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).
Pastor Matt
Monday, January 23, 2012
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)