Advantage

In John 16:7 Jesus says, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you.” Did you catch that? Jesus says it’s better for us that he left.  Sometimes I hear people say, “If only I had lived at the time of Jesus- to walk with him and talk with him. How great that would have been!” Those who say this have not realized the truth of the advantage that we now have. Jesus says, we who are his disciples living now have it far better because we have the Helper. When Jesus walked the earth he was limited by his physical body and as such could only be in one place carrying on one conversation or action at a time.  But now, his Spirit is available to all his people all the time. He can speak to you and me and people in Madagascar simultaneously. He can answer my prayers as well as yours while we ask at the same time in different locations. It’s really extraordinary. But there’s more to it than just that. The Helper is the Holy Spirit of God and when the Spirit lives in us who have been born again, we share in the very life of God. God lives in us and through us. We are united to him and he to us. The intimacy that we can have with Jesus is far deeper than that which was available prior to his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. And God offers to use us as participants in His plan to win the lost to himself. The Holy Spirit who lives within us now interprets and bears witness to Jesus and his revelation of the Father. Through us, the world is afforded the opportunity to be exposed to the life of God and to receive the offer of salvation that comes through repentance and faith. It really is to our advantage that Jesus went away!

Nothing?!?

In John 15:5 Jesus makes a startling statement: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”  Really? Nothing?  That’s what he said…Nothing.  Jesus says that there is no way to be spiritually fruitful apart from being connected relationally to him. People can produce much apart from God – but none of it will last into eternity.  And therefore, none of it has real value. It will simply pass with time.  To produce anything of lasting value, one must be connected to the divine life that Jesus gives. Just as Jesus was always dependent upon God’s own guidance and power so also his disciples are to live continually connected to him. The “branches” must abide (remain) in the “vine” – not living from or for themselves but as an extension of his life. Jesus’ admonition that we remain in him points to the reality that we are not forced by God to stay attached to him — we choose. He provides the life but we are intentional to remain. As my former professor Rod Whitacre writes in his commentary on John, “Remaining is not simply believing in him, though that is crucial, but includes being in union with him, sharing his thoughts, emotions, intentions and power. In a relationship both parties must be engaged. The divine must take the initiative and provide the means and the ability for the union to take place, but it cannot happen without the response of the disciple.”

I promise you

In John 14, Jesus makes a profound statement that gives me great hope and confidence. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans,” (15-18a).

Let’s unpack his statement a little… If you love me, you will keep my commandments… He doesn’t say, if you fear me, or if you’re religious, or if you’re trying to earn your salvation; he says if you love me you will obey what I have taught you. Throughout the verses in John 14, Jesus makes a direct link between love and obedience. It is very important to know that obedience is not contrary to a life of grace. It is actually the overflow of loving Jesus.  Because I have received the grace of the cross, the forgiveness of my sin, I live gratefully and profoundly in love with Jesus.   Remember that the Scriptures never equate love and feelings — in the bible love (agape in the Greek) is defined as a willingness to lay down one’s life for the sake of another. Jesus loved me by laying down his life for me. I love him by doing the same in return. And because I love him I want to keep in step with him, and his ways, and his word and that often means I have to lay down what I want, especially when what I want is not in line with the person and character of God.  Obedience, for the Christian, is always born of love, not fear.

And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper…the Spirit of truth. Our love-directed obedience to Christ makes our lives available to the presence of God — not God way out there in the cosmos, but God coming to live inside of us (he dwells with you and will be in you). The Father is pleased to give us the Holy Spirit who is also called the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Christ. How can Jesus say both that he is going away and also that he will be with us? By giving us the other member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to fill our spirits so that we can communion with him and he with us.  Jesus identifies the Holy Spirit as another Helper.  By using the word another Jesus means another one JUST LIKE HIM! So to be afraid of the Holy Spirit (as sadly, too many Christians seem to be) is actually to be afraid of Jesus and Father God as well.  The bible tells us that there is no fear in love. So if you are afraid of the Holy Spirit, it’s a love issue. Either you have not fully received the work of the cross and all that it has purchased for you, or you are struggling to lay down your life.  Either way, ask the Holy Spirit (THE HELPER) to help you in this and be assured he will.

The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches us how to be and to live like Jesus — as vessels of the presence of God on this earth. He shows us: how to live according to God’s ways; how to know God’s voice and follow God’s direction; how to do the works of Jesus (verse 12), how to pray (verse 13). He does this by bringing to remembrance the words of Jesus (verse 26) and that is why it is so important to fill your life with the words of Jesus (the scripture). It is the primary means by which God communicates with us!

Jesus goes on to say that , the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit, because it neither sees him nor knows him. Sadly, many people who exist in the church, show themselves actually to be of the world because they cannot or will not make room for the Holy Spirit in their lives.  This is a reality check, folks! If you do not know the Holy Spirit, you do not know God. If you do not receive the Holy Spirit, you are not a Christian! This is sobering and should cause us to look at our lives and repent if necessary.  But I do not want you to give way to undo fear — remember if you love Jesus, and are seeking to obey his word, the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to you.  He is probably already in you life. Perhaps, you simply need to ask him to reveal himself to you.  Remember those last few words of Jesus: I will not leave you as orphans. In other words, I will not leave you as unprotected, powerless, parentless children. No the Holy Spirit is God’s life and presence in us and over us and through us to the world around us.

Never…Not Only

In the face of one of God’s most powerful, intimate and loving actions in all of history – Peter’s response is: “Never…Not Only.”

In John 13, as Jesus moves before Peter to wash his feet, Peter says, “You shall NEVER wash my feet, ” (verse 8). On the one hand, Peter is correct in his assessment of the situation. Washing feet is no job for the Messiah. It’s not appropriate for the King to do the work of the lowest slave. And it is never acceptable for the Sovereign Creator of the Universe before whom angels bow in adoration and wonder, to wind up with mud and dust and animal feces on his hands.  It’s too sordid and menial and humble. It’s just not right.  And yet this is the revelation Jesus brings us regarding the Father’s heart. Even though Jesus is the exalted One to whom, “the Father had given all things into his hands,” (verse 3), He was also willing to bow down and take this dirty man’s dirty feet into his hands and tenderly and gently clean them of the day’s dust and mud and fecal matter.

Jesus’ tender but firm response to Peter’s resistance: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me,” (verse 8) makes clear that to resist Jesus’ action is to resist salvation itself.  It points prophetically beyond itself to the reality of the cross — that apart from the cleansing of sin afforded through “washing in the blood of the Lamb”, there is no salvation for anyone.

And yet, Peter is slow to yield. Having first been offended (“never!)”, now Peter seeks to be in control of the experience. He says, “NOT ONLY my feet, but also my hands and head.” It’s a testimony to how extraordinarily powerful our fallen human flesh is and how tremendously unbending our pride and control are. It’s as though Peter is saying, “If I have to yield to what you are doing, then do it this way.” Peter moves from one extreme to the other — it’s as though he’s saying to Jesus, “Do more to me than you are doing to the rest of these bozos.”  Do  you see the pride and control?  It will take Peter’s denial of Jesus and utter failure (soon to be predicted by Jesus in verses 31-38) for Peter to discover the depths of his own brokenness and selfishness and to clear the way for the genuine humility that is necessary for a real spiritual life.

So how about you? Are there places in your life where you are resisting God’s action by saying, like Peter, “Never!” Are there places in your life where you are seeking to be in control by saying to God, “Not Only.”  By God’s grace, may we all repent and return to the Lord.

Gift

Deuteronony 7:6-8 says, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.  The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

It was all gift. The chosenness of the people of Israel was not by any merit of their own – it was because God decided to love them and because he made a promise to Abraham. It was unmerited — thus it was Grace. While there are many things we can earn in this life – a big house, a degree, a salary — we cannot earn God’s favor. We simply receive it when offered. We do this through belief – a trust in him that he is good; that he has saved us; that the cross was enough. Grace is the offer, faith is the conduit by which it is received. Even this is a gift. As St. Augustine once said, “If we but turn to God, that itself is a gift of God.” The most important thing you can know is that you are deeply loved by Jesus Christ and that you have done nothing to deserve it. It is all gift.

Timing

John 11 shows that God’s time and our time are often not the same. Yet timing — when God will act and when he won’t (and I suppose also, how he will do things when he does them) — is part the realm of God’s Sovereignty. It’s what certifies that He’s the one in control and I am not… perhaps this is one of the great frustrations I have had as the created and not the Creator. How about you?

John 11:6 says, “So, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”  Jesus intentionally delayed going to see Lazarus, not because he was disinterested in Lazarus or Mary or Martha, but because he was supremely interested in doing only what the Father wanted (and on his timetable). Though it would have been a great thing for Jesus to go and heal Lazarus from his illness, it was a much greater thing and a clearer revelation of who He is, that Jesus raised Lazarus from death. Verse 14 states, Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.’  Through the raising of Lazarus, Jesus reveals himself as the Resurrection and the Life – the dead raiser and eternal life giver. And yet, the process of this revelation is painful for Mary and Martha. They don’t understand what Jesus is doing. It appears he does not care. It would seem as though he has helped everyone else but them.  And the inevitable questions arise — don’t you care about me? Don’t you love me?

The next time you face God’s timing, remember God is supremely good and he has a plan. God is in control even when it doesn’t look or feel that way. Remember that He loves you and that he wants to reveal himself to you in the midst of the situation (though perhaps in ways you would not have chosen). Remember Mary and Martha and Lazarus and the disciples…. As Jesus says, “it was for your sake…. so that you may believe.”

Hear my voice

John 10 — Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” (v 27). Are you learning to recognize the Good Shepherd’s voice? It’s not a loud voice. It’s not a demanding voice. It’s not an audible voice (usually). But it becomes increasingly clear to those who are willing to listen and learn. Here in John 10, we’re told that those who belong to Jesus (his sheep) will recognize his voice and follow him. That’s really the point of UPWORD together. While the premise of reading through the bible is important, the goal is to learn the Shepherd’s voice. How he speaks. What he is like. What is in accord with his character. How his Spirit moves and guides. And yes, how he speaks and how we learn to hear… In order that we might follow him. We are called not only to hear, but to follow. What’s involved? Time, listening, persistence, desire, humility, faith, and obedience.

Second Law

Deuteronomy means “second law. ” The book is a series of sermons given by Moses prior to his death and the Israelites’ entry into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy contains a summary of the wilderness wanderings as well as a repetition of the Law (thus the name “second law”). Moses did this to remind the people what God had done for them and what they were to do to serve Him when they reached the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy lays out the blessings associated with obedience to God and the curses associated with disobedience.   Ultimately, when it comes to God, everything depends on obedience and that is what Deuteronomy seeks to reveal. Life, possession of the promised land, victory over foes, prosperity and happiness — all depend on faithful obedience to God and his commands.

Interestingly, Deuteronomy was a favorite book of Jesus’. It was from this book that Jesus quoted when he dealt with Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Deut. 8:3; 6:16; 6:13; 10:20). Clearly, Jesus knew that obedience to God required a careful and serious understanding of the Law as well as the intention to keep it (Luke 4:4, 8, 12).

Thankfully, Jesus faithfully kept the law — thus the blessings associated with obedience to God are his. And he gives these blessings to those who come to him in faith (see Ephesians 1:3). While we do live in grace (unmerited favor) and recognize our inability to keep the law to obtain righteousness (thus our need for a Savior), we who claim to love Christ are also called by him to obey his commands (John 14:15). However, obedience to Christ  is no slavish adherence to a set of laws, but the day-by-day, moment-by-moment learning to trust him and respond to his promptings through reliance on his Spirit’s power. It’s relationship not religion! And as we live intimately relying upon him, all spiritual blessings are ours!

Who’s Your Daddy?

In John 8, Jesus tells the religion scholars and pharisees (the devoted, religious, and “knowledgeable” ones) that they are not in relationship to Father God because they refuse to believe in him (Jesus). And it infuriates them! How dare you tell us we aren’t God’s children! We’re descendant’s of Abraham! How dare you insinuate that you, Jesus, uniquely reveal God! How dare you question our religiousness! How dare you say that we are slaves to sin! How dare you question our pedigree! And then they get nasty….We know who our fathers are….you’re the one who’s mother got pregnant out of wedlock…you’re a half-breed and likely a filthy Samaritan…who’s your daddy anyway Jesus? (v 21, 48). And Jesus with all these crazy things you’re saying, you must be possessed by a demon!

Jesus’ response?  Strong. Pointed. Piercing. Pulling no punches….He says: The only ones around here related to demons are you guys! You think you belong to God, but your are really of your father, the devil. You’re just like your daddy… Faithless. Liars. Murderers.

Relationship to Father God is what Jesus is offering. And Father God is who Jesus has come to reveal. As the unique and only begotten Son of God, he alone can reveal the Father’s heart to people; otherwise God is just mystery, vagueness, guesswork, and meaningless religious activity. To be in relationship with Jesus — to be his disciple –is to know the truth and to be set free from what keeps us out of relationship with Father – our slavery to sin. To believe in Jesus is to enter into God’s family. To reject him is to reject God and to reveal one’s true identity — as enslaved to sin and belonging to satan himself….. So who’s your daddy?

Thirsty?

John 7 continues the sifting of hearts. There is much division over Jesus at this point. Some believed in Him; many rejected him. Jesus’ half brothers and half sisters doubted him and tried to push him off God’s timetable. The Jewish leaders began to seek a way to kill him. The soldiers could not  arrest him because his word gripped their hearts. Nicodemus stood up for him and was accused and shouted down by the Jewish leaders.  Clearly, hearts were being sifted.

It was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles – one of the three most important of the feasts.  The Feast of Tabernacles was a memorial of the time when Israel lived in booths during their wilderness wanderings. The last and greatest day of the feast was a time of great celebration. Throngs crowded the streets of Jerusalem for the ceremony. At the time of the morning sacrifice, the priests would draw water in a golden vessel from the Pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple to be poured out. This ceremony served to celebrate what God had done and to anticipate what God would one day do.  In looking back, it commemorated God’s miraculous provision of water for the people of God in the wilderness (Exodus 17:1-7). In looking forward, it anticipated the time in which water would flow from the Temple altar in fulfilment of the prophecy of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1-11). The water was symbolic of the Spirit of God proceeding forth and bringing life to the most desolate of places.

When Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink,” he was stating that he was the Rock (of Exodus) out of which the life giving waters flowed. On the cross he was broken in order that the Spirit of life might be given to save and satisfy thirsty sinners.  Likewise, those who come to him to drink (that is to receive his life and Holy Spirit), from out of them would flow rivers of living water (the life and power of the Holy Spirit) that would never grow less but would constantly get deeper so as to bring healing and life to even the most desolate and dead places.  The requirement?  Thirst… and coming to Jesus to receive.