About the Bible

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Although I have written hundreds of articles, I have written only one book, Transformed by Truth. I wanted to chronicle, from our denominational perspective, the transformation God led us through.

Writing that book was hard work. I made an overall outline, and then dictated my thoughts and ideas. Using a transcription of my dictation, I then reorganized the material, eliminating repetition while maintaining the story flow. It took me months of hard work. Even so, I didn’t do a perfect job. I tried to be fair and accurate, explaining why and how our church went through what some have called an unprecedented change in doctrine. With the wisdom of hindsight, I look back over what I wrote and see places where I could have explained things more clearly.

That is the problem with the written word. It is a conversation where one party is absent. The writer and the reader are separated by distance, time, language or culture—sometimes all four. I wish I could sit with each person reading my book and explain what I was trying to communicate. I can’t do that, but the Bible’s ultimate author does, as I’ll explain.

The Bible has rightly been called the greatest story ever told. It is about the greatest person who ever lived, who had the greatest message possible and made the greatest offer ever made. As you know, the Bible was written over a 1,500 year span of time by over 40 authors from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, shepherds, soldiers, poets, statesmen, scholars and more. From beginning to end, these authors wrote on many topics, from many different perspectives. The challenge was to present these testimonies in a way that was coherent and consistent, building up a written record that conveyed the unfolding story of God’s love for all humanity in all times—not just those who lived in “Bible times.”

The Bible has been read by more people than any other book—it has out-sold every book that has ever been written and still sells more copies every year than any other book. The Bible has been translated and published in more languages than any other book in existence. The story had to be told in a way that would be accessible to all these people, whenever they lived and whatever their cultural background.

Some authors offer revised editions of their work, updating their writing as times change or more facts become available. Some have wanted to do that with the Bible, altering the text to make it more “relevant” to their particular culture. We can do that to some extent, but we had better be careful, for we have no authority to alter the meaning of the inspired words of God.

However, the Bible has a significant advantage that no other ancient book can claim: its ultimate author and editor is still alive! Not only that, but he promises to come and be with each reader, guiding his or her understanding. As Gary Deddo explained in the first of his articles on Interpreting the Scriptures, God stands behind his word, helping us, no matter who we are or where we are in time and space, to grasp more deeply what those uniquely inspired words hold for us.

While Jesus was with his disciples, he could teach them personally, at times giving one-on-one instruction. It was like having the Word of God living among them. Actually, it was not like that—it was that. However, at the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, who had relied so much on his presence:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you” (John 16:12-15).

Today, we can trust that same Spirit to be at work among us, helping us hear just what he spoke to those authorized first apostles.

A recent survey from the Barna Group, commissioned by the American Bible Society, revealed that most Americans esteem the Bible and have access to it. There is a healthy cultural respect for and fascination with Scripture, which helps explain why millions tuned into the recently broadcast television series, The Bible. People seem to be open to experiencing ancient scriptures in new ways. However, many are not sure how to apply the lessons of the Bible to their own lives and to society at large. I believe that Gary’s ongoing series of articles will help us not only maintain a proper respect for the Holy Scriptures but also apply their timeless wisdom to our lives. The third installment in his series will be posted in the next issue of GCI Weekly Update; for the first installment, click here; for the second installment, click here.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Mike Rasmussen

“I grew up at a time where kids could be kids,” said Mike Rasmussen, who serves as an associate regional pastor and district pastor for GCI Church Administration and Development and is the senior pastor of GCI’s congregation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “I remember leaving in the morning on my bicycle and not coming home until it began to get dark. My friends and I would build forts and make ramps to jump our bikes. We would spend time making and setting off explosives. We’d spend the morning making the explosive devices and then spend the afternoon setting them off. Mind you, this was at a time when you wouldn’t be thrown in jail for such activities by Homeland Security. I would have told you I had a normal childhood, but as I have become an adult myself with two sons of my own, I realize it may not have been that ‘normal.’”

Mike’s family moved to Southern California when Mike was two years old so Mike’s dad could work in the Printing Department of WCG. “I grew up in Pasadena and attended our denomination’s elementary school, grades 1-7. When Imperial Schools closed, I attended a local high school. I wanted to be an architect and so after graduating from high school, I attended Pasadena City College. However, after spending a semester totally frustrated by the number of young adults who seemed to be more interested in challenging the professors’ authority than in actually learning, I decided to step out. My plan was to attend the University of California and continue my studies.”

As is often the case, our plans don’t coincide with God’s plans. Mike explains: “While I was between colleges, my mother began to nag me (love you Mom!) about applying to Ambassador College, our denomination’s college. I assured her that I had absolutely no interest in attending Ambassador, as I had no desire to be a pastor or anything even remotely like it. God sure has a sense of humor! Because of her persistence, I finally agreed I would apply and ‘when’ I was rejected, we wouldn’t talk about it again. She agreed. Several months later, I received a letter and much to my chagrin, I had been accepted. I spent the next three years doing all I could to ensure I would never be on any ‘future pastor list’ the College may have been putting together.”

Mike decided he wanted to be a salesman for 3M’s dental division during his junior year at Ambassador. “I found out where they were holding a meeting for some of their top executives and key salesmen in downtown Los Angeles. I put together a resume and sneaked into this closed-door meeting. I had researched who the National Sales Director was and waited in ambush for him outside the meeting room. When they went on break, I approached him and handed him my resume. I told him that if he hired me that in three years I would be one of his top ten salesmen and in five years, I would be his number one salesman. I was such an arrogant little jerk! He asked me if I had any sales experience or if I had taken any business classes. I told him no, but that I was getting my degree in liberal arts with a major in theology. He looked a little perplexed. He told me to take some business classes and to get a job that would build my sales experience. He then asked me how I got into this private meeting. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders.”

Again, God had different plans for Mike. “At the beginning of my senior year, I was notified by my boss that Mr. Tkach Sr., the Director of Church Administration, wanted to see me in his office. I protested and assured my boss that nothing good could come out of such a meeting. As the day went on, I decided I better go ahead and show up for the meeting—I wasn’t completely stupid! While in the meeting, one of the first things Mr. Tkach asked me was ‘what are your plans after graduation?’ I was absolutely thrilled he asked. I exploded with all my plans to work for 3M and how I had it all arranged. He looked at me—in a way that only he could—and said, ‘Let me ask you one question Mike. What would you rather do—make money or serve God?’ I couldn’t believe it; how could he ask me such a question? I took a moment, which seemed like a lifetime, and I said, ‘Well if I have to make a choice between the two—I would have to say, serve God.’ He said ‘I am glad you said that—you start tomorrow morning!’ Did I mention that God has a sense of humor?

“I worked for Mr. Tkach Sr. for twelve years and then when he passed away I worked for his son Joe Tkach Jr. for several years. Joe Jr. didn’t have the same needs as his father, so in 1998 the decision was made that we would move to Oklahoma City to help pastor the congregation there. We have been pastoring there ever since and loving it!”

The “we” Mike is referring to is his wife Juli and their two sons, Grant and Kurt. “Six months after college graduation, I married the love of my life, Juli. We have been married now for 28 years. We have been blessed with two amazing sons. Grant our oldest, age 23, is currently at the University of Oklahoma and pursuing a degree in the medical field. Kurt, our youngest, age 21, is also at OU, now in his junior year. We do not have any grandchildren yet. We are looking forward to that phase of life, even though neither one of us looks old enough!”

Mike and Juli met in college while skydiving. “Now both of our boys are licensed skydivers as well. Grant is a skydiving instructor and tandem master, which means that he takes passengers who are attached to him. We enjoy the time together jumping and sharing the sport with others. During the summer, Grant took his mom on a tandem skydive and Kurt and I were able to join them on the plane and jump out. It was the first time the four of us were able to jump out of the same plane. Twenty or more of the members of our congregation have made one or more skydives. Interestingly enough, we have had a number of new members join our church family from the Drop Zone.”

Asked to elaborate on Juli, Mike shared the following: “Juli has a full-time job at a local Christian Daycare. She takes care of babies—newborn to one-year-old—and absolutely loves it. Anyone who knows Juli knows she is serving in her giftedness and passion. Even though she has a full-time job, she is active serving within our congregation, coordinating one of our praise teams, serving on the women’s ministry team, helping teach children’s church, directing our Crosswalk junior camp, helping clean the church, etc. etc. etc.”

When asked what he loves most about being a pastor and being part of GCI, Mike said, “I love sharing the good news of who God really is and who we are, as his dearly loved children. I enjoy the variety that comes with the job as well; no two days are exactly alike. Mike’s favorite pastoral moments? “Probably when I see the lights go on in someone’s thinking and they realize who they are in Christ. I also love being able to do camp ministry where you get to work with teens and young adults. They are so amazing and a blast to be around – at least most of the time.”

Speaking about GCI, Mike said, “I am thankful for the journey that God has taken us on. I wouldn’t want to go through it again, mind you, but I know God has used it to grow us and teach us who he is and who he isn’t. I also love that we have the freedom to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Also the fact that we have come to realize each congregation is unique, with different gifts and strengths. We also understand that each congregation has a unique way in which they have been called to serve their neighborhood and community.”

Mike said he feels closest to God when he skydives. “I feel closest when I am falling at 120 miles an hour or when I am wing suiting, which is when you wear a jumpsuit that’s like a flying squirrel. In free fall, you have a unique perspective of God’s creation and his blessings.” This ties in with Mike’s passion: “To be able to love on people and share the good news of Jesus Christ and also jump out of perfectly good airplanes.—I don’t think it gets any better than that!”

Canada & Mozambique

This update is from Gary Moore, GCI’s national director in Canada.

Ordinations in Vancouver

Recently I had the privilege of attending services in the Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia church. It was a special day with Jerry Lucky and Johannes Breytenbach ordained as elders, and Louise Jeansonne and Dan Holiove commissioned as deaconess/deacon (called “ministry leaders” in the US). These individuals with spouses are pictured here, from left to right: Juliette Breytenbach, Johannes Breytenbach, Louise Jeansonne, Dan Holiove, Sue Lucky and Jerry Lucky. They will add to the committed group of existing leaders in the congregation and provide a great team working with pastor Craig Minke as they lead the church into greater participation in the mission of Jesus Christ to the world.

Missions work; Mozambique Easter conference

I’m pleased to report that GCI Canada’s International Mission Fund and congregational donations sent $77,000 outside our borders for mission work last year. This has accomplished much good, and it is great to see this level of generosity within our fellowship. We recently provided financial support for the annual Easter conference in Mozambique. Here is Tim Maguire’s report:

Accompanied by Dawie Maree, I returned mid-week from my travels up into Mozambique. Even though the roads are long and in poor condition and living conditions extremely basic, I somehow return rejuvenated after seeing the joy that these people have from embracing Christ. My words are inadequate for describing the experience, and I wish you could all come along so that you could see and feel it for yourselves, as 11 Polokwane members did this year, hiring a taxi and spending two days of the conference with our Mozambique brothers and sisters. This year there were about 750 people in attendance at our headquarters in Morrumbala. The Easter conference is for our Mozambique pastors (about 100 in total) but others just arrive, drawn by a thirst for knowledge of him and fellowship.

This year’s theme was “Who is Christ.” When I arrived I discovered after talking to some of the leaders that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have had a fairly strong influence within some areas and some of the understanding of who Christ is was distorted.

It is a surreal feeling, being surrounded by mud and grass huts, no plumbed water or electricity (though they had managed to hire a diesel powered generator), eating basic food cooked over open fires, yet having access to vast online resources due to mobile internet. I was immediately able to go online, search our international GCI website for relevant articles, translate them into Portuguese (using Google translate), print them on a small laser-jet printer we had purchased for them (which is usually operated by a battery and power inverter fed from a solar panel, also bought by GCI South Africa) and distribute them to all the pastors to study further. What a privilege it is to participate where the Holy Spirit is working!

Thanks to funding from GCI Canada, I was able have a tow-bar put on my car to take a trailer with me on this trip. It was loaded with clothes donated by members and congregations, as well as food, Bibles and “Talking Bibles,” GCI t-shirts for our pastors and fivewater purifying units, which were installed in and around Morrumbala. That the trailer had two blow-outs on the way and we had only one spare wheel is a story for another day! The final day of the conference concluded with a moving Communion service.

Prayer request: Unfortunately, when Tim returned from Mozambique, he fell ill with malaria. After several days of high fever and sickness, he is returning to health. Please pray for his complete recovery, and for our members in Mozambique who face this dangerous disease on a regular basis without even the benefit of pain killers. Malaria is the most common cause of death in the region.

Thailand & Bangladesh

This update is from Rod Matthews, GCI’s mission developer for SE Asia.

Death of Karen Elder

It is with deep sadness and concern for our Karen members in a camp in Thailand that I report the death of Moolah Shi on January 27 at the age of 72. He served the Karen members with dedication, humility and faithfulness for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Kushi and five children. He was baptized by John Halford in 1978, ordained a deacon in 1986 and an elder in 1996. Moolah Shi once served as an officer in the Karen National Union (KNU), a liberation movement in conflict with the Burmese army in his homeland of Myanmar. He was related through marriage to one of the top Karen generals and found himself in a difficult situation as he was called of God, came to understand the scriptures and developed a relationship with his Creator. He started reading The Plain Truth magazine in 1970 when a Baptist minister shared it with him. Ultimately, he and a number of associates in the KNU were discharged from the organization due to their hearts not being in the revolution.

With thousands of other Karen people, he found himself a refugee in Thailand, restricted to a corridor along the border with Myanmar, unable to gain Thai citizenship or equivalent benefits. His heart for his people and their welfare was demonstrated again when he became heavily involved with the Karen Refugee Committee set up to assist the Thai authorities in managing the refugee camps established along the border in Thailand and holding tens of thousands of mainly ethnic Karen people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar.

As a result of this advantageous position, he was relatively free to come and go from the camp where our congregation was located. Through personal family circumstances he found himself able to live outside the camp, more easily coordinating with the church leadership and conducting church business as well as visiting other non-camp members in that area.

The camp congregation started with a foundation of ex-members of the KNU and their families and grew in numbers with a weekly attendance that at times reached about 80. In due course, some families were granted UN refugee status and were resettled overseas, and some were denied refugee status and remained stateless in the camp. In the last few years, the UN has made a concerted effort to resettle more Karen people in the hope that the refugee crisis along the border can finally be resolved. But as some are moved to new lives overseas, their places are often filled with economic refugees seeking a better life than what is available in Myanmar. And so today, our congregation still numbers around 50, with about half being children.

As pastor, Moolah Shi travelled to the camp regularly on a church-provided motorcycle to conduct services in our own church building, constructed on acquired land within the camp and built by the members with materials funded by the Australian churches. Southeast Asian senior pastor, Wong Mein Kong and I met with him in the nearby town of Maesot once each year and in most years were permitted to enter the camp to meet with our people and conduct worship services. I was always impressed that in spite of his remoteness, Moolah kept up with and embraced the doctrinal enlightenment in the church and, led by the Holy Spirit, provided humble, effective and faith-filled leadership in spite of the church’s difficult journey and our Karen family’s own physical deprivations. He was highly respected among all the Karen people and the Thais who knew and worked with him. He set a wonderful example of Christlikeness—patient, meek, faithful, encouraging and always dedicated to his people. Please pray for us as we move into a new phase of pastoral care for the congregation there. Actually, we might one day be thanking God that the congregation closes, which would mean that the refugee camps are no longer needed there. May God speed that day.

Bangladesh

I recently returned from visiting several of our groups and the mission center of GCI’s mission arm in Bangladesh, the Bengali Evangelical Association (BEA), accompanying its director, Dr. John Biswas. BEA supporter and southern California member, Ron Boyer joined us.

Our trip by auto takes us to a ferry across the Padma River (the Ganges in India). On the ferry, John Biswas tells a young bookseller (see picture at right) that he too once sold books to fund his education. When asked if he had heard of Jesus, the young man said he had—but all he knew about him was that he was a Christian! John offers him the opportunity to come with us—right there and then—and be employed in the physical care of our mission center with the promise of food and lodging and education. But the young man can’t bring himself to accept. So John buys a few of his books and gives him some extra taka (the local currency) with instruction to save it for his education—and the young man moves on.

Late in the day we detour off the main road to visit the congregation at Anandapur. Nearly 60 people, mainly women and children since the men are working in the fields, are waiting to welcome us dressed in their beautiful best. We are honored with flowers and food and give short messages of encouragement before we move on. The next day there are now strikes in Barisal and we are advised to stay put for another day. That evening we meet with a little group of Christians in the hotel. It’s a delight to talk about the resurrection for a short while. They surprise me with a cake and gift celebrating my birthday two days earlier! I am struck with what a privilege it is to be visiting brothers and sisters in Christ in one of the most challenging and remote environments in which to be a minority Christian.

On Friday we set out early to visit two rural congregations I haven’t seen before: Batjor and Bagdha. At Batajor we were presented with flowers, a welcome song and a graceful dance. We brought Bengali Bibles and offered short encouraging messages. It’s amazing and humbling that God has chosen us to plant congregations of poor yet very responsive Bengali people in these remote rural locations in southern Bangladesh.

Later at the BEA mission center in the village of Sathsimulia, we were honored with a shower of flower petals as we entered the facility through an honor guard of members and workers. We are led to the chapel building for a short service and welcome ceremony. The compound is a hive of activity with construction under way for the new building that replaces the old original “Canadian” building which had to be demolished due to cyclone damage. A large part of the compound is taken up with piles of building materials as construction has reached the second level of the three-story building. It will stand as a partner to the Herman L. Hoeh building and will provide needed facilities and accommodations for the training of nurses’ aides and gospel workers and other outreach activities emanating from BEA’s mission center. Our sincere thanks to the many who have donated toward construction of this building, including many individuals, congregations in Canada, our denominational headquarters in Glendora and our Australian office.

On our return to Dhaka, we met about 30 gospel workers from several of our groups so John Biswas could have opportunity to discuss plans for the year ahead, evaluate projects and assess the means to continue the outreach and evangelism in a wise and appropriate way in a most challenging environment. I encouraged them to let their already bright light shine.

Filipino Discipleship Pathway

GCI in the Philippines recently adopted a Discipleship Pathway for use in their churches. “D-Star,” as it is called, was designed by GCI Philippine’s National Director Eugene Guzon (pictured at right with his wife) with assistance from the national office leadership team. It is a five-step journey of coming to know Christ and then growing up in Christ: (1) Connect, (2) Community, (3) Convert, (4) Commit and (5) Commission.

Each step in the D-Star pathway is fully centered on Jesus, who, in accordance with GCI’s Incarnational, Trinitarian theology, is understood to be at work, through the Spirit, with all people—leading them to conversion and on to maturity as one of his followers. The goal of D-Star is to follow in step with the Spirit, helping people take each step on the journey with Jesus–eventually becoming active participants in our Lord’s Great Commission work (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).

This is, of course, a journey of faith, by which each believer shares, through Christ, in God’s promise to Abraham: “I will bless you and make your name great,” so that, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). As children of Abraham, we participate by faith in what Jesus is doing in the power of the Spirit to fulfill the Father’s mission to the world.

For more about our calling as churches to participate in Jesus’ disciplemaking work, go to http://mindev.gci.org/strategy.htm.

Sermon outline

Following is a sermon outline that expands on the message of Holy Week and the season of Easter concluding with Pentecost. It was written by GCI, Philadelphia member John Kossey.

Hosanna Precedes Hallelujah

In this sermon we’ll remember the old, old story of Jesus and his love—his love for us unto death on the cross. Hosanna and hallelujah are distinct emotional exclamation points that help us understand what Jesus has done for us.

1. The core message

To the vain, “know it all” Corinthians, Paul focused, “not on lofty words of wisdom,” but “decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1–2, NRSV throughout except as noted). What Paul regarded “as of first importance,” was that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Paul explained to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ….It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified” (Galatians 2:19; 3:1). And John praised Jesus as “the slain Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29), of whom it is declared: “For you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God…” (Revelation 5:9–10).

Anticipating his death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus made provision for “another Advocate” to be with his disciples “forever” (John 14:16). That Advocate, the Holy Spirit, promised Jesus, “will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (14:26). The Spirit, who abides in and among the people of God (John 14:17), inspired John to devote considerable attention to the final week of Jesus’ earthly life (chapters 12 through 20). Indeed, the Spirit illuminates significant aspects of Jesus’ journey to the cross–a journey that, according to some theological scholars, included the entirety of our Lord’s life here in earth.

2. Jesus the Nazorean

Soldiers who came to arrest Jesus asked twice for “Jesus the Nazorean” (John 18:5, 7 margin)—the same title that Pilate had written and placed on the cross in multiple languages (“Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews”; John 19:19 margin). Jesus even used this title after His resurrection:

“I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord? Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth [margin: the Narzorean] whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 22:7-8).

In the four gospels, John and Matthew use nazōraios whereas Mark and Luke prefer nazarēnos. After Herod’s death following the slaughter of the infants, Joseph departed Egypt and returned to Israel with his family and “made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean’”(Matthew 2:23). There is a complication here in that no Old Testament passage relates Nazareth (a town) to a messianic person. However, “Nazareth” has a root meaning in the word “branch” (netser). Qumran writings synonymously link netser with samah. Note these words in Scripture:

Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out form the stump of Jesse, and a branch [netser] shall grow out of his roots.”
Zechariah 6:11-13: “…Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch [samah]: for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. It is he that shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit upon his throne and rule.”
John 2: 19-21: “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body.”

John’s Gospel helps us understand the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as the destruction of his embodied temple and his raising up and inaugurating a personalized temple/Father’s house/household that the Holy Spirit would constitute and continually vitalize: ”

“‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die” (John 12:32).

Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). He endured the unspeakable agony of crucifixion, overcame death and the grave and rose victorious through the Father and the Spirit in order to prepare an inclusive “temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16) for not only his disciples, but ultimately for all humankind. According to one commentator, “The Father’s house will no longer be a construction of stones, but will be a household of many interpersonal relationships, many dwellings, where the Divine Presence can dwell with believers.”

In accord with the title Pilate had written, Jesus the Nazorean is our temple of divine glory and the messianic temple builder of God’s presence (see John 1:14; 2:21; 17:23 and 1 Corinthians 6:19). Hallelujah—praise God!

3. The Lamb of God

Let’s read John’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, days after he had raised Lazarus from the grave (the following translation is from Anchor Bible, chapter 12:9–19, emphasis added):

Now the large crowd of the Jews found out that that he was there and came out, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. The chief priests, however, planned to kill Lazarus too, because on his account many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. The next day the large crowd that had come for the feast, having heard that Jesus was to enter Jerusalem, got palm fronds and came out to meet him. They kept on shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Lord’s name! Blessed is the King of Israel!” But Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. As the Scripture has it: “Do not be afraid, O daughter of Zion! See, your king comes to you seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first, the disciples did not understand this; but when Jesus had been glorified, then they recalled that it was precisely what had been written about him that they had done to him. And so the crowd which had been present when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept testifying to it. This was [also] why the crowd came out to meet him: because they heard that he had performed this sign. At that the Pharisees remarked to one another, “You see, you are getting nowhere. Look, the world has run off after him.”

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem took place on 10 Abib/Nisan. Moses passed instructions to Israel to select a male lamb (sheep or goat) on day 10 of Abib/Nisan for sacrifice late on 14 Nisan before or through twilight (Exodus 12:3–6). Not only did these days afford time to verify that the lamb was without blemish and suitable for sacrifice, the family could and did become attached to their lamb, not just any lamb. By the time of Jesus, rabbinic tradition called for the high priest to go out through the North Gate of Jerusalem sometime after the morning sacrifice to select the best of the best yearling for the Passover. A considerable procession of priests would ceremoniously line the streets to honor the high priest’s return with the perfect sacrificial lamb. Meanwhile, a crowd who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus accompanied Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. Crowds of people who had heard about this unprecedented miracle—imparting life to Lazarus who had been dead for four days—poured out of Jerusalem’s East Gate, eager to see the Coming One. The crowds grew confident, reasoning that since Jesus had power to raise the dead (and feed a large crowd, John 6:14), “the prophet who is to come into the world” could surely free the Jews from Caesar’s brutal oppression.

The people of Jerusalem were selecting their Messiah-King at the time that Caiaphas the high priest was seeking the perfect Passover lamb during daylight of 10 Nisan.

John 12:13: “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!’”

Hosanna is literally either hosha na or the longer compound, hoshiah na—“save now” or “save, please.” The Greek word for hosanna is a transliteration of Hebrew, not a translation.

Psalm 118:25–26: “Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! [hoshiah-na] O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

Some of the crowds were crying out to select Jesus as their new King of Israel. The psalm says nothing about a nationalistic king. And the use of palm branches to greet a potential liberator evoked or suggested Maccabean nationalism. Crowds that pleaded for Jesus to save them from Roman brutality as king of the Jews turned on him just days later. And before Pilate, Jesus asserted, “My kingdom is not from this world” (John 18:36).

At this point Jesus enacts his true identity by seating himself on a donkey, not riding militantly on a horse into Jerusalem. His purpose is to undergo crucifixion, death and resurrection in order to draw all humankind to himself as worldwide Messiah. His raising of Lazarus promised the gift of life not just for Israel but for people across the earth.

Jesus did not enter Jerusalem as a “triumphal entry” of kingly hallelujah that brought an immediate political solution for Israel. Instead, Jesus chose a “donkey entry” of hosanna—saving the whole world that the Father loves by submitting to crucifixion and death.

Points to Ponder

The distinction between hallelujah—Praise God!; and hosanna—Save/help us, please!; has become blurred through the centuries. Music and messages typically assume they mean the same concept. Hosanna is an urgent plea, petition, or cry for help. Hallelujah is a grateful exclamation of praise to God (see “Hosanna” in Anchor Bible Dictionary, 3:290–291).

We can learn anew that Jesus the Nazorean is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) because he faithfully obeyed God the Father through suffering unto death on the cross. He has incorporated us, through the Spirit-Paraclete, into the temple of the living God.

Jesus refused to become just another temporal king of the Jews, despite the pleading hosannas from Jerusalem’s Passover crowds. They urged him to become a liberating king on 10 Nisan, when Passover lambs were being selected.

Reflect upon our need to exclaim, “Hosanna!” to “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He gave himself to public scrutiny, scorn, suffering, desolate rejection and humiliating crucifixion to be lifted up and glorified. In our urgent need, let us remember the concise prayer, “Hosanna!”—“Save [or help], please!”

Instead of saving himself from the cross, “Christ through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14).

Hosanna precedes hallelujah. Praise God!

Death of Thomas McCrimmon

Mac with members of the church he faithfully served.

We are saddened to learn of the death of Thomas “Mac” McCrimmon who served as the assistant pastor of GCI’s congregation in Fairfield CA.

Cards may be sent to:

Clarice McCrimmon

234 Jill Lane

Vallejo, CA 94589-2023

Death of Leslie Schmedes

We are saddened to learn of the death of retired GCI pastor Leslie “Les” Schmedes on April 20 from congestive heart failure.

Leslie Alva Schmedes, of Azusa, California, was born December 1, 1931 in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Les became a member of the Worldwide Church of God in 1964 along with his wife Darlene. He began serving the church as a deacon in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1968, Les was ordained an elder and he and his family were assigned to the Chicago Southside church where he trained under Harold Jackson. From there, Les and his family went on to pastor congregations in New York, Ohio and California.

Les leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Darlene; his sons Keith and Kent; and his daughter Audrey. Les was preceded in death by his son, Kevin. His legacy lives on through five grandchildren (four survive) and three great grandchildren. Please pray for Darlene and the whole family.

Cards may be sent to:

Darlene Schmedes

840 E Foothill Blvd Space 82

Azusa, CA 91702-2607

Jason Richards

We have had prayer requests from time to time for Jason Richards. His grandfather is GCI pastor Martin Manuel. Here is an update from Martin concerning Jason.

Jason is in the ICU at Seattle Children’s Hospital fighting pneumonia. His heart transplant has gone well over the past four months, but he has felt the effects of fairly minor complications: weakened respiration while his diaphragm recovers form surgical injury and weight loss due to poor appetite; otherwise, his recovery has been remarkable. Now his doctors are trying to treat pneumonia that has set in over the past few days and have him under oxygen support to restore his lungs to normal function. They plan to reinsert the NG tube so that he can receive nourishment and start to regain weight.

As many of you know, Jason and his family have gone through difficult days over the past two years. Through it all, our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have held them, carried them, comforted them, and provided repeated healing and recovery. Please pray for them and for us too as his grandparents—in our frailty, we struggle with complete trust and we stress easily. Over and over, we have witnessed the grace and glory of God; praise him!

Marsons’ 50th anniversary

Congratulations to Don and Anne Marie Marson who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Carmel, California. Don is the senior pastor of GCI’s congregation in Anchorage, Alaska.