Tuesday, October 17: John 11- O what a savior.

Even after all these years of reading the Bible, I am still amazed how the simplest word in the text can draw me into my daily meditation. This morning, despite all the tremendous teaching packed into this chapter, it was a word from Thomas that launched my meditation.

Verse 16 reads, Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” As dull and clueless the disciples seem at times, they could feel the pressure mounting around Jesus. The Jewish leaders were growing more and more impatient with Jesus. And if the disciples knew it, then Jesus certainly knew it. Jesus’ death in Jerusalem was looming for all of them.

I wondered particularly about Jesus. What was it like to live with this impending doom over your life constantly? And yet here he was giving and loving and teaching and demonstrating God’s love and kingdom despite what he knew –and the disciples knew –was coming.

As I sat this morning I marveled at Jesus… fully human. What were His deepest thoughts like? And how did he face any fears head on without letting on?

Jesus truly was human. The depth of His humanness pours out as He stands outside Lazarus’ tomb. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Jesus wept. …  Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. (33-38a).

Deeply moved, weeping, deeply moved again… Jesus’ emotions rise to the surface. Who of us hasn’t stood at a graveside of a loved one and not been moved? Jesus is just like one of us… He was human.

As I grasped and wrestled with Jesus’ humanness it hit me… He understands! Jesus understands us because Jesus is one of us. What an amazing picture of God in human flesh (John 1:14).

For the umpteenth time in my life I sit realizing how much God loves me (us) that Jesus became human to lead us back to the Father.

O what a Savior. O what a God. Lord Jesus, Thank You for all You did, felt, and endured to communicate the Father’s love to all humankind. I bless You and I thank You and I pray in Your name. Amen.

 

Monday, October 16: John 10- Do you believe?.

The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” 

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” (24-33).

One of the important features of John’s gospel is its declarations of Jesus as God. Throughout this gospel the divinity of Jesus is declared from the very first verses, and John mixes into the narrative confirming words and accounts of Jesus’ divinity.

Today we have another declaration. This one by Jesus Himself to the Jews and religious leaders. The Jews understand Him clearly and seek to stone him as a result. Notice their reason,  We are…stoning you... for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (33).

It seems to me that it is reasonable and fair to not believe the Bible, to think the Bible is a human book filled with created and made up stories that are not historically accurate. If you believe that then you can write off any truth contained in it that you want. However, if you believe the Bible to be historically accurate then one must accept, at face value, that Jesus believes Himself to be God and that He clearly spoke that to people of His day. To say Jesus’ divinity was a concoction of the early church is to believe the Bible is filled with concocted stories.

Taking the Bible at face value, it teaches that

·         Jesus is God in human flesh

·         He was born through Mary who became ‘with child’ by God not through human sexual relations 

·         Jesus voluntarily gave up His life for our sins

·         Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

And so much more.

This morning my reading confronts me with a three word sentence.  Do you believe???

I do believe the Bible. I do believe in Jesus as God who gave His life for me and my sins (and the sins of the world).

I do believe, do you?

Lord, I believe. Send the Holy Spirit to give me strength to believe and act in accordance with my belief. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Saturday, October 14: John 9- Peer pressure.

The pressure placed on the parents by the religious establishment was enormous. The religious leaders held the ‘keys’ to the community and if you stepped out of bounds they could lock you out. Locked out you were separated from your friends, your community, your religion. In other words you were completely isolated. Answering the Pharisees inquisition was delicate.

The blind man’s parents found a clever way out. “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him” (20-23)

But for most, there are no clever non-responses that can save us at times like these.

The pressure the parents felt most of us can relate to in one degree or another. Lunch break at work, a religion question comes up. “Are you one of those religious conservatives?” How do you answer? You won’t be put out of work but you feel the pressure.

I can think of a hundred scenarios like this in my country where we have religious freedom. Many more Christians face far more pressure in countries where it is illegal to be Christian, where being exposed as a Christ-follower could cost you your life.

How do you respond to the pressure peers and authorities can put on you for your faith?

The parents were able to skirt the answer. The healed blind men could not and would not and he was excommunicated from his synagogue for his statement. He was healed and had found Jesus and that was all that mattered to him.

Ultimately we answer these inquisitions based on what matters to us…

Does Jesus matter more than anything else... acceptance by peers or even life itself?

Think about it…

Lord, there have been times when I failed this test. I know I am forgiven for those lapses but there are times they still haunt me. Give me strength today to pass any peer pressure tests that come my way. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Friday, October 13: John 8- The essential need to believe in Jesus.

Yesterday one who believes Jesus was front and center in my reading of chapter 7. Today part of the answer why that is important surfaced as I read.

There was so much in this chapter, after I read I went back and looked at some verses that grabbed my attention. They are below.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (12).

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (24).

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (31-32)

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death” (51).

When I put these verses together and read them one after another, why belief in Jesus is so important, came to life.

Verse 12: He is the light of the world. Light leads and directs us when the way is dark. When I travel in Africa a flashlight is essential gear. Night is dark and they do not have street lights and many houses have minimal light, so if you are walking after dark you need a light. In our dark and confusing world where there are all manner of ‘truths’ taught from all kinds of perspectives we need the light Jesus provides to find our way. Jesus is the light.

Verse 24: spoken from the negative position, people who do not believe in Jesus die in their sins. Every Jew knew to die in sin was to be separated from God in the afterlife.

Verses 31-32: Jesus’ teachings give us truth and His truth will set us free.

Verse 51: obedience to Jesus means no death, i.e., eternal life.

Now of course if you don’t believe Jesus you won’t believe these things. However, those who believe Jesus do believe these things, which explains why belief in Jesus is so essential to life now (He is the light) and life here after (He alone can remove sins and usher us into eternal life).

I believe… do you?

Thank You, Jesus, for all Your spiritual works on behalf of those who put their trust and faith in You. Alleluia. Amen.

 

Wednesday, October 11: John 6- Perspective.

The scope of teaching in this chapter is as cavernous as the Grand Canyon, far too grand to handle in one short devotional. Surprisingly, it was verse 6 that caused me to pause and ponder.

He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. This sentence is an addition by the author John into the narrative. John, who is now an old man, has had years to ponder and consider the things of Jesus. He has lived a full and faithful life and as he pens his gospel, he slips in these brief words that grows out of his years walking with and serving Jesus.

Recalling the feeding of the 5000 John realized that Jesus’ question to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (5). Jesus asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. That is not something one would realize in the moment, because in the moment people would have been carried away by the enormity of the situation and the miracle Jesus performed to alleviate the hunger need of the crowd.

As I pondered this I realized that many things in life need the perspective of years and thought and sometimes aging to more full understanding (I don’t know that we ever fully understand things).

In my 20’s I was enamored by the delight and beauty of my fiancé. I had no idea what richness she would bring into my life over the ensuing decades.

As the disciples stood at the cross they saw their Lord and friend die. Only after His resurrection and ascension did they begin to understand the true meaning of it all.

It has taken time and continued understanding poured into my life by the Holy Spirit to begin to grasp many of the truths of the Christian faith.

John’s tiny addition into the account is a reminder to me that many things take time to more fully understand and that this is especially true with faith.

My faith is so much deeper as I have walked with Jesus these 40+ years.

Living in God’s Word repeatedly and deeply over the course of years unlocks treasures of faith.

Stick with the Lord. Walk and wrestle and live as faithfully as you can and over time the canvas of faith will grow more beautiful with the added shades and hues of a growing discipleship.

Lord, thank You for years in Your Word, which never grows dull and is always full of new insights and rich wisdom for life. Thank You, Jesus, for prompting John to write his gospel years later and the richness it brings to understanding Your years of ministry on earth and Your gospel message. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Thursday, October 12: John 7- Who is Jesus to you?.

On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? (40-41).

People were divided as to who they thought Jesus was. Some thought one thing and some another. Pharisees thought he was a liar and a blasphemer.

The gamut was as wide in Jesus’ day as it is today. Today some believe He is Messiah, others think He was a great religious teacher and no more. Still others think He and religion is all fake, made up by weak people who need something in which to believe.

I guess little has changed in the 2 millennia since Jesus’ day. The same question still remains… who do you think Jesus was/is?

I believe He is God’s Messiah and God Himself.  I am proud to say so and I pray you come to the place in life where you believe this, too.

Jesus, I look forward to the day when everyone will proclaim You Lord. As Paul writes in Philippians, ‘every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth’. Halleluiah. In Your name I pray, Amen

 

Tuesday, October 10: John 5- The wonder of eternal life.

On one hand it is difficult to choose one verse or a couple of verses upon which to ponder and meditate. The chapter is rich and full with Jesus’ teaching. And yet amidst the wonder of the chapter and its declarations about Jesus’ identity, one verse grabbed me.

Verse 24 is another of the gospels declarations of the eternal life Jesus will grant to all who believe in him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

To hear and believe is the ticket to eternal life. To hear Jesus’ Words and believe in the Father, the one who sent Him.

I love the cascading image of eternal life. Eternal life as a phrase speaks about living forever. To that Jesus adds that the person with eternal life will not be judged. So eternal life also means acceptance by God. If I widen my biblical horizon for a moment, since all have sinned (Romans 3:23) the only way I will not be judged is if my sins are forgiven, so being accepted by God means I am forgiven. (This of course fits the narrative of the entire New Testament.)

The understanding of eternal life grows even more when Jesus says the one with eternal life has crossed over from death to life. Again in the wider New Testament I was reminded of Colossians 1 13-14: For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The cross over from life to death happens immediately. We can experience life here and now. Eternal life is not just a future gift. It is a present gift that carries us into forever.

What a gift eternal life is... what a joy to ponder this gift this morning.

Oh, Jesus, thank you for the gift of eternal life You give to all who believe!!!! I am rejoicing today in You and the gift You have given. Amen.