170409 When the Hour Came

 John 12:20-23 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Each of the gospel accounts approach the story of Jesus from a different angle. The Gospel of John was written “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) I believe that John had the other Gospels in front of him when he wrote. At the very least I’m sure he had read the other Gospels and knew there needed to be an added emphasis. As we move towards Easter let’s think about John’s view on the way to the cross.

Half of John’s Gospel records the last few days of Jesus’ life. I can imagine that in his old age John struggled with his memories of those days. It must’ve been excruciatingly painful to have been one of those who went into hiding after Jesus’ crucifixion. His disciples spent most of their time watching Jesus who was doing things that they did not expect of the Messiah. They believed that he was the Christ the Son of the living God and rightfully the ruler of the universe. At the same time they heard him say things like, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). They had seen him still the storm, open the eyes of the blind, and even raise the dead. But now the Pharisees and Sadducees were arranging for Jesus to be arrested, tried and crucified. They even intended to take the life of Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead a few days before. These executions would have been done because many of their people were leaving them and turning to Jesus in faith. If they did not stop Jesus, and send Lazarus back to the grave, then they would lose their control and the Romans would come down on the nation. While they were making these plans…

He had entered the city. Let’s go back a few verses to John 12:12-13. The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

For hundreds of years the Jewish nation had awaited the Messiah! They were sure he would come mounted on a great white horse to break the Roman rule. But instead of a white horse Jesus humbled himself and called for a young donkey. Remember, he is the creator of everything — the ruler of the universe! Can you imagine what must’ve gone through the minds of the disciples, “What’s he up to now?” But they had learned that they should obey him. He had done many unpredictable things up until that day but they had always turned out alright. Now he was calling on them to enter the city with him while he would be mounted on a donkey. Not only was he mounted on a donkey he did not come into the city through the traditional main road. He came into the city through the valley of the cheesemakers! I am sure you can imagine the smell of the street! Nothing could have been a greater contrast to what was expected than what actually happened.

As John was recording his remembrance of the events he recalled that they did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered. The Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah came into focus when they stood before the empty tomb and later met with him in the upper room. He still had much to teach them and he spent the next 40 days opening their minds to the mission he had for them.

While the Pharisees were plotting his death some Greeks approached Philip asking to see Jesus. Something the Jews had forgotten was…

The world has always needed our Lord. Let’s look back at John 12:20-21. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

I believe they approached Philip because he had a Greek name. Otherwise we know very little about him. Philip was invited to discipleship by Jesus personally in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Most of the other disciples had come to Jesus through a human invitation. When Jesus began to gather his disciples John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to Andrew and John who came to him. Then Andrew brought his brother Simon, who was later called Peter. But John tells us that Jesus found Philip.

Later, on the hillside near the lake of Galilee, surrounded by thousands of people Jesus asked Philip “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Philip was completely dumbfounded by that request. While he was mulling it over Andrew came forward with a lad’s lunch. Five loaves of the cheapest kind of bread with two fish. They not only fed the thousands from that boy’s lunch they also had 12 baskets of leftovers.

When the Greeks came seeking Jesus, Philip remembered Andrew as being the “go to guy” in the group. The two of them went to Jesus and presented the question of the Greeks. Jesus recognized, from this request, that the time was about to come for him to leave this world. He knew that he would not be simply lifted up on the clouds of heaven instead, he would be lifted up on a cross and hung between heaven and earth until he paid the full wage of sin — death!

He had no sin of his own that he should die for. Instead he took our sin into his body and nailed it to the cross, buried it in the grave, and left it there. The Old Testament had promised that God would take away the sins of his people and would put them in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

Jesus had known for a long time how he would leave this world. Jesus certainly knew the prophecy in Psalm 22. Written, very probably, 1000 years before Jesus birth. The psalmist said, “they have pierced my hands and feet” this, and other statements found in Psalm 22, clearly point to death on a Roman cross. Hundreds of years before the cross became a common means of execution. No wonder Isaiah could say, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). We see that knowledge unfolding in the Garden of Gethsemane. There Jesus suffered in anguish to the point of sweating blood! His prayer was, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39b) Since there was no other way, he would be led from the garden to be beaten, tried and condemned to death. Our death! It was necessary because he was…

Dying to bring life. Let’s go back to John 12:24. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Once again Jesus left them confused. He told them the time had come for him to be glorified. With those words the disciples must have shook their head and said “what’s he up to now?” Then he talks about a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies in order to bear much fruit. I wonder how confusing that was for the disciples? Hindsight tells us that he was clearly talking about his own death. But we know from John’s own testimony that they did not understand most of what he said until after his crucifixion and resurrection.

Jesus continued to speak knowing that…

The hour was unfolding. Let’s read on in John 12:27-28. “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

The humanity of Jesus came to the forefront in these words, “now is my soul troubled”. He knew that he could not turn away from what was about to happen to him. At the same time he felt anguish. Now we are quick to look at the physical suffering he is about to endure. I am not so sure that the physical pain, as horrible as it was, was the most troubling thing in Jesus’ thoughts. He who knew no sin was about to become sin for us. While we were yet sinners he died for us. And we need to remember that he didn’t die for the good he died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). This death was necessary because…

The enemy was being defeated. Let’s read on and John 12:31. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

Satan had led the charge against Jesus! He had entered into Judas to get Jesus betrayed. He had stirred up the Pharisees provoking them to seek Jesus’ death. He had, no doubt, inspired the Romans to beat Jesus almost to death, press the crown of thorns on his head and nail him to a cross. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that Satan and all his minions did not understand what was about to happen on the cross. If they had understood, the Bible tells us, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” The crucifixion was necessary but it was not the pain of death that Jesus agonized over it was the pain of becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus understood that he had to die to fulfill the prophecies…

So that the world could come to Jesus. Let’s read on in John 12:32. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Again we see that the disciples, along with the crowd, did not understand what this was all about. When God the Father spoke those encouraging words, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” some thought that it had thundered and others said an angel has spoken to him. They still tried to sort out things they had been taught about the Messiah and the things that Jesus was saying. “Lifted up” did not register with them immediately as “be crucified” would have. About three years before the exchange in John 12, Jesus had told Nicodemus that the Son of Man had to be “lifted up” in the same manner that Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (John 1:14).

All those Jews standing around Jesus would have known the story of the serpent in the wilderness. Let me recount it for you. The people of Israel, in the wilderness, as always, were complaining and rebelling. They did not trust God to take care of them in fact they despised the mana that he provided for their nourishment. In order to get their attention the Lord sent snakes into their midst. As the people were dying from snakebites they came to Moses and confessed their sin. God told Moses to make a model of a serpent mount it on a pole and raise it for all to see. Then when a person was bitten by a snake all they had to do was look at the bronze serpent and live.

I can imagine a rebellious sinner who had been snake bitten being told to just look at the bronze snake and he would be healed. I can imagine him saying, “Looking at a snake will not heal me.” Just as many today will say that trusting in Jesus will not save them. They have to do something to accomplish salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible tells us that we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord! We must believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead! Those two conditions being met, the Bible tells us that we will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9-13).

The need of the world to know Jesus has not lessened over the centuries. If anything, the need is greater today than ever before. Statistically we are told the world today contains a little more than half of all the humans ever born. More than 7 billion people are on the earth today and many of them – many millions of them – have never heard the gospel and are in great need of salvation. Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you know for sure that you have eternal life? Believe on him without delay! Share the good news with your friends and family.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society

170402 Fighting Back

Ephesians 6:18-20 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

We have looked at the spiritual armor that takes us through our struggle with the enemy. These weapons are given to us to face demonic forces that are working to bring the church down and prevent the spread of the gospel. When we look at that spiritual armor one thing stands out. There is no protection for the back! We have to stand and face our enemy in order for our weapons to work.

As we look at the armor of God given to us in order to withstand the spiritual forces of evil that rule this world we can stand firm. Standing firm is the first step in victorious assault on the enemy. Having taken our stand, keeping the armor of God between us and the enemy, we see the only offensive weapon given to us appears to be the sword of the Spirit!

The word of God is a weapon of great power! Consequently the enemy will do everything possible to keep us away from the Bible. Many years ago I ran across a quote that went like this: “The Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible”. There are probably as many excuses for NOT taking up the Bible as a weapon of warfare as there are people and evil forces to sway them. If we are going to have the kind of victory we really need over the forces of evil it will be because we have chosen to know what the Bible has to teach us. We need to read the Bible enough to be familiar with it and we need to study it carefully. If we haven’t put it in our mind it won’t be there when we need it. Many times you may believe that reading the Bible is boring! That is the influence of the devil in your life. If we’re going to win the battles we face it will be because we are…

Taking the sword of the Spirit. Look with me at Hebrews 4:12-13. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The Bible is historically important to the growth of the church. In the book of Acts we have the story of the early church beginning to expand across the Roman Empire. At least three times Acts connects the growth and strength of the church to the rule of God’s word in his people’s lives. When the first deacons were set aside by the church Luke tells us that, “the word of God continued to increase,” (Acts 6:7). When Herod accepted the praise of the people of Tyre and Sidon proclaiming him to be a God he died immediately. As a result of that experience Luke tells us that, “the word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). When Paul and Barnabas, on their first missionary journey, were rejected by the Jews they turned to the Gentiles to share the good news of Jesus with them. There, again, Luke tells us “the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region” (Acts 13:49).

The word of God is not weak instead it has the power of God to change the hearts and minds of people. We are told that it is like fire and like a hammer and we know that it is sharp in spiritual matters like a two-edged sword is in the world’s battles!

The growth and strength of the church is always connected to the importance of the Bible in people’s lives. The Bible is the primary means of grace given to us by God. Throughout history true Christianity has flourished wherever the Bible is well known and read by the people. The word of God is quick and powerful and changes the lives of people immediately when they read it and believe it. There needs to be Bible study groups, Sunday school classes and individual study of the word of God in order for it to be available to change the church.

Once we are comfortable using the Sword of the Spirit we will need to know how to use it effectively. In order to do this we need to be…

Praying all the time. Let’s look at Luke 18:1-3. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

Here we have an illustration of what prayer can do given to us in the words of Jesus himself. We should not be discouraged when our prayers are not quickly answered instead, we should follow the plan Jesus gives us in this passage.

He tells us that there was a judge that did not fear God and did not respect man. Such judges seem to be common in our day and so we should be able to understand what this poor widow is up against.

Jesus said that she kept coming to the judge. This implies that she would not accept the rejection but would find new ways to bring her needs before his court. At first he simply brushed her off. Now this in no way tells us that God is unjust or that he ignores our prayers. As time went by the judge continued to see her in his court he finally decided that the only way to get her to stop bothering him was to give her what she asked for.

Jesus then said “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily” (Luke 18:6-8).

These two weapons work together. Either one without the other will be very weak but together they are as powerful as God is. We must take up the Sword of the Spirit and then we are to pray continuously.

When the disciples needed courage to preach the word against severe opposition they quoted the Bible in their prayer. The result of that prayer meeting was that they “continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

Today’s church — our church — is in need of boldness in order to get the gospel out into our community and among our friends and family. We should be regularly praying that God would help us to be bold for the gospel’s sake. If we’re waiting until the people we are concerned about to be comfortable in hearing the gospel it will never happen! We need to take our little tract and encourage our friends to read it or, we need to read it to them beginning with the question on the front: “Do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?” That question really should not offend anyone. It should encourage them to consider the possibilities that lie ahead for all of us. The Bible tells us that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). There is no way that I want my friends to face judgment without Christ! Now, I need the boldness to tell the gospel to them.

Paul speaks of our…

Praying in the Spirit. Let’s look at what Jude 20 tells us. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament tells us that there are many things that can be done in the Holy Spirit. Prayer is one of those things. Let’s look at several of the references to doing something “in the Spirit ”. When John received the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos we are told that he was “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s day. Luke tells us that Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21). We can decide a matter “in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:21). Ephesians tells us that we have access to God “in the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). All of these references tell us that we should be dwelling consciously in the presence of the Holy Spirit. That presence is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit being manifest in our lives: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” (Galatians 5:22-23). When we are conscious of these qualities we are “in the Spirit”! It is very important that we…

Focus our attention. Let’s look at 2 John 8. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

Someone once said that we should “Be Alert because America needs more lerts”. One of the surest needs is for us to “Pay Attention” and we will be much more useful to God than if we just stumble along through life without awareness of what’s going on.

As Jesus was winding down his earthly ministry one of the things he asked of his disciples was that they “keep awake ”. And once again they failed him (Mark 13:33-35). In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked his disciples to “watch” and a little later he asked them to “watch and pray” (Mark 14:34-37). We need to focus our attention as we pray in the Spirit. A special instruction for us is that we…

Pray for our spiritual leaders. That’s look at Hebrews 13:17. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Repeatedly throughout Paul’s letters, again and again, he requests prayer for himself. Now I believe that Paul is one of the greatest leaders the church ever had and here we see that he is requesting prayer. He is even requesting prayer that he might be bold. As I read the Book of Acts I think of Paul as being very courageous in carrying the gospel. We should realize that a large part of his courage comes from the prayers of his friends.

So I join with Paul and ask that you “Pray for me” and that you join me as we…

Pray for boldness. When the disciples were being arrested and threatened, even to the point of death, we find them in Acts 4:29… 31. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. … And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

If you will take the time to read the entire passage in Acts 4 you will see that the authorities were threatening them that they should not speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Peter had already told them “there is salvation in no one else” the only name under heaven that grants salvation is the name of JESUS (Acts 4:12)!

Paul, and all Christians of all ages, need to…

Pray for an understanding of the mystery. Let’s look at Colossians 1:27-28. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

The great mystery of the ages is that God has a chosen people in every generation who are included in the body of Christ — the true church! For centuries the Jewish people refused to reach out to the Gentiles. In fact, Gentiles were not allowed into the court area that is named for them. They seem to have forgotten that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek who quite obviously was not a descendent of Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20). When we look at the genealogy of Jesus among those mentioned are Tamar, a Canaanite, Rahab was a citizen of Jericho and a Canaanite prostitute, Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, who had been married to a Hittite.

All of these things teach us that God has always worked to include all people who had a faith like Abraham even if they did not have his blood in their veins.

As we come to the end of the book of Ephesians we have been encouraged by God to think about the mystery of God. We have seen the unfolding riches of God’s grace in Christ. We have seen how those who are dead in trespasses and sins are made alive by grace through faith. We have seen how God’s grace works for the church as well as the individual members of it. All of this brings us to the spiritual armor that allows us to take our stand against the devil.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society