Bible Study for April 27, 2025

Hi everyone,

The Gospel shows us what is meant to happen in the Christian assembly on Sunday: God's children meet, receive the Holy Spirit poured out of Christ's death and resurrection, forgive sins, greet one another in peace, be nourished by Christ's body and blood, and leave in faith together as priests before God to be His Hands and Feet in our world as we are told in Revelation!

With the passing of Pope Francis this morning, I share this short tribute and note from the Rev. Dr. Lowell Almen who served for nearly 2 decades as the Lutheran representative at the Vatican for Catholic - Lutheran dialogue:

The Holy Father Francis departed from us this morning--Easter Monday--at about 0730 hours in Rome, leaving the chair of St. Peter vacant for the 266th time since New Testament times.

 

He died where he had lived for the past 12 years and five weeks, St. Martha's House just behind the walls of Vatican City to the left of St. Peter's Basilica. Unlike many of his predecessors who were placed upon death in the undercroft of St. Peter's Basilica, he requested to be interred in St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. Maybe now there will be descend lighting installed in that place.

 

Blessed be his memory and the heritage of his service as a humble vicar of Christ.

 

Shalom,

Lowell

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Pastor Tim

"God has led you to the desert, and spoken to your Heart."

Mount of Olives Lutheran Church

3546 E. Thomas Rd

Phoenix, AZ 85018

602-956-1620 office

Bible Study for April 27, 2025

Opening Prayer:

Creator of all, we thank you for the opportunity to gather in study. Open our minds and hearts. By the power of the Holy Spirit, unite us in faith, hope, and love. Help us to be faithful to the gospel and to walk humbly with you. Grant us your peace as we grow in wisdom and understanding. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 20:19-31 What doubts have you had about the faith claims of the Christian gospel?

Thomas had missed the first appearance of Jesus, and the testimony of his friends had not been enough to persuade him that Jesus was indeed alive again. Jesus appeared, and without needing to touch Jesus, Thomas made the climatic confession of the gospel, acclaiming Jesus as “my Lord and my God.” In so doing, he accepted the truth of Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father. This confession had political overtones for the first readers of the gospel, for at the end of the first century the emperor Domitian was frequently addressed as “my lord and god,” according to some historians. John was reminding his readers in this way that only one has the power over life, death, and life beyond death—and that is Christ. 

Revelation 1:4-8 Revelation calls Christians to live fully and faithfully in the light of Christ’s coming. How real is that expectation for you?

This strong emphasis on the imminent coming of Christ is part of John’s strategy for helping these congregations make faithful choices in their varied circumstances. He set before them the crisis of God’s judgment in the world through Christ and then called them to weigh all their options and make their choices that they would not be found among those who suffer on that day. He reminded them that they do not belong to the secular order, but instead that they are citizens of heaven. The second contribution of this reading concerns the character and work of Jesus. First, strong political claims are made about Jesus. He is named the ruler of secular kings, and they would be made accountable to him. Christians are emboldened to resist the tyranny of a worldly ruler where yielding would compromise their commitment to the one God. Also, Jesus has fulfilled God’s promise by bringing together a Kingdom for God—people set apart as priests (consecrated for God’s service). Finally, John calls his followers to bear witness to the truth of God’s reign and Rome’s oppression—exposing that the emperor is not the channel of divine favor for the world and that Rome is not God’s only instrument of peace and security. It is, instead, the Body of Christ.