John 1:35-42

John 1:35-42

Jesus asked a question of two who followed Him “What do you seek?” The word “seek” means more than meets the eye. “What do you want?” is not enough.  “What are you looking for?” gets a little closer. One ancient reading asked “Whom do you seek?” This is a question about the core issue of life. We might ask the question this way, “What is the deepest desire of your heart? At the foundation of your being what are you hoping to find?” We can never be true to Jesus until we know what we want. Jesus deeply desires that we know what we really want. Vague generalities are never enough when it comes to our relationship with Christ.

Part of our problem is that we have so many benefits and blessings in Christ then we can easily begin to want Christ for the benefits He provides. We can slip into thinking of and treating Him as a means to an end. This is a dangerous path to tread. There are blessings, benefits, mercies, and gifts a plenty for those who follow Jesus. But there are also hardships, sufferings, dying to self and crosses. If we are following for the blessings at the moment when being a disciple calls us to sacrifice we will opt to walk away. Jesus has no interest in being a means to our ends.

So it comes back to, “What is it that you are really after? What is the deepest desire of our very being?” It cannot be found in a cost-benefit analysis of “blessing” versus “the cost of discipleship”. That will end in either a denial of Christ before some cross or a self-righteous legalism by which we think we earn the blessings. The answer to the question “What do you seek?” is found in the answer “Rabbi where are you staying?” Rabbi or teacher is more than an educational opportunity it is a personal commitment to the great one or the master. The query “Where are you staying?” carries with it the idea of being or staying with you. More than an interesting conversation is about a life commitment to a master. “What is the deepest desire of the heart?” 

Lord, help me so that my greatest desire is that Jesus will be my master and I will always be with You whatever that may bring. AMEN

John 1.29–34

 John 1.29 – 34

The eyes of John

Every morning the day begins with two competing agendas.  First, there is the desire to stop and in the quiet hear the Lord’s voice, to encounter Him in a personal, profound, and life changing way.  The second agenda is the busyness of the day; it is the agenda of the lists.  There is the ‘must-do’ list, there is the ‘need-to-do list’, there is the ‘would-nice-to-be-done list’ and there is the ‘want-to-do list’.  All these lists scramble through our minds demanding attention.  The first agenda is orderly and quiet; it is practiced in calm, beauty and peace.  It enjoys a richness of heart that invites us to linger for the whole day in serene quietude.  The second is the chaos in which time and resources are not nearly adequate for all that is expected or needed.  This second agenda is lived out in functionality that is devoid of joy or passion.  How exciting can one really be about the dreariness of car service, errands, chores and all the other functions the suck up time; the most non-renewable, natural resource.  

We crave for the sublime moment where our encounter with the divine is like John the Baptist’s description: “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of Heaven, and remained on Him”.  But wait.  Jesus has just returned from the trials in the desert.  He is about to call His first disciples and dive headlong into three years of the chaotic life of ministry.  Jesus was serene, but His life wasn’t.  We may have missed something that will help us.

“When the Spirit descended like a dove” needs to be understood from the Jewish perspective.  Jesus and John were Jewish as were John’s original audience.  In the Jewish mind, what did this “descended like a dove” mean?  In Genesis 1:2, we learn that over the formless, void, waste and emptiness that was initial creation the Spirit of God hovered over the chaos.  The Rabbis saw the Spirit fluttering like a dove over the face of the waters.  They saw in this passage the Spirit breathe into the chaos beauty, order, purpose, direction and reason for being.  The Spirit did not obliterate chaos; it was shaped to conform to the will of God.  While this is not the whole meaning of the decent of the Spirit it would have been part of the Jewish mindset.  

Order that pleases God can come out of the chaos of busy days.  Jesus’ life did not, at this moment, become more quiet and reserved.  He didn’t go off to a retreat center for three years of Bible reading, journaling, and quiet study.  Instead, He waded into the chaos of life and the order that would please the Father emerged.

The chaos of our days is still before us.  Our “must-be-done-by-noon” list could easily fill a whole day.  Some things simply will not get done and that will mean loose ends- read chaos-to be dealt with later.  But in cooperation with the Spirit of God this chaos need not distress us; in fact, we may see God at work in it.  If only we can develop the eyes of John.

“Lord, help me see You at work in each moment. AMEN”

John 1:19-28

John 1:19-28 

John the Baptist's ministry created quite a stir in and among the Jews. The number of people coming out to John was large enough that it could upset the status quo. Two groups sent delegations to see if this dessert preacher posed a threat. The priestly delegation would have represented the temple authorities while the Pharisees would have represented the synagogue authority. In verse 19 the author uses the term “the Jews”.  This term will be a recurring theme in this gospel and represent the antagonist in the story, and become closely associated with institutional powers. 

When the people of God morph into an institution that institution becomes self-protective. The preservation of the status quo takes precedence and priority over everything else. Institutions can't help themselves that is their nature; it is what they always become. But the people of God are not an institution and as such they are flexible and responsive to what God is doing at the moment. 

The Jews asked John who he was regarding three specific prophecies. John denied all three. He affirmed he was not the Messiah. But his denial implied that the Messiah was very near. He affirmed that he was not Elijah resurrected from the dead, but later he would be identified as an Elijah-like profit. He also denied that he was “the prophet”. This is the prophecy about the Messiah from Deuteronomy 18.15. John is essentially says “I am no one special as far as you are concerned”.

The problem was the Jews were obsessed with title, power, and possession. Institutions are almost always obsessed with these three things. John instead focused on his task and calling. What he was instructed to do was get things ready for the Messiah. John was content to be the “voice”. One thing about a voice it never lasts longer than an echo. Once the words have entered the ears the voice no longer has an independent presence. One might say that John wanted to be heard and not seen or even remembered. When we remember that the hero of the story, the main act of all history and be the only purpose of life is to know Jesus we tend to focus on our task and calling and not so much on title, power, position or institutions.

“Lord, let me be such a person that those with whom I speak will have an unobstructed view of Jesus.  AMEN

John 1:1-18

 John 1:1-18

It might be possible to focus a lifetime of study on the verse that open John's gospel and never reach the depth of all they have to offer. This is one of the places where Jewish and Greek thought intersects most dramatically. The common Jewish people lost the Hebrew language that was reserved for scholars. Instead they spoke and read Aramaic. In the translation of the Hebrew scripture into the common language of Aramaic in order to avoid dishonoring God they would translation anything that sounded like an anthropomorphism with “the word”. So the Hebrew text that reads, “My hand laid the foundation of the Earth” was translated into “By my word I have founded the Earth”. In the scripture of the common people hundreds of references to God became “the Word”. This was especially true of the wisdom of God.

The Greeks came to “the Word” from a different perspective. The Greeks believed that life, nature, and the whole universe was in a state of flux or constant change. So what kept this state of flux from spiraling out of control and into total chaos? “The word” which was the logic, or wisdom, or reason of the supernatural divine. The guiding force for the universe was “the Word” and “the Word” would bring all things to their appropriate conclusion.

John opens his gospel with the intersection of Jewish and Greek thought by staying the activity and reality of God (the Jewish understanding) and that which gives purpose and guidance to the universe (the Greek understanding) became human in the person of Jesus. It is easy to read this passage and fail to take in the marvel of God's providence in bringing these two languages to this place to communicate such wonder.

But this is more than a fascinating historical moment of language or a philosophical religious statement. Verse 16 is a fantastic statement; “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace”. Literally this can be translated we have received “grace for grace”. It is by God's grace that we can even receive grace. One moment of grace leads to another moment of grace. We have grace for every circumstance and every occasion. Just when we think we have plumbed the depths of grace we discover beyond that there is still more grace. As marvelous as this the intersection of Jewish and Greek thought and language there is a greater moment. Overshadowing all else is our intersection with grace for this is a personal, individual, and relational grace from God.

“Lord, open my eyes to the constant of Your grace. AMEN”

Why this election is so significant, and what it means for the church.

 Why this election is so significant, and what it means for the church.

DISCLAIMERS

#1 I am not suggesting you vote for one of the other of the main candidates

#2 I could very well be wrong, but I don’t think I am

#3 I don’t believe the U.S. is a bastion of holiness than can be saved by a political solution.

This election is very significant in two different ways, both of which are important for Christians to notice and respond to.

First, this election represents a sea change unlike anything in U.S. history.  In fact it may be a harbinger of the most important changes since 1860.  For the first time a major political party is running a candidate that was not in any way selected by the people of that party.  The appointment of Harris as the candidate from the democratic party is unprecedented.  This sets a precedent that, if followed, could result in political power brokers determining who will be their proposed leader.  Already there has been talk of the ‘value’ of shortening the campaign season for President.  The most efficient way to do that would be for party bosses to establish their candidate without having to bother with the hoi polloi.  Is what we are seeing the zygote of an American Politburo  Bureau  of the Central Committee of the One Party?   There is must that could be said on this subject, this has the potential to have a profound effect on our nation, and the church.  

Second, Donald Trump has more blatantly and willingly left the conservative values reflective of Evangelical Christians than any Republican candidate so far. Trump's position on abortion is hardly what we would call pro-life. Trump apparently sees no problem with the lgbtq+ community. And the Republican Party, under Trump's leadership, does not appear to be in the least interested in stopping the mutilation of confused young men and women by means of surgery and puberty blocking medication. Beginning in the 1970s conservative Christians have raced toward the Republican Party offering their influence and support. The Republican Party in return offered lip service and access to the halls of power. Very few people can identify one long-lasting legislative result from all the efforts of the Moral Majority, Concerned Women for America, the Christian Coalition or any other Christian conservative political action committee. During this time the American church has lost its way in regard to its raison d'être and as a result is dwindling both in numbers and influence. So much so that a shrewd politician, which is what Donald Trump is, recognizes that there is greater value and moving away from Conservative Christian beliefs than holding on to them.  

What will be the result of these two political shifts in American politics?  I am hopeful that the shift will result in the church returning to its primary purpose of making disciples. not Republicans not Democrats not conservatives not liberals simply people who love Jesus and want to shape their lives around following him. politically I don't have a lot of hope for this nation.   However, I am extremely positive about the ultimate victory of the kingdom of God. even if that victory means we must experience losses and lesser areas of our lives.

Please share any thoughts that this post brings to mind.

Luke 24:44-53

 Luke 24:44-53

We cannot understand what the scriptures mean apart from the resurrected Christ.  This is the second time since the resurrection that Luke specifically points out that Jesus explains the Old Testament as pointing to Him.  First to the other two disciples on the road to Emmaus where “He opened their minds…” to understand the scriptures.  This didn’t happen during the three years of ministry but in the forty days after the resurrection.  That gives us a picture of the centrality of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.

While it is true that the Bible gives us insight for practical living, that is not the point of Scripture.  The Bible has wonderful wisdom for marriage, family, wealth management and a host of other issues.  These are, however, secondary.  They are implication or applications of the central truth.

The central truth is that Jesus Christ had to suffer, die, and be resurrected in order that His disciples could preach/proclaim/tell about repentance and forgiveness of sin to the whole world.  We are sent by the Father and empowered by the Father.  The message of the Gospel is not our subjective experience, not how we feel or what we think, it is most certainly not about how to live the good life now.   It is the death and resurrection of Christ and the repentance and forgiveness we can have in Him. 

The understanding of what we call the great commission is profoundly impactful in the way we live.  The disciples we see coming to Jerusalem, the ones we see during the passion, at the crucifixion and on Easter morning are somewhat pathetic.  But  after the Great Commission while far from perfect they are bold, worshiping and joy filled.  Let us repeat this pattern.  The Resurrection means everything.

“Lord, help me to live daily in the Resurrection. AMEN”

Luke 24:36 - 43

 Luke 24:36 - 43

Few things are more universally feared then meeting a ghost. In almost every culture and at every point in history people are afraid of meeting a ghost.  Even if one doesn't believe in ghosts, meeting one is terrifying. The disciples are in conversation with the two witnesses from Emmaus when as suddenly as Jesus left them at Emmaus He appears in the room in Jerusalem. This sudden appearance produces fright,  trouble in heart and doubt.

How Jesus responds to their emotional reaction is too important to miss. He doesn't teach a lesson on the nature of spirits or if ghosts are real. Nor does He castigate them for their failed belief systems. What He does is to emphasize the reality of the Resurrection. This resurrected person really is Jesus, the same one they have known for these past years. This resurrected person is a physically real person, with scars, and teeth, and a belly that wanted to eat. This resurrected person was everything human and more, with the ability to appear and then be gone instantly and all the while remaining fully tangible and human. A ghost is and does none of these.

Ghostly fears are not just the terror of apparitions.  We find these hauntings of our own lives and mortality to be reminders of the realization that some day we will die and what we are will be no more.  Or worse, we have the ghostly fear that we will be something  worse than nothing, we will be a ghost. The answer to the terror of a ghostly fear is not the denial of the supernatural but to embrace the resurrection of Jesus and then find in His resurrection the hope for our Resurrection. After all, what could frighten the one who has been resurrected? We can live free from every fear by living in the hope of what we shall be in the resurrection.

“Lord, grant that today I will live in the hope of the resurrection. AMEN”