Refocus

In John chapter 1 verse 38, two of John’s disciples begin to follow after Jesus. And at one point, He turns to them, and He says, “What do you seek?” Wow! That’s a pretty important question I think for all of us to consider: What is it that we’re looking for from Jesus?

And if I’m honest, I have to say that a lot of what I seek from Jesus is pretty selfish. I want comfort. I want encouragement. I want provision, and protection, and guidance. And much of my praying is about that kind of stuff. And I don’t think that’s necessarily bad. I mean, Jesus is the One we need to turn to for all of those things. But, I’m not sure the answer to the question from Jesus to me today – “What do you seek? – ought to be purely selfish.

And the answer of the disciples to Jesus that day was, “We want to know where You’re staying. We want to know where You are. We want to be where You are.” To me, that’s the right answer.

What do you and I seek from Jesus today? May it be we seek to be where He is, experiencing what He wants us to experience, doing what He says we should do. We want to be where He is.

John 6:28-29 “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’”

God is perfect in love.

He could never love us more based on what we do or don’t do and he can never love us less based on what we do or don’t do.

Even though God’s love never changes, we know that we can grow in favor. Luke 2:52 tells us that even Jesus grew in favor with God and with man.

In John 6:28-29 it says, “Then they said to (Jesus), ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’”

What are we called to be and to do? We are called to be believers and we are called to believe.

So, what moves God? What impressed Jesus when He was on the earth? We see that certain people in the New Testament especially impressed Jesus, and it was people who demonstrated remarkable faith.

In Matthew chapter 15:21-28, we’re told the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman. Do you remember her story? Her daughter is possessed by a demon and she comes after Jesus begging Him, walking behind Him and asking Him repeatedly to heal her daughter. It seems for quite some time that Jesus ignores her! Nevertheless, He finally turns to her and says, “‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.’”

We see this repeatedly when Jesus interacts with people. He is impressed by faith; he is moved by faith. But this is some kind of faith! This is faith that persists when it seems that God doesn’t care or when we feel we’re “not qualified” to receive.

There will be times in your life when it feels like the Lord is passing you by, when you beg and beg and feel like He is not hearing you. But be assured Friend, He is there and listening and giving you the opportunity to show your faith in His goodness and His love.

We too can be disciples that impress the Lord with our faith in Him.

In John 5 verses 27-29, Jesus describes His role as our judge. In the preceding two verses He referred to Himself as the Son of God who can right now offer spiritual life to those dead in their sins if they will simply respond to His voice calling them to faith. But here, as He describes a future occasion when His voice will call all those who have died physically to either a “resurrection of life” or a “resurrection of condemnation,” He says His authority to execute this judgment is on the basis of what the Father has given Him as the Son of Man. And this change in title is worth noting.

Jesus is both Son of God and Son of Man. He is fully divine and fully human. And this is what uniquely qualifies Him to be both eternal-life-giver, and judge. As Son of God, He personally paid the penalty for our sin so we could have the payment of His suffering and death applied to our record by faith. And as Son of Man, He victoriously stared down every kind of temptation and has first-hand knowledge of every form of human experience so that as judge, He alone has the righteous authority to administer it.

When those who have refused to receive His offer of salvation during their lifetimes stand before Him on that future day of judgment, there will be no excuse, no alibi, no defense. But if you’re hearing me say this, that doesn’t have to be your story.

In verse 29, there’s a very wonderful and hope-filled use of two different Greek words that are often translated by the same English word, “done,” or “did.” Jesus says that the resurrections of life and condemnation are the result of having “done” good or “done” evil. But, He’s not saying that a person’s eternal destiny is based on whether or not they’ve racked up sufficient good-works points. Ephesian 2:8 & 9 make this crystal clear.

The word translated, “done,” in the first instance describes a one-time act. In the second, the word is about something habitually done. The Lord is saying that with one act, placing our faith in His saving grace, we can insure our “resurrection of life” and wipe out the consequences of habitually turning our backs on Him.

Now that’s good news! If you haven’t yet, receive it. And if you have, share it.

We are certainly living in the last days.

We know that because it was announced by Peter on the day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago, as he quoted from Joel’s prophesy. Sure, we live in the last days.

But don’t let that freak out, instead think about the reality that we are living in the days of salvation.

Some like to talk about judgment, God judging nations and peoples, I choose to instead talk about salvation and rescue.

Scripture tells us that the Father has given all judgment into the hands of the Son, Jesus is the judge.

What is uniquely wonderful, in these days in which we live, is that the judge is not currently hearing any cases.

John chapter 3 tells us that, "God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Again in the Gospel of Matthew we clearly see that the Son of Man has come to save that which is lost.

There was a time when James and John where traveling with Jesus, and they went into a Samaritan Village to prepare for Him, and the people rejected Him. Luke chapter 9 tells us when the disciples saw this they said to Jesus,

“Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?

Jesus turned and rebuked them and said, you don’t know what manner of spirit you are of.

Pay attention to this next sentence, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them."

Yes we live in the day of salvation, the time that we get to partner with Jesus in seeing people saved.

Yes there will come a day when He will judge the world in righteousness, but that’s not today.

Today is the day of salvation. Let’s continue to partner with Jesus’ agenda.