Monthly Archive for January, 2009

The Truth as Plain as a Fedex Truck

Published on 1/28/2009 in Bible Study. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

John 8.31-32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

Today we read that and we only have a figurative understanding of the word free, but to the people Jesus was talking to, they understood literally and practically what being set free was all about. Slavery and servitude was common, not to mention they lived in a land occupied by a foreign ruler, so they knew all about what it meant to be set free. That’s why they object when Jesus says, “you’ll be free” because they think they are. ONCE AGAIN Jesus is challenging them to think differently, to look beyond the world they understand into something else.

All too often, this v. 32 is used out of context to talk about the truth instead of Jesus who is The Truth. Honesty or understanding a clear fact is not freedom. Resting, living, thinking, moving, tarrying in Jesus’ teaching, lifestyle, motivation, and thought is how we will know the truth.

Jesus just said that He always does what the Father wants, so the Father doesn’t leave Him. Now He adds on to that that WE TOO can be His disciples (carbon copies and replicas) and know the truth. The root of truth here is unconcealed, unhidden. As we walk in Jesus’ ways, the truth of God is revealed. It is only hidden if you don’t look for it, but as soon as you begin to look it jumps right out at you.

Reminds me of the arrow on the Fedex logo. If you don’t know about it, you would never notice it, or know that it was there, but as soon as somebody tells you there is an arrow in the logo, that’s all you see.

Jesus is telling them, if you reside in His teaching, you will know the truth and not be enslaved any more. And that truth will be continually revealed to you by God, unconcealed and available.

A Prophet is a Prophet is a Prophet

Published on 1/20/2009 in Bible Study. 2 Comments Tags: , .

And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.  Ezekiel 2.5 ESV

Just like Jesus had absolute sovereignty and knew who He was and is who He is regardless of what other people thought or think, Ezekiel was going to be a prophet of God whether the people listened or not. There would be no question as to his authority or origins, but if the people chose not to listen, their judgment would be just.

How great would it be to live in such a way, that though people may argue or disagree, there would be no question that certainly God was present in your life?!

I think of the man born blind that Jesus healed, “All I know is that I was blind but now I see.” There is no denying the truth when it happens in real life right before you. Those that denied it in Jesus’ day knew the condemnation they would receive, ie. the rich man going away sad, the people shouting “let the blood be on our hands, Caesar is our King!”

Jesus Shakes Up Our Wisdom

Published on 1/13/2009 in Bible Study. 3 Comments Tags: , , .

23 He said to them, j “You are from below; I am from above. k You are of this world; l I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you m would die in your sins, for n unless you believe that o I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, p “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but q he who sent me is true, and I declare r to the world s what I have heard from him.”
John 8.23-26 ESV

Jesus says that He is from above and the people are from below, but that did not make Him go away from them or leave them to die there. He gives them many warnings, and few are as plain as this “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” The opposite of that is in Jesus, ie: “If you believe that I am he you will live in my righteousness”

God cares deeply for the people of His creation, enough to send the Son into our midst to teach and to save.

Jesus loves the Father so much that instead of saying what He wants to say, He only says what the Father tells Him to say. (8.26) Jesus’ supernatural supreme wisdom was wrapped up more in obedience and fellowship with God than in what we think of as wisdom. Jesus didn’t teach out of this idea or this conclusion developed from this series of ideas, He spoke what The Father told Him to speak. That is the ultimate wisdom that the Pharisees knew nothing of, which is why, besides their hard hearts, His teaching was so hard for them to understand.

That is exactly how the wisdom of man does not reach the folly of God. In Hebrews 8 it says “And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall j all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” We don’t need the repetitive teaching of “know the Lord, know the Lord” now, we can each go to our One Teacher and be taught! It really is available to the least and the greatest of all people.

The Pharisees, with their rules without a relationship, would die in their sin. Their steps and religious rules prevented them from coming to faith in Jesus. May that same religious spirit not blind us too.
(note: I hate to use the word relationship, because I think it’s been worn out in modern Christianity, but that is the real word with its real meaning that goes here.)

Vacation is Over!

Published on 1/12/2009 in Bible Study. 2 Comments

I thought about just posting again, and that showing that my time away from the blog was over, but I that taking too long, here is a post to say I will soon begin regularly posting again!
Thanks & Peace,
ds