Life Change

By Richard

In Matthew 3 John the Baptist called the religious leaders “snakes” and he challenges them stop putting on a show and start producing spiritual fruit. I love how Peterson’s The Message translates this verse. Continuing the theme of snakes he writes, “Change your life and not just your skin.” (Matthew 3: 8)

Growing up in Kenya, every now and then I would come across ribbons of translucent, dried out, snake’s skin (the skin of a snake does not grow and so old skin must be periodically shed to accommodate the growing snake). The verse reminds us that God wants to transform us from the inside out. He wants to change us deeply.

But deep change is hard. It takes time – it’s a fruit! It needs the power of God’s spirit – it’s spiritual! It needs honesty – about our tendency to pridefully “fake it”. It needs the humility found in repentance! We need to change in order to see Jesus – John’s message is that we be prepared for Jesus! We need Jesus in order to change – He is the one who will baptise us with the Holy Spirit!

Let’s cry out to Jesus to, “Change [our lives] and not just [our] skin.”

Worship the Baby

By Richard

We read in Matthew 2 that the Wise Men arrived from the East. They were following the star towards the baby so they might, “Worship Him” (Matthew 2: 2). Later we read that when the star stopped and they finally found the baby they knelt and, “Worshipped Him”. (Matthew 2: 11).

The Bible calls us over and over again to worship God alone! I conclude that from the time of Jesus’ birth some had the insight that this was no ordinary baby. The Divine had arrived on earth and the people who knew knelt and worshipped. You see, Jesus is not simply a wise man to admired, or solely a great teacher to be followed. No, Jesus is the God of heaven who is foremostly to be worshipped. Will we worship Jesus today?

Some Interesting Names

by Richard

Well I’m back to Matthew and starting my second read through of the Gospels. This time I’m using Eugene Peterson’s, The Message, which presents the biblical message using modern, easy to understand, words. Do hope that your reading is going well.

In Matthew chapter 1 we find a list of names presenting the lineage of Jesus. These are one of those bits of the Gospels that I tend to skip over. There are some anomalies in the list that we ought to catch.

Several women are mentioned and each of them has an interesting story.

Tamar – a Canaanite foreigner, was the daughter-in law of Judah. After her first two husbands die (Er and Onan, 2 brothers) Judah refuses to give her the third son in marriage. She disguises herself as shrine prostitute and seduces Jacob so that by producing some blood relatives she’ll stop his plan to cut her out of the inheritance.

Rahab – She was the prostitute (and Canaanite foreigner) that hid the spies and who was later protected when the walls of Jericho crumbled.

Ruth – Was a foreigner (Moabite) who would become the great-grandmother of King David.

Uriah’s Wife – She was a foreigner (Hittite) and the woman who committed adultery with David (Yes, I know David gets the rap in Scripture, but reading carefully between the lines she seems to play a willing part).

Later, in the same chapter of Matthew, we read that Jesus is our “Immanuel…God with us”. We often think of “Immanuel” as starting with the birth of Jesus and ending with His ascension. But in some way “Immanuel” stretches back through history, and forwards through time, touching all people. We discover that although Jesus was without sin He did not mind to get His hands dirty.

God is not a dirt-phobic king, wearing long, white gloves, who coldly waves at us from within the bubble of a germ-free, bullet-proof, glassed motorcade. Jesus, Immanuel, is not put off from coming close to dirty human beings and embracing them with His love. He did not shy from the assassins bullet that those who love Him later discover was not infact aimed at Him but at us.

God’s desire to reach out and love us in the midst of sin is found in His earthy lineage.

We also notice that all the women mentioned were foreigners, non Israelites. Jesus, Immanuel, is the saviour of the world and His hand of salvation reaches out to all the earth.

God’s desire to reach out and save people from every tongue, tribe and nation is found in his earthy lineage.

Total Recall

By Richard

I enjoyed comparing the first call of Peter to follow Jesus (Luke 5) with the second call to follow Jesus, following Peter’s denial of Jesus and the death and resurrection (John 21). I think the similarities and differences have great significance.

Beside lake Galilee (Luke 5)
Beside lake Galilee (John 21)....The same place?

Had been fishing and caught nothing all night (Luke 5)
Pater was fishing and had caught nothing all night (John 21)

Jesus tells them to let down their nets (Luke 5)
Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat (John 21)

They caught a large number of fish and the nets started to tear (Luke 5)
They caught a large number of large fish (153) and the nets did not tear (John 21)

Peter says “go away” (Luke 5)
Jesus says “do you love me” (John 21)

Jesus tells him to catch men (Luke 5)
Jesus tells him to look after sheep (John 21)

He follows Jesus (Luke 5)
Jesus tells Peter, twice, to follow him even unto death (John 21)

The text does not say whether they were in the same spot in Galilee but I’d like to think that it was the same fishing boat and in the same general vicinity. Three years of ministry, the painful realities of Peter’s self discovery (he’s not as brave as he thought) and the death and resurrection separate these two events. Jesus is re-calling Peter through a total recall experience.

Like the first net, Peter’s first commitment to follow unto death had torn, three times, and now Jesus was calling Peter, like the second net, to a new commitment that would not tear, even when being led to death.

Jesus asks Peter, “Do you truly love me more than these?” (John 21: 15) . Commentators are not sure whether Jesus is referring to the other disciples or to the boats and nets and fish. Personally I think that it’s the latter. Following the resurrection Peter returns to Galilee, sick and tired of waiting for Jesus he has gone back to fishing. I think Jesus’ change in ministry analogy from fishing, “catching men”, to shepherding, “looking after sheep”, adds weight to the argument that the “these” refer to the fishing. Jesus wants Peter to understand that he has a whole new task and calling. With or without the physical presence of Jesus he must continue working out his call to minister for Christ, and he must not return to fishing.

In Luke 5 we read that Peter leaves his nets and follows Jesus. In John Jesus tells him that he will die one day for Christ and then calls Peter to, follow Him. Peter, his usual self, never lost for words, asks Jesus about John, and Jesus tells him hey don’t you worry about John, “You must follow me” (John 21: 22). Twice Jesus calls him to follow!

I’m not sure how all applies to us. But maybe there’s more than one conversion in life. Maybe there’s more than one calling. Maybe the grace of God gently peals away our layers of pretence bringing us to deeper places of submission and love for Christ.

Easter According to The Old Testament

By Richard

This is somethin that I put together a few years ago. As I'm reading the Easter story it's a powerful reminder of the place of prophecy in belief. Enjoy!

Jesus said to his disciples "I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” (John 14:27).

Christ's death and the resurrection is a well attested historical event. Jesus stated several times that his death and resurrection were according to the scriptures of old. I hope as you read this compilation of Old Testament prophecy that you’ll be amazed at the clarity with which the Old Testament proclaimed the Easter story; hundreds of years before the event. As you do, ask yourself one question, is this more than a co-incidence, could this be? Could this just be, the King of the universe shedding his blood for me and for you?

Jesus rides into Jerusalem a week before his death
Rejoice greatly, 0 Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD (Psalm 118:26).

Judas agrees to betray Jesus. The Chief Priests give him 30 silver coins
[Judas said], "If you think it best give me my pay; but if not keep it." So they paid (him) thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12).

Jesus tells his disciples, one disciple at the Passover Supper will betray him and the rest will desert him
Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me (Psalm 41:9). Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered (Zechariah 13:7).

Jesus is arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin and later Pilate – He is remarkably silent before his accusers, even when they beat him
Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good (Ps 35:11&12). [I] was oppressed and afflicted yet [I] did not open [my] mouth. As a sheep before her sheerer is silent so [I] did not open [my] mouth (Is 53:7). I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting (Isaiah 50:6).

Judas filled with remorse throws the money into the temple – the chief priests use the “blood money” to buy a potters field as a burial place for foreigners
And the LORD said to [him], "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So [he] took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter (Zechariah 11:12&13).

Pilate releases Barabbas, a notorious criminal, has Jesus flogged and hands him over to the Roman soldiers to be “prepared” for crucifixion
By oppression and judgement [I] was taken away (Isaiah 53:7), [and] assigned a grave with the wicked (Isaiah 53:8). I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard (Isaiah 50:6).

Jesus is crucified between 2 thieves
My knees are weak from fasting, my body is thin and gaunt (Psalm 109:24). [I] was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7), (and I was) numbered with the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). They have pierced my hands and my feet (Psalm 22:16).

The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes and the crowds mock him
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing (Psalm 22:18). Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs on my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me (Psalm l09:25). Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open, their mouths against me (Psalm 22:12&13). Dogs have surrounded me a band of evil men have encircled me (Psalm 22:16). I am a worm not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me: they hurl insults shaking their heads: He trusts the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him (Psalm 22:7&8). I am an object of scorn to my accusers. When they see me they shake their heads (Psalm 109:25).

The disciples have deserted him and the women watch from a distance
My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbours stay far away (Psalm 38:11).

Darkness comes over the land from 12pm to 3pm
I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight (Amos 8:9)

Jesus is close to death and cries out to God
My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed. I groan in anguish of heart (Psalm 38:7&8). I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth (Psalm 22:14&15). My heart pounds my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes (Psalm 38:10). I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God (Psalm 69:3).

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1)

They offer him vinegar for his thirst
They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst (Psalm 68:21).

Jesus’ last words are one of committing his Spirit to God
Into your hands I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5).

The soldiers, finding Jesus already dead, did not break his legs (a method of speeding up death on the cross) but pierced his side.
I can count all my bones (Psalm 22:17). He protects all [my] bones not one of them will be broken (Psalm 34:20). They will look on me the one they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10). [My] appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and [my] form marred beyond that of human likeness (Isaiah 52:14).

Joseph of Arimathea a well respected leader asks Pilate for Jesus’ body and buries Jesus in a fresh tomb that he’d recently had excavated in the rock
You lay me in the dust of death (Psalm 22:15). [I] was assigned a grave with the rich in (my) death (Isaiah 53:9).

Jesus death was not the waste of his life but rather the offer of life to us
Surely [I] took up [your] infirmities and carried (your) sorrows... [I] was pierced for [your] transgressions. [I] was crushed for your iniquities; the punishment that brought [you] peace was upon [me], and by [my] wounds [you] are healed. [You] all like sheep have gone astray, each of [you] has turned to [your]; own way and [I] have laid on [myself] the iniquity of [you] all (Isaiah 53-4-6). [I] bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). On [this] day a fountain [has been] opened...to cleanse [you] from sin and impurity (Zechariah 13:1). I am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake and remembers your sin no more (Isaiah 43:25).

Jesus rose from the dead “according to the Scriptures”
You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10). After the suffering of [my] soul [I] will see the light of life and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11). You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11).

Just before his ascension Jesus commissions his followers to take the message of his death and resurrection, the promise of forgiveness and new life, to the whole world
Turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other (Isaiah 45: 22). Nations will come to [my] light, and kings to the brightness of [my] dawn (Isaiah 60:3). [I] will proclaim peace to the nations (Zechariah 9:10). Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him (Jeremiah 17:7)

All quotations from New International (Zondervan)

Believing is seeing

We often give Thomas the rap for doubting. We read that when the disciples tell Him that they have seen the risen Christ; he replies that unless he can see the nail prints and touch them, and place his hand into the pierced hole in Jesus’ side he would not believe (John 20: 24, 25). It’s more obvious in the Greek, but we read that it was also not until the disciples saw the hands and side of Jesus that first Easter evening that they finally believed in full (John 20:20).

At the end of Chapter 20 John tells us that us that he has written His Gospel that we might believe that Jesus is God, and by believing have life. Jesus tells Thomas (and the disciples) that they have seen and believed but that those who believe, even though they have not seen as the disciples had, would be even more blessed.

The question is, will we trust their testimony, step out in faith, put ourselves in Jesus hands and be blessed with Jesus’ life, or will we remain a doubting Thomas? When will we stop seeking more proof, trust their words, believe, step out in faith and receive the blessing that Christ offers to all who have not physically seen and touched yet believe? Don’t let your doubts keep you from the best thing ever, a living, loving relationship with the risen Christ.

Thomas needed to touch before he believed. The other disciples needed to see before they believed. Jesus asks us to believe before we see. When we do I believe we will feel the blessing of His presence in our lives.

She Was There

by Richard

Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus alive after His resurrection from the dead. Why Mary and not somebody else? I liked what the accompanying note in my NIV leadership bible said about her. “She was there”! Indeed Mary Magdalene’s name is mentioned every time a Gospel writer lists a group of women who were near Jesus during His death and resurrection.

In John 20 we find Mary at the tomb very early on the Sunday morning, “While it was still dark” (1). When Peter and John finished looking into the empty tomb and return home (presumably confused and disillusioned) she remains at the tomb. She’s there when the “gardener” shows up. She’s there when he asks her why she’s crying! She’s there when he replies “Mary” with that instantly recognisable tone and infection. She’s there to hug Him and cry “Rabboni” (Master). She’s there to take Jesus’ message of good news to the disciples that He’s alive. Simply, she’s there!

Mary stirs in me a longing to be there for Jesus.

Jesus Our Passover Lamb

In Exodus 12 we read about the Passover. God was about to judge the Egyptians and the Israelites needed to kill an unblemished lamb and sprinkle the blood on their wooden door posts. Later that night when God passed through the land in judgement He would pass over and spare every house that had lamb’s blood sprinkled on its door frame. Amongst a list of conditions for the Passover; not one bone of the lamb must be broken (46), the blood was to be sprinkled using the hyssop plant (22) and the lamb should be slaughtered at twilight (6).

More than 1200 years later! It was the eve of the Passover (the time when the lambs were being prepared in remembrance of the first Passover) and Jesus hung outside Jerusalem, dying on the cross. In His final breath, and in great thirst, the soldiers lifted a sponge soaked in wine vinegar on the end of a hyssop branch to Christ’s lips (John 19: 29). The Jews wanting to get the crucifixion over with before the Passover began at 6 pm asked for the legs of the men to be broken (a means to speeding up the normally slow death of crucifixion through asphyxiation). Finding Jesus already dead the soldiers pierce His side and a sudden flow of blood and water pours out (modern medicine tells us that this confirms he was dead).

John’s sudden outburst, about telling the truth and being an honest witness (John 19:35) is more than just excitement about Jesus fulfilling 2 prophecies in his death (36). I think it's because he suddenly gets it - Jesus is our Passover lamb. On the eve of the Passover, standing in the twilight of the terrible darkness at the crucifixion, watching the most perfect and innocent man he’d ever met die, seeing the stalk of hyssop raised to his master’s lips, watching His blood flow over wood and hearing the soldiers say, “don’t bother breaking his legs he’s already dead!” 1200 years of history pour into his mind and he suddenly gets it - Jesus is our Passover Lamb!

But the story carries a warning too. The Israelites had to act in faith. They had to wait with the blood on their doorposts, wondering about the truth of Moses words for 6 long hours, trying to stay focused on the roast lamb, lest doubts break down their door and overrun their minds. The ticking of 21,600 seconds before the plague swept through the land, destroying the firstborn of every Egyptian (and sceptic) in the land.

It’s not midnight yet and we can still apply the blood of Christ to the doorposts of our lives. There’s still time left to ask Jesus to save us from the final judgement to come. The amazing convergence of the Passover and Christ should still our wonderings and give us the faith needed to act upon the warning. Find the loving, Lamb of God, while He can still be found.

Other interesting fact: The Roman siege of Jerusalem leading to the fall of the city in AD 70 began at the Passover.

Two Declarations

At the beginning of John 19 we find two declarations:

1. The Chief priests declare, “Crucify! Crucify!” (John 19:6)
2. Pilate declares, “I have the power either to free you or to crucify you”! (John 19:10)

It’s ironic, the Chief Priests, the so called upright and righteous of society scream the loudest for the horrific death of Jesus, and then Pilate, the one who claims to have the supreme power, remains powerless to prevent the death of a man that he has found innocent.

I hear two echo’s to their declarations! God echo’s back that none of us, not even the best amongst us, are good enough (Romans 3:23). We are all in need of God’s mercy and grace (Romans 5:8). God also echo’s back that we are not as powerful as we might think. We need the power of God’s love, demonstrated through Christ’s death to forgive us our many sins and give us His strength to live for God (Romans 5: 8-11).

Priorities

We read at the end of John 18 that the Jews took Jesus to the palace of the Roman governor – Pilate. But because they wanted to be able eat the Passover (28) meal they did not enter the palace grounds (entering the dwelling of a gentile on such a holy day would have made them ceremonially unclean).

The Gospels are full of these interesting reflections on the human heart. We have already noted that it was because of envy that they tried to kill Jesus. Now we find that their minds were more on their Passover dinner (read Christmas dinner/Thanksgiving dinner) than on ensuring that a man was justly tried. They had set their priorities all wrong. Maybe it’s more accurate to say they had prioritised themselves.

I’m reminded of how easily I can get my priorities all mixed up. The Gospels remind us over and over gain to prioritise Jesus. We need to prioritise Jesus above ourselves. We need to prioritise Him in our relationships. We need to prioritise Jesus in our finances. We need to prioritise Jesus in our use of time. We need to prioritise Jesus in all our activities.

Will we look inside our hearts and honestly see how we can give Him more a greater priority in our lives.

The Personal Touch

By Richard

When Jesus had finished praying for the disciples we read they crossed the Kidron Valley and went into an olive grove (John 18:1). My parents were just in Jerusalem and showed me pictures of the Kidron Valley and some huge, gnarly, old, olive trees on the other side of the valley that they believe are over 2,000 years old. Maybe they were the very trees that remain a silent witness to the events of the Easter weekend. If only trees could talk!

Later we read than when the armed thugs came to arrest Jesus the disciples lashed out with swords, and Peter ended up cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant. John adds the note, “the servant’s name was Malchus”. (John 18: 10)

You know, I get the impression that that this was a bloke that the early church knew. John seems to be saying that we should go meet him. Maybe after Jesus healed his ear he was convinced and became a believer. Perhaps he was a leader in the early church. Maybe he was a regular feature at testimony nights. Maybe his opening line was, “I have come “ere” to share my story!” Who knows? But don’t miss the plethora of historical details in John’s Gospel.

What if?

In John chapter’s 14-17 we find Jesus taking and praying for His disciples. I think, reading between the lines, Jesus is communicating a massive love and acceptance for them (us). The following that I found in a book recently describes the love of God in an amazing away. Enjoy!


“We discover in The Room of Grace that the almost unthinkable has happened. God has shown us all of his cards. He reveals a breathtaking protection that brings us out of hiding. In essence, God says, “What if I tell them who they are? What if I take away any element of fear in condemnation, judgement, or rejection? What if I tell them I love them, will always love them? That I love them right now, no matter what they’ve done, as much as I love my only Son? That there’s nothing that they can do to make my love go away?”

“What if I tell them there are no lists? What if I tell them I don’t keep a log of past offences, of how little they pray, how often they have let me down, made promises that they don’t keep? What if I tell them that they can stop beating themselves up? That they can strop being so formal, stiff, and jumpy around me? That if I tell them I’m crazy about them? What if I tell them, even if they run to the ends of the earth and do the most horrible, unthinkable things, that when they come back I’d receive them with tears and a party?”

“What if I tell them that I am their Saviour, they’re going to heaven no matter what – it’s a done deal? What if I tell them they have a new nature – saints, not saved sinners who should ‘buck-up and be better if they were any kind of Christians, after all he’s done for you!’ What if I tell them I actually live inside them now? That I’ve put my love, power, and nature inside of them, at their disposal? What if I tell them that they don’t have to put on a mask? That it’s Ok be who they are at this moment, with all of their junk. That they don’t need to pretend how close we are, how much they pray or don’t, how much Bible they read or don’t. What if they knew they don’t have to look over their shoulder for fear if things get too good, the other shoe’s gonna drop?”

“What if they knew I will never, ever use the word punish in relation to them? What if they knew that when they mess up, I will never “get back at them?” What if they were convinced that bad circumstances aren’t my way of evening the score for taking advantage of me? What if they knew the basis of our friendship isn’t how little they sin, but how much they let me love them? What if I tell them that they can hurt my heart, but that I will never hurt theirs? What if I tell them I like Eric Clapton’s music too? What if I tell them I never really liked the Christmas handbell deal with the white gloves? What if I tell them they can open their eyes when they pray and still go to heaven? What if I tell them there is no secret agenda, no trapdoor? What if I tell them it isn’t about their self-effort, but allowing me to live my life through them?”

(True Faced, Thrall, McNicol and Lynch, page 51-52)

Plenty of Joy

By Richard

In the midst of telling His disciples that He was about to return to heaven and leave them Jesus tells them that He wants them to, “Have the full measure of [His] joy within them” (John 17:13).

If we are ever stuck with what to ask Jesus for we can always ask Him for more joy. Jesus wants us to have lots of joy. Jesus' joy is obviously not simply something akin to a smirk at a crude joke. In the final chapters of John, as Jesus comforts His disciples, the joy He offers seems much more profound. Jesus is talking about joy through loss and suffering. Jesus’ joy is something divine from God that bubbles up, unstoppable, even when the world around us tries to squelch it out.

I was talking to Lawrence the other day about joy. We agreed that joy was in short supply in the world. The world is hungry for joy! Joy is life-giving! Joy is divine! Joy will attract people to God!

I’m praying that God will give YOU joy. I’m praying that God will give us more joy at Mountainview. I’m praying that Mountainview becomes a highly joyous community that draws people back to meeting the author of joy, God. I’m praying that you will read tomorrow’s blog as I have a great quote that will give you reason for joy.

Jesus Knows Everything

by Richard

We read the disciples eventually figured out that Jesus was from God and that He knew all things (John 16:30).

I don’t know about you but I find this very idea, at the same time, one of the most comforting and one of the scariest things about God. I find it comforting because I’m so complex and, wow, I follow a God who truly knows me better than I know myself. It’s also scary because it means that I can’t hide from God. There is no other path with God but that of absolute honesty.

Abiding in Christ

By Richard

In John 15: 1-17, Jesus has His famous discourse about producing fruit.

Jesus wants us to remain in Him and produce MUCH fruit. Jesus is the source of our spiritual life and the one who causes us to bear fruit. His fruit is one of the things that identifies His true followers and attracts others to Jesus.

How do we abide in Christ?

1. We need to keep Christ at the centre (7)

2. We need to be full of His teaching (7)

3. We need to be praying for fruitful lives (7)

4. We need to obey His teaching (12)

5. We need to allow God the Father to prune our lives (2)

Jesus wants us to produce much fruit and become even more fruitful. We do this by sticking close to Jesus and welcoming His work in our lives. It comes through Christ’s power at work in us and not through our own efforts.

Believe!

By Richard

I think that Jesus calls us to believe in 3 primary ways:

1. The power of His teaching

2. The proof of His miracles

3. The persuasion His prophecy (John 14:29)

He’s always telling His disciples that they should believe in His words, and if they can’t believe His words they should believe the miracles. Regularly we find Jesus telling the disciples, in advance, about His death and resurrection, so that when it happens they might believe.

I think that in many ways belief is like a foundation; the deeper and wider the foundation of our belief, the higher the building of faith, love and obedience that we can build. That’s why Jesus spent so much time helping his disciples believe and understand that He was from God, and is God.

Without a belief of Christ's deity in deep measure we cannot have a faith, hope, love and power that will change the world.

Will we BELIEVE? Let’s do all we can to build our belief!

The Accuracy of the Gospels

By Richard

In John 14: 26 we read that one of the tasks of the Holy Spirit is to teach the disciples and to remind them of everything that Jesus said to them. Sometimes people ask how we know the Gospels are so accurate. Here’s some of my thoughts.

There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that they were written shortly after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

They contain much verifiable historical evidence.

We know from anthropology that cultures without massive access to written text (and TV’s) generally have brains developed to accurately remember massive amounts of information. The disciples had a natural propensity to remember teachings and events with extraordinary detail.

Reading the Gospels I get the impression that we have a few primary snapshots of Jesus and his teaching. My guess is that over the 3 years they were with Jesus they heard Him teach on the same subjects many times.

Jesus says one of the first jobs for the Holy Spirit was to remind the disciples of everything Jesus said (and did). The Gospels have the power of God behind their creation. We must not overlook this important fact when thinking about the trustworthiness of God’s word.

Let’s humble ourselves before God’s fantastic word.

Jesus THE Way!

By Richard

Jesus said to them, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

This one of those verses that is greatly loved by Jesus followers and greatly disputed by those who don’t follow Jesus! However this is also one of those verses that we would do wise to look at the wider context. Jesus goes on to say, in the same section that if you know Him you know God (8), if you have seen Him you have seen God (9), that He is in God and God is in Him (10, 11).

In other words Jesus is saying that He and God are the same, GOD = JESUS = GOD. If we come to God we’ll arrive at Jesus, and if we come to Jesus we’ll arrive at God. So, if Jesus is God, then the claim is not outrageous but to be expected! When we see that Jesus is God then His exclusive claim does not become a bible verse to put on a bumper sticker but a phenomenal truth that we must kneel before, walk in and live by.

The God Who Washes Our Feet

By Richard

In John 13 we read that Jesus knowing full well that He was from God (basically that He is God) and that He has all power (he knows he’s the King of Kings), strips to his undergarment and shows the disciples the full extent of His love. The God of the whole universe strips to an undergarment and starts to wash the feet of His disciples, performing the lowest of tasks reserved for the lowest of servants. Afterwards Jesus tells them (He tells us) since the most important has served then we, who are of significantly lesser importance than God, ought to serve one another. Jesus says, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you”. (John 13: 15) The “as” implies “like” not necessarily exactly the “same”! Jesus wants us to serve one another in all kinds of similar ways – not just in foot washing.

I don’t know about you but service is one of those things that I find easier to say and think than to do. CS Lewis once spoke about all sin having its root in pride. Service challenges our pride and selfishness. Service removes us from the centre stage and makes us more like God. I am praying that God will show me practically what it means to be a servant leader (I invite any suggestions).

I pray that Mountainview will be a community of people that serve each other. I pray that Mountainview will be a community that serves unbelievers around us. I pray that our service to each other will lead to a greater sense of the presence of Jesus, the servant king, among us. I pray that our service will be something that softens prejudice against the Christian faith, so that others may come and meet the God who kneels and washes our feet, the Gos who kneels and wahes our feet.

An Important Footnote

By Richard

In John 12: 37-40 we find some quotes from Isaiah that are being fulfilled by the stubborn refusal of the Jews to believe in Jesus (remember Jesus had recently raised Lazarus from the dead – that seems fairly conclusive to me). The second quote comes from Isaiah 6 and directly following the quote John adds this important footnote.

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. (John 12: 41)

Now, this is what John is saying! When Isaiah saw the LORD, the Holy King, seated on the throne with a glory that filled the whole earth and a voice that shook the temple he was looking at Jesus. The prophet Isaiah saw Jesus in his terrifying vision (Isaiah 6).

Throughout the Gospels we find that Jesus is doing all He can to lead the disciples to understand that He is the One (see John 13: 19). Understanding that Jesus is God changes everything. It brings us to our knees in repentance, it builds our faith, it calls us to worship, it challenges us to give everything to Him and it sends us to share the news that Jesus is the God who was, and is, and is to come.

In a world that does everything to neuter Jesus we must recapture Isaiah’s vision of Jesus seated on the throne of heaven, surrounded by the heavenly hosts, with a glory that fills the universe and a voice that shakes the earth.

Following Jesus Means…

By Richard

Jesus says that whoever wants to serve Him must follow Him and stick with Him, going wherever He goes. (Paraphrase John 12: 26). I tired to think of some of some specific ways that we can follow Jesus and “stick” with Him. Here’s a list that I came up with. Some of them come out of John chapter 12 but there are surely many, many more.

Following Jesus means…

To think His thoughts

To love His words

To do His deeds

To seek His direction

To take a year’s worth of wages, buy perfume and pour it on Jesus’ feet (1-8)

To trust him with your life (36)

To be attracted to Jesus (32)

To seek Jesus’ praise not man’s praise (43)

To reach out your hand and let Jesus save us (47)

To believe Jesus and what He says (37)

To open our spiritual eyes to see God (40)

To soften our hearts to God’s truth (40)

To try to understand Jesus (40)

To turn to Jesus and focus our attention on Him (40)

To look like Jesus (36)

The Dangers of Power

By Richard

In John 11: 45-57 we find that following the raising of Lazarus from the dead the religious leaders grew insecure about their position and so plotted to kill Jesus - it’s interesting that worries over their position not what the Romans might do to Israel was their primary concern (48). Power is a dangerous thing. We learn a lot about the human heart from the religious leaders. Let’s be honest - we are no better. Think about it, someone was just raised from the dead, after four days rotting in the grave, and rather than fall on their knees in worship, many were seeking to make Jesus their fall guy. What would you have done?

I think there’s a warning for us. We need to cultivate a great humility. We need the kind of humility that allows us to see Jesus. We need the kind of humility that enables us to celebrate when we see the power of God at work in others. We need the kind of humility that can rejoice when people can do things better than we can. We need to guard against all kinds of envy. We need to see any position we have is for service and not to be served. We need to cry out that God will soften our hearts so that our temptation towards pride does not blind us to the blessings of God. We need to ask for forgiveness for the many times our own insecurities have gotten in the way.

Let’s serve one another in love at Mountainview and please, I give you full permission to come down hard on me if there’s any hint that my insecurities are stopping me joyfully empowering others to the full.

Jesus Wept

By Richard

This is not a swearword but the shortest verse in the Bible. When Jesus saw the tomb of His friend Lazarus, He wept. Jesus is not aloof and unemotional. He is deeply moved by our pain. He cares much more than we can ever imagine. God identifies with us in every way.

The shortest verse – also the shortest blog (so far)!

Jesus – The Resurrection and the Life

By Richard

In John 11 we read these profound words.

Jesus said to her [Martha the friend of Jesus and sister of Lazarus who had died 4 days prior to this], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Jesus made a BIG CLAIM. What proof does He offer that we might believe that He is, “the resurrection and the life”?

1. Lazarus who had been in the tomb for 4 days is resurrected and comes back to life (41-44). Jesus says that He performed this miracle of life beyond the grave that we might believe that He is from God ( John 42)

2. At the moment Jesus dies there is an earthquake and the tombs of many “holy people” broke open and they were raised to life and went in to Jerusalem and showed themselves to many people (Matthew 27:52-53)

3. The resurrection of Jesus Himself.

Jesus had made the claim, offered the proof, and now the choice is ours. How will we respond? Will we, like the many Jews who gathered to comfort Martha and Mary believe and put our faith in Jesus (45). Or, will we be like the religious leaders, who were so threatened by God’s power that rather than worship the God of all life called a meeting where they decided that for the sake of their job security Jesus must die (46-53)!

Back to The Bible

A friend sent this quote out in his newsletter. Basically it says it all about why we are reading the Gospels and seeking to do what Jesus did. Read it a few times over and try to absorb what it is saying.

Along with the Reformers of the sixteenth century we must again exclaim, “Back to the Bible!” But we must insist, as the reformers themselves did, on a hermeneutic of Scripture and a habit of theological thinking that truly allows God to be God; which generates righteousness through faith alone; which embraces the Word as living power and presence of the ONE who gave life for us; which trusts on the revelation of the Spirit that searches our hearts and forces us to our knees in repentance of our intellectual pride and arrogance!

Carl Raschke, The Next Reformation

Jesus - The Genuine Article

By Richard

I don’t know whether you have noticed by in John there is a lot of discussion between Jesus and the Jews about whether He really was the Messiah. The recent posts on GospelGossip have not been a refection of any bias on my part but a refection of the text. Over and over again John is trying to show us, from all kinds of different angles, that Jesus is God.

In John 10: 24 the Jews ask Jesus to tell them “plainly” whether He is the Christ. Jesus goes on to tell them that He did tell them plainly and on top of that the amazing miracles that He has been performing should be further proof. In other words He’s telling them, “My words and my works should more than tell you that I am the Christ, the genuine article.”

It is interesting that it is in precisely these 2 areas that critics have worked so hard to debunk Jesus. They claim the Gospels were not the words of Christ but rather the development of teachings within the church, in the first few centuries after some man who some claimed Christ lived. Secondly they have tried to take away the supernatural elements from the Gospels. But when they do so they discover that so much of the Gospels centre on Christ’s teaching and his supernatural works that you get left with little Christ to follow and at best a rather impotent and impersonal God to have any faith in.

Looking at it from the other way! If Jesus is the God of the universe, as He claims (John 10:30) then the supernatural is just what we’d expect, and would He not have wanted His message preserved with utter accuracy, and have the power to make it happen? On top of that would not His followers, having understood Him to be the God of the universe, have done everything possible to remember every single detail and put pen to paper as soon as they could? There is a growing body of evidence that show the Gospels were written within a few years of the death of Christ.

You see the problem with the critics, and don’t forget that Jesus had plenty during His earthy ministry too, is that their disbelief might not stem from serious scholarship but from a pride and deep seated unwillingness to submit to Christ as Lord. Let’s make sure that any doubts we have are not prideful desires to keep ourselves at the centre of the universe, and a convenient excuse to avoid an invitation to Jesus Christ, God, to come and take His rightful place in our lives.

Jesus the Gateway to Life

By Richard

In John 10 Jesus is described as “the gate” through which we enter and are saved (9). It is interesting that the salvation described by Jesus is not just in terms of eternal life but that of helping us live life “to the full” (10). Reading this reminded me of “Pascal’s Wager”.

Blaise Pascal (June 19, 1623–August 19, 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher and using decision making theory he argued that it was a far better bet to believe in God. His argument can be simplified as follows: We are basically faced with 2 choices there’s either a God of there isn’t. If there isn’t a God when we die we’ll simply never know if we were right or wrong. If there is a God then at the point of death we will all know, and we will either be very happy that we believed or dreadfully distressed that we did not believe. On top of that he observed that generally people of faith led happier and more fulfilled lives. His conclusion was that it was an infinitely better bet to believe in the God of the bible unconditionally as it offered us a better life now and security beyond the grave.

Where’s all this headed? Good question. Maybe I just want to encourage us to have faith in Jesus, the gate to God’s family, and to live the life that He wants us to live. And for those without faith who are reading this…or for the people we meet with who are without faith, the encouragement to look very seriously into the matter of faith. If God is true, and we get it wrong, we could end up living with eternal regrets, and miss out on the abundant life that God offers us here on earth.

by Richard

Jesus tells the disciples that they need to keep on working for God before the night comes when no one can work (John 9: 4). In other passages, such as Matthew chapter 24, which concern the end of the world, Jesus clearly asks His followers not to be distracted, by the signs of the end times and false Christ’s. He wants us to remain focused on His mission to preach the Gospel to the whole world.

So, how long must we keep on shining out Christ’s light, and speaking about Him? Until the end of our lives, or the end of the world, whichever comes sooner! Let’s commit to work to bring Jesus light to our community until the very end. While there’s still time for people to find God’s love, Jesus the light of the world, let’s do what we can to introduce Him to those around us.

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

By Richard

Why do bad things happen? That’s a question that have and will all ask.

In John 9 we read that there was a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples ask Jesus, “Who sinned so bad that they messed up this guy’s life?” (2) Jesus replies, “This is not the result of sin but an opportunity for God’s gracious work to take place.” (3)

One of the answers to why bad things happen is not that we have done wrong, or that God is mean, but that pain is allowed because it becomes a means to us finding God or experiencing Him at work. I like what CS Lewis says about pain, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Next time we or those around us are in pain, let’s look for ways that the grace of God may be displayed in our lives. When all around grows dark let’s seek His voice and wait for His touch.

Jesus is God

by Richard

In John 8 we read that the Jews get upset because Jesus claims that Abraham rejoiced when he saw the day that Jesus would come to earth from heaven. This is no cryptic remark by Jesus as the Jews immediately jeer, “You are not yet fifty years old and yet you say that you have seen Abraham!” (John 8:57).

Jesus response is interesting. Very interesting! He doesn’t cool the discussion down, He heats it up! He says to them, “Before Abraham was I AM” (58). We read that when they heard this, they immediately picked up stones to stone Jesus. What Jesus just did was to equate Himself with the time when God met Moses in a burning bush, in Exodus 3. Moses asks God His name and God says to him “My name is I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

This flies in the face of those who propose that Jesus never really claimed to be God. The Jews understood full-well what Jesus was saying. Will we? Will we understand that Jesus was claiming to be the great I AM who spoke to Moses through the burning bush. Jesus was telling the Jews, and Jesus is telling us “I AM the God of heaven, who was, and is, and is to come.”

Hearing Jesus

By Richard

Throughout the whole of John 8 you get the impression that in general the people listening were unable to hear what Jesus is saying. He tells them, as plainly as He can (42-43), that He has come from God and has been sent by God. His is no self-made up mission. Coming at it from several different angles Jesus calls us to be smart and...

Hear His word (43)

Make room for His word (36)

Keep His word (51)

As I read John 8, I pictured my life like a house. I need to open the front door and let Christ’s word in. I need to clear out the junk from my house so I can fit more of His word in. I need to keep the backdoor closed so that His word is not “in one door and out the other!” I need to keep hold of His word in my life and allow it to transform me into His likeness.

When we do so Jesus promises that we “Will never see death!” (51)