Lamb of God

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away (does away with, or removes) the "sin of the world".

Mercy

From Matthew’s record of Jesus’ teaching (chapter 18: 23-35) comes a confronting story which is about responding to mercy (although the context has Peter asking about the quantity of forgiveness for “brothers"):
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. As the king began to do it, a man who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought to him. The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed.
“Then the servant fell on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged. ‘I’ll pay everything back.’ His master felt sorry for him. He forgave him what he owed and let him go.

Light

Jesus and the Light

The word “light” is used in the description of Jesus himself, his message and his role. Light here conveys the senses of the source of inner enlightenment and, by rolling back the darkness, of making visible what would otherwise not be “seen”.

Nativity

Following are almost all of the (translated) original sources of the “Nativity Story” chapters, as related in Matthew and Luke (minus table of ancestors, headings and some punctuation). I have somewhat arbitrarily inserted the text from Matthew 2 in Luke. In some places today “Nativity Scenes” are popular; they also appear on some Christmas cards. Those scenes reflect ideas common in parts of the culture. (I have not tried to establish how these scenes and popular traditions came to be.) I will add notes to point out the common extraneous guesses or wishful thinking or errors. I am also repeating these notes of mine at the end in larger font. (The Bible text is available in these versions, and others, through biblegateway.com and through blueletterbible.org. )

Luke 1: 1-25 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. So I made a careful study[a] of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.

   When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron.[b] Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. But they did not have children.

Mary

Jesus' mother was named Mary. Despite the interest of the Gospel writers in the role of women in the Christ-event, references to this Mary are actually sparse, apart, naturally, from the “birth narratives”. This final NT mention has her in Jerusalem during the waiting period between Jesus’ death and resurrection and his sending of his replacement (the Holy Spirit).

Grace

Long ago, Mary of Nazareth was jolted by the arrival of Gabriel, God’s messenger, telling her she was to bear a son to be named Jesus. A son who would rule forever. She was assured that she had no need to be afraid. God had favoured her and was holding her in that favour.
And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’[b] But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:28-31, NRSV)

The word “favour“ in this passage is also translated by the word “grace”, or by “blessing”, or by “kindness”. The word we know as “grace” is found over 100 times in the NT. The word is in Luke (including Acts), and John. Most of the occurrences are in the writings of Paul, apostle of Jesus. (It is only not found in the first and third letters of John.)

Bible use of the noun χάρις (charis), translated as “grace”, varies. It is regularly but not always rendered as “favour”. The English word "grace" is also used in different ways.

Early in the pages of the OT there is report of a moment when the Egyptians had no reason to feel kindly towards their labourers:
“I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go with your hands empty. (Exodus 3:21, NIRV) Many translations use the word
“favour” here for how the escapees will be treated by their masters. In its version of the moment the Greek OT (Septuagint, or, LXX) has χάρις (charis). (The Hebrew word in that Bible is found about 69 times in the OT and is often translated as “favour” [favor].)

John wrote about Jesus, using the same word to say what Jesus’ entry into the world had meant - Jesus brought the undeserved kindness (or favour, or blessing) of God. One translation puts it like this (all underlining added by me to draw attention to the term):
The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. (John 1:14, CEV) ….. (text omitted) Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. (John 1:16-17, CEV)

Thus we see applications of the “grace” word:

• Mary was favoured in the role she was God-given in the coming of Jesus. 
• Those, though undeserving, who received (or receive) Jesus are favoured with God’s limitless mercy, which is for all who will.

There is more...
Jesus, the one who brought and brings grace, can have the “favour” word applied to him in the (scanty) report of his early years:
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40, ESV)
Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people. (Luke 2:52, CEV)

We read the “grace” word in descriptions of events during Jesus’ public activism.

And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” (Luke 4:22, ESV). Jesus was speaking in his hometown synagogue. Hearers were impressed with the words of grace coming from him. I wonder if they were taken that moment by more than Jesus’ oratorical skills and grasp of their Bible. Perhaps they welcomed exhilarating Isaiah 61 promises of the LORD’s actions in favour of their nation. (As my guess - maybe Jesus developed what the Servant of the LORD would do for God’s people? That could be provocative!) All too soon they were scandalised and furious with him - as you may read for yourself in the context. If they had been viewing him favourably, they ceased to do so.

The word was used in another way by Jesus himself:

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! (Luke 6:32, NLT) This is similar to Jesus’ question:
Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? (Luke 17:9, NRSV). Well-treating others who treat you well is common sense; hardly noteworthy or praiseworthy. The slave doing just what the master ordered was not making a gift of that service! (”Slavery” ? - might be a topic for another time?)

In his second volume, Luke made further use of the word. He tells us that at first in Jerusalem the message from the early followers of Jesus of the risen Saviour was well-received:
praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47, NRSV) For then, at least, “the people” thought well of the early believers.

A little further on we read:
The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. (Acts 4:33, NLT) God prospered their efforts and they experienced “success” - I see this as perhaps inner strengthening of them in their mission and, maybe broad acceptance in the populace. (If so, I demur from the esteemed NLT translators!)

Although the “grace” word is not used here, I propose that this is an OT passage which gave similar indications of what God is like, and what God likes to see:
but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24, NRSV) It seems too easy to forget that first aspect of God's character.

Although again without the word “grace” (Matthew has “reward” instead), I think what we find here from Jesus is in similar vein:
But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors[a] love their friends. (Matthew 5:44-46, CEV) Those who receive grace and live by grace are called to live out grace.

Paul used the “grace” word to summarise God’s work in the believers:

You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. (Ephesian 2:8, CEV)

Or, in a more cautious translation of those words:

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8, NLT)

God was, and is, a God of grace. That same mercy is actively available to you.

The song about grace being amazing is well known. There are alternative versions.

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/John-Newton-Amazing-Grace-original-version-lyrics.html

Not so long ago Philip Yancey wrote about “Vanishing Grace” - the sad replacement of Jesus’ ways by other ways of treating people.

God has not changed.


Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIRV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER'S VERSION®.Copyright © 1996, 1998 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Faith (v2)

Jesus encountered responses to himself which he judged as "faith".

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer^[b] came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant^[c] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour. (Matthew 8: 5-13, NLT - all underlining in this post added by me.)

Even without a detachment of troops, how scary was it to see a Centurion coming forward? Surely it was all too clear who he was and what his job represented. (I suppose he was armed.) Had this soldier been seen before in the vicinity of Jesus? From Luke (8), it seems he was known. Luke also gives the impression the soldier, without becoming a Jew, may have been a person drawn to the LORD self-revealed in Scripture (ie, OT). He was certainly sympathetic to the Jews. (Judaism continued to be an allowed religion in the Empire.)

Matthew brings the officer before us here as a "stand-out". Somehow this man had become persuaded that Jesus would assuredly listen to him, and moreover, that Jesus was completely able to grant his request.  The Centurion surprised Jesus by his confidence in Jesus' healing power and mercy. In the end, the Centurion's "faith" (as the NRSV translates) was rewarded by the servant being restored to health. The idividual "outsider" stands in contrast with the "insider" group. Jesus had not previously found such a relationship.

Did Jesus look for faith in himself amongst his own people - the people of the Law? Remember these striking words from John, chapter 1: 10-13 (NRSV):
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own,^[c] and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. The record shows some did receive him and hold to their trust in him, difficult as it may have been. Possibly, at Jesus' apparent end, the "receivers" were not all that numerous, but they did in the end turn the world upside down.

Matthew puts that episode of the centurion near the following clear contrast I am taking from Mark..... 

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4: 35-41, NLT )

Their fears in the storm (Mark 4, above; also reported in Matthew and Luke) seem natural enough. Moreover,  professional fishermen would know the risk all too well. Then, in what way are they hindered by being unconfident? Should they have just known that no disaster could or would befall Jesus, and they were with him? (That interpretation seems beyond reasonable.) Surely they had been already assured that Jesus did care and that was beyond doubt? Could they have known that all they needed do was deliberately and trustingly turn their fearful need over to Jesus, even if it meant waking him? For sure their comprehension of Jesus needed to grow (as in fact it did), and thus their relationship develop. They are characterised here as lacking in belief or trust. (Matthew's version has that their faith was little, or few, or small or slight - the detour matter of variation again arises and I mention this below.) 

Note that Luke in his comparable report gives us the pointer that Jesus actively looked for people to take up this kind of relationship to him:  
Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” (Luke 8:40, NLT). Where....? Jesus asks. Something vital is lacking from their relationship to him.
 
Perhaps here we see Jesus again amazed, but this time for an opposite reason. As to their shocked question (“Who is this man?”) - they were coming to the answer during these weeks and months. So much so, after the resurrection of Jesus they boldly set Jerusalem authorities "on their ear". So, for example, they said to those authorities:  
But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life (Acts 4:10, CEV).

John has a Capernaum report which puts such a moment (or, the moment) even more starkly:
The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. (John 4:49-50, NLT)
 

An instance of use of the word "faith" early on in Matthew has men bringing another to Jesus for help: And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (...text omitted)  But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. (Matthew 9:2, 6-8 NRSV). Questions arise: Exactly whose faith did Jesus see - the four, or the five (assuming one man to each corner)? Whose idea was it to come? Why did the paralytic come - for healing, or for forgiveness? (Is there any difference?) Clear it is what kind of confidence and relationship to Jesus drives their action of coming/bringing to him the need. (Was this a time when Jesus found or saw in Israel the relationship he wanted; the reality that would change "everything"?)

Faith and gratitude are naturally associated. Luke has a report of an instructive event on this. (I have recently read expositions* of this passage which put forward guesses or assumptions as certainties. For this reason I substantially edited this segment of my post about the following, keeping questions as questions):
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy[a] came toward him. They stood at a distance and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 

Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”[b]On their way they were healed. When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.
Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine? Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17: 11-19, CEV).
We can notice that all 10 asked for Jesus' mercy. All 10 set off in simple (?) trusting obedience to Jesus' direction, fulfilment of which would establish in their society the fact that they were healed! Were all 10 showing the same faith in action? To which priest did that foreigner (Samaritan) start to go (he presumably was outside of the Jewish religion)? The Samaritan turned back to express his gratitude and Jesus commended him. Did the Samaritan then go on, as required, to "the priest"? Were the other 9 grateful - surely they should have been? Was Jesus surprised that the 9 did not join the one? If Jesus was disappointed in the 9 were they not healed nevertheless? Was there only the one Samaritan amongst the 10? And, I wonder, were the nine glad to see the back of the Samaritan? (Jews had no dealings with Samaritans, except, it would seem, in the shared misery of that disease. Even for those with experience of Jesus, cultural, social and religious distinctions may linger.)     
"Faith" is actually a very frequent word in the NT (and the Bible as a whole). If considered along with the related word "believe" (verb - see, for example, Matthew 8:13 and John 1:12, above), the concept is even more prominent. It is a challenge to do enough justice to this key idea. I found that NRSV has faith 201 times in OT and 284 in NT. Believe is found in NRSV 28 times in OT and believe/d/s/rs 253 times in NT. In addition the word "persuade" (64 times in NT) is etymologically primary to "faith".

 So then, given the wealth of instances, there may be reason for a further post sometime on "faith". My core point here is that Jesus evaluates relationship to him. Many people may say many things, but what does Jesus say? This is what matters, and I think all of us, and any of us, can make a self-assessment, using the instances above.

Addendum detour, re that healing of the young male at Capernaum: Assuming the healing is the same event it is puzzling to reconcile the the accounts, even allowing for NT writers not having our idea of chronological exactness. The same applies to the order of events, and even the details of the Centurion's approach (example below). Some may find variations such as these a bother, or an excuse - I hope you do not; God will reward your trust and be pleased with your questions.

The other Synoptic Gospels report storm events similar to that in Mark 4 (see above). There are variations in the records (!). Here together from the RSV is that one instance:
Mark 4:40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
Matthew 8:26a And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?”
Luke 8:25a He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid... 
Matthew has Jesus using an unusual word to describe the defective trust (or lack of trust) shown by the disciples in the storm. Perhaps they were still at a childhood stage of development in their relationship to Jesus when they needed to be "grown ups"?
That particular expression occurs 6 times in the NT (Matthew 6: 30, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20 - the first is duplicated in Luke 12:28; not used by Mark, or John, or elsewhere) when Jesus speaks of having little or small faith, rather than none.

Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

*Recent reading - assertions that the Samaritan ex-leper did not go to the priest. This claim was contained in a blog by a preacher and, more disconcertingly, in an article on "Leprosy" in the IVP Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. No evidence is given to support the assertion.