“Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus

will raise us also with Jesus

and bring us with you into his presence.”

This verse from Scripture is preceded by, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that it may be seen that this immense power is of God and not of ourselves. We are oppressed on every side, but we are not cornered; we are helpless, but we are not stranded; we are persecuted, but we are not abandoned; we are struck down, but we are not defeated. We still bear the mark of Jesus’ death on us, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. For we, as long as we live, are still being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed on our mortal flesh. And so death works its work on us, but life on you. But we have the spirit of faith, of which it is written, ‘I believed, and therefore I also spoke’ – we also believe, and therefore we also speak.” (v.7-13) God’s Word emphasizes union with Christ crucified and our constant surrender to Christ’s death. It means renouncing our self-will even in small things before the face of God, that is, being aware that God sees me and that I do this small thing out of love for Him.

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known

what hour the thief would come, he would have watched

and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

Before this word of life, Jesus said: “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the middle of the night or toward daybreak and find them so, blessed are those servants.” (v.35-38)

Jesus then emphasizes: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (v.40)

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will

all likewise perish.”

Before Jesus spoke these words, He said: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?” Saying this, He responded to the report about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and He emphasized: “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” And He added: “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?” (v.1-4) And He said again: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” These words apply to each of us.

Repentance is not a one-time thing. Perhaps it can be true of conversion, when you become open to God’s grace, and turn from the spirit of the world to God. But then the world keeps pulling you down and forcing you to submit to its system again. That is, to prioritize material and external things and not care about your soul and its salvation.

“And a sword will pierce through your own soul also,

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Who spoke these words? It was the aged prophet Simeon, who said them at the moment when the Holy Mother of God with the protector of the Holy Family, Saint Joseph, brought the child Jesus into the temple on the 40th day after Jesus’ birth. Before speaking these words, Simeon took the little Jesus in his arms and praised God in this way: “Now You release Your servant in peace, Lord, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before all nations – a light that will be a revelation to the Gentiles, a glory for Your people Israel.” (v. 29-32) And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, He is given for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and as a sign that they shall resist – even your own soul shall be pierced by the sword – that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (v. 34-35)

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

to give His people the knowledge of salvation through

the forgiveness of their sins.

This word of life is part of the prophetic word spoken by the Old Testament priest Zechariah when his son John was born and his tongue was loosed. Before the words of the hymn and then further on it is written: “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and saved His people, and raised up for us a mighty saviour from the family of David His servant, as He spoke by the mouth of the holy prophets of old; and He has saved us from our enemies and from the hands of those who hate us.’” (v. 67–71)

“Try to enter by the narrow door,

for many, I tell you, will try to enter but will not be able.”

This is Jesus’ answer to the question as He walked through the towns and villages toward Jerusalem, teaching as He went. Someone said to him: “Lord, are there really few who will be saved?” To this Jesus gave the answer about the narrow door that leads to salvation. This is the word of life that we will be remembering throughout the two weeks. This word of life is followed by, “Once the householder gets up and closes the door, and you stay outside and start pounding on the door and crying, ‘Lord, open it for us,’ then he answers, ‘I don’t know where you are from!’ Then you will say, ‘We have eaten and drunk with you, and you have taught in our streets!’ But he will answer, ‘I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you will be cast out. And they shall come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. Behold, they are the last that shall be first, and they are the first that shall be last.” (v. 25-30)

The axe is already at the root of the trees,

and every tree that does not produce good fruit

will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

What precedes this Bible verse? John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.’” (Lk 3:7-8) In the following verse (v.10), we read: “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. And John answered each one according to his state. The one who had two tunics should share with him who had none, and the one who had food should do the same. Tax collectors, who were looked down upon but had the will to repent, were also given a clear answer. Soldiers asked him the same and they too received an answer.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and

be content with what you have, because God has said,

‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’

Before this statement from the Letter to the Hebrews, the Apostle writes: “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow-prisoners, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honoured by all, and marriages should be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.” Then follows this statement: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

The Apostle continues: “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (v. 3-9a)

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ,

not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

This verse is preceded by the Apostle’s words: “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.” (v.27-28) The Apostle continues: “You are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” And next: “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfil my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition of conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (2:1-3)

For here we have no continuing city,

but we seek the one to come.

The Apostle Paul reminds the believers of his day, and us, of a profound truth that we often forget. We have no permanent home here on earth. On the other hand, we need to have and make a home here. Unfortunately, the current decadent culture, which is also massively promoted by the supranational political system with its gender ideology, seeks to break up the basic unit of society, which is the family. The family is made up of father, mother and children; they share a home. The mother has always created the atmosphere of the home. Even the grown-up children, who had their own families, would come home in times of hardship, seeking encouragement and comfort from their aged mother while she was alive. In recent years, sadly, elderly parents are being placed in retirement homes or there is even a growing tendency in Western Europe to terminate their lives as soon as possible through euthanasia, or assisted suicide. All this is brought about by this deadly, decadent ideology, which is spreading en masse and affecting Eastern Europe as well.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us exhort one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This verse is preceded by the words: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” The groups meeting together at the time when the Apostle was writing this letter were probably as small as ours. However, these words applied and still apply above all to small prayer groups, which have carried the burden of the Church and called on God for light, strength and salvation.

We perceive that the biblical demand for koinonia, the formation of brotherly fellowship, is very relevant today. A group of Christian men meet together for prayer and pray to God for themselves and for the souls entrusted to them. At the same time, they seek to encourage one another to remain faithful to Christ and to the commandments He has given us in the midst of this world, despite the various pressures. Christ’s commands are not burdensome, though in certain circumstances they may require great sacrifice. But then the reward in heaven is all the greater if we persevere.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

This Scripture verse truly is preceded by an example of a whole multitude of witnesses throughout chapter 11. And this chapter ends as follows: “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

Then follows the verse which we are going to recite for two weeks. It begins with the words: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” And then it continues: “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” The next verse is a continuation of the previous one: “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” And we read further: “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Before Jesus raised Lazarus, who had been dead four days, Martha said to Jesus: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise again.” She said to Him: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So He has the same power and can raise the dead even today, especially the spiritually dead. He can do the same things He did when He was here on earth. When we read the lives of the saints and martyrs, we see that through many the Lord worked great miracles before they died, that is, while they were being tortured. For example, miracles with wild beasts, when the hungry lions in the arena did not tear the martyrs apart, but instead licked them and sat at their feet like sheep. Other times, when they were thrown into prison after cruel torture, their bodies were completely recovered the next day.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him
must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

This verse is part of the well-known chapter 11 of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is preceded by the following five verses: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” (Heb 11:1-5) Next, this chapter presents models of faith, such as Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and points out that not only are we saved through faith, but through faith God also works extraordinary miracles.

People are destined to die once and then face judgment.

The next verse 28 reads: “So also Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

The proverb says: A wise person thinks about the end, that is, death. But it is not enough to think about death, we must also think about eternity, which can be either happy or unhappy. The condition for a happy eternity is to keep our faith in Jesus Christ, because the Scripture says: Whoever believes in Him will be saved. The best preparation for death and eternity is through an act of perfect contrition. This consists in admitting your sinfulness to yourself and to God, looking with faith at the cross of Jesus, and calling on His name.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

In this chapter, the Apostle Paul addresses the question of human and divine wisdom. He writes: “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the word preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Cor 1:20-25)