Jesus replied:  ”love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22: 37-38

What does it mean to love the Lord this way?  How do I know I love God?

I have been married long enough to know that Love isn’t just the passionate romantic high that Hollywood likes to show as true love in the movies.  Lasting love is more about walking side-by-side day in and day out.  Doing the things that I know will make him (both God and my husband) happy.  When we see this kind of love and unselfishness in the movies, it is being mocked as outdated or unrealistic (e.g. The Stepford Wives).

From the beginning of creation, in the Garden of Eden, God didn’t obedience out of necessity.  He gave Adam and Eve the choice to love Him and trust Him and obey Him or to reject him and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Bible defines loving God as obeying Him.

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

–John 14:21

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

–1 John 5:3

This is probably what James was talking about in James 2:17 when he said, “Faith without action is dead.”

If loving God means obeying His commands, I know that I do not love God as well as I should, and I never can love God as well as He deserves. This is where God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice come into play.  Even though Jesus has paid the price, and I don’t have to earn eternal life, I obey God’s commands as best I know how because I love Him.  I study to learn and understand His commands because i want to become more and more like Jesus.

The more I love God, the more I obey God, the more I realize my own sinfulness, the more I long for the day when I can love Him perfectly.

Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven , and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

What an amazing worship service that will be!  When every eternal soul wherever that soul is will recognize Jesus at Lord and God will be glorified by every single soul that he has created!

My heart jumps for joy at the thought.

Yet I feel my throat constrict with fear.  I know that the day of judgement is coming and there are people I love dearly who will not be brought to their knees until God forces them there.

He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), and so do I.

I wish I was more confident in sharing my faith.  I wish I felt more equipped.  I know that I have the Holy Spirit to guide my words.  I pray that God will open my eyes to opportunities to share my faith with non-believers.

In John 10:7-10 Jesus describes himself as “the door.”  I have been a Christian for over 22 years and I have never considered what it means for Jesus to be the door!

I’ve read those verses and thought, “Oh that’s a nice little visual.  A wall and a door.”

Before Jesus lived a sinless life on this earth and died on the cross it was like Mary Lenox in the book The Secret Garden. She knew there was a garden but there was no door.  She looked and looked and looked but she was shut out.

With Jesus’ death, the Ivy blew back and suddenly there was a door in the wall to the garden!  Without Jesus, there is no way into the garden.

Once you are into the garden, what do you do?  That’s where the Holy spirit comes in.  He is a guide (John 16:13-14).   He shows you how to cultivate the garden and make it beautiful.  He guides you where to work.

The final goal of entering this garden is that God may be glorified and that He will one day say to you, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

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.

“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.

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

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?  

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!’”

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.

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?