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Journey Through John, #11, John 1.43-51 — I saw you

April 2, 2020 0 Comments

Dear Friend,

One of the most soul-sucking lies creeping into our minds is the idea that God does not see us.   I find the lie at work throughout the Scripture and even in my own life. This lie is particularly damaging when it comes to prayer — the heart of our relationship and conversation with God. The lie must not be allowed to abide. But — have you ever felt that way?

I have and it’s one of the reasons I find encounters like the one in John 1:43-51 so encouraging for our relationship with God.

John 1:43-51

43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.“Come and see,” said Philip.

47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”50Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”51He then added, “Very truly I tell you (all) will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Snapshot — Nathaniel’s Testimony

This snapshot begins with Jesus getting ready to leave the Jordan and head back to Galilee. The discipleship moves abound! Some of the new friends of Jesus are going to go with him. And Philip looks for Nathanael so he can come too and get to know the Messiah. But Nathanael is a skeptic so he questions — “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

I love Jesus. You know it’s “to the glory of kings to overlook an offence!” Jesus skips the insult and goes right to the heart.

“Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Ha! With Nathanael what you see is what you get. If he opens his mouth he is going to let you know what’s in there.

And God He knows what’s in there.

That’s what makes Jesus’ response to Nathanael’s question so dramatic and awe-inspiring. Nathanael asks, “How do you know me?” and Jesus answers, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

Now Nathanael had not found a quiet spot under the fig tree just to sleep. He was probably there to pray, to have a conversation with God. And here’s Jesus making the claim — I saw you there. I know you here. And now Nathaniel’s whole view of Jesus is shifting. He declares, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Jesus affirms Nathanael’s faith saying you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” And then He added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus’ words remind me of Jacob’s experience in Bethel. (Genesis 28:10-22) Jacob was on the run to seek security needed because his deceitfulness had enraged his brother Esau. At Bethel God shows up in a dream as he sleeps. A stairway between heaven and earth is shown to Jacob at his head. The messengers of the LORD are going up and down it. The LORD speaks to Jacob right there saying “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you where you go, and I will bring you back to this land I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob’s experience tell us “He sees you when you sleep.” Nathaniel’s experience tells us He sees you when you pray.

Let’s put Jacob’s history together with what Jesus just told Nathanael. This is amazing. Jesus is telling Nathanael you are going to see greater things than me just seeing you when you pray because I open up the kingdom of God of earth. Jesus is not just the King of Israel — He is the King in the Kingdom of God through which all nations will be blessed.

I believe the Apostle John is telling us Nathaniel’s testimony because he wants us to know that The King has come and it’s Jesus. Not only that — The King Jesus — He is God — He sees you when you pray. He knows what’s in your heart.

Prayer in the name of Jesus is not a exercise in futility or just self-improvement. Prayer is the participatory prelude to seeing the kingdom of God on earth. He knows us and has grace for us. He sees us and opens heaven to converse with us. No matter where you are praying He is with you. If you are on the Coronavirus frontlines or in the Coronavirus self-isolation He sees you, He is with you.

He sees you when you pray.

Let’s pray!

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done — on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one; for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. 


In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.

Journey Through John's Gospel

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Journey Through John, #10, John 1.35-43

March 31, 2020 0 Comments

Hi Friend,

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are a part of the movement Jesus started. If you are new to this movement  you may have heard church people talk about discipleship. 

A disciple is literally a student-follower. When we talk about discipleship we are not talking about life in a classroom. Rather we are talking about a life in relationship with Jesus — in real time and in real life.

The text for today is John 1:35-43  — Pause now and read it.

35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”39  “Come,”he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon

.40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which when translated is Peter).


This passage has all kinds of discipleship moves:
John has disciples; but he keeps pointing to Jesus: “Look, the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples then leave John and follow Jesus.
Jesus turns around and sees them following and asks, “What do you want?”
The two disciples call him Rabbi and ask, “Where are you staying?”
Jesus says, “Come and you will see.”
Jesus spends the day with them.
One of the disciples, Andrew goes to find his brother, Simon.
Andrew announces the possibility that Jesus is the Messiah they have been expecting.
Andrew brings Simon to see Jesus.
Jesus looks at Simon and says, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated is Peter).

So many discipleship moves here. For the Church in the world we keep pointing to Jesus. We are not looking for disciples for ourselves. We are actually discipling people to Jesus. Jesus is The Disciple-Maker. I believe Jesus is still doing what he does in this text and we get to be a part of it.

Three Discipleship Moves we make with Jesus


Jesus keeps asking: “What do you want?”  — This is the first direct word we have from Jesus in the Gospel of John. A question: What do you want? Every disciple of Jesus must answer this question. Do I really want to be with Jesus. What are the desires and affections of my heart?

Jesus keeps spending time with people:  He invites those who wonder about Him and what He is up to in the world, to “Come and see.” — Every disciple of Jesus must settle into being with Jesus and being where Jesus is taking them in the world.

Jesus keeps changing lives: Every disciple of Jesus must be in relationship with the One who can change their character from shifting sand (this is what the name “Simon” portrays) to being a person with a rock-solid and well defined core (this is what the name “Cephas” or “Peter” portrays). 

As friends of Jesus we keep pointing people to him. Sometimes they must “leave us” to follow Jesus for themselves. We may experience some grief in that. But, we can rejoice because we are together in the Fellowship of the Lamb. That’s what its like to really be the church. We must always anticipate and rejoice in the allegiance of each disciple to Jesus. It’s this freedom in discipleship that calls the church back from being cultish, controlling and toxic. It’s this movement in discipleship that spreads the Gospel around the world and in each generation.


Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, We come to the fellowship of Jesus the Lamb by your invitation. Thank you for this grace. Transform our lives and make us solid people who are able to join you in the life-changing movement of redemption and love. We want to be with you! Grant us the courage and the capacity that John the Baptist had to treat people as friends who belong to Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Take time now to write your own prayer and response to God from this text.

Our next reading will be from John 1:43-51.

Change, Discipleship, Journey Through John's Gospel

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Journey Through John, John 1.29-34 — I have seen and I testify

March 30, 2020 0 Comments

Dear Friend,

When it comes to the things of God, God must reveal Himself. He is doing this all the time. Often we miss Him, and we need someone to point and say — Look!

Here’s our text for today: John 1:29-34

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

John the Baptist is pointing to Jesus with humility and hope. He is clear. John is a faithful prophet.  He is fulfilling the work of God by testifying to what he has seen.

Each statement by John about Jesus deserves more reflection, but for now let’s capture them and see them with John. Every statement from John’s mouth is packed with power to disrupt the mind and heart. 

These would have been disturbing statements to declare about anyone. Remember John is on the other side of the Jordan from Jerusalem. He is on the fringes and folks have been coming out to him to see what’s going on. Now the pinnacle of what’s going on from his perspective is about to happen.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look…”  So let’s look with John the Baptist. Look!

Look! Jesus is The Lamb of God.

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (verse 29)

Look! Jesus is the one who “was before me.”

“This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (verse 30)

Look! Jesus had to be revealed to John and now Jesus is being revealed to Israel.

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (verse 31)

Look! Jesus has the Spirit of God abiding with him.

“I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.” (verse 32)

Look! Jesus is going to baptize people with the Holy Spirit.

“The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” (verse 33)

Look! Jesus is God’s Chosen One.

“I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (verse 34)

Wow! John says that when we look at Jesus the man, we see the preexisting one, coming from God according to His purposes, to sacrificially offer Himself and take away the sin of the world and then He will include people in the communion of God by baptizing them with the Holy Spirit!

Wow!


Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father,

Oh how we need your revealing work to continue! Come Holy Spirit and disrupt our dark minds and hearts. Let our minds be shaken to consider the glory of Jesus again. Let our affections be disturbed that we might embrace Jesus fully. Oh Lord we would see Jesus and receive Him as the Lamb of God — take away our sin. We would receive Him and the gift of communion with You. Immerse us in your Spirit that we may see and testify of Jesus as well. Thank you for granting this grace to us.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Take a moment to pause and write your own prayer of response to God.

Our next reading will be from John 1:35-43.

Journey Through John's Gospel

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Journey Through John, John 1.23-28, The Voice of One Calling In The Wilderness

March 27, 2020 0 Comments

Dear Friends,

I think most of us have an angry vision of John the Baptist. He might have been angry at times. But I don’t believe that emotion is the main posture of his ministry.

The main postures of John’s ministry are humility and hope.

John 1:23-28

23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”

24Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

We hear John’s humility as he insists on pointing to Jesus as the lead character. “Among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

We hear John’s hope in his prophetic identification. “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

When John the Baptist quotes Isaiah 40 he taps into one of the most hopeful texts in the Bible. 

Isaiah is realistic about the frailty of humanity, “All people are like grass and their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

However, this word of reality is not given with anger. The whole prophetic passage begins like this:

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…” (verse 1)

There is “good news” (verse 9) for Jerusalem. The voice calling in the wilderness declares that “the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all the people will see it together.” (verse 5) The emissaries of God are to declare “Here is your God!” “The Sovereign LORD comes with power and he rules with a mighty arm.” (verses 9-10)

But we might ask, “how shall the Sovereign LORD rule?”

Wow look at this. Isaiah says,

“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.” (verse 11)

That’s a word of hope!

John the Baptist’s ministry is one of humility and hope. He wants people to get ready for the coming of the LORD, for the LORD is coming in His sovereignty as their shepherd.


We can also see John’s humility and hope in his choice of where to post up for ministry. He is not in any religious centre. Instead, he has located himself on the “wilderness” side of the Jordan river. He is in “Bethany East of the Jordan.” Folks are coming to him and are having to cross the Jordan river to get to him. They are figuratively retracing the path of Israel in reverse for a baptism of repentance.

I believe these early adopters where invited by God into a pilgrim’s journey in order to prepare for God’s coming. They were invited into the wilderness so they might see the true wilderness conditions of their souls. With John they were invited by God into postures of humility and hope so that they might know Him.

Isn’t that how all of us come to Jesus?


Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

We come to you from the wilderness of our souls; its barrenness, vulnerability, constant striving for security and identity, and its false affections. With humility and hope we lay them down as we come to you. We long for your comfort, your good news, and your Presence with us. As we come to Jesus the Shepherd of our souls, fill us with your Spirit that we may rejoice in you and your mighty power for redeemed relationships.

In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.

Our next reading will be John 1:29-34.

Journey Through John's Gospel

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Journey Through John, John 1.19-23 — Who are you?

March 26, 2020 0 Comments

Dear Friends,

Why does a submarine have many compartments? Why can these compartments be sealed up and shut off from the rest? 

Most of us realize the answer. But I’ll state the obvious. A submarine has many compartments that can be sealed off as a safety measure; if the integrity of the hull is breached in one area, the whole ship won’t go down and stay and down; just that room will be sealed and flooded.

Most of us realize that like a submarine our lives need a diversity of compartments. Typically we live and gather up our sense of purpose in one or more compartments relationally: our work, our hobbies, our family, our friends, our health, our wealth or lack thereof. All these relationships provide input on who we are.

But at the core — Who are you?  What are you all about? What do you have to say about yourself?

John the Baptist is the major character in our readings for the next few days. But he keeps pointing to another character as the lead. John was clear about himself and his purpose. But his clarity confused folks who came to ask him, “Who are you?”


19Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”

22Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
John 1:19-23

John’s point of reference for answering the question “Who are you?” and “What do you say about yourself?” is the Lord. His point of reference for personal identity is God and what God is doing in the world through him — pointing to Jesus.

John was clear about what he was not: “I am not the Messiah… Elijah…. or the Prophet.”

John was clear about who he was and what he was about. So he was able to say, “I am this!”

What a glorious grace! He’s living this purpose in his 30’s. Is there hope for us? Yes! I believe there is hope for all of us — younger or older.

John’s clarity of purpose derived from his relationship with God and the Lord’s calling on his life:
 

“I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

If you have never pressed in on this question: Who are you? What are you all about? Now is good time to do so.

Disruptions in our lives can drive us into serious consideration of the question as we deal with the grief of sealed off compartments.

Perhaps it’s good to begin with questions to the Lord Himself: Lord — how do you see me? What do you want my life to be about?

Don’t try to rush the answer. I went through a season of purpose re-evaluation and exploration a few years ago. The experience went like this: clarity seemed to come quickly — almost all at once — but the process had taken months and was built on quite a few years of relationships and experiences. We will get to the other side of this pandemic. Clarity forged in this season will be priceless.

To begin — sit with the question and sit with Jesus.

Who are you?

Let’s pray:

Our Heavenly Father,

We delight in you and the reading of your Word today. You have a plan and a purpose. You shall not be thwarted. Grant us clarity of purpose by Your Spirit and your Word. We don’t have to see your whole plan. But we do desire to see you. Let our lives in this world also point to Jesus. For some of us the Covid-19 pandemic has torpedoed our plans and even our sense of purpose. Whole compartments of our lives have been shut to us. We must retreat to you. Help us Lord. Let your church be a voice calling out in the wilderness so that minds may know Him, and hearts may have their affections set on Him.

In Jesus Name We Pray,

Amen.

I will continue exploring John 1:19-28 in our next reading.

For your own spiritual journey: Please take time to read the text and write your own prayer to God.

Change, Journey Through John's Gospel

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