Wow! Time is flying. Tomorrow will be the commemoration of the day Jesus' came into Jerusalem on the back of a previously unridden colt of a donkey. The people, who had just the night before seen the risen-from-the -dead Lazarus, will come out and line the route of his descent down the Mount of Olives and into the City of Jerusalem. They will wave palm branches, and lay their cloaks before Him in His path - the honor due a King. Palm Sunday!
But in John's account, we have passed that point.... I didn't read ahead to remind myself what John would relate until this morning. I thought John 14 represented his final 'final words' of instruction and admonition before they left the Upper Room. Not so.... It appears John 15, 16 and 17 should come before the last statement in John 14! They represent the bulk of the Upper Room Discourse. These chapters hold incredible words of guidance and instruction, directly from the Lord Himself. Everything important that He has taught them over the past 3 years is encapsulated here, reiterated, rephrased. His focus is very clear. He only has moments left, and these are words to live by - and die for.
I'm grateful that the Holy Spirit brought all of this discourse back clearly to John so he could write it down. Jesus' Upper Room teaching provides clear direction for living in Him, and the consequences if we don't. He offers us the opportunity and it is our choice whether or not we obey. These chapters do not give us a recipe for 'fast food' Christianity, but for a depth of being immersed in Him that acknowledges the pruning and correcting in our lives as coming from His love. His deepest concern is for our eternity, not our current creature comforts. He offers Jesus as our model.
"I am the true vine," Jesus tells us.... I am.... They did not miss His claim to deity. God was known as the Great I Am.
"My Father is the vinedresser." Actually the owner of the vineyard and the one who prunes the vines, but it was the vinedressing that was the point. This was a visual they saw in their walking through the countryside of Israel: grapes being grown, and pruned for making the best possible crop. Vineyards who employed the best vinedressers were productive vineyards.
If a vine just looked beautiful, but wasn't producing any fruit, it was lopped off and thrown into a pile that then was taken to be burned. Using a vineyard as an object lesson was a perfect segue to the lessons He was teaching. He is the vine. We are the branches. If we abide in Him, and His life flows into us, we will bear much fruit. That is the proof of being His disciples. Love is an action word! The action is obedience.....
Verse 12ff: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."
No longer called servant - but friends. Chosen. Appointed. Commanded to love.
That is one of the huge differences that separates true Christianity from most other religions. First and foremost, Jesus is the only way to God, but immediately following that fact is: we are instructed to love. Not just our own, but all of mankind.... To love when people are right, and when they are wrong. To love when they are kind and when they are mean. To love when they agree with us and when they disagree. To love even when we are hated.... It's a tall order! One I cannot do without being connected to the vine.... It requires regular pruning!
I can't say I enjoy the requisite pruning, but I'd rather be pruned than lopped off....
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 33
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." "Because I live you will also live." "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words." "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you."
And then the segue: But.... "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
It is not a peace the world can give; there is no replication. It is peace that is true shalom, absolute peace with God, no matter how turbulent the tempest tossed seas that rock our boat. Inner peace. There is only One who can give that peace. Jesus.
"Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." The timing of those words on that specific night is significant. He knows they are going to be overwhelmed with grief because they do not see the whole picture. He infers they should be rejoicing because He is about to fulfill the mission He came for...but He knows their innate human response will be fear. And then He reminds them once more that He is telling them in advance so they will later remember and believe. He reiterates that He does as the Father has commanded Him.... And with that He bids them leave the Upper Room. And so ends John 14.
There are so many treasures in this chapter. So many affirmations for who Jesus is: fully God and fully human. Very clear teaching about the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: and their relationship to us when we accept the sacrifice of the Son. And love.... The focus of what John conveys oozes with the love of God for us! It also clearly lets us know what love looks like for those who claim to love God: It is lived out in obedience.
The chapter began with "Let not your hearts be troubled." Toward the end of this discourse, Jesus repeated the same message again. (27) "Let not your hearts be troubled...." Choice is involved. There will be things that could completely unnerve us, but when we keep our eyes on Him, we choose to refocus - to stop focusing on trouble, and focus on Him. We begin to see trouble as a door for opportunity. We begin to live with HOPE instead of fear and dread. It isn't easy, or He wouldn't have had to urge that they not let their hearts be troubled....
In fact, it is easy to get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the realities around us. Last night I heard of the death of a woman I care for, and this morning, learned one of my dear friend's husband has suffered a stroke. It seems that every day we are reminded of the frailty of life. Last night my husband told me we need to be taking trips while we can, while we are able to. We are reminded over and over personally and through the media how quickly life changes.... It would all feel hopeless if we didn't know the One who is Hope!
In our storm, He is the anchor - and He is in the boat with us. When we are obediently following His leading, we can be assured that nothing that comes into our path is a surprise to Him. When His written Word is our plumbline, we are nudged and led by the Holy Spirit into all Truth. Into Him! He is Truth - Absolute Truth. He is the light shining in the darkness. Where the light is, darkness ceases to be. When I bring light into a room I don't have to speak against the darkness.... Darkness just disappears.
My hope is in You, Lord.
And then the segue: But.... "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
It is not a peace the world can give; there is no replication. It is peace that is true shalom, absolute peace with God, no matter how turbulent the tempest tossed seas that rock our boat. Inner peace. There is only One who can give that peace. Jesus.
"Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." The timing of those words on that specific night is significant. He knows they are going to be overwhelmed with grief because they do not see the whole picture. He infers they should be rejoicing because He is about to fulfill the mission He came for...but He knows their innate human response will be fear. And then He reminds them once more that He is telling them in advance so they will later remember and believe. He reiterates that He does as the Father has commanded Him.... And with that He bids them leave the Upper Room. And so ends John 14.
There are so many treasures in this chapter. So many affirmations for who Jesus is: fully God and fully human. Very clear teaching about the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: and their relationship to us when we accept the sacrifice of the Son. And love.... The focus of what John conveys oozes with the love of God for us! It also clearly lets us know what love looks like for those who claim to love God: It is lived out in obedience.
The chapter began with "Let not your hearts be troubled." Toward the end of this discourse, Jesus repeated the same message again. (27) "Let not your hearts be troubled...." Choice is involved. There will be things that could completely unnerve us, but when we keep our eyes on Him, we choose to refocus - to stop focusing on trouble, and focus on Him. We begin to see trouble as a door for opportunity. We begin to live with HOPE instead of fear and dread. It isn't easy, or He wouldn't have had to urge that they not let their hearts be troubled....
In fact, it is easy to get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the realities around us. Last night I heard of the death of a woman I care for, and this morning, learned one of my dear friend's husband has suffered a stroke. It seems that every day we are reminded of the frailty of life. Last night my husband told me we need to be taking trips while we can, while we are able to. We are reminded over and over personally and through the media how quickly life changes.... It would all feel hopeless if we didn't know the One who is Hope!
In our storm, He is the anchor - and He is in the boat with us. When we are obediently following His leading, we can be assured that nothing that comes into our path is a surprise to Him. When His written Word is our plumbline, we are nudged and led by the Holy Spirit into all Truth. Into Him! He is Truth - Absolute Truth. He is the light shining in the darkness. Where the light is, darkness ceases to be. When I bring light into a room I don't have to speak against the darkness.... Darkness just disappears.
My hope is in You, Lord.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 32
John 14:15 continues Jesus' dissertation to His most faithful followers. They are in the Upper Room where they have just celebrated the Passover, the annual commemoration of when the angel of death passed over the homes of the Hebrew children in the land of Egypt during that final fateful plague that finally elicited the "Go" directive from Pharaoh.
The room is dark, except for a few flickering candles, and even that light is waning.... And in those final moments alone together, before all hell breaks loose, Jesus gives them comfort that doesn't make sense to them then - but will later on.
However, His first words define love as an action verb, and specifically identify where the rubber meets the road. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." That one sentence defines and encapsulates Christian commitment. His commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.... We cannot say we love God and not love our neighbor. And who does the Bible teach us our neighbor is? Even our enemy! Following Jesus demands demonstrating caring for others at the level of their needs, but always with the message included that the reason for the loving care comes from God's heart. Christian service has to first and foremost have the Christian part attached.... There are a lot of humane and philanthropic ventures that meet human needs - but fail to meet the greatest need, the soul's need for the Savior.... A bit of a bunny trail - - but true.
Then Jesus tells them about the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit is Him! He tells them, "You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." Who dwelled with them? Jesus! Now He was clearly telling them He would dwell in them! He reiterates that reality in verse 20: "In that day (when He gives the Helper to be with them) you will know that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I in you."
When we ask Jesus to come into our heart and life, we are really inviting Him into our soul and life - but He truly comes to dwell in us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that clearly. He is in the Father, we are in Him, and He is in us! Christ in me, the hope of glory!
And then He gets right back to the practical pedal-to-the-metal living: "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
And further, "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."
That's enough for me to munch on for today.... I just had a text request for prayer a few moments ago - - and need to go, so I'll finish this chapter tomorrow! ("If the good Lord's willing and the creek's don't rise," as my earthly dad always used to say....)
The room is dark, except for a few flickering candles, and even that light is waning.... And in those final moments alone together, before all hell breaks loose, Jesus gives them comfort that doesn't make sense to them then - but will later on.
However, His first words define love as an action verb, and specifically identify where the rubber meets the road. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." That one sentence defines and encapsulates Christian commitment. His commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.... We cannot say we love God and not love our neighbor. And who does the Bible teach us our neighbor is? Even our enemy! Following Jesus demands demonstrating caring for others at the level of their needs, but always with the message included that the reason for the loving care comes from God's heart. Christian service has to first and foremost have the Christian part attached.... There are a lot of humane and philanthropic ventures that meet human needs - but fail to meet the greatest need, the soul's need for the Savior.... A bit of a bunny trail - - but true.
Then Jesus tells them about the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit is Him! He tells them, "You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." Who dwelled with them? Jesus! Now He was clearly telling them He would dwell in them! He reiterates that reality in verse 20: "In that day (when He gives the Helper to be with them) you will know that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I in you."
When we ask Jesus to come into our heart and life, we are really inviting Him into our soul and life - but He truly comes to dwell in us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that clearly. He is in the Father, we are in Him, and He is in us! Christ in me, the hope of glory!
And then He gets right back to the practical pedal-to-the-metal living: "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
And further, "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."
That's enough for me to munch on for today.... I just had a text request for prayer a few moments ago - - and need to go, so I'll finish this chapter tomorrow! ("If the good Lord's willing and the creek's don't rise," as my earthly dad always used to say....)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 31
As I started reading John 14, tears sprung to my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. My soul swelled with grieving gratitude. It sounds like an oxymoron, but it is the only way I can describe what I am feeling in this moment. Jesus was giving them His final pep talk, and they were clueless. I am incredibly grateful for the insight into that last conversation in His journey to the cross, but grieving for Him, and for the disciples, for what was soon to come.
He just told them He is going away - and they cannot come yet. And He cautioned that Peter would deny Him - and then He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled. Well, that... followed immediately by the reason why they didn't need to have troubled hearts!
"(You) believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas - transparent & confused, queries, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
And Jesus responds with the oft-memorized response that we quote as John 14:6! "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." Verse 7 adds to His claim, "If you had known me you would have known the Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Jesus' absolute claim of being God couldn't be clearer. He and the Father were - and are - One.
He didn't come to earth to demonstrate a simple way of living as one dear pastor tried to tell me a few years ago. He came, God incarnate. God-in-the-flesh. He came to fulfill His own requirement that sin be punished. He, God, took on human flesh to be that sacrificial Lamb. And now, in the last hours He had with His disciples, there in the upper room, in the darkness of night and the simple light of a few faintly flickering candles, He poured out His heart to those who would carry His light to the world.
Even after Jesus' clear statement of identification, Philip still can't make the connection. "Lord, show us the Father...."
And Jesus clearly repeats what He has already stated, "...Whoever has seen me has seen the Father...." Could it be any more clear? Jesus goes on to explain further, coming in that explanation to the issue of the works that He performed while on earth. So many works that if they had all been written down it would have taken volumes and volumes of books to record them all. We are provided the record of just enough of them to validate the miraculous power Jesus demonstrated in His walk among mankind....and the miracles were not to end! In verse 12-13, Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
So - at 7:33 a m this morning, as I was reading these words I prayed for 2 specific miracles. I prayed for a young woman named Kirsten, who suffers with debilitating arthritis; and I prayed for a friend from my youth named Duane Jordan, who just had surgery for stomach cancer, for whom a good outcome on this earth doesn't sound promising at the moment outside an absolute miracle.
And just now, at 8:11, I stopped to pray again. I don't know God's immediate will - but I do know His heart. Ultimately He will heal, even if it is not on this side of heaven, but I want healing for them now, and I want Him to receive the glory. There are others whom I pray for on a regular basis, but these two were the first ones who came to mind this morning.... I would love to hear that at 7:33 a m Pacific Standard Time each of them felt the healing touch of the Lord. But I will not be discouraged. I will pray without ceasing. I will pray without giving up.
Jesus did what He saw His Father doing. I want to be so in sync with Jesus that I am 'doing what the Father is doing' too.
Lord, I boldly ask for miracles. The 'greater works than these' could just mean greater in number, because You have so many followers reaching out to a hurting world...but help us to hear you clearly, and respond with Your hands extended.... You alone are the miracle worker. You are the Great Physician. You work through outright miracles that astound and defy medical probability, and You work through medical skills that You have gifted. But, specifically, right now, I am praying for the former.... As a witness to Your power, and for Your glory, in Jesus' Name! Lord, I lift Kirsten and Duane to You.
And in everything I beg of You, I submit to Your will.... Just as Jesus prayed, Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done....
He just told them He is going away - and they cannot come yet. And He cautioned that Peter would deny Him - and then He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled. Well, that... followed immediately by the reason why they didn't need to have troubled hearts!
"(You) believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas - transparent & confused, queries, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
And Jesus responds with the oft-memorized response that we quote as John 14:6! "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." Verse 7 adds to His claim, "If you had known me you would have known the Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Jesus' absolute claim of being God couldn't be clearer. He and the Father were - and are - One.
He didn't come to earth to demonstrate a simple way of living as one dear pastor tried to tell me a few years ago. He came, God incarnate. God-in-the-flesh. He came to fulfill His own requirement that sin be punished. He, God, took on human flesh to be that sacrificial Lamb. And now, in the last hours He had with His disciples, there in the upper room, in the darkness of night and the simple light of a few faintly flickering candles, He poured out His heart to those who would carry His light to the world.
Even after Jesus' clear statement of identification, Philip still can't make the connection. "Lord, show us the Father...."
And Jesus clearly repeats what He has already stated, "...Whoever has seen me has seen the Father...." Could it be any more clear? Jesus goes on to explain further, coming in that explanation to the issue of the works that He performed while on earth. So many works that if they had all been written down it would have taken volumes and volumes of books to record them all. We are provided the record of just enough of them to validate the miraculous power Jesus demonstrated in His walk among mankind....and the miracles were not to end! In verse 12-13, Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
So - at 7:33 a m this morning, as I was reading these words I prayed for 2 specific miracles. I prayed for a young woman named Kirsten, who suffers with debilitating arthritis; and I prayed for a friend from my youth named Duane Jordan, who just had surgery for stomach cancer, for whom a good outcome on this earth doesn't sound promising at the moment outside an absolute miracle.
And just now, at 8:11, I stopped to pray again. I don't know God's immediate will - but I do know His heart. Ultimately He will heal, even if it is not on this side of heaven, but I want healing for them now, and I want Him to receive the glory. There are others whom I pray for on a regular basis, but these two were the first ones who came to mind this morning.... I would love to hear that at 7:33 a m Pacific Standard Time each of them felt the healing touch of the Lord. But I will not be discouraged. I will pray without ceasing. I will pray without giving up.
Jesus did what He saw His Father doing. I want to be so in sync with Jesus that I am 'doing what the Father is doing' too.
Lord, I boldly ask for miracles. The 'greater works than these' could just mean greater in number, because You have so many followers reaching out to a hurting world...but help us to hear you clearly, and respond with Your hands extended.... You alone are the miracle worker. You are the Great Physician. You work through outright miracles that astound and defy medical probability, and You work through medical skills that You have gifted. But, specifically, right now, I am praying for the former.... As a witness to Your power, and for Your glory, in Jesus' Name! Lord, I lift Kirsten and Duane to You.
And in everything I beg of You, I submit to Your will.... Just as Jesus prayed, Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done....
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 30
Day 30. Three/fourths of the way to Resurrection! Today is a peek into the final verses of John 13. When I read it this morning it occurred to me that Jesus was still protecting His disciples, even though it was only hours before He would be crucified.
Once Judas left the room, the irreversible path to the cross was set in motion. Jesus' response was to inform His disciples gently, with words that they would later recall and find comfort in, able to realize after the fact that the kingdom the Messiah came to rule was not of this world.
But in that moment, even though He spoke the words He did, they still couldn't grasp what He was saying. They had just experienced the adulation of Palm Sunday a few days before. They still believed He was going to make His move and become the King their perception of Messiah entailed. And - they had had a few glasses of wine during their celebration.... Their ears might have heard the tones of His voice, and their brains might have tried to wrap around what He was saying, but they didn't get it.
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (ESV)
God will glorify him at once.... God was glorified in Jesus' death on the cross.... For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.... And it was going to happen very shortly...at once. For this He came....
I love the tenderness of His heart as He draws them under His wings for the last moment of peace they would experience.... Little children.... What comes quickly to mind is the image Jesus provided when He stood looking out over Jerusalem, longing to draw them under the protection of His Almighty wings, as a hen draws her chicks under her wings for protection.
'Where I am going you cannot come.' Cannot - and wouldn't want to.... Other people were crucified, but no one else had to bear the weight of the sin of the entire world in the process. There is no other name under heaven by which men can be, must be or will be saved.... Jesus paid the price for everyone who would accept His sacrifice. The other part of cannot, of course, was the timing. It was not yet their time. It was His.
And then He gave them a new commandment. It was a commandment to love to the same degree He was going to model. To love so deeply we would be willing to die for others. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. That is a love we cannot do on our own. It is agape love that comes straight from God's heart through ours...through the power of the Holy Spirit.... But they didn't know all of that yet....
By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. There is a demonstration of Christian love that sets itself apart. It is love for one's enemies. The law of Christian love is to love freely. "Freely you have received. Freely give." It is a law of love that demands we hate sin but love the sinner. It is a law of love that constrains us to hold others in higher esteem than we hold ourselves. It is a law of love that places us perpetually in the role of servant, serving others' interests above our own. It is impossible without the infusion of the Holy Spirit and a daily dose of God's grace....
John was all about focusing on the incredible love of God.... Within hours, in John's account, love will be painfully powerfully perfectly poured out.
The final verses of John 13 record Jesus' prophecy of Peter's denial. Peter latched right onto Jesus' statement that He was going somewhere.... "Where are you going?" Peter asked. Jesus tells Peter that where He is going Peter cannot follow, but will follow later. Peter's proclamation of total dedication, even his proclaimed willingness to lay his life down for Jesus, elicits Jesus' responding to Peter, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times."
That had to hurt! It was already late at night. The rooster would be crowing in less than 8 hours. What on earth could Jesus mean? Peter would soon find out....and one of the huge lessons he would learn in the process is the extent and expanse of Jesus' love and forgiveness.... I have to telegraph that. I don't want to leave Peter feeling hopeless....
Jesus knew Peter - knew his weakness, and loved Him anyway. It comforts me to know that God knows me completely. He is El Roi, the God-who-sees-me. He knows my heart. He also knows my human frailty and my weaknesses. And He loves me anyway! And He loves you!
Once Judas left the room, the irreversible path to the cross was set in motion. Jesus' response was to inform His disciples gently, with words that they would later recall and find comfort in, able to realize after the fact that the kingdom the Messiah came to rule was not of this world.
But in that moment, even though He spoke the words He did, they still couldn't grasp what He was saying. They had just experienced the adulation of Palm Sunday a few days before. They still believed He was going to make His move and become the King their perception of Messiah entailed. And - they had had a few glasses of wine during their celebration.... Their ears might have heard the tones of His voice, and their brains might have tried to wrap around what He was saying, but they didn't get it.
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (ESV)
God will glorify him at once.... God was glorified in Jesus' death on the cross.... For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.... And it was going to happen very shortly...at once. For this He came....
I love the tenderness of His heart as He draws them under His wings for the last moment of peace they would experience.... Little children.... What comes quickly to mind is the image Jesus provided when He stood looking out over Jerusalem, longing to draw them under the protection of His Almighty wings, as a hen draws her chicks under her wings for protection.
'Where I am going you cannot come.' Cannot - and wouldn't want to.... Other people were crucified, but no one else had to bear the weight of the sin of the entire world in the process. There is no other name under heaven by which men can be, must be or will be saved.... Jesus paid the price for everyone who would accept His sacrifice. The other part of cannot, of course, was the timing. It was not yet their time. It was His.
And then He gave them a new commandment. It was a commandment to love to the same degree He was going to model. To love so deeply we would be willing to die for others. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. That is a love we cannot do on our own. It is agape love that comes straight from God's heart through ours...through the power of the Holy Spirit.... But they didn't know all of that yet....
By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. There is a demonstration of Christian love that sets itself apart. It is love for one's enemies. The law of Christian love is to love freely. "Freely you have received. Freely give." It is a law of love that demands we hate sin but love the sinner. It is a law of love that constrains us to hold others in higher esteem than we hold ourselves. It is a law of love that places us perpetually in the role of servant, serving others' interests above our own. It is impossible without the infusion of the Holy Spirit and a daily dose of God's grace....
John was all about focusing on the incredible love of God.... Within hours, in John's account, love will be painfully powerfully perfectly poured out.
The final verses of John 13 record Jesus' prophecy of Peter's denial. Peter latched right onto Jesus' statement that He was going somewhere.... "Where are you going?" Peter asked. Jesus tells Peter that where He is going Peter cannot follow, but will follow later. Peter's proclamation of total dedication, even his proclaimed willingness to lay his life down for Jesus, elicits Jesus' responding to Peter, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times."
That had to hurt! It was already late at night. The rooster would be crowing in less than 8 hours. What on earth could Jesus mean? Peter would soon find out....and one of the huge lessons he would learn in the process is the extent and expanse of Jesus' love and forgiveness.... I have to telegraph that. I don't want to leave Peter feeling hopeless....
Jesus knew Peter - knew his weakness, and loved Him anyway. It comforts me to know that God knows me completely. He is El Roi, the God-who-sees-me. He knows my heart. He also knows my human frailty and my weaknesses. And He loves me anyway! And He loves you!
Monday, March 26, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 29
Day 29 of my Lenten journey 2012 brings me to the story of Jesus' washing the disciples' feet as recorded in John 13. I'm actually amazed at the scarcity of detail in John's account. He doesn't provide any of the backdrop for the location or preparation of the meal. He provides very specific vignettes. Snapshots, if you will, of parts of the evening that stand out to him in retrospect.
From other writers' information, we know that it was Thursday evening, which, once sundown arrived, was the beginning of their Friday. John reminds us that it was Passover week. That's important to remember throughout this section of His story. John telegraphs so much information to us that he didn't figure out until later. I want to skip past that for a moment and try to view that night as they would have seen it then.
It was Passover. They were in the middle of eating the traditional Passover meal, a tradition that had begun with the exodus from Egypt approximately 1400 years earlier. (There are differing views of precise dates, but a general number suits my purposes for pointing out that this celebration had been faithfully happening annually for a very long time!)
The Hebrew day began at sundown, so while their celebration started on a Thursday, it was definitely Friday for them by this point in their evening - meaning it was the beginning of the last day of Jesus' life on earth - the day He would die for our sins...but there I go, telegraphing like John did....
It was unusual to do what Jesus did in the middle of dinner. Very out of context. But, then, when Mary came in to the dinner just a few nights earlier and anointed his feet with the ointment of nard, and wiped His feet with her hair, that was unusual, too.... I wouldn't be at all surprised if that came to their minds in that moment as Jesus, the Master, the Teacher, the One they had come to believe was the Messiah - - the One sent from G-d took off his outer garments, tied a towel around his waist, fetched an empty basin from its place by the door, and began filling it with water. And then - unbelievably, He knelt before each of them in turn and washed their feet! He demonstrated the role they were to mimic: to be true followers, they had to be servants to others. No egos or self-aggrandizing self-worth. They were to serve. Washing feet was a servant's job.
When Jesus got to Peter, Peter emphatically declined. He knew this act was was topsy-turvy. Jesus should not be washing their feet. He was the Lord of Glory! But when Jesus told Peter that if He didn't wash His feet, Peter had no part of Him, Peter wanted the full meal deal. He wanted everything exposed to be washed - his feet, his hands, his head. Jesus explained that one who is bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet...and then he declared "...you are clean, but not every one of you." The disciples didn't have a clue what that meant at the time.
Judas Iscariot had his feet washed by Jesus that night. That brings tears to my eyes.
And then Jesus teaches them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? (No - they didn't!) You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. (Another clear claim that He was One with God!) If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example.... Wow! Did He ever!
Then Jesus tells them that 'he who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' (A quote from Psalm 41:9.) "I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he."
And then He tells them, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." He was passing the baton - commissioning them to be His salt and light to a hurting world. They just didn't realize it yet. But what powerful words to ruminate on later once the night was relived in their minds as future days unfolded.
In that moment, however, the pain of what was to come was overwhelming. John reports that Jesus' spirit was troubled. Then He clearly told them, "...one of you will betray me." Peter asked John to ask Jesus who that might be, and Jesus' response was, "It is he to whom I give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." Jesus dipped the bread, handed it to Judas, and with His eyes piercing Judas' very soul, He told him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Judas...who was greedy for money, who held the purse for the disciples so he could dip into it for his own selfish use, who was angry that Mary didn't sell the expensive ointment of nard 'to give it to the poor' knowing that the money would have gone through his hands as keeper of the purse - - and was money he might have had available to him - Judas...who had made a God of mammon instead of the Lord who was present with them, went out from among the celebratory Passover gathering. John's words in verse 30 are very telling: And it was night. Not just the darkness that was the beginning of every Jewish day. It was night in the most horrific sense. There was a darkness so thick it was palpable. Jesus definitely felt that darkness...so did Judas.
To be continued....
................
Last night I was privileged to be present when a man of God was honored with the gift of being proclaimed 'Minister of the Gospel'. It was an honor not sought, but gifted. He is a man with a servant heart - and he lives it. He is a man who defers acclaim and who serves the Lord well. When I think about reaching heaven's portal I will be fortunate just to hear, "You made it - not on your own merit, but on my mercy." But this is a man who will definitely hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." He defers all praise and honor to the Lord and keeps none of it for himself. He lives and breathes what he believes. I am blessed just to know him....and in deference to him will not name him, because I know he would not want the personal attention directed to him. He would want it diverted as praise to God. Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful man who models Your sacrificial servant life! I pray that his model of servanthood will inspire others to selflessly serve. Thank you for the privilege and inspiration of knowing him and for so visibly seeing the fruits of Your Spirit lived out in his life.
From other writers' information, we know that it was Thursday evening, which, once sundown arrived, was the beginning of their Friday. John reminds us that it was Passover week. That's important to remember throughout this section of His story. John telegraphs so much information to us that he didn't figure out until later. I want to skip past that for a moment and try to view that night as they would have seen it then.
It was Passover. They were in the middle of eating the traditional Passover meal, a tradition that had begun with the exodus from Egypt approximately 1400 years earlier. (There are differing views of precise dates, but a general number suits my purposes for pointing out that this celebration had been faithfully happening annually for a very long time!)
The Hebrew day began at sundown, so while their celebration started on a Thursday, it was definitely Friday for them by this point in their evening - meaning it was the beginning of the last day of Jesus' life on earth - the day He would die for our sins...but there I go, telegraphing like John did....
It was unusual to do what Jesus did in the middle of dinner. Very out of context. But, then, when Mary came in to the dinner just a few nights earlier and anointed his feet with the ointment of nard, and wiped His feet with her hair, that was unusual, too.... I wouldn't be at all surprised if that came to their minds in that moment as Jesus, the Master, the Teacher, the One they had come to believe was the Messiah - - the One sent from G-d took off his outer garments, tied a towel around his waist, fetched an empty basin from its place by the door, and began filling it with water. And then - unbelievably, He knelt before each of them in turn and washed their feet! He demonstrated the role they were to mimic: to be true followers, they had to be servants to others. No egos or self-aggrandizing self-worth. They were to serve. Washing feet was a servant's job.
When Jesus got to Peter, Peter emphatically declined. He knew this act was was topsy-turvy. Jesus should not be washing their feet. He was the Lord of Glory! But when Jesus told Peter that if He didn't wash His feet, Peter had no part of Him, Peter wanted the full meal deal. He wanted everything exposed to be washed - his feet, his hands, his head. Jesus explained that one who is bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet...and then he declared "...you are clean, but not every one of you." The disciples didn't have a clue what that meant at the time.
Judas Iscariot had his feet washed by Jesus that night. That brings tears to my eyes.
And then Jesus teaches them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? (No - they didn't!) You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. (Another clear claim that He was One with God!) If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example.... Wow! Did He ever!
Then Jesus tells them that 'he who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' (A quote from Psalm 41:9.) "I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he."
And then He tells them, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." He was passing the baton - commissioning them to be His salt and light to a hurting world. They just didn't realize it yet. But what powerful words to ruminate on later once the night was relived in their minds as future days unfolded.
In that moment, however, the pain of what was to come was overwhelming. John reports that Jesus' spirit was troubled. Then He clearly told them, "...one of you will betray me." Peter asked John to ask Jesus who that might be, and Jesus' response was, "It is he to whom I give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." Jesus dipped the bread, handed it to Judas, and with His eyes piercing Judas' very soul, He told him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Judas...who was greedy for money, who held the purse for the disciples so he could dip into it for his own selfish use, who was angry that Mary didn't sell the expensive ointment of nard 'to give it to the poor' knowing that the money would have gone through his hands as keeper of the purse - - and was money he might have had available to him - Judas...who had made a God of mammon instead of the Lord who was present with them, went out from among the celebratory Passover gathering. John's words in verse 30 are very telling: And it was night. Not just the darkness that was the beginning of every Jewish day. It was night in the most horrific sense. There was a darkness so thick it was palpable. Jesus definitely felt that darkness...so did Judas.
To be continued....
................
Last night I was privileged to be present when a man of God was honored with the gift of being proclaimed 'Minister of the Gospel'. It was an honor not sought, but gifted. He is a man with a servant heart - and he lives it. He is a man who defers acclaim and who serves the Lord well. When I think about reaching heaven's portal I will be fortunate just to hear, "You made it - not on your own merit, but on my mercy." But this is a man who will definitely hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." He defers all praise and honor to the Lord and keeps none of it for himself. He lives and breathes what he believes. I am blessed just to know him....and in deference to him will not name him, because I know he would not want the personal attention directed to him. He would want it diverted as praise to God. Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful man who models Your sacrificial servant life! I pray that his model of servanthood will inspire others to selflessly serve. Thank you for the privilege and inspiration of knowing him and for so visibly seeing the fruits of Your Spirit lived out in his life.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 28
In the final verses of John 12, the Apostle John records Jesus' declaration to those present - words that echo down through time to us.... (I am quoting from the ESV; John 12:44-50):
"Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment -- what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."
Powerful, loving words of Truth! These would be preposterous claims if they were not true. Jesus clearly states His deity. "Whoever sees me sees him who sent me."
In Jesus' first coming He came as the sacrificial Lamb - he came to save. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, the name He was given at birth, even means 'savior, deliverer, rescuer'.
He is the Living Word - and His written Word, the Bible, when faithfully translated, gives us everything we need as a solid foundation for knowing how to come to Him as the One who is the light of the world, and how to live in this world as reflections of His light. Then, so we would not be without support, God gave us the Holy Spirit as Comforter, Counselor and an ever-present witness of 'the Messiah living within us' confirming our relationship to God as joint heirs with Christ and our ever-present help, if we let Him be.
The first step for every person who wants eternal life is: accept Jesus for who He is! He is God! He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but it is God Himself who came to do that for us. He clothed Himself in human form and became the sacrifice that sin demanded. He, author of the world and all of creation, promised to send a Savior - and He did. He came Himself! He is the Light of the world. He offers us life - abundant Life for all of eternity!
This chorus bursts from my heart:
He is Lord, He is Lord
He has risen from the dead and He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord.
I have been in a spiritual battle, but Jesus' declaration of who He is - God! - is a reminder of the One who chooses to have a relationship with me. In fact, He reminded me this morning that He yearns to be in that relationship with me. Incredible! God wants to be close to me! It is not a one-sided relationship of only me wanting to be close to Him!
We are living in troubled times - but they do not come as a surprise. How they specifically play out may - but as Time comes to an end, things will get dicey. Good will be called Evil and Evil will be called Good. I shouldn't be surprised.
But, I'm encouraged that He wins! I know the end of His story!
I am reminded, "Keep looking up."
Lord, help me be a faithful follower and a faithful witness to Your love, grace and forgiveness. Draw people to You before it is too late. It feels like the end of time is very near.... Help me not be diverted by the inconsequential. It is an ever-present threat. Amen.
"Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment -- what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."
Powerful, loving words of Truth! These would be preposterous claims if they were not true. Jesus clearly states His deity. "Whoever sees me sees him who sent me."
In Jesus' first coming He came as the sacrificial Lamb - he came to save. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, the name He was given at birth, even means 'savior, deliverer, rescuer'.
He is the Living Word - and His written Word, the Bible, when faithfully translated, gives us everything we need as a solid foundation for knowing how to come to Him as the One who is the light of the world, and how to live in this world as reflections of His light. Then, so we would not be without support, God gave us the Holy Spirit as Comforter, Counselor and an ever-present witness of 'the Messiah living within us' confirming our relationship to God as joint heirs with Christ and our ever-present help, if we let Him be.
The first step for every person who wants eternal life is: accept Jesus for who He is! He is God! He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but it is God Himself who came to do that for us. He clothed Himself in human form and became the sacrifice that sin demanded. He, author of the world and all of creation, promised to send a Savior - and He did. He came Himself! He is the Light of the world. He offers us life - abundant Life for all of eternity!
This chorus bursts from my heart:
He is Lord, He is Lord
He has risen from the dead and He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord.
I have been in a spiritual battle, but Jesus' declaration of who He is - God! - is a reminder of the One who chooses to have a relationship with me. In fact, He reminded me this morning that He yearns to be in that relationship with me. Incredible! God wants to be close to me! It is not a one-sided relationship of only me wanting to be close to Him!
We are living in troubled times - but they do not come as a surprise. How they specifically play out may - but as Time comes to an end, things will get dicey. Good will be called Evil and Evil will be called Good. I shouldn't be surprised.
But, I'm encouraged that He wins! I know the end of His story!
I am reminded, "Keep looking up."
Lord, help me be a faithful follower and a faithful witness to Your love, grace and forgiveness. Draw people to You before it is too late. It feels like the end of time is very near.... Help me not be diverted by the inconsequential. It is an ever-present threat. Amen.
Friday, March 23, 2012
REFERENDUM 74 - TO REPEAL SB 2639
Today has been a grappling day. I definitely have not been at peace. My spirit is troubled, and one of the salient issues is the effect that Senate Bill 2639 will have if it is enacted. My way to process is to write, so I did, and now I am going to post what I wrote to my blog.
WHY R-74 MATTERS:
Senate Bill 2639 (SB 2639) changes the definition of marriage from being between a man and a woman to being between any two people over age 18. That’s a huge decision for legislators to make without referring it to the voters, and from the beginning I’ve felt this needed to be a State of Washington voter decision, since it has such far-reaching ramifications. Our legislators work very hard to try to do the right thing and serve their state well – but sometimes they collectively get it wrong, and I believe this time they did! This is a bad Bill on multiple levels.
SB 2639 does not add any rights for same-sex couples, other than calling their union marriage. The Domestic Partnership laws for our state grant same-sex couples all of the rights and privileges associated with a committed civil union. It just isn’t called marriage. So – those who would claim this is a civil rights issue are wrong. Same-sex couples have all of the same civil rights as married couples already. The Domestic Partnership Bill took care of the prior wrongs associated with loved ones not getting to be together in their final moments, etc, and that is the kind and humane thing to do.
Marriage is not a civil right. Marriage, by definition, is a union between a man and woman – and has been so from the most ancient of times. It’s a big deal to change the definition.
Because we do not legislate Bible-honoring morality, I could understand there being a CIVIL COMMITMENT UNION CEREMONY between same-sex couples – but marriage was God’s design, with procreation as an explicit part of the relationship, and same-sex couples do not procreate. That is not to say they cannot have a surrogate mother give birth to a child they will raise. That is already done. Or, in the case of female partners, have one of them artificially inseminated. That is already being done. I may not applaud that as normal cultural behavior – but I accept it. It is part of living in a fallen world. I believe same sex couples can be decent parents, even though it is not ideal. That is not the issue for me. Calling a union ‘marriage’ when it does not honor the One who created marriage is a big deal!
I would agree that marriage in our society is broken – but marriage is still sacred. It was God’s idea. It is God’s Word. And – the only marriage He will sanctify is one between a man and a woman. That is Biblical truth. My nature is to have a live-and-let-live attitude about a lot of things – but this Bill went too far. You cannot change the definition of what God calls holy. Calling something marriage that God doesn't see as marriage does not legitimize it. It is a travesty.
Still, the bigger issue for me concerns what the Bill does not protect. Even if ‘marriage’ is voted by the populace to apply to any two consenting adults, this Bill does not provide adequate protection for those who disagree. This was touted as a civil rights issue (which it is not) but it will become one – and the civil rights that will be denied are for those (like me) who believe what the Bible says – that acting on homosexual inclinations is sin. It is not sin to have the feelings. It is a sin to act on those feelings. That’s the truth. I didn’t make the rule. God did. But if this is viewed as a civil rights issue, it will become ‘wrong’ to state the truth. That is a huge issue! The Bible is the only plumb line for Truth. It is Absolute Truth, and God lists a lot of things that are sin - and homosexual behavior is one of them. I don't address the issue very often - - but if I say that as a fact, it is not a hate crime. It's just the truth.
And, in other states where similar laws have been passed, some who don't want to provide services - such as photographers and caterers - have been sued. The Bill as presented in Washington only protects clergy: pastors, priests and imams - no one else.
I know that God's Word clearly tells us that in the end of time, men will call evil good, and good evil. Sadly, we're there.
So - my recommendation to stay the tide is to sign the green sheets - Referendum 74 - which will put this issue on the ballot. Then we'll find out what the populace of Washington thinks...not just a vocal minority.
I do not make phone calls - or go door-to-door, but I will be sending out some copies of R-74 to educate those I love so they can make their own choice about how to respond.
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 27
Jesus was in pain! His plea for the masses who heard Him to believe in Him went unheard. They heard the words with their ears, but not with their souls. John 12:37 is a very telling verse: Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.... Their unbelief was in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, which John reports and records.
Nevertheless - and here is the glimmer of hope - John tells us that many of those in authority did actually believe - but they wouldn't state that openly because they were afraid of the reaction of the Pharisees. They knew that the result would mean estrangement from all they held dear - they would be put out of the synagogue, and that was a connection that was far more important to them. John makes that very clear in verse 43: for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
I wonder what their response was later. Were they among those who did publicly acknowledge their faith at Pentecost and after? I suspect some were - and that they, like Peter, found forgiveness from a loving Savior!
When God asks us to forgive 70 times 7, He models that for us...but we don't want to presume on His patience. It will not last forever....
Nevertheless - and here is the glimmer of hope - John tells us that many of those in authority did actually believe - but they wouldn't state that openly because they were afraid of the reaction of the Pharisees. They knew that the result would mean estrangement from all they held dear - they would be put out of the synagogue, and that was a connection that was far more important to them. John makes that very clear in verse 43: for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
I wonder what their response was later. Were they among those who did publicly acknowledge their faith at Pentecost and after? I suspect some were - and that they, like Peter, found forgiveness from a loving Savior!
When God asks us to forgive 70 times 7, He models that for us...but we don't want to presume on His patience. It will not last forever....
Thursday, March 22, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 26
Jesus' triumphal entry, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday, reminds me not to be overly impressed with accolades. How quickly the tide of passion would turn!
John 12 tells us that some Greeks were among those who came to Jerusalem to worship during Passover that year - and they specifically wanted to meet Jesus. We don't know if they did or not - but their pursuit of Him initiated specific teaching that is as valuable to us today as it was to Jesus' disciples in their era. Jesus tells them it is time . . . time for Him to be glorified. But how He meant it and how they heard it at the time were entirely different. They thought He was to be glorified on earth by becoming an earthly king - and even though He explicitly gave them an analogy of grain falling into the earth and dying to be the source for more grain, they couldn't hear what He said because their minds were already made up. How strange the words must have seemed then - but the Holy Spirit brought them back to John's mind clearly later on so He could write them down: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven -
"I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
Jesus informed them that the voice came for their benefit, not His and then told them, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself."
The LIGHT - the creator, was also the sacrifice. He, as light, would only be present with them a little longer! The final words He left them with that day were, "While you have light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
Powerful words. He is the only One. The only Way. The Messiah! But He didn't meet their expectations. Their ears were muffled by their logic. But their logic was wrong!
....................
I am grappling with the side-journey of Referendum 74. I have work to be done on my own project. I know God wants the musical to be finished, yet I am diverted by other tasks....
Last fall He specifically told me that the process of completing A Letter from G. O. D. was part of His purpose, but I get caught in the emotions of the realities and quite frankly, get discouraged. I read Rosemarie's blog for yesterday before I started mine for today, and it was a wonderful reminder that our journey is a marathon, not a sprint. What God so clearly spoke to me after 9/11 was "Keep on keeping on. Occupy until I come." He hasn't changed His mind. I want every day to have purpose and to live intentionally. I realize that in the process storms will come - and they have. But He provides a lighthouse. He is the lighthouse. Perseverance. Faithfulness. They are values He instills.
So - even though I feel just a little diverted, He will direct the process of how attention to what I believe in will be defined and carried out. I just need to do the part He calls me to...not bite off more than I can chew. He will reveal that clearly to me if I ask and then listen.... Thank you, Lord, for Your love and guidance. Thank you for faithful followers who reflect Your light and Truth! Today, specifically, thank you for Rosemarie! Bless her in her journey as she follows Your plan for her life, and reflects Your love to others. May that be so for each of us! As You shine on - shine through us! Amen.
John 12 tells us that some Greeks were among those who came to Jerusalem to worship during Passover that year - and they specifically wanted to meet Jesus. We don't know if they did or not - but their pursuit of Him initiated specific teaching that is as valuable to us today as it was to Jesus' disciples in their era. Jesus tells them it is time . . . time for Him to be glorified. But how He meant it and how they heard it at the time were entirely different. They thought He was to be glorified on earth by becoming an earthly king - and even though He explicitly gave them an analogy of grain falling into the earth and dying to be the source for more grain, they couldn't hear what He said because their minds were already made up. How strange the words must have seemed then - but the Holy Spirit brought them back to John's mind clearly later on so He could write them down: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven -
"I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
Jesus informed them that the voice came for their benefit, not His and then told them, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself."
The LIGHT - the creator, was also the sacrifice. He, as light, would only be present with them a little longer! The final words He left them with that day were, "While you have light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
Powerful words. He is the only One. The only Way. The Messiah! But He didn't meet their expectations. Their ears were muffled by their logic. But their logic was wrong!
....................
I am grappling with the side-journey of Referendum 74. I have work to be done on my own project. I know God wants the musical to be finished, yet I am diverted by other tasks....
Last fall He specifically told me that the process of completing A Letter from G. O. D. was part of His purpose, but I get caught in the emotions of the realities and quite frankly, get discouraged. I read Rosemarie's blog for yesterday before I started mine for today, and it was a wonderful reminder that our journey is a marathon, not a sprint. What God so clearly spoke to me after 9/11 was "Keep on keeping on. Occupy until I come." He hasn't changed His mind. I want every day to have purpose and to live intentionally. I realize that in the process storms will come - and they have. But He provides a lighthouse. He is the lighthouse. Perseverance. Faithfulness. They are values He instills.
So - even though I feel just a little diverted, He will direct the process of how attention to what I believe in will be defined and carried out. I just need to do the part He calls me to...not bite off more than I can chew. He will reveal that clearly to me if I ask and then listen.... Thank you, Lord, for Your love and guidance. Thank you for faithful followers who reflect Your light and Truth! Today, specifically, thank you for Rosemarie! Bless her in her journey as she follows Your plan for her life, and reflects Your love to others. May that be so for each of us! As You shine on - shine through us! Amen.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 25
Word-of-mouth news spread quickly in those days (+-33 A D) - but since the little village of Bethany nestled on the slope of one side of the Mount of Olives, and the other side of the mountain led down to the valley at the base of Temple Mount in the city of Jerusalem, just 2 miles away, word of Jesus' present location spread very fast! Jesus was back!
The crowds surged up and over the Mount of Olives and converged on Bethany and the feast being held in Jesus' honor. They didn't go just to see Him, they also wanted to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. The result of Lazarus' popularity among the people was: the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well . . . because on account of him, many Jews were placing their faith in Jesus.
The very next day, John tells us, this same crowd of people heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, so they cut palm branches and went out to meet Him, showing Him the honor given to a King. As He passed by, riding on the back of a donkey's colt in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, as He wended His way down the slope of the Mount of Olives they adoringly waved their palm branches and shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"
Hosanna! The word means 'save' or 'save now' and is a cry for salvation, as well as a declaration of praise!
Hosanna! Savior! Hosanna! Save us! Hosanna! You are the promised One who comes in the name of the Lord! You are the Messiah! You are the true King of Israel! Hosanna!
And the reason they believed this: the resurrection of Lazarus just weeks before!
Their acclamation only proved the Pharisees worst fear. To them it appeared the whole world had gone after Jesus.
John doesn't write his book as a sequential record. Just as he leaked earlier that Mary was the one who anointed Jesus' feet with nard and dried them with her hair before it occurred in the sequence of telling the events he records, John now tells us in verse 16, as a bit of an aside, that the disciples didn't understand what was happening, even as Jesus was being honored by the crowds - but later they would put two and two together - what had been prophesied about Him, and what they witnessed were precisely fulfilled in what had been done to Him. That, in fact, is the proof of His claim of being the Great I Am. He fulfilled every prophecy ever written about the coming Messiah!
In trying to figure out the timeline for this period, it appears their dinner celebration was very likely on a Saturday night - after Sabbath. But - - it is possible that His triumphal entry was on a Monday, not a Sunday.... What matters is not that I am able to figure that out in satisfaction of my curiosity for the timing, but that it happened, just as it was faithfully recorded! And it did!
He rules! He reigns! He says He's coming back again! He will! And - like John, I am telling the story from this side of His resurrection!
The crowds surged up and over the Mount of Olives and converged on Bethany and the feast being held in Jesus' honor. They didn't go just to see Him, they also wanted to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. The result of Lazarus' popularity among the people was: the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well . . . because on account of him, many Jews were placing their faith in Jesus.
The very next day, John tells us, this same crowd of people heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, so they cut palm branches and went out to meet Him, showing Him the honor given to a King. As He passed by, riding on the back of a donkey's colt in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, as He wended His way down the slope of the Mount of Olives they adoringly waved their palm branches and shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"
Hosanna! The word means 'save' or 'save now' and is a cry for salvation, as well as a declaration of praise!
Hosanna! Savior! Hosanna! Save us! Hosanna! You are the promised One who comes in the name of the Lord! You are the Messiah! You are the true King of Israel! Hosanna!
And the reason they believed this: the resurrection of Lazarus just weeks before!
Their acclamation only proved the Pharisees worst fear. To them it appeared the whole world had gone after Jesus.
John doesn't write his book as a sequential record. Just as he leaked earlier that Mary was the one who anointed Jesus' feet with nard and dried them with her hair before it occurred in the sequence of telling the events he records, John now tells us in verse 16, as a bit of an aside, that the disciples didn't understand what was happening, even as Jesus was being honored by the crowds - but later they would put two and two together - what had been prophesied about Him, and what they witnessed were precisely fulfilled in what had been done to Him. That, in fact, is the proof of His claim of being the Great I Am. He fulfilled every prophecy ever written about the coming Messiah!
In trying to figure out the timeline for this period, it appears their dinner celebration was very likely on a Saturday night - after Sabbath. But - - it is possible that His triumphal entry was on a Monday, not a Sunday.... What matters is not that I am able to figure that out in satisfaction of my curiosity for the timing, but that it happened, just as it was faithfully recorded! And it did!
He rules! He reigns! He says He's coming back again! He will! And - like John, I am telling the story from this side of His resurrection!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 24
Today was my husband's 3-month post-surgery follow-up for his total shoulder replacement (done December 21). I adore his doctor - but it means driving to Seattle for the follow-ups. I actually don't mind the drive as I always enjoy seeing the bustle and buildings, but I am always ready to get out of town and head home again. It would be a better drive in better weather! It's supposed to be spring as of late last night - but the weather definitely isn't cooperating in the Pacific Northwest!
I have grappled with what to do about where I am in John. John 12 brings us down to the wire....to the final days of Jesus' life on earth. I've decided to finish John, then revisit the timeline when we get to those days on our own countdown journey....
In Jewish history, the celebration of Passover (Pesach) began in the evening on the 14th day of Nisan (which comes in March or April, depending on the year), and lasted for 8 days. Passover was the commemoration of the last of the plagues of Egypt, when a lamb was slain, and its blood was sprinkled over the doorpost of each house where a lamb had been slain and eaten. The Hebrew children had been instructed to do this, so the angel of death would pass over their homes, and in obedience, they did. So, that final night of the plagues, every firstborn in all of the land of Egypt from the wealthiest to the lowliest, died, unless the blood was sprinkled over the doorpost for protection. In the throes of grief over his country's massive losses, as well as his personal loss, Pharoah finally told the Israelite slaves to leave - and they did.... saved by the blood of the lamb.
Each year the Jewish faithful commemorated that event, and when it came to this particular year, they were in the throes of a political struggle that was coming to its head right at the wrong time as far as they were concerned.... People from all over Israel were in town for the Passover. It was a trip that was traditionally celebrated by coming to the temple in Jerusalem, and there were throngs of people everywhere.
It was at that point that Jesus came back to the area. John 12 tells us he came back to Bethany , to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus 6 days before Passover was to begin. Their response: give Him a dinner. Martha served and Lazarus lounged with Him at the table. Meanwhile, Mary took an ointment made from a pound of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, anointed His tired feet and wiped them clean with her hair.
The sheer waste annoyed Judas Iscariot. He pretended it was for the poor that he chided her, but it was, in fact, because he was a thief. He was the treasurer for the group of disciples, but according to John, he appropriated money in the bag for his own use. Jesus came to her defense.
That is such a wonderful view of our Lord. Receiving the love we have to offer in whatever way we offer it, and then, even if it is misunderstood by others, defending our intentions....
I have grappled with what to do about where I am in John. John 12 brings us down to the wire....to the final days of Jesus' life on earth. I've decided to finish John, then revisit the timeline when we get to those days on our own countdown journey....
In Jewish history, the celebration of Passover (Pesach) began in the evening on the 14th day of Nisan (which comes in March or April, depending on the year), and lasted for 8 days. Passover was the commemoration of the last of the plagues of Egypt, when a lamb was slain, and its blood was sprinkled over the doorpost of each house where a lamb had been slain and eaten. The Hebrew children had been instructed to do this, so the angel of death would pass over their homes, and in obedience, they did. So, that final night of the plagues, every firstborn in all of the land of Egypt from the wealthiest to the lowliest, died, unless the blood was sprinkled over the doorpost for protection. In the throes of grief over his country's massive losses, as well as his personal loss, Pharoah finally told the Israelite slaves to leave - and they did.... saved by the blood of the lamb.
Each year the Jewish faithful commemorated that event, and when it came to this particular year, they were in the throes of a political struggle that was coming to its head right at the wrong time as far as they were concerned.... People from all over Israel were in town for the Passover. It was a trip that was traditionally celebrated by coming to the temple in Jerusalem, and there were throngs of people everywhere.
It was at that point that Jesus came back to the area. John 12 tells us he came back to Bethany , to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus 6 days before Passover was to begin. Their response: give Him a dinner. Martha served and Lazarus lounged with Him at the table. Meanwhile, Mary took an ointment made from a pound of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, anointed His tired feet and wiped them clean with her hair.
The sheer waste annoyed Judas Iscariot. He pretended it was for the poor that he chided her, but it was, in fact, because he was a thief. He was the treasurer for the group of disciples, but according to John, he appropriated money in the bag for his own use. Jesus came to her defense.
That is such a wonderful view of our Lord. Receiving the love we have to offer in whatever way we offer it, and then, even if it is misunderstood by others, defending our intentions....
Monday, March 19, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 23
I thought I was ready to move past chapter 11 - but there is the matter of one last bit of text which follows the story of Lazarus' resurrection still to be addressed.
I've mentioned already that Lazarus was raised from the dead no more than 2 months prior to when Jesus would die (then be resurrected! So glad we know that in advance....) Because of this specific miracle, which was reported back to the Pharisees, the Pharisees, their chief priests and their council of elders, got together to discuss the dilemma that faced them.
The thing about life in their times was that they were under Roman rule, but the Romans were willing to let them practice their religion as long as no one created any issues for them to contend with. Jesus was a threat. The word on the streets was that He claimed to be a King. They didn't understand that He was not a political King - He was THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! And, never mind that what He said was true - their eyes were blinded. The spiritual leaders of Israel didn't recognize Him or accept Him as the promised Messiah. They saw Him as a radical who had the potential of creating a problem for them. The Romans wanted the Jews to keep their own people in line - and that just wasn't going to happen with Jesus - not when He violated their own weighty laws for what one could do on the Sabbath . . . not when He brought people back from the dead. That created a furor of support for Him, and they had to do something about it.... He was a political liability.
The question that they raised reflected that. (47ff) ..."What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come take away both our place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."
John tells us immediately that Caiaphas didn't say this of his own accord . . . the words he spoke were prophetic words. They are certainly shocking words coming from the high priest's lips! He intended them to mean that it was better to get rid of Jesus than to lose their political station and their puppet-rule of their nation, but what he said had a much broader meaning, as John points out.
One would die for the nation - and not for that nation only, but for all who are scattered abroad. Caiaphas nailed it. And, as John reports, from that day they made plans to put Jesus to death. Jesus knew that, so he no longer walked openly among the Jews.... He came to His own and His own rejected Him....
Jesus and His disciples got out of Dodge. They went to the area of Ephraim, near the wilderness, situated about 12 1/2 miles NE of Jerusalem. The Passover was approaching. The timing of Jesus' death had to coincide with Passover to fulfill His purpose in becoming the Passover Lamb slain for the sins of the world. All of the symbolism of the Old Testament was to be fulfilled in Him, and the timing had to be just right.
In the final weeks leading toward Palm Sunday, Jesus was not among the crowds. He was in Ephraim with His disciples.... This time of absence gave time for the Pharisees' fervor to intensify, as they had put the order out that anyone who knew where Jesus was should tell them so they could arrest Him. And so the chapter ends....
....................
There were masses of people who had seen Jesus' miracles, who had been miraculously fed by Him, who had walked miles just to hear Him. Many believed He was the Messiah. Some just wanted to see the miracles. But they are alarmingly silent in this story....or perhaps that is just something I am projecting onto today...
I got copies of Referendum 74 yesterday, and read through every word.... R-74 is a referendum calling for the repeal of the Bill passed in our 2012 legislative session, which allows for same sex marriage.
The truth is: we cannot legislate morality. Oh, we've tried - but without God as part of the equation it is impossible. The only reason my beliefs are my beliefs is that the Bible is my plumb line. The Bible condemns many sins - and one of them is homosexual behavior. And - the Bible is the guidebook for marriage. If people don't want to follow God's guidelines, why do they want to use His word for their relationship?
In my 'live and let live' view of the world I agree that people need to be cared for well. While I pity those who feel trapped in bodies that lead them to be attracted to members of the same sex, I still believe all people need to be treated fairly. All of those issues were addressed in prior legislation which honors domestic partnerships. And - that's all same-sex relationships can be in God's eyes. They may want to call it marriage, but it's not.
The truth is, marriage is broken - not just by same-sex partners wanting to justify their sinful relationship by calling it marriage, but by all who view marriage solely as a legal contract. Marriage was meant to be a covenant between a man, a woman and God, and was to be entered into as a spiritual commitment. There cannot ever be 'holy' matrimony unless the union includes and honors God; and the final challenge of the marriage ceremony, which states, "What God has joined together let no man put asunder" cannot be part of a same-sex ceremony, whether it is called marriage or not, because God does not put His stamp of approval on any union that is not between a man and a woman....
Because I believed right from the start, that this issue should have gone to the people for a vote, I will help accumulate signatures so that can happen. Then the voice of the people will be heard. Anyone who goes by His name - Christian - and who is a registered voter - should have the opportunity to sign this petition! R-74 needs to be voted on by the people! And signatures have to be gathered quickly!
My main concern is an issue not even stated in the Bill. This was treated as a civil rights issue, and if that concept is cemented in peoples' minds, speaking the truth - which rightfully calls homosexuality sin - will be an infraction of their civil rights.
The rights of religious institutions have been protected, insofar as they are not required to perform these ceremonies, but the rights of people who speak out against homosexuality as sin have not been protected..... The bottom line is that this is a case of men calling evil good, and calling good evil.
I already addressed this issue in my blog recently....so won't repeat all I have already said....
I've mentioned already that Lazarus was raised from the dead no more than 2 months prior to when Jesus would die (then be resurrected! So glad we know that in advance....) Because of this specific miracle, which was reported back to the Pharisees, the Pharisees, their chief priests and their council of elders, got together to discuss the dilemma that faced them.
The thing about life in their times was that they were under Roman rule, but the Romans were willing to let them practice their religion as long as no one created any issues for them to contend with. Jesus was a threat. The word on the streets was that He claimed to be a King. They didn't understand that He was not a political King - He was THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! And, never mind that what He said was true - their eyes were blinded. The spiritual leaders of Israel didn't recognize Him or accept Him as the promised Messiah. They saw Him as a radical who had the potential of creating a problem for them. The Romans wanted the Jews to keep their own people in line - and that just wasn't going to happen with Jesus - not when He violated their own weighty laws for what one could do on the Sabbath . . . not when He brought people back from the dead. That created a furor of support for Him, and they had to do something about it.... He was a political liability.
The question that they raised reflected that. (47ff) ..."What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come take away both our place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."
John tells us immediately that Caiaphas didn't say this of his own accord . . . the words he spoke were prophetic words. They are certainly shocking words coming from the high priest's lips! He intended them to mean that it was better to get rid of Jesus than to lose their political station and their puppet-rule of their nation, but what he said had a much broader meaning, as John points out.
One would die for the nation - and not for that nation only, but for all who are scattered abroad. Caiaphas nailed it. And, as John reports, from that day they made plans to put Jesus to death. Jesus knew that, so he no longer walked openly among the Jews.... He came to His own and His own rejected Him....
Jesus and His disciples got out of Dodge. They went to the area of Ephraim, near the wilderness, situated about 12 1/2 miles NE of Jerusalem. The Passover was approaching. The timing of Jesus' death had to coincide with Passover to fulfill His purpose in becoming the Passover Lamb slain for the sins of the world. All of the symbolism of the Old Testament was to be fulfilled in Him, and the timing had to be just right.
In the final weeks leading toward Palm Sunday, Jesus was not among the crowds. He was in Ephraim with His disciples.... This time of absence gave time for the Pharisees' fervor to intensify, as they had put the order out that anyone who knew where Jesus was should tell them so they could arrest Him. And so the chapter ends....
....................
There were masses of people who had seen Jesus' miracles, who had been miraculously fed by Him, who had walked miles just to hear Him. Many believed He was the Messiah. Some just wanted to see the miracles. But they are alarmingly silent in this story....or perhaps that is just something I am projecting onto today...
I got copies of Referendum 74 yesterday, and read through every word.... R-74 is a referendum calling for the repeal of the Bill passed in our 2012 legislative session, which allows for same sex marriage.
The truth is: we cannot legislate morality. Oh, we've tried - but without God as part of the equation it is impossible. The only reason my beliefs are my beliefs is that the Bible is my plumb line. The Bible condemns many sins - and one of them is homosexual behavior. And - the Bible is the guidebook for marriage. If people don't want to follow God's guidelines, why do they want to use His word for their relationship?
In my 'live and let live' view of the world I agree that people need to be cared for well. While I pity those who feel trapped in bodies that lead them to be attracted to members of the same sex, I still believe all people need to be treated fairly. All of those issues were addressed in prior legislation which honors domestic partnerships. And - that's all same-sex relationships can be in God's eyes. They may want to call it marriage, but it's not.
The truth is, marriage is broken - not just by same-sex partners wanting to justify their sinful relationship by calling it marriage, but by all who view marriage solely as a legal contract. Marriage was meant to be a covenant between a man, a woman and God, and was to be entered into as a spiritual commitment. There cannot ever be 'holy' matrimony unless the union includes and honors God; and the final challenge of the marriage ceremony, which states, "What God has joined together let no man put asunder" cannot be part of a same-sex ceremony, whether it is called marriage or not, because God does not put His stamp of approval on any union that is not between a man and a woman....
Because I believed right from the start, that this issue should have gone to the people for a vote, I will help accumulate signatures so that can happen. Then the voice of the people will be heard. Anyone who goes by His name - Christian - and who is a registered voter - should have the opportunity to sign this petition! R-74 needs to be voted on by the people! And signatures have to be gathered quickly!
My main concern is an issue not even stated in the Bill. This was treated as a civil rights issue, and if that concept is cemented in peoples' minds, speaking the truth - which rightfully calls homosexuality sin - will be an infraction of their civil rights.
The rights of religious institutions have been protected, insofar as they are not required to perform these ceremonies, but the rights of people who speak out against homosexuality as sin have not been protected..... The bottom line is that this is a case of men calling evil good, and calling good evil.
I already addressed this issue in my blog recently....so won't repeat all I have already said....
Sunday, March 18, 2012
DAY OF PRAISE
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
I LOVE CORPORATE WORSHIP!
God deserves our worship and praise no matter what our circumstances.
I will bless the Lord at all times
His praise shall continually be in my mouth
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord
the humble shall hear thereof and be glad
O magnify the Lord with me
And let us exalt His name together
I sought the Lord and He heard me
And delivered me from all my fears.
I grew up singing that chorus....but it is straight out of the Bible: Psalm 34:1-4.
Lord, I bless You. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my King and my Redeemer. Be present in our worship of You this morning as we sing praises to Your Holy Name! Be glorified!
Amen!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 22
I took this picture on my trip to Israel in 2006. Our guide pointed out the gravesite - and I pleaded for the driver to stop so I could get a picture.... It is not the grave Lazarus or Jesus arose from - it just shows the type of graves common at that time. Some were taller - the type a man could walk out of - but this shows the stone that would have been rolled in front of the doorway to the 'cave' and that helps provide a visual of 'the stone being rolled away'. For years I thought of the stone as a boulder rather than a disk. I am visual, so seeing the reality of what was being referenced helps me visualize as I read. It helps the Bible come alive!....................
Just a few random thoughts before I am ready to leave John 11:
We are often directed to Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah, recorded in Matthew 16, when he declared, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Martha's statement is another witness to that Truth, and to her personal faith in Jesus as Truth. "Yes, Lord, I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is come into the world." I paraphrased it just slightly. Different versions state it differently - was to come or is to come. She knew He was the Messiah and that he was present . . . but even with that knowledge she didn't know how that reality would play out. We don't fully realize either. We have some insight - but we see through a glass darkly. All I know is that everything is in God's hands, and hindsight is 20/20.
Another thing that occurred to me early this morning as I lay in bed thinking was the target that Jesus placed on Lazarus' back when Jesus resurrected Lazarus. And then I started thinking about what it might have been like to be Lazarus. He was a faithful follower of the Lord. In spite of his sisters' deep grief at losing him, he was safe in Abraham's bosom. His illness was resolved. His pain had ended. And after being resurrected he had to die again! There was no 'It is appointed to man once to die and after that the judgment' for him. The others were celebrating that day, but Lazarus was exemplifying the epitome of obedience. He was willing to live for Yeshua ha Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah) when he'd rather be dead.
That is a thought that had never occurred to me before. It is a reminder that we must determine to live the life the Lord designs for us even when it is not the life we think we'd choose. Being faithful in spite of circumstances matters. Not withholding praise to the Lord because of our circumstances matters. He deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances - and our most transparent and authentic worship is when we live out our lives to honor Him . . . no matter what comes our way. Mountains. Valleys. All of it is in His hands.
....................
Today is St Patty's Day! Erin go bragh! It's a family tradition of sorts to state that annually. Our middle daughter is Erin, and she loves that her name is synonymous with the old sod, even though she is only about 1/4 Irish! She's about a 1/4 each English, Irish, Scotch and German, in fact....(with a sprinkling of Dutch and Choctaw thrown in for added flavor)....but 100% Christian!
May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, and may the Lord bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you, now and forever. Amen.
Friday, March 16, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 21
In the midst of the emotional distress of Lazarus' death, Jesus speaks words to Martha that encapsulate the best good news ever spoken - the gospel of Jesus being the promised Messiah!
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she ran out to meet Him outside the village. Lazarus had already been buried for four days, but her faith in Jesus was unflappable. She said to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."
Jesus responded, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha said, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
And Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Mary responded, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."
Wow! These are power-packed verses. Martha was in the throes of deepest grief. She was absolutely confident that if Jesus was there with them Lazarus would not have died. And she believed Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead even now, after Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days!
Jesus used this opportunity as a teaching moment, and John recorded it for historical integrity and the benefit of future generations. This "I am" statement leaves no room for any other. Our hope is in Christ alone. He is the One who will raise us up at the resurrection in the last day. He is the One who is life. Even though our physical body will die (unless we are among those who will be gathered together with Him in the clouds in the Second Coming), if we believe in Him our Spirit - the real us - lives on with Him for eternity.
Following Martha's affirmation that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised One whom they'd been waiting for, she went to call Mary. And Mary, who had sat lovingly at His feet time after time, soaking up everything He shared, came to Jesus weeping. Her first words to Him echoed what Martha had said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus wept.
Mary and Martha were right. Jesus could have prevented this tragedy. The Jews who came to console them, who followed along when Mary got up and quickly left the cottage, had varied reactions. Some noted his tears, felt His compassion for the sisters and sensed His own deep love for Lazarus. Some criticized: "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?"
Their response wasn't so very different from what both Mary and Martha stated, but the sisters' statements came from hearts of love, and this question came from hearts of doubt.
Which people do you suppose had hearts that were open to what was going to happen next? I think their present words reveal the delineation of their coming responses.
Still I know we grapple with the same dilemma. If Jesus were here. If He wanted to. He could heal. Sometimes He does. That day He did!
Jesus went to the tomb, had them roll the stone away, and called Lazarus forth. And why? So people would believe He was sent from God. Some believed, but others who saw the miracle went back to Jerusalem to tell the Pharisees what He had done.
You'd think there'd be dancing in the streets - but, no! You'd think this would have brought the Pharisees to their knees - not so!
But back in Bethany, there was a celebration! We aren't given insight into the jubilant expression of the joy they were experiencing in that moment - but there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was rightfully honored! Those who believed in Him were thinking, "Soon He will become King." They were overwhelmed by joy! But they hadn't heard what He'd been telling them....they couldn't. Their ears were deaf to hear the future for Himself that He had so clearly expressed. They were looking for earthly solutions to their earthly problems.
To be continued....
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she ran out to meet Him outside the village. Lazarus had already been buried for four days, but her faith in Jesus was unflappable. She said to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."
Jesus responded, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha said, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
And Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Mary responded, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."
Wow! These are power-packed verses. Martha was in the throes of deepest grief. She was absolutely confident that if Jesus was there with them Lazarus would not have died. And she believed Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead even now, after Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days!
Jesus used this opportunity as a teaching moment, and John recorded it for historical integrity and the benefit of future generations. This "I am" statement leaves no room for any other. Our hope is in Christ alone. He is the One who will raise us up at the resurrection in the last day. He is the One who is life. Even though our physical body will die (unless we are among those who will be gathered together with Him in the clouds in the Second Coming), if we believe in Him our Spirit - the real us - lives on with Him for eternity.
Following Martha's affirmation that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised One whom they'd been waiting for, she went to call Mary. And Mary, who had sat lovingly at His feet time after time, soaking up everything He shared, came to Jesus weeping. Her first words to Him echoed what Martha had said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus wept.
Mary and Martha were right. Jesus could have prevented this tragedy. The Jews who came to console them, who followed along when Mary got up and quickly left the cottage, had varied reactions. Some noted his tears, felt His compassion for the sisters and sensed His own deep love for Lazarus. Some criticized: "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?"
Their response wasn't so very different from what both Mary and Martha stated, but the sisters' statements came from hearts of love, and this question came from hearts of doubt.
Which people do you suppose had hearts that were open to what was going to happen next? I think their present words reveal the delineation of their coming responses.
Still I know we grapple with the same dilemma. If Jesus were here. If He wanted to. He could heal. Sometimes He does. That day He did!
Jesus went to the tomb, had them roll the stone away, and called Lazarus forth. And why? So people would believe He was sent from God. Some believed, but others who saw the miracle went back to Jerusalem to tell the Pharisees what He had done.
You'd think there'd be dancing in the streets - but, no! You'd think this would have brought the Pharisees to their knees - not so!
But back in Bethany, there was a celebration! We aren't given insight into the jubilant expression of the joy they were experiencing in that moment - but there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was rightfully honored! Those who believed in Him were thinking, "Soon He will become King." They were overwhelmed by joy! But they hadn't heard what He'd been telling them....they couldn't. Their ears were deaf to hear the future for Himself that He had so clearly expressed. They were looking for earthly solutions to their earthly problems.
To be continued....
Thursday, March 15, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 20
Halfway! Hooray! We wade through the deepest sorrow before the most ebullient joy springs forth. True for the present in Jesus' life as He walked His final days on earth - and true for us as we plod onward through times of challenge, being faithful in spite of circumstances . . . knowing JOY will come in the morning.... We just don't necessarily know which morning!
We face difficulties - but we don't face them alone. We shrink away from pain, take a few steps back, reassess, pray, pray, and then pray some more.... What perfect timing for me to come to the story in chapter 11 of John.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, a very small village about 2 miles outside Jerusalem. Bethany was on the southeast slope of the Mt. of Olives, very familiar territory to Jesus. In fact, Jesus stopped in and spent time with these three siblings often. They were among his dearest friends. Verse 5 affirms that. And they loved Him. Mary proved that publicly when she anointed him with ointment and wiped his feet with her long, beautiful hair.... She proved it when she sat at His feet, absorbing every word He spoke.... And Martha proved it by cooking and cleaning and washing dishes . . . doing everything she could to honor Him by the things she did for Him.
In John 10, Jesus left and went across the Jordan to get away from those who were intent on killing Him, so He wasn't nearby when He got the news that Lazarus was sick. Still, when Jesus first heard that Lazarus was ill, he intentionally stayed 2 more days before he decided to start the trip back to Judea.
And - when He did decide to go, His disciples were wary. They knew He would be walking back into dangerous territory. After all, Jesus had already told them that this sickness was not going to lead to death, so they couldn't figure out why He wanted to go back into harm's way, where people sought to kill Him.
Jesus used the opportunity of Lazarus' demise as a teaching moment. They would remember later that Jesus knew what was, and what was to come.... Lazarus' illness was for the glory of God. He got sick so Jesus could bring him back to life! That's a difficult concept to grasp.
After telling them this illness wasn't going to led to death, 2 days later when Jesus announced that they were going back to Judea, He had to be bluntly clear that Lazarus had died. The indicator of the purpose of the illness is revealed: it was so the disciples would believe.
Thomas - who would later be the 'doubting Thomas' - declared they should go die with Lazarus! I must observe, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, for when the true test of that statement came, related to Jesus and the disciples, Thomas was no where to be found.... I understand. It's easier to express bravery than to follow through when the moment of truth arises. Jesus knew that and loved anyway.
Also, Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but when He was in the reality of the circumstances, and experiencing the grief in the gathered pain of those who loved Lazarus, Jesus wept right along with them. I could readily extrapolate that there was more going through His mind than just the pain of losing Lazarus.... It was about 2 months before His own death and resurrection when He raised Lazarus from the grave.... It was personal.
But, I'm getting ahead of the story....
To be continued....
We face difficulties - but we don't face them alone. We shrink away from pain, take a few steps back, reassess, pray, pray, and then pray some more.... What perfect timing for me to come to the story in chapter 11 of John.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, a very small village about 2 miles outside Jerusalem. Bethany was on the southeast slope of the Mt. of Olives, very familiar territory to Jesus. In fact, Jesus stopped in and spent time with these three siblings often. They were among his dearest friends. Verse 5 affirms that. And they loved Him. Mary proved that publicly when she anointed him with ointment and wiped his feet with her long, beautiful hair.... She proved it when she sat at His feet, absorbing every word He spoke.... And Martha proved it by cooking and cleaning and washing dishes . . . doing everything she could to honor Him by the things she did for Him.
In John 10, Jesus left and went across the Jordan to get away from those who were intent on killing Him, so He wasn't nearby when He got the news that Lazarus was sick. Still, when Jesus first heard that Lazarus was ill, he intentionally stayed 2 more days before he decided to start the trip back to Judea.
And - when He did decide to go, His disciples were wary. They knew He would be walking back into dangerous territory. After all, Jesus had already told them that this sickness was not going to lead to death, so they couldn't figure out why He wanted to go back into harm's way, where people sought to kill Him.
Jesus used the opportunity of Lazarus' demise as a teaching moment. They would remember later that Jesus knew what was, and what was to come.... Lazarus' illness was for the glory of God. He got sick so Jesus could bring him back to life! That's a difficult concept to grasp.
After telling them this illness wasn't going to led to death, 2 days later when Jesus announced that they were going back to Judea, He had to be bluntly clear that Lazarus had died. The indicator of the purpose of the illness is revealed: it was so the disciples would believe.
Thomas - who would later be the 'doubting Thomas' - declared they should go die with Lazarus! I must observe, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, for when the true test of that statement came, related to Jesus and the disciples, Thomas was no where to be found.... I understand. It's easier to express bravery than to follow through when the moment of truth arises. Jesus knew that and loved anyway.
Also, Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but when He was in the reality of the circumstances, and experiencing the grief in the gathered pain of those who loved Lazarus, Jesus wept right along with them. I could readily extrapolate that there was more going through His mind than just the pain of losing Lazarus.... It was about 2 months before His own death and resurrection when He raised Lazarus from the grave.... It was personal.
But, I'm getting ahead of the story....
To be continued....
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 19
The picture is one I took in Jerusalem in February 2011 of the Model of Jerusalem from the time of Jesus. The focal point is the temple on temple mount, and the colonnade is the covered outer walkway.John 10 is a wonderful chapter!
In verse 16 Jesus states, "...I have other sheep that are not of this fold." That includes everyone who is not Jewish! Jesus' provision for 'all the world' to have the opportunity to become part of the flock was there from the beginning of time. The Jews really struggled with Jesus' statements!
John 10 fills us in with a timing piece in Verse 22. It was His last winter on earth as a man, and it was the time of the Feast of Dedication, which was instituted in 164 B C as an 8-day commemoration of the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. A group of Jews approached Jesus as He walked along in the colonnade area of the temple area on temple mount (located on Mt. Moriah; aka the ancient Mt. Zion). They asked him how long He was going to keep them in suspense. "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
Jesus responded, "I told you and you didn't believe me...." He went on to tell them His sheep hear His voice, and the reason they don't is because they aren't among His sheep.... He provides some wonderful affirmation for the security of being one who is His sheep: (28) "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." And He ends with words He will die for in less than 4 months, saying, "I and the Father are one."
In His questioning of them He makes His claim to deity clear. They told Him He was blaspheming because He said, 'I am the Son of God', but it is not blasphemy when it is true - and He was telling them the truth, but their spiritual eyes were blind. They sought to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands. It wasn't time. The eternal clock had to tick down for a little longer.... He went back across the Jordan, away from the center of Jewish intellect, and many came to Him and believed in Him there.
It is significant that no one could touch Him until He allowed it, and even though their intention was to carry out what was in their hearts, His timing was what mattered. It had to be at Passover. He would become the Passover Lamb.... The stage was set, but the cast wasn't available. Yet.
It is much later in the day than I prefer to write my blog entry, but it was a day that definitely didn't go as planned...much of it wasted sitting at the I R S office waiting for an answer they ultimately couldn't provide, even after 2 1/2 hours of waiting for the 'person in the know'.
But I got to do something positive that is a joy! Last weekend I was the storyteller for Saturday night and Sunday morning Children's Church - our church calls it 'Kids' Alley'. Our story was about the Sabbath - and included the story of Jesus' healing the withered hand of the man at the Synagogue on the Sabbath - an absolute tabu, because it was 'work', but Jesus' message was that it was O K to do good on the Sabbath. So - as part of our story time the kids Saturday night drew pictures and wrote notes to one of our real-life heroes from our church, Jeremiah Gorsuch, who stepped on a land mine and lost his foot and lower half of his leg, and who has not been able to come home yet because he is still hospitalized in Maryland recuperating.
The kids were tangibly 'doing something good' on the Sabbath. The kids on Sunday signed their names to 'Get Better Soon' and 'Thank You' greetings by class, and I put all of the accumulated notes in a large envelope and mailed them off to him today. I wish I could see his face as he reads them! I know they will provide a boost from home!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 18
One final little note to John 9! I noticed this morning as that chapter popped up when I logged in, that the first thing mentioned is that the man was blind from birth. Everyone knew that! He was a familiar figure. Jesus and His disciples had passed him many times, along with the throngs of other people that passed by. Jesus could have stopped and healed him any one of those days...but He chose this specific day. It was all in His timing!
Submitting to His timing is hard sometimes - but it is best....
And with that we begin John 10. I love these verses. Jesus uses a tender metaphor equating His followers to sheep who are safe in the sheepfold, and specifically states that if anyone tries to enter the fold except through the proper entry - the door or gate - they are a thief and a robber.
Then He goes on to explain. There were many who came before Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah, the chosen One. He calls them thieves and robbers. He states "I am the door of the sheep" (7); then reiterates, "I am the door" (9). Verse 9ff continues, "If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...."
Joy, joy, joy!!!!! What a wonderful Savior! I am statements abound in this passage - statements affirming He is the One who Is and Was and Is To Come! He is counting down the time to when He, by choice, will lay down His life to bear the penalty of Sin He didn't commit, and then take His life up again to give us eternal life.
Many came before Jesus claiming to be the Messiah. Many have come after Him claiming to be the Messiah - or watering down the clarity of the Bible by saying there are many ways to God. There are many different journeys that get us to the place of being introduced to Jesus - but there is only one Way, one Door, one Hope - and that is through Jesus Christ.
There is no other name under heaven by which men can be, must be or will be saved. His name is different in different languages....Yeshua, Ioseos, Yesu, Isa, Jesus.... But the Bible is clear that the only way to God is through the blood of Jesus shed for us as the sacrificial Lamb.
Submitting to His timing is hard sometimes - but it is best....
And with that we begin John 10. I love these verses. Jesus uses a tender metaphor equating His followers to sheep who are safe in the sheepfold, and specifically states that if anyone tries to enter the fold except through the proper entry - the door or gate - they are a thief and a robber.
Then He goes on to explain. There were many who came before Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah, the chosen One. He calls them thieves and robbers. He states "I am the door of the sheep" (7); then reiterates, "I am the door" (9). Verse 9ff continues, "If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...."
Joy, joy, joy!!!!! What a wonderful Savior! I am statements abound in this passage - statements affirming He is the One who Is and Was and Is To Come! He is counting down the time to when He, by choice, will lay down His life to bear the penalty of Sin He didn't commit, and then take His life up again to give us eternal life.
Many came before Jesus claiming to be the Messiah. Many have come after Him claiming to be the Messiah - or watering down the clarity of the Bible by saying there are many ways to God. There are many different journeys that get us to the place of being introduced to Jesus - but there is only one Way, one Door, one Hope - and that is through Jesus Christ.
There is no other name under heaven by which men can be, must be or will be saved. His name is different in different languages....Yeshua, Ioseos, Yesu, Isa, Jesus.... But the Bible is clear that the only way to God is through the blood of Jesus shed for us as the sacrificial Lamb.
Monday, March 12, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 17
Verse 47 leaped off the page at me as I scrolled down through the ESV of John 8 one more time: "Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." So true! Those whose hearts are not inclined to God - who don't share His life within them, are spiritually blinded and cannot 'hear' Him. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to draw people to Jesus, and we invite His intervention power through intercessory prayer!
Chapter 9 opens with Jesus walking with His disciples in Jerusalem. As they passed a blind beggar, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Who sinned, this man of his parents that he was born blind?"
What a question! It implies that a disability is a punishment for sin. And - - asking if the baby sinned before he was even born? Preposterous! Their question bared a view that was common in their culture, which extended far more expansively than just to disabilities. They believed that suffering of any sort could be traced to sin. In one sense they are right. It can be traced to original sin! But, to bring it down to the personal level - and even infer it might have been the baby! Preposterous!
Jesus' response shows that this man - even though he had to suffer - had a purpose, and that the purpose of his being blind was so the works of God could be displayed in him. With that, Jesus mixed His spit with dirt and applied the mud He had made to the man's eyes. Then He told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.
Spit, dirt, mud....on his eyes? Really? The creator who had formed man out of the dust of the earth at creation used his medium of mud-art in this healing! The blind man didn't question Jesus' method. He went and did as told. He had to be very near the pool, for he went, and washed, and came back seeing. I love His obedience. I love the visual of going from eyes that are totally blinded and encrusted with the things of this world (literal mud) to sighted eyes that see Jesus for the first time!
The practice of the day was to bring those who had disabilities to the gates of the city where passers-by would see them, take pity on them - or at least assuage their consciences, and throw a few coins into their waiting cups.
On this particular Sabbath, Jesus very intentionally chose this specific man and healed him. The neighbors of the man - and those who had walked past him time after time weren't sure he was the same man....
The formerly blind man's first witness was to say to them, "I am the man."
Then they asked how he had received his sight, and he told them the story, just as it had happened. "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight."
So these good rule followers brought the now sighted man to the Pharisees so they could interrogate him in front of the authorities, and they did! He gave them the Cliff notes' version that time, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
And, some of the Pharisees, who obviously cared far more about their rules than the man whose amazing transformation was apparent, said, "This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" So they were divided, and deferred to the man who had been healed for his opinion. His response was, "He is a prophet."
They didn't believe he really was the man who had been blind, so they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son who you say was born blind?" His parents affirmed that he was indeed their son, and that he had been born blind - but they deferred to their son to give his own answers because they were afraid to lose their status. The Pharisees had already made it known that if anyone confessed Jesus to be the Messiah he was to be forbidden access to the synagogue.
So, after talking to the man's parents, the Pharisees called the man before them a second time. They instruct him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, is that though I was blind, now I see."
They persist in their questioning, and they get a fiery response. This man's healing encompassed more than his eyes! He was blind from birth - a nothing in society - led daily to the gates to beg - as familiar to those who passed him by as the stones and olive trees they regularly passed. But, wow, does he get his voice fast....
"I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"
Their put-down in response was, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."
I'm pretty certain there was a little edge in the man's voice in his resulting response to the Pharisees: "Why this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." (I wonder how many times he had been told that as the reason he was blind...that God does not listen to sinners....*)
And for his invective, they cast him out of the synagogue, which was the thing his parents most wanted to avoid for themselves....
The man went from being a second class, very judged citizen for his blindness - to being cast out of the synagogue for witnessing to his healing. What a day! But it wasn't over. Jesus heard about the man being cast out and found him. "Do you believe in the Son of Man," Jesus asked him.
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him, "You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you."
The man responded, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped Him. That would have been the proper response for the Pharisees, and for the man's parents. It wasn't. But it was for the man!
What Jesus said next is a riddle for those who do not see: "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." And his response to the listening Pharisees question, "Are we also blind?" continues the riddle: "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see' your guilt remains."
The words from Chapter 8 that I quoted at the beginning of today's entry resonate clearly in the Pharisees' refusal to receive Jesus.
Words from any old song wend through my mind...
Once I was blind, but now I can see
The light of the world is Jesus!
One wee postscript: I'm grateful God listens to sinners! He hears their plea for His mercy and their heartfelt prayer asking for forgiveness and to live a new life in Christ! I know because He heard me!
I also wonder about this man. How many times he had prayed for a miracle.... If he had heard the stories about Jesus' healing others.... I guess I'll have to ask him when we meet in heaven....
And one final note: The Pool of Siloam was just unearthed in 2005. Israel is one huge excavation site, and the more they unearth, the more clarity we have to specific locations mentioned in the Bible. You can check it out online....
Chapter 9 opens with Jesus walking with His disciples in Jerusalem. As they passed a blind beggar, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Who sinned, this man of his parents that he was born blind?"
What a question! It implies that a disability is a punishment for sin. And - - asking if the baby sinned before he was even born? Preposterous! Their question bared a view that was common in their culture, which extended far more expansively than just to disabilities. They believed that suffering of any sort could be traced to sin. In one sense they are right. It can be traced to original sin! But, to bring it down to the personal level - and even infer it might have been the baby! Preposterous!
Jesus' response shows that this man - even though he had to suffer - had a purpose, and that the purpose of his being blind was so the works of God could be displayed in him. With that, Jesus mixed His spit with dirt and applied the mud He had made to the man's eyes. Then He told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.
Spit, dirt, mud....on his eyes? Really? The creator who had formed man out of the dust of the earth at creation used his medium of mud-art in this healing! The blind man didn't question Jesus' method. He went and did as told. He had to be very near the pool, for he went, and washed, and came back seeing. I love His obedience. I love the visual of going from eyes that are totally blinded and encrusted with the things of this world (literal mud) to sighted eyes that see Jesus for the first time!
The practice of the day was to bring those who had disabilities to the gates of the city where passers-by would see them, take pity on them - or at least assuage their consciences, and throw a few coins into their waiting cups.
On this particular Sabbath, Jesus very intentionally chose this specific man and healed him. The neighbors of the man - and those who had walked past him time after time weren't sure he was the same man....
The formerly blind man's first witness was to say to them, "I am the man."
Then they asked how he had received his sight, and he told them the story, just as it had happened. "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight."
So these good rule followers brought the now sighted man to the Pharisees so they could interrogate him in front of the authorities, and they did! He gave them the Cliff notes' version that time, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
And, some of the Pharisees, who obviously cared far more about their rules than the man whose amazing transformation was apparent, said, "This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" So they were divided, and deferred to the man who had been healed for his opinion. His response was, "He is a prophet."
They didn't believe he really was the man who had been blind, so they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son who you say was born blind?" His parents affirmed that he was indeed their son, and that he had been born blind - but they deferred to their son to give his own answers because they were afraid to lose their status. The Pharisees had already made it known that if anyone confessed Jesus to be the Messiah he was to be forbidden access to the synagogue.
So, after talking to the man's parents, the Pharisees called the man before them a second time. They instruct him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, is that though I was blind, now I see."
They persist in their questioning, and they get a fiery response. This man's healing encompassed more than his eyes! He was blind from birth - a nothing in society - led daily to the gates to beg - as familiar to those who passed him by as the stones and olive trees they regularly passed. But, wow, does he get his voice fast....
"I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"
Their put-down in response was, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."
I'm pretty certain there was a little edge in the man's voice in his resulting response to the Pharisees: "Why this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." (I wonder how many times he had been told that as the reason he was blind...that God does not listen to sinners....*)
And for his invective, they cast him out of the synagogue, which was the thing his parents most wanted to avoid for themselves....
The man went from being a second class, very judged citizen for his blindness - to being cast out of the synagogue for witnessing to his healing. What a day! But it wasn't over. Jesus heard about the man being cast out and found him. "Do you believe in the Son of Man," Jesus asked him.
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him, "You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you."
The man responded, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped Him. That would have been the proper response for the Pharisees, and for the man's parents. It wasn't. But it was for the man!
What Jesus said next is a riddle for those who do not see: "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." And his response to the listening Pharisees question, "Are we also blind?" continues the riddle: "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see' your guilt remains."
The words from Chapter 8 that I quoted at the beginning of today's entry resonate clearly in the Pharisees' refusal to receive Jesus.
Words from any old song wend through my mind...
Once I was blind, but now I can see
The light of the world is Jesus!
One wee postscript: I'm grateful God listens to sinners! He hears their plea for His mercy and their heartfelt prayer asking for forgiveness and to live a new life in Christ! I know because He heard me!
I also wonder about this man. How many times he had prayed for a miracle.... If he had heard the stories about Jesus' healing others.... I guess I'll have to ask him when we meet in heaven....
And one final note: The Pool of Siloam was just unearthed in 2005. Israel is one huge excavation site, and the more they unearth, the more clarity we have to specific locations mentioned in the Bible. You can check it out online....
Saturday, March 10, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 16
Interesting verses! I am in the middle of John 8.
Verse 33 fascinates me, because after Jesus tells those who have believed in him, "...you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" they answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"
First of all, the antecedent isn't clear. From what Jesus states further down in this record, it wouldn't appear the question came from those who believed, but from those who challenged his claims of equality with God. Second, what short-term memories! Never been enslaved? The Hebrew history was punctuated with being enslaved and/or exiled . . . 400 years in Egypt prior to the exodus under Moses' leadership. . . the 70 year exile during the lifetime of Daniel. Not to mention dominated by other kingdoms. In fact at this time in history, they were under Roman rule. Never been slaves? Hmmmm.
Verse 34 intrigues me because of Jesus statement that, "...everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." I generally think of 'practicing' being related to something I want to get better at. It occurs to me that there are those who definitely practice sin - but the thought comes as a new thought.
One of the lessons I love inherent in this section of John 8, is that Jesus is the One who makes us free. We all come to Him unworthy and undone. We cannot break the chains of sin without His intervention - but when we invite Him to, He sets us free. Sin loses its hold. Even though we still sin on occasion, we are no longer a slave to sin. And - Jesus doesn't call us sinners any longer. We are his saints. Sin will not be in our 'house' forever - but the Son will be! What we cannot do for ourselves, even though we might want to, He does, through His blood shed for us on the cross. Amazing love!
Next, on this day particular at the temple, Jesus addresses those who are trying to find a way to have Him eliminated and tells them they are of their father the devil, and defines clearly what that means. They retaliate by calling him a Samaritan and demon-possessed. Those were the most derogatory references they had in their arsenal of verbal assaults.
It makes me stop and pay attention. Jesus was misunderstood and maligned in a vicious verbal barrage, and He was God. It should be no surprise when we are misunderstood and maligned. And when we are, we need His grace....
In this passage, Jesus provides excellent teaching that goes over their heads. "If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death." Of course, He was talking about eternal death...but they didn't understand. After all of the dialogue about Abraham and their failure to live up to Abraham's legacy as father; they then claim God as their Father, which Jesus disputed. "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God...."
Some of what He says sounds caustic when it is just the words on the page - but those who were present could look into His eyes and hear the tone of His voice.... They were blind. His words were intended to get them to want sight.
This chapter ends with a final reference to Abraham. Jesus tells them that Abraham looked forward to the day when Jesus would come. And, then He declares, "...before Abraham was, I am." Instead of falling at his feet, they picked up stones He created, intending to stone Him, but He hid himself and went out of the temple.
During the February 2011 trip to Israel, we visited Temple Mount. I know the area where this interchange took place...and it is the area Jesus will return to when He comes again! The pictures I have included were taken on Temple Mount - on Mt Moriah, where Abraham 'offered' Isaac, which is the present site where the Dome of the Rock sits....
Friday, March 9, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 15
WOW! Day 15 already....
As I mentioned yesterday, John 7:53 - John 8:11 is not in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. My first complaint to those who provide that information is that at the very least they could have provided a date for the earliest that this story was inserted. It would make a difference if it was within just a few years, or much later.... There are all sorts of reasons why it may not have been included. Perhaps it was there in the original early manuscript, but as other scribes copied the texts, this one was too racy so they excluded it.... Then if the original disappeared, the earliest manuscripts we are aware of wouldn't have it.... Or perhaps it was added later by someone who knew the story and wondered why John didn't think to include it.... While I cannot know the answers I'd like to have, what I do know is that the story is consistent with what Jesus taught. It echoes of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.
This story-that-purportedly-isn't-supposed-to-be-here is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Adultery was punishable by stoning. (And, yes, I do pay attention to the fact that the male who was also guilty is absent, but they didn't address that, so I'll resist the temptation to say more.) In this account it is significant that the woman was coercively brought to Jesus by the Scribes and Pharisees, with ill intention.
Jesus was in the cross hairs, whichever answer He gave: to stone or not to stone. So He said nothing. He just squatted down and wrote something in the dust with his finger. They continued questioning Him, so He stooped down and wrote again. What He wrote we will never know, but He put the responsibility of stoning squarely back on their shoulders. He challenged them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again, He bent down and wrote on the ground.
And one at a time, from the eldest first to the youngest last, those who heard began to disperse. At last, Jesus rose back up and asked her, "Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?
"No one, sir." she softly replied.
Then Jesus looked into her eyes and said, "I don't condemn you either. Go. But leave your life of sin." (My paraphrase.)
What wonderful words to hear! And it is consistent with what Jesus taught elsewhere, which is undoubtedly why the church fathers haven't deleted it along the way from then to now. Condemnation and accusation is from Satan; conviction leading to repentance is from the Holy Spirit.
Another brief note from this passage is the reminder that Jesus taught regularly at the temple. It was where the teachers of the law gathered, discussed, taught, argued. He was there regularly. What He taught was not whispered in secret. It was taught openly. In fact, the next verses in John confirm that.
John 8:12 declares one of Jesus 'I am' statements. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The Pharisees were right there to challenge Him! Their point was that someone cannot be witness for himself. Good point if you are not Jesus.... But Jesus uses it as a teaching moment, and declares that the Father is His witness. They take the bait.
"Where is your Father?" they inquire. Jesus' response made it clear that He was claiming equality with God - the very thing they were trying to catch Him in saying! "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." The only reason he wasn't arrested on the spot was because His hour had not yet come. No one could do anything to Him until He allowed it. And He allowed it for us!
Their further discussion led Him to very directly tell them they would die of their sins - and that they were of this world, but He is not. "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." He had said it many times before. He was/is the One they were looking for - the Messiah, the One who could save them, but they refused to accept Him. He telegraphs to them then that after He has been lifted up (on the cross) then they will know that He is who He says He is....
One phrase leaps off the page at me, "He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." When I pray to be Christlike, that is what I am praying for - to do the things that are pleasing to Him. To be led by God in every aspect of life.
Many people believed, and to them He said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." He was the living word! He was the source of being set free from trespasses and sins that weighed them down. He was and is the Truth. The only Truth.
I'll save His next remarks for tomorrow!
As I mentioned yesterday, John 7:53 - John 8:11 is not in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. My first complaint to those who provide that information is that at the very least they could have provided a date for the earliest that this story was inserted. It would make a difference if it was within just a few years, or much later.... There are all sorts of reasons why it may not have been included. Perhaps it was there in the original early manuscript, but as other scribes copied the texts, this one was too racy so they excluded it.... Then if the original disappeared, the earliest manuscripts we are aware of wouldn't have it.... Or perhaps it was added later by someone who knew the story and wondered why John didn't think to include it.... While I cannot know the answers I'd like to have, what I do know is that the story is consistent with what Jesus taught. It echoes of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.
This story-that-purportedly-isn't-supposed-to-be-here is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Adultery was punishable by stoning. (And, yes, I do pay attention to the fact that the male who was also guilty is absent, but they didn't address that, so I'll resist the temptation to say more.) In this account it is significant that the woman was coercively brought to Jesus by the Scribes and Pharisees, with ill intention.
Jesus was in the cross hairs, whichever answer He gave: to stone or not to stone. So He said nothing. He just squatted down and wrote something in the dust with his finger. They continued questioning Him, so He stooped down and wrote again. What He wrote we will never know, but He put the responsibility of stoning squarely back on their shoulders. He challenged them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again, He bent down and wrote on the ground.
And one at a time, from the eldest first to the youngest last, those who heard began to disperse. At last, Jesus rose back up and asked her, "Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?
"No one, sir." she softly replied.
Then Jesus looked into her eyes and said, "I don't condemn you either. Go. But leave your life of sin." (My paraphrase.)
What wonderful words to hear! And it is consistent with what Jesus taught elsewhere, which is undoubtedly why the church fathers haven't deleted it along the way from then to now. Condemnation and accusation is from Satan; conviction leading to repentance is from the Holy Spirit.
Another brief note from this passage is the reminder that Jesus taught regularly at the temple. It was where the teachers of the law gathered, discussed, taught, argued. He was there regularly. What He taught was not whispered in secret. It was taught openly. In fact, the next verses in John confirm that.
John 8:12 declares one of Jesus 'I am' statements. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The Pharisees were right there to challenge Him! Their point was that someone cannot be witness for himself. Good point if you are not Jesus.... But Jesus uses it as a teaching moment, and declares that the Father is His witness. They take the bait.
"Where is your Father?" they inquire. Jesus' response made it clear that He was claiming equality with God - the very thing they were trying to catch Him in saying! "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." The only reason he wasn't arrested on the spot was because His hour had not yet come. No one could do anything to Him until He allowed it. And He allowed it for us!
Their further discussion led Him to very directly tell them they would die of their sins - and that they were of this world, but He is not. "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." He had said it many times before. He was/is the One they were looking for - the Messiah, the One who could save them, but they refused to accept Him. He telegraphs to them then that after He has been lifted up (on the cross) then they will know that He is who He says He is....
One phrase leaps off the page at me, "He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." When I pray to be Christlike, that is what I am praying for - to do the things that are pleasing to Him. To be led by God in every aspect of life.
Many people believed, and to them He said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." He was the living word! He was the source of being set free from trespasses and sins that weighed them down. He was and is the Truth. The only Truth.
I'll save His next remarks for tomorrow!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
JOURNEY TO RESURRECTION, Day 14
Last night, March 8, was the Purim 2012 celebration. Adar 14, 5772 was yesterday's date on the Jewish calendar.
HAMAN...Booooooooo! Mordecai...Yeah! Costumes and levity. Humor and spoof! The story related in the book of Esther was read (from a special Purim celebration script) in 9 'chapters'; first in Hebrew, then in English. Interjected between the chapter segments there were jokes, pies-in-the-face, a parade of those who dressed up that serpentined around the room, music. Attending a Purim celebration has been on my bucket list for a while - and now I have been to my first. I expected cheering at the mention of Esther's name. That was my only unmet expectation. In fact, I only went with two expectations: that Haman would be booed and Esther would be cheered.
The other joy of last night was that I got clarification for the transitional part of segueing to other people being responsible for other areas of what has to happen to complete the musical. What I heard was: "I don't have time." "I need you to be willing to release me." Those were stated, but within that the intention was that the release would be for the larger picture - that future segments of the project have to be done by someone else - not that there is no help for getting some of the detail things done to make that transition smooth. So - that was a huge relief. I heard the words that I heard; but I over-reacted to what was meant. So - my concern about timing was not as relevant as I projected. Deep sigh of relief. I will be looking for the people to do the other pieces, and the transition will honor the Lord's timing. Yeah!!!!! Hooray!!!!! I am confident He has a plan!
In reality the only absolutes in this world are Jesus and change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Nothing else is. Everything else changes. I often cling to the known just because it is known. It is safe and comfortable and I like that. I do embrace some changes happily - but not all of them. Today will bring change.... I need to remember that! Change is a constant I have to expect....
Change was happening for Jesus as well. I think of my Senior Pastor, who has known for some time the precise date he would retire, who very intentionally announced that to the congregation a year in advance, and who has had events and times away all scheduled with intention. Even so, his planning was not from 'before the foundation of the world'! But God's was.
So - - I see the change happening for Jesus, but it is all in sync with what Jesus knows is to be. It's easy for me to project what my feelings might be in those circumstances on Him, and that would be counterfactual reasoning. I don't know precisely what He felt. I just know some basic facts. His time on earth was definitely winding down, and for the human side of His nature, that was fraught with emotion.
In a prior Lenten journey, I did some research to try to find out when Easter might actually have occurred. The best information I found leaned strongly toward April 3, 33 A D. The calendar converter I looked at today indicates that October 6 - 13, A D 32 was the celebration of Sukkot that preceded Jesus' death and resurrection the following Spring. I have no inside knowledge as to whether the specific dates are accurate, but they help bring the timeline into perspective. No matter what year it actually was, the celebration times would have been this distance apart (unless it was a year that had 13 months in the Jewish calendar,which occurred 7 out of every 19 years).
The point is, Jesus knew why He came - and knew that the next Passover, he would become the perfect Passover lamb, the sacrifice to pay the debt for sin for all people from the beginning of time until the end of time. The provision in the Old Testament involved sacrificing animals, with their shed blood providing a promise of forgiveness - - but that was just 'legal tender'. The gold standard to back up the deposit was Jesus' blood sacrifice for mans' sins.
On the last day of the 8-day Sukkot feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' "
He's the only way! He says it in a myriad of ways, but repeats it over and over...and here He even foretells the effect of the Holy Spirit who will be poured out on all who accept Jesus: rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts...and the water is Jesus! He is the only one who can satisfy the thirst of mans' souls.
In chapter 7 following that plea, we see people's fallacy of reasoning. They assume Jesus is 'from Nazareth' because that is where he had lived for about 28 years of his life (after spending +- 2 years away as a refugee in Egypt when His earthly parents hid Him from Herod.) But - they didn't have all the facts. They knew the Messiah was prophesied to come from Bethlehem, from the City of David. He was! He did! They just didn't know it. Yet - they wondered if 'when Messiah comes, will he do any more miracles than this man?'
And we see Nicodemus' name again.... He believed in Jesus, but he kept his belief private. When other leaders of the Pharisees question why the 'officers' didn't bring Jesus in, part of the retort recorded for us is, "Have any of the authorities or Pharisees believed in him?" And almost 6 months before an unfair trial would take place, Nicodemus asks in response, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They jumped on that as support and immediately scathingly replied, placing his intelligence and learning into question. But the direct answer to the question would have been, "If it threatens our security, you bet your boots!"
The final interesting tidbit for this section is that John 7:53 - 8:11 is omitted from all the early texts of John and was apparently added later on. Since Verse 53 ends John 7, I'll address that story tomorrow.
HAMAN...Booooooooo! Mordecai...Yeah! Costumes and levity. Humor and spoof! The story related in the book of Esther was read (from a special Purim celebration script) in 9 'chapters'; first in Hebrew, then in English. Interjected between the chapter segments there were jokes, pies-in-the-face, a parade of those who dressed up that serpentined around the room, music. Attending a Purim celebration has been on my bucket list for a while - and now I have been to my first. I expected cheering at the mention of Esther's name. That was my only unmet expectation. In fact, I only went with two expectations: that Haman would be booed and Esther would be cheered.
The other joy of last night was that I got clarification for the transitional part of segueing to other people being responsible for other areas of what has to happen to complete the musical. What I heard was: "I don't have time." "I need you to be willing to release me." Those were stated, but within that the intention was that the release would be for the larger picture - that future segments of the project have to be done by someone else - not that there is no help for getting some of the detail things done to make that transition smooth. So - that was a huge relief. I heard the words that I heard; but I over-reacted to what was meant. So - my concern about timing was not as relevant as I projected. Deep sigh of relief. I will be looking for the people to do the other pieces, and the transition will honor the Lord's timing. Yeah!!!!! Hooray!!!!! I am confident He has a plan!
In reality the only absolutes in this world are Jesus and change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Nothing else is. Everything else changes. I often cling to the known just because it is known. It is safe and comfortable and I like that. I do embrace some changes happily - but not all of them. Today will bring change.... I need to remember that! Change is a constant I have to expect....
Change was happening for Jesus as well. I think of my Senior Pastor, who has known for some time the precise date he would retire, who very intentionally announced that to the congregation a year in advance, and who has had events and times away all scheduled with intention. Even so, his planning was not from 'before the foundation of the world'! But God's was.
So - - I see the change happening for Jesus, but it is all in sync with what Jesus knows is to be. It's easy for me to project what my feelings might be in those circumstances on Him, and that would be counterfactual reasoning. I don't know precisely what He felt. I just know some basic facts. His time on earth was definitely winding down, and for the human side of His nature, that was fraught with emotion.
In a prior Lenten journey, I did some research to try to find out when Easter might actually have occurred. The best information I found leaned strongly toward April 3, 33 A D. The calendar converter I looked at today indicates that October 6 - 13, A D 32 was the celebration of Sukkot that preceded Jesus' death and resurrection the following Spring. I have no inside knowledge as to whether the specific dates are accurate, but they help bring the timeline into perspective. No matter what year it actually was, the celebration times would have been this distance apart (unless it was a year that had 13 months in the Jewish calendar,which occurred 7 out of every 19 years).
The point is, Jesus knew why He came - and knew that the next Passover, he would become the perfect Passover lamb, the sacrifice to pay the debt for sin for all people from the beginning of time until the end of time. The provision in the Old Testament involved sacrificing animals, with their shed blood providing a promise of forgiveness - - but that was just 'legal tender'. The gold standard to back up the deposit was Jesus' blood sacrifice for mans' sins.
On the last day of the 8-day Sukkot feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' "
He's the only way! He says it in a myriad of ways, but repeats it over and over...and here He even foretells the effect of the Holy Spirit who will be poured out on all who accept Jesus: rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts...and the water is Jesus! He is the only one who can satisfy the thirst of mans' souls.
In chapter 7 following that plea, we see people's fallacy of reasoning. They assume Jesus is 'from Nazareth' because that is where he had lived for about 28 years of his life (after spending +- 2 years away as a refugee in Egypt when His earthly parents hid Him from Herod.) But - they didn't have all the facts. They knew the Messiah was prophesied to come from Bethlehem, from the City of David. He was! He did! They just didn't know it. Yet - they wondered if 'when Messiah comes, will he do any more miracles than this man?'
And we see Nicodemus' name again.... He believed in Jesus, but he kept his belief private. When other leaders of the Pharisees question why the 'officers' didn't bring Jesus in, part of the retort recorded for us is, "Have any of the authorities or Pharisees believed in him?" And almost 6 months before an unfair trial would take place, Nicodemus asks in response, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They jumped on that as support and immediately scathingly replied, placing his intelligence and learning into question. But the direct answer to the question would have been, "If it threatens our security, you bet your boots!"
The final interesting tidbit for this section is that John 7:53 - 8:11 is omitted from all the early texts of John and was apparently added later on. Since Verse 53 ends John 7, I'll address that story tomorrow.
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