John 19 – Consistently in Christ

“After [Jesus' crucifixion] Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

Joseph had been a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared that being a public disciple would ruin him. It was only after Jesus had died that Joseph was willing to publicly align himself with Jesus. It was not until he believed Jesus to have failed that Joseph was willing publicly proclaim faith in Jesus. We know nothing else about Joseph of Arimathea. I have often wondered what happened to him after Jesus resurrection. Was he one of the multitudes in the upper room on the day of Pentecost? Was he one of the disciples who ultimately deserted Jesus? We do not know.

It is not good for us to wait until a moment of failure to publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus. On Monday we need to be the same person we were on Sunday. In public we need to be the same person we are in private. In failure we need to be the same person we are in success.

Do not wait for failure to publicly proclaim Jesus. Live every moment of your life so that everyone can see the light of Jesus in you.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 18 – Truth is that which has been/is being revealed

Jesus: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.

Pilate: So You are a king?

Jesus: You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.

Pilate: What is truth?

Interestingly, Pilate does not allow Jesus to answer this rather philosophical question. Rather, Pilate goes out to the Jewish leaders and tries to barter with them.

What is truth? The Geek Word aletheia literally means the state of not being hidden; the state of being evident. Stealing a few lines from wikipedia, “aletheia is the truth that first appears when something is seen or revealed. It is to take out of hiddenness to uncover. It is not something that is connected with that which appears. Allowing something to appear is then the first act of truth; for example, one must give attention to something before it can be a candidate for any further understanding, for any understanding of space it must first somehow appear. Untruth, then, is something concealed or disguised.”

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 17 – What hung heavy on the heart of Jesus?

Jesus prayed, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

As Jesus was approaching his death he did not pray only for himself, he did not pray only for those disciples with him, and he did not pray for only his time and generation. Jesus also prayed for all those who would come after and believe in his name. Jesus prayed specifically for you and me that night. Two thousand years ago, the eternal destiny of you and I hung heavy on the heart of Jesus.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 16 – Bibliolatry and the Holy Spirit

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

I fear that many contemporary Christians underestimate the importance of the leading of the Holy Spirit in living out our Christian faith. The Holy Spirit was sent to be our guide, to lead us in the ways of God.  But I know too many Christians who reject the role of the Holy Spirit because they claim it is too subjective and experiential. These Christians want an objective concrete truth; so often the elevate the Bible above God (Bibliolatry).

I believe the Bible was given by God to reveal Himself to humanity. I believe the Bible is true. I believe that the leading of the Holy Spirit will not be in conflict with the truths presented in the Bible. But, I believe the Holy Spirit is living and active presence of God who “will guide [us] int all truth”, who will speak God’s words to our hearts and disclose God’s will.

Christians can not live out their faith if they are afraid of experiencing God. We must simultaneously hold onto the objective and the subjective and be willing to accept the ambiguity that will always exist in the presence of God.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 15 – So this is how grapevines feel

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

If you are a Christian, if you have a faith in Jesus, then I can guarantee that God is pruning you. How is God pruning you? It is very healthy to regularly look at your life and assess how God is pruning you.

The unfortunate part of pruning is that it is usually somewhat painful. God is using people and situations to smooth out your rough edges and make you better able to be a productive member of the family. It is no fun to be pruned, but it is a constant reality.

To use good technical seminarian words, God is sanctifying us; He is leading us toward perfection. None of us are going to reach perfection anytime soon, but it is the end point.

Sin is not usually something we want to give up. It is usually something that gives us some feeling of pleasure, security, comfort, etc. But it is a false feeling. Giving up our crutches and fully relying on God is difficult.

How is God pruning you? What can you do to help the gardener prune you?

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 14 – The leading of the Holy Spirit

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.’”

We need to be responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. By listening to the Holy Spirit we are able to keep Jesus’ word. However, we have to actually pay attention to the Holy Spirit. We can easily ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit; we can easily convince ourselves that we know better than the Holy Spirit. We need to practice quieting our hearts and minds so that we can hear God speaking to us.

When was the last time you intentionally quieted your heart and mind? When did you last spend time listening to God, without speaking? How can you train yourself to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 13 – Humility

“Then [Jesus] poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

I have a really difficult time humbling myself to the level Jesus was willing to humble himself. We Christians talk a good game about “the first being last” and being “a servant of all”. But overall I don’t think we’re very good at living out lives focused on serving others.

What can I do this weekend to focus on being less selfish? What can I do to be more humble? What am I currently unwilling to do, that I need to get over?

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 12 – More thoughts on judging

“Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.’”

There will be a time of ultimate judgment, and the one who makes the judgment is God.

What is the role for judgment in the world today? Are we to judge? What are we to judge? Who are we to judge?

I should be constantly judging my heart and determining if I am receiving and acting on the words of Jesus and on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Beyond that, my responsibility is to reveal Jesus to the world around me by my words, actions, and attitude. If my focus is on revealing Jesus then I can speak the words of Jesus and say, “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 11 – The fatalism of Thomas

“Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.’”

It is better to die with Christ than to live for self.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 10 – Thieves and “Other” Sheep

“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.’”

Jesus is the only one who can bring us into a relationship with God. Without Jesus we would be separated from God by our sins. With Jesus we can be reunited with our maker and creator; the Lord of all.

There have been, are, and will be lots of people who claim to be able to unite us with God. These people are thieves and liars who come to steak and kill and destroy. These people are seeking out power, wealth, and self-salvation. The only true power is the power of God, the only true wealth is the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the only true salvation is the salvation which comes through Jesus Christ.

I find Jesus statement in 10:16 interesting: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

Is this a reference to gentiles? Is this a reference to other nationalities or ethnicities? Is this a reference to other religious systems (don’t label me a heretic for asking the question)? Is this a reference to individuals without direct knowledge of Jesus responding to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 9 – Some thoughts on judgment

“[Jesus] said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’  [The man who had been blind] answered, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’  Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.’  And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped Him.  And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.’  Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, ‘We are not blind too, are we?’  Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, “We see,” your sin remains.’

How does Jesus statement “For Judgment I came into this world” gel with his statement in John 3:17: “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Judgment in 9:39 is the Koine Greek Word krima; John 3:17 uses the word krinw.

In general krima refers to a legal preceding, deliberation, decision or action. BDAG makes special note of krima used in John. “In J k. shows the same two-sidedness as the other members of the krinw family (‘judgment’ and ’separation’; s. Hdb. on J 3:17), and means the judicial decision which consists in the separation of those who are willing to believe [from] those who are unwilling to do so”.

krinw, on the other hand, generally means to set apart so as to distinguish or separate. BDAG makes note that krinw in John 3:17 speaks to the judicial process of the divine tribunal, specifically to the condemnation or punishment which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict.

So, in John 9:39 Jesus is saying that he came into the world to be the dividing point upon which ultimate judgment is made; those that receive Jesus will be ultimately separated from those that do not.

In John 3:17 Jesus is saying that the time of judgment has not yet come. Jesus’ first incarnation on earth was to bring about the opportunity for salvation. Divine judgment and its related punishment/reward is reserved for a later time.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 8 – Why must I believe in Jesus?

‘And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”

They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free ‘?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.”

They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”’

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 7 – Turn evil to good

Twice in this chapter it is written “but no one laid a hand on [Jesus]“. The mob was thinking of taking him before the authorities to be tried for heresy but not one laid a hand on him because it was not yet his time.

There are times in life when God prevents evil things from happening, but God does not prevent all evil. There came a time when Jesus was taken, hands were laid on him, and he was crucified and killed. I would argue that the crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest evil the world has seen: humanity killed their God. But God turned the greatest evil to the greatest good. Through the resurrection of Jesus we can be reunited with God.

God does not stop all evil, but neither is God responsible for all evil. God allows us to do evil and allows evil to happen. Just as we have the free will to do evil, we have the free will to turn evil to good. This week, when you see evil, don’t bemoan the fact that there is evil in the world, or mutter a few prayers and forget it; take the time to turn evil to good.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 6 – Finding balance

“A large crowd followed [Jesus], because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.”

For the most part Jesus did three things while he was on Earth: he preached repentance, he entered into relationship with those around him, and he cared for those in need. These are the same three things the Church is called to do. We need to be sure that our church communities have a healthy balance of these three activities. If we are not preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND living lives in relationship with the lost and the saved AND caring for the needs of others, then we are failing. i need to consciously align myself with people who will enable US to meet all three needs.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 5 – What is the Bible?

The following words may show up in your Bible, but they were almost certainly not a part of the original text:

John 5:3b-4 waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.

This phrase appears to have been added by a later scribe in an attempt to explain verse 7:

John 5:7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

In all likelihood the scribe was trying to explain why it was that the man wanted down into the water. This scribe was probably working with good motives; trying to make it easier for those who would come after to understand what is going on.

Does it change the meaning of the text? Possibly. At the least it gives an event that may be mere legend, more validity.

How does it make you feel to know that someone may have added to this book which became part of our Bible? Does it affect what you understand the Bible to be? Does it trouble your faith? If so, your faith may be in the wrong thing.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 4 – Evangelism

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’…[Jesus said to his disciples] ‘Thus the saying “One sows and another reaps” is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor’…[The Samaritan people] said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’”

We need to tell people what Jesus has done in our lives. If we keep it to ourselves then we fail to plant, water, or reap the harvest growing in our neighbors lives. If we share what a relationship with Christ has meant for us, we may plant a seed of faith, or we may encourage a seed that was previously planted, or we may help our neighbor make the final decision to turn to Christ.

Everyone needs to be born again as a child of God; to recognize the light of Christ which is calling them toward God. We have a responsibility to represent the light of Christ to the world around us.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 3 – Night is a popular time to go to Jesus

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’”

I have always wondered why the first Greek word “pneuma” is translated wind and the second is translated “Spirit”. Did Jesus mean to express two separate ideas or is he referring to the same idea and we need to adjust how we understand Spirit/wind. I’m sure there’s a good dissertation out there on this subject that I need to read.

Overall this is where we begin to learn more of what John introduced in chapter one: how to be a child of God. In chapter one we learned that all who receive/call on the name of Jesus have been given the right to be children of God. Here Jesus goes further by saying we must be born again of the Spirit. So we may be able to infer that to be a child of God we must receive Jesus who will rebirth our spirit via the Spirit of God.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 2 – Tonight we’re going to party like it’s 29CE

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’

‘Dear woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come.’

His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

Over the years I’ve heard lots of people try to explain the point of this passage. Some comment on how it Mary is being somewhat presumptuous in her request. Others try to say that it would be sinful for Jesus to make alcohol to aid in the drunkenness of the revelers so he must have made grape juice. Others comment on this being the first of seven signs or miracles in the Gospel of John.

I have a simpler reading of this passage: when you’re celebrating, drink the good stuff with good friends.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

John 1 – My favorite passage in the Bible

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

For me, this is the most theologically significant passage in the Bible. This passage from John is what I base my understanding of salvation upon. It is through this passage that I read the rest of the Bible. At the end of the day I believe that Jesus reveals himself to all people and all those who receive Jesus are made a part of God’s family. That is the Fundamental Theorem of Christianity. If anyone receives Christ then I consider them my brother or sister, and look forward to spending eternity with them in the family of God. All other theological considerations are secondary family debates that should never be a reason to break fellowship.

I know lots of people who want the Psalms read on their death bed. I have always said if someone starts reading Psalms to me while I’m dying, I will tear the Bible from their hands. This is the passage I want read. When I leave this world I want to go out with the words of John 1 guiding my soul to the next.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment 

Joshua 24 – When have we failed you, God?

“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.’ The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the LORD.’ Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’”

One way of reading the Bible is a series of conversations between people and God that goes something like this…

God: I will bless you if you obey me.
People: We will obey you.
G: Okay let me help you
P: Come on God, it’s us, we can do it ourselves.
G: I can make it easier for you.
P: God, we got this.
G: Are you sure.
P: You are just like our parents.
G: I just want you to succeed.
P: God, it’s us…when have we failed?
G: (silence)
P: Come on God we got this.
G: You’re sure you want to do it yourself?
P: For the last time God, we got it.
G: I’m going to hold you to that.
P: Don’t worry, we are totally in control.

Filed Under Bible Study | Leave a Comment