John 13: 31-38

 John 13: 31-38

This is the beginning of Jesus's final discourse in teaching with His disciples. In this passage we find a constitution for the community of Jesus's disciples. In verses 34-35 Jesus gives the foundational, commandment for the church's life and the power of its witness. To love one another even as the Lord has loved His disciples. That kind of life and love is an undeniable witness to a world of brutal selfishness.

Jesus says love is a commandment. We often think of love as a spontaneous emotion that cannot be resisted, planned or predicted. The use of the word commandment reminds us of the Ten commandments of Mount Sinai. Jesus has just instituted the Lord's Supper and the New Covenant. As the Ten Commandments began the old covenant love begins the new one. This love is expressed in willing self-sacrifice for our fellow disciples. Jesus has just referred to his death as an expression of His love for His disciples. When the world witnesses that kind of love the witness of Christ in the world is present.  But when the world sees hostility among disciples there can be no witness.  Love without serving sacrifice is banal sentimentality and is useless. It leads faith communities to become self-serving self-seeking religion clubs but never to be the church. 

This love has less to do with Anglicans and Episcopalians getting along than love  among those personally known to each other. This is not about Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox church leaders respecting each other. The selfish aggrandizing by individuals in local churches does more damage than the arguments over sub-points of doctrine.  Love of our brothers is more important than the style of worship within the worship service.  If we do not love our fellow disciples we are not part of the covenant community known as the church we are not disciples.

“Lord, grant me the will to obey Your command to love Your people.  AMEN”

John 13: 21-30

 John 13: 21-30

In this passage we see a man passed the tipping point, the point of no return. Judas had begun moving against Jesus. In verse two we see Judas had begun to plan to betray Jesus. Judas for reasons of his own made a deal with the devil but even at this late moment grace is a possibility. Jesus has washed his feet and Judas appears to be resting at Jesus's left side, the place of honor at a Jewish dinner. Jesus gives Judas a morsel of bread, a customary way to honor a person at a Jewish meal. The word morsel that is used to describe the bread Jesus gave Judas is the same word that was often used to describe the bread of communion.

In response to Judas’ betrayal Jesus offers grace, honor, kindness, and love. Judas’ response to grace goes deeper into the darkness. It is in receiving the bread that Satan entered into Judas. In John 13:2 Satan made a suggestion, in John 13:27 Judas surrendered himself to Satan, the dark lord moved in.

There is a test for our heart that we see here. How do you respond to the grace when we are wrong? When we have behaved badly and those who love us extend kindness towards us do we respond in pride and anger, do we react with coldness? If that is the case we have a hardening heart, it is a heart marked by unbelief. We are then in the greatest of dangers. How do we respond to the loving conviction and Judgment of the Holy Spirit? If Jesus’ love for us causes in us a reaction of rejection we are in danger of Satan's entrance into our heart

“Lord, grant that my heart will always respond in love to Your calling. AMEN”

John 13:12-20

 John 13:12-20

After washing the disciples' feet Jesus calls his followers to a life of service. The foot washing by Jesus has been seen by some Christian teachers as a symbolic look forward to the cross. The most humble service that is possible is offered by the One in the highest position. No matter how high our position may be nor how high we might believe it maybe, there is no position of service that is beneath us.

Jesus says that a good theology of service by itself is not going to be fulfilling. Here is where as disciples we end up frustrated. Verse 17 does not say that we are blessed in the “knowing” but rather in the “doing”. It has been said that Sunday School is the only educational system in which a person can attend their whole life and never graduate, never enter the workforce and it is still considered normal.  We are not trained to know but to do.

A profound and accurate theology of service will not bring blessing in our lives. This coming of blessing happens as we live service out. “Blessed” or sometimes translated “happy” has two possible applications here. We might say there is ambiguousness about the direction of the blessing. It might be that in the service the blessing flows from inside of us out, this carries the implication more of the experience of happiness. The other possibility is that it might be that in service God pours into us from the outside the good thing that we call blessing. This is almost the idea that the opportunity to serve is a kind of good fortune, or blessing. The vagueness may be intentional so the meaning is both. Simple service even giving a cup of water in Jesus’s name blesses both the giver and the recipient. The service need not be a huge event rather it is in the doing that meaning is found.

“Lord, bless me with the opportunity to serve sacrificially. AMEN”

John 13:1–11

 John 13:1–11

From this point on Jesus will have no public ministry. It is time for His glorification, to be lifted up on the cross and then to be lifted up to the Father. John says very little about the Lord’s Supper in terms of the bread and wine and what they mean. John addresses that subject in his sixth chapter with the “Sermon on the Bread of Life”. On this occasion John points out the priority of humble service in the washing of the disciples’ feet. The meaning of this action will be addressed in the next passage. Here John paints a vivid picture of the action of Jesus, “having loved His own”. “He loved them to the end”. That might be translated as “He loved them to the uttermost”. The call to love, to hold nothing back, the complete and perfect love of Jesus is expressed in service. It is not possible for that kind of love to not be expressed. Service is a natural result of love. Service is not consuming, it is giving, it is not taking, it is sharing. If we love as Jesus did we can’t help but serve

But there is another thing that John mentions about Jesus‘s service. In verse three we find Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands. Jesus was not about to be swept away in a stream of events like a helpless man and a raging river. Judas was not overwhelming Jesus by his scheme. Everything was in and under the control of the Son by the will of the Father. If there is ever a time when we ought to serve it is when we have the power not to. When the Father gave the Son control Jesus used that occasion to serve.

“Lord, help me live with the attitude of the towel and basin. AMEN”

John 12:37-50

 John 12:37-50

This ends the first half of the Book of John. The rest of the book will be Jesus's passion as the sacrifice and His resurrection. It is interesting that the first half or the public Ministry of Jesus ends with what seems to be a pessimistic note. The moment of the light has passed, the signs have been performed but there is still a lack of faith on the part of the Jewish leaders. Without violating their free will God has done all that can be done and yet the leaders continue in their unbelief.

Jesus points out two kinds of rejection. First are those who have blind eyes and hard hearts. These leaders have the unbelief that is mentioned earlier in John. They suffer not from doubts or questions about who Jesus is, but rather a rejection that stems from the heart. This has more to do with hostility to the Lord than with a lack of information. These people will receive from God not Grace but a further hardening of their heart.  There is a second rejection mentioned by Jesus.  These are those who loved the approval of men more than the approval of God. They have weighed the cost of being a disciple and have that cost too high.  They are lingering at the crossroads of decision. For these that cost was expressed in being put out of the synagogue. They may yet commit themselves to follow Jesus but they do not perceive it as worth it yet.  

What is the cost of following Christ that is highest in our lives? Sometimes it is power, pleasure, un-forgiveness or the approval of men. The list is endless. What trinket do we hold that keeps us from grasping heaven?

“Lord, let me hold all that this world offers as trash compared to the wonder of knowing You. AMEN”

John 12.20-36

 John 12.20-36

We hear a lot about praise and worship.  That phrase has come to be synonymous with the specific music which has a style, volume, and tempo that pleases us.  If it is the kind of music that we can “get into”, that moves us in some way, we label it as praise and worship.   That understanding is, I think, foreign to the New Testament.   I am not advocating one style of music or another.  I have been blessed with a profound lack of musical talent.  My preferred style of sacred music is Gregorian chants.  This is not about hymns vs. choruses; it has nothing to do with organs and/or guitars. 

In John 12:23 Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”  We would do well to pay attention and understand what Jesus meant when He was talking about His glorification.  Antecedent to that statement about glorification some Greeks had come to Phillip because they wanted to “See Jesus”.  In John’s Gospel, to “see” was more than a visual encounter.  It meant to place faith in Jesus as the Messiah.  We must not miss this point.  A group of Greek non-Jews, perhaps converts to Judaism, had come to the conclusion that Jesus was in fact the Messiah; they were placing their trust in Him.  This is a momentous moment, it is so powerful and so important that the Greeks fade into the background and we hear nothing of them.  Instead we find Jesus talking about His glorification.  The context is critical.  The good news of faith in Jesus, of people crossing barriers and of ‘outsiders’ committing themselves to Him; this is the occasion of Jesus’ glorification.  It is not the perfect four-part harmony of a song written in the1800’s; it is not a praise chorus that repeats a catchy phrase.  It is outsiders becoming followers.  

This is not an anti-music harangue.  Music is wonderful and powerful and needs to be a part of every disciple’s life.  But we have made the mistake of thinking that the apex of praising the Lord is in a sing along or a concert.   In Jesus’ mind the apex is what we would call evangelism.  At the confession of faith the very angels in Heaven join in the celebration and the glorification of the Son.  

But Jesus points out that there is a cost to this glorification.  The cost is high.  In this same context He tells the disciples that if you keep your life you will lose it.  And of Himself He alludes to His death on the cross.  The Gospel message that results in the glorification of the Son is expensive.  At times it has meant missionaries leaving family and home and never returning.  It has called followers to die, in some cases their blood, as a witness to their faith becoming the seed of the Gospel.  It calls churches to reorient their ministry to focus on reaching the lost rather than serving their own whims.  To die to self is an extraordinarily high price to pay to glorify Christ.  So was being lifted up on the cross.  

Maybe we need to realize that music is, relative to the cross, not a very big deal.  In that realization, focus on efforts to present the Gospel to non-believers and when they come to faith, no matter the cost, we will know we have glorified the Son.  

“Lord, help me praise You by sharing the Gospel. AMEN”

John 12: 12 - 19

 John 12: 12 - 19

The picture of unbelief continues on the part of the religious leaders. The refusal to believe, their hard-heartedness is so extreme that they plot to murder Lazarus. A hard heart will go to any lengths to deny or suppress the evidence. Rather than believe in Jesus they see others coming to faith based Lazarus and his resurrection. So the Jews will try to hide the evidence by killing an innocent man. This would not be the last plot to do so. Proof or lack of proof was clearly not their problem.

In this passage we see a swelling multitude. The first is the multitude that went to see Jesus and Lazarus. Add to this first crowd another multitude of the pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for Passover.  They also went to see Jesus. At the core of this multitude were eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Lazarus.  John's description is falling all over itself to express the size of the crowd. We often picture the triumphal entry as Jesus and a few dozen disciples making their way into town. In reality this was a massive demonstration in a crowded city. It was a political powder keg and Jesus was being proclaimed as king. The Roman charge that Jesus was “King of the Jews” was no stretch of fantasy. At the moment of the triumphal entry it appeared that a revolution is only a word away.

The final phrase of this passage is an admission of Jesus' popularity and could be an indictment of the American church. The Pharisees state in frustration that “the world has gone after Him”. How grand it would be that every enemy of the Lord ought to say that as they look at every Church.

“Lord, help me to be so engaged in the life of faith that those near me are going after Jesus as well. AMEN”

John 12: 1-11

 John 12: 1-11 

Jesus returns for dinner to the place where he has raised Lazarus from the dead. It is informative that we hear nothing of Lazarus' comments of what happened to him while he was dead. In fact we never hear anything from people who came back to life about what it was like to be dead. In all the scripture about a half dozen people come back to life from the dead and not one word is given to us about them moving toward a light, or whom they met, or their warm safe feelings.   At this dinner is Lazarus who was recently dead and Jesus who soon we'll be dead.  Of all occasions to talk about what it is like to be dead we would think this is the time. But not a single word about life on the other side.

What we do have is the description of the life of the living. Martha is serving. Martha gets a bad rap because on one occasion she got a little bent out of shape about the distribution of labor.  But that notwithstanding this was a woman of great faith and love, who demonstrated that love by serving. Mary is there, she is more contemplative and expresses her love symbolically in the sacrifice of the nard perfume. We see Judas grasping and trying to find a way to work this to his advantage. His heart already turned; he was intending to betray Jesus. We see a description of people living on this side of the grave but not a word about what is on the other side.  

By all means we need to prepare for the end of our lives. We will one day be there on the other side. But what we see on the occasion  of this dinner is people living lives.  The way we prepare for life after death is by living and paying attention to how we live here and now.

“Lord, help me prepare for eternity by the way I live my everyday life. AMEN”

John 11: 45-53

 John 11: 45-53

Faith is not a function of evidence but of the will. It is in the first and final stages a choice we make. In the first stage toward faith there must be a willingness to consider the evidence fairly. But along with that openness for consideration of the evidence there must be a willingness to accept the truth and all it means and implies.  This is the final stage as we move into faith. When there is doubt and honest questions the evidence can be persuasive. 

But when there is unbelief nothing can convince, because the heart and the will do not want to be convinced. Even with the evidence that an incredible miracle has occurred and with more than enough evidence that signs are happening the religious elite began to develop a plan to kill Jesus.  This was not a problem of evidence. The healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus should have been enough evidence of the truth of Jesus's message and the authority of His claims. But for those who do not want to believe even this was not enough.  

So what is the blockage? Verse 48 provides some inside. In this case of the Jewish leaders were concerned that Jesus was a threat to their power, the political control. That meant He was a threat to their wealth, prestige and privilege. People are still the same. The claims of Jesus's leadership over our lives will mean a significant change and we may have not wanted that change. We enjoyed our vices and would rather close our eyes to the evidence than be changed.  We would rather try to live life on our terms and in so doing reject Christ. God for His part will respect our choice.

“Lord, help me to have a heart that is open to You. AMEN” 

John 11:38 - 44

 John 11:38 - 44

Even the best of us are a mixed bag. All of us are part heroic faith while we still harbor genuine real doubts.  In verse 22 Martha said; “Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You”. That is a statement of heroic faith. However when Jesus calls for the stone to be removed from the tomb entrance Martha said, “Lord by this time there will be a stench for he has been dead for four days”. Martha is at this point having more faith in death than in Jesus

We are all mixed bags of great and terrible, of faith and doubt, we have been anticipating God acting and believing that what is, is all that we will get. Thankfully God's grace and goodness is not wholly dependent on our faith. Jesus prays at the tomb not because He needs to pray to raise Lazarus, but He wants those around Him to know that He and the Father are working together, so that the Son can be seen doing what the Father wants. 

As a mixed bag of faith and doubt I don't have perfect faith. What I must have is faith in the perfect Savior. Faith and doubt often live together. Hopefully faith will be growing, and consuming doubt as we see the Lord at work. For those who believed but still doubted, especially Martha and Mary, much of that doubt was consumed in this miracle.  For Lazarus doubt would have been almost completely impossible. Can we be honest about our doubts and find in them a place to grow our faith? Unbelief is a different matter altogether and it's what we see in the next Passage.

“Lord, use my doubts as a place to grow my faith. AMEN”

John 11:17-37

 John 11:17-37

We have painted Jesus in colors that are soft pastels that have only a soothing effect.  We have misunderstood Jesus’ meekness, assumed it was passiveness, we made Him into a stoic that never experienced the full range of emotion.  We have tried to cut out of Him His passion. That picture of manbe pamby Jesus is only possible if we do not look too closely at Him. In our passage Jesus has come to the funeral of Lazarus. Here Jesus sees firsthand the misery of those who are mourning Lazarus‘s death. He hears the heartbroken accusations of Mary and Martha directed toward Him. He saw Mary weeping and Jews who came with her also weeping. That English word weeping is far too mild. This is literally the wailing of despair and gut wrenching misery. This was loud and messy and highly emotional.

What was Jesus’s reaction to this display? He was “deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” v 33. And in verse 35 Jesus joined in the wailing. The last phrase in verse 36 is difficult to put into English. Our language fails to express the depth of hurt and anger of this phrase. Jesus was angry. He was not miffed, He was not put out or aggravated. He was to His core furious and wrath filled. The grammar indicates that He was stirring up the emotions in Himself. When someone is angry and upset we often say “calm down”. What Jesus was doing was not calming Himself down He was troubling Himself.

What was causing this escalating emotional reaction of Jesus? Some have said it was His reaction to the lack of faith He saw. That is bogus, Jesus was never angry with the victim of sin. Jesus witnessed the full manifestation and expression of Satan’s kingdom, and He was furious. When we see the manifestation of Satan’s kingdom the hurt, the pain, the sorrow, the living death we ought to be angry. Not at the victim but at the manifestation. Passive indifference is not patients, it is apathy. When we see the manifestation of Satan’s kingdom perhaps in the prostitute, the addict, the homosexual offender.  These moments we ought to have anger. Not at these people but at the chains of their bondage. It ought to make us angry enough to be part of God’s plan for their liberation.

“Lord, grant me a holy fury as the evil of the kingdom of darkness and motivate me to declare Your freedom to those in bondage.  AMEN”

John 11: 1-16

 John 11: 1-16

Jesus having made it across the Jordan safely will stay there from the Feast of Dedication, late December, till His return just before His death and Resurrection. It is after this season of renewal that Jesus heals Lazarus from death. Grammar has much to teach us in this passage. The illness will pass through death but that is not the ultimate result. We see the whole story: we see the calling of Lazarus back from the dead. We have read the happy ending. But those who lived the story did not have that advantage while they were in the story. Lazarus experiences the difficulty of a terminal illness. There is every possibility that the journey to death was difficult and painful. There would have been little palliative care and there would have been very natural suffering for Lazarus and his sisters as death approached. We should not lose sight of the reality of the first part of John 11 just because we know the end of John 11. The glorification of the Son by the Father is displayed in this miracle, but that miracle came through the suffering of a good man.

There is for us an important lesson that on the road to the glory of Christ; we will be called to suffer. We have often developed the false belief that in following Christ suffering is either removed or mitigated to the point of a minor nuisance, that is a dangerous misunderstanding. In terms of Eternity our suffering is only a minor thing. But in the moment our faith is not pixie dust that we sprinkle on misery and make it go away. Sometimes misery is something we must accept, be strengthened during and endure completely before we experience God being glorified through us and in our suffering

“Lord, grant me grace to suffer in such a say that You are glorified.  AMEN”

John 10:22-24

 John 10:22-24

There are in this passage two assertions about Jesus that He affirms and which causes the Jews to reject him. The first is that He is Christ; the second is that He is God. When asked to plainly state if he were the Christ, Jesus refers to the signs He has done. There is a specific reference to healing the man born blind. Rather than assert this directly, why does Jesus refer to His signs? At this time of Roman oppression and during the Feast of Dedication, commemorating the defeat are the Syrians by the Maccabees, to assert His Messiahship could have led to an open rebellion. The Jews’ failure to see Jesus as Messiah was because these people were not the sheep belonging to this Shepherd. Jesus said that He and the Father are (note the plural) One (note the singular). This prompts the Jews to take up stones to kill him. 

Jesus argues that He is in fact God in a way that seems strange to our Western ears but was as clear as could be to His listeners. The reference is to Psalm 82:6, where judges who have the authority and the responsibilities of the word of God are called gods. If this is true, and the scripture is always true, how much more the One who is the very word of God-made flesh is in fact God? Jesus is not trying to dodge or evade the question. He was answering in a way that they understood from their own scriptures. They did understand, as indicated by the reaction of the Jews wanting to arrest him. From this point on, Jesus is marked for death by the Jews. Only popular support and hiddenness prevent the Jews from doing what they wanted.

"Lord, thank you that You were absolutely clear about Your identity.  AMEN"

John 10:11-21

 John 10:11-21

Jesus declares Himself to be the Good Shepherd. There is the kind of good that gets positive results. There is a higher form of good in addition to good results. This good also has beauty or winsomeness as a principal characteristic. The first never moves beyond function, the second adds to function that special something. That special something is not specifically named in the text but it is understood. That special something is selfless love. Why would the shepherd fight lions or wolves at the risk of his own life? Because he loves the Sheep. From childhood a shepherd would walk, live, eat and sleep in the company of his sheep. In the flock there would be sheep that he had watched be born and that he knew as lambs. Add to the skills of proficient shepherding great love and you have the concept of a good shepherd.

In contrast is the hireling. We should not think that the hireling is unskilled in the art and science of shepherding. He may, in fact, be technically excellent. There's only one flaw in the hireling: he doesn't care for the sheep. That is the mark of Jesus: great capacity paired with great love. There is no other who has the technical skill that Jesus has, primarily the power of salvation. But also there is no one who loves as Jesus loves.

This passage is not primarily about local ministers. However, the local Pastor, Elder or Bishop who fails to be a good both technically capable and a loving shepherd need not be kept as the leader or shepherd of the church.

We need to remember that if we fail to follow Jesus it is not because He is not the shepherd, it is because we are not His sheep.

“Lord, help me know and hear the voice of my Good Shepherd. AMEN”

John 10:1-10

 John 10:1-10

The last half of verse 10 is one of the most beautiful and popular verses in the book of John. After all, who doesn’t want abundant life? The problem is that we misunderstand what Jesus meant when He talked about “abundant life."  Shaped by our consumerist culture, our fallen nature, and too often times false teachers, we assume that the abundant life is personal peace and affluence. If you think that following Jesus means primarily or ever secondarily that you will enjoy owning more stuff than you really don’t know what Jesus was talking about.

In these verses and those that follow, Jesus is talking about the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, between Himself and His people. Notice that the shepherd calls the sheep, the sheep hear and recognize His voice, and the sheep follow Him. There is nothing about possessions in this description; it is all about relationships.  The “abundant life” is being with Jesus. If you think that is not enough, what you are saying is that Jesus is not enough. Which, by the way, is a good indicator that you are not really following Jesus. 

There are now, and always have been, plenty of 'strangers’, 'thieves', and ‘robbers’ that want to steal sheep. They are easy to recognize because rather than leading people to a relationship with Jesus, they use and manipulate them. There are plenty of people who are willing to follow anyone who will promise “personal peace and affluence."  But these are not so likely to be sheep as pigs, unclean and fit only for the filth and mire of their carnal appetites. 

"Lord, give me a heart that will be satisfied if all I have is you.  AMEN"

John 9: 24 - 41

 John 9: 24 - 41 

“I was blind now I see”. In the conflict between the man born blind and the Jews all the power credentials, authority, control, etc was on one side of the argument.  But the man born blind had experienced Christ. It has been said he who has an experience does not need an argument. Lifelong blindness had been changed to vision for the man born blind, nothing else needed to be argued. His experience with Christ provided him great courage. And it enabled him to stand up to the powers that were. His arguments though he was not educated were irrefutable. He was so forceful that the opposition was reduced to slander and putting him out. He may have been expelled from the synagogue or simply removed from their presents neither of which mattered to this man whatsoever.

 But we must never forget that the point of the experience is not the experience. A lesson that we desperately need to remember today.  The point of the experience is found in verse 38, “And he said Lord I believe. And he worshiped him”. That is what the experience is supposed to lead us to. Faith in Jesus Christ and worshiping Him. The word for worship here is a compound word. The first part is toward and the second part is kiss. It literally means to kiss the ground. This man put his face in the dirt before Jesus as an act of humility and acceptance of Jesus's lordship over him. Every experience needs to lead us to this point and to this place.

“Lord, keep me from seeking experience for the sake of experience, but rather as one more way to know You. AMEN.”

John 9:13-23

 John 9:13-23

“…and there was a division among them” vs 16. When it comes to Jesus He is the most controversial person in all of history. Everyone comes down on one side or the other. There is no middle ground, there is no spiritual Switzerland, there is no neutrality. Is Jesus of God or not? That is a dividing question. If He is of God then His claims about Himself are true, claims of divinity and authority. But if He is not speaking the truth in these claims then He is not of God.

The Pharisees claim Jesus broke the Sabbath. He did violate their expectations of Sabbath keeping but not the commandments of God. Jesus kneaded clay on the Sabbath, Jesus put salve on a someone's eyes on the Sabbath, and He healed a non-life-threatening illnesses on the Sabbath. All of which were man-made rules about Sabbath keeping but were not God's law.

A long list of behavioral rules may make us seem religious, pious and righteous but they neither change our inner condition nor put us in right standing with God. As disciples we must live to the highest moral and ethical standards. Not because we think that keeping rule upon rule will make us right before God.  But because holiness is part of our new life in Christ.  It is love for Christ and nor egotistical rule keeping that makes us want to do right.

“Lord, help me to love what is holy and righteous. AMEN”

John 9:1-12

 John 9:1-12

The entire of chapter 9 is about Jesus healing the man born blind and its aftermath. Verses 1-12 tell us about this healing. Verses 2 and 3 show us a powerful lesson and contrast the two ways of looking at difficulty. It begins with the disciples asking who is to blame. Despite the lessons of the book of Job and other passages there was the prevailing attitude that there was/is a direct relationship between sin and suffering. Childhood maladies were problematic and so a misapplication of Exodus 20:5 taught that children with birth defects were punished for their parents’ sin. However, one rabbinic school taught that children could sin in their mother's womb. Hence the question from the disciples. “Who sinned this man or his parents?” 

There's something about human nature that wants to find someone or something to blame.  Maybe it goes back to our first parents in the Garden of Eden and their accusations there. We want to name the cause and fix the blame for every hardship, suffering or pain. 

 Jesus however did not enter into the discussion of causes. Jesus focused on purpose. The ‘why’ questions are all but impossible to answer. Behind each ‘why’ question there is another ‘why’ question that is frequently more difficult. Jesus does not argue about metaphysics of cosmic justice. He points to the purpose of glorifying God. Jesus could, of course, explain the ‘why’ of every suffering but we most likely would not understand. So the more important issue of God's glory is where Jesus directs His and our attentions. And that is something that we can understand 

Lord, today help me see how the circumstances of Life can result in Your  glory. AMEN”

John 8:48-59

 John 8:48-59

In many ways John 8 is a pivotal chapter in the gospel.  On Jesus’ next  trip to Jerusalem He will die.  Between now and then He will have only a short retreat beyond the Jordan.  The final section of John 8 is, if you will, the final break between Jesus and the Jews. In verse 58 Jesus claims for Himself the personal name of God:  “…before Abraham was born I Am”.  That statement if not true would be blasphemous, and deserving of death.  It is this statement that makes Jesus dangerous to the powers that be.

But there is a less obvious lesson in this passage that deserves our attention.  In verse 55 Jesus uses two different words that are both translated “know”.  The first word is the word that describes knowledge derived from experiment, study or learning.  Jesus tells the Jews that despite all of their efforts they have failed to gain even this academic kind knowledge.  The second word is knowledge that comes from an intimate relationship.  The first word is ‘to know about’ the second word is to ‘know’.  Both of these words were true of Jesus the man, God made flesh.  Neither were true of the Jews.

The first is essential for us to move toward the second.  But if the first, an academic knowledge, is all we possess, we will never have the second.  At the same time as we grow in our intimate knowledge of God that knowledge will enhance and shape our academic knowledge.  It is a sort of symbiotic relationship.  Each enhances and feeds the other.   If we seek intimacy with God we will begin with academic knowledge of God not as an end in itself but as a means.  To know scripture for the purpose of knowing scripture is no great thing.  To know scripture in order to know God is the only real purpose to know scripture.

“Lord, help me be ever growing in both kinds of knowledge of You. AMEN”

John 8:31-47

 John 8:31-47

John 8 is perhaps one of the deepest and most profound passages of scripture. This is especially true of this passage.  One general theme is that of truth and falsehood. Jesus says those who believe Him "If you abide in My word then you are truly Disciples of Mine and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."   That phrase “the truth shall make you free” has become co-opted by political and social organizations, taken out of context and badly miss used. To understand that phrase we must take it in context and progression. 

First we abide or live in the word or teaching of Jesus. This is more than His teaching about moral conduct. Following His teaching about moral conduct does set us free from the great many evils of sin’s consequences. But to live in His teachings or word is to believe who He is. When we believe in who He is then we become Disciples of Jesus. Being a disciple of Jesus is more than an intellectual exercise.  Being a disciple is impossible without the truth of who He is. A person who denies the truth of Jesus's teachings about Himself is not a Christian or disciple no matter what they claim. 

The conjunction “and” is critical. Truth cannot be known, in the experiential sense of the word, by the non disciple. Being a disciple and “knowing the truth” are inseparable. It is that truth that Jesus is who He says He is and our believing that makes us a disciple, and that sets us free. It is not freedom in a political or social way but freedom in a liberty from sin. Knowing and believing Jesus is freedom, a freedom that transforms the person no matter their personal or political status.

“Lord, grant that I will both know what Jesus teaches but also know Jesus.  AMEN”

John 8:21-30

 John 8:21-30

Jesus says in verse 21 “you…shall die in your sin” then in verse 23 He says “you…shall die in your sins”. That shift from singular to plural is subtle but important. What is the difference between sin and sins? The multitude or plurality of sins is a mere reflection or an expression of the great sin. That singular great sin is rejecting Jesus “the Water of Life”, Jesus “the light of life”. While individual acts of sin are horrible they are but symptoms of a deeper root and core problem. Individual sins are acts of rebellion; they move us toward deeper darkness and add momentum to our downward spiral. But rejecting Jesus is even more serious. This sin, note the singular, is beyond rebellion.  It has settled the question of Jesus with a negative answer. It is not moving toward darkness, it is the darkness. It is not part of the downward spiral, it is the end and bottom of that spiral. It all comes down to One singular point: belief in Jesus as the “I AM”, or live in disbelief.

The death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is the evidence or the proof of His claims. As we look at that proof, what we do with Jesus is the simple most important issue we have to face. We end up at CS Lewis's tri-lemma. To make the claims Jesus made He would have to either be a liar of extreme proportions. Or a lunatic on the order of a man who thinks that he is a poached egg. Or He was who He said He was: I AM. 

All the other sins, lust, cruelty, pride, etc. are important; but they are not the main issue. These can be dealt with by Grace but only if we do not reject the One who can grant Grace. The Eternal sin is rejecting the One who can forgive every sin.

“Lord, forgive me of my sins.  Help me never to reject the One who can save me.  AMEN”

John 8:12-20

 John 8.12 - 20

How do I find meaning and purpose in life? That's the first question. Even before “What is the meaning and purpose of life?” we have to ask “how?”. We find everything by means of light.  Looking for something in a dark room is generally an exercise in futility. But when we bring in the light, looking for something becomes a possibility. For someone who is searching, what is the first priority?  How do I find a meaningful life?  I must begin by finding the light that will reveal it.

For Jewish people light was the law, it showed God's character, holiness and will. Also in Jewish thought light was wisdom, which was, personify and by which creation occurred. The pillar of fire during the desert wanderings was identified as the imperishable light of the law. During the Feast of Tabernacles four lamp-stands in the Temple Court were lit.  They illuminated the procession for the water ceremony and it is said that all of Jerusalem reflected their lights.

In this context Jesus says, “I am the light of the world”. He shows God's character, holiness and will. He is the source creation of life. He guides people out of the darkness of spiritual slavery and leads them to the Promised Land. The entire holy city, His people, is reflected in and by the light of Jesus. Jesus's comment of being the “light of the world” was no passing metaphor. He was saying the entire life and history of God’s revelation to mankind is summed up in Him.

So how do we find meaning and purpose in life? By looking for it in the light that is Jesus.

“Lord, help me to see the light of God the Son today, AMEN”

Election Day

 God Bless America

When I hear the phrase “God Bless America,” two questions come to mind.  The first is, “Why should God bless America?” The second is, “What would a blessing from God entail?” I wonder if those who say or sing these words so casually truly reflect on their meaning. If they do not genuinely mean it, we should consider whether they are invoking God’s name in a hollow or vain manner.

Regarding the question, should God bless America? We need to leave the misguided notion that it is because we are a Christian nation. Once upon a time our country was founded up on and operated within a Christian worldview, even though not everyone was a disciple of Jesus.  However, that is no longer the case.  Should God bless us simply because we allocate a significant portion of our wealth to our own selfish pleasures?  When considering our nation as a whole, it is important to note that only about 1% of church resources are directed toward foreign missions, and of that, merely 1% is dedicated to evangelizing unreached people groups. 

Should God bless us because more than half of the world's hardcore pornography is produced here?  We have prioritized freedom of speech to such an extent that we would rather witness the exploitation of individuals than impose any limitations on their personal desires.

Should God bless America because our churches have so faithfully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ?  No, wait—some parts of the church have sold themselves to pragmatism and the desire for growth, leading them to endorse gross perversion.

Did you know that the runaway drug problem in America is part of Christian persecution? Much of the cocaine that is consumed in America is produced in the ‘Red Zone’ of Columbia. The cartels that grow, process, and produce a profit from the drug’s sales in America actively persecute Christians in that region. US drug use leads to the shedding of Christian blood. Maybe that is the reason God should bless America. 

Perhaps God should bless America because, as a nation, we are humble, holy, pure, innocent, just, and loving. Yes, but as a whole, we are none of those things. 

But this brings me to my second question, “What would a blessing from God entail?” We almost always think of God’s blessings in terms of selfish gain. We think of wealth, health, personal peace, and prosperity. We think of blessing as a divine goodie basket poured over us from on high. There is nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy God’s blessings. But for a wicked people, and that is what our nation is, not to mention much of the church, there is from God a different kind of blessing. 

As you consider Biblical history, an important pattern develops. God’s rich blessing falls on wicked people only after they have endured rather harsh judgment. Israel enjoyed the blessings of the Promised Land, but only after 40 years of wilderness wandering in which an entire generation died off. The Jewish people were essentially cured of idolatry, but only after they were in exile for 70 years. The Messiah comes, but only after Jewish nationalism was put down by Roman power. The church enjoyed high esteem and rapid growth along with powerful ministry, but only after Ananias and his wife Sapphira were killed by God in the church gathering. When there is a root of evil, God’s blessing is judgment.

Think about it. The foolishness of woke culture is made possible by an excess of wealth. In a nation that has failed infrastructure, widespread starvation, and military oppression, there are not the excess resources for Drag Queen readings at a library or radicals protesting at university. If there was an EMP attack that wiped out our electrical grid, porn would be less accessible. If fuel was suddenly $12 a gallon, we might decide that on the weekend we would be in worship rather than on recreational trips. If 1000% inflation, worthless money, and all of our wealth were lost, we might pray for our daily bread more than count our retirement fund. We have enjoyed unprecedented wealth, comfort, security, and prosperity so long that we think these are God’s greatest blessing. We have forgotten that the greatest blessing is to know God, love Him, enjoy being loved by Him, and spend all our being in His service. 

I am not wanting or asking for doom. I don’t think Ezekiel or Jeremiah were rooting for Babylonian captivity, but they saw that if Israel didn’t repent, that was the inevitable result. When we say, “God bless America,” do we really want to be a nation that He will bless? Are we willing to be changed by hardship to become that kind of person? 

John 8:1-11

 John 8:1-11

Where was the husband? What about the lover? It is hard to escape the conclusion in this passage that there was a conspiracy afoot. The sinful woman was caught in the very act of adultery. That presupposes that there was a man with her at that moment. Where was he? Participation in an illicit love affair is something that people try to keep secret. So how did they catch her unless they were tipped off?  How did they know when and where unless they were told.  We can be pretty sure the woman didn’t tell them.  Some Bible teachers have suggested that she was a prostitute and her client was part of the conspiracy? Maybe he was there in the crowd, rock in hand.  The language suggests that she was a wife. Perhaps her husband knew of the affair and this was his way of getting out of the marriage while also extracting maximum harm to his wife. Roman law did not allow the Jews to carry out executions.  But with the help of the mob he could maximize her shame and get rid of her.  Whatever the case, this woman is simply a pawn to be used. She was expendable. There's apparently not one scintilla of concern about her spiritual condition by anyone in the crowd except Jesus!

The sharp, cynical, grasping, craving, nature of man is to get what we want without care for the people whom we hurt in the process. The moment we begin to see people as a means to an end we have, no matter how good our intentions, entered into similar circumstances. If you had asked the mob they would have told you that they were pursuing a holy goal, most of them would have even believed it. One woman's ruin is of no consequence; she was mere collateral damage. Jesus on the other hand would hold up the highest standards of righteousness and still value the individual. He would value the individual, even a woman caught in the very act of adultery, enough to die for them.

“Lord, help me to pursue holiness without hypocrisy. AMEN”

John 7:45-53

 John 7.45-53

It always comes down to one simple question: “Who is this Jesus?”  Sooner or later that is the question that MUST be answered.  In the crowd were those who thought He was “the prophet” who would precede the Messiah.  Some thought He was the Messiah Himself.  Some rejected Him as evil, mad or dangerous.  Some believe He would be a political Messiah who would be used by God to throw off Roman oppression.  Some though He was an agitator who would only stir up trouble.  Some rejected Him and closed their eyes and ears to any and all evidence, they refused to listen to any of His teachings.   Some, the Sanhedrin, wanted Him arrested.  At least one member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemous, wanted to hear out His claims.  It always comes down to the same ultimate question: “Who is Jesus?” 

John points out one interesting reaction for one specific group, “The officers” or temple police.  They were apparently sent to arrest Jesus, but before they took Him into custody they listened to Him.  And having listened to Him they were challenged and changed and could not arrest Him.  When confronted with their failure to arrest Him all they could say was “Never did a man speak the way this man speaks”.   In an honest hearing of this man, Jesus, there is an awareness that He is unique.  All we ask is that people hear what Jesus said.  And after you listen to what He said, make a decision about Him. 

“Lord, help me to hear every day what Jesus says, and shape my life accordingly. AMEN”   

John 7:37-44

 John 7 37 - 44

“Come to Jesus and drink” is a short summation of verses 37 and 38. Like so many of Jesus's statements it is grander and bigger than it first appears. John gives us the context, it is the last and greatest day of the feast. The week-long celebration of Tabernacles was the most joyous of all Jewish feasts. It was sort of a combination of Thanksgiving with a week of feasting, summer vacation, a week-long camping trip and great celebrative and commemorative ceremonies. 

This ceremony was in celebrating God's provision during the Exodus by giving water to Israel. At the feast there was also prayer for rain for the coming crops.  In an agricultural society this was about future provision, life itself.  On the last day there was the culmination of the week with a grand parade. Throngs in procession marched from the spring to the altar.  On the way they were chanting scriptures and waving branches.  Once they arrived at the altar the High Priest would pour out the sacrificial water.  It was the highest high point of worship in the most joyful feast of the year.  Imagine that great moment when the last drop of water pours out.  In the silence before the cheers erupt from the people Jesus says: “If any man is thirsty let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of Living Water.”

There is no metaphor, no comparison that can adequately explain that statement. In a festival in which the worshipers are thanking God for His miraculous care by providing water in the desert Jesus says, “I’ll do you one better come to Me personally. I am the one who gives the water that will fill you to overflowing.”

Such a man was their stark raving mad, the most aggressive deceiver in history or He was the water of life.  

“Lord, fill me with Your Spirt till I am completely full and overflowing with You. AMEN”