John 6:16-24 Matthew 14:22-33. Facing the Storms of Life

Immediately after Jesus had fed the five thousand he returned to help his priority group, the disciples.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. John 6:15-21

In this abbreviated account there can be little doubt what John means us to learn from it. Jesus can walk on water and this was seen by all his disciples. Then Jesus introduces himself using the name of God - ‘I am’. Even the liberal scholar C.H. Dodd has concluded that this phrase is ‘more than probably used here, as elsewhere, as the divine name. This is in accord with the reason John wrote his book that he summarised towards the end of his book.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

This, the fifth miracle, was described with this one end in mind, that readers may come to put their faith in Jesus and, because of that commitment to Jesus, be given eternal life.

That this is the purpose of these stories is further emphasised by the ‘Bread of Life Discourse’, that immediately follows. Here Jesus explains that he is the ‘Bread of life that comes from heaven’ and that by ‘feeding on him’, ‘coming to him’, which is ‘believing in him’ is the only way to receive eternal salvation.

“I tell you the truth, he who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47

Is it a miracle?

Some have tried to explain this sign away. One commentator suggested that Jesus may have been walking on barely submerged stones. However John excludes this as having any credibility by mentioning that the miracle took place ‘three or four miles’ from the shore. Mark says they were in ‘the middle of the lake’ (Mark 6:47). At this point the water is around 140 feet deep! As we will see in Matthews account, which has a wider application, Peter was also enabled to walk on the water, at least for a while. Another suggestion of the liberal scholar William Barclay, is that Jesus was simply walking along the shore. It is inconceivable that John would describe this as a miracle to convince all people that Jesus is God if he and the other apostles knew it to be misleading. All the disciples witnessed Jesus walking on water, and Peter doing the same. The whole Bible emphasises that God is truth, and that people must follow Jesus because he is truly God who did miracles and rose form the dead.

In one of the Charlie Brown cartoons, Charlie and his friend Linus are talking. Linus says,

“I don’t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact it is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or complicated that it can’t be run away from.”

This philosophy is so common, many try to avoid all problems and possible confrontation at all costs. This may be why so many Christians find it so hard to talk about Jesus or invite people to come and hear the Bible being taught. This short story in John does have something to say about this.

The Focus is on Jesus

In these few verses the name of Jesus or a pronoun referring to him are mentioned nine times. John doesn’t want us to focus on the miracle but on the nature of Jesus.

Jesus was already tired and the pressures of trying to teach and help so many people who wanted him to be an earthly king must have weighed heavily upon him. Mark records that Jesus went off to the hills to pray (Mark 6:46), a wonderful example of what to do when there are pressures - share them with our heavenly Father.

The ability of Jesus to walk on water, when linked to his claims to be one with his heavenly Father, is further evidence that John wants to bring both together so we can be sure to recognise who Jesus is. Don’t forget why John wrote his book – evidence leads to belief, following Jesus results in our being given eternal life.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

‘The disciples were afraid’ because they thought they were seeing a ghost (Mark 6:49), but John does not major on the disciples’ reaction – he wants us to focus on Jesus and who he is.

John does focus, with good reason on what Jesus first said to the frightened disciples,

“It is I.” John 6:20

The Greek this phrase is derived from is ‘ego eimi’, which could be another reference to the repeated use of this divine name on Jesus’ lips in John’s gospel, again pointing out his real nature. However it could also just be a reassuring ‘It’s me’. Probably the truth is that John is using the reassuring term to point to his prime reason for writing. Later in the chapter Jesus says,

“I am the bread of life” John 6:35

This is the first of eight expressions, ‘I am’, that undoubtedly John intends to have a divine meaning. The Lord introduced himself to Moses at the ‘burning bush’ by saying that his name is ‘I am’. The other ‘I am’ statements of Jesus in John’s gospel are:

“I am the light of the world” John 8:12

“ . . .before Abraham was born, I am!” John 8:58

“I am the gate” John 10:7,9

“I am the good shepherd” John 10:11,14

“I am the resurrection and the life” John 11:25

“I am the way, the truth and the life” John 14:6

“I am the true vine” John 15:1,5

The Disciples’ Problems

John’s version of the story focusses on who Jesus is but the other gospel writers have a wider application and include other lessons that the disciples needed to learn. In Matthew’s version of this story we read,

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.” Matthew 14:22

Obedience to Christ is the true mark of his disciples. It was after dismissing the crowd that Jesus went into the mountains to pray. Just as Jesus knew what he was going to feed the hungry crowd so that he could teach his disciples, so it is highly likely that Jesus knew that the storm was coming and planned accordingly. He knew they would have troubles when the storm broke over Galilee yet he set them on this course. This is a central theme of the Bible – our Lord is in full control of all that happens to us and uses adverse circumstances to train us. What he wants is obedience.

Can you imagine the scene of the worried disciples in the boat when the storm broke? Can you imagine Peter trying to direct them? John adds an interesting phrase to describe their plight,

“Now it was dark, and Jesus had not joined them.” John 6:17

John frequently uses symbolism as he describes a physical situation. It was indeed physically dark but the disciples were also in a spiritually dark place. Jesus was not with them and they had lost their confidence. The same symbolic darkness is used by John to describe Nicodemus’ visit to see Jesus,

“He came to Jesus at night . . .” John 3:2

Jesus explains later that he has come to be the light of this spiritual darkness.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

All Christians are set on a course to sail against the secular winds of life. We will inevitably face troubles as we live in this world for the Lord Jesus. All who are committed to living for Jesus will face adverse storms in life. Shadrak, Meshak and Abednego would not have had to face the wrath of Nebuchanezzar and the Fiery Furnace if they had not been fully committed to obeying what God says in the Ten Commandments (Daniel 3). Daniel would not have been thrown to the lions if he had not determined to remain faithful and obey God (Daniel 6).

It is so easy to forget that our Lord cares for us and knows every situation we are going through. He saw the plight of the disciples as they wrestled with the wind and waves. King David had also been through very difficult circumstances yet he knew his Lord was always with him.. He was able to write later,

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. . . If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the night become light around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:7-11

It is so easy to think that God has forgotten me. But the Bible assures us that God knows everything and he does care.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

Jesus saw the difficulties that his disciples were facing and yet he let it continue. Why did he delay coming to help them? We see the same delay when Jesus’ friend Lazarus was seriously ill.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John 11:5-6

By the time Jesus and his disciples eventually arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus explained why he had delayed getting involved.

“So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not here, so that you may believe.” John 11:14-15

Jesus acts

In Matthews record of this event we read,

“During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” Matthew 14:25

The fourth watch was between 3am and 6am. He had left them toiling for some hours yet he clearly knew what was happening to them. There they were in the dark, tired, miserable and worried when the Lord came to them. They knew that Jesus could help other people in need but now they experienced this for themselves. Job had this experience,

“My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6

Mark tells us,

“Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:51-52

Peace came when Jesus came on board and with that peace came faith. Jesus really is God.

John records that when Jesus boarded the boat,

“ . . . and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” John 6:21

Whether this was another miracle as Origen has suggested or whether it seemed with a good wind and calm sea that the final part of the journey passed extremely quickly is open for debate.

Peter fails

Matthew adds a further detail to the story, Peter wanted to walk on water too.

“’Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come’ he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’

There can be little doubt what Matthew wants his readers to learn from this. Jesus certainly wants all people to come to him. But then Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind, the potential problems. Fixation on problems is a sure way to go down. Most people with anxiety and depression have developed the habit of mulling or fretting over their problems. They can’t get free from the thoughts and these thoughts are so destructive. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the problems. David recognised the importance of not mulling,

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.” Psalm 37:8

We must keep focussing on Jesus. At the end of my medical training, I went on an elective to work in some Mission Hospitals in Uganda. One day, a friend and I were walking up Namirembe Hill in Kampala to visit the Anglican Cathedral at the top. Walking down the other side of the road was a smiling Ugandan pastor with a very deep clergyman’s dog-collar. We exchanged greetings and crossed the road to talk with him. He clearly did not know whether we were committed Christians but, being a very proficient personal worker he smilingly enquired,

“What are you doing in Uganda?”

We explained that we were working in Mengo Mission Hospital.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” he exclaimed, adding, “Does that mean you are Christians then?”

“Yes, we are,” we replied.

“That’s wonderful. Then tell me, how are you getting on with Jesus?”

I had never been asked such a question. Being British however I thought of a polite reply,

“Very well thank you, and you?

He clearly saw that I was somewhat embarrassed and started to talk about himself. He gave his testimony. He explained how he had been a twenty-nine year old school master when he had become a Christian. He then became very involved in his church, and because of his education he soon became one of its leaders. But he then found his Christian life was becoming stale. He was very busy, but spiritually dry; the warm relationship with the Lord Jesus that he had previously known had become cold.

“Then I realised what the matter with me was. I had to keep Jesus busy. Every time I failed Him I had to apologise straight away and whenever things went well I had to thank Him immediately. I must go now but don’t forget, ‘Do keep Jesus busy!’”

I shall ever be grateful to that pastor who, in such a short conversation, pointed me to what was going wrong in my Christian life – I needed to be Christ-centred. It is the development of this relationship with the Lord Jesus that is fundamental in the Christian life. Peter needed to learn to keep looking to Jesus and so do we.

BVP

John 6:1-15 Jesus the Creator

The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle that is recorded in all four gospels. It clearly had a great impact on the twelve disciples at the time. It is a disaster for some teachers to suggest that this was really just a ‘miracle of human kindness’. They have suggested that the people responded to Jesus’ teaching about ‘loving their neighbour’ and consequently shared what food they had with others. Others have tried to explain this event away by suggesting the story was inspired by an account in Homer’s Odyssey where Telemachus and Athena found a crowd of 4,500 who sat down in groups of 500. Such views completely undermine the clear intent of the text, the effect this had on the disciples as well as the subsequent teaching that Jesus based on this miracle – that he is the ‘Bread of Life’ that is given to a needy humanity.

“I AM the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

The Lord fed his people when they were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt so it should be no surprise that the same Lord fed his people when he came to earth.

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6:1-15

The whole point of John’s gospel is to convince readers that Jesus is indeed the Lord of the universe and he unashamedly records a selection of his very impressive ‘miraculous signs’ to convince people of this. He would have no time for any who try to explain these signs away.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

The main reason for this miracle being recorded is to confirm who Jesus is – the Messiah, the only Son of God, who gives life to his people. When Jesus saw the crowd he realised that their greatest need was to recognise who he was so he emulates the miracle the Lord had performed for his people during the Exodus. Then God had compassion on His people and gave them ‘manna’ to eat.

This is clearly a historical account. It occurred on the ‘far shore of the Sea of Galilee’. It occurred when ‘the Jewish Passover was near,’ that is in early spring. Specific details such as the ‘five small barley loaves and two small fish’, the role of Philip and the full ‘twelve baskets’ all help to substantiate this as a factual miracle. A great crowd witnessed the event and some would still be alive when John’s gospel was publicised. All the gospel writers present this as a supernatural miracle. Even Jesus’ opponents recognised that he ‘could perform miraculous signs’.

Creator like God

The Bible teaches that God is the creator so what better way is there for Jesus to substantiate his claim to be the creator, who everyone should follow, than by creating. Surely this is the main lesson Jesus wants both the crowds and his disciples to be clear about. He wants them to see beyond the sign to what is signified. We will look at this in more detail when we come to the concluding section of this chapter where Jesus describes what his being ‘the Bread of Life’ means.

Just as the world was created in stages when ‘God said’, so in this account we read that Jesus first said a prayer of thanks.

Compassionate like God

Besides having creative power Jesus also wants to show that he has the character of God. The large number of people coming to see Jesus and his disciples resulted in them all becoming tired and hungry. Mark’s version of this story tells us,

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Mark 6:31-32

One mark of a great leader is that he recognises and deals with the needs of his team. The problem with popularity is that people will not leave you in peace, and when they saw Jesus leave, crowds left their towns and ran ahead along the shore so that when Jesus landed they received another warm welcome! Mark tells us of the reaction of the tired and hungry Jesus,

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Mark 6:34

Mark makes it clear that Jesus’ prime concern is the spiritual state of the people in the crowd, they were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ and yet the shepherd has now appeared. They needed teaching and essentially they needed to recognise that He was their Messiah. Their eternal destiny depended on that.

It is striking how often the word ‘compassion’ is associated with Jesus. He has ‘compassion’ on the crowds before giving food to both the 5000 and the 4000 (Matthew 14:14 and 15:32; Mark 6:44 and 8:9). This concerned their hunger, their illnesses and their spiritual needs. He also had ‘compassion’ on the leper (Mark 1:41) as well as the widow of Nain as she was burying her son (Luke 7:13).

In three of his parables Jesus also uses the word ‘compassion’. The king had compassion on his bankrupt servant and forgives him his debt (Matthew 18:21-35), the good Samaritan had compassion on the robbers’ victim (Luke 10:25-37) and the Father has compassion on his prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

Compassion is a characteristic of God so it must be a characteristic of Jesus Christ. Repeatedly throughout the Old Testament we read that God is compassionate. When the Lord meets Moses on Mount Sinai, he introduces himself with these words,

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished . . .” Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord is so patient with us all,

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:22

God’s people, who have been given this self-same Spirit of God will therefore demonstrate this same characteristic of genuine compassion for people’s physical, social and spiritual needs.

A lesson for the disciples

Besides clarifying who Jesus is, there was more for the disciples to learn from this episode. Jesus watched as his frustrated disciples try to solve the problem of feeding the multitude with totally inadequate resources, but "he had already in mind what he was going to do” (John 6:6). He wanted to teach them a lesson in trust and obedience.

John briefly mentions the role Jesus gives to the disciples but this is expanded in the three Synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. The disciples had to sit the people in groups and then distribute to them the bread and fish Jesus had divided.

“Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people.” Mark 6:41

This models the role of God’s people – to present to all people the message about Jesus, that has been given to us. Jesus is the Bread of Life that all need.

We can also see certain steps we must take in solving our own problems:

1. Start with what you have. Andrew found a boy who had a small meal and brought him to Jesus. Clearly the boy was willing to give up his lunch. God nearly always begins where we are and uses whatever we have.

2. Give what you have to Christ. Jesus took the simple meal and blessed it. He then divided the bread and fish and gave the pieces to the disciples, who passed these onto the multitudes.

3. Obey what He commands. As Jesus ordered, the disciples had the people sit down in groups. They distributed the broken pieces and discovered that there was plenty for everybody. We, Christ’s servants, are simply distributors of what he has given us. If we give what we have to Him, He will bless it and give it back to us for use in helping others.

4. Conserve the results. After the people had eaten their fill, twelve baskets filled with pieces of bread and fish remained. One basket for each disciple. Doubtless this was not to ensure there was no litter or food debris left behind but to remind his disciples to carefully assess whatever they have been involved in.

Practical ways to proclaim our faith

There was also another lesson in this story. It is significant that Jesus publicly thanks his Father in prayer before breaking the bread and fish. He did not miss an opportunity to remind those around him that it is our heavenly Father we need to thank for all that we receive.

There are many traditions Christians have practised over the years to help keep our Lord in open view.

Some Egyptian Coptic Christians have had an interesting way to proclaim their faith in Jesus - they have small tattoos made on their hands, arms or even forehead. This practice started during the Roman times to indicate the Christians’ determination to uphold the faith in spite of the persecution and torture they faced. It was also a constant reminder of and association with the Christian martyrs who had died under the Roman cruelty. During the Arab conquest such tattoos helped to distinguish the Muslim conquerors from the native Christians and has persisted as a proud display of Christian Coptic identity.

Amish Christians value their old-fashioned style of living partly to remember the faith of their Dutch ancestors. Jews are characterised in the press with their large black hats, beards and characteristic clothes. In fact these ‘Charedi’ are only a minority of the strictly Orthodox Jews, but they do make the point that they represent their religion. Catholic priests, monks and nuns are encouraged to dress uniformly to distinguish them from the laity and as such they do, by their presence, make a statement.

Traditions are important to keep our faith in Jesus in public view. In Old Testament times God told his Chosen People that they must make him the priority of their life.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

In other words, all their lives were to be centred on pleasing the Lord. They are to keep bringing the Lord’s wishes into their conversations. They must ensure that they pass on the faith to the next generation. Jews have taken the command to tie God’s commands on their hands, foreheads, door frames and gates of the city literally with their ‘mezuzahs’ on their door frames (Hebrew ‘mezuzot’) that they touch as they go in and out and the prayer boxes Orthodox Jews put on themselves when they pray.

What is important is that all people do with their hands, all they think of, all that goes on in their homes and in their cities, should be under the authority of God.

What does this mean for us today in modern societies. Christians have been chosen to represent the Lord Jesus so surely we should do something to distinguish ourselves from the mass of people who disregard God.

Privately it is vital for Christians to have a daily time when we commune with our Lord by studying his Word and praying about the issues we face. Such discipline is the mark of a disciple.

Clearly the way that Christians live both in our homes and in public is vital. We have all been given the Spirit of God so that we may live as Christ lived, with a genuine compassion for others. This will show in what we do, as well as what we say. Christians will want to talk about the Saviour of the world with others, they will want to invite them to hear the Bible, God’s Word, being taught. How attractive it is when Christians in the public eye find ways to talk about the Lord Jesus and what he means to them. It is similarly attractive when individuals find ways to talk to their friends, family and those they meet, about the Saviour they love.

Other traditions that are important include openly praying before all meals (when we thank our Lord for his grace!), regularly attending our church services even when we are tired, making it clear from what people can see in our homes that we are committed to the Lord Jesus and taking up opportunities to invite people to come and hear God’s word being read and taught. Reading the Bible on a train or in public is another way to make a stand. Others will put ‘fish’ stickers on the back of their cars. A ‘fish’ has been a Christian symbol since very early times as the Greek for ‘fish’ is ‘ichthys’. This is an acronym for “Iēsous Christos, Theou ‘Yios, Sōtēr”, which translates into ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour’.

Summary

This miracle of the feeding of the five thousand reminds us that Jesus is our Lord, who created us. He demonstrated the compassion of God. We, his followers have been given the self-same Spirit of God so that we may represent him today. The church is His body in a very real sense.

We urgently need find ways to keep the Lord Jesus in the public eye, to demonstrate how attractive he is, so that others may find the salvation he offers. We, like the early apostles, have a vital message to share. Our message about Jesus Christ is world-changing – or should be. When and Silas were teaching the gospel in Thessalonica they taught unashamedly about Jesus,

“This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:3

The result was that ‘some were persuaded’ (Acts 17:4). There was also much opposition, the crowd shouting,

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” Acts 17:6

How we desperately need this same Spirit of God to be seen in his church today.

BVP

John 5:31-40. Evidence Based Faith

Dr. E.V. Rieu translated Homer for the Penguin Classics series. He had been an agnostic all his life. He was subsequently asked to translate the four gospels for the same series. When his son heard of this he commented,

“Its going to be interesting to see what father will do with the four gospels, and its going to be more interesting to see what the four gospels will do to father.”

He did not have to wait very long. Within one year E.V. Rieu responded to the evidence he saw in the gospels; he became a committed Christian and joined a church. He subsequently sat on the committee that produced the New English Bible.

John wrote his gospel in order to convince people about Jesus. He recorded key evidence, much as a barrister selects what evidence to present to a court to convince a judge and jury. It is worth remembering the key verses he puts towards the end of his gospel.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

In John chapter 5, Jesus selects some key witnesses to support his claims made earlier in the chapter to be one with God his Father. Jesus has already had his say about who he is, but he acknowledges that his testimony alone is not enough. As Mark Twain wrote in another context,

“His saying so don’t make it so.”

So Jesus calls up other witnesses,

The Evidence of John the Baptist

John appeared, unannounced, and started to preach in the inhospitable desert that God sees people’s hearts. Outward religion was not enough for God, a public repentance and turning back to the Lord is essential and this change can be sealed by public baptism. People recognised that his was the voice of God and vast numbers responded to his shining light – temporarily.

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose, for a time to enjoy his light” John 5:35

However the main message of John was to prepare the way for God’s Messiah.

“ . . . but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel. . . . I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:31

But as so often happens John and his message were rejected. In fact it was Herod Antipas who was so opposed to John the Baptist, because John had publicly opposed the affair that Herod was having with his brother’s wife. This resulted in John being imprisoned and then beheaded. When leaders reject the truth other people usually follow.

In the eighteenth century, London and all England were stirred by the preaching of the Wesley brothers and George Whitfield, much as John the Baptist’s preaching had affected first century Israel. When he was young John Wesley, being an ordained Anglican minister, was invited to preach in London churches. However after preaching in St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, he was told in no uncertain way by the Church Wardens,

“Sir, you must preach here no more.”

If you read the history of London in the 18th century, it is striking that the revival ministry of the Wesleys and Whitefield are hardly mentioned. Historians were selective according to their own prejudices.

For a time people rejoiced in the light of John the Baptist but then they turned back to their old ways. They realised the implications of this teaching, and found this hard. The evidence was there but they rejected it.

The Evidence of the Miracles

“I have a testimony that is weightier than that of John. For the very work that my father has given me to finish, and that which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.” John 5:36

Already in John’s gospel several of these miracles have been alluded to. When Nicodemus, a ruler of Israel who sat on the Sanhedrin Council, came to meet Jesus his opening line was,

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God. For no-one could do the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” John 3:2

There are thirty-three separate miracles that Jesus performed that are recorded in the gospels but John tells us that he did many more. A miracle occurs when the laws of nature are broken. God also causes coincidences to happen but strictly these are not miracles. In the Old Testament one of the features of God’s coming Messiah would be his ability to perform astounding miracles. Isaiah talks about what will happen when God himself will come to his earth,

“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” Isaiah 35:5

Jesus did fulfil all these prophecies, both physically but also figuratively; the spiritually blind and spiritually deaf came to see and hear what God had come to do.

Earlier in this chapter Jesus had mentioned his ability to ‘give life’ to people. Life was considered then as well as today, as a gift that only God can give to inanimate matter. When Jesus was on the earth, he raised four people from the dead. He raised the widow’s son in the village of Nain (Luke 7:15), the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:42), and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha in Bethany after he had been dead four days (John 11:44). Finally he raised himself from the dead after he had been crucified. He had repeatedly told his disciples that three days after his death he would rise again.

The miracles Jesus enacted are important evidence and to reject this evidence will be counted against us on the day of judgment. Jesus said later to his disciples that unbelief was irrational,

“He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no-one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this was to fulfil what is written in their Law; ‘They hated me without reason.’” John 15:25

The Evidence of God himself‘

There is some debate about the meaning of the next argument Jesus uses:

“And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice . . .” John 5:37

Does this refer to the proclamation the Father made when Jesus began his public ministry, when he was baptised by John the Baptist:

“And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11

This declaration was to be repeated when Jesus was transfigured into a dazzling being in the presence of Moses and Elijah on top of a high mountain. Peter, James and John witnessed this and heard a voice from the cloud clearly saying,

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” Mark 9:7

An alternative view is that they have heard God speak through the Scriptures as Jesus continues,

“ . . . nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.” John 5:38

The Evidence of Scripture

In Jesus’ time there were many religious Jews who scrupulously studied the Scriptures but somehow they had missed what they were talking about. The Scriptures are all about God’s Chosen Servant King who was to come into his world – His Messiah.

The Jewish Rabbis were meticulous in their copying and studying the Scriptures, which are now our Old Testament. Copyists would only copy one letter at a time before going back to the original, just to be sure no mistakes were made. They would check the central letter of each line and each book. They would collect those sentences that contained all of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Each letter had a numeric equivalent and they loved to discover significances in such discoveries.

The highly esteemed Rabbi, Hillel made the interesting observations,

“More flesh – more worms

More wealth – more carefully

More maidservants – more lewdness

More menservants – more thieving

More women – more witchcraft

There was one thing he did value,

“More Torah – more life”.

Hillel went on,

“Whosoever has gained a good name has gained it for himself,

Whosever has gained the words of the Torah has gained for himself life in the world to come.”

A similar thinking is seen amongst some Muslims who consider that learning the Qur'an by heart will put them in good stead with God. Such people associate knowledge of the Scriptures with salvation.

A group of school children were taken to the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam . They trooped into a room with paintings by Rubens. The children started to criticise the pictures and discussed all that they considered to be wrong, ‘The hands are two big,’ ‘No-one smiles like that,’ The colours aren’t real,’ and so on. After a while the curator could stand this no more and he went up to the teacher in charge and said,

“Please could you explain to the children that it is not the Rubens pictures that are being judged here, it is the visitors.”

There is great power in the Bible to change people – but only if we see our need, are willing to be changed, and submit to the Saviour the Bible talks about. If we, like those children in the art museum, think we are superior, then we can gain nothing from God’s word. This is what Moses said to God’s chosen people of old,

“Take this book of the Law and place it besides the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die.” Deuteronomy 31:26-27

Many homes have a Bible somewhere on their bookshelves. In Victorian times most families would have a large Family Bible but this was usually just used to record births, deaths, and to press flowers. Yet the Bible tells us how our relationship with God can be restored by Jesus, God’s Messiah.

All of God’s people should be Bible students, should work to understand it, and learn sections by heart. Without such dedication we cannot progress as Christians. Dr. Harry Ironside became Minister of Moody Church in Chicago. He had no college education yet became the foremost Bible teacher in his generation. From his biography we learn,

“Under his mother’s guidance, Harry began to memorise Scripture from the age of 3. By the age of 14 he had read through the Bible 14 times, once for each year of his life. During the rest of his life he read the Bible through at least once each year.”

On one occasion he was speaking at a conference and he and a fellow speaker began to discuss their own devotional life. The other speaker said what he had been reading from the Bible that morning and he then asked Harry Ironside when he had read. At first he was hesitant, but then he said,

“I read the book of Isaiah!”

He was saturated with the word of God. This is true for most of the great Bible teachers. John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress spent 12 years in Bedford prison for refusing not to preach the word of God. He had little formal education but it was said of him,

“Cut him and you will find his blood is Bibline.”

Everything John Bunyan did was steeped in the Bible. The point of Scripture is to show us our deep needs and to point us to the only Saviour our creator has provided.

The agnostic who became a Christian, E.V. Rieu, concluded about the Bible,

“These words bear the seal of the Son of Man and of God, and they are the Magna Carta of the human spirit.”

The Evidence of Our Hearts

God knows what is really important for each of us. He is not interested in the volume of our verbal praise of him. The only worship he accepts is hearts devoted to him.

“I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” John 5:41-42

The Bible students of Jesus’ day were much more concerned to be recognised by fellow scholars that to be recognised by God. The way they dressed, talked and performed their outward religion was all to impress people – they weren’t so concerned about pleasing God. Yet their Scriptures emphasised that true worship should always be the purpose of life.

A headteacher was addressing the pupils in his school on their speech day. He said,

“The purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life and then to make that the purpose of your life.”

The Jewish Confession of faith, the Shema, taken from what God told Moses, explains the priority of life,

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5

What God wants is nothing less than our hearts. A missionary to some tribes people in the Amazon attended a tribal meeting. The chief stood up and said,

“I am impressed with Jesus. I want to give him a gift of some money.”

The missionary then told the group that God does not need our gifts. The Chief thought again and said,

“I am so impressed with Jesus that I want to give him my youngest wife!”

Again the missionary explained that this was not what God required. The light then dawned on the Chief,

“I now understand. God wants my heart, then I give myself to Jesus because he is God.”

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John 5:16-30. Is Jesus the Only God?

In the West there is a major debate being pursued in our churches of nearly all denominations. There are many leaders, including Archbishops, who will not stand for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Bishops, ministers and emissaries have been appointed who do not believe in the fundamental creeds of the Christian churches such as the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus and his claims to be the one and only incarnation of the one true God.

Jonathan Petre, the Daily Telegraph Religion Correspondent, published in 2002 an article that summarised the findings of a survey amongst Anglican clergy. It is most disturbing.

A third of Church of England clergy doubt or disbelieve in the physical Resurrection and only half are convinced of the truth of the Virgin birth, according to a new survey.

The poll of nearly 2,000 of the Church's 10,000 clergy also found that only half believe that faith in Christ is the only route to salvation.

While it has long been known that numerous clerics are dubious about the historic creeds of the Church, the survey is the first to disclose how widespread is the scepticism.

Few bishops would now share the views of the former Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev David Jenkins, who caused a scandal in the 1980s when he contrasted the Resurrection with a "conjuring trick with bones".

Nevertheless liberal clergy, who represent about one in eight of the total, remain profoundly uncertain about the Church's core doctrines. In the survey, two thirds of them expressed doubts in the physical Resurrection and three quarters are unconvinced by the Virgin birth.

Similar levels of belief were found in organisations such as Affirming Catholicism, a liberal Anglo-Catholic group of which the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is a founding member.

Although Dr Williams holds firmly orthodox views on the Resurrection and the Virgin birth, the proportion of members of Affirming Catholicism who believe without question in the two doctrines is 35 and 24 per cent respectively.

Doubts are even greater among members of the Modern Churchpeople's Union, a liberal group whose president is the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Rev John Saxbee: only a quarter believe in the physical Resurrection and just eight per cent in the Virgin birth. 

The survey, carried out by Christian Research, did find that clergy were more orthodox on other doctrines.

More than 75 per cent overall accept the doctrine of the Trinity and a similar proportion believe that Christ died to take away the sins of the world. More than 80 per cent were happy with the idea that God the Father created the world.

Unsurprisingly, the organisations whose members were the most traditional were Reform, a conservative evangelical group, and Forward in Faith, a traditionalist umbrella body.

The Rev Robbie Low, a member of Cost of Conscience, the traditionalist organisation which commissioned the survey, said: “There are clearly two Churches operating in the Church of England: the believing Church and the disbelieving Church, and that is a scandal.”

"Increasingly, positions of authority are being placed in the hands of people who believe less and less. It is an intolerable situation where the faithful are increasingly being led by the unfaithful." He added that doubts about the core doctrines of the Church were higher among women priests and their supporters.

Only just over half of the admittedly small sample of female clergy in the survey said they believed in the bodily Resurrection and the figure fell to exactly a third when it came to the Virgin birth.

The Rev Nicholas Henderson, the general secretary of the Modern Churchperson's Union, said he was not surprised by the figures. Clergy, faced with intelligent and educated congregations, increasingly had to think "very carefully" about how to present complex doctrine credibly.

He was also critical of plans by the bishops to revive heresy trials for clergy who publicly questioned key Church teachings.

Dr Peter Brierley, the executive director of Christian Research, said the survey had been undertaken among 4,000 churches and reflected a representative sample of clergy, in terms of churchmanship and belief.

In findings reported earlier this month, the survey also showed that a quarter of the clergy still described themselves as "implacably opposed" to women bishops. This means that three quarters of Anglican clergy question the authority of Scripture.

It is a great concern that people are being ordained to lead churches, who do not accept the basic tenets of the faith.

John answers such thinking in the second section of John 5. Those who want to be considered as teachers of the ‘apostolic faith’ need to take note of what John, the Apostle, is saying.

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defence Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. John 5:16-30

John includes this account because the divinity of Jesus is central to the gospel. John records the healing of the lame man at Bethesda as one of his selected miracles for a particular reason. Towards the end of his book he explains this.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

The miraculous signs John selected were just a few of many. The last verse of the book says,

“Jesus did many other things as well.” John 21:25

Describing these signs and the discussions around them was intended to lead people to two conclusions. Firstly they are intended to lead people to ‘believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’. But to believe that is, in itself, not enough. God wants this knowledge to lead on to a new life, a genuine experience of the living God that is given to us as we walk daily with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Intellectual convictions alone are not enough. Even Satan knows the truth.

Jesus uses three main arguments to make clear what he is saying.

1. Jesus is God of The Sabbath

The Sabbath was meant to be a reminder that God’s people have a future rest with God to look forwards to. There will be a new earth without any weeping, any death or any sickness. There will be no ‘H’s’ in heaven - no handkerchiefs (no weeping), no hearses (no death) and no hospitals (no sickness).

This is why we keep one day in seven to remember our Lord, all he has done for us and all we have to look forwards to in the future. What a shame it is when those who have made commitments to Christ in the past focus on the here and now and are not looking forward to being with the Lord in heaven.

However Jesus deliberately provoked the Jewish leaders by persistently healing on the Sabbath. He did this to teach three facts.

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

The Jews clearly understood what Jesus was claiming,

“For this reason the Jews tried to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5:18

At a Bible Study on this passage a friend bravely said,

“When I was young I went to a Sunday School and I had RE lessons at school, but I had never understood until tonight that Jesus was God himself.”

Jesus then goes further to confirm who he is and what he had come to do. He is the perfect revelation of God, he is intimately associated with Him,

“Jesus gave them this answer, ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” John 5:19

2. Jesus is God who can give life

Everybody knew that only God can raise the dead and give them life. These are the ‘greater things’ that people would see Jesus do. For Jesus to raise the dead was further confirmation that he was God.

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” John 5:21

Jesus had the same creative power as God himself. When Jesus was on the earth, he raised four people from the dead. He raised the widow’s son in the village of Nain (Luke 7:15), the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:42), and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha in Bethany after he had been dead four days (John 11:44). Finally he raised himself from the dead after he had been crucified.

However Jesus is not just talking about giving life to the physically dead, he longs for people to experience spiritual life which is just as much a miracle. Those who are spiritually dead can now hear what Jesus teaches, believe in him and so receive spiritual life.

“I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” John 5:25

This is the Christian message. God has appeared on earth in the person of Jesus Christ and he came with a purpose,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

What a disaster it is when churches become just an extension of the social services with a message just about how to live in the here and now. Christ’s message is a message of hope for eternity, it is a message about a new life that can start now and goes on into eternity.

There are just two orders of being in God’s world that are separated by a thick line. God, the creator, is above the line and we, the created, are below it. The creator has life in himself; the created have life derived from God. The two are completely separate. Yet Jesus is saying that he is above the line - his miracles prove it.

3. Jesus is God who will be our judge

“Moreover the Father judges no-one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father.” John 5:22

The right to judge men belongs to Christ because he also is a man who has been tempted just as we are,

“And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man” John 5:27

This is why the debate amongst church leaders and theologians is so important. All Christians must stand for the uniqueness of Jesus. It is hopeless to say that ‘Jesus is Lord for all who call themselves Christians’ but refuse to say that Jesus is Lord for everybody in the world. To reject the son of God is to reject salvation, and this is a personal choice,

“Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

This is why Jesus warned the healed man,

“Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” John 5:14

The point is clear, Jesus gives life and Jesus executes judgment. These are the attributes of God alone.

The artist Paul Doré was travelling in Europe but mislaid his passport. He explained his problem to a customs officer, promising that he really was Paul Doré. The artist then said,

“Let me prove it. Give me a pencil and pad.”

He sketched the people standing in front of him in his unique style. That evidence was enough and he was allowed to pass through. His action proved who he was.

Similarly, Jesus’ actions proved who he was. The paralysed man did walk but Jesus’ claims support his action.

v. 19 Jesus claims to do just what his Father does

v. 20 Jesus claims divine knowledge

v. 21 Jesus claims to have divine prerogative

v. 22 Jesus claims divine authority

For all these reasons he demands to be honoured as God. The following verse deserves repeating as it is crucial.

“ . . . that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.” John 5:23

In 1977 a book was published which was called ‘The Myth of God Incarnate’. A group of theological professors were denying that Jesus really was God. John Stott, a leading Bible teacher met up with some of the authors. In the queue for lunch John Stott asked one of the authors,

“Do you worship Jesus?”

“Of course not!” came the reply.

If Jesus is right, this professor is on a deadly path. We honour the Father by honouring the Son. We must take Jesus very seriously indeed, we must take his words to heart, we must believe in him.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

Note the tenses. We hear and believe now. We are given eternal life now. Yet the judgment is still to come for those who reject Jesus.

What is our reaction to Jesus? Is it like the healed man who took all that Jesus did for him thanklessly and did not follow Jesus? The alternative is to listen to Jesus and commit ourselves to trust and follow him. If we respond by accepting him we have the word of God, God’s promises, to depend on. What a gospel, what a Saviour we have.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Sadly some will reject Jesus but they cannot deny him forever. For a time is coming, according to Jesus, when we will all stand before him in a judgment that cannot be avoided.

The question Jesus asks the paralysed man is important. He doesn’t say,

“Will you believe in me?”

Instead he asks,

“Do you want to get well?”

The deepest problem all people face is the problem of our sinful hearts. His first question to each of us is the same,

“Do you want to get well?”

Our problem is that our old ungodly lives are precious to us, a part of us enjoys living selfishly. But the offer is there for all of us who recognise that now there is someone who can help us.

John surely wants to teach us something deeper by the way he recounts this story. He wants his readers to find a new life through their faith in Jesus. Very few people become Christians for purely intellectual reasons, usually there is a personal need that makes the claims of Christ attractive. However the validity of Christ’s claims then need to be substantiated because all faith should be evidence based. One major piece of evidence is to see how Jesus does change people’s lives for the better.

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John 5:2-18. The Lord of the Sabbath

This story centres on the healing of a paralysed man but the Jews objected to when he did this!

2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defence Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

When relaxing over a drink after a game of tennis my opponent started talking about church but admitted that he had stopped attending many years ago, adding,

“I do think there is a god but it is Jesus I can’t understand – how can a man be God?”

I invited him to join us at a Christianity Explored supper but he clearly did not want to try and resolve his query. He clearly did not want to investigate further, though he accepted that the evidence is very strong.

Mark Twain, the author of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ once said about the Bible,

“I have no problem with those parts of the Bible I don’t understand. Its those parts of the Bible I do understand that give me fits.”

This passage from John’s record of the gospel describes the third of the seven miraculous signs selected by the apostle to convince people who Jesus is. He describes the healing of a lame man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem and there are many lessons to be learnt from this account.

At the end of John’s book there is a key paragraph that explains why these seven miraculous signs were chosen,

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

These seven miracles, interspersed with what Jesus taught, are really signs to show who Jesus is. This evidence is vital as it can lead to a genuine personal trust in Jesus, which itself results in people being given eternal life by God.

The previous signs are significant.

1. The first was the changing of water into wine (John 2:1-11). This illustrated that Jesus was about to replace the old Jewish system with the completed faith. Jesus used Jewish water jars of purification to teach about the new and very attractive righteousness that was to be given to those in his kingdom. The servants took Jesus at his word and whatever he ordered,

“They did so.”

2. The second sign was the healing of the royal official’s son who was terminally ill (John 4:43-54). He demonstrated his own authority over illness but it also teaches the response Jesus expects from all people. He heard Jesus speak and went home believing.

“The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

The effect was not only that his son was healed but they learned that the word of Jesus was dependable.

“So he and all his household believed.” John 4:53

These signs are all about who Jesus is. The seven signs are linked to the seven ‘I am’ sayings that John emphasises Jesus saying. ‘I am’ is the name with which God introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush before Moses returned to free God’s people (Exodus 3:14) Jesus repeatedly said of himself, ‘I am’, so claiming to be that self same God. After the feeding of the five thousand Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:35). After the healing of the man born blind Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). After he raises his friend Lazarus from the dead he says, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:25).

It is important to see that there are hallmarks in these accounts that shout that they are authentic historical records. They are not fables. One example is the problem of the five colonnades.

“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.” John 5:2

For many years people thought the ‘five colonnades’ must be metaphorical, a picture of the five books of Moses; after all, how can a pool be surrounded by five colonnades? However, in the 1950’s, an archaeological dig outside St. Anne’s church in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate and the Fortress of Antonia, found this pool. It has twin pools, with the fifth colonnade separating the two.

Over the years people have thought that spa waters have special healing qualities. The word ‘SPA’ comes from the Latin ‘Salus Per Aqua’, ‘salvation or health through water’. It was because of this belief in the value of spas that William Wilberforce, the British politician who led the fight to abolish the slave trade, frequently went to Bath because he valued the quality of the spa waters there.

Everyone worships someone or something – even atheists. There are many false gods and idols but only one true God. The New Testament is much more critical of those holding gullible beliefs than of honest scepticism. People find it easier to believe in astrology, materialism and foundation-less religions than in Jesus and what he taught, in spite of all the evidence. Our courts accept the verdict of twelve good men and true, yet people wilfully reject the verdict of the twelve disciples, men who were willing to die for their conclusions about Jesus.

There is no doubt how Jesus’ contemporaries understood what Jesus was claiming,

“ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5:18

The Miraculous Sign

Jesus visited the spa of Bethesda where many disabled people were lying around. Jesus notices one paralysed man who had been an invalid for thirty eight years. Jesus asks a penetrating question,

“Do you want to get well?” John 5:6

It is not such a silly question as first seems. Some people find security in their illnesses. People feel sorry for them. Some beggars can even make a good living; if they were healed they would have to work!

In discussions about Christianity it is not uncommon for people to ask questions that are a smoke screen. It is clear that some people do not want answers; ignorance can be just an excuse for inactivity. Sometimes it is worth pulling the plug by saying,

“Do you really want answers to your questions? If your questions are answered satisfactorily would you be willing to change direction or are they just red herrings?”

The paralysed man does not give a straightforward answer.

“I have no-one to help me into the pool . . .” John 5:7

Clearly there was a belief going around that the first person into the pool when the waters stirred would benefit. The man was about to understand that he was standing in front of a person who can help him in greater ways than he ever imagined.

Then comes an astounding event,

“Next Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” John 5:8-9

Instantaneously, without physiotherapy or stem cell therapy this man’s atrophied nerves and muscles spring back to life. He walks away.

But there is something seriously wrong. Where is the joy and excitement? Where is that exuberant gratefulness that would be expected? Why doesn’t he even ask, ‘Who are you?’

The Sabbath

“The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.” John 5:9b

God had introduced the Sabbath day at the end of the creation story. ‘Shabbat’ means ‘rest’ in Hebrew. God rested from his creative work, but continued with his other work sustaining all that he had made. Since the beginning, God’s people have honoured the Sabbath rest as a reminder of God’s significance. It is also a reminder of the future rest in heaven that he wants man to enter, although those with whom God is angry will not gain admittance.

“Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest’. Hebrews 3:11

The Ten Commandments, which included the requirement to ‘keep the Sabbath day holy’, were given to remind God’s people of these priorities. However the Jews later added more and more ‘do’s and don’ts’ about how the Sabbath should be kept holy, so that in all there were 613 detailed Jewish laws.

A friend of mine lives in a country house. His nearest neighbours were Jewish. One Saturday morning in mid winter his doorbell rang and there stood a delegation of Jewish rabbis. They explained that their central heating was not working, that they were desperately cold and asked if my friend could come and look at the problem. He went with them. All that was needed was to press the override switch – but being a Sabbath such work was not permitted to orthodox Jews. Similarly if they had toothache on a Sabbath they could not put vinegar on the tooth to deaden the pain as that would be an act of healing. However if food had vinegar in it, that would be acceptable as it was just eating. The rules forbid reading by the light of a lamp.

Jesus clearly broke these rabbinical regulations when he healed the paralysed man and then told him to pick up his bed and walk. Both actions involved work on the Sabbath!

The rabbis did teach that God himself, in contrast to man, does not need a sabbath; on the contrary, the universe requires him to keep sustaining all he has created.

Jesus is very provocative in that he publicly performed miracles on the Sabbath. He could easily have waited a day if he had wanted. The reason he didn’t was to it make clear that because his Father continues to work on the sabbath, so can he. He repeatedly claimed to be one with God the Father and this is just one way to make the point abundantly clear.

C.S.Lewis who wrote the Narnia stories had once been an atheist. In his book ‘Mere Christianity’, he explains why he had become a Christian, he wrote,

“Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world, who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.

One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toes and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in history.

Yet (and this is the strange, significant thing) even His enemies, when they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ says that He is “humble and meek” and we believe Him; not noticing that, if He were merely a man, humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to some of His sayings.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”i

I well remember a teacher at school telling us that Jesus never claimed to be God. How mistaken he was, he cannot have read the New Testament. The hostility against Jesus in his day can only be understood if he really did make the outrageous claim to be equal with God himself. If he is God then there is no problem in him being able to make a paralysed man walk instantaneously. The criticism of the religious leaders dramatically illustrates how some people cannot put on true perspective on anything. Their only response to this extraordinary miracle was

“It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” John 5:12

The Healed Man

The healed man does not come across in an attractive light either. There was no ‘thank you’ and no praise. Instead, when accosted by the Jewish authorities for carrying his mat on the Sabbath, he blames Jesus.

“The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’.” John 5:11

Instead of being immensely grateful and loyal to Jesus, he is willing to blame Jesus for telling him to pick up his mat. When they asked who the healer was, he says he doesn’t know. This reveals a remarkable apathy; most people would at least try to discover who had helped them so dramatically.

A little later it was Jesus himself who goes and finds the healed man. He says,

“See, you are well.” John 5:14

I suspect the man was a little nonplussed and embarrassed. Why had he not bothered to follow Jesus? Then comes a stern rebuke.

“Stop sinning or something else may happen to you.” John 5:14

Sin, in Jesus eyes, is not ‘carrying a mat on the Sabbath’ – it is the failure to follow the living God. What is worse than spending 38 years as a paralysed beggar? The point is clear. The eternal consequences of unforgiven sin are far worse than any physical illness.

Normally there is no direct connection between health and past sin. When Jesus met a man blind from birth, his disciples enquired,

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9:2

Jesus replied,

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned.” John 9:3

However occasionally there is a link. A man who goes with a prostitute may pick up a venereal disease. Even a man who takes part in the church Communion feast when he is not right with God may fall ill as a consequence (1 Corinthians 11:30). However Jesus is not making any link here – sin is simply our greatest problem. Sin is a wilful rebellion against God. The word has been well spelt,

S I n

Sin is living with ‘I’ in the centre, where God ought to be. Another explanation of sin, that we use in our Sunday School, makes the same point,

Shove off God I’m in charge No to what you want

Now, because Jesus has sought him out, this healed paralytic man knows who has healed him. His response is frightening.

“The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.” John 5:15

He is such an ungrateful, unattractive character - a ‘sneak’ or ‘snitch’. The effect of his action is that the Jews turn to persecute Jesus. In the subsequent conversation with the Jewish authorities, Jesus explains that they have misunderstood the reason he should heal on the Sabbath,

“My Father is always at work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John 5:17

They explode because Jesus is talking about Yahweh, the Mighty God, as if he is his own Father. Now they want him dead not only because he is flagrantly breaking the Jewish laws but is clearly claiming to be divine.

“For this reason the Jews tried the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5:18

In our schools, universities and even theological colleges there are some who teach that Jesus never claimed to be God. Yet this passage is one of many making it clear what people understood Jesus to be saying. He never denies their conclusion that he was claiming to be God.

In the following verses Jesus make it abundantly clear that he places himself at the centre of the universe. Such megalomania is astonishing in one so humble, in a person who was even willing to sacrifice his life for others.

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no-one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.” John 5:21-23

Jesus continues to explain that our eternal destiny depends on how we regard Jesus and his teaching.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

When Jesus met this man he did not just see an invalid, he saw into his heart. John loves to use symbolism. The man had been impotent and helpless for 38 years. He could do nothing to correct this problem. In a similar way sin results in us being helpless and we cannot undo the addiction that it causes. We need a miracle to change our hearts. Well intentioned resolutions for us to behave as God wants will be broken within a very short time. The good news is that a miraculous spiritual heart transplant is available to all God calls.

BVP

January 2019

iC.S.Lewis, ‘Mere Christianity’ Book 2, chapter 3

John 4:43-54. How to find faith

The writer of this gospel, John, is answering the question, ‘How can I find the way to have a faith?’ He has collected a series of different stories that can lead us to trust in Jesus. Different stories help different people but together they are very convincing. This is why a good way to find faith is to read through John’s gospel and keep asking yourself, ‘Is this really true? Is John being honest?’

It is clear that the purpose of including this story about the healing of the royal official’s son is to help people believe in Jesus. John uses the word ‘believe’ or its equivalent three times in this short story.

“ . . . you will never believe.” John 4:48

“The man took Jesus at his word . . .” John 4:50

“So he and his household believed.” John 4:53

The previous story had ended,

“We no longer believe because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.” John 4:42

Jesus continued his journey up through Samaria, where the people of Sychar had believed in him, and arrived at Cana in Galilee. This was where he and his disciples had attended a wedding so it is likely that there was a family connection there.

News of his arrival in Galilee must have travelled fast because a royal official, an officer in Herod’s service who lived in Capurnaum, was desperate to see Jesus. How he heard of Jesus we are not told but it could well be through official communications as by this time Jesus was having quite an effect on society. The distance between Capurnaum and Cana is 26.5 miles so to walk between the two towns would take four to five hours, but shorter if he went on horseback or by chariot. He was certainly determined to meet Jesus for just one reason, his reputation as an effective healer must have spread widely. The official’s son was dangerously ill and he was desperate for help.

“When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.” John 5:47

A provocative statement

The response of Jesus to this request for help is striking, Jesus is addressing the attitude of the Jewish people as a whole but not that of the official. He is frustrated by the naive faith of people

“ ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told them, ‘you will never believe.’” John 5:48

The Greek word for ‘you’ is in the plural, so the request must have been made in a public place and Jesus was using the occasion to speak more widely. He does not want to be followed because of his healing powers but because of who he is, the very Son of God. Already Jesus was despairing of the superficiality of the people. They were ready to follow anyone so long as they are impressive. The same happens today. Earlier John had written about this problem.

“Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.” John 2:23-24

A recent example concerning how easy it is for people to believe superficially in someone concerns Alph Lukau who heads up Alleluia ministries in South Africa. He had a wide following as a healer. However when a video of him raising a dead man went viral, the fraud was exposed. A supposedly dead man was brought into the centre of a large meeting in a coffin and, after being prayed over, he sat up and stepped out of the coffin. The undertaker who sold the coffin denies any knowledge of the supposedly dead man. Even members of his ministry have accused him of fraud. At a previous meeting he had prayed for several people who were said to be wheel-chair bound and they all stood up. Another member, who has since left that ministry, admitted that this was staged. What is so incredible is that thousands of people are conned by such theatrical performances. Look at the massive following that many healing evangelists, who speak with great charisma and confidence, have obtained. People are truly gullible.

Jesus himself was able to perform remarkable miracles, the like of which have never been repeated. He raised dead people and healed the sick of conditions that we are not able to heal even with all our advances in modern science, the blind saw and the paralysed walk. However he was concerned that his fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies that would identify the Messiah would result in a shallow emotional faith and not the sort of belief in him that is necessary for salvation. Being enthralled by the spectacular is not the same as being convinced about who Jesus is.

This, the second miraculous sign John records was intended to lead people to faith in Jesus as the giver of eternal life.

Jesus repeatedly warns people not to be seduced by the spectacular.

“Watch out that no-one deceives you.” Mark 13:5

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. So be on your guard.” Mark 13:22

The opening words of Jesus were,

“The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” Mark 1:15

This is always the message of the true church. It is God’s eternal kingdom that is our concern. Only those who repent and turn to Christ by believing that he is God’s good news, God’s gospel, that will be saved. Healers and false teachers always emphasise health and prosperity in this life.

In Jesus’ day and ever since there have been superficial peddlers of signs and wonders ministry. Simon Magus was one example. The pseudo apostles troubling the church at Corinth were another.

Enquiries by school inspectors into Church of England schools show that most children have given up believing the gospel stories by the time they reach their early teens. There are many reasons for this but false teachers certainly do not help! However they do believe in Superman and Superwoman, Batman and Flash Gordon, almost to the extent that they think this sort of world exists. Could this be why so many are duped by the so called miracle working ministers? It says something of our age that people are more willing to believe in flying saucers than in the deity of Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith was raised in a troubled family that were constantly looking for buried treasure to improve their lot in life. He had some links to a church but he then claimed to have come across two golden plates on a hill outside New York with hieroglyphics on them that nobody could understand. Significantly no-one was shown these plates. By chance he then comes across some angelic spectacles and, when he put these on, he could decipher the hieroglyphics which supposedly told the story about the early history of America. Needless to say there is no archeological or scientific evidence to support these stories. Yet this false prophet founded the Mormon Church, also called the Church of the Latter Day Saints and at the end of 2020 this had 16,663,663 members. Included in this group are many respectable people. The point is that people do not need much in the way of evidence to succumb to impressive rhetoric and presence.

In the real world many of us are used to reading the flashy Curriculum Vitae of job applicants. They tell of the remarkable gifts of the applicant and all that they can offer their prospective employer but the question needs to be asked why they lost their last job after only 11 months! Yet those same people can so easily be duped by people making false spiritual claims As Shakespeare wisely said in ‘The Merchant of Venice’,

“All that glisters is not gold.”

Portia is a beautiful, virtuous, wealthy woman who is being wooed by numerous suitors. She is not free to decide on her own whom she will marry because her late father stipulated in his will that she must marry the man who correctly picks the one casket (out of three) that contains her picture. One casket is gold, another is silver, and the third is made of lead. The Prince of Morocco is one in a long line of suitors who tries to win Portia's hand, and he decides that it would demean Portia to have her picture in anything other than a gold casket, and so he chooses that one. As he unlocks it, he is dismayed to find a picture, not of Portia but of Death, with a message written in its hollow eye:

"All that glisters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told.

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold.

Gilded tombs do worms enfold."

With a grieving heart the Prince takes hasty leave of Portia, who is happy to see him go, saying, "A gentle riddance."

Oh that people today would not look for outward glory, health and wealth but for peace with God. Oh for that discernment that asks,

“Do I trust this person. Does his private life support his claim to godliness?”

Our decision about Jesus and all he did and said should not depend on flashy miracles but on the deeper question,

“Do I trust this man? Is he telling me the truth?”

Jesus made such extraordinary claims. He said he is equal to God and before entering his world was with God. He said that three days after being killed he will rise from the dead. He said that he teaches God’s truth for all people and that our eternal destiny is in his hands. The big picture is neither proved nor disproved by little miracles, signs and wonders!

What is happening in our country? Jos Ackland was the father of seven. In 1982 his son, Paul, died from chronic heroine abuse. The report about what happened is scary. When he was fourteen he was approached by the drug pusher outside his school gate in Highgate. The report says,

“Every single child in secondary school will be offered drugs in the next two years, if not already.”

If Christians stood at the school gates giving out a Christian booklet explaining the claims of Christ we would be criticised, but we would be offering life. So while the church sleeps these evil people stand there offering hell and death. It took fifteen years for Paul Ackland to die! The article ends,

“One of the few things that will bring men back to their senses is a discovery of God.”

This is similar to the statement by Aleksander Solzhenitsyn when receiving the Templeton Prize when he analysed what is going wrong both in Russia and in the West,

“Men have forgotten God!”

The official is not drawn by what Jesus has said. He has a real need and knows that Jesus can help him.

“Sir, come down before my child dies.” John 4:49

This does not sound like fiction. The official doesn’t try to defend or justify himself. This is simply the desperate cry of a father really concerned for his very sick son. Few will really find God until they become desperate.

A challenging statement

The official clearly thinks that the physical presence of Jesus meeting his son is what was needed. He is in for a shock. God is not limited to space and time and Jesus wants him to understand who he really is.

“Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.” John 4:50

Did the man think ‘he is playing with me’!. He, an official, had asked Jesus to come with him. He could have said,

“Don’t you know who I am!”

There are many today who think they are too important and special to believe Jesus. However Jesus surely means,

“You don’t need my physical presence. My spiritual presence is what is needed. I give you my word, ‘Your son will live.’”

John wrote his gospel after the resurrection, to answer people’s questions. He wanted to help those who ask,

“How can I put my trust in Jesus whom I have never met? It is so hard when I cannot talk with him, hear him speak and follow him.”

One of the reasons John must have included this story is to help those who have this concern. Jesus is saying that all we need is the word of God. Today we can meet Jesus in the Scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments. What I need to do is to trust that word. This is why John introduces Jesus as ‘The Word of God’,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1-2

A living faith

Faith is taking Jesus at his word and living my life in obedience to what he says. Faith is going to Jesus and acknowledging his authority over me and saying to him that I will start a new life obeying him. Faith for us starts in exactly the same way that it did for the official, he made a decision and acted on it.

It was listening to what Jesus said that changed his life. Later Jesus acknowledged that it was all too easy to see Jesus and even be impressed by him but not follow what he says:

“But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.” John 6:36

The official believed what Jesus had said to him and acted on it. He went home. It was only later that he received the evidence that what Jesus said was true.

“The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” John 4:50

What a wonderful verse this is – he took Jesus at his word. That is still the way to life. It was only as he was travelling home that his servants came to meet the official with the good news.

“The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”

The seventh hour was 1pm, the heat of the day.

“Then the father realised that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’” John 4:52-53

Jesus says the same to each of us. “If you come to me I won’t drive you away.” So I come to Jesus believing his word to me. Christians know that, in spite of being unacceptable to God because of the way we have lived, yet in Christ, we can be accepted into God’s family and into his eternity. This is a great example of living by faith.

What a joy it must have been for that official to reach home and see his healthy son, full of beans, coming out to greet him. What would he think of Jesus then?

The faith is passed on

John now gives us a wonderful insight that is easily overlooked. It demonstrates what a real faith will result in.

“So he and his household believed.” John 4:53

Any person who has faith in Jesus will want to share the news about who he is and what he offers. The official had heard God’s word and acted on it. The result was that he had become a believer. Similarly when we take Jesus at his word we experience a new life and we also have become believers.

So this passage is,

1. A challenge to superficiality – is it what God says that really interests me?

2. A test – will I believe God’s word about my sin and my need for Christ?

3. A reminder - if I am now a believer, will I share what Jesus has done for me with my family and friends so that they also can become believers?

BVP

John 4:34-36. Jesus’s Food

Jesus had gone out of his way to talk to the Samaritan woman at Sychar. When his disciples returned from a visit to collect food from the town, they were surprised to see that Jesus was demeaning himself and was talking with a woman, and a Samaritan at that. Although they did not ask directly, they were fascinated to know why Jesus had broken the social taboos and entered into a conversation with her.

The answer came from a strange direction. The woman herself left the water jar at the well and returned urgently to the town to tell those she met that she had found someone very special, “Could this be the Christ?” she asked them. Back at the well the disciples were more interested in their stomachs and suggested that Jesus should eat. It would have been most improper for them to eat without him. It was at this point that Jesus said something very profound. He claimed he had another means of being satisfied and that was sharing the gospel of forgiveness, the gospel about himself. Jesus said,

“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34

The next paragraph makes it abundantly clear what he meant by ‘God’s work’.

“Do you not say, ‘Four months and then the harvest’? I tell you open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” John 4:35-36

There is, according to Jesus, great joy to be found in bringing people into the Kingdom of God. Much hard preparatory teaching work will need to be done. The seed of the word of God needs to be planted. But at some stage the harvest needs to be brought in. People must be asked to make a decision as to what they will do with Jesus Christ. On their response hangs their eternal destiny.

We only have to look at the faces of those involved in the tough and sometimes lonely work of evangelism to realise the obvious joy they experience as people make decisions of commitment to Christ. It is a thrilling and exciting work.

Jesus clearly felt very sorry for all those who were under pressures of all kinds but saw no answers for their lives - who had no saviour. He frequently said that the main pressure we are under is because we are people living independently of our God. He used the word ‘sinners’ for this miserable state. How he longed for more people to go out to the public and explain where the answer lies.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:35-38

Such work demands a determined mindset. It is all too easy to be knocked off our firm position that everyone needs to be in Christ. This is why the apostle Paul, a brilliant example of someone committed to this task and who had experienced many of the problems, said,

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

BVP

John 4:4-42. What is the Gospel?

Can a person know they are right with God and if so how can they be sure? There is certainly a false assurance, where people think that because they belong to a certain organisation, church or hold certain doctrines that they are safe or saved. A Barna survey in the United States revealed that 75% of those asked said they were Christians. Yet Jesus said that at the last judgment there will be many such people who will be disillusioned.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven . . . Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!” Matthew 7:21-23

How tragic it would be to go through life thinking you are saved only to get the ‘Thumbs down’ at the final judgment.

A lady recently interviewed on the radio said,

“What I value is sacramental assurance.”

In other words she believed that because she took Christian sacraments regularly in her church she was assured of salvation. However it is possible to receive the sacraments without being personally committed to Jesus Christ. The only basis for assurance is to ‘have the Son’ which means to believe in or be committed to the Son.

John wrote his first letter to remind readers how they could be sure that their name is written in the lamb’s book of life.

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:12-13

In his gospel John selected just seven of the many miracles Jesus performed and linked these with selected portions of his teaching in order to convince people who Jesus was.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

This verse makes it clear that we need to be convinced of who Jesus is, so that we may put our trust in him. It is this personal relationship that results in us being given eternal life. This has been described as the ‘ABC’ of the gospel.

1. Acts of Jesus - lead us to

2. Believe in who Jesus is – leads us to

3. Conversion to Christ and the gift of eternal life

We will see this same ABC in chapter four of John’s gospel where Jesus has a remarkable private discussion with a woman of Samaria.

JESUS’ AGENDA

1. “Now he (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” John 4:4

The reason for this was the deep-seated antagonism between the Jews and Samaritans. The Jews considered Samaritans ‘unclean’. Yet the land of Samaria separated Judah in the south from Galilee in the north. People travelling north from Judah to Galilee had one of two options. They could camp overnight in North Judea, near the border of Galilee, get up early and rush through Samaria talking to no-one. The alternative was to make a detour to the east and travel north on the eastern bank of the river Jordan, so keeping well away from Samaria.

Yet Jesus chose to defy protocol and travel openly through the land of Samaria. There he stops to speak to a woman! Why? The only possible answer was that he intended to meet with this woman. This is a major theme of the Bible. God himself seeks out individuals to belong to his kingdom.

2. “Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” John 4:6

Jesus was very human. It was midday, and in the heat of the day he felt hot, tired and thirsty. It is important to remember that Jesus was just as human as we are, he faced all the temptations and problems that we face. Yet he always behaved as his heavenly Father wanted him to.

3. “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus says to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?” John 4:7

Here Jesus breaks with Jewish convention and speaks to an unclean person, and a woman at that! The disciples had been sent into the city to buy some food, again contrary to standard religious practice. The woman picks up on these irregularities.

4. “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).” John 4:9

Jesus had a purpose that transcended religious protocol. Jesus longed that this woman should understand who he is, believe in him and so receive eternal life.

5. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

The greatest gift God has given us is his Son, the Lord Jesus. He can give living water, eternal life, to whoever he wills. The woman therefore needs to understand who Jesus really is.

The recurrent problem of God’s people is that we turn away from a close walk with our heavenly Father to go our own independent way. We have our own religions that neither satisfy nor have eternal benefit. Around 600BC the prophet Jeremiah warned God’s people about this problem of relying on their religion for protection.

“My people have committed two sins; they have forsaken me, the spring of living water and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13

The ‘spring of living water’ that God’s people had forsaken was God himself. The cisterns they had built were man-made religions. This message is so important. If I enter into a relationship with Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, he becomes the source of eternal life – the spring of living water.

Alan Godson loved the Lord Jesus and longed to point people of all faiths and religious groups back to Him. One day he was talking with a man who had won an Olympic Gold Medal in the mile race. After gaining the athlete’s confidence he asked a straight question,

“Are you going to spend the rest of your life running round in circles?”

“What do you mean?” the athlete replied.

This led into a discussion about the purpose of life and the importance of recognising who Jesus is from his life, death and resurrection. This gold medallist did come to believe in Jesus and consequently was given eternal life. He was later ordained so that he could spend his whole life passing on the glorious message of salvation through Christ.

The response of the woman at Samaria was strange. Was she trying to change the subject or had she completely misunderstood? She was thinking literally. How could Jesus give her holy water, magic water, if he had no bucket?

“’Sir’, the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself?’” John 4:11-12

Her question asking about Jesus’ identity is the most important question ever. “Are you greater than our father Jacob?”

Jesus explains that he is speaking spiritually. He is not talking about literal water that just temporarily satisfies a physical thirst.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst again. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of living water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Yet still she misunderstands. She seems to think that eternal life means an easier life now.

“Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:15

There is clearly something about Jesus that makes his offer attractive, even though she has not understood. Many like the idea of eternal life but, like this lady, need to understand more.

THE WOMAN’S NEED

The next lesson she needs to learn is the horrendous implications of sin.

“Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband.”

“”You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is that you have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” John 4:16-18

No-one can mislead God. Jesus knows all about her private life, just as he knows about the private lives of you and me. He knows exactly what we think and do. He knows what is on our conscience. This revelation clearly had a deep impact on the woman. Later she said to inhabitants of the town,

“He told me everything I ever did.” John 4:39

This is an astonishing discovery. Jesus somehow knows all about her private life. She clearly felt God’s finger pointing at her. Jesus does this to the people he confronts, even today. He reveals our primary need. Later Jesus said to Martha who was concerned that her sister Mary was sitting listening to Jesus when she was doing all the work,

“Martha, Martha, . . . you are worried and upset about many things, but only thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Nothing is more important to God than that Jesus should be central to our lives. To the rich young ruler who was concerned about how he could inherit eternal life, Jesus said,

“One thing you lack, ‘Go, sell all you have . . . Then come follow me.” Mark 10:21

Most of us find it very hard to face up to our failings and particularly our need for God’s forgiveness. Deep down we do admire ourselves. A Mexican was arrested when standing outside a police station. He was admiring a ‘Wanted’ poster with his own picture on it.

The Samaritan woman needed to face up to her sin.

THE WOMAN’S WRONG RELIGION

The woman recognised that Jesus was a prophet but this caused some concern because she was a Samaritan.

“Sir, . . . I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place we must worship is in Jerusalem.” John 4:20

She was looking at externals. She has not understood that God wants heart centred worship but that must be based on the truth of God’s complete Word, the Bible. The Samaritans only recognised the first five books of the Bible as authoritative and even these were understood in a partisan way. Today there are many pseudo-Christian groups, such as the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, who say that they follow the Bible but in practice their ruling authorities proscribe how the Bible is to be understood.

In today’s post-modern era, it seems strange for Jesus to be so critical of this woman’s religious beliefs. Today most radio and television programmes suggest that all faiths are equally valid because they all have a strong ethic that their people are encouraged to live by. This view that all religions have similar value is called ‘syncretism’. But Jesus totally rejects such thinking. All roads do not lead to God. He alone is the answer to our sin. There is no-one else who can give us the status of being righteous. Yet how many people today try to avoid facing up to the claims of Jesus by hiding behind their religion or denomination?

Jesus simply says that her religion is wrong.

“You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” John 4:22

This is striking as a large part of the gospels is spent showing that orthodox Judaism, typified by the Pharisees, have also missed the point. Jesus is saying that the basis of Jewish belief, the Scriptures is the right basis; they are all God’s Word. Salvation is from the Jews. Jesus himself, the Saviour of the world is Jewish. However the Jews had failed to recognise that Jesus as God’s Messiah and they had overlooked that the whole of the Old Testament is building up to his coming. However temple worship is not the means of salvation.

“Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father, neither on this mountain not in Jerusalem. . . Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24

This teaching is so profound. The question needs to be asked why Jesus shared this vital information with a Samaritan woman whose morals were lacking. It does demonstrate that the God of the universe is concerned for and loves a wayward Samaritan woman. Jesus clearly knew that this conversation would be recorded in the Scriptures so it mattered little to whom he told these truths.

Jesus knew that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 AD. The temple, just like some cathedrals and churches, was concerned with majestic externals of music, dignity, liturgy, architecture and dress. Yet God says that true worship must be ‘in spirit and in truth’.

1. ‘In spirit’ means it must be based on a personal submission to God – I must repent and commit myself to trusting, following and obeying God.

2. ‘In truth’ means that God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. We only know of the character and teaching of Jesus through what his apostles have written in Scripture. These are ‘the very words of God’ (Romans 3:2. There is therefore no true worship if the Scriptures is not the sovereign overriding authority. No church authority or church leader is over Scripture.

THE WOMAN NEEDS JESUS

The kingdom of God that Jesus introduced is so named because God’s king had come to earth. Without the Lord Jesus being my king, I cannot be a member of his kingdom.

As this chapter was read through, did you notice how the woman’s understanding develops?

v. 6 Jesus is seen as just a man, tired and thirsty.

v. 9 Jesus is different from others – he speaks to a Samaritan woman.

v. 13 Jesus is an intriguing teacher

v. 19 Jesus is a prophet - ‘Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.’

v. 25 She acknowledges that a Messiah is coming

v. 26 Jesus tells her who he really is, “I who speak to you am he.” Jesus could not be clearer.

v. 39 She believes in Jesus and passes the message and evidence on.

v. 42 The Samaritans from the town spend two days listening to Jesus and they also believe.

“They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the World.”

This is the Bible’s message, salvation is for all people, whatever their nationality or religion, whatever their moral past is like. A new start is available to all. Anyone can worship the King in spirit and in truth.

The following imaginary conversation, between an early Christian living in Rome and her neighbour, demonstrates the radical difference in thinking Jesus introduced.

“Ah,” the neighbour says, “I hear you have become religious. It is a great thing to be religious. Where is your temple or holy place?”

“We do not have a temple. Jesus is our temple.”

“No temple? But where do your priests work and do their rituals?”

“We don’t have priests to mediate the presence of God. Jesus is our priest.”

“No priests? But where do you offer your sacrifices to acquire the favour of your God?”

“We don’t need any more sacrifices. Jesus was our one and only sacrifice.”

“What kind of religion is this?” the pagan neighbour splutters.

“It’s no kind of religion at all.”

Such a conversation could occur today. People still cannot understand who Jesus is, what he achieved on that cross as our substitute for sin and that what he expects of us is a personal relationship with him as our Saviour and Lord.

Verse 39 has the same three threads of the gospel ‘ABC’ that run throughout John’s entire book about Jesus.

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ John 4:39

The woman gave her evidence concerning the Activities of Jesus, the result was that many Believed. Jesus stayed two more days and because of Jesus’ teaching many more believed. The result of their believing is Conversion to Christ with the gift of eternal life.

“Indeed the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

The main lessons we must all learn from this account are therefore,

1. We are all sinners – yet God still loves you and me, as the very best of Fathers does, and calls each of us to follow him.

2. Jesus is the only source of eternal life. This is his gift to all who turn to him and ask him to be in charge of their lives. Only a spiritual, personal, Christ-centred faith is acceptable to God. Outward religion itself does not impress the maker of the universe. There must be a spiritual link with Jesus who alone is the truth. Without this relationship with Jesus religious sacraments only give a false hope.

3. If we really believe in Jesus we will share with others the great news about him, just as this woman of Samaria did.

The lessons Jesus teaches here are very simple but also very important.

BVP

John 4:1-26. Thirsting for Life?

In June 1945 the new battleship, USS Indianapolis, was travelling from Guam to the Philippines in the preparation for the invasion of Japan. There were no escort ships as it passed through enemy infested seas. Disaster struck. She was hit by two torpedoes and sank within twelve minutes. Surprisingly nine hundred, of the total crew of twelve hundred, escaped into life boats. However after four days of drifting on the hot seas only three hundred sailors were left alive. What had killed them? The ship’s doctor, Dr. Louis Haynes, wrote in his memoirs that the biggest problem wasn’t the Japanese, wasn’t the sharks, but was thirst.

“There was nothing I could do to keep the men from drinking saltwater. When the hot sun came out, in the midst of this crystal clear water, you couldn't believe it wasn't good enough to drink. I remember striking one of the men with an oar to try and get him to stop drinking. Young ones, in hope, will drink the saltwater and then they would become more dehydrated and then they would die.”

In the remarkable discussion that Jesus has with the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, he invites her, and us all, to question the water we're drinking. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah referred to the same problem.

“My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13

In Jeremiah’s day, people had forgotten the Lord who had saved them and had moved elsewhere. They had turned to other sources to try and find satisfaction. The containers that they had dug out for themselves were broken and could not satisfy. They had forgotten God.

We all have an insatiable thirst. We are surrounded by things that offer satisfaction in the short-term. Careers, power, family life, hobbies, sports, and even religious activities can satisfy us - in the short-term. These are like the crystal clear waters and can look so promising and refreshing. We imbibe them, and even worship them, but they still leave us thirsty.

David Foster Wallace, an award winning American post-war author and not a Christian, was giving a lecture to some graduates at Kenyon College. He said,

“In the day-to-day trenches of adult life there isn't such a thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping; we all worship, everyone worships. The only choice we get is what we worship. The compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of God is that pretty much everything else you worship will eat you alive.”

So it is not whether we worship but what we worship, not whether we drink but what we drink. The question is, ‘Can what we worship deliver or will it leave you thirsty?’

Life can leave us thirsty

As Jesus began to teach in Jerusalem and around Judaea, the Pharisees became jealous and Jesus felt it right to move back to Galilee in the north again. The quickest route was through Samaria, although most people preferred to take the longer route bypassing Samaria and travelling up the Jordan Valley. John adds an interesting detail,

“Now he had to go through Samaria.” John 4:4

Why was this? It could be that he feared meeting opposition on the common route but it seems more likely that he felt he had to meet this woman and have this conversation with her. God certainly does organise affairs so that people can meet Jesus. As Jesus and his disciples walked north under the hot sun, they became thirsty and hungry. They approached the town of Sychar and Jesus sent his disciples into the town to buy some food whilst he went to the well outside the town. It was midday and Jesus felt tired from the long walk.

The water was at the bottom of this deep well but help was at hand; a Samaritan woman approached on her own. She had a bucket with her so Jesus opened the conversation by asking her for a drink. The woman was shocked, it was against their social convention for a man to talk to woman in public and especially for a Jew to speak with a Samaritan, as Jews considered them to be heretics. Furthermore this woman seemed to be an outcast. The usual practice was for a group of women to come and collect water together in the cool of the day; this woman had come alone and at midday. The probable reason for her isolation is given later, she had been married five times and she was not married to her present partner.

We're not told that cause of these multiple marriage break-ups but it would seem likely that she had moved from one relationship to another looking for love, peace and security. This story reveals that she was not only physically thirsty but also spiritually thirsty. Jesus claims to be the solution to her deepest spiritual needs and said to her,

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

Jesus is saying that he can give her life, love, and security in its fulness. The woman doesn't realise that Jesus is not talking about a literal well:

“‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?’” John 4:11

Jesus's reply is profound:

“‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14

Nothing else will satisfy our thirst for long. A recent article has compared life in the United Kingdom today with that of the 1950s. Now there is far more entertainment and sexual activity and yet people are unhappier. There is no comparison - people are looking for ‘life’ in the wrong place. The source of real life is God. We have the same problem that Jeremiah described. We dig our own cisterns. We take the good things in life that God has given us such as romantic relationships, career or even family, and put on them weights they cannot possibly bear.

Good things become ‘god things’, good things become our idols.

David Foster Wallace continued his profound speech.

“If you worship money and things, if that's where you tap into the real meaning of life, then you will never have enough, you will never feel you have enough. It's the truth - worship your own body and beauty and sexy allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start to show you will die a million deaths before your family even plant you into the ground. Worship power and you'll end up feeling weak and afraid, you will need ever more power over others to numb you from your own fear. Worship your intellect and being seen to be smart and you will end up feeling stupid and a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they are unconscious, they are our default setting.”

We must surely all consider what ‘good things’ we cherish so much that they become ‘god things’. What really satisfies us? If our aim is success in the realm of status, family or even experiences then we will be spiritually thirsty. As we get older we increasingly realise that what we used to value is passing away. What or who will satisfy us as we are dying or afterward that? Jesus is clear there is a judgment to come. Drinking the wrong water can be deadly.

Jesus can quench our first John 4 v 10-26

Jesus said,

“‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14

The woman doesn't understand the metaphor Jesus is using. How can ‘The living water he offers well up to eternal life?’ This water is found not in place but in a relationship with our creator. It begins now and goes on for ever. Only Jesus offers this as he alone is our creator. She needs this living water, it can quench her spiritual thirst and make her spiritually clean.

At this point Jesus seems to change the subject. He says to her,

“Go, call your husband and come back.” John 4:16

This is so profound, Jesus is not trying to rub her face in her history of multiple failed relationships. Just the opposite, he wants to show her that she has a need for eternal life - just as he wants to show this to all of us.

The woman responds well, she is honest with Jesus.

“I have no husband.” John 4:17

Without an honesty before God no-one will ever find eternal life.

“You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What do you have just said is quite true.” John 4:17-18

From this insight the woman recognises that Jesus is someone special but his presence gives rise to a theological problem for her.

“I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” John 4:19

How easy it is to get into a theological dispute in order to divert a conversation. She's asking where people should go to meet God, should they go to the Samaritan mountain of Gerazim or go to Jerusalem? This was an old debate between the Jews and the Samaritans. Jesus is clear which side of the argument was right - in the past. The Old Testament is clear, there has been only one place to meet with God and that was in his temple in Jerusalem. However, all that was now changing because now God himself has entered his world. A relationship with Jesus is a relationship with God. He is the one person who can satisfy our spiritual thirst and wash us clean from the consequences of our sin. Rituals will be replaced by a relationship. Jesus said,

“Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet the time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:21-24

Today a church building or cathedral is not the temple of God, Jesus himself is now the temple. To be close to God, we need to live closely with Jesus. We worship not in a place but a person, it is not where we worship but who. That woman is now beginning to understand that God’s representative needs to be involved. She said,

“I know that the Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”| John 4:25

Jesus responds very simply and with absolute clarity,

“I who speak to you am he.” John 4:26

Nothing could be clearer, either for the Samaritan woman or for us. Life will leave us all thirsty but Jesus can quench this spiritual thirst.

Jesus was later to go to Jerusalem to die. Some of the last words he said on the cross are very significant,

“I am thirsty.” John 19:28

Again it would appear that Jesus is talking physically as well as spiritually. He took on himself our sin, our spiritual thirst so that we can enjoy his living water. He died that we might all be able to enjoy ‘life in its fullness’ into eternity.

The woman left her water jar

John does love to include details that have a double meaning.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’” John 4:28

That water jar symbolised that her old way of quenching her thirst was being left behind. She was now starting a new life because she has come to know Jesus.

Another consequence of knowing Jesus is that we, like this woman, will want our friends and family to come and meet Jesus too.

When we become Christians we start a new life and this is radically different. Our satisfaction is found in pleasing Jesus in all we do.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

BVP

Based a talk given by Rev Andy Palmer at Christchurch Balham

John 3:22-36. Jesus Must Increase

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptised. 23 Now John also was baptising at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptised. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptising, and everyone is going to him.”

27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”

31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

President Mobutu of Zaire was an arrogant man.  Every day, just before the evening news on television, he had a clip inserted showing himself descending from heaven on a cloud.

Contrast this with the sort of person God esteems.

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2

Many schools, colleges and established families have a motto that they hope will epitomise their members.  My school had the motto ‘Schola Bedfordiensis Floreat’, which means ‘The scholar of Bedford flourishes’. My college motto was more altruistic, ‘Quaerere Verum’ – ‘Seek the truth’.

Many mottos are inward looking and centre on ourselves.  Socrates great motto was, ‘Know thyself’.  Aristotle’s motto was, ‘Happiness depends upon ourselves’.  Shakespeare’s was, ‘Above all, to thine own self be true.’

However John the Baptist’s motto beats them all.

“He (Jesus) must become greater, I must become less.” John 3:30

This motto is all the more remarkable if the context is examined.

1.   THE BACKGROUND OF JEALOUSY   v. 22-26

Jesus had already attracted a large following of people.  He had started preaching and his disciples were baptising people.  At the same time John the Baptist was preaching and baptising at Salim, by the river Jordan.  He also had a strong following.  There were therefore two popular preachers, both involved in teaching and baptising.  A heated argument took place between followers of John and a certain Jew.  It was something to do with ceremonial washing.  Possibly the Jew was saying that baptism was essential for salvation and John’s disciples were saying that it was just a sign of what really mattered, repentance to God.

Whatever the cause of this argument, other deep concerns then come to the surface.  As a result some of John disciples came to John and complained about Jesus’ activities,

“Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – well, he is baptising, and everyone is going to him.” John 3:26

We are not told how they expected John to react.  Did they expect him to arrange for a bigger and better band with more contemporary music to draw the crowds?  Should he order more posters or fliers to be taken around the towns?

In Manchester there are now two large, successful but rival football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City.  Man. United have a great tradition of success.  Man City have also loads of money and have attracted top players.  Can you imagine Alex Ferguson of Man United saying to his players?

“They must become greater, we must become less.”

Selfishness is a fearful force within us all.  We live in a world full of jealousy and sin, yet people have such a poor understanding of what sin is.  The writer and Christian apologist, C.S.Lewis, was referring to the twentieth century when he said,

“The barrier I have met is the almost total absence from the minds of my audience of any sense of sin.”

Don Carson, an outstanding Christian teacher and theologian, was talking about the problems he found when sharing the Christian message in our universities today. He said,

“They know how to sin well enough, but they have no idea of what constitutes sin.”

John the Baptist’s response demonstrated what a clear understanding he had.  He recognised three important facts.

2.   JOHN’S PLACE IN GOD’S PLAN  v. 27-29

John was clearly a humble man. He replied to his disciples complaints by saying,

“A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.  You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him’.” John 3:27-28

John is clear that he is just a witness, a forerunner, a spotlight or the announcer of the main event.  In essence he is saying, ‘My role is just to introduce God’s Messiah, God’s chosen king.’  John then illustrates this with the analogy from a wedding.

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom.  The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens to him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.  That joy is mine and it is now complete.  He must become greater.  I must become less.” John 3:29-30

The role of the best man at a wedding is to make sure that the whole occasion goes well. He is thrilled when his friend, the bridegroom, arrives to find everything in place and the guests having an enjoyable time.  Nothing is worse than a wedding where someone upstages the bride and groom, whether the vicar, a hysterical mother or particularly the best man in his speech!

John the Baptist knows his place.  His joy comes from giving Jesus centre stage, his satisfaction comes when Jesus is honoured.

“That joy is mine and it is now complete.” John 1:29

In a similar way we all need to recognise our role in God’s world.  God has chosen us to serve him as his ambassadors, wherever we are.  The gifts we each have are gifts from God.  The opportunities we have are allowed us by God.  Even our successes are attributable to God.  It is very dangerous to believe that any success I have is due to my abilities and hard work.  Everything we have is a gift of God and, like John the Baptist, we should let ourselves be used to enhance the reputation of the Lord Jesus.

Eventually I will stand before the judgment seat of God.  How embarrassing it would be if my life had been spent putting myself in the centre and I had stolen the limelight from Jesus.  It is therefore important that we each ask ourselves,

“Is my focus more on extolling my achievements and skills than on Jesus and his love for other people?”

This is also important for us, when we feel low, insecure, eclipsed by others or feel generally useless about ourselves.  If my focus is on Jesus, and using what I have to serve him, and not on myself and my problems, then everything changes.  It is very liberating to recognise that we have all been given a place in God’s big plan.

Please don’t overlook the little word ‘must’ in verse 30,

‘Jesus must become greater, I must become less.’

This word is not optional for those who believe in Jesus – it is essential.  Jesus must receive the glory from my life.

3.   THE INCOMPARABLE GREATNESS OF JESUS CHRIST  v. 31-35

Many scholars consider that verses 31 to 36 are a commentary by John the apostle on what has gone before.

These verses describe the heart of the gospel and extol Jesus.who is so worthy of the highest honour.  Jesus came into this world from God, from heaven.  He is completely different from everything that is of this world even from John the Baptist.

“The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.  The one who comes from heaven is above all.” John 3:31

We may admire deeply heroes of our day, such as David Cameron, David Beckham, Alastair Cook, Rory McIlroy, Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and the like, but compared to Jesus these are insignificant.  Dust returns to dust.

Remember how John’s record of the gospel starts,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made . . .” John 1:1-3

‘The Word’ is the name given to Jesus, the second person of the Trinity.  He personifies the Godhead.  He verbalises what God wants us to know, hence he is called ‘The Word’.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. .“ John 1:14

How can people be certain about Jesus?  After all, he lived two thousand years ago.  People have claimed that crop circles are caused by UFOs and extraterrestrial beings.  What is the evidence? Jesus certainly claimed to be God.  Many people, even his enemies, confirmed that he did astounding miracles that have never been repeated.  He was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy because he claimed to be God’s Messiah.  He lived a heavenly life on earth – so much so that even his enemies could not accuse him of any sin.  He was unique. His disciples were convinced that he rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion just as he had foretold – so much so that they gave their lives in order to convince the world about Jesus.  He fulfilled the 330 prophecies in the Old Testament that give details about the Messiahs birth, lineage, life and death.  He started a church that rapidly spread throughout the known world against much opposition– without there being the miracles and the resurrection this is very hard to explain.  The content of what Jesus taught is exceptional and resonates with our spiritual instincts.  People who have followed him personally find their lives, morals and purpose changes.

Many people have been convinced about Jesus simply by reading about his life and what he said.

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God. . . “ John 3:34

Jesus’ whole life demonstrated the Spirit of God in its fullness.

“ . . . for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” John 3:34-35

Here we have another glimpse of the Trinity, the Father, Son and Spirit working together in perfect harmony.  Jesus has come from the Father in heaven.  He is full of the Spirit of God.  He alone teaches with the direct authority of God.  He alone acts with divine power; everything is in his hands.

No wonder John the Baptist said,

“He must become greater, I must become less.”

William Carey, the great Baptist missionary, who became the father of modern missions, said something similar,

“When I’m gone, don’t talk of William Carey, talk of William Carey’s Saviour.  I desire that Christ alone be magnified.”

At the beginning of John chapter 3 we met Nicodemus.  He first came to Jesus at night, perhaps as an enquirer, perhaps rather ashamed.  When we next meet him is clearly sympathetic.  The Chief Priests and Pharisees were angry that no soldier had dared to arrest Jesus as they had ordered.  They retorted,

“Has any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed in him? No!” John 7:48

At this point Nicodemus, who was one of their own number (a Pharisee) spoke up.

“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”  They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too?’” John 7:51

By the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, Nicodemus’ love for Jesus is obvious.  He openly aligns himself with him. Jesus had been executed as a blasphemer and a threat to society, and yet Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arimathea, wants to give him a proper burial (John 10:39-40).  It was Nicodemus who brought around seventy five pounds in weight of spices and the two of them wrapped up Jesus’ body, with the spices, using strips of cloth.  This was a very large amount of spices for one burial; such a weight would be used in Royal burials.

Nicodemus was willing to face the ridicule of his fellow Pharisees.  He understood,

“He must become greater and I must become less.”

All of us need to understand the necessity of this motto.  Jesus is incomparably great and true Christians desire his glory to increase so we, his servants, must become less.

ETERNITY IS AT STAKE

These are very serious matters.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

If God loves his Son so much and has placed everything into his hands; if God’s Holy Spirit has been given to His Son without limit – then it is obvious that my relationship with God depends on how I relate to His Son, Jesus Christ.

When I was doing jury service recently one of my roles as a juror was to determine whose evidence was less that completely reliable.  It could have serious consequences if we misread someone’s testimony.  It is even more serious if we mistake Jesus for being an untruthful witness.

“He (Jesus) testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no-one accepts his testimony.” John 3:32

The reason why we reject Jesus is not because there is good evidence against him, it is because we do not like what he says.  Such wilful stupidity will be very costly indeed.

“Whoever believes the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

God’s wrath is not arbitrary, but the righteous response of a Holy God when he sees his Holy Son, full of the holy Spirit, rejected for no good reason.

I love my wife very much indeed. Imagine that she goes round to visit a newcomer to the area on behalf of the church.  She introduces herself and is immediately shouted at, spat on, kicked, slapped and ridiculed.  Surely it would be wrong if I did not feel a righteous anger at such malicious treatment.

In a far bigger way, God sent his Son and he was rejected and murdered in a cruel way.  Mankind rejected and killed the creator of the universe.  So we are subject to God’s wrath.

The great news is that God is also a loving god, full of grace and mercy.  He introduced himself to Moses on Mount Sinai with the words,

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished . . .” Exodus 34:6

The wonderful news is that God has promised to all who repent and live under the authority of Jesus, that our rebellion is forgotten.  The penalty we deserve has been taken by Jesus on that cross.  He took the wrath of God on himself so that we can now be free, just because we belong to Jesus.

Mark Ashton was the vicar of St Andrews the Great Church in the centre of Cambridge.  He had some trouble with his gall bladder and had a routine operation to remove it.  Horror of all horrors, they found he had inoperable cancer.  Mark was a very gifted man who had become a Christian at university, and those first five months were, he said, the best five months of his life.  Before he died he wrote a short pamphlet about his imminent death.  He titled it ‘On my way to Heaven’.  It included the following,

“Despite the very great strength of human love, it cannot destroy death.  There is only one relationship that can do that.”

It is in terms of relating to Jesus that I must understand my death.  Jesus will be the same, indeed he will be more real, more true than he has ever been before.  It is his voice that will call me into his presence and he himself will take me to be with him that I may be with him forever.

He is the first and he is the last, he is the beginning and the end.

It has been said that for the believer, the end of the world is more a person than an event.  That is certainly true at the end of my life.  My death may be the event with which this physical life on earth ends but it will also be the moment at which my relationship with Jesus becomes complete.

That relationship is the only thing that has made sense of my physical life and at my death it will be my everything.”

Mark was a man who had a real relationship with Jesus.  He knew he had been given eternal life and that had started when he first trusted in Jesus Christ.

“. . . whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” John 3:36

Christian belief is nothing less than a personal relationship with Jesus.

• Accepting the Christian Creed is not accepting Jesus

• Acknowledging Christian truths are not adoring Jesus

• We can worship religiously but not worship Jesus

• We can accept Christian morals but not acknowledge Jesus

• We can observe Christian traditions but not obey Jesus

• We can try to live a Christian life but not have a personal trust in Jesus

May no reader of this article be satisfied with creeds, truths, morals or religious observance and fail to enter a personal relationship with Jesus for ourselves, trusting that he alone can take me to glory.

Whoever rejects a personal relationship with the Son, however nice, pleasant and ethical they may be, will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.  There are just two roads,

1. Believe in Jesus, in which case Jesus must become greater and I must become less. His cause, his glory is now my purpose.

2. Magnify myself so that I become greater in this world.

We must each decide whether we will imitate Jesus, His apostles, and people like William Carey and Mark Ashton.  The apostle Paul had made that decision,

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

May I ask you to decide if you will join forces with others committed to Christ. Will you help point others to the incomparable greatness of Jesus and show them how they may receive eternal life through faith in him?

BVP

John 3:16-21. Why don’t people believe?

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

When I was a medical student at The London Hospital, I had a good friend who was interested in finding answers to life’s questions. One evening we had a long discussion, going over the evidence that Jesus is God’s Messiah who entered this world to be our Saviour. At the end I asked him if he would like to commit himself to Jesus Christ. He replied,

“No. It is not that the evidence isn’t convincing but, frankly, I don’t want to believe as it will mean changing the way I live.”

He was very honest. This passage helps us understand what Nick had misunderstood and why he had chosen to reject Jesus. John 3:16 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible but few understand why it was so shocking to Nicodemus and to many religious people today.

GOD SO LOVED

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher defined God as the ‘uncaused’. His God was an immensely powerful creator. The Bible does not want people to regard God in such a limited way. He is majestically powerful but wants to be known as a loving heavenly Father. At the beginning of Genesis God has a close relationship with the people he created, Adam and Eve. Throughout the Bible, there is a repeated emphasis is on the close relationship he wants with all people.

Notice how this passage starts,

“God so loved . . .” John 3:16

A young woman aged about thirty had been on the edge of Christian activities for many years. One day she met a Christian minister who had known her years before. After talking for a while he asked her straight out,

“Please tell me, are you committed to the Lord Jesus now?”

The lady hesitated, looked down and said simply,

“No.”

“May I enquire why not?” the minister asked.

“I’m frightened.”

The minister then came up with a brilliant question,

“What is it about the Lord Jesus, from what you know of his character, that makes you frightened?”

If she had grasped the meaning of John 3:16 she couldn’t be frightened. Her heavenly Father wants the very best for her. He would never ask her to do anything that was not for her long term good. At heart this young lady did not believe that God loved her. She was following Aristotle’s idea of God. She was not following the teaching of the Bible, where God has revealed himself as a God of love.

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD

One of John’s habits is to repeat key words for emphasis. Thus the word ‘world’ is repeated.

v. 16 - ‘God so loved theworld’;

v. 17 - Jesus was sent ‘not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”;

v. 19 – ‘ light has come into the world’

Another key word is ‘light’.

v. 19 – ‘light has come into the world but men loved darkness instead of light.’

v. 20 - ‘evil doers hate the lightand will not come into the light.”

A third key word is ‘believe’.

v. 15 – ‘that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’

v. 16 – ‘whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

v. 18 – ‘whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed . . .

Surely this repeated use of words is deliberate. Jesus taught that the world is in darkness, it cannot see the way it should go. The light comes through Jesus Christ, he is the way. But we must each respond personally to Jesus by believing or submitting to him. Christian belief is not just accepting a doctrine or theory, even Satan accepts those as true. The response God asks for is a personal relationship with Jesus, the Lord of the universe.

This verse would be a great shock to Nicodemus. He considered that the ‘world’ was opposed to God. He believed that when the Messiah came there would be a terrible judgment when God’s people would be saved and the world outside would be condemned. So verse 17 would come as a bombshell,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

In the ancient world there were many false gods and idols. These idols were graphic symbols representing man’s innermost selfish desires. In the west we have largely got rid of the symbolic symbols but the selfish internal idols are just as strong. We still worship power, sex and wealth.

Yet the message that the Bible brings is that God so loved the entire world, those who were rebels against him, that he sent his one and only Son so that the relationship with all people could be restored.

ONE AND ONLY SON

Nicodemus would undoubtedly have believed in “one God, maker of heaven and earth”. God does not tolerate any rival or a divided heart. This is why he is called a ‘jealous’ God. He will not share his world with any other ideology, power or religion. Later Nicodemus did come to understand that he had been standing in front of that God who had entered this world in the flesh. This is why our heavenly Father sent Jesus into his world – to reclaim it.

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

Today there are those following differing religions and philosophies who say that Jesus is just one of many ways to God. Jesus will have none of such treacherous talk. He is not ‘a god’ but ‘the God’. Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The apostles taught the same message. When Peter and John were arrested and hauled before the Sanhedrin, the same Ruling Council court that had condemned Jesus, they bravely exclaimed,

“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

THE MEANING OF SALVATION

Jesus and his apostles divide the inhabitants of earth into just two groups, the saved and the unsaved. God has always separated the light from the dark since the earliest days of existence (Genesis 1:4). People are either sheep or goats (Matthew 25:32), foolish or wise virgins (Matthew 25:2), wise or foolish builders (Matthew 7:24), wheat or tares (Matthew 13:25), those who walk in the light or those who walk in darkness (John 3:20-21). Either we belong to God’s kingdom and we have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life or we do not.

When we make moral assessments of other people around us we often do so in terms of ‘greys’. The really nasty characters, like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Sadaam Hussein are usually considered very dark grey. In contrast Mother Theresa and her like are very light grey. If we are honest we will usually put ourselves a little above the average, whilst those closest to us we place just a little lower than us. God does not see people in this way. He sees us either as black, unforgiven and outside his kingdom or white because our sins have been forgiven and we have Christ’s righteousness covering us. This undeserved status is a gift because we follow Jesus.

Two Roads

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught that there are just two roads, each with their own destination.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

The major road is wide and has an impressive gate or archway at its beginning. Crowds are walking along this road, busy talking with others and getting on with their own business. No-one seems to take any notice of the signpost which says ‘To Destruction’ or ‘To Hell’. The people all have large rucksacks on their backs representing the sin that they are responsible for, that is their wilful independence from God. This sin is the root cause of all the selfish sins we all commit in thought, word and deed.

Branching off at the side there is a narrow road with a less impressive gate or arch to mark its beginning. The signpost here says ‘To Life’. One person in the bustling crowd on the broad way starts to think,

“Where am I going, what is the purpose of my life? Is there no way back from my independence and sin?”

He begins to go back towards the gate on the narrow way. You can imagine friends questioning and even jeering at him. “Are you getting religion?”

He comes to the narrow gate but finds he cannot squeeze through because of the sin on his back. Then he hears someone standing nearby say to him, “I can take that off you”. The relief is great as the rucksack is lifted and the responsibility for his sin is removed. The person, who of course is Jesus, takes the load and lays it on his cross. The man can now squeeze through the narrow gate that has the name ‘Repentance’ written on it and starts to travel along the narrow road. But he is not alone; Jesus, the friend who took his sin off him, is travelling along beside him. It is not an easy path but the journey is immensely satisfying.

To be saved is to enter a new personal relationship with God as my Father through my submission to Christ. It has been well said that Christianity consists of personal pronouns. Many religious people can say ‘Jesus is Lord’. Those in God’s kingdom can say, ‘Jesus is my Lord’. Christian belief is a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. He alone is able to pay for my sin which he achieved by dying as my substitute on that cross. We all need to be saved, even the good, moral Nicodemus’ of this world because our default position is that of a rebel against God.

“ . . . whoever does not believe stands condemned already . . .” John 3:18

We all know, if we are honest with ourselves, that we have not lived as God wants, we have told lies, cheated, thought and behaved immorally, coveted and stolen other’s belongings or reputations. We are all carrying rucksacks containing the consequences of our rebellion. The great news of the Bible is that God is a loving, compassionate God who longs to forgive everyone who returns to him. This change of allegiance is called repentance. Jesus is clear that if we remain inwardly independent of God, even though we are outwardly religious, we will be rejected by God. We must all make a personal decision about the place the Lord Jesus will have in my life.

“. . . but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18

Many people try to hide behind their religion, believing that their religion will save them. When writing this article I read Jeremiah chapter seven in my morning Bible Reading. It is frightening. God’s people thought then that their religious beliefs and practices were enough to save them. Jeremiah strongly warns about the idiocy of such thinking. People were hiding behind a formal religion, and thought that this gave them protection.

“Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD . . . but look, you are trusting deceptive words that are worthless. . . I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen . . . I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be you God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that all may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention. . . “ Jeremiah 7:4,8,13,23

WHAT STOPS PEOPLE BECOMING CHRISTIANS?

The evidence that God has supernaturally stepped into this world in the form of Jesus is very convincing indeed. However it is rarely the reliability of Christ’s claims that is the real stumbling block. There are moral problems to believing.

“Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil.” John 3:19

It is so hard for us to accept this but the Bible repeatedly says that we are all rebels against God.

“There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one seeks God. All have turned away . . .” Romans 3:10-12 quoting the Old Testament

“All have sinned and fall short of the kingdom of God.” Romans 3:23

It is an interesting fact that people prefer to keep the company of those who have similar faults to themselves. Thieves prefer the company of other thieves. Prostitutes keep company with other prostitutes. Lazy people prefer the company of other sluggards. There may be several reasons for this but one undoubtedly is that we feel less bad when others around us are doing the same wrong things. We prefer to do wrong things out of the gaze of people we respect, in the dark.

John’s next sentence is even stronger.

“Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” John 3:20

How often do people looking at a dubious programme on the internet or television rapidly change programme when their parents or partner is approaching. We are ashamed inwardly and want to keep what we really are like in the dark.

A short while ago I lifted a paving stone in out garden. Underneath it was a beautiful ants’ nest with small channels, many eggs and hundreds of ants. As soon as the stone was lifted the ants scurried away from the light, taking their eggs with them. Within three minutes they had all disappeared into dark holes. They hated the light. Similarly we don’t want people to see what we are really like.

When we come into God’s light our wrong behaviour has to change. We are now openly walking God’s way. We now know that God is always caring for us as a loving parent. It is for our good that we become like Jesus.

When I first became a Christian I was indirectly influenced by the ‘East African Revival’. One of the great themes of this revival was the view that true Christian conversion must be accompanied by an honest confession and turning away from sin. When someone was convicted about their rebellion against God, they believed that they could be both forgiven and changed because of what Jesus had done for them. As they were coming ‘into the light’, they would openly confess their past sin and make restitution to any they had harmed. There were many stories from East Africa of new believers returning what they had stolen and confessing of racial, verbal and sexual sins. Marriages were repaired as people returned to the Lord.

What does it mean when it says that men naturally ‘hate God’? Most people seldom tirade openly against God. Yet surely it is true that we do treat him in ways that we most hate to be treated ourselves.

1. We ignore him and cut him dead, when he most wants to have a close family relationship with us. Petulant children often try to hurt their parents in similar ways. It is most hurtful to have someone we know walk straight past us at a party and deliberately refuse to even say hello. Yet we refuse to include God in our conversations and actions.

2. We use God in blatantly selfish ways.

   I once gave a lift to a young man who had been an infantry man in the Falklands war. He had been involved in the frightening battle for Mount Tumbledown, outside Port Stanley. He described how bullets were flying all around his colleagues and himself. His friend was instantly killed next to him when a bullet hit his head. He told me that everyone prayed ardently at this time.

‘Do you pray now?’ I asked.

“No, as I no longer have a need!”

Many students, even professing atheists, have prayed before they go in for exams they feel unprepared for, only to forget God soon afterwards.

1. We judge God. We talk about God as if he is at fault. We put God in the dock instead of ourselves. The Christian writer and apologist C.S.Lewis wrote,

“The greatest barrier I have met in trying to persuade people about the Christian faith is the almost total absence from the minds of my audience of any sense of sin. The ancient man approached God or even the gods as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. Man is the judge. God is in the dock. Man is quite a kindly judge. If God should have a reasonable defence for being the God who permits war, poverty and disease, man is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock.

My problem is that I am not willing to change. I want to continue as I am, free to live independently of God, free to sin and to be judgmental of him.

Note the amazing contrast between man’s selfish approach and that of God.

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. . .”

He loves, not with self interest, but with self giving. Yet we still prefer to remain in darkness.

THE REMEDY

“Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light . . .” John 3:21

What does this mean?

1. Jesus is the truth

Jesus repeatedly says,

“I tell you the truth . . .” John 3:11

Later he will say,

“I am the truth . . .” John 14:6

This is saying much more than that he existed. He claimed to be God’s Messiah who fulfilled all the 330 Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament. He repeatedly said that he would rise from the dead after being crucified. The apostles bore witness that this did happen by dedicating the rest of their lives to telling the world about Jesus and his resurrection. Jesus’ teaching does have that ‘ring of truth’ about it. It resonates with those instincts we all have about purpose, honesty, integrity and love. We acknowledge that there are higher standards than the law of the country by the way we judge others when they have wronged us.

We come into the light when we acknowledge that Jesus is the truth of God and that he entered this world to save all who will bend their knee before Him.

2. I live for myself

To enter into God’s light, into His kingdom, I must see myself as God sees me. It is painful to acknowledge how much we have lived in the dark. If we have not recognised what we are really like, we will never see our need for a Saviour. It is only when we see our need that we will see the wonder and truth in Jesus.

On one occasion Jesus was invited to dinner in the house of Simon the Pharisee. A woman ‘who had lived a sinful life’ then entered the room, poured some expensive ointment over Jesus’ feet and then wiped her tears off his feet with her hair. Simon was critical. Judas Iscariot was critical – “what a waste of money” he pronounced. But Jesus answered them,

“I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven . . . but he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47

If our hearts are cold towards Jesus, could it be because we still see ourselves as quite nice people?

If anyone is saying, “I can’t believe”, Jesus asks, “can’t believe or won’t believe?”

BVP

John 3:16 God’s message

How we desperately need to understand God’s message to us today. Theology is the name given to the science or understanding of God.   In all our old universities theology used to be the most senior of all studies and all university courses would start with this subject. Theology used to be called the Queen of Sciences as it was considered that every discipline was dependent on this. This is no longer practised and today the study of God is widely regarded as being irrelevant.

But it is only God who can give essential elements to our lives, he gives a purpose for life, he gives the reason why all should behave with integrity. However for us to understand God, he has to reveal himself in a form we can comprehend.

The following very famous verse summarises the Christian message.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

This verse teaches that we can be put right with God but only because God has made this possible. This summary is accepted, at least in theory, by all mainline churches.   However, in practice, very few who call themselves Christians believe what this verse says today.  This may seem to be a shocking statement but an investigation of what the verse says confirms that this is generally true.

1.  All men are perishing

This verse states that people are perishing.  This is a recurrent theme in the teaching of Jesus and of his apostles. The Bible teaches that naturally we all want to live independently of God, that there is no-one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:11). In the sermon on the Mount Jesus said,

“For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Our verse in John makes it clear that God does not want people to perish. He went to extreme lengths so that we could avoid this wretched state.  Why else would he send his Son into this world if he didn't have a deep love for the lost? To perish is a strong word, it means much more than suffering severe financial loss, it means much more than physical suffering - it means to lose one's soul eternally. This message cannot be eradicated from the New Testament. The writer C.S. Lewis, who had been an atheist, said,

“Don't blame Paul, don't blame the early apostles, the origin of the teaching about hell comes from the lips of Jesus Christ and nobody else.”

The speaker at a family service produced a giant Bryant and May match box.  Their matchboxes have an ark printed on them and the ark is labelled ‘Security’. Both Bryant and May were Christians. The speaker told his hearers what the New Testament says about Noah and his ark.

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear build an ark to save his family.” Hebrews 11:7

Holy fear!  Even my computer could not recognise this concept. It wrote ‘Holy beer’. How do we bring back a holy fear of God into our society? How do we bring it back into our churches? Noah was widely thought to be an idiot to spend 100 years building the ark at God’s command. Yet he did it to save himself and his family. He believed God when told that there was a judgement coming and acted accordingly.

Do people believe that this verse is true and that there is still a hell ahead where many will perish?

2.  Jesus is God’s one and only Son, the one Saviour of the world

The uniqueness of Jesus is a persistent theme in the whole Bible. There is no one else like him. His teaching was unique. He stressed that God looks at the heart and not at our outward actions. Most people today think that ‘worship’ involves going to a church, a temple or some other religious venue. But in the New Testament worship is moved from the temple or synagogue to people's hearts. The way we live shows the God we worship. True worship occurs seven days a week and my thinking shows what God means to me;  ‘worthship' is ‘worship’, it reflects what I most value.

Since Victorian times many have said that there may be one God but there are many roads to him. Jesus was utterly opposed to such a view.

From the beginning of his gospel, John has stressed this point.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“No-one has ever seen God, but God is the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.” John 1:18

Nearly all religions recognise that Jesus was an exceptional man. They usually say he was a prophet. The New Testament rejects this completely. It repeatedly states that he is God’s ‘one and only son’ and because of this he alone can save us. Jesus himself said,

“I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father is well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

Does our society accept that Jesus is the one and only way to God? - never!  Do all our churches still teach this vital truth - unfortunately no!

3.  God loves the world

Before Christ, the Jews did not believe that God loved the world.  They thought that when the Messiah came he would lead his people to victory and would judge the nations.  This was a prominent feature of Judaism.  Yet Jesus clearly opposed this view.  The next verse empathises that God has come to save us, not to condemn.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

There is however a further twist to this.  In John’s gospel, the ‘world’ is always ‘worldly’ and in rebellion against God.  Later Jesus said to his disciples,

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18

The world God loves is not a charming, attractive world, it is one that has already decided to turn its back on God.  This outright rebellion against God is in stark contrast to the character of the God of the Bible.  When he revealed himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, he described his nature.  It is a very good description of Jesus!

“And he (God) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” Exodus 34:6

The God of the Bible is not a weak, sentimental God, but one who is very slow to react against our rebellion.  He longs for us to return to him and he allows us time to do so, but there is a limit to his patience.

The striking fact is that most do not want to enter God’s kingdom.  We are like ants that live in the dark under a stone in the garden.  If the stone is lifted those ants hate the light and scurry about for a couple of minutes, then there are few, if any, to be seen.  The next few verses state that people are just like this when the light of the gospel is presented to them.  We shy away from it because it reveals that we are all worldly, sinful people and we don’t want, what we really are, to be seen.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, But men loved darkness instead of light because there deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19-20

Hope is only for true believers

The Bible’s analysis of our plight may seem dismal but there is hope and this hope is in God's Son, the Lord Jesus.

I had a patient with terminal cancer who committed her life to Christ.  I went to visit her in the hospice and wanted to remind her that her salvation depended not on her actions but on what the Lord Jesus had done for her.  To make the point, I wrote her name on a piece of paper and said,

“This paper with your name on it represents you.  Let this Bible represent the Lord Jesus.  You have now committed yourself to him so, to represent this, let us put you inside the pages of Scripture, that is ‘in Him’.  Now when God looks at you, he no longer sees your sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.  You are secure because you are now in him.  Furthermore, the Lord Jesus has gone ahead of you to heaven to prepare a place there for you.  Because you are in him, your future is assured.”

To reinforce this we then read the following passage,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Our hope lies in what God has done for us, but we must respond as our verse emphasises,

“. . . that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The word ‘believe’ has changed its meaning in English.  It is derived from the Old English word ‘leiben’  which meant ‘to love’.  ‘Leiben’ still means ‘to love’ in German.  Prior to the nineteenth century ‘to believe’ meant to be committed to a person and to follow them.  Today it tends to mean just the acceptance of an idea.  Biblical belief is very much a commitment, a commitment to God and his Son.  It is this commitment, or faith, that opens the door to salvation.  Biblical ‘belief’ is analogous to marriage, indeed the church is repeatedly described as being the ‘bride of Christ’. The Bible stresses that without a turning from living for ourselves to living as Jesus our Saviour wants, we have no part in him, we do not have eternal life.  This is what repentance means, a complete permanent ‘rethink’ of the direction of our life.  We have to make a decision to turn and live a new life with Jesus in control.  John calls this change ‘living by the truth’.

“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:21

So the gospel divides us into two groups, the forgiven and those who refuse to be forgiven, the saved and the unsaved.

Our verse, John 3:16, makes it abundantly clear who is a Christian.  Those who are in Christ are eternally secure because Christ has taken the penalty for our sin.  A business man heard a talk on this passage and said to the minister on leaving,

“I'm glad I came to church today. I know now that I'm not a believer.”

In contrast, an obituary was published in the Times about a twenty four year old man,

“A dearly loved nephew, cousin and friend but especially a beautiful child of God and follower of Jesus; in his arms he is safe.”

This passage reminds us of the great privilege we have if we are in Christ. In contrast there will be a great price to pay for those who insist in living without Christ.

BVP

John 3:1-15. Born Again?

When Bradley Wiggins had won his cycling gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics, people were desperate to see him and even touch him. It must have been similar with Jesus. He had performed many miraculous signs in Jerusalem and was the talk of the town.

“Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and ‘believed’.” John 2:23

But Jesus didn’t trust them. He knew there was a form of superficial belief that was not what God required. In Western churches today there are many who have a form of religion but other than that their lives are little different from others in their social group. There seems to be little fire for Christ, they don’t talk about him.

I had a patient who was the church warden of her local Anglican church. After we had sorted the medical issues I asked her how the church was going?

“It is getting difficult. We are getting smaller and older.”

“Oh dear, but tell me, do members of the church talk about the Lord Jesus with others in the village?”

“Good gracious me, no! We don’t even talk about him amongst ourselves.”

Nicodemus, was clearly keen to understand Jesus at a deeper level. Who is Jesus? What is his message? He longed for a private interview.

Nicodemus himself was no ordinary person. He was a member of the seventy strong Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. He was also the Regius Professor of Theology in Jerusalem. Jesus describes him as ‘the teacher of Israel’. He clearly had a great reputation. Like many Pharisees, he was a highly moral, respected leader of society. Yet he still had important questions he wanted answered by Jesus.

So Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Presumably this was when the crowds had dispersed. The phrase ‘at night’ was also an allusion to the fact that, in spite of Nicodemus being a moral upright leader of Israel, he was still ‘in the dark’. As a religious Jew, he would have had every qualification outwardly but, in spite of this, Jesus says he was not yet a member of God’s kingdom.

Everyone needs to understand this today. Outward rituals such as being baptised, confirmed, even ordained, do not give a person the right of admission into God’s kingdom, into heaven. Understanding and accepting Christian doctrine does not save people for heaven. Many people say they accept that they are sinners before God and that they believe that Jesus died for their sin. Nicodemus had such a religious faith, he accepted the need for a sacrifice for the forgiveness of his sin, but Jesus says that he did not have a saving faith. He knew nothing of the work of the Holy Spirit to change his heart.

It is interesting that the great Nicodemus calls Jesus ‘Rabbi’, when he had no official right to that title. Indeed Jesus had no formal religious qualifications we know of, but clearly there was something about Jesus that made people sit up and think.

Nicodemus needed to be taught three truths by Jesus, and these same truths are relevant for all of us.

1. THE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BIRTH v. 1-10

“Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3

Jesus repeats this three times to make the point absolutely clear.

“I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” John 3:5

“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’. John 3:7

Notice the emphasis Jesus gives. ‘I tell you the truth’ is a phrase Jesus used when he wanted to emphasise something strongly. ‘Must’ leaves no room for doubt - even good religious people ‘must’ be born again to enter God’s kingdom.

What is this ‘kingdom of God’? It is a phrase commonly used by the writers of the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke but seldom by John. John speaks more of ‘eternal life’. A kingdom speaks of the rule of a king. It is a dynamic relationship. God’s kingdom is entered when we become subjects of King Jesus, but will be complete later when the king returns. Matthew, Mark and Luke look forwards to this fulfilment a lot. John emphasises what God gives to his people now – eternal life when they become followers of the King.

Here Jesus speaks to Nicodemus in terms of God’s kingdom. If he wants to see the kingdom of God – then he must be born again and accept the king, yes, even a man such as Nicodemus must submit. The king has arrived, his kingdom has now begun, and he is still not a member of it.

Nicodemus is puzzled even though Jesus is using Old Testament language. In Ezekiel, God describes the new beginning that God will give to his people.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” Ezekiel 36:25

Jesus is repeating Ezekiel’s message. God will cleanse his people from all their sin and furthermore, he will give us his Spirit so that we will want to live for God.

I recently attended a conference of a missionary society. One of its striking features was the way many of these missionaries were so content and satisfied, even though they were working in very tough areas with little or no public recognition. Their ambitions were different to those of many religious people, they really wanted to live for God and not themselves.

A minister asked a young boy in his church this profound question,

“What do you have to do to go to heaven?”

He thought for a moment before replying,

“You’ve got to die.”

How true this reply was. Clearly no-one can experience heaven until we have died physically. However to be admitted to God’s kingdom we have to die to self now. Paul understood this,

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus) who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Nicodemus, for you to be admitted to God’s Kingdom you must die to self and be born again.

It is a popular misconception that if we are pleasant, moral, religious people then God will look favourably on us when the judgment comes. This is not true. Nicodemus had to learn this.

The message of all religions of the world on how people can satisfy God all begin with the same three letters.

M E R . .

The vast majority teach that people are accepted by God because of the good way they live, that is through

M E R I T

Jesus’ message is utterly different. His message is that people can only be accepted by God through

M E R C Y

He says that his mercy is given to everyone who truly trusts in God’s Son, Jesus.

Nicodemus still couldn’t quite understand this. So Jesus used the analogy of a gust of wind.

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

So it is with the Holy Spirit. We cannot understand everything about God, but we can experience the life-changing effect He has on people. We have all seen this change in some Christians. When I was a student, it was one of the first things that made me renew my interest in Jesus, the effect he has on others. It is God’s Spirit that stirs us to be concerned about our relationship with God. We cannot understand it, but the effect is real.

So Nicodemus, great as you are in human terms,

“You must be born again.”

This idea is often mocked today but Jesus taught it emphatically. Each of us must respond individually and allow God’s Spirit to work in us so that we die to self and live a new life for Christ.

Bishop Taylor-Smith was a corpulent Chaplain General to the Forces. One Sunday morning he was preaching in Salisbury Cathedral on this passage. In order to emphasise this necessity of the new birth he said,

“My dear people do not substitute anything for the new birth. You may be a member of a church, but church membership is not new birth. Jesus said, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’.”

On his left sat the Archdeacon in his stall. Pointing directly at him the Bishop said,

“You might even be an Archdeacon, like my friend in his stall, and not be born again. Remember, ‘Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God’.

A day or two later he received a message from the Archdeacon.

“My dear bishop, you have found me out. I have been a clergyman for over thirty years, but I have never known anything of the joy that Christians speak of. I never could understand. Mine has been a hard legal service. I did not know what the matter was with me, but when you pointed directly at me and said,

“You might even be an Archdeacon and not be born again; I knew in a moment what the trouble was. I had never known anything of the new birth.”

Next day the Archdeacon and the bishop met up and they went through the Bible together. Then the Archdeacon knelt before his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and took his place as a sinner who desperately needed Christ’s MERCY and he desperately needed the gift of God’s Spirit.

George Whitfield was an eighteenth century evangelist who often preached on this same verse? Someone complained to him,

“Why do you preach on this text so often?”

He answered,

“You must be born again!”

2. THE ORIGIN OF CHRIST’S MESSAGE v. 11-13

Jesus claimed to be the Lord God who had come down from heaven to earth in order to take men from earth to heaven.

“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” John 3:11

What Jesus teaches is God’s word or message to us. We cannot pick and choose those bits of the Bible we like and reject those bits we dislike such as judgment and hell.

“You don’t believe me when I have told you about things on this earth, how can you believe if I speak of heavenly things.” John 3:12

Today there are many people who are uncertain whether what the Bible teaches and what Jesus says are really from God. Yet this is exactly what the church has believed since Jesus’ time. John wrote his gospel to convince people that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh. He gave compelling evidence about the life and teaching of Jesus. His aim was that as people investigate the evidence, they should believe in Jesus. This was vital as personal commitment to Jesus Christ results in individuals being given eternal life. John summarised this,

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

The lesson is clear. If anyone wants to know the way to heaven we must become followers of the one and only person who is ‘the way’ – ‘the one who came from heaven’ (John 3:13).

3. THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST’S DEATH v. 14-15

Jesus again uses a story from the Old Testament that Nicodemus would have known well. In Numbers chapter twenty one a frightening incident is described. The Israelites were in the wilderness, hoping to find a way into the Promised Land, just as we hope to gain admission to heaven. The people became impatient, they seemed to be going nowhere and life was far from easy. They started to grumble against both their leader, Moses, and against God. They moaned, complained and as often happens exaggerated their problems – they said they had no bread and no water, yet they were still alive enough to complain!

But God is never to be trifled with. He sent them some poisonous snakes that should have reminded them of what happened to Adam and Eve. Many people died from the snake-bites.

As often happens, problems can bring people to their senses. They learned that it is a fearful thing to oppose God, to moan, disagree and not trust God’s promises.

They said in desperation,

“We have sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you.”

Then the Lord told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole so that everyone could see it.

“Anyone who is bitten can look on it and live.” Numbers 21:8

This story that Jesus refers to reminds us all that God’s judgment will come to all who rebel against him, but it also a reminder that he is a merciful God who also provides the way of salvation.

The British Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) uses the picture of the snake on a pole in their regimental badge. They see themselves as the hope for people injured in battle, just as the gospel is the hope for those damaged by sin.

In the Bodleian library in Oxford there is a Medieval Manuscript containing a remarkable picture. This depicts a prominent Moses on the left, looking at the brass snake on the pole. Around him are several people, each signifying a message.

1. One man is asleep on the ground. He doesn’t think there is much to worry about. The bite of sin is only a little thing. A serpent is even whispering in his ear, probably saying, ‘There is no need to worry’. Yet he is dying.

2. In the top left a man is fighting ferociously with a serpent. Apparently he thinks that salvation will come through his own antagonism against evil. He has not grasped that the only solution is to look at the brass snake.

3. Another man is busy dressing the wounds of a friend, but neither are looking at the brass snake. It is as if the artist is saying about him, ‘Surely if I am kind and helpful, I will be cared for by God’. This is not true, the bite of the snake kills all.

4. Another man is kneeling and looking at Moses. He thinks that his religion will save him. However religion has never saved anybody.

5. But there is another man behind Moses who has a calm peaceful look on his face. He is looking at the serpent of brass, and not at the snakes, at Moses or at himself. He stands for the man who believes God’s word and lives.

God’s message to all of us is the same. We can react in different ways to the salvation that God offers to all who will look to his Son, who was also ‘lifted up’ on our behalf. Jesus longed for Nicodemus to understand the prophetic meaning of the story of the serpent on the pole.

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

Why did God tell Moses to make a brass serpent, when a serpent represents sin, instead of a lamb representing purity? Surely this is significant. It is to teach that salvation of mankind was to be obtained by someone who would become sin for us.

“God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

As Jesus hung there on that cross, lifted high, he became sin for me. He took my sin on himself. The analogy is precise. Just as the Israelites had to look and trust when the snakes troubled them, so for us to be saved, we must look to and trust in the Lord Jesus who became sin for us. He became our substitute. He is the King, who rules the Kingdom of God, but he came to die to take men and women from earth to heaven.

4. LESSONS JESUS WANTS ALL TO UNDERSTAND

1. I need to be ‘born again’.

Just as the respectable Nicodemus needed to be ‘born again’ so do all of us. Jesus says that this involves accepting two facts.

a. I must trust that Jesus is telling us God’s truths.

“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” John 3:11

There is no new birth for those who reject what Jesus teaches.

b.. I must commit myself to Jesus

“. . . that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

To believe in Jesus means to trust him personally. It is all too easy to have an intellectual believe that is not personal.

A vicar overheard his young son praying one Sunday night at bedtime.

“Lord, please help the faith of daddy to drop a foot”

“What do you mean?” his father inquired.

“Well, we learnt in Sunday School today that God doesn’t just want us to believe in our heads but in our hearts.”

At my preparatory school, if the winter was very cold, the headmaster, Mr. R.J. Mowll, would take us down to the big lake when it was frozen over. First he would walk on the ice, then he would allow the senior boys on and finally, if all was well, he would invite the rest of us all onto the ice. Some went boldly, others timidly. What mattered however was not the confidence or faith of the boys, but the reliability of the object of our faith, in that case the strength of the ice. We all have different personalities, some throw themselves into something new with gusto, others hesitantly, what matters however is that we take that step and have faith.

If any reader is still keeping Jesus at arm’s length, like the Archdeacon, what is there to prevent you taking that step of faith by telling the Lord Jesus that you will trust him from now on? We know that Nicodemus did make that commitment to Christ. After Jesus crucifixion he and Joseph of Arimathea showed their commitment to Christ by publicly collecting Jesus’ body for burial.

2. The New Birth is the most important happening of anyone’s life.

Being ‘born again’, my conversion to Christ, may be a gradual event or we may be able to remember the day when we invited the Lord Jesus into our lives. This acceptance by God is more important than our career decisions, our marriage or any spiritual experiences. We should not chase experiences. The real ‘second blessing’ comes when we die and see Jesus face to face. Till then our conversion is the most important feature of a person’s life.

On 28th April 1789 Fletcher Christian, the second in command of HMS Bounty led a mutiny against Captain Bligh. Eventually the mutineers arrived at Pitcairn Island, an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. At first this seemed like paradise to them. But the mutineers began to mistreat the local Tahitans and one of the Tahitan wives was stolen, resulting in a rebellion. Within four years all the Tahitan men and all but four of the mutineers had been killed. One of the four learned to distil alcohol and soon the men were drunk most of the time. One of the men killed himself by falling off a cliff, and then there were three. Another man became so dangerous he had to be executed. Then there were just two. They came to their senses and the still was destroyed. At this stage they found a Bible. One of the two, named Young, was seriously ill with tuberculosis but he could read and he took it on himself to teach the final mutineer, Alexander Smith to read also. Young died in 1801 but Smith kept reading this Bible. He took its message to heart and he turned to Christ for salvation. He was ‘born again’. The evidence for this was the change in lifestyle. Alexander Smith taught the children and their mothers to read the Bible and encouraged them all to live by what it taught. They prayed together and studied the Bible together. In 1808 the island was discovered and they found thirty-five lovely English speaking Polynesians who were living for the Lord Jesus. The evidence of being ‘born again’, for starting a new life, is such a permanent change.

This teaching of Jesus is wonderful. It means anyone can be ‘born again’ of the Spirit because Jesus died on our behalf. We are ‘born again’ when we accept the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. We look to him, trust him and as a consequence we are given eternal life.

BVP

John 2:12-25. What is God Really Like?

What is God really like? C.S.Lewis in his book, ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ touches on this subject. Lucy and Edmund come to a large grassy expanse but in the centre is a whiter spot. At first this is difficult to see but as they approach it they see that the white spot is really a lamb. This lamb, that looks so white and pure, is cooking a fish breakfast! This is an obvious allusion to Jesus, the lamb of God who cooked a fish breakfast for his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. The two sit down and have a delicious breakfast with this Christ figure. A conversation follows on how to get to the land of Aslan. The Lamb eloquently begins an explanation on how to get there,

“There is a way into my country from all the worlds," . . . but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.”

What a wonderful picture, the Lamb is the Lion. In the Bible the gentle ‘Lamb who takes away the sin of the word’ is also the awesome, powerful ‘Lion of Judah’. Those lamblike qualities, the meekness and gentleness are combined with the might and power of the Lion.

The Bible speaks of the wrath of the Lamb. In John’s gospel he recounts the beautiful story of a family wedding in Cana in Galilee where wine ran out but he changed water into wine in both a real physical way but also symbolically – it was the first sign as to who Jesus really is. Jesus later described his meek nature,

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

But Jesus also had a very different side to his character. A man with a paralysed hand was presented to him in a synagogue one sabbath. Some there were looking for ways to accuse him and now they thought they had him - for healing a man on a sabbath.

“He looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand” he stretched it out, and his hand was completely healed. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Mark 3:5-6

He was not gentle when he said about Herod,

“Go, tell that fox . . .” Luke 13:32

There was nothing gentle when he said to Peter,

“Get behind me Satan . . .” Mark 8:33

Neither was there anything gentle about him when he said to some Pharisees such phrases as,

“You hypocrites, you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Matthew 23:27

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament. When the Lord introduced himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, he described his character. Love is the prominent feature, but he will not be rejected or trifled with for ever.

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

The Bible describes God’s attitude toward sin. He has strong feelings of hostility, disgust, and utter dislike. For example, sin is described as putrefying sores (Isaiah 1:6, NKJV), a heavy burden (Psalm 38:4), defiling filth (Titus 1:15; 2 Corinthians 7:1), a binding debt (Matthew 6:12-15), darkness (1 John 1:6) and a scarlet stain (Isaiah 1:18). God hates sin for the simple reason that sin separates us from Him: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2; see also Isaiah 13:11; Jeremiah 5:25).

The cleansing of the Temple

This next scene in the life of Jesus demonstrates his righteous anger. He was as much God in this scene as he was as he hang, seemingly helplessly, on that cross. Here his passionate love for honesty and integrity comes to the fore.

True love is always associated with hatred. If we love the poor and suffering we will naturally hate what caused this. All great men have been determined, passionate people and Jesus was greatest of all. In Jesus we have the perfect window into the mind of the Almighty and we see that he shows his passion and indignation for the house of God.

Jesus sees the misuse of the temple for business purposes and it makes him justly angry. He made a cord or whip out of the rushes that were under the animals for that is what the Greek word implies. With this instrument he drives people from the temple who were making exorbitant profits and drives the animals with them. John gives us a telling detail that reveals this was an eye-witness account. Jesus didn’t release the doves but said to their owners,

“Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

If the birds had been released they would have flown away and been lost.

What was worse was that the high Priest, Annas, and his family were behind all this. They sold franchises to the stall owners. The Gentile Court was even nick-named ‘The Bazaars of Annas.’

This was hardly the best way to win friends and influence people but it confirms that Jesus was not a passive idealised figure who walked about with a sheep on his shoulders, with flowers and children around.

This angry side of Jesus is not talked about enough. God does get angry when he is sidelined, rejected or ridiculed. He, like Aslan, is not to be scoffed at. The Psalms keep reminding people of this fact, for example,

“Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2:10-12

“We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. . . Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due to you.” Psalm 90:7

Isaac Watts’ famous hymn, ‘O God our help in ages past’ is a paraphrase of Psalm 90 but it misses the point. He omits the horror of our having to face God’s anger. The hymn says,

“Time like an ever rolling stream bore its sons away”

This gives the picture of people gently riding in a boat along a beautiful flowing stream! The psalmist is speaking more of a flood that is sweeping men to their deaths, rather like a tsunami.

Many people seem brainwashed into accepting ‘Jesus, meek and mild’ and forgetting to remember the awful judgments of God. John, following the example of the Old Testament prophets does not neglect to remind us of both sides of God’s nature. In John’s book, ‘Revelation,’ he likens the judgment day to the coming of the ‘crucified Lamb in glory’. Everyone will see the Lamb on his throne and will ask God to let rocks fall on them and hide them because they feel so ashamed and exposed. People won’t be able to face the wrath of the Lamb.

When the late J.B Phillips wrote his excellent modern translation of the New Testament epistles that he called ‘Letters to the Churches’, he asked C.S.Lewis to write a preface. In this preface, which became very famous he said,

“A most astonishing misconception has long dominated the modern mind on the subject of St Paul. It is to this effect: that Jesus preached a kindly and simple religion (found in the Gospels) and that St Paul afterwards corrupted it into a cruel and complicated religion (found in the Epistles). This is really quite untenable. All the most terrifying texts come from the mouth of Our Lord . . .”

This is true, the most terrifying words about judgment and hell come from Jesus’ own lips. Those who don’t respect his authority, who break his heart and who ruin his world, will be judged.

A false god is rejected

In the 1970’s there was a movement of some churchmen and theologians called ‘God is dead’. The aftermath of this teaching is still hanging around in some churches where the focus has become on social care and not on Jesus and what he taught. This is one of many false gods now being followed. Jeremiah warned us about serving other gods,

“Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under heaven.’” Jeremiah 10:11

Who today worships the gods of their day, Marduk or Baal? - they have already perished. However what some of the ancient gods personified are still being hankered after today, sexual immorality (personified in Venus, Eros, Aphrodite), power (Cratos), trickery and guile (Dolus), travel and trade (Hermes), wine drunkenness and lechery (Dionysius). Augustine in his books, ‘Confessions’ and ‘City of God,’ highlights the moral depravity of the ancient Greek and Roman gods who he considered to be bloodthirsty, lustful and depraved, and their practices were being followed.

The ‘God who is dead’ movement illustrated this. The God who died was the god of the enlightenment, the god that the Victorians came to believe in. It was Nietzsche who recognised that this would happen and that this god must die. This god had no spine or principle. Justice and anger had been removed, leaving only mercy and pity. This god became so distant that he allowed people to live much as they wanted with impunity . This god didn’t interfere with people’s lives. This god was just there at birth and to give reassurance at death but largely irrelevant in between.

Consequently radical theologians looked at the cruel world around us and threw out the God they had been brought up to believe in because this god had nothing to say to the cruel, violent and unjust modern world. However they threw out a false god.

Many people lost their faith during WW2. Why was this so common? Mostly they rejected the god of nursery rhymes and Sunday School who was certainly incompatible with the horrors of war. The unfair atrocities were real, so the fictional god had to go. The benevolent, kind, Father Christmas kind of god was not real and had to go. Unfortunately people threw out the baby with the bathwater.

The God revealed in the Bible and by Jesus is very different

The real God, revealed in the Bible and in Jesus, is nothing like that false Father Christmas sort of God. Yet this false god is still being taught. Clergymen, who follow this god, will often say at the funerals of even the most unprincipled people,

“He/she has gone to a better place, into the arms of a loving Saviour!’

This is not what the prophets, the apostles or even what Jesus taught. They affirm that there really is a judgment to come because the real God hates the sin and rebellion in us. They all teach that the only way to avoid this is to have a real Saviour take over the responsibility for my sin.

He is terrifying

The God of the Bible is sometimes terrifying. He brought the horrors of the Babylonian invasion in order to destroy Israel. He brings judgment even in such horrors as war. War, famine and Covid-19 are all under his control. The God of the Bible reluctantly sends terror to bring people back to him.

On one of his visits to Jerusalem, Jesus was confronted with a double tragedy that had great political implications. A group of Galileans had come down to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the temple but for some reason they had upset the Roman authorities and Pilate had them killed. The political storm can only be imagined. When Jesus was told about this he could easily have entered into a political discussion about the rights and wrongs of what had happened and where the faults lay. Instead he used the tragedy to help people think about something much more important, their own relationship with God. Jesus answered

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:2-3

Jesus was willing to use a very raw political situation to remind people of what really matters, their relationship with God. The other desperate problem was the collapse of the Tower of Siloam in South West Jerusalem. Eighteen were killed. Today there would be a public enquiry into the actions of the architect, the town planners, the builders and the building inspectors but Jesus avoids all this to get to what God sees as so important – an individual’s relationship with God. Jesus continued,

“Do you think they were more guilty than others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:4-5

Jesus is talking about that eternal separation from God that those who refuse to repent will inevitably face.

He is righteously indignant

Is a person complete if there is no capacity for righteous indignation? Is it right to hear of massacres and not care. When Isis or other groups kill innocent bystanders to publicise their cause is it not right to feel angry?

There is within all of us this capacity for righteous indignation. We have this, the Bible teaches, because we have all been created in the image of God. In us this is tarnished by our tempers and biases but in God it is perfectly under control. He is, as Moses was told on Mount Sinai,

‘The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished . . .” Exodus 34:6-7

What is it that makes God most angry? It is when his people, his church, has lost its holiness and its commitment to living for him. The world and worldliness have indeed entered churches of all denominations. In the temple of Jerusalem the leaders were making money out of selling animals for sacrifices. Such things anger God and should anger us.

The Jewish hierarchy did have some sort of belief and they even thought this was in accord with Scripture. They had all the outward appearances of being religious but their hearts were not in tune with the Lord. They had disregarded Joel, a prophet in the Old Testament, who had repeatedly said,

“‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your hearts . . . Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows, he may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing.” Joel 2:12-13

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had all the trappings, the dress, the liturgies, the authority, the pomp and ceremony of being religious but they had completely missed the point that God wants our hearts and this again made God angry.

In John’s book of Revelation there are seven letters to churches in Asia Minor. The church at Ephesus has some good points, they had high ethical standards but Jesus was critical because they had lost their first love for him. He says that if they don’t change direction and repent,

“I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:5

God requires holiness in his people, a devotion to his service above everything else and he is even willing to let a church die out than compromise on this. He will not allow his holy name to be tarnished indefinitely.

The church at Pergamon compromised both in financial matters and in sexual immorality even though they could not tolerate the Nicolaitans, a heretical sect that compromised with pagan worshippers. God demands,

“Repent therefore, otherwise I will come to you and will fight against them . . . “ Revelation 2:16

Now all these churches are almost extinct, having been destroyed by Islamic occupation.

Sin within God’s church is what concerns God above everything else, even more than sin in those belonging to the world. Peter wrote,

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God.” 1 Peter 4:17

Jesus died to defeat sin so how can we compromise in this area?

He is also angry with the world. There is certainly no comfort for those who have rejected God’s rule and determined to live their own way. We all need to remember what the Bible teaches,

“Just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28

In this account of Jesus’ throwing the money-changers out from the temple, he is giving us a true picture of what he has come into the world to do, to save and to judge. Judgment of ungodliness is inevitable.

John chapter two gives us a picture of what God is really like. It gives us an astonishing balance. Jesus loved to be involved in everyday family life. He went as a private guest to a wedding of ordinary, people and met their need, saving them from embarrassment, and bringing joy and happiness. Then on a great public occasion he acts as the indignant judge who is consumed with a zeal for his Father’s house. All Jerusalem noticed this.

The godly Bishop J.C. Ryle was concerned that people of his day were inventing their own gods,

“Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who has a heaven for every body, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all.”

Real Christianity

This is real, Biblical, Christ-centred Christianity. We need to get away from an imaginary, over sentimentalised Christ and discover the real Christ of the Bible. The apostles knew the real Christ and committed their lives to following him and sharing the gospel with all they could, even at great personal costs to themselves. They knew that if people did not change their ways and turn to Christ for forgiveness, their eternal fate would be even worse that any temporary suffering or discomforts they were facing. Bishop J.C.Ryle wrote,

“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice-which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”

When the Spirit of Jesus is at work in his people, although they will face the normal problems and sufferings of life, a deep joy is also experienced. In our church was a lovely elderly Christian man, Alan, who knew he was terminally ill. He had great peace and great joy even though he was dying. His concern was that his wider family should all know what really matters in life.

A feature of a spirit-filled church will be that it contains men and women who are passionately concerned for holiness amongst God’s people. They want people to know what the true God is really like. Zeal for God and his cause is a common feature of holiness. Zeal can upset those who dislike such a faith.

John Wesley, a young ordained Anglican minister, full of zeal, was invited to preach in my old church, St. Helen’s Bishopsgate. He gave a wonderful sermon, full of passion and called for holiness in the church and repentance. In his Journal he recalls the reaction of a church warden,

“Sir, you must preach here no more!”

All but four churches in the city followed this ban even though it was his message, the message of the Bible, that they needed.

Comfortable churches never want to hear this message. They are like the Laodicean church in John’s book of Revelation who thought they were fine, but did not realise that they were really,

“. . . wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire,, so that you can become rich . . .” Revelation 3:18

Jesus did not want to judge them harshly but longed that they should repent and return to allow him to be central to their lives.

It was only later that the disciples remembered a prophecy written in the book of Psalms about the Messiah,

“Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17 and Psalm 69:9

O that more Christians would have such zeal for Christ’s business so that building up their local churches for the honour of Jesus becomes their greatest priority.

The Jewish authorities were angry about the actions and popularity of Jesus. They demanded of him,

“What miraculous sign can you show us to prove the authority to do all this.” John 2:18

It is a very good question. We should all be asking what authority Jesus has, to demand of us that we commit our lives to him. He doesn’t answer directly by saying, ‘I am your God, your Messiah’ but instead he gave a veiled answer that they would only understand later.

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19

As so often happened, the Jews did not understand what he was saying. They could only think he was talking about Herod’s temple, that had taken 46 years to build. But as so often, there was a much deeper meaning. ‘Three days’ was a symbolic phrase to mean a short time. They did not think in precise scientific terms as we do today. It was only later, after Jesus rose from the dead, that the disciples recalled this conversation and realised what Jesus was talking about – his is own resurrection from death.

“Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus has spoken.” John 2:22

Scripture, the Word of God, was put alongside Jesus, who was also called the Word of God. How Scripture has been demoted in significance today in many Christians’ eyes. People may say the creed, acknowledging that they belong to ‘a holy, universal, apostolic church’ but they are not that bothered about being holy. Nor do they take the apostolic Scriptures for their authority on how they should think and behave.

Pseudo-belief

In spite of the antagonism of the Jewish leaders many people at this time came to accept the claims of Jesus. At the Passover feast up to two million visitors would pour into Jerusalem. The news about Jesus must have travelled like wild-fire, particularly as he continued to perform ‘miraculous signs’. John adds,

“Many saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.” John 2:23

However John again emphasises that what God is looking for is a real belief, a real understanding of who Jesus is, and a commitment to follow him and his rule for life. Shallow nominal faith that costs nothing is not what God is looking for. Jesus knew that a superficial faith where people followed the crowd was all to prevalent. Popularity is not what he was after, he only wants genuine disciples.

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” John 2:24-25

Jesus knows precisely where our hearts lie. He really cares for us but he will not be trifled with. In ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ C.S.Lewis said of Aslan, representing Jesus,

“Aslan is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh" said Susan. ‘I'd thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? . . .’Safe?’ said Mr Beaver . . .’Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

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John 2:1-11. Transforming Power

I used to be puzzled why John starts his description of Jesus’ public ministry with the story about a wedding and the turning of water into wine? John only includes seven miraculous signs when presenting the evidence about Jesus being God’s Messiah, so why did he start with this one and not some earth-shattering miracle performed in front of thousands of people? Instead he tells of a miracle performed in front of his disciples and some waiters. There must surely be something else going on here.

In the previous passage Nathanael had concluded that Jesus is indeed the ‘Son of God’ but Jesus replied calling himself the ‘Son of Man’. The Jews were expecting an all triumphant, conquering Messiah, God’s chosen king. Jesus is about to reveal that God’s Messiah is a humble man who is concerned about our everyday lives. John the Baptist was an ascetic, but in contrast Jesus went to weddings, dined out and mixed with the lowest of society to show them himself as ‘The Way’ to God. He is the perfect ‘Son of Man’, God’s Messiah.

Jewish Weddings

Part of the difficulty we have in the west is that we do not understand how the Jews regarded weddings. They were the triumphant highlight of their lives.

The wedding took place in Cana in Galilee, the birthplace of Nathanael, who had recently become a follower of Jesus. It raises an interesting question as to why Jesus, five of his disciples and his mother were invited. Was this the wedding of someone in the family? If so, it shows that the thirty year old Jesus recognised that family responsibilities were very important.

Marriage meant much more than just merriment.1 Sincere Jews would fast before a wedding, confessing their sins. It was almost a sacrament and was thought to offer forgiveness of sins. The Bible and rabbinic writings are full of the idea that the husband and wife relationship reflected that between Jehovah and his people. The bridal pair reminded people of the union of God himself.

After a formal betrothal or engagement, the couple were regarded, in law, as being married. On the evening of the marriage the bride was led by her bridesmaids to the home of her husband accompanied by much music, wine and nibbles. Branches, lit torches and flowers were waved, with everyone clapping as the bridal party passed. There was great rejoicing. The bridegroom and bride were actually called and were treated as ‘King and Queen’ for that week.

In the bridegroom’s home a formal agreement was then signed in which the groom promised ‘to work for her, to keep, honour and care for her’ as well as give her some money. Then, after the proscribed washing of the hands and a prayer, the marriage supper began. This party could continue for over a day.

The six large stone jars, each of which contained seventeen to twenty-five gallons, were used for the ritual ceremonial washing of both the hands, the crockery and cutlery. This was strictly regulated by rabbinic law. It is significant that Jesus often denounced the unreality and hypocrisy of such elaborate religious rules.

It was during the partying that Mary whispered to Jesus that ‘the wine has failed’. How John loves to have double meanings throughout his gospel. Although Mary probably intended to say that they had drunk all the available wine, this also had a much deeper meaning. The wine that had run out symbolised Judaism – it was the legalism of Judaism that had failed. Legalism always does fail, whether it is in Christianity, Islam or political ideologies. This was the occasion that Jesus revealed himself more widely. People needed to know that he was the Messiah, the hope of the world, and so much greater than the petty rituals of Judaism. In Jesus a permanent joy can be found, so much greater than the transient celebration of a wedding.

What Jesus was about to do was to give a sign, but only a sign, of who he really was. He was not a paltry Jewish miracle-monger, he was the Son of God and at this stage he wanted his disciples to understand this.

My time has not yet come

Mary recognised that the eldest Son was very capable. As there is no mention of her husband Joseph, it is likely that he had already died and that Jesus as the eldest son, had to take a leading role in the family.

“Mary said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” John 2:5

Jesus could have suggested that servants rush round to the local wine-merchant. However he has already selected at least some of his disciples who were also at the wedding. Jesus knew the difficulties he would face if his Messiahship broke too early – people would misunderstand what he had come for.

“Dear woman, why do you involve me. My time has not yet come.” John 2:4

There was nothing derogatory about the use of the word, ‘woman’. Jesus used the same word when speaking to his mother from the cross. Its use may indicate a change in their relationship. His public ministry was now beginning. Later, when he was told that his mother and brothers were waiting outside and he replied,

“‘Who is my mother and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” Matthew 12:48-50

‘My time has not yet come,’ and similar cryptic expressions are scattered throughout this gospel (such as John 7:6, 8, 30 and 8:20). When Jesus spoke of ‘his time’ he referred to his coming crucifixion to pay for the sins of many. Mary knew who Jesus was. The angel Gabriel had explained this to her at the Annunciation. As a twelve year old they had found Jesus in the temple debating with Jewish scholars, and he had said to them,

“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 3:49

The miracle

Jesus told the servants to fill the jars, used for religious purification, to the brim with water. Then he said,

“Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. They did so and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.” John 2:8-9

There have been several ludicrous attempts to explain away this miracle. Thus Leslie Weatherhead wrote in ‘It happened in Palestine’,

“The wine runs out. Water is served. Why? That’s the best joke of all. They lift their wine cups as we do, in fun, when we shout ‘Adam’s ale’ is best of all.’ The bridegroom is congratulated by the Master of Ceremonies who carries the joke farther still, ‘Why you’ve kept the best wine until now!’ It only requires a servant going through to the kitchen for a wonderful rumour to start.”

Such explanations are puerile. John tells us that only the servants were present, the guests did not know of the miracle. Would John have bothered to include this story, right at the beginning of his account of Jesus’ ministry, if it was a lie? John checked his sources. He and the other disciples were there. They all knew this miracle really happened. John included it, not just because it demonstrated the power of Jesus, but because it explained the meaning of Jesus’ ministry.

The comment of the Master of Ceremonies to the bridegroom is significant. It indicates that the miracle was not known to the wedding party but only to the servants and Jesus’ disciples. He said,

“Everyone brings out the choice wine first, then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” John 2:10

A glorious sign with much meaning

1. God’s joy is best

Whatever Jesus does it is ‘the best’. This story is based on the joy of a wedding. But such happiness is transient. What Jesus desires is for all people to experience the deep, deep joy he offers us all.

Wine was very significant to Jewish life. The rabbis had a saying,

“Without wine, there is no joy.”

How ridiculous it is to be offended by this story on temperance grounds. Mary’s statement, ‘They have no wine!’ is a poetic condensation of human experience without Christ. There are many Old Testament references to the fact that those who are spiritually thirsty, and have no resources can receive the joy that God has to offer them.

“ . . wine that gladdens the heart of man.” Psalm 104:15

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine . . .” Isaiah 55:1

There are many biographies of people who have chased every possible experience in life only to find that they have nothing substantial. Ernest Hemingway was such a man. He had experienced heady times in Europe before getting involved in the Spanish Civil War. He had been friends with many famous people and had been involved in outrageous exploits in World War 2 but in the end he committed suicide by shooting himself. The statement, ‘All that glistens is not gold’ is very old, probably Aesop knew of it and it is repeatedly found in ancient writings. It was popularised by William Shakespeare in his play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’. Inside Portia’s golden casket her suitor found the telling words,

“All that glisters is not gold—

Often have you heard that told.

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold.

Gilded tombs do worms enfold.”

What appears to be real may just have the appearances of reality. There is nothing wrong with the natural joys of life but the time will come to all of us when these will no longer satisfy. Solomon discovered,

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:14

Real peace and joy are only to be found in a relationship with God and that is what Jesus offers. Jesus gives us real joy,

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, . . .” Galatians 5:22

Hours before his death, Jesus had said to his disciples,

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11

Joy, resulting from the relationship with God, is a key feature in the Bible. The word is used 242 times! Even as we suffer from the problems of age this joy remains,

“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The
LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92:14

Just as the context of this joy was a wedding, so joy comes to us through being betrothed to Christ.

It is surely no coincidence that the first miracle of Jesus was at a joyful wedding and the final picture in John’s book of Revelation is a description of the wedding of the Lamb. The church is described as ‘a bride beautifully dressed for her husband’ (Revelation 21:2). Then God and his people will live together,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3

John even refers to the drink of life that God will supply, this drink also starts as water!

“To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6

The church is described as pure, shining like jewels, and is built on the teaching of Christ given through his apostles,

“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. . . It shone with the glory of God.” Revelation 21:9

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14

People of all nations are able to come and be part of and enjoy this ideal wedding. Indeed the message of the bride, that is the church, to everyone is the message of God,

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty let him take of the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:17

The reality of the wedding feast and the invitation to be part of it is the beginning and end of John’s gospel and book of Revelation just as it is the beginning and end of the Christian message.

2. Jesus meets our need

It is striking that most people become Christians when they face a personal need. In this opening story, Jesus steps in at a point of need. John deliberately begins his account of Jesus’ public ministry with a private need, not with a riveting sermon on the temple steps. The new creation has nothing to do with church services, religious buildings, or priests but with our turning to the only person who can help. To many people, Christianity is understood in terms of church buildings and clergy. Jesus wants us to know that the only true religion is a personal relationship with himself.

In this story, Jewish purification jars were used to produce the new wine. Religion is not man’s need – it is Christ himself. The theologian F.F.Bruce has said,

“Christ has changed the water of Jewish purification into wine of the new age.”

The next story that John recounts emphasises that religion, symbolised by the temple and its sacrifices, are misleading people. It is Christ who must be pivotal, not religion.

3. Jesus reverses the natural order

John includes the comment that it is usual for the best wine to be given first and for the second rate wine to come later, when people are somewhat befuddled. In the tennis world the great players, such as John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer can only stay at the top for a limited time. Everything has a natural decline which eventually results in death. Jesus reverses this. He was later to say

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

Everything in life is downhill, but Jesus reverses this order. He makes water into wine, death becomes life. A friend of mine who had become a Christian later in life was dying in the local hospice. He said,

“I have no fear of dying. I know the Lord Jesus and have great confidence in him. He will bring me to the new life.”

What a joy the Christian message is. Jesus said later,

“The thief comes only to to steal and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

What a silly idea it is that if a person becomes a Christian it will spoil his life. The truth is the opposite. It is sin that destroys people’s lives not obedience to Jesus Christ. When Christ comes as a guest he brings us abundant gladness and joy. Christians are not exempt from fear and the problems of life but Jesus brings a joy that the world cannot give.

4. Jesus gives a new creation

The result of the disciples witnessing this miracle was earth-changing.

“He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” John 10:11

This is an interesting statement proving it to be a first hand account and not written in the second century. The first chapter of John has claimed that the disciples already believed. Anyone trying to fabricate a story would surely say, ‘After this miracle everyone was immensely impressed and many outsiders believed.’ However John records that only a few knew what really happened, only the stewards and Jesus’ disciples ‘manifest his glory’.

Jesus is teaching his disciples to trust him more and more. Jesus says that spiritual life is what really matters. The church has always understood that faith in Jesus is God’s message.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

What a disaster it is when today’s church focuses on meeting people’s physical needs and not on their spiritual needs. Jesus did both but for him teaching about the kingdom of God was his priority. In a national newspaper Valerie Pitt eloquently pleaded that churches should stand up for the rights of the poor. A senior church leader replied. He didn’t disagree but added,

“ . . . but this is not the only argument. What I hear church’s critics saying is that it (the church) is going the world’s way and concentrating on material poverty and hence, by implication, on economic salvation rather than on spiritual poverty. Yesterday’s church took it for granted that the purpose of the church was spiritual development – to find one’s way to heaven was every person’s first duty. Today these priorities have been reversed and the church allows itself to be heard echoing materialistic and incidentally Marxist assumptions, when it pleads for economic justice.

Meanwhile todays Lazarus2, in Europe anyway, is not likely to be nursing an empty belly so much as an empty soul, dying, that is, for want of anything worth living for. Unless the church in our society can give young people a diet which feeds this hunger, they will eat from the scraps that fall from the rich man’s table or TV set, sex and violence, punk and anarchy, with cannabis and glue for sweetness. The evidence of hunger is plain to see. In a Coventry bookshop the shelves marked ‘Religion’ contain only a third of Christian books and another third on world religions . . . What should concern the church is that a further third of the shelves are filled with books on astrology, palmistry, black magic, Tarot cards and all the flotsam and jetsam of curiosity and superstition, that swirls around in every age where living faith has ebbed.”

This is a striking critique of some churches. In Christ we have someone who slakes the thirst of men and women. Churches must focus on obeying Jesus; he told us what our focus must be,

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them everything I have commended you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

John puts this beautifully, by saying that the jars of ritual purification are only filled with water but God wants people to drink of the wine that Jesus alone can give them.

Who is Jesus most concerned about?

The only people who knew about this miracle were the disciples and the servants. Early in Jesus’ ministry he often urged those he had healed not to speak about it. He surely did this so that he had time to continue teaching and training his disciples for their life’s ministry. This priority helps us understand much of what Jesus emphasised and why he repeatedly took his disciples away to teach them after a public ministry.

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1Alfred Edersheim, ‘The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah’ Pickering and Inglis, Book 1 p. 351-357

2This refers to the Jesus’ parable of Dives and Lazarus told in Luke 16:19-31

John 1:43-51. Faith Comes to an Honest Doubter

Jesus decided to leave the crowds in Judea and move up to Galilee. We are not told the reason for this but we are told, simply,

“Finding Philip, he said to him ‘Follow me’.” John 1:43

Jesus took the initiative with Philip, just as he does with each of us. The Greek tense used is a continuous imperative, it means, ‘Keep on following me’.

To believe in Jesus must mean to follow him for life. Following Jesus is a key idea in both Matthew and John’s gospels. (See Matthew 4:19, 8:19, 8:22, 16:24, 19:27 and John 1:37, 1:38, 1:43, 10:4, 10:27, 12:26, 21:19) It is striking that one of the first things Jesus said to Peter was:

“Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19

At Peter’s final meeting with Jesus, after the resurrection, Jesus again said to him,

“Follow me.” John 21:19

The last words Jesus said to Peter emphasised this:

“You must follow me.” John 21:22

I was talking this week to a person who had been baptised as a teenager but had given up following Christ. That is not what Christ calls us to do. He has called his people to be a perpetual burning torch or light for him.

The point of discipleship

‘Lights’ in those days brought fire to anything inflammable. Christians are now the ‘light of the world’ so that others can catch fire with the light of Christ. This is what happened to Philip when he met the ‘light of the world’ - he immediately becomes a source of burning light to his friend.

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘we have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45

Some churches speak a lot about discipleship but too few explain why people should be disciples and how to become a genuine follower of Christ.

This chapter opens with Jesus living in eternity but then he enters this world becoming described as ‘the Word’ – he is the means by which God communicates with every man. John the Baptist is then introduced as as a witness who testified about ‘the light of God’. The first 18 verses are full of the truth that Jesus brought into the world; it does not stop at revelation but with application. Everyone must act on this information. The question is whether we will obey God and become a disciple of God’s Son or not. The message God wants everyone to grasp is then stressed,

“Yet to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

In the past there used to be some who revelled in being perpetual students, such as Richard Grimsdyke, the permanent medical student in ‘Doctor in the House’ - always giving the appearance of learning but never achieving much. Some in our theological colleges spend their lives studying and debating but never come to being the sort of disciples God requires. There are also, unfortunately, some in our churches who love attending services, hearing sermon after sermon, attending Bible Study after Bible Study and church meeting after church meeting, but whose only friends are within the church. Such people are consequently at risk of being ineffective in showing Christ to those who most need him in our society. The Plymouth Brethren got into this rut with their exclusivity and inward looking character - and they have largely disappeared. We should instead be children of God who, like Jesus, are burning lights to those all around us, whatever their nationality or creed.

In this account Philip, Nathanuel, Andrew and Peter all become followers of Jesus – that is the focus we are meant to see. In the Bible the word ‘knowledge’ is both an intellectual or academic understanding of the truth but also a personal knowledge, a coming to know and live for someone. This personal dynamic relationship with Jesus is the only means of being saved. and everyone should be encouraged to ask whether they really have this personal relationship.

The way Philip introduces Jesus to his friend is interesting, he refers to the prophecies in the Old Testament Scriptures.

“We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45

This must mean that Nathanael was fairly well versed in these Scriptures and in all likelihood the two had discussed questions about the Messiah previously. Note that he talked about Jesus as a person. He didn’t philosophise about God, as some clergymen of television do today. God had entered this world as Jesus, the Christ – God’s chosen king.

The road to discipleship is normally another person

Most of us became Christians because we were introduced to Jesus by another person. In this account Jesus finds Philip but immediately Philip goes to find Nathanael. Just as the previous paragraph was all about Peter and how he came to faith, so this paragraph is all about Nathanael. Both Peter and Nathanael were found by a friend. This is the normal way God shares the gospel but it is not the only way. There are occasional stories of God speaking directly to people through dreams or through picking up a Bible, or having a spiritual instinct stirred by something that happens, but even then God nearly always involves another person to teach the gospel. This is important because all Christians are called to become members of God’s team, his church. Isolated Christians are not what he is looking for.

A friend can introduce us to Jesus in various ways. They may bring us to church, chat with us or lend us a book but what is infectious is that gentle enthusiasm which says ‘I’ve discovered the answer to life and long for you to know him too.’ This story is how a Jew becomes a Christian. This is significant, as although the early church consisted mainly of Jews it quickly opened up to Gentiles who became equal members of God’s kingdom. John is thought to have written this towards the end of his life. In his gospel, when he uses the word Jew, it is usually in a hostile context; Jews in authority disliked Jesus and what he taught. It is therefore all the more striking that at the beginning of his gospel he introduces us to a Jew who is a sincere and genuine person. Nathanael is at least willing to meet Jesus. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching he said to those around him,

“Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” John 1:47

Jesus called out this man’s character before they had met, so demonstrating his divine omniscience. The use of the word Israelite is striking. The Jewish patriarch, Jacob, had his name changed to ‘Israel’ when he met with God. He had been a conniving scoundrel. One translator of this passage put it like this,

“Behold an Israelite in whom there’s no Jacob.”

Nathanael was like the elderly priest Simeon who went to find the baby Jesus when he was brought to the Temple to be consecrated to the Lord. We read of this good man,

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Luke 2:25

The reason that Nathanael was not a Christian was not because he was insincere or determined to be worldly but because no-one had previously explained the truth to him. When he was told, he addressed his initial doubts and then became a follower of Jesus and ‘The Way’. It wasn’t a bolt from heaven, or a voice in the night or a sudden experience but because Philip came, with an excited grin on his face, and said,

“We have found the Messiah! Come and see!” John 1:45

It is not easy to win friends for Christ but it is so encouraging to know that God can use each of us. For myself a day seldom goes by without speaking to someone about the Lord Jesus, it is not difficult if you are motivated and practice. What is fascinating is to see how many people are eager to talk. This week a man visited our house and he started to talk about the lack of morality in business today. It was easy to ask whether he had a faith that was the basis for this way of thinking. He explained that he had gone to church as a child and had even been baptised as a teenager but had lost his old vibrant faith and no longer went to church. We had a thrilling discussion and as he left I gave him an article entitled, ‘Who will be saved?’ and he promised to get hold of a copy of the book ‘Cure for Life’. Who knows whether this will encourage him back to Christ. Subsequently an e-mail was sent encouraging him to keep in touch. My job is now to pray for him.

It has been calculated that if everyone of us found one person for Christ each year the whole world would be converted within 15 years!

Too often people think of evangelism in terms of mass crusades but crusades don’t work without ordinary Christians sharing their faith in Jesus with friends, family and neighbours. In Acts 8, Philip was told to leave a very successful evangelistic campaign in Samaria to go down through the desert in southern Judea. There he seemingly met by chance the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ethiopia who was reading the Bible as he travelled slowly in his chariot and who, when approached, asked Philip, ‘What does this mean?’ Philip led him to Christ there and then.

Such stories are unusual, but if we all prayed to be led to a sincere person who is a seeker after God who is waiting for someone to point out the way. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each us us set ourselves to pray every day for such opportunities. Don’t forget, if you are now a Christian, that undoubtedly someone put themselves out in order to share the gospel with you.

Was something else happening in Nathanael’s mind?

Nathanael asks Jesus,

“How do you know me?” John 1:48

Jesus doesn’t go into the fact that God knows everything about all of us, our thoughts, temptations and interests. Instead he makes a cryptic statement that at first seems strange.

“I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” John 1:49

The obvious question is, “What was Nathanael doing under that fig tree?” We are not told any more but it was clearly something special to Nathanael. Had he had some spiritual experience? Had he been thinking about Jacob’s ladder? Had he been thinking about being baptised by John? Had he been praying that the Messiah, whom John the Baptist had talked so much about would reveal himself? Nathanael was obviously all on his own under that tree yet God knew of the experience he had had. No-one else knew, but Jesus did! God really is omniscient. He really is the one John the Baptist had talked about when he said,

“Among you there stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” John 1:27

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

“I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34

Something like this must be the explanation for the rapid response, his public declaration about Jesus,

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” John 1:49

Jesus commented on this,

“You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” John 1:50

Jesus then switched from speaking just to Nathanael, using the singular, to using the plural.

“He then added, ‘I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” John 1:51

This again is a reference to Jacob, the original Israelite. In Genesis 28 the story is told how the scheming Jacob had stolen the birthright from his older twin Esau by beguiling his elderly blind Father and was then fleeing for his life. That day he had travelled over 40 miles across the wilderness and he stopped in a deserted valley for the night. He took a stone for a pillow and laid down to sleep in the open air. It was there that God comforted him with a dramatic vision,

“ . . . he saw a stairway (or ladder) resting on the earth with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said,: ‘I am the LORD, the God of you father Abraham and the God of Isaac . . .” Genesis 28:12

It is significant that when Jesus recounted this story he changes one of the words. The angels are now ascending and descending not on a staircase or ladder but on Jesus himself. The connection between the Lord God in heaven and man on earth is Jesus himself. We all need to understand what Jesus is claiming so early in his ministry. There is no doubt about what he is saying. Jacob learned that although he was running away, the Lord God still loved him and cared for him although life was tough – all he had was a stone to lie on!

Angels

The reference to angels is important. Jacob was told about angels to reassure him. The New Testament reassures us that there are these spiritual beings that are usually invisible but who do protect us.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

Nathanael and ourselves are being reminded that God is closest to us when life is hard and even when friends, family and even God seem a long way off.

Over a hundred years ago a Scottish missionary, John G. Paton and his wife were working in the New Hebrides and they found themselves in a village that was surrounded by cannibals and savages who were intent on killing them. The couple fell to their knees in their hut and prayed that God would protect them. They spent an awful night, repeatedly hearing the screams of the tribesmen outside. However, when the sun rose in the morning, all was quiet and they were unharmed. The natives had retreated back into the forest. Naturally the missionaries were amazed but thrilled and they spent the day rejoicing. A year later the chieftain of the savages was wonderfully converted to Christ. The Paton’s then asked him why they hadn’t been killed that night. The Chieftain replied in surprise,

“Who were all those men who were with you?”

“There were no men with us, just my wife and myself”

The chief became irritated.

“But there were hundreds of tall men in shining garments with drawn swords circling around your place so we couldn’t attack you.”

Such stories are uncommon but the Paton’s had no doubt that that night their guardian angels had shown themselves.

When Israel was at war with Aram, God gave Elisha insights into the movement of the enemy troops, giving the Israelites a distinct advantage. Spies discovered that Elisha was staying in the city of Dothan, so the king of Aram surrounded that city. Panic must have been everywhere, Elisha’s servant asked

“Oh, my Lord, what shall we do?” “Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more that those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16

Elisha prayed,

“‘O Lord, open his eyes so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:17

When the enemy advanced, Elisha prayed that they would be blinded and that is what happened! He was able to lead the enemy into the city of Samaria where the troop’s eyes were opened. The point is that our God is also a real God who cares passionately for his people.

We will encounter prejudice

In looking to win people for Christ, we mustn’t be surprised when we encounter prejudice.

“‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.” John 1:46

John delights to confront us with the difficulties we will face as soon as we open our mouths for Christ. A little later he again reminds us that this will happen.

“‘How can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?’ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.” John 7:41-42

Undoubtedly these Jews had been taught something about the Messiah at the synagogue schools. From the account of the wise men visiting King Herod the Great, when they were looking for the newborn child who was the Messiah, we know that the Messiah’s birth place was widely recognised. When Herod asked ‘where the Christ was to be born,’ the chief priests and teachers of the law immediately replied,

“In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah; out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:5-6

No wonder Nathanael was dubious about what he was told. Nazareth was a dump of a village up in Galilee. Nathanael knew this as he came from nearby Bethsaida. The likely site for Cana was just a few miles north-east of Nazareth. What he did not know was that although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, his family moved back to Nazareth where he was raised.

The majority of the difficult conundrums some people put forward are just a smoke screens to try and hide a refusal to take God or Jesus seriously but for some doubts are the road to a real faith. If the gospel is true then there will be answers to the big questions. Nathanael was such a sincere man with genuine questions that needed to be answered. The problem Philip had was that he didn’t know the answers. So he gives a classic answer, and this is perhaps a hint by John as to how we should face up to questions that stump us. He simply said,

“Come and see.” John 1:46

When Nathanael meets Jesus he can ask him all his questions directly. What a lesson this is for us. When difficult questions are hurled our way, such as, ‘Do you believe in hell?’ ‘Is homosexuality a sin? ‘Is it always wrong to lie?’ or ‘How can a man be God?’ the wise person will not give their opinion but will ‘Blame Jesus’, and refer everything back to him. Then the argument will no longer be with us but with Jesus himself. We must learn to introduce people to Jesus.

Many people in our secular societies have many questions and it is reasonable for them to seek out answers. Many people will attend a Bible teaching church or Bible Study group for considerable periods before finally committing themselves to Jesus. People today wonder how anything in the Bible can be relevant to life in the twenty-first century, when it was written many thousands of years ago. The best answer still is, ‘Come and see!’ The pages of the Bible do give us real answers to the deepest questions about life. For many ‘Religious Education’ at school was a complete bore and totally irrelevant to us, but one of the remarkable changes that occur when we become Christians is that the Bible becomes alive and God speaks to us through it. ‘Come and see!’

Sincerity is rewarded by discovery

Nathanael had prejudices that undoubtedly came from the way he had been taught but there was nothing false about him. He was willing to investigate the claims of Christ, despite his reluctance to accept these claims at first sight. His initial reaction was that this claim was rubbish, ‘It couldn’t be true, it must be wrong!’ but because of the genuineness of Philip and what he had heard of Jesus, he was willing to investigate even though not yet persuaded. It is thrilling to meet people who are in similar positions, they are not sure but are willing to investigate. We regularly hold Exploring Christianity groups, usually with a supper before, and it is so encouraging to see all sorts of people coming to enquire. Sincere doubt should be a road to faith, it is not the opposite of faith. Books and Christian literature can help many find that the answer to their deepest need is to be found in the person of Jesus.

Pat and his wife appeared one day in our local church. Not recognising them I went to sit next to them. After the service they were invited to come for coffee in the adjoining church hall. As we left the church he explained that he had come to our church as a result of attending an evangelistic evening we had held the previous evening in a local school. We started to chat after the service,

“Well, its great to see you here. But do you mind if I ask you a question, are you a convinced Christian yourself or are you unsure about these things?’

“Hmm,” he replied, “I would describe myself more as being a convinced churchman, but my wife Kathleen is a convinced Christian.”

“Would you like to sort this all out? Why don’t you come and join us at a Christian Basics group we are starting this week, with a supper before hand.”

“I would like that,” came the surprising reply.

Pat and his wife did join that group and there his many questions were answered. He began a personal relationship with Christ that lasted for the rest of his life. He had previously been on a local church Parish Church Council for many years but unfortunately he had never learned the difference between being a churchman and being a personal follower of Jesus Christ – he was now Christ’s-man, a Christian.

For Nathanael meeting Jesus seems to have answered his prejudices. Jesus not only reveals the heart of God to man but also reveals the heart of man to himself. As we follow him we learn so much about ourselves and our selfish ways, as well as a kind side that needs fostering.

His immediate reaction was to confess his newfound allegiance to Christ in front of others.

“Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” John 1:49

One of our great problems today is believing what we believe. However what is vital is that we can say with Nathanael,

“Jesus, you are the Son of God, you are my king and my Saviour.”

More to come

The initial road to faith is to recognise who Jesus is, but that is just the beginning of an exciting life of faith centred on living with and for him. Nathanael was brought to faith because Jesus answered whatever went on under that fig tree.

“Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.’ he then added, ‘I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’”

Nathanael had concluded that Jesus was ‘the Son of God’ but Jesus’ first testimony about himself was to call himself ‘the Son of Man’. He was emphasising his voluntary humanity and the humiliation this involved. Jesus is both the ‘Son of God’ and the supreme ‘Son of Man’. Nathanael had much more to learn about Jesus and every Christian discovers more and more about Jesus as we live closely with him.

BVP

John 1:35-42. The Effect of Meeting Jesus

We have already seen in this chapter that John the Baptist exemplifies a person who is committed to promoting Jesus Christ. In this section we can see the effect of meeting Jesus in two of John’s disciples. This account is surely included as an example of the way Jesus affected the other disciples.

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God.’” John 1:35-36

The previous day John had made that majestic statement about who Jesus is and what he would achieve,

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus and directed them to follow Jesus. It is one thing to say ‘Jesus is everything’ but to pass on your own disciples is much more difficult. John ‘walked the talk.’

The two that he pointed to Jesus were Andrew and another disciple who was almost certainly the apostle John himself. After hearing John the Baptist, ‘they followed Jesus.’ It would seem that they did this rather hesitantly. It was Jesus himself who sensed their presence and who initiated the conversation.

“Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’” John 1:38

It is not clear whether Andrew and John knew what they wanted. Their reply, “Where are you staying?” may have just been something to say. However Jesus’ reply was so welcoming and demonstrated the sort of response all Christians should emulate when talking with strangers.

“Come, and you will see.” John 1:39

Jesus loved to have double meanings in what he said and John often picks up on this. Was Jesus just saying that they could see the tent or house he was staying in, or was he really saying, “You will come to see who I really am, the Messiah, the answer to all men’s needs!”

They meet with Jesus

The two followed Jesus, arriving at 4pm, ‘the tenth hour’, and probably spent the whole evening talking with him. The book of John was written when John was an old man, possibly 60 to 70 years after this event, yet he clearly remembered exactly the details of what occurred and when this happened. This is surely no surprise as that was the greatest day of his life – the day when he came to know and follow God’s Son, God’s Messiah.

They would never forget such a conversation. Their lives began on that day, that spring afternoon in Galilee in 30AD at 4pm. We can only speculate about what they talked about but it is probable that Jesus explained to them what the Old Testament, the Jewish Scriptures, were all about. This was a favourite topic for Jesus. On the day of his resurrection, Jesus joined Cleopas and his companion as they walked the seven miles to Emmaus. They started explaining how Jesus had been crucified, as if Jesus didn’t know, adding that some women had seen the empty tomb and had had a vision of angels telling them that Jesus was alive and that some of the disciples had confirmed that the tomb was empty. Then Jesus intervened,

“ ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27

Later that same day, Jesus joined his disciples as they were hiding in the locked upper room. After eating some fish he said to them,

“ ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written : the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations . . .’” Luke 24:44-47

Jesus longed that his followers should understand the Scriptures and today this remains the prime purpose of his church – to teach the Scriptures and encourage all people to live according to them.

What a great privilege it must have been for these two disciples of John to have heard Jesus explain what matters in life. They must have been so excited and felt so privileged. They learned something that evening that remained with them for the rest of their lives. Jesus was willing to go out of his way to win others for the Kingdom of God.

They were also being shown how to do personal evangelism. Jesus had befriended them, welcomed them to share his life and then he had shared with them what he knew to be important.

They long to share Jesus

The effect on Andrew was immediate.

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” John 1:41-42

Such enthusiasm is the natural effect that meeting Jesus has on people. When Kent Hughes was just 13 years old he went to a Christian camp where he was taught the gospel. He realised, for the first time, that he was a sinner before God and he approached the camp leader saying,

“I don’t think I know Jesus. I don’t think I have him in my heart.”

His leader explained how Jesus was waiting to be invited into our lives. He put his arm on Kent’s shoulder and they prayed. Kent asked the Lord Jesus to come into his life, forgive his sin and direct his life. He left that room with a great burden removed from his shoulders. He had been marvellously saved. He couldn’t wait to share the news with the other lads in his group at the camp. He wanted everyone to know.

This was Andrew’s experience too. He couldn’t help himself as he had been enthused.

Andrew continued to be earnest in introducing people to Jesus. Every time he is mentioned in the gospels he is bringing people to meet Jesus, because he knew who he was. On one occasion Jesus saw thousands of people approaching and he said to Philip to test him,

“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” John 6:5

It was Andrew who then brought a young lad to Jesus and said,

“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish.” John 6:9

Some Greeks asked Philip, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Philip then went to tell Andrew and they took the Greeks to Jesus. Both Mark and Matthew tell the story about how both Andrew and his brother Peter were formally called to become disciples of Jesus and as disciples they were to be evangelists.

“As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” Mark 1:16-18

Richard C. H. Lenski was a New Testament scholar and he thinks the Greek for , ‘He first found his brother’ should be understood as meaning that John was also looking for his brother James to introduce him to Christ but Andrew found Peter first.

This natural longing to introduce others to Jesus was a feature of the disciples. Jesus found Philip and called him to be one of his disciples, saying ‘Follow me.’ His immediate reaction was natural,

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:44

This desire to introduce people to Jesus continued throughout their lives. Those early Christians were both enthusiastic and habitual in this work.

Just 24 hours before, John the Baptist had been a voice ‘crying in the wilderness’. Then two of his followers, Andrew and John, responded and turned to follow Jesus. Each of these then brought another to Christ, Andrew brought Peter and John brought his brother James.

Dawson Trotman, an evangelist and founder of ‘the Navigators’, wrote in his little book, “Born to Reproduce’, that there are some interesting mathematics here. If I win one person for Christ and in 6 months he in turn wins another and this rate of replication continues, by two years there would be 16 new Christians. By three years there would be 64, by 5 years 1048 and by 15½ years there would be 2 billion, 176 million, the number of people in all of Europe!

What Jesus wants is for our churches to be full of people with the desire Andrew had, to introduce others to Jesus. We do need some able people who are able to teach the Bible well but our greatest need today is for all Christians to become personal evangelists. It is so satisfying to see a member of your family, your neighbours and friends coming to know Jesus.

The experience Jesus gives

Our English word ‘enthusiasm’ comes from two Greek words, ‘en’ meaning ‘into’ and ‘theos’ meaning ‘God’. When a person enters into a genuine relationship with God there will inevitably be some form of enthusiasm showing, the nature of which depends on the personality.

We must be careful not to expect everyone to behave in the same way – enthusiasm will have different effects in different people but one thing is sure, when someone meets with Jesus they will long to share him with others.

Many years later the other person who met Jesus that day, John the apostle, wrote of the effect that same experience had on him,

“That which was from the beginning, which we have seen and heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. . . . We write this to make our joy complete” 1 John 1:1-3

There are many ways to proclaim Jesus, including writing about him. There is also much joy to be experienced when we share the news about Jesus with others. Joyful enthusiasm is a mark of those in the Christian faith. We have been invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb where there will be much joy. When Christians arrive in heaven, we will be full of worship and joy.

Another warning needs to be given – not all enthusiasm comes from the truth. I remember a fellow medical student who kept failing his exams. He had become involved with Maharishi Yogi and took to meditation in a big way. He couldn’t stop talking about the calm and other effects this had on his life. The downside was that he didn’t bother to do much work either and he kept failing. Some preachers enthusiastically advocate a prosperity gospel, that God longs to bless his people materially in this life. Such ministers may get rich through their enthusiastic preaching but their message is not that of Jesus Christ. Television advertisements are usually full of enthusiasm for their product but this enthusiasm doesn’t mean the product is the best buy.

When Jesus considered the fate of those who rejected him, he was very emotional.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” Luke 19:41

One of the most effective evangelists this country has known was C.H.Spurgeon. He was not afraid to show his emotions and would often weep as he begged people to repent and turn to Christ.

Andrew is usually known for being the brother of Simon Peter, which is not very flattering. Many know about the self-confidant Peter, who was indeed a great man. Andrew didn’t have his personality but undoubtedly, in God’s eyes, he is highly valued. He was not only enthusiastic; habitual in his concerns but he was also humble.

Andrew wasn’t in the inner circle of the disciples but he was the first Christian. It is likely that the greatest crowns will be awarded in heaven to those we have not heard of. An elderly irreligious builder became a Christian when someone told him the gospel. He then invited his daughter to come to a carol service and she subsequently turned to Christ. She then invited an older couple to come to an Exploring Christianity group. They both became Christians and they have now brought their neighbour regularly to church. Such is the work of God’s people – it is much more important than being the person up front.

Each of us is in a unique situation in our families and in society. There are people around us with similar experiences, ages, handicaps and the like. Each of us is uniquely placed to find ways to share the gospel with those around us. Some will respond, ‘But I’m not theologically trained!’ Neither were Andrew or John. All they said is that they had found the Messiah. Peter was won by an enthusiastic brother who put his arm around him and said simply ,

“I want you to meet the person who has changed my life.”

When Peter was introduced to Jesus we read, ‘Jesus looked at him.’ God could see into the heart of the self-confident Peter and said these words,

“ ‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas,’ (which, when translated, is Peter).” John 1:42

Peter means ‘rock’. Jesus was being prophetic in saying there would be a character change in Peter’s life – he would become a stable rock. He was a strong-willed, self-confidant, vain, impulsive, irresolute, unstable and selfish man who was to deny his association with Jesus to save himself. Yet Peter was later to be the man to lead the early church and gave that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost that resulted in about 3000 people, mainly Jews, putting their faith in Jesus. He then risked imprisonment and persecution and eventually was executed because of his love for Jesus. It was Peter who bravely said to the Sanhedrin when ‘commanded not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus’,

“Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20

Jesus certainly transformed Peter into a rock, a man God could use.

The sculptor, Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) was working on a huge, shapeless piece of rock. A visitor naively asked him,

“What are you doing?’

A great answer was given,

“I am releasing the angel that is imprisoned in this stone.”

He saw what was there and spent months releasing the angel.

When we are brought face to face with Jesus he sees both what we are and what we can become. His word changes us. He wants not just to forgive us our sin but to give us his Holy Spirit to change us to be of use and to be a light for him in a dark world. He chisels us into people he can use. This is what the apostles did in their day and this is what God empowers us to do today. What a state God’s churches have got into when the vast majority of Christians have never helped someone else become a Christian and, what is worse, seem to have little desire to be equipped for this task. Can we not see what a joy it will be to stand before the Lord Jesus in glory? This joy is well described in one of the Psalms of Ascent,

“When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:1

Those who keep going with Christ will be given a white stone with our new names written on it,

“To him who overcomes . . . I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it . . .” Revelation 2:17

What a thrill it will be to hear him say to us,

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:21

The important message is that we can all change because God gives us the power of his Spirit to do just this.

God longs for more Andrew’s, whose enthusiasm for Jesus doesn’t dwindle, but becomes a habitual overflowing to others. At the same time there must be a humility if we are to be used. Christians are not here on earth for ourselves, for our own interests, but to be ambitious for Jesus Christ, that he should be glorified through us.

God does not want us to be passive Christians, who turn up at church when convenient, and are satisfied with just believing orthodox doctrines. Jesus calls us all to be ‘sold out to him’ and his service. We should decide what our ministry should be and then make that our ministry for the Lord Jesus.

Henry Martyn was a brilliant Cambridge undergraduate who was the top mathematician (Senior Wrangler) of all students in 1801. He was also a brilliant linguist. He heard a sermon by Charles Simeon about the influence William Carey had as a missionary to India and he felt that God wanted him to be a missionary also. On his voyage to India in 1806 he saw the ravages of the war to conquer South Africa for the British Empire. He had a deep passion that others should hear and understand the gospel and wrote at this time,

“I prayed that…England whilst she sent the thunder of her arms to distant regions of the globe, might not remain proud and ungodly at home; but might show herself great indeed, by sending forth the ministers of her church to diffuse the gospel of peace.”

He realised that the great need in these undeveloped countries was for a translation of the Scriptures into their own languages and this he set about to do. He translated the whole of the New Testament into Urdu, Persian and Judaeo-Persic. He also translated the Psalms into Persian. An indication of his zeal for the gospel was his statement.

“Let me burn out for God.”

He died in 1812 when still only thirty one years old, committed to the service of his Lord. He recognised that this concern for the salvation of others was from the Holy Spirit, saying,

“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.”

BVP

John 1:29-34. John the Baptist’s Gospel

This passage has been an eye-opener for me. The apostle John loves to include in his book stories about how different people reacted to Jesus. This article describes what John the Baptist understood about Jesus.

The language he uses is that of a court of law; John is imagining that he is in the witness box giving evidence.

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

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John 1:29-34

A reliable witness

Before a witness in a court of law gives his evidence he has to take the oath,

“I swear that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”

It is striking that in the whole section about John the Baptist the word ‘witness’ or ‘testify’ comes again and again. The same basic Greek word, marturia, from which we have obtained our word ‘martyr’, someone who suffers because they have been a witness to their faith, is used repeatedly. This is clearly deliberate. The truth of this evidence is vital. We see it in the following verses,

“ . . . John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light. John 1:7

“He himself was not that light, he came only as a witness to the light.” John 1:8

“John testified concerning him . . .” John 1:15

“Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.” John 1:19

“Then John gave this testimony . . .” John 1:32

“I have seen and testify that this is God’s Chosen One. John 1:34

The discussion with the Jewish leaders makes it clear that, right from the beginning, there was a question whether John the Baptist might be the Messiah. John the Baptist, however, points to Jesus and says clearly that it is Jesus who is the Messiah, God’s Chosen One.

In the past some have suggested that John’s gospel is more interested in teaching spiritual ideas than factual truths. The evidence suggests the contrary; John includes many specific details strongly suggesting that eye witness accounts have been recorded.

“All this happened at Bethany, on the other side of the Jordan where John was baptising.” John 1:28

“The next day . . .” John 1:29

“ . . . John saw Jesus coming towards him . . .” John 1:29

“Then John gave this testimony, ‘I saw . . .’” John 1:32

A self-effacing witness

The character of a witness affects whether they are likely to be believed. Arrogant, self-opinionated, proud people who are full of themselves are not trusted as much as a self-effacing witness. Furthermore a witness who has nothing to gain and all to lose by their evidence is likely to be reliable.

John the Baptist refuses to take centre stage, preferring to promote Jesus all the time. Although he was a famous, popular, national figure he said,

“A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” John 1:30

He disclaims any special powers or perception,

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” John 1:31

“And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘the man on whom you see . . .’ John 1:33

John the Baptist is saying that he had no special insight, that he didn’t understand, and then all he did was teach and offer water baptism.

It is significant that false teachers tend to to be self-centred and pretentious. They often claim that they have been given special gifts or revelation by God. Too often they influence people largely by their magnetic personalities that seem to mesmerise the crowds to follow them unthinkingly. Such ‘prophets’ have troubled the church since the earliest times. In contrast John does not want people to see him but wants them to recognise Jesus for who he really is.

In the last century there have been many sect leaders who have drawn people to their movement by warning people that the end of the world is fast approaching and tell them ‘to flee from the wrath to come’ by joining their group. They often point out as evidence ‘the wars and rumours of wars’ that abound today. It is worrying that such leaders do attract a following when Jesus himself warned of this problem and taught the opposite.

“Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen. Nation will rise against nation . . .” Mark 13:6-8

We must all learn from John the Baptist to always point people to Jesus and not to ourselves.

A clear witness

One of the reasons many people today find it hard to talk about Jesus is that they do not know what to say. Many preachers could learn from the emphasis of John the Baptist. Everything he said centred on Jesus. It is Jesus that matters to him. But please note what he says Jesus can do for us. It is difficult to find two better sentences to summarise the gospel than the two that John the Baptist uses.

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

“He is the one who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” John 1:32

“This is the Son of God.” John 1:34

This is the Christian gospel in a nutshell. Jesus, who was sent to this earth by his heavenly Father, came to forgive our sin and to empower us to live a new godly life.

a. Sin is our greatest problem

The greatest work of God was to send his son to repair the broken relationship between us and himself, a relationship that has been broken because of our natural rebellion against him, our sin. This rebellion, called sin, results in many different symptoms called sins. These include selfishness, pride, lying, stealing, promiscuity and the like. In the Old Testament this rupture was symbolically repaired by the offering of animal sacrifices. A lamb would take responsibility for the sin of a people or family and would then be killed as their substitute. This reminded people that sin, rebellion against the one true God, was the most serious of all their failings but that a final remedy was coming in the form of God’s Messiah. This is a problem that we are all born with.

“There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one seeks God.” Romans 3:10-11

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

b. The only remedy is Jesus the Christ

John the Baptist introduces Jesus as God’s own son who has come as the remedy for the problem of our sin. John the Baptist concluded,

“I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34

When saying how he was to be the remedy, he is surely alluding to the great prophecy in Isaiah that depicts what the Messiah, God’s suffering servant, would enter this world to do.

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:4-9

If Jesus is not the God who created us and has entered his world in the flesh, then his death cannot atone for our sin. Only the person sinned against can forgive.

Jesus said to a paralysed man, just before healing him,

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5

The teachers of the law who were present recognised the significance of what Jesus had said, saying,

“Why does this fellow talk like that. He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone.” Mark 2:7

The greatest need we all have is to be forgiven before it is too late, before we come face to face with our maker in judgment. Jesus alone has the authority to forgive us because of who he is. It is vital therefore to know for certain whether the penalty for our sin has been taken from us. To say, ‘I hope so,” suggests that a person is unsure and therefore at great risk. However, if Jesus has become the focus of our life and has taken control, he has given us the promise that we have been forgiven because he has already paid the price for our sin on his cross. John the apostle wants us all to be certain. At the end of his gospel John explained why he had written his gospel, he wants people to be certain they have been forgiven and reminds us how this comes about,

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

Jesus came ‘to take away the sin of the world’. Yet how many today pass by Jesus and his cross although this is their only hope.

c. Jesus empowers his people

The same divine Jesus, who takes responsibility for our sin, then drenches us in the life of God, he baptises us with the Holy Spirit. It is important to note that the two works of God in us come simultaneously. The ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is not a second blessing. The work of Christ is both to forgive our sins and to baptise us with the Holy Spirit. When I come to Christ to be forgiven my sin, he gives me the gift of the Holy Spirit as evidence that I have been forgiven. No-one is yet forgiven if the life of the Holy Spirit is not developing in them. The apostle Paul wrote emphatically,

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9

Forgiveness and empowerment go together. Although we call John, ‘John the Baptist’, it is in reality Jesus who is the Baptist. John only baptised symbolically with water, whereas Jesus gives us the reality, the power of God to live new godly lives for him.

There is much confusion about what the Bible teaches about the work of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of his presence, so an addendum to this article of this subject has been added at the end.

d. Jesus is for all

The apostle John has already made it clear who the message about Jesus is for,

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” John 1:9

It is clear throughout the Bible that this message about Jesus being the ‘Saviour of the World’ is for people of all nations and for all classes of society.

How do people receive these gifts of forgiveness and empowering? The answer is simple, by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus, asking him to be both your Saviour and Lord. His empowering then enables us to live this new life with him in control. The apostle explains this,

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

This new life as a member of God’s kingdom begins with an individual coming to Christ, recognising their sin.

The tragedy is that most people do not know of this because we have not shared it with them.

People may have received water baptism, perhaps as a baby, but are uncertain whether they have been forgiven, and are not being changed by the Holy Spirit into becoming like Jesus, with his character and ambitions. It is irrelevant whether we carry an Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist or other label, these groups cannot save us, only a personal relationship with Jesus can do that.

God has given us his Holy Spirit so that our lives will be on fire for him. Isn’t this why, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down on the whole church as ‘tongues of fire’?

There are some who have asked Jesus into their life but have not noticed a great change. Many years ago, a short man called Mr Falconer was working as a missionary to the sailors at Port Chalmers in New Zealand. He had just finished a short service for the seamen, which was held in a large loft used to store the ship’s sails. A young sailor, Frank Bullen, stayed behind to talk. Frank explained that he did believe and had prayed a prayer of commitment to Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, but no obvious change had occurred. He felt no assurance that he had been accepted by God. Mr Falconer read him one of the important sayings of Jesus:

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

‘Ah, I see how it is,’ exclaimed Mr Falconer, ‘you are waiting for the witness of your feelings to the truth of him who is himself the Truth. You dare not take him at his word unless your feelings, which are subject to a thousand changes a day, corroborate it. You must believe him in spite of your feelings and act accordingly.’

Frank Bullen recorded many years later:

’In a moment the hidden mystery was made clear to me, and I said quietly, “I see, sir; it is the credibility of God against the witness of my feelings. Then I believe God!”

’Let us thank God,’ answered the little missionary and they knelt down and prayed. Little more was said. There was no extravagant joy, or effervescent enthusiasm, but just a quiet satisfaction of having ’found one’s way after a long groping in darkness and misery’.

The real proof that the Holy Spirit is active is the presence of a new priority—a desire to live for and with Jesus! If anyone is unsure about how they stand with God, start again and open or reopen your life to God. He wants you to know that your sin has been forgiven, that you have been obviously given the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that you can go out confidently into God’s world to live for him.

BVP

Who has the Spirit of God?

A lady in her early thirties, covered with tattoos, developed an aggressive breast cancer. She had a wide excision of the tumour, clearance of some involved axillary nodes and had subsequently chemotherapy and radiotherapy. During her treatment I asked her if she had any faith to help her cope with all this or whether she wasn’t sure about such things. She gave an interesting reply.

“I wish I still had. During my early twenties I started to go to a Pentecostal church and got carried away with all they did. One day I asked an elder of the church how I could know if God had accepted me, whether I really was a Christian. He asked to hear me speak in tongues, which I was able to do for him as I had heard others in the church do this. He reassured me that if I can speak in tongues I must have the Spirit of God in me. However I short time later I stopped going to any church and have not been back for many years.”

She then determined to discover what life was for and whether God could forgive her for the life she had led and the way she had treated him. She joined us at a ‘Christianity Explored’ Group and for the first time understood the gospel. She understood who Jesus was and what he had done by dying for her on the cross. She did commit her life to Christ and her life changed markedly. She came to love him, was thrilled at being forgiven by God and started to live for him, joining a church.

This gives rise to two important questions,

1. When does a person receive the Holy Spirit?

2. What is the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence?

1. When does a person receive the Holy Spirit?

I committed my life to Christ in my first year at university and became very involved in the Christian Union, attended an excellent Bible teaching church and began to grow as a Christian. I then decided to formalise my commitment to Christ by getting confirmed. During the confirmation service the Bishop of Ely told us that he was about to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit. I was aghast and nearly walked out as I knew that the Spirit of God was already changing me. It was only that I did want to be formally confirmed that kept me in my seat! This issue led me back to the Bible to see what it teaches about when people receive the Holy Spirit.

“And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Romans 8:9-10

Clearly the apostles taught that to have the Spirit was the same as being a Christian. This is not just a doctrinal belief. Surely it is eminently practical. If a person does not demonstrate something of the character and love of Christ, showing his Spirit, then we should question whether we really have faith in Him.

In his letter to the Galatians Paul is concerned that the church is compromising with Jewish practices, even to the point of suggesting that they are essential for Christians. He reminds them that they now belong to Christ and now everything in the church should centre on living for and obeying him.

“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort.” Galatians 3:2-3

Paul is here emphasising that we begin the Christian life when we receive the Holy Spirit into our lives. That happens when we first put our trust in him.

There has been some confusion over the names given to this third person of the Trinity. Should he be called ’Holy Spirit’ or ‘Holy Ghost’? In Old English the word used for ‘spirit’ was ‘gast’, which became ‘ghost’. The equivalent word in German is ‘geist’ where it still has the broader sense of the word. Thus they speak of ‘zeitgeist’, which means ‘spirit of the times’. Nearly all modern translations use the modern English word, ‘Spirit’.

When we become Christians we receive the full privileges of being Sons of God, a title previously reserved for the Jewish people, and Paul repeats that this includes the gift of His Holy Spirit.

“God sent his Son . . . that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Galatians 4:4-6

The letter to the Ephesians teaches the same message.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

It is clear that because we are in Christ we have everything God wants to give us and this includes the Spirit of Christ. So lack nothing in the spiritual world.

“Having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, . . .” Ephesians 1:13-14

This is written to all Christians – we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God in us that assures us of our future with God in heaven.

Being saved and being given the gift of the Holy Spirit are the same in apostolic thought.

“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 3:5-6

Yet the presence of the Holy Spirit in us does not mean that we are the finished article! How we need to grow in wisdom and in the knowledge of God.

“I keep asking that the God of our lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

Paul brings these two ideas, of having everything in the spiritual realm yet being incomplete, together.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:16-17

1. What is the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence?

Quite soon after I had committed my life to Christ, fellow Christians in my college suggested to me that now I needed a second blessing from God which would be associated with the gift of power, and evidenced by ‘speaking in tongues’. How I longed to experience such power. I was told that some are given the power to heal, others to raise the dead, others will be given supernatural gifts of knowledge. Although |I longed to be a more effective powerful Christian and would love to have one of those supernatural gifts, something worried me about this teaching. I noticed that many of my friends who talked in this way were not warmer Christians than those who didn’t. I did not notice that they demonstrated any gifts that differed from other Christian friends. Their emphasis seemed on this ‘gift of speaking in tongues’. However even this was problematic. When God first baptized his church with the Holy Spirit at the beginning of Acts, this was not just an emotional experience, it was associated with a strong wind and the appearance of fire that divided and rested on all the Christians. They then spoke the gospel to visitors in Jerusalem in their own languages, which they had not learned. This was clearly a miracle indeed. It seemed so different to what I was told to expect. And when I heard their ‘speaking in tongues’ it appeared to me to be just meaningful gibberish and not a real language at all.

When I started to get to know the New Testament, I noticed that the gift of tongues and miracles is not mentioned in any of the epistles other than the one to the very troubled church at Corinth. Even here Paul emphasized that the Corinthians were lacking the real evidence of the Spirit, a practical love for others.

“If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move all mountains, but have not love, I have nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

Jesus himself taught that the exhibition of spiritual gifts guarantees nothing. At the last judgment some religious leaders will find themselves excluded from heaven even though they demonstrated spiritual gifts.

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you evil doers.’” Matthew 7:22-23

If our spiritual gifts or activities are no guarantee of salvation, what is? I love to ask people, ‘What is the evidence that a person has the Holy Spirit?’ This is not a difficult question. If we have the Spirit of Jesus we are beginning to turn from thinking and behaving as the world does to exhibit aspects of Jesus’ character.

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

The presence of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by very different features; he is especially seen in our relationships with other people.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. . . Those who belong to Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24

The prophet Isaiah knew that when the Messiah came to this earth he would give his people the Spirit of God.

“ . . . till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. . . The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence for ever.” Isaiah 32:15-17

What a shame it is when Christians do not live in this ‘peace of God.’ Many are stressed and anxious about so many things. When we have been forgiven and know that we are loved by the creator of the universe because we belong to his Son, we should be thrilled. How we also need this Spirit to change our lands that are too often like spiritual deserts, into a vibrant forest of justice and righteousness.

BVP

John 1:29-34. Chosen to Witness

“In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”

This famous statement made by the American preacher, Howard Hendricks could be applied to Christians today and was certainly true two thousand years ago. There had been no prophets for 400 years. It was then that God acted.

Zechariah was a godly priest but he and his wife Elizabeth could not have children. One day he was selected by lot, out of thousands of priests, to be the one who was allowed to enter the Holy Place in the temple in Jerusalem and there burn incense. When undertaking this duty and privilege he had the fright of his life. There, standing on the right side of the altar, was someone else. Zechariah was ‘gripped with fear’ but the angel Gabriel reassured him,

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.” Luke 1:13

Gabriel went on to say that the boy would be a delight to them and to many other people because,

“. . . he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.” Luke 1:14

He was to be raised as a lifelong Nazirite, abstaining from all alcohol, just as Samson and Samuel, earlier prophets, had been before him. Gabriel continued,

“. . . and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” Luke 1:15

The effect of this filling would be clear, he would have a public ministry, to prepare people for the coming of their Lord, in the spirit and manner of Elijah.

“Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17

Zechariah was struck dumb at this news so he couldn’t explain the details of this conversation to his family and friends.

When Elizabeth was five months pregnant the same angel, Gabriel appeared to Mary, Elizabeth’s young cousin, and explained to her that she was also going to have a child, even though she was unmarried and celibate. Mary rushed to see Elizabeth who lived in the high country, and share the news. That must have been some conversation!

The baby in Elizabeth leapt and Elizabeth exclaimed,

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear. But why am I so highly favoured that the mother of my Lord should come to me. . . Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Luke 1:42-45

Note what it is that makes someone blessed by God, it is to believe what he has said.

In response Mary said, she didn’t sing, what we now call the ‘Magnificat’ which included the words,

“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50

Mary addresses her Lord as ‘my Saviour’ because she knew that she was a sinner just as much as everyone else and that she too needed to be saved. She was therefore not the result of an ‘immaculate conception’ as some churches have taught, she was an ordinary godly person who God had chosen for his purposes. She was special in that she submitted to doing what God wants.

John was born E and eight days later, the ritual of circumcision was performed. Many people were there to celebrate. It was expected that the child would be named after his Father but Elizabeth spoke up for her mute husband and said,

“No! He is to be called John.” Luke 1:60

They then turn to Zechariah and gave him a tablet covered with wax for him to share his thoughts, and to everyone’s amazement he wrote,

“His name is John.” Luke 1:63

At this point Zechariah found he could speak again and note what he immediately does,

“He praises God.” Luke 1:64

Throughout the hill country of Judea, where Zechariah lived, people were talking about these extraordinary happenings and were naturally asking,

“What then is this child going to be?” Luke 1:66

The name John, in Hebrew, means ‘The Lord is gracious.” God was indeed graciously about to step into the history of the world. It is no coincidence that throughout these early accounts the word joy keeps appearing (e.g. Luke 1:14, I:44, 1:58, 6:23, 8:24, 10:17).

There never was anyone quite like John. As he grew and matured, he must learned much about his Lord by studying the Old Testament because, when he started teaching, his message was to bring people back to its basics. He had great understanding of what the Bible emphasises. He became an exemplary witness to the person who was to come after him but who, in every other respect was before him.

John’s commitment

To be an effective witness for Jesus Christ requires that our whole lives are dedicated to serving him. Too often, becoming important can go to people’s heads, even amongst God’s people. But that didn’t happen to John, he knew his place! He had been preaching for about 18 months, reminding people that what God requires is not outward religion but a heartfelt devotion to him. He taught that all people must recognise how far short they have fallen from God’s standards and turn back to him in repentance, asking for his mercy. Repentance literally means a ‘rethink’ of the direction of my life, a ‘re-pensing.’ We still have the English word ‘pensive’ that reflects this meaning.

The sincerity and deep enthusiasm for Jesus makes John very attractive. T.H. Huxley, a well-known agnostic, was with a group of men at a weekend house party. On Sunday morning, while most of them were preparing to go to church, he approached a man known for his Christian character and said,

“Suppose you stay at home and tell my why you are a Christian.”

The man, knowing he couldn't match wits with Huxley, hesitated. But the agnostic said gently,

“I don't want to argue with you. I just want you to tell me simply what this Christ means to you.”

The man did just that, and when he finished, there were tears in Huxley's eyes as he said,

“I would give my right hand if only I could believe that!”

John talked about the person he had come to be a fore-runner for, someone who will baptise his people with the Holy Spirit. He warned his hearers that God’s judgment that will certainly come to those who reject God’s Messiah, saying,

“His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12

‘Who are you, John’?

After John had been preaching for about six weeks a delegation came from the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem on a fact-finding mission. They wanted to know what was going on and asked several questions.

The first question was, ‘Who are you?’ They were wondering whether John could be the long promised Messiah who would come to lead God’s people to peace and freedom.

“I am not the Christ,” was his clear reply John 1:20

If he had been ambiguous, doubtless the old Maccabean flags of independence would have been unfurled and war against Rome could have commenced. John uses the word ‘Christ’ which is an adjective derived from the Greek word ‘chrio’ which means ‘to anoint’. This makes the word ‘Christ’ the equivalent of the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ which also means ‘God’s anointed one’. The wording John uses also emphasises the need for God’s people to be open about their faith.

“He did not fail to confess but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’” John 1:20

The obvious follow-up question, if John were not the Messiah, was, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He did, after all, wear the uniform of a prophet,

“John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist . . .” Mark 1:6

In the Old Testament, prophets used to wear a uniform to identify themselves. Elijah identified himself in this way,

“He was a man with a garment of hair, and a leather belt round his waist.” 1 Kings 1:8

The delegation knew the prophecy of Malachi that said,

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day of the LORD comes.” Malachi 4:5

In fifth century BC, false prophets used to dress up using a prophets cloak of camel’s hair, much as Elijah had worn, to give them credibility. Yet a later prophet said that on the ‘day of the LORD’ such false prophets would feel guilty and hide. He exclaimed,

“On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. He will say ‘I am not a prophet.’” Zechariah 13:4-5

It is likely that John also knew this prophecy and did not want to be misunderstood and be thought of as a false prophet with its possible dire consequences. It is equally possible that John did not recognise the significance of his own ministry. Later Jesus did identify John the Baptist with the promised Elijah. When honouring John, Jesus said,

“Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist . . . he is the Elijah who was to come.” Matthew 11:11-14

There was nothing false about John’s message. Like Elijah, he implored his listeners to acknowledge their innate rebellion against God. Many Jews came to accept John’s warning, they decided to live a new life with God in charge and were publicly baptised to confirm this decision to repent.

The third question was, ‘Are you the prophet?’

This again referred to an Old Testament prophecy. Moses had said,

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers . . .” Deuteronomy 18:15

John was Jewish, he was one of ‘your brothers’, so would qualify on that score, unlike Mohammed, but he answered,

“No.” John 1:21

John was so self effacing – he wanted all the glory to go the Jesus.

The delegation keep pestering him, ‘Who are you then?”

“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’.’” John 1:23

Joh’s response to being tested was to take his answers from the Bible, the Word of God. John answers who he is by what he was doing, his job was to warn people to get ready for God’s Messiah coming into their world, just as Isaiah had done. He is just a voice, he is simply here to communicate to others what God has said. He wanted to point people to Jesus, saying,

“He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” John 1:27

The day after this meeting with the Jerusalem delegation, John sees Jesus approaching and explains to those around,

“Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” John 1:29-30

His priorities

Jesus said that there was no other person in the world who was greater that John the Baptist. If ever there had been a man who was tempted to talk about himself, surely this was he. He had been prepared for this role since before his birth. He had had a supernatural birth, been brought up as a Nazirite, had never drunk alcohol, never touched a dead body, was clearly very disciplined, living in the desert and eating locusts, yet his whole emphasis was on Jesus.

“The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens to him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegrooms voice. That joy is mine, and is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”John 3:29-30

Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809) was an English-born American political activist and revolutionary. He wrote ‘Common Sense’ (1776) and ‘The American Crisis’ (1776–1783), two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he encouraged the Americans to make a declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776. He wrote ‘The Age of Reason’ in which he described the substitutionary death of Christ as ‘an invention’. He claimed his book would replace the reading of the Bible, yet who today has read it? Egotism is not a godly characteristic.

Egotism can all too easily influence church leaders. They can so easily continue in ministry for their own sakes, for another house or another plane or simply for kudos. We have just been watching the film series entitled ‘ Greenleaf’ which is about such a religious dynasty who are primarily in ministry for themselves – how ugly that is.

Such lifestyles are completely removed from those of John the Baptist and of Jesus’ apostles. Paul wrote,

“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. . . wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

The great conductor, Toscanini, performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony one evening. His performance and that of his orchestra were fantastic. At the end the audience went wild, they clapped and clapped and clapped enthusiastically. Some began to whistle the tune of the symphony and stamped their feet. Toscanini bowed, bowed again and again and still the applause kept coming. So he bowed more and acknowledged the orchestra again and again. Toscanini was almost out of control. When the noise subsided a little he then turned to the orchestra and said,

“Gentlemen, ”

The members of the orchestra leaned forwards to hear the great man,

“Gentlemen, I am nothing, you are nothing - I know you have heard this many times. But Beethoven, he is everything, everything , everything.”

Such is the attitude all Christians need in the relationship bteween the Lord Jesus and ourselves. We should all be able to say,

“I am nothing, you are nothing, Jesus is everything.”

Such is the mark of a true messenger – he is a devoted servant of his Lord.

His message

Just as his lifestyle centred on Jesus, so did his message.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ . . . Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” John 1:9-34

How John loved to talk about and point people to Jesus.

Talking about religion is not the same. In a monastery in Madrid the painting by El Greco showing Peter holding the keys to God’s kingdom stands prominently displayed. For many this is the centrepiece. However one visitor took more notice of a small walnut coloured picture on the opposite wall where a small, very old painting (1525) hang. This shows a lamb and round its head, barely perceptible, was a halo. The lambs feet were tied, the lamb was lying on the beam of a cross. The tile was ‘Agnus Dei’ - ‘The Lamb of God.’ The guard supervising the area could not understand why someone would be more interested in the death of the Lamb than in Peter!

John also wanted people to see that Jesus is the ultimate sacrificial lamb who, takes away the sin of the world. The unfortunate thing is that people can know the theory but not have the experience of that deep and permanent joy that comes from a deep involvement with Jesus. It is a dependance on Jesus that gives us the experience of knowing we are safe, of having God’s Spirit, Christ’s Spirit, in us. It is because we have the Spirit of Jesus that we confidently share the news about Jesus, the lamb of God, just as John the Baptist did.

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John 1:14-18. Jesus Christ is Everything

When C.S.Lewis wrote his space trilogy for adults, he wanted people to discover the message behind the stories. In ‘Perelandra’ he fantastically recreates a whole new world on Venus. The sky is a golden canopy, the sea is emerald green. There were ‘bubble trees’ that burst as you walk underneath them, releasing a beautiful and indescribable refreshment. The animals were fascinating, the porpoises could be ridden on, and there were little dragons with red and green scales that could be turned over to have their tummies rubbed. It was all very inviting and entertaining but also very instructive. It is meant to represent the ideal world, the new world, life without sin.

In the Bible, Adam and Eve were the prototype of perfection, a man and a woman who lived in a perfect world in close harmony with God their creator. Everything around them was good, as the beginning of the book of Genesis repeatedly makes clear. There was social perfection. Eve was taken from the Adam’s side, from his flesh, to depict the close intimacy God intends in marriage. The Garden of Eden is meant to be an inviting, ideal scenario that people long to belong to.

However all that was lost when Adam and Eve decided to turn their backs on God and go their own way. Social disharmony then appeared. After they decided to go their own way, God asked Adam,

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”

The reply Adam gave, blaming his wife, was a certain way to produce marital discord,

“The woman you put here with me – she gave me some of the fruit and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12

From then on, man’s relationship with God and other people was damaged. We are never satisfied, we now grow old and will die.

When Alexander Solzhenitsyn gave his Templeton Prize address he said that the tragedy of the modern world was, ‘You have forgotten God’. In a subsequent interview with Bernard Levin, published in the Times, he explained that he now considered that the goal of man is ‘not happiness but spiritual growth’. He had learned this from Jesus.

Solomon understood that this is man’s greatest problem. Near the beginning of the book of Proverbs he said,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 1:7

A little later he explains that everyone has made a decision on this matter,

“Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.” Proverbs 1:29

The widespread dissatisfaction is a common symptom that comes from this refusal to allow God to hold his proper place in our lives.

The glory of Jesus

This is what John wants everyone to grasp - how magnificent this good news about Jesus is.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14

Jesus, out of his love for humanity, left his home with his Father and entered his world to be with us and to save us. In the Old testament God’s presence with his people was symbolised by the ark of the covenant that was housed in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle. The tabernacle was where God was understood to dwell with his people. The word John uses here is significant, literally it reads,

“ . . . the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” John 1:14

This is God’s grace reaching down to sinful, rebellious man. God literally came to live amongst us. This verse continues,

“We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Rules and discipline have their place but are certainly not so attractive as a person exemplified by grace and truth. That combination is dynamic. John continues,

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

This is why religion in all its guises cannot compete with the person of Jesus. What our creator longs for is that we all enter into a personal relationship with him through Jesus his chosen King.

Full of grace

Grace is God reaching out to us in our sin whereas mercy is God reaching out to us in our misery. We cannot see or comprehend the full glory of God. John partially describes something of this in the book of Revelation, chapters 4 and 5. Here John stresses that what they saw most of God’s glory was the grace and truth seen in Jesus.

Grace is an attribute of God, where he gives himself to help others. It is what makes some people so attractive. It is a major reason why Jesus is so attractive. In Iran today, many people are turning to Christ because they have seen something of this grace of God both in Jesus and in his people. This contrasts with the lack of grace seen in the Islamic rulers. It is this love that lifts us up. John continues,

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16

In the original Greek this is worded ‘grace upon grace’. This grace of God keeps flowing. Jesus is the fountain through which God’s grace pours out upon us. This is only possible because of who he is. Paul wrote,

“For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9

The glory of God is seen in the grace of Jesus, the embodiment of God. This is why a prime feature of Christ’s people must be the same overflowing grace. God shows this grace to both unbelievers and believers and we must emulate him.

God’s grace gives us everything we need.

In 1725 a ship’s captain had a son but his mother, who taught him the Bible died of tuberculosis when he was just six years old. When eleven he went to sea with his father. However he was later press ganged into service as a midshipman with the Royal Navy. He tried to desert but was caught, publicly flogged with 96 lashes and reduced to the rank of a common seaman. Later he transferred to a slave ship but was unpopular with the crew and was left in West Africa with a slave dealer where he was as badly treated as the slaves. In 1748, after three years of misery, he was rescued by a sea captain who had been asked to search for his son by his retired father. However on the return trip, the ship he was on was caught in a severe storm off the coast of Donegal, Ireland. The young man was terrified, had he been rescued from slavery just to die? He prayed to God for mercy on March 10th 1748 and from then on his life changed. He began to want to live as God wanted him to. He started to study the Bible which confirmed to him that God was indeed a God who is full of grace and would even accept a wretch like him. His life gradually changed, he no longer swore, gambled or drank alcohol and he came to understand how deep the grace of God for him was. For a further six years he continued to sail, trading in slaves and merchandise, but then he gave up the sea and began to study. He was later ordained and eventually became an influential minister for Christ in London. His name was John Newton. In 1772 when he was a curate in Olney, Bedfordshire he wrote the words of his famous hymn,

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

Shout, shout for glory,
Shout, shout aloud for glory;
Brother, sister, mourner,
All shout glory hallelujah

John Newton loved to talk about the amazing sufficiency of God’s grace. He knew that there was no-one who was beyond the power of this grace. This grace is only available for those who recognise that they cannot become the people God wants without receiving God’s grace. This is freely available to all who come to God on his terms. The lifebelt has been thrown to the drowning person, all they have to do is to grasp it and hold on. The Bible teaches,

“Christ died for the ungodly . .” Romans 5:6

God’s grace enables us to face every difficulty in life.

Grace is not only sufficient to save us, it also brings beauty and meaning to life. Adam and Eve, before they fell from grace, enjoyed God’s presence. It is this grace that gives us the promise of eternal life.

The prospect of death loses its fear for those who are in Christ. The great 19th century evangelist, D.L.Moody once said, with reference to the promise of eternal life,

“You may read in the paper one day that D.L.Moody is dead. Don’t you believe it.”

One day we will be physically perfect, we won’t tire and we will enjoy God’s creation more than we thought possible. All hang-ups and social inhibitions will be gone. Our future with God will be bliss. John had a vision of this wonderful new world with life in all its richness,

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing down form the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. . . . and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night.” Revelation 22:1-5

God’s grace changes people.

John Newton, after a life of debauchery, philandering and alcohol, married a lovely lady and they enjoyed a marriage that was a glorious example to people around them. Relationships are transformed by Christ. Even our decaying bodies will be transformed. Our physical bodies are immortal and when we are resurrected we will be transformed gloriously, that will be the work of the grace of God - how immense is the privilege of being united to Christ. Paul wrote,

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fulness in Christ . . .” Colossians 2:9

When the grace of God enters our lives and is allowed to take over, everything changes. Our lives become rich and overflowing and we begin to live as we were meant to live. Grace had a remarkable effect on a Levite from Cyprus called Joseph. The apostles gave him the nickname, Barnabus which means ‘Son of Encouragement’. Joseph had become generous and a pleasure to be with (Acts 4:36-37).

The 16th century church reformer, Martin Luther wrote,

“This grace is inexhaustible. It is full of grace and truth from God. It never loses anything, no matter how much we draw, but remains an infinite fountain of all grace and truth. The more you draw from it, the more abundantly it gives of the water that springs up into eternal life. Just as the sun is not darkened by the whole world enjoying its light and could indeed light up ten worlds, just as ten thousand lights can be lit from one light and not detract from it, just as a learned man is able to make a thousand others learn it, the more he gives, the more he has. So it is with our Lord Jesus Christ, an infinite source of grace, so that the whole world can draw on his grace and it wouldn’t be depleted at all”.

The grace of God enables us to see reality

We can see where faults are ours and stop blaming others. A girl got into a fight with her young brother. Her mother heard the noise and, entering the room, said to her daughter,

“Why did you let the devil put it into your mind to pull your brothers hair and kick him in the shins?”

The girl thought for a second and replied,

“Maybe the devil put it into my heart to pull his hair, but kicking his shins was my idea.”

Grace is not just for salvation, it continues to give us purpose and power to become more like Jesus until we eventually meet him face to face. Isaiah understood the glory that is to come and Paul quotes from Isaiah when writing to the troubled church at Corinth that were beset with false leaders and false priorities.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” Isaiah 64:4 and I Corinthians 2:9

Our eternal destiny is only ours because of God’s grace.

Why do we not experience this grace more? When we become Christians we are shown something of God’s grace in his forgiving us and accepting us into his kingdom. But that is just the beginning. We need to learn to receive ‘grace upon grace’. To be sold out in out devotion to Jesus and longing to please him, is the way to more joy and more outpouring of His Spirit on us.

Full of truth

A little boy had repeatedly been told by his mother that he must always tell the truth. One day they were travelling on a bus and standing next to them was a grossly overweight lady. The little boy blurted out loudly and truthfully,

“You’re fat.”

His embarrassed mother realised that her boy needed to learn another lesson fast, grace must have precedence over expressing the truth.

Grace and truth should not be in opposition but should be two sides of the same coin. Truth is essential. Unfortunately, most decisions that people make are primarily based on our emotions. What sort of car shall we get – oh, a blue one. Career choices are so often based on memories of someone we liked or even on advertisements. In the United Kingdom in 2019 over 22 billion pounds was spent on advertising!

Yet in deciding on the major issues of life, rational decisions are vital. ‘Who should I marry?’ is best decided, not just on looks but on a wide range of features, and in this friends and family can often see more clearly than those whose thinking is clouded by the veneer of being ‘in love’. Similarly when deciding what the basis of my whole life will be, it is vital to look beyond selfish emotions, about what I like, to what is true. Jesus stands at the crossroads of life and points us to God’s way, on the basis of his grace and the fact that his way is true. Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth and the life, no-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The case for Christ is so strong. Science cannot explain how our world began, how all the constants of the universe are so precisely right for the universe and man to exist, how the language of DNA developed and how the code that defines the resulting organism has been altered in such short times for new species to appear. Science can only give us the laws by which the world works, it cannot create anything. The evidence for Jesus being extraordinary is immense. He convinced his disciples that he was God and they sacrificed their lives on this conviction. Were they all deluded? Did Jesus rise from the dead after being publicly crucified? Over five hundred people later saw him alive on just one occasion and his disciples, who saw the risen Christ on several occasions, were certainly convinced. There are over 330 prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah – they all point to Jesus. He was a direct descendant of king David, he was born in Bethlehem, he did perform extraordinary miracles. He still reigns. On top of that his teaching is sublime. If anyone has not read through John’s Gospel to think through what Jesus taught it is likely that they really do not want to know the truth.

I was discussing with a group of hospital consultants how ‘truth’ should be defined. They had great difficulty. One suggested that truth must be ‘consensus’ but the others ridiculed this as consensus can so easily change or be manipulated, as many politicians have found. Plato realised that truth has to have an absolute dimension. God alone knows exactly what has happened and how the world works, we are trying to discover the truth by investigation. This is so in the law courts, in medicine and in science. Instinctively we know there is a truth out there and we are trying to discover this by what is called a dialectic process. This simply means holding to one position until a stronger rival overtakes it. Truth must be defined as a concept compatible with God. Jesus puts himself in the centre and says,

“I am the truth!” John 14:6

There is certainly a place for emphasising all the evidence for the claims of Jesus but arguments seldom win people for God if there is no personal need. Too many young Christians think they can argue people into accepting the Christian position. Without God preparing people and without grace in the speaker, convincing people with arguments seems to be relatively ineffective.

‘Grace and truth’, however, are the two main means by which people are drawn back into a relationship with our creator.

John the Baptists’ message

John the Baptist’s message was the same as that of the church today,

“(John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, ‘This is he of whom I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me”’) John 1:15

John’s message was about Jesus and the church must also tell people about Jesus. How we need to ‘cry out’ to our world and tell people that God has entered this world to save us. Our message must be the same as the apostle John, who when talking about Jesus said,

“No-one has ever seen God, but God, the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” John 1:18

What a wonderful message the church has – Paul recognised this,

“All this is from God, who reconciled the world to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” 1 Corinthians 5:18-19

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