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The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Agape: Authentic Love

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples as they proceeded with the Passover meal. Jesus abruptly announced that one of them would betray him. He was teaching us lessons of acceptance. How do we accept those who have hurt or betrayed us? While we may not condone another person’s lifestyle because they are not living according to Biblical precepts, we are to show love and acceptance to them, regardless. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it bears repeating, “If you claim you love Jesus, then you must also love Judas.” After washing Judas’s feet, placing him at the privileged position to His left at the meal, and offering fellowship to Judas by handing him food, we see that Judas’s heart is unchanged.

Our scripture for today is John 13:18-30. Behind those closed doors at the Passover meal, Jesus turns to the remaining 11 disciples and teaches them of Agape: Authentic Love. Follow along as I read.

In 1970, Francis Schaeffer wrote The Mark of the Christian, a tiny volume with a weighty message. You will not find anything about bumper stickers, fish emblems, lapel crosses, or cleverly marketed bracelets. For that matter, you won’t read a word about biblical doctrine or church membership. Instead, the book is about the one true mark of a Christian: love.

John 13 is a penetrating, challenging chapter to read. Jesus taught His disciples about humility and acceptance—lessons that would not impact them completely until the truth of Judas’s betrayal became a matter of history. Once Judas had disappeared into the night, Jesus continued His review of fundamental Christian teaching, which begins with love.

Throughout John’s narrative, Jesus has spoken of a coming “hour” in which the Son of God would be “glorified.” Jesus announced the arrival of His hour using a form of the Greek term doxa five times in two verses. Doxa derives from the verb dokeō, which means “to believe, to think.” To be glorified is to be revealed in such a way as to be thought good. To be glorified is to be vindicated in the eyes of all witnesses. Therefore, the concept of glory in Jesus’ vocabulary meant that the truth He had been teaching, and the truth of His identity would be vindicated in the eyes of all humanity. His identity as the Word in human flesh would be confirmed by going to the cross, rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven.

With the departure of Judas to betray Him, the process of glorification had begun.

Jesus understood that the betrayal of one disciple would ultimately end in His conquering death for all of humanity. However, the remaining eleven knew nothing. While Jesus had often predicted His death and had promised many times to rise from the dead (Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Mark 9:9; 10:34; 14:28; Luke 9:22; 24:7; John 2:19–22), His closest followers failed to connect the dots. As far as they were concerned, Judas’s betrayal and Jesus’ death represented the end of all their messianic hopes. Therefore, He reassured them in simpler, more direct terms. Jesus knew he had to speak to them as if they were children. He wanted them to know that God’s plan had not been thwarted; His impending ordeal was necessary.

Jesus revealed three facts to reassure His disciples:

His leaving was imminent.

People would look for Him.

No one could come with Him.

And the announcement stunned them. Jesus had been the center of their world for at least three and a half years. They never expected that to change.

As the men sat in bewildered silence, Jesus issued a completely new command. While He would no longer be among them physically, part of their support would come from one another. Just as He had loved them, they were to love one another. The men had finally learned to love their Master and had grown accustomed to His faithful love for them. So he now expected each man among the remaining eleven to cultivate that relationship with the other ten.

The Greek word agapē is rarely found outside the Bible. The Greek language celebrated erōs, an intoxicating, impulsive love between men and women, and honored philia, the warm, noble affection of deep friendship. But agapē remained woefully undeveloped as a term. The human authors of the New Testament needed a Greek word to express the kind of love taught by Christ and commanded by Him in the upper room, but the most common Greek terms wouldn’t suffice. Fortunately, agapē was relatively unknown and largely undefined, so it perfectly suited their purposes. Like an empty wineskin, it waited to be filled with distinctly Christian meaning.

While believers began to adopt this new kind of love, their secular contemporaries decried the steady loss of virtue in Roman society. More and more, their peers exchanged venerable philia for fleeting erōs. The contrast could not have been more absolute as the two cultures moved in opposite directions.

 

A general love of the world, seeking self-satisfaction wherever it can

A love that makes distinctions, choosing and keeping a focus on loving another instead of self

Driven by an intense desire, primarily out of love for self

A free and decisive act is determined by its subject (the person who is loved)

In its highest sense is used to lift and exalt feelings above love for the divine.

It relates to the love of God, loving and lifting others without thoughts of personal benefit or reward.

Seeks in others the fulfillment of its own life’s hunger

It must often be translated as “to show love”; it is a giving, active love on the other’s behalf

Based on John’s rendering of Christ’s teaching, the Lord predicted. Given the contrast with erōs, it’s no wonder! 

While Jesus walked among them on earth, no one doubted whose disciples the men were. Once He returned to heaven, their mutual love should be strong enough to maintain their identity before the watching world. With Jesus physically gone, their love should sustain them. In a genuine sense, the love between Master and Disciple would be multiplied by ten upon His leaving the earth, just like the kernel of corn we considered a few weeks ago. The kingdom was about to explode because of this agape love. (If I ask you if you would rather take a penny doubled for 30 days or $2 million today, what would you take? It is a tricky question; doubling a penny doesn’t seem like it would amount to much, right?)

Well, at the end of 30 days, that $0.01 is worth $5,368,709.12! This is the power of compounding. That includes the building of God’s kingdom. Albert Einstein said: Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.

The kind of love Jesus called his men to express is called agape — the kind that seeks the highest, greatest good of another. If the men had trouble understanding the meaning of this term and how to express it, all they had to do was recall their time with Jesus. He had been their living illustration for more than three years.

When Jesus completed His exhortation for the disciples to love one another in His absence, Peter reacted to the Lord’s announced departure as he often does. We can only imagine his thinking, although it didn’t involve love for his fellow disciples. His passion cannot be denied; however, his motivation was suspect. Jesus commanded His followers to love one another, yet Peter declared supreme love for Jesus, even to the point of dying by His side in battle. The impulsive disciple was ready to defend his Lord … but where was his obedience? He told them to “love each other,” not fight for Him.

Jesus would save the lesson on love and obedience for another time (21:15–22). For now, Jesus stated that Peter’s love was just as fickle as his zeal. The kind of battle Jesus envisioned for the disciples cannot be fought with the type of sword that has a steel blade. He wanted soldiers wielding a sword of truth, obedient to the end, and united in agapē.

Let me read a story from pastor and Dallas Seminary President Chuck Swindoll that explains this concept well. Some time ago, a lady had lost her husband and requested that I conduct his funeral. He was an exceptionally good man and matched well with this woman. They were the rare sort of couple who constantly thought of ways to bring family, friends, and neighbors to faith in Jesus Christ. As she expressed her desire for the funeral service, she said, “I know if my husband were sitting here, he would agree. I want this funeral service to honor Jesus Christ. And I have one neighbor in mind, especially. We have tried different ways to reach her. We’ve had her over for dinner and given her tapes, booklets, and other little gifts, but we have never been able to get through to her.”

So I said, “Okay, let’s pray right now that she’ll be reached in some way through this whole process.” So we did.

I stopped by the morning of the funeral to see how the woman was doing. I was surprised to see her neighbor sitting with her and a steady stream of church members coming and going. Some brought food. Others helped clean the house and did chores left by her husband. One couple offered to drive her anywhere she needed to go and even offered to loan her their car. But, most just stopped by to share her sorrow and to cry with her.

A few days later, my phone rang. It was the widow. Sorrow and joy mingled in her voice as she spoke. “Do you remember the neighbor I told you about?”

“Sure,” I said.

“She stayed until everybody else had gone and told me, ‘My, what love. Were all those people members of your family?’”

Her remark became a perfect opportunity for the widow to say, “Yes. But, differently, than you’re thinking, we’re all from the same family.”

If you have a fish symbol on your car, that’s fine. People will associate you with a movement. Do you display a cross? Nothing wrong with that. People will link you to a religion. If you carry a Bible everywhere, people assume you attend a particular church. If, on the other hand, you display love that is authentic to the core—observable love—then people will know you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

The world struggles to understand love. Most people think mainly of romantic (eros) love, that mysterious sickness that overtakes someone like a delightful case of the flu—can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t concentrate on anything except one’s lover—a disease for which time is the only cure. That kind of love comes and goes as it pleases and trumps all logic. No one knows its cause.

Many accept the existence of family (philia) love, but it’s usually conflicted. In many families, love must be endured on special holidays and for no longer than absolutely necessary. Loyalty is the primary word for this kind of love; kindness is entirely optional.

Authentic love—agapē—embodies the finest qualities of romantic love and family love, but it is permanent and always characterized by kindness. Moreover, agapē bears three distinct qualities that set it apart as distinctly heaven-made.

First, authentic love is unconditional in its expression. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus expressed love for all kinds of “undesirable” people, including Roman collaborators, prostitutes, thieves, religious zealots, rich rulers, working-class people, unredeemed lawyers, and the desperately down-and-out. He turned away no one who desired His love and even wept for those who did not. Authentic love gives without conditions.

Second, authentic love is unselfish in its motive. Agapē expects nothing in return for kindness and gives without regard for self-interest. Of course, it’s easy to love those who express gratitude and who respond with love in return. But authentic love gives kindness to others regardless of their ability to return it, including those unwilling. Loving the unlovely for their sake is the essence of agapē.

Third, authentic love is unlimited in its benefits. Because agapē is its own reward, it always benefits the giver. The satisfaction of authentic love never fades, but only if it’s unconditional and unselfish. Many acts of authentic love leave the giver feeling like they received the most joy from their deeds!

Unlike the thrill of romantic love and the loyalty of family love, which live as emotions hidden within the heart, agapē cannot exist apart from action.

One anonymous poet understood what authentic love means:

Next, now that Jesus has completely blown the disciple’s minds with this New Commandment, He brings them Tranquil Words for Troubled Hearts. Please read John 14:1-24 in preparation.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation of the Word – What Is Your A.Q. (Acceptance Quotient)

Today we continue our series the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we joined Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples and saw him take on the role of the lowest servant as He washed His disciple’s feet.

Today, we continue with Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples as they proceed with the Passover meal. Our scripture for today is John 13:18-30. Follow along as I read today’s passage.

For years, educational systems worldwide subjected students to tests to determine each individual’s I.Q. “Intelligence Quotient.” This quantified each person’s ability to remember facts, think imaginatively, logically organize information, and solve problems. The I.Q. became a means of identifying intellectually gifted students so they might be challenged to maximize their abilities; however, it also became a pretext for pushing a great many others to the fringes of education.

In 1983, Harvard University professor Howard Gardner proposed a new theory, suggesting that intelligence has many different forms. For example, someone can be a mathematical genius, yet have difficulty working his home entertainment system. Another may score the highest I.Q. ever recorded, yet fail to interact with others at the most basic level of competence. Dr. Gardner recognized the existence of “multiple intelligences” and reacted strongly against assigning worth to people based on a single, instead arbitrarily chosen kind of intelligence. Instead, there is more to a person than their ability to solve mental puzzles.

Jesus never valued a person’s I.Q.; He cared much more about developing His disciples’ A.Q. “Acceptance Quotient.” Whereas the I.Q. quantifies an individual’s mental capacity, the A.Q. measures one’s capacity for relationships.

I define “acceptance” as one’s ability to receive others and recognize their worth without holding them to a predetermined standard or requiring any specific performance. Here is how one author describes this freedom, from the perspective of those we choose to accept:

It means you are valuable just as you are. It allows you to be the real you. You aren’t forced into someone else’s idea of who you are. It means your ideas are taken seriously since they reflect you. You can talk about how you feel inside and why you feel that way—and someone cares.

This quality of acceptance, exemplified and encouraged by Jesus, requires some clarification, lest anyone misunderstand.

First, acceptance does not negate discernment. Christian maturity requires discernment. To accept someone is not to be blinded to that person’s weakness, but rather to overlook those weaknesses when choosing to show honor. It is to demonstrate love without regard for another’s flaws.

 

Second, acceptance does not deny human sinfulness. On the contrary, acceptance fully considers sinfulness as one receives another into fellowship. If you’re looking for perfect people with whom to share fellowship, you’re destined to be lonely.

Third, acceptance does offer unlimited freedom for each individual to be openly authentic without fear of rejection. Everyone can be at complete ease knowing that being themselves will not lead to condemnation or rejection. If someone’s lifestyle contradicts God’s precepts, we can still love and accept the person without approving their lifestyle choices.

After Jesus rose from washing the disciples’ feet, He put on His robes and taught them about humility. However, He warned that not everyone around the table would understand the lesson, much less apply it. The fact that Jesus had just washed the feet of His betrayer would become the occasion of His next lesson. Humility not only bows low to serve others; humility also offers fellowship to lowly people.

Jesus announced that someone reclining at the table that evening would not receive any blessing. Instead, one among them who ate the unleavened bread provided by the Son of God would betray Him, which the Lord noted by quoting Psalm 41:9, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” He said, in effect, “The betrayer may think he has cleverly remained incognito, but his treachery was revealed long before he was born.” Make no mistake; this was a final warning for Judas.

Imagine yourself reclining at the table beside Jesus. How would you respond if Jesus named your secret sin and then predicted your doom? I don’t know about you, but I would repent! “No, Lord! Save me from my sinfulness!” But not Judas. Before the beginning of the supper (John 13:2; Luke 22:3–6), Judas had already collected his 30 pieces of silver and had determined to betray Jesus to the religious authorities; he needed to determine the most suitable time.

Jesus knew that Judas’s betrayal would soon shake the faith of the other disciples down to its foundation. So He reassured them in advance. To “accept” one sent by Christ is to receive Christ, and to receive Christ is to receive the Father. (v. 20) He assured His disciples that their acceptance had divine backing.

John described Jesus’ inner state as “troubled in spirit.” It’s the same Greek word standing before Lazarus’s grave before he called him out. It means “agitated,” presumably by deep distress or sometimes anger. I believe the Lord genuinely grieved the loss of Judas. I believe the love He held for His betrayer nearly broke His heart.

 

Jesus stunned those at the table with a revelation of divine truth: one of the disciples would betray Him. As the disciples exchanged inquisitive looks and expressed their alarm, I have no doubt Judas feigned disbelief as credibly as the others.

Apparently, Peter sat opposite Jesus at the table, too far away to have a private conversation. So, he motioned for John to ask Jesus the identity of the traitor. The customary posture for dining was to lie on one’s left side, propped on one elbow, with the feet angled away from the table. John reclined on Jesus’ right. Rather than turn his head, he merely leaned back on Jesus’ chest and looked up. Someone would only do this with a very close friend or relative, but it would not have been an unusual sight around an ancient Near Eastern supper table.

Jesus revealed to John the traitor’s identity with a familiar gesture of friendship. Jesus dipped a piece of unleavened bread into one of the bowls containing a paste made from bitter herbs, or perhaps lamb stew, and gave it to Judas. Apparently, Judas reclined within easy reach, suggesting he may have been lying to Jesus’ left, the honored position at a banquet.

This was Jesus’ final act of grace to Judas. He had washed the man’s feet and given him the place of honor by His side; the Lord offered him, fellowship, despite the sin in the traitor’s heart. We find out that after receiving this fellowship in Matthew 26:25, “Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, ‘Rabbi, am I the one?’ And Jesus told him, ‘You have said it.’”

Verse 27 is one of the most chilling verses in all of Scripture. As willing hearts receive Christ, willing hearts receive Satan. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

Secret sin inevitably warps the mind and twists one’s values. Embezzlers like Judas rarely steal very much at first. But as the pilfering becomes habitual and ritualized, the thief must learn to rationalize his sin or face the awful prospect of repentance. Driven by shame, he must keep his sin a secret. Meanwhile, the cycle of compulsion and shame drives a wedge between his private thoughts and a fastidiously maintained—and often pious—public persona. Eventually, the sinner accepts his public facade as his true self to escape the relentless pursuit of shame. When caught in sin, an embezzler almost always appears shocked. And in some ways, he is surprised by the accusations because he has convinced himself that no one can see the true person he had long ago concealed.

Judas had been cultivating a double life for months or possibly years (6:70–71). His charming religious facade kept a seething resentment safely concealed from others. No one suspected his secret sin, much less wondered about his loyalty. Even as he received the morsel from Jesus and departed into the night without explanation, no one suspected anything.

John wrote of these events some sixty years after they occurred, giving him ample time to reflect. Moreover, the Holy Spirit directed the spotlight of his mind to specific details to communicate profound spiritual truths. Jesus’ life lessons on humility and acceptance occurred while Judas was present. The Lord washed his feet, gave him the seat of honor at the table, and even offered him, fellowship. Because Jesus was fully human, experiencing all of the emotions, weaknesses, and temptations we endure, we can be confident the gestures of acceptance did not come quickly. Grace is often a costly gift to give.

If grace is our defining doctrine as genuine believers, then our ability to accept others is a visible test of our belief. I am unreservedly conservative in my theology and find the greatest kinship among my fellow conservative theologians, so I appreciate their uncompromising desire for pure doctrine and their rapid identification and occasional reproof of false teachers. I join their courageous stand against the world’s encroaching evil. However, must we lower our A.Q. to maintain a high theological I.Q.?

Here are three signs of a falling Acceptance Quotient, three indications that grace has not bridged the gap between one’s head and heart.

First, people with a falling A.Q. are unwilling to accept people without maintaining partiality. Accept people while remaining partial? It happens all the time. The apostle James refers to this when admonishing church leaders; if you remember our study in James 2:1-4, “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’—well,  doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?”

No one outright rejected the man with dirty clothes; however, they expected him to know his place.

Similarly, today, we are often partial in the way we treat people. Deep pockets get the good seats and positions in leadership; people with suspicious backgrounds are welcome, as long as they dutifully wear the appropriate scarlet letter: A for adultery, E for emotional trauma, S for single, or D for (God forbid!) divorce. Once they prove their worth or patiently dispel our suspicions, we might grant them greater access to the privileged inner circle of the fully accepted. How wrong! How unlike Christ!

Second, people with a falling A.Q. are unwilling to accept another’s personal style without criticism. I’m not referring to matters of morality or doctrine, but one’s choice of personal expression. In some churches, the pastor wears a robe. In others, a flashy suit. In still others, business attire. In a great many, jeans and a T-shirt. If Christ is preached and souls are added to the kingdom, who cares about attire!

 

Churches divide over differing tastes in music. Some Christians are unwilling to sit through even one service in which music fits another style. They grouse and complain because others dared to enjoy a worship service they didn’t personally care for. They are willing to accept others who prefer a different style as long as they attend the other service.

Third, people with a falling A.Q. are unwilling to suffer offenses without holding a grudge. People who hold grudges reject others who do not meet their expectations and accept only those who do. That attitude is more characteristic of nonbelievers than genuine members of Christ’s body. I’ve heard more than one nonbeliever reject attending church because “it’s full of a bunch of hypocrites.” I say, “Come on in; there’s room for one more!”

Let’s face it; relationships would go much smoother in churches if they were filled with perfect people. But the key to acceptance is not perfection, so we must learn to set aside offenses and accept one another, not despite our flaws—conditional love—but with our flaws.

Acceptance doesn’t mean we have to lower the biblical standard of righteousness, become like other people, or even adopt their personal styles as our own. Acceptance merely honors the value of other people as the unique workmanship of a delightfully creative God. Acceptance is having the grace to let others be. Intellectually, you are probably very bright, perhaps above average. But how high is your A.Q.? In the kingdom of God, that’s what really matters.

Next, now that Judas has left to perform his dastardly deed of betraying Jesus, we see Jesus focusing on the remaining 11 disciples, teaching them about Agape: Authentic Love for each other. Please read John 13:31-38 in preparation for our next message.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!

The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Humility Personified

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus end his public ministry to focus his final three days before the crucifixion with his disciples to prepare them for the pivotal event. Jesus’s hour, His purpose for coming to earth, was nearly here. In 12:24, he declared, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”

We begin the 4th segment of John’s narrative today. That is Confirmation of the Word, which covers John 13:1 – 17:26. Today, we join Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples and see him take on the role of the lowest servants as He washes His disciple’s feet. Our scripture for today is John 13:1-17. Follow along as I read today’s passage.

As he often does, John only shares select snapshots of the timeline. In this chapter, he takes us to the final evening when the Passover meal is served. As the “hour” of Jesus’ Passion approached, He took the opportunity to spend this final evening with His disciples. In chapters 13-17, he will give them his final instructions until after the resurrection. He knew they were unprepared for the challenging and confusing time they were about to face. Like most people in first-century Israel, the disciples expected the Messiah to claim the throne, rout their enemies, lead Israel to unprecedented power and prosperity, and bring the entire world under His dominion. He had predicted His death and resurrection; nevertheless, His arrest, trials, torture, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and departure from earth would be a terrible shock, like a perfect dream turning into a nightmare.

As the evening passed, Jesus spoke of life and ministry on earth without His physical presence. The disciples quickly began to understand the gravity of these moments. And the same forsaken dread orphans soon gripped their “troubled” hearts once they realized they were alone.

They couldn’t imagine life without Him.

Jesus often stated His identity and even used vivid metaphors to describe His relationship with humanity (John 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 10:9, 11; 11:25), but He rarely spoke of Himself directly. Only once in all of Scripture did He describe His inner self. That occurred as a congregation of Jews gathered to hear Him preach: He invited all weary of trying to satisfy the impossible demands of religion to find rest in Him in Matthew 11:29, Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. The Greek adjective translated as “humble” derives from a verb that means “to make low” or “to make small or insignificant.” Humility was expressed physically by bowing the head, kneeling, or prostrating oneself. Isn’t it significant that He used this term to describe Himself?

Humility is the essential posture of the believer. It does not mean being bowed down in defeat or shame. Our pattern is Jesus. The humble Son of God cannot be defeated, and He has no reason for shame. Though he was “humble and gentle,” the omnipotence, He laid aside for the sake of becoming like us/ could be taken up again in a moment. Humility is not for the down-and-out. On the contrary, authentic humility is only possible for victorious men and women! Only those confident in their relationship with the Lord can be genuinely humble.

As evening fell upon the upper room, Jesus had many lessons to teach; before anything else, He would teach them the all-important, noble art of bowing low.

John opens this narrative section with a summary of Jesus’ ministry among the disciples. While His “hour” was at hand, He had loved “His own” during his entire ministry; now “he loved them to the end;” “eis telos”—literally, “to the final goal.” He had loved them to completion, to the fullest, all the way to the end. He had completed their training. During this final evening with the Twelve, He needed only to review their most important lessons and reveal their immediate future.

John takes great care to note the timing of Jesus’ last meal with His disciples and His subsequent ordeal. Before the end of this section, he establishes a clear connection between the Passover lamb and Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29).

Verses 2–4 form one very long compound sentence. The simple form can be seen by pasting together the first phrase of each verse: “The evening meal was in progress…Jesus…got up from the meal.” The supporting clauses establish the timing and describe Jesus’ inner thoughts so we will understand the full significance of His next act.

Verse 2 reveals that Judas was determined to betray the Lord as he reclined at the table with the other disciples. According to Luke, he had already received the money (Luke 22:3–6) and was looking for an excellent opportunity to hand Jesus to the temple authorities.

Verse 3 reveals that Jesus knew He was about to endure great suffering, die, rise from the grave, and receive glory as the ruler of all creation (see Dan. 7:13–14).

Verse 4 tells us that, despite His knowing all of that, Jesus slipped away from the table and silently traded His robes for the attire of a slave. But not just any slave, the lowest rank of a slave, a slave who washes road grime from the feet of houseguests.

When a host family invited someone to dine in their home in those days, they customarily stationed a servant by the door with a basin, pitcher, and towel. As each guest arrived, the servant removed their sandals (see John 1:27), rinsed each foot, and then wiped away the dirt and water with a clean towel. (Bowl, Pitcher, Towel, Sandals - Dummy) John most likely assumed his readers were familiar with the other three Gospel accounts of this final evening. We know from Luke 22:24 that the disciples had been quarreling again over who among them was best suited for the most prominent positions in the Lord’s new government. Even on the eve of the Lord’s crucifixion, they still expected Jesus to topple the Romans and establish a new monarchy, leading to their promotion. But Jesus came to establish a new kind of kingdom. In the kingdom of God, one receives greater authority through humble service. If anyone in the room deserved to be treated like a king, it was Jesus. If anyone was worthy of devotion, it was the Lord. Yet He took it upon Himself to become the servant of all. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples…all of them…all twelve…including Judas!

Jesus had already washed the feet of several disciples before coming to Peter. The brash disciple protested, saying, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” The Lord reassured His pupil that the significance of the washing—and the whole evening, for that matter—would become clear in time. But Peter protested again, “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Today we might say, “Never! Not in a million years!”

At first glance, Peter appears humble, saying, “Oh, Lord, I should be washing Your feet instead!” But this was not his meaning. Instead, this was self-assertive pride that refuses to accept grace from another, the kind that will not be vulnerable in front of others. If Peter had dirty feet, he would wash them himself! “No charity needed here, thank you very much!”

Jesus reminded Peter that eternity is not his to enjoy apart from grace. Not being a man of moderation, Peter ran to the other extreme, requesting a bath! But Jesus rejected his interpretation of foot washing. Because Peter believed in the Son of God and had received salvation from sin by grace, he was already clean. (Perhaps we could say, “Once bathed, always bathed!”) However, God’s grace continues throughout our lives as believers, whose feet collect dust from the world.

Jesus’ predominant themes throughout the evening were the need for continual communion with God, the help of the Holy Spirit, love and unity within the body of believers, and the danger posed by the world. His opening illustration brought these themes together. While the believer has been cleansed of sin in the legal sense—past, present, and future sins will not be counted against them in eternity—the believer will continually struggle to remain clean experientially before entering eternity. That is why we go before the Lord daily in prayer.

John’s editorial comment reminds us that Jesus knew Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray his Master, yet even he received this touching act of grace.

Once Jesus finished His opening act of humility, He began to teach. First, he explained His purpose. Then, in classic instructive fashion, He posed a carefully crafted question to His students. He asked them to interpret the meaning of His washing their feet. I suspect He entertained some creative responses, which were undoubtedly funny. Then He established two principles of humility that were to become foundational to His kingdom. (Bulletin Insert)

First, humility doesn’t discriminate; humility is expressed equally to all. Jesus didn’t ask His students to wash His feet in return, but to wash the feet of one another. Let’s face it; most of us would stand in line to wash the Savior’s feet because He’s worthy! But how many are ready to wash the feet of another person in the church, particularly someone we don’t like very much? This lesson hit the disciples even harder when they recalled that Jesus bowed before Judas to wash his feet and the others.

Second, humility turns the structure of authority upside down. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus stated flatly in Mark 9:35, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Jesus, as the King of the new kingdom, reduced Himself to become the least of humanity, taking on Himself the sin of the world—becoming sin, as we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” He was then suffering the most humiliating death ever devised by man. While no other human can possibly match His humility, we have been summoned to imitate our Master.

We do not become “great” in the new kingdom by suffering crucifixion; the need for sacrificial death has been completely satisfied by Christ. Instead, we become “great” in the new kingdom by bowing low to serve one another.

Let me be completely transparent with you. I find the idea of foot washing—literal and figurative—much easier to teach than practice. But Jesus didn’t promise to release blessing upon those who teach foot washing, but to those who do it. Humility isn’t learned in a classroom or even a Bible study. Humility is a behavior one chooses to make habitual, even to the point of forgetting about “greatness” or becoming lowly. The people I remember as genuinely humble rarely thought about themselves at all. They didn’t need to. The blessing they received while serving others provided all the contentment any man or woman could desire.

Jesus taught humility through His example; He personified humility. Let us resolve to learn humility as He taught it.

When Jesus laid aside His outer garment, dressed Himself like a slave, and bowed low to wash His disciples’ feet, He taught the disciples several important lessons about humility, not the least of which is that humility is an action, not simply an attitude. One does not feel humble or think humble thoughts. A person of genuine humility has no thought of self at all. Humility is a behavior, and in its purest form, involves little emotion, except perhaps affection.

With that in mind, allow me to draw a few principles from Jesus’ lesson on humility.

First, humility is unannounced. Jesus didn’t rise from the table and boldly announced, “I am now going to demonstrate humility.” He simply began washing feet. Once someone calls attention to their deed of service, it becomes contaminated with pride (Matt. 23:1–12). Therefore, one doesn’t announce a humble act before or after it is done. (Jesus broke this rule after washing the disciples’ feet for the sake of instruction, but it was the only time He did.)

Second, humility is being willing to receive service without embarrassment. We usually feel embarrassed by deeds of service and kindness from others because we perceive that the normal “rules” of status or rank have been breached. In Peter’s mind, the lesser should serve the greater. Jesus inverted this worldly norm. The “greatest” in the kingdom of God serves and receives service without considering status, worth, or rank.

Third, humility is not a sign of weakness. Jesus did not serve His disciples because He was weak, needed their goodwill, desired approval, or coveted their loyalty. On the contrary, Jesus, none other than almighty God, bowed low to serve the people He loved. He washed those twenty-four feet because they were dirty and needed washing. This practical task also served as an ideal teaching opportunity. We must look for opportunities in everyday life to be a teaching moment.

Fourth, humility does not discriminate. Jesus washed the feet of every disciple in the room, including those of Judas, the man He knew had already made plans to betray Him. Jesus didn’t line up the disciples in order of closeness, loyalty, or any other standard. He didn’t wait for the traitor among them to depart on his evil mission before washing their feet. Instead, he washed the feet that needed washing without favoritism or prejudice. I saw a quote online a couple of weeks ago, which made me stop and think. If you say you love Jesus, then you must also love Judas.

Fifth, humility includes serving one another, not just the Lord, because they are the same. Serving the Lord is the greatest delight in the world. Helping one another may not seem as rewarding, but it is impossible to separate them. We may think the Lord is worthy of service and easy to love, while our fellow soiled and sinful brothers and sisters are not always lovely and frequently fail to express gratitude. Nevertheless, genuine humility doesn’t seek reward other than the joy of service itself.

Matthew 25:40

Sixth, the joy of humility can only be experienced through humility in action. Humility comes through doing, not merely reading about it, hearing others talk about it, or seeing others practice it. Jesus demonstrated humility and then urged His disciples to follow His example. Humility is serving, and being served, without regard for status or rank, will define our mutual experience in heaven, so why wait? God has encouraged us to create a little bit of heaven on earth. Humbly serving is part of that rich and satisfying life we should live each day. We are citizens of His kingdom. He has given us the ability…so what are we waiting for? We are to build God’s kingdom until Christ returns to finalize the kingdom and restore a Global Eden.

Next, we will see Jesus betrayed by Judas, but Jesus teaches us what true acceptance consists of in a message titled, How High is Your A.Q. (Acceptance Quotient)? Please read John 13:18-30 in preparation for next week’s message.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Seeking Before Hiding

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw the religious leaders in Jerusalem come to a breaking point. They were losing control over the Jews, and their important positions with Rome. In Chapter 11:47-48, “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.’”

We also saw that one of Jesus’s 12 disciples broke down with his greed. After seeing Mary anoint Jesus with $50k of perfume, he was ready to betray his Rabbi, who he had followed for at least three years.

Today the tide is turning as we see Jesus entering Jerusalem as King. Our scripture for today is John 12:12-50, starting on page 1671 in the pew Bible. I will read it in sections throughout the message as we have done in other lengthy passages.

see, your king is coming,

seated on a donkey’s colt.”

John’s narrative suddenly shifts from the fragrant banquet room in Bethany to a bustling street leading into Jerusalem, where thronging worshipers had come in anticipation of the Passover feast. As with other feasts, worshipers wondered if Jesus would attend and eagerly watched for His arrival (John 7:11; 11:56). Upon His arrival, they lined His path to the city with palm branches and clothes, shouting “Hosanna!” which means, “Save us.” Their shouts included words from a messianic psalm (Ps. 118:26).

Jesus had entered the city of Jerusalem many times during His ministry, but this “triumphal entry” to the capital of the Hebrew nation differed in one primary respect. He no longer visited as a worshiper; on this day, He claimed it as King. However, unlike a conquering warrior king, He entered the city on a symbol of peace. He rode on a humble donkey rather than sitting high in the saddle of a prancing white steed or riding in a stately chariot behind a team of horses. John quotes Zechariah 9:9 to stress that Jesus fulfilled a well-known messianic prophecy.

“Daughter Zion” is a tender expression for the citizens of Jerusalem.

The events of this day wouldn’t make any sense to the disciples until after Jesus ascended to heaven and they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

On the other hand, the Pharisees understood the event’s meaning too well. But unfortunately, their reaction belies their true motive. They prized the approval of men above all else. Above truth, above the Law, above even the welfare of Israel. Because the arrival of the Messiah would shift the people’s loyalty away from them, leaving them powerless, they had no other option but to eliminate Jesus. This next event probably happened the following day.

These “Greeks” may have been “God-fearers,” Gentiles interested in converting but, for whatever reason, unable. For example, eunuchs were not eligible. More likely, however, these were proselytes. Full participation in the Passover feast was open to any Gentiles who joined themselves to God’s covenant with Abraham through circumcision and water baptism by the first century. Why they approached Philip and not one of the other disciples is a conjecture. Perhaps they were drawn to his Greek name, which means “lover of horses.” Philip then took them to Andrew (another Greek name, meaning “manliness”), and the pair took the proselytes to see Jesus.

Somehow, the curiosity of the Gentiles signaled to Jesus that His “hour” had arrived. Throughout His ministry, Jesus had been anticipating the time when He would be “glorified” (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20), which He defined as suffering death, rising again, and then ascending to heaven (7:39; 12:16, 23; 13:32). The Lord appears to direct His response to the broader audience, while ignoring the proselytes completely. It’s likely that Jesus met with the “Greeks” in private, and that John chose to highlight the significance of their coming to Him rather than the details of their conversation.

Jesus had come to the Jews with the gospel, which had accomplished its purpose; it attracted “His own” while repelling nonbelievers. If Jesus’ path to the cross consisted of a series of gates, only one remained. A prophecy was fulfilled when the Gentiles came to see Him and perhaps even believed. It was a prediction quoted by Jesus during the cleansing of the temple in John 2. (Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46): Remember, John included this event toward the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. He drove out the money changers and those to sell animals from the Court of the Gentiles to purge the corruption and open up God’s worship to all nations. This cleansing was an important symbolic act, as we can see in the following:

who serve him and love his name,

who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,

and who hold fast to my covenant.

I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem

and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.

I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,

because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

For the Sovereign Lord,

who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:

I will bring others, too,

besides my people Israel.”

Jesus knew that once this final element of the Father’s plan had fallen into place, nothing stood between Him and the cross. His dreadful hour had arrived. In celebration of that moment, Jesus outlined the rest of Christian history in just three sentences: He explained the theological basis of His substitutionary death on behalf of sinners (John 12:24), “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Next, he articulated a primary principle of the kingdom that He would apply personally, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Finally, he called for believers to follow His example through discipleship, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

I was out of wheat stalks, so let me use an ear of corn for an object lesson of Jesus’s teaching. From a single kernel, 1-2 ears per stalk, 700-800 seeds per ear, if all 1500 of those kernels were to be planted by the 3rd generation, there would be 2,252,200 kernels of corn. The kingdom of God would grow in this manner.

After the cleansing of the temple, Christ proceeded into the temple.

The realization that nothing stood between Jesus and the cross gave a touching glimpse of His humanity. In a particularly transparent moment, we see the Lord overcome by dread; He knew He would face agony on a cosmic scale, far more than the physical pain of crucifixion. Nevertheless, it was for this agony He came to earth, a fact the Father verified in a voice heard from heaven.

Some understood words, while others heard only thunder.

Jesus reaffirmed His earlier teaching that the proclamation of truth is a form of judgment by which individuals decide their fate through either belief or unbelief (3:18–19; 5:24; 9:39; 12:48). His use of the phrase “lifted up from the earth” is another instance of an intentional double meaning. In the literal sense, the phrase was a familiar idiom for crucifixion, a death He would endure on behalf of all. He calls “all people” to die with Him by proxy (Rom. 6:3–8). In other words, anyone may appropriate His atoning death (which paid the complete penalty of sin) to their account through belief. Those who choose not to believe will not benefit from this gift of grace, thus judging and condemning themselves. Yet, figuratively, the phrase “lifted up from the earth” also describes His rising from the dead, ascending to heaven, and calling “all people” to join Him there.

Jesus declared that His substitutionary death—appropriated through belief—is the fatal blow to evil. Evil obviously lingers for a time, but its demise is inevitable. However, the death of evil can be a present reality for the believer, who finds they are no longer enslaved by sin through faith in Christ (Rom. 6:8–9).

The crowd immediately understood the literal portion of Jesus’ assertion that He, the Christ, would be “lifted up from the earth.” However, their challenge reflects a theological problem concerning the Messiah, which persists among Jews today. The Messiah described in the Old Testament is a warrior king who will conquer Israel’s foes, lead them into prosperity, and rule from the throne of David forever. Yet He is also a suffering servant who will die on behalf of His people. How can a dead man vanquish any foe and rule from any throne?

To solve the conundrum, many Jews theorized—as many do today—that the Messiah would be two individuals acting in concert. However, the Jews in Jesus’ day hadn’t considered that a single individual might die on behalf of His people and then rise from the grave to become their everlasting King. Unfortunately, the people in Jesus’ audience didn’t pick up on the symbolic aspect of His statement. (They did not understand the 1st and 2nd coming of the King.)

 

After Jesus completed His revelation, He retreated to the safety of seclusion, not to avoid death—He came to earth to die—but to invest His final hours preparing His disciples.

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

and hardened their hearts,

so they can neither see with their eyes,

nor understand with their hearts,

nor turn—and I would heal them.”

The remaining verses in Chapter 12 are a two-part postscript to the end of this section of John’s narrative. The first part (12:36–43) consists of John’s editorial comments regarding the state of belief among the people of Israel. The second part (12:44–50) summarizes Jesus’ teaching throughout His ministry of three-plus years.

Excursus: A Tale of Two Hearts When the Bible states that the Lord “hardened” someone’s heart, what exactly does it mean? At first glance, it would appear unjust. How can the Lord justify punishing someone for rejecting Him when God had “hardened” the person’s heart? Perhaps the best example of divine hardening can be seen in the contrast between Moses and Pharaoh.

These two men began their lives under similar circumstances. Both grew up in the household of the Egyptian sovereign. Both received an education in the schools of idolatrous priests. /Both enjoyed a standard of living far above the mud-pit existence of slaves. Both became heir to all the privileges of royalty. However, their paths diverged when God intervened in the life of one. Though Moses was guilty of murder, the Lord hid him on the other side of nowhere and devoted forty years to transforming his character.

 

Pharaoh, on the other hand, continued his privileged existence in the palace of Egypt and eventually became its sovereign. He did not suffer the humiliation of becoming a fugitive; he did not endure the hardscrabble existence of an itinerant shepherd in the wilderness. Instead, he spent forty years living just as he had before.

When the proper time arrived for the next stage in God’s redemptive plan, He brought the two men face to face. Moses demanded the release of the Israelites, but Pharaoh refused, claiming the right of sovereignty over them. At that moment, the Lord could have batted an eyelash and reduced Egypt to a piece of lint on the history page. Instead, He responded with a series of afflictions, which gradually increased in severity. His stated purpose in Exodus 9:16, “But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”

Pharaoh stubbornly dedicated himself to evil in direct opposition to God’s redemptive plan. This was Pharaoh’s personal choice. He chose evil; God did not choose it for him. However, the Lord “hardened” him; God solidified his resolve to pursue the evil deeply embedded in his heart. And the Lord was completely righteous in doing so. He does not owe grace to anyone. Therefore, He was no less just to allow Pharaoh to remain in his chosen evil and suffer its consequences. Moreover, the Lord turned Pharaoh’s evil into an opportunity to assert His sovereign claim over the Israelites and demonstrate His power to triumph over evil.

In Romans, Paul recounts the divergent paths taken by Moses and Pharaoh to vindicate the righteous character of God (Rom. 9:14–18). Their story does this in two ways. First, it demonstrates God’s grace; He intervened in the life of both men, giving both ample opportunities to humble themselves and accept His right of sovereignty. Second, it demonstrates God’s justice; He responded to each man according to his choice.

By the end of Jesus’ ministry, He successfully divided believers from nonbelievers, willing hearts from rebellious hearts, and He confirmed each individual in their choice. He received willing hearts with grace while “hardening” others (John 12:37–43). And by hardening, Scripture declares He solidified the resolve of each rebellious person to pursue the evil deeply embedded in their heart.

John quoted two passages from Isaiah to explain the unbelieving response of Israel’s religious leaders. Both support his explanation that the nonbelievers were “blinded” and “hardened” by God and, therefore, could not believe. While this sounds patently unfair—How can someone be prevented from believing and justly punished for unbelief?—one must understand the nature of divine “hardening.” In the case of Jesus, the truth became how hearts were either softened to the point of surrender, or hardened in their chosen state of rebellion.

John qualified his indictment of the Jewish leaders by noting that some believed secretly and remained silent for fear of losing...

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – The Breaking Point

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead for four days. Jesus proclaimed in verses 25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

Today our message will be in two related parts. First, we will read John 11:45-57. I am overlapping the last two verses from our last message to tie in the context, then later in the message, we will cover John 12:1-11, so keep your Bibles open and follow along as I read.

Have you experienced or been confronted with a “moment of truth”—that sweet and terrible instant when the truth about some particular unsavory or unethical matter in your life can no longer be denied, minimized, rationalized, or disguised? There it is, in all its stark, unforgiving glory, demanding a choice. You can continue to bury the truth and then live in manic, strained denial for the rest of your days, or you can submit to that truth and then rest in its freedom, even though you may have to accept the consequences. If you have faced such a moment, you know—try as you might to find it—there’s no compromising middle way that will allow you to avoid the distressing consequences of either choice. Denial is a slippery slope leading to a quagmire of pretending and deception. Acceptance requires life-altering choices that will cause intense pain for everyone involved. At least with truth, the pain is the healing kind. But that doesn’t make the choice any easier.

King David experienced his moment of truth when the prophet Nathan shared a story in 2 Samuel 12:1-14.

David’s moment of truth offered him two choices, and only two: silence the prophet permanently, or else repent. It was a choice between power and truth. He could have become like his predecessor, Saul, who jealously clutched his power and wielded it to hunt down the Lord’s anointed one (1 Sam. 16:13), hoping to murder him. Instead, David proved to be very different from Saul; David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14) despite his awful sins. He chose to submit to the truth and then rest in its inevitable reward: release from turmoil, freedom from fear, and eventually, peace with God (Ps. 32: 51).

The public ministry of Jesus was a three-year moment of truth for the religious leaders of first-century Israel. The Word of God, promised for centuries, now stood before them in flesh and blood, truth incarnate. The religious leaders denied the truth, disputed it, marginalized it, and even tried to silence it, but Jesus will not be set aside or put aside. He leaves no compromising middle way. Each individual must decide what to do with Him. Deny or submit? Reject or believe? Embrace Him and experience freedom, or kill Him and preserve the illusion of power? After Jesus exercised power over death with the raising of Lazarus, many religious leaders began to break ranks and believe in the Son of God (John 11:45). Therefore, the custodians of religious power in Jerusalem could no longer put off the question of Jesus.

By the time of Jesus, the Jews had instituted what may be considered a provisional government in anticipation of the Messiah, who would rule as king. Until then, they vested the high priest with all the rights and privileges of a monarch (1 Maccabees 14:35–49) with the understanding that he should step aside when the Christ came to claim His rightful place on the throne of Israel. Except during the reign of Herod the Great, who had himself named “King of the Jews” by Rome, the high priest traditionally guided the nation as its provisional leader. Throughout its history, Israel also looked to a body of elders for day-to-day leadership, a council known as the Sanhedrin, which served as parliament and Supreme Court. This ruling council of seventy learned men set Jewish policy (within limits established by Rome) and ruled on civil and criminal court cases.

The Sanhedrin prioritized maintaining the uneasy balance between Rome’s desire to dominate its subjects and the yearning of the Jewish people for independence. Usually, the high priest (appointed by Rome) and the Sanhedrin (who advocated for independent-minded Jews) engaged in public rivalry, each pretending to work against the other, yet neither really wanting anything different. Any change would threaten to strip every one of their power.

The council met to decide what they should do with Jesus; He bore all the scriptural credentials and produced all the right “signs” of the Messiah, yet He lacked an army. To side with Jesus (as they understood the role of the Christ) was to defy Rome. But to defy Rome without an army was to invite the worst kind of death. Roman generals were known to line the roads of rebel cities with the crucified bodies of its men and women and to sell their children into slavery.

Throughout much of its history, the high priest presided over the Sanhedrin, acting as its moderator and official voice. However, that ended around 200 BC when the council felt the need for a balance of powers. Even with that, for the high priest to attend a special meeting of the Sanhedrin was not unprecedented. Still, it did suggest something extraordinary was occurring, much like the President of the United States attending a special meeting of Congress.

The high priest “that year” was Caiaphas, the corrupt son-in-law, and figurehead of the true power in the temple, Annas. When Caiaphas heard the debate, he issued an unwitting prophecy. While he was not a genuine man of God, he ironically spoke a profound truth. He merely suggested they make Jesus the fall guy if Rome should seek someone to blame for the agitation of the crowds. In his sidebar, John points to the theological truth of Jesus’ substitutionary death for the sins of believers in Israel and Gentile nations abroad.

By the end of the meeting, most religious leaders had decided upon their official disposition concerning Jesus. Submitting to the truth of Christ would require them to cede their power to Rome, which they refused to do. Therefore, because they wouldn’t accept the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, they officially decided to kill Him.

After the raising of Lazarus from the dead and the backlash it caused, Jesus avoided contact with the religious officials for the time being, though not out of fear. Instead, Jesus and his disciples went to Epriman, about a day’s walk northeast of Jerusalem. He did not need further discussion. The die had been cast. The breaking point had been reached, the point of no return. Each man associated with the official powers of the nation had made up his mind, one way or another.

The next time He would encounter the religious authorities of the temple, it would be in an official capacity. Soon He would enter Jerusalem as King Jesus, the Messiah, arriving to claim the throne of Israel and assume command of His temple.

Now part two of our message. John 12:1-11, which is filled with John’s commentaries or sidebars.

Chapter 12 of John’s narrative marks a significant transition in Jesus’ life. While no less than three years elapsed in the first eleven chapters, John slows the pace of his narrative to cover less than a week in chapter 12, and then three days in chapters 13 to 20. This segment also marks a sudden shift from public ministry to private mentoring. Chapters 1–11 saw Jesus traveling up and down that narrow strip of land, Israel, conducting a comprehensive public ministry, healing and teaching multiple thousands of followers. His immense popularity commanded the attention of the chief priests and Pharisees and, at the same time, protected Him from assassination, most notably during His Triumphal Entry.

This gave Him ample opportunity to proclaim the Word of God in the temple, confront the religious leaders about their abuse of power, correct their theology concerning sin and salvation, and set their crooked messianic expectations straight. His ministry of presenting the truth of God (of which He was the literal embodiment) attracted believers, whose hearts had been prepared to respond to Him. However, this same truth also repulsed nonbelievers, pushing them to the breaking point, the title of today’s message.

As the appointed “hour” of Jesus’ glory approached—the time of His suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension—the preparation work had been completed. His final week on earth would be spent in the company of His closest friends as He prepared His disciples for what lay ahead, all while walking the path to the cross His Father had prepared beforehand.

Six days before His crucifixion (timeline), Jesus returned to Bethany, just two miles from the hornets’ nest of conspiratorial enemies in Jerusalem. John 11:45 tells us that when Jesus brought Lazarus back from the beyond, many “Jews”—chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees—believed in the Son of God.

As in this story and the other gospel accounts, Martha was serving dinner as usual. Mary was also described as a devout, godly follower of Christ. Both sisters had their strengths and gifts that they presented to Jesus. Jesus and the other guest would have been reclining on one side with His feet pulled away from the table behind Him.

As in the previous encounter with Mary and Matha at dinner, Mary may have abandoned her serving duties to express her devotion to Jesus. Regardless, she opened an alabaster jar of expensive perfume sometime during the meal and anointed Jesus. It is said to be a pint of pure nard (lavender) worth about $50,000 in today’s money. In (Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3) mentions the anointing of Jesus’s head. Then, moved by her enormous gratitude for grace, or overtaken by grief for the ordeal He was about to suffer, Mary knelt over His feet, broke the alabaster jar, and emptied the perfume on Jesus’ feet in a lavish gesture of worship. (Pour out nard) She drenched His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The fragrance of her spontaneous devotion filled the room.

In doing this, Mary violated several cultural norms.

First, her society expected her to be serving.

Second, touching the feet of another person was considered degrading; Mary’s wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair—the crown and glory of a woman—left her with no public dignity whatsoever.

Third, a woman was never to take her hair down in public.

Fourth, the perfume she collected was a typical treasure kept by women for their dowry, which she emptied on Jesus.

Her lavish worship left her without a dowry, thus reducing her prospects for a favorable marriage. Judas Iscariot protested. He watched in horror as he witnessed nearly one year’s wage for a common laborer ($50k) seep through the cracks in the floor. John, writing more than sixty years later, knew the true reason for Judas’s objection. The trusted treasurer had been embezzling the group’s funds for some time. The man was greedy to the core, despite his pious-sounding suggestion.

Judas had been cultivating a double life for months or possibly years. Like a sharp blade (hold up the sword), truth divides whatever stands before it, separating even soul from spirit to reveal a man’s heart (Heb. 4:12). Judas created a gaping chasm between his public persona and his private self. His charming religious facade kept a seething resentment carefully hidden from anyone he hoped to impress.

We cannot know what was in Mary’s mind as she worshiped the Lord with her aromatic treasure, but the Lord gave it a profound theological purpose. The first step in preparing a body for burial was to rinse it with water and anoint it with scented oil. Jesus used her expression of devotion to signal the coming of His death.

Jesus’ public rebuke of Judas finally brought the duplicitous disciple to his breaking point. According to Matthew and Mark, it was after this event he decided to betray the Lord.

Despite His winnowing the multitudes, Jesus remained immensely popular. Undoubtedly, genuine believers could be found among the crowds, but in this case, the motivation appears to be mere curiosity. And their presence revealed Jesus’ location, which He had previously kept discreet. Once the religious leaders learned of Jesus’ presence and gained the help of a spy within Jesus’ inner circle, a plot to kill Him began to form and accelerate.

As a young man, I listened to sermons and lessons on the life of Jesus and the conspiracy to kill Him with great confusion. I couldn’t understand why anyone would murder the Son of God, unless genuine ignorance or outright insanity had clouded their vision. I even wondered if the Lord could have spoken to them one more time; maybe—just maybe—they would have seen their error. Perhaps one more miracle might have helped them know the truth; a great, collective “ah-ha” would have preceded their profound apologies and complete acceptance of Him as their long-awaited Messiah.

When I outgrew the naive innocence of youth, I accepted a sad, yet all-too-common reality: some people don’t...

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Back from Beyond

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus as the good shepherd and the living door.

Today, our scripture is John 11:1-46. As with our last reading, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along.

We will see in today’s passage that Jesus performs the greatest and most spectacular miracle of his ministry. He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. This miracle is undoubtedly the final catalyst that leads to His crucifixion.

Death is ruthless; it frequently comes without warning and strikes without mercy. Death is unrelenting; it cannot be cheated, bribed, outwitted, overcome, or eluded. Death is indiscriminate; it takes young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy, wicked and benevolent. Death is universal; all must ultimately succumb to its darkness.

Death is a harsh reality of life…but it was not always so, and it need not be the end.

After His last encounter with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus took refuge in the same wilderness that had protected John the Baptizer from their murderous intent. The Lord ministered to John’s disciples there for an unknown length of time (though not more than three months) before traveling to Perea or perhaps Galilee (11:7). We know that Jesus was more than a day’s walk from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which as just two miles east of Jerusalem.

John’s editorial note about Mary’s anointing of Jesus demonstrates that he assumed his audience was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John doesn’t tell this story until 12:1–8.

Lazarus was not among the twelve disciples, but the Lord loved him. The man’s sisters sent a messenger to inform Jesus that His friend was near death with a serious illness. However, Jesus purposely delayed His departure, confidently declaring, “This sickness will not end in death.” Depending on how far away Jesus was from Bethany, it is very likely He knew what the disciples did not realize at the time: Lazarus was already dead when he received word. Consider a possible order of events:

The first day: The messenger arrived with the news that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decided to remain where He was for two more days. (11:1–5)

On the second day: Jesus deliberately remained where He was. (11:6)

On the third day: Jesus departed for Judea. (Eastern cultures include the present day when counting elapsed days, whereas Western cultures don’t begin counting until the dawn of the following day. 11:7–16)

On the fourth day: Jesus continued His journey, taking His customary direct route through Samaria, and arrived in Bethany late in the day. He was told that Lazarus had been dead for four days. (11:17)

If my hypothetical timetable is close to accurate, Lazarus died when the messenger reached Jesus. Regardless, Jesus did not need to rush to Bethany; the extent of His power wasn’t cut short by death. Furthermore, John’s remark,  “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” assures us the Lord did not callously allow Martha and Mary to grieve the loss of their brother merely to prove a point. His love always undergirds his righteousness and sovereignty.

 

Take note of an important detail. Jesus didn’t promise that Lazarus wouldn’t die; He promised that his sickness would not end in death. His point? Death might claim the life of Lazarus, but death would not have the final say in the matter.

By now, Jerusalem had become a dangerous place for Jesus; the unvarnished truth He proclaimed/ made Him a lightning rod. However, Jesus didn’t leave the region to avoid danger; He retreated because the time for His atoning death had not come. When the disciples reminded Jesus of the danger, /He reminded them of His mission and the need for urgency (9:4). Naturally, they fretted over His safety because they didn’t want to see their messianic hope assassinated before He had the opportunity to claim His throne and inaugurate the new kingdom. But, of course, the disciples’ perspective was limited. Death might claim the life of Jesus, but death would not have the final say in the matter. Instead, Jesus would use this opportunity to expand their vision.

Some have been unfairly critical of Thomas’s gloomy outlook. He merely acknowledged the truth of Jesus’ circumstances. The religious leaders wanted little more than to see Jesus dead and were willing to do almost anything to kill Him. Even so, Thomas grimly stood beside his Master in the face of what appeared to be certain death.

As John demonstrates the Lord’s power over death in this narrative portion, he reminds his readers of the danger looming just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) across the Kidron Valley. The reader’s tension depends entirely upon their trust in Jesus’ power. The disciples undoubtedly saw murder in the eyes of every Pharisee they encountered and wondered how or when the plot would unfold.

Meanwhile, mourners had been gathering near the home of Lazarus. In keeping with ancient Near Eastern custom, the dead man had been wrapped in spice-soaked linens and placed inside a burial cave the day he died. The climate did not tolerate any delay. Jesus arrived on the fourth day, which may have been significant given rabbinic teaching. Jewish literature from the third century AD teaches that the soul of a dead individual remains near the body for three days, hoping to reenter; then, upon seeing decay set in, it gives up hope and departs. If this literature reflects established teaching, resurrection after the third day was unthinkable. Apparently, death plus decay was more hopeless than death alone.

Mary and Martha responded to the death of their brother with the same kind of disillusionment and anger any one of us would. Yet Jesus dealt tenderly with them, offering no rebuke and expressing no disappointment. He listened. He empathized. He gave them calm reassurance. His care for them is an excellent pattern for caring for those who must grieve a loss.

I don’t see any rebuke in Martha’s remarks. I see regret, a sorrowful acceptance of events she hoped would be different. I also see a fledgling faith submerged in grief. In that moment, she failed to comprehend the full extent of the Lord’s power. Jesus does not have to be present to heal someone (4:46–54). Her statement, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” cannot mean that she expected Jesus to bring her brother back to life (11:24, 39). Instead, this is a confession of her faith in Christ despite her disappointment. His delay and apparent decision not to act didn’t diminish her confidence in Him.

Jesus reassured Martha with a statement having a double meaning: “Your brother will rise again.” Martha had accepted Jesus’ teaching that He would raise those who believed in Him on the last day (6:39–40, 44, 54). This is the abundant life Jesus had promised His followers, (NLT that rich and satisfying life (10:10); it is eternal and incorruptible. However, we do not have to wait until the “last day” to receive this abundant life. Instead, we can receive it and enjoy it now. That’s because the “abundant life”—eternal, incorruptible, transforming life—is not a special kind of energy or a commodity that is somehow transferred from God to an individual. Instead, this resurrection-life is a person: Jesus.

Martha continued to express her faith in Jesus, declaring Him to be the Christ and the Son of God. She demonstrated remarkably mature theological understanding, even more than the Twelve! Yet she still did not understand the Lord’s whole meaning, but she would before sunset.

Mary was not able to meet with the Lord privately. Sometimes the grief-stricken/ need solitude/ but fail to find it because well-meaning loved ones fear leaving them alone. So, Mary met Jesus with an entourage in tow. Her remarks reflected Martha’s, perhaps because they shared some disillusionment.

Jesus witnessed their sorrow when the group arrived and was “deeply moved in spirit” and “troubled.” The key Greek terms are embrimaomai, which describes sternness or anger (Matt. 9:30; Mark 1:43; 14:5), and tarassō, which literally means “to stir up, to agitate” (John 5:7). Some have suggested the general state of unbelief among the people angered Jesus, but this seems out of place given His compassionate care for Martha. Her struggle was not so much with incomplete faith as with incomplete knowledge. Unlike the selfish gods of mythology, the triune God of the Bible empathizes with His creation. Furthermore, He is justifiably angry with the cruelty of evil, which oppresses His beloved creation. Death is the ultimate insult to His creative act; it tries to destroy what He intended to last forever.

Upon arriving at the burial cave of Lazarus, Jesus wept (literally, “shed tears, sobbing”). And the observation of the people was spot-on. Jesus did indeed love Lazarus. While the Son of God is fully divine, He is entirely human. Moreover, He is the perfect representation of the Father, who is Spirit, yet nonetheless emotionally connected to the creatures bearing His likeness. When we weep, our Creator weeps with us, not with the kind of hopelessness we endure through our ignorance, but with compassion. No one hates the devastating consequences of sin more than He.

However, some people reflected the same limited thinking that plagued Martha and Mary—the same ignorance we display when we underestimate the power of God.

As Jesus approached the cave, He was again moved to anger (embrimaomai). He commanded the men in the crowd to remove the stone from the grave entrance, an act forbidden by rabbinic tradition. The men who obeyed the Lord’s command risked ritual defilement; nevertheless, they obeyed.

When Martha protested that the smell of her brother’s decomposing body had overpowered the burial spices, Jesus reminded her of their earlier conversation and promised that her belief would allow her to see “the glory of God” (11:4). Once the stone was removed, Jesus prayed aloud so that witnesses to the miracle would understand that He and the Father were united in the miracle. Death is not the will of the Father; He hates death. Therefore, Jesus was not overriding His Father’s decision to “take” Lazarus; He was reclaiming Lazarus from the enemy of life.

In fulfilling His earlier prediction (5:28), the dead man responded to Jesus’ voice. I once heard a country preacher say that if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus by name, every grave within earshot would have rumbled open, and their long-dead inhabitants would have answered His call. One day, “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,” but on this day, only Lazarus had been summoned.

He emerged from the tomb, still wrapped in the spice-soaked linen strips of cloth, perhaps even struggling to move. Corpses were typically encased in 75 to 100 pounds of aromatic resins (19:39–40). The witnesses to the miracle had to help Lazarus out of the burial wrappings. John includes these details to clarify a crucial difference between Lazarus’s experience and Jesus’s (20:5–7). Rather than being resurrected, Lazarus was resuscitated. His old body had been reanimated, but the same body had fallen ill and stopped working. Sometime later, after Lazarus was summoned from beyond, he went there again. He fell ill, suffered a fatal injury, or grew feeble with age and died. Finally, he was buried, and his body decayed. It awaits its resurrection (1 Thes. 4:13–17). First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.

Let’s think about this from Lazarus’ perspective. He was taken to paradise, enjoying visiting with those before him. Free from the agony of his life on earth with his frail body. Maybe he was relaxing in the apartment prepared for him in paradise, when suddenly there was a knock on his door. It was the archangel who had to deliver the news, um… Lazarus, this hasn’t happened before, but I am afraid you need to head back to the tomb. Your friend Jesus has more work for you to accomplish…what a bummer for Lazarus!

One day in yet future, Lazarus, along with everyone who has died “in Christ,” will be summoned from beyond, (again) not to resume life in bodies that will again die, but to enjoy eternal life in bodies that cannot suffer, cannot fall ill, cannot die, and cannot decay. This will not be mere resuscitation. This will be the glorious day of resurrection!

Many religious leaders who visited Martha and Mary during their bereavement witnessed

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Living Door

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus heal a man who was blind from birth. This man not only received physical sight, but more importantly, he received spiritual sight that granted him eternal life, as he proclaimed in verse 38, “Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.”

Today, our scripture is John 10:1-42. As with our last message, since it is a more extended passage, so I will read it as we go through.

We will see in today’s passage that Jesus is not only the great shepherd, but also The Living Door through which all who receive salvation must pass.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a symbol is worth a thousand messages. Jesus understood the power of a familiar image to unlock the mysteries of heaven. And no sight was more common in first-century Judea than that of a shepherd leading his sheep. With some historical and cultural background, we can learn a great deal from the symbols Jesus used to describe Himself. To the lost sheep of Israel, He was the living door and the good shepherd.

It was common for a shepherd to know his animals individually and call each one by name. A good shepherd never allowed his flock to remain in the field as night fell; thieves and wild animals took advantage of the darkness to steal and kill. If the pasture was close enough to the village, the sheep would be driven from the field to a communal pen, which a designated keeper guarded. In the morning, shepherds led their sheep out to pasture again. Shepherds frequently drove their flocks into the wilderness during temperate months to find adequate grazing. They always remained with them, camping out under the stars for weeks. Then, as darkness fell each evening, they corralled the flock into a cave or some other natural enclosure and slept at the entrance.

 

To protect their livestock from predators and thieves, shepherds herded their animals into a natural enclosure, such as this cave, and then stretched their bodies across the entrance for a good night’s sleep. Jesus drew on this familiar imagery when He said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7–9).

Shepherds frequently worked together and even shared the same enclosure during the night. The following morning the flocks could be easily separated simply by calling them in opposite directions. Author H. V. Morton watched this firsthand during his travels in Israel.

John’s account is unique among the Gospels in that he doesn’t recount any of the Lord’s parables but recalls Jesus’s use of figurative language and extended metaphors. This self-portrait as “the good shepherd” draws upon a familiar image painted in Old Testament prophecy (Jer. 23; Ezek. 34; Zech. 11) in which the Lord warns Israel’s unfaithful spiritual leaders that He will come to do the job of shepherding Himself. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of that long-standing promise. The religious authorities were slow to pick up on the implications, but they understood in time.

John presents the next discourse as a logical continuation of the last, providing no information about the time and place of the event. This is not uncommon for John. It is another snapshot that John weaves into the tapestry of his Gospel. John leaves it out unless details about the setting can provide additional insight. This discourse likely took place several weeks later as part of an extended conversation with multiple audiences of Pharisees (10:22).

The primary point of His metaphor is the role of truth in the world. Jesus rarely presented truth to turn nonbelievers into believers; most often, the truth became His means of drawing believers out of the world. Beginning with feeding the multitude in the wilderness (Chapter 6) and the following discourses, Jesus taught the unvarnished truth about His identity, and His flock began to divide. Genuine believers followed the voice of their Master, while those who were not “his own” chose to reject Him (6:44, 65; 8:43, 47; 10:14).

John’s editorial comment (sidebar v6) at the end of Jesus’ illustration is ironic. Their failure to “understand” merely validated the Lord’s point.

Jesus followed His first double amēn (in 10:1) with another, which interprets the first. Jesus’ predecessors are the priests, scribes, and Pharisees who presently ruled over the Jews. By identifying them as “thieves and robbers,” He cast them in the role prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 23), Ezekiel (Ezek. 34), and Zechariah (Zech. 11). In contrast, the Annas Bazaar left the people of Israel physically and spiritually impoverished (Remember the lesson on the clearing of the temple court John 2:13–14), Jesus came to bring true abundance. People in the West (especially the false prophets of the “prosperity gospel” movement) interpret “abundance” to mean material prosperity, an abundance of money and possessions, creature comforts, a fat wallet, a prestigious job, the nicest house in town, and the sleekest car in the driveway. Yet I see no indication that Jesus offered His followers anything through material wealth. No stack of shekels. No pension. No insurance coverage. Not even a guarantee of safety. He promised them quite the opposite (Luke 9:22–25). They must take up their cross.

Jesus was not preaching against wealth, per se. As far as Jesus was concerned, money and possessions were morally neutral and had no relation to the new kingdom. Wealth can be a tool to build God’s kingdom, or it might distract us from what He considers important. So if abundance is not cash, possessions, or comfort, what is it? Given that Jesus’ inner circle of followers suffered persecution and died as martyrs, what abundance did they receive? Jesus offers a spiritual abundance transcending income, health, living conditions, and even death.

The abundant life (or, as it says in the NLT, a rich and satisfying life) is a life that never ends, yet we don’t have to wait until the end of our physical life to receive this abundance and enjoy it. Abundant life includes peace, purpose, destiny, a real purpose for living, the joy of facing adversity—including the grave—without fear, and the ability to endure hardship confidently.

Jesus’ statement is a strong “I Am” (egō eimi) paired with the phrase “good shepherd,” which is particularly emphatic in Greek. What follows is a clear foreshadowing of the persecution He will suffer and a strong affirmation of His substitutionary death on behalf of His believers. Just as important is His acknowledgment that truth has always been a lightning rod for evil; nevertheless, He will not flinch as evil strikes Him with all the power of hell. As the Creator, He cannot be overpowered by anything. Yet He will voluntarily suffer and die to carry out the Father’s redemptive plan.

This sets Jesus apart from the religious leaders who supposedly shepherd the people of God. Whereas He is selfless, they are selfish. Whereas He would lay down His life for the sheep, they would abandon all to save themselves. Whereas Jesus lived in complete obedience to the Father, they obeyed their lusts.

In the middle of His dialogue, Jesus mentioned “other sheep.” This is almost undoubtedly non-Jews, such as Samaritans (like the people of Sychar in 4:7–45) and Gentiles, yet to hear the good news. That is us!

Jesus had declared earlier that His sword of truth divides people; His voice of truth summons His own. As expected, the dividing of “the Jews” (the religious officials) that occurred in 7:43 and 9:16 continued due to this discourse.

Hebrews 4:12

The Feast of the Dedication, now known as Hanukkah, is usually celebrated in December, roughly two months after Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1–8:30). The Feast of the Dedication celebrates the temple’s rededication in 165 BC, three years after Antiochus Epiphanes had desecrated the altar. It was the crowning moment of the Maccabean revolt, which essentially gave Israel its independence for a short time. During Jesus’ time, Jewish resentment for Roman occupation ran incredibly high during this festival, and their desire for the Messiah was felt more acutely than usual.

John’s mention of winter would be redundant after mentioning Hanukkah were it not for his using the season to set the literary tone. The winter of Jesus’ life was approaching. As Jesus walked along the eastern portico of the temple, presumably after entering the eastern gate, the temple officials surrounded Jesus. They appeared willing to consider the possibility that Jesus had been telling the truth all along, that He was indeed the Messiah (cf. 1:19–34), perhaps driven to eagerness by the holiday. But make no mistake; they wanted a tailor-made messiah to fit their desires.

Some scholars have objected that Jesus had not, in fact, “told” them He is the Christ. But I can think of a strong reason for His avoiding the exact phrase, “I am the Christ” (in addition to the reason He gave here). By the first century, Jewish theologians had attached so much misinformation to the title of Messiah that the people would have expected of Jesus what God had never intended. They expected a kind of “super-David” warrior king leading them to regain independence and restore their economy (6:15). Jesus would become Israel’s warrior king at His second coming. Still, He first came to save people from their sins. Jewish theologians had attached outlandish myths to the Messiah’s arrival; to claim the title, “Christ” would have been to adopt a mythic identity.

Instead, Jesus produced all of the “signs” predicted by the Old Testament, which identified Him as the Messiah. Moreover, He freely quoted, paraphrased, and alluded to messianic passages in Scripture, identifying Himself using the vocabulary of prophets. Anyone willing to set aside their biased expectations long enough to compare His words and deeds to the image set forth by Scripture did not have trouble recognizing Him. Jesus made His earlier indictment plain again. The religious leaders refused to hear the Word of God in the flesh because they had rejected God’s written Word long ago. Their rejection of the true Christ was a continuation of their rejection of God (5:17, 37–38; 6:45; 7:27–28; 8:42–45; 9:29–34). Genuine believers, however, heed the voice of truth and are eternally safe in the Good Shepherd’s care, who will lay down His life to save them and wield His divine power to keep them secure. Belief is the authenticating response of a believer to their Savior. It is the Savior who does the saving, not those who are saved. Therefore, the faithfulness of Christ seals the believer’s salvation, not the believer’s faithfulness. Plain and simple: those who believe in Christ will never be lost. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

Jesus concluded this portion of His discourse with a statement that was even bolder and more provocative than “I am the Christ.” He said, “The Father and I are one,” an allusion to the chief doctrinal statement of the Hebrew faith: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deut. 6:4). John recorded Jesus’ statement using a slightly different form of the Greek word for “one” from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The “neuter” form that John uses (as opposed to the “masculine” form in the Septuagint) indicates singleness in essence. Therefore, a more literal rendering would be, “We (The Father and I) are one being.” His many “signs,” including dramatic, authentic healings, had been established numerous times.

While the English language cannot pick up on the subtle yet profound nuance in Jesus’ statement, it was plain to Jesus’ audience. They connected the dots. As a result, they prepared to stone Him for identifying Himself as God.

In response to the Jews’ intention to stone Him, Jesus employed a complex bit of irony common to the rabbinic argument. He turned the accusation around with a quote from Psalm 82.

The psalmist reminded Israel’s appointed judges that they were like little gods in that the Supreme Judge had appointed them to rule in His stead; therefore, they were accountable to Him. Jesus identified the worthless judges in the psalm as the religious leaders standing before Him and declared Himself to be the fulfillment of the poem’s opening line:  God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods.” For these apostate rulers of Israel to judge the Supreme Judge was nothing short of blasphemy. In reality, it is they who should be stoned.

Jesus then pointed to the impossibility of overcoming their self-willed doubt. When He behaved in a God-like fashion—cleansing the temple, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, fulfilling the promises of Scripture—He was rejected as opposed to God (John 7:20; 8:48–52; 10:20). Yet they clamored for a “sign” (2:18; 4:48; 6:30). He invited them to examine His deeds, the definitive proof of goodness according to Hebrew wisdom.

The religious leaders reacted in a typical fashion toward those they couldn’t control: they sought to seize Jesus to execute Him. But He escaped.

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Blind Men’s Bluff

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last we saw Jesus declaring, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In addition, we learned when we follow that light, we can live in spiritual freedom, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” and “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Today, our scripture is John 9:1-41. As with our last passage, since it is a more extended reading, I will refer to it as we go through the message.

The setting for today’s teaching is sometime after the Feast of Tabernacles, but before the Feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah; see John 10:22). Somewhere in the old city of Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples happened upon a man who was born without sight. As the story unfolds, we learn that their “chance” meeting had been scheduled since the beginning of time, and the man’s “meaningless” affliction had been given divine purpose from the foundation of creation.

John provides very little detail about the time and place of this encounter because it is a logical continuation of Jesus’ escalating clash with the religious elite in Jerusalem. However, we know it occurred after the Feast of Tabernacles (September/October) and before Hanukkah (November/December), somewhere near Jerusalem, outside the temple complex.

John presents the episode as spontaneous because Jesus did not have a meeting in His appointment calendar. The apostle gives the impression that the encounter was a mere coincidence, but make no mistake, the air of randomness is intentional. John allows us to accept the incident as haphazard, only to reveal the truth. Whereas sin has stirred the world into a chaotic mess, the Creator interjects order. Where the sinful world system randomly and capriciously causes affliction, the Lord gives purpose to misfortune—for His glory and the good of those who believe. Some things never change.

In those days, it was a custom for people with disabilities to claim spots along a well-traveled street leading to the temple—and this is still a common sight near religious sites today in the Middle East. While the man born blind undoubtedly joined many others that day, he drew the disciples’ attention more than his peers, probably because his condition was congenital rather than the result of disease or injury. His disability aroused their curiosity.

The disciples’ question reflected a common understanding of sin in first-century Judaism, which is still sadly common today. The disciples saw the man’s affliction as the just penalty for someone’s sin, either his or his parents. It’s human nature to find someone to blame.

The Pharisees and Sadducees regarded misfortune as the direct result of someone’s sin. The religious world attempts to reduce life to easily quantifiable terms in which good earn blessing while affliction is the just penalty of wrongdoing. It’s the basis of kings claiming “divine right” and an easy excuse to ignore those needing mercy.

We mustn’t be too hard on the disciples; they merely understood the world as it had been taught. Their theology resulted from generations of blind men leading other blind men. Their treatment of the man saddens me more than their ignorance. The disciples looked upon the man born blind as nothing more than an interesting theological case study, not a fellow human in need of compassion. Their lack of emotion disturbs me. Don’t we sometimes have the same mindset and use it as an excuse not to help others?

Jesus answered the question directly and then gave the disciples a theological principle that can be applied to any instance of affliction or hardship. God did not cause this man’s affliction; the fallen world did that. Nevertheless, the Lord gave this man’s affliction a divine purpose before anything had been created. The blind man lay at the intersection of the fallen world’s affliction and God’s preordained choice to turn his blindness into an occasion for rejoicing; he lay waiting for the preordained moment when Christ would “happen by” and then fulfill His Father’s mission.

Take note of the Lord’s use of pronouns in this literal translation of 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” The “work of God” is to bring salvation to humanity to redeem those who will believe. Jesus came to complete the work of God through specific deeds in complete obedience, and He calls us to do the same. The Lord then used the images of day and night to warn that His time on earth would end soon—which illustrates another theological truth: the time of grace is limited before the world suffers the ultimate judgment of God.

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.  “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

As soon as Jesus finished correcting His disciples’ faulty theology, He declared again, “I am the Light of the world,” and then He gave the man sight. He spat on the ground, mixed it with the substance of man’s creation (Gen. 2:7), and smeared the clay over the man’s eyes. In this single act, Jesus asserted His authority over disabilities, sin, bad theology, religion, the temple, the Sabbath, and even the religious leaders who opposed Him. And He had this opportunity because this blind man, as an infant, came into the world decades earlier without the ability to see.

We can only speculate as to why the Lord used a mixture of saliva and clay to heal the man. The method is similar to the magical formula for healing in the greek sanitarium. And to His method for healing others (Mark 7:33 tongue; 8:23 spit on eyes). We are never told why Jesus sent the man to wash in the pool. John adds an editorial note that the Hebrew name is based on the verb “Sent,” but we don’t know why he considered this important.

It would be idle speculation to guess about things we don’t know. However, we know this: the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sent the blind man to the pool with specific instructions, the man followed Jesus’ instructions to the letter, and he received sight just as promised.

Try to imagine the scene. The man’s community undoubtedly knew him well because his begging for alms had made him a fixture for many years. His whole life, the Pharisees pitied him for his sin-inflicted malady, the Sadducees tsked in condescending approval of God’s justice, a few showed compassion, and others silenced their jingling coins as they tiptoed by. Then, one day, this same man suddenly bounded into the temple without his stick and beggar’s basket, marveling at the splendor of God’s house. Remarkably, worshipers noticed a familiar face yet failed to see the truth of what had occurred.

We see plenty of debate /and hear lots of questions, but where is the excitement? Where is the joy on behalf of this man who had been miraculously healed? They dragged him to an inquisition instead of leading him to a celebration. He was made to stand before the Pharisees to answer for his healing as though he had done something wrong.

From the Pharisees’ point of view, something was indeed very wrong. You will recall the disciples’ original question, which began with the widely held assumption that physical affliction was proof positive that someone had sinned and was suffering God’s judgment. The man’s sudden and miraculous healing threw doubt into everything the Pharisees knew about God, sin, and justice. Did the Lord change His mind? Did He set aside justice? Was the man no longer guilty of sin? So theological questions eclipsed joyous celebration.

John’s narrative typically compresses time. Verse 14 suggests the man’s inquisition occurred sometime after the Sabbath, perhaps a few days later. When asked how he had received his sight, he merely recounted the events, which established the pattern for the balance of their interaction. The Pharisees wanted the man to answer theologically; however, the man held tightly to the facts. While the Pharisees tried to spin the facts to fit their preconceived notions, the man wouldn’t budge from his bottom-line perspective except to say that Jesus was a “prophet”— one sent from God to proclaim His Word.

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

The Pharisees had a problem on their hands. They desperately needed to discredit Jesus to maintain moral superiority before the people. Yet, even according to their tradition, only an authentic man of God can work miraculous “signs” (3:2; 9:16). Therefore, the miracle must be discredited. Because the man would not cooperate, the religious leaders summoned his parents, hoping to uncover additional facts supporting their intentions.

This was not a search for truth. This was a deliberate sifting of facts, in which inconvenient evidence was set aside in favor of what would build a damning case against the Pharisees’ enemy, Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees’ campaign of fear and intimidation was well-known, so the parents would offer nothing more than the barest facts, instead deferring to their son. They said, “He is not our responsibility; if someone is to be punished for his testimony, punish him.”

The Pharisees struggled to build a case against Jesus, leading them to desperation. Despite the overwhelming evidence, their opening statement at the man’s second inquisition reveals their predetermined conclusion. Take note of the exchange. The Pharisees tried to persuade the man to agree with their conclusion that Jesus was a “sinner,” but he kept returning to the facts. So, the Pharisees attempted to sift through the facts again, perhaps to find an inconsistency in the man’s testimony. The man’s response (9:27) highlighted the absurdity of the questioning. This angered the Pharisees, who then resorted to intimidation and personal attack.

At the beginning of the inquisition, man maintained a neutral stance concerning Jesus. The question of Jesus’ identity and whether or not He was a sinner didn’t affect him. He knew only what his experience told him: once he was blind, now he could see. By the end, however, the Pharisees’ absurd quest to condemn Jesus pushed the man closer to genuine belief. His final response to the Pharisees could not have been more different from that of the invalid by the Bethesda Pool, who informed the leaders that it was Jesus. (5:11–15).

The contrast between the man and the Pharisees could not have been more conspicuous, which he highlighted in his final speech. The religious leaders knew the Scriptures better than anyone and had been trained in Hebrew history and theology. Yet, the man born blind (supposedly because of God’s punishment for sin) had no difficulty putting the facts together to arrive at an obvious conclusion. Moreover, his response rested upon the theological traditions the Pharisees held most dear.

By the end of the inquisition, the Pharisees had no option but to set aside the facts and play their trump card: their superior position of power. In my experience, it is a clear admission of defeat when someone starts quoting from their resume during a debate. It’s even more apparent when that person resorts to using power to silence their opponent. The Pharisees admitted, “We don’t have an answer, so we’ll excommunicate him.”

The man’s unwillingness to set aside the truth about Jesus parallels the miracle of sight. He wanted to see Jesus as He was, whereas the Pharisees wanted an excuse to reject Jesus. Yet, while the man demonstrated uncommon courage despite the grave consequences of ex-communication, he did not know Christ as Savior. Therefore, Jesus “found” him (see 1:41–45; 5:14). By that time, his heart had been prepared for the Lord’s invitation, so his immediate response was worship.

Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Reasons for Rejection

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw the religious leaders again trying to trap Jesus to make a case against him to kill him as they brought a woman before him to judge. Yet Jesus was victorious. “‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” Today, our scripture is John 8:12-59. Since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message.

In many ways, especially with the hypocritical religious leaders, Jesus was a radical individual, a most imposing personality. Not intimidating, not frightening. Imposing. Formidable. Unafraid. He entered the temple to find people groping about in spiritual darkness and thirsting for divine truth. He boldly stated in our lesson in John 7:37-38, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” The first verse in today’s passage is 12; he picks up where he left off before the incident with the woman.

He fearlessly spoke the truth without apology. He joyously walked in the truth with His Father; therefore, He was constantly in trouble for His uninhibited love of truth. Jesus understood better than any the price to be paid for speaking and living the truth because He is divine truth incarnate, the Light made flesh.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Matthew 10:34 recalled a particularly shocking statement by Jesus, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” The purpose of a sword is to divide. Physically, it separates one part of a body from the rest. Figuratively, Hebrews 4:12 describes it best, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” And socially, the sword separates groups into two categories; it attracts those who will surrender and incites violence against those who will not. There is no room for compromise before the gleaming sword of truth. Surrender or fight. Jesus figuratively brought a sword into the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. Some surrendered. Others began a futile, exhausting, self-destructive fight. Their response is a study in the stages of rejection which we cover in our message today.

This discourse continues where 7:52 left off in their reply to Nicodemus, “They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.’” After the story with the woman in last week’s 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  John indicates a change of scene with the word “again,” which is typical of him. These particular discourses took place over several days—not necessarily on the festival’s last day—and were undoubtedly repeated several times as visitors to the temple came and went. Jesus began this address with “I am the Light of the world,” He stood near the temple treasury (8:20). The temple treasury was located in the Court of Women. Every evening during the Feast of Tabernacles, just after the evening sacrifice and before sunset, priests entered the Court of Women to light two (some historians say four) giant chandelier-like lampstands. Perhaps as the priests set each lamp aflame, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Note how the statement is exclusive. He didn’t say “I am A light”—one among many—but THE Light, the one and only source of truth. Later, He would invite a crowd of listeners to become children of the Light through belief (12:36), and He once predicted the future of His disciples when he taught in the Sermon on the Mount in last year’s series Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” The Pharisees immediately challenged Jesus, declaring His self-declaration invalid because it had no accompanying proof ( John 3:11–12). Because of this, the Pharisees claimed that his testimony was “not valid.” After all, people can claim anything about themselves; a mere statement doesn’t establish the truth. Jesus took their challenge at face value and offered the testimony of God the Father.

The Pharisees responded cynically, “Where is Your Father?” They knew the apparent circumstances of His birth (8:41) and that Joseph was dead. The question was a backhanded slur, delivered at the level of an inside joke. Perhaps the insult came with a wink and a knowing look. Jesus ignored the insult and responded with an ironic double-meaning rebuke. Anyone who believed that Joseph had fathered Jesus didn’t know the identity of Jesus’ real Father, nor did they personally know God. With His second statement, “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” Jesus declared Himself to be the means of knowing God personally, because Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father.

Jesus repeated His indictment of the Pharisees from 7:33–36, saying they would never see heaven because they did not know God. And again, the religious elite took Him literally. So, Jesus explained His meaning in simple language. “Below” is the realm of fallen creation. “Above” is the heavenly realm in which no sin can exist. Those born below are doomed to die in their sin and then suffer eternal punishment for their deeds (John 3:3). Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Jesus is from above because He is God. His statement is rendered as “I am He”; however, the Greek is egō eimi, “I Am,” the classic self-designation of God (Exodus 3:14). Believers can be born from above through belief (John 3:16–17). When they asked,“‘Who are You? Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied.” But because of their willful blindness, the Pharisees failed to understand Jesus’ reference to the Father (3:13). If you review, 3:3–21 shows a striking resemblance between this discourse and the Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus.

The “lifting up” refers to His crucifixion, a prediction He had made to Nicodemus perhaps as much as two years earlier (3:14–15). He then repeated His teaching from His encounter with the Pharisees after healing the invalid (5:19–47).

Jesus didn’t whisper the truth once and then leave the scene. Instead, he taught the same lessons to many audiences daily in the temple. The discourses preserved by John represent numerous instances in which Jesus became a target of the religious leaders’ wrath after proclaiming the truth. However, John inserted a subtle editorial note to reassure the reader: While Jesus’ opponents remained steadfast in their rebellion, many believed in him.

8:31–36

Verse 31 may indicate another change of scene in which the conversation resumes. As Jesus spoke, many believed. He then addressed them directly in the hearing of the Pharisees and other nonbelievers. He assured them that belief was not the end of something, as though they had arrived; belief is a beginning, a birth after which growth must follow. Believers are to continue in obedience. As believers order their lives after His truth, they will “know” the truth. The Greek word is ginōskō, one of at least four terms John could have chosen that means “know.” Unlike the others, ginōskō stresses understanding rather than mere sensory observation. It is closely related to the Hebrew verb yada, which describes the most intimate knowledge.

 

Moreover, as one “knows” the truth, they are “set free.” The Greek term is suggestive of release from indentured servanthood. When someone became indebted beyond their means of paying, one solution was to exchange a period of slavery for relief from the debt. Sometimes the length of service could be the rest of one’s natural life. The indebtedness here, of course, is the penalty for sin; freedom is a spiritual release from judgment and the free gift of eternal life.

Jesus’ statement, “and the truth will set you free.” has become something of a truism, and rightly so. While His primary point was spiritual and eternal, it is a fact that truth leads to freedom in the physical, and temporal realm.

As usual, Jesus spoke on multiple levels. As usual, the Pharisees zeroed in on the literal interpretation. And, being the self-centered men they were, they applied Jesus’ statement to their condition as descendants of Abraham, by which they claimed racial, cultural, and moral superiority. Furthermore, they claimed to have never been enslaved by anyone!

Well, except for Egypt. Assyria. Babylon. Persia. Macedonia. Syria. Rome.

What could they have possibly meant by this? Perhaps they were never compelled to worship a man as a god despite their many political masters. Despite Roman domination and occupation, the Jews were able to worship God with virtually no interference from their captors. In the temple environment, the Pharisees perhaps gestured toward the sanctuary as if to ask, “What freedom do we need that we don’t already have?”

Jesus clarified the purpose of His statement. The master is a sin. Jesus’ statement that “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” is meant to highlight the inferior status of a slave. The “Old Master, Sin” uses people for evil purposes, and when the body of the slave is wasted from use, the slave is cast out. The Son has come to liberate sin slaves from their old master, allowing them to become children of God.

Jesus affirmed that His hearers were descendants of Abraham, at least in the physical sense. However, their shared heritage ended there. Abraham is the spiritual ancestor of all who trusts God because he heard and obeyed God’s word. Because Jesus is the Word of God in human flesh, to reject Him is to reject God. Therefore, the disbelieving Jews were descendants of Abraham in name only. The fact is that God and Satan are the contrasted “fathers” in 8:41 & 44. After rebuking the Pharisees for failing to heed God’s Word, He invited them to be true Hebrews, commanding them,  I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.

But the Pharisees, by not doing the deeds of their father Abraham, were rejecting their God. Jesus implied this made them sons of Satan, the father of lies, and ultimate rebel against God. His indictment incited hatred rather than prompt reflection and repentance, which the Pharisees expressed with a sneer in a thinly veiled epithet. The phrase, “We are not illegitimate children,” was aimed at the presupposition that Mary conceived Jesus illegitimately. The Lord bypassed this insult as He had the other (8:19) to reinforce His earlier teaching that He was on earth to do the Father’s will.

Having invited the Pharisees to believe in God as their ancestor Abraham had done, and having felt the sting of their insult, Jesus laid bare the source of their unbelief: they wanted to do the desires of Satan, whom He called their “father.”  A particular trait of John is his portrayal of the universe as sharply divided (roll out post) between light and dark, truth and lie, life and death, the kingdom of God, and “the world.” For John, there is no middle ground. And it is perhaps this discourse that sets his perspective like concrete. Satan is everything God is not, and to practice sin is to side with Satan against God (1 John 1:5–7). The plain and simple reason for the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus as the Word of God, was their dedication to the father of lies.

The...

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Letters in the Sand

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last we saw that the religious leaders in Jerusalem had enough of Jesus, and as He is teaching in the temple, we saw Jesus in the Lion’s Den. Today, our scripture is John 8:1-11.

John 8 contains one of the most recognizable stories in the Bible: the woman who was caught in adultery and brought before Jesus. It is a powerful story. You will resonate with this story if you have ever felt condemned, ashamed, or exposed as a failure.

However, we must address several other things before looking at the account. First, most newer Bibles have a note before the text: The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11. This troubles many people. Some feel these versions are trying to edit the Bible or engage in what we call today “revisionist history.” However, that is not what is happening at all. These scholars are not guilty of not respecting the Word of God. This note is there because they absolutely respect the Bible as the Word of God!

As archaeology continues to unearth more and more copies of the Bible, some of those copies are earlier manuscripts (or copies) than previously existed. Generally speaking, the older the manuscript, the closer it is to the original that God Himself inspired. In this case, the oldest manuscripts are missing this account, indicating the story was added later. However, other early manuscripts do have the story in John. Therefore, the note on the text warns us: Be careful about holding this text above other texts because it may be a later addition.

These verses are equal to the rest of the gospel account. We know it was an early account, which seems consistent with the character we see of Jesus throughout the rest of the Bible (and John’s gospel). So it is consistent with the rest of the scripture. And we do not have any reason to discount the story other than that it is not in the earliest manuscripts. So, though it is important to be cautious, we can approach this story as genuine history, not a later fabrication.

There are some questions we have about the details of this story. In Deuteronomy 22:22, we read, “If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.” One expert in Jewish legal procedures states, “The actual physical movements of the couple must have been capable of no other explanation, and the witnesses must have seen exactly the same acts at exactly the same time, in the presence of each other, so that their depositions would be identical in every respect.”

This raises three questions. First, where was the man who was involved in this adulterous relationship? Scripture is clear…BOTH parties were to be killed. If only one party were brought before the court, it would be the man who might take advantage of a woman and force her into a relationship she did not desire. So something is “fishy” here.

Second, how is it that these people were caught? If they were in a room, the witnesses would have had to be looking in the window…at the same time! This leads us to believe the whole thing was a setup. Perhaps the woman was an unknowing pawn who was seduced. The man may have been part of the plot to get Jesus trapped. If that is the case, the people behind the plot are actually worse than the woman accused of adultery!

In our permissive age, one might think the punishment here was excessively harsh. However, God established these penalties because marriage was meant to be the home’s foundation of our society. Therefore, God takes marital faithfulness seriously.

Third, what did Jesus write in the dirt? There are as many opinions on this as there are people. We could speculate what he wrote, but it is only a guess, so it wastes time. It appears Jesus does use this to buy time and allow His words to sink in. Let’s look at what happened and draw some principles I hope will help us.

Check Yourself Before Condemning Others

These religious leaders believed they had Jesus in a no-win situation. If Jesus said, “Let her go!” He would be castigated as one who did not believe in the Law of Moses. On the other hand, if he sided with her execution, he would undermine His reputation as the Savior for the broken and hurting. This would alienate Him from the very people who were drawn to Him. It might also put him in the sights of the Roman government, who alone had the right to execute him.

As on so many other occasions, we see the wisdom of Jesus superior to the schemes of men. Jesus wrote in the dirt as if He was ignoring them entirely. But, because they kept pushing, he responded, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The principle is simple: we need to examine our own lives before condemning the sin of others. Jesus said this very thing in Matthew 7:2-5.

For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, get rid of the log in your own eye; then, you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Some have taken these words of Jesus to mean we should never say any behavior is wrong. But that is not what Jesus was saying. The Bible clearly shows that the Lord wants us to be holy rather than compromise with evil. He is clear in calling some behaviors “sin.” So, Jesus is not condemning judgments, (He commands them just a few verses later in Matthew 7.) He is condemning hypocrisy.

These accused men condemned this woman while plotting against Jesus and possibly even entrapping the woman to do so. They were using the Word of God to destroy people (even willing for this woman to be killed) to pursue their agenda. It is, sadly, a common problem. We can beat people up with righteous indignation while neglecting our sins.

As believers, we must not call what God calls evil, good. However, we should be eager to point people to the transforming grace of God. We do that by extending kindness and personal care, even when we may have to oppose their behavior. Unfortunately, this is where the church has gotten a bad reputation with the non-Christian world. They have watched as Christians have condemned various actions and behaviors (which God condemns) with a hatred that makes us seem mean and uncaring and more like bullies than ambassadors of Christ trying to love and win those who are lost.

If you ask a non-Christian friend to describe a “typical Christian,” They may describe one who stands in judgment over them, or people who are stern and sour. God does not call us to be the policemen of the world. He calls us to be ambassadors of grace. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict people of their sins. It is our job to show people a better way.

It is interesting that after the challenge of Jesus, the older people slip away first. Perhaps it was that they realized Jesus had defeated them. To throw the first stone would be to make a claim of sinlessness they would not dare to make. It would be an act of blasphemy. The older men knew there was no sense in looking for a loophole. They conceded defeat. The younger people quickly followed.

Understand that Jesus Forgives You and Others

Harboring sin is like having a chain around your neck and shoulders, shackled by that chain. After the mob dissipated, Jesus was with the disciples (we assume) and this woman. Surely, she was embarrassed and ashamed. Jesus asked if anyone was left to condemn her, and she replied there was no one. Then He said something amazing, “Then neither do I condemn you.” He extended grace and forgiveness to this broken woman who perhaps was headed down a very destructive path. I suspect His words and the look of kindness and compassion in His eyes changed her life forever.

The God who wrote the law she broke had every reason to condemn this woman as a sinner. The Holy One was well within His rights and authority to send her to Hell. But He did not. Instead, He gave her a new start.

Forgiveness is powerful. It is like someone taking their foot off your neck (allowing you to breathe again) and then wrapping their arms around you as a friend. It is like the cancer Doctor coming into your room to tell you, “We got it all.” It is like being on death row and suddenly being completely pardoned.

Romans 8:1-2 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Ponder those incredible words: “No condemnation.” Nothing! The worst of our sins is pardoned because of Christ.

The woman standing before Jesus had her life altered by these few words. She was facing death by stoning, and now she was going home forgiven. The shackles of guilt had been taken off. She had a fresh start.

Here’s the hard part: we are told to forgive as He has forgiven us. Forgiveness is letting go of the hurt. It is determined that the offense committed will no longer be a barrier in our relationship. It is not “letting someone get away with what they did,” it is putting the hurt into God’s hands to address it appropriately. When we forgive, we stop using past failures as a club to beat up someone whenever there is a conflict. It is not so much that we forget what happened…we choose not to remember! Instead, we choose to turn it over to Him. It is no longer an issue between us and another.

Forgiveness is one of the costliest gifts we can give to another. Yet, it is a life-changing act of love. Jesus forgave this woman and asks us to forgive each other. We never show more faith than when we dare to entrust our hurts to the Lord/ and replace our anger and hurt with grace. We are given the privilege to pass on the grace we have received. It is our chance to demonstrate that we trust Him…even with our hurts.

Jesus Called Her and Called You to a New Life

Jesus told this woman, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” These words are important! Jesus does not deny the woman’s sin. He did not say it did not matter or was not important. It is sin, and sin destroys our lives. We need to see the destructive power of sin before appreciating the gift of grace and forgiveness. Jesus freed this woman from her condemnation and encouraged her to head in a new direction. He faced the sin, rather than trying to redefine it like so often happens today. Calling sin virtue is like painting the walls of a prison. It doesn’t change the fact that you are still in prison.

In the Romans 8 passage, Paul says we are freed from the power of sin that leads to death. The goal of God’s forgiveness is not for us to be able to sin without feeling bad; it is so we can pursue holiness and godliness. We are freed so we can move in a new direction…the direction we should have been going, to begin with.

God wipes our slate clean so that we can travel in a different direction. He died for our sins to break the power of sin over us! /The person who rejoices at forgiveness and then continues to willfully sin again and again should question whether they have really understood and received the gospel. The person who goes back to beating themselves up with their failures does not understand the real gift that our Lord has given. There is now no condemnation!

Jesus opened a door to this woman to a new life. I want to believe she embraced the opportunity she had been given. The real takeaway of this message is the realization that we are this woman! Her story is our story. We deserve condemnation. We have often ignored His commands and disregarded His character. Our hearts have become hard, and our minds dull. When we take an objective look at our lives, it should stagger us at ease we justify our sins. Yet, we have an uncanny ability to keep telling ourselves that our bad, destructive, and hurtful choices are “not that bad,” or “everyone else is doing it.”

For most of us, we are haunted by past mistakes and failures. We carry scars that make us hesitant in our lives. Some have self-esteem issues and feel the world looks at them and talks about them. Some stay away from the church and any hope of having a relationship with Christ because they believe they are “too far gone” to experience salvation.

The truth is, such people are closer to forgiveness and new life than those who condemned this woman and wanted to condemn Christ. They were religious and thereby believed they “deserved” eternal life. They saw the sin in others but could not see it in themselves. You have met the first qualification if you recognize your need for forgiveness. If you regret and mourn your sin, you fulfill the second requirement: repentance.

Next, you must see that while others point their boney fingers at you with anger and condemnation, Jesus holds His arms open. He does not say your sin doesn’t matter. Of course, it does! Sin destroys people and keeps them from a genuine relationship with God. But, if you run to His open arms, He will tell you what He said to this woman: “Then neither do I condemn you.” He has paid the price so you can be forgiven and free from the enslaving power of sin and have the opportunity to live a new life; to walk with Him; to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and to know you have a place in Heaven reserved for you.

We must believe His voice more than we do the voices of the crowd /and even the voices in our head or our disappointment and Satan’s accusations. Hear and embrace the voice of the One who reigns supreme and loves us more than we can comprehend. Listen carefully as He says, “We are set free!” We are no longer defined by our failures but by his mercy and grace. I am sure many need to hear this and long to hear it, but it seems too good to be true. This is what grace looks like!

I hope this message is also for us when tempted to be the person pointing the boney finger, the one quick to condemn. Remember the words of Jesus: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Remember His words in Matthew 7:2, “The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

We have a choice: we can be agents of condemnation/ or agents of grace. We can beat others up or pick them up off the ground. We can adopt a posture of superiority or proceed as one who has received undeserved mercy. We can be like the teachers of the law or pass on the grace that has been extended to us. Forgiveness is not easy. But it is EASIER when we remember the magnitude of the grace WE have received. When we are willing to forgive another, we show that we appreciate the grace He has given to us.

You can dismiss this story because it is not found in some of the earliest manuscripts. But you cannot dismiss the message because it is repeated in God’s Word. This is not just a story about a woman caught in sin. It is OUR story. It is a picture of God’s amazing grace that sets us free from condemnation /and frees us to extend that grace even to those who have hurt us.

Next, we will return to the temple where Jesus continues to teach and discover “Reasons for Rejection.” Please read John 8:12-59 in preparation.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!