The Movements of a Mob

Friends,

“No fault” is a kind of automobile insurance that provides that each driver must collect the allowable amount of money from his or her own insurance carrier subsequent to an accident regardless of who is at fault.  No-fault insurance is required by statute in a number of states.  The term “no fault” is also used colloquially in reference to a type of divorce in which a marriage can be dissolved on the basis of irretrievable breakdown or irreconcilable differences.  This can happen without a requirement that either party prove that the spouse was guilty of any misconduct causing the end of the marriage.  How convenient that we live in a society that can claim that we can get out of difficult circumstances without having to recognize whether any individual has any “fault” in a case?  There is a sad irony involved in this phrase…because we live in a society where many people do not have any accountability for their negative or destructive actions.  But…what our culture may deem as “a good possibility,” does not translate into the spiritual realm.  When we consider our lives as human beings, we all have “fault” as it relates to sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  We cannot escape this designation by saying, “Hey, I went down to my insurance company as was able to get a no fault disclaimer for my personal behavior…what a great deal, huh?”  Fortunately, for you and for me, Jesus paid the price for our faults, as well as for all of our trespasses and sins.  He alone…the one who truly had no fault in Him…is able to cleanse us and make us as people who have “no fault.”   So, there is a spiritual solution for our wrongs…and it is found in Jesus.  We are going to continue to consider Jesus’ trial before Pilate.

As we saw in our previous message, Pilate could find no fault with Jesus, so he sent Jesus to Herod, who in turn could find no wrong, so he sends Jesus back to Pilate.  The fact that Herod finds nothing worthy of death in Jesus encourages Pilate to confront the Jewish leaders and seek to release the prisoner.  He summons the chief priests and the rulers and tells them that he finds no guilt in Jesus, and that Herod, likewise has found no guilt in Jesus.  The next step would be to punish Jesus and then release Him.  The Jews have already made it clear that they want Jesus to die (John 18:31)…and yet, Pilate is still feebly trying to do what would be the noble thing.  Hoping to strengthen this suggestion, Pilate offers to bargain with the Jewish leaders. At the Passover, it was custom for the governor to release a prisoner and please the Jews…so, why not release Jesus?  Or, he could release Barabbas…but, why would the Jews want Barabbas free?  He is a robber (John 18:40), a notorious prisoner (Matthew 27:16), an insurrectionist and a murderer (Luke 23:19).  Who in their right mind would want that kind of prisoner turned loose?  Incredible as it seems, the crowd…in a case of mob mentality…asks for Barabbas’ release. The people are persuaded by the chief priests and elders whose religious convictions have no interest in justice or mercy.  An ironic note to the story is that…the name Barabbas means “son of the father”, and he is released as the genuine Son of the Father takes his place!

Pilate tries to placate the mob by having Him beaten, but they cry out “Crucify Him!” Jesus is innocent, but He is treated as if He is guilty.  Pilate calls Him the “King of the Jews” (John 18:39), so the soldiers decide that the king should have a robe and a crown. In another irony, sin is what brought thorns and thistles into the world, and the Lord is now going to wear a crown made up of these items.  And the verbs in 19:3 indicate that the soldiers repeatedly come to Him, mock Him and beat Him with their hands.  Pilate comes out a third time and brings Jesus with him, thinking that a beaten, scourged Jesus might elicit some sympathy with the crown…but to no avail.  The religious leaders are not at a loss for a reply, as they say – “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because He made Himself (to be) the Son of God” (19:7)  Pilate is impressed with the words and demeanor of Jesus…he has never met a prisoner like Him before. He certainly has a lot of questions running through his mind concerning who this guy really is(?)…and it frightens him.  In addition, Pilate’s wife sends him a curious, strange message saying that he should have nothing to do with Jesus. (Matthew 27:19)  Jesus’ silence before Pilate and Herod is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7.  Pilate’s words reflect fear giving way to worry and anger. When he says that he has authority over Jesus, it is, once again, ironic.  Pilate really is not bargaining from a position of strength, but weakness. If he has the authority to release Jesus, why does he not do it?  We have to remember that Pilate is not interested in spiritual truth, but his priority is to maintain peace in Jerusalem. 

Jesus does finally speak in 19:11…and His words reveal His faith in His Father and His surrender to His will.  All genuine authority comes from God, and Jesus reminds Pilate that the only reason he has so-called authority is because it is delegated to him by God.  So, in one final, mighty effort, Pilate tries to get Jesus released…but, the Jewish leaders pull their trump card by saying, “If you do this, you are no friend of Caesar’s.”  This accusation is too much for the governor, so he gives his official verdict and hands Jesus over to be crucified. Matthew tells us that Pilate washes his hands before the crowd. Yet, this action cannot cleanse his heart.  The final words of the crowd add further insult, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Douglas Twitchell shares this -- Life is like a roller coaster. You and I have heard this statement before, but I don’t believe it is accurate. When people say "Life is like a roller coaster", what they mean is, it has its "ups and downs". But really, this is not a good analogy, because when you're riding a roller coaster, it is all thrills and excitement...and the "ups" are actually less thrilling than the "downs".  No, life is not like a roller coaster. It is more like waiting in line for a roller coaster. While we are here on earth, for the few years that we have, we are simply waiting in line for the real excitement, which is our eternal life with God…and unlike a roller coaster, it is a thrill that will never end.  According to Jesus, most people believe this mortal existence is all that we have. But when we lose sight of what is waiting for us at the end of our mortal existence, we lose sight of purpose, and life becomes pointless.  Who would stand in line for three hours for a non-existent roller coaster? Without an eternal view, we have to convince ourselves that we are having fun right now, and life has to be about squeezing every bit of enjoyment out of the now. An eternal perspective of life is especially important when we face trials and difficulties. The individual who has no eternal perspective is bowed down and even broken by circumstances. But the person who understands the perishable nature of this life and the imperishable nature of the life to come, can find strength to suffer through difficult times, knowing that their trials and troubles will come to an end.

Dr. Stephen Felker from a sermon entitled, “Jesus before Pilate and the Mob,” says Pilate asks one of the great questions of life, “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Christ?” (Matt. 27:22). Asked 2,000 years ago by this man Pontius Pilate, it is the great, ultimate question of life. It is the question that every one of you will answer sooner or later.  It is the question of destiny. Answer this question correctly, and everything else will ultimately be right. Answer this question wrong, and ultimately everything else will be wrong.  Now, there are really only two things you can do with Jesus. You can accept Him or reject Him. You can confess Him or deny Him. There is no middle ground with this.  Jesus said in Luke 11:23, “He who is not with Me is against Me....”  What have you done with Jesus?

Blessings, Don

In the Word, not of the World

Friends,

Steve Shepherd shares this -- The most interesting thing about Tifton, GA is an abandoned Victorian house filled with thousands of bats.  Tift County declared the once-elegant house in the town’s historic district off limits after a bat specialist said that maybe 20,000 bats had moved in, apparently for good. Now, teenagers call it the bat house. People talk about the smell, which is a mix of urine and decaying wood. I have no intention to visit that bat house. Vacant houses get infiltrated with all kinds of creatures and probably not just bats. And many of these creatures make a mess, create a big stink, and eventually ruin that dwelling. But it doesn’t just happen with vacant houses, it also happens with vacant lives! If a person doesn’t fill their life with good stuff, the bad stuff and sometimes, the evil stuff, will move in and take over. God wants us to stay clean in this world and this will only happen when we let Him move in, that is, when we fill our lives with worship, prayer and service. (From a sermon, Our Walk in This World, 4/4/2011) I believe that this is the encouragement that Jesus is sharing with his disciples in this next portion of His high priestly prayer in John 17 (vv.13-19). If we do not immerse ourselves in the presence of God, then the world is going to have a much easier time infesting our lives and making us miserable. Jesus knows that if His disciples are going to survive and thrive in taking His message to a lost world, that message must be inside of them first…helping them, guiding them, and empowering them to be in the world, and yet not have the world be in them.

The Word of God is God’s gift to us.  It tells His story, the story of His Son, and it is empowered by the Holy Spirit to change lives.  In the world that we live in today, it is easy to take the Word of God for granted.  D.L. Moody wrote in the front of His Bible – “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” We live in a world where there is little joy.  A lot of people, including some Christians, look and act as if they have been feasting on some sour grapes…and it is not a pretty sight.  This is because sin or sinful attitudes regularly control their lives. Those who regularly spend time in the Word know that it is necessary to do so in order to be an overcomer.  And how does the Word of God help us to overcome the world?  One way is that it brings us joy (v.13), and this inward joy…the fruit of the Spirit…provides us strength to overcome. John has already shared that joy comes as the result of answered prayer (16:23-24).  It also comes from struggling and overcoming as our Lord was able to do. Jesus experienced many struggles as He ministered among fallen men, but He also had a deep and abiding joy.  Jesus’ joy was not affected by the fleeting mess of the sinful world, but the abiding enjoyment of relationship with His Father, the Holy Spirit and the Word. He did not depend upon, nor was He controlled by outward circumstances, but on inward spiritual resources.  It is this kind of joy that Jesus want us, His followers, to experience.

The Word also assures us of God’s love.  The world hates us…this becomes more evident with each passing day.  The world hates us because we do not belong to its system…and often times, we take the world’s bait, and try to fight the world on its terms.  This is never going to turn out well for Christians. But, we are able to confront this hatred with the love of God…a love, once again, that is imparted by the Holy Spirit through the Word. We must overcome the temptation to be as ugly as the world is in returning vile for vile…and allow the Holy Spirit to help us to be above the fray – we must love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us, as Jesus shares in His Sermon on the Mount.

The Word not only brings us joy and love, but it also imparts God’s power for holy living (vv.15-17).  Jesus prays for security for believers in this prayer, but He also asks for sanctity – holiness. We are indeed in the world, but not of this world…and we must not live like the world. Some people would like to be “outside of the world”…and some people really are “out of this world” J…but such spiritual isolation would not keep evil from us or us from evil. True sanctification takes place on the inside, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  As we grow in faith, the more we experience this “cleansing”, and the less that we are willing to partake of the world’s offerings. This is spiritual growth!  You and I love sin less and we love God more.  You want to serve Him and be a blessing to others, rather than serve yourself, sin and the world. All of these matters help the truth of God to be worked out in our lives.  Once again, if we seek to be holy and right as the Lord is holy, truth is present – it is as much something that we live as what we know.  In fact, if we truly know the truth, then we will live the truth. And being made holy, sanctified, is not for the purpose of selfish enjoyment or boasting, it is so that we might represent Christ in the world and be an example to others of what it is to be Christ-like.

To consider these thoughts further, Mark Brunner shares this -- when we purchased Beech Springs years ago, we arrived in a valley that was filled by trees, trees and more trees. There was little lawn because the trees shaded it out. We would not need much in the way of landscaping, which was to my liking. There would be little need for a rototiller, a spade and a wheelbarrow here. I could focus on making wood and the necessary improvements that were needed on the inside of the house. Puttering with flower beds and the like was so tedious and, as opposed to making wood and other tasks like it, were slow in demonstrating any visible progress. That is, of course, until the elms in the immediate area began to succumb to disease. Suddenly spaces were opened…spaces that beckoned my wife to say, “Plant a sunflower here or nestle a poppy there!” It wasn’t long before a tiller and a wheelbarrow appeared on my gift list.  I have often thought how much like those flower beds you and I are as we daily walk in grace. It takes work to get us ready for growth in grace. Sometimes, the results aren’t so immediately visible. But, over time, the work and effort pay off. The flowers bloom and fade and come back again the next year that much more brilliant and bountiful. Phillips Brooks was a very busy minister, yet he always seemed relaxed and unburdened, willing to take time for anyone in need. Shortly before he died, someone asked him the secret of his strength and serenity. In a heartfelt response, Brooks credited his still-growing relationship with Christ. He responded, “The more I have thought it over, the more certain it has seemed to me that these last years have had a peace and fullness which there did not used to be. It is a deeper knowledge and truer love of Christ.  I cannot tell you how personal this grows to me. He is here. He knows me and I know Him. It is the most real thing in the world. And every day makes it more real. And one wonders with delight what it will grow to as the years go on.” (Our Daily Bread, October 14, 1994) God promises to “sanctify” us “by the truth” (John 17:17) in our daily walk with Him. That is, He will make us holy, set apart and cleansed through Christ Jesus. He doesn’t tell us that it is a work completed overnight, however. It is something that is ongoing like my wife tending those flower beds. As the faithful gardener He digs, weeds, tills and transplants in the gardens of our hearts. Then, when day is done, we are known to Him perfectly as we continue to grow in our knowledge of Him. It won’t happen overnight nor should it. Some of the best flower beds are those which are never completed.

We live in a very impatient world.  We often expect spiritual education and growth to happen instantly…overnight…but, this typically is not going to be the case.  It is much more like a marathon than it is a sprint. We must be patient concerning what the Lord is seeking to do with us.  He isn’t done with you or me just yet. As Jesus reveals in the Revelation, "if we are able to be faithful until death, He will give us a crown of life." (2:10) In this, we are not talking about “mediocre” faith, or faith “until things are falling apart around me" -- it is genuine faith, like that of the Centurion or the Syro-Phoenician woman.  When we are focused on what the Spirit of God is seeking to do with us though the Word, the world is not going be able to wreck us, but we will continue to grow to be more like Jesus, and being more like Him, day by day, is to be our goal.

Blessings, Don

Power in the Name

Friends,

Luanne Oleas shares this story -- When the 1960s ended, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district reverted to high rent, and many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. They had children and got married, too, though in no particular sequence. But they didn't name their children Melissa or Brett. People in the mountains around Santa Cruz grew accustomed to their children playing Frisbee with little Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise all ended up in public school. That's when the kindergarten teachers first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely apply name tags to their children, kiss them good-bye and send them off to school on the bus. So it was for Fruit Stand. The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it. "Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered. And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?" He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much more unique than Heather's or Sun Ray's. At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. "Fruit Stand, do you know which one is your bus?" He didn't answer. That wasn't strange. He hadn't answered them all day. A lot of children are shy on the first day of school. It didn't matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word "Anthony." Aaah, oh well. The lessons we learn, right? Names are important, as they more closely identify us than anything else we own.

So, it is with this in mind that we further come to understand the unique relationship between the Father and the Son here in John 17:6-12…and how the Son carries the name of the Father. The Old Testament Jew knew God has Jehovah, the Great I AM (Exodus 3:11-14). Jesus takes the sacred name I AM and makes it not only personal, but meaningful for His disciples. “I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:35), “I AM the Light of the World” (John 8:12), “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11) all reveal that Jesus is everything that they need. But, the Father’s name includes much more than this, for Jesus also teaches His disciples that God, the Great I AM, is their Heavenly Father. “The Father” is used 53 times in John 13-17, and 122 times in John’s gospel. We get the picture as to who is in the picture here. Jesus makes it clear, repeatedly, that it is the Father who sent Him, that He is equal to the Father, and that His words and works come from the Father. He makes a clear claim to the fact that He is deity, but they refuse to believe. By saying that He has “manifested the name of the Father”, He reveals the very nature of God. One of the ministries of the Son is to declare the Father (John 1:18, 14:7ff). It is through His living the life of service, that He gradually…by His words and deeds…reveals the nature of His Father in a way that they are able to more readily grasp it.

It is because we believe in the name of God and the power of salvation that comes in His Son, that we understand that we, as believers, have safety. Peter and John believed in this, as they proclaimed the power of the name of Jesus is Acts 3-4. God took care of them. God takes care of His own people. The Father purchased us through His Son, and He is not going to allow us to have to fend for ourselves. As we discussed in chapter sixteen, God gives to us His Holy Spirit to guide and protect us in our walk with Him. Furthermore, God’s people are the Father’s gift to His Son. Would the Father present His Son with a gift that would not last? Whenever you feel down or as if the Lord has somehow forgotten you, read Romans 8:28-39. The Father is near…He is present…He cares for us and what is going on in our lives. The Spirit helps us to understand better the presence of the Father for us and through us.

We come back to the theme of glory once again. With all of their faults and failures, the disciples still receive this word of commendation – that Jesus is glorified in them. As I mentioned last week, we need a Savior, because we are going to blow it, we make mistakes, we sin. But, the Lord God knows this. This is why He would send his Son to rescue us from ourselves. And no one can take this away from us. Once we have received salvation in Christ, the only way that we cannot have it is to walk away from it. We must be faithful to Him who called us out of the darkness and into His glorious light.

Finally, we have fellowship and unity (v.11)…a theme that He is going to come back to shortly. Wherever we find saints, we find fellowship. We have the most important thing, and in this case, the most important person in the world in common – Jesus Christ. The Father knew that we would need one another. After washing their feet and up until the time of His crucifixion, Jesus knows that they are going to face trying times and that they are going to need one another. We are able to be overcomers in this life, because we share in the life of the One who has overcome sin, flesh and even death itself. So, even though one day we are going to die, it will be as if passing through a gate from one form of spiritual/eternal existence to another. Jesus is going to be waiting for us, by the power and authority of the name of His Father. What a marvelous thing!

Bruce Larson, in Believe and Belong, tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ: "For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' I would point out to my companion, 'trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.' "On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically. "We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world, the whole world.'"

In a sense, this is the message that Jesus is sharing with His disciples…then and now. You and I can try to take on the world, put it all on our shoulders and see how long we are able to bear up…or, we can let it go. We can trust in the power of the name of God, and the authority of the name of Jesus to take care of us. It is in the strength and power found in Jesus that we are going to find victory and overcome this world, religious trappings, and other matters that seek to weigh us down. There is a song that came out recently that really captures this wonderful thought, and I fell in love with it quickly, because it helps us to gain some perspective on life. It is called “Just Say Jesus.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbYo6H0WiI

Blessings, Don

The Price of Genuine Love

Friends,

There are hearts that are hard enough to resist the forces of wrath and the fury of pride. But hard is the heart that can resist the warm flame of Love.  In his own way, Solomon seemed to understand this, as he shares in his love story in Song of Solomon 8:6, 7a.  There is a strong fire-like passion in love.  There are times when we “feel the love”…and at other times, perhaps, “not so much.”  Solomon explains that the strength of commitment is like a seal over the heart and on the arm.  The seal is a symbolic reminder of the commitment of love.  The seal could be likened to steel for any relationship, and should be so…particularly for the marriage relationship.  Our commitment to love another is to be like solid steel.  Even though we may not always “feel” like love is present…it is not about feelings most of the time.  Feelings ebb and flow like the tide, but the solid steel commitment to love should our foundation for life.  These are Jesus’ final hours with His disciples, and so He wants them to understand matters of genuine importance.  So, it should not be a surprise that “love” is at the center of it.

The story of the Bible is about relationship…it is about how God chooses to befriend mankind and bring salvation.  The basis for our loyalty as Christians is founded upon this very principle.  It is because of the love of the Father that He shares with us through His Son, as seen in John 15:12-17, that we are even able to understand genuine love and commitment.  As John tells us in chapter four of his first letter – it is not how much we love God that makes the difference for our lives, but how much we truly understand that God loves us.  He has granted us a multi-faceted special relationship with His Son.  He is Savior because of His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf in order to take away our sins…and because His sacrifice is empowered by the resurrection, we are able to live eternally.  He is Brother, as Jesus shares in Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother.”  He is also Lord, which means that He is to be our Master.  As His bond-servants we Christians take our marching orders from Him!  In this passage, Jesus offers yet another form of relationship.  He calls His disciples His friends (v.14).  We who are His disciples, likewise, are His friends.  Jesus’ relationship with His friends is based upon love and respect, as well as knowledge.  This should be the primary concern of Christianity at its most fundamental and important level – it is about a relationship with Jesus.  As His friends, the disciples are able to interact with Jesus and get to know Him, “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled concerning the Word of life…” (1 John 1:1ff)  Jesus let His disciples in on His plans, which included their call to become apostles who would go out and spread the gospel message.  God loves you and me and He wants us to be a part of His family for eternity.

Jesus’ also shares concerning how important it is that His disciples be selfless…to love as He loved.  This is called, agape, or unconditional love.  Commitment to unconditional love seeks to put others first…serving without expecting anything in return.  This is the new commandment as seen in 13:34-35.  Jesus says, “This is my commandment,” which is not necessarily to be taken as an exclusive command (although, I do not necessarily have a problem with it), but it is the primary commandment.  This old commandment has been reshaped in a way that only Christians can understand and assimilate it – “love one another, even as I have loved you.”  “Greater love” indicates the ultimate love for disciples…that they would be willing to lay down their lives for their friends, and perhaps others.  All of this adds a whole new dimension to the commandment -- sacrifice.  Jesus’ love is sacrificial.  He willingly laid down His life as the Sacrificial Lamb for all mankind…including those who were His enemies.  Many of us would lay down our lives for our family and perhaps for some close friends, but we would not do so for all, and certainly not for those who would hate us or mistreat us.  While we may not ever be called upon to literally lay down our lives as the early disciples did, we must be prepared to do so.  And we must be prepared to continually give ourselves in service to our Lord and Savior.  Jesus and His disciples had to learn to live beyond their comfort zones.  Should we be any different?  Sacrificial love has a cost.  This is the commitment of love…this is the “steel” that is supposed to be a part of our lives.  We are to live lives of service, building relationships with one another, and others, to the building up of the Kingdom of God.

We live in a pragmatic world that is governed by many other things than agape.  Loyalties have been divided concerning a principle where loyalty is critical.  Agape is not to be “optional” but “imperative.”  Genuine love is necessary in order that the church may prosper and grow…but it comes at a cost.  It may cost us time, energy, some spirit, but nothing that does not come back to us as a far greater reward.  When we come together, we may see some evidence of agape, but being friendly and shaking hands does not necessarily mean that we are committed to one another, the body of Christ, or to Christ himself.  Jesus paid the price so that we could overcome shallow ups and downs…so that we could survive “the feelings” of love…ultimately, so that we could experience “the commitment” of love -- agape.  Be willing to live a life committed to genuine love…to living life abundantly…and do not settle for something less.  Loyalty to the Savior and His body is the steel that is going to grow and prosper our spiritual lives as well as the Kingdom of God.

Blessings, Don

A Peace of the Action

Friends,

As seen in this portion of the Ephesian letter (2:11-22), Paul is working with the Gentiles.  Most of the Ephesian believers are Gentile converts, yet they understand that much of God’s program in the Old Covenant involves the Jews.  The Jews are not kind to the Gentiles.  Many of the Jews believe that the Gentiles need to become Jews first before they can be acceptable to God and to them.  God made the difference between the Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abraham…not that the Jews might boast in how great they were, but in order to be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.  The Jews might have been different nationally, ritually…but morally, they are the same as the Gentiles.

Before they came to Christ, the Gentile Ephesians worshipped Diana (or Artemis).  Some of them believed they could worship Diana and Christ…and that it would all be the same.  Paul says – no way!  The Jews were a “special nation”…but not so the Gentiles.  They did not have a covenant for themselves.  They were aliens and strangers and the Jews never let them forget it.  The Gentiles’ philosophies, religions were empty and powerless to help men face life and death.  They were, as a whole, without God.  The nations had many gods (see Paul in Athens, Acts 17), but they didn’t know the One True God.  The Gentiles were included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)…and this ultimately would culminate in their having hope through Christ Jesus. 

Although the Jews, Gentiles might have different purposes, these differences are erased in Christ’s reconciliation or “bringing them together again.”  There is not a significant problem for the church until Peter is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  Then there is enmity (Acts 11-15).  Are the Gentiles supposed to become “Jewish Christians”?  No.  The enmity was taken away.  The law that separated the Jews and Gentiles is taken down…Christ destroys the wall and makes peace.  The big picture is what really needs to be considered.  Not only did the Gentiles need to be reconciled to the Jews, but both Jews and Gentiles need to be reconciled to God!  It is not a question of a Gentile becoming a Jew in order to become a Christian, but the Jew admitting he is a sinner like the Gentile.  Jews and Gentiles both have access to the same God through the new covenant brought by Christ Jesus.  Israel was God’s chosen nation, but they rejected their redeemer and suffered the consequences.  The kingdom was taken from them and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…” (Matthew 21:43).  The new nation is “spiritual Israel”, the church.  Sin divides mankind, but Christ unites people by His Spirit.  All believers, regardless of national background, belong to a “holy nation” with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3).  God does not dwell in a house made with hands, in temples or church buildings…but He lives in the lives of His believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), who are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:19). What a glorious plan in order to bring “oneness” and “peace.”

Joel Jongkind shares this -- In the latter part of the gospels, the disciples were in quite a state when they were gathered in the upper room. Their Lord and friend had been crucified, and the authorities were after them. They sat and wondered what to do next. Some of them were ready to go back home. And suddenly, Jesus was with them, and they heard His wonderful words, "Peace be with you."' Sometimes we too doubt and worry; sometimes we have a feeling of anguish in our hearts. We sit and wonder, or we lie in bed and worry, and we pray about it, or we go to church to worship, or we pick up the Bible and read those wonderful words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Or we hear Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."  The word "peace" has been used a great deal over the years. Every time we turn on the television, we hear people “talking about peace” in places where there are wars and uprisings: in the Middle East, in Syria in particular lately, and in a number of African countries as well. There are a lot of negotiations, but there does not seem to be a lasting peace.  Before one war is over, another one has started. There seems to be no end to it, and we have learned nothing from history; there is no lasting peace. But inner peace is for all of us to have and to hold through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We know that the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- is our source of lasting peace, and then, it does not matter what might happen in our lives, for we can be at peace through faith, and we will have peace in our hearts.”

It is interesting to note that religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the One True God.  Rather, it is the sad story of man knowing the truth about God and deliberately turning away from it.  God called the Jews beginning with Abraham that through them, He might reveal Himself as the One True God.  Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles, but their light burned dimly.  Today, we…spiritual Israel, the church…are not all that unlike the Jews and Gentiles as it relates to our ideals, philosophies and the like.  We all come from different places, have different backgrounds.  The message of grace and reconciliation is just as important today as it has always been…maybe it is even more important as it relates to one another, given the great differences between people…especially those in our fellowship.  But, the goal is not any different for us than it was for early believers.  In spite of our differences, we find ways to submit our spirits to the Spirit of God and when we do so, we are able to be at peace with God and with one another.  And this has value beyond what any of us can really truly appreciate individually…but it is good. Keep working at allowing the “peace of Christ to dwell in your hearts.”

Blessings, Don

A Show and Tell That Makes a Difference

Friends,

Religious pluralism…an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society…is a new experience for us, but it does put us in touch with the world that surrounded the biblical authors.  This is challenging for many people today, because most adults were raised in a time where the predominant religion in this country was Christianity.  Yet, our world looks more and more like the world of our religious ancestors.  In Mesopotamia, there were thousands of gods and goddesses, many of which were known to the Israelites – and indeed, sometimes they were known all too well.  Nothing, therefore, could be more remarkable than to hear the contention…even from those within the church in general…that the existence of religious pluralism today makes belief in the uniqueness of Christianity improbable.  Had this been the necessary consequence of encountering a multitude of other religions, Moses, Isaiah, Peter and Paul would have given up biblical faith long before it became fashionable to do so.

The real question that must be considered is still, “Who is God?”  The plurality of “religious” opinions does nothing to change the importance of this question…or the answer.  In fact, concerning this, 400 years before Christ, Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “To find out the Father and Maker of all this universe is a hard task, and when we have found Him, to speak of Him to all men is impossible."  Oh how wrong was the great philosopher.  Jesus says just the opposite.  We can know the Father…and we can know Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We still have a responsibility to believe and speak the truth concerning our beliefs in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   Jesus is approaching the end of His life and ministry and He is still trying to answer some fundamental questions for His followers. 

Jesus’ words to the disciples in this passage (John 14:7-11) are really prompted by Thomas’ question in vs. 5, “We don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?  As Jesus has just shared, He is going away and they cannot come with Him. He attempts to comfort them by telling them that he is going to prepare a place for them and that he will return to take them back with Him.  Still, after three years, one would think that the disciples would have a pretty clear understanding of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Apparently, this is not the case.  Philip has a question, and Jesus tries to help Him understand the truth about the Father.  He says, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."  Jesus answers, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (14:8-9)  The concept “know,” as described by Philip is a “deeper” understand…and a knowing that only comes through “experience.”  There is a lot of irony here.  Some might ask -- what qualifies Jesus to tell us what God the Father is like? The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, meaning that he is in fact God (John 1:1ff).  Jesus is God incarnate.  The word “Incarnation” simply means, “God taking on flesh”. This is what 1:14 describes… the Word, Jesus becoming flesh and living with man as a man.  Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15-20, etc. go on to further establish that Jesus is God. These verses describe Jesus as the “image of the invisible God” (vs. 15). When we see Jesus, we see God.  They also describe Jesus as having “all of God’s fullness dwelling in Him” (vs. 19). Jesus was completely human, but He was also completely God.

Jesus shows them.  First, He displays what God is like through the life He lives (vv.7-9).  You can tell a lot about the influences on a person’s life by looking at the way they live.  When we look at a person and their behavior, mannerisms, and just the way they do things, we are not just seeing them, but we are seeing that persons parents, teachers and mentors as well.  What Jesus is saying in verses 7-9, is that when you see Him, you see God…you see the Father. The life Jesus lives directly mirrors that of His Father, God.  Also, Jesus lives a life of total purpose…Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.”  Jesus lives His life for two purposes -- He lives to be a servant and He lives to be a Savior.  Jesus’ life of purpose reveals to us the heart of God. God has a servant heart. He delights in helping others and serving others.  God also has a heart for people. He loves us. He is a compassionate, merciful God, who is full of grace. God has his sights set on saving you from yourself and your sins. Through Jesus’ life, we see the heart of God.  Jesus says in vs. 10 that, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”  The point that Jesus is making to Philip and the disciples is that if you want to see the Father, look at me and listen to me, because I am speaking the very words of the Father.  After Jesus had finished giving the Sermon on the Mount, the people responded this way in Matthew 7. Matthew 7:28-29, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”  Jesus’ words and teachings reveal the authority and power of God. It becomes very clear to the people that God’s ways are definitely higher than theirs.  If we read through the gospels…Matthew, Mark, Luke and John…that tell the life story of Jesus, we notice that in Jesus’ teachings and parables we are given a description of who God is and what He is like.  We see God as our Father, who loves us deeply but is willing to let us make our own decisions and choices even if they are contrary to His will.  We see God as our Shepherd, who cares for us and knows each of us intimately, who provides for us, protects us and leads us in the right direction.  Jesus shows us what God is like through the life He lives and the words that He speaks, but also through the miracles He performs (v.11).  Jesus tells the disciples and Philip in v.11 to at least believe that Jesus is in the Father and that the Father is in him based “on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”  Jesus did not perform miracles to draw attention to Himself, but to focus attention on God.  Jesus entire purpose was to glorify His Father in heaven…and this is precisely what He does.

A young boy approached his father reading the newspaper on the porch, "Dad, why does the wind blow?" "I don’t know, son." "Dad, where do the clouds come from?" "I’m not sure, son." "Dad, what makes a rainbow?" "No idea, son." The young boy leans against the porch railing and says: "Dad, do you mind me asking you all these questions?" Dad looks around the newspaper and says: "Not at all, son. How else are you going to learn?" Hmmm.  This may the case sometimes with us earthly fathers…but, thankfully, this is not the case when it comes to knowing our heavenly Father.  We can know Him...and we can know His Son, Jesus Christ.

Blessings, Don