Hey Everyone.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I'm sitting in a coffee shop in North Tonawanda, NY, with my Black Friday shopping complete.
So tonight I'm going to continue to share from my study in Acts. As I studied through Acts 2, 3 and 4 I began to notice some things about Peter's messages. Here is what I mean: In Acts 2, Peter is speaking to the people of Jerusalem after a great miracle. (Everyone is hearing the message in their own language) He delivers a message how Jesus was given to them by God (2:22), they had killed him (2:23), but this had been God's plan (2:23) and then God raised him from the dead (2:24). He goes on to say that this fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament (2:25-35), that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and they killed him (2:36) and that they should repent (2:38). This sums up Peter's message on the day of Pentecost.
In chapter 3 Peter and John are going to the temple. Peter performs a great miracle by healing a man born lame (3:1-10). He uses this miracle to preach another sermon that includes the following: Jesus was given to them by God (3:13), they had killed him (3:13-15), but this had been God's plan (3:18) and then God raised him from the dead (3:36). He goes on to say that this fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament (3:18, 24-25), that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah (3:20) and that they should repent (3:19).
Do you notice the similarities? It is almost the same message. The points are the same any way. It makes me wonder then, was this simply The Message. Peter and the other apostles had spent time with Jesus between the Resurrection and the Ascension, where Jesus explained things to them and prepared them for this ministry. This is just my speculation, of course, but I wonder if Jesus spent a lot of time explaining this message to them. It makes sense to me.
It makes me think, though, "What is my message?' Peter seemed to preach a fairly simple message of Jesus crucified and resurrected, and that this was God's redemptive plan all along. It times my message has been "Come, be a part of my awesome church," or "Come, be a disciple." These are important but they aren't the message. The message of Jesus crucified and resurrected drew a lot of people in Acts 2 and 3. It is still the message that draws. What is your message?
Tom
Friday, November 28, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
On All People
Hello everyone.
It has been a while since I have written anything. I have since finished my study of the book of John and have now started on a study of the book of Acts. I am currently in Acts 2, where, as you know, the Holy Spirit comes and fills the apostles and they begin to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit enables them. This is where I would like to start today.
At the time in which the apostles are filled up with God's Holy Spirit, there are God-fearing Jews from all over the place, in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. (Acts 2:5) They are amazed as the apostles begin speaking in different languages because everyone can hear the message in their own language. Luke records that many in the audience were "amazed and perplexed," recognizing that this was a pretty awesome miracle that they were witnessing. Others, ever critical, heard the noise and simply attributed it to drunkenness.
That is when Peter stands up and begins to speak. He defends himself and his partners in the Gospel, saying that they were not drunk, and then uses a prophecy from Joel to explain what was really happening. God was pouring out his Spirit. Here is a Hughes' paraphrase of what Peter is saying, "People, what you are witnessing is not drunkenness, it is the Holy Spirit. Joel prophesied that God would pour out His spirit on people and this what is happening right now." So Peter uses Joel's prophecy about the Holy Spirit in this sermon that opens up the doors to God's church, and it's pretty awesome. Let's take a look at a couple of things.
First, God is pouring out his Spirit on all people. The idea that the Holy Spirit was now available to all people is really important. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was given only to certain people of God's choosing to serve specific purposes, usually leaders (ex. Moses, Joshua, David) or prophets (ex. Elijah, Ezekiel). Peter is using Joel's prophecy to say that now the Holy Spirit is now available to all people. He mentions sons and daughters. (Everyone is one of those, either a son or a daughter.) In verse 18, it says that the Spirit would be poured out on God's servants, both men and women. Just before that he mentions both young and old. This was going to be different than it ever had been. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God Almighty was now going to be available to all.
Second, I personally love the part about how the young men would see visions and the old men would dream dreams. I like it because with the Holy Spirit in us, the dreams of youth are not relegated to the young. Older people get to be dreamers too. At an age when most people have sort of settled in and accepted the harsh realities of life, those who have had the Holy Spirit poured out on them are vibrant and full of dreams.
So then, we are fortunate to live in a time in which we have such a great power available to us all, man, woman, young and old.
Tom
It has been a while since I have written anything. I have since finished my study of the book of John and have now started on a study of the book of Acts. I am currently in Acts 2, where, as you know, the Holy Spirit comes and fills the apostles and they begin to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit enables them. This is where I would like to start today.
At the time in which the apostles are filled up with God's Holy Spirit, there are God-fearing Jews from all over the place, in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. (Acts 2:5) They are amazed as the apostles begin speaking in different languages because everyone can hear the message in their own language. Luke records that many in the audience were "amazed and perplexed," recognizing that this was a pretty awesome miracle that they were witnessing. Others, ever critical, heard the noise and simply attributed it to drunkenness.
That is when Peter stands up and begins to speak. He defends himself and his partners in the Gospel, saying that they were not drunk, and then uses a prophecy from Joel to explain what was really happening. God was pouring out his Spirit. Here is a Hughes' paraphrase of what Peter is saying, "People, what you are witnessing is not drunkenness, it is the Holy Spirit. Joel prophesied that God would pour out His spirit on people and this what is happening right now." So Peter uses Joel's prophecy about the Holy Spirit in this sermon that opens up the doors to God's church, and it's pretty awesome. Let's take a look at a couple of things.
First, God is pouring out his Spirit on all people. The idea that the Holy Spirit was now available to all people is really important. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was given only to certain people of God's choosing to serve specific purposes, usually leaders (ex. Moses, Joshua, David) or prophets (ex. Elijah, Ezekiel). Peter is using Joel's prophecy to say that now the Holy Spirit is now available to all people. He mentions sons and daughters. (Everyone is one of those, either a son or a daughter.) In verse 18, it says that the Spirit would be poured out on God's servants, both men and women. Just before that he mentions both young and old. This was going to be different than it ever had been. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God Almighty was now going to be available to all.
Second, I personally love the part about how the young men would see visions and the old men would dream dreams. I like it because with the Holy Spirit in us, the dreams of youth are not relegated to the young. Older people get to be dreamers too. At an age when most people have sort of settled in and accepted the harsh realities of life, those who have had the Holy Spirit poured out on them are vibrant and full of dreams.
So then, we are fortunate to live in a time in which we have such a great power available to us all, man, woman, young and old.
Tom
Saturday, August 30, 2014
The Secret Disciple
Hello everyone.
Today, I am sharing the story of Joseph of Arimathea. It is told a little bit in each of the Gospels. Matthew 27:57 tells us that Joseph was wealthy. Mark 15:43 tells us that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, was waiting for the kingdom of God and that he went boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Luke 23:50-51 tells us that while he was a member of the Jewish ruling council, he had not consented to their actions. It is what John says, however, that gives us the full picture. John 19:38-42 also tells about the wealthy member of the Jewish ruling council who boldly approached Pilate in order to bury the body of Jesus. John adds that Joseph was "a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews." Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but to this point he had kept it a secret. His secret was motivated by fear. Today, Joseph would certainly be considered on the fringe of the fellowship at best, yet Joseph steps up big time in an hour of need and God uses him to accomplish his will. He, along with Nicodemus, buried Jesus in Joseph's own tomb.
It's funny to me, that at a time when Jesus' closest associates (the apostles) were in hiding, and it appears that Jesus had lost his battle with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, that this is the moment when Joseph steps forward and makes his association with Jesus public. He had not had the faith to overcome his fear during Jesus' public ministry. He had summoned some courage during Jesus' trial and had not consented to what the Council was doing, but after Jesus was dead, when all seemed lost, he boldly goes to Pilate for the body of Jesus. His discipleship is no secret now. But now, with Jesus dead, it would seem that he had nothing to gain by stepping forward. It is difficult to say what motivated Joseph to come forward at this point. Perhaps seeing Jesus on trial had bolstered his faith or created such a deep love for Jesus that fear didn't matter anymore. Perhaps God had set Joseph aside for this special purpose, knowing that he had the financial means and the influence to get it done. The best I can do is speculate as to the turning point and the motivation for Joseph stepping out like he did at a time when all seemed lost.
OK, so what does this mean? To me, it means that we just never know who God has set aside for a specific purpose or plan, or who has the heart to step in at the right moment. Even those that are seemingly the weakest among us may be the one that God has chosen to do something amazing.
Tom
Today, I am sharing the story of Joseph of Arimathea. It is told a little bit in each of the Gospels. Matthew 27:57 tells us that Joseph was wealthy. Mark 15:43 tells us that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, was waiting for the kingdom of God and that he went boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Luke 23:50-51 tells us that while he was a member of the Jewish ruling council, he had not consented to their actions. It is what John says, however, that gives us the full picture. John 19:38-42 also tells about the wealthy member of the Jewish ruling council who boldly approached Pilate in order to bury the body of Jesus. John adds that Joseph was "a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews." Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but to this point he had kept it a secret. His secret was motivated by fear. Today, Joseph would certainly be considered on the fringe of the fellowship at best, yet Joseph steps up big time in an hour of need and God uses him to accomplish his will. He, along with Nicodemus, buried Jesus in Joseph's own tomb.
It's funny to me, that at a time when Jesus' closest associates (the apostles) were in hiding, and it appears that Jesus had lost his battle with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, that this is the moment when Joseph steps forward and makes his association with Jesus public. He had not had the faith to overcome his fear during Jesus' public ministry. He had summoned some courage during Jesus' trial and had not consented to what the Council was doing, but after Jesus was dead, when all seemed lost, he boldly goes to Pilate for the body of Jesus. His discipleship is no secret now. But now, with Jesus dead, it would seem that he had nothing to gain by stepping forward. It is difficult to say what motivated Joseph to come forward at this point. Perhaps seeing Jesus on trial had bolstered his faith or created such a deep love for Jesus that fear didn't matter anymore. Perhaps God had set Joseph aside for this special purpose, knowing that he had the financial means and the influence to get it done. The best I can do is speculate as to the turning point and the motivation for Joseph stepping out like he did at a time when all seemed lost.
OK, so what does this mean? To me, it means that we just never know who God has set aside for a specific purpose or plan, or who has the heart to step in at the right moment. Even those that are seemingly the weakest among us may be the one that God has chosen to do something amazing.
Tom
Friday, August 8, 2014
When Jesus is Lifted Up
Hey everybody.
Today, I am looking at a story in John 12:20-33. Some Greeks have come to Philip because they want an audience with Jesus. Philip, along with Andrew, bring their request to Jesus. In response, Jesus says a number of things that likely went over the heads of his audience both Jew and Greek alike.
Jesus talked about how the time has come for Him to be glorified and how kernels of wheat must fall to ground and die in order to produce more wheat. He talks about how you must hate your life in this world in order to save it, and how God the Father will honor the one that serves Jesus. Then He talks about how His soul is troubled, but that he cannot ask God to save him from his upcoming trouble, because that was the very reason he came. He ends this short discourse by declaring to His Father, that God glorifies his own name. Then something incredibly cool happens.
A voice comes from heaven and says, " I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd seemed a little confused by what happened. Some said it was an angel, others said it was thunder, but no matter what they perceived it must have been something amazing to behold. Jesus tells his audience that the voice from heaven was for their benefit, not his, because judgment was coming upon the world, and the prince of the world would be driven out. I suspect that Jesus says that the voice they heard was for their benefit so that they might believe and therefore be saved. One would think that witnessing something as incredible as a voice thundering from heaven would convince a few people that Jesus was legit.
Any way, I want to focus on what Jesus says next. "He says, "And I, when I am lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself." John writes that Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he would die, meaning obviously the Cross. This is one of three places in John where Jesus talks about being lifted up. The others are, John 3:14 and John 8:28. In John 3, in a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus says, "so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." In John 8, Jesus in a dispute with a group of Jews, when he says, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me." So from these three verses we can see what happens when Jesus is lifted up:
Let's lift Him up.
Tom
Today, I am looking at a story in John 12:20-33. Some Greeks have come to Philip because they want an audience with Jesus. Philip, along with Andrew, bring their request to Jesus. In response, Jesus says a number of things that likely went over the heads of his audience both Jew and Greek alike.
Jesus talked about how the time has come for Him to be glorified and how kernels of wheat must fall to ground and die in order to produce more wheat. He talks about how you must hate your life in this world in order to save it, and how God the Father will honor the one that serves Jesus. Then He talks about how His soul is troubled, but that he cannot ask God to save him from his upcoming trouble, because that was the very reason he came. He ends this short discourse by declaring to His Father, that God glorifies his own name. Then something incredibly cool happens.
A voice comes from heaven and says, " I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd seemed a little confused by what happened. Some said it was an angel, others said it was thunder, but no matter what they perceived it must have been something amazing to behold. Jesus tells his audience that the voice from heaven was for their benefit, not his, because judgment was coming upon the world, and the prince of the world would be driven out. I suspect that Jesus says that the voice they heard was for their benefit so that they might believe and therefore be saved. One would think that witnessing something as incredible as a voice thundering from heaven would convince a few people that Jesus was legit.
Any way, I want to focus on what Jesus says next. "He says, "And I, when I am lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself." John writes that Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he would die, meaning obviously the Cross. This is one of three places in John where Jesus talks about being lifted up. The others are, John 3:14 and John 8:28. In John 3, in a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus says, "so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." In John 8, Jesus in a dispute with a group of Jews, when he says, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me." So from these three verses we can see what happens when Jesus is lifted up:
- Everyone who believes may have eternal life.
- We can know that Jesus is from God.
- We can know that Jesus speaks only God's words.
- People will be drawn to Jesus.
Let's lift Him up.
Tom
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Jesus: The Life
Hey everyone.
This is the last of my entries on Jesus' "I Am" statements. When Jesus says, in John 14, that He is "the way, the truth and the life," he is saying that he is three different things. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. I saved this last part "I am the life" for last because I see it as a constant theme throughout these statements. Here is my evidence:
Tom
This is the last of my entries on Jesus' "I Am" statements. When Jesus says, in John 14, that He is "the way, the truth and the life," he is saying that he is three different things. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. I saved this last part "I am the life" for last because I see it as a constant theme throughout these statements. Here is my evidence:
- John 6:35 - "I am the Bread of Life." Jesus compares himself to the the bread from heaven (manna) that the Israelites ate in the wilderness and then died. He, however, is a bread from heaven that upon eating, leads to eternal Life.
- John 8:12 - "I am the Light of the world." Jesus' light is connected to Life in John 1:4, where its says, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of all mankind." His life gives our lives light.
- John 10 - Jesus makes two of his "I Am" statements. "I am the gate." "I am the good shepherd." In the middle of this passage is John 10:10 where Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the the full." Jesus is The Life and seeks to make our own lives great. In fact, as Jesus discusses the Good Shepherd, he talks about how he will lay down his own life for the sheep. His life for ours. A very good deal for us.
- John 11:25 - "I am the resurrection." Actually, He says, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." This is Jesus talking to Martha about her brother Lazarus, whom Jesus is about to raise from the dead. The connection between resurrection and life is somewhat obvious, resurrection meaning "to live again."
- John 15:1 - "I am the vine." When we are connected to the Vine, we have life. Disconnected from the Vine, we die. Also, as we are connected to the Vine, we are connected to each other. It makes out lives better.
Tom
Monday, July 28, 2014
Jesus: The Vine
Hey everyone.
I think I am just about recovered from a week as a camp counselor at our Teen Camp. It was a great camp this year. One of our best ever.
Any way, I wanted to talk a little bit more about Jesus and his "I am" statements. Today I want look at John 15:1-8 where Jesus says, "I am the vine." (v. 5) In verse 1 He also says, "I am the true vine," setting Jesus apart from any false vine. He goes on to say that his Father is the gardener who prunes the various branches of the vine so that they will be more fruitful. We, his followers are the branches, who get pruned, or cut back, by God, so that we can be made more fruitful. Imagine yourself as a plant. God gets out his pruning shears and cuts part of you off. Seems painful, but we understand that God runes (disciplines) us in order to make better.
When Jesus talks about being the Vine, he is really talking about remaining connected to him. Jesus presents two kinds of branches here, those that are connected to him and those that are not. Let's look at these two types of branches and do a little compare/contrast. The disconnected vine: can't bear fruit (v. 4), can do nothing (v. 5), gets thrown away, withers, gets thrown into the fire and burned (v.6). In other words, not remaining connected to Jesus leads for fruitlessness and spiritual death.
On the other hand, what do we gain by remaining connected to the Vine. The connected branch: bears fruit (v. 4, 5), God answers our prayers (v. 7), bears much fruit (v. 8), we show ourselves to be his disciples (v. 8). In other words, remaining connected to the Vine leads to fruitfulness, answered prayer and life. Also, I see that remaining connected to the Vine, keeps me connected to all the other branches. The connection that we have to each other is through Jesus Christ.
So then, it would seem that maintaining that connection to the vine should be a great priority in our lives. We accept God's pruning. We study our Bibles and pray to maintain that connection. We enjoy the benefits of the fellowship. It would seem that these these would be very important to us for two reasons. The benefits of this connection are great, and the outcomes of disconnection from the Vine are rather grim. So let us stay connected to Jesus the True Vine.
Tom
I think I am just about recovered from a week as a camp counselor at our Teen Camp. It was a great camp this year. One of our best ever.
Any way, I wanted to talk a little bit more about Jesus and his "I am" statements. Today I want look at John 15:1-8 where Jesus says, "I am the vine." (v. 5) In verse 1 He also says, "I am the true vine," setting Jesus apart from any false vine. He goes on to say that his Father is the gardener who prunes the various branches of the vine so that they will be more fruitful. We, his followers are the branches, who get pruned, or cut back, by God, so that we can be made more fruitful. Imagine yourself as a plant. God gets out his pruning shears and cuts part of you off. Seems painful, but we understand that God runes (disciplines) us in order to make better.
When Jesus talks about being the Vine, he is really talking about remaining connected to him. Jesus presents two kinds of branches here, those that are connected to him and those that are not. Let's look at these two types of branches and do a little compare/contrast. The disconnected vine: can't bear fruit (v. 4), can do nothing (v. 5), gets thrown away, withers, gets thrown into the fire and burned (v.6). In other words, not remaining connected to Jesus leads for fruitlessness and spiritual death.
On the other hand, what do we gain by remaining connected to the Vine. The connected branch: bears fruit (v. 4, 5), God answers our prayers (v. 7), bears much fruit (v. 8), we show ourselves to be his disciples (v. 8). In other words, remaining connected to the Vine leads to fruitfulness, answered prayer and life. Also, I see that remaining connected to the Vine, keeps me connected to all the other branches. The connection that we have to each other is through Jesus Christ.
So then, it would seem that maintaining that connection to the vine should be a great priority in our lives. We accept God's pruning. We study our Bibles and pray to maintain that connection. We enjoy the benefits of the fellowship. It would seem that these these would be very important to us for two reasons. The benefits of this connection are great, and the outcomes of disconnection from the Vine are rather grim. So let us stay connected to Jesus the True Vine.
Tom
Friday, July 4, 2014
Jesus: The Truth
Hey everyone and Happy Independence Day.
It has been a while since I have written anything. The end of a school year is incredibly busy for me, as I am a teacher and supervise two departments. But the school year finally ended last Friday, (about a week after everyone else.)
The last time I wrote about Jesus: The Way. In this statement in John 14:6, Jesus is calling himself three things. He is saying, "I am the Way. I am the the Truth. I am the Life." Today we will examine Jesus: The Truth. To be truthful, I really had a hard time answering the question, "What does it mean to me that Jesus is the Truth?" It just wasn't striking a cord with me. So you know what I did? I opened up the Bible to see what the Bible had to say about, and it turns that the Bible, particularly the book of John has a great deal to say about it. According to the NIV Complete Concordance, the word "truth" is used over 50 times in the book of John, and the word "true" is used another 12 times. Jesus uses the phrase, "I tell you the truth," around 25 times, just in John. It appears that truth is an important concept in John that I was completely missing. So I went back and re-examined a few things. Here are some things I picked up on:
Tom
It has been a while since I have written anything. The end of a school year is incredibly busy for me, as I am a teacher and supervise two departments. But the school year finally ended last Friday, (about a week after everyone else.)
The last time I wrote about Jesus: The Way. In this statement in John 14:6, Jesus is calling himself three things. He is saying, "I am the Way. I am the the Truth. I am the Life." Today we will examine Jesus: The Truth. To be truthful, I really had a hard time answering the question, "What does it mean to me that Jesus is the Truth?" It just wasn't striking a cord with me. So you know what I did? I opened up the Bible to see what the Bible had to say about, and it turns that the Bible, particularly the book of John has a great deal to say about it. According to the NIV Complete Concordance, the word "truth" is used over 50 times in the book of John, and the word "true" is used another 12 times. Jesus uses the phrase, "I tell you the truth," around 25 times, just in John. It appears that truth is an important concept in John that I was completely missing. So I went back and re-examined a few things. Here are some things I picked up on:
- John 1:14-17 - Jesus came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John goes on to say that the Law came from Moses, but grace and truth came from Jesus. Moses' law was good, but grace and truth is better. I have always been so wrapped up in the Jesus, who was full of grace here, that I have ignored the part about being full of truth. These two things (grace and truth) go hand-in-hand here.
- John 3:21 - Truth and light are connected. "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." Jesus is Truth and has no hidden agenda. Likewise his disciples live in such a way that people can see the truth of their lives.
- John 4:23-24 - Jesus is looking for those who will worship in the Spirit and in truth. Again both are important. Jesus is not looking for people who worship in spirit, yet do not hold onto the truth. Truth is an important part of our worship to God.
- John 7:18 - Truth is connected to seeking god's glory rather than our own.
- John 8:31 - Truth sets us free. Logic dictates that if Jesus is the Truth, and the Truth sets us free, then Jesus sets us free. (That Logic class I took in college has finally paid off.)
- John 8: 42-47 - Jesus represents truth, while his adversary, the devil, represents lies. Jesus is also the Life, and the devil has been a murderer since the beginning. (Jn 8:44) Truth is part of the sharp contrast between Jesus and Satan.
- John 15:26 and 16:13 - the Holy Spirit is a spirit of Truth. Important enough that Jesus said it twice. This is the Spirit we have inside of us as his disciples. According to 16:13 He will guide us into ALL truth.
- Finally, in John 18:37 when standing before Pilate, Jesus says that the reason he came was to testify to the truth. I would say that makes truth kind of important. Strangely, a cynical Pilate, responds, "What is truth?" and then walks away from the one person who could really answer that question.
Tom
Monday, May 26, 2014
Jesus: The Way
Happy Memorial Day everyone.
Today, I want to continue to look at Jesus' "I Am" statements. This time in John 14, where Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Now, back at the end of John 13, Jesus has told the apostles that he is going somewhere but they cannot follow, but that they would follow later. Peter gets all hung up on the fact that Jesus is going somewhere and that he can't come with him now, but that is a story for a different day. Then Jesus tells them in John 14 that he is going to prepare a place for them and that they knew the way to get there.
Thomas chimes in with a question. In a Hughes' paraphrase, Thomas basically says, "Lord, we don't even know where you are going, how can we possibly know the way to get there?" It seems like a legitimate question. Jesus' answer is simple. "I am the way." Jesus is going to be in the presence of the Father, a place that they would be later, and Jesus is telling them that he is not pointing the way or leading the way to God. He IS the way to God. (In fact, He is God, John 1:1) After telling them that he is The Way, he tells them that "No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the one and only way to God. He then tells them that since they know Jesus, they also know God. Since they have seen Jesus, they have seen God. The point is made further when Philip says, "Show us the Father and that will be good enough for us." (14:8) Jesus responds, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you all this time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." Philip had spent three years walking around with God on Earth without really understanding that. He was still asking to see God after spending three years with him. It is likely that many, if not all, of the apostles where thinking along the same lines as Philip, and not really understanding what they were seeing.
We all understand that later, all of these men, except Judas Iscariot, really do "see God." By Acts 2 they are changed men, boldly declaring Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, and they continue through the book of Acts and for the rest of their lives. But for now, how sad is it that they see Jesus for three years without really "seeing" or understanding God? In that light, is it possible that a person could be around the Church for several years without really seeing or understanding God? We all know that it's possible. (We all know some who are going through the motions, without really being close to God. In fact, that could have been said of me at a few times in my life.) So what can be done about it? If that describes you, then understand that Jesus is the Way, and start digging deeply into a study of Jesus and see what you can learn. Try to see Jesus in a new light. Discover things about his character that you have never known before. Believe me when I say that Jesus is a very deep well to draw from and none of us know it all. If you are "seeing" God, then help others. Be like John the Baptist and point the way to Jesus, because he is the way to God.
Today, I want to continue to look at Jesus' "I Am" statements. This time in John 14, where Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Now, back at the end of John 13, Jesus has told the apostles that he is going somewhere but they cannot follow, but that they would follow later. Peter gets all hung up on the fact that Jesus is going somewhere and that he can't come with him now, but that is a story for a different day. Then Jesus tells them in John 14 that he is going to prepare a place for them and that they knew the way to get there.
Thomas chimes in with a question. In a Hughes' paraphrase, Thomas basically says, "Lord, we don't even know where you are going, how can we possibly know the way to get there?" It seems like a legitimate question. Jesus' answer is simple. "I am the way." Jesus is going to be in the presence of the Father, a place that they would be later, and Jesus is telling them that he is not pointing the way or leading the way to God. He IS the way to God. (In fact, He is God, John 1:1) After telling them that he is The Way, he tells them that "No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the one and only way to God. He then tells them that since they know Jesus, they also know God. Since they have seen Jesus, they have seen God. The point is made further when Philip says, "Show us the Father and that will be good enough for us." (14:8) Jesus responds, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you all this time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." Philip had spent three years walking around with God on Earth without really understanding that. He was still asking to see God after spending three years with him. It is likely that many, if not all, of the apostles where thinking along the same lines as Philip, and not really understanding what they were seeing.
We all understand that later, all of these men, except Judas Iscariot, really do "see God." By Acts 2 they are changed men, boldly declaring Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, and they continue through the book of Acts and for the rest of their lives. But for now, how sad is it that they see Jesus for three years without really "seeing" or understanding God? In that light, is it possible that a person could be around the Church for several years without really seeing or understanding God? We all know that it's possible. (We all know some who are going through the motions, without really being close to God. In fact, that could have been said of me at a few times in my life.) So what can be done about it? If that describes you, then understand that Jesus is the Way, and start digging deeply into a study of Jesus and see what you can learn. Try to see Jesus in a new light. Discover things about his character that you have never known before. Believe me when I say that Jesus is a very deep well to draw from and none of us know it all. If you are "seeing" God, then help others. Be like John the Baptist and point the way to Jesus, because he is the way to God.
Monday, April 21, 2014
How much Faith is Faithful
Hey everyone.
I am on Spring Break this week, so I am going to try to write out some of the thoughts that I just haven't had the time to write recently. A couple of days ago I wrote about Jesus' statement, "I am the Resurrection." Today I want to take a look at that same conversation with Martha and the healing of Lazarus from a slightly different perspective.
Going back to John 11, Martha greets Jesus, by saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." It is clear at this point that Martha has a great deal of faith in Jesus. She is confident that Jesus could have and would have healed her ailing brother. She adds that even now God would give Jesus whatever he asked. As the conversation goes on, Jesus challenges Martha a little, to really believe in him. He says in verses 25 - 26, "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." He tells that those who live by their faith will really live and never die. The key, then, to a real life in Christ is our faith. The greater the Faith, the greater the Life.
Then he challenges her "Do you believe this?" Her response is good: "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world." Martha has a pretty strong faith. But a little later on, we see where she reaches the limit of her faith. Now she had said earlier, that God would give Jesus whatever he asked. Perhaps there was some faint hope that Jesus could do something about her brother's condition, but when Jesus asked that the stone be moved away, Martha more practical side came through, and she quickly pointed out that Lazarus had been dead for four days and that at this point there would be a bad odor. Jesus challenges her again, in verse 40. He says, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Then Jesus raised Lazarus, a man who been dead for four days, from the dead. Jesus has performed a great miracle and Martha and the others were allowed to witness the glory of God.
Understand this, I am not down on Martha at all, she was a woman of great faith. Jesus, however, was even greater than her great faith. He was able to do things that her imagination could only dare to think about. For us, no matter how great our faith may be, Jesus is greater than that. He can do far more than we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) Martha got to see the glory of God AND got her brother back.
The challenge is there, isn't it? Imagine your dreams, and imagine Jesus saying to you, "Do you believe I can do this?" Jesus wants all of us to witness the glory of God as well, and he can do it. Jesus is greater than whatever it is you just dreamed about.
May we see God's glory together.
Tom
I am on Spring Break this week, so I am going to try to write out some of the thoughts that I just haven't had the time to write recently. A couple of days ago I wrote about Jesus' statement, "I am the Resurrection." Today I want to take a look at that same conversation with Martha and the healing of Lazarus from a slightly different perspective.
Going back to John 11, Martha greets Jesus, by saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." It is clear at this point that Martha has a great deal of faith in Jesus. She is confident that Jesus could have and would have healed her ailing brother. She adds that even now God would give Jesus whatever he asked. As the conversation goes on, Jesus challenges Martha a little, to really believe in him. He says in verses 25 - 26, "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." He tells that those who live by their faith will really live and never die. The key, then, to a real life in Christ is our faith. The greater the Faith, the greater the Life.
Then he challenges her "Do you believe this?" Her response is good: "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world." Martha has a pretty strong faith. But a little later on, we see where she reaches the limit of her faith. Now she had said earlier, that God would give Jesus whatever he asked. Perhaps there was some faint hope that Jesus could do something about her brother's condition, but when Jesus asked that the stone be moved away, Martha more practical side came through, and she quickly pointed out that Lazarus had been dead for four days and that at this point there would be a bad odor. Jesus challenges her again, in verse 40. He says, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Then Jesus raised Lazarus, a man who been dead for four days, from the dead. Jesus has performed a great miracle and Martha and the others were allowed to witness the glory of God.
Understand this, I am not down on Martha at all, she was a woman of great faith. Jesus, however, was even greater than her great faith. He was able to do things that her imagination could only dare to think about. For us, no matter how great our faith may be, Jesus is greater than that. He can do far more than we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) Martha got to see the glory of God AND got her brother back.
The challenge is there, isn't it? Imagine your dreams, and imagine Jesus saying to you, "Do you believe I can do this?" Jesus wants all of us to witness the glory of God as well, and he can do it. Jesus is greater than whatever it is you just dreamed about.
May we see God's glory together.
Tom
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Jesus: The Resurrection
Hey everyone.
My son, Caleb, and I just got back from a HOPE Service Brigade in Nicaragua. It was quite an adventure. It would be impossible to explain briefly everything that we experienced, but I will tell you that we got to serve some people in need alongside some great people who became dear friends immediately. We also experienced three earthquakes in four days (magnitudes 6.1, 6.6 and 5.1). Any way, it was quite a party.
So I want to get back to Jesus and his "I am" statements. So far we have looked at the statements "I am the bread of Life," "I am the light of the world," "I am the gate for the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd." This time looking at his statement in John 11:25, Jesus says to Martha, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." Here is the context. Jesus has received the message of Lazarus' illness, but arrives four days after Lazarus has died. He is greeted by Martha, sister of the deceased, who says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
After Jesus replies, "Your brother will rise again," Martha talks of him rising again at the resurrection on the last day. This is where Jesus tells her that He is the Resurrection and that those who believe in him will live, even if they die, and that if they believe in Jesus they will never die. I'm sure that you know the rest of the story. Lazarus has been dead for four days, yet Jesus calls him forth from the grave and he comes alive, an amazing miracle.
Today, we are not focusing so much on this amazing miracle, as we are on just his statement, "I am the Resurrection." What does he mean when he says that? How is He the Resurrection? There are different ideas that we could discuss here. In his ministry, he had power over death. He raised Lazarus and two others from the dead. He himself had power over death, when he rose from the dead. Both things are truly amazing. However, what I want us to focus on is my resurrection.
As I have studied the book of John, I have been continually amazed by the words of Jesus. He often said things that made little sense to his listeners, because he was talking about something spiritual and they were listening with physical, earthly ears. So I started thinking about this statement as referring to a spiritual resurrection rather than a physical one and it was then that I realized that in my own baptism I too had experienced a resurrection. That I had been dead spiritually, but now I am alive. (See Romans 6, Ephesians 2) Romans 6:5 says, "we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." So as important as the physical resurrection of Lazarus was to Mary, Martha and Lazarus, in my own life, my spiritual resurrection is the greater miracle, because not only does Jesus have power over physical death, he has power over spiritual death as well. This is great news for us all. Lazarus' resurrection added a few more years to his physical life and comforted the people close him, but his spiritual resurrection adds eternity to his life. The physical is important, but the spiritual always trumps it.
I hope Jesus, the Resurrection has worked a similar miracle in your life.
Happy Easter.
Tom
My son, Caleb, and I just got back from a HOPE Service Brigade in Nicaragua. It was quite an adventure. It would be impossible to explain briefly everything that we experienced, but I will tell you that we got to serve some people in need alongside some great people who became dear friends immediately. We also experienced three earthquakes in four days (magnitudes 6.1, 6.6 and 5.1). Any way, it was quite a party.
So I want to get back to Jesus and his "I am" statements. So far we have looked at the statements "I am the bread of Life," "I am the light of the world," "I am the gate for the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd." This time looking at his statement in John 11:25, Jesus says to Martha, "I am the Resurrection and the Life." Here is the context. Jesus has received the message of Lazarus' illness, but arrives four days after Lazarus has died. He is greeted by Martha, sister of the deceased, who says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
After Jesus replies, "Your brother will rise again," Martha talks of him rising again at the resurrection on the last day. This is where Jesus tells her that He is the Resurrection and that those who believe in him will live, even if they die, and that if they believe in Jesus they will never die. I'm sure that you know the rest of the story. Lazarus has been dead for four days, yet Jesus calls him forth from the grave and he comes alive, an amazing miracle.
Today, we are not focusing so much on this amazing miracle, as we are on just his statement, "I am the Resurrection." What does he mean when he says that? How is He the Resurrection? There are different ideas that we could discuss here. In his ministry, he had power over death. He raised Lazarus and two others from the dead. He himself had power over death, when he rose from the dead. Both things are truly amazing. However, what I want us to focus on is my resurrection.
As I have studied the book of John, I have been continually amazed by the words of Jesus. He often said things that made little sense to his listeners, because he was talking about something spiritual and they were listening with physical, earthly ears. So I started thinking about this statement as referring to a spiritual resurrection rather than a physical one and it was then that I realized that in my own baptism I too had experienced a resurrection. That I had been dead spiritually, but now I am alive. (See Romans 6, Ephesians 2) Romans 6:5 says, "we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." So as important as the physical resurrection of Lazarus was to Mary, Martha and Lazarus, in my own life, my spiritual resurrection is the greater miracle, because not only does Jesus have power over physical death, he has power over spiritual death as well. This is great news for us all. Lazarus' resurrection added a few more years to his physical life and comforted the people close him, but his spiritual resurrection adds eternity to his life. The physical is important, but the spiritual always trumps it.
I hope Jesus, the Resurrection has worked a similar miracle in your life.
Happy Easter.
Tom
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
What you talkin' 'bout, Jesus?
Hey everyone.
I have noticed through my study of John, that sometimes when Jesus is asked a question, his response doesn't seem to answer the question. I, sometimes, don't really understand his answer, so I expect that his hearers may have been a little confused as well. But because I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and I trust him, I believe that his answer is not only correct, but that it is the best possible answer to the question. The confusion is not his problem, its mine. I then have to do my research so that I can understand what Jesus meant by his answer.
Here is an example of what I am talking about. At the end of John 10, the Jews had tried to seize him in order to kill him, but Jesus had eluded them. Jesus and his disciples left the area and went to where John the Baptist had been baptizing earlier. Then in John 11 a messenger comes to Jesus with a message that his dear friend Lazarus was sick. Knowing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus still waited two days before returning. Then suddenly two days later, Jesus says to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." The disciples fearing for their lives, said, "But Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?" I can't blame them for their response. Who wants to walk into a place where the people want to kill your leader, and maybe you.
Jesus response is, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light." (John 11:9-10) My immediate response to this would have been something along the lines of, "What? What kind of answer is that, Jesus?" It doesn't seem to answer the fundamental question that is on the mind of the disciples, which is, "Hey, don't you understand that they are trying to kill you?"
Judea was about the last place that the disciples wanted to go. When Jesus says in verse 11 that Lazarus had fallen asleep the disciples respond, "if he sleeps, he will get better." They didn't really want to understand that Jesus meant that he was dead, I think that they were hoping that Lazarus would just get better and they would not have to go. Their dread is evident in Thomas's response in verse 16, "Let us go, that we may die with him."
So, any way, what did Jesus mean by his answer? I read several online commentaries with a few different ideas about what Jesus meant by this statement. In the end, I think Jesus meant something like this (Hughes paraphrase): "I am the light. You guys are with me, so you have nothing to fear. It is when you are walking around without me that you will stumble around and get hurt. I am not afraid of those guys and you don't need to be afraid of them either." Jesus was, as always, correct. They followed him, but in this adventure, only Jesus got hurt. They all came through it relatively unscathed. They would later, lay their lives down for Jesus and consider it worth it, but for now, they were frightened and Jesus is telling them that they don't need to be.
It's a good lesson for us as well. If we stay in Jesus and walk in his light, we have nothing to fear. I will admit that I do sometimes give in to fear of this scary world we live in, but I shouldn't because if I am walking in His light, I have no reason to fear.
Tom
I have noticed through my study of John, that sometimes when Jesus is asked a question, his response doesn't seem to answer the question. I, sometimes, don't really understand his answer, so I expect that his hearers may have been a little confused as well. But because I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and I trust him, I believe that his answer is not only correct, but that it is the best possible answer to the question. The confusion is not his problem, its mine. I then have to do my research so that I can understand what Jesus meant by his answer.
Here is an example of what I am talking about. At the end of John 10, the Jews had tried to seize him in order to kill him, but Jesus had eluded them. Jesus and his disciples left the area and went to where John the Baptist had been baptizing earlier. Then in John 11 a messenger comes to Jesus with a message that his dear friend Lazarus was sick. Knowing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus still waited two days before returning. Then suddenly two days later, Jesus says to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." The disciples fearing for their lives, said, "But Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?" I can't blame them for their response. Who wants to walk into a place where the people want to kill your leader, and maybe you.
Jesus response is, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light." (John 11:9-10) My immediate response to this would have been something along the lines of, "What? What kind of answer is that, Jesus?" It doesn't seem to answer the fundamental question that is on the mind of the disciples, which is, "Hey, don't you understand that they are trying to kill you?"
Judea was about the last place that the disciples wanted to go. When Jesus says in verse 11 that Lazarus had fallen asleep the disciples respond, "if he sleeps, he will get better." They didn't really want to understand that Jesus meant that he was dead, I think that they were hoping that Lazarus would just get better and they would not have to go. Their dread is evident in Thomas's response in verse 16, "Let us go, that we may die with him."
So, any way, what did Jesus mean by his answer? I read several online commentaries with a few different ideas about what Jesus meant by this statement. In the end, I think Jesus meant something like this (Hughes paraphrase): "I am the light. You guys are with me, so you have nothing to fear. It is when you are walking around without me that you will stumble around and get hurt. I am not afraid of those guys and you don't need to be afraid of them either." Jesus was, as always, correct. They followed him, but in this adventure, only Jesus got hurt. They all came through it relatively unscathed. They would later, lay their lives down for Jesus and consider it worth it, but for now, they were frightened and Jesus is telling them that they don't need to be.
It's a good lesson for us as well. If we stay in Jesus and walk in his light, we have nothing to fear. I will admit that I do sometimes give in to fear of this scary world we live in, but I shouldn't because if I am walking in His light, I have no reason to fear.
Tom
Friday, February 21, 2014
Good Shepherd vs. Bad Shepherd
In John 9 Jesus heals a man who had been born blind. A discussion arises as to whether this newly sighted man was the man who been born blind or was just someone who looked like him. So his neighbors and those who often saw him begging brought him to the Pharisees. There is division among them because the miracle was performed on the Sabbath. Some saying that a man of God would not perform miracles on the Sabbath. Others saying that if he were not from God, he could not perform such miracles.
Those not wanting to believe launch a full investigation, trying to disprove the man's healing. (It seems that instead of doing everything they can to disprove it, good leaders would be celebrating with the man.) They start with the man himself, he praises Jesus, but they still did not believe. They bring in the man's parents next. They identify the man as their son and state that he had indeed been born blind, but as for how he came to see they did not know. (They were afraid to say more out of fear.) The parents responded that the man was of age and that he could speak for himself. So they went back to the man and asked him the same questions all over again. The man was not afraid like his parents had been and speaks up for Jesus, finally asking them if they wanted to be Jesus' disciples too. In the end he gets kicked out of the synagogue.
Jesus finds the man later and they talk. Jesus comments that "the blind will see and those who see would become blind." The discussion that they have is overheard by a group of Pharisees, who ask Jesus if he was saying that they were blind. The discussion that follows their question, "What? Are we blind too?" is recorded in chapter 10. We often look at this passage, as it is about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I had never really looked at it in this context however. Jesus is having this discussion with a group of Pharisees because of their treatment of the man born blind that he had healed.
So chapter 10 is aimed at the Pharisees, the supposed shepherds of the people, and compares them to the Good Shepherd, himself. The Pharisees don't come out of this comparison looking very good. Jesus calls them thieves and robbers, or at best hired hands, who care nothing for the sheep. The evidence was right there. Their treatment of the man born blind and his family shows that they cared nothing about Israel's sheep that they were supposed to be shepherding. They did not celebrate the man's great victory and kicked him out of the temple for his own rejoicing. Meanwhile his family lived in fear that they would be kicked out as well.
On the other side, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who not only cares for the sheep but has a relationship with them and lays his life down for them. I'm going to take a moment to throw a little Greek at you. According to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament this word translated "good," Καλός (kalos) can mean according to context "beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable; a. Beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent. b. good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well-adapted to its ends." Jesus is so much better than good. In today's vernacular, we might call him, "The awesome shepherd."
So one side are bad shepherds who are in reality thieves, robbers and hirelings vs. the Good Shepherd, for whom the word "good" is really underselling it. In this comparison, the Pharisees come out on the short end, like they always do. Great evidence of Jesus as the better shepherd was all there in chapter 9. In the end it was he who had the relationship with the sheep of Israel and later it would be him that lays down his life for them (and us.) We can be grateful for the Καλός shepherd who can be all of those things mentioned above. And the ongoing battle of the Bad Shepherds vs. the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd wins again.
Tom
Those not wanting to believe launch a full investigation, trying to disprove the man's healing. (It seems that instead of doing everything they can to disprove it, good leaders would be celebrating with the man.) They start with the man himself, he praises Jesus, but they still did not believe. They bring in the man's parents next. They identify the man as their son and state that he had indeed been born blind, but as for how he came to see they did not know. (They were afraid to say more out of fear.) The parents responded that the man was of age and that he could speak for himself. So they went back to the man and asked him the same questions all over again. The man was not afraid like his parents had been and speaks up for Jesus, finally asking them if they wanted to be Jesus' disciples too. In the end he gets kicked out of the synagogue.
Jesus finds the man later and they talk. Jesus comments that "the blind will see and those who see would become blind." The discussion that they have is overheard by a group of Pharisees, who ask Jesus if he was saying that they were blind. The discussion that follows their question, "What? Are we blind too?" is recorded in chapter 10. We often look at this passage, as it is about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I had never really looked at it in this context however. Jesus is having this discussion with a group of Pharisees because of their treatment of the man born blind that he had healed.
So chapter 10 is aimed at the Pharisees, the supposed shepherds of the people, and compares them to the Good Shepherd, himself. The Pharisees don't come out of this comparison looking very good. Jesus calls them thieves and robbers, or at best hired hands, who care nothing for the sheep. The evidence was right there. Their treatment of the man born blind and his family shows that they cared nothing about Israel's sheep that they were supposed to be shepherding. They did not celebrate the man's great victory and kicked him out of the temple for his own rejoicing. Meanwhile his family lived in fear that they would be kicked out as well.
On the other side, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who not only cares for the sheep but has a relationship with them and lays his life down for them. I'm going to take a moment to throw a little Greek at you. According to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament this word translated "good," Καλός (kalos) can mean according to context "beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable; a. Beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent. b. good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well-adapted to its ends." Jesus is so much better than good. In today's vernacular, we might call him, "The awesome shepherd."
So one side are bad shepherds who are in reality thieves, robbers and hirelings vs. the Good Shepherd, for whom the word "good" is really underselling it. In this comparison, the Pharisees come out on the short end, like they always do. Great evidence of Jesus as the better shepherd was all there in chapter 9. In the end it was he who had the relationship with the sheep of Israel and later it would be him that lays down his life for them (and us.) We can be grateful for the Καλός shepherd who can be all of those things mentioned above. And the ongoing battle of the Bad Shepherds vs. the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd wins again.
Tom
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Jesus: The Good Shepherd
Hello everyone.
Here we are with another snow day. My fifth, this year. Seemed like a good time for a little blogging. Any way, I want to continue to discuss Jesus and his "I am" statements. This time looking at John 10 where Jesus says "I am the good shepherd."
In this conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus has already said, "I am the gate for the sheep," where Jesus is the way into the really good life that we have in Christ. Later in the conversation he makes his "good shepherd" statement two times. In John 10:11 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." Jesus makes a comparison here between a good shepherd and hired hand. There are two difference here that I can see. One is ownership. The good shepherd owns the sheep. The hired hand does not. This brings about the second difference, which is the level of caring about the sheep. Deep down the hired hand cares nothing for the sheep because they are simply a means to a paycheck for him. The good shepherd, however, cares deeply about the sheep. They are more than a means to an income to him. He loves them and lays his life down for them.
I have to say that I would not make a very good shepherd. I just don't think that I could lay my life down for sheep. I would reason that I am a man and that they are sheep and my life is simply more valuable than theirs. I couldn't do it. This is what makes Jesus such a good shepherd. Just like sheep are not on the same level as men, we men are not on the same level as God. You may be like me, and be unwilling to give yourself for a creature so far beneath you, Jesus wasn't like that at all. His death on the cross on our behalf shows him to be the ultimate shepherd in terms of caring for the sheep. Truly, He stoops down to make us great. (Ps 18:35)
In John 10:14 Jesus makes the statement again, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." The other thing Jesus does that sets him apart as a shepherd is the relationship that he has with the sheep. He knows the sheep. His sheep know him. He has a relationship with them. The good news for me is that I don't have to be a good shepherd. I have to be a good sheep. My job here is to know the good shepherd and do everything I can to ensure that he knows me. It is a great comfort that Jesus, the Son of God, would desire a relationship with me, even enough to lay down his life for it. It would be incredibly foolish to not seek that relationship.
Thank you, Good Shepherd.
Tom
Here we are with another snow day. My fifth, this year. Seemed like a good time for a little blogging. Any way, I want to continue to discuss Jesus and his "I am" statements. This time looking at John 10 where Jesus says "I am the good shepherd."
In this conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus has already said, "I am the gate for the sheep," where Jesus is the way into the really good life that we have in Christ. Later in the conversation he makes his "good shepherd" statement two times. In John 10:11 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." Jesus makes a comparison here between a good shepherd and hired hand. There are two difference here that I can see. One is ownership. The good shepherd owns the sheep. The hired hand does not. This brings about the second difference, which is the level of caring about the sheep. Deep down the hired hand cares nothing for the sheep because they are simply a means to a paycheck for him. The good shepherd, however, cares deeply about the sheep. They are more than a means to an income to him. He loves them and lays his life down for them.
I have to say that I would not make a very good shepherd. I just don't think that I could lay my life down for sheep. I would reason that I am a man and that they are sheep and my life is simply more valuable than theirs. I couldn't do it. This is what makes Jesus such a good shepherd. Just like sheep are not on the same level as men, we men are not on the same level as God. You may be like me, and be unwilling to give yourself for a creature so far beneath you, Jesus wasn't like that at all. His death on the cross on our behalf shows him to be the ultimate shepherd in terms of caring for the sheep. Truly, He stoops down to make us great. (Ps 18:35)
In John 10:14 Jesus makes the statement again, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." The other thing Jesus does that sets him apart as a shepherd is the relationship that he has with the sheep. He knows the sheep. His sheep know him. He has a relationship with them. The good news for me is that I don't have to be a good shepherd. I have to be a good sheep. My job here is to know the good shepherd and do everything I can to ensure that he knows me. It is a great comfort that Jesus, the Son of God, would desire a relationship with me, even enough to lay down his life for it. It would be incredibly foolish to not seek that relationship.
Thank you, Good Shepherd.
Tom
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Jesus: The Gate for the Sheep
Hello everyone.
I will continue with my examination of Jesus' "I Am" statements with some thoughts about his statement, "I am the gate for the sheep." This statement come from a conversation that Jesus is having with the Pharisees and also contains the next "I Am" statement, "I am the good shepherd." It seems that Jesus always has very interesting conversations with the Pharisees and they usually end with Jesus getting the better of them. This conversation is interesting on a number of levels. One reason that I find it interesting is that Jesus is talking about being a good shepherd to the men who were supposed to be spiritually shepherding Israel, and yet when he talked to them about spiritual things they did not understand what he was talking about.
Look at at John 10:1-6 and you will see Jesus talking about entering the sheep pen through the gate and that those who enter through some other way are thieves and robbers. He talks about how the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd and will follow it, but will not follow the voice of a stranger. Verse 6 says, "Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them." So, since they were unable to understand what Jesus was telling them, he spoke more plainly. Verse 7-10 says, "Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
There are many things we could learn from what Jesus is saying here. For example, if Jesus is calling the supposed spiritual leaders of Israel, "thieves and robbers," we could look at the Pharisees as examples of what not to be like. However, today's focus is on Jesus and how he is like the gate for the sheep. So let's ask ourselves, "What is a gate?" Well, a gate is an entrance, a way in. In this case, it is a way into the sheep pen. This is good. I want to be in Jesus' sheep rather than out. But even better than that I notice that when you are in Jesus' sheep pen, he offers life, and that life is to the full. I don't about you, but I find the offer of a full life appealing.
Now to be honest, I don't have a lot of experience in dealing with sheep and so I need help understanding what a full life for a sheep would be. So I turn to Psalm 23 where David is the sheep and the Lord is his shepherd. So this perhaps what offers to the sheep in his sheep pen:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. (Comfort)
he leads beside quiet waters, (Peace)
he refreshes my soul (More peace)
He guides me along right paths for his name sake. (Guidance, direction)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Protection)
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Discipline)
You prepare table before me (My needs are met)
in the presence of my enemies (More protection)
You anoint my head with oil. (Cool things that a sheep has no right to expect.)
My cup overflows (More of everything)
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life (Goodness and love, lasting relationships)
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Promise of eternal life)
That's a pretty good offer for a sheep. A wise sheep would enter through Jesus the gate into that sheep pen and never leave it.
Tom
I will continue with my examination of Jesus' "I Am" statements with some thoughts about his statement, "I am the gate for the sheep." This statement come from a conversation that Jesus is having with the Pharisees and also contains the next "I Am" statement, "I am the good shepherd." It seems that Jesus always has very interesting conversations with the Pharisees and they usually end with Jesus getting the better of them. This conversation is interesting on a number of levels. One reason that I find it interesting is that Jesus is talking about being a good shepherd to the men who were supposed to be spiritually shepherding Israel, and yet when he talked to them about spiritual things they did not understand what he was talking about.
Look at at John 10:1-6 and you will see Jesus talking about entering the sheep pen through the gate and that those who enter through some other way are thieves and robbers. He talks about how the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd and will follow it, but will not follow the voice of a stranger. Verse 6 says, "Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them." So, since they were unable to understand what Jesus was telling them, he spoke more plainly. Verse 7-10 says, "Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
There are many things we could learn from what Jesus is saying here. For example, if Jesus is calling the supposed spiritual leaders of Israel, "thieves and robbers," we could look at the Pharisees as examples of what not to be like. However, today's focus is on Jesus and how he is like the gate for the sheep. So let's ask ourselves, "What is a gate?" Well, a gate is an entrance, a way in. In this case, it is a way into the sheep pen. This is good. I want to be in Jesus' sheep rather than out. But even better than that I notice that when you are in Jesus' sheep pen, he offers life, and that life is to the full. I don't about you, but I find the offer of a full life appealing.
Now to be honest, I don't have a lot of experience in dealing with sheep and so I need help understanding what a full life for a sheep would be. So I turn to Psalm 23 where David is the sheep and the Lord is his shepherd. So this perhaps what offers to the sheep in his sheep pen:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. (Comfort)
he leads beside quiet waters, (Peace)
he refreshes my soul (More peace)
He guides me along right paths for his name sake. (Guidance, direction)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Protection)
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Discipline)
You prepare table before me (My needs are met)
in the presence of my enemies (More protection)
You anoint my head with oil. (Cool things that a sheep has no right to expect.)
My cup overflows (More of everything)
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life (Goodness and love, lasting relationships)
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Promise of eternal life)
That's a pretty good offer for a sheep. A wise sheep would enter through Jesus the gate into that sheep pen and never leave it.
Tom
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Jesus: The Light of the World
Happy New Year everybody.
I will continue looking at Jesus "I Am" today by looking at his statement "I am the light of the world." He makes this statement twice, in John 8:12 and again in John 9:5. In fact, the Gospel of John has "Jesus as Light" as a constant theme throughout. In John 1 it says a number of things about Jesus being the light, including making connections between the Light and life (John 1:40).
John takes some time in John 1 to compare the light of Jesus with the darkness of the world and explain how the darkness has rejected the light. In John 3, in talking to Nicodemus, Jesus says that people love the darkness rather than the light because they are afraid that their evil deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)
In John 12:35-36, Jesus again compares light and dark, saying that those who walk in darkness do not know where they are going. I personally have found this to be true. Getting up at night and trying to navigate my way around in the darkness has sometimes proven painful. I have injured myself bumping into things in the dark, sometimes I have walked into things I knew were there. I just didn't see them clearly. The great thing about light is that it enables us to clearly see our path. I seldom walk into things when the light is on. It is the same in our spiritual walk. Walking by the light of Jesus, we can see more clearly the path that has been marked out for us. This is a good thing.
But here is what I want to focus on today. Twice Jesus says, "I am the light of the world." Once he says, "You are the light of the world." (Matt. 5:14) We can share in this one. This makes this "I Am" statement unique. I cannot be the Bread of Life. Nor can I be the Gate, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, the Resurrection or the True Vine. And I certainly can't be The Life. However, Jesus tells me that I can be the Light. So I want to be the Light. The question becomes then, How?
II Cor. 3:18 says: "And we, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." The light doesn't actually come from within us. We become the light by reflecting the the true light of Jesus. As we get closer to Jesus we reflect his light and therefore light the way for others to see how to live. I like the way Steve Kinnard put it in his book King Jesus, (p. 126): "We are to be "the light of the world."As Christians, we are to be the spiritual light that allows the world to see spiritual truths. The light of our example will expose lies and darkness and show people what they need to change." Well said.
Jesus is the light. We can share in that or we can walk in darkness. Not much of a choice really.
Tom
I will continue looking at Jesus "I Am" today by looking at his statement "I am the light of the world." He makes this statement twice, in John 8:12 and again in John 9:5. In fact, the Gospel of John has "Jesus as Light" as a constant theme throughout. In John 1 it says a number of things about Jesus being the light, including making connections between the Light and life (John 1:40).
John takes some time in John 1 to compare the light of Jesus with the darkness of the world and explain how the darkness has rejected the light. In John 3, in talking to Nicodemus, Jesus says that people love the darkness rather than the light because they are afraid that their evil deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)
In John 12:35-36, Jesus again compares light and dark, saying that those who walk in darkness do not know where they are going. I personally have found this to be true. Getting up at night and trying to navigate my way around in the darkness has sometimes proven painful. I have injured myself bumping into things in the dark, sometimes I have walked into things I knew were there. I just didn't see them clearly. The great thing about light is that it enables us to clearly see our path. I seldom walk into things when the light is on. It is the same in our spiritual walk. Walking by the light of Jesus, we can see more clearly the path that has been marked out for us. This is a good thing.
But here is what I want to focus on today. Twice Jesus says, "I am the light of the world." Once he says, "You are the light of the world." (Matt. 5:14) We can share in this one. This makes this "I Am" statement unique. I cannot be the Bread of Life. Nor can I be the Gate, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, the Resurrection or the True Vine. And I certainly can't be The Life. However, Jesus tells me that I can be the Light. So I want to be the Light. The question becomes then, How?
II Cor. 3:18 says: "And we, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." The light doesn't actually come from within us. We become the light by reflecting the the true light of Jesus. As we get closer to Jesus we reflect his light and therefore light the way for others to see how to live. I like the way Steve Kinnard put it in his book King Jesus, (p. 126): "We are to be "the light of the world."As Christians, we are to be the spiritual light that allows the world to see spiritual truths. The light of our example will expose lies and darkness and show people what they need to change." Well said.
Jesus is the light. We can share in that or we can walk in darkness. Not much of a choice really.
Tom
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