Fox Street Church of God

John 20:22 can be a hard thing to understand.  Why?  Well, when you see this, we see Jesus imparting the Holy Spirit.  This can be quite confusing.  We often celebrate the Book of Acts and the Day of Pentecost as the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.  We are not wrong in either assumption, but we are wrong in the form of the baptism.  There is a reason why we get the story of Doubting Thomas immediately after this comment. 

This is a very popular portion of Old Testament Scripture that is wildly celebrated as “END OF THE WORLD” events.  Indeed, it is a very ugly picture.  However, I think Joel is promoting as more a blessing than a curse!  I purposely boldfaced two areas of Joel that are intriguing.  The mention of a valley name Jehoshaphat, also known as the Valley of Decision.  Now, if you were to read the word “Jehoshaphat” in Hebrew it is interpreted is as “Yahweh judges”.  This is significant and I am about to tell you why!

So, what’s up with the palm branches?

Take the words of Paul, the life of Jesus and his message of turn the other cheek and to give to people in need.  Now look at the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  Do you see the common thread?  You have the purple robe wearing Pharisees that were well off who did not practice what they preached.  In the area called the court of the Gentiles, Jesus flips over money changer tables, drives out the livestock that were there for purchase and forms a whip out of chords and drove out the “regular business” of the Temple.  Then, Jesus preaches and heals, and meets people deemed too filthy to even go to worship, or people who did not have enough money to pay the Temple tax or buy their sacrifice.  It is by the Beautiful Gate that a beggar meets Peter and John after the day of Pentecost.  Jesus and the disciples used this space for ministry because that was where the people were at who needed help. 

Jesus reasons against worldly accepted and celebrated wisdom.  The Temples and synagogues where not sharing with the poor when people gave their tithes and offerings.  The Temple and synagogues were the focus, and the injustices of the poor were being overlooked.  This story is about the storing up and building bigger and better instead of taking care of the needs around them.