When Defense is Offensive

<p>Watching basketball during the playoffs is a lot of fun.  I do enjoy the great offensive plays, the trick shots and the no look passing leading to great baskets and shimmies. But spending some time with my son in law and hearing him talk about the game, I see the importance of having a great defense.  Draymond Green is brilliant at defense. And that leads to wins!</p><p>The same is true with Jesus, when I see his defense before pilot, which leads to victory over the devil!</p><p>Read Text</p><p>The obvious question is: Why the repetition?</p><p>The Answer lies in the opening verses of the account:</p><ol><li>The apostles and the brothers and sisters had heard about how the Gentiles had received the Word of God. As had they and the folks in Samaria when Peter and John went to them</li><li>It is those of the circumcision who criticize Peter for entering the house and eating with Gentiles</li><li>The messianic movement did not see following Jesus as a separate religion!</li><li>They do not see how their zeal for God should be minimized by association with Idol worshippers.</li><li>They are not against Gentiles becoming a part of the Jewish community and sharing in all the benefits of believing in the Messiah</li><li>They are against diluting their status as those who hold fast to the law God gave and the fear of the lord as in the one true God.  The status of the Gentiles has not yet been determined. In their minds, they should be circumcised, thought the Torah, and keep the festivals and traditions. <strong>“For a Jew to eat without attending to ritual purity or to dietary regulations meant loss of identity, for the entire rationale for such regulations was the “holiness”, that is the separateness, of this people, based on the commandments of God.” </strong>– Luke Johnson this is a major problem to them – one we will continue to see battled out in the books of the New Testament.</li><li>Peter’s defense</li><li>The sequence of events that were orchestrated by God</li><li>Two visions given in separate locations to