martyrdom – Page 2 – Jesus @ 2 am blogs and podcast

Understanding the Bible 48: The Two Witnesses – The Church’s Role in the Salvation of the World

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

The driving question of the book of Revelation is: Why the delay? What purposed is served by leaving time between Jesus’s resurrection and the consummation of the kingdom of God on earth? To an oppressed church – facing what seems to be imminent persecution and martyrdom – it appears that there is little to be gained and much to be lost by a delay of the parousia (the word theologians use for Jesus’s second coming – Gk. “arrival”).

In this episode the church is – at last – given an answer. The reason for the delay is that it is by the church’s witness that the nations will be brought into the family of faith. Yet it will not be just the words alone of the church, or even the deeds of power accomplished through the Holy Spirit that will do all that must be done for the covenant with Abraham to be fulfilled. Rather, the church must carry out the full ministry of Jesus – including cross and resurrection.

Thus the suffering the church is presently facing (and will face throughout history) is not an unfortunate set of circumstances. Even less is it a sign that God has forgotten to protect his people. The witness of the church as they face the threat of martyrdom is a large part of the means by which all creation will be saved!

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), August 24, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Understanding the Bible 47: The Beginning of the End – The Seven Seals of the Scroll

October 13, 2014October 13, 2014Kirk Winslow2 Comments

To a church facing persecution and fearing abandonment, John describes the vision granted to him of the heavenly throne room. God sits in ultimate glory – suddenly placing Roman imperial power in cosmic perspective – and holds in his right hand the plan for the consummation of the age. The scroll he holds is sealed with seven seals – each of which must be broken for the plan to be read (enacted). From behind the throne emerges the Lion of Judah (messianic figure) who has the appearance of the lamb who was slain (Jesus is the one worthy to bring the end).

What follows is a description (in highly symbolic terms!) of the events that accompany the breaking of each seal. Many are scenes of judgment that can be quite terrifying at first glance (bringing into question the very goodness of God and the breadth of his grace). But a deeper look reveals that the main point of the seals is to locate the church in time (most of these events are actually in the past) – standing on the edge of Jesus’s return.

In this episode we explore the cultural and historical background to the seven seals of the scroll and how they contribute to our larger interpretation of the book of Revelation. In so doing, we learn the larger lesson being given to the church: judgement alone can never bring reconciliation. The project of salvation is rooted in love, and it is only love that can bring it to completion.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), August 17, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Understanding the Bible 46: A Vision of the King, the Lamb, and the Plan of Salvation

September 30, 2014September 28, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

Interpreting the book of Revelation requires we first understand the genre of “apocalypse” (from Gk. apocalypsis: “to reveal” – as in a secret, or in pulling back the curtain on a stage). Though it feels quite foreign to us, it was a well-known form of literature in the ancient world, particularly within 2nd Temple Judaism. The dramatic use of symbolism was intended to put to words what stands beyond comprehension; that is, to give a vision of cosmic truths that transcend prose description. How does one speak about eternal truths and cosmic realities? By analogy and metaphor – trying to explain the unknowable by means of our collective experience (which – by capturing many layers of meaning at once – is best left to the language of symbolism).

In this episode, we both examine the genre of apocalypse and take our first steps into the heavenly realms. As John recounts his vision, we are transported to the throne room of God and at last the early church’s most pressing question is asked: Is there a plan for the final victory of God? When comes the end of this age? And how does the coming of God’s kingdom unfold?

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), August 10, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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