5 August 2010
Psalm 145; Judges 8:22-35; Acts 4:1-12; John 1:43-51

While Gideon refuses the offer to become king over Israel, for all the right reasons, God is their king, he does solicit gifts and makes himself an ephod, setting the people up for idolatry. Why an ephod?, An ephod was a priestly garment into which the Urim and Thummim were placed to consult the Lord. Did Gideon presume to a priestly role? We are told that the Israelites “prostituted themselves” to the ephod and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. Apparently the people never truly returned to the Lord during the forty years of Gideon’s reign as they immediately returned to the Baals upon his death.

Philip finds Nathanael and tells him the good news that he has found the one promised but his information doesn’t exactly ring true to Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth” is the reply. No one expected Messiah to come from Nazareth, and we happen to know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem. All through this Gospel we shall see people judging Jesus based on the circumstances of his birth or where he is from or whether they know His parents and all of them are wrong in their judgments. Nathanael, however, believes Jesus based on Jesus knowing that Philip found him under a fig tree and makes the most remarkable set of confessions concerning Him, rabbi, Son of God, King of Israel. In response, Jesus speaks of greater things than these, the first time we hear those words in the Gospel but not the last, in the end, Jesus promises that these disciples will not only see but do greater things.

The “church” continues its remarkable growth. Five thousand believed because of the healing of the lame man and the preaching of the apostles concerning Jesus. The court’s question, by what power or name did they do this healing, set up an easy sermon for Peter but did he have the courage to preach it to these men? Indeed he did! His message was exactly what Philip proclaimed to Nathanael, Jesus of Nazareth but Peter added one word, Christ, the anointed one. It was an important addition to the description, one which surely infuriated the court. Jesus of Nazareth was innocuous enough but calling Him the Christ was going over the line and Peter then adds his favorite Psalm quotation regarding the cornerstone. (He uses it often in his preaching and in his epistles.)

Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name for ever.
For great is your steadfast love towards me.