Lessons from reading the Bible to my son

This morning Eli wasn't feeling too good. So we started reading from his bible. As an aside, he uses the "Read With Me Bible," which we've totally found to be the best.

Anyway, we were reading through the Jesus stories, from birth until the calling of the apostles. It was very meaningful and it seemed God highlighted several points:

1. The angels. You know, the standard reaction to angels throughout the Bible is that of fear. It isn't because the angels are mean or anything. I think the standard answer is that it has something to do with their holiness - sometimes (most times?) people are uncomfortable in the presence of holiness. Yet, this doesn't quite jive with the experience of Jesus. Jesus was totally holy and sinners were attracted to him, not afraid of him. So holiness may be part of it, but I think a more reasonable answer is that people were afraid of the angels because they were powerful. They are powerful, "alien" beings and when we encounter them we are right to be concerned. This, to me, is a small (but perhaps not insignificant) support for some of Greg Boyd's points about "gods" in his book (which I'm reading), God At War.


2. Jesus' baptism. John (the Baptizer)'s baptism was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Looking at those pictures, it just became very clear to me something that I've been thinking for awhile, namely that this was a national thing. Meaning, the people came to John to be baptized, were doing so because they were acknowledging the sins of the nation (and their own part in that) and showing their contrition and their desire for God to return and forgive his people and fully restore them from their exile. Everyone who longed for God's return to his people was willing to receive John's baptism, which is why so many did. It also explains why Jesus submitted to John's baptism. If John's baptism for the forgiveness of sins had been about a personal repentance from sin, then it wouldn't make sense for Jesus to be baptized - since he was sinless; and it seems out of character for him just to be baptized for appearances' sake. However, since John's baptism was about participating in the nation's repentance from its sins and seeking the return of God, it made total sense for Jesus to be baptized. Like everyone else, Jesus longed for God to restore his people. And that's why he said it was necessary for him to be baptized, "for righteousness' (or justice's) sake."

3. First miracle at Cana. John's gospel tells us Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast in Cana. He famously turned the water into wine, such good wine that it overturned normal social conventions and filled everyone with great joy. I think it is fitting this was his first miracle. So many of his parables speak of wedding feasts, and Jesus was known to hang out a lot at parties. In making his first miracle be turning water into wine at a wedding feast, Jesus is communicating this same message: God is restoring his people, which is a cause of celebration and jubilee, and to this party (which is really a feast celebrating the wedding of God and his people) God is extending a welcome to all people.