Reading With the People of God #13 Nicene CreedSample

Focus of the month: The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Power of the Word

God’s timing is always perfect. He’s rarely early, but never late. Josiah’s reign begins when he is only eight years old, and he, like Hezekiah, acts like David. What a compliment! World politics shifted during Josiah’s tenure. Ashurbanipal died in 627 B.C., leaving Assyria vulnerable. Nineveh fell in 612 B.C., and by 609 B.C. Assyria was finished. So, Josiah rules while Assyria fades and Babylon is not yet ready to rule as far west as Judah. A perfect time for a revival!

As Josiah turns 18, he desires for the temple to be repaired. During this phase, Hilkiah the high priest finds the Book of the Law. They bring it to the king, read it, and Josiah is blown away because the nation is not following the Lord’s commands. Since Josiah knows they have been disobedient, he seeks a prophetic word. We will be introduced to Huldah the prophetess. We will grapple with the obvious questions: Why a woman? And why Huldah in particular? Why does the Lord use anyone? He is sovereign, and He does whatever He pleases! She will interpret God’s Word and pronounce God’s judgment on the nation, but it will not happen during Josiah’s lifetime. It is because of the king’s humility and grief over the nation’s sin that the delay happens. Choices have consequences…

In our Matthew passage today, the Passover meal begins. Jesus gives new meaning to the bread and cup. Sadly, Jesus’ words have led to massive debates and intra-Christian persecution through the years. All three Synoptics have accounts of Jesus’ Last Supper, but interestingly, John’s Gospel says nothing about the bread and wine.

Jesus will predict that all will fall away, especially Peter. Jesus quotes Scripture and predicts his resurrection again! They don’t get it…We probably wouldn’t either. When Jesus prays in Gethsemane, notice Peter, James, and John keep falling asleep. Jesus’ full humanity is on display as He is tempted not to go through with the Father’s plan. He obeys, of course, and faces the betrayer, Judas, and a mob. As you read, please notice that Jesus is in complete control and fulfills Scripture at every turn. Oh, what a Savior!

* Primer contributed by Brian Mott, Ministering Elder & Middle School Bible Teacher