Jesus?  Will we cling to power like Herod, or do everything we can to find and worship him, like the Magi?

Question:  What do you think true power and authority looks like?  How would you recognize it?

Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party.  Hope you’re coming!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - October 29, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Growth - in Discipleship

This is our new series on becoming like family. There are five main characteristics of the kind of community we’re forming. The first one: Discipleship – what we’re learning together as a community. Here’s our guidance from the Bible on this characteristic. Comes from Paul, one of the first to start new church communities in the cities around the Mediteranean., reflecting here on what it means to be a church made up of different kinds of leaders and people, all learning the same thing. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:11-15 Yesterday, I told you about having attended homecoming at the university where I studied engineering. Naturally enough, first year engineering students tend to think they will all end up in engineering careers. My experience, however, was that after graduating we end up in all sorts of professions. My own class includes actual engineers, but also those in business, consulting, full-time parenting, doctors, lawyers, rock climbing gym owners, urban planners, even running mobile apps for commuters. But some common threads emerge – we have learned to think analytically to solve complex and diverse problems that might not have been anticipated. We have a similar aim in discipleship. The point is not that all followers of Jesus will become automatons with no discernible differences. They are simply to have the same aim, purpose in mind, to learn to follower Jesus Christ and apply that to the many challenges of life. The idea is not to memorize rules, but learn maturity in Christ. We can see this diversity in the five types of work in the church listed here. There are other lists, as well, but we’ll just use this example. Teacher – Helps others study the Bible and learn to follow Jesus. Shepherd – Helps others live as a follower of Jesus, through close relationships. Evangelist – Tells the story of the good news of Jesus Christ in compelling ways. Apostle – Develops and leads new church communities that reach new people and places. Prophet – Tells it like it is, speaks for God’s interests when there is injustice and sin. Question: Which of these five do you understand the least? Why might it be necessary? Coffee Hours this Week: Have questions about the challenges, do you want to meet others exploring the same content, or connect with Ryan? Join us for our coffee shop drop-in tomorrow night, Wednesay, October 30th from 7:30pm-9:00pm at the Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters. Look for Ryan Sim in the drink line, or a Redeem the Commute postcard on a table. If you know in advance that you’re coming, please RSVP here http://bit.ly/1aHVTy2

From Series: "Becoming Like Family"

This series looks at becoming “like family” with others learning to follow Jesus. We're exploring how the church is not a building, institution or event, but a community of people. It's important that explore what church means as we prepare to launch a new church in Ajax in 2014.

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