Gospel for May 19, 2024 Pentecost Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus prepares to depart from the disciples, but he reassures them that this is a actually a good thing for their sake. Contrary to what they may be feeling as they dread his departure, Jesus says:

because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

So, what is it that should comfort them?

First, he makes it clear who the Advocate is.  This is the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for Advocate is paraklesis, which means one who stands beside. It is particularly applied to one who is a counselor or attorney in court.  So, the Advocate would be one who stands beside the Apostles when they testify.  Through them, the Advocate testifies to the story of Jesus.

Second, the text picks up in John 16:4 with a warning.  Jesus is preparing the disciples for the inevitable persecution that is to come. Although he is returning to the Father, he is advising them that the Advocate will be with them through these tough times.

Although they are grieving, Jesus is instilling in them an anticipation for the coming of the Spirit.  It is for their good because the Holy Spirit will empower them to take the world by storm!

Third, Jesus instructs them about some of the aspects of the ministry of the Advocate. Specifically, the role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world about sin and righteousness and judgment.  This is in keeping with the role of the Advocate as an attorney, compatible with the metaphor of a courtroom.

For the disciples, the Advocate is a kind of defense attorney; but for the world, which is in rebellion against God, the Advocate is a prosecutor.

The Advocate:

will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment.

In each of these instances, the work of the Advocate is described in a judicial sense, as in a courtroom metaphor. The source of sin (the crime) is defined here as disbelief. Convincing the world about the requirement for righteousness is because Jesus, the source of righteousness, is no longer to be physically present.  And judgment is required:

because the prince of this world has been judged.

The message here requires some unpacking. Unbelief, or a lack of trust, equals a lack of reliance on the righteousness of Christ, and therefore a lack of relationship with God. The Advocate will convict the world about righteousness because Jesus is the “Righteous One” whose perfect life, death and resurrection validate his authority, and the Advocate will continue to point to him. And judgment will come because, quite frankly, this world is in rebellion against righteousness, and the prince of this world is Satan.

What Jesus is describing is an invasion by God into this enemy-occupied territory, first through his own life, death and resurrection, and then in the person of the Advocate.

Fourth and finally, Jesus makes it clear that there are many more truths that will be revealed in time, but he knows the capacity of the disciples is at its limit.  He tells them:

I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.

One more role of the Spirit is to guide the disciples into all truth in the time to come.  There will be other truths to be revealed to the disciples, but not yet. They will be able to discern that the Spirit is guiding them because:

he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.

In other words, the Spirit’s message won’t be “innovative” or “self-referential.”  He will bear witness only to the message established by God, and will prepare the disciples for the future.  And above all else, the Spirit will lift up Jesus and his message, and make known only that which is consistent with the message of Jesus.

APPLY:  

We can only imagine how confused and depressed the disciples must have been to learn that Jesus would no longer be physically with them, guiding them and teaching them.  How they must have shaken their heads in disbelief and disagreement when Jesus said:

It is to your advantage that I go away.

The truth is, Jesus’ departure prepares the way for his presence in a whole new way, and enables his new ministry on their behalf.  For example, as our high priest who is seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus continues to intercede for us. As Hebrews 7:25-26 says:

Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

And the Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus on earth, convicting us of sin and turning us toward repentance; applying Jesus’ own righteousness to our sin so that we may be made righteous through faith in him; and drawing the sharp contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world which is ruled by the prince of this world, i.e., Satan.

Had Jesus remained in the flesh in the world, there would still have been boundaries to his ministry and influence — a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth who was limited, as we are, by time and space.

But through the Advocate, who is present spiritually and supernaturally everywhere, the Spirit of Jesus can speak to every heart, in every language (check out Acts 2!), and is not limited by time or space.

In a very unique way, we owe the Scriptures that we read to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

All of the Apostolic teaching that has guided the church for two thousand years is revealed through the Scriptures. Therefore the Scriptures have been imparted by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit continues to be vital and active in the lives of men and women today who are convicted of sin, and who turn to Christ for forgiveness and grace.  And it is through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit that Christians continue to be empowered to testify to the life-changing work of Christ!

RESPOND: 

It is a little startling to realize that everything I know about God the Father or God the Son I know because of God the Holy Spirit!  The Scriptures that I read are God-breathed, which means that the Spirit, who is the very breath of God, has revealed them. (Ruach is the Hebrew word for spirit/breath, as pneuma is the Greek word for the same).

And the presence of the church, which has survived persecution, faults and failures like the crusades and the Inquisition, and religious wars, and yet continues to bear witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus — what else could keep such an institution in business if not the Spirit of God?

And then there is the inner witness of the Spirit in my own life.  Yes, something as personal as that dawning awareness that I am a sinner; that I need a righteousness that I can never achieve; that Jesus provides that righteousness; and that through this Spirit I have a power that comes from beyond me to do things I could never do on my own — all of that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit, dwelling in me.

Strange, that this Third Person of the Trinity, so mysterious to many Christians, is the very voice and vitality of God in the world today!

Come, Holy Spirit!  Guide us into all truth!  Convict this rebellious world of sin so that we may all turn to God in repentance!  Apply the righteousness of Christ to our broken souls!  Separate us and purify us from the so-called “prince of this world.” And empower us to have the courage and opportunity to testify about Christ to this lost world.  Amen. 

 PHOTOS:
Background photo for “Advocate”: “Chalk Board” by Dave Linscheid is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Epistle for April 7, 2024

 

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 John 1:1-2:2
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This epistle is obviously written by the same hand and with the same mind as the writer of the Gospel of John. It is profoundly Christ centered, and lifts up many of the same themes introduced in The Prologue to John in the first chapter of the Gospel:

• The incarnation of the Word of life.
• His identification with life and eternal life.
• The identification of God with light, and his power over darkness.
• And above all the purifying power of the atoning death and blood of Jesus Christ.

John writes of Jesus as the one who has been seen and touched — he is no “myth,” no mere “idea;” he doesn’t merely “appear” to be real, as one early heresy known as Docetism claimed.  No, Jesus is the incarnate Word of life.  This reality, that God has become a human being, is the basis of true fellowship of the Son with the Father, and the Christian communities’ fellowship with one another and God.

John also insists on moral purity as the result of what happens when we walk in the light.  This is no cheap grace.  The believer cannot claim to be in relationship with God if they are intentionally and habitually walking in darkness — i.e., sin.  But walking in the light of Christ in and of itself continues the process of purifying the believer from sin.

However, John recognizes the reality and the difficulty of overcoming sin.  He makes it clear that no one can claim to have been sin-free. That is self-deception.  Moreover, the power to deal with sin is conferred by God when the sinner confesses sin.  Then God forgives sin, because it has been brought into the light — and God not only forgives, but also purifies the believer from all sin.

Finally, John makes clear where this source of power over sin is derived.  The power to overcome sin rests with God, not human beings. Moreover, that is the very purpose that Christ has come into the world — to be the Counselor (also translated Advocate) on behalf of the sinner, interceding with the Father. Through the Son’s atoning sacrifice he removes all sin.

The term Advocate suggests a courtroom metaphor, that Christ becomes the defense attorney for the accused sinner — but the atoning sacrifice also reminds us of the sacrifice of life for life established by the sacrificial system from Exodus and Leviticus.  Jesus is therefore an advocate for the sinner and the substitute for sins.

APPLY:  

This passage is full of life and light and hope for us.  On the one hand, this passage is realistic about our sinful nature. On the other it is supremely optimistic about God’s power to overcome that sinful nature.

First the bad news — We can’t deny our sin without deceiving ourselves and others.  Nor can we do anything about it by wishing it away, or by our own moral effort.

We must come to terms with our sin, and confess it to ourselves, to one another (see the Epistle of James 5:16), and to God.  Only by bringing our brokenness into the presence of God can the Great Physician heal our sin — because only then do we recognize our helplessness to heal ourselves, and cease from the futile efforts of self-help. Obviously, God knows our sin before we do — but by confessing our sin, we are able to turn the redemptive work over to him.

The famous Twelve Steps from Alcoholics Anonymous recognizes this important principle in their first step:

We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.

But now the good news — God in Christ has taken on human form as the Word of life and lived among us; he has become our Advocate, and our atoning sacrifice.  And through him we are not only pardoned from the consequences of sin, we are also purified from sin.

In my tradition this is called justification (pardon from sin) and sanctification (purification from sin).  What God has done for us he also does in us. Or, as the wife in the film Junebug says to her exasperated, out of control husband:

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.

And all of this is grounded in what Christ Jesus has done for us!

RESPOND: 

I used to drive past a church with a marquee sign that sometimes had pretty good theological insight. During Holy Week one year, I passed this church several times, and noted the words:

Holiness is not the way to Jesus.  Jesus is the way to holiness.

I couldn’t say it any better than that!  If I try to be perfect or righteous or even good in my own strength, I end up frustrated and perfectionist and legalistic.  And all my righteousness, as the book of Romans and Galatians reminds me, is insufficient to attain justification.  But Jesus both pardons me and purifies me from sin. Only his righteousness is sufficient to make me right with God.

I believe this is an ongoing process.  I’ve certainly not “arrived” in any sense of the word.  But I trust that God will finish what he’s started in me.  As Philippians 1:6 says:

he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Our Lord, thank you that I have an advocate and an atoning sacrifice for my sins, and that you continue the process of purifying me.  My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  Amen. 

 PHOTOS:
“1 John 1:5-7” by WC Ferrell is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.

Gospel for May 14, 2023

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:15-21
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage continues the narrative that begins when Jesus is comforting his disciples in the Upper Room, shortly before he is to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  There are two key concepts that Jesus emphasizes in this particular passage:

• He defines the true criterion of love — If you love me, keep my commandments. 
• He promises that the Counselor (the Holy Spirit), will be with the disciples even after he is no longer with them in the body.

First, let’s address the subject that receives most of his attention in this passage — the Counselor, whom Jesus also calls the Spirit of truth. The word Counselor is from the Greek word parakleton.  The etymology of this word is “one who is called beside,” and is variously translated as Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, and Comforter.  This meaning is underlined when Jesus assures them:

that he may be with you forever.

We note that there is a synergism between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — Jesus says:

I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor.

Here, we catch a glimpse of the interrelation of the Trinity.

Jesus begins to outline some of the unique characteristics of the Holy Spirit:

• Unlike himself, the Spirit is invisible and unknowable to the world — he is Spirit, not flesh.
• However, the Spirit is personal — the disciples know him because he lives with them, and will dwell within them. The Spirit is not merely a feeling — he is the Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Trinity!

Jesus then reassures them that though he himself is leaving them in the flesh, he is not abandoning them:

I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me.

There may be a dual meaning here.  On the one hand, he has promised earlier in this discourse that he is going to prepare a room for them in his Father’s house (John 14:2-3), and that he will return for them — clearly alluding to his Second Coming.   He is reassuring them that his resurrection will presage their own resurrection life:

Because I live, you will live also.

However, he is also assuring them that his presence will remain with them now through the Spirit.  This may be made clear by referring to Paul’s understanding of the Spirit:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his (Romans 8:9).

In other words, in the work of the Triune God, when the Spirit is present, God the Father and God the Son are also present.  The Spirit is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ in this passage.

This passage ends with a good example of the inner interrelation between the Father, the Son and the disciples:

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Because Jesus belongs to the Father and dwells in him, and because the disciples belong to Jesus and dwell in him, Jesus in turn dwells in them. Which means that the fullness of God has come to dwell in the disciples.  A little later in his discourse in the Upper Room, Jesus prays to the Father and asks on behalf of his disciples:

that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me (John 17:21).

In our present passage, Jesus makes it clear that the ultimate sign of the knowledge of God and unity with him is love:

One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.

At the heart of the Gospel of John is the insistence on relationship — relationship within the Godhead, between the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit — and relationship between God and those who love him.

APPLY:  

As with so many passages in the Gospel of John, this passage is packed with doctrine and applications:

• Jesus affirms twice that true love for him is demonstrated by obedience to his teachings. What a person says, or even feels is eclipsed by what they do — how do they demonstrate their love?
• Jesus reassures us that the Holy Spirit remains with us, lives with us and lives within us. As believers, we are never alone.  God is always with us.
• We have assurance about the future — with echoes of his earlier promises in John 14, when he tells the disciples he is going to prepare a place for them, he reiterates our ultimate hope for resurrection:
  Because I live, you will live also.
• And because of our love for Jesus, we dwell in God and God dwells in us — we are one with him and know him personally.

RESPOND: 

When I first turned to Christ in faith way back in the 1970’s there was a song by Peter Scholtes from the 1960’s that was still pretty popular:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

This simple song seems to lift up some of the profound themes that Jesus teaches in our Gospel lectionary reading — that our true unity is found in being one with God; and that the one true mark of our identity as Christians is love.

To a large extent, these are aspirational prayers — what I pray for on behalf of all of us.  But I also affirm that these are promises that Jesus has made on our behalf.  As Paul writes in Philippians, we can be:

confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Our Lord, I do aspire to the promises and assurances that you have made to us — all of them — that we may love you, be united to you, be assured of your constant presence with us, and may live with you forever.  Thank you for the assurance that you offer through the witness of your Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"John 14 21 keeping Christ's commandments" by Martin LaBar is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for June 5, 2022 Pentecost Sunday

 

William Carey’s motto on a hanging in St. James Church, Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, where Carey attended as a boy

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:8-17
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is part of a larger dialogue between Jesus and his disciples that reveals profound truths about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes definitive statements about himself in John 14, and his disciples have grown bold enough to ask him follow-up questions.  Jesus has said just prior to our passage:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know  my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him(John 14:6-7).

But Philip asks for more to be revealed:

 “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

The answer Jesus gives is a clear statement about his intimate relationship with the Father:

Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

This reminds us of the Prologue to John, when we are told that Jesus, as the Word made flesh, is one with God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Jesus asks his own question in this interrogative dialogue:  

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

We are reminded again of Charles Williams’ doctrine of co-inherence — that the Father and the Son are interwoven with one another in unity, and are yet distinct persons.

But if  the disciples can’t believe based on Jesus’ witness that he is one with the Father, then they need only look at his works:

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

The disciples have been hanging out with Jesus for almost three years, by some accounts.  They have seen him heal, cast out demons, feed the multitudes, raise the dead.  What more do they need to confirm his identity?

And then Jesus makes an astounding statement:

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

Even considering that this conversation in the narrative in John’s Gospel takes place prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, this is a high bar to set.

And Jesus explains how the disciples are to accomplish these greater works.  He explains that he will be doing whatever they ask, if they ask according to his name:

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If in my name you ask me  for anything, I will do it.

The power of a name rests in the authority of the person who is named.  If Jesus is one with the Father, he has absolute authority, and his name invokes power.  So when they ask in his name, they are asking according to his nature, and Jesus is the one who is accomplishing what they ask.

Jesus reminds his disciples of the moral imperative of love:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Above all else, Jesus is offering comfort and encouragement to his disciples.  He began this discourse by saying:

Do not let your hearts be troubled (John 14:1).

So he offers another word of encouragement — though he will be absent from them in the body, God will be with the disciples through the Spirit:

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

Just as Jesus himself will be interceding on behalf of the disciples as an Advocate, so the Spirit will be another Advocate who will abide with them forever and dwell within them!

Among his many roles, the Holy Spirit will continue to guide the disciples into the truth:

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you (John 14:26).

APPLY:  

How can we know anyone?  One quick answer is these two things —  by their words and by their works.  Another answer is to say, “come hang out with me, and you’ll find out who I am.”

Jesus tells Philip that he has fulfilled all three of these criteria.  The disciples have spent time with Jesus; they have heard his teachings and his claims; and they have seen those claims backed up by his deeds.

All together, those criteria lead to an inescapable conclusion —  Jesus is one with the Father.

So, when Jesus promises to fulfill our requests in his name, and when he promises to send his Holy Spirit to dwell in us, he either has the authority and power to do so, or he doesn’t.

So, have his words come to pass, that his followers have done greater works than he has done?

Within 300 years of the Ascension of Jesus, the Gospel had been preached throughout the Roman Empire and in territories beyond, and had been sanctioned by the Emperor Constantine. Christianity had become the official world view of the Roman Empire, despite the fact that prior to this time the Roman Empire had been relentlessly hostile to the church.

Now, it is true that there have been many abuses committed in the name of Christ, but I would argue that these are a distortion and corruption of the Gospel.

So what positive difference has the Christian Gospel made in two thousand years?

According to the research of Dr. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe in What if Jesus Had Never Been Born?, Jesus, his Gospel, and his church have made:

“more changes on earth for the good than any other movement or force in history.”

Here is a partial list of their claims:

• Hospitals as institutions, which began during the Middle Ages.
• Universities as institutions, which began during the Middle Ages.
• Literacy and education for the masses.
• Representative government.
• Civil liberties.
• The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in modern times.
• Modern science.
• The elevation of women.
• Benevolence and charity; the Good Samaritan ethic.
• Higher standards of justice.
• High regard for human life.
• The codifying and setting to writing of many of the world’s languages.
• The inspiration for some of the great works of art and music.
• Countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the Gospel.
• The eternal salvation of countless souls.

I’m sure that there are many who would be willing to debate some of these claims.  But even they would have to agree that these claims must be seriously considered.

In my opinion, these and countless other contributions by Christians and the church are evidence of the greater works  that Jesus makes possible through his intercession even now at the right hand of the Father, and through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

RESPOND: 

I have to ask myself the hard question — am I a better person for having come to faith in Jesus Christ? Have I done some of the greater things that he speaks of?

Well, there are objective and subjective answers to that.

Objectively, I know that turning to Christ when I was 19 caused me to turn away from drugs and hedonism, and turned me toward a more disciplined life.  I saw the value of studying harder because I was doing so to the glory of God, and I graduated with honors.

I have seen the benefits of the moral life of following Christ in my faithfulness to my wife and family despite living in a narcissistic, “me first” culture.

I have been able to serve God in ministry for over 35 years — and even when my income was below the poverty level, have never been truly anxious about my finances.  And God has blessed me with more than I need at this stage of my life, so I am able to share.

And though I am inclined toward introversion and solitude, the church has provided a place of fellowship and rich friendships over the years. That has been an important balance to my natural tendencies.

Subjectively, I know what it is to know that my sins are forgiven. I know what it is to have a constant companion, who understands me better than I understand myself, and who loves me despite the less than savory aspects of my inclinations.  And he is not content that I remain as I am, but challenges me to be more than I am.

I know that when God came into my life, life became meaningful and I was given a purpose.

I also know very little fear when it comes to facing the future.  Death holds no terror for me, because I know that my Redeemer lives.

So, while I am not great by cultural or even ecclesiastical standards, I can truly say that my life has been greater by far than it would have been without Christ.

Lord, when we pray in your name, according to your authority, you promise to hear us.  Thank you that you discern what we need, and that is what you give.  And thank you that you choose to work through us despite our frailties and failures.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Attempt Great Things for God - Expect Great Things from God" by Terese Bird is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license.

Gospel for May 22, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:23-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus provides insight into the inner workings of the Trinity, and also reiterates the Great Commandment of love, and promises peace to those who follow him.

To be a follower of Jesus is not merely a matter of belief, but also obedient love.

Here’s the background for today’s Scripture passage.  Judas (not Iscariot) has asked Jesus how he will reveal himself exclusively to the disciples:

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22)

Jesus answers:

“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.”

Jesus makes two truths very clear here. First — that those who truly love Jesus keep his commandments, and are loved by the Father for Jesus’ sake.  And second — Jesus illustrates the intimate relationship he has with the Father.

Together, the Father and the Son will dwell within the disciple.  And Jesus is very clear that what he teaches comes directly from the Father.

Jesus also forecasts his own departure by promising the coming of the Holy Spirit:

the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Notice that the three Persons of the Trinity are all included here — the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father, but he is sent under the authority of Jesus (in my name), and the Spirit’s teaching will reinforce the teaching that Jesus has offered.  The Holy Spirit is not going to bring a new teaching that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus.

The term Advocate has a specialized meaning.  The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, which means the Counselor — or more literally, One Who Stands Beside. (The term Advocate is frequently used today for attorneys in a courtroom who speak on behalf of their clients.)

Jesus is also very keenly aware that this is his last opportunity to teach and strengthen his disciples before he is arrested and crucified.  So he wants to reassure them in the face of the coming stress:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

How can they possibly have peace, and be untroubled when Jesus is going to suffer so?  Here is the answer.  Jesus isn’t just going to die — he is going to be raised to life, and he will also come again at the end of the age:

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’

Jesus recognizes his dependency on the Father:

If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

But ultimately, Jesus is telling the disciples all these things so that when the drama unfolds they will be able to hang on:

And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

APPLY:  

Faith is more than mere intellectual assent to a few well-crafted propositions.  Faith is grounded in a relationship with God, and is expressed in loving obedience.

We see the relationship of the follower of Jesus expressed in the dynamic relationship of the Trinity:

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them…But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Because of the follower’s relationship with God, the follower has faith, obedient love, guidance from the Holy Spirit, and peace when faced with uncertainty.

RESPOND: 

Back in the 1970’s, when I was emerging from adolescence, this is the question that was posed by those inviting me to follow Christ:

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

For a “cultural Christian” who had grown up in church, this was a startling question. What it meant was that faith was more than just a creed, or an affiliation with an institution.  Faith became a matter of personal knowledge of Jesus.

Later, I realized that when I submitted to follow Christ, the entire Godhead had come to dwell in my life.  That was a radical realization!

But that is exactly what Jesus promises us:

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

For those who had grown up in a fairly arid religious environment, this was indeed Good News!

Lord, I thank you that you have come to dwell in my life, and have made a home within me.  Empower me to trust in you, to love you, and to express my love in obedience to you.  And grant me your peace.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
""Peace I Give to You..." ~ digital paint effect" by Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for May 23, 2021 Pentecost Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus prepares to depart from the disciples, but he reassures them that this is a actually a good thing for their sake. Contrary to what they may be feeling as they dread his departure, Jesus says:

because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

So, what is it that should comfort them?

First, he makes it clear who the Advocate is.  This is the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for Advocate is paraklesis, which means one who stands beside. It is particularly applied to one who is a counselor or attorney in court.  So, the Advocate would be one who stands beside the Apostles when they testify.  Through them, the Advocate testifies to the story of Jesus.

Second, the text picks up in John 16:4 with a warning.  Jesus is preparing the disciples for the inevitable persecution that is to come. Although he is returning to the Father, he is advising them that the Advocate will be with them through these tough times.

Although they are grieving, Jesus is instilling in them an anticipation for the coming of the Spirit.  It is for their good because the Holy Spirit will empower them to take the world by storm!

Third, Jesus instructs them about some of the aspects of the ministry of the Advocate. Specifically, the role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world about sin and righteousness and judgment.  This is in keeping with the role of the Advocate as an attorney, compatible with the metaphor of a courtroom.

For the disciples, the Advocate is a kind of defense attorney; but for the world, which is in rebellion against God, the Advocate is a prosecutor.

The Advocate:

will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment.

In each of these instances, the work of the Advocate is described in a judicial sense, as in a courtroom metaphor. The source of sin (the crime) is defined here as disbelief. Convincing the world about the requirement for righteousness is because Jesus, the source of righteousness, is no longer to be physically present.  And judgment is required:

because the prince of this world has been judged.

The message here requires some unpacking. Unbelief, or a lack of trust, equals a lack of reliance on the righteousness of Christ, and therefore a lack of relationship with God. The Advocate will convict the world about righteousness because Jesus is the “Righteous One” whose perfect life, death and resurrection validate his authority, and the Advocate will continue to point to him. And judgment will come because, quite frankly, this world is in rebellion against righteousness, and the prince of this world is Satan.

What Jesus is describing is an invasion by God into this enemy-occupied territory, first through his own life, death and resurrection, and then in the person of the Advocate.

Fourth and finally, Jesus makes it clear that there are many more truths that will be revealed in time, but he knows the capacity of the disciples is at its limit.  He tells them:

I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.

One more role of the Spirit is to guide the disciples into all truth in the time to come.  There will be other truths to be revealed to the disciples, but not yet. They will be able to discern that the Spirit is guiding them because:

he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.

In other words, the Spirit’s message won’t be “innovative” or “self-referential.”  He will bear witness only to the message established by God, and will prepare the disciples for the future.  And above all else, the Spirit will lift up Jesus and his message, and make known only that which is consistent with the message of Jesus.

APPLY:  

We can only imagine how confused and depressed the disciples must have been to learn that Jesus would no longer be physically with them, guiding them and teaching them.  How they must have shaken their heads in disbelief and disagreement when Jesus said:

It is to your advantage that I go away.

The truth is, Jesus’ departure prepares the way for his presence in a whole new way, and enables his new ministry on their behalf.  For example, as our high priest who is seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus continues to intercede for us. As Hebrews 7:25-26 says:

Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

And the Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus on earth, convicting us of sin and turning us toward repentance; applying Jesus’ own righteousness to our sin so that we may be made righteous through faith in him; and drawing the sharp contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world which is ruled by the prince of this world, i.e., Satan.

Had Jesus remained in the flesh in the world, there would still have been boundaries to his ministry and influence — a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth who was limited, as we are, by time and space.

But through the Advocate, who is present spiritually and supernaturally everywhere, the Spirit of Jesus can speak to every heart, in every language (check out Acts 2!), and is not limited by time or space.

In a very unique way, we owe the Scriptures that we read to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

All of the Apostolic teaching that has guided the church for two thousand years is revealed through the Scriptures. Therefore the Scriptures have been imparted by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit continues to be vital and active in the lives of men and women today who are convicted of sin, and who turn to Christ for forgiveness and grace.  And it is through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit that Christians continue to be empowered to testify to the life-changing work of Christ!

RESPOND: 

It is a little startling to realize that everything I know about God the Father or God the Son I know because of God the Holy Spirit!  The Scriptures that I read are God-breathed, which means that the Spirit, who is the very breath of God, has revealed them. (Ruach is the Hebrew word for spirit/breath, as pneuma is the Greek word for the same).

And the presence of the church, which has survived persecution, faults and failures like the crusades and the Inquisition, and religious wars, and yet continues to bear witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus — what else could keep such an institution in business if not the Spirit of God?

And then there is the inner witness of the Spirit in my own life.  Yes, something as personal as that dawning awareness that I am a sinner; that I need a righteousness that I can never achieve; that Jesus provides that righteousness; and that through this Spirit I have a power that comes from beyond me to do things I could never do on my own — all of that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit, dwelling in me.

Strange, that this Third Person of the Trinity, so mysterious to many Christians, is the very voice and vitality of God in the world today!

Come, Holy Spirit!  Guide us into all truth!  Convict this rebellious world of sin so that we may all turn to God in repentance!  Apply the righteousness of Christ to our broken souls!  Separate us and purify us from the so-called “prince of this world.” And empower us to have the courage and opportunity to testify about Christ to this lost world.  Amen. 

 PHOTOS:
Background photo for “Advocate”: “Chalk Board” by Dave Linscheid is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Epistle for April 11, 2021

 

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 John 1:1-2:2
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This epistle is obviously written by the same hand and with the same mind as the writer of the Gospel of John. It is profoundly Christ centered, and lifts up many of the same themes introduced in The Prologue to John in the first chapter of the Gospel:

• The incarnation of the Word of life.
• His identification with life and eternal life.
• The identification of God with light, and his power over darkness.
• And above all the purifying power of the atoning death and blood of Jesus Christ.

John writes of Jesus as the one who has been seen and touched — he is no “myth,” no mere “idea;” he doesn’t merely “appear” to be real, as one early heresy known as Docetism claimed.  No, Jesus is the incarnate Word of life.  This reality, that God has become a human being, is the basis of true fellowship of the Son with the Father, and the Christian communities’ fellowship with one another and God.

John also insists on moral purity as the result of what happens when we walk in the light.  This is no cheap grace.  The believer cannot claim to be in relationship with God if they are intentionally and habitually walking in darkness — i.e., sin.  But walking in the light of Christ in and of itself continues the process of purifying the believer from sin.

However, John recognizes the reality and the difficulty of overcoming sin.  He makes it clear that no one can claim to have been sin-free. That is self-deception.  Moreover, the power to deal with sin is conferred by God when the sinner confesses sin.  Then God forgives sin, because it has been brought into the light — and God not only forgives, but also purifies the believer from all sin.

Finally, John makes clear where this source of power over sin is derived.  The power to overcome sin rests with God, not human beings. Moreover, that is the very purpose that Christ has come into the world — to be the Counselor (also translated Advocate) on behalf of the sinner, interceding with the Father. Through the Son’s atoning sacrifice he removes all sin.

The term Advocate suggests a courtroom metaphor, that Christ becomes the defense attorney for the accused sinner — but the atoning sacrifice also reminds us of the sacrifice of life for life established by the sacrificial system from Exodus and Leviticus.  Jesus is therefore an advocate for the sinner and the substitute for sins.

APPLY:  

This passage is full of life and light and hope for us.  On the one hand, this passage is realistic about our sinful nature. On the other it is supremely optimistic about God’s power to overcome that sinful nature.

First the bad news — We can’t deny our sin without deceiving ourselves and others.  Nor can we do anything about it by wishing it away, or by our own moral effort.

We must come to terms with our sin, and confess it to ourselves, to one another (see the Epistle of James 5:16), and to God.  Only by bringing our brokenness into the presence of God can the Great Physician heal our sin — because only then do we recognize our helplessness to heal ourselves, and cease from the futile efforts of self-help. Obviously, God knows our sin before we do — but by confessing our sin, we are able to turn the redemptive work over to him.

The famous Twelve Steps from Alcoholics Anonymous recognizes this important principle in their first step:

We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.

But now the good news — God in Christ has taken on human form as the Word of life and lived among us; he has become our Advocate, and our atoning sacrifice.  And through him we are not only pardoned from the consequences of sin, we are also purified from sin.

In my tradition this is called justification (pardon from sin) and sanctification (purification from sin).  What God has done for us he also does in us. Or, as the wife in the film Junebug  says to her exasperated, out of control husband:

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.

And all of this is grounded in what Christ Jesus has done for us!

RESPOND: 

I used to drive past a church with a marquee sign that sometimes had pretty good theological insight. During Holy Week one year, I passed this church several times, and noted the words:

Holiness is not the way to Jesus.  Jesus is the way to holiness.

I couldn’t say it any better than that!  If I try to be perfect or righteous or even good in my own strength, I end up frustrated and perfectionist and legalistic.  And all my righteousness, as the book of Romans and Galatians reminds me, is insufficient to attain justification.  But Jesus both pardons me and purifies me from sin. Only his righteousness is sufficient to make me right with God.

I believe this is an ongoing process.  I’ve certainly not “arrived” in any sense of the word.  But I trust that God will finish what he’s started in me.  As Philippians 1:6 says:

he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Our Lord, thank you that I have an advocate and an atoning sacrifice for my sins, and that you continue the process of purifying me.  My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  Amen. 

 PHOTOS:
“1 John 1:5-7” by WC Ferrell is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.

Gospel for May 17, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:15-21
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage continues the narrative that begins when Jesus is comforting his disciples in the Upper Room, shortly before he is to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  There are two key concepts that Jesus emphasizes in this particular passage:

• He defines the true criterion of love — If you love me, keep my commandments. 
• He promises that the Counselor (the Holy Spirit), will be with the disciples even after he is no longer with them in the body.

First, let’s address the subject that receives most of his attention in this passage — the Counselor, whom Jesus also calls the Spirit of truth. The word Counselor is from the Greek word parakleton.  The etymology of this word is “one who is called beside,” and is variously translated as Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, and Comforter.  This meaning is underlined when Jesus assures them:

that he may be with you forever.

We note that there is a synergism between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — Jesus says:

I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor.

Here, we catch a glimpse of the interrelation of the Trinity.

Jesus begins to outline some of the unique characteristics of the Holy Spirit:

• Unlike himself, the Spirit is invisible and unknowable to the world — he is Spirit, not flesh.
• However, the Spirit is personal — the disciples know him because he lives with them, and will dwell within them. The Spirit is not merely a feeling — he is the Spirit of God, the Third Person of the Trinity!

Jesus then reassures them that though he himself is leaving them in the flesh, he is not abandoning them:

I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me.

There may be a dual meaning here.  On the one hand, he has promised earlier in this discourse that he is going to prepare a room for them in his Father’s house (John 14:2-3), and that he will return for them — clearly alluding to his Second Coming.   He is reassuring them that his resurrection will presage their own resurrection life:

Because I live, you will live also.

However, he is also assuring them that his presence will remain with them now through the Spirit.  This may be made clear by referring to Paul’s understanding of the Spirit:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his (Romans 8:9).

In other words, in the work of the Triune God, when the Spirit is present, God the Father and God the Son are also present.  The Spirit is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ in this passage.

This passage ends with a good example of the inner interrelation between the Father, the Son and the disciples:

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Because Jesus belongs to the Father and dwells in him, and because the disciples belong to Jesus and dwell in him, Jesus in turn dwells in them. Which means that the fullness of God has come to dwell in the disciples.  A little later in his discourse in the Upper Room, Jesus prays to the Father and asks on behalf of his disciples:

that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me (John 17:21).

In our present passage, Jesus makes it clear that the ultimate sign of the knowledge of God and unity with him is love:

One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.

At the heart of the Gospel of John is the insistence on relationship — relationship within the Godhead, between the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit — and relationship between God and those who love him.

APPLY:  

As with so many passages in the Gospel of John, this passage is packed with doctrine and applications:

• Jesus affirms twice that true love for him is demonstrated by obedience to his teachings. What a person says, or even feels is eclipsed by what they do — how do they demonstrate their love?
• Jesus reassures us that the Holy Spirit remains with us, lives with us and lives within us. As believers, we are never alone.  God is always with us.
• We have assurance about the future — with echoes of his earlier promises in John 14, when he tells the disciples he is going to prepare a place for them, he reiterates our ultimate hope for resurrection:
  Because I live, you will live also.
• And because of our love for Jesus, we dwell in God and God dwells in us — we are one with him and know him personally.

RESPOND: 

When I first turned to Christ in faith way back in the 1970’s there was a song by Peter Scholtes from the 1960’s that was still pretty popular:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

This simple song seems to lift up some of the profound themes that Jesus teaches in our Gospel lectionary reading — that our true unity is found in being one with God; and that the one true mark of our identity as Christians is love.

To a large extent, these are aspirational prayers — what I pray for on behalf of all  of us.  But I also affirm that these are promises that Jesus has made on our behalf.  As Paul writes in Philippians, we can be:

confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Our Lord, I do aspire to the promises and assurances that you have made to us — all of them —  that we may love you, be united to you, be assured of your constant presence with us, and may live with you forever.  Thank you for the assurance that you offer through the witness of your Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"John 14 21 keeping Christ's commandments" by Martin LaBar is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for June 9, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:8-17
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is part of a larger dialogue between Jesus and his disciples that reveals profound truths about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes definitive statements about himself in John 14, and his disciples have grown bold enough to ask him follow-up questions.  Jesus has said just prior to our passage:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know  my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him(John 14:6-7).

But Philip asks for more to be revealed:

 “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

The answer Jesus gives is a clear statement about his intimate relationship with the Father:

Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

This reminds us of the Prologue to John, when we are told that Jesus, as the Word made flesh, is one with God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Jesus asks his own question in this interrogative dialogue:  

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

We are reminded again of Charles Williams’ doctrine of co-inherence — that the Father and the Son are interwoven with one another in unity, and are yet distinct persons.

But if  the disciples can’t believe based on Jesus’ witness that he is one with the Father, then they need only look at his works:

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

The disciples have been hanging out with Jesus for almost three years, by some accounts.  They have seen him heal, cast out demons, feed the multitudes, raise the dead.  What more do they need to confirm his identity?

And then Jesus makes an astounding statement:

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

Even considering that this conversation in the narrative in John’s Gospel takes place prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, this is a high bar to set.

And Jesus explains how the disciples are to accomplish these greater works.  He explains that he will be doing whatever they ask, if they ask according to his name:

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If in my name you ask me  for anything, I will do it.

The power of a name rests in the authority of the person who is named.  If Jesus is one with the Father, he has absolute authority, and his name invokes power.  So when they ask in his name, they are asking according to his nature, and Jesus is the one who is accomplishing what they ask.

Jesus reminds his disciples of the moral imperative of love:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Above all else, Jesus is offering comfort and encouragement to his disciples.  He began this discourse by saying:

Do not let your hearts be troubled (John 14:1).

So he offers another word of encouragement — though he will be absent from them in the body, God will be with the disciples through the Spirit:

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

Just as Jesus himself will be interceding on behalf of the disciples as an Advocate, so the Spirit will be another Advocate who will abide with them forever and dwell within them!

Among his many roles, the Holy Spirit will continue to guide the disciples into the truth:

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you (John 14:26).

APPLY:  

How can we know anyone?  One quick answer is these two things —  by their words and by their works.  Another answer is to say, “come hang out with me, and you’ll find out who I am.”

Jesus tells Philip that he has fulfilled all three of these criteria.  The disciples have spent time with Jesus; they have heard his teachings and his claims; and they have seen those claims backed up by his deeds.

All together, those criteria lead to an inescapable conclusion —  Jesus is one with the Father.

So, when Jesus promises to fulfill our requests in his name, and when he promises to send his Holy Spirit to dwell in us, he either has the authority and power to do so, or he doesn’t.

So, have his words come to pass, that his followers have done greater works than he has done?

Within 300 years of the Ascension of Jesus, the Gospel had been preached throughout the Roman Empire and in territories beyond, and had been sanctioned by the Emperor Constantine. Christianity had become the official world view of the Roman Empire, despite the fact that prior to this time the Roman Empire had been relentlessly hostile to the church.

Now, it is true that there have been many abuses committed in the name of Christ, but I would argue that these are a distortion and corruption of the Gospel.

So what positive difference has the Christian Gospel made in two thousand years?

According to the research of Dr. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe in What if Jesus Had Never Been Born?, Jesus, his Gospel, and his church have made:

“more changes on earth for the good than any other movement or force in history.”

Here is a partial list of their claims:

• Hospitals as institutions, which began during the Middle Ages.
• Universities as institutions, which began during the Middle Ages.
• Literacy and education for the masses.
• Representative government.
• Civil liberties.
• The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in modern times.
• Modern science.
• The elevation of women.
• Benevolence and charity; the Good Samaritan ethic.
• Higher standards of justice.
• High regard for human life.
• The codifying and setting to writing of many of the world’s languages.
• The inspiration for some of the great works of art and music.
• Countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the Gospel.
• The eternal salvation of countless souls.

I’m sure that there are many who would be willing to debate some of these claims.  But even they would have to agree that these claims must be seriously considered.

In my opinion, these and countless other contributions by Christians and the church are evidence of the greater works  that Jesus makes possible through his intercession even now at the right hand of the Father, and through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

RESPOND: 

I have to ask myself the hard question — am I a better person for having come to faith in Jesus Christ? Have I done some of the greater things that he speaks of?

Well, there are objective and subjective answers to that.

Objectively, I know that turning to Christ when I was 19 caused me to turn away from drugs and hedonism, and turned me toward a more disciplined life.  I saw the value of studying harder because I was doing so to the glory of God, and I graduated with honors.

I have seen the benefits of the moral life of following Christ in my faithfulness to my wife and family despite living in a narcissistic, “me first” culture.

I have been able to serve God in ministry for over 35 years — and even when my income was below the poverty level, have never been truly anxious about my finances.  And God has blessed me with more than I need at this stage of my life, so I am able to share.

And though I am inclined toward introversion and solitude, the church has provided a place of fellowship and rich friendships over the years. That has been an important balance to my natural tendencies.

Subjectively, I know what it is to know that my sins are forgiven. I know what it is to have a constant companion, who understands me better than I understand myself, and who loves me despite the less than savory aspects of my inclinations.  And he is not content that I remain as I am, but challenges me to be more than I am.

I know that when God came into my life, life became meaningful and I was given a purpose.

I also know very little fear when it comes to facing the future.  Death holds no terror for me, because I know that my Redeemer lives.

So, while I am not great by cultural or even ecclesiastical standards, I can truly say that my life has been greater by far than it would have been without Christ.

Lord, when we pray in your name, according to your authority, you promise to hear us.  Thank you that you discern what we need, and that is what you give.  And thank you that you choose to work through us despite our frailties and failures.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Quotes - Great Things" by Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for May 26, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 14:23-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus provides insight into the inner workings of the Trinity, and also reiterates the Great Commandment of love, and promises peace to those who follow him.

To be a follower of Jesus is not merely a matter of belief, but also obedient love.

Here’s the background for today’s Scripture passage.  Judas (not Iscariot) has asked Jesus how he will reveal himself exclusively to the disciples:

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22)

Jesus answers:

“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.”

Jesus makes two truths very clear here. First — that those who truly love Jesus keep his commandments, and are loved by the Father for Jesus’ sake.  And second — Jesus illustrates the intimate relationship he has with the Father.

Together, the Father and the Son will dwell within the disciple.  And Jesus is very clear that what he teaches comes directly from the Father.

Jesus also forecasts his own departure by promising the coming of the Holy Spirit:

the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Notice that the three Persons of the Trinity are all included here — the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father, but he is sent under the authority of Jesus (in my name), and the Spirit’s teaching will reinforce the teaching that Jesus has offered.  The Holy Spirit is not going to bring a new teaching that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus.

The term Advocate has a specialized meaning.  The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, which means the Counselor — or more literally, One Who Stands Beside. (The term Advocate is frequently used today for attorneys in a courtroom who speak on behalf of their clients.)

Jesus is also very keenly aware that this is his last opportunity to teach and strengthen his disciples before he is arrested and crucified.  So he wants to reassure them in the face of the coming stress:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

How can they possibly have peace, and be untroubled when Jesus is going to suffer so?  Here is the answer.  Jesus isn’t just going to die — he is going to be raised to life, and he will also come again at the end of the age:

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’

Jesus recognizes his dependency on the Father:

If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

But ultimately, Jesus is telling the disciples all these things so that when the drama unfolds they will be able to hang on:

And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

APPLY:  

Faith is more than mere intellectual assent to a few well-crafted propositions.  Faith is grounded in a relationship with God, and is expressed in loving obedience.

We see the relationship of the follower of Jesus expressed in the dynamic relationship of the Trinity:

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them…But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Because of the follower’s relationship with God, the follower has faith, obedient love, guidance from the Holy Spirit, and peace when faced with uncertainty.

RESPOND: 

Back in the 1970’s, when I was emerging from adolescence, this is the question that was posed by those inviting me to follow Christ:

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

For a “cultural Christian” who had grown up in church, this was a startling question. What it meant was that faith was more than just a creed, or an affiliation with an institution.  Faith became a matter of personal knowledge of Jesus.

Later, I realized that when I submitted to follow Christ, the entire Godhead had come to dwell in my life.  That was a radical realization!

But that is exactly what Jesus promises us:

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

For those who had grown up in a fairly arid religious environment, this was indeed Good News!

Lord, I thank you that you have come to dwell in my life, and have made a home within me.  Empower me to trust in you, to love you, and to express my love in obedience to you.  And grant me your peace.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
""Peace I Give to You..." ~ digital paint effect" by Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.