Reflections

  Jesus Christ who restores John 21:1-14 v5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?"  John 21 is a powerful story of a fallen disciple, Peter, being restored by Christ. Peter was chosen by Jesus to be his faithful disciple. Peter emerged as a leading disciple among the group of disciples. In fact, Peter had often promised that he would be faithful to the very end. But sadly, he denied Jesus thrice. Also, in this chapter, he is the one who decides to return back to fishing and his actions prompt many other disciples to follow suit. The man who was chosen to be a disciple to lead others to Christ became the man leading many away from Christ.   Perhaps he had his reasons for doing so. His denial of being in Jesus’s company would have brought him face to face with the ugly side of his own personality. He must have realized that behind the exterior face of bold proclamation of faithfulness to Christ, lay a cowardly, self-preserving man, who would not hesitat...

  Jesus Christ - Our Lord and God Matthew  16:13-20 Vs 16 "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  In today's passage Jesus and his disciples are in the city of Caesarea Philippi. It was a non-Jewish region, populated mostly by gentiles. Peculiar to this city was the existence of shrines and temples dedicated to various gods. That region was considered as the birthplace of Pan, the greek god of nature. Several shrines dedicated to the Syrian deity Baal existed in that region. Also in that region was an imposing marble temple dedicated to worship of Caesar. Situated on the southwestern base of Mount Hermon, the city of Caesarea Philippi presented spectacular views of all these shrines. It was as if Jesus stood at a place where all these were visible and asked a pertinent question to his disciples against the backdrop of prominent world religions and gods - "Who do you say that I am?" Whereas the common people in the region may have had various...

  Jesus Christ Our Lord and God 1st Peter 1:3-12   In the bible, this passage is titled “Praise to God for a Living Hope”. Written by Peter, it is a declaration of praise to the Lord for the hope and salvation offered to us through the resurrection of Jesus. Peter reminds us that this hope is an inheritance that can never decrease or be taken from us. Through faith we have constant access to this inheritance even through the difficulties of life. In turn, we are offered joy and salvation in Christ.          This passage is a source of encouragement to us and serves as a reminder that our faith in the Lord is invaluable. In verse 8, Peter writes “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”.  The joy Peter is referring to is often hard to explain to others but is a gift we experience through the living hope God offers us. ...

  Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God Isaiah 43:1-12 V3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. The verses in today’s passage are a part of the words of hope that god speaks to his people Israel, promising return and restoration to their own land. Israel has served her punishment in exile. God had sought to punish the nation for the unfaithfulness of its people to him. Now he has compassion on His people and promises to restore them. The chapter starts with the words that show that God was responsible for the creation, formation ad redemption. God speaks words of endearment and comfort to His hurting people saying, "I have called you by name, you are mine.” Those were the words that gave the people of God hope to look forward to a better future after a period of great pain.   In the New Testament we see the disciples of Jesus undergoing great fear and loss at the crucifixion of Jesus. Most of them had scattered and run away at the time of his arrest. They f...

  “New Sunday: Jesus Christ our Lord and God” 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 v11,12 “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ”              In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he writes to them commending them on their growth and perseverance in faith. Since the time Paul had established the church in Thessalonica the group of believers have been steadily growing in their faith and knowledge. But it was not an easy road, the early churches were persecuted harshly and yet in the middle of this, the Thessalonians held fast to their faith in Christ. As Paul has mentioned the church ha...

  New Sunday: Jesus Christ Our Lord and God Acts 9 1-18 v5,6 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”   This passage in the book of Acts presents the all familiar conversion experience of Saul on his journey to Damascus. Saul’s conversion experience is one of the most dramatic (and miraculous) conversion experiences ever recorded. It is ‘dramatic’ in nature in the way Jesus suddenly appeared to hin in a flash from heaven followed by the heart piercing dialogue that happens where Jesus comes face to face and tells Saul that He is Jesus whom Saul has been persecuting. It is ‘miraculous’ in nature because till that very moment Saul’s only mission in life was to kill or imprison Christians (know at that time as ‘those that belonged to the Way’). Saul has just murdered Stephen and was on a mission to kill may more believers.   While the conversio...

  New Sunday: Jesus Christ our Lord and God Genesis 32:22-32   V 28 “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have strive with God and with humans and have prevailed.”   Jacob has had a tumultuous life till now. His scheming and self-preserving life had brought him to a stage wherein he had to flee his father in law’s house and return to the east of the Jordan river. The last time he had fled this region was when he had cheated his brother Esau. Now, after reconciling with his brother, Jacob was back in the region he had fled years ago. Now he has to start a new life. And at this juncture, God comes to meet him, as a man who wrestled with Jacob. This is the most unusual appearance of God seen in the Bible. Yet the incident mentioned here is full of symbolism and meaning. God came seeking Jacob who had till now lived a selfish and scheming life, to transform him into a patriarch of his chosen people. This patriarch would become a man of faith. The God of Is...