‘The resurrected Jesus Christ as a new beginning’ ICEL Leuven 6 May 2018 Pieter Boersema

ICEL COMMON LECTIONARY May 6th, 2018 Today 3 lectionaries about the gospel to the world: representing God’s Glory, Jesus Love, our Barriers. Psalm 98: 1 – 3 about the glory of God Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The resurrected Jesus Christ as a new beginning The time of the lectionary is to learn more about the risen Lord. 1 John 5:1-6, Jn 15:9-17: focus on the love of Christ. Christian belief is not easy to understand: it is a combination of belief and practice. The book of the Acts of the apostles is Good News for the world. Todays reading: Acts 10:44-48. Focus on the Holy Spirit overruling the barriers at the new beginning after the resurrection of Christ.

Peter’s vision Acts 10: 9 - 19 Heaven opened and a large sheet being let down to earth. Contained all kinds of unclean animals. And a voice said: “Get up Peter, kill and eat”. Answered Peter: “surely not Lord”. “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”. This happened three times.

Interpretation: the barrier for Peter No Israelite should eat impure animals (Thora). What does this vision mean? It starts with the story of the God-fearing centurion Cornelius Acts 10: 1 – 8 and 19 – 48. Peter went into the house of Cornelius (vs 25). The speech of Peter: … 36: “the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ…….” verse 44: While Peter was still speaking ….the Holy Spirit came on all…… and were baptised”.

Acts 10 is fundamental for the understanding of the OT and NT There is a continuing story between OT to NT, but the New Testament is also a new start. God’s commandments in the O.T. (Thora) became the Great commandment by Jesus in the N.T. In the O.T. there was a barrier between impurity and the worship to God in the temple: see the acts of Pharisees. Jesus, as the only human being and as ‘son of God’ without sin, made what was impure, pure again. This is the essence of Jesus sacrifice at the cross. Only this act brings the gentiles together with Israel (Ephesians 2). Example Acts 8:26-40

‘The Baptism of the Ethiopian’ Pieter Lastman, 1623

Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626 Catharijneconvent Utrecht Acts 8: 26-40. The treasurer of the queen- mother of Ethiopia and visitor to Jerusalem to worship. According to the O.T. a gentile and an eunuch, i.e. impure to enter the temple. Reading Isaiah 53 but ended by Isaiah 56.

God’s glory: from Jerusalem to Caesarea Israel’s failure to witness about the one God. Jerusalem the starting point of the N.T. church. The prophecy of Psalm 98 that God has revealed His righteousness to all the nations. Caesarea = the city of Caesar, the worldly ruler. From Israel to the church of all nations. We have seen barriers by ‘cultural’ Israel, but this is a lesson for the church today. The normative rules can close the eyes for the other The present calling of the church is to have an open eye for diversity in unity.

Holy communion Ps. 98 prophesied the turning point in spiritual history: salvation to the world. Christian love is accepting grace but also a lifelong learning how to react into practice. The love of Christ Jesus as the connection between God, His World and the believers. Internal as fellowship by following the (good) Thora, and becoming followers of Christ. External as the calling for all nations. Holy Communion as a place to restore the fellowship by the Holy Spirit.