Jeremiah 3:12-15
Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says:
“O Israel, my faithless people,
come home to me again,
for I am merciful.
I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt.
Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and committed adultery against him
by worshiping idols under every green tree.
Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
14 “Return home, you wayward children,”
says the Lord,
“for I am your master.
I will bring you back to the land of Israel—
one from this town and two from that family—
from wherever you are scattered.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.
John 11:20-22,27
20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
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Summary
The recording discusses the spiritual journey of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, who initially had good intentions and bold declarations but had to learn that these were insufficient to overcome human brokenness and mortality. The speaker emphasizes the need for a 'better twin' than Thomas, someone who can triumph over death and reconcile humanity to God. This role is fulfilled by Jesus, who, as a brother, overcomes sin and death, calling individuals to join him in new life. The speaker shares a personal prayer for understanding and experiencing the life offered by Christ, extending this prayer to his family and the audience.
Key Topics
Thomas's Journey and Limitations
The speaker reflects on Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, who had good intentions and bold
declarations but had to learn that these were not enough to overcome human
brokenness and mortality. The speaker highlights the need for a 'better twin' who can
triumph over death and reconcile humanity to God.
Jesus as the Spiritual Twin
The speaker explains that Jesus fulfills the role of the 'better twin,' overcoming sin and
death. Jesus calls individuals to join him in new life, offering a way out of the grave. The
speaker shares a personal prayer for understanding and experiencing the life offered by
Christ, extending this prayer to his family and the audience.
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Hunter
Now may our Lord, who gathers his children from all around the world, may he now give
his blessing to the reading of His Word. Amen. Thomas was full of good intentions and
bold declarations. Let's go too, and die with Jesus, he said. But Thomas had to learn that
all the best intentions, all the bold declarations, cannot overcome the reality of our
brokenness, our slavery to the flesh and the certainty of the grave. What we need is a
better twin than Thomas. We need someone who can do for us what we cannot do for
ourselves. We need a twin who will triumph over death and reconcile us to God. We need
someone who has emerged from the tomb, someone who will draw us into his
resurrection life, right here, right now. That's what Thomas would need, and that's what
Thomas would eventually get. But it wouldn't be accomplished by his good intentions, his
piety, or his boldness.
He didn't see it at first, but soon he would see and believe that his friend Jesus would
stick closer than a brother, even closer than a twin. And that brother would make a way
for him and for us to come out of the grave, to remove our grave clothes and step into
new life. Jesus, our brother, has overcome our brokenness, our slavery to sin and the
certainty of the grave. And now he calls us by name to come out from the grave and join
him who his life. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will see and understand
and experience what Christ has done, that I will participate in the life that is mine now in Him. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so.
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