Understanding

The Apostle Paul – Persecutor, Convert & Evangelist

“[Paul] went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him…” (Acts 9:28)

Saul of Tarsus (Saul with an “S”), a very Jewish Pharisee and a zealous persecutor and killer of Christians, went out in search of Christians to eradicate, and he came back a Christian named Paul (with a “P”)! He then preached the Gospel, placing his life in grave danger at the hands of his former religious colleagues.

I believe that by considering the life and ministry of Paul, we can learn much about our own calling and our own responsibilities as Christ’s witnesses.

What was in it for Paul?

Did Paul convert to Christianity for fame or fortune, or so that his life would be “transformed” to be pleasant and full of blessings? Did he convert because someone convinced him it would be just wonderful to be a Christian, or that if he converted he could be just like them?

Hardly! There was no fame in it for Paul, only ridicule from those whose approval he once coveted, and persecution from the political authorities. There were no creature comforts in it for Paul. There was certainly no money in it – the Christians were rapidly losing whatever financial stability some of them might have enjoyed.

There was surely one thing in it for Paul - suffering. God guaranteed it.

How was Paul Converted?

Paul was converted the same way anyone else is – by the effectual calling of God and the impartation of the word and Spirit of Christ, by whom one is regenerated or “born again.” Sure, Paul’s conversion was dramatic, with his being knocked off his horse and blinded and all, but the essential ingredients of calling, the word and the Spirit were nevertheless front, center and efficacious. Perhaps all the drama was for God’s own purpose of qualifying Paul among the brothers and getting him to work on the Great Commission sooner rather than later.

Earlier in this chapter, God said He would show Paul how much he must suffer for Him. God let Him know what was coming – beatings, floggings, stoning, imprisonment, chains, hatred, ostracism, betrayals, expulsion from cities, and ultimately beheading. Yet, Paul obeyed Christ whom he now knew and in whom he now believed and trusted.

Paul the Evangelist

What was Paul’s approach to “witnessing?” We might have guessed he would spend most of his time “building relationships.” After all, what good could come of leading right off with the Gospel, proclaiming Jesus as Messiah? With all the bad reactions Paul knew were coming, and all the rejection, why rush into things? Surely Paul would be crafty enough to think of some suitable social service project to do, so the people would see the great transformation in his life and want the same! That way, they would not be overwhelmed with complexity and with a Gospel message that was just too much for them. Maybe Paul could establish a “free tents” ministry, or something.

It appears Paul did none of these things. Instead, he began speaking and disputing against “the Hellenists.” The Hellenists were Jews who read the Old Testament in Greek (called “LXX”, or the Septuagint.) They had been “Hellenized” or molded to be more “Greek” than culturally Jewish. Some of these Hellenists were very likely converts – that is, culturally Greek Gentiles who had converted to Judaism.

All of this suggests that Paul the Christian very likely targeted his original audience towards his ultimate calling as “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Paul preached the Gospel to them, argued his position with them, gave reasons for the hope that was in him, and in every way presented Christ as Messiah.

I have not studied it out, but I wonder if this is the sort of activity that brought Paul into contact and friendship with the Gentile, Dr. Luke, author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, the book we are now reading. Could Luke have been a Hellenistic convert to Judaism before reconverting to Christ? There is an interesting study for another day.

Summing Up

In any case, once Paul was converted, he preached the Gospel, defended the faith, and in so doing placed himself in harm’s way. He later made it clear in his writings that he converted no one, but that God alone did so, using believers as “secondary means” - one to sow seeds, another to water, and someone else to harvest as God gave the increase.

Paul did as God instructed him, though it was both unpopular and dangerous. All of this seems very much consistent with the commands of Christ in Matthew 24-28, as He prepared His followers for His death, resurrection and ascension, and for great persecution to come upon them. In His parting instructions, Jesus commanded His Apostles to preach the Gospel, teach His word, administer sacraments, and pray.

Paul certainly did all of this. 

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Acts: How the Great Commission is Done

The Book of Acts, written by Dr. Luke as a second installment to what we call the Gospel of Luke, was written and intended to be a history of the Church from the time of Jesus’ death until late in the age of the original Apostles of Christ. Luke tells us what happened after the Apostles received the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Therefore, if we want to know how the recipients of the Great Commission and direct disciples of Jesus Christ went about the Great Commission, we need to read about that in the Book of Acts.

In chronicling the earliest history of the Christian Church, the Book of Acts advances several important themes, such as the universality of the Gospel, the certain fulfillment of God’s promises, and the arrival of the Age of the Holy Spirit and the Church. But behind and around all of these internal themes is the fact that Acts is an historical account.

What about the Great Commission? In wrapping up His earthly ministry, Jesus mandated His apostles to go to all nations and make disciples by preaching the Gospel, teaching the scriptures, administering the sacraments (or ordinances, depending upon how they are viewed in various traditions) of baptism and , the Lord’s Supper.  Luke’s writing of Acts described the carrying out of this mandate, including:

1. Waiting for the arrival of power (the Holy Spirit) from on high, then using that power to point others to Christ, rather than to His messenger;
2. Bold preaching of the Gospel by Peter, Stephen, Paul and others, without advance self-promotion to “qualify” themselves, and without any promotional social services strategy to make the Gospel  more palatable to people who would simply not receive it;
3. Consistent and persistent preaching - both within the church and outside of it - of the Gospel itself over any other presentation or promotion, along with acceptance of the fact that some would believe and be converted, while many others would not believe and remain lost;
4. Acceptance of strong and even violent rejection of the Gospel, often with dire or even deadly consequences for the bearers of the message; the Apostles and their colleagues not only endured but accepted and embraced persecution and suffering for the Gospel;
5. Inclusive movement of the Gospel through ethnic, cultural and gender lines, and throughout “…Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8);
6. Constant teaching of the word of God throughout the churches of the world, as well as the continued writing of scripture by Paul, John, Luke, Peter and others, who recorded some of their doctrinal discourses, narrative reports, encouragements and corrections in writings we now call “Galatians”, 1^st Corinthians”, “Ephesians”, “Romans”, etc.; and
7. Succession of leadership by those whom the Apostles had trained and taught – such as Timothy, Barnabas, Silas, Priscilla, Aquilla, Apollos and others who carried on the Great Commission by preaching the Gospel, teaching the word of God, and administering the ordinances and sacraments.

In short, if we want to know how the Great Commission is and was actually done, we need to study the Book of Acts along with the epistles of the New Testament, as they provide many details. We might think of the four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) as the direct witness of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, the Book of Acts as the skeletal depiction of the carrying out of the Great Commission, and the epistles of the NT as the meat on the bones of that skeleton.

The Great Commission is not some Biblical menu item which one church or another can select to be its “mission.” Neither is the Great Commission an event in history which started and finished. It is not only about evangelism and conversion of unbelievers, though these are important elements. More than that, the Great Commission encompasses the entire life of the Church, as the Gospel is preached relentlessly, the Bible is taught unceasingly, and the sacraments are celebrated and observed regularly.  

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John 21: How Do We Know Jesus was Resurrected?

John ends his gospel (chapters 20-21) by telling of the resurrection of Christ and of His post-resurrection appearances. These events are described, according to John himself, “…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing may have life in his name.“ (John 20:31) In stating his reason for describing these last events, John establishes a clear link between the witness of the resurrection and saving faith in Jesus Christ.

To state it another way, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Many who hear or read the Gospel are regenerated (born again), receiving faith, justification and sanctification, along with adoption and glorification. These will be united with Christ.

The resurrection of Christ, central to the Gospel, is supported by evidence by which we can give an answer for the hope that is in us, much as Peter admonished the believers in Asia Minor (1st Peter 3:15), and as Paul laid out in 1st Corinthians 15. The historical fact of the resurrection was certainly a driving factor in the early growth of the Church. The New Testament is direct testimony of this.

There isn’t enough space to cover the topic here, but of the dozen or more kinds of evidence readily at our disposal, following are three which are quite compelling when considered together.

1. That Jesus died on a Roman cross is accepted by the vast majority of serious scholars and historians. Alternative theories are quite easily disposed given such factors as history, the nature of Roman crucifixion, and the penalty imposed on Roman soldiers failing to kill the condemned;

2. That the tomb was found empty is not seriously disputed. No early Jews advanced any evidence to the contrary, and though they had great reason for doing so they never produced the body of Jesus; and

3. Followers of Jesus, who at the time of His death were hiding in fear for their lives, were suddenly emboldened for public ministry to the point of ensuring their own martyrdom. All 11 apostles (John excepted), James the brother of Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and a large number of others were crucified, beheaded, burned, stoned, eaten by wild animals, or otherwise killed for the cause of Christ. The resurrection is the event that made them willing and often even pleased to undergo such treatment.

There is a strong circumstantial base of evidence for the resurrection of Christ, and we do well to share this with any who call upon us to give an answer for our hope in Christ. In doing so, we can point out that the case for the resurrection is much stronger and more accessible than for most ancient and widely accepted historical events.

For a 7 ½ minute clip of some very informative and helpful teaching on this topic by Dr. William Lane Craig, Christian professor, author, speaker and philosopher, follow this link:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYdzUYyIKMM

It’s important to note that we are dealing with historical evidence here, and while saving faith in Christ does not depend on the historical evidence, it is certainly supported by it; we are not asked to stop thinking when we put our faith in Christ. On the contrary, we are to love Him with all of our minds (Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). Faith is a gift from God, and personal testimony of a changed life is certainly part of the answer. But being prepared to give anyone who asks an answer for the hope within us is also something we get to keep working on, with our minds and with the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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John 20: What if Jesus Did Not Rise from the Dead?

The facts and historicity of Jesus’ birth and crucifixion are critical to our faith and salvation. But what if Jesus did not rise from the dead?

If He did not rise, then we have no assurance of His deity (Romans 1:4), and therefore no assurance of salvation. We would have to agree with those who say He was merely a rabbi, or a magician, or a trickster. Any serious reading of the New Testament tells us that if He did not rise from the dead, then He was a liar and a lunatic (Matthew 20:17-19).

If Jesus is not risen, then we are dead in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). We have no living savior who knows what it is to be human and to face the trials and temptations we face (Hebrews 4:15). We have no victorious King to rule and reign forever (Revelation 4:13). We have no intercessor to advocate on our behalf with the Father (I John 2:1). If Christ is not risen, then we have no Holy Spirit (John 14:16), and we have every reason to believe that physical death is the end of our own existence (Romans 8:29).

If Jesus did not truly and physically rise from the dead in the body He died in, though glorified, then we are in no way “in Christ,” as union with a dead Christ is impossible. In such a case, we are not born again, have no justification - that is, we are still guilty of sin – and we have no sanctification. That means sin still has power of slavery over us. In addition, we have no adoption into a dead Christ, and we have no eternal life to look forward to. In short, we are hopeless like all other men who are still in Adam, for we are also in Adam.

The resurrection as depicted in the Gospels (including John chapter 20) validates the New Covenant, without which we would waste our time reading scripture, attending church, being baptized, witnessing, praying, etc. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then we have no basis for faith in Him, and little reason to live, beyond animal instinct and immediate pleasure.

Despite all of this, one poll in the year 2000 found that 35% of self proclaimed “born again” Christians denied the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Subsequent studies indicate the percentage has risen significantly since then. http://www.religioustolerance.org/resurrec8.htm

How can someone who does not believe Jesus rose be a “Christian?” Simple – they can’t! Many of these unbelievers attend church on a regular or semi-regular basis. Believe it or not, a large number of church pastors deny that Jesus Christ literally, physically rose from the dead! What do they preach? Death with perfume sprinkled on it. It smells like embalming fluid.

If someone claims to have a “personal relationship” with a Christ who did not rise from the grave, then at the very least his thinking is incoherent. If someone claims to have made a “personal commitment” to an un-risen Christ, then he is in need of serious mental help. The words of a dead Christ are not “living words” but at best historical, while any theology built on a non-resurrected Jesus eliminates the living bridge between God and mankind.

If we want to avoid being and making false, confused disciples, who pose as Christ followers but do not affirm His resurrection, then we must include in our gospel message – and in our own confession of faith – the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead for our justification (Romans 4:25).

Many of us, sooner or later, will be asked to defend our belief in the resurrection of Christ. We can be sure that the historicity of the resurrection can be supported and defended quite effectively, better in fact than most events of antiquity which are commonly accepted as settled, historical facts.

For more on this subject, I recommend viewing twelve minutes of dialog and debate featuring Gary Habermas, Ph.D., a Christian professor (Talbot Theological Seminary), philosopher of religion, and specialist on the resurrection of Christ. This comes in two short video installments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCsPpRp63Nc       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UewOU4CuiXo&feature=related

For a deeper dive, watch and listen to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsrqFmEPUnw  This lecture comes in 11 installments, which you will find by linking to the first. All of this material, besides informing you on the subject, will encourage you in the fact that we believers need not duck and hide from anyone who would throw up challenges to the veracity or historicity of the resurrection.

The eternal life of many, including us, depends on it.  

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John 19: He Started it, and He Will Finish it

No one took the life of our Savior. No human has ever had that much power and authority, not in all of the history of creation. Jesus laid down His own life. He willingly submitted to the worst kinds of torture and death the Jews and the Romans could dish out. Even at the end, when He breathed His last, Jesus Himself decided when it was over. He gave up His human life and His dignity, yet no one was ever so dignified as our Lord when He said, “It is finished.”

At any point, He could have called it off. He could have decided we were not worth it. But He didn’t. A few years later, Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age…” (Gal. 1:3-4)

“…gave himself for our sins …to rescue us from the present evil age...”

Yes, our redemption is a free gift (Romans 3:24). Today’s reading shows us, however, the unimaginable price paid by the one who bought us the gift with His own flesh and blood. It was certainly not “free” to Him!

How many times have we prayed: “…but deliver us from evil, for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen”? (Matthew 6:13) When we pray the Lord’s prayer, are we mindful that God has already answered it by sending His Son to the whipping post and the cross for our sakes? Do we realize that Jesus long since delivered us once and for all from evil?

In living in the likeness of sinful man, in living a completely righteous and blameless life under the Law, in dying in payment for our sins, and in rising again incorruptible and glorified to intercede and mediate for us at the Father’s right hand until He returns to complete all things – in doing all of this, He has purchased us back from death and hopelessness.

When we are born again (regenerated, given new life), our new birth comes by way of the Spirit of Christ, the Firstborn and the Life Giver. Until we are reborn, we are utterly powerless to raise ourselves from spiritual death, because “in Adam all die” and we are “dead in trespasses and sins.” The Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of Christ, does for us what we cannot do for ourselves when He brings us new birth and lives in us. Along with that new birth and that indwelling, we are given faith which we never had before, by which we are also justified, meaning we are proclaimed and made “not guilty” and righteous in Christ, as our sin and guilt is laid upon Him.

That is plenty, of course, but far from all we receive when we are born again. We also adopted into the Family of God, as we become brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other, and as we are sanctified, meaning we are made holy before God in the holiness of Christ, clean before God. Not only are we granted inward, definitional sanctification upon regeneration, but we are - by faith and by the continuous grace of God through the presence and power of the Spirit – set on a path of progressive outward sanctification, until one day when we will be raised and glorified in the same kind of incorruptible bodies as our Lord’s.

In short, when one is regenerated, he or she simultaneously dies in Christ and is raised in Him to Life. Such a person, having been raised in Christ, also lives in Christ and will be glorified in Christ. No matter how we may feel, no matter how much we may fail, and no matter how we measure ourselves outwardly against others, we are in Christ if we have been born again. And if we are in Him, then we are forever new, without sin, free of condemnation, blameless as He is blameless, eternal as He is eternal, living in the hope that He personifies and that He has won and guaranteed from before the foundations of the earth. He will complete the work He began in us, reconciling all things to Himself.

What does all this have to do with the events recorded in John chapter 19?

If Jesus Christ had not willingly and undeservedly taken the whip and the thorns and the cross on our behalf, then He would not have risen from the dead in glory, and none of the above would be true; none of it, in fact, would ever have been known or spoken, and we would be – if we were alive at all – lost and utterly without hope in the world, irretrievably dead in our sins and trespasses.     

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John 18: Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words

Yesterday, in relating to us the story of Jesus at the well in Samaria, Pastor Gary used a map of the territory of Israel to help us place the story into real space and time. In short, this sort of mapping and picturing is very helpful to us if we are to grasp and understand the text of Scripture and its meaning. In that light, I offer the following comments on John chapter 18.  

First, it is helpful to read from 18:1 all the way through 19:16.  It is also useful to read parallel accounts, found at: Matthew 26:36 – 27:26, Mark 14:32 – 15:15, and Luke 22:39 – 23:25. By reading the whole story of Jesus’ arrest, trial and sentencing from all four gospels, we gain a composite picture. We “see” the events more fully and thus are in position for the Holy Spirit to fulfill our understanding and enlighten our sense of what these events truly mean in history and to us.

Here is a link that helpful in identifying parallel passages among the four gospel accounts. By saving this link to our desktop, we have a good study tool for free. If we click on the column heading “John,” it becomes a detailed outline of the Gospel of John, useful in providing context and helping us see beyond chapter designations. For example, after clicking on “John,” look at the far right hand column (John’s Gospel), and scroll down until you find 18:1. Read the descriptions at the far left from 18:1 on down to 19:16; these describe (outline) the story from the time Jesus takes the disciples to Gethsemane until Pilate sentences Jesus to crucifixion. http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/harmony/

Speaking of Gethsemane, Matthew wrote (26:36), “Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane.” Luke wrote (22:39), “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.” John wrote (18:1), “When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden…”

Fitting these passages together, we learn that Jesus and His disciples went to a familiar place, a garden called Gethsemane, located across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives. What did such a place look like, and how can we envision it? We can go there, because the Garden of Gethsemane still exists. Short of making the trip, we can find countless pictures and maps online.

Here is a modern picture of the City of Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives, looking back across the Kidron Valley:   http://www.snydertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSC00826.jpg

This is approximately the view of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley which Jesus His disciples would have seen from Gethsemane, though obviously the city and the valley would have looked different.

If you click this next link then scroll down a half page or so, you see a picture of the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives looking from the former location of the Palace of King David inside Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane was located near the upper left hand corner, at about 10 o’clock:

: http://www.biblesearchers.com/reflections/2008/januarymarch.shtml

Here are some modern photos of the Garden of Gethsemane (“Gethsemane” means “olive press”), located on the lower western slope of the Mount of Olives. It is said that present day olive trees in the garden are 1,000 to 2,000 years old. It is unlikely that these same trees would have been standing when Jesus prayed in the garden, since it was reported that Roman legions cut down the olive trees during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g293983-d319062-Garden_of_Gethsemane-Jerusalem.html

Finally, here is a map of the area at the time of Jesus. Note that Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives are on the right hand (east) side, and Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, is on the left. The Kidron Valley (not designated) is between the wall of the temple (Golden Gate) and the Mount of Olives. Follow the Kidron Valley down along the Road to Bethany, and you will see that the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus is just a short distance from Jerusalem and from Gethsemane:  http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/quest/images/HolyWeekCreationStationMap.jpg

If we read the gospel accounts with these kinds of images and maps in mind, it will enrich our experience of the scriptures, our understanding of the story, and our receptivity to the Holy Spirit as He leads us into deeper understanding. The accounts in scripture will move from being words on a page to real life in full color, and into a richer historical and spatial context.  

 

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John 18: Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words

Yesterday, in relating to us the story of Jesus at the well in Samaria, Pastor Gary used a map of the territory of Israel to help us place the story into real space and time. In short, this sort of mapping and picturing is very helpful to us if we are to grasp and understand the text of Scripture and its meaning. In that light, I offer the following comments on John chapter 18.  

First, it is helpful to read from 18:1 all the way through 19:16.  It is also useful to read parallel accounts, found at: Matthew 26:36 – 27:26, Mark 14:32 – 15:15, and Luke 22:39 – 23:25. By reading the whole story of Jesus’ arrest, trial and sentencing from all four gospels, we gain a composite picture. We “see” the events more fully and thus are in position for the Holy Spirit to fulfill our understanding and enlighten our sense of what these events truly mean in history and to us.

Here is a link that helpful in identifying parallel passages among the four gospel accounts. By saving this link to our desktop, we have a good study tool for free. If we click on the column heading “John,” it becomes a detailed outline of the Gospel of John, useful in providing context and helping us see beyond chapter designations. For example, after clicking on “John,” look at the far right hand column (John’s Gospel), and scroll down until you find 18:1. Read the descriptions at the far left from 18:1 on down to 19:16; these describe (outline) the story from the time Jesus takes the disciples to Gethsemane until Pilate sentences Jesus to crucifixion. http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/harmony/

Speaking of Gethsemane, Matthew wrote (26:36), “Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane.” Luke wrote (22:39), “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.” John wrote (18:1), “When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden…”

Fitting these passages together, we learn that Jesus and His disciples went to a familiar place, a garden called Gethsemane, located across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives. What did such a place look like, and how can we envision it? We can go there, because the Garden of Gethsemane still exists. Short of making the trip, we can find countless pictures and maps online.

Here is a modern picture of the City of Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives, looking back across the Kidron Valley:   http://www.snydertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSC00826.jpg

This is approximately the view of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley which Jesus His disciples would have seen from Gethsemane, though obviously the city and the valley would have looked different.

If you click this next link then scroll down a half page or so, you see a picture of the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives looking from the former location of the Palace of King David inside Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane was located near the upper left hand corner, at about 10 o’clock:

: http://www.biblesearchers.com/reflections/2008/januarymarch.shtml

Here are some modern photos of the Garden of Gethsemane (“Gethsemane” means “olive press”), located on the lower western slope of the Mount of Olives. It is said that present day olive trees in the garden are 1,000 to 2,000 years old. It is unlikely that these same trees would have been standing when Jesus prayed in the garden, since it was reported that Roman legions cut down the olive trees during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g293983-d319062-Garden_of_Gethsemane-Jerusalem.html

Finally, here is a map of the area at the time of Jesus. Note that Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives are on the right hand (east) side, and Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, is on the left. The Kidron Valley (not designated) is between the wall of the temple (Golden Gate) and the Mount of Olives. Follow the Kidron Valley down along the Road to Bethany, and you will see that the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus is just a short distance from Jerusalem and from Gethsemane:  http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/quest/images/HolyWeekCreationStationMap.jpg

If we read the gospel accounts with these kinds of images and maps in mind, it will enrich our experience of the scriptures, our understanding of the story, and our receptivity to the Holy Spirit as He leads us into deeper understanding. The accounts in scripture will move from being words on a page to real life in full color, and into a richer historical and spatial context.  

 

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John 17: What’s in a Prayer?

At John 17 we read the prayer which Jesus prayed just prior to His arrest and crucifixion. Referring to those who believed in Him, Jesus said to His Father: “They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.” (John 17:6)

We previously observed that no one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). Here Jesus reiterates this principle by saying “…you gave them to me.” What did Jesus mean next by “they have obeyed your word”? He could not have meant that these believers had been 100% obedient to the law, nor to Jesus’ commandments which substantially exceed and surpass the law. Everyone sins. Peter would deny Christ in His hour of greatest need (humanly speaking), and all the rest would scatter, cower and hide. No one is inherently righteous by his own actions – not then, and not now.

What then did Jesus mean, “…they have obeyed your word?”

Here is one of many instances in which scripture interprets and clarifies itself. Immediately after the statement in question, Jesus went on to pray, “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” (v.8)

The principle that to believe in Christ and in His word is to obey the word of God is a profound principle of the New Covenant. Those who believe are grafted into the righteousness of Christ, as their sins – including sins of neglect, failure and omission - are laid upon Him. In this way, under the New Covenant in Christ, it is His work that is of paramount importance and primacy, rather than our own work. The scriptures and the Gospel point at Him, not us. In my estimation, given this principle and the weight of scripture, we should actually spend ten times as much thought, effort, and time majoring on His work than we do our own.

Our main work is to believe in His work, because “our work” IS HIS WORK!

I often cite other scripture references in these posts, always hoping someone will actually look them up and read them in context. In this particular case, there is much to be seen and learned from a dozen or so passages in and through which this connection between belief and works is expounded.

So, in the interest of encouraging us to probe into the Bible beyond the chapter we happen to be reading, as well as to illustrate the principle that our main work is to believe in the one whose works are primary, I offer several citations with the text, along with some commentary:

John 6:29 - Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him [Jesus Christ] whom he has sent.”

            This one is short and rather self-explanatory; it sets forth the principle quite succinctly.

John 10:36-38 - do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

        Jesus urged them to consider His work and even if they don’t yet believe He is the Son of         God,  to at least believe that He was sent by the father, and that the Father and He are in         union.  Believing in Christ and in the work of Christ is the main point and objective.

John 14:11-13 - Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

        This bears some careful thought and meditation. Consider that the subject here is Christ, not         us, and that the main object is His work, not ours. Throughout this passage, the emphasis is         squarely on His work. “But didn’t He say ‘greater works would WE do?” Yes, but “our” work         consists of His work ascribed to us. Believers in Christ are credited with His work, and He is         now doing even greater work at the Father’s right hand than He did before, in the sense that         He is now resurrected, glorified and ascended. He has received from the father “all authority         in Heaven and earth” (Matthew 18:28).

        When believers are united with Christ, we are thereby united with the Holy Trinity, and as         such we are united with the work of Christ within the Trinity. In being united with Christ,         then, we – in Him - are doing “even greater works” than Christ performed here on earth.

        Have you ever read this passage and wondered why we aren’t raising the dead all the time, or         feeding the starving nations with a loaf of bread, or doing “even greater works” than Christ         did among us? If we will read scripture without setting it inside the boundaries of our own         assumptions and self-centering interpretive habits, He will increase, and we will increase in         Him.

Galatians 2:6 - we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

            This short but powerful passage is pure Gospel.

Ephesians 1:19-20 - …the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might  that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.

            Over and over again, it is HIS work and HIS might that counts.

Hebrews 4:2-3 - For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world.

        Here is another of many passages equating belief (and faith) with obedience. Yes, faith will         grow as the believer lives it out and experiences progressive sanctification. But it is belief in         Christ that is the main work of the Christian, without which all the subsequent “works” in the         world are worth little or nothing. Our obedience is to believe in Christ and in all he said and         did, and in all He now does. Everything else follows from this. We are saved by faith, and that         is the gift of God to those who had no faith and no hope of mustering it up for themselves.

Many Christians are stubbornly resistant to these principles because it all seems too easy. It seems to us who are self-centered that to make the Gospel a matter of Christ’s work and not dependant on our own work, is to take us off the hook and give us something we do not have to earn. But this is PRECISELY THE GOSPEL! It SHOULD seem too easy! Paul understood this would be the common first reaction to the Good News when, after laying out the Gospel for the Romans, he wrote, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:1-3)

Paul knew that the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith alone (belief and trust in Christ and not by works) would raise this erroneous reaction: “Well, if we are saved by God’s grace through faith alone and not by anything we do, then let’s go on sinning and having a blast!!”  Here, Paul is in complete agreement with James, who teaches us that faith produces changes in lives and behaviors. When we believe in Christ, then we are saved, justified, and sanctified. As we believe in Christ, God works in us to do His good will through us. Thus, whatever we might call “our work” is first, foremost and essentially all His work!   

It all starts in Him, it all continues in Him, and it all ends with Him

The believers for whom Jesus prayed were given to Him by His Father (John 17:6) when He enabled them, by the Holy Spirit, to hear and accept the words spoken by the Son, the Living Word of God. They obeyed these words by knowing [seeing, accepting, understanding, believing, resting in] that Jesus was sent by the Father, and by knowing and believing the words of God spoken by the Son. They knew this by faith, which is the gift of God. No work on our part was involved.

For this reason, if we start our testimony with, “I was saved when I…” we obscure the truth of the matter. The truth is that “We were saved when God loved us in our stink, filth and dead, rotting hopelessness enough to come Himself in the likeness of our rotting flesh and bear our just punishment, and when He rose from the dead to live forever in glory as the firstborn of many, including us, who pay nothing for our own resurrection and eternal life in Him. We are saved because of His work, not ours, and because He does for us what we have no chance whatsoever to do for ourselves. Because of His work in us, we are even able to do works of faith that were impossible before He imparted grace and faith to us.”

Jesus said (John 17:3): “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This reminds us of John’s words at John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Once we are drawn by the Father to the Son, regenerated, given faith and justified, then we are also privileged to grow in Christ, as God does His work in and through us. This growing process follows our new birth, receipt of faith, justification, and initial sanctification; the works of faith that we do are the result, not the cause of our conversion and redemption.

This is the wonderful “good news” of the Gospel! Any form of belief by us that we somehow can and must earn or justify our own redemption will negate belief in Christ, deny faith in Him, and therefore leave us consigned to eternal separation from God without any hope, NO MATTER HOW RELIGIOUS WE THINK WE ARE. We cannot earn what is received as a free gift (Rom. 4:3-5, 5:15-17, 6:23, 11:29; 2 Cor. 9:14-15; Eph. 2:8-9, 3:7-8; Rev. 22:17) – BUT we CAN fail to receive and to live fully in it it by persisting in the lie that it is about us and our work, rather than His.

In short, the gift of faith works every day, in every way!

One additional observation... The word "obeyed" by modern versions of the Bible in John 17:6 ("you gave them to me and they have 'obeyed' your word") is from the Greek word "tereo," which carries the meaning of "guarding," "keeping watch on" and "holding fast."

The words Jesus gave to His followers, which they "kept" (as the King James translates "teleo") have been passed on to us in the form of the Bible, the written word of God and the divinely inspired, infallible record and word of Christ Himself. So, the spoken words of Christ, which the original disciples "kept" (believed, obeyed, guarded), we now have in this written form we call the Scriptures.

We “obey God’s word” essentially by believing in all that is recorded about and said by the Son, Jesus Christ. Such belief, which is the living expression of faith received as the gift of God, leads to progressive sanctification and to those acts which we usually think of as "our work.” In truth, any work of faith we perform is the work of Christ in and through us, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

If we want to "obey" (or "keep," or "teleo") the words of Christ, we will (1) hold fast to the scriptures by dedicating ourselves to prayerful study and meditation; (2) accept the scriptures as God's expression of objective and ultimate truth in all intended regards; and (4) "guard" and "keep" the word of God by careful, diligent discernment, understanding and implementation.

Of course, if we do these things, we will grow in Christ and we will experience progressive changes in thought, attitude and practice. This happens as God does HIS work in us, and we are progressively sanctified and made increasingly in His likeness. So we are made ready for His return in glory and honor, to be with Him as He rules and reigns over His Kingdom forever.

If, however, we imagine that we can skip the "keeping" and "obeying" (studying, learning, believing, trusting) of God's word and go right on to "being the gospel" by performing all sorts of work "for God," we really need to think through it all over again. Yes, we can say we live "for Him," but I am coming to believe that it is far, far more truthful and essential to say we live "IN Him." His life is our life, and His work is our work. 

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Where Did We Get This Idea???

The opening post this morning is an excellent summary of true Christian witness, and of a HUGE part of our own history and ancestry as believers in Christ.

The question was: Where did we get the idea that when we serve Jesus life would be all about comfortable living?

 
We got it from TV and radio - TBN, the Crystal Cathedral, and a hundred silken-voiced, smooth talking purveyors of bunk masquerading as "Biblical teaching" and "evangelism." We got it from TV evangelists building empires and mega-churches, where the objective was to promote and hold onto dues-paying members, rather than to preach the truth and then equip and prepare God's elect.

We got it from "preachers" who peddled milk shakes, fatty acid pills, cheap "Christian" jewelry, third rate pamphlets and bumper stickers; we got it from "writers" of a thousand baby food-filled, Scripture-twisting, proof-texting, profit seeking books, videos and subscriptions about the secret to gaining money, receiving your best 'this' and seven "newly discovered" steps to your finest 'that' and how to have a life filled with you-name-it.

 
We get it from the likes of smiling TV mega-preachers with Texas drawls, $2,000 suits and huge smiles, who grin so lovingly and make us feel good to be Christians again. In case we don't believe it entirely, they keep on reminding us that we DESERVE it.

 
We get it every time we convince ourselves that some wonderful thing we've done has so warmed the heart of God that He just MUST give us everything on our prayer list, right down to relief from our broken fingernail; or when we are told that some bad things we've done makes us ineligible for that fingernail healing until we do something good to restore God's love for us. 
We get it when we are told the lie that our well being with God and our relationship with Him depends first and foremost on ME and all I do for Him, (and oh yeah, uh... by the way, let's not forget that once upon a time He did something for us.)

We get it when we falsely believe that anything painful or counter to our own personal comfort, plans and desires MUST mean we've screwed up "somehow" and God must be mad at us for it. If we could only set things right again, maybe God would start blessing us again with all we want!
We get it from dumbed down, jingle-ridden, pop commercial "praise and worship" songs we hear and repeat a thousand times to avoid the difficult and the deep, mysterious things that are worthy of our deepest and most stirring, troubling thoughts and expressions. But hey, it's ok - after all, the Christians who make it and sell it are doing alright, aren't they?

 
We get it whenever we look at the society around us and are aghast at how terrible "they" are, and how by comparison we are truly the moral and ethical light of the world, and as such whatever "they" have (and don't deserve) must pale in comparison to what we DON'T have and DO deserve!

 
It comes up out of our own hearts, and without a lot of trouble. Then we convince ourselves and each other that our sense of Christian entitlement is "in the Bible."

 
We get it all the time, from every direction.

The real question is, will we continue to buy it?
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John 15-16: Everything is Changing

This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12, 17)

We must be very careful NOT to interpret this command in our own modern definition of "love", for Jesus had something entirely different in mind.

So far in John’s gospel, the command Jesus emphasized most was “believe in me.” This command and teaching accompanied seven “I am” statements in which Jesus claimed to be God, along with seven sign miracles that demonstrated His deity. The command “believe in me” matches these claims and miracles.

It is helpful at this juncture to notice that there is a significant thematic shift taking place. This shift is yet another example of the Biblical principle of the “indicative” (who we are, who Christ is) coming before the “imperative” (what we are to do.) Until this point, Jesus has established Himself with teachings, miracles and profound claims to deity and to being the Promised One. He has asserted and demonstrated that He is God and that He is the Son of Man. This is the “indicative.” Jesus’ words concerning the Vine and the branches contain both the indicative and the imperative.

Now, however, He moves the message squarely to the imperative. He is about to be killed, and He knows it. Death will not hold Him, as He also knows. He is well aware that His followers will receive similar treatment at the hands of those who hate Him and them. His disciples, however, do not yet know any of these things, and Jesus instructs them accordingly, so that when these things take place they can recall His teaching and then know exactly what to do, and why. (See especially John 16:1, 4, 20, & 31-33.)

As he nears the time of His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, Jesus now commands His followers to love one another (John 15:12-13), shifting His message, its tone and its sense of urgency. Something new is in the air - we can feel it as we read; something not only new, but ominous. When Jesus commanded His disciples to “love one another,” He was not speaking merely of handshakes, kind smiles and words, social visits and a birthday card. He was speaking of giving up their physical lives in gruesome and unjust ways, at the hands of those who hated both Him and His Father. He was speaking of His followers going to martyrdom in faith unshakeable, rejoicing in the hope and promise of Christ, the firstborn among many, the Giver and Sustainer of Life.

Because the end of His earthly life was near, Jesus decided it was time to prepare His disciples for what was coming – both to Him and to them. The indicatives were in the books, and it was time for some very sober imperatives. In the thirty years or so following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, ten of His original 12 disciples would be butchered, burned, and crucified, while countless thousands of other Christ followers would also be brutalized and martyred. Serious instructions were necessary as Jesus prepared His followers to carry the message of Life through His death and theirs.

In those early centuries, as now, for a Christian to go to his or her death at the hands of Christ-haters was the most sacrificial and loving thing to do, as it was the most permanent, ultimate, visible, solidifying act that a Christian could do for Christ and for His people. (See John 10:11 and 15:13.) Many Christian martyrs went to their torture and death with smiles on their faces and praises on their lips – many sang hymns as the fires were lit, or as the beasts approached. Such a witness of love and trust was a huge factor and influence in many observers and perpetrators coming to Christ, as the early church exploded in growth and soon spread throughout the world.   

That Jesus had these things squarely in mind is seen at John 15:18-27. Note that the phrase “bear witness of me” at v.26-27, read in context of the entire passage in which it resides and in context of ensuing history of the Church, speaks of the profound testimony of persecution and martyrdom, not merely telling how Christ provided the rent money or healed my infected finger.

So, we see a significant shift in the message here in the few days preceding Christ’s death. How can we know for certain that Jesus changed His message because of His impending death and departure? We know this because ignoring chapter numbers and reading past chapter 15, we encounter John 16, which we must read in context of the entire discourse. Again: in reading the scriptures for understanding, IGNORE CHAPTER NUMBERS. We also know from yesterday’s reading that we have entered the final section of John’s gospel, in which he shifts his literary focus from who Jesus is to the epic events of the final days of Jesus’ life on earth.

Jesus’ words are now tantamount to His “last will and testament” to His followers. In fact, this is not limited to chapters 15-16, but actually span chapters 13-17. If at all possible, please read all five chapters in one single reading, and if possible, do that several times.

Church history tells us that the Apostle John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” and the one to whom Jesus entrusted care of His mother Mary, was the only one of the original Apostles (aside from Judas Iscariot) not martyred for Christ (interestingly, see John 21:20-23.) There is a story in the ancient tradition concerning John, after he had been imprisoned on the Island of Patmos and after he had received and written the Revelation. John was the Pastor (Bishop) of the Church at Ephesus during the latter half of the 1^st century, and in his frail and failing years the young men would carry him into the assembly. In a time of persecution and constant threats and danger for the believers, they would ask him, “Brother John, do you have a word for us?” John would reply in a weak, aging voice, “Little children, love one another.” When asked, “Is there anything else?” John replied, “There is nothing else.”

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