Milo

SEPTEMBER 1

Reading 244

THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10

“I am the Good Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).The true spiritual leader still cares for the sheep, not for what he can get for their fleece.

Background

Sheep and shepherds.

These images are some of the most powerful in the Old Testament. David’s Psalm 23 picks up the warm and comforting image of the believer as a sheep in the personal care of God. Because “the Lord is my Shepherd” the psalmist is secure. He is convinced, “I shall lack nothing,” for God Himself wields the staff of protection, and leads him to green pastures and beside still waters. The shepherd is also a common image in the Prophets. There it stands for spiritual leaders: first describing rapacious spiritual leaders who profit by exploiting God’s sheep (cf. Jer. 25; Ezek. 34), and then by promising the appearance of a Descendant of David who will shepherd God’s sheep in His name (cf. Isa. 44:28; Ezek. 34:23–24). These images were so well known it is almost impossible to explain how first-century Jews could have missed the implications of Jesus’ claim. Their demand to be told “plainly” if Jesus was the Christ brought an understandable response: “I did tell you, but you do not believe.” Today as then, relationship with God is not a matter of hearing the truth, but of believing it.

Overview

Jesus claimed to be the True Shepherd of God’s sheep (10:1–6). As the “gate for the sheep” Jesus brings His sheep abundant life (vv. 7–10). As “Good Shepherd” He lays down His life for His sheep (vv. 11–13), and is recognized by them (vv. 14–21). Later Jesus told His enemies plainly that He is the Christ, and one with the Father (vv. 22–30). When they prepared to stone Him, Jesus challenged them to deny His miracles (vv. 31–42).

Understanding the Text

“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep” John 10:1–6.

The contrast here is not between Jesus and the religious leaders, but between Jesus and false messiahs. Christ came to Israel through the gate identified by Old Testament prophets: “The Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the day of the Lord’s favor” (Isa. 61:1–2). Others came preaching a fiery bloodbath of retribution against Israel’s oppressors. They were false shepherds, climbing in another way. History’s false messiahs have retained this characteristic. They would bring in God’s kingdom of peace by bloodshed, and “liberate” the oppressed by killing the oppressors. Watch out for such people. You’ll not hear the voice of Jesus in their strident calls for revolution. “His sheep follow him because they know his voice” John 10:4. This theme is repeated frequently by Jesus. The relationship of an Eastern shepherd with his sheep was personal. The shepherd knew each sheep by name, as an individual. He led, rather than herded, the sheep. The sheep also recognized their protector, and responded to his voice. Their hearing was acute enough that if another tried to mimic his voice, they became frightened. There’s another implication here too. At night typically four or five herds of sheep were gathered together in a protected area or sheepfold. In the morning, when a shepherd called, his sheep responded to his voice and separated themselves from the herd! It was response to the shepherd’s voice that identified his sheep from hundreds of other sheep who might have looked just like them to the casual observer. Today too those who hear the Gospel, and recognize in it the voice of God calling to them, respond. It is our response to Jesus that identifies us as His sheep. “I am the gate for the sheep” John 10:7–10. This is another of Jesus’ great “I Am” statements in John’s Gospel. Its meaning should have been familiar to Jesus’ first hearers, who understood sheepherding. At night sheep were kept in a “fold”: an enclosure of stones, briars, or at times a cave. This sheepfold had only one opening, and at night the shepherd slept in it. No wild animal or robber could get at the sheep, because the shepherd was himself at the gate. As the gate, Jesus presented Himself as the only means of entrance to His flock, and at the same time the avenue through which the flock within would pass to find pasture. No wonder Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (v. 10). “I am the Good Shepherd” John 10:1–16. The “good shepherd” is a unique designation, for it emphasizes the willingness of the shepherd to die for his sheep. A “hired man”—and here Jesus refers to Israel’s religious leaders—will care for the sheep only so long as it is profitable or safe. The good shepherd who values the sheep for themselves will lay down his life for them. In fact, it is in this, the laying down of his life, that the goodness of the shepherd is established. If it seems foolish to think of a man being willing to die for mere animals, however great his affection for them, remember this. There is a far greater gap between God and human beings than there is between human beings and sheep! The amazing goodness of God is fully displayed in this awesome wonder: Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us. If you ever feel like a little lost sheep, alone and frightened in a dark and hostile world, remember the Good Shepherd. You can know He loves you because He laid down His life for you. He who loved you this much will never desert you. In Jesus you are never, ever, alone. “They too will listen to My voice” John 10:15–16. The Jews had only contempt for the pagan Gentiles, though some actively sought them as converts. But the thought that any Gentile might have access to God without first becoming an adoptive member of the covenant people was foreign to Judaism. Jesus, however, made it clear that the great dividing line between God’s own and all others was not to be Jewishness, but rather response to His own voice. Today none of the differences that exist between Christian communities have any real significance. All who respond to Jesus’ voice, and have a true faith in Him, are members of Christ’s “one flock.” Let’s make less of the differences that set us apart from other Christians and more of the Person who unites us as the one people of God. “I lay down my life—only to take it up again” John 10:17–21. There are two things here that thrill believers. First, Jesus laid down His life voluntarily. There was no way that the Sanhedrin or the Romans could have taken His life. His death was a voluntary self-offering. And it was “for the sheep”: for our benefit. Second, Jesus took up His life again! He submitted to death and emerged from it victorious, triumphantly alive! His resurrection proves His authority over all—and assures us that the voice we have heard calling us truly is the voice of God. Never apologize for believing in Jesus, as though hearing His voice were somehow irrational. It is the person who does not believe the truth shining through the reality of Christ’s resurrection whose reasoning is flawed. “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly” John 10:22–30. Jesus had been telling everyone. Even though the questioners had not believed, He told them again—and reminded them that their unbelief was rooted in the fact that “you are not My sheep.” Again we see the great dividing line drawn. To those who respond to Jesus and believe in Him, Jesus “give[s] them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand” (v. 29). In the great enterprise of salvation, Jesus and the Father are One, as They are in identity, as God. There is no question about the clarity of this claim. The Jews understood it as a claim to “be God” (v. 33), and were ready to stone Jesus for blasphemy. “You are gods” John 10:33–42. Jesus did not deny their charge in any way. He did unmistakably claim to be the Son of God, and as evidence pointed to the miracles He had performed. Jesus also referred to an Old Testament passage that applied the word “gods” to mere mortals or to angels (cf. Ps. 82:6). If the reception by human beings of God’s words lifted them to an exalted status, surely Christ’s miracles proved He was justified in claiming to be the “Son of God.” The argument from miracles was futile, as Jesus knew it would be. The issue is never one of evidence. It is one of hearing God’s voice as Jesus speaks to us. While the religious leaders stopped their ears, many others who heard Jesus speak recognized what they heard, “and in that place many believed in Jesus.”

DEVOTIONAL

Tug-of-War with God(John 10:22–29)

I remember when my oldest son was about four. We used to play tug-of-war: him against my thumb. Not surprisingly, no matter how he heaved and pulled, and pulled and panted, my thumb always won. At four, Paul, now in his mid-30s, just couldn’t understand that my three-inch thumb was attached to a 230-pound man. Try as he would, his 40-pound body never could win. The contests I remember are just about as unequal as one Jesus mentioned in John 10. “I give them eternal life,” He said of those who have faith in Him. “And no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are One.” Yet Christians, standing secure in the palm of God’s hand, often play “snatch.” They find some 40-pound sin has a hold on them, and they’re terrified that it will snatch them out of God’s hand, and that they’ll lose eternal life. Or they note some 40-pound doubt skipping around in their head, and they’re frightened that it will snatch them away from salvation. Others worry about their own 40-pound will, anxious that it may run wild and catapult them from God’s grip. Well, Jesus has good news, “My Father . . . is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” Jesus has given us eternal life. And God the Father keeps us in the hollow of His almighty hand.

Personal Application

God wants us to build on the foundation of our salvation, not hold on desperately for fear we’ll fall off.

Quotable

“Whatever troubles come on you, of mind, body, or estate, from within or from without, from chance or intent, from friends or foes—whatever your trouble be, though you be lonely, O children of a Heavenly Father, be not afraid!”—J.H. Newman

AUGUST 31

Reading 243

THE GIFT OF SIGHT John 9

“One thing I do know.

I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25)

Only the man who insists “I see” is doomed to remain spiritually blind.

Overview

Jesus, “the light of the world,” gave sight to a man born blind (9:1–8). Stunned neighbors (vv. 9–12) took him to the Pharisees, who criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath (vv. 13–23). The healed man ridiculed the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus (vv. 24–34), and worshiped Christ as Lord (vv. 35–39). The Pharisees remained spiritually blind (vv. 40–41).

Understanding the Text

“Rabbi, who sinned . . . that he was born blind?” John 9:1–4 Popular first-century theology explained every disaster as a consequence of sin. Seeing a man born blind led the disciples to ask a puzzling theological question. Since the man was born blind, whose sin had caused his blindness? Did he somehow sin in the womb, as some rabbis argued? Or had a sin of his parents caused his condition? This strange theology is still popular. When my wife lost a daughter in childbirth, her sister-in-law remarked, “I hope I don’t do anything that will make God punish me like that!” Many a Christian friend, come to comfort a person who is suffering, has made a similarly thoughtless remark. How callous of the disciples, and of us. The man born blind and the devastated mother aren’t objects for theological speculation. They are hurting human beings, not riddles for which we have to offer some solution. Jesus rejected both alternatives. The blind man’s plight was an opportunity for God to relieve suffering. The cause was unimportant. This is still the case today. The cause of a person’s suffering is not at issue. The reality of suffering is. All suffering is still an opportunity for God—and God’s people—to express compassion. “I am the light of the world” John 9:5. John first recorded this claim in 8:12. The present incident, again reported without regard to chronology, both demonstrates and illustrates the theme. As Son of God, the Creator who called light and life into being at the beginning, Jesus performed a creative act to give the man sight. The man had been born blind. This miracle was no restoration of a damaged capacity, but the creation of a totally new capacity. There is an analogy here to spiritual enlightenment. Human beings are born in sin, without the capacity to see the spiritual world or know spiritual reality. Only by a creative work of God in our hearts can we be given spiritual sight. The man born blind received both physical and spiritual sight as he gradually came to trust Jesus as Lord. “The man went and washed, and came home seeing” John 9:6–12. While the restoration of physical or spiritual sight is possible only by a creative act of God, the recipient is not passive. Thus Jesus put clay on the blind man’s eyes, and told him to find his way to the pool of Siloam and wash. Without at least a hesitant faith, or some dawning hope, the blind man would have bitterly removed the clay and sulked at what seemed ridicule. This man, however, responded to Christ’s words, and went to the pool as directed. This and this alone is man’s part in receiving spiritual sight. We hear Jesus speak and, however hesitantly, we respond. We take those first stumbling steps of faith, and in responding we suddenly discover that we truly can see. Actually, this chapter traces the growth of the blind man’s faith in Jesus, from first response to full discipleship. We notice the stages in the way the man speaks and thinks of Jesus: He was “the Man they call Jesus” (v. 11), then “He is a Prophet” (v. 17), then “from God” (v. 33), the “Son of man” (a messianic title) (v. 35), and finally, “Lord” (v. 38). So our faith grows too. At first we fail to understand fully who Jesus is. But as our spiritual sight becomes more acute, we acknowledge Him as Lord, and worship Him. “They brought [him] to the Pharisees” John 9:13–17. The stunned neighbors brought the now-sighted man to the Pharisees in hopes of an explanation. These men were regarded as religious experts. Perhaps they could explain what had happened. The Pharisees struggled to force the square peg of this miracle into the round holes of their theology. It just wouldn’t fit. Jesus had performed the miracle on the Sabbath, and in the process had made mud (vv. 6, 14). This was “work” according to earlier rabbinical rulings, and forbidden on the Sabbath. Theology demanded they classify Jesus a “sinner.” But reality demanded they acknowledge a miracle that required the exercise of God’s creative power. There’s an important lesson for us here. Christian experience will never violate the Scriptures. But it may run contrary to our interpretation of the Scriptures! When a person gives evidence of a work of God in his or her life, we need to reexamine our understanding of the Word of God. John showed that some of the Pharisees considered Jesus’ works on their own merit, without trying to explain them away because they didn’t fit contemporary theology (v. 16). The blind man, who saw more clearly than the leaders, had the simplest explanation. Jesus was obviously a Prophet: one of those men called and empowered by God, who spoke and acted with God’s own authority, and thus was above the leaders’ jurisdiction. It is both dangerous and foolish to claim the right to stand in judgment on a work performed by God. “They sent for the man’s parents” John 9:18–23. The opposition party (in John, “the Jews”) refused to believe the man had been born blind until they called his parents. They insisted that the healed man was their son, and that he had been born blind. But they refused to be involved in the controversy over Jesus. How desperately the Pharisees tried to avoid facing the reality of this miracle. They knew as well as the blind man that the only valid explanation was that God was working in and through Jesus. But they refused to admit this obvious fact even to themselves. Later Jesus accused them of being blind, and observed that they would remain blind, since they insisted they saw. There is no one as blind as the person who sees the truth, and then shuts his eyes tight in a desperate effort to avoid admitting it. “Anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue” John 9:20–23. There’s often a terrible cost to discipleship. In the first century being “put out of the synagogue” meant being cut off from Jewish society. Friends would not speak to such a person; no one would buy from or sell to him. He could not participate in worship or ritual. By implication he was cut off not only from the covenant people but also from salvation itself. The mother and father of the blind man were unwilling to risk such a penalty by stating their (implied) belief that Jesus was the Christ. The blind man himself was not so hesitant. He boldly affirmed his faith to the Pharisees, and even ridiculed their doubts. Awed by the miracle that had taken place in his own life, he was no longer in awe of mere human authorities. The greater our focus on what the Lord is doing in our own lives, the less hesitant we’ll be in speaking out for Him. “Now that is remarkable!” John 9:26–34 The blind man finally tired of the inquisition. We catch both sarcasm and contempt in his words to the religious leaders as he stated the obvious. “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing” (vv. 31–33). Unable to refute the blind man’s logic, Jesus’ opponents resorted to personal attack. When someone resorts to personal attacks on you, you know he or she is desperate, and cannot deny the truth of what you’re saying. “Do you believe in the Son of man?” John 9:35–39 Later Jesus looked for and found the man He had healed. The man undoubtedly recognized Jesus’ voice, though he had not seen Him earlier. When Jesus identified Himself as the “Son of man,” a messianic title that many believe implied Deity, the man fell on his knees and worshiped. As our faith grows, we, like the blind man, are gradually given fuller and fuller revelations of Jesus and His will. Spiritual sight becomes more acute, and we acknowledge Jesus as Lord in every area of our lives. “Are we blind too?” John 9:39–41 Some Pharisees who heard Jesus’ remarks on blindness were highly insulted. Jesus answered them honestly and bluntly. Their conviction that they could “see” spiritually prevented them from confessing blindness, and becoming candidates for sight. Anyone who insists that he “sees” spiritually, but refuses to confess that Jesus is Lord, is both blind and guilty, lost in his or her sins.

DEVOTIONAL

One Thing We Know(John 9:13–25)

People who are far more intelligent than we scoff at faith in Jesus. They speak with great superiority of comparative religions, of evolution, or of the latest scholarly reinterpretation of Bible history. Or they claim that Jesus never saw Himself as Son of God. That was just foisted off on the church by the Apostles. In short, they take the role of the Pharisees of John 9, as Jesus’ critics. There the Pharisees tried so hard to ignore Jesus, and discredit the blind man’s story. But every time the man responded with a truth so obvious that the foolishness of the Pharisees’ position was exposed. “We know this Man is a sinner” (v. 24), the Pharisees announced. “We know.” The blind man just shrugged and refused to be drawn into that kind of argument. “One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see.” The Pharisees could say whatever they wanted about Jesus. But they had to face the fact that He gave sight to a man born blind. Today too people can pass any judgment they wish on Jesus. But if they are honest they have to face the fact that millions testify to Jesus’ transforming work in their lives. John Newton, once a slave trader, in personal bondage to the most vile practices, experienced a transformation expressed in this hymn he later wrote: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. One thing we know. Once we were blind. Now we can see. Once we were in bondage to sin. Now we love and serve Jesus Christ. No argument that the Pharisees or scholars of this world can marshall against our faith can stand before our experience of this reality.

Personal Application

We do not merely hope. We know.

Quotable“I’ve never gotten over the wonder of it.”—Gipsy Smith

AUGUST 30

Reading 242

JESUS, THE “I AM”

John 8″ ‘I tell you the truth,’ ” Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:58–59).Sometimes a blunt presentation of truth, even though it provokes angry opposition, is necessary.

Overview

Jesus forgave a woman caught in adultery (8:1–11). Jesus’ continuing claims about Himself were rejected by the leaders (vv. 12–30), and He in turn rejected their claim of descent from Abraham (vv. 31–41). Their hatred of God’s Son showed they were members of Satan’s family, not God’s (vv. 42–47). The angry confrontation reached a peak when Jesus claimed to be the I AM (Yahweh) of the Old Testament, and His opponents sought to stone Him for blasphemy (vv. 48–59).

Understanding the Text

“A woman caught in adultery” John 8:1–11.

One of the most fascinating aspects of every trap Jesus’ opponents devised is that each time they netted themselves. It’s almost a cartoon: Elmer Fudd aims at Bugs Bunny, never noticing the gun barrel has been bent, and shoots himself in the foot. Look at this incident. I’m sure the teachers of the Law and Pharisees were sure they had Jesus neatly trussed up when they brought Him a woman caught in the very act of adultery! If Jesus said, “Stone her!” He’d be sure to lose popularity. If He said, “Let her go,” they could get Jesus for rejecting Moses’ Law. But think about it for a minute. In the first place, where would you go to catch some woman in the act of adultery? There may be someplace here in our town, but I sure don’t know where it is. How did the religious leaders know the address? And then, who was the man? Why did they let the guy go—and which one of them got him to volunteer? The more you think about the scene, the more it raises serious questions, not about Jesus, but about the men who captured the adulteress! It’s helpful to remember this when someone attacks our faith, and we’re momentarily off guard. Whatever the nature of their attack, it says more about them than about Christ. “Neither do I condemn you” John 8:7–11. Some have suggested that when Jesus wrote on the ground He recorded the sins of the woman’s accusers. They slipped away, not because of any shame or sympathy for the woman, but because they dared not risk exposure. Whether or not this is true, it is dangerous to condemn others. In so doing, we condemn ourselves, for none of us is without sin. What’s stunning in this account, however, are Jesus’ words. As one who was without sin, and who had been appointed by the Father to judge humankind (cf. 5:22), Jesus refused to condemn the woman despite her real guilt. The saying echoes John’s words in 3:17. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. And that salvation involves more than forgiveness. It involves a change of life: a change reflected in Christ’s words, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” D.L. Moody was once met by a man who staggered out of a bar, gripped the evangelist’s lapels, and announced with delight, “You’re the man who saved me!” Moody replied, “I suspect I did. If Jesus had saved you, you wouldn’t be here now.” When Jesus saves us, we really do leave our life of sin. “I am the light of the world” John 8:12. John records several “I am” claims made by Jesus. This is one of the most significant. Jesus had said, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6), and thus claimed to be the source and sustainer of spiritual life. His saying, “I am the light of the world,” is a claim to be the genuine light by which truth and falsehood are distinguished. Light and darkness are important images in John’s Gospel and his epistles. Light reveals reality as God knows it. Darkness is the shadowy world of illusion cast by human notions of what constitutes reality: a world of delusion, deception, and fantasy. Apart from relationship with and trust in Jesus no one has the slightest chance of knowing reality. “The Pharisees challenged Him” John 8:13–30. The challenge was on a technical point of Old Testament Law. It required two witnesses to establish a fact in court (Deut. 17:6). The Pharisees’ point was that they didn’t have to believe anything Jesus said about Himself, because there was no one to corroborate His claims. They were wrong! Standing beside and in Jesus Christ was God the Father Himself! As One sent by the Father (emphasized four times in this chapter: John 8:16, 18, 26, 29), Jesus spoke with the Father’s voice, and the Father spoke through Him. Several things follow from this truth. A person who was truly in touch with God would have recognized Jesus (v. 19). Failure to recognize Jesus for who He is meant that Israel’s spiritual leaders did not know the God they claimed to represent, and that they surely would die in their sins. We can understand why the Pharisees were so upset. No one likes to hear that their religion is meaningless, and that unless they turn to Jesus they are doomed. No one likes to hear it. But it’s true! And it is a valid approach to evangelism. The Bible says that many who heard these blunt claims of Jesus put their faith in Him, even as He spoke (v. “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone” John 8:31–41. The conflict and anger became even more intense as the religious leaders defended themselves. As biological descendants of Abraham, they had a claim on God who made a covenant with Abraham. It’s true that the Old Testament Covenant did give the Jewish people certain wonderful privileges. But no individual has ever had an automatic relationship with God based on biological descent. Growing up in a Christian home doesn’t make a person a Christian, anymore than growing up in a university town makes a person intelligent. All either provides is an opportunity. That’s what Jesus was saying to these religious leaders. Descent from Abraham gave them a special opportunity to know God. But if they had really been like Abraham, they would have acted as Abraham did and responded to God rather than plot to kill God’s Son. Mere opportunity to know God doesn’t count for any more today than it did then. We must seize the opportunity, and respond to Him, now as then (see DEVOTIONAL). “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:31–32. The saying has nothing to do with its use on the banner of the New York Times. Jesus had already said, “If you hold to My teachings [keep My words] then you’ll be My disciples.” Only then did He speak of knowing the truth, and the truth making men free. Jesus’ teachings are “true.” That is, they are accurate representations of reality. There is only one way to “know” reality, and that is to experience it. What Jesus said was that if we put His teaching into practice, we will actually experience moral and spiritual reality. And the experience of that reality will set us free. In the words of a modern commercial, “Try it. You’ll like it.” “Who do You think You are?” John 8:48–59 The words are laced with hostility and scorn. Jesus was making Himself out to be someone greater than Abraham, the father of the Jewish race! He was claiming He could give endless life through Abraham. Jesus’ claim that Abraham had “rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day” angered the leaders even more. How could Abraham, who lived some 2,000 years before, have known anything about Jesus of Nazareth, a Man not yet 50! What followed is one of the clearest of Jesus’ claims to Deity. “Before Abraham was born, I am!” That “I am” is rooted in the Exodus revelation of the personal name of God, Yahweh. It was “I Am,” Yahweh, who sent Moses to deliver Israel. And here Jesus claimed that before Abraham was born, He Himself existed as sacred history’s “I Am.” The claim was understood, and the listeners picked up rocks to stone Jesus for blasphemy. Ultimately every person’s destiny depends on how he or she responds to Jesus’ claim to be “I Am.” What a blessing for us to acclaim, “He is!”

DEVOTIONAL

All God’s Children?(John 8:31–47)

I don’t know any issue on which I’ve heard preachers fudge more often. Some minister’s on a radio or TV talk show and is accused of believing that only Christians are God’s children. The others there are incensed at the very thought of such raw prejudice, and the poor preacher stumbles and mutters. On the half dozen or so occasions I’ve heard such confrontations, the preacher has quickly backed off. If he did believe non-Christians aren’t God’s children, he wasn’t about to admit it and take all that heat. I honestly don’t understand why. Of course non-Christians aren’t God’s children. No way! This doesn’t mean that every human being doesn’t have great worth and value to God. Each of us is an object of His great love. After all, Christ died for those who were actively hostile toward Him because of sin and guilt. But none of that means non-Christians are in God’s family. John 8 reports how Jesus insulted a panel of Pharisees far more than anyone’s been insulted on a TV talk show. Jesus not only said God wasn’t their Father; He said straight out that they “belong to your father, the devil.” And Jesus proved His accusation by showing that the leaders’ lies and anger at Him mirror the lies and anger of Satan at God. Of course they were the devil’s children. They acted just like him! What bothers me about modern ecclesiastical fudging is that it prevents people from facing the most important issue anyone has to face in this life. Do we belong to God, or not? Are we members of God’s family, or not? Will we spend eternity with God, or not? There’s no room for “maybe” here. There’s no room for just being nice, and saying what will make people feel good. These questions demand a clear-cut yes or no. A person is either a member of God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, or he or she is right there in the devil’s camp, with the folks who murdered our Lord. I know. It’s not nice to say such things. It’s not polite. It doesn’t sound open-minded enough. It makes people angry when they hear us say it. I suspect many Christians fear that it will “turn people off” if they’re told we don’t think of them as children of God too. But it’s not true to suggest that those who do not know Jesus can have a relationship with God. And it’s not loving to let people think that they’re all right when in fact they are lost.

Personal Application

No one can choose between the truth and a lie unless they know what the truth is.

Quotable

“Apart from blunt truth, our lives sink decadently amid the perfume of hints and suggestions.”—Alfred North Whitehead

AUGUST 29

Reading 241

UNCERTAINTY John 7

“Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about Him. Some said, ‘He is a good man.’ Others replied, ‘No, He deceives the people’” (John 7:12).Amid growing uncertainty one basic truth emerges. We each must listen to Jesus, and decide.

Overview

Jesus anonymously joined the crowds at the Feast of Tabernacles, where speculation about Him reached fever pitch (7:1–13). His public teaching aroused opposition (vv. 14–24) and debate over His true identity (vv. 25–44). The rulers, however, remained antagonistic and unbelieving (vv. 45–52).

Understanding the Text

“No one who wants to become a public figure” John 7:1–4.

These words of Jesus’ brothers drip with sarcasm. They impute contemptible motives to one who wanted only to do the Father’s will. And they seem to cast doubt on Christ’s miracles as well. Smirking, the brothers said Jesus ought to go up to Judea and join the festivities, so everyone can witness His miracles rather than simply hear rumors about them. Unbelief has a habit of imputing the worst of motives to the best of acts. Christ’s works of compassion—His healings and feeding a hungry crowd—were dismissed as the publicity-seeking acts of a man hungry for recognition. Jesus found only skepticism and raised eyebrows in His own family! Don’t be surprised if the things you do to serve the Lord are similarly misunderstood. And don’t let the veiled attacks of those who should be supporters deter you. Like Jesus, you and I serve the Lord and seek to please Him. If what we do is motivated by a desire to serve the Lord, what others think is irrelevant. God knows our hearts. “Even His own brothers did not believe in Him” John 7:5. There is a note of encouragement to be found here, in the fact that we can rightly add, “then.” Later Christ’s brothers did believe, and were with the little company of believers when the Spirit fell that first Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Keep on serving the Lord. In time even your critics will understand. “The right time for Me has not yet come” John 7:6–13. Jesus’ purposes were not political, but spiritual. The crowds had already tried once to “make Him King by force” (6:15). There was the distinct possibility that if Christ had gone to the festival publicly, with marching bands of disciples cheering Him along His way, that a populace hungry to throw off Rome’s yoke would have burst into spontaneous rebellion. This scenario is not mere speculation. The history of the time reveals that a number of rebellions and revolts led by pseudo-messiahs had already broken out! Modern political figures realize that most of their supporters actually want to use them rather than follow them. That’s why the reliance on polls. The candidate checks carefully on the strength of “pro-life” and “pro-choice” feelings in his district, or comes to the religious rally and announces his support of a bill guaranteeing the rights of Christian schools. The supporters cheer. They’ll vote for him because he’ll support their cause. The honest politician supports a cause because he or she believes it is right. The rest cynically consult the polls, and sell themselves for votes. Jesus sought no such supporters. Jesus leads, and calls us to follow. He sets the agenda, and His refusal to go up publicly to the feast was a refusal to let Himself be used for political purposes. “Such learning, without having studied” John 7:14–16. This is one verse we had better not apply to ourselves! Of course, in context “the Jews” (e.g., Christ’s “opposition”) were speaking of the well-established system by which one gained recognition as a rabbi, or teacher. This system called for the learner to attach himself to a recognized authority in Jewish Law, and study with him for years. Christ had not gone through this discipling process: yet Christ displayed an amazing mastery of Scripture. Jesus explained that He received His teaching directly from “the One who sent Me.” This was a dual claim: to have been “sent” from God meant to speak with His authority. To have been taught by Him meant that Jesus was a channel of revelation! You and I must settle for study of what has been revealed. Christ had learning “without having studied,” but you and I will never learn unless we apply ourselves to study the Word of God. “If anyone chooses to do God’s will” John 7:17. The word “chooses” here is a strong one. It represents a settled determination to do God’s will. Only such a determination will lead to spiritual understanding and settled faith. If you’ve ever wondered why so many intelligent people can know so much about the Bible, and still not believe in either Christ or the Scriptures, here is one explanation. Finding out that Jesus’ teaching comes from God depends on our commitment to do God’s will. We discover the truth of Scripture not by intellect, but by obedience. Man’s approach to spiritual life has always been learn, that you may do. The divine formula is, “Do, that you may know.” “You are demon-possessed” John 7:18–20. Much in John relies on background found in the other three Gospels. As the last to write, it seems likely John felt no need to restate material in the other, widely distributed, works. We see this reliance on background here. The accusation of the crowd, “You’re demon-possessed,” reflects the charge brought against Jesus by the Pharisees and rulers in an attempt to explain away His undeniable spiritual powers (cf. Matt. 9:34; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). While Jesus knew the opposition was determined to kill Him, rumors to this effect had only begun to circulate among the people (cf. John 7:25). If only folks would stop to think today, they would realize that they must make some decision about Jesus. In the first century His miracles demanded an explanation. Today 2,000 years of the persistent faith of millions that Jesus is the Son of God also demands explanation. How can an obscure carpenter in a tiny, backward district of an empire long turned to dust continue to affect so many human lives? This is perhaps the greatest miracle of all, and any thinking person must be driven to find some explanation. “I did one miracle” John 7:21–24. Jesus had done more than one miracle. But the one that stuck in the craw of the opposition involved the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath. John gives us another line of biblical reasoning that Christ used to show up the fallacy of strict Phariseeism. Sabbath observance was rooted in the Creation account, and thus was in effect long before the Mosaic Law was given. Yet a child was circumcised on the eighth day, even if that day was the Sabbath! And so, Jesus said, if a rite that marks a person’s purification is permitted in one member of the body on the Sabbath, why should Jesus be criticized for making a sick man well on that day? “Stop judging by mere appearances” is both a rejection of the rulers’ right to stand in judgment on Jesus, and an expression of contempt for their superficial grasp of God’s Word. “The chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest Him” John 7:25–47. Jesus’ teaching had its impact. While many remained uncertain, some “put their faith in Him” (v. 31). Afraid that the Jesus movement would gain momentum, the members of the Sanhedrin sent temple guards to arrest Him. These were Jewish rather than Roman soldiers: Levites, who were trained to keep order in the temple area and to guard its purity. Yet when the detail sent to arrest Jesus heard what Christ said, they “went back to the chief priests and Pharisees” without Him (v. 45). It took courage for these soldiers to disobey orders. They may not have been sure who Jesus was. But their stand, and the Pharisees’ furious response, implies some level of faith. We need to honor these temple guards, and all military men like them, who through the ages have refused to obey orders that violated their beliefs and consciences. And we need to model ourselves on them. Civil disobedience was praised in the ’60s, when the issue was civil rights. The same folks who praised it then now condemn civil disobedience by pro-life forces who picket abortion clinics, and then willingly accept any penalties imposed by the law. The temple guards remind us that, whatever the issue, the believer is responsible to obey conscience first and legally constituted authorities second. “The Pharisees retorted” John 7:47–52. The contempt the Pharisees felt for everyone but themselves comes through clearly. To the rulers, the temple guards, though recruited from the tribe of Levi, weren’t smart enough to listen to Jesus and make up their own minds. The average Jewish person was part of a mob “that knows nothing of the Law—there is a curse on them” (v. 49). And when Nicodemus made a feeble attempt to bring up a point of law in defense of Jesus, the other Pharisees silenced him with ridicule. Note well these characteristics of Christ’s opposition. They still appear today in those who falsely claim spiritual authority. When you sense arrogance, contempt for the spiritual insight of others, dismissal of ordinary folks, and see the use of ridicule to silence others, you can be sure that such leaders do not represent Jesus Christ.

DEVOTIONAL

Grab a Yellow Pad(John 7:25–43)

One of my most important tools is a pad of yellow, lined paper. I use it to make lists of things I have to do each day. And I use it to help in making tough decisions—pros on one side, cons on the other. Listing on yellow pads helps me sort through almost any issue. The folks who listened to Jesus speak at that Feast of Tabernacles seem to have needed one of my yellow pads. Or maybe they were using one mentally, totaling up pros and cons and options. Pros? Well, Jesus was out there preaching, and the authorities had done nothing to stop Him. Maybe the rulers knew He is really the Christ (v. 26). And those miraculous signs: Jesus sure had performed a bunch (v. 31). And His teaching: what power and authority (vv. 40–41). Cons? Some said the authorities were trying to kill Him. They wouldn’t kill a real prophet, would they? (v. 25) Isn’t the Christ supposed to appear suddenly, out of nowhere? (v. 27) And look, this Jesus is from Nazareth. Micah said the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem (v. 42). Options? What choices do we have? Well, Jesus could be demon-possessed (cf. v. 20). He could be a charlatan; a deceiver who deserved death (v. 25, cf. v. 12). He could be nothing more than a good Man (cf. v. 12). He could be the prophet predicted by Moses (v. 40). He could be the Christ (vv. 31, 41). And it really was just like this, as most people of Judea struggled with uncertainty that Tabernacles week, and endlessly discussed pros and cons. But there were a few people who threw their yellow pads away. These folks listened to Jesus “and put their faith in Him.” I suspect this is the best pathway to faith, for us and for those we witness to. Put away the yellow pad. Abandon listing pros and cons and options. Instead, simply listen to Jesus. And let our hearts tell us who He is.

Personal Application

To find freedom from uncertainty, always listen to God’s Word with your heart.

Quotable

“In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.”—Robert E. Lee

AUGUST 28

Reading 240

THE BREAD OF LIFE John 6

“The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33).Participation in Christ as source and sustainer of eternal life is our assurance of heaven.

Background

Bread.

Bread was the staple food in Palestine. It was so basic in the diet that “bread” is a synonym in Scripture for “food”; that which sustains physical life. The bread of the well-to-do was made of wheat; that of the poor, of barley. But rich and poor viewed bread as the basic element in the daily diet. It was the woman’s task to grind grain daily, mix it with water and olive oil, and to cook the day’s supply of bread. Bread was baked in a variety of ways: inside a hollow hivelike oven, or in flat cakes on its sides. Jesus could have found no more powerful way to affirm that He was the source and sustainer of spiritual life than to compare Himself to the bread that sustained the physical life of all his listeners.

Overview

Jesus fed a multitude with a few loaves and fish (6:1–15). That evening the Twelve saw Him walk on water (vv. 16–24). When the crowds found Him they demanded a sign (vv. 25–31), but were exhorted to feed on Him as the “Bread of Life” (vv. 32–59). Many adherents deserted Him at this point, but the Twelve remained, convinced He is “the Holy One of God” (vv. 60–71).

Understanding the Text

“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” John 6:1–7 Jesus’ miracles drew large crowds to Him. John selected one occasion, near a Passover festival, when some 10,000 came. (John mentioned 5,000 “men,” but Matthew tells us that there were also a great many women and children, so 10,000 is a conservative estimate: Matt. 14:21.) Jesus drew Philip’s attention to the crowd, and asked how they might be fed. Philip took a quick survey, and came back with statistics. “It’ll take approximately eight months wages [200 denarii] to buy bread for this many!” Philip reminds me of many folks in modern ministries. Let’s take a survey. Let’s gather data. And all too often, when the results are in, we end up saying, “Well, I guess it’s impossible. It’s surely too big a job for our little congregation!” But John observes that Jesus “already had in mind what He was going to do” (6:6). When we see a need, the thing we may need to do is not take a survey, but in prayer seek the way Jesus intends us to meet it. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves” John 6:7–15. Andrew took a different approach. He surveyed the available resources, and offered them to Jesus. There wasn’t much. Certainly not enough to feed 10,000 people! Or so it seemed. The miracle of the feeding of the multitude, with 12 basketsful left over, reminds us that God is well able to multiply whatever resources we may have—as long as we offer them to Him. It’s not what we have. It’s what God can and will do with what we have that counts! “A strong wind was blowing” John 6:16–24. Evening breezes still whip up strong waves on the Sea of Galilee between Bethsaida and Capernaum. The disciples, heading into the wind, made slow progress: three and one half miles is only halfway there (cf. Mark 6:47). The disciples saw a shape walking on the water toward them, and at first were frightened of what they took as a ghost. But they recognized Jesus’ voice and took Him aboard. The text says, “Immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading” (John 6:21). This was a “private miracle” witnessed only by the disciples. As such it helped to build their growing faith in Christ, so that they remained faithful later, even though they did not understand everything He said. But there’s a special reminder for us in the story. Like the disciples, we often find ourselves laboring hard, and making little progress. Yet Jesus is nearby, however strong the winds that buffet us. We need to recognize Him, and invite Him to become involved. We may not reach shore “immediately.” But we will find strength to keep on. “Because you ate the loaves and had your fill” John 6:25–29. The crowds Jesus had fed were surprised to find Him in Capernaum. They’d been looking. But for the wrong reason. Jesus had satisfied their physical hunger. They sought Him because of what He could do to meet material needs. So much in our relationship with Jesus remains rooted in materialism. We trust Him, hoping He’ll keep us healthy. Or get us a job. We even pray for the Lord to give us the numbers so we can win Lotto! Or we send in money to the media evangelist who promises that God will reward us a hundredfold. If $10 will get you $1,000, why not send in $1,000 and get $100,000-or at least a lifetime of free vacations! It’s not that God doesn’t care about our material needs. God does. And He meets them, providing our “daily bread.” The thing is that God cares most about our spiritual needs: the truly vital and important needs that every human being has. As long as we seek to “use” relationship with God to gain material blessings, we’ll miss the spiritual blessing that He so abundantly provides. “The works God requires” John 6:28–29. The twin of materialism is seen in these verses. It is the foolish assumption that, whatever God may require, we can do. Jesus had the definitive answer. The true work of God is simply to believe in the One God has sent. We cannot “do the works God requires” at all. Our only hope is to rely on what Christ has done. “Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert” John 6:30–36. Earlier John reported that those Jesus fed began to speculate that Jesus was “the Prophet who is to come” (v. 14). The reference is to Deuteronomy 18, where Moses spoke of a Prophet like himself who would speak the words of God to Israel, and to whom the Jewish people must listen. The reason for the identification was Jesus’ feeding of the multitude. Moses provided Israel with manna during the Exodus period. Jesus fed the crowds. Perhaps He was another Moses! When Jesus called on the crowd to simply believe in Him, however, they demanded a “sign from heaven.” I suspect this was more manipulation than doubt. Moses gave Israel bread from heaven—for 40 years! Jesus provided a miraculous meal, for one afternoon. Perhaps by demanding a sign the whole nation could “go on the dole” for decades! But Jesus came to provide the “true” bread. The word, alethinos, means “genuine” or “original.” Material bread sustains physical life. But human beings are not merely animals. True bread must sustain the inner life that exists when biological life ends. And Jesus is the one and only source of this life. We will never find satisfaction if our life is focused on the material world alone. Jesus is the true bread, because He satisfies that aspect of human nature which transcends the material and is eternal. Jesus is not just “bread.” He is the “Bread of Life.” Our true selves are fed and sustained only by that faith in Him which appropriates what He supplies. “Many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him” John 6:60–71. The word “disciple” is used in various ways in the Gospels. Here it simply means “adherent”: someone who attached himself or herself loosely to Jesus and trailed along with Him. When Jesus spoke of Himself as the Bread of heaven, and spoke symbolically of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, that “hard saying” made many such “disciples” turn away. They couldn’t understand that Jesus meant accepting Him as a person accepts a meal: trusting its wholesomeness and value and taking it in, to be assimilated as part of one’s very being. The Twelve, Jesus’ closest followers, undoubtedly didn’t understand it all either. But when asked if they would leave too, Peter answered: “We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” We don’t understand it all. But “we believe and know You.” This is Christianity in its essence. Believing and knowing Jesus Christ.

DEVOTIONAL

Assurance: The Father’s Will(John 6:39–59)

The sermon on the Bread of Life did confuse doubters. But it confirmed the faith of the believers. That sermon offers Jesus’ own assurance that we possess, now, eternal life. I’ve talked with folks who “hope” they have eternal life. I’ve talked with folks who “trust they will have” eternal life. And I’ve talked with folks who get angry and insist that it’s presumptuous to claim to have eternal life now. “How can you know until you’re dead?” some will say. Others will say, “What makes you think you’re so much better than me?” The fact is, though, that Jesus made an issue of assurance. He wants us to know, now, that eternal life is ours. Period. “Whoever comes to Me I will never drive away,” Jesus said (v. 37). In the same verse He reminds us that God’s powerful invitation moved us to come in the first place. Having responded to God, He will keep us safe, forever. Jesus went on to speak of the Father’s express will. “I shall lose none of all that He has given Me,” Jesus said, “but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (vv. 39–40). A little later Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life” (v. 47). Not “will have.” Not “may have.” And not “maybe has.” It’s “does have.” And finally, “The one who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (v. 57). So if you’ve come to Jesus and believe on Him, don’t be an uncertain Christian. Jesus says you have eternal life. And you can take His Word for it.

Personal Application

Assurance isn’t presumption; it’s promise.

Quotable

“John Wesley, founder of Methodism, received this witness at a meeting on Aldersgate Street, London, as he listened to one reading Luther’s Preface to the Book of Romans: ’About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart, through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust Christ, Christ alone, for salvation: and an assurance was given to me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death’ (Wesley’s Journal, May 24, 1738). “For some this confidence dawns gradually. For others, it is a sudden discovery at the moment of faith. EACH OF US CAN BE ASSURED OF OUR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD!”—“Four Great Emphases of United Methodism”