On the Water

Friends,

It has been a few weeks since I posted a message...so, it was high time to get back in the saddle, or in this case perhaps, back in the boat with Jesus. :-) 

There are two major bodies of water in the land where Jesus walked. One is the Sea of Galilee, a beautiful lake 13 miles long and 7 miles wide filled with fish and surrounded by lush foliage.  The other body of water is the Dead Sea, 50 miles long and 11 miles wide, the shoreline of which is 1300 feet below sea level.  Seven million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day. The saline or salt content of the water of the Dead Sea ranges from 26-35%, making it 10 times saltier than the oceans of the world. There is no seaweed or plants of any kind in or around the water. There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are fed by the Jordan River. There is really only one difference between these two bodies of water, really only one thing that causes the Sea of Galilee to be beautiful and alive while the Dead Sea is barren and lifeless. The Sea of Galilee has an outlet; the Dead Sea does not! Water flows through the Sea of Galilee. Water flows into the Dead Sea but not out!  Spiritual input but no spiritual output = stagnation. If you and I have Spiritual input but no spiritual output, we will become stagnant and lifeless. (From Johnny Creasong’s Sermon: You Are Free to Serve the Lord)

Jesus certainly understood this all too well, as it is why He would say things like, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28)  There is a tremendous spiritual parallel in the story I share today, which involves the first body of water, the Sea of Galilee.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus would always come to assist those whom He loved.  He assisted His disciples…He assisted Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, young and old, rich and poor.  He certainly set a good example for us. John shares about a unique situation here in the passage where the faith of the disciples is tested…and one of them in particular…but lessons abound for all of them!

When we read Matthew 14:22-33, we come to understand that the crowd wants to make Jesus king, so this presents something of a problem.  This is why John says that Jesus is in such a hurry to dismiss the crowd and send the disciples back across the sea in a boat to the land of Gennesaret. The disciples are not completely aware of the situation nor do they understand Jesus’ plan, so if they had stayed, they probably would have fallen into the crowd’s plans.  Out on the sea in the boat, a storm arises.  We have to understand that the storm comes because the disciples are in the will of God, and not out of it…as Jonah was – Jesus understands this. Something that I like to say is that -- what is challenging for us humans to understand from our human perspective is that the disciples are safer in the storm in the will of God, than on the land with the crowd and out of God’s will.  It teaches us that we must not judge security on the basis of circumstances alone.

Meanwhile, back in the boat, the disciples seem to feel deserted by Jesus when the storm comes.  What is interesting is that Jesus actually waits for the boat to be far from land.  This way any human element is gone and the opportunity for faith-building is at the maximum.  Jesus walks out to the disciples on the water.  Why?  He wants to show them that the very thing that they fear…the sea…is only a sidewalk for Him to come to them!  Another interesting question that has to be asked -- why do the disciples not recognize Him?  They simply are not looking for Him.  If the disciples were waiting by faith, they would know Him immediately…a good lesson to learn.  Instead, they all jump to the conclusion – it is a ghost!  Fear and faith are not able to live in the same heart, for fear always blinds people’s eyes to the presence of the Lord.  Yet, in the presence of Jesus, fear can be dismissed – only He is able to calm them.

Peter, the most outspoken of the disciples, also is willing to step up to the plate with his faith.  He asks to come out to Jesus on the water…and Jesus tells him to come.  The other eleven disciples sit in the boat and watch.  It requires genuine faith to leave the boat and step out onto the water.  After taking a few steps, Peter begins to sink.  Why?  The wind comes up and his faith wavers, because he takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at his circumstances.  Peter needs to be single-minded and focused, but he becomes double-minded…showing that faith and fear cannot occupy the heart at the same time.  We must give Peter credit for knowing that he is sinking and crying out to the Lord for help before he is in over his head.  Before we criticize Peter for sinking in the water, he needs to be honored for his wondrous demonstration of faith!  He dares to be bold and courageous – signs of a growing, healthy faith. Peter grows through his trial to have even greater faith.  His experience turns out to be a blessing for the others, as well as himself. This miracle magnifies Jesus’ kingship.  Peter and the others know that He is the ruler over all nature.  All people and things, including the wind and the waves, must obey Him.  Perhaps the most important understanding we can gain from this story is that, Jesus ends up in the boat with the disciples.  When surrounded by adversity, safety and salvation are experienced in the church with Jesus in its midst. When the disciples see the power of Jesus in this situation, all they can do is fall down and worship Him as the Son of God!

Perhaps harkening to another story where Jesus is with His disciples in a boat on the sea, a young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows."  This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him.  A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. The young man slept soundly. The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well. The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm.

As one of our favorite songs by Scott Krippayne reminds us -- sometimes Jesus is going to calm the storms in your life…other times, He is going to calm the storm in you, thought the circumstances of life continue to rage. What we can learn is that it is not so much whether we are successful in life that makes the difference, but whether we are faithful!  We may not always be successful, rather like Peter, we can learn a lot from failure.  Circumstances can test us, but how we deal with them can make a huge difference for us.  Like the young man, we need to be ready for the storm.  It is very easy to be comfortable and content to just stay in the boat, as did the other eleven disciples – we have got to be willing to be challenged…to do something different from our regularly scheduled programming, and so, we are here.  Many never really get out on the water to see how the Lord can mightily use them.  But with faith, nothing ventured, nothing gained!  When we choose to live by faith…when we truly exercise trust in the Lord…single-minded and focused -- then Satan and fear have much less opportunity to get a foothold in our lives.  We need to think outside of ourselves – we need to be willing to consider and actually find ways to get out of the boat -- and consider how the Lord can use us and help us to grow…and be a blessing to other people, so that they also can grow!  When we do, then our lives become rich and full, and we find purpose for our Christian walk. 

Yet, as I now read this, I believe a message that is just as important is -- are we living as if Jesus is in our midst?  Is he present in our lives?  The Lord comes to us in the storms of life.  He may not always come at the times that we think He should…He knows when we need Him the most – He has our best faith interests at heart. But more importantly, are we allowing Him to dwell with and is us?  We do not need to be so far from Him that He seems like an apparition to us.  We need Him to be present with us.  He wants to be close to you…in the boat with you. Welcome Him.

Blessings, Don

Prayer's Focus

Friends,

Last week was national day of prayer (week), and I spent some time not only pondering about prayer, but actually doing more of it.  I believe that this is an area of our lives that can always bear some improving.  It is with this thought in mind that I offer the following thoughts.  

A faithful, healthy prayer life is the challenge of James (5:13-18), the brother of Jesus. He tells his readers at the end of his letter that there are a number of times and places when we need to pray. He says that when we are suffering, we need to pray (v. 13). He is writing to some people who are facing significant persecution for their faith…and that they have the ability to endure hardship patiently if they call upon the Lord. The Psalmist, Asaph recognizes this as he says concerning the Lord – “call upon me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor me” (Psalms 50:12).

When people are ill, they need to pray, as restoration can come through a prayer of faith (vv. 14-15). James says that those who are sick should call upon the elders and have them come pray. In this context, they pour oil upon the one who is ill, associating it with the healing. Many scholars believe that this was medicinal…and so, there may be some defined purpose in using it. As to whether this was the only purpose and time for it being used, it is hard to say. What we can come to understand is an important recognition -- the Lord is the Great Healer, and not man. There are some who might call attention to the act of healing, when in actuality, it is the fact of healing that matters.  If it does or does not take place is in the hands of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith can affect this, which is amazing in and of itself. The Lord can raise up the one who is ill as the result of such a prayer. Also, sinners can be forgiven through the prayer of faith. The assumption is that man may become sick as the result of sin. This can be the case, as guilt and other negative emotions can wear people down physically, mentally, emotionally in such a way that they are more susceptible to becoming ill. Everyone can and does sin…and yet, our sins can be and are forgiven if we pray and ask for forgiveness. The Apostle John tells us this in his letter (1 John 1:9).

James provides an example of someone who was faithful in prayer. Elijah is an example of perseverance in prayer. He was no superman, but was like us in every way. He was very serious about his relationship with Lord, as James says -- he, literally, “prayed with prayer.” He was intent., as he prayed and it did not rain for three and a half years, as a lesson to the Israelites, but he prayed again at the end of this time and the Lord provided rain (1 Kings 17,18). Even Jesus references this event in Luke 4:25. Elijah had a great faith in an even greater God.

James climaxes his message by explaining the loving-kind and prayerful relationship that Christians should have with one another and with God. Christians should confess their sins…to one another...so they can be in prayer for one another. This involves trust. We should not have to be concerned about revealing ourselves, but need to pray concerning building relationships that are based upon love and trust. Who is it that is able to accomplish this? It is “the righteous person.” And who is this? The person whose sins are confessed and forgiven, the one seeks to the will of God with all of their heart. What we understand is that prayer is supposed to get results. God is not just sitting back in some cosmic rocking chair watching matters unfold in our world. He is near…and He can and does respond to our pleas to Him. Prayer’s ultimate result is to reveal a right relationship with God through the Son.

A minister tells the story of another minister who believed he received protection as a result of prayer. This man had developed the discipline of beginning every day with an hour of prayer. One particular day, however, he felt a strong leading to pray longer, so he continued for a second hour. After two hours he still felt the need to keep on praying, so he persevered for a third hour asking for God's protection and blessing on his day; as well as for other things. He then felt released from the need to pray longer so he stopped. That evening as he was mowing his lawn, he felt something repeatedly brush up against his leg. He looked down and saw a coiled rattlesnake trying to strike him, but it just couldn't hit him. Instead, it kept brushing either side of his leg. Why had the man felt the need to pray longer that morning? What was he doing? Some would say, God doesn't need three hours of prayer to protect one from a rattlesnake. I would agree. He didn't "need" seven days of marching around Jericho to tear it down either, but He chose to do it that way. He didn't "need" to spit in a person's eye to heal them, but He did once. Why He requires things to be done certain ways, we don't always know, but we do know that for us, obedience is the key. Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, pp.80,81.
 
What is at the heart of this message? It is concerning the heart -- it is about your heart! As Matthew West shares in his popular song, we cannot simply go through the motions and expect to cultivate a close relationship with God. If our heart is not focused in a heavenly direction concerning any number of aspects of spiritual life and living, not to mention worship assembly time, then the Lord is not going to be able to effectively work in our lives. Our prayers have the ability to accomplish much, if we are seeking His will for our lives. Care enough to spend some time every day with the Lord in prayer…and care enough to share in prayer together for others. I conclude with a billboard message that I have seen – “the family that prays together stays together.”  

Blessings, Don

The God Who Is There

Friends,


Shrek: For your information, there's a lot more to ogres than people think. Donkey: Example? Shrek: Example... uh... ogres are like onions! [He holds up an onion, which Donkey sniffs] Donkey: They stink? Shrek: Yes... No! Donkey: Oh, they make you cry? Shrek: No! Donkey: Oh, you leave 'em out in the sun, they get all brown, and they start sproutin' little white hairs... Shrek: [peels an onion] NO! Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers. Donkey: Oh, you both have LAYERS. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions. What about cake? Everybody loves cake! Shrek: I don't care what everyone else likes! Ogres are not like cakes. Donkey: You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "No, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious! Shrek: NO! You dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden! Ogres are like onions! End of story! Bye-bye! See ya later.

There is much to commend about the Shrek movies. But, one of the things that we come to understand is that, even though he might think that he is -- donkey is not a good example of a beast of burden. In fact, he is often a burden.

Jesus understands the concept of a beast of burden when He shares in Matthew 11:29-30, one of my favorite passages: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV) Only someone who knew about oxen could use a yoke illustration. Paul also understands what it is to carry a heavy weight. His exploits are well-catalogued. At the beginning of 2 Corinthians (1:1-11), we see him talk about his burden for (and because of) the believers at Corinth.

Last week was one of those weeks where you understand the meaning of family a little bit better. It is always important to talk about family, emphasize family…but, even more important to be family. We have those times…we need those times as human beings and as believers in Christ. Paul considered the Corinthians his family…black sheep perhaps…but, family nonetheless. He experienced a number of trials in his life and ministry and a number of them, as we have been discussing on Sunday mornings, are with these folks. Paul is in Asia Minor (what is Turkey today) and he experiences some difficulty, although we are not told of the circumstances. What we do know is that Paul is weighed down like a beast of burden with a load too heavy to bear. In fact, he thinks that he might die (2 Corinthians 7:5). Yet, he would be able to treasure the great lessons from such trials…not to trust in himself, but trust in the Lord. When he is weak, the Lord is able to make him strong. The God who raises the dead is certainly sufficient to be able to handle any difficulties in our lives. He is able, but we must be available.

When Paul reports what God has done for him, a chorus of praise and thanksgiving goes up from the saints to God. And for Paul, the highest service a Christian can give on earth is to bring glory to God…even through suffering. Paul is never ashamed to ask Christians to pray for him. He does so in seven of his letters (Romans 15, Philippians 1, 2 Thessalonians 3, Philemon, Ephesians 6, Colossians 4, 1 Thessalonians 5). Paul and the believers in Corinth help each other in their struggles and together, they all seek to glorify God (2 Corinthians 1:11, 24). We can see that the gift of Paul’s deliverance from what appears to be certain death (however it was to take place), is the result of the participation of many people. Difficulties certainly have the ability to increase our faith and strength…we must simply remember who God is, what He has done for us, and what He is doing for us – He is there! So, Paul may not always exactly be exuberant about his circumstances, but he could praise the God who is in control of all circumstances. He knows that praise is the key to victory over difficulty, discouragement. He also has fellowship with Jesus in his sufferings (Philippians 3:10), and so can realize God’s comfort through this. Likewise, we are able to do the same. Paul also makes it clear that people do not necessarily need to experience the exact same trials in order to share God’s encouragement.

As the Corinthians struggled, at times, God allows church families…including our own…to experience trials in order for us to grow in love, grace and understanding. In all of this, it is not so much our love for Him that comforts us, but knowing how much He has loved us, and does love us. He was willing to go to a cross and die in order to purchase our salvation. In times of trial and suffering, some people are prone to think only of themselves…their difficulties…and they forget others. As one person said, we must not be cisterns…that is, we collect blessings, understanding that does not go anywhere nor does it do anyone any good. Rather, we are to be channels of blessings, help for others’ benefit. In this, we minister to one another, grow in the Lord.

Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell. Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." The he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish." But Sadhu…having a new perspective on life…replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him." The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration. Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery. Then, for the first time, Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell, but not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death. Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?" Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry." (From a sermon by Horace Wimpey, God's Guidelines For Thanksgiving)

As Francis Schaeffer acknowledges in his book by the same name, is “the God who is there”, there in your life, guiding, strengthening, comforting, and ultimately saving you? In my experience of life, I have come to realize – those who have not experienced much pain and struggle, do not have much to give when it comes to helping others through the valley of the shadow of death. This is because, agape, service, come from a deep place…such places that are not available on the surface. They come from wading through some deep waters. Like Paul, we must allow Him to bear our burdens, to deliver, comfort us, so that in turn, we can bring comfort to one another and to others! This is the only hope that the Corinthians have to learn and grow as a church family…and it is not any different for us or any other church family.

Blessings, Don

A Final Message

Friends,

The final message that Jesus shares with His disciples before His death, burial and resurrection focuses on prayer and overcoming (John 16:23-33).  The Lord mentions prayer many times in His ministry, and He sets the example for prayer in His own life.  He has spoken to them in parables, and has used other metaphors to make necessary points to them concerning matters of spirituality.  Now, He speaks plainly concerning the fact that there will be a new situation because of His resurrection and ascension…and because of the coming Holy Spirit.  He is speaking to them plainly in order to reveal the Father to them (John 14:6ff).  Jesus will return to the Father in heaven, and there minister as our High Priest, making intercession for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).  Jesus’ ministry in heaven makes possible our ministry of witnessing on the earth, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the promise that they desperately need to believe.  He knows that the disciples want to ask Him a question.  He does tell them that a day is coming when they will not be able to ask Him questions (following His ascension).  Instead, they will pray to the Father and He will meet their needs, and provide direction through the Holy Spirit.  When we read the book of Acts, we do see that the early church was dependent upon prayer.  They believed the promises of God and asked God for what they needed.

In v.29, the light appears to go on for the disciples, as they make a significant affirmation of faith.  They apparently had been unable to grasp the meaning of the promised resurrection…which is entirely understandable.   Now, they not only affirm their understanding, but affirm their faith and assurance.  Jesus seems to accept it, as well…even as He understands their weaknesses.  He reports concerning the spiritual condition of the disciples to His Father in the High Priestly prayer in the next chapter (17:6-8).  Jesus goes on to explain that it is possible to have faith, understanding and assurance, and still fail the Lord.  Jesus has already warned Peter concerning His forthcoming denials, but now He warns that nearly all of them are going to forsake Him.

16:33 is the summary and powerful climax of the Upper Room message.  Why does he share it?  It is in order that they…and disciples of all generations…might understand that they can have peace in a world of tribulation.  This is a great message of hope.  In Christ, there is peace…in the world, there is trouble.  The position we need to claim is – we are in Christ…and therefore, we can overcome the world and all of its hatred.  Every believer is either overcome or is an overcomer.  As Paul tells the Romans, the world wants us to conform, but Jesus wants us to be transformed, changed to new spiritual beings (Romans 12:1-2).  Finally, He announces, “Be of Good Cheer.”  Jesus has victory over the world – that is Good News (not bad news), in fact, it is the best news of all-time.  There is joy in our lives when God answers prayer…and when we permit God to transform us and to transform our sorrows into joy.

Tim Raines wasn’t prepared for the deafening cheers from the usually quiet crowd when he stepped to the plate in his first game back with the old Montreal Expos.  For Raines, it was like being in the World Series and batting with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the winning run on base.  ``It was that type of ovation,’’ said Raines, who spent his first 12 seasons with the Expos before returning at age 41.  Raines had been in the World Series, winning it twice with the New York Yankees. But his comeback from lupus might have been an even more impressive feat for one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball history. Raines’ career appeared to have ended on July 19, 1999, when the Oakland Athletics placed him on the disabled list with kidney inflammation. He was subsequently diagnosed with lupus. ``Lupus took me away from the game, and I wasn’t ready to give it up,’’ Raines said. ``That drove me back.’’ Nobody, other than Raines, understood the odds against him better than his wife.  ``He didn’t have any muscle and he was up to about 225 pounds from the lupus,’’ Virginia Raines said. ``With all the medication he was taking, his body was so weak that he couldn’t do much.’’  Gradually, Raines was able to reduce his medication to the point where he was just taking three pills a day, along with vitamin supplements. And so there was a thunderous reception in Montreal that week. It might have been the most gratifying moment for the man known as “The Rock” and “Purple”.  ``I had tears in my eyes,’’ said his wife, Virginia. ``I knew I was going to get goose-bumps, I had those, but then I started crying. It was unbelievable. It was fantastic.’’ The cheers continued throughout Raines’ first at-bat. This was just one human being playing baseball, coming back as if from the dead. 

As tremendous as Tim Raines’ comeback story is, there are many others that are just as wonderful.   Of course, the greatest comeback…the greatest overcomer of all time…is Jesus.  We can always be of good cheer, because we are connected to the greatest story in history…told about God who became a man in order to bring salvation to His people.  As Phil Robertson says, ”I haven’t heard of a story to beat that one yet.”

Blessings, Don

The Journey of Joy

Friends,

We certainly do not have an understanding of what lies ahead of us on the journey of life.  This is why we seek to walk by faith and not by sight.  I believe that our friends, Eddy and Jenny, may understand this better than a lot of folks, given what their family has been through in this past week (and over the last several weeks).  They knew that their grandson, Paxton, was going to have surgery to fix a hole in his heart.  But, once again, as it is with surgery…and as it is with much of life…we often do not understand what is taking place on the journey, just that we must trust in Him who can and will guide us on the way.  As the doctors, nurses and surgeons prepared to do surgery on Paxton, they discovered that the little man had another small complication that needed to be repaired.  Thankfully, all of this was able to be accomplished, and without any difficulty.  And now Paxton and family are recovering from the ordeal. 

But, what do the Ross’, their kids, and others gain from such an experience…an increasing faith and trust in the Lord that brings joy.  Is it any different when we experience situations in our lives that do not go as we have planned?  (And most of us have been there).  The hope is the same, as we remain focused on the goal of living by faith.  And the experience can and should be the same…that we can experience the joy and peace that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives.  We may not always understand or have answers as to why or why not a certain situation or experience takes place the way that it does, but trusting in Him who is in control is what is able to unleash joy for us on our journey.  And this is precisely what Jesus wants His disciples to understand in this section of John’s gospel (16:16-22).  All of their cumulative experiences with Jesus…the good and the bad…are intended to teach and train them to be His servant-people so that they can experience joy on their journey with and for Him.

This section of John deals primarily with some of the emotional struggles that the disciples are enduring.  Some of them are sorrowful because of Jesus’ words that He will be leaving them…others of them are simply confused…and yet others are afraid.  These disciples were real people with real feelings, and yet, Jesus was able to use them…which gives all of us hope, doesn’t it?  All of God’s servants have been ordinary people tasked with living according to extraordinary faith, purpose.  One of the recurring themes in this section is “joy.”  The disciples are not experiencing a whole lot of joy at this point, but Jesus wants them to understand that “joy” does not come in spite of our circumstances, but because of them.  Jesus’ illustration of the woman giving birth to the child makes this clear.  The same baby that caused immense pain also is cause for great joy!   He uses whatever situations we are dealing with to transform us into being His people in a better way.  Much like the child that comes to expect a new toy if one is broken, we cannot mature spiritually if someone is always substituting things in our lives in order to make us or keep us happy.  Transformation is able to accomplish what substitution is unable to do.  God is able to take seemingly impossible situations, add the miracle of His grace, and transform trials into triumphs and sorrows into joys.  Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave, and Potiphar put him into prison as a criminal…but, God transformed that hopeless situation into victory.  And there are dozens of others stories in the Word of God that we love, because we learn of the victory of grace and faith in people’s lives…including Jesus death on a cruel cross, burial and resurrection from the dead.

Jesus often uses figures of speech when He is making statements to the disciples, and verse 16 is such a case.  It has to be perplexing to them.  At the same time, He wants them to seek, to question…to grow.  He is likely speaking of His upcoming death, but also of the hope that they would experience in His resurrection.  It also could be that He is speaking of His ascension, and they would all soon give their lives for His kingdom, and they all will go to join Him.  Either way, the hope and joy of His disciples will be fulfilled by His presence.  This is the way it is intended to be.  The religious and the political leaders of that time expected that Christianity would die out, but such was not the case.  Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to them (and to us, His church), in order to continue to live and share the truth of the gospel.  There is no doubt that the world did not want Jesus then, and it does not want Him now. But, while the bridegroom is away, the bride longs for Him to return and take her home.  We who are in Christ await His return, as He shares with the disciples back in chapter 14:11…He goes away, only to return and bring those who belong to Him home with Him.  So, the immediate message He shares is with His sorrowing disciples, but the ultimate application is for all of God’s people…that there may be trials and tribulations that we face on the journey, but it is ultimately for “the joy set before us” as well.  While we work and wait, the process of transformation continues for each of us, that we become more like the Son.  And as we seek Him, we will grow and mature to be who it is that He wants us to be.

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know Him. But later on when I recognized this Higher Power, It seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back helping me pedal. I don’t know just when it was that he suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since—life with my Higher Power, that is. God makes life exciting! But when He took the lead, it was all I could do to hang on! He knew delightful paths, up mountains and through rocky places—and at breakneck speeds. Even though it looked like madness, he said, “Pedal!” I worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. When I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, God’s and mine. And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight”…so I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and our burden became light. At first I did not trust Him in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it. But He knows bike secrets—knows how to make it lean to take sharp corners, dodge large rocks, and speed through scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places. I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant Companion. And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more, He just smiles and says, “Pedal!” -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 247-248.

Jesus shares some words in 10:10 that fit with what he is sharing here, that His disciples should “live the spiritual life and live it abundantly.”  This is a message that is not far from me…much like “live a life worthy of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:1).  Why do these have appeal?  It is because they keep us honest.  They help us to realize in the spiritual battle that we not only have hope, but a continual obligation and challenge.  Jesus wanted His disciples to understand -- even though they did not understand much of anything…they needed to trust in Him.  It is no less with us.  As the Hebrews writer shares (12:1), we need to continue to put aside all of the things that seek to bind us and hold us back spiritually…and press on toward the goal of eternal life.  This perspective should help to keep us honest. If we have made a commitment to Jesus that He is Lord (Master, Ruler of our lives), then we need to be certain that it is so.  And if it is so, will be able to fully appreciate and experience the joy in the journey that He and the Spirit have in store for us…now, and forevermore. 

Blessings, Don