Reflective Bible Study

In our passage for this journal entry, we will be looking at two short illustrations Jesus shares that let us know how excited things get in Heaven when sinners are saved. We read that they celebrate, and it is likely quite a party.

Which brings us to the one thing we’ll focus on today: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” & “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Verses 7, 10)

One thing that stood out in this passage is the emphasis on repentance, which is another way to say acknowledging sin in our lives and turning away from it and turning towards Jesus, our Savior. Included in this turning away from sin is asking for forgiveness and recognizing our need for help – specifically help from our Savior. Repentance means leaving any and every sin in the past and looking to Jesus for the strength and ability to live a new, free life in Him.

Too often we emphasize forgiveness and minimize repentance. Forgiveness is an act, a decision at a moment in time, while repentance starts as an act, but it is realized over a lifetime. Forgiveness is important. Repentance is essential.

It seems to me that this passage places repentance on par with joining the family of God, which is equivalent to being “saved”. In these parables, Jesus is searching for things (i.e. people/sinners) that are lost, and when they are found (i.e. saved/restored), there is a celebration.

The biggest difference between finding something like a sheep or a coin when compared with finding a person is that, in our case (finding a person), we can choose whether to be found or to remain “lost”. Jesus is always ready to find us and accept us back when we decide that we want to be found. We let Jesus know that we want to be “found” by repenting – turning away from sin in our lives and looking to Him to help us move forward.

When we do, there is a celebration in Heaven!

If you have ever wondered what day of the week the Sabbath was in the Bible, you don’t need to look any further than the resurrection story to find your answer. Aside from Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, nothing stands out clearer and more in unison among the four gospel writers than this.

But before we get to that, the roots of the Sabbath travel all the way back to creation. Some people believe that since we have no idea what day of creation week corresponds to what day of the current day of the week, any day can be celebrated as the Sabbath (i.e. the seventh day of creation that God set apart as holy in His perfect world before sin). While the creation record in Genesis does not call the seventh-day “the Sabbath”, it still marks it as significant and set apart as holy.

While any day can be celebrated and worshiped on, there are some simple clues in the Bible that lead us straight to the identity of this special day of the week.

Most people believe that the first mention of the Sabbath by name (i.e. the seventh day of the week) is in the Ten Commandments, but this is not the case. While the Israelites are traveling to Mount Sinai, and they are grumbling about not having any food, God sends them a substance called manna from heaven. Exodus 16 describes this event, and notes that God Himself marks the Sabbath day by not sending any food on it. The people were to gather twice as much on the sixth day. Several chapters later, in Exodus 20, when God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, He links the Sabbath day of rest as a memorial of creation.

From that point forward, the Sabbath day was known, and the Jewish nation has kept a record of where it lands ever since.

Each gospel writer confirms the date of the Sabbath in their Resurrection event. Matthew 28 opens by saying, “The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week…”; Mark 16 opens by saying, “The day after the Sabbath day…”; Luke 24 opens by saying, “Very early on the first day of the week…”; and John 20 opens by saying, “Early on the first day of the week…”.

In order to identify the Sabbath today, all we need to do is look at what day we celebrate the resurrection. Regardless of any calendar adaptations that have happened since the first century, Christians almost unanimously hold the belief that Jesus was resurrected early Sunday morning, and this makes the biblical Sabbath Saturday.

During Jesus’ final hours before His crucifixion, all the gospels seem to slow down and focus in on the last hours of Jesus’ life. However, only Luke shares Jesus spending time with a second Roman leader.

While Pilate was the ultimate judge who authorized Jesus’ crucifixion, Luke describes how Pilate sent Jesus to another governor who just “happened” to be in Jerusalem at that time. Part of me wonders if this was because of how Luke describes Jesus’ response when a group of Pharisees bring the message that Herod wants to kill Him. In Luke 13:32, Jesus begins His response to Herod by saying, “Go tell that fox, …” and this makes me wonder if Herod had made the trip to Jerusalem in case an opportunity arose to see Jesus.

But the phrase that really stands out in my mind in Luke’s version of Jesus’ trial before Pilate and Herod doesn’t come from either trial, but from the footnote that Luke includes about what happened afterwards. “That day [the day they both met Jesus in person] Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.” (v. 12)

This stands out in my mind because it brings out a huge truth about human nature that each one of us can apply: Shared experiences can break down the barriers to friendship. This truth can work both favorably, such as shared positive experiences like a group outing or sharing how one has faced a trial that another is going through. But this truth can also work negatively, if the shared experience is destructive or harmful.

In a strange way, Jesus became the reason for Herod and Pilate’s friendship. Differences of belief often separate people, but when two people who see the world differently can agree on the foundation of belief in Jesus, a friendship can begin to form. Friendships don’t seek to change the other person, but instead friendships seek to share life together.

Our passage in this post discusses how Jesus separates humanity into the two groups at the judgment. As I read this passage and what Jesus shares, the big idea for this entry is that the key distinction between these two groups is clearly defined.

The key distinction, and really the way we are able to show love to God is by showing love and compassion towards people who are unable to help us in return. Helping others who cannot help us in return is like us helping God.

The fascinating thing about this is that it is so simple. Helping a beggar or homeless person at the intersection, volunteering at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, and/or sponsoring a child in a third-world country are all ways that we are able to “help God”.

Typical “religion” never seems to make things this simple – but Jesus does. It’s also so attainable, because wherever we are in life, we can find people who we can help who cannot help us in return. It just takes open eyes and a willing spirit.

The skeptical part of me wants to push back on help because I may be “enabling” the individual I am “helping” to not better themselves. If they conclude that it is easier to simply live off of the generosity of others instead of bouncing back into productive members of society, I have actually hurt them instead of helped them.

The big problem with the skeptic part of me is that it shifts the focus off of me. Instead of asking “What can I do to help?” I am really asking “What are the reasons I shouldn’t help?”

Jesus doesn’t call us to selectively help; He calls us to help because it’s what He would do. Jesus doesn’t call us to “size up” someone who appears to need help; He calls us to help because it’s what He did. Jesus came and helped us when we were in open rebellion towards Him – while we were still sinners – and it didn’t matter to Him whether we would accept or abuse His gift. Is my focus on being like Jesus, or on making excuses to not be like Jesus?