Aloha Friday Message – January 10, 2025 – “Y” is for YES
January 10, 2025
2502AFC011025 – “Y” is for YES😀 ← PODCAST LINK Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often.
Matthew 3:15 –15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way*to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.* οὕτω[ς] (houtō and houtós) {hoo’-to[s]} like this |__| ; in this manner, in this way (fashion), in accordance with this description (i.e. corresponding to what follows); in keeping with; along this line, in the manner spoken; in this way, thus(ly)
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. This coming Sunday, many churches around the world will be celebrating The Baptism of The Lord. Sometimes this event gets confused with other events in Jesus’ life. Some folks think it has something to do with last week’s celebration of the Epiphany. Some think it might be concurrent with the visit to the Temple at the Purification of Mary. A few believe it happened when Jesus was an adult, and they are right. Just for the sake of clarity, let’s look at a timeline based on what we read in the synoptic Gospels. Remember, there are no precise dates given there, so everything happened “around [this year].” Here is a sequence of some of the important events before Jesus started his ministry:
Birth – At Bethlehem during the lambing season
Circumcision – eight days later
Presentation – on the fortieth day after birth – Purification of Mary and Jesus’ presentation at Jerusalem
Visitation of the Magi – Jesus was not yet two years old
Massacre of all male infants under age 2 “in and around Bethlehem”
Flight to Egypt – around age 2
Herod the Great dies – Jesus is around age 4, and then
Herod Archelaus {ar-khel’-ah-os} takes over Judaea, Idumaea, and Samaria
Herod Antipas takes over Galilee and Peraea
The non-Jewish areas (except Samaria) were assigned to a third son, Philip, to Herod’s sister Salome, or to the province of Syria
Joseph is counseled by an angel that it is safe to return home
The Holy Family settles in Nazareth to avoid living in the territory ruled by Archelaus – Jesus is perhaps age 5
Lost at the Temple – around age 12
John the Baptist and Jesus begin their ministries around 27-30 AD. No precise date is known
John BAPTIZES JESUS
John proclaims Jesus is “the Lamb of God.”
Jesus retreats to the desert for 40 days of preparation and temptation (See Mark 1:12-13)
Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael as Apostles
Wedding at Cana and Jesus begins baptizing, preaching, and teaching.
Now, another thing that brings us to wonder “why did he do that?” is Jesus’ insistence that John baptize him. After all, he is the Messiah- the King of Glory! – at whose name every knee shall bow, (↔ Music Link) and John knows that. He is The Son of God, and both Jesus and John know that, too. So how can a mere man who is unworthy to carry Jesus’ sandals (or tie or untie them), a man sent as a Prophet in the Spirit of Elijah, or a man who is lesser because he is mortal and his cousin is immortal having existed since before creation and who was present at Creation – how can this mortal man we worthy to Baptize the sinless Son of God as a sign of righteousness? Jesus in effect tells him, “This is the way Dad wants it done, so let’s just do it.” The key to understanding that well is in that little phrase in this way
I’ll put that note about our Key Verse here for us to use again: οὕτω[ς] (houtō and houtós) {hoo’-to[s]} like this. . .; in this manner, in this way (fashion), in accordance with this description (i.e. corresponding to what follows); in keeping with; along this line, in the manner spoken; in this way, thus(ly). To what does “thusly” or “in this way” refer? The answer to that question will help us understand why Jesus insisted on John’s cooperation: The importance of a spirit of obedient submission to the will of The Father. “We need to do this together. Both of us need to do what God is expecting of us. It is the proper thing to do to complete every aspect of righteousness. Your responsibility is to baptize. My responsibility is to let you.”
We want to remember that when it comes to salvation, our responsibility is to believe God – not just believe in him – actually believe what he says; he will redeem us. We must let God BE God. This is a hard lesson to learn. The Being who forgot it first was Lucifer. Don’t be like Lucifer. Remember: God is God. We are not. It takes humility to remember that. Humility is another tough lesson (which led to the downfall of that other guy, right?) But, we have an example of humility that is absolutely extraordinary, and that brings us to the Person of the Week – Our Mother, Mary. (↔ Music Link)
As with Jesus’ timeline, we don’t have any particular dates for Mary’s life. Tradition relates that she was the child of Joachim and Anne. This information is not in the Canon of the Bible, but appears about 150 years after Jesus’ time in the noncanonical Gospel of James. Sacred Tradition discloses that she was an obedient child filled with Love and Reverence for God. We can gain some insight into the life of Mary by looking at her name and the names of her ancestors.
The name ”Mary” is derived from the Hebrew name Miriam. Now, we know that the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. Who was Miriam in the Old Testament?
She was the daughter of Jochebed (her name means “Jehovah is glory”) and Amram (his name means “exalted people”)
She was the eldest of three children born in Egypt to this couple. Her brothers were Moses (his name means “drawn forth”) and Aaron (his name possibly means “light bringer” or “Mountain of strength,” however, the derivation is uncertain)
The name Miriam comes from the Hebrew word for bitter – mar (masc.) or marah (fem). (See Exodus 15:20-27) Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses’ authority to prophesy. This act of rebellion caused the Lord to meet directly with the three siblings, to ratify Moses’ authority, and to cause Miriam to receive leprose-looking skin.
The name Miriam is translatable as “rebellion,” or “bitterness.” More on this momentarily.
The name “Mary” was a fairly common name in Jesus’ time. There are several women in the Bible with that name: Mary: (1) mother of Jesus; (2) the younger sister of Martha and Lazarus; (3) Mary Magdalene “The Apostle to the Apostles;” (4) the mother of James and Joseph; (5) the wife of Clzopas (John 19:25); (6) mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12); (7) an otherwise unidentified Christian greeted by The Apostle Paul in Romans 16:6
Now, if we look back at these names and consider others like Abram and Abraham (future features), we see it is true that often a person’s names hinted at their destiny and personality. Yet, this does not seem to be the case with Μαρία or Μαριάμ as is her name in Greek in the New Testament. In fact, she is the precise and literal opposite of rebellion. Because, why? Well, I have not seen this in the Apostolic or Nicene Creeds, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or any other authoritative source. This is just my puny little opinion which helps me gain a deeper appreciation of Mary’s importance as an Exemplar (Paradigm, Archetype, Ideal) in Scripture.
Now, if Mary is derived from the name Miriam which means bitterness and/or rebellion (after the rebellion after the place Massah, and Meribah where the people grumbled bitterly about God), how does that name apply in the Annunciation?
When the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, her response was an unconditional YES as she willingly and completely submitted to God’s will without bitterness or rebellion. Rebellion was overcome by obedience. Disillusionment was overcome by joy. Death was overcome by life. Darkness was overcome by light, and doubt was overcome by faith in a simple “yes.”
Her reverence for God and her impeccable humility allowed her to completely surrender to great risks – the possibility f divorce, a trial. Possibly even death by stoning! Like our Old Friend Abraham, she reasoned that God could be trusted to do what he said. Abraham believed God could complete his covenant with him even if he sacrificed his son. Mary believed she could bear a child who would be called AND ACTUALLY BE the Only Begotten Son of God.
Thus, “rebellion” was “overcome” by OBEDIENCE out of Grace-based Love of the Father. Indeed we can and should echo Gabriel’s greeting “Hail full of Grace!” (↔ Music Link)
Mary’s Son, Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, also showed us complete and entire surrender through the Grace of Absolute Faith and acceptance of the Will of God. At his Baptism by John the Baptizer, Jesus is seen and heard as the Trinity now present to the Earth. His YES there means a serious interruption to the rule of The Prince of the Air – ha-Satan! At his birth, he shed all Power and Glory of his Eternal Origin and – with his humble and obedient parents – submitted to a life of poverty, loss, and suffering by willingly accepting his destiny as Jesus – the Promised Savior – through death on the Cross. Mary shows us that we can overcome the rebellion that is built into us through Original Sin. She, “The Second Eve,” the “Ark of the New Covenant,” gives us HOPE that we, too, can give our assent to complete surrender. By her YES she knew the Holiness of God surrounding (↔ Music Link) her as the Son of God rested in her womb. The Rebellion at Eden is vanquished in the Sacrifice at Golgotha. Let us prepare our hearts and minds to go there with Jesus, his Mother, and the other Marys who were faithful to him to the end. Surely she who is filled with Grace through the Power of the Holy Spirit was chosen by the Father for the Son from all women to be the Beginning of the End. (↔ Learning Link)
Belovéd! Should not we also surrender everything so that we may receive God’s All?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
2502AFC011025 – “Y” is for YES😀 ← PODCAST LINK Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often.
Matthew 3:15 –15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way*to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.* οὕτω[ς] (houtō and houtós) {hoo’-to[s]} like this |__| ; in this manner, in this way (fashion), in accordance with this description (i.e. corresponding to what follows); in keeping with; along this line, in the manner spoken; in this way, thus(ly)
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. This coming Sunday, many churches around the world will be celebrating The Baptism of The Lord. Sometimes this event gets confused with other events in Jesus’ life. Some folks think it has something to do with last week’s celebration of the Epiphany. Some think it might be concurrent with the visit to the Temple at the Purification of Mary. A few believe it happened when Jesus was an adult, and they are right. Just for the sake of clarity, let’s look at a timeline based on what we read in the synoptic Gospels. Remember, there are no precise dates given there, so everything happened “around [this year].” Here is a sequence of some of the important events before Jesus started his ministry:
Birth – At Bethlehem during the lambing season
Circumcision – eight days later
Presentation – on the fortieth day after birth – Purification of Mary and Jesus’ presentation at Jerusalem
Visitation of the Magi – Jesus was not yet two years old
Massacre of all male infants under age 2 “in and around Bethlehem”
Flight to Egypt – around age 2
Herod the Great dies – Jesus is around age 4, and then
Herod Archelaus {ar-khel’-ah-os} takes over Judaea, Idumaea, and Samaria
Herod Antipas takes over Galilee and Peraea
The non-Jewish areas (except Samaria) were assigned to a third son, Philip, to Herod’s sister Salome, or to the province of Syria
Joseph is counseled by an angel that it is safe to return home
The Holy Family settles in Nazareth to avoid living in the territory ruled by Archelaus – Jesus is perhaps age 5
Lost at the Temple – around age 12
John the Baptist and Jesus begin their ministries around 27-30 AD. No precise date is known
John BAPTIZES JESUS
John proclaims Jesus is “the Lamb of God.”
Jesus retreats to the desert for 40 days of preparation and temptation (See Mark 1:12-13)
Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael as Apostles
Wedding at Cana and Jesus begins baptizing, preaching, and teaching.
Now, another thing that brings us to wonder “why did he do that?” is Jesus’ insistence that John baptize him. After all, he is the Messiah- the King of Glory! – at whose name every knee shall bow, (↔ Music Link) and John knows that. He is The Son of God, and both Jesus and John know that, too. So how can a mere man who is unworthy to carry Jesus’ sandals (or tie or untie them), a man sent as a Prophet in the Spirit of Elijah, or a man who is lesser because he is mortal and his cousin is immortal having existed since before creation and who was present at Creation – how can this mortal man we worthy to Baptize the sinless Son of God as a sign of righteousness? Jesus in effect tells him, “This is the way Dad wants it done, so let’s just do it.” The key to understanding that well is in that little phrase in this way
I’ll put that note about our Key Verse here for us to use again: οὕτω[ς] (houtō and houtós) {hoo’-to[s]} like this. . .; in this manner, in this way (fashion), in accordance with this description (i.e. corresponding to what follows); in keeping with; along this line, in the manner spoken; in this way, thus(ly). To what does “thusly” or “in this way” refer? The answer to that question will help us understand why Jesus insisted on John’s cooperation: The importance of a spirit of obedient submission to the will of The Father. “We need to do this together. Both of us need to do what God is expecting of us. It is the proper thing to do to complete every aspect of righteousness. Your responsibility is to baptize. My responsibility is to let you.”
We want to remember that when it comes to salvation, our responsibility is to believe God – not just believe in him – actually believe what he says; he will redeem us. We must let God BE God. This is a hard lesson to learn. The Being who forgot it first was Lucifer. Don’t be like Lucifer. Remember: God is God. We are not. It takes humility to remember that. Humility is another tough lesson (which led to the downfall of that other guy, right?) But, we have an example of humility that is absolutely extraordinary, and that brings us to the Person of the Week – Our Mother, Mary. (↔ Music Link)
As with Jesus’ timeline, we don’t have any particular dates for Mary’s life. Tradition relates that she was the child of Joachim and Anne. This information is not in the Canon of the Bible, but appears about 150 years after Jesus’ time in the noncanonical Gospel of James. Sacred Tradition discloses that she was an obedient child filled with Love and Reverence for God. We can gain some insight into the life of Mary by looking at her name and the names of her ancestors.
The name ”Mary” is derived from the Hebrew name Miriam. Now, we know that the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. Who was Miriam in the Old Testament?
She was the daughter of Jochebed (her name means “Jehovah is glory”) and Amram (his name means “exalted people”)
She was the eldest of three children born in Egypt to this couple. Her brothers were Moses (his name means “drawn forth”) and Aaron (his name possibly means “light bringer” or “Mountain of strength,” however, the derivation is uncertain)
The name Miriam comes from the Hebrew word for bitter – mar (masc.) or marah (fem). (See Exodus 15:20-27) Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses’ authority to prophesy. This act of rebellion caused the Lord to meet directly with the three siblings, to ratify Moses’ authority, and to cause Miriam to receive leprose-looking skin.
The name Miriam is translatable as “rebellion,” or “bitterness.” More on this momentarily.
The name “Mary” was a fairly common name in Jesus’ time. There are several women in the Bible with that name: Mary: (1) mother of Jesus; (2) the younger sister of Martha and Lazarus; (3) Mary Magdalene “The Apostle to the Apostles;” (4) the mother of James and Joseph; (5) the wife of Clzopas (John 19:25); (6) mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12); (7) an otherwise unidentified Christian greeted by The Apostle Paul in Romans 16:6
Now, if we look back at these names and consider others like Abram and Abraham (future features), we see it is true that often a person’s names hinted at their destiny and personality. Yet, this does not seem to be the case with Μαρία or Μαριάμ as is her name in Greek in the New Testament. In fact, she is the precise and literal opposite of rebellion. Because, why? Well, I have not seen this in the Apostolic or Nicene Creeds, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or any other authoritative source. This is just my puny little opinion which helps me gain a deeper appreciation of Mary’s importance as an Exemplar (Paradigm, Archetype, Ideal) in Scripture.
Now, if Mary is derived from the name Miriam which means bitterness and/or rebellion (after the rebellion after the place Massah, and Meribah where the people grumbled bitterly about God), how does that name apply in the Annunciation?
When the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, her response was an unconditional YES as she willingly and completely submitted to God’s will without bitterness or rebellion. Rebellion was overcome by obedience. Disillusionment was overcome by joy. Death was overcome by life. Darkness was overcome by light, and doubt was overcome by faith in a simple “yes.”
Her reverence for God and her impeccable humility allowed her to completely surrender to great risks – the possibility f divorce, a trial. Possibly even death by stoning! Like our Old Friend Abraham, she reasoned that God could be trusted to do what he said. Abraham believed God could complete his covenant with him even if he sacrificed his son. Mary believed she could bear a child who would be called AND ACTUALLY BE the Only Begotten Son of God.
Thus, “rebellion” was “overcome” by OBEDIENCE out of Grace-based Love of the Father. Indeed we can and should echo Gabriel’s greeting “Hail full of Grace!” (↔ Music Link)
Mary’s Son, Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, also showed us complete and entire surrender through the Grace of Absolute Faith and acceptance of the Will of God. At his Baptism by John the Baptizer, Jesus is seen and heard as the Trinity now present to the Earth. His YES there means a serious interruption to the rule of The Prince of the Air – ha-Satan! At his birth, he shed all Power and Glory of his Eternal Origin and – with his humble and obedient parents – submitted to a life of poverty, loss, and suffering by willingly accepting his destiny as Jesus – the Promised Savior – through death on the Cross. Mary shows us that we can overcome the rebellion that is built into us through Original Sin. She, “The Second Eve,” the “Ark of the New Covenant,” gives us HOPE that we, too, can give our assent to complete surrender. By her YES she knew the Holiness of God surrounding (↔ Music Link) her as the Son of God rested in her womb. The Rebellion at Eden is vanquished in the Sacrifice at Golgotha. Let us prepare our hearts and minds to go there with Jesus, his Mother, and the other Marys who were faithful to him to the end. Surely she who is filled with Grace through the Power of the Holy Spirit was chosen by the Father for the Son from all women to be the Beginning of the End. (↔ Learning Link)
Belovéd! Should not we also surrender everything so that we may receive God’s All?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
