Hope in Times of Despair

But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (Luke 23:49)

Those who knew and loved Jesus stood at a distance trying to assimilate what they were seeing. However, what appears to be the worst they could have imagined, is in actuality the very best that can possibly be! Is not this life for many of us?

We stand in a bereaved silence, stunned, staring at a particular circumstance that has crossed the path of our lives and quite literally taken our breath away. How can something so devastating turn out to be good? Though we know God has good plans, the “why’s?” of life often echo loudly in our minds, drowning out any thoughts of a higher purpose for good, oftentimes leaving us bereft of hope.

Paul’s words shout out to us:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

“Now” we suffer from incomplete knowledge. It will only be when “now” becomes “then” that we shall understand fully and have all of our questions completely answered. The “in part” that we can comprehend and hold on to is His faithfulness to us, love for us, and intentions toward us. God always has our best interest at heart!

The message of the Old Testament reminds us:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Throughout our seeming devastation, God is in the business of making beauty from our ashes. Indeed, Jesus’ “job description” covers that very issue. We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion–to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

 

Jesus Himself reads these very words from a scroll handed to Him in the synagogue, proclaiming to His hearers that this words have been fulfilled in their hearing:

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus came to bring good news, bind up the brokenhearted, free the captive, proclaim God’s favor, comfort the mourning, bring beauty out of ashes, and restore gladness.–all of this coming our way by way of the cross.

What appeared as devastation to the onlookers mentioned in today’s verses all actuality become life to the full.


Take It to Heart

Sometimes it is hard for us to understand the God’s higher purposes for good when calamities occur. We must hold on to the promise of God’s Word that He will use these things for our good and for His glory. God has a plan and it is for always for our good!

“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts … It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still–to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.” (C.H. Mackintosh)

“To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident. He travels an appointed way … Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way; but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God’s hidden providence.” (A.W. Tozer)

Today's Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Holy LORD, thank you for today. Help me share my life with someone else who needs to experience your grace. Please help me notice those who are wounded and please give me the wisdom on the best way to lead them back to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wisdom and Favor

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

Oh, the great economy of words in Scripture! Wouldn’t you like to know more about the childhood of Jesus than simply what this one verse tells us? Why on earth did God not tell us more? Unless, of course, this was sufficient? Scripture tells us that we are to walk as Jesus did:

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.(1John 2:6)

Since God does everything perfectly, maybe we should examine this verse a bit deeper.

At first blush, these words appear to let us know that Jesus grew up. While it is perfectly normal and predictable for a child to grow physically, it is neither human nature nor predictable for a child to grow in wisdom and favor with God and men! Jesus, being both totally God and totally man, possessed in his precious infant body the “fullness of the God-head” (Colossians 1:19).

Just as his body was in the infant stage, so was His wisdom and favor. It was perfection for that stage. As He grew in stature, He also grew in wisdom and favor to perfection for each stage. While we will never reach perfection on this side of heaven, we are still called to pursue wisdom and favor. 

The Bible is filled with verses to this end:

Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2:6-8)

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. (Proverbs 3:13-18)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

We are told in Scripture that in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). 

As we grow up in Christ, we grow up in wisdom, and with this we find favor with God and men. Have you ever noticed in Scripture how many years God takes in readying or growing up His vessels for use? Abraham waited twenty-five years for Isaac, the promised child of covenant; Joseph spent thirteen years in preparation before becoming a leader in Egypt; Moses was forty years tending sheep for his father-in-law; David, Paul, and many more all waited for the “time to fully come.” Even Jesus prepared for thirty years for His three year ministry. Just as building muscles takes time, growing in wisdom and holiness takes time.

Since we are commanded in Scripture to grow in wisdom and holiness. 

How do we go about making it happen? Here are a few suggestions:

* We must be in God’s Word daily. Even if it is just a verse, it is profitable.

* We must apply God’s truth to our life. What we learn by being in His word, we should apply. All the head knowledge in the world will not help us grow until it is actually fleshed out. We live what we believe to be true. And we grow or go backwards, whichever the case may be, as we live our lives. We must hide God’s Word in our hearts. This keeps us from sinning, strengthens our prayer life, and allows us to live a life that glorifies Him.

* We must pray, pray, pray.


The promise of Scripture is this:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

Take It to Heart

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 11:28-30)

Jesus, being both totally God and totally man, possessed in his precious infant body the “fullness of the God-head” (Colossians 1:19).

As Jesus grew in stature, He also grew in wisdom and favor to perfection for each stage.

While we will never reach perfection on this side of heaven, we are still called to pursue wisdom and favor.

As we grow up in Christ, we grow up in wisdom, and with this we find favor with God and men.

Following God's Plan

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:13-22)

It’s not too difficult to discern one of the reasons why Joseph was picked to be the earthly father of our Lord Jesus: obedience. In the second of his four dreams, Joseph was told to get up and flee to Egypt because Jesus’ life was in danger. Joseph was neither aware of the specific danger nor how to avert it, and yet God directs him in precisely what to do. God even supplied the means by way of the gifts of the Magi. Everything was covered.

The safest place to be is always in the center of God’s will. Nothing ever takes God by surprise. To Joseph’s credit, when the angel of the Lord speaks to him in dreams, we discover him moving and moving quickly. So often we rebel against obedience by ignoring, delaying, questioning, dismissing, or fleeing from God’s directives. Seriously, when are we going to learn that God always has our best interest at heart? His way is often not the easiest way, but it is always the best way. It really boils down to trust.

The journey for Joseph and his young family to Egypt would be both inconvenient and perilous, yet Joseph remained steadfast to the heavenly vision he had received. He made no objection nor did he dawdle, but immediately got up and set out during the night making quick work of obedience.

Bit by bit the story continues to unfold for Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus. Certainly God, who makes known the end from the beginning, could have given Joseph all of His instructions at once. Yet, as He most often chooses to do, God makes His way known gradually–revealing His mind and way in increments. He does this in order for us to be reminded of His faithfulness in leading and also to teach us to continue to listen for His still, small voice–waiting upon His instructions and trusting in His ways as best for our lives.

God always goes before us. Waiting upon His leading teaches us a myriad of things, not the least of which is patience and obedience. It never comes easy to wait–it is far easier to take matters in our own hands and run ahead. But we get usually find ourselves in trouble when we pursue the devices of our own imaginations.

God sent Joseph and his young family into Egypt and then he brought them out. We can be sure there is always purpose in His plans. He is leading even when we cannot readily discern it.

Take It to Heart
“God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” (Elisabeth Elliot)

“In our walk with God we are told explicitly by Christ Himself that it would be His Spirit who would be sent to 'guide us and to lead us into all truth' (John 16:13). This same gracious Spirit takes the truth of God, the Word of God, and makes it plain to our hearts and minds and spiritual understanding. It is He who gently, tenderly, but persistently says to us, ‘This is the way–walk in it.’ And as we comply and cooperate with His gentle promptings a sense of safety, comfort and well-being envelops us.” (Phillip Keller)

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The safest place to be is always in the center of God’s will. Nothing ever takes God by surprise.

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Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.  (Psalm 27:11)

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God is good at being faithful!  - (James Bruce Evans)

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Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24)

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He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.  (Deuteronomy 32:4)

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I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  (Psalm 27:13-14)

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“We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which He leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths–they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the ‘city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God' … All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant. Let’s put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, His purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy … His dear love will make us far more blessed than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world’s fire.”  - (Charles Spurgeon)

The New Covenant

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.(Luke 22:17-20)

The Master’s table is our individual and corporate privilege! When we come to it we obtain a fresh and renewed awareness of the precious benefits of our Savior’s sacrifice. It is to be our constant reminder of the person and work of Jesus. His body broken, His blood poured out, the elements constantly pointing to the blessed truth that Christ Jesus died for sinners, our foundation for encouragement, hope, and joy. The blood of animals, while commanded through the law, was not sufficient. The constant sacrificing for sins was proof enough of that.


The writer of Hebrews tells us:

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)

Jeremiah prophesied regarding God’s future establishment of a new covenant which would be based on the full and eternal atonement secured by the death of Christ Jesus.

This is the new covenant of which Jesus refers to in our verses for today:

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, “declares the LORD.  “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

This new covenant is based on an individual, personal knowledge of God and is characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is an eternal covenant of peace which Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ushers in.


Paul tells us in Colossians:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)


“The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.” (Oswald Chambers)


Take It to Heart

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

Our Sin is Forgiven!

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Nearing the end of the greatest accomplishment ever to be done on behalf of mankind, our Lord proclaims, “I am thirsty.” In Psalm 22, King David prophesied what Jesus would someday experience. David’s use of many poetic expressions were literally fulfilled in the Savior’s suffering:

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:14-16)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1)

Having once refused the soldier’s medicinal offer of wine vinegar to dull His pain (Matthew 27:34), Jesus now readily accepts this mocking offering. The vinegar soaked sponge on a hyssop branch would be used to free His tongue. Jesus had words left to say and He needed His mouth moistened to declare them.

Tongue freed, our Lord now offers the three greatest words of triumph ever uttered to a startled universe. Expressed with majestic simplicity, the Savior states from the cross, “It is finished.” Inexhaustible in meaning, these three words are rich and full of deep truths. Jesus had accomplished what He had come to do. He had done all that was needed to save sinners–all that was needful to satisfy the justice of God.

“The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him–something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.” (Oswald Chambers)

Jesus had come to die as our substitute; He had come to fulfill the ceremonial law; He had come as the true sacrifice for our sin; He had come to fulfill many of the prophecies; He had come to accomplish the great work of man’s redemption. Nothing was whimsical or happenstance regarding Christ’s life or death–not one thing in the minutest details was by accident or by chance.  The cup of suffering was at last now drained to the last dregs. He was rightfully preparing to enter back into glory–right back to His Father’s side:

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:4-5)

Take It to Heart

We can rest our souls on the finished work of Christ! We need not fear sin or Satan or the law to condemn us on the last day. Jesus has done all, paid all, and accomplished all that was necessary for our salvation. When we look at our own works, we may well be ashamed at the imperfections we see, but when we focus on the finished work of Christ, we have comfort and peace. We are made complete in Him–not lacking anything:

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 2:9-10)

Heaven!

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)

It is the desire of our Savior to be in communion and fellowship with His followers throughout all eternity. He comforts us with these words earlier in John as well. He wants us to be with Him, sharing in His glory:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

We are eternal beings, though our natural body is perishing and our mortal frames will one day expire. Whether we choose to believe this fact or not does not negate its truth. Our physical bodies are mortal, but we have immortal souls. One day, depending on our response to Jesus Christ, each one of us will either be with the Lord Jesus throughout eternity or be separated from Him in a place our Lord repeatedly described as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Those of us who cling to the truth of Christianity–that apart from belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming work for us on the cross we remain eternally damned–should certainly be motivated to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. The apostle Paul was a master at tirelessly presenting the Gospel. He took seriously the ministry of reconciliation that all believers have been entrusted with:

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us 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. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

Take It to Heart

“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all–except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” (C.S. Lewis)

The Father Speaks

“There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12:48-50)

God spoke decisively and finally through His Son. To reject the Word of Jesus is to reject the Word of God the Father. Jesus said the following regarding this truth:

Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (John 14:10)

The writer of Hebrews says:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Jesus gave proof of His union with the Father in three ways–through His character, through His words, and through the miracles He performed. Our obedience to Jesus will grow out of our love for Him and out of our love for His Word. He tells us that if we love Him we will obey Him. When we obey Him, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit abide with us–equipping us to both hear and heed the Lord’s will.

Jesus came first to offer salvation to the whole world–we are at fault if we reject the truth. Nothing is more dreadful than abused patience and grace that is constantly trampled on. There will be a certain and unavoidable future judgment on those refusing to believe the teaching of Jesus--the day of the righteous judgment of God. The very words Christ spoke will themselves judge those who willingly choose not to believe them. The idea behind the word “reject” in our verses for today is of one who despises--deliberately refusing to acknowledge Him as the Messiah in spite of all the miracles He performed--nor will he embrace in his heart the doctrines preached by our Lord. The rejection and unbelief of those who despise our Lord will not go unpunished no matter what people choose to believe.

It will be impossible to deny the truth and wisdom and mercy of Jesus’ words on the last day and they will be used against those who despised Him. This will leave them speechless, unanswerable to the words of Christ. Be assured, the words of Christ never fall to the ground–they are always operative. Scripture tells us:

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

The writer of Hebrews states this truth as well:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Take It to Heart

Our Lord warns us that it is a serious sin to refuse His words. We are to take heed. These were not our Lord’s words alone, but the very words of God the Father. Jesus was sent to this earth with a commission of what to say and speak to men. He spoke the true counsel of the Most Holy God.

Jesus states emphatically that He knows His command leads to eternal life. Peter was thoroughly convinced that Jesus’ words lead to life and rightly confessed:

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69)

We must live as those who believe in the truth of the judgment, and of heaven, and of hell. Jesus deserves our all! We can never serve God too much! Christ died for us–nothing is too great for us to do for Him.

Praise From God

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.” (John 12:42-45)

In our verses for today, we see even among the leaders those who were persuaded that Jesus was the Messiah. Sadly, they were not bold enough to acknowledge their faith for fear of the consequences that might ensue. It would appear that mankind continuously seeks the approval and acceptance of mankind. We worry about the praise of the creature rather than striving for the praise of the Creator. Earlier in John, Jesus said:

"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. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” (John 5:41-44)

Does the praise of men tickle our ears and motivate our actions, prompting us to have very little or no regard for the praise of God? This is a cause for many a downfall. King Saul is a perfect example from scripture. The first King of Israel suffered with the problem of people pleasing. Neglecting the Lord’s command to totally destroy the Amalekites and everything belonging to them, Saul spared the king and some of the best of the sheep and cattle and lambs. His actions did not please God:

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. (1 Samuel 15:10-11)

After Samuel questioned Saul, we discover the reason for his disobedience:

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. (1 Samuel 15:24)

Saul proved to be a coward. He was unwilling to stand for the difficult right against the easy wrong in an effort to be embraced and lauded by flesh and blood. Paul had it right when he wrote to the Thessalonians:

We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed–God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6)

Make no mistake about it, when we reject Jesus, we reject God. There is an entire unity between Jesus and the Father, a complete and mysterious oneness. To trust in the Son–the sent Savior of sinners–is to also trust in the Father–the One who sent Jesus to save. Though distinct persons of the trinity, they cannot be divided. The unity of Jesus and the Father are so complete that to honor God is to honor the Son as well, and conversely, to dishonor one is to dishonor the other.

Take It to Heart

God makes Himself known through the face of Christ. To believe in Jesus is to believe in God. God’s essential nature is disclosed in our Lord Jesus. Knowing God comes through knowing His Son–reading His Words and paying attention to His deeds. Jesus came to make God known to us. Earlier John 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)

Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26)

God has firmly established a plan of grace for all mankind which both begins and ends with Jesus. Jesus’ first two words in our verses for today–“I am”–are indicative of deity meaning: “I myself am He who is.” Our all-powerful Savior is mighty to save. Here He lovingly corrects Martha’s feeble faith by setting before her this high and exalted description of Himself. He needs no help. He possesses all capabilities. He is the all-sufficient One. He was and is not merely a human teacher, He was and is the divine author and perfecter of our faith. He is the answer to man’s dire dilemma of sin and death.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

I wonder, like Martha, do we place Jesus just a little above our own levels? Do we think of Him as merely a man without the all-achieving power to aid and comfort and encourage and heal and save us?

For believers in Jesus, the Lord has broken the bondage of sin, enabling us to no longer be held captive to its control. He lovingly cares for us, satisfying us in a sun-drenched land. Yet, like the Israelites, when we become satisfied, we often become proud, forgetting the one who delivered us. We fall into the pattern of seeking to be our own savior–taking things in our own hands–living life apart from His power when it is so readily ours for the asking.

Hosea puts it this way:

"But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. (Hosea 13:4-6)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

This we can be assured of: No prophet or Apostle spoke such as this. Only the one who knew He was God could proclaim these words and subsequently provide proof for His claim. In a wondrous, loving act of God toward all mankind–when mankind had a right to expect nothing, but was given everything–Jesus bled and died for our sins and was raised again.

Take It to Heart

“On Calvary, the One from whom you and I have a right to expect nothing because of our disobedience and sin, nevertheless, has given us everything! This is the deep, indefinable grace of the God who loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us, so that if we confess our sins, turn from them and put our faith in Christ we can live with Him forever. This is the mystery of a love that cannot be contained, that we cannot even hope to speak. We are to love our enemies because God loved His enemies–us.” (Michael Card)

“Jesus! What a friend for sinners! Jesus lover of my soul! Friends may fail me, foes assail me; He, my Savior, makes me whole. Hallelujah!  What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.” (Wilbur Chapman, “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners”)

Truth Comes from Above

Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” (John 7:16-18)

Jesus divulges the mystery of His knowledge to His Jewish audience–His teaching is not His own, but rather divine. He had no need to be taught by man–His teaching was not learned, it was by divine revelation. Jesus was commanded by the Father what to say and how to say it. We find these words of our Lord later in John echoing the same sentiment:

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12:47-50)

Many people complain regarding their ability to discover truth. In our verses for today, Jesus tells us one secret key to knowledge–obedience. And as we are obedient in the simple things, we will be taught the deeper truths. Jesus is telling us that anyone who chooses to do God’s will–responding to the Word and the Spirit–will succeed in their search for the truth. In other words, those who progressively submit to divine guidelines will progressively be given divine light. As the Spirit leads us through conviction and we are obedient to change, we grow in Christlikeness–conforming to His image. This process is called sanctification. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians:

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.(1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

Jesus lived a perfect life; indeed, Jesus lived the life God calls mankind to. We are simply incapable of following His steps apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus came to portray God to man. Those who follow our Lord, through the Holy Spirit’s leading and power, are to portray God to man as well. Jesus brought God honor through His willing obedience. Likewise, we are to bring God honor through our willing obedience.

In Malachi, we are told that God rebuked the Levite priests for their failure to listen to His Word and for their failure to honor His great Name:

"And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me.” (Malachi 2:1-2)

The priests knew they were to honor God by the reverence of their words and their actions. Their teaching and instruction were to be true, nothing false found on their lips. By walking in peace and uprightness, they would turn many from sin.

Take It to Heart

In similar fashion, believers in Jesus are a royal priesthood, so termed by Peter, and called to declare His praises. Not stumbling through disobedience to the message, but rather living in such a way that our lives demonstrate the peace and wisdom found in God:


But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)