I have recently started to get back into running. Granted, it has been a slow process. My first couple of runs have been eye opening. I've realized my 40 year old body isn't operating like my 30 year old body did. Go figure. I have had to learn that I am going to have to put up with a degree of pain while I am jogging to get to where I want to be physically. It starts with being a little bit out of breath. Then I have to adjust my breathing patterns a little bit. Then there are times when I can feel a cramp in my side coming on. I have to push through that to keep going. There are a variety of aches and pains that I experience along the way. I have found that the key to pushing through all of that is to find an amount of joy in the journey. It doesn't mean that I really enjoy the pain. That would make me...a sicko! Instead I find things about the run (the scenery, the end result, the overall experience) that I can find joy in.
In the Book of James chapter 1 verse 2, James (the half brother of Jesus), writes that we need to "consider it all joy...when you encounter trials". I don't think he wants us to find actually pleasure in the pain we are going through. For instance, if you hear that someone you love has been admitted to the ER, you don't want to be the guy that says "Yippee!!!! How awesome is that?" Because God also says we need to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). I think he is saying, the joy we should find in it is that it will produce character in us and change us more into the likeness of Christ. We should not be happy that bad stuff is happening to us or others but take confidence in the fact that God is doing something in us and through it.
The question is, "What is He doing in us through the bad stuff?" He is producing endurance. Now I want to be careful here because sometimes we can get pretty self centered here. Like "The only reason God made that (whatever the trial is) happen is to produce that inside of me?" The Bible is clear that God is mysterious and that He does as He pleases. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to guess God's motives for things. Just know, that a by product of trials and suffering is endurance (v3). The more you trust God with your circumstances, the more you will develop endurance in life. You won't get there by blaming God or saying "I tried this Christianity thing, and it doesn't work." That's not perseverance. Perseverance is trusting God enough to say "despite my circumstances and despite other people, I will keep trusting You."
If you live like that, if that is your default, the end result is "perfection" (v4). Not that you will be perfect in this life but you will stand strong until you make it to heaven where you will be perfect (v12). Along the way, if you need wisdom in navigating that or knowing how to persevere, you can ask God for help (v5-6). Ask Him for wisdom. When you ask for it, know that God will give it to you. It may not be what you want to hear or the result you wanted but that is a part of trusting God with the outcome.
What bad stuff are you facing this week? What has come your way that is unexpected and excruciatingly difficult? Whatever it is, know that there is the opportunity for joy amidst the angst and worry of facing tough decisions. Know that by trusting God through it, your faith will be stronger and you will persevere.
Pastor Matt
Friday, February 10, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
John 21
You did it! You read all of the way through John in January. Great job! Jesus has just appeared to the disciples for the first time since His crucifixion (Ch20). This would be the second time Jesus appears to them and it is a really interesting meeting. Peter had decided to go fishing (v3). He took some of the disciples with him and they went out at night. It was one of THOSE days. If you have ever been fishing and just sat there without the slightest tug on your fishing line. Only they were using fishing nets, so that they could catch a bunch of fish. Peter has probably gone back to fishing to provide for his family and is taking the others with him. When they get out to sea, they hear a voice "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." The disciples did what they were told and the net almost exploded with fish!
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, made the connection. He remembered when Jesus had told them to do the very same thing and the result was the same (Luke 5:4). Jesus had also told them that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). The result of their fishing expedition? A catch so big they had trouble bringing in the net! The disciples were a part of this Gospel movement Jesus had begun. They would tell the good news of Jesus' life, miracles, death, burial and resurrection to the world and it would be turned upside down! The amount of lives they would impact would be greater than the amount of fish caught that day but it was a picture of the magnitude of the Church.
After John has this realization, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to shore! He is excited to see his friend and Savior! He can't wait to see Jesus face to face. This is probably not the first time Peter has seen Him but he can't wait to spend more time with Him. I love what Jesus says next. "Let's have breakfast." (v12) I LOVE breakfast! Okay, maybe not fish for breakfast but I'm sure it was good. I mean Jesus was able to turn water into wine, multiply the fishes and love, I'm sure He could make a mean Mahi Mahi!
During the breakfast, Jesus asks Peter a question "Simon, do you love me?" I bet that Peter looked down at the fire that was cooking breakfast when Jesus asked this question. I'm confident that he didn't make eye contact with Jesus when He asked him this question. Remember, Peter denied Christ three times. Peter responds, "Yes Lord; You know that I love you." Jesus then responds, "Tend to my lambs". Jesus then asks Peter the same question, TWO MORE TIMES! Peter is not the most patient person on the planet, so he responds on the third time "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." You can sense Peter's frustration. "Look, I know I messed up but You KNOW I love you despite myself!" These three questions, mirror the three denials that Peter gave at the time of Christ's capture. Peter's three denials of Christ were far overshadowed by His commitment to the Gospel and the Christ's church that was about to explode! He would lead the movement fearlessly and would pay the ultimate price for His devotion. Jesus alludes to this in the following verses by saying "when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old...someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Peter would die for His faith.
I love Peter's story because it reminds us, that no matter how badly we fail, regardless of the circumstances behind our sin, there is always hope. There is always room for God to use us as broken people. Let's be honest, it is all that God has to choose from...broken people. Just know that God is the God of the comeback. Jesus was tortured and crucified as a criminal. He then came back from the dead victorious. COMEBACK! The church is then persecuted and oppressed. Disciples are killed and imprisoned. The church then explodes in growth. COMEBACK! God is the God of second chances and the God of hope. Remember that today.
COOL FACTS:
History tells us that Peter was crucified upside down, per his request, because he felt unworthy to die the way Jesus did. What a devoted follower of Jesus. Even after a huge failure like his denial, he was able to have hope in Christ and help build the church and be an active player in changing history! What a comeback!
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, made the connection. He remembered when Jesus had told them to do the very same thing and the result was the same (Luke 5:4). Jesus had also told them that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). The result of their fishing expedition? A catch so big they had trouble bringing in the net! The disciples were a part of this Gospel movement Jesus had begun. They would tell the good news of Jesus' life, miracles, death, burial and resurrection to the world and it would be turned upside down! The amount of lives they would impact would be greater than the amount of fish caught that day but it was a picture of the magnitude of the Church.
After John has this realization, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to shore! He is excited to see his friend and Savior! He can't wait to see Jesus face to face. This is probably not the first time Peter has seen Him but he can't wait to spend more time with Him. I love what Jesus says next. "Let's have breakfast." (v12) I LOVE breakfast! Okay, maybe not fish for breakfast but I'm sure it was good. I mean Jesus was able to turn water into wine, multiply the fishes and love, I'm sure He could make a mean Mahi Mahi!
During the breakfast, Jesus asks Peter a question "Simon, do you love me?" I bet that Peter looked down at the fire that was cooking breakfast when Jesus asked this question. I'm confident that he didn't make eye contact with Jesus when He asked him this question. Remember, Peter denied Christ three times. Peter responds, "Yes Lord; You know that I love you." Jesus then responds, "Tend to my lambs". Jesus then asks Peter the same question, TWO MORE TIMES! Peter is not the most patient person on the planet, so he responds on the third time "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." You can sense Peter's frustration. "Look, I know I messed up but You KNOW I love you despite myself!" These three questions, mirror the three denials that Peter gave at the time of Christ's capture. Peter's three denials of Christ were far overshadowed by His commitment to the Gospel and the Christ's church that was about to explode! He would lead the movement fearlessly and would pay the ultimate price for His devotion. Jesus alludes to this in the following verses by saying "when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old...someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Peter would die for His faith.
I love Peter's story because it reminds us, that no matter how badly we fail, regardless of the circumstances behind our sin, there is always hope. There is always room for God to use us as broken people. Let's be honest, it is all that God has to choose from...broken people. Just know that God is the God of the comeback. Jesus was tortured and crucified as a criminal. He then came back from the dead victorious. COMEBACK! The church is then persecuted and oppressed. Disciples are killed and imprisoned. The church then explodes in growth. COMEBACK! God is the God of second chances and the God of hope. Remember that today.
COOL FACTS:
History tells us that Peter was crucified upside down, per his request, because he felt unworthy to die the way Jesus did. What a devoted follower of Jesus. Even after a huge failure like his denial, he was able to have hope in Christ and help build the church and be an active player in changing history! What a comeback!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
John 20
Have you ever had something really bad happen to you and then the day or a few days after, you ask yourself the question "Did that really happen?" For some reason the event is so bad that it is unbelievable that it actually happened. It is sometimes mind boggling. I'm pretty sure the disciples felt this way. After years of following Jesus and watching Him perform miracles and debate the Pharisees, it seemed to all end in an instant. The movement that Jesus had started seemed to have come to a screeching halt and now it was time to pick up the pieces and go back to life as it was before Jesus. Only now they were living in fear of the powers that be.
It was in this aftermath that Mary Magdalene, someone who had benefited from the ministry of Jesus, came to the tomb to visit. She probably came only to be close to the One whom she had grown to love so much. It was the beginning of the week. It was Sunday. It was time for a new beginning. When Mary came to the tomb, she saw that the stone had been rolled away and it was empty!!! She ran to Peter and the rest of the disciples to tell them what she saw. Mary does not yet fully understand what is happening. There does seem to be some speculation that the body had been stolen and so Mary is not yet celebrating.
When Peter and "the other disciple" run to the tomb, the find that Mary is telling the truth. They also find the linen wrappings that contained Jesus, neatly folded and placed in the tomb. Something that would not have happened if thieves had stolen the body in a hurry. They would be scattered everywhere. The other disciples leave and Mary stays behind. She then goes into the tomb and talks to angels who are there. They comfort her, and tell her that Jesus has risen from the dead.
While in the tomb, Mary talks with Jesus. Another interesting part of this story is that Mary doesn't recognize Him. The text doesn't specifically say why. It could be that she is so grief stricken about His death that she doesn't recognize Him. It could be that it is Christ's glorified body, His resurrection body, that He looks very different. The passage doesn't say. But it is only when Jesus calls her name that she recognizes Him! That is true of all of us. Until Jesus calls our name, we don't respond to Him. Until He calls us to Himself we will remain in the dark and far from God (John 10:3).
News travels fast! Especially when you friend comes back from the dead! Mary tells the disciples. But it is hard to take the word of one person on something that miraculous. Jesus knew this. So at a time when the disciples were hiding for fear of their lives (v19), Jesus appeared to them and then to Thomas and then to many of His disciples outside of the twelve. With the doors locked and everyone cowering in fear, Jesus appeared among them. He showed them His pierced side and hands, verifying that it was really Him and that He had come back from the dead. It was also to prove He wasn't a ghost or some sort of apparition.
Jesus then gives the disciples a great gift: the presence of the Holy Spirit. It says that Jesus breathed on the disciples. Don't worry, Jesus' breathe probably smelled like mints and lilacs! He was Jesus after all. But it is significant because it reminds us of Genesis where God breathed life into Adam. The word for Spirit there is also pneuma which carries the implication of breathe or God's breathing life.
This act was to temporarily prepare the disciples for the job ahead of them. Jesus was alive! The movement had survived! The church was about to explode!
Cool Facts:
In other Gospels, it is said that seven demons were exorcised from Mary Magdalene. She was so in love with Jesus because she had saved from such a desperate situation (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2).
In verse 2 it says that Mary ran to "Peter and to the other disciples". It is significant that Peter is mentioned first. Remember, he denied Christ three times and was probably impacted the most.
In verse 31, the purpose of this Gospel is stated. "but these have been written so that you may belive that Jesus is the Christ."
Friday, January 27, 2012
John 19
Have you ever been bullied? Jesus knows just how you feel. You know what's funny about bullying? Nothing really. Its terrible! People in position of power pushing people around that don't have power. It's pretty cowardly. The awful thing about bullying is that it doesn't necessarily end when you get out of school. There are adults who have never really grown up. Bullying is an epidemic problem. Jesus willingly submitted Himself...to bullies. A terrifying thought. The Son of God knew that the only way to pay the penalty for sin, to clear us of judgment from it was to put Himself in the hands of cruel, Godless men.
In verses 1-3 it says that He was scourged. There were 3 types of scourging that a prisoner could experience. If it were a light crime, it would be beaten lightly. This was for petty crimes. The second form was a little more severe and the third was brutal. Apparently, at this time He received the first or second form and after His sentencing He experienced the third! I won't go into the gory details of it but if you watch the Passion of the Christ, you'll get the picture. Not only that but they mocked Him! They put a crown of thorns on His head, because He said He was a king, and a purple robe and mockingly honored Him as king. How humiliating!!!
Even after all of this, Pilate finds him not guilty AGAIN! (v6) He had done the same thing in John 18:38. Jesus, who was completely innocent of sin much less, any crime was abused and then taken to die. Just know that if you are at school, at work or wherever you are and you are being mistreated and you've done nothing to bring that on, Jesus knows how you feel.
After this ridiculous abuse of authority, and they had made a mockery of their own judicial system, they took Jesus to the cross. It says in Luke that Jesus carries His own cross to the place where He would be crucified. It was typical to make the prisoner carry His own beam. It was so heavy that at one point another man steps in to carry it for Him (Simon of Cyrene). When He arrives to Golgotha (literally "place of the skull") He is nailed to a cross and was left there to die. Typically prisoners would not die from blood loss or the injuries inflicted but suffocation from their lungs filling with fluid. It was a painful and slow death. While on the cross, in typical Jesus fashion, He thinks of others. He talks to His mother and says "Woman, behold, your son!" Mary must have been in utter anguish. Losing your son is terrible but losing Him the way Mary did was unthinkable. Jesus, thinking of her made sure she was taken care of. He then tells His close friend, "Behold, your mother!" Being a woman that was alone in this culture was a very hard thing. Jesus took care of her.
Jesus then dies on the cross. Before He does He cries "IT IS FINISHED!" His work on this earth had been successfully completed. He had lived a perfect life, started a movement known as "The Kingdom", poured into the lives of the 12, performed miracles to authenticate His deity and now He had paid the ultimate price for our sin and separation from God and would conquer death and the power of sin. WOW!!! What an amazing Savior we have! What a loving God and a merciful God we serve that He would go through hell to give us heaven and glorify the Father!
COOL FACTS:
In verse 12 the Jewish authorities were trying to get Jesus arrested for treason. They couldn't get Him for anything else. The angle they took was to say to the Roman authorities "Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." They also said in verse 15,“We have no king but Caesar.”The irony in the statement is that they hated the Romans!
Not only that but when Pilate had a sign created to be put on the cross "King of the Jews" they objected. They wanted it to say "He thought He was king". But Pilate wouldn't allow it.
In verses 1-3 it says that He was scourged. There were 3 types of scourging that a prisoner could experience. If it were a light crime, it would be beaten lightly. This was for petty crimes. The second form was a little more severe and the third was brutal. Apparently, at this time He received the first or second form and after His sentencing He experienced the third! I won't go into the gory details of it but if you watch the Passion of the Christ, you'll get the picture. Not only that but they mocked Him! They put a crown of thorns on His head, because He said He was a king, and a purple robe and mockingly honored Him as king. How humiliating!!!
Even after all of this, Pilate finds him not guilty AGAIN! (v6) He had done the same thing in John 18:38. Jesus, who was completely innocent of sin much less, any crime was abused and then taken to die. Just know that if you are at school, at work or wherever you are and you are being mistreated and you've done nothing to bring that on, Jesus knows how you feel.
After this ridiculous abuse of authority, and they had made a mockery of their own judicial system, they took Jesus to the cross. It says in Luke that Jesus carries His own cross to the place where He would be crucified. It was typical to make the prisoner carry His own beam. It was so heavy that at one point another man steps in to carry it for Him (Simon of Cyrene). When He arrives to Golgotha (literally "place of the skull") He is nailed to a cross and was left there to die. Typically prisoners would not die from blood loss or the injuries inflicted but suffocation from their lungs filling with fluid. It was a painful and slow death. While on the cross, in typical Jesus fashion, He thinks of others. He talks to His mother and says "Woman, behold, your son!" Mary must have been in utter anguish. Losing your son is terrible but losing Him the way Mary did was unthinkable. Jesus, thinking of her made sure she was taken care of. He then tells His close friend, "Behold, your mother!" Being a woman that was alone in this culture was a very hard thing. Jesus took care of her.
Jesus then dies on the cross. Before He does He cries "IT IS FINISHED!" His work on this earth had been successfully completed. He had lived a perfect life, started a movement known as "The Kingdom", poured into the lives of the 12, performed miracles to authenticate His deity and now He had paid the ultimate price for our sin and separation from God and would conquer death and the power of sin. WOW!!! What an amazing Savior we have! What a loving God and a merciful God we serve that He would go through hell to give us heaven and glorify the Father!
COOL FACTS:
In verse 12 the Jewish authorities were trying to get Jesus arrested for treason. They couldn't get Him for anything else. The angle they took was to say to the Roman authorities "Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." They also said in verse 15,“We have no king but Caesar.”The irony in the statement is that they hated the Romans!
Not only that but when Pilate had a sign created to be put on the cross "King of the Jews" they objected. They wanted it to say "He thought He was king". But Pilate wouldn't allow it.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
John 18
Have you ever been backstabbed? Has anyone ever talked about you behind your back? Have you ever had someone who you thought was a friend, betray you? Jesus knows exactly how you feel! In this chapter, Jesus is delivered into the hands of Roman soldiers by someone who had followed Him, befriended Him and been a part of the movement that Jesus started. If you have been tracking with us, you'll see that Jesus knew this all along and in the last chapter, gave Judas permission to go and do what he had plotted and schemed to do. “What you do, do quickly.”(John 13:27).
Jesus is then kissed on the cheek by this traitor (a sign of respect/ customary greeting). Jesus, even in this moment doesn't lose His cool “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48). Judas was so close to Jesus that he knew where to go when the soldiers wanted to find Him.
"Judas...knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples."(John 18:2) Peter, being...well...Peter, takes his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest's slave. This act will actually come back to bite him later when he is recognized by a relative of this person in the courtyard. What Peter didn't understand, is that this was God's will. Jesus had explained this in previous chapters but apparently he was checking his iphone.
The guards then seize Jesus, the disciples flee and He is delivered into the hands of the Jewish officials. Jesus had been sold out by one of His own for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. The movement, seemingly, had been stopped and all of His followers had deserted Him. The Kingdom had been crushed before it ever really got started. In later chapters, it is written that Judas was in such despair that he hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). Apparently he had realized, all too late, what he had done and the scope of his greed.
Not only was Jesus betrayed in this moment but one of His avid followers, one who promised never to leave His side, denied Him three times (v17,v25,v27). As a matter of fact, it says in other passages that a relative of Malchus (slave with detachable ear) recognized him. Peter not only denies Jesus but he curses to make his point (Mark 14:71). This too was not a surprise to Jesus since He had already told Peter it would happen when a rooster crows three times (John 13:38).
I'll be honest with you. This chapter is DEPRESSING!!! I could keep going with the officials slapping Jesus in the face, mocking Him by asking if He was "King of the Jews" and even choosing a low life criminal to be released instead of Him. He had been betrayed by a friend, deserted by the disciples and now is on trial for treason. His movement seems to be a failed experiment.
Ugh. How do you get over something like that? How can you endure betrayal on that level? Jesus was resolute in His focus. He never took His eyes off of the Father. Even in His darkest moments, He keeps His eyes on the prize. When asked if He is a king, Jesus responds "Yes but not the kind you are thinking, otherwise it would be on like Donkey Kong!!!" Okay, I paraphrased the King of Kings. Sorry. He goes on to say, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”Pilate's response? "What is truth?" Great question right? Also, very revealing of Pilate's heart. Jesus just said if you are mine you recognize truth. Pilate essentially says, "I don't know you." However, at the same time he says "I find no guilt in Him." Wow! Jesus is faithful and true till the very end.
Cool Facts:
When the servants ear is cut off at His capture, Jesus puts His ear back on. COOL! Luke 22:51
A theologian once noted, that Peter's denials was the result of the following things:
overconfidence Mark 14:29,31; Prayerlessness Mark 14:37, 40-41; not listening to Christ Mark 14:47/ Luke 22:49-51; associating with the wrong crowd Mark 14:54; reverting to old habits Mark 14:71; then denial v71. (Ryrie)
Jesus is then kissed on the cheek by this traitor (a sign of respect/ customary greeting). Jesus, even in this moment doesn't lose His cool “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48). Judas was so close to Jesus that he knew where to go when the soldiers wanted to find Him.
"Judas...knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples."(John 18:2) Peter, being...well...Peter, takes his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest's slave. This act will actually come back to bite him later when he is recognized by a relative of this person in the courtyard. What Peter didn't understand, is that this was God's will. Jesus had explained this in previous chapters but apparently he was checking his iphone.
The guards then seize Jesus, the disciples flee and He is delivered into the hands of the Jewish officials. Jesus had been sold out by one of His own for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. The movement, seemingly, had been stopped and all of His followers had deserted Him. The Kingdom had been crushed before it ever really got started. In later chapters, it is written that Judas was in such despair that he hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). Apparently he had realized, all too late, what he had done and the scope of his greed.
Not only was Jesus betrayed in this moment but one of His avid followers, one who promised never to leave His side, denied Him three times (v17,v25,v27). As a matter of fact, it says in other passages that a relative of Malchus (slave with detachable ear) recognized him. Peter not only denies Jesus but he curses to make his point (Mark 14:71). This too was not a surprise to Jesus since He had already told Peter it would happen when a rooster crows three times (John 13:38).
I'll be honest with you. This chapter is DEPRESSING!!! I could keep going with the officials slapping Jesus in the face, mocking Him by asking if He was "King of the Jews" and even choosing a low life criminal to be released instead of Him. He had been betrayed by a friend, deserted by the disciples and now is on trial for treason. His movement seems to be a failed experiment.
Ugh. How do you get over something like that? How can you endure betrayal on that level? Jesus was resolute in His focus. He never took His eyes off of the Father. Even in His darkest moments, He keeps His eyes on the prize. When asked if He is a king, Jesus responds "Yes but not the kind you are thinking, otherwise it would be on like Donkey Kong!!!" Okay, I paraphrased the King of Kings. Sorry. He goes on to say, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”Pilate's response? "What is truth?" Great question right? Also, very revealing of Pilate's heart. Jesus just said if you are mine you recognize truth. Pilate essentially says, "I don't know you." However, at the same time he says "I find no guilt in Him." Wow! Jesus is faithful and true till the very end.
Cool Facts:
When the servants ear is cut off at His capture, Jesus puts His ear back on. COOL! Luke 22:51
A theologian once noted, that Peter's denials was the result of the following things:
overconfidence Mark 14:29,31; Prayerlessness Mark 14:37, 40-41; not listening to Christ Mark 14:47/ Luke 22:49-51; associating with the wrong crowd Mark 14:54; reverting to old habits Mark 14:71; then denial v71. (Ryrie)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
John 17
Welcome back everybody! This is day 17 and chapter 17 of our challenge. If you have made it this far, go ahead and give yourselves a pat on the back AND don't forget to let me know if you are tracking with us. I would love to know how being in the word for these 17days has impacted you.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone who knew they were going to die? It is a pretty somber thing. When you've had those conversations or if you do in the future, you know that those last moments are sacred. The individual that has their end in mind, has a totally different outlook on the world than you or I do. They will talk about the things that are of the utmost importance. Not the weather, latest reality T.V. show or who is going to win the Superbowl. Nope, they will talk about the things that are nearest to their hearts. This is what Jesus is doing in this chapter. The very next chapter in John, Jesus will be betrayed and delivered into the hands of evil men.
Jesus knows this, He even says "the hour has come"! If you remember, in previous chapters Jesus has said "my hour has not yet come." Jesus knows that the time to die for the sins of the world, and to glorify the Father's name through the crucifixion and resurrection, has come. Remember, that Jesus is not surprised by this act of treason, He is not a victim but that He willingly lays down His life for His people and He does it with joy (John 10:11-15; John 15:13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 3:16). This one act will give eternal life for all of those who believe and a close relationship with God (v2-3).
I love the following verses in this chapter. Jesus, knowing He is going to the cross (a fate that is reserved for murderers, thieves and insurrectionists), prays for His disciples. He is others focused! He shows that He is thankful for their belief in Him (v6-8) and that they would stay in God's name (v11). Jesus repeatedly in this chapter asks God to keep them from "the evil one" or to remain in God's will. To accomplish this, He isn't asking that they be isolated from people that aren't Christ followers or to treat those people as less than human, He asks that they stay "in the world but not of it" (v15). He wants His followers to be people of the truth but also relational and loving toward the outside world. He asks this not only of His 12 but also on behalf of all of those who will follow Him afterwards (v20).
This is a great reminder that God wants a few things from us when we follow Jesus. He wants us to be people of the truth. The truth is what God has given us in Scripture. It is not just knowing a bunch of facts about the Bible or storing up knowledge for the purpose of knowing it BUT instead it is knowing and living it out (James 1:22). It doesn't just end there though. If you are someone who lives out the truth in Scripture, you will want to be around those who don't know Him. Not for the purpose of condemning them, not for the purpose of showing everyone what a good person you are but because you love them and want them to know the same joy that you know. Pretty cool that Jesus has this in mind in His final moments right? How are you doing in being person in the world but not of it?
Cool Facts:
The concept of "my hour has not yet come" appears several times before this chapter in John (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 16:32).
Jesus mentions in v5 that He wants the Father and Himself to be glorified in the same manner that they were before the existence of the world. This shows that Jesus existed before His earthly ministry here and that He existed before the world even began (Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Peter 1:20)!
Have you ever had a conversation with someone who knew they were going to die? It is a pretty somber thing. When you've had those conversations or if you do in the future, you know that those last moments are sacred. The individual that has their end in mind, has a totally different outlook on the world than you or I do. They will talk about the things that are of the utmost importance. Not the weather, latest reality T.V. show or who is going to win the Superbowl. Nope, they will talk about the things that are nearest to their hearts. This is what Jesus is doing in this chapter. The very next chapter in John, Jesus will be betrayed and delivered into the hands of evil men.
Jesus knows this, He even says "the hour has come"! If you remember, in previous chapters Jesus has said "my hour has not yet come." Jesus knows that the time to die for the sins of the world, and to glorify the Father's name through the crucifixion and resurrection, has come. Remember, that Jesus is not surprised by this act of treason, He is not a victim but that He willingly lays down His life for His people and He does it with joy (John 10:11-15; John 15:13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 3:16). This one act will give eternal life for all of those who believe and a close relationship with God (v2-3).
I love the following verses in this chapter. Jesus, knowing He is going to the cross (a fate that is reserved for murderers, thieves and insurrectionists), prays for His disciples. He is others focused! He shows that He is thankful for their belief in Him (v6-8) and that they would stay in God's name (v11). Jesus repeatedly in this chapter asks God to keep them from "the evil one" or to remain in God's will. To accomplish this, He isn't asking that they be isolated from people that aren't Christ followers or to treat those people as less than human, He asks that they stay "in the world but not of it" (v15). He wants His followers to be people of the truth but also relational and loving toward the outside world. He asks this not only of His 12 but also on behalf of all of those who will follow Him afterwards (v20).
This is a great reminder that God wants a few things from us when we follow Jesus. He wants us to be people of the truth. The truth is what God has given us in Scripture. It is not just knowing a bunch of facts about the Bible or storing up knowledge for the purpose of knowing it BUT instead it is knowing and living it out (James 1:22). It doesn't just end there though. If you are someone who lives out the truth in Scripture, you will want to be around those who don't know Him. Not for the purpose of condemning them, not for the purpose of showing everyone what a good person you are but because you love them and want them to know the same joy that you know. Pretty cool that Jesus has this in mind in His final moments right? How are you doing in being person in the world but not of it?
Cool Facts:
The concept of "my hour has not yet come" appears several times before this chapter in John (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 16:32).
Jesus mentions in v5 that He wants the Father and Himself to be glorified in the same manner that they were before the existence of the world. This shows that Jesus existed before His earthly ministry here and that He existed before the world even began (Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Peter 1:20)!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
John 16
Good mornin! Thanks for keeping up the good work! Today is John 16 and Jesus continues His discussion with His friends about His departure. If you read through the chapters 14 till now you'll realized Jesus has started this discussion about how He will die. They seem to really struggle with this news, and rightfully so, due to their expectations about what Christ's Kingdom would look like.
You see their version of victory and success was totally different that the one Jesus was telling them about. They had no idea that Jesus was going to die this way and thought they maybe His ministry would end with Him as King and the Roman rulers bowing at His feet. But that wasn't the type of kingdom Jesus was leading. His Kingdom was a revolt against dead religion, point earning and judging others. His Kingdom was one of grace and mercy but also obedience. His death on the cross was necessary to put God's plan into action.
This Kingdom comes at a price though. Not only Christ's death on the cross but also at the expense of public opinion. Jesus tells them "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God." YIKES!!! Jesus is saying that people at some point in history will say, "I did the right thing, I killed a Christian today!" What? Pretty messed up right?
This really gives me a different perspective on what I would consider "persecution" in my neck O' tha woods. When someone makes a Christian look stupid in the movies, if I get a weird look from someone when I tell them I'm a believer or if the conversation suddenly ends when I tell them that I am a pastor! None of that is real persecution but even then, I can take confidence in the fact that they treated Jesus and the early church in the same way AND it is an honor to experience that for the sake of Christ (James 1:5)!
Jesus mentions something else about this Kingdom and about His death. That His death on the cross accomplishes 3 things through the Holy Spirit. It will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. The sin that is being talked about is the sin of unbelief. Not believing in Jesus Christ is the ultimate sin and must be dealt with. The only way for that to happen is to believe in Jesus. The world will be convicted of righteousness in that they will see that anything they do that is "good" will not stand up against the greatness of Christ's righteousness (or good deeds, pure motives, close relationship with God). Finally the last word there is judgement. That evil will ultimately be dealt with and was dealt with on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross Satan was defeated. The power of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection was so great that Satan has no response (Colossians 2:15). "In the world you have tribulation (trouble) but take courage; for I have overcome the world.
I would like to leave you with this thought, no problem that you are facing right now, is more powerful than Christ. No situation that you are struggling with is too big for the Gospel (good news of Jesus). Go to God in prayer today and ask Him to take control of it. Trust Him through it and your faith will grow stronger!
Cool Fact:
This is one of the chapters that details what is called "the upper room discourse" where Jesus talks about some important facts concerning His death, burial and resurrection. This chapter ends this "discourse" (13:31-16:33).
In verse 25 Jesus says that He has been speaking about His death in riddles and mysterious sayings. He did so to avoid telling the disciples something that just may blow their minds! He was looking out for their well being.
You see their version of victory and success was totally different that the one Jesus was telling them about. They had no idea that Jesus was going to die this way and thought they maybe His ministry would end with Him as King and the Roman rulers bowing at His feet. But that wasn't the type of kingdom Jesus was leading. His Kingdom was a revolt against dead religion, point earning and judging others. His Kingdom was one of grace and mercy but also obedience. His death on the cross was necessary to put God's plan into action.
This Kingdom comes at a price though. Not only Christ's death on the cross but also at the expense of public opinion. Jesus tells them "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God." YIKES!!! Jesus is saying that people at some point in history will say, "I did the right thing, I killed a Christian today!" What? Pretty messed up right?
This really gives me a different perspective on what I would consider "persecution" in my neck O' tha woods. When someone makes a Christian look stupid in the movies, if I get a weird look from someone when I tell them I'm a believer or if the conversation suddenly ends when I tell them that I am a pastor! None of that is real persecution but even then, I can take confidence in the fact that they treated Jesus and the early church in the same way AND it is an honor to experience that for the sake of Christ (James 1:5)!
Jesus mentions something else about this Kingdom and about His death. That His death on the cross accomplishes 3 things through the Holy Spirit. It will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. The sin that is being talked about is the sin of unbelief. Not believing in Jesus Christ is the ultimate sin and must be dealt with. The only way for that to happen is to believe in Jesus. The world will be convicted of righteousness in that they will see that anything they do that is "good" will not stand up against the greatness of Christ's righteousness (or good deeds, pure motives, close relationship with God). Finally the last word there is judgement. That evil will ultimately be dealt with and was dealt with on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross Satan was defeated. The power of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection was so great that Satan has no response (Colossians 2:15). "In the world you have tribulation (trouble) but take courage; for I have overcome the world.
I would like to leave you with this thought, no problem that you are facing right now, is more powerful than Christ. No situation that you are struggling with is too big for the Gospel (good news of Jesus). Go to God in prayer today and ask Him to take control of it. Trust Him through it and your faith will grow stronger!
Cool Fact:
This is one of the chapters that details what is called "the upper room discourse" where Jesus talks about some important facts concerning His death, burial and resurrection. This chapter ends this "discourse" (13:31-16:33).
In verse 25 Jesus says that He has been speaking about His death in riddles and mysterious sayings. He did so to avoid telling the disciples something that just may blow their minds! He was looking out for their well being.
Monday, January 23, 2012
John 15
Thanks for hanging with us through this experiment. You are doing great! We have made it to day 15 and you are going strong. Way to go! Speaking of keeping with it, Jesus continues the "upper room discourse" or conversation with His disciples about some really important things before He gives up His life to save the world. Since He is about to leave His tight knit group, He gives them a reminder about something that is of vital importance. Their very existence as a movement, as a group , depends on this passage. Did I mention it was important?
Jesus tells them "I am the true vine,". I know, you are saying "Woooo that does sound important!" Maybe not to us but in an environment where your lively hood depends on agriculture, you might change your tune. The vine supplies all of the nutrients and food that the branches need to survive. If a branch is separated from the vine, it will die and there will be no fruit as a result. The result for you? No food. Hunger or even starvation. Not a good thing.
Jesus is telling His people that He is about to be taken away, if they flee and abandon the movement that He has started (ie the Kingdom), they will be separating themselves from the vine. The result? No fruit and spiritual starvation. Their lives will bear fruit if they stay true to the things that Christ has taught them. They will not if they don't.
Your life should bear fruit if you are in Christ. In other words, you should be involved in loving others the way Jesus did. You should be serving others in some way, hanging out with those who don't know Jesus and telling them about Him. Helping the helpless. Giving of your time and resources. All of these things are fruit. How does your life look in view of that?
Cool Facts
If someone is angry at the message of grace that the Bible talks about, Jesus reminds us in this passage that they didn't like His message either. It is a reminder of earlier passages where it is prophesied about (Psalm 69:4).
Jesus tells them "I am the true vine,". I know, you are saying "Woooo that does sound important!" Maybe not to us but in an environment where your lively hood depends on agriculture, you might change your tune. The vine supplies all of the nutrients and food that the branches need to survive. If a branch is separated from the vine, it will die and there will be no fruit as a result. The result for you? No food. Hunger or even starvation. Not a good thing.
Jesus is telling His people that He is about to be taken away, if they flee and abandon the movement that He has started (ie the Kingdom), they will be separating themselves from the vine. The result? No fruit and spiritual starvation. Their lives will bear fruit if they stay true to the things that Christ has taught them. They will not if they don't.
Your life should bear fruit if you are in Christ. In other words, you should be involved in loving others the way Jesus did. You should be serving others in some way, hanging out with those who don't know Jesus and telling them about Him. Helping the helpless. Giving of your time and resources. All of these things are fruit. How does your life look in view of that?
Cool Facts
If someone is angry at the message of grace that the Bible talks about, Jesus reminds us in this passage that they didn't like His message either. It is a reminder of earlier passages where it is prophesied about (Psalm 69:4).
John 14
Hey everybody! Let's dive into John 14. Jesus is still in a conversation with His disciples in a section of John that is often referred to as "The Upper Room Discourse". It is where Jesus is sharing some of His most heart felt moments with a group of people that He has come to know and love. Part of this discussion is centered around heaven. Christ is talking about preparing "many rooms" in "My Father's house". He is essentially saying, "I'm going to Heaven and I am preparing a space for you guys." I love what He says at the end of verse 3 "that where I am, there you may also be." How comforting is that?! Jesus also promises us and the disciples at the end of Matthew 28 "I am with you always, eve to the end of the age." You are never alone. You are never going to be without the presence of Christ. He is with you in your darkest moments and in the times when others reject you. Great reminder!
Part of that promise also includes the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. In verse 16 He tells His disciples "He (the Father) will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;" The Holy Spirit is describe as a Helper (v16), Counselor and the Spirit of Truth (v17). He helps us move toward the things of God and acts as your "conscience" by bringing things to mind that you should do (v26), reminding of things in the Bible and helping us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27) when we don't know how to pray.
Jesus Himself also is with us but also within us. Colossians 1:27 says "God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." It is great to know that we are never alone. That gives us peace (v27)! It gives us direction (v4)! And it gives us purpose in this life (v21).
Cool Facts:
This chapter in John is frequently used to describe the presence of the Trinity. God is one but He is also in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). See also v7; v11; v16.
Part of that promise also includes the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. In verse 16 He tells His disciples "He (the Father) will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;" The Holy Spirit is describe as a Helper (v16), Counselor and the Spirit of Truth (v17). He helps us move toward the things of God and acts as your "conscience" by bringing things to mind that you should do (v26), reminding of things in the Bible and helping us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27) when we don't know how to pray.
Jesus Himself also is with us but also within us. Colossians 1:27 says "God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." It is great to know that we are never alone. That gives us peace (v27)! It gives us direction (v4)! And it gives us purpose in this life (v21).
Cool Facts:
This chapter in John is frequently used to describe the presence of the Trinity. God is one but He is also in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). See also v7; v11; v16.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
John 13
Here we go! John 13 is today's devo. Jesus is with His disciples celebrating "Passover"or a holiday that celebrating a time in Israel's history where death "passed over" the Israelites in Egypt. It was also a time that was near the capture of Christ before His crucifixion. So these are some of the final moments that Jesus has with those who are close to Him and have had a front row seat to His ministry. Judas was one of those people. He had seen everything! He had witnessed every healing, seen the water turned into wine, heard Christ defense against the Pharisees and knew Jesus personally. Yet, he was stealing from the treasury and it goes a step further in this passage by saying the devil had "already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot...to betray Him." (v2, v27) You see, you can spend a lot of time around other Christians, around Christ Himself and still have selfish motivations and not be a true Christ follower.
It is interesting that someone so close to Jesus would betray Him. But if you think about the life of Judas, it starts to make a little bit of sense. It is obvious that he is not a part of movement that Jesus has started and that he has selfish motivations. That being said, he has already given the devil an opportunity to gain footing in his life. He has given into temptation time and time again, thinking he is pretty clever, and it has caught up with him. The Bible calls that "giving Satan a foothold" in your life (Ephesians 4:27). It could be something small initially but if it isn't dealt with, it will snowball into something BIG. This is what happens to Judas. He has been betraying Christ all along but only now has it come to this. His conscience is dead and his focus is off (1 Tim 4:2).
However, Christ begins to serve His disciples, despite the pain of knowing He will be betrayed. Can you imagine? The Son of God washing the filthy feet of these men who are imperfect. The King is serving the servants (Matthew 20:28)! Jesus is setting an example for us of how to treat one another. To have an attitude of service (v14). Peter, thinking that he is going to score some extra points on his disciple test, says "Never shall you wash my feet!" I can see Peter thinking, "This will 'WOW' Jesus. Maybe He will forget about the other times that I've blown it." Jesus tells Peter "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." I can almost hear Peter under his breath "DANG IT!!!" Jesus is making a point. Once you have trusted in Jesus, there will be times when you mess up and you need forgiveness (ie Christ to wash you). But since you have already put your faith in Him, the judgment of sin has already been erased. You will just need to ask forgiveness for that sin not for all sins and the ultimate sin of not trusting in God.
Knowing that this is one of the last meetings He will have with all of His peeps, Jesus reminds them that there is one characteristic that will show others that they are true disciples of His. At this point, He could mention anything. It could be studying God's law, giving their money, helping the poor, debating the Pharisees, healing the blind, jumping the highest or even dart throwing (I don't know I just needed something else on the list). But Jesus didn't say that. Instead He says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (v34-35)
What? Seriously?!! Love? That's it. Don't we all show love for one another in some way without even being a Christian? But if you look at the biblical view of love, you'll see something different than what you normally define as love. Love, according to Scripture it is patient, kind, not jealous, not prideful, not rude, not self seeking, doesn't keep a record of past screw ups...etc. That kind of love stands out. That kind of love sets you apart as Jesus followers. Do you love others like that? Are you standing out?
Cool Facts:
"His hour" or "My hour" is frequently used by Jesus and writers of the Gospel to describe Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It is also used of His return!
It is interesting that someone so close to Jesus would betray Him. But if you think about the life of Judas, it starts to make a little bit of sense. It is obvious that he is not a part of movement that Jesus has started and that he has selfish motivations. That being said, he has already given the devil an opportunity to gain footing in his life. He has given into temptation time and time again, thinking he is pretty clever, and it has caught up with him. The Bible calls that "giving Satan a foothold" in your life (Ephesians 4:27). It could be something small initially but if it isn't dealt with, it will snowball into something BIG. This is what happens to Judas. He has been betraying Christ all along but only now has it come to this. His conscience is dead and his focus is off (1 Tim 4:2).
However, Christ begins to serve His disciples, despite the pain of knowing He will be betrayed. Can you imagine? The Son of God washing the filthy feet of these men who are imperfect. The King is serving the servants (Matthew 20:28)! Jesus is setting an example for us of how to treat one another. To have an attitude of service (v14). Peter, thinking that he is going to score some extra points on his disciple test, says "Never shall you wash my feet!" I can see Peter thinking, "This will 'WOW' Jesus. Maybe He will forget about the other times that I've blown it." Jesus tells Peter "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." I can almost hear Peter under his breath "DANG IT!!!" Jesus is making a point. Once you have trusted in Jesus, there will be times when you mess up and you need forgiveness (ie Christ to wash you). But since you have already put your faith in Him, the judgment of sin has already been erased. You will just need to ask forgiveness for that sin not for all sins and the ultimate sin of not trusting in God.
Knowing that this is one of the last meetings He will have with all of His peeps, Jesus reminds them that there is one characteristic that will show others that they are true disciples of His. At this point, He could mention anything. It could be studying God's law, giving their money, helping the poor, debating the Pharisees, healing the blind, jumping the highest or even dart throwing (I don't know I just needed something else on the list). But Jesus didn't say that. Instead He says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (v34-35)
What? Seriously?!! Love? That's it. Don't we all show love for one another in some way without even being a Christian? But if you look at the biblical view of love, you'll see something different than what you normally define as love. Love, according to Scripture it is patient, kind, not jealous, not prideful, not rude, not self seeking, doesn't keep a record of past screw ups...etc. That kind of love stands out. That kind of love sets you apart as Jesus followers. Do you love others like that? Are you standing out?
Cool Facts:
"His hour" or "My hour" is frequently used by Jesus and writers of the Gospel to describe Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It is also used of His return!
Friday, January 20, 2012
John 12
You're still here!!! Awesome. Keep up the good work. Only nine more days to go and you will have accomplished something great; being in the Word for a full month. Very cool. Today is John 10. Take a look. The thing that stood out to me most in this passage is that there is a comparison being made. The comparison is of a true disciple and a fake one. On one side, we have Mary, a good friend and follower of Jesus. She loves Jesus so much that she cannot contain herself. She goes out and buys the most expensive perfume she can afford and brings it to Jesus. It is about 12 ounces of perfume and it wasn't from the Jerusalem Walmart or anything, it was a perfume that was made from spices and herbs found in India. This was not Justin Bieber perfume, this was like Chanel No 5 quality we are talking about. Okay, I think you get it.
So Mary walks in where Jesus is with his friends, one of whom He just raised from the dead last chapter (Lazarus) and began to pour it on the feet of Jesus! What? Dude, that is some really expensive perfume and you are pouring it on someone's feet? Gross! The reason Mary was doing it was because she loved Jesus and some believe that it was in anticipation of His death. At burial the body would usually be anointed and wrapped with spices. Another reason for her doing this was to acknowledge Christ as King or Lord. In Mark it goes on to say that she also anointed His head which was a symbol of Kingship.
Regardless it was Mary's love for Jesus that drove her to make such a great sacrifice. No doubt she was also grateful for the miraculous act of bringing her brother back to life. Mary worshipped at the feet of Jesus through sacrifice.
The other "disciple" present in the room was Judas. Judas reacts to Jesus in a totally different way. Instead of having a focus on giving, he's thinking about himself. It looks pretty "religious" though. His reaction is this "Why was this perfume not sold...and given to the poor?" Sounds pretty on target right? He is saying "Jesus, this was not right! We could have used that money to help the poor." Now, if his heart was in the right place, we might have something here. But if you continue to read in verse 6 it says, "he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief,". Judas not only betrays Jesus later but he had been doing it all along as His disciple! He was actually stealing from the poor all along and now all of the sudden he is concerned about them?
Jesus had a pretty cool response to all of the shenanigans that took place. That's right...SHENANIGANS!!! He says "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial." His point is, "she knows I am going to die soon, that I will give up My life, let her have this moment of worship!" If you read the rest of the chapter, you'll see that it is focused on the death of Jesus. In verse 23 John writes "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified". In other words, the time is coming for my death. This death will glorify God by paying the penalty for sin, cancelling death, and paving a way for sinners to have a relationship with God. What a great reason to worship at the feet of Jesus!
You see, there is a contrast here. A true disciple of Jesus sacrifices of herself/himself in order to worship Christ. A fake disciple just shows up to where Jesus is to take and gain for herself/himself. Which are you? Are you giving to others so that Christ will be glorified? Are you giving of your time and resources so that the name of Jesus would be known and seen as great? Or are you showing up to church, mission trip, camp, retreat, Bible study and hoping to gain something just for yourself and that's it. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a sin to want to get something out of study, prayer and so on. But it is a sin if it just ends there. It is a sin if you are just doing it to gain someone's approval or make your girlfriend or boyfriend think you are something that you are not.
At the heart of this passage is "are you a true disciple of Jesus?" What will you sacrifice for Him? What lengths will you go to so that His name will be made great?
Cool Facts:
Not only did the authorities of the time want to put Jesus to death but they also wanted to put His followers to death. In verse 10 it says that they wanted to kill Lazarus. Wouldn't Jesus just bring him back to life again? Things that make you go hmmm....
In verse 31 it says that in His death, Jesus would dethrone "the ruler of this world". That ruler is Satan or the Devil. It is interesting that something that looks like defeat, His crucifixion, is in reality a victory for Jesus! His death conquers sin and death and gives life to those who trust in Christ. In that moment, Satan is defeated and holds no power over us (Colossians 2:12-15).
So Mary walks in where Jesus is with his friends, one of whom He just raised from the dead last chapter (Lazarus) and began to pour it on the feet of Jesus! What? Dude, that is some really expensive perfume and you are pouring it on someone's feet? Gross! The reason Mary was doing it was because she loved Jesus and some believe that it was in anticipation of His death. At burial the body would usually be anointed and wrapped with spices. Another reason for her doing this was to acknowledge Christ as King or Lord. In Mark it goes on to say that she also anointed His head which was a symbol of Kingship.
Regardless it was Mary's love for Jesus that drove her to make such a great sacrifice. No doubt she was also grateful for the miraculous act of bringing her brother back to life. Mary worshipped at the feet of Jesus through sacrifice.
The other "disciple" present in the room was Judas. Judas reacts to Jesus in a totally different way. Instead of having a focus on giving, he's thinking about himself. It looks pretty "religious" though. His reaction is this "Why was this perfume not sold...and given to the poor?" Sounds pretty on target right? He is saying "Jesus, this was not right! We could have used that money to help the poor." Now, if his heart was in the right place, we might have something here. But if you continue to read in verse 6 it says, "he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief,". Judas not only betrays Jesus later but he had been doing it all along as His disciple! He was actually stealing from the poor all along and now all of the sudden he is concerned about them?
Jesus had a pretty cool response to all of the shenanigans that took place. That's right...SHENANIGANS!!! He says "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial." His point is, "she knows I am going to die soon, that I will give up My life, let her have this moment of worship!" If you read the rest of the chapter, you'll see that it is focused on the death of Jesus. In verse 23 John writes "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified". In other words, the time is coming for my death. This death will glorify God by paying the penalty for sin, cancelling death, and paving a way for sinners to have a relationship with God. What a great reason to worship at the feet of Jesus!
You see, there is a contrast here. A true disciple of Jesus sacrifices of herself/himself in order to worship Christ. A fake disciple just shows up to where Jesus is to take and gain for herself/himself. Which are you? Are you giving to others so that Christ will be glorified? Are you giving of your time and resources so that the name of Jesus would be known and seen as great? Or are you showing up to church, mission trip, camp, retreat, Bible study and hoping to gain something just for yourself and that's it. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a sin to want to get something out of study, prayer and so on. But it is a sin if it just ends there. It is a sin if you are just doing it to gain someone's approval or make your girlfriend or boyfriend think you are something that you are not.
At the heart of this passage is "are you a true disciple of Jesus?" What will you sacrifice for Him? What lengths will you go to so that His name will be made great?
Cool Facts:
Not only did the authorities of the time want to put Jesus to death but they also wanted to put His followers to death. In verse 10 it says that they wanted to kill Lazarus. Wouldn't Jesus just bring him back to life again? Things that make you go hmmm....
In verse 31 it says that in His death, Jesus would dethrone "the ruler of this world". That ruler is Satan or the Devil. It is interesting that something that looks like defeat, His crucifixion, is in reality a victory for Jesus! His death conquers sin and death and gives life to those who trust in Christ. In that moment, Satan is defeated and holds no power over us (Colossians 2:12-15).
Thursday, January 19, 2012
John 11
Ever had a loved one who was really sick? Maybe it was serious enough that you weren't sure if they were going to make it. Jesus knows exactly what that is like. He lost a friend once. His name was Lazarus. Of course the critical difference between us losing a loved one and Christ losing one is that Jesus has within His power the ability to do something about it.
In John 11 Jesus learns that his bud, Lazarus, is deathly ill. We know that He really cared about this person because Mary and Martha, two other friends of Jesus, sent word saying that "the one whom you love is sick." The fact of the matter is, Jesus loved all of them (v5). He loved them so much when he sees His friends, He weeps (v35). Jesus then does something maybe none of us would. Knowing that He had the ability to stop the sickness, knowing that He was the only person capable of doing anything about it...waited. He didn't go right away. Weird right? He waited a full two days before responding to the emergency. We would have people fired from the 911 hotline, EMS service or Boerne PD if they did that to us. So why would He do that?
We find the answer in verse 3 "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the son of man may be glorified by it." This miracle was intended to show us something. That Jesus held the power over life and death. Notice also that He not only went to them but He did so at the risk of His own life (v8,10). Martha knew this. She tells us in verse 21 "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Sure, there's probably some frustration in her voice over the fact that Jesus took so long but don't miss the confidence that she has that Jesus is capable of delivering someone from death. Check this out. She then goes on to say, "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you." Jesus makes it clear that the purpose of this miracle is to show us that "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies," He takes it a step further and says, "Do you believe this?" Jesus did this to show that He held power over life and death (1 Cor. 15:54-55; Rev 1:18). He was and is life.
We see how powerful His hold over life and death are when He simply calls Lazarus out of death. It makes me think about Genesis 1 when God spoke creation into being. But note that Martha, who seems to me to be the practical one/ pays attention to detail. She says "Umm...'J', you may want to hold off on that because it really stinks in there. Seriously, watch out he's been dead for days." Okay, I paraphrased a little but you get it. Jesus simply calls Lazarus out of death and into life...and it happens! Lazarus rises and walks out.
Now, I am going to ask you the same question Jesus asked, "Do you believe this?" Do you believe that Jesus has the power over life and death? Do you believe that He can deliver you from any circumstance that you face? I'm not saying that it will always end the way you want it to but you have to believe that He has the power to. He will always do it in His timing, His way. Pray to God today and let Him know either way. Either pray to Him and say "Thanks" for being that God or pray "God give me faith to believe that."
Cool Facts:
Martha and Mary were friends with Jesus and you see them in other parts of Christ's ministry. There is the infamous Mary and Martha story where Martha is busy with preparations while Mary sits at His feet (Luke 10:38). Mary also annoints the feet of Jesus and Judas is angry because of the "waste" of perfume (he is actually angry because he won't get that money not because of the waste).
V35 "Jesus wept" is the shortest verse in the entire Bible!
In John 11 Jesus learns that his bud, Lazarus, is deathly ill. We know that He really cared about this person because Mary and Martha, two other friends of Jesus, sent word saying that "the one whom you love is sick." The fact of the matter is, Jesus loved all of them (v5). He loved them so much when he sees His friends, He weeps (v35). Jesus then does something maybe none of us would. Knowing that He had the ability to stop the sickness, knowing that He was the only person capable of doing anything about it...waited. He didn't go right away. Weird right? He waited a full two days before responding to the emergency. We would have people fired from the 911 hotline, EMS service or Boerne PD if they did that to us. So why would He do that?
We find the answer in verse 3 "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the son of man may be glorified by it." This miracle was intended to show us something. That Jesus held the power over life and death. Notice also that He not only went to them but He did so at the risk of His own life (v8,10). Martha knew this. She tells us in verse 21 "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Sure, there's probably some frustration in her voice over the fact that Jesus took so long but don't miss the confidence that she has that Jesus is capable of delivering someone from death. Check this out. She then goes on to say, "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you." Jesus makes it clear that the purpose of this miracle is to show us that "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies," He takes it a step further and says, "Do you believe this?" Jesus did this to show that He held power over life and death (1 Cor. 15:54-55; Rev 1:18). He was and is life.
We see how powerful His hold over life and death are when He simply calls Lazarus out of death. It makes me think about Genesis 1 when God spoke creation into being. But note that Martha, who seems to me to be the practical one/ pays attention to detail. She says "Umm...'J', you may want to hold off on that because it really stinks in there. Seriously, watch out he's been dead for days." Okay, I paraphrased a little but you get it. Jesus simply calls Lazarus out of death and into life...and it happens! Lazarus rises and walks out.
Now, I am going to ask you the same question Jesus asked, "Do you believe this?" Do you believe that Jesus has the power over life and death? Do you believe that He can deliver you from any circumstance that you face? I'm not saying that it will always end the way you want it to but you have to believe that He has the power to. He will always do it in His timing, His way. Pray to God today and let Him know either way. Either pray to Him and say "Thanks" for being that God or pray "God give me faith to believe that."
Cool Facts:
Martha and Mary were friends with Jesus and you see them in other parts of Christ's ministry. There is the infamous Mary and Martha story where Martha is busy with preparations while Mary sits at His feet (Luke 10:38). Mary also annoints the feet of Jesus and Judas is angry because of the "waste" of perfume (he is actually angry because he won't get that money not because of the waste).
V35 "Jesus wept" is the shortest verse in the entire Bible!
v50 "It is expedient for one man to die for the nations." Even those seeking Christ's death and were not believers would preach His gospel! Pretty cool.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
John 10
Happy Wednesday everybody! Today we are taking a look at John 10. Jesus is talking about something I know a lot about...sheep! Okay, I know very little about sheep except they are stinky, travel in packs and would make a terrible mascot for a football team. Think about it, "The Boerne Sheep!" Strikes fear in the heart of any 200 pound linebacker right? They are not ferocious at all, they need someone to look after their well being constantly otherwise they will wander off and get devoured by a wolf. They may get so far from the rest of the sheep that they will starve or fall and get hurt. They need someone to watch over them, they need a shepherd!
Jesus talks about a few things regarding sheep. First, He says that He is the gate. For sheep to go into the pen, they had to pass through the door. Jesus says "I am the door of the sheep." (v7) He compares His people, those who respond to His message and follow Him, His sheep. So Jesus cares for those who are His. He also says that those who are His will "know his voice". When Jesus calls them into a relationship with Himself, they WILL respond. If you belong to Jesus you hear His voice calling you and respond to that call. Maybe that's you right now. Maybe you feel like it is time to stop ignoring the things God is calling you to (relationship with Him, patience, honesty, love) and run to the good shepherd.
Jesus also says that He is the "good shepherd" (v11). Part of the job description for the good shepherd is that he "lays down His life for the sheep." Good shepherds at time have to fight off wolves. In doing so they put their lives in danger. Jesus is saying a little more than that though. He is telling them that He will die on the cross for them. That He will pay the penalty for sin, once and for all (1 Peter 3:18). Notice that Jesus said that He laid His life down. No one took His life. I know, Judas betrayed Him, guards came to seize Him and He was nailed to a cross but it was part of God's plan for salvation. Jesus knew that because that was why He came. To save you and to save me.
I love what Jesus says in v28, "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand." The Good Shepherd is saying, "once you trust in Me, I will watch over you and you never have to worry about wandering away. You still belong to Me." You are eternally secure. Sure you have a responsibility to obey God but He will watch over you, even when you are weak. Great news right?
Cool Facts:
There were several Old Testament passages that predicted the Messiah as someone who would "shepherd" His people (Ezekiel 34:23-25; 37:24-28).
Many shepherds would sleep in front of the sheep gates to keep their sheep in.
Jesus talks about a few things regarding sheep. First, He says that He is the gate. For sheep to go into the pen, they had to pass through the door. Jesus says "I am the door of the sheep." (v7) He compares His people, those who respond to His message and follow Him, His sheep. So Jesus cares for those who are His. He also says that those who are His will "know his voice". When Jesus calls them into a relationship with Himself, they WILL respond. If you belong to Jesus you hear His voice calling you and respond to that call. Maybe that's you right now. Maybe you feel like it is time to stop ignoring the things God is calling you to (relationship with Him, patience, honesty, love) and run to the good shepherd.
Jesus also says that He is the "good shepherd" (v11). Part of the job description for the good shepherd is that he "lays down His life for the sheep." Good shepherds at time have to fight off wolves. In doing so they put their lives in danger. Jesus is saying a little more than that though. He is telling them that He will die on the cross for them. That He will pay the penalty for sin, once and for all (1 Peter 3:18). Notice that Jesus said that He laid His life down. No one took His life. I know, Judas betrayed Him, guards came to seize Him and He was nailed to a cross but it was part of God's plan for salvation. Jesus knew that because that was why He came. To save you and to save me.
I love what Jesus says in v28, "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand." The Good Shepherd is saying, "once you trust in Me, I will watch over you and you never have to worry about wandering away. You still belong to Me." You are eternally secure. Sure you have a responsibility to obey God but He will watch over you, even when you are weak. Great news right?
Cool Facts:
There were several Old Testament passages that predicted the Messiah as someone who would "shepherd" His people (Ezekiel 34:23-25; 37:24-28).
Many shepherds would sleep in front of the sheep gates to keep their sheep in.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
John 9
Hello people! John 8 is our focus for today. This is one of my favorite miracles that Christ performs. At the beginning of the passage, there is a question and misconception. The question is this: "Rabbi, (teacher) who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" What a terrible thing to say! Here is this guy begging at the gates (the only profession he was fit to perform in these times) and had been that way since birth! Pretty bad. To add insult to injury, it was probably not the first time he had heard it. It was a common thought at this time. It was widely thought that your sin or your parents sin caused illness and suffering. So not only was this guy struggling through life because of his blindness he was also having to deal with people thinking he was a bad person or that he came from a wicked family.
I love what Jesus says here without missing a beat. "It was neither" The disciples set up a multiple choice question for Jesus and said "Is it 'a' or 'b'?" and He answers "c". Jesus was always blowing peoples categories up! He goes on to say "but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Jesus makes it clear "This guy is blind because God can be glorified through that." Hard to fathom right? He adds this "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." This guy has been in darkness his whole life and he is about to experience true Light for the first time.
So Jesus puts mud in his eye (gross) and the guy washes off in a pool of water close by (Siloam). He is healed at that moment. His neighbors saw it and were shocked (v8). They could remember this guy as a little boy struggling to get around and find his way and now, he could see?! The word then got out and got to the Pharisees or religious law keepers of the day. They put this guy on trial! On trial? For being healed? They had ignored this guy his whole life, accused him of being a sinner and now that he is healed he's on trial?
They begin to question him as to who Jesus really is. The man answers simply that he is a prophet. They didn't like that answer so they dragged his parents into it. This is getting a little out of hand don't you think? His parents were afraid of the Pharisees because if they sided with Jesus, they would be kicked out of their club. But they still couldn't escape the fact that he was healed (v20-22). So they drag this guy who had just been healed back in. I love this guy! He doesn't have the theological skills to defend himself against these bullies but he just speaks the truth...with a dash of sarcasm.
They ask him again about Jesus but turn the heat up a little bit. They call Jesus a sinner, or a bad person, and demand that this guy agree with them. Then he says, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." How can you argue with that? He's saying "Look guys, you do the math. Here's how it went down. First...no sight...then...sight. Deal with it." They kept after him but he kept coming back to the facts. I was once blind but now I see. Then my favorite line in the passage "You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?"
That of course was too much for them. They cast him out of the trial and...out of the church. They called him a sinner, something he was already used to, and kicked him out of the club. This of course was no big loss for him. He had been out of the club his whole life. What Jesus offered him was so much more. He now had physical and spiritual sight. He now had a relationship with the God of the universe. His creator. He lost nothing but gained everything!
How about you? Do you feel like you are out of the club? Good, Jesus is right there with you. He's not a big fan of exclusivity when it comes to religious groups. He loves all. The great thing is that once you are his, He will change your life forever. Once He does, you don't have to have all of the words in place to explain it to people who are asking questions. All you need to know is that you are His! All you need to do is point back to the life change that happened once you placed faith in Him. People might confront you with things they think are inconsistent in the Bible and if you don't have the answer, you can always retreat to "I don't know the answer. All I know is that God has changed my life." It is really hard to argue with a transformed life. God will honor that.
Cool Fact
Siloam, the pool Jesus sent this man to wash in, is literally translated to "sent". Like, Jesus "sent" this guy to wash and once he was healed He "sent" him to tell others.
The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would give sight to the blind (Isaiah 29:18).
I love what Jesus says here without missing a beat. "It was neither" The disciples set up a multiple choice question for Jesus and said "Is it 'a' or 'b'?" and He answers "c". Jesus was always blowing peoples categories up! He goes on to say "but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Jesus makes it clear "This guy is blind because God can be glorified through that." Hard to fathom right? He adds this "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." This guy has been in darkness his whole life and he is about to experience true Light for the first time.
So Jesus puts mud in his eye (gross) and the guy washes off in a pool of water close by (Siloam). He is healed at that moment. His neighbors saw it and were shocked (v8). They could remember this guy as a little boy struggling to get around and find his way and now, he could see?! The word then got out and got to the Pharisees or religious law keepers of the day. They put this guy on trial! On trial? For being healed? They had ignored this guy his whole life, accused him of being a sinner and now that he is healed he's on trial?
They begin to question him as to who Jesus really is. The man answers simply that he is a prophet. They didn't like that answer so they dragged his parents into it. This is getting a little out of hand don't you think? His parents were afraid of the Pharisees because if they sided with Jesus, they would be kicked out of their club. But they still couldn't escape the fact that he was healed (v20-22). So they drag this guy who had just been healed back in. I love this guy! He doesn't have the theological skills to defend himself against these bullies but he just speaks the truth...with a dash of sarcasm.
They ask him again about Jesus but turn the heat up a little bit. They call Jesus a sinner, or a bad person, and demand that this guy agree with them. Then he says, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." How can you argue with that? He's saying "Look guys, you do the math. Here's how it went down. First...no sight...then...sight. Deal with it." They kept after him but he kept coming back to the facts. I was once blind but now I see. Then my favorite line in the passage "You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?"
That of course was too much for them. They cast him out of the trial and...out of the church. They called him a sinner, something he was already used to, and kicked him out of the club. This of course was no big loss for him. He had been out of the club his whole life. What Jesus offered him was so much more. He now had physical and spiritual sight. He now had a relationship with the God of the universe. His creator. He lost nothing but gained everything!
How about you? Do you feel like you are out of the club? Good, Jesus is right there with you. He's not a big fan of exclusivity when it comes to religious groups. He loves all. The great thing is that once you are his, He will change your life forever. Once He does, you don't have to have all of the words in place to explain it to people who are asking questions. All you need to know is that you are His! All you need to do is point back to the life change that happened once you placed faith in Him. People might confront you with things they think are inconsistent in the Bible and if you don't have the answer, you can always retreat to "I don't know the answer. All I know is that God has changed my life." It is really hard to argue with a transformed life. God will honor that.
Cool Fact
Siloam, the pool Jesus sent this man to wash in, is literally translated to "sent". Like, Jesus "sent" this guy to wash and once he was healed He "sent" him to tell others.
The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would give sight to the blind (Isaiah 29:18).
Monday, January 16, 2012
John 8
I love this chapter! Jesus is going at it again, teaching in the temple and drawing a crowd. In the middle of His lesson, the Scribes and Pharisees (experts in the law) bring a woman who has been caught in an affair. They interrupt His lesson with yet another test of His knowledge. "Teacher this woman has been caugth in adultery, in the very act." Now I'm not sure how they caught her in the act nor will I speculate. However, it is interesting that there is no man present standing trial alongside her. They continue "the Law Moses comanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
I'm sure the experts in the law were thinking "this guy is preaching love and forgiveness, let's see what he does with this! Now we've got him!" Instead of reacting to this challenge, Jesus calmly writes with his finger in the sand. I'm not sure what he is writing but when He is done, He looks up and says "He who is without sin among you, let him be teh first to throw a stone at her." Whoa! If I had been in that crowd I think I might slip out the back! The text says that they slipped out "one by one". Yeah they did! What do you say to a challenge like that? None of us is without sin. I still have to wander if the guy responsible for the whole mess was the first to slip out.
It is a good priniciple to remember, "He who is without sin among you, let him be first to throw a stone." How many times have we jumped to conclusions and condemned someone for something we are guilty of ourselves. Even if we are not guilty of that sin, we are guilty of others. It is really easy in our "reality TV" culture to look at others and talk about how bad they are not realizing that we are just as messed up and guilty in other areas of our lives. Remember that this week as you go back to school or work. Maybe it is time for you to put your stone down and walk away.
Cool Facts:
Jesus writes in the sand with His finger. Many theologians speculate what He is doing here. One theologian said that he thought Jesus was writing names of people in the crowd that are guilty of adultery. Interesting thought right?
At the end of this chapter, Jesus utters the phrase "Before Abraham was I am." It was a clear statement of who Christ was. He was claiming to be God. The proof? The people present picked up stones to throw at Him. The penalty for claiming to be God when you are not (heresy).
I'm sure the experts in the law were thinking "this guy is preaching love and forgiveness, let's see what he does with this! Now we've got him!" Instead of reacting to this challenge, Jesus calmly writes with his finger in the sand. I'm not sure what he is writing but when He is done, He looks up and says "He who is without sin among you, let him be teh first to throw a stone at her." Whoa! If I had been in that crowd I think I might slip out the back! The text says that they slipped out "one by one". Yeah they did! What do you say to a challenge like that? None of us is without sin. I still have to wander if the guy responsible for the whole mess was the first to slip out.
It is a good priniciple to remember, "He who is without sin among you, let him be first to throw a stone." How many times have we jumped to conclusions and condemned someone for something we are guilty of ourselves. Even if we are not guilty of that sin, we are guilty of others. It is really easy in our "reality TV" culture to look at others and talk about how bad they are not realizing that we are just as messed up and guilty in other areas of our lives. Remember that this week as you go back to school or work. Maybe it is time for you to put your stone down and walk away.
Cool Facts:
Jesus writes in the sand with His finger. Many theologians speculate what He is doing here. One theologian said that he thought Jesus was writing names of people in the crowd that are guilty of adultery. Interesting thought right?
At the end of this chapter, Jesus utters the phrase "Before Abraham was I am." It was a clear statement of who Christ was. He was claiming to be God. The proof? The people present picked up stones to throw at Him. The penalty for claiming to be God when you are not (heresy).
John 7
Thanks for coming back for John 7! A big topic of discussion in this passage is "Who is Jesus?" In the middle of this discussion, Jesus goes to the "Feast of Booths/Tabernacles" which was to remember Israel's wilderness experience (wandering in the desert with Moses). The people at the feast were having a TMZ moment, they were talking about the latest gossip regarding this local celebrity Jesus. While this is happening, Jesus steps up to teach in the tabernacles (place of worship for the Jews). When He is done, the murmuring about Him kicks up a notch. They can't believe that this son of a carpenter is able to teach the way He does and know the things He knows. Jesus reminds them that God sent Him and it is for His glory that He says the things He says (v18).
Then something crazy happens. Something that would never happen in a church today, Jesus was accused of having a demon! The Jesus we portray in Sunday school and in movies as a friendly, happy member of the Nickelback (with layered hair and a nicely trimmed beard) would never be accused of such things. Why? He accused the Jews of wanting to kill him...and He was kind of ruining their nice, neat religion they had carved out for themselves. He had healed a man on the Sabaath, their day of rest, and they hadn't gotten over it yet (Ch5). Which is kind of funny right? I heal a man of his disease, teach about God and love the unlovable and you want to kill me. Are you sure I have a demon?
It is amazing to me that not many things have changed. We are still talking about Jesus. There is still controversy over who He is and if He is the Son of God. Was He a good man or someone leading the people astray (v12)? Was He a prophet or the Son of God (v40-41)? We each need to make that decision about Jesus. Was He our Lord, a liar or a lunatic? He couldn't be a good man if He wasn't who He said He was, that make Him a liar. If He wasn't lying and just believed that He was the Son of God, that makes Him crazy. There is another alternative. That He was who He said He was. That Jesus was and is the Son of God. I have made up my mind. Have you?
Cool Fact:
Nicodemus appears in this chapter to defend Jesus. You will remember Nick from Chapter 3 of John where He began a relationship with him. Pretty cool that his faith demands that he springs into action!
Then something crazy happens. Something that would never happen in a church today, Jesus was accused of having a demon! The Jesus we portray in Sunday school and in movies as a friendly, happy member of the Nickelback (with layered hair and a nicely trimmed beard) would never be accused of such things. Why? He accused the Jews of wanting to kill him...and He was kind of ruining their nice, neat religion they had carved out for themselves. He had healed a man on the Sabaath, their day of rest, and they hadn't gotten over it yet (Ch5). Which is kind of funny right? I heal a man of his disease, teach about God and love the unlovable and you want to kill me. Are you sure I have a demon?
It is amazing to me that not many things have changed. We are still talking about Jesus. There is still controversy over who He is and if He is the Son of God. Was He a good man or someone leading the people astray (v12)? Was He a prophet or the Son of God (v40-41)? We each need to make that decision about Jesus. Was He our Lord, a liar or a lunatic? He couldn't be a good man if He wasn't who He said He was, that make Him a liar. If He wasn't lying and just believed that He was the Son of God, that makes Him crazy. There is another alternative. That He was who He said He was. That Jesus was and is the Son of God. I have made up my mind. Have you?
Cool Fact:
Nicodemus appears in this chapter to defend Jesus. You will remember Nick from Chapter 3 of John where He began a relationship with him. Pretty cool that his faith demands that he springs into action!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
John 6
Today is day six and we are going to take a look at Christ as "the bread of life". It is a pretty strong theme throughout this passage. We start with the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 where Jesus takes the lunch of a little boy, two fish and five loaves, to feed a crowd. The fish were probably more like sardines and the bread more like something you would find in a Lunchable than french bread at a bakery. The crowd was probably larger than 5,000 since in this day they often didn't count women and children. Don't shoot the messenger, that's the way it was! That makes the miracle even more...miraculous! Jesus took a very small amount of food and was able to feed a very large group of people. His point? "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger," (V35).
Notice that the disciples have to keep coming back to Jesus to get more food for this hungry mob! It isn't out of their power but Christ's! After this miracle, these crowds keep pursuing Jesus. Why? Because they realize that He is the Son of God and that they can have a relationship with the Father through Him? Not by a long shot!!! They did it because they got hungry again (v26-27). They started to look at the Son of God as "McJesus"! This thought really hit me straight between the eyes. How many times do we go to God as sort of a vending machine deity? We put prayer, Bible reading and good deeds in and our hope is that we will get the things we ask for in return. Did you know that God does not operate that way? That would make Him an insecure God that needs that sort of attention and a God that is easily fooled and manipulated. No, God's will is perfect and He does as He pleases. He does love us and does want to give us good things, Scripture is clear on that (Luke 11:11). But when we go to God as the source of all that is good in this world and all that is loving, and draw close to Him because we love Him, we begin to realize that He is the "bread of life" (v48). He is the source of true life.
Cool Fact:
The Sea of Galilee that was mentioned in the beginning, changed names at least three times in history! It was first called Gennesaret, then Galilee, and finally Tiberias.
Notice that the disciples have to keep coming back to Jesus to get more food for this hungry mob! It isn't out of their power but Christ's! After this miracle, these crowds keep pursuing Jesus. Why? Because they realize that He is the Son of God and that they can have a relationship with the Father through Him? Not by a long shot!!! They did it because they got hungry again (v26-27). They started to look at the Son of God as "McJesus"! This thought really hit me straight between the eyes. How many times do we go to God as sort of a vending machine deity? We put prayer, Bible reading and good deeds in and our hope is that we will get the things we ask for in return. Did you know that God does not operate that way? That would make Him an insecure God that needs that sort of attention and a God that is easily fooled and manipulated. No, God's will is perfect and He does as He pleases. He does love us and does want to give us good things, Scripture is clear on that (Luke 11:11). But when we go to God as the source of all that is good in this world and all that is loving, and draw close to Him because we love Him, we begin to realize that He is the "bread of life" (v48). He is the source of true life.
Cool Fact:
The Sea of Galilee that was mentioned in the beginning, changed names at least three times in history! It was first called Gennesaret, then Galilee, and finally Tiberias.
Friday, January 13, 2012
John 5
Welcome to day 5 of our challenge everybody! In this story, Jesus heals a man who had been ill for quite some time. Even though it doesn't say it specifically, the man's illness on some level had to include paralysis due to his inability to make it to the water. This pool had apparently had healing properties and this man wanted desperately to be healed.
Jesus knew that this man had been in this condition for a while (v6) and so it is interesting that He makes this next statement. "Do you wish to get well?" I can almost hear the man say "NO DUH JESUS!!! I'm paralyzed!!" But he does not. Instead he just explains his difficulty in making it to the water to be healed. Instead of giving him a hand up, Jesus cuts straight to the chase. He says, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." Jesus decided this man had waited long enough, and instead of depending on this pool to heal him, Jesus shows him the source of healing is the "Living water" that was mentioned in the previous chapter.
Pretty cool right? How many people do you know that need spiritual healing? Many of them are so far from church or a relationship with God they are paralyzed by the idea of being connected with the One True God. They may be waiting for your help to the "Living Water" for healing. Pray about someone you know who needs that and then give them the help they need.
I love the "religious" people's response to this healing. They are angry! Angry that Jesus healed on teh Sabbath, a day that "good Jewish people"should not do ANY work. You can see in this chapter picking up a pallet, was considered work (v10, 16, 18). Jesus gets onto them for making the law of Moses (10 Commandments and other sections of Scripture) their hope (v45). Doing God's will is a good thing as long as you remember to worship Him and not the good deeds or even yourself for doing the good deeds.
Cool Facts:
Bethesda - means "house of mercy" or "house of outpouring".
Sabbath = rest. It was instituted when God rested from creation in Genesis 2:2
Jesus knew that this man had been in this condition for a while (v6) and so it is interesting that He makes this next statement. "Do you wish to get well?" I can almost hear the man say "NO DUH JESUS!!! I'm paralyzed!!" But he does not. Instead he just explains his difficulty in making it to the water to be healed. Instead of giving him a hand up, Jesus cuts straight to the chase. He says, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." Jesus decided this man had waited long enough, and instead of depending on this pool to heal him, Jesus shows him the source of healing is the "Living water" that was mentioned in the previous chapter.
Pretty cool right? How many people do you know that need spiritual healing? Many of them are so far from church or a relationship with God they are paralyzed by the idea of being connected with the One True God. They may be waiting for your help to the "Living Water" for healing. Pray about someone you know who needs that and then give them the help they need.
I love the "religious" people's response to this healing. They are angry! Angry that Jesus healed on teh Sabbath, a day that "good Jewish people"should not do ANY work. You can see in this chapter picking up a pallet, was considered work (v10, 16, 18). Jesus gets onto them for making the law of Moses (10 Commandments and other sections of Scripture) their hope (v45). Doing God's will is a good thing as long as you remember to worship Him and not the good deeds or even yourself for doing the good deeds.
Cool Facts:
Bethesda - means "house of mercy" or "house of outpouring".
Sabbath = rest. It was instituted when God rested from creation in Genesis 2:2
Thursday, January 12, 2012
John 4
Welcome back guys! Time to dig into chapter 4 of John. Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well at the beginning. This is pretty big for a few different reasons. First off a man to talk to a woman in public who was a stranger, was thought as weird back in this time. The other interesting fact is that most Jewish people at this time would not even pass through this area, Samaria, because they really looked down on Samaritans in general. They were considered less than human because they were mixture of the Assyrian people, a people group that had once overpowered Israel, and the Jews. I know, it's not cool but it is the way that it was back then.
So Jesus, in order to show His love for God and this person, didn't do what was easy or what was comfortable, He did what was right. Amazing! This woman realized this and was kind of taken back that Jesus would even approach her (v9). To break across all of these barriers, Jesus did something simple. He asked her for a drink (v7).
In turn, He was able to talk to her about trusting in Him and having a relationship with God. He offered her "living water" or the Holy Spirit. This "living water" could cleanse her of her sins! Also by drinking this water she would never thirst again. In other words, she now also had the opportunity to spend eternity with God! This happened all because Jesus went against what was "normal". He didn't fall in line with what every body else thought He should do. He did what was right, not what was expected!
Last night at our Junior High meeting, we talked about how it takes real courage to do what is unexpected and different. Jesus did that all of the time. People were constantly getting onto Him about not "coloring inside the lines". It is what ultimately led to His crucifixion. Pharisees couldn't stand the fact that this "man" (who was actually God) was ruining their perfectly good religion. But because Jesus came to save those who were lost, He had to go against the norm! When what is normal goes against God's will, you have to be...weird. You have to stand out!
What is it that God wants you to do that is uncomfortable? What person do you need to talk to that no one else will approach or talk to? What idea or concept do you need to stand against because you know that God would not want you to do that? Pray about it and then go against the norm!
Cool Fact:
In v24 the word "worship" is translated into English as "worthship". To worship God is to give Him the credit He is due.
So Jesus, in order to show His love for God and this person, didn't do what was easy or what was comfortable, He did what was right. Amazing! This woman realized this and was kind of taken back that Jesus would even approach her (v9). To break across all of these barriers, Jesus did something simple. He asked her for a drink (v7).
In turn, He was able to talk to her about trusting in Him and having a relationship with God. He offered her "living water" or the Holy Spirit. This "living water" could cleanse her of her sins! Also by drinking this water she would never thirst again. In other words, she now also had the opportunity to spend eternity with God! This happened all because Jesus went against what was "normal". He didn't fall in line with what every body else thought He should do. He did what was right, not what was expected!
Last night at our Junior High meeting, we talked about how it takes real courage to do what is unexpected and different. Jesus did that all of the time. People were constantly getting onto Him about not "coloring inside the lines". It is what ultimately led to His crucifixion. Pharisees couldn't stand the fact that this "man" (who was actually God) was ruining their perfectly good religion. But because Jesus came to save those who were lost, He had to go against the norm! When what is normal goes against God's will, you have to be...weird. You have to stand out!
What is it that God wants you to do that is uncomfortable? What person do you need to talk to that no one else will approach or talk to? What idea or concept do you need to stand against because you know that God would not want you to do that? Pray about it and then go against the norm!
Cool Fact:
In v24 the word "worship" is translated into English as "worthship". To worship God is to give Him the credit He is due.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
John 3
Welcome back gang! Crack your Bibles open to John 3 and let's get started. Don't forget to pray that God will open the eyes of your soul to His message for you. I felt drawn to the person of Nicodemus in this section. He is a Pharisee and observer of the law of Moses. Simply put the Pharisees were strict observers of the law and were constantly involving Jesus in debates over Scripture. Nicodemus is interesting because he doesn't seem to be debating but asking real questions, he is really interested in what Christ has to say. Notice, Nicodemus came "at night". Either to avoid embarrassment from his friends or to have uninterrupted time with Jesus. He also seems convinced that Jesus is not some magician or heretic but that there is something different about Him (v2).
Jesus engages Nick in a conversation about faith in Him. The picture that He uses is of someone being born again. That there is some type of 2nd birth that takes place after believing (2 Cor 5:17). I think that the water and Spirit comment in v5, is Jesus repeating the same concept. Water meaning natural child birth and Spirit meaning new life in Christ. Jesus presents the gospel to this law keeper! John 3:16 which is no doubt one of the most quoted verses in the Bible here. Jesus is telling Nick, who had previously thought God just wanted him to obey a bunch of rules, that a connection with God is about faith and belief. This would be a totally new concept for this Pharisee!
Maybe it is for you too. Maybe your life with Jesus has been about "do this...don't do that" and that has kinda been it. Did you know, that God wants you to trust Him? He wants to draw close in a relationship with you? All you need to do is believe that He is who He said He is. Trust in Christ today and be born again. See you tomorrow.
Cool Fact:
Nicodemus appears several times in the Gospel of John. You see Him defending Jesus in John 7:50-51 and at Christ's death in John 19:39. Pretty safe to say Nicodemus genuinely accepted Christ in this account because his actions followed his belief!
Jesus engages Nick in a conversation about faith in Him. The picture that He uses is of someone being born again. That there is some type of 2nd birth that takes place after believing (2 Cor 5:17). I think that the water and Spirit comment in v5, is Jesus repeating the same concept. Water meaning natural child birth and Spirit meaning new life in Christ. Jesus presents the gospel to this law keeper! John 3:16 which is no doubt one of the most quoted verses in the Bible here. Jesus is telling Nick, who had previously thought God just wanted him to obey a bunch of rules, that a connection with God is about faith and belief. This would be a totally new concept for this Pharisee!
Maybe it is for you too. Maybe your life with Jesus has been about "do this...don't do that" and that has kinda been it. Did you know, that God wants you to trust Him? He wants to draw close in a relationship with you? All you need to do is believe that He is who He said He is. Trust in Christ today and be born again. See you tomorrow.
Cool Fact:
Nicodemus appears several times in the Gospel of John. You see Him defending Jesus in John 7:50-51 and at Christ's death in John 19:39. Pretty safe to say Nicodemus genuinely accepted Christ in this account because his actions followed his belief!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
John 2
Good morning everybody! Thanks for sticking with it and joining me for the second day of reading your Bible for 21 days in January. Today, we are going to take a look at John 2 and the first miracle Jesus ever performed. It is kind of cool that it takes place at a wedding party. That Jesus and the disciples would be the type of people that would be invited to a party is interesting. Jesus and the twelve were people that you would want to hang out with!
It is also interesting that Jesus chose water that is usually used for a somber ceremony of cleansing or purification is also cool. Christ turned that same water into refreshments for the party! Wine is used later in the gospels to symbolize the blood of Christ and was a part of the "Last Supper" or what we celebrate as communion. Jesus was showing us that He would shed His blood for us and would forgive our sins. In performing this miracle, Jesus was bringing in a new "Covenant". Not an empty hollow following of God but a relationship with Him that was something to be celebrated. A party with God!
It is a good reminder that our worship of God, our following of Jesus, should not be boring or something that we dread doing. It is a celebration of our love and gratitude for what Christ has done in shedding His blood for us. AWESOME!
Cool Fact:
This miracle is sometimes referred to as a "luxury" miracle because no one was healed nor did it seem like Jesus really "had" to do it. But it is exactly the point! It is symbolic of the New Covenant that He brings with Him. Jesus didn't have to die for us on the cross, He chose to. Sure, it was the only way we could have a relationship with God but it was still an act of grace (God's unmerited favor).
It is also interesting that Jesus chose water that is usually used for a somber ceremony of cleansing or purification is also cool. Christ turned that same water into refreshments for the party! Wine is used later in the gospels to symbolize the blood of Christ and was a part of the "Last Supper" or what we celebrate as communion. Jesus was showing us that He would shed His blood for us and would forgive our sins. In performing this miracle, Jesus was bringing in a new "Covenant". Not an empty hollow following of God but a relationship with Him that was something to be celebrated. A party with God!
It is a good reminder that our worship of God, our following of Jesus, should not be boring or something that we dread doing. It is a celebration of our love and gratitude for what Christ has done in shedding His blood for us. AWESOME!
Cool Fact:
This miracle is sometimes referred to as a "luxury" miracle because no one was healed nor did it seem like Jesus really "had" to do it. But it is exactly the point! It is symbolic of the New Covenant that He brings with Him. Jesus didn't have to die for us on the cross, He chose to. Sure, it was the only way we could have a relationship with God but it was still an act of grace (God's unmerited favor).
Monday, January 9, 2012
John 1
Good morning everybody! Today, I'm starting the New Year off by blogging every day in January on the Book of John. Thanks for checking this out. One of my hopes is that this will help you dive into the Gospel for a few minutes every day, so I will try to keep it short and sweet.
Today, God impressed on me the idea of Christ as the Word. Simply put, Jesus lived out God's message of forgiveness, love and God's glory that He WAS the message. His life perfectly displayed who God is and what He is about that all you had to do was spend time with Jesus and you have spent time with God. Because Jesus WAS God and IS God (v1-3).
I am challenged by this fact because my life doesn't always look like a perfect example of God's will wrapped up in a person. It challenges me, and hopefully you, to do a better job of living out God's message of His love for humanity.
Another cool thought that I encountered today was that once we enter into a relationship with Christ, we become God's children. He changes the course of our lives so much that we are adopted into His family. He changed Peter's life so much that He gave him a new name - "Peter" which means "rock". Kinda cool right? Peter is no longer just some fishermen guy, he now has a new identity and a purpose in life. So do we!
Cool Fact:
Names given to Jesus just in chapter 1: Word (v1), God (v1), Creator (V3),Light (v7), only begotten God (v18)Lamb of God (v29, 36), Messiah (v41), King of Israel (v49) and Son of Man (v51)
Today, God impressed on me the idea of Christ as the Word. Simply put, Jesus lived out God's message of forgiveness, love and God's glory that He WAS the message. His life perfectly displayed who God is and what He is about that all you had to do was spend time with Jesus and you have spent time with God. Because Jesus WAS God and IS God (v1-3).
I am challenged by this fact because my life doesn't always look like a perfect example of God's will wrapped up in a person. It challenges me, and hopefully you, to do a better job of living out God's message of His love for humanity.
Another cool thought that I encountered today was that once we enter into a relationship with Christ, we become God's children. He changes the course of our lives so much that we are adopted into His family. He changed Peter's life so much that He gave him a new name - "Peter" which means "rock". Kinda cool right? Peter is no longer just some fishermen guy, he now has a new identity and a purpose in life. So do we!
Cool Fact:
Names given to Jesus just in chapter 1: Word (v1), God (v1), Creator (V3),Light (v7), only begotten God (v18)Lamb of God (v29, 36), Messiah (v41), King of Israel (v49) and Son of Man (v51)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)