Dranesville Church of the Brethren

Dranesville Church of the Brethren

di Joey Moss

Stagione 1

The Gospel Story 12: Matthew 28:16-20

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has enacted a kingdom. The Old Testament hope that “All Authority in Heaven and on Earth” would be given to the Messiah in chapters like Psalm 2 is finally fulfilled. But this didn’t result in the immediate “end of history” as many of the prophets might have thought, but instead the kingdom of God coexists with other evil kingdoms, and it’s the Church’s job to represent that kingdom. We are also tasked with spreading that kingdom to all nations, fulfilling the promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his family.

The Gospel Story 11: John 19:1-37

John’s crucifixion narrative is stylized as the coronation of Christ on Earth, which is a totally countercultural message. The powers of the world are completely oblivious that they are accidentally telling the truth about Jesus (he actually is the king of the Jews, the crown of thorns is a real crown, etc.), because they are unable to understand anything other than raw power. The cross exemplifies the “upside-down kingdom” that God created, and also calls all Earthly powers to account because God triumphs over them. Through Christ’s victory on the Cross, the blessings of the covenant come to us all and we are set free from bondage to Sin.

The Gospel Story 10: John 3:1-15

There is an important pun which foreshadows the crucifixion, the Son of Man must be lifted up/exalted so that the nations would be healed. Jesus was lifted up on the cross, but that was also his exaltation which gave him glory. This turns the idea of being “exalted” or respected on its head, since true glory comes from sacrifice and apparent shame rather than grasping for power. Understanding this allows us to recognize the “messianic secret” that Christ’s death really did accomplish the righteous reign of God over the whole Earth, through completely unexpected means.

The Gospel Story 9: Matthew 3:1-17

Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River, and the return of God to his people, which ends the exile, is evident both in the opening of the heavens and in Jesus himself. Matthew re-tells the story of Israel in his narrative where Jesus takes the place of Israel e.g escaping persecution in Egypt (Passover), being tempted in the wilderness for 40 days (Israel’s wandering in the wilderness for 40 years). Thus Jesus completes the role of Israel in the world with obedience so that God’s plan to bless the peoples of the Earth is accomplished. But the day of the Lord’s coming also means judgment for God’s enemies, which is prophesied by John. The kingdom of God isn’t for the people that everyone expected, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

The Gospel Story 8: Matthew 2, Christmas in July

Jesus comes as the rightful king of the world, but the Jews must make a choice between following God’s Messiah or following Rome. While the Jews decide to follow Rome, the Gentiles in the story follow Jesus. The coming of the Messiah necessarily forces you to answer the question of whether you follow him or follow the scary powers of the world. A new law emerges for the new people of God, which is to follow King Jesus. God begins to draw the Gentiles into his new covenant, which is the fulfillment of his promise to Abraham that all the nations of the world will be blessed. Meanwhile, Joey tries not to cough. It's a blast!

The Gospel Story 7: Isaiah 40:1-8

When Israel was finally finished with the exile, the full reign of God on Earth would finally be realized. As opposed to before, when the glory of God was hidden from humans, now all flesh would be able to see it together. The reign of God means that all the blessings of the covenant come to God’s people and all the curses of the fall are eradicated in a New Creation. Israel’s sins meant that they were really in exile until Jesus came, and God was literally present with humans. Not only is our suffering meaningful in fulfilling our role in the world, but we can look forward to the end of suffering because God is coming to be with his people.

The Gospel Story 6: Isaiah 52-53

When God sent Israel into exile, it wasn’t merely punishment but a plan to bring the blessings of the covenant to the whole world. Since Israel was dispersed, the knowledge of God was able to spread through the whole world. In doing so, Israel was tasked with bearing the suffering of the whole world. Since they failed, Jesus instead bore that suffering and exile on the cross (“my God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) and so fulfilled the role of Israel in the world. As the new Israel and those who are in Christ, it is our responsibility to bear the sufferings of the world on its behalf. Suffering for the sake of other people has always been the most effective way that the Church bore witness to the Gospel.

The Gospel Story 5: Psalm 2

God’s plan and Israel’s hope for their kings was that they would be extremely powerful and obedient to God. When they were at their best, opposing Israel’s king was the same as opposing God, since the king was the manifestation of God’s rule in the world. Since Jesus was Israel’s perfect king, Psalm 2 became one of the Early Church’s favorite scriptures. The fact that God through Christ has complete authority means that there is objective moral reality and that our lives are meaningful. The reign of God is the thing the world needs most, and we get to be agents of that kingdom.

The Gospel Story 4: 2 Samuel 7

God makes a covenant parallel to his covenant with Abraham with the kings of Israel, represented by David. God is far more generous to us than we think we can be to him. The King of Israel became the representative of the people to God, and since Israel was the representative of the World, the king was the representative of the World. It makes sense then that Jesus’ righteousness becomes the righteousness of the world. Just like with Israel, God is incredibly patient with his kings (who are mostly terrible) until Jesus comes. Because of Jesus, God’s love for us is 100% set in stone forever.

The Gospel Story 3: Deuteronomy 29-30

The best way to bless the world and secure blessings for yourself is to do what God says. However, Israel’s continued disobedience to the law would ultimately lead to their exile from the land which God gave them and from God’s presence. Just like in the Garden, sin leads us to be distant from God. Even then, God would bring them back from exile and allow them to enjoy the blessings of the covenant despite their incomplete obedience. Just like Israel, God sticks with us even when we ignore him.

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