John Day 131 - You Can't Get 'More Married'
13:10 Jesus said to him, "He
who is bathed needs only to wash his feet but is otherwise completely clean and
you are clean but not all of you." 11 For He knew who would betray Him,
therefore He said "you are not all clean".
We hinted at this yesterday but
today we're going all the way to the only conclusion possible. When you choose
Jesus you are clean. When you get married you are married. You can't get more
married and you can't get more clean. You may "step in it" in your
marriage and you may need to "wash each others feet" but you are no
less married at any point or any more married at any point. Marriage will
deepen and grow and go through a variety of seasons and changes but it's all
marriage. The only alternative to marriage is divorce.
Judas is about to divorce Jesus.
He has already made the arrangements. Peter and the others are about to fail
Jesus. We'll come to all that. I only bring it up to contrast the difference
between divorce and "stepping in it". One is a premeditated
deliberate choice to sever a relationship. The other is a mistake made that is
afterwards deeply regretted.
I remember when I was a teen my
cousin asked our teacher at church if he would not go to heaven if Jesus came
after he had done something wrong but before he had asked for forgiveness.
Jesus is not Santa Claus. He is
not checking His list to find a loophole so He doesn't have to give you your
"present". Religion fueled by our guilt laden nature has made God out
to be some furrow browed judge anxious to catch you in some wrong act so He can
scratch your name from the invitation list.
Jesus said "you are
clean." "Stepping in it" does not change that fact. Peter argued
with Jesus but he was still clean. Peter argued with the others about who was
the greatest. Still clean. Peter refused to take up the basin and the towel.
Still clean. Peter is about to "step in it" on a monumental scale.
Still clean.
Remember religion is about what
we do for God but the Truth is about what the Man who is the Truth has done and
is doing and will continue to do for us.
Rev. 1:5 - He loved us and He
washed us...
"What I am doing now you
don't understand but you will after..." - Jesus
God calls all of this Good News
for a reason.
John Day 132 - Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
13:12 "So when He had washed
their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you
know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say
well, for so I am.14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example,
that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a
servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he
who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do
them."
Last week we talked about Jesus'
motive for washing their feet. Now He explains it plainly. "I am your Lord
and Master and if I being in this position have washed your feet than you are
not "too high" to be a servant either."
The lesson is deep and profound
and goes far beyond washing feet or even serving others. Jesus is the Creator
of our world. John makes that plain from the very beginning of his account.
Jesus is also God. John makes that plain too.
The Twelve any others who choose
to follow Him are to walk in His footsteps. We are to expect nothing more or
less than the experiences He lived through. Think about that...
One of the most common questions
I get asked is "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
We have this built in sense of
justice. If someone is messing around with fire and gets burned we trace cause
to effect and we have no issue with the fact the person got burned. We may feel
badly but our sense of justice is not affected nor is our picture of God being
good and loving called into question.
However if someone who is good
and kind is walking down the street just as a gas line breaks causing a
fireball explosion which leaves them scarred for life with debilitating 3rd
degree burns we suddenly question everything. From Alzheimers to babies born
with cancer it just seems the world is out of whack and if there is a God He is
asleep at the wheel.
However this sense of justice and
fairness we have could only be justified if there was an example somewhere of
it playing out that way in our world. Surely if we were to choose a man that
had the right to expect only good in life in proportion to His own goodness it
would be Jesus right? A person who lived only for the benefit of others,
denying Himself even the most basic essentials like a home and a bed of His own
should be deserving of what in some circles is called 'good karma'.
Let's put His life to the test.
In an extremely conservative and judgmental religious culture He was born to a
teen mother and an unknown father. He grew up in a town that was considered the
armpit of the nation. His mom and stepdad were poor. His younger siblings were
not nice to Him. The religious world into which He was born was hostile to Him.
Somewhere along the way the only father He knew died. As He was growing up His
mother's story about His miraculous birth in combination with His study of the
Scriptures and His communication with His heavenly Father brought Him to the realization
of Who He really was and what His life mission was. He would never marry. No
one would ever truly understand Him. He would never own anything or lead any
kind of normal life. He was opposed and ridiculed and laughed at by people who
were supposed to be supportive. His own mother questioned the path His life was
taking. His siblings alienated Him. As He began His life mission His followers
constantly questioned Him and at times openly opposed Him. On top of all this
His life was headed straight for a Roman cross where He would die alone,
abandoned by His closest friends, and almost entirely misunderstood.
Hardly sounds fair or just.
He said things like "They
hate Me and they will hate you too." He said "You must take up your
cross every day and follow Me." He said "In this world you will have
trouble but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world."
There is nothing wrong with our
sense of justice and fairness. It is the way things should be. However this
planet is in the grip of war and things are not as they are supposed to be...
not yet. And while the war is raging we cannot logically expect justice and
fairness if the One who made everything experienced what He experienced. We are
not greater than our Master.
The amazing thing is that even though
He is greater, He has taken the brunt of the injustice because He loves us.
John Day 133 - Change: impossible?
13:17 "If you know these
things, blessed are you if you do them." - Jesus
Context is important. It's a drum
I beat often. In the context of chapter 13 Jesus is saying "I have lead
you into servant leadership. Servant leadership is a blessing. True joy comes
from bringing joy to others."
Then He concludes with one
sentence that is more powerful than volumes of self help books or how to books
etc...
The principle extracted from that
one sentence and applied to all areas of life is at once painfully simple and
shockingly serious. The blessing does not come from knowing, it comes from
applying the knowledge through action.
Knowing the importance of proper
hydration will not hydrate my body. Knowing how much water/fluids I need daily
will not hydrate me. Knowing what things are healthy to put in my body and what
things are not will not affect my body in any way.
I grew up in a religious culture
and a society bent on acquiring knowledge. Education and information were and
are highly valued in both spheres. Yet in spite of all the accumulated
knowledge on health within my church there are still many suffering from poor
health. With all the talk about the dangers of drinking and driving in the
media and through our school systems etc... drunk drivers are still taking
lives.
Why? Because the blessing that
comes from knowledge is only received by those who put the knowledge into
action.
Simple but not easy. Habits run
deep. Pride runs deeper. Change is impossible.
Impossible?
Yes impossible.
"Can an Ethiopian change his
skin or a leopard his spots? Than can you do good who are accustomed to do
evil?" - God
Until we face the reality of our
impossible situation we will never be in a position to comprehend or receive
what Jesus came to offer. Our knowledge will never move to action in any
lasting way. Follow the Story. It's about to get intense.
See you tomorrow...
John Day 134 - Love Gives Every Opportunity
13:18 “I do not speak concerning
all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled,
‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 Now I tell
you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am
He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives
Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
21 When Jesus had said these
things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I
say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one
another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
23 Now there was leaning on
Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore
motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’
breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to
whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped
the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the
piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do
quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to
him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something
to the poor.
30 Having received the piece of
bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
The intensity is building. What
intensity? The intensity of revelation of His love. We talk a lot about love.
We love our car and our new shows. We love one girl today and another tomorrow.
You get the picture. God's love is not left hanging as an undefined word that
may mean vastly different things to different people. Love is an action word
and Jesus is about to demonstrate His love in actions.
Today the spotlight is on Judas.
You can search the four gospels backwards and forwards. You won't find anywhere
where Jesus called Judas to follow Him as His disciple. What you will find is a
singular instance where a man came and volunteered to be His disciple. That man
was Judas. Jesus knew his heart. He read his motives. He knew how the story
would end yet He allowed him to be part of the Twelve.
At this point you might be
wondering what that has to do with love. Unselfish love allows opportunity. It
makes room on the roster for a kid who desperately wants to play but isn't very
good.
When I was 15 our small town
organized a junior softball team for the first time. My old hockey coach came
to the farm to ask me if I would play. I was called. That felt pretty special.
It was a coed team and let's just say we had a broad range of skill levels. The
season was 12 games plus the playoffs. We lost our first 6 games in a row.
Inbetween the 6th and 7th game one of my best friends died. When the 7th game
came it was a cold rainy miserable day. The weather reflected my mood. The
other team (the best team in the league) wanted to know if we just wanted to
forfeit. We declined. My friend would never have forfeited and he would never
be able to play again rain or shine so we were going to play. We won the game.
We won the next game. We won all 6 of our remaining games and made the
playoffs. When the first playoff game came someone on our team suggested sitting
the weaker players to give us a better chance to win. The coach asked us what
we thought about that idea. Another player stood and said "No way. We got
this far together and we're sticking together until the end."
That settled it even though not
everyone agreed. We won that game and every game after. The team of misfits
that lost their first 6 games in a row never lost another.
What I remember and cherish from
that season is that love won. I remember the look in the eyes of one of the
girls when it was suggested we sit the weaker players. She obviously felt she
would be one of the cast offs. I also remember her face when we decided to
stick together.
That meant more to me than the
trophy we won later.
Love gives opportunity even when
not deserved.
Never will Judas be able to say
"I would have been loyal if Jesus had given me a legitimate
opportunity." Jesus gave him full privileges as one of the Twelve even
though He always knew. He even knelt and washed his feet while the silver coins
Judas received to sell Him out were already in his pouch.
Judas was given every opportunity
because that is what love does.
More on Judas and the love of God
tomorrow...
John Day 135 - It Was Night
13:26 Jesus answered, “It is he
to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped
the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the
piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do
quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to
him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something
to the poor.
30 Having received the piece of
bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
Satan entered him... and it was
night.
Jesus is the Light that lights
every man that comes into the world.
Night and day. Light and
darkness. Good and evil. So very opposite. You would think it would be simple
to distinguish between the two.
Consider these insights from the
book 'Desire of Ages':
"Christ’s discourse in the
synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of
Judas. He heard the words, “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and
drink His blood, you have no life in you.” John 6:53. He saw that Christ was
offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted,
and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could
bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself
so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did
watch.
From that time he expressed
doubts that confused the disciples. He introduced controversies and misleading
sentiments, repeating the arguments urged by the scribes and Pharisees against
the claims of Christ. All the little and large troubles and crosses, the
difficulties and the apparent hindrances to the advancement of the gospel,
Judas interpreted as evidences against its truthfulness. He would introduce
texts of Scripture that had no connection with the truths Christ was
presenting. These texts, separated from their connection, perplexed the
disciples, and increased the discouragement that was constantly pressing upon
them. Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he
was conscientious. And while the disciples were searching for evidence to
confirm the words of the Great Teacher, Judas would lead them almost
imperceptibly on another track. Thus in a very religious, and apparently wise,
way he was presenting matters in a different light from that in which Jesus had
given them, and attaching to His words a meaning that He had not conveyed. His
suggestions were constantly exciting an ambitious desire for temporal preferment,
and thus turning the disciples from the important things they should have
considered. The dissension as to which of them should be greatest was generally
excited by Judas.
When Jesus presented to the rich
young ruler the condition of discipleship, Judas was displeased. He thought
that a mistake had been made. If such men as this ruler could be connected with
the believers, they would help sustain Christ’s cause. If Judas were only
received as a counselor, he thought, he could suggest many plans for the
advantage of the little church. His principles and methods would differ
somewhat from Christ’s, but in these things he thought himself wiser than
Christ."
With that glimpse into the
dynamics among the Twelve consider day and night. They are different and
opposite except at dawn and dusk when the two merge. Think about it. When Jesus
came into the lives of these twelve men they were largely living in the dark.
Even at night the moon reflects the light of the sun. Our eyes adjust to the
poor lighting and we can function even if not nearly as well. Day does not come
at once. The sun rises and as it does the shadows of night flee away.
As these twelve walked in the
Light that Jesus was, new ideas began to take shape that challenged old ones. A
transformation of character was taking place.
We have language around this
theme. When we get a "bright" idea we say "Then it 'dawned' on
me". When we don't understand something or we missed it we say "Boy I
was in the dark on that one."
Judas saw the light but recoiled
from it. He decided he preferred the darkness and even though he felt love for
Jesus and was drawn to Him in the end he decided to embrace the greed and
selfish ambition that was familiar to him.
When I pause and read between the
lines I can feel the struggle at the table that night. The coins are in his
pouch but can he really go through with it? He could take them back. Will Jesus
wash his feet? Doesn't He know? Shouldn't He know if He is the One?
Then Jesus is suddenly there,
right in front of him. Their eyes meet. The look on His face is one of pain and
sorrow yet there is a love in His eyes Judas has never seen anywhere else. He
knows. It's written all over His face. "Why is He washing my feet if He
knows? Why does He love me still if He knows? This is why I can't be part of
this any more. This is why I have to do this. He is a weak sentimental fool.
He'll never succeed. He doesn't know how to succeed. If only He would have
listened to me. I could have made Him great."
Suddenly his thoughts are
interrupted by Jesus placing bread in his hands. He knew what he had to do. It
was time.
Satan entered him... and it was
night.
On Thursday a man with no
criminal record who seemed to be just one of us finally succumbed to the
darkness. His night killed 9 others and wounded several more physically and
countless others mentally and emotionally. That's how the darkness is. No man
is an island.
Now why did Jesus say "do it
quickly"?
See you tomorrow...
John Day 136 - He's off the Script Isn't He?
Then Jesus said to him, “What you
do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this
to him...
13:31 So, when he had gone out,
Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32
If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify
Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer.
You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot
come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this
all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Let's not lose the context. Judas
has just left the room. Jesus told him to go quickly? Is Jesus encouraging
Judas? Is Jesus setting up His own death? Is Judas a mere puppet in a master
plan?
Some would say yes. However
notice what Jesus said: "What YOU do, do quickly". The Greek word for
do can be best understood as make, construct, or manufacture. In other words
"What you are making, make quickly or what you are constructing, construct
quickly" etc...
Just get it over with. Rip the
bandage off fast. Sign the papers. Close the deal. Stop prolonging the agony.
The eleven are clueless, even
after Jesus gives him the bread indicating he is the betrayer. They can't
process it. How could the most intelligent and capable of them be the one to
turn against Jesus?
Now that we have that awful and
confusing scene in our minds Jesus looks them each in the eye and begins to
speak.
"This is the moment" He
says. "Now the universe will see My character (glory).
Way back in Exodus Moses asked if
he could see God's glory. What did Moses see while he was sheltered in the
cleft of the Rock (Jesus)?
“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping
mercy for thousands of generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth
generation.”
Moses didn't see some “thing”
when he asked to see God's glory. He saw some “One”. More than seeing someone,
he saw the essence of that Someone. Character. God's wealth, God's essence,
God's indescribable glory is His character. Moses caught a glimpse. Jesus is
about to put on a fireworks display that will reverberate throughout the
universe. Angels will see a depth of His glory never yet known. The glory of
the Father revealed in the Son, the glory of the Son revealed by the Father.
Already the fireworks have begun. They began 3 decades earlier when the Prince
of Peace consented and the Father permitted for Him to born among us, born in
poverty and discomfort, almost on the side of the road. Born into questionable,
even scandalous circumstances. Born with no fanfare from men. Born in the
darkness, yet the first ray of Light shone on a nearby hill to humble
shepherds. It shone in a light that looked like a star but was really a host of
angels announcing His arrival. The light grew brighter when at 12 He began to
stump the teachers with His vast knowledge of the Scriptures. It was His first
of many visits to His Father's House of Prayer for all nations that in the
darkness had become a den of prejudice and greed.
The light increased when John the
Baptist began announcing His arrival - "The Lamb of God that takes away
the sin of the world."
Then He came out of the artisan
shop and stepped into the waters of baptism. A dove came down. A voice from
heaven spoke "This is My beloved Son in Whom I Am well pleased. Listen to
Him."
The light is increasing. Miracles
begin to happen. The greedy money changers and corrupted priests are driven
from the Temple. Jesus is saying things no one has ever heard. People who have
rarely or never been to a synagogue are flocking to hear Him. He preaches in
the synagogues, in fields, on hillsides, on the beach. He touches lepers. He
talks to women. He crosses borders Jews don't cross. He does things "good Jews"
don't do, won't do, and don't believe should be done. The light is getting so
bright that it's hurting their eyes. Some turn away in fear and confusion. They
are used to such dim lighting. It's too much to take in. He eats with tax
collectors and prostitutes. He heals heathens.
Yet compared to the Light that is
about to shine these are just the first tame fireworks. There have been some
bright ones, even some loud and fancy ones but nothing will compare to what is
about to happen.
The eleven remaining men are
confused. Nothing is going as they planned it. This was not what they were
taught about the Messiah on their mother's knee or in Sabbath school.
Then to make matters worse He
says "I'm leaving very soon and you can't come with Me..."
See you tomorrow as both the
Light and the confusion intensify...
John Day 137 - Oh!?.... OHHH!?!?!?!!!
13:33 "Little children, I
shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the
Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that
you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
Jesus is about to begin His
farewell speech. He opens with a seemingly mundane almost meaningless command.
"After I'm gone I want you to love each other." Even more strange is
that he prefaces the statement by saying "I have a new commandment for
you."
We like new rules. He has their
attention. He had more questions about rules over the last 3.5 years than about
anything else. Rules create a new rung on the ladder as we work our way into
God's favour. Religious people love rules.
So they hear He has this new rule
and their waiting to find out what it is. Maybe a day a week to fast until He
returns? He had said the reason they weren't fasting now was because He was
still with them so maybe that's what it was. Or maybe the new rule was that
they weren't to argue any more about who was the greatest given their humiliating
lesson in servant leadership as He washed their feet.
But before they had time to hatch
too many theories He came right out with it. "I want you to love each
other."
Love as a commandment? And what's
new about that? Moses gave that command way back in Leviticus. Several times in
my life I've been asked why Jesus called this a new commandment. It's a
legitimate question. At first glance it doesn't make any sense to call it new.
It's more like "Let me remind you of a really old commandment..."
However the truth is that this
commandment is new. Very new. Shiny new. Why? Because of what Jesus said next.
"As I have loved you."
See love is pretty vague. We all
'love' but our definitions vary. Our boundaries and limits vary. Some of us
love based on colour, religion, nationality, even gender. Some of us love
until... some of us love if... some of us love when... some of us treat love
like a barter system: "I will do this for you if you do this for me."
The culture the disciples grew up
in was very careful about who got any love. It was rationed out very sparingly
and specifically as if there was an extreme shortage. However Jesus was very
detailed about this "new commandment". There was not a lot of wiggle
room. He very clearly and concisely defined the kind of love He was looking
for: My kind. Love like I have loved you.
"But Jesus do I have to love
people I don't agree with?"
"Did I love you when you
didn't agree with Me?"
"Jesus do I have to love
foreigners?"
"I crossed the universe to
come and love you. I don't see borders."
"Jesus do I have to love
those who oppose me?"
"You have opposed My mission
from the beginning..."
"Jesus what about people who
don't believe in You?"
"Have you always believed in
Me? Did it stop Me from loving you?"
"Jesus do I have to...?"
"Love like I have loved. In
all ways towards all people. Just do as I have done for you. When people see
that kind of love in you they will know that you are Mine."
And the most amazing part is they
have only seen glimpses of His love. The best is yet to come...
See you tomorrow...
John Day 139 - What Is He Doing?
14:1 “Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are
many places to stay; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again
and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
A few years ago I was driving in
the car when Nathaniel (our son) asked what was taking Jesus so long. I asked
him what he meant. Turns out he was referring to these verses. He couldn't
understand why it was taking Jesus so long to prepare places for us to stay.
His question got me thinking and
the thinking has led to a book that is about half finished. What is taking so
long? The first thing I noticed when I went back over these verses is that
whatever Jesus is doing it has nothing to with building mansions or houses or
even rooms. Jesus plainly says that the places to stay are already there. The
physical accommodations have been there all along. "In my Father’s house
ARE many mansions/rooms/places to stay etc..." In fact the Greek word
(verb) used for 'are' is the same one for "I Am". It indicates
limitlessness. Limitless in time and space. There has always been lots of
places and there always will be.
There is no mistaking the fact
that whatever Jesus is doing it has nothing to with building structures or
interior decorating.
I can't tell you today what He is
doing. That would take far too long. What I can tell you is that the Word of
God is deep and wide and what often appears simple on the surface (Jesus is
building our mansions or preparing our rooms) is actually something else
entirely.
Remember the disciples and
everyone else thought Jesus was here to build a kingdom like the kingdoms on
earth when really He came to put love back in our hearts, a love we had never
seen before. A Love that is determined to win us back.
I can give you a hint. The Bible
says God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore so what He is doing now
has something to do with what He was doing here 2000 years ago. It has
something to do with love.
"Jesus is not slow in
keeping His promises. He is longsuffering, not wanting anyone to perish."
See you tomorrow...
John Day 140 - Teachable Moments
14 “Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go
you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we
do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me."
7 “If you had known Me, you would
have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show
us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been
with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has
seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not
believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak
to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does
the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else
believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."
Teachable moments. They happen at
different times for different reasons. A young guy has a flat tire and doesn't
know how to change it. He calls his dad and his dad talks him through it. His
dad had already taught him how to do it but his son was not really paying
attention. In the back of his mind he didn't really believe he would ever need
to know how to change a tire. Now the need is right in front of him and he's
ready to learn. It's a teachable moment.
The disciples were not always
paying full attention when Jesus talked to them. Often they didn't even agree
with what He was saying. But this night was different. There was an urgency in
the air. Jesus was leaving them. They didn't know where He was going or even
why He was going. All they knew was that they didn't want Him to go or they wanted
to follow Him. After all that's what they always did. Even the threat of being
stoned to death didn't keep them from following Him back to Jerusalem. Now He
was leaving and all they wanted to know was where He was going.
To make matters worse Jesus told
them "You know where I'm going and you know the way."
Thomas argues. "How can we
know how to get where you are going when we don't know where you are
going?"
To this Jesus replies "I Am
the Way..."
Clearly two different languages
are being spoken here but Jesus has to use this teachable moment when He has
their full attention to drive home a truth they haven't yet grasped. Even if
they do not fully "get it" in the moment they will remember His words
and piece it together later by the teaching of the Spirit of God who is about
to come in full power.
The eleven are thinking
literally. Jesus is not. Two different languages. The eleven were expecting an
earthly king and kingdom. Jesus came to set up His reign in the human heart.
The disciples were thinking of a literal destination and a literal road to get
there when Jesus announced His departure. Jesus was speaking of the path of
God's will. He was about to embark on the final phase of His mission. He was
about to reveal the full character of God. He was about to display His glory.
It was a journey He must make alone. It was a journey they would each take
later at different times and in different ways.
Already they had started the
journey. They knew the way. Peter, Andrew, James and John began the journey
when they left their fishing boats to follow Jesus. Matthew began when he left
his tax booth. Nathaniel began the day his private prayers were interrupted by
the announcement the Messiah had been found and he was called to follow him.
Jesus journey had begun in
eternity past. The journey, the path, the Way, is to follow the Shepherd. Jesus
is following His Father and coming to the end of this phase of His journey.
They can't join Him now because it's not their time yet.
Verse 7 is the pivotal teaching.
He begins with "If you had known Me..." and then ends with "From
now on you do know Me..."
What Jesus began by washing their
feet is about to explode and they will know Him in a way they have never known
Him before.
See the journey is not to learn
information or master religion. It's not to find some secret that no one else
knows that will "get you in". The journey is to know Him, the only
true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
Sometimes we wonder why trouble
or tension comes into our lives. Sometimes it is to create teachable moments.
"Philip you know God because
you know Me. Our hearts are exactly the same and that's all that
matters..."
John Day 141 - Say What?
14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to
you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater
works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask
in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If
you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
Most assuredly: The strongest
statement of something being true that the Greek language allows for.
Once upon a time, long, long ago,
in a land far, far away I was the pastor of a church. That church had an
outspoken member who was convinced and then tried to convince everyone else
that no prayer was valid unless it ended with "in Jesus name I pray,
amen". If anyone in the church prayed publicly and left off that "all
important" ending he would speak to them directly about it. Every. Time.
Some may know of whom I speak and
let me say right away I am not attacking the man, but I am going to deconstruct
and expose the thinking behind his theory. Thinking he himself may not have
fully been aware of.
You see truth is only beneficial
if we understand it. Jesus made an amazing promise here in this passage.
Staggering actually. He said anything we ask in His name we will receive.
Anything. He also said anyone who believes in Him and works in His name will do
greater things than He did.
Greater than Jesus? The Man who
walked on water, sent his disciple to catch a fish with money in it's mouth,
felt the touch of a single person in a crowd where many were pressing against
Him, controlled the weather, escaped murderous mobs undetected, stumped the
smartest religious men and law makers, and that is just the small stuff. He
healed diseases of any and every kind and raised the dead to life.
Then He, with the strongest
language possible said his eleven would do greater things. Greater. In His
Name.
Clearly there are two possible
issues here (at least). We don't know what 'greater' means and/or we don't know
what 'in His name' means. I suggest both are true.
For the man who created the world
we inhabit and every creature on it, walking on water is literally child's
play. So is healing the bodies He designed. For a Man who understood that love
is 'the thing', the greatest act possible has nothing to do with weather
manipulation or catching massive loads of fish. The greatest act possible is to
turn a heart of hurt and hate into a heart of love and compassion. In heaven's
eyes this is the greatest act of all. "There is more joy in heaven over
one sinner that turns around..."
The disciples dedicated the rest
of their lives to turning sinners toward the Light. Yeah they did some miracles
too but it was changed hearts that was the "greater work" as people
began to realize who He was and gave their lives to Him.
Now back to that far away land
where "in His name" or "in Jesus name" became the all
important conclusion to any legitimate prayer.
The truth is "in His
name" means "in His character". It means anyone who acts as He
would act or asks for what He would ask for will receive what they asked for.
When I first came to Grande
Prairie I told the church over a 3 week series of sermons that we're all
pagans. Some didn't like it understandably. I don't like it either but it is
the truth. See the root of paganism is the belief you can live any way you want
and still get what you want from God or the gods or whatever that person
worships by giving them what they want or following their system. Witches make
potions and/or cast spells by following a very specific recipe or chant or
process. Is that an extreme example? Sure it is. A much more subtle but very
much the same system is a religious idea or practice used to essentially force God
to do what we want. It may be counting rosary beads to exact forgiveness from
an angry, reluctant God. It may be adhering to a specific set of beliefs. It
may be accomplishing religious pilgrimages or doing great acts of service to
buy God's favour or secure a place in heaven. Or it may be praying in a certain
pattern or ending with a magical key phrase to get what we want.
In reality it makes God a puppet
or an instrument. Pull the strings or play the strings just right and His power
becomes subject to our demands. This is anything but truth.
Jesus is love and everything He
does is motivated by love. Anyone who loves as He loves has the full support of
all heavens resources. This is what it means to ask in His Name.
More on this tomorrow...
John Day 142 - 'Unanswered' Prayer
14:13 "And whatever you ask
in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If
you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
God is not a puppet. God is not a
genie in a bottle.
There are some in the Christian
world who teach that if your prayers are not answered it's because you don't
truly believe. This is not true.
The problem is not our faith
because if we had none we wouldn't be praying at all and any faith is enough
because Jesus said faith as tiny as a mustard seed could move mountains. Faith
is not the inhibitor.
The real problem is that we don't
understand what prayer is and how it works. Even the phrase "how it
works" is both misleading and indicative of the problem. Prayer is not a
mechanism. It's not a trigger. It's not a mystery that when solved makes God
your "slave".
We could spend the next several
hours going over 'unanswered prayers' in the Bible prayed by believing men and
women. I call them unanswered not because they weren't answered but because
they weren't answered in the way or at the time that matched the request.
Abraham and Sarah prayed for a
child for 25 years after God has promised them one. That doesn't even count the
years prior to that. The baby did come but after much heartache and after both
of them had given up.
So then if believing people pray
prayers that are in line with God's will and character (which is what "in
My name" means) and get no apparent answer, what did Jesus mean when He
said "ask anything and I'll do it."?
We could talk about Jonah's
'unanswered prayer' but that's too easy. We could talk about Paul’s unanswered
prayer' too but since we're followers of Jesus why not talk about His
'unanswered prayer'. Jesus? He prayed and God didn't answer? Yes. More than
once actually but let's talk about the big one. Jesus is facing death. He prays
three times. "Father if it is possible let this cup pass from Me."
Jesus does not want to face the cross. He pleads to be released from the
excruciating pain of both carrying our guilt and being separated from His
Father. I submit to you Jesus was more desperate about this request than any we
have made. However you will note that Jesus prayed with a conditional clause.
"If it is possible...". True prayer never boxes God in a corner. Jesus
never forced His own will on His Father. He made His heart known yet left the
decision to Dad.
Jesus is our example. He said
"pray in My name". "Pray as I would pray". We're not
praying to a genie. We're praying to our Father who loves us more than we love
ourselves and knows the full story. Sometimes it appears that He answers
immediately. Sometimes years and decades pass. Sometimes it appears He never
answered at all. Eternity will tell the story and we'll thank Him for doing
what was best rather than what we asked.
Make your heart known to God and
then trust Him that He's doing what is best which might be far better than what
you asked. This is what it means to pray like Jesus. I guarantee you Jesus is
eternally grateful that God did not take that bitter cup from Him.
John Day 143 - Keeping His Commandments
14:15 “If you love Me you will
keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but
you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave
you orphans; I will come to you."
Our church divides the year into
4 quarters and we study a different book or theme from the Bible for each
quarter. This quarter we're studying Jeremiah and I came across a light bulb
statement in Jeremiah 2:8 that ties to what Jesus is saying here in John. Here
it is:
The priests did not say, ‘Where
is the Lord?’
And those who handle the law did
not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed
against Me;
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
And walked after things that do
not profit.
Pretty significant problem when
those leading the religious world have no connection to the God they profess to
be teaching about. Talk about confusion and misrepresentation.
John 14:15 says literally in the
Greek "If you keep on loving Me you will keep the fully intended purpose
of My commandments." Or put another way: "You will always guard the
end goal of My commandments."
Once the religious teachers (who
handled the law but did not know the Author) came to Jesus trying to trick Him.
Their question was "Which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus replied "Love the Lord
your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength. The second is like it.
Love your neighbours as yourself."
Love is the law. Jesus' response
was unexpected. They did not see the law as love because they didn't know the
Author. This lead to another question: "Who is my neighbour?"
The question itself betrays the
fact they didn't know God. They had carefully categorized people. Different
people had different value and some were neighbours and some were not. God has
no such system. He has no favourites. Jesus demonstrated this over and over by
crossing borders, both visible and invisible. He healed everyone in need
regardless of class, colour, nationality, gender, or religion. Had these
teachers of the law known the Author they would have known the law was love and
that it applied equally to everyone.
By washing their feet Jesus had
demonstrated class eliminating love. Now He says to them "If you continue
to love Me as I have loved you, My law of love will play out through you just
as I designed it to. And I will send you a Helper and He will lead you deeper
and higher and wider into My love."
We'll talk more about this Helper
tomorrow...
John Day 144 - Don't Settle
"And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor
knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I
will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
Today I'm not interested in
defining the distinctions or roles or identities of God thr Father, Jesus, and
the Spirit. I have had such discussions and also studied deeply on my own. I am
coming to the conclusion that it ends up being a search for what isn't there.
Philip wanted to see God and Jesus basically said "I'm right here
Philip". Now Jesus is saying He is leaving and the Spirit is coming to
take His place. However His last comment is "I will not leave you alone, I
will come to you." Mind bending. Jesus is leaving but Jesus is staying
just in another way. He won't be visibly walking the dusty roads of Galilee or
teaching in the Temple. He won't be touching blind eyes in a way that we can
see or speaking audibly in a way that all can hear.
The point of this promise from
Jesus to those who are seeking to follow Him is not about identifying the
details of how or who or what. The point is that we won't be left alone.
When Jesus was baptized God spoke
from heaven. Some heard what He said while others only heard what sounded like
thunder. One voice, one sound, yet some heard words while others heard thunder.
Now Jesus is saying that when He returns to them in the form of the Spirit of
truth, some will be able to receive Him and some will not. This seems odd yet
when we think about it the same was true when Jesus walked this earth. Some
were open to Him while others were closed up like a vault. One God. Two
reactions. Two kinds of people.
Now I want to focus in on an
intriguing thing Jesus said to them. He said "He dwells with you, but He
will be in you." A change is coming. God's Spirit has always been present
with humanity. He is that inner voice that some follow and others try to
silence. However God's Spirit is about to do something He has never been able
to do. He I'd going to inhabit men and women. It's a truth I believe we have
lost sight of. We have settled for ab experience with God that dare I say is an
old testament experience. We cry out to Him when we are in trouble but then
keep Him on the outside. We want His help but not His presence. The truth is
that before the cross this deeper experience was not available to humanity.
This is why Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. The cross would
release a new dimension of connection between heaven and earth that was never
possible before.
He is with you but He will be in
you.
This truth was foreshadowed in
the Old Testament when the presence of God manifested by the cloud and pillar
of fire went from being with them to dwelling in their midst in the Most Holy
Place of the Sanctuary. This was only possible once the work of building the
Sanctuary was complete. Jesus is the True Sanctuary and when His mission was
complete a new closeness with heaven was unlocked.
When we finish the gospel of John
we'll move right on to Acts and see what this new reality looked like. We'll
also discover we've been settling for far less than God has for us. Some day
their experience of the Spirit of truth living in them will be repeated just as
God's presence entered the temple again in when Solomon's temple was completed.
He is with you but He will be in
you.
Don't settle for less...
You will search for Me and you
will find Me when you search with all your heart!
John Day 145 - 'Keep' His Commandments
19 “A little while longer and the
world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live
also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I
in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest
Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to
Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the
world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to
him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me
does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the
Father’s who sent Me."
Jesus came and lived among us as
one of us but did so with the character of His Father inside Him. It made Him
radically different from us. He didn't seek position or applause, wealth or
fame. He didn't favour some over others. He didn't base His decisions on
popular opinion or on what He thought would get Him ahead. He was not arrogant
or proud yet He was not weak or indecisive. Most of all everything He did was
driven by selfless love.
Now as He is about to complete
His mission He is telling His disciples that after He leaves He will only be
known and experienced by some and not by all. There were two disciples named
Judas, one has already left to betray Him. Now the other asks an obvious
question. "Jesus if you are going to show Yourself again why to only us
and not the world?"
Jesus' answer is deep. He was not
saying He would only manifest Himself to the eleven. He was broadly dividing
humanity into two groups. One group that embraces His word and the rest who
reject it.
In fact, if you go back a couple
of verses He talks about those who keep His commandments. We automatically
assume this to be a behaviour statement. However the Greek word is defined as
"keep, guard, watch over".
The truth is the law of God is a
definition of both His character and how His government operates. That
unchangeable law is constantly under attack. It is constantly being twisted and
misrepresented. Religion has been and still is too often a haven for hatred,
prejudice, bigotry, racism, nationalism, sexism, and division. As Jeremiah
spoke about yesterday, too often those who handle His law do not know Him. His
law becomes an ugly hammer held in the grip of hating hands.
The true nature of those who are
His are those who guard and watch over His commandments. They keep or preserve
the true meaning. These are the ones to whom Jesus will manifest Himself. When
religion had become a house of hate and horrors in the dark ages Jesus
manifested Himself to Martin Luther and others like him. Men who saw in the law
the character of God and at the same time a church empty of it. These men rose
up and spoke and lived with power.
In our day hatred is again
rising. With it will rise the opposite. Men and women who will shine in the
darkness because they have guarded the true meaning of His Word. They will be a
light in the darkness. Jesus will manifest Himself to them and through them.
Love wins.