Tag: John

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Serving a life sentence.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Apostle John does an amazing job, transitioning from a journalist for Jesus to a hard hitting, truth telling, author. He even becomes a powerful prophetic voice, miraculously beating death, then recording the apocalyptic book of Revelation! As a highly respected Apostle, mentor and elder statesman of the Church, his letters are both gentle, but fiercely poignant! I would say this, when looking at all the teachings, miracles and behaviors of Jesus, John becomes the best first step of not just interpreting Jesus’ ways, but of understanding the motives of God. John’s letters are also the best way to answer the question, “how then shall we live?”

Here in these verses John breaks down the audience of the very young in faith, the “teknion,” little child. The elders of faith, “patér,” a father, or senior. And, the youth of faith, “neaniskos,” a young man or youth. These groupings possibly identifying the simple stages or maturity levels of those who walk with Jesus.

To the young, understanding the beauty and power that God’s forgiveness of sin has on us as we look at our past. Even though we still sin, the freedom to see ourselves as new creatures, is vital for us to move forward in our faith.

To the elder, the mature, to “ginóskó,” to come to know, recognize from first hand experience who God is, has always been and always will be. This is a steady, unwavering faith, that rides the swells of tumultuous moments and of time, where doubt can cripple our faith later in life.

To the youth, who’s faith MUST “nikaó,” to conquer, prevail and subdue the “ponéros,” evil, wicked, pain-ridden, malicious, slothful seasons of attacks, traps and pitfalls of life. This conquering is a quest of a cool Greek root word, “niké,” victory!

These phases or seasons of life are such a powerful story of how one should determine to live their whole life as a solid follower of Christ. From babes to mature, from milk to meat, as the Apostle Paul puts it. Each season has its own battles, its own victories. These letters John writes are for encouraging and admonishing us to move from childish to full stature adults in being formed into the image of Christ Jesus. Each season can bring a person’s faith down. Each one has its own challenges and opportunities. Yet, with Christ we can, every one of us, be more than conquerors! There seems to be so many who have “fallen away,” “deconstructed,” or just chosen to walk away from the grace of God. I know it’s not easy to live a whole life of unwavering faith, but I am determined, despite my sin, distractions or doubts. I will serve and follow God all the way to the very end of this life! I am serving a life sentence of FAITH!

Prayer

Dad,
I am so thankful for the men who gave their lives for the continuation of the gospel. What a supernatural, providential gift this has been for all of us, eons later. I absolutely love Your Word! I fell in love with you first but immediately discovered that to know You, I had to know Your Word. It is truly eternal and life changing. I am yours to the very end!

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God Math – 10 to 1.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. ‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭33‬-‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John is the only apostle/journalist to write about Jesus’s foot-washing experience. Jesus, knowing the Father had given him authority over everything, grabbed a towel and started washing feet? Wow, such a powerful moment!

Peter complained about how awkward, no… backwards, this was. Jesus then tells him about the master model, when the teacher sets the expectation of how things are done, you do it. Jesus teaches his learners one more illustration – it’s God Math. Jesus told them, “I am giving you a new commandment.” Can Jesus add or subtract anything from God’s commandments?

When Jesus points out the ONE, he’s boiling down, simplifying and communicating what God asks of us. The 10 commandments were the law. Jesus, earlier on, talked about getting down to 2 commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus even told them, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40). Ten laws simplified into two. Now Jesus does it again, ten to two to one. “Love one another. As I have loved you” (John 13:34). Many of the New Testament letters to the churches continue to quote Jesus words – 1 John 3:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Galatians 6:2; 2 Peter 1:7.

Yet, the new isn’t a replacement of the old ten commands, or even the two commands (love God, love others). This new simple and easy to understand command doesn’t do away with the law or our obligations to God and each other. No, it’s new in terms of the best way to go about fulfilling the ten or the two – it’s new and improved, not new to substitute.

When we think of the best way to love others. When we think about how to resist judging others, thinking we are far better or superior in our faith. When we think about how much patience, kindness and mercy we will need to go the full measure of love towards someone. We should think about how God has done so to us, and in us.

God loved me so much that he forgives. God is extremely patient and merciful – time and time again. That’s exactly how we should love others! When I realize that I get frustrated when folks ignore my attempts to love them, keep failing my expectations or outright betray my love – my first thoughts could be. “Oh yeah, I’ve done that to God!” Yet, God still comes after me, forgives me. Loving others as God has loved me fulfills the law of Christ!

Prayer

Dad,
I can easily see how this works when I get frustrated or even judgey with others. I just need to remind myself of how I WAS or how I AM in my relationship with you. It’s easy to just admit, “I’m not perfect.” It’s much harder to remind myself that others aren’t either. If I can receive grace for myself, I should certainly extend it to others! Thank you for the simple way to help me love you and love others by just following your example.

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Power to serve.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” ‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If the gospels were to sum up one thing in the retelling of all the miracles Jesus did, it would be this – Jesus had all authority. Mark’s book consistently highlights, Jesus also had all power. All power and authority over EVERYTHING. What does one do with all that power? To be able to speak and your every command is carried out?

This is what is so shocking in John’s book as Jesus heads into the final moments with his closets friends. Just follow this thought that John lays out. Jesus knew… He knew the Father had given him authority and that He had come from God and would return to God. So then… then what? What does Christ do with that knowledge, that confidence? John says he got up, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist and poured water into a bowl. Are you able to mentally picture this scene as John gives a step by step view of Jesus’ behaviors. Now, Jesus looked like a servant, a slave. Someone you would hire for the night to tend to guests as they came into your home and left their dirty sandals on the stoop then walked in with the dust of the day on their feet. Every person in the room knew what this looked like. Every reader of this story knew what this felt like.

The radical role reversal was that Jesus IS God and he now would take on the persona of a servant. Jesus washed the disciples feet. Is it humiliating to have someone wash your feet? Sure, today it is. Was it humbling to have it done then? No, not by the lowest person of cultural status. But it would be extremely difficult to let the hands that multiplied loaves of bread, touched the blind eyes to make them see or reached out to grab a little girl’s dead hand and raise her to life. Those same hands on my dirty feet? No way! No wonder Peter was aghast saying, “you might as well wash my armpits as well then!” You get the idea.

This is what God looks like in all His might, power and authority? With all justice, judgment and wisdom across the eons of time and space? Yep. Take a selfie quick, God cleans my dirty feet. This gives Jesus the perfect time to tell the disciples (and us) His one final, summary command. Get this, Jesus wrapped up all the laws, all the commands, all the rules of faith and conduct towards others right here in John 13:34, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Take all the authority that Jesus clearly gives His followers, take all the power of Christ’s name and use it, apply it in this way – love one another! Just like Jesus served them by washing their feet, this is how the body of Christ, the people of God should be treating each other. Do you see the filth of the day caked on your brother or sister in Christ? Don’t judge them as dirty, grab a towel and a bowl of water and serve them.

Prayer

Dad,
In some of my most depressing days, when I have been down and struggling to get a clear view of your grace, I have had friends reach out and figuratively wash my feet. I had so much yuck caked on my soul, but they tenderly reached out and encouraged me, spoke hope into my life. This is the way! This love for you gets transferred into a humble love of serving one another. How beautiful! Help us keep that in mind in the whole body of Christ as we live as examples of how to distribute true power and authority.

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That hour.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John‬ ‭12:27-32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Up until last year I had no real sense of the timing of all that surrounds Holy Week. As a church we decided to focus on “The Way of the Cross” or the stations of the cross. I did a sermon series called, “Talk about it” because I had a feeling that although the majority of the world knew much more about Holy Week and Jesus journey from the Garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha because of Catholicism, that many protestants and pentecostals knew virtually nothing. I confess, that was me. I had no idea of the intensity of the last twelve hours of Jesus life before the cross, from 3 am to 3 pm.

In the garden Jesus asked God if there was a way around this “cup,” this “hour.” I had always understood Jesus’ arrest, illegal mock trials, torture, humiliation and eventually the absolute most inhumane way to die the reason Jesus was troubled about this last hour the cup of suffering. Jesus would experience all of that being completely innocent, doing nothing wrong. He would in fact experience the worst injustice of any human that ever lived! But none of that eleven hours was what Jesus was trying to avoid. He was fully aware of what that kind of suffering would be like.

If you’ve seen Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, you know that it was a miracle that Jesus physical body could even make it to the cross. He had been without sleep, food or water. He had been beaten so badly that his blood loss was significant. But still, none of that was the reason Christ asked to avoid THE HOUR. It’s an hour that only the Son of Man, Son of God COULD experience and feel the absolute terror of those moments. None of us, as humans, will experience that hour until after death and judgment.

The reason Jesus wanted any other way for salvation, for a fulfilled contract to be paid, for justice to be satisfied and for ultimate glory to be brought to God was a complete and total separation from God, because God cannot look upon sin. The moment that Jesus cried out “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (My God my God why have you forsaken me?) it was because Jesus BECAME, he bore, he embodied OUR sin! And the feeling he felt had never been experienced before – a complete and ultimate separation from God. God not only turned away, he withdrew his presence that Jesus had intimately been acquainted with since conception in Mary’s womb. And in the moments of that last hour he experienced an eternity of darkness. And, in those three days of being dead, he made a trip to Hades, freeing prisoners from the place of waiting. Christ was still at work even after death!

PRAYER

Dad,
After all these years of walking with you and I am still experiencing new and deeper understanding of who you are and what you have done for US! I find myself more amazed, more grateful and more excited to see how it all ends. It makes me long for the finish line, not to escape this world’s mess, or the struggles and sin in this life, but just to finally make complete sense of ALL OF IT. We still do see with dark panes of glass and try to figure out what reality looks like through dirty glasses. Soon we will see clearly and we’ll also see you face to face! I look forward to that.