Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Do you desire to see God?  It is an interesting question.  I think a legitimate answer can be NO. I DO NOT want to see God.  I could be afraid of what I might see.  Probably, this reveals our sinfulness and humanity and limitations.  Probably the "right" answer is YES, I do want to see God.  To know HIM is to LOVE Him.  What is there not to like abut God?

Phillip asks Jesus to just "show us the Father and it is enough".  He's right.  If we could really see God, it would be a great day's experience.  Jesus then explains that the Father dwells in the Son, works in the Son, and His Words are in the Son.  It is Jesus that makes the Father known.

So we ask for access.  Show us Yourself Father.  Help us desire this revelation.  Help us to want to see You.  Grow our desire to be satisfied in our vision of You.  And then, of course, in the light of the teaching of this passage, give us an unfettered education by Jesus.  May we obtain our new yearning by knowing Jesus' works, words, and ways.  

Please consider with me today whether you desire to see God.  Share this podcast.

Welcome to a wonderful new section of scripture.  I wonder if it will withstand the rigors of sincere inquiry?  Probably, every other word does.  

It is the LAST DISCOURSE, which initiates a new covenant of intimacy and fellowship that never ends.  It starts in a room, then goes to a way, and ends in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Where I am, you will be also.  We get a little Be with me today. Look for that.

We get a little Way the Truth and the Life.

We end with a heavenly dwelling.

Join me in the beginnings of a great revelation and reality of Jesus.  Thanks for listening.

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Covenants were often sealed with blood.  A sacrifice was often associated with covenants to commemorate their seriousness. 

At the (His) Last Supper and (Our) First Supper, Jesus mentions the Blood of the Covenant.  1 Cor 11:23-27 calls it a NEW covenant.  Apparently, the temporary, imperfect, sin-represented covenant of Moses just didn't quite cut it.

The NEW COVENANT is beautifully described in Jeremiah.  There we hear of an indwelling God, with our hearts changed.  I will be their God and they shall be my people.  Wow!  Rainbows! Eureka! Jackpot!   Bingo!  BE WITH ME!  Where do I sign up for that?

Not so fast.  There is this sin problem we gotta fix first.  You cannot stand in unfettered fellowship with God when there is SIN between you.  You have got to get to "I will remember their sin no more" status.  So then, how do I get there?  You gotta have a perfect, one time, for-all sacrifice.  Of course that is Jesus...and His suffering...and His crucifixion...and His blood.

Then, the JUSTICE of God is satisfied by the Just sacrifice . Then we get the BE WITH ME.  We get unfettered, unencumbered access to God who now is written on our hearts. 

Do you see that we get the RAINBOW of relationship via the BLOOD of Jesus?  That is the "NEW COVENANT in my Blood" that is the essence of the Lord's supper.  The celebration then of communion is then both a PARTY and a FUNERAL. A Rainbow and Blood.  Listen please.  Subscribe and share please.
 

Bread and Cup never cost so much.  During a meal, Jesus carves out a "first Supper".  It is His Last supper; it is everybody's last Passover, and it is our first time at the "Lord's Table" in this way.  It is the most EXPENSIVE meal-ette of all time.

We start with Sin. It is the wrench that has been in the gears of our relationship with God since Adam.  Every single one of us has been affected by it.  Just try living life for one day.  You'll see.  We are separated from God because our sin has a penalty in God's perfect justice.  So our fellowship with Him is impaired, even prevented.  "No, you can't live here with Me.  No, you can't BE WITH ME.   There is something horrible between us."

Then comes the expensive, glorious part:  We get this representational meal of a substitutional sacrifice.  Because of it, God FORGETS our sin.  He treats us as if it never happened.  Poof.  "We are good".  Taken care of.  Atoned. 

By the end of the meal-ette, our history is changed to us being viewed as having never sinned.  So not only do you get to live with God in the future, you get to live with God in the present.  Listen and try to get your arms around this with me by using simple tools of bread and cup.

Then go share this podcast with the first sinner you find.  That shouldn't be hard.

Talk about raising the bar!  At the almost 11th hour of Jesus' life He drops a bomb of LOVE.  A LOVE-BOMB.  Love has been in the relationship of God to man and man to man since time started.  So it is nothing new, except for one thing:  Now you are supposed to love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.

So how high is that bar?  Steadfast. Sacrificial. Til the end. Unto death if necessary.

So high in fact, that everybody is supposed to NOTICE, and even KNOW that you are associated with GOD HIMSELF. 

Interested?  If not, then here's yet another kick in the pants:  It is a commandment.  It takes place on "Maundy Thursday". This is the Thursday evening that is a critical part of the "24 hours".  Maundy is the Latin word for COMMANDMENT.  It is COMMANDMENT THURSDAY.  It is a commandment of love.  It is a commandment to "love like Me"

Share your love.  Share His love.  Share this podcast.

Jesus is troubled in spirit.  I wonder why?  Part of it is that Jesus himself is going into a BUZZSAW of the passion, the suffering, the abandonment, the beatings, and the crucifixion .  WHEN Jesus is troubled, unsettled in spirit, the Scripture TELLS US WHY.  It is because that one of you is going to betray me.

So who exactly is Jesus troubled for, Judas or Himself?  I have always assumed Himself. 

I think the text pushes us otherwise.  I think, at least part of the reason Jesus is troubled is watching JUDAS WALK VOLITIONALLY INTO A BUZZSAW.  Judas was Jesus' friend.  Judas was Jesus' friend.  3 years. 24/7 of days that ended, "I had a GREAT DAY with you!" That's how you get a betrayal.

Lead us not into temptation.  Lord help us stay close and obedient.

Please share this podcast after you give it a listen and see if you agree with me.

Today I try to make an argument AGAINST washing other's feet.  Specifically, I don't want to be involved in any unclean, warty, smelly, deformed, degenerated or ugly feet.  Give me the beautiful, the swift, and the easy feet.  Are there such things?

I'll start with arguments of ignorance, we'll see how the Lord does against my protests.  You can guess who has the better case.

Here is the WONDER part of today.  Jesus KNEW Judas was going to betray him in a few hours.  AND YET, HE WASHES HIS FEET.  Also, when Jesus says follow my example, and do what I do, He SPECIFICALLY does NOT EXCLUDE one of the worst guys in human history. What?!?!?!?!  Jesus doesn't let us get away with "selective service" in identifying only the beautiful feet.

The challenge is to be like Jesus.  With Jesus' example and teaching, who on earth should we, or even COULD we reasonably exclude?  His church today is to be a blanket of service, love and care over all nasty feet everywhere.  Listen and see if you could be doing something differently.  

Please share this podcast.  

It is always a good thing to be "stuck" on a bible passage.  That usually means good stuff is coming.  It means that treasures are going to be unearthed by the sweat employed in getting un-stuck.

My being stuck today revolves around JUDAS. What was this bad guy doing there at the last supper and at the foot washing?  We are in a tender moment of intimacy of last minute instructions of Jesus to the clueless disciples, and there is a wolf among them.  Psalm 41:9 teaches us where betrayal has to come from: a CLOSE friend.  Otherwise it is not BETRAYAL.  It is just common enemies and adversaries. 

So why is Judas there?  Two reasons come to mind.  As an example, and I will wonder about that tomorrow.  The other is FOR OUR BELIEF.  The bad guy JUDAS, is prophesied over by Jesus.  After that prophesy comes true in a couple of hours (World record!) something is supposed to happen.  It is supposed to result in our belief. 

You mean that Judas can result in people BELIEVING in JESUS?  That is what the Bible says.  Listen and see if you believe it.  

Who are my people?:  people in the church, people outside the church.  No problem there.
Who are my people's PARTS?:  Now wait just a minute.  Their FEET?  Their nasty bits? Their overworked, over-dirtied, and probably more stinky than I might like parts?
What are my duties?: Wash. Humility. more Humility. Serve.  Bow.  Get on the floor.  Just try washing a foot sometime.  The floor will be involved.
Why?:  I'd like to get out of this if possible.  Jesus examples this.  Then after exampling, incase you missed the actual illustration, He describes and explains and commands it. Just as I have done to you.
Who am I?: This is not my job only if I don't understand who I am.  Jesus helps with that too: You are servant.  You are bondservant.  You are messenger.  I am Lord and Teacher.

We'll be looking for feet to wash today.  Join me in this great bowing down.

Please share this message.  Better yet, find a collection of feet to wash.

In 2001 Kiefer Sutherland began to play Jack Bauer, a fictional protagonist that has 24 hours to stop some epic evil plot. The series went on for 10 years, had a reprise, and a movie. 

Similarly, our study today begins with the first minutes of the most important 24 hour period in all of history.  You could argue for a couple of other periods, but you get my point.  We've been wondering about the "Great Week".  If so, then this is the GREAT DAY.

Think about this.  In the 24 hour period that we are starting on right now Jesus:

• concludes the celebration of Passover for all time and initiates communion
• washes feet
• predicts His betrayal
• initiates new teaching on love, the Holy Spirit, abiding, and His presence
• gives the high priestly prayer for current and future believers
• SINGS A HYMN (I wonder which one?!!)
• wrestles in the Garden of Gethsemane, is betrayed and arrested
• never eats, drinks, or rests again
• Has 3 Jewish trials, and 3 roman trials
• is beaten, mocked, scourged, and carries a cross 
• is crucified and forgives, cares, and teaches from the cross
• dies and is taken down and buried by Joseph and Nicodemus before the 24 hours is up

So you might wonder, WHAT IS THE OPENING SCENE of this incredible drama.  Jesus is going to walk into a spiritual, physical and emotional BUZZ SAW.  How then do we find Him?  Listen and find out.