What is a rhẽma word?… and are you ready? (Nurture Notes 003)
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Welcome to this week’s Nurture Note as we continue our exploration of Luke’s gospel. If you missed last week’s where we broke down chapter one, you can click here.
I can’t proclaim to be a historian and know the significance of Caesar's reign, Pilate’s governance, or Annas and Caiaphas' high-priesthood during the time which Luke 3 refers to, but what I do know is that God found John in the wilderness and gave him a word for that very time and that very season. In that statement alone, there is so much to unpack. And so, let’s begin…
“During the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” (Luke 2:2)
The greek word for ‘word’ here is ‘rhẽma’ which means ‘an utterance by implication a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute).
As many of you will know, the greek word ‘Logos’ on the other hand - like we see in John 1 (“In the beginning was the word…”), refers to the whole of scripture and often even refers to Jesus himself.
This ‘rhẽma’ though is essentially ‘a word in season’ - something for such a time as this, if you will.
So, John has received this seasonal word, and before we look at why or what he does with it, let’s look at where he was when it was received - the wilderness.
I wonder what sort of words and connotations come up for you personally when you think of the idea of the wilderness? When you think back over your own wilderness seasons, even - are those memories met with joy or with misery? Perhaps it’s actually a mix of both! Often looked at through more of a negative light than a positive one, the wilderness represents waiting. Perhaps hiding for some and even isolation or darkness for others.
While we all may have our own individual take on what the wilderness and its connotations mean for us, something we can’t escape is the fact that it’s a place of preparation. The wilderness is where Jesus himself, for example, spent 40 days and 40 nights being prepared in a number of ways before he began his public ministry.
If the wilderness looks like preparation and pruning, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s also largely about abiding - abiding in God’s presence as he prepares our hearts and mind for what’s next.
This abiding for John not only led to a sense of knowing when God was speaking and therefore acknowledging exactly when to move and when to stay put, but it also led to God’s authority being clearly with, in and on him as he went about doing what it was he was called to do.
The people looked to him for guidance (see verse 10)
And they also waited on his words and actions with expectation - even to the point of believing John to be Jesus at one point, which John swiftly corrected! (See verse 15)
Does moving into action when you know who you’re being moved by and what you’re being moved for come easier for you when you know that God’s in control. How does it feel when the opposite is the case? And what do you do to prevent yourself from getting there?
Just as we began with particular historical context, so too do we end there as from verse 23-37 we read Jesus’ genealogy.
We each have a part to play in what it means to prepare the way for Jesus, and just like there was for John, there’s significance in ‘such a time as this’ (remember Esther 4:14!) This chapter in Luke quite literally prepares the way for Jesus as the genealogy at the end of it ends with the son of God, which is who we’ll pick up with next week.
As ever, we’re exploring these concepts more deeply as we dwell on the passage with daily journal prompts, a private podcast and a group chat over in Rooted Rhythms. Not a member yet? Why not?! There’s so much for you to sink your teeth into - not in a way which means you’re doing more, instead, in a way which means you’re more grounded and available for growth. Click HERE to learn more. I’d love to see you on the inside.
Over in Rooted Rhythms, which is my member’s only space where we continue to chew over the week’s passage with daily journal prompts, a private podcast and an exclusive group chat community, we’re going to be exploring obedience, repentance, identity and legacy through Luke 3. To become a member for just £7 ($9.50) a month, click HERE.
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