Click here for the Philippians 1:12-14 PODCAST
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. ~ Philippians 1:12-14
As we come back into Philippians 1, we must underscore the main theme in the book of Philippians which is joy. The Apostle uses the words rejoice or joy fifteen times throughout this book of 104 verses.
In v.12-14 we see that the gospel is advancing through Paul’s imprisonment. Although it would seem that imprisoning Paul would impede the advance of the gospel, it had the opposite effect. The gospel advances as the word of God is spoken.
In v.13, we read, "it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ." The Apostle Paul is a prisoner because of Christ. He wasn't a prisoner because he committed a crime. He was a prisoner because he preached Christ, because he believed in Christ, because he represented Christ.
Despite the fact that I have never been jailed like Paul, I still have my own prisons. And, God has always been good at using our prisons to advance the gospel. I have learned that the design behind our suffering is that it causes us to seek Christ more ardently. When we seek Him and find Him for ourselves, we will have discovered the lessons that when shared with others will help them in discovering a personal relationship with the Lord for themselves.
In v.13, we see the content of the gospel is the person of “Christ” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah.” Paul’s imprisonment is literally “for Christ,” the Messiah, the Jewish king. Caesar, who claimed the titles king and lord of the whole world, imprisoned the primary preacher of the Gospel, but the Gospel advances in and out of the palace.
The measure of a person's spiritual strength is best measured by what it takes to steal our joy. We can find out how spiritually mature we are by finding out the breaking point where our joy is lost and negativism begins to creep in and take over. The measure of our joy is how we react not to things the way we would like them to be but to things the way we wouldn't like them to be.
According to Galatians 5, Joy is the fruit of the Spirit-controlled life. There should be no point in the life of a believer where joy is forfeited to a victim's mentality because of some things that aren't the way we'd like them to be.
We know, according to John 16:33, "in this world we will have trouble" and we must expect that God has profound purposes for our troubles. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul is our example because he is a man whose joy knew no breaking point. There is never a time in the New Testament when the circumstances in Paul's life impacted his joy. In fact, the greater the struggle for the Apostle, the greater the trial, the more insistent he was to articulate his joy.
So, here is a man who has negative circumstances beyond his ability to understand them, chained to a Roman soldier. And yet he's a model of joy, because his joy isn't related to his comfort. His joy isn't related to his freedoms. His joy isn't related to his success. His joy is strictly tied to the advance of the gospel, so he has joy in his ministry, in spite of trouble.
When we fix our hearts on the progress of the gospel, it will not matter what happens to us as long as we can see God's kingdom being furthered. If this is our passion, we're going to find that our joy will increase. When Christ's life becomes our life then our prisons will become our pulpits.
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Friday, February 14, 2020
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. ~ Philippians 1:9-11
When we enter into a relationship with the Lord Jesus, what is dear to Him begins to become dear to us. This is why the Apostle Paul prays that the Philippians would experience a deeper and meaningful love for each other. He describes this love in v.9-11.
In v.9, the Apostle prays that our "love may abound more and more." The Greek word translated ‘abound’ describes the bubbling up and flowing over of a spring of water. A natural spring should never run dry, even in the driest of summers, because of its source. In our case the source is the Lord Jesus Himself. As long as we walk with Him, the sky is the limit. His love constantly flows, and He loves enough for our benefit and the benefits of others. This spring keeps none of its water to itself. So, true love flows out of the Christian to others. God loved and gave. Christ loved sinners and gave Himself for us. We love and so we give.
In v.9, the Apostle prays that our "love may abound more and more." The Greek word translated ‘abound’ describes the bubbling up and flowing over of a spring of water. A natural spring should never run dry, even in the driest of summers, because of its source. In our case the source is the Lord Jesus Himself. As long as we walk with Him, the sky is the limit. His love constantly flows, and He loves enough for our benefit and the benefits of others. This spring keeps none of its water to itself. So, true love flows out of the Christian to others. God loved and gave. Christ loved sinners and gave Himself for us. We love and so we give.
In v.10, he prays for the kind of love that results "more in knowledge and depth of insight," "so that they may be able to discern what is best." Love acts like hate when it refuses to think correctly. This kind of love must come with knowledge out of our relationship with the Lord Jesus which lead to wholeness that Paul describes as "pure and blameless for the day of Christ."
This word "pure" in the Greek means "without wax." In the ancient world oftentimes they made little statutes which would develop cracks. In order to pass these off as perfect, some of the merchants would fill the cracks with wax so the crack was not observable. There was a way of find out if the statute was imperfect. They would put the item out in the hot sun for a while. If there was wax, the sun would melt it and the crack would become visible. In this case, it was "sun tested". Paul is saying that the Christian life when motivated by God's love will be pure, without hypocrisy, without wax.
This word "pure" in the Greek means "without wax." In the ancient world oftentimes they made little statutes which would develop cracks. In order to pass these off as perfect, some of the merchants would fill the cracks with wax so the crack was not observable. There was a way of find out if the statute was imperfect. They would put the item out in the hot sun for a while. If there was wax, the sun would melt it and the crack would become visible. In this case, it was "sun tested". Paul is saying that the Christian life when motivated by God's love will be pure, without hypocrisy, without wax.
Love can make us whole, but it is not automatic. His love can make us whole in the context of our relationship with Him. We do not supply what's missing, God is the only one who can do this. And, He does this through the way He relates to us and we Him. Then we are in the position to love others as we ought, as He loves us.
But love doesn’t just make us whole. Love orients us outward toward Him and toward other people. Paul says the final result is that we are "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." This fruit is not just for us. It's also for others. Fruit doesn't serve the fruit tree. It brings life outside of itself.
Love gives us something to make the lives of the people around us better. When we choose to love someone, we help to bring life to them. Our fruitfulness is for their benefit. This is the love that orients us toward others. And, it’s a powerful kind of love.
Love gives us something to make the lives of the people around us better. When we choose to love someone, we help to bring life to them. Our fruitfulness is for their benefit. This is the love that orients us toward others. And, it’s a powerful kind of love.
When we are connected to God and one another by the eternal work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are brought together to be a part of the body. Once we have experienced His love for ourselves, once we are in the family, we discover that we belong to each other since God is our Father and Jesus is our brother. We are loved and drawn together by our common purpose which God makes happen. We belong because we are loved by the author of love, and He is addressing our brokenness and the brokenness of the world round us through us.
The fruits of righteousness mentioned in v.11 are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 we read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." These fruits are not produced by the believer. The Holy Spirit produces these. The believer yields these fruits as the Holy Spirit produces them.
God is always looking for our willingness to be the vessels of His expression. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Our hearts must be defined by Him and none other. When this is the case, we can love others as we ought, "purely and blamelessly," not expecting anything in return.
Finally, at the end of v.11 we read, “to the glory and praise of God." This is the goal of the one who is himself being loved by the God of all creation. As this prayer of the Apostle is realized in our lives, as our knowledge and depths of insight increases, we naturally give credit where credit is due. As Cicero once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
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Finally, at the end of v.11 we read, “to the glory and praise of God." This is the goal of the one who is himself being loved by the God of all creation. As this prayer of the Apostle is realized in our lives, as our knowledge and depths of insight increases, we naturally give credit where credit is due. As Cicero once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Philippians 1:1-8
Click here for the Philippians 1:1-8 PODCAST
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:1-8
Today, we begin a study of the book of Philippians which is one of Paul's "prison epistles" written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Philippi was the first place Paul preached the gospel in Europe. Acts 16 records the story of how Paul was used of God to start the church in the city of Philippi. The first believer there was Lydia, a wealthy business woman. Then a slave girl was freed from demons. Then Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, and the Roman jailer put his faith in Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul greets this diverse church with, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This exact phrase is found in Romans, First and Second Corinthian, Galatians, and Ephesians. In this phrase we discover the first element that unites these people around what makes them a community: "God is our father. Jesus Christ is Lord."
The primary subject of the book of Philippians is the Lord Jesus. Philippians boasts the highest percentage of verses that reference the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thirty four percent of the verses in Philippians are about the Lord Jesus. It's the only book where over a third of the verses reference Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul highlights "grace and peace" without which the Christian life does not work. Grace is God's favor made accessible to the undeserving. Peace is the inevitable result of the activity of God's grace in our lives.
The Lord Jesus is our brother who connects us to the same father. We do not belong to the family without the person and work of Christ. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we who believe in Him, belong to Him and to one another.
This is the grace that God our father offers us. We do not earn our belonging. We don’t deserve it. We just receive it. We don’t have to do anything to belong here. We just belong to God. He is our Father. Christ is our brother. This is our family.
In v.3-8, the Apostle Paul writes, "I thank," "I always pray with joy," "being confident of this," "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you," "since I have you in my heart," "I long for all of you." Six times in six verses Paul uses the word “all.”
Paul is making it abundantly clear that he feels an intense emotion toward everyone in the community. Everyone belongs. He loves everyone deeply. There is a deep relational connection in the body of Christ.
In v.5-8, there are three things that draw us together with one another. In v.5 Paul writes, "because of your partnership in the gospel." There is nothing like sharing in the ministry of the Gospel that unites us with one another. Have you ever noticed that great things never come from comfort zones.
In v.6 Paul gives us the second thing that provides cohesion and it is "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The best part about this statement is we know it will succeed. The “good work” that was begun is the work of the Gospel. And it’s this partnership in the work of the Gospel that God will bring to completion. What God starts, God finishes.
In v.7 Paul writes, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." In this verse he gives us the third element which causes us to stick together. Paul is saying, "the family that suffers together, stays together."
When we go through pain together, something supernatural happens. Pain serves to bring the fibers of our souls together in the context of hardship. When we are going through something difficult, we must not go through it alone. We belong together. We share a purpose together for the sake of the Gospel that God guarantees will come about. This path is a hard one, it’s full of pain and struggle. However, when we deal with the pain together, we discover the kind of deep relationship that Paul is describing here and we all long for.
Adversity is the first path to truth and the truth has a name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the spokes in a bicycle tire, it is the Lord Jesus holds us together. Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. The key is seeking Him together through the pain, suffering and trials.
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1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:1-8
Today, we begin a study of the book of Philippians which is one of Paul's "prison epistles" written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Philippi was the first place Paul preached the gospel in Europe. Acts 16 records the story of how Paul was used of God to start the church in the city of Philippi. The first believer there was Lydia, a wealthy business woman. Then a slave girl was freed from demons. Then Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, and the Roman jailer put his faith in Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul greets this diverse church with, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This exact phrase is found in Romans, First and Second Corinthian, Galatians, and Ephesians. In this phrase we discover the first element that unites these people around what makes them a community: "God is our father. Jesus Christ is Lord."
The primary subject of the book of Philippians is the Lord Jesus. Philippians boasts the highest percentage of verses that reference the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thirty four percent of the verses in Philippians are about the Lord Jesus. It's the only book where over a third of the verses reference Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul highlights "grace and peace" without which the Christian life does not work. Grace is God's favor made accessible to the undeserving. Peace is the inevitable result of the activity of God's grace in our lives.
The Lord Jesus is our brother who connects us to the same father. We do not belong to the family without the person and work of Christ. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we who believe in Him, belong to Him and to one another.
This is the grace that God our father offers us. We do not earn our belonging. We don’t deserve it. We just receive it. We don’t have to do anything to belong here. We just belong to God. He is our Father. Christ is our brother. This is our family.
Paul is making it abundantly clear that he feels an intense emotion toward everyone in the community. Everyone belongs. He loves everyone deeply. There is a deep relational connection in the body of Christ.
In v.5-8, there are three things that draw us together with one another. In v.5 Paul writes, "because of your partnership in the gospel." There is nothing like sharing in the ministry of the Gospel that unites us with one another. Have you ever noticed that great things never come from comfort zones.
In v.6 Paul gives us the second thing that provides cohesion and it is "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The best part about this statement is we know it will succeed. The “good work” that was begun is the work of the Gospel. And it’s this partnership in the work of the Gospel that God will bring to completion. What God starts, God finishes.
In v.7 Paul writes, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." In this verse he gives us the third element which causes us to stick together. Paul is saying, "the family that suffers together, stays together."
When we go through pain together, something supernatural happens. Pain serves to bring the fibers of our souls together in the context of hardship. When we are going through something difficult, we must not go through it alone. We belong together. We share a purpose together for the sake of the Gospel that God guarantees will come about. This path is a hard one, it’s full of pain and struggle. However, when we deal with the pain together, we discover the kind of deep relationship that Paul is describing here and we all long for.
Adversity is the first path to truth and the truth has a name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the spokes in a bicycle tire, it is the Lord Jesus holds us together. Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. The key is seeking Him together through the pain, suffering and trials.
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Tuesday, February 11, 2020
John 21:18-25
Click here for the John 21:18-25 PODCAST
18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. ~ John 21:18-25
In our text, we jump back into a conversation between the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Peter. You will remember that in John 13:36, just before Peter announced his determination to die for the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus told him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward."
Peter couldn’t follow the Lord Jesus to death then, because he thought following meant taking up the sword. Now, he can follow the Lord Jesus because he now knows that following means putting away the sword and dying to self.
In v.18-19, the Lord Jesus is saying to Peter, “In the future, Peter, you’re going to be taken prisoner. You’re going to be bound and hauled off to a place you don’t want to go. Then, you’re going to stretch out your hands, you are going to be crucified."
Peter is getting the idea that the coming kingdom of God is now ushered in not by the power of the sword but by the power of love. Instead of being a soldier who would take lives for the kingdom, Peter will be a shepherd who will lay down his life for the sheep.
It is clear that John wrote his gospel after the death of Peter, as John records in v.18-19 the way Peter would die. Again, history tells us that Peter was crucified in Rome. At his own request he was crucified upside down because he did not feel he was worthy to die like the Lord Jesus.
According to v.20-21, the Apostle Peter falls into the trap of comparison. It was Theodore Roosevelt who once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Whether it is comparing our accomplishments, status or looks to others, we do poorly to enter the comparison game. When we enter the comparison game, we reject the will of God for our lives for that given moment. No matter the type of comparison, it can cause resentment towards others and ourselves and God; it always deprives us of our joy and adds no value or fulfillment to our lives.
According to v.22-23, the Lord Jesus reminds us that doing God's will for our lives is the focus we should have. The Lord Jesus tells Peter, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? Then the Lord Jesus says John’s fate is not Peter’s concern. The Lord Jesus knew that if Peter begins comparing his path to that of other disciples, his focus will be off from what the Lord Jesus has called him to do. Jesus again tells Peter, You must follow me.
The Lord Jesus is always refining our love for Him. As in the case of Peter, very often He uses our failures and misunderstandings to accomplish this. So, the Lord Jesus tells us to stop comparing ourselves or lives to others because, in so doing, we are being distracted by what someone else is doing rather than what God is doing and how we fit into what He is doing around us.
John 21:24-25 brings us to the end of our study of John. These closing words were obviously written partly by John and partly by those who were associated with him, probably believers in the town of Ephesus. It is John who writes, "This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true." This was his last word, his own eyewitness account of what the Lord Jesus had said and done.
Subtly, the Apostle John is underscoring what Christianity is really all about: a personal relationship with God. God’s greatest creation is not the flung stars or the gorged canyons, it’s His eternal plan to reach His rebellious children. Behind his pursuit of us is the same brilliance behind the rotating seasons and the orbiting planets. Heaven and earth knows no greater passion than God’s personal passion for us and our relationship with Him.
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18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. ~ John 21:18-25
In our text, we jump back into a conversation between the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Peter. You will remember that in John 13:36, just before Peter announced his determination to die for the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus told him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward."
Peter couldn’t follow the Lord Jesus to death then, because he thought following meant taking up the sword. Now, he can follow the Lord Jesus because he now knows that following means putting away the sword and dying to self.
In v.18-19, the Lord Jesus is saying to Peter, “In the future, Peter, you’re going to be taken prisoner. You’re going to be bound and hauled off to a place you don’t want to go. Then, you’re going to stretch out your hands, you are going to be crucified."
Peter is getting the idea that the coming kingdom of God is now ushered in not by the power of the sword but by the power of love. Instead of being a soldier who would take lives for the kingdom, Peter will be a shepherd who will lay down his life for the sheep.
It is clear that John wrote his gospel after the death of Peter, as John records in v.18-19 the way Peter would die. Again, history tells us that Peter was crucified in Rome. At his own request he was crucified upside down because he did not feel he was worthy to die like the Lord Jesus.
According to v.20-21, the Apostle Peter falls into the trap of comparison. It was Theodore Roosevelt who once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Whether it is comparing our accomplishments, status or looks to others, we do poorly to enter the comparison game. When we enter the comparison game, we reject the will of God for our lives for that given moment. No matter the type of comparison, it can cause resentment towards others and ourselves and God; it always deprives us of our joy and adds no value or fulfillment to our lives.
According to v.22-23, the Lord Jesus reminds us that doing God's will for our lives is the focus we should have. The Lord Jesus tells Peter, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? Then the Lord Jesus says John’s fate is not Peter’s concern. The Lord Jesus knew that if Peter begins comparing his path to that of other disciples, his focus will be off from what the Lord Jesus has called him to do. Jesus again tells Peter, You must follow me.
The Lord Jesus is always refining our love for Him. As in the case of Peter, very often He uses our failures and misunderstandings to accomplish this. So, the Lord Jesus tells us to stop comparing ourselves or lives to others because, in so doing, we are being distracted by what someone else is doing rather than what God is doing and how we fit into what He is doing around us.
John 21:24-25 brings us to the end of our study of John. These closing words were obviously written partly by John and partly by those who were associated with him, probably believers in the town of Ephesus. It is John who writes, "This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true." This was his last word, his own eyewitness account of what the Lord Jesus had said and done.
Subtly, the Apostle John is underscoring what Christianity is really all about: a personal relationship with God. God’s greatest creation is not the flung stars or the gorged canyons, it’s His eternal plan to reach His rebellious children. Behind his pursuit of us is the same brilliance behind the rotating seasons and the orbiting planets. Heaven and earth knows no greater passion than God’s personal passion for us and our relationship with Him.
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Monday, February 10, 2020
John 21:15-17
Click here for the John 21:15-17 PODCAST
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ~ John 21:15-17
Today's text parallels the scene of Peter's three-time denial of the Lord Jesus. There are several details that are involved in today's story that are common to both accounts: both took place beside a charcoal fire. Both refer to Peter as "Simon Peter." Both involve a three-fold statement: three times Peter denied his Lord, and three times he is asked to affirm his love.
In this exchange between the Lord Jesus and Peter about love, there are two words used for love: "agape," or unconditional love, and "phileo," which is brotherly love. Phileo is the word Peter uses on all three occasions, whereas agape is used of the Lord Jesus the first two times, then phileó the third.
In the middle of v.15, the Lord Jesus asks, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" Before, Peter had denied knowing the Lord Jesus. Now, in answer to this question, Simon Peter says he loved Jesus more than the other disciples. At the end of v.15, Peter responds. "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." I find it very instructive that Peter makes no mention of the other disciples this time. After his failure, Peter is now not involved in the comparison game which is the robber of joy.
In addition, Peter has learned to read the Lord's mind better. In the Garden of Gethsemane he felt that his love for Jesus required that he attack the enemies of the Lord Jesus, but here he learns that he is responsible to feed the sheep of the Lord Jesus.
This is the primary work of a shepherd. The Lord Jesus says to Peter, "Feed my lambs;" "Take care of my sheep"; "Feed my sheep," meaning, "Do not wait for them to grow up. Teach them from the Word what life is all about. Watch over them. Anticipate the coming dangers, warn and guard them."
The primary way this is done is by opening the sheets minds to the thoughts of God. Mankind does not naturally think the thoughts of God. We do not look at life the way God sees it, but we blindly follow after the illusions of our natural inclination (the flesh).
We all love Peter because he is just like us. He has all the failures that we are so familiar within our own lives. He overestimates himself and underestimates temptation. He thinks he’s more than he is, he thinks he loves the Lord more than he does. He thinks he can face any trial triumphantly. By the time he gets to this point, even though he has seen the risen Lord Jesus, he is really a broken man.
This is how the Lord Jesus forges His love into the life of the believer. His love is powerful. It is so powerful it draws out the best in us. It is what makes us sacrifice everything for the benefit of others.
In John 15:13, the Lord Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” When we move love into the spiritual dimension, it causes us to serve the Lord in extreme ways. But His life changing love must first be forged deeply into our souls for this to happen. We must, like Peter, be the ones who go out and weep deeply.
In our text, the Lord Jesus asks Peter one question, “Do you love Me?," three times. The first time the Lord Jesus actually asked, "Peter, do you agape me, do you love me unconditionally?" To this question, Peter responds honestly, "Lord, you know I phileó you, you know I love you like a brother." Peter does not say, Lord I agape you for he knows that he has failed miserably in that arena. The second time the Lord Jesus asks Peter this question, it is asked and answered in the same way as the first.
But, the third time the Lord Jesus asks Peter this question, He asked, "Peter, do you phileó me, do you love me like a brother?" This hurt Peter deeply because the Lord Jesus questioned what Peter knew to be true. Peter loved the Lord Jesus like a brother. And, it is one thing for the Lord Jesus to question Peter's agape love but it is another for Him to question Peter's Phileó love.
You've heard the old saying, "sometimes you must be cruel to be kind." I think that saying is appropriate here. Sometimes God has to either hurt us or allow us to be hurt in order for us to get the deeper lessons that we must experience in life in order to be useful at ministering to people. This, I believe, is our highest calling. Loving people.
Often the love we need most is the love we want least. This love feels so harsh, so blunt, so unpleasant in the moment, that we often don’t even recognize it as love. In Hebrews 12:5-6, we read, “5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
The word "discipline" can also be translated "trained." When God is disciplining or training us in His ways, we think that we have done something wrong, and although that may be the case, God disciplines us or trains us in His ways because we do not naturally walk in His ways. Sometimes the Lord’s love for us feels like the opposite of love, but that’s only because we can’t see everything He sees. Behind the real pain He allows, is an even more real love. A love that He gives us for Him and for those whom we influence for Him.
Finally, history teaches us that the Apostle Peter died upside down on a Roman cross. This is evidence that we can get to the place where we can be the forwarders of agape.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ~ John 21:15-17
Today's text parallels the scene of Peter's three-time denial of the Lord Jesus. There are several details that are involved in today's story that are common to both accounts: both took place beside a charcoal fire. Both refer to Peter as "Simon Peter." Both involve a three-fold statement: three times Peter denied his Lord, and three times he is asked to affirm his love.
In this exchange between the Lord Jesus and Peter about love, there are two words used for love: "agape," or unconditional love, and "phileo," which is brotherly love. Phileo is the word Peter uses on all three occasions, whereas agape is used of the Lord Jesus the first two times, then phileó the third.
In the middle of v.15, the Lord Jesus asks, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" Before, Peter had denied knowing the Lord Jesus. Now, in answer to this question, Simon Peter says he loved Jesus more than the other disciples. At the end of v.15, Peter responds. "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." I find it very instructive that Peter makes no mention of the other disciples this time. After his failure, Peter is now not involved in the comparison game which is the robber of joy.
In addition, Peter has learned to read the Lord's mind better. In the Garden of Gethsemane he felt that his love for Jesus required that he attack the enemies of the Lord Jesus, but here he learns that he is responsible to feed the sheep of the Lord Jesus.
This is the primary work of a shepherd. The Lord Jesus says to Peter, "Feed my lambs;" "Take care of my sheep"; "Feed my sheep," meaning, "Do not wait for them to grow up. Teach them from the Word what life is all about. Watch over them. Anticipate the coming dangers, warn and guard them."
The primary way this is done is by opening the sheets minds to the thoughts of God. Mankind does not naturally think the thoughts of God. We do not look at life the way God sees it, but we blindly follow after the illusions of our natural inclination (the flesh).
We all love Peter because he is just like us. He has all the failures that we are so familiar within our own lives. He overestimates himself and underestimates temptation. He thinks he’s more than he is, he thinks he loves the Lord more than he does. He thinks he can face any trial triumphantly. By the time he gets to this point, even though he has seen the risen Lord Jesus, he is really a broken man.
This is how the Lord Jesus forges His love into the life of the believer. His love is powerful. It is so powerful it draws out the best in us. It is what makes us sacrifice everything for the benefit of others.
In John 15:13, the Lord Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” When we move love into the spiritual dimension, it causes us to serve the Lord in extreme ways. But His life changing love must first be forged deeply into our souls for this to happen. We must, like Peter, be the ones who go out and weep deeply.
In our text, the Lord Jesus asks Peter one question, “Do you love Me?," three times. The first time the Lord Jesus actually asked, "Peter, do you agape me, do you love me unconditionally?" To this question, Peter responds honestly, "Lord, you know I phileó you, you know I love you like a brother." Peter does not say, Lord I agape you for he knows that he has failed miserably in that arena. The second time the Lord Jesus asks Peter this question, it is asked and answered in the same way as the first.
But, the third time the Lord Jesus asks Peter this question, He asked, "Peter, do you phileó me, do you love me like a brother?" This hurt Peter deeply because the Lord Jesus questioned what Peter knew to be true. Peter loved the Lord Jesus like a brother. And, it is one thing for the Lord Jesus to question Peter's agape love but it is another for Him to question Peter's Phileó love.
You've heard the old saying, "sometimes you must be cruel to be kind." I think that saying is appropriate here. Sometimes God has to either hurt us or allow us to be hurt in order for us to get the deeper lessons that we must experience in life in order to be useful at ministering to people. This, I believe, is our highest calling. Loving people.
Often the love we need most is the love we want least. This love feels so harsh, so blunt, so unpleasant in the moment, that we often don’t even recognize it as love. In Hebrews 12:5-6, we read, “5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
The word "discipline" can also be translated "trained." When God is disciplining or training us in His ways, we think that we have done something wrong, and although that may be the case, God disciplines us or trains us in His ways because we do not naturally walk in His ways. Sometimes the Lord’s love for us feels like the opposite of love, but that’s only because we can’t see everything He sees. Behind the real pain He allows, is an even more real love. A love that He gives us for Him and for those whom we influence for Him.
Finally, history teaches us that the Apostle Peter died upside down on a Roman cross. This is evidence that we can get to the place where we can be the forwarders of agape.
Friday, February 07, 2020
John 21:7-14
Click here for the John 21:7-14 PODCAST
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. ~ John 21:7-14
Today, we find ourselves back at the Sea of Galilee where the disciples of the Lord Jesus have gone back to their old jobs, fishing. This was the place of most comfort for these guys. And, with all they had been through, they needed the comfort.
After another experience of fishing all night and catching nothing, an unknown man on the shore, who was the Lord Jesus, tells the disciples to cast their net on the other side of the boat. As soon as the disciples throw their nets into the water, they catch many, many fish.
In v.7, while Peter was unusually silent, John said, “It is the Lord.” At this, Peter threw on some clothes, dove in the water, and swam to his Savior. When Peter arrived on shore, the Lord Jesus was there with a prepared meal of fish and bread.
After the disciples come ashore, the Lord Jesus tells them, according to v.10, to get their fish. But the Lord Jesus had His own fish. That's odd. So, why did He tell the disciples to bring their fish? I believe, He was subtly saying like He has said so many times to me down through the years. He was saying, "get your fish, I don't need 'em, but I want 'em." He has told me this so many times ... "Son, I do not need you to do anything for me, I want you." WOW!
So Peter goes back to the boat to retrieve the net to shore. John tells us the exact number of fish in the net: one hundred and fifty three large fish.
On all of the other occasions when the Lord Jesus performed a miracle like this, the miracles were performed for the benefit of the crowds. Not so, here. The Lord performed this miracle for the sake of the bewildered disciples who needed this alone time with Him.
Before any of us can care about the needs of the crowds, we must first experience time alone with the Lord Jesus for ourselves. Ironically, many of us find it easy to believe that Jesus cares about the poor, but we find it hard to believe that He cares about us.
We must experience the miracle for ourselves first. This must happen in order to effectively share the gospel with others. Everyday we all are met by a crowd of problems. Some give in to anger. Some cynicism. Others have families that are falling apart. Others struggle with much loneliness and pain.
The Lord Jesus never calls His disciples to fix the problems found around us. He doesn't call us to. But He does call us to believe He can. How will we ever believe there is a miracle for others if we do not really believe there is a miracle for us?
The real miracle here is not the one hundred and fifty three fish. The real miracle is that we can know God, personally and intimately. John’s Gospel begins with the extraordinary claim that from the beginning the Lord Jesus is the Word of God. All things come into being through Him, and without Him not one thing has come into being.
John's gospel begins with this great cosmic description of the person and work of Christ, It ends at a small campfire where He is caring for a few confused disciples. That’s the miracle of the gospel. This is the Savior who cares for us. He knows we have hopes for what He could do, that He has not done. He knows that we are confused about His work, and maybe about ours.
The Lord Jesus knows that some nights we’re exhausted because after all of our hard work, we have very little to show for it. Even our fall back plans aren’t working. This is our opportunity to see that we are not alone, not abandoned, and not on our own. This means that amazing things are still possible.
We must see this, because that crowd of spiritually hungry people we will meet tomorrow need to believe that at least we believe. John, the writer of this gospel was the only disciple at the foot of the cross when He was crucified. John was there, but all the rest ran away.
Why? Because John was the only one who reclined against the heart of the Lord Jesus. John was the one who was more consumed with Jesus' love for him rather than his love for the Lord Jesus. Most often we are more motivated by our love for the Lord Jesus than we are by His love for us.
By the way, a careful study of the specific times the Lord Jesus blessed others as recorded in all four of the gospels reveals something very interesting. When we add up these specific times, the number totals one hundred and fifty three. The message: God's calling in our lives is to be a blessing to all those who are hurting around us.
Thursday, February 06, 2020
John 21:1-6
To listen to the John 21:1-6 Podcast, click here
1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John 21:1-6
The scene has shifted from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. Seven disciples are together. There's that number for fullness again. They are: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two unnamed disciples. Peter announces his intention to go fishing, the others join him. They fish throughout the night, the best time for fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Although conditions seemed favorable for catching fish, they caught nothing.
All that Peter had been through over the past weeks had taken it's toll on him. He was overwhelmed. And, whenever Peter faces too much, he always does the same thing, he goes fishing. Fishing was Peter’s fall back plan. It is what he was doing before he met the Lord Jesus. And he always figured he could return to it if the Savior thing didn’t work out.
Like Peter we want to follow the Lord Jesus. But if He doesn’t fulfill our expectations, we figure we can always fall back on our plan for our lives. We know this old life pretty well and at least it is something we understand. This is the subtle message in this passage. Am I gonna be defined by Him or by me?
In this moment, the disciples were being defined by themselves. And, every time in the gospels we find the disciples fishing, they are doing so because they’re frustrated with the Lord Jesus. And, they never catch any fish.
That night of failure was not without its lessons. We can do worse than fail. We can succeed and be proud of our success. We can succeed and forget the One who gave us the success. We can succeed and be self-made men. But, the problem with self-made men is that we tend to worship our creator.
Just as day was breaking, according to v.4, the Lord Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples did not know that it was Him. The early light of dawn made it difficult for the disciples to see Him from the waters.
As soon as the disciples threw their nets into the water, they caught so many fish they couldn’t pull up the net. That wasn’t because they had been fishing on the wrong side of the boat, it was due to the fact that they had lost contact with the Lord Jesus. But now, they could hear and obey Him.
Every time in John’s Gospel that the disciples saw Jesus perform a miracle, He was either doing something for a crowd of hungry sick people or He was commissioning them to do something for the crowd.
When this stranger bid them drop their net on the right side of the boat and it was immediately filled with fish, their minds must have leaped back to another occasion when upon His command they let down their nets and they caught so many fish the nets broke.
The main lesson in our text is obeying His commands, following His lead. We live the Christian life by walking in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit overcomes our temptations to sin by awaking our hearts to the wisdom of God. By the Spirit, we trust the promises, which when we obey, enables us to overcome the lure of the flesh. And, the more we walk in His word, the more we are able to see the stupidity of defining ourselves. This is what it means to have personal relationship with the Lord, and this is how we follow His lead.
Hebrews 4:11 urges us to be diligent to enter God's "rest" so that we don't fall into the same sort of disobedience the Israelites showed in the wilderness. This "rest" means being defined by God's word, will, and culture. When we do not believe God's definition of things, the word of God will not profit us, because it is not met with faith. The word does not profit us, because we do not believe and obey it.
This is why the writer of Hebrews urges us to "Be diligent to enter that rest." Again, His "rest" is being defined by God's word, His definition of how life should be lived. The writer of Hebrews urges us to be diligent or to be highly aware to be defined by God. This means that we must be diligent to hear His word, to believe it, to trust it, to embrace it, and allow it to define us.
In Hebrews 4:12, we read, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." This verse reminds us of the means by which we enter into this "rest" which is the word of God.
In Psalm 119:11, we read, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." With a welcome mat before our hearts for the word of God, we must make it our top priority to allow the word of God to define us daily.
A former cannibal was reading his Bible. An anthropologist approached him and asked, "What are you doing?" The now, born again native, replied, "I'm reading my Bible." The anthropologist challenged, "Don't you know that modern, civilized man has rejected that book? It's nothing but a bunch of fables. It's a waste of time reading it." The cannibal replied, "Sir, if it weren't for this book, I'd be eating you right now."
1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John 21:1-6
The scene has shifted from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. Seven disciples are together. There's that number for fullness again. They are: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two unnamed disciples. Peter announces his intention to go fishing, the others join him. They fish throughout the night, the best time for fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Although conditions seemed favorable for catching fish, they caught nothing.
All that Peter had been through over the past weeks had taken it's toll on him. He was overwhelmed. And, whenever Peter faces too much, he always does the same thing, he goes fishing. Fishing was Peter’s fall back plan. It is what he was doing before he met the Lord Jesus. And he always figured he could return to it if the Savior thing didn’t work out.
Like Peter we want to follow the Lord Jesus. But if He doesn’t fulfill our expectations, we figure we can always fall back on our plan for our lives. We know this old life pretty well and at least it is something we understand. This is the subtle message in this passage. Am I gonna be defined by Him or by me?
In this moment, the disciples were being defined by themselves. And, every time in the gospels we find the disciples fishing, they are doing so because they’re frustrated with the Lord Jesus. And, they never catch any fish.
That night of failure was not without its lessons. We can do worse than fail. We can succeed and be proud of our success. We can succeed and forget the One who gave us the success. We can succeed and be self-made men. But, the problem with self-made men is that we tend to worship our creator.
Just as day was breaking, according to v.4, the Lord Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples did not know that it was Him. The early light of dawn made it difficult for the disciples to see Him from the waters.
As soon as the disciples threw their nets into the water, they caught so many fish they couldn’t pull up the net. That wasn’t because they had been fishing on the wrong side of the boat, it was due to the fact that they had lost contact with the Lord Jesus. But now, they could hear and obey Him.
Every time in John’s Gospel that the disciples saw Jesus perform a miracle, He was either doing something for a crowd of hungry sick people or He was commissioning them to do something for the crowd.
When this stranger bid them drop their net on the right side of the boat and it was immediately filled with fish, their minds must have leaped back to another occasion when upon His command they let down their nets and they caught so many fish the nets broke.
The main lesson in our text is obeying His commands, following His lead. We live the Christian life by walking in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit overcomes our temptations to sin by awaking our hearts to the wisdom of God. By the Spirit, we trust the promises, which when we obey, enables us to overcome the lure of the flesh. And, the more we walk in His word, the more we are able to see the stupidity of defining ourselves. This is what it means to have personal relationship with the Lord, and this is how we follow His lead.
Hebrews 4:11 urges us to be diligent to enter God's "rest" so that we don't fall into the same sort of disobedience the Israelites showed in the wilderness. This "rest" means being defined by God's word, will, and culture. When we do not believe God's definition of things, the word of God will not profit us, because it is not met with faith. The word does not profit us, because we do not believe and obey it.
This is why the writer of Hebrews urges us to "Be diligent to enter that rest." Again, His "rest" is being defined by God's word, His definition of how life should be lived. The writer of Hebrews urges us to be diligent or to be highly aware to be defined by God. This means that we must be diligent to hear His word, to believe it, to trust it, to embrace it, and allow it to define us.
In Hebrews 4:12, we read, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." This verse reminds us of the means by which we enter into this "rest" which is the word of God.
In Psalm 119:11, we read, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." With a welcome mat before our hearts for the word of God, we must make it our top priority to allow the word of God to define us daily.
A former cannibal was reading his Bible. An anthropologist approached him and asked, "What are you doing?" The now, born again native, replied, "I'm reading my Bible." The anthropologist challenged, "Don't you know that modern, civilized man has rejected that book? It's nothing but a bunch of fables. It's a waste of time reading it." The cannibal replied, "Sir, if it weren't for this book, I'd be eating you right now."
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
John 20:30-31
To listen to the John 20:30-31 Podcast, click here
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ~ John 20:30-31
In our text today, we are given the means by which God accomplished the overall theme of the Gospel of John which is man's emptiness and God's fullness.
In John 20:30-31, John provides the purpose statement for the whole book. The first is that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The second is that we, in believing, may have life in His name.
Throughout John's Gospel the Apostle John is saying there is no other name by which we can be saved. There is no other way to God. There is no other one to reconcile us to God, only the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
In v.30 of today's text, we read, "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book." The total number of miracles that the Lord Jesus performed is truly unknown. But, what is recorded totals about forty. Of the forty, seven of the miracles are strategically used by John in this gospel. This, by no means, sums up all the miracles the Lord Jesus did.
In John 21:25 we read, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The world couldn’t even contain all the displays of the miraculous the Lord Jesus demonstrated.
In v.31 of our text, we read, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." The purpose of His many miracles is: eternal life is only available through Him. These miracles were presented so that we might believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God.
The first miracle came in John 2 where the Lord Jesus changed the water into wine at Cana. Up until this point in His life, at least 30 years, He had never performed a miracle. Here is the first miracle, and He turns water into wine.
In John 2:11 we read, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” The Lord Jesus did a public miracle, manifesting His glory, so that His disciples would believe in Him. This is John's goal throughout his account of this Gospel.
The ongoing performing of these miracles reveals something of the nature of belief: it is meant to grow daily. And, if we are not believing, we will suffer the destruction the flesh yearns to deliver into our lives on a daily basis.
In John 4:47, John records the second miracle. This is the healing of a nobleman’s son who was sick to the point of death. Before healing the boy, the Lord Jesus said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
The third miracle is found in John 5, the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. For thirty-eight years, this man had been paralyzed. He had long wanted to get into the pool when it was stirred up, but there was no one to help him get in the water. The Lord Jesus comes along, heals him instantaneously and told him to stand up, pick up his bed and walk after not taking a step for thirty-eight years.
In John 6, we are given the fourth miracle where the Lord Jesus creates enough food to feed up to fifteen thousand people. A little boy provides two fish and five loaves of bread, and the Lord Jesus gives them all they can possibly eat. Then, there was twelve baskets left over, one for each of the disciples.
Then subsequent to that, in John 6, the Lord Jesus walks on water and stills a storm on the sea of Galilee. In the first five miracles, the Lord Jesus demonstrates power over nature, power to create, power over illness, power over deformity, power over nature.
The sixth miracle is found in John 9. The Lord Jesus heals a man who was blind from his birth. And then the next miracle is read in John 11, which is raising Lazarus from the dead, and he has been dead for days, his body is in a state of decay, and yet Jesus raises him from the dead. Power over death, power over blindness, power over nature, power over deformity, power over illness, power to create. This is evidence that He is God, the Son.
The final miracle comes in John 20, the resurrection. In John 2:18-22, we read, “The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews respond with, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.’”
John 20 records the greatest miracle ever to convince us to believe. It is the seventh miracle, bring to completion the message that completes us. The Lord Jesus had the power Himself to rise from the dead to conquer death. These are the miracles that John details as evidences that this is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ~ John 20:30-31
In our text today, we are given the means by which God accomplished the overall theme of the Gospel of John which is man's emptiness and God's fullness.
In John 20:30-31, John provides the purpose statement for the whole book. The first is that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The second is that we, in believing, may have life in His name.
Throughout John's Gospel the Apostle John is saying there is no other name by which we can be saved. There is no other way to God. There is no other one to reconcile us to God, only the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
In v.30 of today's text, we read, "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book." The total number of miracles that the Lord Jesus performed is truly unknown. But, what is recorded totals about forty. Of the forty, seven of the miracles are strategically used by John in this gospel. This, by no means, sums up all the miracles the Lord Jesus did.
In John 21:25 we read, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The world couldn’t even contain all the displays of the miraculous the Lord Jesus demonstrated.
In v.31 of our text, we read, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." The purpose of His many miracles is: eternal life is only available through Him. These miracles were presented so that we might believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God.
The first miracle came in John 2 where the Lord Jesus changed the water into wine at Cana. Up until this point in His life, at least 30 years, He had never performed a miracle. Here is the first miracle, and He turns water into wine.
In John 2:11 we read, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” The Lord Jesus did a public miracle, manifesting His glory, so that His disciples would believe in Him. This is John's goal throughout his account of this Gospel.
The ongoing performing of these miracles reveals something of the nature of belief: it is meant to grow daily. And, if we are not believing, we will suffer the destruction the flesh yearns to deliver into our lives on a daily basis.
In John 4:47, John records the second miracle. This is the healing of a nobleman’s son who was sick to the point of death. Before healing the boy, the Lord Jesus said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
The third miracle is found in John 5, the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. For thirty-eight years, this man had been paralyzed. He had long wanted to get into the pool when it was stirred up, but there was no one to help him get in the water. The Lord Jesus comes along, heals him instantaneously and told him to stand up, pick up his bed and walk after not taking a step for thirty-eight years.
In John 6, we are given the fourth miracle where the Lord Jesus creates enough food to feed up to fifteen thousand people. A little boy provides two fish and five loaves of bread, and the Lord Jesus gives them all they can possibly eat. Then, there was twelve baskets left over, one for each of the disciples.
Then subsequent to that, in John 6, the Lord Jesus walks on water and stills a storm on the sea of Galilee. In the first five miracles, the Lord Jesus demonstrates power over nature, power to create, power over illness, power over deformity, power over nature.
The sixth miracle is found in John 9. The Lord Jesus heals a man who was blind from his birth. And then the next miracle is read in John 11, which is raising Lazarus from the dead, and he has been dead for days, his body is in a state of decay, and yet Jesus raises him from the dead. Power over death, power over blindness, power over nature, power over deformity, power over illness, power to create. This is evidence that He is God, the Son.
The final miracle comes in John 20, the resurrection. In John 2:18-22, we read, “The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews respond with, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.’”
John 20 records the greatest miracle ever to convince us to believe. It is the seventh miracle, bring to completion the message that completes us. The Lord Jesus had the power Himself to rise from the dead to conquer death. These are the miracles that John details as evidences that this is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
John 20:24-29
Click here for the John 20:24-29 PODCAST
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ~ John 20:24-29
Thomas had to go through a week of pain before he was positioned to believe that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. As believers in Christ, we will, until our dying day, have within us the believer and the unbeliever which will be engaged in a civil war. This war is helpful in our discovery of the truth. This explains Thomas' struggle. Doubt is the shadow cast by faith. Doubt is the desire of our hearts crying out for more certainty. The problem is: it is the nature of faith to be uncertain to some extent.
Thomas is more than a doubter, however. He had determined not to believe. In v.25 he says, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." He is saying, "The evidence has to be what I decide it has to be, or I will not believe." Thomas is a pessimist, his glass is half-empty. Later, when Jesus does appear, he rebukes Thomas for being faithless. By deliberate choice, Thomas rejects the evidence the other disciples had given. The others had told him they had seen and even touched the Lord Jesus. Thomas rejects this and refuses to believe until he personally examines the evidence.
A week later, with the doors locked, the Lord Jesus shows up again. The Greek word used by John to describe the locked door means barred or padlocked. They were padlocked inside for fear of the temple guards finding their whereabouts. Had they not been imprisoned by their doubt and fear, we would not have this story.
At the end of v.26, the Lord Jesus didn’t say, “Shame on you for your doubt.” No, He said, “Peace be with you.” These words were the perfect words, because I am sure the disciples were stunned to have the Lord Jesus standing before them. This time, Thomas was here.
There is a difference between honest and dishonest doubters. The honest want to know the truth, whereas, the dishonest do not want to know the truth. Thomas had lived in his disbelief for a week. It was strategic, for in those days Thomas was forced to entertain the correct questions.
The Lord Jesus graciously placates Thomas' demands. He invites him to touch the nail prints in His hands and in His side. In response, Thomas makes the conclusion of a lifetime. He confesses immediately, "My Lord and my God." He not only believes Jesus overcame death and is alive, he believes the Lord Jesus is God.
Immediately, the Lord Jesus looks beyond the people in that room down through all the centuries and says, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." While most want to see first then believe, God's way requires us to believe first then see. Unbelief puts self where God should be. Faith puts God in His proper spot in our lives.
We believe unto eternal life. We believe in the Lord Jesus, having not seen Him. We believe because of His spoken word. We believe the Bible, because the Spirit of God has given us not only faith in Christ, but faith in His word. We weren’t argued into believing the Bible, we were led by the Holy Spirit into believing. We do not need to see the risen Lord Jesus to love Him.
The story in our text today wasn’t just for Thomas' benefit, it was for all who will ever read the Bible. We have a risen Christ whom we experience in our lives on a regular basis, who has transformed us so that our lives are different. Our changed lives are only explained by a supernatural experience called the new birth.
To help BYM, click here
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ~ John 20:24-29
Thomas had to go through a week of pain before he was positioned to believe that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. As believers in Christ, we will, until our dying day, have within us the believer and the unbeliever which will be engaged in a civil war. This war is helpful in our discovery of the truth. This explains Thomas' struggle. Doubt is the shadow cast by faith. Doubt is the desire of our hearts crying out for more certainty. The problem is: it is the nature of faith to be uncertain to some extent.
Thomas is more than a doubter, however. He had determined not to believe. In v.25 he says, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." He is saying, "The evidence has to be what I decide it has to be, or I will not believe." Thomas is a pessimist, his glass is half-empty. Later, when Jesus does appear, he rebukes Thomas for being faithless. By deliberate choice, Thomas rejects the evidence the other disciples had given. The others had told him they had seen and even touched the Lord Jesus. Thomas rejects this and refuses to believe until he personally examines the evidence.
A week later, with the doors locked, the Lord Jesus shows up again. The Greek word used by John to describe the locked door means barred or padlocked. They were padlocked inside for fear of the temple guards finding their whereabouts. Had they not been imprisoned by their doubt and fear, we would not have this story.
At the end of v.26, the Lord Jesus didn’t say, “Shame on you for your doubt.” No, He said, “Peace be with you.” These words were the perfect words, because I am sure the disciples were stunned to have the Lord Jesus standing before them. This time, Thomas was here.
There is a difference between honest and dishonest doubters. The honest want to know the truth, whereas, the dishonest do not want to know the truth. Thomas had lived in his disbelief for a week. It was strategic, for in those days Thomas was forced to entertain the correct questions.
The Lord Jesus graciously placates Thomas' demands. He invites him to touch the nail prints in His hands and in His side. In response, Thomas makes the conclusion of a lifetime. He confesses immediately, "My Lord and my God." He not only believes Jesus overcame death and is alive, he believes the Lord Jesus is God.
Immediately, the Lord Jesus looks beyond the people in that room down through all the centuries and says, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." While most want to see first then believe, God's way requires us to believe first then see. Unbelief puts self where God should be. Faith puts God in His proper spot in our lives.
We believe unto eternal life. We believe in the Lord Jesus, having not seen Him. We believe because of His spoken word. We believe the Bible, because the Spirit of God has given us not only faith in Christ, but faith in His word. We weren’t argued into believing the Bible, we were led by the Holy Spirit into believing. We do not need to see the risen Lord Jesus to love Him.
The story in our text today wasn’t just for Thomas' benefit, it was for all who will ever read the Bible. We have a risen Christ whom we experience in our lives on a regular basis, who has transformed us so that our lives are different. Our changed lives are only explained by a supernatural experience called the new birth.
To help BYM, click here
Monday, February 03, 2020
John 20:19-23
Click here for the JOHN 20:19-23 PODCAST
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” ~ John 20:19-23
On the evening, according to v.19, in the dark of night of Easter Sunday, the disciples are locked away in the Upper room for fear of the Jews. The darkness seems to be enveloping these unsure followers of the Lord Jesus. Five different individuals or groups witnessed the resurrection of the Lord: Mary Magdalene, Peter, the other women, two men traveling on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his wife. The evidence is mounting with His appearances.
This principle is so essential for the development of our faith: Every waking day, it is darkest right before it becomes light. The darker the night, the brighter the light. This darkness brought the disciples together and brought the Lord Jesus to be physically present among them.
In v.19-20, we read, "19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."
Even though the doors were locked, the Lord Jesus appeared in the room with the disciples. Then He said, "Peace be with you." With these most important words, the Lord Jesus shows them the wounds in His hands and His side, the products of His crucifixion. The glorified body of the Lord Jesus still bore the marks of the greatest display of love. Those scars will be the only man made things in heaven.
Now, the Lord Jesus has a physical body fit for another dimension. As a result, the disciples go from the deepest despair to the highest joy. And, to make it even clearer, He eats a piece of fish in their presence to make it more clear that He was risen from the dead and is alive.
In v.21, the Lord Jesus reiterates what He said in v.19, saying, "Peace be with you!" We will never know the peace of God until we have peace with God. This is why the Lord Jesus reiterates this statement to His disciples. He, through His cross and resurrection has procured peace with God for all who believe.
Then, in v.21, the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." The gospel is for people who are desperately interested in forgiveness. The Lord Jesus came into the world not to change anybody’s social status or to make us feel better about our lot in life. He came to preach forgiveness of sin. This was His calling and is now our calling in this world, to share the Gospel with those who desire it.
In v.22, the Lord Jesus breathed on the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus had earlier predicted that these men, who up to this point only had the Spirit dwelling with them, now would have Him come to live within them. This was explained by the Lord Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3.
Thus life, new life, came into man. Here, new life, the Spirit's life, comes into these disciples. They had been kept by Jesus' power up to now, and from this time on they are to be kept by the power of the Spirit residing within them. All of this happens to us, as well, when we believe in the Lord Jesus. This is what is highlighted throughout the rest of the Gospel according to John.
In v.23, we read a difficult statement: "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." This does not mean that we are given authority to say to someone, "You are forgiven," and to another, "You are not." Some have interpreted it that way, saying that priests are empowered to forgive or not forgive sins.
What the Lord Jesus is saying is this: when people believe on the Lord Jesus, we are empowered to declare the forgiveness of sin. If anyone who is conscious of their sin, failure, and acknowledges their need before Jesus, and receives Him, we have the authority to say to them, "Your sins are forgiven."
On the other hand, if someone refuses to believe, or merely pretends to believe, and his life shows no sign of any change, we are authorized to say to him, "You have not yet been forgiven of your sins."
Some claim that Peter was the first pope. In that case, if anybody had the power to forgive or retain sin, it would have been him. But in Acts10 we find Peter in the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, saying to him, "To Him [to Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name," (Acts 10:43). As indicated in the book of Acts, these men did exactly what Jesus told them to do.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” ~ John 20:19-23
On the evening, according to v.19, in the dark of night of Easter Sunday, the disciples are locked away in the Upper room for fear of the Jews. The darkness seems to be enveloping these unsure followers of the Lord Jesus. Five different individuals or groups witnessed the resurrection of the Lord: Mary Magdalene, Peter, the other women, two men traveling on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his wife. The evidence is mounting with His appearances.
This principle is so essential for the development of our faith: Every waking day, it is darkest right before it becomes light. The darker the night, the brighter the light. This darkness brought the disciples together and brought the Lord Jesus to be physically present among them.
In v.19-20, we read, "19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."
Even though the doors were locked, the Lord Jesus appeared in the room with the disciples. Then He said, "Peace be with you." With these most important words, the Lord Jesus shows them the wounds in His hands and His side, the products of His crucifixion. The glorified body of the Lord Jesus still bore the marks of the greatest display of love. Those scars will be the only man made things in heaven.
Now, the Lord Jesus has a physical body fit for another dimension. As a result, the disciples go from the deepest despair to the highest joy. And, to make it even clearer, He eats a piece of fish in their presence to make it more clear that He was risen from the dead and is alive.
In v.21, the Lord Jesus reiterates what He said in v.19, saying, "Peace be with you!" We will never know the peace of God until we have peace with God. This is why the Lord Jesus reiterates this statement to His disciples. He, through His cross and resurrection has procured peace with God for all who believe.
Then, in v.21, the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." The gospel is for people who are desperately interested in forgiveness. The Lord Jesus came into the world not to change anybody’s social status or to make us feel better about our lot in life. He came to preach forgiveness of sin. This was His calling and is now our calling in this world, to share the Gospel with those who desire it.
In v.22, the Lord Jesus breathed on the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus had earlier predicted that these men, who up to this point only had the Spirit dwelling with them, now would have Him come to live within them. This was explained by the Lord Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3.
Thus life, new life, came into man. Here, new life, the Spirit's life, comes into these disciples. They had been kept by Jesus' power up to now, and from this time on they are to be kept by the power of the Spirit residing within them. All of this happens to us, as well, when we believe in the Lord Jesus. This is what is highlighted throughout the rest of the Gospel according to John.
In v.23, we read a difficult statement: "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." This does not mean that we are given authority to say to someone, "You are forgiven," and to another, "You are not." Some have interpreted it that way, saying that priests are empowered to forgive or not forgive sins.
What the Lord Jesus is saying is this: when people believe on the Lord Jesus, we are empowered to declare the forgiveness of sin. If anyone who is conscious of their sin, failure, and acknowledges their need before Jesus, and receives Him, we have the authority to say to them, "Your sins are forgiven."
On the other hand, if someone refuses to believe, or merely pretends to believe, and his life shows no sign of any change, we are authorized to say to him, "You have not yet been forgiven of your sins."
Some claim that Peter was the first pope. In that case, if anybody had the power to forgive or retain sin, it would have been him. But in Acts10 we find Peter in the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, saying to him, "To Him [to Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name," (Acts 10:43). As indicated in the book of Acts, these men did exactly what Jesus told them to do.
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