Observation and Principles

With much wisdom comes much folly.  The Pharisees had taken their religious training and used it to identify who was not really a part of the “club.”  The thought that they understood what God was about and why YHWH would send a Messiah (to reward the faithful and condemn the unfaithful).  Jesus was doing His best to completely change that way of thinking.

Jesus mentions the story of Moses and the serpent.  This reference comes from Numbers 21.  The Israelites grumbled against God, so God sent serpents among the people.  The ones who were bit died.  When the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.”

God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole.  Anyone who had been bitten could look at the serpent and would live.  It was a visible act of repentance.

Sin is like the deadly venom of the serpents, and there is only one God-given cure.  The Son had to be lifted up (which we find out later meant being crucified) so that all who believe could live–eternally.

The beautiful part of the story is that God did not want the world to be condemned.  If He had wanted that, He wouldn’t have sent Jesus.  God loves us and that is why He wants us to have eternal life.

Most people are drowning in a sea of sin.  Death is eminent, but they refuse to grab hold of the lifeline that Jesus has offered them.  They are destined for death by their refusal to repent.  They are drowning because they love their sin more than t hey love righteousness and they are ashamed of what the righteousness might expose about them.

Those who come into the light are there by the grace of God, and their righteousness is not because of the things they have done, but because of the things Jesus did.  The only way Christians can stand in the Light is by putting on the righteousness of Christ.

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“Rabbi, We know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

When Nicodemus said this, was he speaking for all the Pharisees?  What if they recognized that Jesus was from God and still plotted against him?  They weren’t just angry because of Jesus’ message, they hated Him because of His power.  They set on a course to run God out of Israel so they could set themselves up as gods among their people.

Oh the Pharisees would never say, “bow down and worship me.”  They were devout Jews, but the did insist on keeping the rules and making sure everyone else kept the rules–and the rules added to the rules.  They emphasized right actions.  To them, perhaps just knowing Jesus was from God should have been enough.  From this perspective, Jesus’ answer makes a lot more sense.

v. 3 “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Just knowing in your head isn’t all it takes.  It’s about yielding your life to the Spirit.

Maybe Nicodemus was sent to deliver a message from the Pharisees, “We know you are from God, now can you lay off with the miracles.  You’re making us look bad.”  I guess we will never know why Nicodemus came to Jesus that night, but we can be sure that Jesus rocked his world.

v. 9 “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’”

Jesus had caught Nicodemus’ attention by challenging the basic assumption that right actions/head knowledge is enough to please God.

Jesus had some hard reproof to offer.  “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?”   Then they sat down and Jesus shared the heart of God with Nicodemus the Pharisee.

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One quiet night, the Pharisee Nicodemus slipped quietly out his front door. The moonlight softl illuminated the streets.  He pulled his robe tight around his arms to ward off the cool spring breeze.  Silently, he made his way through the streets to the house where the teacher Jesus was staying.

When Nicodemus found Jesus, he said, “We know that you are a teacher come from god.  You couldn’t do what you do and say what you say unless God is with you.   Do you have some time tonight that we could talk?”

I have always suspected that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night because he was concerned about what the other Pharisees might think.  After a talk with Jesus, did Nicodemus get it when he left?  Was his life changed? Did he ever understand?

Even talking face to face with God, Nicodemus was confused about matters of the Spirit.  I am glad that the Holy Spirit has patience and is willing to show me the same lesson over and over.

Do I still come to Jesus by night?  Am I afraid of what other people will think?  Am I willing to listen to what He is trying to teach me and keep asking questions until I understand?

Maybe Nicodemus came by night because it was the only time he had that he could focus on talking to Jesus.  As I go through the day, I am bombarded by interruptions.  Being able to have more than one thing running in my mind doesn’t help me get quiet and focus on God.  At the same time, God created me so that I can do mental multi-tasking.  I suspect that when our baby is  born, I will not have the luxury of uninterrupted quiet time.  There will be some things that are necessary to multi-task on (i.e. praying and minding the kids).  On the other hand, there are a lot of distractions running in my mind (like checking e-mail and worrying about today’s to-do list).

Part of my preparation for devotions should be to create an environment with minimal distractions, and my prayer is that I could set down my worries for a few moments and focus on my Savior

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Passover was supposed to be a holy celebration.  The streets of Jerusalem were crowded as all the people of Israel came to worship at the temple.   Jesus also went to Jerusalem to worship that year.

When He arrived at the temple, he found a livestock market being held in the temple courts.  Some opportunistic businessmen had decided to make a little extra money by selling animals for sacrifice.  The market was being held in the outer courts of the temple.

Weary travelers were delighted not to have to search all over Jerusalem for a suitable animal to purchase.  They eagerly turned over their money before entering the temple to worship the Lord Most High.

The noise in the outer courts was outrageous!  The Sheep baaed loudly, and the Oxen mooed and stomped.  Doves cooed.  Over all this was the shouts of salesmen and moneychangers hawking their wares.  A barnyard would have been a quieter place to worship.

Jesus saw all this and He burned with anger.  Grabbing some cords off a table nearby, He made a whip and drove out all the businessmen and their animals.  The ones who were selling doves quickly, nervously gathered up the bird cages and headed for the gates.

In the silence after the storm, the other worshipers stood in shock.  The only sound in the temple was that of Jesus dumping the money boxes out onto the ground and overturning the tables.

As the men who were selling doves reached the gates, Jesus said, “Do not make My father’s house a house of merchandise!”

The disciples stood off to the side shuffling their feet.  They were uncomfortable with the way that Jesus had handled things.  “Do you really think he is the Promised one?  Would the Messiah act in such a way in the temple?”  They whispered to one another.

One of the disciples spoke up, “Remember when David wrote ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten me up.’?  Is this not evidence that the Lord is with Him?  Maybe Jesus is the Messiah.”

If the body is God’s temple, a Christian’s goal should be that God is glorified through the things we do.  What do we do in, with, and to our body that distracts from our ability to worship God?  

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Today’s Bible Study: John 2:1-11

This chapter begins “On the third day” this is likely refering to the third day that John (the author) was following Jesus. This is assuming that John is the unnamed disciple in John 1:35-42.

This is the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at a wedding. I wonder whose wedding it was that Jesus decided to revel his glory and perform his first miracle. I suspect that it was family or close friends since Jesus and his mother had been invited. I imagine that the disciples wer “invited” when they showed up with Jesus–kind of like a bunch of college kids showing up on the weekend.

“And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’

Perhaps this was the wedding celebration for one of Jesus’ siblings. Maybe a close cousin. Mary had authority over the servants to tell them what to do, and she was aware that the wine was running out when the other guests (even the master of the feast was not aware of it).

Jesus’ first miracle was done quietly. Only Mary, the servants, and the disciples knew what had happened (v. 9).

Verse 11 describes the significance of this story: ” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

This quiet first revelation of Jesus’ glory contrasts greatly with the coming final revelation of Jesus’ glory at the marriage supper of the Lamb when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

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Today’s Bible Study: John 1:43-51

Baptism should always mark the beginning of your ministry.  It is a death to the old life and the life of a new life. Jesus began his ministry with his baptism, and immediately people began to follow Him.

Jesus’s first two disciples were originally followers of John the Baptist.  Even though they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, they didn’t really “get” what Jesus was about until after He had been crucified, resurrected, and taken back into heaven.  Even without “getting” Jesus’ mission, these first disciples were compelled to follow Jesus.  When it comes down to it, Jesus must have been a fun guy to hang around–great storyteller, incredible sense of humor, and an out-of-this-world understanding of human nature.  I mean, let’s be honest, if Jesus was boring, how would he have gotten 12 guys to follow Him around for 3 years straight?

Within 2 days, Jesus had picked up 5 disciples, and been recognized as the Messiah–this was before He had even performed any miracles!  In spite of popular views of Jesus, he wasn’t a boring guy who went around preaching all the time and condemning people for their sins.  He was (and is) a cool dude.  Better get used to the idea.

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Today’s Reading: John 1:35-42

It is two days after John the Baptist was questioned by the Priests, Levites, and Pharisees and the day after he first saw Jesus.

To be honest, I don’t know if these are literally “the next day” or if they are John (the author’s) way of saying “The next thing that happened.” I don’t think that it really matters either way, and for the purpose of this blog, I am going to assume that they are referring to literal days.

I must decrease.

In two days, John the Baptist has seen Jesus twice. Both times, John proclaims, “The Son of God,” and “The Lamb of God!”

By this time, John the Baptist had a pretty good following of disciples. Most people, when they get in some position of power, do everything within their power to hold on to that power. Upon seeing Jesus, John the Baptist didn’t hesitate to say, “Hey guys, stop following me. This Jesus, He’s the one you should be paying attention to. He’s the one with the answers. He’s the one I’ve been talking about all along.”

John the Baptist gave up his own power (over his disciples) to proclaim the truth of Jesus. One of the hardest things that we have to face as Christians is stepping aside, giving up self, so that Jesus can be glorified. The truth is, that God deserves all the glory, and we deserve none of it. I have a hard time with getting that idea switched around backwards and taking all the glory for myself.

The excitement of a new believer

Jesus’s first two disciples had originally been followers of John the Baptist (v. 35-36). Andrew and an unnamed disciple (probably John, the author of the gospel), saw Jesus, heard John the Baptist’s proclamation, and left to follow the Messiah.

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’” (v. 41)

Do you remember the enthusiasm and passion you felt as a new believer? For me, it has been a long time since I was a “baby Christian”, but sometimes I find that passion welling up inside of me, and I cannot contain my delight and thankfulness. I want to laugh, dance, and tell the world–all at the same time.

The Jews has been waiting for the Messiah for hundreds of years. When Andrew started following Jesus, he probably wanted to laugh, and dance, and tell everyone around him. We do know that the first thing he did was go invite his brother Simon (Peter) to the celebration.

What would Jesus Name you?

The last scene in today’s Bible reading is Jesus’ first meeting with Peter. I always laugh when I imagine the scene.

In Bible times, a person’s name was very significant. If you think back to Old Testament stories, God often renamed the Bible fathers at a time when they began to follow him. Some examples of people whose names were changed: Abram/Abraham–exalted father/father of many, Jacob/Israel–the Deceiver/wrestles with God.

The name, “Simon” means “One who hears” or “obedient.” Jesus met Simon and recognized his impulsive nature and hot temper. Jesus says, “Simon, you are rocky. You name will be Cephas (Peter) which means rock.”

I imagine that Andrew was laughing in the background thinking, “You could say that again.” and Jesus sat back with a smile knowing that Simon Peter would truly become a rock who hears from God and obeys. After Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter became rock solid in his faith and mission of building the Church.

I wonder what name Jesus would give me? What secret story does He hold for my future?

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Today’s Reading John 1:29-34

The day after John the Baptist was questioned by the Priests, Levites, and Pharisees, John saw Jesus coming and recognized Him immediately.

John recognized Jesus in the womb, and he recognized Jesus immediately when he saw him later. It’s interesting that before the siting in John 1:31, John did not know who he was preparing the way for. I am guessing that they didn’t hang out as kids even though Jesus and John would have been cousins.

In both cases (pre-birth, and as an adult) John recognized Jesus because he heard from God. I am always amazed that in the Bible, the people recognized the voice of God and knew exactly what to do. This goes against the modern idea that God is difficult to hear or understand.

Finally, in verse 33, John speaks of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit. He puts baptism by water side by side with baptism with the Holy Spirit. In this case, I think we see that one (water baptism) is incomplete without the other (Spirit baptism).

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Todays bible reading: John 1:24-28

In John 1, there are 2 groups of religious leaders questioning John the Baptist. The first group, which we read about in the last post, were the Priests and Levites. They asked “Who are you?”

The second group of religious leaders questioning John the Baptist were the Pharisees. They asked, “Why are you acting this way?” This is interesting because the Pharisees were a sect of the Jews who focused primarily on the strict observance of religious rituals. Their religious focus was right behavior rather than the hope of the coming messiah.

v. 25 “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

In the Matthew 3 and Mark 1 accounts of this same incident, we see that John the Baptist was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4)

In that day, this was a new idea. There were a lot of different ritual washings as a way to purify oneself, but none that were related to the repentance and forgiveness of sins. The pharisees were likely questioning what authority John the Baptist had to institute a new religious practice.

Through this questioning, John’s answers keep pointing away from himself and towards Jesus. I think he was probably trying to say, “The Christ is coming! Indeed, He is here already. Stop worrying about me and go find Him. He’s the one you are looking for.”

One remarkable thing about the life of John the Baptist is that he sought no glory or recognition for himself. Everything that he did or said was pointing towards Jesus. He had an incredible humility, but he was probably the only person on earth who truly understood the nature of Jesus.

If we really understand and know God, pride and self-conceit would be impossible.

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Today’s Bible Reading John 1: 19-23

During the life of John the Baptist, and right after his death, many people thought that he was the Messiah.  The Apostle John (the author of the gospel) recognized this and intertwined the story of John with the history of Jesus to counteract the idea that John the Baptist was the messiah.

The climax of this argument comes in John 1: 19-23:

He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely” I am not the Christ.” (v. 20)

(more questioning from priests and Levites)

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ” I am the voice of the one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (v. 23)

John’s purpose was to prepare a path for the Messiah.  The words of Isaiah the prophet are found in Isaiah 40:3

A voice of one calling in the desert: “Prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

Preparing for a Divine Messiah

In the prophecy of Isaiah, this verse uses the word YHWH (that’s why “LORD” is in all caps).  This is the name of God, but a Jewish tradition/superstition had come up against actually speaking the name of God.  John used a word that would be considered a title “God” much like we would have the title “Mister” or “Doctor” or “Your Majesty.”

Through John’s reference to the prophecy of Isaiah, John once again pointed to the divinity of Christ.  The word used by John, kyrios, was also used in the New Testament to refer to God–the Father.

What’s the significance of Elijah?

In the Priest and Levities questioning of John the Baptist, they asked him:  “Are you Elijah?  Are you The Prophet?”

There is a prophecy in Malachai 4:5-6 that Elijah will walk on the Earth and bring people back to God before the day of God’s wrath.

I suspect that the Priests who were questioning John were trying to put him into a defined box.  If this happened in modern days, they would probably ask, “Are you a pastor?  A Sunday school teacher?  Maybe you are a church planter?”

John the Baptist was squirrelly with his answers.  He didn’t give a straight answer, but probably hoped that the Priests and Levites would be curious and ask more questions.  You see, the interrogators weren’t there because they wanted to know who John the Baptist was, they were sent by the Jews of Jerusalem (v 19).  John was probably trying to lead them into a deeper understanding of the Messiah?

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