Aaron Simms's Blog, page 6

On Smurfs and Rescue Rangers

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

(John 17:15-18)

Are you familiar with the Smurfs?  It was a cartoon series on TV in the 1980s about these little blue people named Smurfs that lived in their own community in the forest.  What was interesting about the Smurfs is...

Spirit, Water, Blood

The Apostle John says that there are “three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree” (1 John 5:7-8)

In the Old Testament, priests were sanctified for service by washing with water and by the blood of a sacrifice, and by anointing with oil, denoting the bestowal of the Holy Spirit.  In this way, they were a type of the Christ to come.  For when Christ came, he was baptized with water – although he was without sin – he was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and b...

One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism – Reflections on the Ethiopian Eunuch

The book of Acts relates the growth of the New Testament Church following Pentecost.  What we see in Acts is the Holy Spirit working through God’s means of grace as distributed by the apostles and disciples of the early Church.  We see people being brought to faith through the proclamation of the Gospel, people being baptized, and people coming together as one body to partake of Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.

In Acts 8, the apostle Philip is told to go south to the des...

The Good Shepherd

We tend to not take care of things that we didn’t pay for.  We just don’t give them the same standard of care that we give to things that we’ve had to sacrifice something for.  We see this type of behavior in children when they break toys we give them, or in neighbors when we loan them tools and sometimes get them back looking as if they’ve been through a war zone.  This dynamic is similar also in the difference between the owner of a business and its employees.  The owner is much more person...

“Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled”

Today, I want to talk focus on the Bible and its principal message, because after Jesus’ resurrection, over a meal of fish, Jesus tells his disciples: “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:36-49).

The Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms or Writings.  The Jews divided their Scriptures into these three parts.

Let’s talk about the first part.  The “Law of Moses” is also known as the Pentateuch, the first five books...

“Peace be with you” – John 20:19-31

The Gospel reading for today (John 20:19-28) begins on the evening of Christ’s resurrection, on Easter Sunday.  In it, we find the disciples afraid and huddled behind a locked door.  It makes since, because it was the first day after the Sabbath, so if the Jewish authorities were going to come after them, like they had come after their leader Jesus, then today would likely be the day.  

However, Jesus himself comes to them instead.  Despite the reports of the women who had found the tomb empt...

The Empty Tomb – Easter Sunday

In Mark’s Gospel, verse 8 of chapter 16 is traditionally considered to be the original ending of the Gospel, with verses 9 through 20 added a bit later by scribes as a post-script.  But if you look at verse 8, it seems like an odd way to end the account of Jesus’ resurrection, doesn’t is?  After the women find Jesus’ empty tomb, Mark says that, “they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

So, Mar...

“It is Finished” – Good Friday

The Apostle John records (John 19:30):

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished’, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” 

Prior to the intrusion of sin into the world, God had walked in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and gave them a way to respond to His love through worship.  For He gave Adam and Eve dominion over all the earth and allowed them to eat of the fruit of the tree of life in the midst of the garden, but instructed them not to eat of the tree...

Sealed with Blood – Holy Thursday

In the Old Testament, after God made His covenant with the people of Israel, it was sealed with the blood of a sacrifice.  After reading God’s Word to the people, Moses threw the sacrificial blood on them, declaring, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Exodus 24:3-11).  The blood was the guarantee that God would uphold His promises.

God’s promises were ultimately pointing to the Christ, the promised Messiah who would redeem si...

All Glory, Laud, and Honor

We’ve reached Holy Week at the end of this Lenten season in which we have been preparing for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday – the Easter or Paschal Triduum.

This preparation is something that our Lord Jesus Christ did as well.  His whole purpose in coming in the flesh leads up to this Holy Week.  Indeed, God’s promises throughout the Old Testament lead up to this week, when Jesus will die for us by being raised up on the cross.  It’s going to be a tough week for Jesus.  He says...